InterMat Staff

Mike Houck

Zach Roberson, a three-time All-American and 2004 NCAA 133-pound champion at Iowa State has joined the ranks of the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club (FLWC) coaching staff. Roberson placed seventh at the NCAA Championships as a sophomore for his first All-America accolade before taking second as a junior and winning the national title as a senior in the 2004 event. More recently Roberson competed on the senior freestyle circuit, winning the U.S. Open in 2006 and making the U.S. National Team in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Zach also claimed Dave Shultz Memorial and NYAC tournament titles. Roberson’s duties with the FLWC will be to coach all levels of FLWC wrestlers. This consists of youth, high school, college and senior level wrestlers, including Cornell’s talented group of lightweights. Zach will be joining an FLWC coaching staff that also includes: Clint Wattenberg, Jordan Leen, Mitch Clark, Tyler Baier, Mike Rodriguez, Matt Bogumil and Gene Nighman. The mission of the FLWC is to promote all levels of wrestling within the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Along with his FLWC duties, Zach has accepted a sales/marketing representative position for TTI, a world-class leader in quality consumer and professional products marketed to the home improvement and construction industries.

A day after Iowa received a verbal commitment from No. 43 Bobby Telford, the Iowa Hawkeye faithful received more good news on Thursday when No. 9 Anthony Baldosaro and No. 33 Josh Dziewa gave verbal commitments to the Hawkeyes. Baldosaro, who attends Eastern Regional High School in New Jersey, is a two-time state champion. Last season, Baldosaro finished 41-0 and won his second state title at 140 pounds. In 2008, Baldosaro was a Cadet Nationals champion in freestyle and a Beast of the East champion. He projects collegiately at 149 pounds. Josh Dziewa won a Junior Nationals title (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)Dziewa originally gave a verbal commitment to Rutgers at Junior Nationals in July when he captured a freestyle title at 135 pounds. After Dziewa gave his verbal commitment to Rutgers, he told InterMat, "I really like the coaching staff at Rutgers. I really like the idea of building a program. I feel like Rutgers has what it takes for me to become a national champion." But the Council Rock South High School (PA) senior, who projects collegiately at 141 pounds, changed his mind and decided to take his official visits to Nebraska, Virginia Tech, and Iowa ... before deciding he wanted to be a Hawkeye on Thursday. In addition to winning a Junior Nationals title in freestyle, Dziewa was a third-place finisher at this year's FILA Cadet Nationals. In 2008, Dziewa was a Cadet Nationals double All-American. He was a Super 32 champion in 2007.

Nick Dardanes and Chris Dardanes have always dreamed of being college teammates while wrestling in the Big Ten Conference. Nick Dardanes was a Junior Nationals runner-up (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)On Thursday, the identical twin brothers from Oak Park, Illinois moved one step closer to making that dream a reality by verbally committing to the University of Minnesota. Nick won the Illinois Class 3A state title at 130 pounds last season while compiling a record of 50-1. He was runner-up at Junior Nationals in freestyle this past summer. Nick is ranked as the No. 20 recruit in the country by InterMat. Chris is a two-time Illinois state placewinner, finishing fourth the past two seasons. He placed fourth at Junior Nationals in freestyle. Nick and Chris took official visits to Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Ultimately, they decided on Minnesota because it was where they felt most comfortable. "Jayson Ness, David Thron, Zach Sanders ... They all have the same mentality as us," said Nick. "They love being in the room. They love getting better ... whether it's drilling or doing some extra cardio. We just really like being around those guys." Chris has always held the Minnesota wrestling program in high esteem. "I really looked up to the Minnesota program growing up, especially with the three national titles they have won over the last nine years," said Chris. "I just really looked up to the program and J Robinson. I'm just excited that now I get to wrestle for a program and a coach that I have always looked up to." Nick and Chris have been best friends and training partners since they were young. "Sometimes things get heated in the wrestling room and fight each other a little bit," said Nick. "But we don't really fight outside the wrestling room anymore." Nick weighs slightly more than Chris ... two or three pounds more. Chris competed in one weight class higher than Nick for the first two years of their high school careers, but last year Nick was a little heavier and wrestled one weight class higher. The two competed in the same weight class (130) at Junior Nationals in July. Chris Dardanes"We have always been real close in weight, but we're trying to separate right now so that we can have Dardanes-Dardanes back-to-back in the lineup at 133 and 141 in college," said Chris. "Nick's trying to get stronger and I'm trying to get leaner." The Dardanes twins started their high school careers at Fenwick High School, a private school in Oak Park, Illinois, before transferring to the city's public school, Oak Park-River Forest (OPRF), after their sophomore years. "Fenwick was a private school and it was tough to keep my grades up," said Chris. "I just feel comfortable at Oak Park-River Forest. I'm getting my grades up and spending time with people that I enjoy being around." Added Nick of Fenwick, "I just didn't want to be around guys who didn't really try to improve and do better in wrestling. Everyone really dreaded practice there." Transferring to OPRF also allowed the Dardanes twins to wrestle for Mike Powell, a 1996 All-American at Indiana who has helped make Illinois a dominant Greco-Roman force on the cadet and junior levels. "I have always worked with him in the offseason," said Nick. "I got to know him real well. He's a great motivator. His practices are awesome. You just want to be in the room every day and learn some new things from him." Last season, Nick became Powell's first individual state champion at OPRF. The Dardanes twins also helped lead OPRF to its first team dual meet state wrestling title and a perfect 24-0 record. The Dardanes twins join Dylan Ness as part of Minnesota's 2010 recruiting class. Ness, a two-time USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner who is ranked as the No. 16 recruit in the country by InterMat, gave a verbal commitment to the Gophers in October of 2008 during his junior year at Kennedy High School in Bloomington, Minnesota. Minnesota is coming off two very strong recruiting years. InterMat tabbed Minnesota's 2008 recruiting class No. 1 and its 2009 recruiting class No. 2.

