InterMat Staff

After a week off we return to the Brute Adidas for some great wrestling talk. The community is all a buzz with the early signings and the teams are now starting early practice, loads of cardio, running and lifting. Gives the rest of us some Ideas? How about the early season rankings? Food for thought or is there muscle behind the numbers? Maybe some of our guests can help us figure that out. Steve Foster and Chris Arns will be hosting this weeks TDR with special in studio guest host the Head Coach of the Upper Iowa Peacocks Heath Grimm Heath Grimm is in his eighth year at the helm at Upper Iowa University. The Peacocks are 61-22-2 in duals in the since 2001 and placed 14th at last year's NCAA Division II Championships. Grimm prepped at Osage, Iowa, and was a two-time All-American at Luther College Their Guests include- 9:05 John Smith- Head Coach of the Cowboys of Oklahoma State. We'll take a look at the fall, the beginning of training, incoming new recruits etc. Also, we'll talk about the new book out by Kim Parish "Cowboy Up", a great book for sure. Can't wait. 9:25 Mike Clayton- Head Coach of the Ducks of Stevens at Stevens Institute of Technology. Mike earned the Division III Rookie Coach of the Year accolade. In his first season at the helm, Clayton took a team that posted a sub-par record of 4-13 last year to a ledger of 8-4 during the 2007-08 campaign. The Ducks also owned a mark of 6-1 against Centennial Conference competition this year. 9:40 Dr. Bill Welker- Dr. Bill Welker is well known to West Virginia Wrestling fans. Dr. Welker is a former Pennsylvania State Champion. A nationally recognized wrestling sportswriter and official. Highly respected among his peers at all levels. What's New? Hour 2 This hours going to be great, make time to promote Heath and his program 10:05 Mark Perry- Asst Coach of Penn State. Perry won the last two NCAA National Championships at 165 pounds. The Stillwater, Okla., native was a four-time All-American at Iowa where he helped lead the Hawkeyes to the NCAA team title this season. Perry's 25 points en route to his second individual crown were the most scored by any wrestler at Nationals this year. 10:20 Urijah Faber- Some say the Hollywood Florida WEC event scheduled for Sept. 10th was canceled due to Hurricane Ike, wrestling insiders believe it was canceled due to the invasion of the east coast by the fans and followers of the California Kid. The WEC has moved the date to November 10th. Join us each week LIVE from 9 AM to 11 AM CST for America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show, shows are available each week in our archives or you can RSS our pod casts all at no charge courtesy of our sponsors. Takedownradio.com

Two-time All-American and 2001 NCAA Champion Mark Munoz has joined the Cal State Fullerton wrestling program. He will be an assistant coach for the intercollegiate team and will be co-head coach of the Titan Wrestling Club. Mark MunozMunoz captured two Big 12 titles at Oklahoma State at 197 pounds in 2000 and 2001. He also earned NWCA all-academic squad honors for four seasons. "Mark is the type of person I have hoped we could attract to our staff," said seventh-year Head Coach Dan Hicks, a two-time NCAA champion Himself. "He is a man of integrity and really cares about his athletes. He is also a very talented coach and recruiter. "I have known Mark for several years and look forward to having him on board as we continue building the Titan Wrestling Program. After a season where we won the Pac-10 dual title and scored the most points of any Fullerton team at the Pac-10 championships, we are ready to continue towards our ultimate goal of being a top 10 team nationally. "Mark knows what that is like having been at Oklahoma State. He will bring a presence, a confidence, a champion to our room to help us build All-Americans." Munoz has been on the staff at UC Davis the past five seasons. He also coached for two years at Oklahoma State, helping the Cowboys to their 31st NCAA team championship in 2003. He continues to train and now competes in ultimate fighting.

DES MOINES -- Nationally recognized broadcaster, announcer, and promoter Scott Casber will return to the set of Inside MMA this Friday. The weekly program is a celebrity driven talk show covering the weeks news in MMA. The premier broadcast of this episode will be on Friday, September 19 at 9:30 PM EST. Along with shows hosts Kenny Rice and Bas Ruten, Casber is joined by current UFC Welterweight, Georges St. Pierre. During a previous episode, Casber accompanied then UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Casber helped facilitate a special presentation for Georges St. Pierre on Fridays program. As co-founder and host of TakeDown Radio, an eleven year old national Wrestling and MMA radio talk show, Casber was introduced to many top athletes in both sports. "The evolution of wrestling, and our radio program, to include MMA has been fantastic. It's also been great for me to cross over to the Inside MMA program, along with guests who appeared on TakeDown Radio first. It's my honor and pleasure to sit along side greats, like GSP," provided Casber. Additional to TakeDown Radio, Casber is a partner in Midwest Cage Championship, one of the top ranked regional fight promotions in the country. He is also an officer in White Chocolate Management, a leading fighter and talent management firm. Inside MMA is broadcast on Mark Cuban's HD-Net and is available on many cable and satelite systems. Archives of the show can be viewed at http://www.hd.net/insidemma.html TakeDown Radio is heard each Saturday at 9AM CST on KXNO1460 AM, Des Moines Sports Station. Streaming, archives, and pod casts are available at http://www.takedownradio.com

STILLWATER, Okla. -- John Smith and the Oklahoma State wrestling program will host the Brute Adidas Midwest Coaches Clinic at Gallagher-Iba Arena from Oct. 24-26. The clinic features seminars on strength and conditioning, organizing a season, NCAA eligibility and clearinghouse issues, athletic training, weight management, topics on today's student-athlete, marketing your program to the community and to fans and building youth, middle school, junior high school and high school programs. Speakers include John Smith, Scott Chenoweth of Perry HS, Ernie Jones of Cascia Hall, Leonard Bailey of the Catoosa youth program, executive director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Lee Roy Smith, Rod Johnson of Oklahoma State's NCAA compliance staff, Matt Herrill of OSU's athletic training staff and Gary Calcagno of the OSU strength and conditioning staff. Former OSU wrestlers Eric Guerrero, Tyrone Lewis, Zack Esposito and Chris Pendleton will provide over eight hours of technique. "We are very excited about the possibility of what this clinic can become in this first year," John Smith said. "I can promise it will be one of the most educational programs that youth, junior high school and high school coaches can be part of. It is important to stay on the cutting edge of new developments whether it be with skills or working with student-athletes. We must always be looking to improve. You won't want to miss this." Contact Brandy Esposito in the Cowboy wrestling office for more details. She can be reached at 405-744-4541 or via e-mail at brandy.baker@okstate.edu. Chris Pendleton can also be reached with any questions at chris.pendleton@okstate.edu.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature college wrestling coaches Brad Penrith, Heath Grimm and Jim Miller. Brad Penrith is entering his eighth season as University of Northern Iowa's head coach. Penrith's teams have amassed a dual meet record of 63-52-3 and the Panthers have won 22 consecutive West Regional championships. As an athlete, Penrith was an NCAA champion and three-time finalist for the University of Iowa. Heath Grimm is in his eighth year at the helm at Upper Iowa University. The Peacocks are 61-22-2 in duals in the since 2001 and placed 14th at last year's NCAA Division II Championships. Grimm prepped at Osage, Iowa, and was a two-time All-American at Luther College. Jim Miller's Wartburg Knights won their sixth NCAA Division III championship last March in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Wartburg has won the last 16 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships and have won 122 consecutive conference dual meets. Miller won two NCAA Division II titles as an athlete at UNI and was also a two-time Division I All-American. "On the Mat" can be hard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 6:00 - 7:00 PM Central time on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

