InterMat Staff

Anthony Salupo

John Hughes

Eric Hess

Waterloo, Iowa -- Former University of Minnesota wrestling great Alan Rice welcomes the first ever inductions to the Alan and Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions. The event will take place Oct. 16-17 and will include former Gopher Wrestling stars. Rice wrestled for the Golden Gophers from 1947-50, earning All-America honors in 1949 with a fourth place finish at 128 pounds. Rice helped the maroon and gold to seventh (1948) and fifth (1949) place finishes nationally during his tenure. In those same seasons he also won individual Big Ten titles, becoming just the third Golden Gopher to do so. The 1949 team finished as runner-up at the Big Ten tournament. Named in the honor of Rice and his late wife Gloria, the Rice Wing is located in the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. A long-time supporter of Greco-Roman wrestling, he made the United States Greco-Roman Olympic Team in 1956, while also winning national titles in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling. By pulling off the double, he remains one of the last two men to accomplish the feat. Rice coached the 1972 Greco-Roman Olympic team and has also coached two World teams. His wife Gloria, was also influential in wrestling circles, as the two helped found the Minnesota Wrestling Club. She was also the first woman to learn the complicated international parings system and then taught it to American officials. "This is a tremendous honor for Greco-Roman wrestling, and for Gloria and me," said Rice. "Greco-Roman is a very tough, physical style that demands total commitment and dedication. I am thrilled that the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum has chosen to honor these special athletes in such a fashion." Among the honorees are Doug and Janet Reiter of Jesup, Iowa. They will receive the Legacy award , which honors a family that has made a large impact on the wrestling scene in the state of Iowa. Among their four sons are former three-time Golden Gopher All-American Mack Reiter and current freshman Bart Reiter. The event will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, followed by a reception and a banquet at 7:00 p.m. the public is invited to attend and can do so by calling 319-233-0745.

Ty Mitch

Max Huntley

Brandon Jones

Drake Houdashelt

Shane Lee

Buy Tickets to the Endowment Fund Meet by Clicking Here Corvallis, Ore. -- The Oregon State wrestling program is encouraging fans to help ensure the long-term future of the wrestling program by attending the November 22 meet against Wisconsin and Boise State in legendary Gill Coliseum. The meet will raise money for the Wrestling Endowment Fund. Tickets are $10 for the meet with 100 percent of the admission cost being contributed to the endowment. The meet is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. Also taking place during the meet, a banner displaying all of Oregon State’s National Champion wrestlers will be unveiled before the Wisconsin dual. And before the Boise State match up, the induction of Robin Reed and Les Gutches into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will be celebrated. While single-meet tickets are not available to the general public at this time, by printing off the flier attached to this release, fans can purchase tickets to this meet. The Oregon State wrestling team kicks off its 2009-10 campaign at the Best of the West Tournament in Ashland, Ore., on November 13-14 before returning home to host this historic meet. Support Oregon State University Athletics by making your tax deductible donation to the Beaver Athletic Student Fund. For more information follow this link or call 541-737-2370. You can make an “everyday champion.” Follow Beaver Athletics on twitter.

