InterMat Staff

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature NCAA Division II wrestling coaches Marc Bauer, Jim Makovsky and Mike Denney. Marc Bauer led the University of Nebraska-Kearney to its first NCAA Division II team championship last season in Cedar Rapids, IA. The Lopers clinched the title in the final bout of the tournament when Tervel Dlagnev won his second consecutive title in the 285 pound division. A perennial power in Division II, UNK has three team runner-up finishes at nationals this decade and won the NWCA National Duals in 2003 and 2007. This season is Bauer's 10th as UNK's head coach. Jim Makovsky returns four All-Americans from last season's Minnesota State University team which won the NWCA National Duals and finished a mere one half point from winning the team national championship. MSU was 20-1-1 in dual meets last season and Makovsky was named North Central Conference Coach of the Year. Makovsky is in his 15th season as the head coach at MSU. Mike Denney is beginning his 29th season as the head coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Denney's UNO Mavericks have won four NCAA Division II championships, including three in a row from 2004-2006. Among his many awards, Denney was named both ‘Man of the Year' by Amateur Wrestling News and WIN Magazine's Dan Gable Coach of the Year in 2006. UNO placed third in the nation last season and return two-time NCAA champions Cody Garcia (125) and Todd Meneely (149), along with six other All-Americans. "On the Mat" can be hard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

A great big THANK YOU to UNI Head Coach Brad Penrith and his staff, The Panther Wrestlers and fans for a memorable weekend. Watch for a fun and informative video we produced on campus to be released soon on TDR TV at Takedownradio.com This week the Brute Adidas studios head to "The Barn" Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa. Join Steve Foster, Jeff Murphy, Grant Turner and Richard Fergola for the LIVE broadcast of the USA Wrestling Preseason Folkstyle Nationals. Big Thanks to Coach Brian Keck and the good folks at USA Wrestling and TheMat.com for making this Broadcast possible. Event Website http://www.preseasonnationals.com/ 34 States 22 State Champions 33 State Runner-ups. 500 wrestlers have registered with 2 days remaining. Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Kansas, North Dakota, Minnesota, Georgia, Washington, West Virginia, Nebraska, Illinois, New York, Michigan, Virginia, Oregon, Colorado, Missouri, California, Louisiana, Kentucky, Connecticut, Arizona, Texas, Maryland, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Idaho, South Dakota, Utah, New Jersey So join us for this monster event. It's going to be great! Saturday 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM for radio and Internet and 11:30 to end on Takedownradio.com.

The lineups for the 2008 NWCA All-Star Classic have been released. The event, which is slated for November 24 at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio, includes four returning NCAA champions and seven NCAA runner-ups. The returning NCAA champions competing in the event include J Jaggers of Ohio State at 141 pounds, Brent Metcalf of Iowa at 149 pounds, Jordan Leen of Cornell at 157 pounds, and Mike Pucillo of Ohio State at 184 pounds. Jaggers, who shocked many by winning the NCAA title as the No. 6 seed, will face Iowa State's Nick Gallick, a returning fifth-place finisher at 141 pounds. Metcalf, who won the 2008 Rev Wrestler of the Year award after going 35-1 en route to winning the NCAA title at 149 pounds, will take on Bubba Jenkins of Penn State in a rematch of last season's NCAA finals match. Metcalf won that meeting by a score of 14-8. Leen, who upset three highly-ranked wrestlers en route to winning the NCAA title, will face Mike Poeta of Illinois. Like the Metcalf-Jenkins match, this match at 157 pounds is rematch of last season's NCAA finals match, which Leen won by a score of 5-4. Pucillo, whose NCAA finals win at 184 pounds secured Ohio State's second-place team finish last season, will battle Iowa's Phil Keddy. Lineups: 125: Troy Nickerson (Cornell) vs. Charlie Falck (Iowa) 133: Joey Slaton (Iowa) vs. Jayson Ness (Minnesota) 141: J Jaggers (Ohio State) vs. Nick Gallick (Iowa State) 149: Brent Metcalf (Iowa) vs. Bubba Jenkins (Penn State) 157: Jordan Lenn (Cornell) vs. Mike Poeta (Illinois) 165: Nick Marable (Missouri) vs. Mack Lewnes (Cornell) 174: Steve Luke (Michigan) vs. Jay Borschel (Iowa) 184: Mike Pucillo (Ohio State) vs. Phil Keddy (Iowa) 197: Jake Varner (Iowa State) vs. Hudson Taylor (Maryland) 285: Jake Rosholt (Oklahoma State) vs. Kyle Massey (Wisconsin)

NORFOLK, Va. -- The 2008-09 ODU wrestling schedule was released today, announcing the slate for the 22nd ranked team in the nation. Head coach Steve Martin will again face a brutal schedule this season as the team travels to face No. 5 Missouri, No. 6 Oklahoma State, No. 14 Central Michigan and No. 20 Oklahoma, and will host No. 25 Northern Iowa. ODU will also play host to the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament this season, at Oscar Smith High School on March 6-7. The ODU wrestling team boasted a 17-3 dual record a year ago in one of the best seasons in program history. This year, the 22nd ranked Monarchs will attempt to repeat the promising year against a tough schedule early. The Monarchs will open the season with the annual Blue/Silver Intersquad on October 26 in the Athletic Administration Building at ODU, at 12:30. The regular season begins with five straight dates on the road. The team will travel to the Michigan State Open tournament on November 9 and then return to the Commonwealth for the Hokie Open tournament at Virginia Tech November 16. ODU's first dual will be a major test against two of the top teams in the nation, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma on November 22 and 23. The Cowboys are ranked 6th in the preseason by W.I.N. Magazine while the Sooners are ranked 20th. Old Dominion will have the Northeast Duals on November 29, and they will face Harvard, No. 5 Missouri and Bloomsburg. ODU will then take nearly a month's break before they host their first opponent of the year, the Panthers of UNI. Northern Iowa is ranked 25th in the preseason and will be a key matchup for the Monarchs this season. ODU will then split up and head to the Midlands and Southern Scuffle Tournaments on December 29-30 before coming back home and hosting a quad meet on January 4. ODU plays host to Purdue, UNC Greensboro and George Mason on the 4th at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. The quad is set to begin at 2:00 pm. Martin will return to the Virginia Duals on January 9-10 at the Hampton Coliseum, a tournament they took third at in 2007-08. The CAA Duals will follow in Fairfax on January 17. The following week ODU will travel to face Bucknell and No. 14 Central Michigan. The Chippewas will host the Monarchs in the first ever matchup. ODU will also travel to Rider and NC State at the end of the year. Virginia wrestling fans will be enthused to hear that ODU will play host to both the Virginia Cavaliers and the Virginia Tech Hokies at the end of the 2008-09 regular season. The Cavs, coming to Norfolk on February 8, will be looking to rebound after a 23-12 loss to the Monarchs a year ago, while the Hokies, entertained on February 19, return a home and home matchup of which ODU took a 26-9 victory last year in Blacksburg. Martin continues to schedule tough opponents to train his grapplers for the CAA Tournament and potential slots at the NCAA Tournament. A year ago, a record six of his wrestlers qualified for the championship. This year, the conference tournament will be hosted by Old Dominion, giving the Monarch wrestlers home mat in the qualifying tournament. The tournament will be held at Oscar Smith High School on March 6-7.

University of Minnesota two-time All-American wrestler Jayson Ness has been selected to participate in the 43rd annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic. Ness will wrestle on Nov. 24 at St. John's Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The event will be televised live on ESPNU. The event, hosted this fall by Ohio State University, annually invites the nation's top wrestlers to compete in a dual meet format that serves to showcase the nation's top wrestlers and to celebrate those athletes as ambassadors to their sport. "It's a great way to get the season started," Ness said. "It'll be a great test to see where I'm at early in the season and to test myself against some of the best wrestlers in the country. It's an honor to be chosen and I'm looking forward to it." Although Ness' opponent has yet to be announced, the junior will be competing in the 133 lb. class after earning All-American accolades at the 125 lb. level each of the last two seasons. Ness makes the transition to 133 pounds for the 2008-09 season after recording a 39-2 record at 125 pounds last season. "Considering I've moved up a class, I was surprised to be picked just because there are a lot of good wrestlers [at 133]." Ness said. "It's going to be a great atmosphere, so I'm looking forward to it." Ness, who tied a single-season school record with 20 pins during the 2007-08 season, is one of four returning starters and one of two returning All-Americans for a Minnesota squad that is just two years removed from a national championship. The Bloomington, Minn. native was the national runner-up at 125 lbs. at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo. last March. Although the NWCA All-Star event is nationally televised and features some of the college wrestling's most accomplished athletes, Ness' participation will not count as an official event and the result of his match will not affect his 2008-09 official record. Minnesota wrestling begins its season just one month from today, and gets underway with its 2008-09 calendar at the Bison Open on Nov. 15. Minnesota's first home event of the season comes when the team hosts Oklahoma State in a New Year's Day dual meet at the Sports Pavilion at 2:00 p.m. For tickets, call 1-800-U-GOPHER or contact the Gopher Ticket Office at 612-624-8080.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State wrestling team reported to fall practice nearly a month ago and after just four weeks of practice, the Buckeyes will hold their official team wrestle offs at 8 p.m. Thursday in St. John Arena. Admission is free. The wrestle offs will be streamed live on Buckeye Vision on the official website of Ohio State athletics at OhioStateBuckeyes.com. The chance to compete "under the lights" in St. John Arena, the competition venue for the wrestling team, has been an ongoing process since the team reported to campus Sept. 18. About 10 minutes away at the Steelwood Athletic Training Facility, the Buckeyes have been getting back into the routine of strength training and competitive practices. As a result, the finalists for wrestle offs Thursday have been determined, with the exception of the 141 and 184-pound weight classes. At 125 pounds, sophomore Nikko Triggas, a 2008 NCAA qualifier, will face freshman Pat Harrington. Harrington defeated freshmen Garrett Henry and Pat Zamaria for a chance to compete Thursday. Junior and two-time NCAA participant, Reece Humphrey and Brian Kelly will square off at 133 pounds, while junior Lance Palmer, a two-time All-American, and freshman Jared Kusar will battle at 149 pounds. Kusar defeated classmate Caleb Messerall in preliminary action. Heading into the middleweight matches, senior NCAA qualifier Jason Johnstone will meet junior AJ Agazarm at 157 pounds. Agazarm was vying for a spot in the finals at 165 pounds, but will replace freshman Sean Nemec. Next up at 165 pounds is sophomore Colt Sponseller vs. freshman Ross Ambrose. One of the larger brackets, there will be a total of four matches wrestled at the conclusion of wrestle offs. During the early stages, Agazarm defeated Robel Campbell before Agazarm lost to Ambrose. Transfer Dave Rella and freshman C.J. Magrum will face each other at 174 pounds. Rella downed freshman T.C. Pendleton, while Magrum defeated classmate Jeremy Sanders. Freshman Cody Gardner and sophomore John Weakley will vie for the top spot at 197 pounds. Weakley, a sophomore, beat freshman David Crowley, who defeated classmate Dominic Jontony. Gardner was successful against junior Jason Cook. It will be a pair of freshmen in Pat Walsh and Johnny Hiles in the final at heavyweight. Hiles defeated freshman Zach Stolarsky in preliminary rounds. Although junior Corey Morrison was victorious over Walsh, who topped classmate Dalton Britt in earlier rounds, Morrison will be unable to wrestle. 2008 Ohio State Wrestle Offs 8 p.m. Oct. 16 St. John Arena 125 - Nikko Triggas vs. Pat Harrington 133 - Reece Humphrey vs. Brian Kelly 149 - Lance Palmer vs. Jared Kusar 157 - Jason Johnstone vs. AJ Agazarm 165 - Colt Sponseller vs. Ross Ambrose 174 - Dave Rella vs. C.J. Magrum 197 - John Weakley vs. Cody Gardner 285 - Pat Walsh vs. Johnny Hiles

Some people's dreams take them from small towns to big cities. For Oklahoma State freshman wrestlers Jordan Oliver and Alex Meade, it was the opposite. Their dreams took them from cities on the East Coast to Stillwater, Okla. Oliver, who not only won three Pennsylvania state championships, but also won the 2008 national championship, has always wanted to succeed in wrestling. And he knew he could reach those goals coming to Oklahoma State. "It's the best wrestling school in the country," Oliver said. "I knew I could succeed if I came here. The coaching staff and your workout partners are amazing. You can't really beat that. I wanted to be a part of the Oklahoma State tradition." Oliver finished his senior year undefeated with a record of 40-0 and a prep career record of 175-5. He watched the path that former OSU wrestler Coleman Scott took from high school. Scott is also from Pennsylvania and only about five minutes from where Oliver grew up. "I've watched Coleman since I was in about the sixth grade. I liked the way he wrestled and he was someone I could look up to and relate to. I watched him go from the East Coast to Oklahoma State and I've seen all the success he's had here." The move from city life to college-town life wasn't too difficult for Oliver. He said the transition was much easier because he knew Meade would be coming as well. Meade, who won three Delaware state championships while finishing with a prep record of 125-4, said life in Stillwater is definitely different. "One difference is that people out here are really friendly," Meade said. "Out east, people don't really talk as much as people do here." Oliver agrees that people are much friendlier in Stillwater, including his head coach. Before he came to OSU, Oliver said he was a little intimidated because he saw John Smith as "The John Smith" who was a six-time World champion and is internationally recognized. But once Oliver arrived in Stillwater his view of Smith completely changed. "He's a lot more approachable now than before I came here. He was a little intimidating before but now I can talk to him about anything. I have a relationship with him now where I can come up to him and ask him things and go over stuff." That kind of relationship with Smith and with their Cowboy teammates will only help Oliver and Meade, both of whom will likely redshirt this season to prepare them for careers that may well put them right next to John Smith, Coleman Scott and the long list of Oklahoma State NCAA champions.