For the second straight year the Ohio State Wrestling Program landed the first verbal commitment from the junior class. With an announcement of his intentions on Thursday, Monroeville HS junior Hunter Stieber became the first member of the 2010-2011 OSU recruiting class. The tenth-ranked wrestler in the InterMat Top 50, he is a two-time Ohio state champion and a two-time freestyle national champion. "I gave my verbal to Tom Ryan and the Ohio State University to wrestle for the Buckeyes today," said Hunter Stieber. "I have always loved Ohio State. They have great coaches that love the sport. They care about their athletes and they stress the importance of academics." For Stieber the decision was easy because there was only one school on his list. "I got some letters from some other schools but they didn't really matter. In my mind I always wanted to be a Buckeye and Ohio State was the only school I wanted to go to," said the high school junior. Hunter Stieber: The Wrestler As the younger brother of the nation's number one ranked senior; Hunter has built an impressive resume of his own in Ohio and around the country. A two-time Ohio state champion for the Eagles; Stieber is 98-1 in varsity competition at 103, 112, and 119 pounds. Undefeated as a freshman; his only high school loss was an 8-4 decision to Devin Carter in the Ironman finals. Carter ended the season ranked first at 112 and is currently ranked thirteenth in his senior class. Hunter Stieber of Monroeville (OH) is a two-time Ohio state champion with a 98-1 career record (Photo/Bob Tuneberg, BuckeyeWrestling.com)"Hunter is a fundamentally sound wrestler and is a great student athlete," said Monroeville HS head coach Scott Bauer. "I couldn't think of a better situation for the Stieber brothers than wrestling together in college at Ohio State." At the OHSAA state tournament Stieber has been dominant. As a freshman he pinned his way through the finals to take his first title. Last season he moved up to 119 pounds and won his second state championship with another pin in the finals. "As a wrestler Hunter takes advantage of everything someone gives him and has a great knowledgebase to build from. He has been in some tough matches and he has the ability to make some adjustments, adapt, and prevail. He has a pinner's mentality and that can only help him in making the transition to college wrestling," said Bauer. In freestyle Hunter is a two-time Cadet All-American; winning a national title in 2007 and placing third in 2008. This summer he chose to forgo Fargo in favor of the Junior Duals in Oklahoma. With an undefeated tournament as an individual, Stieber helped Team Ohio win the tournament. "Hunter is a hard worker, he is a gamer, and is a big match kid. If he makes mistakes in practice he seems to correct them in his matches. He knows what he needs to work on and he has been focusing on those areas and improving. I think Ohio State is a fantastic choice and he is going to fit in great," said his club coach Erik Burnett. Stieber's remaining high school goals are simple; to improve every day, to win, and to have fun. "This season I will probably wrestle 119. In college they are projecting me as a 141 pounder, but I could be at 133 if I stay around the same weight," said Stieber. Hunter Stieber: The Recruit Hunter is the second member of his family to give a verbal commitment to Buckeyes. Following in the footsteps of his older brother Logan, both were the first wrestlers to commit to OSU in their class and the first juniors to commit nationally. "Having Logan already commit to the Buckeyes made this an easy decision," said Hunter. "We have been friends our whole life, we are drill partners, and we do everything together so I think it something that is going to work out well for both of us." "It is awesome knowing that Hunter is going to be on campus and training with me at Ohio State," asserted Logan. "Nothing is a sure thing but I would like to say that Logan and Hunter will thrive off each other at OSU," commented Burnett who has coached both Stiebers since before they were in junior high. "Ohio State is a great program with a great coaching staff and I think they will both do well." Hunter Stieber, who is ranked as the No. 10 recruit in the Class of 2011 by InterMat, cited the presence of the Ohio Regional Training Center as a factor in his recruitment (Photo/Bob Tuneberg, BuckeyeWrestling.com)As with many of Ohio State's recent verbal commitments, Stieber also cited the presence of the Ohio Regional Training Center as a factor in his recruitment. "I think the Ohio RTC is awesome. I like freestyle a lot so having a group like the Ohio RTC on campus is a great resource," offered Stieber. "During wrestling season I can focus on my folkstyle and during the offseason I can roll right into freestyle." Stieber has two years before he arrives on campus. He plans on signing with OSU during the early signing period next November. As far as knowing what he wants to do in school, he has at least two more years to figure that out. "I still have some time before I have to pick a major in college but I am interested in business and computer sciences. Whatever I decide I am confident that I will get a quality education at Ohio State," said Stieber. Hunter Stieber gives the Buckeyes four verbal commitments. As the charter member of the Class of 2011, he will follow in the footsteps of an outstanding Class of 2010. Seniors Logan Stieber, Derek Garcia, and Josh Demas are planning on signing their National Letters of Intent in November. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from BuckeyeWrestling.com. http://www.buckeyewrestling.com/?q=node/37256

Cliff Keen Athletic and Worldwide Sport Supply, long-time providers for exceptional wrestling gear, are announcing a FREE coaching clinic on Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2009 in Johnson City, NY. We currently have coaches registered from as far as California, Idaho, Florida, Alabama, North and South Carolina, and Virginia. The event is being made possible through the additional support of wrestling mogul Asics. New-comers to the sport, APPLEBOOST, Defense Soap, and Session 6 Wrestling, have also helped make this clinic achievable. Statement made by TJ Ciaravino, VP of Sales/Co-Owner Worldwide Sport Supply: "We are very fortunate to have excellent, long-standing relationships with wrestling gear companies such as Cliff Keen Athletic and Asics. At the same time, we are excited about the relationships we have built with APPLEBOOSTER, Defense Soap, and Session 6. When we first proposed the idea of a free wrestling coaching clinic to our vendors, all five were thrilled to give back to the wrestling community. It is an honor for WWSPORT.COM to not only assist in providing a top-notch coaching clinic, but giving back to so many loyal WWSPORT.COM customers." The Cliff Keen/ Worldwide Sport Supply Free Coaching Clinic will feature six outstanding coaches who will provide an enriching and interactive learning environment at no charge. All aspects of coaching (on and off the mat) will be presented including; Practice organization/ Peaking in your season, Developing/Promoting your program, Building your program into a perennial power, and situation wrestling/drills for all three areas of wrestling (Neutral, Top, Bottom). There will also be informative presentations on preventing skin infections, tracking your athlete's training, and wrestling nutrition. Check-in will take place Saturday, October 24 at 4:30 p.m. with the first session starting at 6:00 p.m. A free coach's social, sponsored by WWSPORT.COM, will be offered at 9:00 p.m. at the host hotel (Best Western of Johnson City). Scheduled to appear are: Jeff Buxton, Head Coach- Blair Academy (NJ) - Dynasty Program of the Decade (1991-2001) - Eight-time National Champions - 28 Consecutive National Prep School Championships Scot Davis, Head Coach- Owatonna High School (MN) - The Winningest Coach in Amateur Wrestling History - 903-135-4 Dual Meet record - Two-time National Coach of the Year Roy Hall, Head Coach, Davison High School (MI) Six-time Michigan State Champions (since 2001) 2005 National Coach of the Year Produced two NCAA Champions and 7 all-Americans Pete Capone, Head Coach- Johnson City High School (NY) - Three-time NYS Team Champions (99', 03', 06') - Produced Six NYS Champions & 36 NYS Place-Winners - One of the Most Successful Youth Programs in NYS Mike Krause, NXT LVL Wrestling Academy (fueled by WWSport.com) (MI) - Premier Youth Wrestling Coach in the Country - Two-time Michigan Youth State Champions - As Seen on Flowrestling.com, "BRING THE HEAT!!!" Featuring Special Guest: Pat Santoro, Head Coach- Lehigh University - Rated as High as No. 7 Nationally - Two-time NCAA Champion, Four-time All-American - 1996 Olympic Alternate Pre-Registration is encouraged, please visit: http://www.wwsport.com/Cliff-Keen-WWsport-Free-Northeast-Coaching-Clinic.aspx Free samples from vendors for the first 150 coaches registered Contact National Sales Manager Mike Fusilli at 800.756.3555 x320 for more information.

