InterMat Staff

2008 Olympic Games Coverage (TheMat.com) BEIJING, CHINA -- Spenser Mango (St. Louis, Mo./Gator WC) went 1-1 in the morning session at the 55 kg/121 lbs. field in Greco-Roman wrestling and was eliminated from medal contention at the China Agriculture University Gymnasium on Tuesday. Spenser MangoMango lost in the quarterfinals to 2007 World silver medalist Park Eun-Chul of Korea, 2-3, 1-6. Park won the first period with an impressive chest lock turn late in the final par terre position. In the second period, Park scored a takedown and turn from the feet for a quick 2-0 lead, then was able to counter a Mango front headlock for a key two-point reversal to finish it off at 6-1. In the semifinals, Park faced Nazyr Mankiev of Russia, who had defeated three-time World champion Hamid Sourian of Iran in the quarterfinals. When Park was defeated in the semifinals by Mankiev, 1-1, 0-6, 1-2, Mango was eliminated from the competition. Only athletes who lose to a gold-medal finalist are able to enter the repechage matches and are eligible to wrestle back. In the first match, Mango defeated Virgil Munteanu of Romania in his first match, 1-1, 5-2. Neither wrestler scored in the first period, and Mango defended from the bottom last, winning the tiebreaker on last point scored. In the second period, during the first reverse lift position, Munteanu was penalized for jumping the whistle, giving the first point to Mango. When they were on their feet, Mango tossed Munteanu for three points, the key move to the win. Mango and Munteanu split a pair of matches in November when Romania came to the United States for competition. Munteanu won in a dual meet in New Jersey, while Mango won their showdown at the New York AC International. There were two weight classes contested on Tuesday, with 60 kg/132 lbs. also being contested. The U.S. does not have an entry at 60 kg/132 lbs. At 60 kg, two-time Olympic champion Armen Nazarian of Bulgaria won his opening bout against 2007 World champion David Bedinadze of Georgia. However, when Nazarian was beaten in the quarterfinals by Vitali Rahimov of Azerbaijan, Bedinadze was eliminated from medal contention. Rahimov qualified for the finals, so Nazarian is still eligible for the bronze medal. The final matches will feature two athletes from Russia and two athletes from Azerbaijan. The second session begins at 4:00 p.m., with repechage rounds, following immediately by the gold and bronze medal matches.