Predicting post-high school success for a talented high school wrestler can be an extremely difficult task. As many college coaches have come to find out, wrestling talent becomes only a small part of the equation. Work ethic, commitment, coachability, and other variables factor into the equation. Let's take a look back at RevWrestling.com's top-five high school seniors from the preseason rankings over the past three seasons and see how each has panned out. Each wrestler is given a letter grade based on his ability to live up to his national high school ranking thus far in his career. 2006 1. David Craig (Florida) David Craig (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)High School: Craig was an absolute monster as a high school wrestler at national powerhouse Brandon High School in Florida. He won three state titles and compiled an unblemished record of 179-0. As RevWrestling.com's high school analyst wrote at the start of Craig's senior season, "David Craig has been the top 171-pounder in the nation since his sophomore year. In 2005-2006, to paraphrase Shakespeare, he stands over all others at his weight class like a colossus." Post High School: Craig has not lived up to his billing at Lehigh. He is now entering his junior season and has yet to find a spot on the All-American podium. He was one match away from All-American status as a freshman at 184 pounds and missed most of his sophomore season because of academic issues. Grade: C Although Craig has yet to live up to his billing as the next great college wrestling star, he did reach the round of 12 in his only NCAA appearance as a true freshman, which is no small task. He still has two more seasons of college wrestling, so it's not fair to write him off as a complete bust yet. 2. Henry Cejudo (Arizona/Colorado) Henry Cejudo (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)High School: Cejudo was a phenom. His dominance in high school wrestling (four-time state champion) was overshadowed by his dominance in the international styles of freestyle and Greco-Roman. In freestyle, Cejudo completely dominated several highly touted stars, including Mike Grey, Franklin Gomez, and Paul Donahoe … just to name a few. But Cejudo's most impressive victories came on the senior level in events such as the NYAC and Sunkist tournaments. He crushed NCAA champion Jason Powell and also defeated Besik Kudukhov from Russia, a Junior World champion at the time who would later win a World title on the senior level. Post High School: Cejudo's post high school career has been well documented. He made the decision to forgo college wrestling to live and train in Colorado Springs at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Cejudo steadily climbed the U.S. ladder in freestyle while training under the tutelage of Terry Brands. In 2006, Cejudo became the first high school wrestler to win the U.S. Nationals since USA Wrestling became the national governing body for the sport in 1983. In 2007, he made the U.S. World Team. In 2008, Cejudo won an Olympic gold medal. Grade: A Yeah, I would say winning an Olympic gold medal just three years removed from getting your high school diploma gets you an A. 3. Billy Murphy (California) High School: Murphy might not have been the most technically-polished wrestler in high school, but he made up for it by wrestling an aggressive, attacking style. He was often compared to the Brands brothers. So it was no surprise when he signed to wrestle for Tom Brands, first at Virginia Tech, then at Iowa. Murphy compiled a prep career record of 168-3 in California and was a two-time Junior Nationals champion, earning Outstanding Wrestler honors as a junior. Post High School: As a redshirt, Murphy went 15-0 at 133 pounds and won titles at Spartan Classic, Kaufman-Brand Open, and Northern Iowa Opens. But in February of his redshirt season, Murphy was dismissed from the team at Iowa because of grades and behavior problems. Following his dismissal, Murphy began competing in local MMA events in Iowa. He enrolled at Kirkwood Community College before transferring to Iowa Central Community College. Grade: D Nobody has ever questioned Murphy's wrestling talents. His perfect record as a redshirt proves that he has the potential to be a very successful Division I wrestler. Whether he can get his off-the-mat issues resolved remains to be seen. 4. Garrett Scott (Pennsylvania) High School: Many considered Scott to be the best high school wrestler to come out of wrestling-rich Pennsylvania since the great Cary Kolat. Scott made two appearances in Fargo, winning Cadet Nationals titles in freestyle after his eighth and ninth grade seasons. He was a three-time state champion, but was unable to go for his fourth state title … because he was suspended for violating his charter school's Internet use policy. That was not the only off-the-mat issue with Scott during his senior year. He and three others were arrested by state police for possession of drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop, although Scott said the pipe that was found was not his. Post High School: Scott's off-the-mat issues followed him to Penn State. He lost his wrestling scholarship at Penn State when he enrolled as a part-time student his freshman year in 2006-2007. He was not on the Penn State wrestling roster that season. He was suspended before the start of last season after an arrest for underage drinking. Scott eventually found himself back on the mat … and defeated returning All-American Jake Strayer to make the lineup for the Nittany Lions. He showed flashes of what made him one of the top recruits in the country, like his 8-0 thumping of All-American Nick Gallick of Iowa State and his victory over highly-regarded Kellen Russell of Michigan, but battled knee injuries and inconsistency. A banged up Scott, wrestling with an LCL tear, reached the round of 12 at the NCAAs. Following the season, Scott found himself in trouble again and was dismissed from the team. He has since transferred to Edinboro, where he is expected to redshirt this season. Grade: C Like Murphy, wrestling talent has never been the issue with Scott. He is extremely tough on the mat and has a great feel for the sport. At this point, nothing would surprise me with Scott. He has the potential to be an NCAA champion and multiple-time All-American if he is committed to the sport. But that commitment has been missing for several years now. 5. Mike Grey (New Jersey) Mike Grey (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)High School: Grey is best known for becoming the first four-time state champion in New Jersey, which is an amazing accomplishment when you consider how much wrestling talent is in the state (not even including Blair Academy). He posted a 157-2 record and also picked up a Junior Nationals title and an NHSCA Nationals title. Post High School: Grey originally committed to Lehigh, but changed his mind in late summer and decided to enroll at Cornell. Grey stepped into the lineup for The Big Red last season as a freshman and made an immediate impact. He posted a 42-9 record and became an All-American by placing sixth at the NCAAs. For his efforts, Grey was named 2008 Rev Freshman of the Year. Grade: A- Grey has lived up to his billing. He is in a great situation at Cornell and should challenge for an NCAA title this season. 2007 1. Kirk Smith (Idaho) High School: Smith won four national championships in high school. He was also a four-time state finalist in Idaho, winning the state title twice. Post High School: As a true freshman, Smith wrestled unattached during the few weeks of the season. After winning the Southern Scuffle, Smith became the 184-pound starter for Boise State. He went on to become the first true freshman and the first Boise State wrestler since 2006 to earn All-American honors as he placed eighth at the NCAAs. Grade: A- Smith showcased his talents in his first season in the Boise State lineup. Expect him to move up on the All-American podium this season and possibly challenge for an NCAA title. 2. Albert White (Illinois) High School: White, a product of the infamous Harvey Twisters, is one of the best high school wrestlers the state of Illinois has ever produced. As a high school wrestler at Chicago St. Rita High School, White posted a record of 200-4 and won four state titles. He was also a Junior Nationals champion in Fargo. Post High School: White originally committed to the University of Illinois, but grade issues landed him at North Iowa Area Community college instead. He dazzled in his first year at NIACC, posting a 31-3 record and winning the 149-pound NJCAA title. He is expected to redshirt this season at NIACC before transferring to a Division I school. Grade: C White has yet to fulfill his promise as a Division I wrestler, but was very impressive in his one season at the junior college level. 3. Clayton Foster (Idaho) High School: Foster, like Kirk Smith, hails from the state of Idaho. He won three Idaho state titles and compiled a record of 160-11. He was also a two-time national champion at 189 pounds. Post High School: Foster began his first year at Oklahoma State as a redshirt, but was pulled out of redshirt at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. He posted a 22-11 record competing at 197 pounds. He showed flashes of his great potential when he took down eventual NCAA champion Phil Davis of Penn State twice in a match. This past summer, Foster won on a bronze medal at the 2008 FILA Junior World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. Grade: B Foster was solid in his first season in the Oklahoma State lineup, but not spectacular. He wrestled some good matches, but never seemed able to break through and beat the highly-ranked opponents. His FILA Junior World medal should give him some additional confidence heading into this season. 4. Corey Jantzen (New York) Corey JantzenHigh School: For many years, Corey Jantzen was known primarily as Jesse Jantzen's little bro. The older Jantzen became a New York wrestling icon after he won four New York state titles and became an NCAA champion at Harvard. But when Corey Jantzen reached high school, he quickly made a name for himself. He became a four-time county champion and two-time New York state champion with a career record of 185-7. As a high school senior, Jantzen competed in the Midlands and placed seventh. One of the most impressive accomplishments on his high school resume was his victory on the senior level in freestyle over two-time NCAA runner-up Chris Fleeger at the NYAC tournament. Post High School: Jantzen, like his older brother, was an NCAA qualifier for Harvard as a freshman. He posted a 14-8 record, but missed seven weeks of the season due to injury. Grade: B Jantzen might not have quite lived up to his hype in his first season at Harvard, but still turned in a solid freshman campaign. He was also a bit undersized competing at 141 pounds. Keep in mind that his older brother, Jesse, also failed to become an All-American as a freshman, but then went on to become a three-time All-American and an NCAA champion his senior season. 5. Cody Gardner (Virginia) High School: Gardner, who wrestled for national powerhouse Christiansburg High School in Virginia, won nearly everything as a prep wrestler. He dominated the 215-pound weight class nationally and won big event after big event. He picked up four Virginia state titles and amassed a record of 186-6. Post High School: Gardner enrolled at Virginia Tech as a heavyweight, but quit the team in December of 2007. His father, Keith, was quoted in the Roanoke Times as saying, "He didn't have that burning desire to wrestle. If you talk to him, he's not going to wrestle (ever again). He's kind of hung up his shoes. It's kind of a shock, but I knew something was wrong. His heart wasn't in it. It was his choice to leave." But Gardner made the decision to return to the sport in May and wrestle at Ohio State. He is expected to compete at 197 pounds for the Buckeyes. From all accounts in Columbus, Gardner is back on track with his wrestling career. Grade: D 2008 1. Mario Mason (New Jersey) High School: Mason starred at Blair Academy in New Jersey. He compiled an extremely impressive high school wrestling resume, which included winning titles at NHSCA Nationals and Junior Nationals (freestyle) after his junior and senior seasons. He also won three National Prep titles. Post High School: Mason is attending the University of Minnesota. He will wrestle at 149 pounds, but it remains to be seen whether he will redshirt or compete in the lineup for the Gophers this season. Grade: Incomplete 2. Scott Winston (New Jersey) High School: Winston went 137-0 and won three New Jersey state titles. He's the only wrestler New Jersey history to win at least 100 matches and graduate with an undefeated record. He won a Junior Nationals title in freestyle in 2007, but did not compete in Fargo this past summer. Post High School: Winston is enrolled at Rutgers University and wrestling under his former high school coach, Scott Goodale. He is expected to be in the lineup at 157 pounds this season. Grade: Incomplete 3. Mike Mangrum (Washington) High School: Mangrum won three Washington state titles, but made a name for himself by his performance in national events. He won national titles in Fargo four times. This past May, Mangrum won a gold medal at the Junior Pan Am Championships in freestyle. Post High School: Mangrum attends Oregon State University. It has not been determined whether Mangrum will compete for the Beavers this season or redshirt. Grade: Incomplete 4. Jason Welch (California) Jason Welch (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)High School: Welch was the recipient of the Junior Dan Hodge Trophy -- an award presented to the nation's top high school wrestler. He compiled a high school record of 194-7 and won three California state titles. He finished his high school career on a 142-match winning streak. He also competed in the Midlands as a high school senior, placing sixth. Post High School: Welch attends Northwestern University. Although no official announcement has been made, Welch is expected to compete in the lineup for the Wildcats this season at 157 pounds. Grade: Incomplete 5. Nate Moore (Iowa) High School: Moore posted a high school record of 181-3. He was a four-time Iowa state finalist and two-time state champion who went undefeated over his final two seasons. He was also a two-time Junior Nationals champion in Fargo. Post High School: Moore attends the University of Iowa. He is expected to redshirt this season and compete unattached at 125 pounds. Grade: Incomplete