A team of top U.S. wrestlers will compete in a freestyle dual meet against a team from Russsia in Mount Vernon, Iowa on Wednesday, November 18. It will be held at the Small Multi-Sports Center at Cornell College. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with wrestling starting at 7:00 p.m. The local organizing committee is the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. “I am fired up about this,” said Terry Brands, coach for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club and an assistant wrestling coach at the Univ. of Iowa. “We have high expectations for both teams. We look forward to this event.” Tickets will cost $10 for adults and $5 for students. Information on how to purchase tickets will be announced shortly. The U.S. team will very strong. Three U.S. Olympic team members, all who were also stars for the Univ. of Iowa, will compete in the event. 2008 U.S. Olympians Mike Zadick (Solon, Iowa/Gator WC), Doug Schwab (Coralville, Iowa/Gator WC) and Steve Mocco (Coralville, Iowa/New York AC) will be in the U.S. lineup. Schwab and Mocco both won NCAA Div. I titles for Iowa, while Zadick was an All-American for the Hawkeyes. Zadick won a World silver medal for the United States in 2006. Zadick will compete at 60 kg/132 lbs., Schwab will wrestle at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Mocco will compete at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Two of the other U.S. team members train full-time in Iowa City. Paul Donahoe, a past NCAA champion for Nebraska, will compete at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Lloyd Rogers, who starred at Tennessee-Chattanooga, will wrestle at 74 kg/163 lbs. Also in the lineup is Bryce Hasseman (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs.. Hasseman climbed to the No. 2 position on Freestyle Team USA last season while training in Iowa City under coach Terry Brands. The U.S. team member at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. has not yet been determined, but will be a talented, nationally-ranked athlete. Russia is the defending World Team champions in freestyle wrestling, and has been a long-time rival for international supremacy with the United States. The Russian lineup has not yet been finalized, but should include a number of athletes who have won medals on the international level. The Russian team is also expected to compete in other dual meets in Illinois and New York, as well as wrestle in the New York AC International Open in New York City on November 22. "We have a very strong group of American athletes," said Hawkeye Wrestling Club coach Mike Duroe, who is the head wrestling coach at Cornell College. "I have seen so many of our guys develop over the years and I think we will be extremely competitive. The Russians are always tough but there will definitely be a hometown advantage competing so close to Iowa City. We will have a lot of Hawkeye fans there and even more USA Wrestling fans!” Duroe is excited that Cornell College will host the event. His goal is to pack more than 2,000 fans in the arena, which will provide an outstanding atmosphere and intensity for the dual meet. "We have hosted so many exciting events here at the college and Cornell has an amazing history in the sport of wrestling," said Duroe. "It goes back to the 1940's and 1950's when Cornell would sell out the gym for major meets. It is a great thing for Cornell and Mt. Vernon to host a meet of this magnitude. It brings positive attention to the College and the community. The interest in wrestling on the high school, college and international levels is very big here and in the surrounding area and I am confident this international event will get a lot of interest." Information on the Russian team lineup and other details about the dual meet will be announced when available. For information about the event, contact Hawkeye Wrestling Club board member Darin Williams at 319-389-6400. USA vs. RUSSIA FREESTYLE WRESTLING DUAL At Mount Vernon, Iowa, November 18 Tentative U.S. lineup 55 kg/121 lbs. – Paul Donahoe, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) 60 kg/132 lbs. – Mike Zadick, Solon, Iowa (Gator WC) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Doug Schwab, Coralville, Iowa (Gator WC) 74 kg/163 lbs. - Lloyd Rogers, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) 84 kg/185 lbs. - Bryce Hasseman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. – To be announced 120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Steve Mocco, Coralville, Iowa (New York AC)

EASTON, PA -- The National High School Coaches Association will hold their 12th Annual Pre-Season Wrestling Championships, November 14, 2009 at Pleasant Valley High School in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. The event attracts wrestlers from 18 different states with the results heavily influencing national wrestling polls for their pre-season national rankings. It is also an opportunity for the high school wrestlers to showcase their talent for college recruiting. Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ dominated the event last year crowning eight champions. Blair Academy Head Coach, Jeffrey Buxton says, “Last year was the first time we attended the NHSCA Preseason Nationals as we brought our entire team. It was a valuable experience for all of our wrestlers as the competition was extremely good helping our kids prepare for the upcoming season. The NHSCA continue to support High School wrestling giving wrestlers the opportunity to improve and wrestle against the very best.” Top wrestlers from across the nation use the NHSCA National Pre-Season Wrestling Championships as a final preparation for the beginning of the wrestling season. The top six finishers in each weight class automatically qualify for the NHSCA’s 14th Annual U.S. Open and the National Beach Wrestling Championships. Athletes must be enrolled in high school for eligibility. All wrestlers must register online by November 11th at the NHSCA website, www.nhsca.com. Wrestlers may change weight classes without penalty until November 12th. About the NHSCA: The NHSCA selects Coaches and Senior Athletes of the Year in 20 boys and girls sports, and sponsors more than two dozen national championship events in 11 sports. The NHSCA, in partnership with Navy Special Operations conducts the Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge in 1200 high schools throughout America. This serves as a replacement for President Kennedy's Council on Fitness that was popular in the 1970's and 1980's. In partnership with the Pennsylvania National Guard, the NHSCA also conducts Character and Leadership Workshops and reach more than 800 Pennsylvania high schools and 9600 athletes and coaches. For more information on all NHSCA programs, visit the NHSCA's web site at www.nhsca.com. Founded in 1989, the National High School Coaches Association is a not-for-profit 501c3 service organization providing support and leadership programs for the nation's 500,000 high school coaches and 10 million high school athletes.