For wrestlers and wrestling fans, it's the ultimate competition, bringing together the best athletes from all over the world … but only once every four years. It's the Summer Olympics, this year being hosted in Beijing, China. Seventy-six years ago, the 1932 Summer Olympics were held in Los Angeles from July 30 through August 14 … and, for the U.S. wrestling team, it was a blockbuster event with a happy Hollywood ending. Challenging times Like today, times were tough three-quarters of a century ago. In 1932, the world was in the grips of the Great Depression, a time of great economic hardship, high levels of unemployment, bank and corporate failures, and individuals and families struggling to keep a roof over their heads and bread on the table. The Depression affected even an event as significant as the Olympics. Los Angeles was the only city to place a bid to host the Games of the X Olympiad. (The city had put in a bid for the 1928 Olympics, losing to Amsterdam.) Many athletes and nations were unable to afford the trip to California. Fewer than half as many athletes competed at the Los Angeles Olympics as had in 1928. One of the most heartbreaking stories about poverty and sacrifice involved the Olympic athletes from Brazil. Severely impacted by the Depression, the only way Brazil could afford to send its athletes to Los Angeles was to put them on a barge loaded with 25 tons of coffee, with the expectation that profits from selling the coffee at ports along the way would fund the $1 per person head tax to enter the U.S., and the $2 per athlete entry fee for the Olympics. Sadly, they were able to sell only $24 worth of coffee by the time they reached California. The athletes' last hope: the Brazilian consulate in San Francisco, which sent a courier to Los Angeles with a check for $45 U.S. However, in the time the courier was traveling south from San Francisco, Brazil's currency devalued … and the check was worth only $17 when it arrived in Los Angeles. To add insult to injury -- the check bounced. Despite these hardships, approximately 1,400 athletes from thirty-seven nations competed at the 1932 Olympics. By comparison, just over 3,200 athletes from 46 nations participated in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics … and, approximately 10,500 athletes from 205 nations were expected for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. World premieres The 1932 Los Angeles Olympics were notable for a number of firsts. It was the first to feature the now-familiar three-step victory podium. In addition, the 1932 Games were the first where the national anthem of the gold medal winner's country was played. The Games of the X Olympiad were the first to welcome athletes from Colombia and the Republic of China. What's more, it was also the first modern Olympics to last 16 days. (To this day, modern Olympiads last 15-18 days.) Despite the Great Depression, the 1932 Olympics was a showcase for some then-new technology that we now take for granted today. It was the first Summer Games to feature the precision of electronic timing. What's more, it was the first time that photo-finish technology was used to determine winners of incredibly close races. On a not-so-positive note, the 1932 Los Angeles Games were the first in which the elected head of the host country's government did not attend. U.S. President Herbert Hoover did not make an appearance at the Opening Ceremonies, nor at any of the specific sporting events. While the athletes and fans may have been disappointed that President Hoover chose not to come to the Olympics, Hollywood's brightest stars made appearances at sporting events. Among the celebrities who took their seats at various venues were movie superstars such as Charlie Chaplin, Gary Cooper and Douglas Fairbanks, along with beloved humorist Will Rogers, and early 1900s multiple sports star Jim Thorpe. A number of star athletes participating at the 1932 Olympics experienced fame beyond these games: Mildred "Babe" Didrikson, who won two gold medals in javelin, and in hurdles, and was considered by many to be the greatest woman athlete of the 20th century … Clarence "Buster" Crabbe, who won the gold medal in 400 meter freestyle swimming, and went on to play Tarzan, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon in movies… and Takeichi Nishi, gold medal winner in equestrian show jumping from Japan, whose involvement in World War II was featured in the Clint Eastwood film "Letters from Iwo Jima." The first Olympic Village One of the most enduring legacies of the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics was that it was the first to feature an Olympic Village, a special community to house the 1,200 male athletes. (The 126 female athletes stayed at the Chapman Park Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles.) The idea for the Olympic Village sprang from economic hard times brought on by the Great Depression. To increase participation among the athletes of the world, the Los Angeles Olympic Committee (LAOC) agreed to provide food, housing, and local transportation to each athlete for $2 a day. To make this offer economically feasible for the LAOC, it made sense to house the athletes together. Here's how Jack VanBebber, a three-time NCAA champ from Oklahoma State University, described the Olympic Village in his memoir, "A Distant Flame": Representatives of the Los Angeles Olympic Committee met and escorted us to the Olympic Village, located in the Baldwin Hills, just outside the municipal boundary of Los Angeles. As we entered the Village, we saw a picturesque place that covered 250 acres of rolling terrain. The escorts took us directly to the administration building where a committee certified and gave each of us our credentials. Next came the assignments to one of the 500 cottages in the Village. Each cottage had two double rooms with a private entrance for each room. A closet, washstand and cold-water shower separated the rooms. The Village residents, all males, included the employees, administrators, coaches and competitors. As far as possible, the administrators arranged each national group together. Each nationality had a separate dining room and a chef who served food the athletes of that nationality were accustomed to eating. An Olympic official pointed out that the communal arrangement of the Village provided all necessary accommodations. For recreation, a main hall was provided. There one could meet and mingle with international rivals. For contestants' transportation to and from the different events, an Olympic bus was available. In the Village the atmosphere was clean, the weather pleasant, and the overall setting rated as a perfect place for training, as well as providing an inspiring view of Los Angeles, the Pacific Ocean, and the Sierra Madre mountain range. Jack VanBebberIn his memoir, Jack VanBebber talks about doing roadwork on the streets of the Olympic Village, working out on wrestling mats spread out on the grass outside the Village's athletic building … though, apparently, the U.S. wrestling team conducted some of its workouts at the Fremont High School gym. It wasn't all roadwork and workouts for the U.S. Olympic wrestling team. In "A Distant Flame", Jack VanBebber talks about the team being taken on a tour of Hollywood, where they met Will Rogers, who posed for a photo with the team. Later that day, they also had a chance to talk with Jim Thorpe, 1912 Olympics star. (VanBebber, Rogers and Thorpe were all Oklahoma natives.) It's showtime! The Opening Ceremonies were held on Saturday, July 30, 1932 at what was then called Olympic Stadium, but is now known as Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Built in the early 1920s as a memorial to soldiers who died in World War I, the facility was also the site of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and track and field events for the 1984 Olympics, and is still the home for the University of Southern California Trojans football team. For the Parade of Nations during the Opening Ceremonies, each of the U.S. wrestlers -- and the other American male athletes -- wore a white pullover sweater with the blue American Olympic emblem, white shirt with blue tie, white slacks, white sport shoes … all topped off with a blue beret. As is custom to this day, the first country in the Parade of Nations was Greece (site of the ancient Olympics); the other nations followed, arranged in alphabetical order, with the athletes of the host nation -- the United States -- being last. Normally the leader of the host country welcomed the athletes to the Olympics during the Opening Ceremonies. President Herbert Hoover sent Vice-President Charles Curtis to perform that function. Before taking to the mat … Both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling events were held at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, an arena built in the 1920s. At the time, it was the largest indoor arena in the U.S., seating 15,300. In addition to being the wrestling venue, the Auditorium also hosted boxing and weightlifting for the 1932 Olympics. 1932 Olympic Team (Photo/A Distant Flame)Freestyle wrestling was scheduled for August 1-3, 1932; Greco-Roman competition was held August 4-7. There were a total of fourteen wrestling events -- seven weight classes in each discipline. All the wrestlers were men; women's wrestling first made its appearance at the 2004 Athens Olympics. At the 1932 Games, the United States only competed in freestyle competition. A pre-Olympics newspaper article by sportswriter Chuck Weinstock carried the headline: "Mat Sport to Play Big Part in Olympics." The article said, "The original sport of the ancient Greeks is still a prime favorite of the young manhood today… No less than twenty nations of out a total of forty-seven have entered teams in the wrestling events… In the number of countries entered, wrestling ranks in second place right behind track and field …" Mat medal tally At the end of the wrestling competition, Sweden claimed the most medals, with a total of ten: 6 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze. Second was Finland, with eight wrestling medals: 2 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze. The United States was third in mat medals, with a total of five: 3 gold, 2 silver, and no bronze … all in freestyle competition. Fourth place in the medal count was Germany, with four medals: 1 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze … all in Greco-Roman competition For the U.S., the medal count for wrestling surpassed the two (one gold, one silver) won at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics … and tied the tallies for the 1920 and 1924 Olympics, with five wrestling medals at each of those Summer Games. Meet the mat medalists from USA … and their coach By any measure, the U.S. wrestling team had an incredibly successful performance at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. All seven U.S. wrestlers placed fourth or higher in freestyle competition … with five earning medals. 1932 Olympics: Wrestling Medal-Winners Freestyle Bantamweight (56 kg) Gold: Bobby Pearce, USA Silver: Odon Zombori, Hungary Bronze: Aatos Jaskari, Finland Featherweight (61 kg) Gold: Hermanni Pihlajamaki, Finland Silver: Edgar Nemir, USA Bronze: Einar Karlsson, Sweden Lightweight (66 kg) Gold: Charles Pacome, France Silver: Karoly Karpati, Hungary Bronze: Gustaf Karen, Sweden Welterweight (72 kg) Gold: Jack VanBebber, USA Silver: Daniel MacDonald, Canada Bronze: Eino Leino, Finland Middleweight (79 kg) Gold: Ivar Johansson, Sweden Silver: Kyosti Luukko, Finland Bronze, Jozsef Tunyogi, Hungary Light Heavyweight (87 kg) Gold: Peter Mehringer, USA Silver: Thure Sjostedt, Sweden Bronze: Eddie Scarf, Australia Heavyweight (over 87 kg) Gold: Johan Richthoff, Sweden Silver: John (Jack) Riley, USA Bronze: Nikolaus Hirschl, Austria Greco-Roman Bantamweight (56 kg) Gold: Jakob Brendel, Germany Silver: Marcello Nizzola, Italy Bronze: Louis Francois, France Featherweight (61 kg) Gold: Giovanni Gozzi, Italy Silver: Wolfgang Ehrl, Germany Bronze: Lauri Koskela, Finland Lightweight (66 kg) Gold: Eric Malmberg, Sweden Silver: Abraham Kruland, Denmark Bronze: Eduard Sperling, Germany Welterweight (72 kg) Gold: Ivar Johansson, Sweden Silver: Vaino Kajander, Finland Bronze: Ercole Gallegati, Italy Middleweight (79 kg) Gold: Vaino Kokkinen, Finland Silver: Jean Foldeak, Germany Bronze: Axel Cadier, Sweden Light Heavyweight (87 kg) Gold: Rudolf Svensson, Sweden Silver: Onni Pellinen, Finland Bronze: Mario Gruppioni, Italy Heavyweight (over 87 kg) Gold: Carl Westergren, Sweden Silver: Josef Urban, Czechoslovakia Bronze: Nikolaus Hirschl, AustriaBobby Pearce, gold medal at 56 kg/123 lb freestyle: Robert E. Pearce was born in Wyconda, Missouri but moved to Oklahoma as a child. He wrestled at Cushing High, where he was a three-time Oklahoma state champ … and, in fact, was undefeated in three seasons. As a senior in high school, he tried out for the 1928 U.S. Olympic wrestling team, making as far as the semifinals of the Olympic Trials. After graduating from high school, Bobby Pearce went to Oklahoma State in Stillwater, where he wrestled for head coach Ed Gallagher (Click HERE to read about Coach Gallagher) As a Cowboy, Pearce compiled a 19-3-1 record, winning the 126 lb title at the 1931 NCAAs. One year later, he won the freestyle gold medal as a bantamweight at the 1932 Olympics. After college and the Olympics, Pearce was a professional wrestler for five years … then had a long career as a high school and college wrestling coach. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater in 1981. Pearce passed away in 1996. Edgar Nemir, silver medal at 61 kg/134.5 lb freestyle: Edgar Nemir, a native of Kentucky, wrestled at the University of California-Berkeley. As team captain, he led the Bears to undefeated seasons in 1929 and 1930. At the 1932 Olympics, Nemir earned a silver medal in featherweight freestyle competition … with victories over wrestlers from Denmark, Canada and Great Britian; his only loss was to gold medalist Hermanni Pihlajamaki of Finland. After the Olympics, Nemir served as boxing coach at Cal from 1934 to 1969. He was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 1988. Jack VanBebber, gold medal at 72 kg/158 lb freestyle: Jack Francis VanBebber was born on a farm outside Perry, Oklahoma. He suffered a near-fatal accident at age seven, but, in high school, became a two-time Oklahoma state wrestling champ. Jack VanBebber came to Oklahoma State in 1927, where he joined Bobby Pearce on the Cowboy wrestling team. In his three years on the mat, VanBebber built a perfect 22-0 record… winning three straight NCAA titles in 1929-1931. In 1932, he capped off his mat career by winning the gold medal in welterweight freestyle competition at the Los Angeles Games, defeating a three-time Olympic medalist in the finals. Immediately after the Olympics, Jack VanBebber coached wrestling and dabbled in professional wrestling for a couple years … then settled down, got married, and had a long career with Phillips Petroleum. He was a member of the initial class inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1976. A decade later, VanBebber passed away. (To read more about VanBebber, click HERE.) Pete Mehringer, gold medal at 87 kg/192 lbs freestyle: Born in Jetmore, Kansas, Peter Joseph Mehringer is considered to be among the greatest athletes born in the Sunflower State. Legend has it that he learned to wrestle from the famous Farmer Burns' mail order instruction course. Although Kinsley High School did not have wrestling team, Mehringer competed in two Kansas state championships on his own … and won both. Pete MehringerAt the University of Kansas, Mehringer was a two-sport star. On the mat, he was a three-time Missouri Valley Conference heavyweight champ … and, at the 1932 NCAAs, lost to Olympic teammate Jack Riley in the heavyweight title match (but earned All-American mat honors). In addition to wrestling, Mehringer was a two-time All-Conference and All-American defensive tackle for the Jayhawks. In the summer of 1932, Pete Mehringer became the first University of Kansas student to win an Olympic gold medal, taking the ultimate prize in light-heavyweight freestyle competition. After that golden summer, Mehringer returned to KU, where he coached wrestling for a while … but did not graduate because of financial hardships. He played pro football for thirteen seasons in Chicago and Los Angeles, where he also did some professional wrestling, and worked as a Hollywood stuntman. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1983. Mehringer died in 1987. Jack Riley, silver medal at over 87 kg in freestyle: John Horn Riley was born in Wilmette, Illinois in 1910. He attended New Trier High School in suburban Chicago, then completed his prep education at St. John's Military Academy before entering Northwestern University in 1928. While at Northwestern, Jack Riley was a star athlete. On the football team, he earned All-American honors at tackle. In his third year of college, Riley was persuaded to take up wrestling; he soon became the Wildcats' starter at heavyweight. In his junior and senior years, Riley was a two-time Big Ten heavyweight finalist, winning the conference title in 1931 … and a two-time NCAA heavyweight champ in 1931 and 1932. A few months later, he earned a silver medal in heavyweight freestyle competition at the 1932 Olympics. After college and the Olympics, Jack Riley had a rich and varied career that included professional wrestling for two years, pro football for the Boston Redskins, service in the United States Marine Corps in World War II, and nearly a decade as head wrestling coach at Northwestern. In the late 1950s, Riley embarked on a successful business career. He passed away in 1993. Hugo OtopalikCoach Otopalik: Coaching the U.S. Olympic wrestlers was Hugo Otopalik, highly respected head coach at Iowa State. Otopalik wrestled for the University of Nebraska under Dr. Raymond Clapp, winning the 175-pound Western Conference title in 1916 and 1917. (He also played football for the Cornhuskers.) In 1920, he came to Iowa State. Three years later, when Cyclone head coach Charlie Mayser resigned, Otopalik agreed to "handle" the wrestling program until a replacement could be found. He ended up coaching the Cyclones for 29 seasons, amassing a 159-66-5 dual-meet record. Otopalik's coaching career went far beyond Ames, Iowa. In addition to coaching the U.S. wrestling team at the 1932 Olympics, he hosted the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 1948 and 1952, and served as a vice-president of FILA. Otopalik fell ill after the 1953 NCAAs, and died a few months later. "We Love L.A.!" The U.S. wrestling team's medal success at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics helped to put the host country in the lead in terms of total medals won. Overall, U.S. athletes won 41 gold medals, 32 silver, and 30 bronze medals. In second place in the medal tally was Italy, with 12 gold, 12 silver, and 12 bronze medals. France placed third, with 10 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze medals. Sweden claimed fourth, with 9 gold, 5 silver, and 9 bronze medals. The 1932 Los Angeles Olympics were considered a success in many ways … even financially. Newspapers of the era reported that Games organizers made a profit of $1,000,000 … a surprise, given the rugged economic conditions of the era. Decades later, the International Olympic Committee decided it was time for The L.A. Olympics: The Sequel. In 1984, Los Angeles again hosted the Summer Olympics, using some of the same venues as in 1932, including the Memorial Coliseum for Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as track and field events. For the U.S. wrestling team, the 1984 Olympics were an even bigger Hollywood blockbuster than the 1932 edition. Out of a total of twenty events (ten each in freestyle and Greco-Roman), American wrestlers claimed nine gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal, for a total of thirteen medals. But, that's another story… Special thanks to Kristie Stubbs, wrestling writer for Amateur Wrestling News and Wrestling USA magazines, for conducting detailed research for this article.