125 1. Angel Olea - Fresno City 2. Joe Cabanas - Cerritos 3. Jaime Martinez - Santa Ana 4. Brandon Benvenuti - Sierra 5. Marty Rubalcava - Fresno City 6. Addison Hay - Bakersfield 7. Edgar Paez - Modesto 8. Jose Quezada - East Los Angeles HM Ariann Martinez - Santa Ana Riley Burger - Cuesta Sergio Valdez - Skyline Tim Quigg - Victor Valley 133 1. Gabe Aguilar - Santa Ana 2. Todd Wilcox - Sierra 3. Derek Ellis - Shasta 4. Justen Lockling - Sacramento City 5. Mike Schultz - Cuesta 6. Ryan Giovenco - Cerritos 7. Alberto Arreola - West Hills 8. Matt Higa - Lassen HM Charles Chatman - Santa Rosa Danny Varela - Palomar Galen Williams - Fresno City Ryan Richards - Cerritos 141 1. Mike Koehnlein - Cerritos 2. Mike Vassar - Sierra 3. Bobby Schofield - SA 4. Steven De La Cruz - Chabot 5. Brad Kumara - Lassen 6. Daniel Osmer - Modesto 7. Kevin Thonseng - Fresno City 8. Bryan Williams - Sacramento City HM Boy Medina - MSAC Chris Brusato - Sacramento City Jose Mondragon - Palomar Ray Bowen - Victor Valley 149 1. Ian Millan - Rio Hondo 2. Shad Maniguilt - West Hills 3. Jose Navarro - Santa Ana 4. Tim Navarrete - Shasta 5. Jarrin Miller - Sierra 6. Bronson Gerl - Cerritos 7. Randy Dressler - Lassen 8. Adam Obad - Modesto HM David Stupplebeen - MSAC John Banke - Cuesta Shane Crosley - Moorpark 157 1. Alfonso Sanchez - Fresno City 2. Matt Thomas - Shasta 3. Vlad Kochev - Moorpark 4. Eric Sauvageau - Cerritos 5. Frankie Flores - Modesto 6. Adrian Gonzalez - East Los Angeles 7. Dan Kennedy - Santa Ana 8. Rafael Munoz - Lassen HM Alfredo Solis - Palomar Matt Kent – Sierra 165 1. Zeth St. Clair - Sierra 2. Nico Phillips - MSAC 3. Sean Barbour - SA 4. Blake Willard - Cuesta 5. Dustin Reid - Shasta 6. Clayton McFarlane - Palomar 7. Daniel Wosek - Cerritos 8. Paul Bracamonte - Fresno City HM Cesar Ponce - East Los Angeles Eric Lopez - WV Matt Boger - Fresno City Matt Klingler - GB Robert Carothers - Sacramento City Travis Sakamoto - WV 174 1. Mike Cavanaugh - Bakersfield 2. Luis Onofre - SA 3. Mike Fucci - Sierra 4. Eric Smith - Fresno City 5. Ryan Cummings - Cuesta 6. Cody Vasconcellos - Sacramento City 7. Steven Martinez - West Hills 8. Michael Grijalba - Modesto HM Gerson Nkunku - Sacramento City Matt Cox - Fresno City 184 1. Caleb Gerl - Cerritos 2. Matt Garcia - West Hills 3. Edward Melitosyan - West Valley 4. Derek Rottenberg - Shasta 5. Steven Urquizo - Fresno City 6. Justin Gomez - Santa Ana 7. Shawn Michalek - Sacramento City 8. Josh Villagomez - MSAC HM Derek Flesher - Palomar Jon Anderson - MSAC Justin Walker - Fresno City 197 1. Sal Feliccia - Rio Hondo 2. Jacob Bingham - Sierra 3. Tyler Garcia - Santa Ana 4. Julian Silva - MSAC 5. Tyler Blair - Fresno City 6. Mario Delgado - Cerritos 7. Kyle Roh - Santa Ana 8. JT Minto - Shasta HM Alex Osante - Palomar Angel Romero - Palomar BJ Mosley - Sacramento City Garrett Valenzuela - Sacramento City Jibri Jackson - Cerritos Matt Schugg - Skyline 285 1. Matt Gibson - Sierra 2. Juan Enriquez - Cerritos 3. Dyllan Snavely - Sacramento City 4. John Hernandez - Moorpark 5. Austin Garza - Fresno City 6. Ziek Sanchez - MSAC 7. Frank Ayala - MSAC 8. Carson Camen - Lassen HM Chris Shannon - Santa Ana Morgan Lujan - Sacramento City Tim Pugsley – Palomar Team Rankings 1. Sierra 2. Santa Ana 3. Cerritos 4. Fresno City 5. Shasta 6. Sacramento City 7. West Hills 8. Rio Hondo 9. Mt. San Antonio 10. Modesto 11. Cuesta 12. Bakersfield 13. Lassen 14. Moorpark 15. West Valley East Los Angeles

Back from Las Vegas and the hospitality of Randy and Kim Couture and their extended Family. Thanks to one and all who made this weekend a memorable one. A special thank you to our friends at the Las Vegas Hooters Casino and Hotel and to Film Star and comedian Bobby Slayton who made his stage available to us for our video interviews. This week we fire up the mobile Brute Adidas studios and head up to Brad Penrith's House, West Gym and the University of Northern Iowa Panthers. We will shoot this for the new TDR web site as well as audio distribution. Something new and something old. It's getting to be wrestling season and I can't wait. Tune in this week to Takedownradio.com Saturday for 9 AM to 11 AM CST for America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show, Takedown Wrestling Radio. Thanks for listening and for watching.