Cedar Falls, IA -- Mix the old with the new and you get something very powerful. Wrestling, the world's oldest sport, is increasingly becoming modernized through the use of technology. InterMat broke the ice with the first major national wrestling website. Many others followed their lead. Now Terry Brands, Dennis Hall and Jon McGovern have created a new resource that uses technology and the internet to take wrestling to the next level. Kolat.com, Thewrestlingmall.com, Flo Wrestling, Takedown Radio, Wrestling411, Thewrestlingreport.com and others have all followed in the footsteps of InterMat. Newcomer WorldWrestlingResource.com founder and World Champion Dennis Hall elaborates on his new venture, "We are in the age of computers and have put together a comprehensive wrestling site. This site is aimed at being user friendly and inexpensive for coaches and athletes which will help them in their quest to be the best." As technology changes so does wrestling. The world's oldest sport continues to evolve for fans, media and coaches. WWR's National Web Wrestling Coaches Clinic is the latest manifestation of this evolution. "The Technology offered via world wrestling resource allows us to make affordable to every high school, college, and club coach - a first class two day online "Live" web coaches clinic - and coaches don't even have to leave their family." This is a real winner for wrestling, coaches, families, and for those that need to save money in these economic times. World Wrestling Resource (www.worldwrestlingresource.com) a new online resource for athletes and coaches is taking live instruction nationwide via the first ever National Web Wrestling Coaches Clinic. Covering topics including technique, marketing, nutrition, and strength & conditioning the event is the first of it's kind. The event will be held at the Holiday Inn in Cedar Falls, IA on Sat, Oct 31 and Sun, Nov 1 in conjunction with USA Wrestling's Pre-Season Folkstyle Nationals. World Wrestling Resource, founded by world champions Terry Brands and Dennis Hall as well as former US National Team member Jon McGovern. WWR is a 24/7 online coach for both athletes and coaches. Their National Web Wrestling Coaches Clinic is the first event of it's kind and includes Riot Sports Marketing's Jim Harshaw and other expert speakers.

Jack Childs

Henry Priest

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The University of Illinois announced its 2009-10 schedule Wednesday, highlighted by the addition of duals against Big 12 opponents Iowa State and Missouri to the always difficult slate. The Illini also will travel to Binghamton, N.Y., for the Journeymen/Asics Sprawl & Brawl duals, where they will face Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Davidson. In addition to a full slate of Big Ten duals, Midlands and the Las Vegas Invitational, Illinois' schedule will provide constant challenges throughout the season. "I am pleased with the upgrades we have made to our schedule by adding two teams from the Big 12 in Iowa State and Missouri," head coach Jim Heffernan said. "Combined with our usually rigorous tournament and Big Ten schedule, I am confident this will help prepare us for the postseason." Illinois starts the campaign strong, facing Missouri, which finished seventh at the 2009 NCAA Championships, in a dual on Nov. 12 at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo. The next weekend, the Illini will send its dual starters to Sprawl & Brawl while other squad members return to Missouri for the Missouri Open. Two weeks later, the team will travel to the annually tough Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The first home meet of the season will be against Findlay and McKendree at Huff Hall on Dec. 12 at noon. The Illini also will make their annual trip to Midlands during the holiday break on Dec. 29-30 at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. Just over a week later, Illinois will return home for a dual against SIU Edwardsville on Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. The Orange and Blue enter the heart of their dual schedule with a final non-conference meet at Iowa State, which finished third at the 2009 NCAA Championships, on Jan. 16 before opening Big Ten action at Penn State on Jan. 22 and traveling to Michigan State on Jan. 24. The next weekend, Illinois visits Indiana and Northwestern for duals before returning home for four Big Ten duals in February. The Illini host Minnesota on Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. and welcome Wisconsin to Huff Hall on Feb. 7 at 1 p.m. Illinois will face Ohio State, which finished second at the 2009 NCAA Championships, on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. before wrapping up the conference dual season on Thursday, Feb. 18, against Purdue. Big Ten Championships will be held March 6-7 at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich., with the 2010 NCAA Championships being held March 18-20 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb.