GREENSBORO, NC -- UNC Greensboro head wrestling coach Jason Loukides announced on Thursday the hiring of Jesus Wilson as an assistant coach. Wilson will be responsible for all areas of the program and will work especially with the lighter weightclasses. Jesus Wilson"I am very excited about the addition of Jesus," said Loukides. "He brings an incredible work ethic as well as national and international credibility. He was an outstanding competitor for Cuba and the USA and that has made him a great coach. Jesus will instantly make a positive impact on our program." Prior to coming to UNCG, Wilson was the head coach at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, MN in 2006-07. He was an assistant coach with VMI in 2005-06 and served as head coach at Marine Military Academy in 2004-05. Wilson was a two-time All-American and NCAA Division III National Champion while attending Upper Iowa University. In 2000, he reached his first All-American when he won the national title at the 133 lbs. Also that season, Wilson was selected to the Amateur Wrestling News All-Rookie Team. He was also named Outstanding Wrestler by both the Iowa Conference and Upper Iowa. After serving as an assistant coach for the Peacocks during the 2000-01 season, Wilson returned to the mats in 2002. He won the national crown at 141 lbs, earning his second All-American honor. Also in 2002, Wilson claimed the silver medal at the World Team Trial and took fourth place at USA Senior Nationals. A year later, he won the Pan American Championship and was a silver medalist at both the USA Senior Nationals and World Cup. Wilson earned his bachelor's degree in recreation from Upper Iowa in 2004.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature wrestling legends Dan Hodge and Bob Buzzard. Dan Hodge was the most dominant wrestler of his generation. Wrestling at 177 pounds, Hodge won three NCAA titles at Oklahoma University in the 1950s while pinning 36 of his 46 opponents. Hodge was never taken down in a college match and is the only amateur wrestler to ever grace the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in April 1957. Hodge was a two-time Olympian, winning a silver medal in 1956. Bob Buzzard won two state titles for East Waterloo (IA) High School and was a two time all-american at Iowa State University. Buzzard won the prestigious Midlands Championships and was a freestyle AAU national champion in addition to wrestling in the 1972 Olympics in Greco-Roman at 149.5 pounds. Buzzard currently resides in Oregon where he recently completed a successful career in teaching and coaching. "On the Mat" can be hard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 6:00 - 7:00 PM Central time on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- ­The Big Red wrestling team will add nine members to its roster this season as the class of 2012, as was announced by Rob Koll, the David R. Dunlop '59 Head Coach of Wrestling. The group represents seven different weight classes and hail from nine different states. "I am excited about the depth of talent that this class will add to our roster," said Koll. "They combine to have won 17 state championships, respectively. I expect this class to continue the tradition of Cornell wrestling." Big Red Class of 2012 Biographies Quin Leith (133 pounds, Creston, Iowa/Creston HS) Leith is a four-time Iowa state place winner and won the title at 130 pounds in 2008. He helped his team to win the state tournament team and dual championships in 2007, and followed by placing second in 2008. Leith finished his high school career with a 175-19 overall record. He was a two-time letter winner in football, while also lettering in cross country and soccer. Leith was a member of the National Honor Society, served as a class officer, and was a two-time wrestling academic all-state honoree. Phillip Smith (133 pounds, Spokane, Wash./Mead HS) Smith won the Washington state championship at 125 pounds in 2008, and was the runner-up in 2007. He is a two-time district and regional champion with a 74-9 record as a junior and senior. Smith was a class officer, a two-time academic wrestling state honoree and an Eagle Scout. Grant Daffin (141 pounds, Sallisaw, Okla./Sallisaw HS) Daffin is a three-time Oklahoma state champion competing at 130, 135 and 140 pounds. He was a four-time letter winner and three-time team captain. He is a Cadet All-American and a Fila Cadet All-American, and was all-state. Daffin also lettered in football and golf. He was a member of the National Honor Society and served as salutatorian at Sallisaw HS. Derek Schreiner (141 pounds, Wayzata, Minn./Wayzata HS) Schreiner is a three-time Minnesota state champion at 112, 119 and 140 pounds. He was a six-time letter winner at Wayzata HS, and served as captain his last two seasons. Schreiner was named all-conference four times and is a three-time section champion. In 2006 he was the NHSCA sophomore national champion at 112 pounds, and was named to the Clash V all-tournament team at 119 pounds. Schreiner was a member of the National Honor Society and was named to the MCWA and Guillotine academic all-state first-teams. Seth Easter (149 pounds, Nitro, W.V./Nitro HS) Easter is a four-time West Virginia state champion and served as his wrestling team's captain for two seasons. He was also a four-time letter winner in cross-country and a three-time letter winner in track. Easter was named captain for his cross-country team, and he was a member of the National Honor Society. His older brother, Matt ‘08, wrestled for Cornell, and his brother Anthony wrestles for the Citadel. Warner Phipps (157 pounds, Kearney, Neb./Kearney HS) Phipps is a two-time Nebraska state champion, and three-time state medalist. He was a national Coca Cola scholarship recipient and was a member of the National Honor Society. Phipps also played football at Kearney HS. Steve Bosak (165 pounds, State College, Pa./State College Area HS) Bosak is a two-time Pennsylvania state runner-up, wrestling at 145 pounds in 2007 and at 160 in 2008. He was a four-time District 6 champion, and served as team captain his senior season. Bosak was the Powerade Champion at 160 pounds in 2008, and was also a runner-up at the 2008 Senior Nationals. In 2007, he placed third at 152 pounds at Junior Nationals. Cam Simaz (184 pounds, Allegan, Mich./Allegan Senior High) Simaz, a three-time Division II Michigan state champion, is a Fila cadet All-American with a 237-6 career record. He was also a two-year starter in football as a quarterback and linebacker and was named all-conference his senior year. Simaz was a two-year starter in baseball as a pitcher and second baseman. His brother, Eric, wrestles for Central Michigan. Oney Snyder (Heavyweight, Hillsboro, Ohio/Hillsboro HS) Snyder placed sixth at the Ohio state tournament. He was a four-year letter winner for Hillsboro HS in football and started in 41 consecutive games. Snyder earned all-district honors at offensive and defensive tackle.

MOUNT VERNON -- Ty Eustice, a four-year NCAA Division I national qualifier and two-time All-American at the University of Iowa, has been named assistant wrestling coach at Cornell College. Eustice joins the Rams program after working the past two years as a graduate assistant at Minnesota State University in Mankato. Ty Eustice"To be able to hire a full-time assistant is a major milestone for our program in terms of support from the college," Cornell's fourth-year head coach Mike Duroe said. "We are very fortunate to add a guy of Ty's caliber to our staff. He has experience in the sport and the ability to relate to student-athletes. The nice thing about Ty is he can work with any weight, both tactically and technically." Eustice, a native of Blue Earth, Minn., helped coach 12 All-Americans during a successful two-year stint at Minnesota State, working under Jim Makovsky. The Mavericks crowned seven All-Americans and two individual champions while placing second in the team race by one-half point at the 2008 NCAA Division II National Championships. Minnesota State won the team title at the 2008 National Duals. Eustice was a 100-match winner and two-time team captain for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2001-06. He placed fifth at 149 pounds at the NCAA Division I National Championships in 2005 and finished second at 149 in 2006. Eustice won four Minnesota state championships at Blue Earth High School. He also was a Cadet and Junior National Freestyle All-American. Eustice and Duroe became acquainted a few years ago in the University of Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling Club, where Duroe coached Eustice. Eustice said he is excited to begin work for Duroe, both with the same goals in mind. "We both understand that this program is up and coming and needs to take another step," Eustice said. "We want to be up there with Wartburg and Augsburg. It's exciting to work with someone with the same mentality. He's a world-class coach. I couldn't find a better boss." "Our goal is real simple," said Duroe, who was a member of the U.S. Men's Freestyle Wrestling coaching staff for the past four Olympic Games. "We want to get Cornell back on top nationally." Eustice earned a bachelor's degree in art from the University of Iowa in 2006. He received a master's in sport management from Minnesota State in May 2008. Eustice and his wife, Katie, were recently married on Friday, Sept. 5. They have a three-year old son, Jack. The Rams are coming off a record-breaking 2007-08 campaign in which they finished seventh at the NCAA Division III National Championships, marking the program's highest national team finish in 45 years. Cornell crowned four All-Americans for the first time since 1950.

State College, Pa -- Four LionHeart fighters will be competing over the next 4 weeks. Phil Davis: Friday, September 19, NAAFS: "Night of Pain" -- 6:30 p.m. -- The Hoop Sports Complex, Columbus, Ohio. Lou Armezanni: Saturday, September 27, Gladiator Fight Club -- 6p.m. -- Sportsplex, Winchester, Virginia. Paul Bradley & Biff Walizer: Saturday October 4, NAAFS: "Caged Fury" -- Gray's Armory, Cleveland, Ohio. For more details and ticket info please contact Chad Dubin at chad@lionheartfighters.com.