The name Marty Morgan has long been synonymous with the Minnesota Gopher wrestling program. Morgan, a native of Bloomington, Minnesota, became a three-time All-American, two-time NCAA finalist, NCAA champion, and accumulated a record of 110-12 while donning a Gopher singlet. (Morgan also won a Division II title at North Dakota State as a true freshman before transferring to the University of Minnesota.) He won the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor for his excellence on the mat and in the classroom. Following his collegiate wrestling career, Morgan, who has two older brothers (Gordy and John) that wrestled in the Olympic Games, went on to have a successful international wrestling career. He made two U.S. World teams in Greco-Roman and also competed in the World Cup. Marty Morgan (Photo/The Guillotine)Morgan then spent 16 years as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Minnesota. Of those 16 years, 12 were spent as J Robinson's top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Morgan landed several top recruiting classes and was widely considered to be one of the nation's top collegiate assistant wrestling coaches. The program saw great success during Morgan's collegiate coaching career. During his final 10 seasons, he helped guide the Gophers to six Big Ten team titles, nine consecutive top-two conference finishes, and three NCAA titles. In early September, Morgan resigned from his assistant coaching position at the University of Minnesota to train former Gopher Brock Lesnar in mixed martial arts (MMA) on a full-time basis. RevWrestling.com recently caught up with Morgan and asked him what led him to his decision to leave the University of Minnesota program and whether he would consider returning as a collegiate wrestling coach. Morgan also talked about Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and much more. You recently made the decision to resign from the University of Minnesota as the head assistant coach to train Brock Lesnar in mixed martial arts (MMA) on a full-time basis. Your decision to leave the program and the sport surprised a lot people in the wrestling community. What were the primary reasons for your decision? Morgan: Well, obviously I've been in that head assistant role for 12 years. As enjoyable as it, it's still … being in the same position for a long time. It got to the point where I figured that I needed to make some kind of move. With Brock coming to me and offering me something that was full-time, I just figured the two things went together well. You start to kind of worry a little about where your market value is as a coach … as of right now, as compared to where it may be in four or five years. So I just kind of thought, 'Well, here is an opportunity to step out and do something different for a while.' Brock's not going to be fighting for an extremely long period of time, but while he's doing it I thought it would be a nice change of pace. What was the hardest part about stepping away from the University of Minnesota wrestling program? Morgan: Probably leaving the athletes that are currently there. And also a lot of the alumni that I'm well connected to. There are guys who have been graduates in the last 10 years that are still really close to the program that I have close ties to. I know those guys were sad to see me go. They understood, but they were a little bit bummed out by it. And there are some athletes on the team that you grow a little bit more attached to. It makes it tough. But I guess that just goes with college sports. What is the likelihood of you returning to the University of Minnesota in the future? Morgan: I don't know what J's timeline is. I've always told J that it's not my place to put a timeline on him or make him feel like he has a timeline. I definitely would be interested in the head coaching position if it were to open up. But as of right now, I'm going to concentrate on Brock. I'm pretty involved in real estate as well. So I'm just kind of going to kind of concentrate on my real estate career, work with Brock for the time being, and see what happens down the road. So are you saying that you would not return to the University of Minnesota in an assistant coaching role again? Morgan: You never want to say never with things, but it's not in my plans. As of right now, I would prefer to do something different and see where I'm at … and then find out what kind of timeline … see what happens with the program, see if there is any kind of change. As of right now, I think I kind of have a game plan to move forward in real estate and maybe something else in the fight world as well. Is becoming a head coach for a Division I college wrestling program one of your career aspirations? Morgan: Becoming a head coach at the University of Minnesota has been. Not necessarily at another school. I have a lot of local ties, family, friends, alumni, wrestling community, so I've never felt like I've wanted to go elsewhere. And I still don't. The only other program I've ever thought would be of interest is North Dakota State … because I went to school there. But otherwise, no, my goal had always been to take over at the University of Minnesota. But once again, you have to sometimes make a change in order to make sure my market value stays where I need it to be. Entering last season, the expectations for the University of Minnesota Gopher wrestling program were extremely high. You were coming off a national championship season and had an extremely accomplished and experienced senior class. But the season was marked by injuries and inconstancy. You ended up finishing 10th at the NCAA Championships. Was last season the most frustrating season of your coaching career? Morgan: No, I don't think so. There were some other years in there. Prior to our run of eight or nine top-three finishes in a row … my first four or five years coaching were very frustrating. We had very poor finishes at the national tournaments with some decent teams. We were just having a hard time figuring out a year-end game plan. And then things change. Last year was a bit of an anomaly. I think it was a lot of things combined. We still had great kids that put forth the effort. I think if you have a lot of guys that are really into it and they're putting forth the effort, it doesn't feel as diminishing when things don't go your way. So by no means would I consider it to be one of the worst years. You come from a family of accomplished wrestlers and boxers. How did you become interested in MMA? Brock Lesnar (Photo/Sherdog.com)Morgan: Well, I've followed it and considered it when I first got out of wrestling. It wasn't what it is today, so I chose the path to coach. But more than anything else, I like coaching. I like working with guys. Brock was one of the guys I worked with when I was at the University of Minnesota … and we work well together. I had been training him for the past two years, but it was kind of a run-back-and-forth type of training. With his fight career escalating and obviously a title fight coming up, he asked me if I would ever want to do it on a full-time basis so that I can just concentrate on him and not be running back and forth from practice to practice and doing all this other stuff. So my interest then grew quickly. Really, the work I do with Brock is very similar to what I do with wrestlers. I train him and try to peak him for a certain fight or wherever we are at with his training. The actual coaching and strategy is done by Greg Nelson at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy. He has been there for years. Greg and I work together. My thing is more or less to oversee Brock and make sure he's feeling good and getting the right kind of training. I can also work in as a partner because of my size. So it kind of works in a dual way. I heard through the grapevine that you were once pursuing an MMA career and actually training to fight Chuck Liddell, but suffered an injury while training and never fought. Is that true? Morgan: No, actually what happened was … when the UFC was just getting going, there were some agents that I was working with that asked if I wanted to fight a guy named Chuck Liddell. Nothing was signed, no contracts were written. I hadn't signed anything. I had no idea who Chuck Liddell was at the time … because he hadn't fought yet either. I never even got any further than that. I just chose not to do it because at the same time I just got hired as the head assistant at the University of Minnesota. At that time, fighting wasn't what it is now. You would have had to fight for a long time to get to the point where these guys are at now. That story is probably just getting passed on a little bit. I just thought it was interesting that I remembered that. I can't think of the agent was, but he said, 'How about fighting this guy named Chuck Liddell?' And I had no idea who he was. Now, thinking back, it would have been awfully strange. It probably would have been a situation where I would have started off 0-1. Brock Lesnar seemed to make huge gains between his first UFC fight against Frank Mir and his second UFC fight against Heath Herring. What part of Lesnar's game do you think has he improved on the most in recent months? Morgan: Probably striking. We're constantly working on his overall game, but probably his striking and then just his demeanor going into the fights. We slowed him down a little bit. He was coming out like gangbusters in both his first two fights … and one time it cost him the fight. The more he knows, the more control he has, the more calm he is. I think his striking game is getting better. He's also developing knees and kicks. He's lethal on his feet. The better he gets there, the more comfortable he is when he gets takedowns. I would say that's where some of his best improvements have been made. Lesnar will face Randy Couture on November 15 in one of the most-highly anticipated fights in UFC history. What will be the key for Lesnar to come out victorious against Couture? Morgan: Well, I think Randy's boxing skills have gotten better and better. Even at his age now, I think he's getting better with moving. I think Brock is going to have to be sharp on his feet in his striking game. When it does go to the ground, he's going to look for submissions. A lot like he did with Herring, he's going to have to control him when he has him down. But I think it's mostly working on his striking and being able to catch Randy on his feet. I think Randy is going to want to keep it on his feet as much as he can. You made two U.S. World teams in Greco-Roman and competed while Couture was also having success on the senior level in Greco-Roman. He was one weight class above you. Did you ever train with him? Or get to know him on a personal level? Morgan: Yeah, he was on both the U.S. World teams that I was on. So he was the guy one weight class above me. We trained together. I got to know him really well. I consider him a friend. I wrestled him three times too. I moved up a weight when my brother was still wrestling, so I wrestled Randy a couple times in Greco and one time in freestyle. Good guy, hard worker. He was a grinder back then and he still is. Lately, there has been a trend for accomplished U.S. wrestlers to pursue MMA careers, rather than continuing to compete internationally in freestyle or Greco-Roman. Do you think this trend could have a negative effect on future U.S. World and Olympic teams? Marty Morgan landed several top recruits during his time at Minnesota. Here he is coaching Roger Kish at the 2008 NCAA Championships (Photo/The Guillotine)Morgan: Yeah, I do. With the way FILA has been treating wrestling … constantly dropping weight classes, the horrific rule changes. They are cutting opportunities. While opportunities are being cut, guys are getting frustrated with it and they see a money outlet in fighting. I think we're going to start losing some of the better guys. Ben Askren is considering it … and Mo Lawal, Johny Hendricks, and Jake Rosholt are fighting. I think it will definitely have an impact on wrestling in the U.S. For the fighting world, I think it's a good thing. I do think there will be so many wrestlers involved in this now because we've had some great success in fighting, but we've only had a handful of successful guys in there. Now we're getting a handful a year getting into it. Pretty soon, just like Brock vs. Randy, it's going to be wrestler vs. wrestler in a lot of these big-time fights. You have recruited and signed many top recruits throughout your coaching career, some from Minnesota, but many from states all throughout the country. In your opinion, how does the talent pool coming out of Minnesota high schools right now stack up against other states? Morgan: In the past, we've seen probably two or three blue chips a year … maybe less sometimes. I think in the next few years, Minnesota is going to see more and more blue chips. I think there has been a real influx of folkstyle wrestling in our state. Realistically, we've just started a full-fledged folkstyle wrestling program six or seven years ago. Now we have kids in eighth or ninth grade who have wrestled as many folkstyle matches as they have freestyle matches, which is one of the keys to states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. They've have had a great folkstyle feeder systems for years. I think it's starting to become more and more evident that our kids are getting more matches and getting better at folkstyle. Our 14-and-under division won the dual meet nationals, Greco and freestyle. There are a lot things that my brother Gordy is doing … and Jared Lawrence and Luke Becker at Pinnacle. Those guys are all working with the kid levels, so we have some pretty high caliber guys working with young kids. I think it's going to start showing more and more. I think it's going to get harder and harder for the University of Minnesota to get those kids because you can only get so many a year. But I could see in the future having four or five legitimate Division I kids every year. Marty Morgan's nephew, Ben Morgan, won a state high school title in Minnesota last season as an eighth-grader at 112 pounds (Photo/The Guillotine)Your brother's son and your nephew, Ben Morgan, won a Minnesota state high school title as an eighth-grader last season at 112 pounds. What did that mean to you to see him win a state title? Morgan: It was exciting. It surprised me. I knew Ben was good and that he was improving at a drastic rate. I couldn't believe that he was capable of keeping himself together and winning it. As far as overall career-wise, it's great, but it's also a little added extra pressure. In the long run, I hate to say it, but an eighth-grade state title hasn't meant a whole lot yet in the state of Minnesota for future collegiate stars and Olympic hopefuls. It doesn't mean a whole lot. He has to keep getting better. He can't worry about how many titles he wins, he just has to keep worrying about getting better at wrestling. You have a history of not only recruiting and signing many of the nation's top 184 and 197-pounders, but also developing them into very successful collegiate and international wrestlers. Most recently that list includes Tim Hartung, Brandon Eggum, Damion Hahn, and Roger Kish. This season, Sonny Yohn is expected to step into the Gopher lineup as a freshman at 184 pounds. How great can he be? Morgan: Well, he had shoulder surgery, so he has to recover from that. Prior to that, I could see some good things happening. He has a lot of things to work on technically, but he does have a couple things we saw in high school that I think are great advantages for him. He's very good on top. He's a very good scrambler. He's a fun wrestler to watch. I think his mat skills will carry him a long way. I foresee him having a good career. He still has Brandon Eggum there overseeing him. I think Sonny will still end up doing very well. I don't know how quickly he'll be in there at that level. But I know he'll be up on top before he's done. Please Note: This story also appears in the October 17 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. For information on The Guillotine, click HERE.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature wrestling legends Al Bevilacqua and Doug Blubaugh. Al Bevilacqua has been a leader in the wrestling world for decades at many different levels. Bevilacqua served as an educator with the Massapequa (NY) Public Schools from 1961 to 1994 where he served as the head wrestling coach from 1962-1977. He is currently the chairman of the Metropolitan Wrestling Association Beat the Streets program, which is bringing wrestling to inner-city schools in New York City. Among his many awards, Bevilacqua was named Man of the Year by USA Wrestling in 2005 for his great contributions to the sport. Doug Blubaugh won an Olympic gold medal at 160.5 pounds in Rome, Italy in 1960 where he pinned six-time world champion Emamali Habibi of Iran in the finals. He pinned six opponents at the Olympics and was named as the World's Outstanding Wrestler in 1960. Blubaugh was a three-time All-American at Oklahoma State University and won an NCAA title in 1957 at 157 pounds. A native of Ponca City, Oklahoma, he also won the AAU National Championship three times (1957-1959) and won gold at the 1959 Pan American Games. "On the Mat" can be hard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Former University of Northern Iowa wrestling national champion and Olympic silver medalist Gerald "Germ" Leeman passed away on Fri., Oct. 10. Leeman was 86 years old. In 18 seasons as the head coach of the Lehigh wrestling program, Leeman never had a losing season. He coached six men to nine NCAA titles, including Mike Caruso, who won three straight NCAA Championships from 1965-67. Leeman also mentored 22 men to 36 EIWA crowns and he led the Brown and White to six EIWA team championships. Leeman is survived by his wife Darlene, sons Martin and Jay '71, and daughter Jerilou. "It's a sad day when you lose one of your heroes and Gerry was one of UNI's great heroes," UNI head wrestling coach Brad Penrith said. "He was a true champion and carried himself in a first-class manner. He had been around Cedar Falls the last few years and had come to UNI football games, UNI wrestling matches and some of our wrestling booster club meetings. He was just as passionate about the sport of wrestling today as he was when he wrestled and coached. He will truly be missed." He is a member of several halls of fame, including the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame, Roger S.Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame, the NCAA Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Glen Brand Iowa Hall of Fame at the Dan Gable Wrestling Institute and Museum and was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the top 50 Iowa athletes of the 20th century. "Coach Leeman was truly an icon, not only in his sport of wrestling, but as a member of the Lehigh community," explained Lehigh Dean of Athletics Joe Sterrett ‘76. "His words and advice were always meaningful. I feel fortunate to have known him, especially during the time when I began my career as an assistant coach. However, I continue to be impressed by the many alumni whose lives he touched and who in turn are following his lead by serving others as well as Lehigh. He will be missed but never forgotten." In his 18 seasons as the head coach at Lehigh, Leeman totaled a record of 161-38-4 from 1953-70. His 161 victories rank fourth all-time in school annals, while his 80.3 win percentage is tops all-time. Handpicked by the legendary Billy Sheridan to be his successor, Leeman was the coach of Lehigh's finest team, as the Brown and White went a perfect 12-0-0 during the 1961-62 season, capping it off with an EIWA crown and a fourth place finish nationally at the NCAA Tournament. Four of Leeman's wrestlers, Joe Peritore ‘67, Mike Caruso ‘67, Kirk Pendleton '63 and Ed Eichelberger '56 earned All-American accolades on three separate occasions, while another pair of grapplers, Joe Gratto '57 and Billy Stuart '66 each earned a pair of All-American honors. "A giant has left us and I truly mean that," Caruso said. "Coach Leeman was so much more than our coach. He was a molder of men, an educator who used the lessons of strife on the mat to form foundation in his "boys," enabling them to achieve fame, fortune and esteem within their respective communities, professions and families. This is his legacy." He went onto say, "Larger than life, an icon, a legend are all overused phrases describing mortal people. None of these are inflated when describing Coach Leeman. To this day, all of his former wrestlers hold onto his every word." A native of Osage, Iowa, Leeman served his country in World War II as a Navy carrier pilot. Lehigh's home wrestling arena, Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall, is named in honor of the former coach as well as fellow Lehigh Athletics Hall of Famer Thad Turner '61. A member of the National Collegiate Wrestling Hall of Fame, Leeman led Lehigh to six EIWA team championships during his tenure, including in 1959, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966 and 1967. Leeman had a distinguished career as a wrestler and a coach. He won three state high school championships (1939, 1940, 1941) at Osage High School, two national AAU championships, an NCAA championship (1946) where he was named outstanding wrestler, and a silver medal at the 1948 Olympic Games in London. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 1948, and after coming to Lehigh that same year, coached for 34 years and five different sports. Following his retirement from coaching at Lehigh in 1970, Leeman remained active with Lehigh wrestling and other athletic programs. He served as an assistant to Turner from 1971-82 and also coached tennis, soccer, cross country and track. Leeman never had a losing record during his 34 years at Lehigh. "It's a truly sad day for all of us at Lehigh," former Lehigh head wrestling coach Greg Strobel explained. "He was really a great man and I am honored to have met him. I'm glad I had the chance to go see him last spring and also to have spoken with him recently. He will be sorely missed." Speaking of Leeman's proudest moments as a coach and mentor, Caruso added, "Coach said to me that the Championships he won at Lehigh, the All-Americans and the National Champions he coached, all of that was important at the time. But he always said he was proudest of what his wrestlers did after Lehigh – for their accomplishments in the medical field, in the business world, throughout the community, that is what he was most proud of." Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 11 a.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1301 Kimball Ave., Waterloo, with burial in Cedar Crest Cemetery, Jesup. Military rites will be conducted by Pump-Scheer American Legion Post 342 of Jesup. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, at White Funeral Home, 1315 Main St., Jesup, and for an hour before services Tuesday at the church. Story Courtesy Lehigh Sports Information Office and the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier

Scott Casber remains one of wrestling and mixed martial arts' (MMA) most colorful personalities. He wears many hats in his everyday life and promotes the athletes, coaches, and personalities like no other. To know Scott Casber is to know a caring, genuine, passionate, and dedicated man. Scott CasberHis voice can be heard every Saturday morning on Takedown Radio, a nationally-renowned wrestling radio show that is broadcast in Iowa on 1460 KXNO and also streamed live (and archived) on the Internet. He will be hosting a new wrestling radio show called Takedown Radio Roundtable, which is set to debut this week on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. Central. In addition to his work on Takedown Radio, Casber can also be seen on Inside MMA and heard on Pitt Pass Radio Weekly. He announces many live wrestling and MMA events throughout the country. He is also a very successful promoter and producer of MMA events. RevWrestling.com recently went one-on-one with Casber to talk about his upcoming tour to the Persian Gulf, what's on tap for Takedown Radio this season, Ben Askren's future, Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar, and much more. You're one of the greatest promoters and supporters of the sport of wrestling. Your voice resonates with passion when you talk about the sport of wrestling. What is it about covering wrestling that you enjoy so much? Casber: Thank you very much for the compliment, Andrew, but it's truly the sport of wrestling that deserves the credit. It brings the excitement out of me. It is about that one-on-one competition. Largely, our athletes are the unsung heroes of the world of sport. And they are the best prepared athletes in the world for any kind of competition. That's really what charges me up. That's what keeps me going 365. You will be traveling to the Persian Gulf at the end of October to take part in a tour with the USO. Explain what you are doing with the USO tour. Casber: Well, the USO reached out to me and several other guys … Kevin Randleman, Hermes Franca. We all have the same agent, coincidentally. But they reached out to the world of wrestling and MMA … and I announce both wrestling and MMA. They asked if we would be interested in going over and meeting the troops, visiting the hospitals and announcing events. Whether you know it or not, the Armed Forces are getting into grappling in a big way. They will be having some competitions over there. Toward the end of our tour of the Persian Gulf, we will actually be involved in the judging of some intramural events with the Armed Forces. It's not only endorsing what they do, but bringing some celebrity to their efforts … and being involved in what they do. We truly embrace our Armed Forces in such a way that we care and support our troops in every way we possibly can. Takedown Radio has evolved greatly since the program started several years ago. You have expanded your coverage significantly in recent years. You now have road shows all throughout the country and cover many of the nation's most prestigious wrestling events. What can Takedown Radio listeners look forward to this coming season? Casber: Well, lots of new things are making themselves available, including the new TDR Roundtable, which will involve you and many other great wrestling Web sites from around the country. Kind of a big tent theory, where we put together some of the greatest minds in the sport, some of the greatest journalists who cover the sport and bring their opinions to the airwaves. That will be on Wednesdays and Thursday nights starting on Wednesday, October 15. That gives our listeners an opportunity to hear a lot of different opinions. Something that we don't necessarily have an opportunity to do on our regular program. I think it will also shed some light on some areas of the country that aren't getting a lot of attention for whatever reason. But we're hoping to be able to open some doors, open some windows, and throw some light where it deserves to be thrown. The other things that we'll be doing again … some of our long road trips out east. We'll be covering the Northeast Duals, Binghamton Sprawl and Brawl, All-Star Classic, National Duals, Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Midlands, Reno Tournament of Champions, Kaufman-Brand Open, USA Wrestling Preseason High School Nationals. There are so many really positive events. We've expanded not just our coverage, but also our reach. Last year when we broadcast the NCAA Championships, we were pleasantly surprised at the total listenership that we enjoyed, but at the same time, it was expensive. So we knew we were being effective. But we just have to be a little bit more prepared to pay for it. A new Web site is in design right now. I can't wait to unveil this thing. We're looking at unveiling it sometime over the next week or week and a half. We're looking at this to be very special. Again, it will be the big tent theory where we have the logo for RevWrestling.com, the logo for TheWrestlingMall.com, the logo for InterMat, so people can constantly be going to Web sites of their choice to check out the news and interviews. We'll have a nice video element, video library to draw down from. Our idea, with this big tent theory, is that we are a family, so we should be talking to each other and treating each other as a family. In addition to your involvement in covering wrestling, you are also involved in covering mixed martial arts (MMA). Describe your current involvement covering MMA. Quinton Jackson and Scott CasberCasber: I'm fortunate to be involved in a sport that has evolved from wrestling. In other words, the greatest athletes involved in the sport of MMA, I feel, have wrestling backgrounds. I don't care if you're talking about Matt Hughes or Matt Lindland or Chuck Liddell or Tito Ortiz. It doesn't really matter. You look at all those guys. They all have wrestling backgrounds. Here's the greatest part about it … our athletes are able to continue on: Johny Hendricks, Jake Rosholt, Eric Bradley, Paul Bradley, Phil Davis … just to name a few. Take a look at the massive number of people who went to Arizona State who have competed and made a living in mixed martial arts. Kevin Randleman is another great one. Mark Coleman. The names go on and on and on. Frankie Edgar is still coaching and still competing at a very high level. Urijah Faber. All of these guys who have done so well in MMA are still giving back to wrestling. So if we endorse this, embrace this, make this part of our family as opposed to being afraid that it's going to take something away from us, I think we'll be much stronger for it. So what is my involvement in MMA? I'm an MMA producer. I'm a co-owner of three different companies, two here in Iowa, one in South Florida, where we produce a total of 28 events a year. I also announce live events for other promoters around the country, including Randy and Kim Couture in Las Vegas. But the important thing is that I'm able to throw some additional emphasis on our wrestlers. I know them now and would like to continue knowing them as they grow into fine young men and competitors in the world of MMA. Mixed martial arts has grown so much and we've been proud to be a part of it. Two of our companies are identified as two of the fastest growing companies in the country. We're just very fortunate to be able to be a part of such a fast growing sport. One that is largely endorsed by not just the Tiffany Network, CBS, but now NBC is jumping on. ESPN will soon be making a rather startling announcement. It's a mainstream sport for mainstream athletes. Sadly, it has been pigeonholed otherwise for other reasons, but the numbers are proving it out. CBS's recent presentation had just shy of five million viewers. That's not too bad for a Saturday night. Lately, there has been a trend for accomplished U.S. wrestlers to pursue MMA careers, rather than continuing to compete internationally in freestyle or Greco-Roman. Do you think this trend could have a negative effect on future U.S. World and Olympic teams? Casber: It depends on how we pose this to our athletes. In other words, is it an either/or? Or is it … you're going to do this, well, see ya. Take a look at pro basketball. Pro basketball players are out there after college playing pro basketball … and they still compete on behalf of the United States of America. Why should our athletes be any different? They shouldn't be. I understand that people need to make a living wage. Are we financially able to provide that to our athletes right now? No, but a lot of times there are other reasons to compete. I think others will rise above that. Andy Hrovat is an excellent example of the athlete ready to accept the challenge, live within his means, and be able to excel where others might not be able to take that challenge. Not everybody has the dream of continuing on past college. I will be the first one to endorse a young man's dream if he so chooses to be an Olympic athlete, to be a world level athlete … and will do whatever I can to assist him in that goal. I fully believe in support in the United States associations. I believe in USA Wrestling. I believe in the AAU. I believe in every one of our organizations that helps our athletes be the best they can possibly be … should they desire to be a wrestler at the international wrestler, I'm going to do whatever I can to help them … because that's why I'm here. You have known Ben Askren on a personal level for several years. Do you expect him to continue competing in freestyle wrestling with his sights set on winning an Olympic gold medal or pursue an MMA career? Ben Askren (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Casber: That's a question I've asked myself for a couple years now. I know he has met with many of mixed martial arts' greatest … and had long discussions with them. I think Ben is going to make an excellent coach as well. I don't want to sell him short on coaching because I believe he has a lot to teach America's youth. He's one of the most gregarious individuals and one of those I love being around … because he is so full of life. He wants to experience everything … and you can't fault him for that. But what Ben needs to do is make a decision on whether he will be a better international style wrestler and compete … or is going to compete on a national level with a UFC or a WEC or King of the Cage … any hand-to-hand combat is going to be rough and tumble. But Ben is that guy. He's a rough and tumble guy. Wherever he lands, he will be successful. Certainly he was disappointed at the Olympics in Beijing, but several of our athletes were disappointed at the Olympics this year. I think America was disappointed. But that doesn't mean our athletes are going to stop trying. I believe our athletes will. We've readjusted our coaching. We've reloaded. I believe eventually we will put forth another championship-level team. Will it be made up of the guys who competed this go round? Yeah, it will have some semblance of the same team, but I think they will be differently prepared and ready to compete. The world stage doesn't stand still because we make changes or because of the individuals we put forth. The world stage is constantly changing as well. I don't care if you're from Russia, Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Cuba, or America … it doesn't matter. Everybody ages, everybody changes, everybody qualifies differently at different times in their lives. We are very fortunate to have some of the finest athletes in the world right here in America. We need to look at our preparation and how we prepare them for international competition. Marty Morgan made the decision to leave the University of Minnesota as the head assistant coach to train Brock Lesnar in MMA on full-time basis. Did his decision surprise you? Casber: No, it didn't. Marty is largely one of America's unsung heroes at the collegiate level. I will always say that. I believe in Marty Morgan. He is one of the great coaches in our sport. We are grateful for having had him a part of this sport. He deserves a top spot after 16 years coaching … 20 years in the Minnesota program. I believe he has given more to coaching and the kids of America than most. Marty Morgan deserves a shot at some big checks. I believe Marty has made the right decision, maybe not for the University of Minnesota. But if there was a successor to the current head coach at Minnesota, I believe that man will be Marty Morgan. If Minnesota would not or does not look at Marty Morgan as that successor, I would be shocked. I think they would sadly be underselling themselves should they not make that decision when that time comes. Marty Morgan is a top drawer coach and a top drawer individual. I tell you what, if I had a pile of money in front of me, I would give it all to Marty right now just because of the kind of guy he is. He deserves success in life. He's enjoyed so much so as a coach, but can you imagine what he will do when he is a head coach. On November 15, Randy Couture will make his return to the UFC to fight Brock Lesnar for the heavyweight title in a highly-anticipated fight in Las Vegas. What are your thoughts on that fight? Randy Couture will face Brock Lesnar on November 15 in Las Vegas (Photo/Sherdog.com)Casber: I think it's an interesting matchup. You have one aged and wizened veteran at 46 years old. Randy is one that is a patient fighter. He doesn't get all amped up for a fight. Randy is a very unexcitable. At the same time, he doesn't get nervous. He would rather use the word excited for the event. Not too amped up. He really gets ready for the fight mentally. Physically, Randy is always prepared. Brock Lesnar is 10 years his junior. He doesn't have the experience that Randy does in the international style. Randy has more tricks up his sleeve than most competitors in mixed martial arts will ever have. Here's the difference. Whether Brock will be able to go in and call the first round his own. If he's able to go in and call the first round his own and dominate because of his physical size and strength, that will be the difference maker in this fight. If it goes beyond the first round, and Randy doesn't end up there, it will be Randy's fight for sure. Anytime you take somebody with the kind of experience that Couture has … with the wealth of knowledge. You have to remember, Couture was a freestyle wrestler when he arrived in Germany as a member of the United States Armed Forces. When he got there, on base, in competition, he said that he was going to wrestle freestyle. The guy said, 'No, you're not. You're going to wrestle Greco.' Randy had never wrestled a match in Greco. But he was told that day that he was going to. So he buckled down, set foot on the mat … and did not lose a match that day, winning the championship. Randy is the kind of guy, if you put a challenge in front of him, he won't figure out a way to lose, he'll figure out a way to win. And if staying away from Brock Lesnar is the way to do it, he's going to do it. He'll outlast Brock. When you go into that cage, and that door slams shut, your adrenaline starts pumping double time. And that is an exhausting feeling. As an announcer, my adrenalin is pumping double time. At the end of the fight, I'm exhausted … and I haven't lifted a finger to defend myself. But I will tell you this, both men are good at what they do. I think Randy Couture will use his longevity in this sport to his advantage and as many tools in his toolbox. It's going to be an incredible fight for sure.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team has named a talented foursome as co-captains for the 2008-09 season. Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.), junior Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), senior Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) and junior Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) will share team leader duties this year. "These four young men have been chosen by their peers to lead us through another successful campaign," head coach Troy Sunderland said. "Each of these wrestlers has outstanding leadership qualities and, while they differ from wrestler to wrestler, they combine to create a group of captains that is well suited to guide us this year. They are successful, hard-working and their teammates look to them as an example of what hard work and dedication can lead to." Haas, a sixth year senior who was given an extra year of eligibility due to having two seasons shortened by injuries, will wrestling at 133 this year after going 7-15 last season. Haas was 5-11 in duals with a solid 3-5 Big Ten dual meet record. Haas has a 29-23 career record. Jenkins is the defending national runner-up at 149. The Virginia-native went 26-6 last season, including a 4-1 showing at nationals and an appearance in the NCAA title tilt. The All-American, who is now 49-18 overall at Penn State, has a 10-6 career Big Ten dual meet record, including a 6-2 mark last season. Jenkins begins his run at a national title with 82 career dual meet points. Strayer was a 2007 All-American at 133 and moved up to 141 last season where he went 11-5. A two-time NCAA qualifier (he reached the `Round of 12' at 133 in 2006), Strayer returns to 133 this season. Strayer has a 64-19 career record, including a 53-14 mark at 133 pounds. Strayer's 39-9 career dual match record his highlighted by a 30-5 mark at 133 (12-4 in Big Ten action). He has 133 career dual match points. Vallimont earned his first All-America honor last year with a superb third place finish at 157 pounds. It was the New Jersey-native's first season at 157 pounds. Vallimont posted a superb 32-3 mark last year, including a 5-1 performance at nationals to take third place. Vallimont, who reached the `Round of 12' at nationals at 149 in 2007, has a 54-15 career record including a 29-8 dual match mark (12-4 in Big Ten action). He has 100 career dual match points as well. Penn State, under the guidance of head coach Troy Sunderland, will open its 2008-09 season by hosting its annual Wrestle-Offs on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. in Rec Hall. Admission to wrestle-offs is free.

2007 NCAA wrestling champion Phil Davis won his professional MMA debut tonight at "The Awakening," in Plymouth, Mass. Davis defeated an 8-2 Brett Chism in a three-round unanimous decision. Davis, fighting out of LionHeart in State College, Pa., came into the fight with a 3-0 amateur record. "It's nice to get this first professional win under my belt," Davis said. "My training's been paying off. I'm happy with my pace of my transition from college wrestling into MMA. I just want to keep improving and become the best fighter I can be."