Craig Turnbull

Aaron Anspach

Two years ago, when Bobby Telford was entering his sophomore season at St. Mark's High School in Delaware, after posting a 13-23 record as a freshman and a 1-4 record at Cadet Nationals in Fargo, you would have been hard-pressed to find someone who would believe that he would eventually become one of the nation's top high school heavyweights and earn a scholarship to wrestle at University of Iowa. But it happened. On Wednesday, Telford, who is ranked as the No. 43 recruit in the country by InterMat, called Tom Brands to let him know that he wants to be a Hawkeye. Bobby Telford"I don't think anyone can match the workout partners, coaching staff, fans, program, support ... No one can offer that except Iowa," said Telford. "Obviously, Iowa takes it to the extreme. That's where I want to go." Iowa head coach Tom Brands and assistant coach Doug Schwab visited Telford's home in early September, which he said got him "psyched up to get out there and see what it's all about." He took official visits to Pittsburgh, Old Dominion, and Illinois. He was also recruited by North Carolina, Northwestern, Wyoming, Northern Colorado, Virginia, and Penn. Telford, though, knew in his heart that he wanted to be a Hawkeye. "I think it's every kid's dream to wrestle for the Hawkeyes when they grow up," said Telford. "It's kind of hard to not root for the hardest-working, best team out there. That's the name of the game. Who puts in the most time and effort, who works the hardest ... You have to respect that no matter what. When I was a little kid, it was special to watch the Hawkeyes wrestle." As a freshman, Telford wrestled at 135 pounds before moving up six weight classes as a sophomore to compete at 189 pounds. As he has grown into his body, he has improved by leaps in bounds in all aspects of his wrestling. "When I wrested 135, it was hard for me to keep my weight down," said Telford. "I was having a problem. I didn't feel energetic. I didn't feel confident when I went out on the mat. I'm sure my record shows that. When I moved up to 189, I started getting a little more confidence in myself. I felt good every match. I started to improve physically and mentally." As a sophomore, Telford posted a 22-16 record at 189 pounds. He failed to place at the Delaware state tournament, which one could look at as the defining moment of Telford's young career to this point. "The day after I was eliminated from the state tournament, my dad and me got in the car, got right back at it, and started to get better the next day," said Telford. "I didn't feel sorry for myself. I just got right back at it. There was no sense in staying down on myself. It was just all about hard work. I was starting to grow into my body a little more. The more and more I wrestled, the more comfortable I got with myself." It all came together for Telford as a junior. Last season, the 6'5", 265-pound heavyweight won every tournament he entered, including the prestigious Beast of the East, and finished the season a perfect 38-0. At the state tournament, Telford dominated the competition, going 4-0 with two first-period pins, a technical fall (15-0), and shutout victory (9-0) in the finals. He earned a place on the ASICS All-American Third Team at heavyweight. Jason BastianelliSt. Mark's has long been a state wrestling power in Delaware. The Spartans, who are coached by St. Mark's alum Jason Bastianelli, have finished first or second in the Delaware High School Dual Meet Wrestling Championships every year since 1995. Last season, St. Mark's defeated longtime rival Caesar Rodney, 44-15, to win its 11th state title in 22 years, but its first since 2002. St. Mark's finished last season ranked No. 11 in the country by Amateur Wrestling News. This year's St. Mark's senior class has four wrestlers ranked among the InterMat Top 100 recruits in the country. In addition to Telford, Nick Schenk (No. 57), Sean Dolan (No. 80), and Sean Boylan (No. 83) are all in the InterMat Top 100. Dolan has given a verbal commitment to North Carolina State, while Boylan will be heading to Bloomsburg. Schenk is uncommitted at this point. Bobby Telford"It's great to be a part of such a strong team," said Telford. "We all push each other. When you surround yourself with good people, only good things can come from it. I think we came together as a team last year ... I'm looking forward to good things this year." Telford's goals for his senior season include repeating as an undefeated state champion, winning the Beast of the East, and earning a place on the ASICS All-America First Team. As for college goals, Telford has sights set on being the best. "Everyone wants to be an NCAA champion," said Telford. "That my No. 1 goal. All it is ... is hard work to get there. Spoken like a true Iowa Hawkeye.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia University Director of Athletics Ed Pastilong has announced the 2009-10 wrestling schedule, highlighted by six home dual matches and the hosting of the 2010 Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Championships. “Coach (Craig) Turnbull and the Mountaineers have put together an exciting and challenging schedule this season,” Pastilong says. “We are especially pleased to be hosting the EWL Championships to showcase our outstanding university and facilities.” The Mountaineers open the year at the Washington & Jefferson College Open on Nov. 14, and then return to the Navy Classic, where selected Mountaineers will compete in Annapolis, Md., on Nov. 21 at the all-day event. WVU will open its dual meet schedule with the annual “Sprawl & Brawl” – hosted by Binghamton – in Vestal, N.Y. The Mountaineers will first wrestle Wyoming, which had four NCAA qualifiers last season, at 11:30 a.m. WVU will follow with a match against Illinois, which finished eighth at the 2009 NCAA Championships, at 1:15 p.m. After more than a week off, WVU will fly west to compete at the 28th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational from Dec. 4-5. Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Ohio State are just four of the 59 teams competing in Primm, Nev. Coach Craig Turnbull’s squad then will wrestle its first home dual meet against Big Ten foe Penn State on Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. The Nittany Lions return five of their six NCAA qualifiers and eight of 10 starters. Nine days later, WVU will fly back west to compete at the prestigious Reno Tournament of Champions in Reno, Nev., on Dec. 20. “As we’re getting everyone to wrestle from two to six matches in a weekend, it gives them less time to work out some things in the beginning of the season,” Turnbull says on wrestling in two top-tier tournaments. “To have a dual meet and then not wrestle again for another week – you’re at the beginning and you’re trying to get all of your timing and rhythm of the season together. Getting them a good amount of matches in early season tournaments is really helpful to get to our midseason form quicker.” After the Reno Tournament, the Mountaineers will resume their dual meet schedule with two more Big Ten opponents. On Jan. 2, WVU will play host to Indiana at the Coliseum at noon. The team then travels to East Lansing, Mich., to face Michigan State on Jan. 9. WVU continues its road trip as it heads to Bethlehem, Pa., for a contest with Lehigh, which posted a 23-1 overall record in 2008-09. On Jan. 22, WVU will wrestle EWL opponent Clarion at home at 8 p.m. to begin league competition. The Mountaineers also face Bloomsburg (1/24), Lock Haven (1/31) and Pitt (2/6) at home before hitting the road with a match against non-conference opponent Ohio on Feb. 14. “I believe the Eastern Wrestling League schools are really making significant gains in their programs,” Turnbull adds. “We’ll have some very good challenges within the league.” The Mountaineers wrap up their regular-season portion of the schedule with road matches against EWL opponents Cleveland State (2/19) and league and tournament dual meet champion Edinboro on Feb. 20. On March 7, WVU will host the EWL Championships – a day long tournament, which will take place at the Coliseum. The 2010 NCAA Wrestling Championships will be held at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb., from March 18-20. “The schedule, in general, we feel very good about,” Turnbull says. “We have some good diversity of teams on there. We upgraded the schedule a little bit in some ways, where we added the Reno Tournament. I believe it’s a schedule that we’re looking forward to and will prepare us to be at our best at the end of the season.”