The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the direction of veteran head coach Troy Sunderland, has announced its 2008-09 schedule. Nine home duals, including four exciting Big Ten matches, highlight the schedule. Penn State will also be the site of the 2009 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. "I'm extremely pleased for our fans that they will be able to see so many of the nation's top programs here in Rec Hall," Sunderland said. "We have Iowa, Ohio State, Minnesota and Wisconsin coming in during our Big Ten schedule and a great non-conference slate as well. This gives wrestling fans from the entire region an opportunity to see the top three teams from last year's NCAA Championships as well as many of the nation's elite squads." The season begins on Sunday, Nov. 2, when Rec Hall will be the site of Wrestle-Offs. The dual meet season opens two weeks later when national power Hofstra invades Rec Hall on Sunday, Nov. 16. Penn State will then head to New York where it will face Cornell in a renewal of the Lions' oldest rivalry on Friday, Nov. 21. The Nittany Lions then trek to Binghamton, N.Y., for the Sprawl and Brawl Duals. Penn State will face Virginia, Edinboro and Binghamton on Sunday, Nov. 23. Penn State will take part in the Nittany Lion Open on Sunday, Dec. 7, in Rec Hall and then welcome former Eastern Wrestling League rival West Virginia to Rec Hall on Sunday, Dec. 14. A break for the holidays leads to two duals in Rec Hall on Sunday, Jan. 4. Penn State will battle Lehigh at 1 p.m. that day and face Lock Haven at 3 p.m. The Nittany Lions will then head back to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the 2009 National Duals. The Duals, on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 10-11, once again features a stunning field of the country's best teams. The Big Ten season begins with a road trip to the Hoosier State. Penn State will visit Indiana on Friday, Jan. 23, and Purdue on Saturday, Jan. 24. The next weekend, action returns to Rec Hall when Minnesota visits on Friday, Jan. 30, and Wisconsin comes in on Sunday, Feb. 1. The next weekend sees Penn State welcome defending national runner-up Ohio State on Friday, Feb. 6, and defending national champion Iowa on Sunday, Feb. 8. Click Here Penn State will wrap up the dual meet season with a Big Ten road trip to Michigan State and Michigan. The Nittany Lions will face the Spartans in East Lansing on Friday, Feb. 13, and then battle the Wolverines in Ann Arbor on Friday, Feb. 14. The Nittany Lions then host Penn on Friday, Feb. 20, in the regular season finale. The Bryce Jordan Center will be the site of the 2009 Big Ten Wrestling Championships in March. Penn State hosts the event on March 7-8, 2009, in the BJC, welcoming the nation's best wrestling conference to the East Coast. In all, four of the top ten teams at last year's NCAA Championships will be in action in Rec Hall (Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State and Minnesota). The Nittany Lions face eight of the top 20 from last year's tournament. "Hosting the Big Ten Wrestling Championships is always an honor and we're looking forward to welcoming the nation's best wrestling conference to the Bryce Jordan Center this March," Sunderland said. "Fans need to make plans now to attend as this is always one of the nation's premier tournaments." The 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships will once again take place in St. Louis, Mo. The three day event takes place on March 19-21, in the Scottrade Center. Season ticket information for Penn State as well as information regarding the 2009 Big Ten Wrestling Championships will be released soon.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- A visit from reigning national champion Iowa, a trip to Minneapolis to face Big Ten power Minnesota and the yearly home-and-home series with Bedlam rival Oklahoma highlight the 2008-09 Oklahoma State wrestling schedule released today by coach John Smith. Owning more NCAA team championships than any other sport at any other school, the Cowboys open their quest toward their 35th title when they travel to Warrensburg, Mo., for the Central Missouri Open on Nov. 16. The dual match slate begins when Old Dominion visits Gallagher-Iba Arena at 1 p.m. on Nov. 22. A trip to Troy, N.Y., for the Northeast Duals on Nov. 29 will include dual matches against Lehigh, Virginia, Appalachian State and American University. The event will be held at Hudson Valley Community College. The Cowboys return home to host Northern Colorado at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5 before traveling to Norman for the first of two Bedlam Series duals on Dec. 7. Start time is set for 2 p.m., and the Cowboys are looking to extend their all-time series advantage over the Sooners to 125-25-9. Since John Smith took over as OSU head coach in 1992, Oklahoma State is 33-4-2 against OU. A western swing follows the Bedlam dual, as the Cowboys travel to San Luis Obispo, Calif., to square off against Cal Poly on Dec. 16 before heading directly to Reno, Nev., for the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 18. After a brief holiday break, Oklahoma State rings in the new year with a Jan. 1 dual at Minnesota. The Cowboys handed the Gophers an 18-14 beating in Stillwater last year and the Gophers will be looking for payback in a rivalry that is fast becoming one of the sport's best. OSU returns home to host UC Davis at 2 p.m. on Jan. 4 before competing at the Virginia Duals in Norfolk Jan. 9 and 10. The Cowboys' opponents at the Virginia Duals will not be known until the week of the tournament. Two of the richest traditions in all of college sports collide at Gallagher-Iba Arena on Jan. 18 when the Iowa Hawkeyes come to town. When Oklahoma State and its 34 NCAA team titles squares off against Iowa and its 21 NCAA team championships, passions are sure to be high, especially given the fact that the Cowboys have beaten the Hawkeyes soundly in recent years by winning nine straight and 12 of the last 13 head-to-head matchups. The first of two day-night doubleheaders on the schedule follows, as OSU travels to Ames to face NCAA title-hopeful Iowa State at 1 p.m. on Jan. 25, then get on the bus and drive two hours to Cedar Rapids to tangle with an always-dangerous Northern Iowa squad at 7 p.m. that same day. OSU's road finale comes on Feb. 5, when the Cowboys travel to Lincoln, Neb., to face off against a Nebraska team that has emerged as a Big 12 contender in recent years. Oklahoma State then returns home to host Missouri at 7 p.m. on Feb. 7 before hosting its second doubleheader on Feb. 15 when it takes on the Pat Popolizio-coached Binghamton Bearcats at 2 p.m. followed immediately by a dual against the Mark Branch-coached Wyoming Cowboys at 4 p.m. in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Binghamton and Wyoming will face each other immediately following the OSU-Wyoming dual. The regular season finale is set for 2 p.m. on Feb. 22, when the Cowboys host Oklahoma in Gallagher-Iba Arena. OSU hasn't lost to their in-state rivals in Stillwater since 1995. The 2009 Big 12 Tournament will be held March 7 in Lincoln, Neb., with the NCAA Championships returning to St. Louis March 19-21.