The good news for Buckeye wrestling fans continued this week when Derek Garcia chose to go public with his verbal commitment to The Ohio State University. Derek Garcia won a Junior Nationals title (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)A three-time Washington state champion, his decision to wrestle for at OSU is making waves from coast to coast in the wrestling world. In a press conference at Sedro-Woolley High School this afternoon he let everyone know that he was going to be a Buckeye. "After speaking with the coaches and visiting Columbus, I decided that Ohio State was the best choice for me,"said Garcia in a phone interview. "Some people are going to be surprised, but I am confident it is the best place for me to develop as a wrestler, a student, and as a person." The tenth-ranked high school senior in the InterMat Top 100, most were expecting Garcia to spend a year of residency at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs before choosing a college. It was where he spent last summer and where he will be training next year before moving on to Ohio State for classes in the fall of 2010. The Road to Ohio State As a high school junior, Garcia completed all of his high school credits and began taking advanced placement courses. After wrestling season, he was able to move to the OTC and trained with 2006 World champion Bill Zadick as a developmental athlete until July. Leaving Colorado to win his first national championship in Fargo, he returned to Washington in August for his senior year of high school. "Training in Colorado was one of the best experiences I have ever had,"said Garcia. " I got to wrestle with all the World Team Members and a number of former Olympians. Being in the room with guys like that every day - it was get better or die! I was forced to improve every day just to survive. I really owe a lot to Bill Zadick and Brandon Slay. They took me under their wings and helped me get better every day." A two-sport athlete, Garcia is a standout in football and wrestling. Derek proved to be a leader in the classroom and in competition as a team captain in both sports. Turning down an opportunity to train at the Olympic Training Center to finish school with his classmates was a sacrifice he made for them but also for himself. Derek Garcia is ranked as the No. 10 recruit (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)"Derek is one of those kids that are one in a million. He is that special. His success comes because he is phenomenal athlete and how hard he works. He is the most competitive kid I have ever been around. His work ethic unmatched,"offered his high school football coach Bryan Alexander. "He has been a leader by not just what he says but what he does and how he lives his life. He takes his work ethic and puts it into everything he does and that is what has made him successful in sports, in the classroom, and in life." Garcia was humble when speaking of the decision to return for his senior year. "It means a lot to be a part of a team whether it is in football or wrestling. It was important for me to come back and help both teams achieve our goals." Although a knee injury has put some doubt on how his football career will end, Garcia is confident that he will conclude his wrestling career as the sixth four-time state champion in Washington. "The goal this season is to win my fourth state title,"he said. "I probably won’t be able to make all of the tournaments, so getting the title at the end of the year is a big thing for me and my team. It is important for me to be there because we have a really good chance of winning the team state title." When read back the comments of Garcia, his high school head coach Jay Breckenridge stated, "That is what Derek Garcia is all about. As much as Derek wants personal accomplishments, the success of the team is just as important. He thinks of the whole picture, not just himself. After finishing in the top four the last few years we are going to be in the running this year for a team title and it is important for Derek to put us back on top before he leaves." For a coach that won six straight titles before Garcia stepped in the high school wrestling room, Derek has proven that you can teach an old dog new some news tricks. "Derek brought so much to our program it is hard to put into words. As a wrestler he has helped our coaching staff tremendously. Working with Bill Zadick, John Smith, and Eric Guerrero and coaches from across the country he is always bringing something back,"said Breckenridge. Asked to describe Garcia as a wrestler, Breckenridge was quick to respond. "On the mat Garcia is ferocious. He could care less who you put in front of him. When it comes to competition he is a machine. He is focused and an animal on the mat. He is one of, if not, the hardest working wrestlers I have ever coached. The qualities that make him a great wrestler make him an even better person. His grades are outstanding and in the community you could ask for anything more. He makes you feel proud of whatever he does." Becoming a Buckeye Garcia's decision to attend Ohio State was a compilation of factors. Originally planning on returning to the Olympic Training Center, his recruitment began this summer after Fargo and started to heat up once school began. Taking an official visit to Columbus two weeks ago, he was on campus for the OSU-Illinois game, able to tour the school, and got to watch the Buckeyes first wrestling practice of the year. "My long term plans really changed after talking with and getting to know Coach Ryan,"said Garcia. "He had me thinking a lot about myself and what I needed as a person. Ohio State is great opportunity for me to grow athletically, academically, and socially. I am not that social of a person, so the college experience is important to help me become the best person I can be outside of wrestling." Garcia chose OSU over Iowa, Iowa State, Boise State, and Cornell. "Academically, Ohio State is great school. The facilities were amazing compared to those that I have seen before. The coaches are great people and the wrestlers I met seemed like a bunch of guys I could really get along with. Overall I just felt really comfortable in Columbus and it made a tough decision easy to make,"he said. The presence of the Ohio Regional Training Center also played a large role in choosing Ohio State according to Garcia. "They have the Ohio RTC and it is a great organization. JD Bergman, Shawn Bunch, and Tervel Dlagnev -- with what they have accomplished, I know it is a good situation for me as a college wrestler and in freestyle,"said Garcia. "Coach Rosselli is one of the best around so I will be in a situation where I have to get better every day." Derek Garcia is a three-time state champion (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)Winning state titles at 125, 140, and 152, Garcia plans on moving up two weights for his senior year but expects to drop down to wrestle in college. "This year I will probably wrestle 171 and college-wise I will probably be a 165 pounder unless I get a lot bigger." Academically advanced, Garcia plans on majoring in sports medicine and working on a minor in sports management. As far as wrestling or redshirting his freshman year, Garcia is planning on deferring to the coaches. "When I get to Ohio State I will do whatever the coaches think is best for me. Everyone would like to wrestle right away. But I trust they will do what is best for my development and for the team,"he said. High School coach Jay Breckenridge has high expectations for Garcia in Columbus. "With the coaching staff and talent in the room at Ohio State there is no ceiling for what Derek Garcia can achieve,"said Breckenridge. "He has the potential to be a NCAA champion and with the Ohio Regional Training Center on campus I believe that one day you will see him on the Olympic or World Teams. With his work ethic and talent, even the loftiest of goals are attainable. We will miss him tremendously here but we wish him all the best." Derek Garcia is the third member of the 2010 Ohio State recruiting class. He joins Logan Stieber and Josh Demas to give the Buckeyes three recruits ranked inside the InterMat Top 50. Rated amongst their senior class; Stieber is the nation’s top recruit, Garcia is No. 10, and Demas is No. 42. In college Stieber is projected as a 125/133, Garcia a 165/174, and Demas a 174/184. All three are expected to submit their NLI’s during the early signing period in November. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from BuckeyeWrestling.com. http://www.buckeyewrestling.com/?q=node/25823