The Silent Gladiators, a new and controversial biography by Nicholas A. Hopping, provides a matside perspective of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Freestyle Team as its members endure a grueling training cycle and compete on the world stage in Athens, Greece. The book focuses on the athletes and coaches, but the author becomes part of the story as he sacrifices four years of his life disregarding previous obligations while sleeping on floors, sitting in airports, writing in sleazy bars, and generally living like a bum for sake of the book. The book's preface (opening with "Wrestling is not sexy …") tells a parallel struggle for both the author and the sport of wrestling to gain respect. It also provides insight into Hopping's passion for the sport, and his internal drive to write the best damn wrestling book ever. Despite the self-promotion, The Silent Gladiators really is about the 2004 U.S. Freestyle team and the individual stories connected to it. There is Cael Sanderson, whose four-year dominance at Iowa State made him the next American wrestling hero. Expectations of being the best in the world begin to wear on Sanderson and he questions his commitment to the sport. "I don't know what I'm doing here!?" he wonders out loud to his coach (Bobby Douglas) and brother (Cody) after losing the first of three challenge matches to Lee Fullhart at the 2004 Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis. Like any good Rocky movie, Sanderson finds a way to beat the imposing Fullhart to make the team. Lee Fullhart (Tech-Fall.com)It's hard not to root for Sanderson, but you have to feel for Fullhart, who has not recovered from the disappointment of the loss. As the author states, "Fullhart would have traded the result of that match for five years of his life, for a chunk of his future, for anything the sporting gods were willing to bargain because for anyone who ever knew a bit about his sport could tell you, wrestling gets inside the mind, it layers itself into the veins, the blood, the heart and every fiber of muscle in the body." The Silent Gladiators has a logical flow, and Hopping makes it easy for even non-wrestling fans to connect the dots. The book opens with a snapshot of the 2003 World Championships held at Madison Square Garden in New York. A one-chapter description of the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs precedes a chapter dedicated to its ring bearer: U.S. Olympic Head Coach Kevin Jackson. Hopping makes a valiant attempt to describe wrestling as the ultimate sport, leaving one completely exposed for his talent, preparation, and character. According to the author, unlike most sports, wrestling does not discriminate based upon size, color, creed, origin, or personality. He illustrates the contrasting style of the Iowa and Oklahoma State programs, which cannot be accomplished without some insight into the personalities and accomplishments of Dan Gable and John Smith, respectively. Like any fan frustrated by the poor coverage and general awareness, Hopping expresses the need for a savior to bring wrestling from the depths of obscurity to the forefront of the public eye, which leads to a chapter dedicated to Sanderson, and inevitably his rivalry with Fullhart. The book continues in similar fashion, introducing key characters and providing the background for their stories: Stephen Abas, Eric Guerrero, Jamill Kelly, Sammie Henson, Joe Williams, Yoshi Nakamura, Stephen Mocco, Kerry McCoy, and Mo Lawal. The first section of the book ends in Las Vegas with the crowing of seven national champions at the U.S. Open. Stephen AbasThere's the California contingent of Stephen Abas, Eric Guerrero, and Jamill Kelly, teammates on the 1995 Junior National team. Each wrestler has a different road to Athens. Abas becomes the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed starter for the U.S. team after knocking off Sammie Henson. (Sitting in the stands at the 2008 Olympic Team Trials, I couldn't help but feel a role reversal: Abas looking like the grizzled veteran and Henry Cejudo looking like the hope of the future.) Guererro, dominant within the U.S. at every age-group level, never able to replicate the same success on the international stage. Kelly, the "stepchild" of the team, defeats three former NCAA champs along the way (Chris Bono, Lincoln McIlravy, and Bill Zadick) and finds the confidence he always lacked in college and begins to realize his potential. Then there's Kerry McCoy, one man who was able to defeat 1999 World champion Stephen Neal. Ironically, this accomplishment could have been his Achilles heel. In 2001, Neal retired from amateur wrestling to pursue a professional football career with the New England Patriots. The author explains that "once Neal left to play in the NFL, Kerry McCoy lost his truest companion towards achieving gold. McCoy had nobody left to fight, nobody left to be challenged by, and now to McCoy the U.S. heavyweight title didn't mean a thing." At 163 pounds, Joe Williams is considered one of the most physically gifted wrestlers of all time. After dominating the U.S. scene for six years, Williams finally qualifies for his first Olympic team. However, there is a hint of foreshadowing as Hopping describes Williams as passive and nonchalant at times, a trait that has left fans frustrated for years. Daniel Cormier possesses unharnessed power but lacks the same type of discipline as his teammates. His character has been tested through a lifetime of adversity, including the death of his daughter Kaedyn. The book progresses through the Olympic training cycle at the USOC, and culminates in Athens. It is here that Hopping reflects upon the sacrifices he made during his competitive days as a wrestler and now as an author. "The journey was boring, daring, inspiring, pathetic, but I had made it (to Athens)." In Athens, Sanderson fulfills his prophecy, knocking off rival Yoel Romero of Cuba and benefiting from the upset loss of Russian Sajid Sajidov in the semifinals before winning the gold medal. For Sanderson, it is the culmination of a lifetime of training and the final chapter in his wrestling career. For Sajidov, considered one of the best wrestlers in the world, winning a bronze medal is no consolation. The experience is bittersweet for the California connection. Abas is overmatched in the gold medal finals by 20-year-old phenom Adam Batirov of Russia. Guerrero loses in the first round of the Olympics to the Mongolian. Kelly turns his weakness in the clinch into his biggest asset, winning a controversial match against heavily favored Makhach Murtazaliev of Russia in the semifinals before losing in the gold medal match against three-time World champ Elbrus Tedeev of Ukraine. Like Sanderson, the Olympic experience marked the end of Kelly's competitive career, and left the public wondering not "who?" but "how many (world medals could he have won)?" McCoy is never able to replicate the same success that Neal did at the international level, but Kevin Jackson sees it differently: "Somewhere along the line, Kerry got soft on me." I think even McCoy would consider his performance at the Olympics disappointing. Williams shows no sense of urgency in his quarterfinals match before losing on criteria. "I would have rather seen him come out of the first period down by 1 or 2 points. That way, he would be aggressive. Even with 20 seconds left, he didn't attack," states Jackson after the match. This perceived nonchalant attitude left fans frustrated and confused for years. How could someone that showed so much talent and flashes of brilliance not step it up when he needed? Cormier shows flashes of excellence before losing to Khadjimourat Gatsalov of Russia in the semifinals, and squandering a lead in the bronze medal match. Hopping gives a prophetic summary of Cormier's training habits, which may have cost him two Olympic medals: "Cormier trains in cycles, pushing hard for several weeks at a time before a competition, and generally eating whatever he wants … Cormier will get far overweight between tournaments, in the 230-pound range, before having to cut extensive weight to make the 211-pound classification." This assessment left me shaking my head following the news that Cormier was considered medically ineligible to compete at the 2008 Olympics due to extreme weight loss. The book's focal point is the U.S. team, but the best chapters are dedicated to the Russian wrestling scene and its most dominant wrestler over the past 20 years: Bouvaisa Saitiev. Hopping explains that Russian wrestlers view themselves as warriors and survivors -- descendants of history's greatest conqueror, Ghengis Khan. Because of their skill and prestige, wrestlers are often used as bodyguards by high profile politicians and mafia leaders. The life stories of some of Russia's most notorious wrestlers read like an episode of The Sopranos. Their president Mikhail Mamiashvili, a three-time World and Olympic Greco Roman champion, could even land a role in Hollywood considering his shaved head, imposing figure, and ferocity. Hopping compares the contrast between the U.S. and Russian wrestlers. "While most American wrestlers remain obscure and struggle to make finances meet, Russian athletes are treated like national heroes and metal arch gates are built in their hometown if they win Olympic gold." Let's not forget about the benefits: with financial backing from the largest bank in Russian, various philanthropists, and ties to the booming oil industry, the Russian Sporting Federation is able to reward it's wrestlers with $500,000 for an Olympic gold medal and $4,000 and $3,000 per month for World and European titles, respectively. Bouvaisa SaitievBut Saitiev's story is the golden nugget in The Silent Gladiators. Born in Chechnya in 1975, Saitiev endured two wars with Russia that left his country in shambles. Considered one of the most accomplished wrestlers of all-time, his success and fame helped bridge the gap between these two areas following the fall of the Soviet regime, making it possible for Chechen wrestlers to train in Krasnoyarsk. Despite winning all but one world-level championship since 1995 at the time, Saitiev dreams of wrestling the perfect match. Only when reminded, does Saitiev recall one of the few times he has lost in his life -- when he was upset 4-3 at the 2000 Olympics to American Brandon Slay. "I let this person take me down in the second round," said Saitiev. "I didn't even know who he was. I had to look him up on the Internet. I don't think he should've been in the Olympics at all, he was like a plane fly-by. He flew in, flew out, and didn't have much to offer. Maybe they fed him something. He appeared, caused havoc, and disappeared. Kind of like that Rulon Gardner, but Rulon at least fights there somewhere. That Slay guy disappeared for good. He's not even worth my thoughts. If someone asks me a question about him only then do I remember, otherwise he doesn't exist for me." The reader gets a deeper look at Saitiev as a man wanting to blend into society but recognized as a celebrity. A man who escapes in poetry and fishing, who wants to live a clean life, who wants to know God. Hopping gives the reader a glimpse into the soul of one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. "Saitiev, the Chechen fighter, does not move like the other athletes on the mat, he doesn't think like most of them either. Before stepping on (the mat), Saitiev recites a Boris Pasternak poem to himself. Saitiev is a complex man with complex thoughts. He walked with the authority of a fighter but appeared more driven by finding personal truth in a sport than winning shiny medals." The Silent Gladiators is an intriguing read for anyone interested in the sport of wrestling, and a masterpiece for anyone familiar with its main characters. The author could have benefited from a few more revisions as the editing is atrocious, but the inspirational quotes and Roman numerals introducing each chapter are a nice touch. Nicholas HoppingThe book reminded me, as a former wrestler, of the dedication and sacrifice that each wrestler makes, successful or otherwise. As a fan, gaining insight into the personality of some of the sport's biggest stars makes me feel as though I was along for the ride. The chapters dedicated to Saitiev left me awestruck and thankful that Hopping included a Russian angle to a sometimes overly patriotic sport.

NORFOLK, Va. -- After finishing 17-3/6-1 last season, the Monarchs wrestling team was ranked first in the league in the preseason poll released earlier today. With 41 points, ODU ranks ahead of Rider (36) and seven-time defending CAA champion Hofstra (33) for the top spot. Six Monarch grapplers are ranked #1 or #2 in their respective weight classes, including returning All-American James Nicholson as the top ranked 125-pounder. Head coach Steve Martin will lead nine CAA ranked wrestlers this season, including six returning starters. Nicholson, Ryan Williams (141) and Chris Brown (165) were all listed as the top grapplers in the league at their weight, while Kyle Hutter (133), Kaylen Baxter (149), and transfer Eric Decker (174) came in at second in the rankings. The upper weights were also ranked, as rookie Joe Budi came in fourth at 184 lbs, junior Jesse Strawn is fifth at 197 lbs and Roy Dragon is listed as the fourth best heavyweight. The team returns three conference champs and two runner-ups from the 2008 tournament, and will boast seven national qualifiers in the lineup this year. 2008-09 CAA Preseason Rankings: 1. Old Dominion University (41) 2. Rider University (36) 3. Hofstra University (33) 4. Drexel University (26) 5. Boston University (23) 6. George Mason University (21) 7. Binghamton University (16) 7. Sacred Heart University (16) 125 1. James Nicholson, ODU 2. Steve Mytych, Drexel 3. Brian Wright, Mason 4. Paul Galipeau, SH 5. Jimmy Kirchner, Rider 5. Fred Santaite, BU 133 1. Lou Ruggirello, Hofstra 2. Kyle Hutter, ODU 3. Corey Dunn, SH 4. Denny Herndon, Mason 5. Filiberto Colon, Rider 6. Michael Gomez, Drexel 141 1. Ryan Williams, ODU 2. Anwar Goeres, Binghamton 3. Chris Davis, SH 4. Justin Accordino, Hofstra 4. Joey Rivera, Boston 5. Fred Rodgers, Rider 6. Abby Rush, BU 149 1. Mike Roberts, BU 2. Kaylen Baxter, ODU 3. Brandon Bucher, Mason 4. Anthony Priore, SH 5. Nick Weaver, Rider 6. PJ Gillespie, Hofstra 157 1. Jon Bonilla-Bowman, Hofstra 2. Mike Kessler, Rider 3. Nate Patterson, Binghamton 4. Carlo Ferrandino, BU 5. Frankie McLaughlin, Mason 6. Billy Haydt, Drexel 165 1. Chris Brown, ODU 2. Ryan Patrovich, Hofstra 3. Jason Lapham, Rider 4. Scott Hunter, Drexel 5. CJ Inglin, BU 6. Ryan McGarity, Binghamton 174 1. Alton Lucas, Hofstra 2. Eric Decker, ODU 3. Mike Ward, Rider 4. Hunter Meys, BU 5. Shawn Fausey, Drexel 6. Bagna Tovuujav, Mason 184 1. Doug Umbehauer, Rider 2. Josh Petterson, Binghamton 3. Justin Wieller, Drexel 4. Joe Budi, ODU 5. Ben Clymer, Hofstra 6. Dan Kennedy, BU 6. Bill Widener, Mason 197 1. Cayle Byers, Mason 2. Jon Oplinger, Drexel 3. Joe Fagiano, Hofstra 4. Mike Miller, Rider 5. Jesse Strawn, ODU 6. John Hall, BU Hwt 1. Eddie Bordas, Rider 2. Bryant Deinhardt, Drexel 3. Jim Connors, BU 4. Roy Dragon, ODU 5. Bill Beiermeister, SH 6. Art Garvey, Binghamton

LionHeart announces the professional MMA debut of 2007 NCAA wrestling champion Phil Davis. Davis will fight Bret Chism at No Boundary's, "The Awakening", scheduled for Saturday, October 11 at the Jungleplex in Plymouth, Mass. "After five months of training at LionHeart and several amateur fights, I'm really looking forward to competing at the next level," Davis said. "I've significantly improved my standup and ju-jitsu and have transitioned myself from a pure wrestler into a complete MMA fighter."