Former Cardinal assistant coach Jason Borrelli has been named the new Stanford head wrestling coach, as announced by Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics Bob Bowlsby today. "Jason Borrelli is bright, hardworking and very enthusiastic about Stanford Wrestling," said Bowlsby. "We did a national search to find a successor for Kerry McCoy and ultimately one of Kerry's assistants demonstrated he was the right choice. I am looking forward to working with Jason to continue the growth of the Stanford program." Jason Borrelli"I am extremely excited and honored!" said Borrelli. "The opportunity to coach at one of the top institutions in the world is very intriguing. The Stanford wrestling program has made some great strides over the past years and I am thrilled to be a part of its continued success." "I would like to thank Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby and Associate Athletic Director Earl Koberlein for providing me with this opportunity," he said. "I would also like to thank my family and fiancé, Jenna, for their continued support throughout this process; you don't get places on your own. Finally, I would like to thank Tom Borrelli and Kerry McCoy for giving me the opportunity to learn from two of the best college wrestling coaches around." A former Central Michigan standout, Borrelli came to The Farm as an assistant coach in 2007 and quickly helped guide the Cardinal to one of its most successful seasons in school history. Working with the lower weights, Borrelli helped the Cardinal win 13 duals, post its highest Pac-10 finish in school history, its second-highest national finish and send a program-best five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Under Borrelli's guidance, 125-pounder Tanner Gardner captured his second consecutive Pac-10 title, became the school's first three-time All-American with a fifth-place national finish and broke both Stanford's career and single-season win records. Another lightweight, freshman Lucas Espericueta, qualified for the NCAA Championships and finished his rookie season as one of the five winningest freshmen in school history. As a team, Borrelli and the staff led Stanford to a 19th-place finish nationally, matching the program's second-highest finish in school history and just its third all-time top-20 finish. Owning two of the conference's four All-Americans, the Cardinal's 19th place finish was the best in the Pac-10. Prior to coming to Stanford, Borrelli served as an assistant coach at Central Michigan and ran a youth wrestling club. In his first year on the staff, he helped the Chippewas to their ninth consecutive Mid-American Conference Championship. The squad finished the season ranked fifth in the final dual meet rankings and finished 15th at the NCAA Championships in Detroit, Mich. Borrelli also helped guide three CMU wrestlers to All-American honors during the 2006-07 season. A Mt. Pleasant, Mich. native, Borrelli was a two-time Michigan State Champion in high school before beginning his career at Central Michigan in 2001. A four-year starter at 125 and 133 pounds, he was part of five consecutive team Mid-American Conference (MAC) championships. As a junior in 2005, he captured the 133-pound MAC title. Borrelli qualified for the NCAA Championships at 133 pounds twice, in 2005 and 2006, and captained the Chippewa team as a senior. A four-year NWCA All-Academic selection, Borrelli graduated from Central Michigan in December 2005 with a degree in Business Administration.

In an unprecedented act of support, philanthropist and wrestling enthusiast Ken Honig of Balboa Island, Calif. has pledged to reward any U.S. Olympic wrestler that reaches the Olympic podium during the upcoming competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Honig will substantially increase the monetary reward for any U.S. wrestler that wins a medal. Honig's gift will provide a Gold Medalist with $25,000, a Silver Medalist $17,000 and Bronze Medalist $5,000. Although Honig prefers to give anonymously, he hopes the publication and announcement of his generosity will inspire other philanthropists interested supporting U.S. Olympians during the Games. His pledge is focused on the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team but hopes his gesture will be recognized by supporters for U.S. Olympians across the spectrum of deserving Olympic athletes. "As an athlete and adventurer, I am fully aware of the commitment involved in high-level athletics. The immense sacrifice undertaken by the men and women of USA Wrestling is probably unfathomable to most people. The award money involved in my program is directed towards helping these athletes with their future after the Games, because we all know these Olympians compete for the love of the sport," said Honig. The wrestling community is excited and appreciative of Honig's generosity and commitment to the U.S. team. "Ken Honig is just one of wrestling's alumni that understand the sacrifice our Olympians have made throughout their competitive careers with the dream of representing America at the Olympic Games. On behalf of our athletes I would like to thank him for his thoughtful generosity and although I believe our athletes are primarily motivated by the love of competition and the opportunity to face the challenge of the world's finest athletes, I hope this added bonus will push them even further," said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling's Executive Director.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- With the sport of wrestling growing and overlapping into the world of professional combat sports, the Purdue University wrestling program has made some solid contributions to the international wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA) world. Widely known names include current head coach Tom Erikson and former Boilermakers Jake O'Brien and Chase Beebe, but currently no Purdue name is hotter in MMA than Jon Fitch. A four-year letterwinner and 2002 team captain in West Lafayette, Fitch has quickly climbed the world MMA welterweight (170 lbs.) and has been granted his chance to vie for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title on Saturday, Aug. 9. In 24 career MMA fights, Fitch boasts a 21-2 record (one no contest), including 15 straight victories and eight straight wins in the UFC. The Fort Wayne, Ind. native is ranked No. 2 in the world at 170 lbs. (according to sherdog.com), and he will face the only man left ahead of him in those standings in the headline fight of UFC 87: Seek and Destroy, in Minneapolis, Minn. Georges St. Pierre won the UFC Welterweight title in April of this year, and his fight with Fitch will be his first title defense. The Montreal, Quebec native is 16-2 in his career with his only losses coming at the hands of former UFC Champions Matt Hughes and Matt Serra. St. Pierre is regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in all weight classes and divisions of MMA, and will be Fitch's toughest test of his career. Fitch's wrestling background gave him solid preparation for the sport and has been a foundation for his MMA career. He's joined a large list of MMA standouts with collegiate wrestling backgrounds, including Hughes, Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture. However, as Fitch has developed as a professional fighter he's adapted other aspects of the MMA world into his repertoire, including a kickboxing and a black belt in jiu-jitsu. A combination of various forms of martial arts and combat sports, MMA has grown from a savage spectacle which included nearly zero rules and a very small audience on a pay-per-view basis, to a huge sporting attraction which can now be viewed on both cable and network television. Current UFC President Dana White and Zuffa, LLC purchased the UFC organization in 2001, and quickly began transforming it into the giant it is today. The breakout point for the sport was the premier of the reality series The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), on which Fitch was initially supposed to be a cast member. Since it's inception and the seven consecutive running seasons, the UFC has become the highest grossing pay-per-view organization in the world ($222,766,000 in 2006), and the reality series has spawned several superstars in the sport, including Forest Griffin and Diego Sanchez from Season One. While others were cast directly in the spotlight by the reality show, Fitch has been forced to take the long road to the top and build a fan base from victories and reputation, rather than TV cameras and commercials. In his ascent he's managed to knock off a pair of TUF alumni, including Sanchez, the middleweight champion of the inaugural show. For more information on Fitch, visit his website, or for more information on his championship fight visit the UFC homepage. (www.ufc.com).

BLACKSBURG -- The Virginia Tech Athletics Department announced Friday that Nate Yetzer has been named a full-time assistant coach for the Hokie wrestling program. Yetzer served as the program's volunteer assistant coach the past two seasons. He followed Tech associate head coach Tony Robie to Blacksburg from New York, where he was an assistant coach at Binghamton University. Yetzer works with the lower and middleweights while also handling a lot of on-mat training. Yetzer is a 2005 graduate of Edinboro University, where he served as captain for the nationally ranked Fighting Scots. A three-time NCAA qualifier and two-time team MVP, Yetzer was an All-American as a junior, placing eighth at 174 pounds after winning three matches at the national championship. As a senior, he went 36-7 at 165 pounds, including a 14-1 dual match record. Yetzer also successfully defended his titles at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) championships. That year, he was named the PSAC Outstanding Wrestler. Yetzer was honored with the program's 4-D Award (Dedication, Desire, Determination, Discipline) and also was a recipient of an athletic and memorial scholarship at Edinboro. For his collegiate career, Yetzer was 103-33 overall. In high school, Yetzer was an Ohio state champion and senior national runner-up for Madison High. He holds school records for career wins, takedowns, technical falls and wins in a season. Yetzer received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Edinboro in May, 2005. He is working toward his Master's degree in health promotions at Virginia Tech. He has worked four years at the Bruce Baumgartner World-Class Wrestling Camps in Edinboro and has also served as a coach for the Ohio Junior National Team.