Lee Pritts

Jackson Morse

Jim Heffernan

Dan Hicks

The time for the University of Minnesota Wrestling dual meet with Iowa on Feb. 14 has been changed. Originally scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. (CT) start, the match time has been moved up an hour-and-a-half and will now start at 6:00 p.m. (CT) in Williams Arena. The Gophers and Hawkeyes will also be broadcast live on Big Ten Network. The women's basketball game, also in Williams Arena prior to the wrestling match, was moved up to an 11:00 a.m. start, allowing wrestling to move up as well. The Gophers finished fifth in the Big Ten and 14th nationally last season while the Hawkeyes won the Big Ten and NCAA titles.

The Ohio State wrestling program received good news on Monday evening when Josh Demas gave his verbal commitment to assistant coach Joe Heskett. On Tuesday the high school senior reaffirmed his commitment to head coach Tom Ryan and stated he would be signing his National Letter of Intent in November. Currently the 42nd ranked recruit in the InterMat Top 100 Seniors, Demas had his choice of colleges. While the OSU coaches are unable to comment on a verbal commitment, Demas was happy to discuss his decision and glad that the recruiting process has come to a close. Josh Demas (Photo/BuckeyeWrestling.com)“I’m proud to say that I am going to continue my wrestling career at the Ohio State University,” responded the newest Buckeye. “After looking at each of the schools and talking to a lot of people, it is a big relief to make the decision.” Demas chose Ohio State from a list of five schools that included Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Virginia Tech. “Every school had pluses and minuses. They were all great schools with unique opportunities. I could have seen myself wrestling for every school at one point or another while I was being recruited. My dad was very supportive and helped me out a lot.” When asked what pushed the Buckeyes to the top of the list Demas felt that after looking around he most comfortable at the school closest to home. “Ohio State is a great school with a great wrestling program. The coaches, the fans; it means something to be a Buckeye. I decided that I wanted to stay close to home and OSU is just down the road. I like the idea that my friends and family will be able to watch me wrestle in Columbus.” Demas took official visits to Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Virginia Tech. He was on campus during the summer at Minnesota and Ohio State. “Feeling comfortable with coaches was a large part of the decision. At OSU, I could see a little bit of myself in every one of the coaches. With Joe Heskett, Lou Rosselli, J Jaggers, and Tom Ryan; I know they are going to help me become the best I can be.” Beyond the wrestling program and proximity to home, Demas was quick to point out that he chose Ohio State for the education and what he could do with his degree. “Wrestling is very important but I want to get a quality education too. Ohio State has a great business program and that is what I am going to study in school.” With a potential freestyle career on the horizon while in college and after graduation the presence of the Ohio Regional Training Center also factored into his decision. “Having something like the Ohio RTC training on campus was huge. I am probably a better freestyle wrestler than a folkstyle wrestler right now so that was definitely something that was on my mind. Having coaches like Rosselli and Heskett; they can help my college wrestling and my freestyle career.” While dreams of NCAA titles and Olympic Gold are in his mind Demas is currently focused on his senior year at Westerville North High School. With a career record of 119-12; he is a three-time state placewinner for the Warriors. As a freshman he finished second at 130, he was third as a sophomore at 145, and as a junior he won his first state title at 152; as a senior the goal is to end his career with another title. After moving up a couple of weights every year in high school I asked what weight he was going this season and where he saw himself in college. “Right now I am not sure what weight I am going to wrestle this year. I weigh around 165 right now but it moves around a lot so I could wrestle a couple of different weights. In college I think I’ll be a 174 to start and could end up at 184 before I am done.” As far as his wrestling goals, Demas was much more certain. “I want to win, I want to work hard, and I want to get better every day. This year I want to win my second individual state title, I want my team to have a lot of success, and I want to win (NHSCA) Senior Nationals.” With his verbal commitment Demas became the second member of the Buckeyes’ 2010 recruiting class joining Monroeville senior Logan Stieber. Both Demas and Stieber are expected to submit their NLI during the early signing period in November. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from BuckeyeWrestling.com. http://www.buckeyewrestling.com/?q=node/25822