Stanford Head Wrestling Coach Jason Borrelli has announced his staff for the upcoming 2008-09 season. Former Cardinal standouts Matt Gentry '05 and Ray Blake '06 will join Borrelli as assistant coaches, while Vic Moreno (Cal Poly '05) will serve as the team's volunteer assistant. "I am very excited to announce the addition of Matt Gentry, Ray Blake and Vic Moreno to the Cardinal coaching staff," said Borrelli. "All three represent the mission of Stanford Wrestling and will be huge assets in attracting top student athletes to the University." Gentry, a 2008 Olympian and former Stanford NCAA Champion, has served as the squad's volunteer assistant coach while training for the Olympics the past three seasons. In those three years, he has helped the Cardinal to a 29-19 dual meet record, coached Stanford wrestlers to five All-America honors and helped seven individuals qualify for the NCAA Championships. Working mostly with the middle weights, Gentry helped guide 157-pounder Josh Zupancic to back-to-back All-America honors the last two seasons and an appearance in the 2008 NCAA semifinals. In his first year as a full-time member of the staff, Gentry will be primarily responsible for developing the middle weights. One of the most successful wrestlers in school history, Gentry was a four-time NCAA qualifier and became Stanford's first NCAA Champion as a junior in 2004. That year, his 4-2 decision in the 157-pound title bout capped a perfect 42-0 season and etched Gentry's name in the Stanford record books as its 11th All-American. Gentry won 64 straight bouts between 2003 and 2005, topping the previous best of 23 consecutive wins and became the first Stanford wrestler to take the crown at Midlands. He finished his career with a 138-25 record, with a win total that still stands second on the Cardinal's all-time chart. Gentry began his international career following his graduation from Stanford in 2005. A dual citizen of the United States and Canada, he has collected a number of top finishes internationally. In 2006, he captured fifth at the University World Championships and in 2007 he won his first major international medal, a bronze, at the 2007 Pan Am Games. Competing at 74 kg (163 lbs) and representing Canada, Gentry became the school's first male Olympian when he competed at the Beijing Games last summer. "Matt brings a tremendous amount of wealth and experience to our wrestling room and embodies everything we look for in a student-athlete," said Borrelli. "He will oversee the development of our middle weights and will have a large role in recruiting and other administrative tasks within the program." Blake returns to the Stanford coaching staff after a one-year hiatus spent at law school in Chicago. Two years ago, he was part of the staff that led Stanford to an 8-8 mark, helped a school-record five wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships and coached two wrestlers to All-America honors in the same season for the first time in four decades. In his return to The Farm, Blake will focus his efforts on the continued development of the Cardinal middle and upper weights. Blake captained the Cardinal squad in 2005-06 and led the team to its second winning season in three years with an 8-7 record. The 165-pounder capped off his 41-win senior campaign with his first NCAA Championship appearance and a No. 12 national ranking. Blake earned Pac-10 All-Academic Honorable Mention accolades in his final season and placed third at the 2006 Pac-10 Championships. He also won the 2006 Jake Gimbel Award, presented to the male senior for excellence of attitude in athletic endeavor. Blake finished his career at Stanford with a 51-18 record and graduated with a degree in psychology in 2006. "I am delighted that Ray has chosen to rejoin the Stanford coaching staff," said Borrelli. "He brings an outgoing personality to our coaching staff and will be a very positive addition to our program. His administrative skills and experience with our summer camps will be very beneficial." Moreno has spent the last two years coaching the Cardinal Wrestling Club, and will join the Stanford staff for the first time this season. A two-time All-American at Cal Poly, Moreno qualified for the NCAA Championships three times at 125 pounds during his collegiate career and was a two-time Pac-10 placer. As a senior in 2004-05, Moreno captained the squad and claimed the 125-pound Pac-10 title. Moreno spent the 2005-06 season as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, during which he began his international career. In 2006, he claimed the 60 kg freestyle title at University Nationals and won the Sunkist and NYAC International Open Championships at 55 kg. In 2007, he placed third in U.S Open and World Team Trials and claimed another title at the NYAC International Open. In 2008, he earned a bronze medal at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and placed fifth at the U.S Open and Olympic Team Trials. "Vic brings a tremendous work ethic to our wrestling room," said Borrelli. "The entire team will benefit greatly from his energy and excitement. He has established a great relationship with coaches and fans within the community, which will have a huge impact on our summer camps and local sports club." Borrelli and his staff return 12 letterwinners, three NCAA qualifiers and seven Pac-10 starters to the roster for 2008-09. The Cardinal will host wrestle-offs on Oct. 25, before opening the season against Navy and Cal State Bakersfield on Nov. 8.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Tom Ryan, Ohio State wrestling head coach, announced the Buckeyes' 2008-09 schedule Wednesday. The Scarlet and Gray's home slate is highlighted with the Buckeye Duals, the 43rd annual NWCA All-Star Classic and four Big Ten Conference duals. "The 2008-09 schedule will provide our student-athletes with the necessary competition leading up to the NCAA championships," Ryan, who is entering his third season as the Buckeye head coach, said. "The All-Star meet and competing against Minnesota in the Schottenstein Center should be great home events for our loyal Buckeye fans." After a three-year absence, the Buckeye Duals return to St. John Arena Nov. 16. The first session begins at 1 p.m. followed by session two at 3 p.m. The next Monday (Nov. 24), Ohio State will host the 43rd annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic at 7 p.m. It is the first time the Buckeyes will host the prestigious event since 1981. Ohio State opens the month of December in Las Vegas, Nev., at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. From Dec. 5-6, the Buckeyes will aim for the title after finishing third in 2007. The Scarlet and Gray will conclude the year Dec. 14 with a 4 p.m. matchup at Edinboro. After a three-week break from competition, Ohio State begins 2009 by welcoming Kent State to Columbus for a 5 p.m. dual. The Scarlet and Gray heads back to the road Jan. 10-11 for the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. In the 2008 edition of the National Duals, Ohio State topped No. 1-ranked Penn State and finished the event in fifth place. The Buckeyes then will travel to the East Coast to Long Island, N.Y., where they will face Ryan's former squad Hofstra at 1 p.m. Jan. 25. Ohio State opens its Big Ten schedule against Indiana at 7 p.m. Jan. 30 in St. John Arena. Two days later, the Scarlet and Gray welcomes Minnesota to Columbus, facing the Golden Gophers in Value City Arena at 11 a.m. Feb. 1. A trip to Penn State at 7 p.m. Feb. 6 is sandwiched in between a home dual vs. Purdue at 5 p.m. Feb. 8. A clash of conference rivals, the Buckeyes and Michigan will meet at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 in Ann Arbor. Last season, Ohio State beat the Wolverines, 16-15, for the first time in 14 years in St. John Arena in front of a Buckeye wrestling record crowd of 5,341. The Scarlet and Gray wraps up its home slate with a visit from Illinois for a 2 p.m. match Feb. 15. Consecutive road duals at Northwestern at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 and Wisconsin at 2 p.m. Feb. 22 conclude the regular season. The postseason gets underway March 7-8 at the Big Ten championships in State College, Pa. After their historical runner-up finish at the 2008 NCAA Championships with seven qualifiers, the Buckeyes will look to send all 10 weight classes to the 2009 edition March 19-21 in St. Louis, Mo. The Scottrade Center will serve as host to the national championships for the second-consecutive season.

Event: UFC 88: Breakthrough Venue: Philips Arena (Atlanta, Georgia) Date: September 7, 2008 On a strong card featuring many great wrestlers, the UFC Monster will be in Atlanta for this much-anticipated event. This is the first UFC event ever for this city, but Atlanta is a hotbed for MMA fans. It should be a rabid crowd and some great matches! I'm juiced up for it! Chuck LiddellSo, let's start at the top in the featured match between the legendary Chuck "The Iceman LIDDELL (21-5) and former Michigan State wrestler Rashad "Sugar" EVANS (16-0-1), who is undefeated in the UFC. The Iceman is known for putting people on ice with his devastating knockout power. A former college wrestler himself, the Iceman has learned enough takedown defense to be almost impossible to get to the mat. But, Rashad Evans has speed like none other at his weight, and I believe that Chuck is on the downhill side of his career. The issue will be if Chuck can get his patented KO before Evans can do some damage on the ground. Most bettors think he will. I'm betting that he won't. An undefeated Evans at +215 offers enough value for the UFC Monster to take the bait. EVANS wins a split decision. Former middleweight champion Rich FRANKLIN (25-3) used to be the poster boy for the UFC. No longer. He can't beat Anderson "Spider" Silva. So, Rich has gone up to the very stacked 205-lb division. And, in Matt "the Hammer" HAMILL (6-1) he is getting no bargain as an opponent. Despite being deaf, former RIT wrestler Hamill is a takedown machine who will look much larger than Franklin when they enter the ring. Hamill is great at controlling an opponent and his brute strength often puts him in a superior position to unload his vicious ground-in-pound attack. But, at 25-3 Franklin has shown some great striking power, with knees, legs, and fists. He also is the superior submission fighter. But, again, Franklin is on the downside of his great career, and Hamill at +210 offers too much value for a pass. Take HAMILL +210 to beat Franklin in a shocking TKO fight stoppage midway through the second period. Former Olympic wrestler, 38-year old Dan HENDERSON (22-7), is yet another world class Greco wrestler who has gone on to have a great MMA career, mostly in Japan. Hendo's fight resume contains the names of MMA's best. But, he is on a 2-fight losing streak and his opponent, Rousimar PALHARES (17-1), is a submission beast who was the first to submit Ivan Salaverry recently. Ironically, the only time Henderson has been submitted in his 11-year career was in his last fight, against Anderson Silva, who is known for KOs! Once again, we have a rising star as a big underdog against an old veteran. The UFC Monster is going for the underdog trifecta with another price too good to pass up. Take PALHARES +190 to put Henderson into retirement. Nate "The Great" MARQUARDT (29-8-2) is one of the most athletic and well-rounded fighters in the UFC. He can beat you on the ground or with strikes, and he can even beat himself, as he did in has last fight by giving away too many penalty points for striking on the back of the head! His opponent, Martin KAMPMANN (13-1), is almost a mirror image of Nate. Kampmann is mostly known for his striking skills, but he is very competent on the ground , as well. He is on a 4-fight winning streak in the UFC, but that will end tonight, as a very focused Marquardt submits him with a second round rear-naked choke. Take MARQUARDT -145 to get back into the win column. Undefeated Dong Hyun "Stun Gun" KIM (10-0-1) takes on Matt BROWN (10-6) in a fight that has been moved to the main card due to a late back injury to judo expert, Karo PARISYAN, who was to fight Yoshiyuki YOSHIDA. Kim has six KOs in his 10 victories, while his opponent has never been knocked out. Dana White, UFC President, likes KOs, and my guess is that is why this fight moved to the main card. Dana sees a KO coming. So do I. Take KIM -450 to taser Brown On the four fight undercard: Canadian Jason MACDONALD (21-10) defeats the very tough Jason LAMBERT (23-8) with a 3rd round submission by triangle choke. This is a fight worthy of the main card. Take MACDONALD -170 to grab the victory. In another interesting match-up, Ryo CHONAN (14-8) gets a shot at Roan CARNEIRO (12-7). Chonan is the last man to have eaten Anderson Silva! He did it with a bizarre rare "flying scissors ankle hook". It was a fluke move in a fluke fight. Carneiro is no Spider. Take CHONAN -120 to win here. Thiago TAVARES (17-1) brings his Brazilian jiu-jitsu to the mat against the veteran and heavily tattooed Kurt PELLIGRINO (17-4). Which Pelligrino will show up? It will have to be the best one to defeat Tavares. And, I don't see it happening. Take TAVARES -325 to win by third round armbar submission. Big Tim BOETSCH (7-2) gets a chance to bounce back from his surprising upset loss to Matt Hamill. He does with a convincing and powerful first round KO over Michael PATT (15-2). So, that's it. A 10-fight card reduced to nine, but with plenty of action promised! I can't wait. Let's try to make some money with our "fictitious" $1000 bankroll. � Lay $100 to win $215 on Rashad Evans to melt the Iceman. � Lay $110 to win $231 on Matt Hamill to shock Ace Franklin. � Lay $130 to win $247 on Rousimar Palahares to send Dan Henderson into retirement. � Lay $145 to win $100 on Nate Marquardt to end Kampmann's UFC winning streak. � Lay $ 90 to win $ 20 on a bridge jump on "Stun Gun" Kim to stay unbeaten. � Lay $120 to win $100 on Ryo Chonan to beat Roan Carneiro. � Lay $119 to win $ 70 on Jason MacDonald to defeat Jason Lambert. � Lay $97.50 to win just $30 on Thiago Tavares over Kurt Pelligrino. � Lay $ 90 to win $20 on another bridge jump on Tim Boetsch to get back on track. So, in summary, we are laying $ 1001.5 to win $ 1033 on the fight card. Good luck and enjoy the fights! More later. The UFC Monster