Event: UFC 87: Seek and Destroy Date: August 9, 2008 Venue: Target Center (Minneapolis, MN) UFC 87 is in the UFC Monster's backyard of Minneapolis. After attending yesterday's press conference at the Mall of America and studying the fighter's records, this card appears to be another full of action and interesting match-ups. The UFC Monster will be breaking down this mixed martial arts card live on Scott Casber's Takedown Radio show (www.takedownradio.com) Saturday morning. Please tune in. As we look at the main event, this welterweight (170 pounds) championship bout features the ever-improving Georges ST.PIERRE (16-2) defending his title against former Purdue wrestler Jon FITCH (17-2), who hasn't lost in almost six years, and is on an astounding 15-match winning streak, that includes victories over Diego Sanchez, Luigi Fioravanti, Thiago Alves, Josh Burkman, and Brock Larson. As Joe Rogan would say, "tough dudes." Why has it taken Fitch so long to get a title shot? And, what chance does he have of beating the awesome GSP? … not much, I'd say. Fitch lacks punching power, is much slower and more methodical than GSP, and is nowhere near the wrestler that his opponent is. This may simply be a better athlete dominating. Fitch works extremely hard in the gym. His endurance and determination are legendary. GSP is far the superior overall fighter, but his Achilles' heal may be his mental frame if the fight goes deep and Fitch proves to be a worthy opponent. The public is betting he isn't. They are pounding the proud Canadian instead. ST. PIERRE (-350) defeats Finch by second round ground-and-pound TKO. Former Minnesota Gopher and NCAA champion Brock LESNAR (1-1) gets a shot at redemption for his Frank Mir submission loss, by getting to perform in front of his large fan base against the tough, and very experienced, Texas cowboy Heath "Crazyhorse"HERRING (28-13). Roger Huerta and Brock LesnarNo man on the planet can get Lesnar off their back, so Herring's only shot will be a high leg kick to the head, or some funky submission move that the relaxed, experienced Texan may use on his more aggressive, and much greener opponent. Lesnar needs a victory badly, as he is being touted as the next great thing in the heavyweight division (can you imagine Brock against Randy or Fedor?). Interesting thought. I see the adrenalin kicking in and Lesnar overwhelming his opponent and slamming him violently through the mat with a double leg takedown. From his full mount position, it will be sledge hammer time until the ref pulls the giant off the bloodied cowboy. LESNAR (-250) wins by first round ground-and-pound TKO. In what many expect to be the fight of the night (or even the fight of the year), local homeboy and former Augsburg wrestler Roger "El Matador" HUERTA (20-1-1) tries to stop the momentum of Kenny FLORIAN (9-3), who has won four straight UFC fights, since losing to Sean Sherk. These two lightweights (155 pounds) will go toe-to-toe until someone takes it to the ground where it will be a match between Ken-Flo's sharp elbows and seasoned jiu-jitsu against Huerta's angry determination to revoke an abusive childhood, and his ability to show relentless ground-and-pound power (10 KOs in 20 wins!) … and he's a lightweight. They generally have no punching power. The winner of this fight will probably get a title shot against BJ Penn. To be the best, you have to beat the best. Neither of these guys will beat BJ. It will be no surprise to me that if Huerta loses this fight, he will soon be gone from the UFC, to reap bigger paychecks from Affliction. HUERTA (+125) pulls the upset and beats Florian by a razor-thin split decision. Demian MAIA (8-0) is an undefeated up-and-comer in the middleweight (185 pounds) division. His opponent is the seasoned Canadian Jason "The Athlete" MacDONALD (20-9), who has won 16 of his fights by submission. This may be the key to beating Maia, who is known as a far superior Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter. Strangely UFC Web site fans who vote for such things in polls, give the +200 underdog MacDonald an overwhelming 2/3 vote to beat his undefeated opponent! I think MacDonald may have enough submission defense to last long enough to unload some serious elbows, and a few mean knees, that lead to a surprising upset KO of the young Brazilian. Athletic Canadian hockey player wins again! MacDONALD (+200) wins by third round KO over a stunned Demian Maia. Short, stocky Manny GAMBURYAN (8-2) will be out to submit Rob EMERSON (7-6), who brings a mediocre fight resume with him. Though he hasn't lost for three years dating back to a split decision loss to Melvin Guillard, Emerson appears to be a bit of a one-dimensional striker to me. Ten of his 13 fights have gone to a decision! Boring. Why is this fight on the main card? I have no clue. GAMBURYAN (-320) proves once again that a takedown with submission will usually beat the hapless puncher. He wins by second round arm-bar submission. On the five bout undercard: UFC president Dana White speaks at the UFC 87 press conference at the Mall of AmericaFormer Olympic heavyweight hammer thrower Dan EVENSON (10-2 @ +350) shocks the world with a second round ground-and-pound TKO over the one-dimensional striker, Cheick Kongo. Welterweight Luke CUMMO (6-5 @ -140) gets a second round KO over a determined Tamdan "The Barn Cat" McCRORY (8-1). The Barn Cat will use his lanky figure to try and trap Cummo into a triangle choke submission. But, Cummo stays inside and on his feet for the knockout. Team Quest member Chris WILSON (13-4 @ -320) defeats UFC new-comer Steve BRUNO (11-3) with a unanimous decision in the welterweight division. Two undefeated 5-0 light-heavyweight (205 pounds) fighters match up with Brazilian Andre GUSMAO trying to take out unknown Jon JONES (+190), who has 4 KO's in his five wins. Jones appears to have enough KO power to warrant a small play as a +200 underdog. … and, middleweight Ben "Berserk" SAUNDERS (5-0-2 @ -260) has his way with Ryan Thomas whose 9-1 record includes 6 submission victories. Saunders wins a judge's decision. That's it. Ten (10) fights in all. Now let's try to win some money with our "fictitious" $1000 bankroll: Let's lay $175 to win $50 on GSP over Fitch. Is this crazy bridge-jumping? Let's lay $250 to win $100 on Brock Lesnar to crush Crazyhorse. Let's lay $100 to win $125 on Roger Huerta to upset Ken-Flo. Let's lay $100 to win $200 on Jason MacDonald to end Maia's unbeaten streak. Let's lay $96 to win $30 on Gamby to stop Emerson. Let's lay $56 to win $40 on Cummo over McCrory. Let's lay $25 to win $87.50 on Evenson to shock Cheick Kongo. Let's lay $25 to win $47.50 on unknown Jon Jones. Let's lay $96 to win $30 on Team Quest's Chris Wilson. Let's lay $78 to win $30 on Ben Saunders. That's $1001 to win $740. Good luck and enjoy the fights! More later. The UFC Monster

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State Nittany Lion head wrestling coach Troy Sunderland quickly filled out his coaching staff today with the hiring of former Iowa Hawkeye National Champion Mark Perry. Perry will fill the second assistant coach position recently vacated by former assistant John Hughes. Mark Perry (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)"We're very excited to add Mark to our coaching staff," Sunderland said. "This is a man who has had great success as both an individual and team at Iowa. We are happy to welcome him to the Penn State wrestling family. I am confident his skills and wrestling knowledge will compliment and enhance our current staff, putting us in a position to achieve our goal of a national team championship." 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. Perry became Iowa's 14th two-time national champion this year and became a four-time All-American (the 17th Hawkeye to do so). He missed the entire Big Ten dual season with an injury but still posted a 20-3 season record and led the Hawkeyes in pins (12) and fastest pin (21 seconds). As a freshman, he went 27-5 with a 12-2 dual record, took second at Big Tens and second at Nationals. As a sophomore, he went 21-4, 9-1 in duals, took second at Big Tens and third at Nationals. In 2006-07, the junior went 28-4, 16-3 in duals, won the Big Ten title and the NCAA Championship as well. Add last year's Big Ten runner-up finish and second NCAA title and Perry leaves Iowa as one of the school's most decorated and successful wrestlers. "After spending time working at camps and clinics, I discovered that I have a passion for coaching," Perry said. "Once I decided that coaching was the direction I wanted to go in, I had the chance to talk with a lot of prestigious programs about opportunities. Being the son of a former coach, when the Penn State position opened up, I was obviously interested." "Penn State has always been a program that I've recognized as one of the nation's best," Perry continued. "I'm very excited to be a part of the Nittany Lion program. I can develop myself as a coach as well as help this program reach its goals. Pennsylvania is the proving ground for young wrestlers and I don't think I could be in a better situation. I've had the chance to gain knowledge from some of the greatest minds in wrestling and I feel I have a lot to offer. I'm confident that I can help Penn State reach its goal of winning the national title." Penn State will announce its 2008-09 schedule later this month. The season will begin with Wrestle-Offs in early November.