Talk to anyone who has ever seen Edinboro's Garrett Scott wrestle and you will quickly learn that wrestling talent has never been the issue with him not reaching his potential. He has more wrestling talent in his pinky finger than most wrestlers have in their entire bodies. Garrett Scott (Photo/Edinboro Sports Information)"Garrett seems to have a really good feel for wrestling," said Edinboro coach Tim Flynn. "With some people, their talent is speed. With some people, it's power. But Garrett has a really good feel for wrestling. When I say feel, I mean balance ... He's just good in a lot of positions. Good body awareness." A three-time Pennsylvania champion, Scott was on track to become Pennsylvania's 10th four-time state champion before an off-the-mat incident (violating his charter school's Internet use policy) in 2006 prevented him from wrestling for his fourth state title. That wasn't his only off-the-mat incident his senior year. Scott and three others were arrested by state police for possession of drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop. Scott said a pipe that was found in the vehicle was not his. His high school coach at Juniata Valley, Brad Boyd, called it a "wrong place at the wrong time" type of incident. Despite a drama-filled senior year, Scott, who was ranked as the No. 4 recruit in the country from the Class of 2006, earned a full-ride scholarship to wrestle at Penn State. Some were hailing Scott as the best high school wrestling talent to come out of wrestling-rich Pennsylvania since Cary Kolat came about of Jefferson-Morgan High School in 1992. "I liked the program at Penn State," said Scott. "I always grew up a Penn State fan. It was close to home and I knew my parents wanted to watch me compete. So the combination of being close to home and being offered a full ride was why I chose Penn State." Scott, though, failed to pass the NCAA Clearinghouse, which prevented him from joining the wrestling team at Penn State his first year out of high school. His training that year was sporadic at best. He would work out with Bubba Jenkins occasionally, but didn't have the structure he needed. The next year, as a freshman at Penn State, Scott was suspended by his coach, Troy Sunderland, in the preseason after he was arrested for underage drinking. Scott began his season at the East Stroudsburg Open, reaching the finals at 149 pounds before dropping a tight 3-1 decision to two-time All-American J.P. O'Connor of Harvard. Two weeks later, Scott went 6-0 and won the Nittany Lion Open at 141 pounds. In the process of winning the tournament, Scott defeated his teammate, All-American Jake Strayer, 7-3, in the semifinals. After Scott's victory over Strayer, the two wrestlers split time at 141 pounds for the Nittany Lions. Scott and Stayer were high school rivals in Pennsylvania. Scott's only two losses in his high school career came to Strayer when he was a freshman and Strayer was a junior. "There really weren't any hard feeling between us," said Scott. "We didn't really wrestle each other in practice. But we didn't dislike each other. We were friends. We were teammates. What's on the mat is on the mat. What's off the mat is off the mat." Match to match, Scott didn't know if he or Strayer would get the call to start at 141 pounds. "It was frustrating because I couldn't consistently compete," said Scott. "I couldn't wrestle two matches in a row. I would wrestle one and then sit one. I couldn't get into a groove. So that was the most frustrating part." When Scott was on the mat competing for the Nittany Lions, he showed flashes of his potential. At the National Duals, Scott picked up a major decision victory, 8-0, over Nick Gallick, a two-time All-American for Iowa State. He was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week after he beat then No. 4-ranked Kellen Russell of Michigan, 4-3, to help propel the Nittany Lions to a victory over the Wolverines. Scott and Strayer were supposedly set to wrestle for the starting spot at 141 pounds, but the wrestle-off kept getting postponed. First it was because of a hamstring injury to Scott ... and then because of the death of Strayer's grandmother. Scott was eventually handed the starting spot the rest of the season after Strayer suffered a rib injury that put him out. Scott entered the 2008 Big Ten Championships with a 16-3 record. He pinned Purdue's Matt Redmond in the first period in his opening round. In the quarterfinals, Scott met Iowa's Dan LeClere, a wrestler who gave him