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature wrestling legend Terry Brands and Mike Finn, editor of WIN Magazine. As an athlete, Terry Brands was one of the most tenacious competitors in American wrestling history. He was a three-time NCAA finalist and two-time champion as an Iowa Hawkeye. Brands won World Championships in 1993 and 1995. After a brief retirement, he returned to compete in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia where he captured a bronze medal. Brands is currently the resident freestyle coach at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. Mike Finn is the editor of WIN Magazine, recognized by many as the premier wrestling publication in the nation. Finn covers all the major wrestling tournaments in addition to writing for WIN and recently attended the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on AM 1650, The Fan each Wednesday evening from 6:00 - 7:00 PM Central time. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

Now that things are settling down a little after the Olympics and the nations college programs are starting to crack their doors a little for open practice, un-supervised of course, we can start to focus on the "Season". It started with a bang as we learned early on Monday that after 16 years Marty Morgan might be leaving the University of Minnesota. Turns out to be true as it was made official on Tuesday the 2nd. Brock has hired away one of the best assistant coaches in wrestling. Brock's gain is Minnesota's loss for sure as Lesnar begins to prepare for the fight of his life against the ageless wonder in the Natural Randy Couture. UFC Veteran John "Hurricane" Halverson along with Dowling Catholic HS Head Coach Jon Garvin (2 X State Champion) will join us in studio as guest hosts to provide some unique questions and answers. This week on TDR: Andy Hrovat will give us his unique perspective on Beijing China and the Olympics. What went right and what went wrong? He put up a tough performance Wrestling in the 84kg weight class, Hrovat drew a bye in the round of 16. He wrestled Cuba's Reineris Salas Perez in the round of 8, losing 3-0 1-3 2-2. The Cuban's loss to the Turkish wrestler Serhat Balcı in the quarterfinal round eliminated Hrovat from further competition in the repechage round. Steve Martin- Head Coach of the Monarchs of Old Dominion will join us to discuss and describe his new wrestling room and crop of in coming freshmen. Watch for ODU to make some moves again this year as they get progressively better and more competitive. On Sunday Oct. 12th at 6 pm there will be a book signing for the new book '' The Granby Roll''.The book is about Nationally acclaimed Granby High School Wrestling Coach Billy Martin,Sr.The Martin Family hopes to see you there! Bruce Burnett- Navy Head Coach has got the world by the tail, tons of athletes and is able to fall to his knees with grace and humiliation. He apparently understands the bigger picture. Burnett has led the Mids to 10 or more dual wins in each of the last six years, is in his eighth season at the helm of the Navy wrestling program. Burnett served as the United States Olympic Freestyle Coach at the 2000 Olympic Games. His athletes captured one gold, two silver and two bronze medals. What is the difference between then and now? Cary Kolat- The Alabaster, Alabama Native who switched things up during his collegiate years by attending and wrestling for both Lock Haven and Penn State Universities has a new and innovative web site designed to teach, educate and inform all at an affordable price. http://www.kolat.com Kolat was a Two-Time NCAA Champion (1996-97) and a Four Time NCAA All-American (1993,94,96,97). His Career NCAA Record: 111-7 (94.1) 53 Falls (45%) Jason Borrelli- Stanford cardinal Head Coach opens up to TDR. In one of Borrelli's first interviews we'll talk to him about being one of the youngest coaches in NCAA D1 history. We'll also discuss growing up in wrestling at the feet of his remarkable father Tom Borrelli, the impact that Kerry McCoy, in his 3 seasons as the skipper at Stanford had on Jason's career and the incredible support that AD Bob Bowlesby has for this young man. Join us for an enjoyable 2 hours of wrestling talk on America's Wrestling Radio talk show. A big thank you to all of our fans and sponsors alike. Together you make this journey of ours enjoyable.

NEW YORK -- Yero Washington has returned for his third stint as a member of the Columbia wrestling staff. Washington will serve as a volunteer coach for the Lions after working as a headhunter for a financial IT company. "I have known Yero for over 13 years now and could not be happier to bring him back to be a member of our coaching staff again," said Brendan Buckley, the Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling. "Although continually approached by other programs, he has once again decided to call Columbia home. He will be instrumental in working with our lightweights as well as serving as a mentor for the entire team." Washington first joined the Columbia staff in 2002 as a graduate assistant under Buckley, his teammate and workout partner on Fresno State's wrestling squad in the mid-1990s. After a year as a resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, pursuing a berth on the United States Olympic Wrestling Team, Washington returned to Columbia in 2004. Although he didn't make the Olympic Team, he traveled to Athens nevertheless as a member of the official party, serving as a training partner for Stephen Abas. Washington also participated in the Olympic Trials for the 2000 Games after winning the Northwest Regional Qualifier. The 1998 Sunkist International champion, he has been a member of the U.S. National team, America's World Cup team and America's Nations Cup teams. A native of Porterville, Calif., Washington was a California state champion in high school and a two-time junior college All-American at Fresno City College, winning the California State Junior College Championships. Transferring to Fresno State, he twice made All-American, in 1996, when he finished sixth in the nation at 134 pounds, and 1997, when he was third in the nation. He served as chief assistant wrestling coach at Fresno City College from 1997 to 1999, and was on the 1999-2000 Fresno State staff, working closely with Abas, a three-time NCAA champion, along with Stan Greene, a two-time NCAA All-American. Washington earned his bachelor of science from Fresno State in 1999, and spent two years as a pharmaceutical sales rep before joining Columbia's coaching staff. He lives in New Jersey.

Marty Morgan was the top assistant under head coach J Robinson at Minnesota for 13 of his 16 seasons on staff. While at Minnesota, Morgan helped secure the program's status as one of the most successful collegiate wrestling programs in the nation (Photo/The Guillotine) Head assistant wrestling coach Marty Morgan resigned from his position at the University of Minnesota on Tuesday afternoon after 16 years with the program. Morgan will go on to train former Gopher All-American wrestler Brock Lesnar, a popular Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) competitor, on a full-time basis. "I'm going to step back for a year to help Brock [Lesnar] train and I'll see where I'm at next summer. I've been working with Brock [Lesnar] the past few years on his training and now I've been offered a unique opportunity to work with him full time." Morgan said. "This has definitely been a difficult decision, considering that I have been involved with the program for 20 years as an athlete and coach. I am happy to have a great relationship with the University of Minnesota administration, J Robinson, the wrestling staff, past and current team members, and numerous fans around this great wrestling state." A native of Bloomington, Minn., Morgan began his collegiate wrestling career at North Dakota State where he won a Division II national championship as a true freshman before transferring to Minnesota. Morgan was a three-time All-American for the Gophers and won a national title at 177 pounds as a senior in 1991. With a 39-0 record during his senior season, Morgan became the first wrestler in school history to finish with an unblemished record and is one of just three wrestlers in Minnesota history to accomplish that feat. He capped off his career with the Big Ten Medal of Honor, which is awarded to a Big Ten student-athlete who demonstrates excellence in academics and athletics. Morgan was the top assistant under head coach J Robinson for 13 of his 16 seasons with the program. During his time at Minnesota, Morgan helped secure Minnesota Wrestling's status as one of the most storied and successful programs in the nation. Under Morgan's watch, the Gophers attracted some of the nation's most sought-after recruits on a regular basis and won national titles in 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2006-07. The Gophers have also captured six Big Ten Conference championships under Morgan's tutelage. "Marty has been around Minnesota Wrestling for 20 years, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him to step away for a year and to see what else is out there," head coach J Robinson said. "I think it's important for people to see different opportunities that life has to offer from a different perspective and a year away from the program can provide that perspective for Marty. He will be obviously missed this year with the way we do things, but we look forward to working with him in the future." The Gopher wrestling program, which boasts one of the nation's highest-rated recruiting classes again this year, begins its 2008-09 season with the Bison Open in Fargo, N.D. on Nov. 15. Minnesota's first home wrestling event comes when the Gophers host fellow perennial national power Oklahoma State in a New Year's Day dual at the Sports Pavilion.