AMES, Iowa -- New leadership is in place for the Iowa State wrestling team and expectations are high. Eight starters return from the 2009 NCAA Championships’ third-place squad to wrestle under new head coach Kevin Jackson. The former Cyclone NCAA finalist and 1992 Olympic Gold medalist will attempt to help ISU wrestlers reach their aspirations. ISU has placed in the top five teams at the last three NCAA Championships. “We’ve got a good group of guys,” Jackson said. “They haven’t accomplished all of their goals so there is always room for improvement. We are bringing in a different attitude from a technical and tactical standpoint. We are going to be more aggressive and try to score more points.” Jackson plans to work on expanding the wrestling repertoire of each individual Cyclone on the team. “You can say ‘Let’s be more aggressive’ but there is more to it than just that,” Jackson said. “Our strength and conditioning program will greatly aid all of our student-athletes. We are doing things that haven’t been done in the past.” The group of senior Iowa Staters that made up the top-ranked recruiting class of 2005 are set to begin their final campaigns. Iowa State starters Nick Fanthorpe, Nick Gallick, Mitch Mueller, Jake Varner, David Zabriskie and reserve Joe Curran have compiled 436 career wins. The ISU group has lived up to the lofty billing by taking a personal stake in three-straight Big 12 Championship team titles. “When the seniors came to Iowa State, they came here for a couple reasons,” Jackson said. “They wanted to be individual champions, they wanted to win a NCAA team title and they wanted to beat Iowa in a dual meet. Varner is the only one to reach one of those goals with his NCAA title. There are goals they haven’t yet fulfilled. We continue to work everyday to help them reach the goals that they set when they were being recruited by Coach (Bobby) Douglas.” Headlining the Cyclone lineup is Varner, a three-time NCAA finalist and 2009 197-pound national champion. The Bakersfield, Calif. native will be striving to become the 11th four-time All-American in school history at the NCAA meet in March in Omaha, Neb. Varner polished his wrestling technique over the summer by winning the U.S. Senior Nationals and made the American World Championships freestyle team that competed in Herning, Denmark Sept. 21-23. Varner holds a 90-10 career record. “We know Jake (Varner) gained a ton of experience wrestling in the World Championships,” Jackson said. “Only certain Americans are special enough to ever even wrestle in that event. He worked out with some of the best wrestlers in the country in preparation for it and met some of the best in the world over there in Denmark. Varner is truly world-class.” Varner’s progression will be closely monitored by Jackson and the ISU leader is ready to push the 197-pound titlist even further. “Hopefully with the experience he gained he’ll realize that he is the best in the nation,” Jackson said. “But he needs to know that he has to prove it every day, either in the practice room or in competition. We want him to know that when individuals wrestle him closely, it is almost a win for them. We are out for total domination now. We want him to be undefeated this season.” Four fellow ISU teammates return with All-America accolades on their resume. Gallick, a native of Tucson, Ariz., placed third at 141 pounds at last season’s NCAA Championships. He knocked off the division’s top two seeds en route to earning All-America honors for the second time. He is also the winningest Cyclone on the current roster, with a career mark of 92-28. Zabriskie, ISU’s “little” heavyweight, will be trying to earn All-America honors for the third time. Zabriskie has defied all odds in his career, routinely emerging victorious from matches where he is out-weighed by up to 50 pounds. The Cyclone from Branchville, N.J. stands at 90-20 for his career. Jon Reader, a junior, has made the most of his two NCAA Championships trips so far, being honored as an All-American both times. The native of Davison, Mich. captured a silver medal in April at the 2009 Pan-Am Games, competing in freestyle competition. Reader has notched 60 wins to 17 losses halfway through his career. Fanthorpe, a senior 133-pounder, will be looking to return to form after being hampered by a leg injury during his junior campaign. The Naperville, Ill. native was an All-American as a sophomore and will have his eye on the award stand for his final season. He holds an 82-23 career record. “I like this team’s energy level,” Jackson said. “I like their focus. They understand they’ve accomplished some things already, but they still have their best tournament to come. That comes from what we do every day in training. Their championship is going to be won before they get to the NCAA tournament. It is going to be won with what we do everyday.” Senior Mitch Mueller returns after his most promising NCAA Championships outing. Mueller, hailing from Iowa City, Iowa, was stopped one match short of All-America accolades at 149 pounds last season. Fellow senior Duke Burk has his sights set on another trip to the NCAA Championships. The Peoria, Ill. native will be the wrestler to watch at 174 pounds in his second season as a Cyclone. At 184 pounds, sophomore Jerome Ward, of Evergreen Park, Ill., went 1-2 at the NCAA Championships to conclude his freshman campaign. Ward showed potential in his redshirt freshman campaign by grabbing runner-up honors at the Big 12 Championships. Cyclone grapplers who could also see action on the mat are Anthony Valles (RFr., 133 pounds), Nate Carr, Jr. (Jr., 157 pounds) and Eric Thompson (RFr., HWT). Valles was ranked among the top-20 wrestlers in the country at 130 pounds his senior year of high school. Carr, Jr. went 13-6 in his first season in a Cyclone singlet. Thompson, a native of Shell Rock, Iowa, was the top-ranked heavyweight high school wrestler in the nation for 2008. New additions to the ISU wrestling room this season include: Boaz Beard (184) of Wichita, Kan., Ben Cash (133) of Prole, Iowa, Tyler Christensen (184) of Middleton, Wis., Dallas Collier (125) of Aiea, Hawaii, Tyler Grask (125) of Des Moines, Iowa, Cole Shafer (174) of Heber City, Utah, Trent Weatherman (149) of Huxley, Iowa and Keith White (141) of Melbourne, Iowa. Jackson has high expectations for the new faces in the room. “I want them to follow by example,” Jackson said. “I want them to look at guys like Varner, Gallick, Reader, Fanthorpe and Zabriskie. We have a group of seniors and juniors that are trying to be their best, both on and off the mat. They need to bridge the gap between high school and college, first academically and then athletically.” Jackson is hopeful the newcomers understand they are the future of the program. “Our freshmen are already ahead of schedule,” Jackson said. “We want them to be ready to break the lineup next year.” ISU begins the dual season at home within the friendly confines of Hilton Coliseum, facing South Dakota State Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. The Cyclones will hold an intrasquad match at the Lied Recreation Center Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. Click the links section in the above photo to access the 2009-10 schedule and this season's team roster.