one of his three regular-season losses. Scott led most of the match, but then gave up a takedown with two seconds left, and lost the match, which sent him to the consolation bracket. In the consolation bracket, Scott wrestled Wisconsin's Kyle Ruschell, but suffered a knee injury, which forced him to default out of the match at the start of the third period. Scott was sent to the seventh-place match, which he needed to win to secure an automatic berth in the NCAA Championships. Scott gutted it out and pinned Michigan State's Jeff Wimberley in the first period to advance to the NCAA Championships. Scott's knee injury was diagnosed as a lateral collateral ligament (LCL) tear after the Big Ten Championships. Despite the injury, Scott competed at the NCAA Championships, where he went 3-2 and failed to place. "I feel like I wrestled poorly that season," said Scott, who finished the season with a 21-7 record. "I never got myself to where I needed to be. I wasn't in good enough shape to compete the way I wanted to compete. And it showed it Nationals when I wasn't an All-American. I was pretty disappointed with my season." Less than two months later, on May 9, 2008, Penn State's sports information department announced that Garrett Scott had been dismissed from the wrestling team for violation of team rules. Soon after, Edinboro coach Tim Flynn stepped in and decided to give Scott another chance. "I spoke to a couple friends," said Flynn, who also gave NCAA champion Paul Donahoe another chance after he was dismissed from Nebraska's wrestling team. "They said Garrett just needs to mature, obviously, and take his schoolwork more seriously. A lot of times people just grow up at different rates. Obviously, he just needs to mature. I talked to a couple people who said that a smaller environment like Edinboro would help him ... and maybe help keep him focused a little better. So we took the chance. You always try to consult a couple people who are in the know. Some people might view it as a risk, but I try to give a kid a second chance ... and hopefully he makes good on it." Tim FlynnScott enrolled at Edinboro in the fall of 2008 and joined the wrestling team. He competed unattached in three open tournaments last season, going 14-1, with his only loss coming by injury default. Of his 14 wins, 13 came by major decision, technical fall, or pin. "Like anybody who is new -- a freshman or a transfer -- the first part is getting to know the system and getting comfortable with it," said Flynn. "Maybe Penn State runs more than us. Maybe we lift more than them. Just getting used to a different system. I think that was the beginning. Garrett did real well in the wrestling room. That was never an issue. And he can push himself, so we noticed some positives right away." After competing in three open tournaments, Scott's shoulder was bothering him, which led to shoulder surgery. That kept him off the mat the rest of the season. Scott, with three years of wrestling eligibility remaining, is now healthy and ready to make an impact for the Fighting Scots. Most importantly, though, he's taking care of business off the mat. Because of Scott's checkered past, he knows that he has his fair share of critics. But he's ready to silence them. "I get on the message boards sometimes and see what people say about me," said Scott. "I use that as motivation. People like to say a lot of things. I'll prove a lot of people wrong. I'll let my wrestling do it." Flynn believes Scott has a wrestling style that will generate fan interest. "He's an exciting wrestler," said Flynn. "People will really like to see him compete. He can pin. He's good for wrestling from that standpoint ... The excitement he brings." It's still up in the air whether Scott will compete at 141 pounds or 149 pounds this season. Scott would like to compete at 141 pounds, but Flynn suspects he will be at 149 pounds. Edinboro's 149-pounder last season, Torsten Gillespie, is redshirting. But regardless of the weight class, the goal remains the same for Scott this season. "I want to be standing on the top of the podium," said Scott. "That's my goal." Adds Flynn, "I expect him to be a national champion. That's why we wanted him. Our big thing is just reminding him every day to do the right things: Go to class. Do your homework. Come to practice. If he sticks to that simple game plan, he's going to be successful." Maybe then people will stop talking about Garrett Scott's talent and potential and instead start talking about his success.