Olympic Freestyle heavyweight Steve Mocco is the latest Olympic Wrestler to release a commemorative Olympic T-shirt. The costs of shirts are $20 plus shipping and handling and are available at Steve's official website of www.stevemocco.com . Proceeds from the shirts will be used to help send Steve's family to Beijing for the Games as he competes for the gold medal. Mocco resides in Colorado Springs, CO, and is representing the US Olympic Team after winning the spot at the 2008 US Olympic Team Trials in June. Mocco will be competing on August 21. For more information, please contact Kate Mocco at kate@stevemocco.com

"Please, please, please … Just tell me the truth," I all but want to beg him. Only a hard knot of willpower, somewhere south of my clamorous thoughts but north of my vocal cords, stops me from speaking my mind. Moments earlier, he had swept me right off my guard. He had looked me straight in the eye and asked, "Are you here to talk about the scandal?" Hearing him use that word, hearing him confess that for twelve years before today no one had ever come out point blank and asked him about it, had made my blood pound in my ears. Our surroundings -- an unspectacular Midwestern restaurant whose name and food I will be doomed to forget the second I walk out -- had disintegrated before my eyes. Because of course I am here to talk about "the scandal." That's why I have driven sixteen hours across state lines. That's what has moved me to take repeatedly to the telephone, stretching my powers of persuasion to the limit. It has all been to broker this sit-down with a man I once knew as my hero. And who now, thanks to more than a decade's passing, apparently doesn't know me from Adam. Nor, I suppose, will he be able to realize how the part he played in that concluded but unforgotten drama -- one in which I had a bit part, but a part nonetheless -- affected me. What he tells me next shocks me almost out of my seat. Wrestling. It's no secret that it was the sport of choice where I grew up, in the corner of what some people condescendingly call "Flyover Country." And it's an old story, but one still going strong: the stock people place in high school sports in these towns that string out along the plains and the low, rolling hills. To become a successful athlete in this heartland country is to bestow a genuine kind of greatness on a person, on a family, even on a whole town. Greatness on the field of sport (or conversely, failure) has the power with each passing season to make and remake not just the individual's sense of self but also that of the community whole. So it was not exactly metaphysical predestination that had kids like me wrestling almost the day we had graduated from diapers. It was the chance, real or symbolic, to tie fortune, pride and prosperity not to the realm of chance or the fickleness of nature, but to a contest unfolding at the level of men. And in the specific place where I am from, there was something else that pulled young people like a gravitational force to wrestling. There, we had a near legend among us: a high school coach with records and reputation unmatched by any other in the state. This was a man with a twenty-year dynasty. If asked he could rattle off, like Methusaleh marking great-grandchildren, the names of the outstanding wrestlers he had helped navigate to victory. And with this talent -- both his own and that of the athletes lucky enough to earn a place under his wing -- had come the state championship titles that had elevated him all but to demigod status. The power he wielded at the school reached even into the academic schedule. Where other teams were forced to wait for the ringing of the afternoon's final bell to authorize their activity, this man presided over a mid-day "class" -- "Jogging Sports Theory" -- to gather his athletes together. As students who were mere civilians ground through chemistry or U.S. history in the classrooms that flanked ours, Coach would be stealing time to make his team a Team. Whatever the other faculty's opinions of this, they turned a blind eye. But I would not be surprised to discover their support was willing. A decent wrestler can be made out of almost any kid with a temperament for hard work and a heart for commitment. Unlike, say, basketball or football, the sport does not discriminate when it comes to body type. It will accommodate all colors, all backgrounds. And I would venture further that, even more so than in other sports, in wrestling it comes down to the coach to make a great athlete out of a decent athlete. That was the ruling wisdom of my town's wrestling culture, anyway. And coming up through the ranks as I did from childhood, the allure of being one of this coach's pupils wound its way into my dreams and ambitions. Joshua J. SmithBorn too late: that's the bad-luck moniker I feared would be mine. Coach's eventual but inevitable retirement seemed to draw closer with every added candle on my birthday cake. But as it turned out, my shot at making the varsity team coincided with an opportunity for Coach to capture one incredible accomplishment of his own. And that was his chance, after three successive years on top of his game, to capture an unheard-of fourth state title in a row. The stars, I was sure, were aligning in favor of destiny when I actually did make team. But there was a catch. Coach sidelined me in his office, and explained that I would only get my spot on the varsity roster if I were to wrestle at well below my normal weight. It's close to impossible, I would say, for outsiders to know the first thing about wrestling without also knowing the importance of weight. After all, a growing teenage athlete at war with his own appetite gets very hard not to notice. But I wonder if those without real experience on the mat can actually appreciate the difference that even five pounds can make in one wrestler's advantage over an opponent (which is tremendous). Maybe they think the meticulous sorting into weight classes is irrational, or the lengths wrestlers will go to stay in lock-step with the system over the top. But "making weight" is critical to preserve the fairness of the contest. And the athlete who fails to do so, and who is then shut out from competing in a match, scuttles his own opportunity and endangers the chances of his team. Everything that is great about sport -- not just the glorification of physical ability and discipline, but also its fusion to the principles of honor, fair play, and teamwork -- is captured in, and only possible with, the wrestler who abides these rules. For the vast majority of Coach's career (and, of course, my own) weigh-ins were conducted the following, no-nonsense, no-brainer way. They were held under the strict supervision of neutral referees, with opponents getting weighed on the same scale, side by side -- and typically in the late afternoon hours right before the start of a match. But this method of doing business was not to last. It had hardly been lost on parents, teachers and school administrators that athletes would often dangerously go without food or drink, sometimes for days at a time, in the name of making weight. Under this kind of caloric deficit, it was not unheard of for young men in the prime of their physical lives to faint. And their schoolwork? Their ability to stay awake in class, never mind perform up to snuff on a test or a class assignment? That those things suffered was as obvious as the shortening days and the freezing winter temperatures. So, the squeaky wheels got their grease. Weigh-ins would be moved to early mornings before school itself, as much as nine or ten hours before a match. That way, breakfast and lunch could actually be eaten, and the perils of low blood sugar shown the door. Enter the law of unintended consequences. Now, with weigh-ins taking place near on to six in the morning, there was no sensible, convenient way to bring opposing teams together for mutual turns at the scales. Let alone disinterested, third-party officials to shepherd the process. So the state athletic commission monkeyed around with the rules. Without referees, the duty of safeguarding fairness went to each school's athletic director, or A.D. Ideally, this individual would conduct the weigh-ins, note each wrestler's weight on a sheet, sign it and forward it to referees later that day when matches actually took place. But, as I came to later know, our school's A.D. was not a morning person. Here I was, at my first varsity squad weigh-in, and there wasn't an A.D. in sight. Coach's word, after all, was bond. It was discreetly -- and illegally -- left to him to conduct the weigh-ins. And when the A.D. came yawning his way onto campus sometime later, his signature on the form became nothing more than a rubber stamp. When Coach had asked me to wrestle at far below my normal weight that day in his office, I guess I had started wearing my anxiety on my sleeve. Instantly, I was looking down the barrel of a loaded gun of nonstop worry -- and the starvation dieting, dehydration, and harsh, relentless effort to sweat out that last bit of water weight that would come with it. Apparently, Coach had picked up on this right away. He must have seen the look on my face that said I am never going to be able to do this a hundred times before. Maybe he even inwardly chuckled at it. "Just do your best," was his advice. "Concentrate on winning." And then, the words I would later realize were the smoking gun that had been invisible to me at the time. "Leave the rest to me." The season that began with my grand promotion to the varsity team turned out to be everything we, our families and our neighbors could have asked for. Our opponents? They could not stand up to us. Like a distant drumbeat gaining in volume and advancing ever more steps closer, the glory of our win after win after win became the soundtrack of our days. But underscoring all this momentum was not just our team's blood, sweat and tears. It was also a morning weigh-in scale that, under Coach's lone supervision, had become suddenly and surprisingly friendly to our cause. I was making my weight. At least, according to our gym's scale, I was. And so was everyone else on the team. The upshot of this, I am confessing now, was that I was competing with about a five-pound weight advantage over every opponent I faced. It was amazing how, just by not allowing myself to think too much about what we all knew was really going on, I now had a state ranking, and the taste of a state championship tempting my palate. Then came the day of the all-important regional tournament, the last stepping stone to the only place I had known all my life that I wanted to go. Still in the shadows of a long winter night, without even the hint of the false dawn above the silent school parking lot, I arrived at five a.m. for the weigh-in. On my way to the gymnasium door, I noticed -- but didn't quite think twice about -- an unfamiliar car, its headlights off but the deep mumble of is idling engine, some yards in the distance. Two adult men, as grave as two headstones, filled the front seats. The burning cherry of a cigarette passed from a mouth to a cracked window, and for some reason I took this as my cue to stop staring and get on with my morning. The encounter, if you can even call it that, was long gone from my memory by the time -- after another weigh-in without the guiding light of the school's A.D. -- my teammates and I were carpooling off to the local diner and the mission of cleaning out its walk-in freezer and an entire poultry farm's harvest of eggs. When you're seventeen years old, and in the thick of a raucous breakfast with an entire wrestling team, you're ahead of the game if you can even hear what song is on the jukebox, let alone the ringing of a diner's house phone over the uproar. But rang it must have. And the usually doting, divorcee waitress -- the type who would be a clich� in a movie or TV show, but was nonetheless a bonafide feature of our town -- came over with a puzzled look. The team, all of us, were being summoned back to school for what was being described as an emergency. Back at the gym, blood ran cold at the sight of coaches of the team we were to go up against later that day. They were confronting our coach with the revelation that they had been in the parking lot since four in the morning, keeping track of the license plate numbers of every vehicle that entered. The athletic director's was not one of those on their clipboard. The state athletic commission had been contacted, and the coaches of the opposing team were glibly awaiting Coach to forfeit the match. Within a day's time, their allegations would be fodder for newspapers, radio and even big-city TV news broadcasts. But in the moments after their gauntlet had been hurled, Coach, stinging from word that he had been placed on immediate suspension, coughed up the excuse that this had been a one-time mistake. Did they buy it? No. There was blood in the water. And as unflattering as it might be for modern American civilization, the accusation that we love tearing our heroes and celebrities down just as much as we enjoyed installing them in the first place fit perfectly in this circumstance. Now, there was talk of picking apart not just the results of this year's season, but those for many of the prior seasons as well. Coach kept his mouth shut, but in the end it was his assistant who did him in by coming clean -- probably as a result of the top coaching position being dangled as a carrot in exchange for his testimony. I am not playing games when I say that Coach was run out of town after that. The legend was, practically overnight, null and void. That there had been fifteen years of legitimate triumph, of tough-love mentoring teenage wrestlers, no longer was seen to matter. Coach had taken advantage of the system, and that was that. Which brings me back to this restaurant in a neighboring state, all this time later. No doubt that all of us live with certain questions why this happened or that happened to us, and the grim knowledge that we will probably never know. But whether we are somehow granted them, or have the temerity to try and make them for ourselves, sometimes there are opportunities to ask that question, why, out loud. It's a puzzle probably best left to the psychologists, but for some reason I could never put this question why away. Why Coach, the moral compass of generations of wrestlers in the place I came from, cheated. The day came when the mystery crossed a line within myself, and I had to know. Or at least, ask. With some help from the internet, I found Coach. I have no idea how she could have known, but Coach's wife seemed to have some sense of what I was after simply by asking if he was home. There was a worry, a certain hesitation, a strain in her voice when she replied that she would go get him. When I had his ear, I told Coach the truth, if not the whole truth: that I was a filmmaker writing a screenplay about a high school wrestling coach, simply wanting to interview him for the sake of research. After some convincing, he finally agreed to meet me in a week. As he tells me what he has to say about the "scandal," I can't help but flash for a moment on the slowed-down and hunched-over, now elderly figure whom I had picked up in front of his house not an hour ago. My heart doesn't want this image of him, small and feeble and cowardly. But there it is: the weathered core of a man who I now get to thinking is the real Coach. Not the laughing, joking character of twenty minutes, ice broken, eyes lighted up after I have shown him some yellowed news clippings harkening back to his glory days. Because he swallows, leans ever so slightly in to me, and makes a startling claim about the scandal. "I'm here to tell you," he says, "I'm innocent." I feel gut-punched. "Coach, I'm here to tell you something," I very nervously admit. "I was on your team that year. I was present at all the weigh-ins. I never saw the athletic director there. Not once." He's not as taken aback as I thought he would be. It occurs to me that I'm probably far more transparent than I thought. "He was there," comes another astounding reply. "You just didn't see him." These words don't compute. They're a dodge of responsibility and accountability worthy of a five year-old. Before he has a chance to truly get worked up, to feel snookered and walk out on me, I back way off. There is still information I would like to have from him for the screenplay I'm writing and the movie I am going to direct. I don't know whether it's a testament to my amateur journalism skills or his own wish to revisit times past, but Coach opens up again. He tells me how rough it has been since he was fired. His wife has wanted nothing to do with their wrestling past, even going to the (to me, unthinkable) extreme of incinerating all his photos, his trophies, and his scrapbooks. Everything. I learn that his being here is in violation of a promise she had wrangled out of him never to even speak to anyone from my hometown, ever again. I realize that to his wife, Coach is a martyr. She blames the town. It can only be that he has never even told her the truth. And now, there is nothing left for me but to feel sorry for him. This is a man who has managed to convince himself, to delude himself, that he is innocent. I drop him off at his house. He asks me if he can keep the newspaper clipping I have brought. I gladly give it up, a keepsake snatched out of the furnace of his memory. Does not having the answer to the question I came to ask matter? I drive away, reflecting that I no longer really think so. I may not know everything, but after a decade of adult life in my chosen profession, I know far more about storytelling, writing and filmmaking than I did when I was that experience-starved teen, in awe as he watched the 1980s wrestling movie Vision Quest. No film, before that, had had the distinction of combining my two steering passions, wrestling and the movies. And it's a comfort and a privilege to realize now that there is an opportunity to revisit the world of high school wrestling since Hollywood's wandering eye last fell on it. You probably cannot boast of having been "behind the camera" a few times without sounding just that: boastful. But the short films, the trips to film festivals, and the awards I have been lucky enough to stake my name to so far, I would like to think of as qualifying matches for my own equivalent of making weight and joining the varsity squad. I thought meeting with Coach would give him a chance to set the record straight. Perhaps even to grant me my hero back. But if Coach is going to have the happy ending I have always wanted for him, it dawns on me as I point my car down a westbound, snow-blown interstate, I am going to have to write it for him. Joshua J. Smith is a filmmaker from Los Angeles, California. His film, CARTER-145 which is based on the story you have just read, is currently in the fund raising stage. If you would like more information on how you can get involved with the film visit WWW.CARTER145.COM.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Mark Schwab and Wayne Baughman. Schwab was recently named the head wrestling coach at North Iowa Area Community College. Schwab was the head wrestling coach at Buena Vista for the past four seasons and was a long-time assistant coach at the University of Minnesota. As an athlete, Schwab was a four-time state champion for Osage and a two-time All-American at the University of Northern Iowa. Baughman retired as the Air Force Academy's head wrestling coach in 2006 after a 50-year career as a coach and a wrestler. As an athlete Baughman was a member of three Olympic teams and eight World teams. He also won 16 national titles in the four recognized styles of wrestling. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