The Colonial Athletic Association has released its preseason rankings. Team Rankings: 1. Old Dominion University 2. Rider University 3. Hofstra University 4. Binghamton University 5. Drexel University 6. George Mason University 7. Boston University 8. Sacred Heart University Individual Rankings: 125 1. James Nicholson, ODU 2. Steve Mytych, Drexel 3. Steve Bonnano, Hofstra 4. Brian Wright, Mason 5. Fred Santaite, BU 6. Tommy Lorenzo, Rider 133 1. Kyle Hutter, ODU 2. Jim Kirchner, Rider 3. Frank Cimato, Drexel 4. Ryan Buff, BU 5. Denny Herndon, Mason 6. Justin Belanger, SHU 133 1. Anwar Goeres, Binghamton 2. Fred Rodgers, Rider 2. Joey Rivera, Boston 3. Cory Dunn, SHU 4. Matt Dugan, Drexel 5. Abby Rush, BU 6. Craig Wilson, ODU 141 1. Mike Kessler, Rider 2. Donnie Vinson, Binghamton 3. Justin Accordino, Hofstra 4. Brett McCurdy, Drexel 5. Anthony Priore, SH 6. Chad Lowman, ODU 157 1. Jon Bonilla-Bowman, Hofstra 2. Justin Lister, Binghamton 3. Ben Mandebraut, BU 4. John Nicholson, ODU 5. Zac Cibula, Rider 6. Joe Booth, Drexel 165 1. Chris Brown, ODU 2. Frankie McLaughlin, Mason 3. PJ Gillespie, Hofstra 4. Rob Morrison, Rider 5. CJ Inglin, BU 6. Ryan McGarity, Binghamton 174 1. Bagna Tovuujav, Mason 2. Ryan Patrovich, Hofstra 3. Eric Decker, ODU 4. Hunter Meys, BU 5. Dave Woodall, Drexel 6. Mike Ward, Rider 184 1. Josh Patterson, Binghamton 2. Ben Clymer, Hofstra 3. John Hall, BU 4. Joe Budi, ODU 5. Mike Miller, Rider 6. Justin Wieller, Drexel 197 1. Cayle Byers, Mason 2. Jesse Strawn, ODU 3. Tyler Smith, Rider 4. Brock Mantella, BU 5. Jack Callender, Drexel 6. Nate Schiedel, Binghamton 285 1. Eddie Bordas, Rider 2. Kyle Frey, Drexel 3. Corey Waite, Binghamton 4. Mike Peterson, Mason 5. Paul Snyder, Hofstra 6. Grant Chapman, ODU

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. -- The Colonial Athletic Association wrestling coaches have announced the CAA preseason All-Freshman Team for the 2009-10 season. Old Dominion University had four of the 10 selections and Boston University had two. Binghamton University, Rider University, Hofstra University and Drexel University were also represented on the team. The 2009-10 CAA All-Freshman Team is: 125 Jimmy Chase of Binghamton, 133 Justin LaValle of ODU, 141 Luke Vaith of Hofstra, 149 Ramon Santiago of Rider, 157 John Nicholson of ODU, 165 Kyle Czarnecki of Boston U., 174 Joey Sheridan of ODU, 184 Billy Curling of ODU, 197 Brandon Palik of Drexel and heavyweight Nate Lavalle of Boston U. Chase (Hanover Park, IL./Glenbard North) finished in the top four in the Illinois State Championships three times, including a State Title as a junior. In 2008 he placed fourth in the Greco Roman Olympic trials and in 20098 fifth at the Junior World Greco Championships. LaValle (Apple Valley, MN/Apple Valley) is a two-time Minnesota State Champions and was ranked seventh by InterMat and Wrestling USA and eighth by W.I.N. Magazine and won the Greco Championship at Fargo in 2009. Vaith (Hastings, MN/Hastings) was a Minnesota State Champion and a Freestyle and Greco All-American at the Junior Nationals. Santiago (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville High) earned NHSCA All-America honors when he placed eighth at the High School Nationals at 152 pounds. A New Jersey State runner-up as a senior, Santiago was 41-1 last year and finished his scholastic career with a 130-21 record, three times winning the District Championship. Nicholson (Des Moines, Iowa/Theodore Roosevelt) is a two-time Iowa State Champion who placed second at the NHSCA Junior Nationals. He was the Iowa Championships’ Most Outstanding Wrestler. Czarnecki (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Buffalo Grove) is the reigning Illinois State Champion after placing fourth as a junior and was 5-2 at Senior Nationals, one win away from All-America honors. Sheridan (Tulsa, Okla./Tulsa Union) is a three-time Oklahoma State Champion who was ranked tenth in the nation and was the 2007 USA Wrestling Cadet National Champion. Curling (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) was an All-American at the Sophomore High School nationals and placed among the top three twice in the Virginia State Championships. Palik (Bethlehem, Pa./Saucon Valley) won a Pennsylvania AA State Championship and was ranked fifth in the nation by W.I.N. Magazine. Lavalee (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth) was a three-time State Champion and the New England runner-up as a senior. He placed fourth at Junior Nationals and was runner-up in voting for the top football player in Maine.

Wayland Baptist University will add men's and women's wrestling as intercollegiate sports, Athletic Director Dr. Greg Feris officially announced at a press conference today. "Intercollegiate wrestling is a win-win situation for the university. It will generate additional students while providing an additional competitive sport for the university community." The WBU wrestling program will compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) beginning with the 2010-11 school year. Thirty-seven NAIA schools currently sponsor wrestling for men, ten for women. There are currently no intercollegiate wrestling programs in the state of Texas, despite recent statistics that show an excess of 245 high school boys' wrestling teams and 198 girls' teams in the state. In the Texas Panhandle area, there are approximately 375 boys and more than 125 girls participating in the sport. The boy's team from Randall High School and the girl's team from Caprock High have recently won state championships. "The sport is growing and is very popular in many regions of the country," added Feris. "Wayland is fortunate to be located in an area where several communities have embraced the sport at the high school level. I think we are going to fill a void in the area for fans of the sport. In addition, we are excited to be able to offer these young student-athletes a new opportunity to continue to participate in a sport that they love while at the same time obtaining an outstanding education in a Christian environment." Search for a new coach will begin right away. Feris says he hopes to have someone in place sometime after the first of the new year. Mike Moyer, Greg Feris, Dan Gable, and Brandon SlayAmong those present at the press conference were Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association and former Olympic gold medalists Brandon Slay and Dan Gable. Slay, a graduate of Amarillo's Tascosa High School who is currently the resident freestyle coach for USA Wrestling at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, won the gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney. Gable, who did not give up a single point on his way to the gold at the 1972 games in Munich, won two individual NCAA titles as a student-athlete at Iowa State University and 15 NCAA team titles as head coach at the University of Iowa. The new WBU two teams will practice in the James P. and Nelda Laney Student Activities Center. Duel or tournament events will be held in Hutcherson Center. The addition of the wrestling programs brings Wayland's athletic offering to a total of 14.