Marshall Peppelman

Mike England

Ryan Lang

As the wrestling season's start is fast approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. Between now until the middle of November, InterMat will introduce you to the top senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. From Alaska to Florida, and from Maine to California, you will gain exposure to the potential stars of future NCAA Championships. Did you miss a Wrestling 49 article? Check out the archives. The 2009-2010 Minnesota high school wrestling season begins in a little less than two months. This season's crop of seniors may lack the total number of blue-chip Division I wrestlers of the last two senior classes, but it does have very good depth. Dylan Ness may be the only clear blue-chip wrestler in the class. However, there are several wrestlers in this class that will make meaningful impacts on college teams in the next few years. The Top 10 wrestlers in the Class of 2010 all have great upside, but I feel that Zak Coates, Blaine Miller, and Jake Long are the most likely wrestlers to have their stock skyrocket this season. During the time between now and the end of the next Greco-Roman and freestyle season, I expect that we will see a couple of other wrestlers on the list make a bid for blue-chip status. 1. Dylan Ness School: Bloomington Kennedy 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 149/157 Dylan Ness (Photo/The Guillotine)Scouting Report: Ness is a three-time high school state medalist, 2008 USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner, and brings a 148-19 high school record into the 2009-2010 season. Ness finished the 2009 Greco-Roman and freestyle season earning All-American honors in both styles at Junior Nationals in Fargo. During the past two seasons, Ness has been pitted against other nationally-ranked wrestlers at the state tournament and could not capture a championship. Ness has committed to the University of Minnesota, where his older brother, Jayson, is a three-time All-American. 2. Drew Fleming School: Watertown-Mayer 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 119 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Drew Fleming (Photo/The Guillotine)Scouting Report: Fleming is a two-time Minnesota Class AA state champion and 2008 freestyle and folkstyle All-American. He has amassed a 112-15 record in three seasons as a starter. Eight of Fleming's 15 losses came during his freshman season while wrestling in the 112-pound weight class when he didn't need to cut to make 103. He is favored to win his third state championship in 2009-2010 and has not decided yet where he will wrestle in college. 3. Joel Bauman School: Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunberg 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 189 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Scouting Report: Bauman is the most athletically-gifted wrestler in this year's senior class. He possesses quickness and strength not often seen in the higher weights in high school. Bauman is the 2009 Class A state champion, placed third in 2008, and battled injuries in 2007 when he did not place. Bauman has proven to be one of the premier Greco-Roman wrestlers in his class being a former national champ (2007) and All-American in 2008 and 2009. In 2008-2009, Bauman played a key role in Kerhoven-Murdock-Sundberg's state champion football and wrestling teams. He is attracting the interest of many Division I wrestling and football programs, but it's not clear if he will wrestle in college. 4. Drew Lexvold Drew Lexvold (Photo/The Guillotine)School: Kenyon-Wanamingo 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 135 Projected College Weight Class: 141/149 Scouting Report: Lexvold's freshman and sophomore seasons ended in disappointment when he did not place at state, but he redeemed himself last season, winning a Class A state championship at 125 pounds. He also earned All-American honors at the 2009 Folkstyle Nationals and 2008 NHSCA Sophomore Nationals ... in addition to folkstyle and Greco-Roman national titles in 2008. While competing at The Clash National Duals, Lexvold tallied a 4-2 record. 5. Zak Coates School: Henry Sibley 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 171 Projected College Weight Class: 174/184 Scouting Report: Coates won his first high school state title last season with his victory over highly-rated senior Brendan Eichmann, who was considered the clear favorite at the beginning of the season. He also beat Eichmann in the section finals. Coates was a 2008 All-American in both Greco-Roman and freestyle, but did not have the same level of success in 2009. Two of his four losses in 2009 were to highly-rated senior Carter Adams (who he beat once during the season) and another loss was to Joe Latham of Bismarck, North Dakota. 6. Jordan Campa School: St. Michael-Albertville 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 165 Scouting Report: Campa was the 2009 state champion in Class AA and 2009 folkstyle All-American. Campa has made three state tournament appearances, placing twice (third in 2008). His other appearance was at 152 pounds as a freshman. St. Michael-Albertville competed at The Clash National Duals in Minnesota, where Campa went 5-1 with a win over Devin Peterson of Wisconsin, a 2009 USA Wrestling Cadet Triple Crown winner. 