State College, Pa. -- LionHeart MMA's newly signed lightweight, Biff Walizer won by submission in the third round at the Intimidaton Cage Fighting Championships this weekend in Covington, Ky. Walizer's next scheduled fight, Ring of Combat XXI on Sept. 12 at The Tropicana in Atlantic City, NJ, is tentative due to a hand injury sustained in his victory this weekend.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association has released the Academic Progress Rating leaders for the 2007-2008 season and has placed Northwestern at the top of the APR rankings for wrestling programs. Head coach Tim Cysewski has ensured that his program is second-to-none academically while competing at an elite, NCAA Championship level. "We are very proud of earning the No. 1 APR ranking among collegiate wrestling programs," assistant coach Drew Pariano said. "We do it all at Northwestern: we compete in the most challenging wrestling conference in the country and we excel on the academic side. Our academic services at NU are outstanding and they help our student-athletes achieve greatness." Put in place by the NCAA in an effort to improve the academic success of NCAA Division I student-athletes, the APR only applies to NCAA Division I scholarship athletes (or recruited athletes when a team does not offer scholarships in the case of the Ivy League) and is based on two guiding principles: -At the completion of every semester, an athlete can accumulate one "eligibility point" for being academically eligible by NCAA and institution standards. -At the completion of every semester, an athlete can accumulate one "retention point" if he/she returns to campus the following semester. Northwestern wrestling's APR score is valued at 992. The average APR for all Division I student-athletes is 961, according to the latest data. The average APR for male student-athletes is 951, while the average for female student-athletes is 969. Northwestern has been able to achieve its academic success while also competing at the highest level athletically; despite fielding a smaller number of varsity athletics programs than most BCS schools, Northwestern has finished in the top-30 in the U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup standings in each of the last three years.