Trevor Voelker

Greg Feris

The brackets were released on Wednesday for the 2011 NCAA Division I Championships. Iowa's Matt McDonough is the defending NCAA champion at 125, has two wins over Northwestern's Brandon Precin, and has picked up bonus points in 19 of his 23 victories (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)To me, the two biggest surprises were Iowa's Matt McDonough not earning the No. 1 seed at 125 pounds and Kyle Dake of Cornell getting the fourth seed, as opposed to the third seed, at 149 pounds. Don't get me wrong ... I believe Arizona State's Anthony Robles, who earned the No. 1 seed at 125 pounds, is a tremendous wrestler who is having an incredible season. He's 31-0 with 22 technical falls, five major decision, two pins, and two decisions. He's also a two-time All-American and 13 of his wins this season have come against 2011 NCAA qualifiers. But let's look at the facts. McDonough is not only the defending NCAA champion, but has two wins over Northwestern's Brandon Precin, a two-time All-American and U.S. Open placewinner, with the most recent victory coming in the finals of the Big Ten Championships. McDonough is 23-1 and his only loss is to Precin, while Precin's only losses are to McDonough. McDonough has wins over four wrestlers who earned seeds, while Robles has wins over three wrestlers who earned seeds. In addition, McDonough has wins over two wrestlers seeded in the top five, while Robles has not beaten any of the top five seeds. (Robles' technical fall victory over No. 5 Zach Sanders of Minnesota at the NWCA All-Star Classic is not counted by the NCAA or used for seeing purposes.) Arizona State's Anthony Robles has been crushing opponents all season (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Some will say Robles deserves to be seeded ahead of McDonough and Precin simply because he's undefeated and McDonough and Precin have losses. But then what about James Nicholson of Old Dominion? He's also 31-0 this season, but earned the fourth seed. Should he be seeded ahead of McDonough and Precin? Or has Robles earned the No. 1 seed because of the way he has dominated opponents? One could argue that McDonough has been equally as dominant as Robles this season. He has picked up bonus points in 19 of this 23 victories, plus he has 11 more pins than Robles in seven less matches. With McDonough getting the No. 2 seed, it means a likely semifinal match against his Big Ten rival Precin, while Robles will face Nicholson in the semifinals if the seeds hold up. No disrespect to the undefeated Nicholson, but Precin is the tougher semifinal match. Precin is the only wrestler to defeat McDonough this season. I think a stronger case could be made for Precin getting the No. 2 seed over Robles (Precin did win the last head-to-head meeting) than Robles getting the No. 1 seed over McDonough. While McDonough not getting the top seed at 125 pounds was surprising, Dake getting the fourth seed at 149 pounds, as opposed to the third seed, was equally as surprising to me. Like McDonough, Dake has won an NCAA title in his only attempt. I understand that current year data is most important when looking at seeding, so let's examine how the top wrestlers at 149 pounds have performed this season. North Carolina State's Darrion Caldwell, an NCAA champion, is the No. 1 seed. That's a no-brainer. Caldwell is undefeated, hasn't lost a college wrestling match since 2008, and has been on the U.S. National Team. But where it gets sticky is No. 2 through No. 4. Penn State's Frank Molinaro, a two-time All-American, earned the No. 2 seed. He's 28-2 this season and recently won a Big Ten title. He has been a beast, especially during the second half of the season. He has reeled off 15 straight victories. His losses this season are to Mario Mason of Rutgers, who is seeded seventh, and Dake. LeValley is 30-1 and his only loss is in sudden victory to Mason, 3-1, two months ago. Cornell's Kyle Dake edged Penn State's Frank Molinaro, 1-0, in the finals of the Southern Scuffle (Photo/Cliff Fretwell)When comparing LeValley's season to Molinaro's season, both have been impressive, but I have a hard time seeing how Molinaro's overall body of work this season puts him over LeValley. Of LeValley's 30 wins this season, five have come against seeded wrestlers, with two of those coming against wrestlers seeded in the top five. LeValley also has a win over Dake. Molinaro, on the other hand, has two wins against seeded wrestlers, including splitting matches with one of those two (Mason). When comparing Dake's season to Molinaro's season, both have two losses. However, Dake is not only the defending NCAA champion, but has the head-to-head win over Molinaro and the same amount of victories against seeded wrestlers. In addition, Dake registered an 11-1 major decision victory over Mason, a wrestler who has a win over Molinaro. With Molinaro getting the second seed, as opposed to the fourth seed, he does not have to deal with having Caldwell on his side of the bracket. Instead, it puts two NCAA champions, Caldwell and Dake, on the same side of the bracket. I'm not stating that I don't think Molinaro, who has been on tear, can't or won't beat LeValley or Dake. Molinaro certainly has the tools to reach the finals. However, it's my belief that both LeValley and Dake deserved to be seeded higher. Other thoughts on seeding ... The seeding at 157 pounds turned out like I thought it would. The weight class includes three undefeated wrestlers in Adam Hall of Boise State, Steve Fittery of American, and David Taylor of Penn State, plus an NCAA runner-up and Junior World champion in Bubba Jenkins of Arizona State. I believe all four are very close. I don't think I'm in the minority when I state that I'm excited to see how things shake out at 157 pounds. Fittery is ranked ahead of Hall in the InterMat rankings only because of Hall's loss to Jenkins at the NWCA All-Star Classic. That match is not counted by the NCAA or used for seeding purposes, but is used by the InterMat rankings committee. Therefore, Hall is not only undefeated, but he is also the highest returning NCAA finisher and beat Fittery in their last meeting at the NCAA Championships, so it makes sense that he's seeded ahead of Fittery. I expect all four wrestlers to make the semifinals, which is going to make for some incredible matches in this weight class on Friday night. I expected Cornell's Mike Grey to be seeded a bit higher than eighth, but also understand why the seeding committee placed him there. He has not competed much this season and lacks quality wins. He's 11-0 with his most notable victory coming over Penn's Rollie Peterkin, the 10th seed, 10-5. The two wrestlers seeded ahead of Grey, Tony Ramos of Iowa and B.J. Futrell of Illinois, have more quality wins this season.

Joey Cozart

On Monday, Iowa State added to its already stellar recruiting class by receiving a verbal commitment from Joey Cozart of Brandon High School in Florida. Cozart, who is ranked as the No. 28 recruit in the country by InterMat, is a three-time state champion for Brandon. Last season, Cozart finished his season with a 65-1 record and claimed the state title at 140 pounds. He was a 2009 Junior Nationals freestyle runner-up at 152 pounds. "I chose Iowa State for many reasons, including having the same ideas that Coach Jackson has for me," said Cozart. "With the coaches, I believe Iowa State is the right place for me to reach my goals for college and on the senior level." Cozart becomes the seventh wrestler from the Class of 2010 to commit to Iowa State. He joins No. 22 Michael Moreno, No. 23 Ryak Finch, No. 68 Kyven Gadson, Luke Goettl, Mike England, and Brandon Jones as part of Kevin Jackson's first recruiting class at Iowa State. Cozart is projected at 149 pounds in college.