7. Blaine Miller School: Plainview-Elgin-Millville 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 165/174 Blaine Miller (Photo/The Guillotine)Scouting Report: Miller has racked up 155 career wins going into his senior season ... with 200 for his career possible. In 2009, Miller captured his first state championship, defeating the previous year's state champion, Kevin O'Brien, who now wrestles at West Point. His two previous seasons ended at state without reaching the medal rounds. However, due to Minnesota's policy of not seeding the tournament, he may have done better if not matched up against two state champions in the early rounds. Miller went 5-0 at the Clash National Duals, recording wins over Tyler Miles (seventh in Virginia), Chris Kipp (No. 5 in Wisconsin), and Eric Vanevenhoven (Wisconsin state champion). 8. Tony Vaske School: River Valley 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 140 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Scouting Report: Vaske is a three-time medal winner at the state tournament with a career record of 147-19. He placed second at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, losing a close match to Arizona State recruit Louis Trujillo, who is currently ranked as the No. 15 senior in the country by InterMat. Vaske has shown that he can wrestle with best in Minnesota and some of the best in the country. Over the last three seasons, Vaske has been considered one of the favorites to take home the state championship. This could be the year it happens. 9. Jake Long School: West Central Area 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 157 Jake Long (Photo/The Guillotine)Scouting Report: Long spent his freshmen and sophomore years just trying to break into the state bracket. In 2006, Long faced off with the eventual third and fourth-place winners at state just to try to qualify for state. In 2007, Long faced off against two wrestlers who eventually became the state champion and third-place winners. Finally, in 2008, he was able to qualify for state ... and in 2009, Long took home a state championship. While Long may not have the total number of achievements that some of the others on this list do, he has made large and steady improvements each year. He has taken advantage of the summer wrestling season and it should show on the mat when the high school wrestling season begins. 10. Tucker Freeman School: Jackson County Central 09-10 Projected High School Weight Class: 171 Projected College Weight Class: 174 Scouting Report: Freeman is a three-time state medal winner who should make his fourth appearance at the state tournament in 2010. He placed second last year, losing to Mr. Minnesota and University of Minnesota recruit Kevin Steinhaus in the finals. He has been a familiar face at the state tournament ... with his first appearance coming in 2005 as a seventh-grader. Though Freeman has an impressive number of career wins (he could pass 200 this year), he has been considered an underdog to win the state championship. 2009-2010 will be different. Honorable Mention: Dalton Henderson (Owatonna) Tommy Glenn (Simley) Kyle Leduc (Thief River Falls) Ryan Thompson (Benson) Jordan Bendson (Staples-Motley) Jordan Linn (Foley) Andrew Youngblom (Mora) Kevin Nelson (Forest Lake) Tyler Rohr (Hastings) Kraig Schumm (St. Michael-Albertville) Mitch Hrovat (Centennial) Brandon Haluptzok (Centennial) Michael Hirsch (Austin) Mason Young (Henry Sibley) Jeff Nielsen (Zimmerman)

Luke Goettl

Mike McMullan, Wyoming Seminary's returning National Prep heavyweight champion has verbally committed to Northwestern University. Recognized as an InterMat Top 100 recruit, InterMat Wrestling 49 Pennsylvania Top 10 wrestler, and ranked among The Open Mat's top 2010 college prospects, McMullan is one of the most distinguished high school heavyweights in the nation. Mike McMullanIn addition to his wrestling accomplishments McMullan is a decorated football player, lacrosse player, and honor roll student. The Wyoming Seminary College Prep senior reports that while the selection process was challenging, visiting Northwestern's Evanston, Illinois campus made the decision easy. The combination of Northwestern's academic profile, campus, coaching staff, and Big Ten affiliation caused him to quickly realize that it was the right place to pursue his goals over the course of the next five years. "I really connected with Coach Cysewski and Coach Pariano. I am excited about their vision for the Northwestern wrestling and my opportunity to be a part of it. I look forward to working with them." McMullan enters his senior season intent on defending his National Prep title and establishing himself as a premier heavyweight at the national level. He will have ample opportunity to do just that with a schedule that includes the ASICS Walsh Ironman, Beast of the East, Cheesehead Invitational, Blair Super Quad, and the National Prep Championships.