Wrestlers wear one-piece singlets and headgear, and wrestle on foam mats. Even folks who don't know a takedown from a touchdown recognize these basic elements of amateur wrestling. That's all most of us have ever known. These elements have been "standard equipment" for U.S. high school and college wrestling for the past 40 years or more. Things weren't always so. Singlets first made their appearance in U.S. high schools and colleges about 1970. Headgear was strictly optional -- and a rare sight -- until the late 1960s. Today's foam mats were introduced in the late 1950s. What was it like for wrestlers who competed before these changes? What kind of impact did old-school mats and gear have on the way they wrestled? And what about those who wrestled in the late 1950s into the 60s, who experienced first-hand the revolutionary changes to the mats, and in what wrestlers wore out onto those mats? Before we suit up … Even as someone who writes about wrestling as it once was -- and has interviewed more than a few wrestlers of the past -- I really hadn't thought that wrestling gear and mats would have much of an impact on the way wrestlers wrestle. (Putting aside all the advertising messages that claim wrestlers will be invincible if they wear the latest headgear, singlets, or shoes.) Jack MarchelloThat all changed during a phone interview with Jack Marchello, two-time Big Ten champ for the University of Michigan in 1956 and 1958. I was working on a profile on Gary Kurdelmeier, University of Iowa champion wrestler who later became head coach of the Hawkeyes in the 1970s. I wanted to talk to someone who had wrestled Kurdelmeier. In reviewing the Iowan's mat record, only a handful of wrestlers had defeated him in college. One was Jack Marchello. Leah Howard, sports information director at Michigan, put me in touch with the Wolverine champ. Marchello was able to paint a detailed picture of his 1956 Big Ten 177-pound title match with Kurdelmeier, mentioning matter-of-factly that, because his Hawkeye opponent's shirtless upper body was sweaty and hard to grip, he instead attached the legs which were covered in wool tights. Sweaty bare torsos? Wool tights? Today's wrestlers don't grapple with these challenges in a typical match. I wanted to know more … and Jack Marchello was the right guy to ask. At age 72, he is still actively involved in the sport, designing wrestling headgear for Cliff Keen Athletic, and attending wrestling events in the Ann Arbor area on a regular basis. In high school in Illinois, and in college at Michigan, Marchello normally wrestled in wool tights, oftentimes without a shirt or headgear, on cotton, flannel or vinyl-covered mats filled with anything from cotton to horsehair to shredded straw. Our conversation got me thinking about what it must have been like to wrestle with equipment very different than we know today. So I contacted other former wrestlers who put time in on the mat in the late 1950s and 60s. Some experienced tremendous changes in their mat careers, recalling various types of uniforms, or the first time they wrestled on Resilite (which, for the wrestling world, has almost become a generic name for any brand of foam-core mat featuring a bonded vinyl surface, as you'll see in some of the quotes in this article … much like Kleenex = tissue.) No singlets, no shirts … no problems? Today's one-piece singlets have been standard equipment in amateur wrestling events for nearly forty years. Yet, before the early 1970s, there were no singlets in high school and college wrestling; in fact, well into the 1960s, singlets were actually banned by the NCAA and state high school athletic associations that govern prep wrestling. So what did high school and college wrestlers wear onto the mat? From World War II up to the mid 1960s, most wrestlers wore full-length tights under tight-fitting trunks, sometimes with sleeveless shirts. Yes, shirts were optional. In much of the country during that time – especially the west and Midwest -- it was common for wrestlers to compete bare-chested. (The NCAA required shirts of all college wrestlers in 1965, and state high school athletic associations quickly followed suit.) Jack Marchello says, "At Michigan, we usually wrestled in tights only, no shirts." "Because most opponents wrestled shirtless, it wasn't long before both of our bodies were very sweaty, which made it harder to get a grip." "When I wrestled at 177, I usually gave away ten pounds on an opponent, so I wasn't going to go attacking his upper body," according to the two-time conference champ for the Wolverines. "I became more of a leg wrestler. I took advantage of the wool tights. Even when the tights were soaked in sweat, it was still easier for me to grab the legs than the upper body." "I wrestled in tights, shorts and no shirt," says Shelby Wilson, a two-time NCAA finalist at Oklahoma State (1958, 1959) at 137 pounds who went on to win a freestyle gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. "That's what I wore all through junior high, high school and college. I never gave it a second thought." "It was only when I wrestled freestyle that I wore an international-style singlet." Les Anderson's experience was similar to that of Marchello and Wilson. Anderson, a two-time NCAA champ (1958, 1960) for Iowa State at 130 pounds, usually wrestled in trunks and tights, stripped to the waist. "It was what we and most of our opponents wore. It's what we knew. We didn't question it." Changing uniforms in Illinois … While wrestlers like Jack Marchello, Shelby Wilson and Les Anderson wrestled their prep and college careers in the trunks-and-tights, no-shirt uniform, some amateur wrestlers competed in various types of uniforms during their mat careers. Denny McCabeDennis McCabe is one. He wrestled at Maine Township East High School in north-suburban Chicago (alma mater to Hillary Clinton and Harrison Ford) in the late 1950s and early 60s, then continued his wrestling career at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale into the mid 1960s … then in the U.S. Army in the late 60s. (McCabe was the 190-pound champ at the very first Midlands tournament in 1963.) "When I started wrestling, we were bare-chested, with tights," recalls McCabe. "It affected strategy. It was hard to grip a guy who was 'greased up' with sweat." "Those first tights were wool. Funky feeling, hard to pull off after a match when they became all sweaty." While still in high school, McCabe's team switched from wool to tights that he describes as "silky cotton, like women's nylons -- slick-feeling, slippery. They looked nice, and felt great. Because they were slick, it was easier for the wrestler on the bottom to escape." While we can't give full credit for the uniform … in his junior year, Denny McCabe placed third in the 165-pound weight class at the 1960 Illinois High School State Tournament. In his senior year at Maine East -- and throughout college at SIU -- McCabe wore a third type of wrestling uniform that consisted of three pieces -- trunks and tights, plus a singlet-type, sleeveless shirt that buttoned together underneath at the crotch – "sort of like a diaper" says the former Saluki, now retired to the Tucson area, and a frequent poster to TheMat.com forum as "Denny." McCabe describes the shirt as being "cotton but silky. It absorbed the sweat generated during the match." While at SIU, Denny McCabe was one of the top-ranked 191-pounders in the U.S., expected to be in the thick of the battle at the 1964 NCAAs with guys like eventual finalists Jack Brisco of Oklahoma State, and Ohio University's Harry Houska. Sadly, just two weeks before the national championships at Cornell University, McCabe blew out his knee, and was forced to watch from the sidelines. After college, McCabe served in the U.S. Army, where he was an All-Army and All-Service Champ in 1968. At this point of his wrestling career he was introduced to the one-piece singlet much like those that are now standard equipment in high schools and colleges today. In talking about wrestling uniforms of his era, Denny McCabe recalls yet another variation: the gear Illinois prep powerhouse Reavis wore during the 1961 season. "They were singlets, cut like the ones wrestlers used to wear in international competition until a few years ago, with a narrow section of fabric down the middle of the body, revealing more of the chest and back," says the Chicagoland native. "I don't know if that was an experiment or test or what. I don't remember any other school wearing them that year, or afterwards." … and in Massachusetts The changeover in uniforms wasn't limited to Midwestern matmen. Jack Alkon was a member of the first-ever wrestling team at Brookline High in Brookline, Massachusetts (home town of President John F. Kennedy) which had a practice season during the 1962-1963 school year. "That year, we wore cotton tights, no shirts …" When asked whether wrestling bare-chested opponents posed any challenges or changes in strategy, Alkon responds, "My wrestling was in its infancy. It really didn't have any affect on what I was doing … Once the adrenaline's pumping, what you're wearing doesn't really have much of an impact." Jack Alkon (Photo/Tufts)In Jack Alkon's second year at Brookline, the school upgraded to nylon tights and singlet-style shirt. "It was a two-way stretch fabric. Much more comfortable." "The nylon tights were slipperier than wool or a bare leg," adds Alkon, who is now a dentist in Connecticut, posting to TheWrestlingTalk forum as "Spider." "Shoot for a double, and your hands would slide down the fabric." Upon graduation from high school, Jack Alkon wrestled at Tufts University in Massachusetts from 1965-1969. As a freshman in college, Alkon recalls gear consisting of tights and shirts that were made from wool. "We referred to that uniform as ‘wooly bully.' I remember the wool being itchy. You wanted to pin the other guy right away and get out of those as quick as possible." "After freshman year, we wore not-so-great cotton." To bring things full circle, Alkon says he wore a singlet just once -- when he stepped out onto the mat to wrestle as a 31-year-old. Under it all … In talking about their high school and college wrestling gear, both Denny McCabe and Jack Alkon also disclosed what they wore underneath their uniforms. "We wore jockstraps. Never wore a cup out onto the mat, just for football," according to McCabe, who played both sports at Maine East. "With all those layers of clothing that all came together down there -- the shirt, then the tights, then the heavy, cotton trunks -- it seemed like we already had layers of protection." Jack Alkon shares his experiences: "One teammate in college wore a cup. I think a cup would get in the way. In my wrestling career, I took only a couple shots to the crotch… Back then, a jockstrap was pretty standard. Nowadays, a lot of guys wear underwear or compression shorts." Why the changes? Wrestlers weigh in When asked why the NCAA changed the rules to require shirts -- and later, eliminated its ban on one-piece singlets -- Shelby Wilson says, "I don't know what the reason for the changes. I've heard different reasons thrown out there. One I heard was that we needed to be more modest and that we were showing too much skin. To use the word modesty for the reason for the change seems ridiculous in light of what athletes wear at swim meets and track meets." Modesty may have indeed been a factor in changing the uniform rules, at least according to some wrestlers of the past. More than one wrestler I've talked to over the past few years has said that they're aware of incidents where, in the heat of battle, fans in the stands saw more than a bare chest; genitals were exposed. (In fact, some wrestling rules of the 1960s seem to be written with this in mind, stating that shirts and tights are mandatory "to prevent unseemly exposure.") As for the possibility that the rules changed because it was difficult for wrestlers to get a grip on a sweaty, shirtless opponent, Shelby Wilson says, "Slippery bodies seem to me to just be a part of (wrestling) competition. If our reason for putting on more uniform is to give better grip to the wrestlers, it doesn't seem like a valid reason." Jack Marchello offers a somewhat different perspective: "I swear that requiring shirts really changed wrestling. I think it helped even things out for wrestlers who weren't as strong in the upper body." One last uniform observation … Denny McCabe provides one last recollection regarding bare-chested wrestling: "Back when I was in high school, you were able to see the muscles of your opponents because they were shirtless." "Realize that back then, only a few wrestlers lifted weights. For strength, we did pull-ups, sit-ups. So it was rare to see a truly muscular wrestler." "I remember being at the 1961 Illinois high school state tournament when Joe James took to the mat. He had the Chicago City heavyweight title, and, even in high school, he was 6'3" and 220 pounds. As soon as he took off his jacket, the crowd went ‘ooh.' They were blown away by his incredible physique. Most had never seen anything like it." (James placed third at the Illinois state championships that year. He then continued his wrestling career at Oklahoma State as the first African-American starter for the Cowboys, winning the NCAA heavyweight title in 1964.) Headgear … or bare-headed? Cauliflower ears may be considered to be a "badge of honor" with some wrestlers. However, to prevent damage to the ears -- as well as other head injuries -- there's protective headgear (referred to as "earguards" in current and past NCAA rules; some old-time ads call them "helmets"). Headgear has been mandatory for scholastic and collegiate competition in the US since the late 1960s and early 70s… but it hasn't always been so. Although early forms of head protection were available even in the 1920s and 30s, headgear was a very rare sight up into the 1950s and early 60s, though earguards were "highly recommended" in the 1963 "NCAA Wrestling Guide." "I started college in 1955, and at that point of history, we had headgear," says Shelby Wilson. "Not everyone used them because there was no rule saying you had to. The only one that I saw during those days was called the Wolverine and it was nearly the same as we have today, but different straps and other material. All headgear does the same identical job and that's to protect the ears. There's not a lot you can change except material, snaps, Velcro, pretty colors, etc." "In 1955, I saw Terry McCann (two-time NCAA champ for University of Iowa, and fellow Olympic gold medallist in Rome in 1960) wearing a Wolverine headgear at the NCAA tournament. I do not remember if he wore it in the finals but I know for a fact I saw him wear it in the semifinals against Dick Delgado (University of Oklahoma 115-pounder). I wore one some, but probably not often enough." "I recall the headgear of my era," says Denny McCabe. "They were the same for many years, with plastic straps. Then came those Japanese, black-cloth jobs … We used them in the meets. Must not have been mandatory, though. As I recall, many wrestlers whipping them off their head and into the corner. Myself included. That's why my ears look so cool … not!" Jack Alkon reports that "I never wore headgear, and I never wrestled anyone who wore them." "Headgear would probably make me feel confined. I can't imagine wearing one." "That said, headgear is very important to the safety of wrestlers," Alkon adds. "Badly-fitting headgear would be the most important impediment to a kid's performance." Jack Marchello offers a unique perspective on headgear. As a wrestler, he usually didn't wear them -- "they were strictly optional in college." However, for much of his professional life, he has designed wrestling headgear … and he sees this head-and-ear protection device as a two-edge sword. "There are negative aspects to headgear … It gives your opponent a platform, a way to get a better grip on your head, potentially controlling and battering you." "Over the years, the general trend in headgear design is to make it lighter, smaller, with less for an opponent to grab onto. However, more recently, it seems that many younger wrestlers are interested in something bigger, bulkier. For some, they want something that looks like it came out of "Star Wars" -- something tough-looking. Others seem fascinated by older-style headgear. They seem to like the retro look." Putting your best footwear forward Flip through any amateur wrestling magazine, and you'll see an overwhelming array of ads for wrestling shoes, many bearing the name of all-time mat greats, all promising winning performance during a match. Shoes have undergone tremendous changes over the years, in terms of design, construction, features … and price. Even with all these changes, the NCAA and high school athletic association rules governing the footwear a wrestler wears onto the mat have remained pretty much the same over the years: Wrestling shoes must be light in weight, heelless in design, cover the ankles, and not have any metal eyelets or other sharp parts to potentially injure an opponent. Jack Alkon says, "I don't remember my high school wrestling shoes. In college, I wore canvas shoes with flat, thin rubber soles. Kind of like P.F. Flyers (a popular all-purpose canvas sneaker) -- heavy, kinda crappy." "I've worn modern wrestling shoes," Alkon adds. "I don't think anyone's lost a match because of their shoes." "I think all shoes are pretty much similar quality, equally as good. What feels good, works." Denny McCabe recalls his wrestling footwear: "In high school, we wore high-top canvas wrestling shoes. They were lighter than typical shoes. We thought they made you faster." "At SIU, we were issued black nylon wrestling shoes. They had very thin soles, made of very thin rubber." Here's how Shelby Wilson describes the footwear he wore as an Oklahoma State Cowboy: "We wore the old canvas Converse shoes and never gave it a second thought. They were the most durable shoes ever produced for wrestling. Today everyone wants to look cool so we have competition to see who can make the coolest equipment." "You are either a good, tough wrestler, or you are not, and $100 shoes are not going to make you any better." Taking to the mats The 1950s were a decade of incredible innovation. Things we take for granted today -- space exploration, commercial passenger jets, color TV, video recording, the Interstate highway system, fast-food restaurants, indoor shopping malls, consumer credit cards -- were all products of this era. In the late 1950s, innovation also hit amateur wrestling, in the form of foam mats… and, in terms of on-the-mat performance and safety, the sport was never the same again. Les AndersonLes Anderson, two-time NCAA champ at Iowa State (1958, 1960) and long-time assistant coach for the Cyclones, says, "You could say that foam mats were the biggest change in wrestling in the past 50 years." In an interview for InterMat Rewind about the 1958 NCAAs held at the University of Wyoming, Anderson recalls many details about the venue, the War Memorial Fieldhouse -- especially the mats. "They had the new foam mats, Resilite, round ones … Iowa State had purchased one that year, so we were used to competing on them." "Most wrestlers were used to wrestling on the old horsehair mats, so the new mats at the NCAAs were a huge change for them." Jack Marchello remembers his first experience with the new mats: "Sophomore year, Michigan got its first rubber mats, made by Uniroyal." "These new mats changed the way we wrestled. It increased a wrestler's ability to shoot takedowns. The foam mats made it easier to move on the mat. It became a much faster, quicker sport than it had been." "Foam mats were safer, too," Marchello adds. "They absorbed shock better. They cut down on knee injuries. You were less likely to be injured when taken down hard." "Mat burns were no longer as common with the foam mats. Skin infections were also reduced. It was easier to keep the new mats clean, to disinfect them." Jack Alkon wrestled all his high school and college matches on Resilite-type mats. However, "our practice mats were cotton mats, covered in vinyl, tied together… I got knocked out once on an old cotton mat." One of Alkon's mat memories: "I've wrestled on a mat with a square painted on it, instead of a circle." Denny McCabe shares his experience with various types of mats: "I was considered to be an early starter, taking up the sport at age 11. I wrestled in the Chicago Park District. Their mats weren't Resilite; (instead, they were) canvas and cloth, padded with cotton, about two or three inches thick. They didn't cushion much of a fall." "By high school and college, I was wrestling on Resilite mats pretty much exclusively." Want to know more? Now you have a better idea of what it was like to wrestle 40-50 years ago. To learn even more about wrestling gear, mats and rules of the past, check out Major Changes in Intercollegiate Wrestling as part of the InterMat Rewind series. Special thanks to each of the men who graciously shared their memories here. For more photos of these wrestlers, their gear and mats, visit the Old-School Strategy photo album at the Amateur Wrestling Fan Addicts Photo Annex Yahoo group.