The Olympics are just days away. August 8th, the flame will be lit and the competition begins. We'll be LIVE from our Brute Adidas studios this Saturday for another 2 hours of wrestling talk starting at 9:06 AM CST. Join us for a lively discussion on wrestling. We should all take a moment and give thanks and offer a silent prayer to our Team. TDR guests include- 9:05 Joe McFarland- Head Coach of the Wolverines of the U of Michigan joins us to offer some insite and possible predictions on the pending Olympics, his program and the multi million dollar improvements the athletic department plans for wrestling. -M's 2007-08 recruiting class -- Ben Apland, Coby Boyd, Hunter Collins, Bret Marsh, Jake Salazar, Zac Stevens and Mark Weber -- is ranked No. 7 among InterMat's top classes. 9:20 Brett Oleson- New head Coach of NAIA Bacone Warriors in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Coach Oleson comes from Waldorf College in northern Iowa where he wrestled and was an assistant coach. Coach Oleson was a three year starter, two time national qualifier, and wrestled at 174 pounds all four years. He was an assistant coach for three years for the warriors. During his tenure at Waldorf, Coach Oleson has coached four All-Americans and one national champion. 9:40 Jay Jaggers- Senior-141 LBS. The Ohio State University. Jaggers became an All-American in 2007 after compiling a 5-2 mark at the NCAA championships (3/15-17/07) to finish seventh. Jaggers began and ended his national run against Harvard's and No. 13 Max Meltzer, defeating him in the seventh-place match-up, 7-1. It was Jaggers' first official appearance on the national stage, after qualifying for NCAAs in 2005-06, but was forced to bow out of the championships because of a knee injury. At the 2007 Big Ten Conference Championships (3/3-4/07), Jaggers recorded the fastest fall time at 25 seconds against Purdue's Nick Bertucci and that time places him tied for seventh all-time in the OSU record book. During his redshirt-freshman campaign in 2005-06, Jaggers finished with 26 wins, which was a tie for the team best. Additionally, Jaggers' 15 dual wins was No. 1 on the team among starters. Included in those overall wins was a first-place finish at the Michigan State Open (11/12-13/05), as well as a second-place showing at the Southern Scuffle (12/29-30/05). During that same season, Jaggers earned an individual ranking as high as seventh in the Amateur Wrestling News polls and eighth in the USA Today/NWCA/InterMat standings. Academically, Jaggers is a 2006-07 Academic All-Big Ten honoree, as well as a 2007 NWCA All-Academic Team member and Ohio State Scholar-Athlete. Deanna Gilbert- UFC 87 Fight night at Billy Joe's hosted by T- Scott 10:05 Mike Pucillo- Junior-184 LBS. The Ohio State University. Ohio State career/2006-07 (Freshman season) – Pucillo earned All-America laurels in his first complete season of collegiate wrestling with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA championships. Finishing the season with a 26-5 overall record, Pucillo concluded the regular season with an impressive 7-1 Big Ten ledger, which was a part of a 14-1 overall dual mark. At the national championships, Pucillo defeated Top 20 wrestlers in No. 17 Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin), No. 9 Christian Sinnott (Central Michigan) and No. 10 Louis Caputo (Harvard). Pucillo entered the postseason with a team-best .950 winning percentage (19-1). Although seeing limited action at the beginning of the season because of injury, Pucillo did win 16-consecutive matches to begin his collegiate career at Ohio State before losing his first match of the season to No. 1-ranked Jake Herbert of Northwestern (2/4/07). Included in that 16-match winning streak was the individual title at the Las Vegas Invitational (12/1-2/06). During the Las Vegas Invite, Pucillo won via two major decisions and a fall before downing fourth-ranked Raymond Jordan of Missouri, 3-1, in the semifinals and No. 3 Tyrel Todd of Michigan, 12-6, in the finals en route to the title. Pucillo already had opened the season with a 3-2 win against Jordan in dual action (11/16/06) and later against the Wolverines in dual competition (2/11/07), defeated Todd for the second time. For his efforts in Vegas, Pucillo was awarded Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Week Honors (12/4/06). In all, Pucillo faced eight ranked wrestlers during the regular season and compiled a 7-1 mark. In addition to his athletic accomplishments, Pucillo also was a 2007 Academic All-Big Ten and NWCA All-Academic Team award winner, as well as an Ohio State Scholar-Athlete. 10:20 Andrew Hipps- Rev Wrestling.com. Let's review the UFC 87 event in Minneapolis and the Olympics. 10:40 Corey Meints- Friend of the Ackley Geneva Wellsburg Steamboat Rock (AGWSR) HS Wrestling program. Wrestled a few years at Coe. The Sports Editor at Ackley World Journal The AGWSR (Ackley) Mat club will be hosting a golf outing on Aug. 31 with registration at 12:30 and shot gun start at 1 p.m. The money raised will be used to further the youth programs at AGWSR, as well as for the high school program. The money helps kids attend camps, clinics and tournaments. Money has also been used for work out equipment, videos and almost everything else the program has needed from Kindergarten through high school. For more information contact youth coach Brian Johnson at 641-869-5206 Maureen Roshar- Wild Rose Resort and Casino- 563-219-0704