The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team will hold an open practice and the public is invited to watch the Panthers in action this Saturday at 9 a.m. in the West Gym. UNI is coming off a 20th-place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, a tournament which saw the Panthers' Moza Fay earn All-America honors with a fifth-place finish in the 165-pound bracket. The Panthers will also hold an open practice on Sat., Oct. 18. Takedown Radio and host Scott Casber will be broadcasting live from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. on Oct. 18 in the West Gym.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will host its annual Wrestle-Offs on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. Fans of head coach Troy Sunderland's squad who cannot be at Rec Hall for the annual date can listen live to the event on Takedown Wrestling Radio. America's Wrestling Radio program can be heard free on the internet at www.TakeDownRadio.com. Scott Casber, TDR's founder and the host of TDR's new weekly Wrestling Round Table show has made the airtime and bandwidth available to Penn State fans to assist in celebrating 100 years of PSU Wrestling. Jeff Byers, the voice of Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling will again call the action Live from Rec Hall on the campus of the Nittany Lions. Penn State's wrestle-offs are held annually, giving the Nittany Lions a double-elimination tournament in which to face each other in Rec Hall. Penn State is coming off a superb 2008-09 season that saw it post a 14-5 dual match record, earn a No. 1 national dual meet mark during the regular season and end the campaign with a third place finish at the 2009 NCAA Championships. The Nittany Lions return seven wrestlers who started during last year's campaign, including All-Americans Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), national runner-up at 149 last year; Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), last year's third place finisher at 157; and Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), who finished seventh at 133 in 2007.

This week we fire up the mobile Brute Adidas studios and head out to Las Vegas where we'll make our home at the Hooters Hotel, yes JB "The Hooters Hotel". I will be announcing a full night of MMA at the Thomas and Mack Center on the Campus of UNLV for Kim Couture. Super Fights MMA Presents: Night of Combat 2 produced by KC Concepts. Night of Combat 2 will be broadcast by HD Net one week delayed. This event will feature a great roster many with wrestling backgrounds. Card is listed below Scheduled to join us Live on air- Kim Couture, Gray Maynard, John "Hurricane" Halverson, Mike Pyle, Frank Trigg, Gina Carrano And many others. Should be a lot of fun. I always remember that 7 AM is awfully early out there where the sun never truly sets. So I'll be ready for about anything. Hope you'll Join us for America's Wrestling Radio Show Live from Las Vegas, Nevada Superfights MMA: A Night of Combat 2 Saturday, October 11, 2008 Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV Fight Card: Elena Reid vs. Stephanie Palmer Ian Omalza vs. Ryan Hass Patrick Gonzalves vs. Ryan Lamareaux Johnathan Mix vs. John Halverson Josh Haynes vs. Steve Byrnes John Alessio vs. Gideon Ray Mike Pyle vs. Brian Gassaway Jay Hieron vs. Bryson Kamaka Hector Ramirez vs. Rick Roufus