LionHeart MMA announces the signing of Penn State All-American wrestler Biff Walizer to a professional MMA career management contract. Walizer is the 4th fighter to sign with LionHeart MMA in the past two months and will compete at 155 lbs. LionHeart founder Chad Dubin says Walizer is a welcomed addition to the team. "I always admired Biff's work ethic and leadership when he was at Penn State. Signing him adds an experienced lightweight to our team and shows our committment to creating an elite MMA team here in State College." Walizer's first scheduled competition as a LionHeart team member will be Friday Sept. 12 at The Ring of Combat XXI at The Tropicana in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Venue information is available at www.ringofcombat.com Tickets for the fight are available at www.lionheartfighters.com

The 2008 Olympiad is over. Congratulations to our medalists, to the men and women who trained so hard to make it to the big dance. Few living know how difficult it is to train for opponents not yet named, dealing with the pool system, traveling half way around the world to compete and suffering from fatigue better than do our Olympic Wrestling Teams. They fell short of our goals in some areas and yet still proudly represented the USA. I'm indebted to our young men and women who had the courage to dream big. The results of this years Olympiad are testament to just how good wrestling is around the world. Also, a big thank you to the men and women of the press, the media who covered our sport. You are in a special group and our athletes deserve nothing less then the best! TDR's Brute Adidas studios come alive again this week with special guests from around the country. The season is around the corner, the new recruits are hankering to make themselves a place on the teams of choice. To make a difference. I can feel it. The hair on the back of my neck is starting to stand up. It's almost here! Joining me in the studio on his way to Iraq will be Vern Jefferson to discuss his upcoming fight with John Hurricane Halverson along with Brad Chiafos of the Des Moines Buccaneers. Our Guests on TDR- Greg Jackson- Greg's gym in Albuquerque, NM trains many top fighters, Greg will share some tips on crab mcgaw, self defense. Greg is 100% trainer. He is not a manager. Training men like Rashad Evans, GSP, Joey V. and others he has game plans and training schedules and programs in place each as individual as the fighter. Some of his top fighters include: Keith Jardine, Rashad Evans, Georges St. Pierre, Nate Marquardt, Joey Villasenor, David Loiseau, Jeff Breese- After spending two years matside coaching at Seton Hill University, Jeff Breese made a career change. That change has led him to become the new Director of Media Relations for the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Breese, a Claysville, Pa., native, was a Pennsylvania state high school champion at McGuffey and competed on the Division I level at N.C. State, where he earned a degree in Mass Media and Public Relations with a minor in Journalism. Nick Gallo- Silver Medalist, past Hofstra Head Coach, Hall of Fame member and one of the "Leaders" of the pack at Asics- TW promotions joins us to discuss the Olympic Games. Nick was a member of the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Teams Brad Dillon- An All-American on the mat and in the classroom at Lehigh, begins his first season as an assistant coach under Pat Santoro at LeHigh. Dillon followed Santoro to the University of Maryland. In his first season with the Terps, Dillon was involved in helping land a nationally ranked recruiting class and helping Charlie Pinto to the ACC title at 141 pounds. He hopes to impact the mountain Hawks in the same fashion. Pat Smith-a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, a 4 X NCAA Champion, a former collegiate wrestler at Oklahoma State University and a former assistant coach at OSU and now one of the fathers of HS wrestling in Arkansas. Each week for 11 years now we have provided the best coverage and conversation on our sport possible. We have great sponsors that understand the need to promote wrestling everyday of the year. Our goal is to continue that effort and you can listen in from 9 AM to 11 AM CST at Takedownradio.com LIVE or archived and by Pod Cast at Takedownradio.com Please make use of the services and products from our sponsors.

EDINBORO, Pa. -– Edinboro University wrestling coach Tim Flynn has announced the addition of a pair of transfers to his squad. Paul Donahoe (Davison, MI/Davison), a two-time All-American and a former NCAA champion, has transferred from Nebraska, while Garrett Scott (Alexandria, PA/ Juniata Valley) competed this past year as a freshman at Penn State. Donahoe must meet NCAA transfer requirements and will not be able to compete until at least the end of the first semester. He has one season of eligibility remaining. He captured the 125 lb. national championship in 2007, upsetting top-ranked Sam Hazewinkel in the finals. Donahoe defeated Hazewinkel, 3-1 in sudden victory to cap a 35-5 campaign, two weeks after dropping a 12-3 major decision to Hazewinkel in the Big 12 Championships 125 lb. title match. Paul DonahoeThis past year Donahoe earned All-American honors for the second time with a third place finish at 125 lbs. Three wins put him in the semifinals against Minnesota's Jayson Ness. Ness' takedown with ten seconds left was good for a 4-3 win, but Donahoe came back with a pair of wins on Saturday. He reached the third place match with a 5-3 decision over Stanford's Tanner Gardner, then defeated Mark McKnight of Penn State, 6-3, to take home third place. Donahoe finished the 2007-08 campaign with a 25-4 record, winning the Big 12 Championship. He had a 26-9 record as a sophomore, going 2-2 at Nationals. He departed the Cornhuskers with a career record of 86-18. Garrett ScottScott is a former three-time PIAA Class AA champion while competing at Juniata Valley High School, compiling a 130-2 career record. He did not lose a match his final three seasons. A year ago he stepped into the starting lineup at Penn State at 141 lbs. when starter Jake Strayer went down with an injury. He proceeded to finish with a 21-7 record and qualify for Nationals thanks to a seventh place finish at the Big Ten Championships. He was ranked tenth in the USA Today/ NWCA rankings, seventh by Amateur Wrestling News, and fourth by W.I.N. Magazine. Scott went 3-2 at Nationals, losing by fall to Army's Matt Kyler in the round of 12, falling one win short of All-American status. That loss was his lone defeat to an unranked wrestler. His most impressive win was a 4-3 decision over Michigan's Kellen Russell, ranked fourth at the time. Scott will redshirt in 2008-09 and have three years of eligibility remaining after that.