Minneapolis, MN -- The Wrestling 411 team of champions gains another leader in the wrestling community. Jason Bryant has agreed to apply his communication skills to the rapidly developing wrestling highlight show, Wrestling 411. With a broadcast background and an ear for news, Bryant has worked diligently the past few years to develop InterMat into what it is today; one of the most visited online communication resources of wrestling news. InterMat is owned and operated by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). During Bryant's time with InterMat he has received two prominent awards, National Web Site of the Year and Wrestling Writer of the Year; both from the National Wrestling Media Association. Additionally, both W.I.N. Magazine and Amateur Wrestling News have donned prestigious writer recognitions on Bryant as well. He has also served as the Division I Rankings Coordinator for the NCAA and has been Vice President of the National Wrestling Media Association since 2004. J. Robinson, the University of Minnesota's Head Wrestling Coach, said, "We are pleased to have Bryant as part of a the Wrestling 411 team as we launch into our premier year, He knows the sport, the athletes and the coaches intently and most important to us, he loves being involved in wrestling." "Bryant adds so much to Wrestling 411," Wade Schalles, Wrestling Hall of Fame member, "as we begin our planning stages for the radio portion of Wrestling 411. He's just a natural fit for us; for five years he was the Sports Director at WODU Radio at Old Dominion University in addition to working college events for Comcast Sports Net and ESPN." Bryant's blog site will be posted on several locations. Visit www.Wrestling411.tv to watch, blog, chat, share wrestling clips and get involved with wrestling.

On Sunday night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, former standout Shane Roller came out victorious in his World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) debut. The 29-year-old Roller, who is managed by Team Takedown, defeated Todd Moore by guillotine choke in the first round. Shane RollerMoore took control at the beginning of the fight, landing several heavy shots, but Roller stayed calm. Roller eventually secured the guillotine choke halfway through the first round, which forced Moore to tap. Here is the play-by-play of the fight courtesy of Sherdog.com: "The two come out firing. Moore lands a good punch and Roller answers. Moore lands a few more good shots but then takes Roller down. Roller tries for a guillotine. Moore easily escapes the choke and works ground-n-pound. Roller defending well and latches on another guillotine. Moore is stuck in the choke and it's deep. Moore can't escape this one. He taps out at 3:00 of the first." With the victory, Roller improved his MMA record to 4-1, while Moore dropped to 9-2. Another former collegiate standout wrestler, Scott Jorgensen, came out on the winning end at the WEC event. Jorgensen (5-2), who competed at Boise State, dominated Kenji Osawa (13-8-2). Two other Oklahoma State standout wrestlers and Team Takedown fighters, Jake Rosholt (4-0) and Johny Hendricks (3-0), will make their WEC debuts on September 10 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida -- on a card that will be headlined by the organization's biggest star, Urijah Faber. Rosholt will take on Brazilian veteran Danilo Villefort, while Hendricks will face Alex Serdyukov.

Lincoln -- Husker All-America wrestler Jordan Burroughs went 2-1 to claim 10th-place at the FILA World Championships on Sunday in Istanbul, Turkey. Representing the U.S. for the first time in his career, Burroughs wrestled well in the 66 kilogram (145.5 pound) division, but ran into some hard luck. Burroughs, a native of Sicklerville, N.J., lost his first set 3-1 against Kazakhstan's Olzhas Chingisbayev, but rebounded with two straight wins (2-0, 4-3) earn the victory. Burroughs then defeated India's Amit Kumar in two straight sets (2-1, 4-3) to advance and face Hungary's Sandor Tozser. Burroughs lost the first set 1-0 to the Hungarian, but rebounded to tie him 1-1 in the second. Tozser claimed the set by scoring the last technical points and defeated Burroughs. Burroughs still had a chance to wrestle in the consolation bracket if Tozser made it to the finals, but eventual champion Magomedmurad Gadjieu of Russia defeated Tozser in the semifinals to end Burroughs' tournament. Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning also traveled with to Turkey as a coach for the U.S., and helped lead the team to a fourth place finish with 34 points. Russia claimed the championship with 69 points, while Iran earned second (49) and Georgia was third (41).