Some places have a knack for turning out great athletes in a particular sport -- for example, Western Pennsylvania as a launch pad for legendary football players like Joe Namath and Joe Montana. The same can be said for wrestling. Across the United States, there are small towns that have produced more than their fair share of accomplished wrestlers -- athletes who have earned state titles, NCAA championships, even Olympic medals. Some go on to even greater accomplishments. What's the explanation? In some places, it was one great high school coach -- or a succession of top-notch coaches. Sometimes, it's a family or group of families where wrestling success seems to be in the genes. In other communities, it might be a matter of success breeding success -- natural athletes are drawn to a high school sport where their friends and families became stars. Other times, the answer may be more elusive; perhaps it's just something in the water! From time to time, InterMat Rewind plans to visit these wrestling hotbeds, sharing the stories of the great coaches and wrestlers who call that community their own. First stop: Cresco, Iowa. In the state of Iowa, wrestling is about as close to a religion as it is anywhere. And, in this wrestling hotbed state, Cresco was one of its hottest incubators for the sport -- a place where mat champions were born and made. If Cresco were any further north, it would be in Minnesota. This community of approximately 4,000 residents is located in the rolling farm country of northeastern Iowa, about halfway between Waterloo, Iowa and Rochester, Minnesota. From the 1920s into the 1960s, Cresco launched more than its share of wrestling success stories … with names likely to be familiar to even to today's fans, including Nichols, Kurdelmeier, Peckham and Borlaug. If these names weren't enough of an indication of Cresco's status as a wrestling hotbed, consider these additional factors. The Cresco High School wrestling program was the subject of its own book, "The History of Wrestling in Cresco," published in 1984. What's more, Cresco is home to the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. Located in the Chamber of Commerce in downtown Cresco, this museum honors all-time great Iowa-born amateur wrestlers, including a number of hometown heroes. First seeds planted in 1921 According to "The History of Wrestling in Cresco," the wrestling program at Cresco High was launched by Superintendent of Schools A.R. Tiffany in 1921. The district had just completed a new building which included a gymnasium and locker rooms. In 1921, only a few high schools in Iowa had wrestling programs. In fact, throughout the U.S., organized amateur wrestling at colleges and high schools was a fairly new activity. The first college programs were established in the East in the first decade of the 1900s. Of the three major state universities in the state of Iowa, only two had intercollegiate wrestling programs in 1921: the University of Iowa (whose program started in 1911), and Iowa State (which established its program in 1916). The University of Northern Iowa's program came about in 1923. To provide some additional historical perspective: the birth of the Cresco program preceded the NCAA championships by seven years, and came just four years after the death of Frank Gotch, the world champion professional wrestler originally from Humboldt, Iowa whose superstar popularity helped fuel organized amateur wrestling throughout the U.S. A cavalcade of coaches Cresco High School's first wrestling coach was John Wheeler, an agriculture instructor from Iowa State. Twenty young men came out for the first season, competing in just dual meets, winning one (against Oelwein), and losing the other (to Mason City). That first year, the wrestling uniforms were actually long underwear, with leather patches sewn into the knees … and the wrestling surface was a twelve-foot-square horsehair mat, covered with canvas. In 1922, James Morrison took the helm. In both 1923 and 1924, Cresco had entries at the Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament (which also launched in 1921). David Bartelma became head coach in 1925, and really put Cresco wrestling on the map. In his first three seasons at Cresco, the Jasper County, Iowa native's teams were undefeated in dual-meet competition … and the school claimed its first state champ: Blair Thomas at 115 pounds in 1926. In 1927, Henry Pillard took the head coaching position at Cresco. The following year, his wrestlers won their first team title on the strength of three individual champs -- Paul Thomas at 85 pounds, Dick Jones at 115, and Wally Kent at 125 -- along with two other placewinners. Dave Bartelma returned to Cresco in 1931, building an even stronger Spartan wrestling program while also serving as the high school principal. His teams tallied up a record 29 straight dual-meet wins, claiming two state team titles in 1933 and 1935. Overall, his teams compiled a 45-5 dual meet record with seventeen individual state champs. "Bart" left Cresco in 1936 to coach the University of Minnesota wrestling program, where he remained into the early 1950s. He is referred to as "the father of wrestling in Minnesota" for his tireless efforts to encourage high schools in the Land of 10,000 Lakes to set up wrestling programs. Key to this effort was his hosting of the very first Minnesota High School State Tournament in 1937. He also recruited Iowa wrestlers to come north to become high school coaches. For his contributions to the sport, Dave Bartelma's name is on the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame, established in 1969 … and he was welcomed into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1973. After Bartelma left for Minnesota, assistant coach Henry Schroder filled in as head coach at Cresco for one year. In 1937, George "Chris" Flanagan came to Cresco to write more wrestling history. A native of Williamsburg, Iowa (which did not have a wrestling program at the time), Flanagan took up wrestling at Iowa State Teachers College (now Northern Iowa), where he was a 1934 Midwest Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) champ. During his more than 30 years at Cresco, he coached four teams to state titles and six runner-up honors, crowned 34 individual state champs, and compiled a powerful 317-89-5 dual-meet record. As of 1984, Cresco could claim seven Iowa state team titles, more than 60 individual state champions, and hundreds of placewinners. The Spartans' overall dual-meet record was 482-154-11, for a .680 winning percentage. In the early 1960s, Cresco High School was replaced by Crestwood High, a new facility that served a wider area of northeastern Iowa. In 1964, the school won the state small-school title; later in the decade, Crestwood moved into the larger-school division, placing as high as fifth in the team standings at the 1968 Iowa state tournament, and second in 1969, the year Iowa went to three divisions based on school enrollment. A couple years later, Cresco/Crestwood found a home among mid-size schools, more than once placing in the top ten in team standings, with a number of individual state champs. All-Time Cresco Mat Greats Now let's look at just some of the all-time greats who once wrestled at Cresco: Bob Hess: Cresco's First Mat Olympian Bob Hess wrestled at Cresco in the late 1920s for coach Henry Pillard. He was a 135-pound Iowa state champ in 1927. After graduating from Cresco, Hess went to Iowa State, where he compiled a 33-4 record. Hess was a 1932 Big Six champ at 175 pounds, and a two-time NCAA champ at 175 in 1932 and 1933. He just missed earning a medal at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, placing fourth in freestyle middleweight (174-pound) competition. Bob Hess was a member of the initial class welcomed into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1970. Norman Borlaug: Nobel Peace Prize Winner He didn't win any Iowa high school state titles (though he placed third at 145 pounds in 1932), nor did he earn a Big Ten or NCAA title as a wrestler at the University of Minnesota. Yet, Norman Borlaug is arguably the world's best-known wrestler to come out of Cresco … as winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 for his lifelong work as an agricultural scientist whose Green Revolution breakthroughs in developing high yields of wheat saved millions -- if not billions -- of lives from starvation throughout the world. Norman BorlaugBorlaug, who grew up on a farm outside Cresco, wrestled for coach Dave Bartelma at Cresco High School in the early 1930s … then headed north to the University of Minnesota. While at Minnesota, Borlaug usually wrestled at 145 pounds. Perhaps even more significant, he helped lure "Bart" to the "U", which only had a part-time coach at the time. He earned his bachelors in forestry from Minnesota, then stayed at the Twin Cities school for his masters and doctorate … also serving as the Gophers' freshmen wrestling coach. Borlaug started his lifelong work in wheat improvement in 1944, culminating in his serving as director of the Wheat Research and Production program at the International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in the 1960s and 1970s. Even now at age 94, he continues to serve as a consultant to CIMMYT, and raise awareness of ongoing hunger issues. In addition to his honors regarding his lifesaving agricultural work, Norman Borlaug has been acknowledged by the wrestling community as well. He was honored with the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's "Outstanding American" award in 1992, and the University of Minnesota's National M Club Lifetime Achievement Hall of Fame in 1994. Borlaug was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in his hometown in 2004. "Wrestling taught me some valuable lessons," Borlaug told the University of Minnesota in 2005. "I always figured I could hold my own against the best in the world. It made me tough. Many times, I drew on that strength. It's an inappropriate crutch perhaps, but that's the way I'm made." "Bo" Cecil Cameron: Cedar Rapids Coach An undefeated wrestler while competing for Dave Bartelma at Cresco, "Bo" Cameron built a 33-0 record. He was a two-time Iowa high school state champ -- 95 pounds in 1931, 115 pounds in 1933. Cameron headed east from Cresco to the University of Michigan, where he was 25-5, placing third at the Big Ten championships in 1936 and 1937, and second in 1938. After a one-year stint as an assistant coach to Dave McCuskey at Iowa State Teachers College in the 1949-50 season -- the year the program won the NCAA team title in its home gym -- Cameron headed south from Cedar Falls to Cedar Rapids, where he coached wrestling for 27 years, 17 as a head coach. His high school wrestlers earned an Iowa state team title and eight individual championships. Cameron was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1976. Donald Maland: Hometown Doctor Donald MalandDon Maland had success written all over his career on and off the mat. According to his senior bio in the 1934 Spartan yearbook, he was a class officer all four years of high school, culminating in being elected class president senior year. He was in orchestra and wrestled throughout high school. Competing for Dave Bartelma at Cresco, Maland won 38 straight bouts for a perfect prep record. He was the school's first three-time Iowa state champion (and only the fourth in the entire state), winning the 95-pound crown in 1932, the 105-pound title in 1933, and the 125-pound championship in 1934. After graduation, Maland went to the University of Iowa, where he wrestled for the Hawkeyes and coach Mike Howard. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at Iowa, and, after serving in World War II, came home to Cresco to practice medicine for over thirty years. Dale Hanson: World War II Hero Dale Hanson has the distinction of having wrestled for Dave Bartelma both at Cresco High and at the University of Minnesota. According to his plaque at the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, Hanson earned the nickname Pee Wee as a high school freshman because he was too small to compete, even in the lowest weight class, 85 pounds. As a sophomore, he grew a bit in size and was able to wrestle, losing a few matches. However, in his last two years at Cresco, Dale Hanson really came into his own on the mat. He was a two-time Iowa high school state champ, winning the 85-pound crown in 1934, then moving up to 105 in 1935. At Minnesota, Dale Hanson was a three-time letterman (1938-1940). He won two Big Ten titles at 128 pounds in 1939 and 1940. Henson was a two-time NCAA finalist, winning the 128-pound title -– and Outstanding Wrestler honors -- at the 1939 NCAAs, becoming only the second Golden Gopher to win the national wrestling title. While at Minnesota, he won 43 straight dual-meet matches. In fact, Hanson was undefeated in six years of wrestling his last two years in high school, and all four years in college. "Dale Hanson, pound for pound, was the greatest wrestler, amateur or professional, in mat annuls," says his only wrestling coach, Dave Bartelma. "He weighed only 128 at his peak but he was stronger than most heavyweights. He was the absolute master of wrestling techniques, and the greatest competitor I have ever known." According to the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, Dale Henson enlisted in the U.S. Air Force while still a senior at Minnesota. He was at Pearl Harbor during the attack on December 7, 1941, and at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. He was co-pilot of a B-17 bomber that was shot down over Rabaul, New Britain, Papua New Guinea in the south Pacific in October 1942. He was just 24 years old. Henson was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980, and into the Bartelma Hall of Fame in Minnesota in 1994. Harold Nichols: All-Time Great Iowa State Coach Harold Nichols -- affectionately known as "Nick" to wrestling fans in the state of Iowa -- never won an Iowa high school state wrestling title while at Cresco. He claimed his Spartan teammates were so talented, his first chance to wrestle varsity was as a senior. However, that didn't stop him from becoming one of the giants of college wrestling, being named one of the three all-time great coaches -- along with Ed Gallagher, Oklahoma State coach from 1917-1940, and Dan Gable, head coach at University of Iowa from 1976-1997 -- in the NCAA 75th Anniversary commemoration. According to Mike Chapman's book "Nick and the Cyclones," Harold Nichols only started wrestling as a high school freshman … but quit the team because of the five-mile walk home from school after practice. He came back to wrestling when the family moved closer to town, and his younger brother Don started high school. Despite being a middleweight, he often had to move up to heavyweight, giving up considerable poundage on his opponents … but usually found a way to win. As a senior, he placed third at 145 pounds in the Iowa state tournament. After graduation, Harold worked for a year at the Farmers Cooperative Creamery in Cresco, earning money for college. He ended up at the University of Michigan, who, at the time, already had a number of Cresco grads on the roster, and were actively recruiting Harold's brother Don. He and Don both wrestled for Cliff Keen, who coached the Wolverines from 1925 to 1970. As a sophomore, Harold Nichols placed third at the Big Ten championships. The following year, he lost in the finals to the University of Chicago's Art Finwald. However, his senior year, "Nick" truly made a name for himself, being named the wrestling team captain. He compiled a 13-0 dual-meet record, won a 1939 Big Ten championship, and the 145-pound title at the 1939 NCAAs, becoming only the third Wolverine to win a national title. After graduation, "Nick" served as an Air Force pilot in World War II, then launched his coaching career at Arkansas State, where he was responsible for a number of sports. As wrestling coach, he built a 37-18-3 record over five seasons. In 1954, Harold Nichols took the head coaching position at Iowa State, and revitalized the Cyclone wrestling program, making it a contender in a field that had been long dominated by the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. In 32 years at Ames, he compiled a 456-75-11 record for an impressive .851 winning percentage. In the Nichols era, the Cyclones won six NCAA team titles, placed second eleven times, and third eight times. Iowa State had 91 Big Eight conference individual champs, with 25 wrestlers winning 38 NCAA titles. Two of his Cyclones became Olympic gold medallists: Dan Gable, and Ben Peterson. Harold Nichols was twice named NCAA Coach of the Year before retiring in 1985. In 1970, he was part of the initial class inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. Eight years later, he was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Don Nichols: Flying the Friendly Skies Don NicholsYounger brother of Harold, Don Nichols was coached by Dave Bartelma and Harry Schroder while at Cresco. Don apparently had a considerable growth spurt in high school, competing from 85 pounds up to 155. He was a two-time Iowa state champ, winning the 85-pound title in 1933, and the 135-pound crown in 1935. At the University of Michigan, Don wrestled at 175 for Cliff Keen, where he was a two-time Big Ten champ (1938 and 1940). At the 1940 NCAAs, Don snared the 175-pound title and Outstanding Wrestler honors. Incredibly, he lost only three matches in high school and college! After stepping off the mat, Don Nichols had a long career as a captain for United Airlines. He was installed into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1990. Gene Lybbert: Spartan to Panther to Buccaneer Gene Lybbert was the very picture of the active student at Cresco High, involved in band, marching band, swing band, and orchestra … as well as football, baseball and wrestling. He was a two-time Iowa high school state runner-up for the Cresco Spartans (at 105 pounds in 1947, and at 112 in 1948), wrestling for Chris Flanagan. After graduating from Cresco, Lybbert stayed in state for college, going to Iowa State Teachers where he was a two-time national AAU champ, two-time NCAA All-American (1951 and 1952), and the 130-pound champ at the 1952 NCAAs during the program's glory days, when the Panther roster included all-time greats such as Bill Nelson, Bill Smith, and Keith Young. Lybbert headed north to Minnesota, where he coached the Blue Earth High School Buccaneers for a number of years. He was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1987. Gary Kurdelmeier: Building the Hawkeye Dynasty Gary Kurdelmeier (Photo/Cresco Yearbook)A four-sport star at Cresco, Gary Kurdelmeier was on the track and baseball teams, and was an all-state guard on the Spartan football team. However, he found his greatest success on the wrestling mat in both high school and college … and beyond. Wrestling for coach Chris Flanagan, Kurdelmeier was at two-time heavyweight state champ (1953, 1954), ending his prep career with a perfect 23-0 record. Upon graduating from Cresco in 1954, Gary Kurdelmeier headed south to the University of Iowa. After playing one season as tackle for the Hawkeye football team, he hung up the helmet and pads, and concentrated on wrestling. For three years, he was Iowa's 177-pound starter, winning the Big Ten title in 1957, and the NCAA championship the following year. After a high school coaching career in the first years of the 1960s, Gary Kurdelmeier returned to the University of Iowa in 1967, as an assistant coach to Dave McCuskey. Upon McCuskey's retirement in 1972, he became the head coach. In just four seasons at the Hawkeyes' helm, Kurdelmeier turned the program around; Iowa went from a decade of doldrums, to grabbing three Big Ten and two NCAA team titles, and five individuals claiming a total of seven national championships. Kurdelmeier's hand-picked assistant, Dan Gable, became head coach in 1977, building a 20-year dynasty upon his former boss' strong foundation that dominated the Big Ten and national competition. Gary Kurdelmeier was welcomed into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1978. Joe Frank: Coaching Success in Oregon and Minnesota Joe Frank wrestled for Chris Flanagan at Cresco in the late 1950s, winning the 127-pound Iowa state title in 1959. For college, Frank competed for another Cresco High graduate, Harold Nichols, at Iowa State. As a Cyclone, Frank compiled a 29-11 record. However, Joe Frank's greatest wrestling accomplishments were as a coach. In three seasons at Readsburg (Oregon) High, his teams won three state titles. He then came back to the Midwest, where he coached wrestling at Fridley High in Minnesota. In 17 seasons at Fridley, Frank's teams won three state team titles, earned five individual state championships, and built an incredible 227-31-1 record. The Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame welcomed Joe Frank in 2005. Tom Peckham: State Champ, NCAA Champ, Olympian Nowadays, it's typical for amateur wrestlers to take up the sport in grade school or even earlier. Forty or fifty years ago, most wrestlers first stepped onto a mat no earlier than junior high or high school. Tom Peckham, wrestling star of the 1960s, was ahead of his time; he began wrestling as a fourth grader, working out with the Cresco Junior High team. Competing for Chris Flanagan at Cresco High, as a freshman, Peckham qualified for the Iowa state tournament, but lost his opening-round match on a referee's decision… and it was his last loss in his high school mat career. Winning most of his bouts by pin, Tom Peckham compiled a 49-3 record at Cresco, bringing home three Iowa state titles: 127 pounds in 1960, 154 pounds in 1961, and 165 pounds in 1962. Peckham was recruited by fellow Cresco grad Harold Nichols to wrestle for his Iowa State Cyclones. He was a three-time finalist at the Big Eight conference championships, winning the 177-pound title on his third try, in 1966. At the 1964 NCAAs, Peckham placed fifth in the 167-pound weight class. In 1965, he avenged his Big Eight finals loss to Oklahoma State's Bill Harlow with a 5-3 win over the Cowboy to claim the 177-pound national title. In his senior year at the 1966 NCAAs in his home gym, in the 177 finals, Tom Peckham pinned the man he had defeated in the Big Eight finals a couple weeks earlier, Fred Fozzard of Oklahoma State, for his second NCAA title. After college, Peckham wrestled for the U.S. at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, placing fourth in freestyle competition in the 191.5 weight class (barely missing a medal). Peckham was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1985. For more photos of these all-time great wrestlers from this wrestling hotbed in northeastern Iowa, check out the "Cresco HS" photo album at VintageAmateurWrestlingPhotoAnnex. Here's a link to a History of Wrestling in Cresco Web site: http://www.angelfire.com/hi3/crestwoodwrestling/history.html. Fun Fact Spartans Take Over The Wolverines In 1937, five of the eight starters for the University of Michigan Wolverines were once Cresco High Spartans: "Bo" Cecil Cameron, Don Nichols, Harold Nichols, Earl Thomas, and Frank Morgan. That year, Michigan placed second in the team standings at the Big Ten championships, and eleventh at the 1937 NCAAs. Fun Fact Cresco vs. Cresco: Dual Meet Battle In the late 1930s, former Cresco teammates Norman Borlaug and Harold Nichols both ended up wrestling at Big Ten schools: Borlaug headed north to the University of Minnesota, while Nichols went east to the University of Michigan. Both wrestled at 145 pounds… so it was inevitable that the two former teammates would end up facing each other on the mat in college. According to the 1937 Michiganesian (Michigan's yearbook), Nichols pinned Borlaug in a Michigan vs. Minnesota dual meet. Fun Fact Cresco vs. Cresco: College Coaching Battle In the early 1970s, the head coaches at two of the top college wrestling programs in the nation -– Iowa State, and the University of Iowa -– were both Cresco High mat alumni. After the 1972 NCAAs, Gary Kurdelmeier, Cresco class of 1954, took the helm of the Iowa Hawkeye wrestling program … while, across the state, Harold Nichols, Cresco class of 1934, had been coach of the Iowa State Cyclones for nearly two decades. With two former Cresco Spartans in charge, the Iowa vs. Iowa State rivalry really intensified. At the 1972 NCAAs – before Kurdelmeier vs. Nichols -- Iowa State easily won the team title… while Iowa placed twelfth. The following year, Iowa State again claimed the team title, while Iowa moved up to a tie for seventh under new head coach Kurdelmeier. In 1974, the team race tightened further: Iowa State placed fourth, with Iowa right behind at fifth. By 1975, the team fortunes were reversed; the Hawkeyes won the NCAA team title, while the Cyclones placed fourth. The following season -- Kurdelmeier's last -- Iowa held on to the team title, with Iowa State coming in second.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Luke Moffitt and Nate Skaar. Moffitt is the head wrestling coach at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge and his teams have won the last three NJCAA tournaments. They also won their division at the NWCA National Duals the last two years. After winning a high school state championship for Estherville, IA, Moffitt was an NJCAA champion as an Iowa Central Triton at 141 pounds in 2000. He then competed for the University of Iowa where he won a Big Ten title in 2002 and was a two-time NCAA qualifier. Nate Skaar is beginning his third season as the head wrestling coach at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, IA. The Ellsworth Panthers had five All-Americans and placed 5th at the NJCAA tournament last year in Rochester, MN. A native of Hayward, MN, Skaar placed third in the state for Albert Lea High School in 1992 and was an All-American for Division III power Luther College (IA) at 142 pounds in 1995. "On the Mat" can be hard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show

Columbia, Mo. -- The fifth-ranked Missouri wrestling team will kick off the home portion of its 2008-09 schedule, Saturday, Nov. 22, with a 2 p.m. (CT) contest against Hofstra in the Hearnes Center. The afternoon dual is Missouri's first-ever "Wrestling Supports Wrestling" event in which every dollar from the Nov. 22 ticket sales will be added to the wrestling student-athlete scholarship endowment. The endowment will provide additional support to Mizzou wrestling for years to come. "I'm really proud of this event," Head Coach Brian Smith said. "This is an important dual because I convinced my athletic director (Mike Alden) and his staff that the wrestling fans would come out in large numbers to show their support of wrestling. I want to demonstrate to the rest of the sporting community and athletic administrations across the country that wrestling fans can and will support wrestling." Tickets for Missouri's dual with Hofstra are $20 for floor seats, $10 for A level seats and $7 for B level seats. All tickets can be purchased at the Mizzou Arena Ticket Office, or by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS. "If a program consistently draws large crowds, it has a positive economic impact on the athletics department," Smith said. "This Nov. 22 dual with Hofstra is a great way to endow the future of Mizzou wrestling." Fans unable to attend the event that are still interested in supporting the scholarship endowment can purchase tickets through 1-800-CAT-PAWS and have the tickets held, under Brian Smith's name, as a donation for youth wrestlers. "Brian came to us and proposed the idea of a dual in which all money from the ticket sales would go directly towards the wrestling scholarship endowment," Missouri Director of Athletics Mike Alden said. "We are confident that the wrestling community will come out in support of the event. Brian has done great things with our wrestling program over the past 10 years to raise the level of excitement around the team." Smith and his Tigers enter the season as the fifth-ranked team in the nation marking Missouri's third consecutive top-10 preseason ranking.