In the spring of 2008, Tim Hartung, a two-time NCAA champion for the University of Minnesota in the late 90s, walked away from wrestling, resigning from his position as an assistant coach at Iowa State. A year and a half later, Hartung is back in wrestling ... coaching at the high school level in Eagan, Minnesota. InterMat recently talked to Hartung about a variety of subjects, including coaching in high school and college, Cael Sanderson, Jake Varner, Mark Perry, Brock Lesnar, Marty Morgan, and much more. Tim HartungAfter the 2008 season, you left your position as an assistant coach at Iowa State. That move surprised some because it's not often that a Division I college coach walks away from the sport. What went into that decision at the time? Hartung: It was completely family. I had a little baby on the way. My wife and I had talked about it forever that once we start a family I was going to get out of the college coaching world. You're gone too much ... and way too much time away from family. That was the only decision. What intrigued you about getting into coaching wrestling at the high school level? Hartung: It's a catalyst for me. My long-term plan is to get into administration. In order to get an administrator's license, I have to teach three years before I'm eligible to become an administrator. I have to teach for three years and while I'm teaching, it was a good fit for me to also coach wrestling. Obviously, I love the sport. I missed it a little bit. And it's just a way to stay connected. So you don't see coaching as a long-term thing? Hartung: You might be able to find a district that would allow you to be an administrator and coach, but most of the time that's not an option. It's not like once you get your administrator's license you're just a shoe-in. It may take me six, seven, eight, nine, ten years before I find an administrative job that I like. But eventually, yeah, I don't plan on coaching forever. Most of the time, once you become an administrator in some capacity, you're real busy and they don't allow you to coach. I can imagine there are some differences between coaching in high school and coaching in college ... Hartung: There are, but it's all the same. You try to take a group of kids or young adults, help them get better and accomplish their goals. What you're trying to accomplish is the exact same. You're just working with different people and different levels of ability. So really the approach is the same. I was surprised. The mentality that you try to preach ... the style that you try to preach ... the commitment that you try to preach might be toned down a little bit, but it's really the same. You have the same goals and the same intentions in mind. It's kind of crazy. Not only were you successful as a competitor at a very high level, but you also were able to coach at three of the nation's top college wrestling programs. How important was that for you to be able to spend time in three different top collegiate wrestling programs? Tim HartungHartung: Well, I can tell you right now, as a coach, I use a lot of the skills, tactics, techniques, and mentalities that I picked up at all three places. I got to work with great people. It's no different than a business man that bounces around and spends time in three or four different companies. You learn from each place and ultimately it makes you better. That's the thing that I took away from it ... different philosophies, different approaches to try to achieve the same objective. I know it has helped me. Coming out of J [Robinson]'s program, he's real strict and his mentality is awesome. He's been real successful. Jimmy [Zaleskey] had a different twist. He was a little bit more laid back and tried to motivate the guys a little bit more intrinsically. And then Cael [Sanderson] brought a different twist to that too. So I have just kind of been a sponge and taken different pieces from each guy and kind of made it my own, so it's been interesting. The programs that you have been associated with have only known winning. The high school where you're now coaching, Eagan, isn't a wrestling powerhouse in Minnesota, so it's obviously going to take some building. I know you're focused on getting Eagan to the top, but how patient are you going to be with winning? Hartung: One of the biggest things I learned from Coach Sanderson at Iowa State ... When he coached, he was real consistent with his message. It never involved winning and losing. It involved your best effort. I use that same exact team motto every day. It's your best effort ... That's all I'm concerned about. Your best effort. Your best performance. Trying to achieve your best results ... Whatever that is. That has kind of been my approach with these guys. We are a real inexperienced team. We don't have a strong, winning tradition. I'm a realist. We have Apple Valley in our district. They are one of the premier programs in the country. My goals for this team are just to get better and for them to give their best effort and learn more of the life lessons on how to fight and how to go after your goals. Winning will come, but obviously it's going to take a while. But there are bigger lessons to learn. That's kind of our approach right now. You mentioned Apple Valley. Do you like being in the same conference and section as Apple Valley because it shows your wrestlers a higher level, maybe a level that you would like to get to? Or would you just as soon not have to deal with Apple Valley? Hartung: That's a loaded question. I mean, any team wants to beat the best eventually. But the facts are ... a team that's less experienced and a team that has been taking a beating from a team like Apple Valley forever, it's tough to overcome that obstacle. You look at Iowa-Iowa State. Iowa State has had some teams that most people would argue were better, but they never seem to be able to win that dual. It's a psychological thing. I haven't been here long enough to know what our guys are feeling. We do wrestle them in the middle of January. I would imagine that we get real intimidated. I'm sure that happens. Any coach's goal would be to make the state tournament first of all ... and then try to do the best you can there. That kind of puts you behind the eight ball when you have Apple Valley in your district. Would I rather be in a different district? Potentially. But eventually your goal is always to be the best, so you have to beat them at some point. In April, Cael Sanderson left his position at Iowa State to become the head coach at Penn State. Obviously, you have developed a relationship with Cael. How surprised were you that Cael left Iowa State? Cael Sanderson (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Hartung: I don't know that anybody saw it coming. But I know that he wants to win. Obviously, he felt that Penn State gave him a better chance to do that. I was a little bit surprised, but I guess that's the coaching world. You see it all the time in all the different sports. I don't even know what type of deal he got or whatnot, but it had to be decent to get him away from Iowa State. It's awesome to see wrestling do that. Other sports do it all the time. Programs come in and try to sweep a great coach away by spiffing up the deal. That's what happened I think with Cael. It's just awesome that wrestling had that opportunity. You won two NCAA Division I titles, so obviously you know what it takes to win at that level. Cael is the only wrestler to go undefeated in college and win four NCAA Division I titles. Do you think we will ever see another wrestler go undefeated and win four NCAA Division I titles in our lifetime? Hartung: There is always somebody coming along that will have a chance to do it I'm sure. It's an incredible feat ... as anybody that has wrestled in college knows ... between injuries, being tweaked, getting sick, wrestling through pain ... There are just so many variables. There have been plenty of guys probably with the talent level to do it, but it takes an extremely solid, mentally strong individual to go four years undefeated like he did. It wasn't like he sat out a lot of matches. I'm not sure he sat out any. That's just unbelievable. There are so many things. There was some luck involved I would imagine because he didn't get injured a lot. The way he wrestled probably had something to do with that. No major sicknesses like pneumonia or something. There are just so many things. It's such a hard thing. I think people realize the magnitude of the accomplishment, but it always seems there is a next generation guy coming through in all the sports. LeBron James ... Everyone thought he was going to be better than Jordan. Tiger Woods came along after Jack Nicklaus. There is always somebody coming. But do I think it will happen? The smart man would say no. You worked closely with Jake Varner while at Iowa State. He won an NCAA title last season and then made his first U.S. World Team. How great do you think he can be? Hartung: He's just a great kid. He's earned everything he's got. He's the hardest worker that I've been around. He's the hardest guy I've ever wrestled while coaching and wrestling college athletes. The kid is good. He's so solid. He's so strong. He works extremely hard. At the end of every practice, he would grab Cael and go a couple more takedowns ... or he would grab me. Or he would jump rope for another 20 minutes. He really works for what he's got. He gets criticized from time to time for not being as offensive as people would like him to be. But you look back at the history ... guys like Lee Kemp. He wasn't an offensive machine either, but he got it done. That's kind of what he does. Tim Hartung (Photo/The Guillotine)In 2002, you won the U.S. Nationals and also made the U.S. World Team that year. But the U.S. did not participate in the 2002 World Championships in Iran due to a threat of violence towards the team. How much does that bother you that you didn't get an opportunity to represent the U.S. when you earned the spot? Hartung: Well, you always want a chance to compete at that level. I don't think much about that. It bothers me more that I fell a little bit short in 2004. That was my ultimate goal ... to make the Olympic Team. The 2002 thing was out of my control, so it's a little easier to kind of just let it go. But in 2004, I fell short on my own efforts. That's never the way you want your career to end. In talking to Mark Perry recently, he brought up your name when talking about coaches who have helped him throughout his career. Perry is now the top assistant at Cal Poly and already seems to be making a tremendous impact as a coach. Did you foresee a coaching career in his future when you were working with him at Iowa? Hartung: Well, he's got unbelievable knowledge of the sport. I think it comes from his family. I know he's talked about when he grew up, he was in the Oklahoma State room every day as a kid. He understands the sport probably as well as anybody. He's a real likeable kid. He has that knack for building relationships and connecting with people. I think that's what potentially could make him a really good coach. The guys that come into a college program will instantly gravitate towards him and kind of attach to him. He's got great credentials, great technique, great knowledge, and great enthusiasm for the sport. He should do really well. Your former teammate, Brock Lesnar, is now the UFC heavyweight champion. He pulled out of a November UFC event because of an illness. It was recently reported that Lesnar has an intestinal condition that has been ongoing for around a year. Do you still keep in touch with Lesnar? And if so, have you heard how he's doing? Hartung: I don't talk to him much. I was up training with him a little bit last May, so we kind of reconnected then. But he's busy and I'm busy, so it's tough to stay connected. But I heard through a couple guys that he's recovering well. They keep it pretty quiet. They don't really tell people exactly what's going on. So that's kind of where I'm at. You developed a relationship with Marty Morgan during your time at the University of Minnesota. Morgan is now working with Lesnar. He has said there are only a couple Division I head coaching jobs that we would consider. Do you think Morgan will ever become a Division I head coach? Tim Hartung (Photo/The Guillotine)Hartung: I don't know. I know one of the things he's enjoying now is his family. He has four kids. When he stepped away from coaching one of the things he said was, 'Wow, this is what it's like to have a life?' Coaching is a grind. All coaches will tell you that. You're constantly on the trail ... the recruiting trail or on the competition trail. And if you're not, you're not one of the best programs. The commitment that you need, it's just a hard life. You better enjoy it and you better make it a priority. It's real hard thing to do when you have a family that is trying to pull your commitments from that side. But I'm not sure if he will ever become a Division I head coach. It's a good question. I would say if it's sometime in the real near future ... like the Minnesota job or something, I think he would strongly consider it. But I'm not real sure. Do you stay connected with the University of Minnesota wrestling program? Hartung: I haven't that much. I have only been in the room one time since I've been back here, which has been about a year and a half. I really wish I could more. But I'm working on some teaching license stuff and I'm going to school. I have a new job in the Eagan school district. I'm coaching. Your time is limited. I have my family, which is my No. 1 priority. Everybody gets busy. It's tough to stay connected. I would love to more ... I know that. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Hopefully I will when I slow down at some point. I would really like to.

Manheim, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association announced its inaugural listing for the Division I True Freshman All-Academic Team. The organization typically announces All-Academic teams in Divisions I, II, III and the NAIA, but for the first time, a Division I true freshmen listing will be in affect with the rules the same as for the other All-Academic Teams. Six wrestlers have met the Division I criteria. Wrestlers must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA, been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule – and must have competed in at least 60 percent of said schedule. The other way to qualify for the All-Academic team is have a 3.0 cumulative and been an NCAA All-American. Those All-Academic members are Torsten Gillespie of Edinboro (3.63 GPA), Trevor Hall of Cal State-Bakersfield (3.35), A.J. Kissel of Purdue (3.32), Colt Sponseller of Ohio State (3.2), Casey Thome of Army (3.35), and Ethan Headlee of Pittsburgh (3.6). "With so much emphasis on the importance of the Academic Progress Rate (APR), we feel it's important to put another viable statistic in hands of the wrestling coaches to keep and entrench their programs," said NWCA Mike Moyer. The NWCA believes true freshman being thrust into immediate starting roles was a reason for this award. "The first year of college is so important, not just for wrestling, but for the student," explained Moyer. "Many college freshmen are still adjusting to the lifestyle, the course work and the freedom. Wrestlers, like our six All-Academic representatives, have all those struggles on top of trying to maintain a spot in the starting line-up at some of the most competitive programs around." Gillespie, the younger brother of 2006 NCAA Champion Gregor Gillespie, is majoring in Computer Science, while Kissel is working towards a degree in Landscape Horticulture & Design. The remaining four are still undecided on majors.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Jeff Swenson, athletic director, announced today that Sam Barber, wrestling head coach since March 2007, has resigned his position as of July 30, 2008. Mark MatzekMark Matzek '05, current assistant head coach, was named interim head coach until a national search is completed. As an Auggie wrestler, Matzek was part of two national championship teams and earned 133-pound All-American honors three times and won two national titles. He finished his career with a 129-21 record and was a three-time NWCA Scholar All-American. As an assistant coach with the Augsburg wrestling team, the Auggies claimed one national title and two third place finishes with 20 All-Americans and four National Champions. "Mark Matzek was one of the most outstanding student athletes in both competition and in the classroom," said Swenson. "His experience and leadership will carry the team forward through this transition period." Barber succeeded Swenson, an Augsburg 1979 graduate, who had been head coach of the Auggies for 25 seasons. During Barber's tenure as assistant coach he had been part of three national championship squads and two national runner-up squads. Last season, under his leadership, the team finished in third place at the NCAA Division III national championships. In 2006, Barber was named Division III Co-National Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. "I hired Sam as an assistant coach and have watched him develop his leadership capabilities and contribute to the national success of the Auggie wrestlers," said Swenson. "I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors." The Auggie wrestlers have enjoyed a national reputation as a small-college powerhouse, winning a record-10 NCAA Division III national championships, with 20 consecutive years of top-four finishes.

Thirty-four NCAA team titles. 133 individual NCAA champs. Over 400 NCAA All-Americans. By any measure, Oklahoma State has built a wrestling legacy unmatched by any other college wrestling program over many decades. And the man who laid the strong foundation for that legacy is Ed Gallagher, Cowboys wrestling coach from 1916 through 1940. Ed Gallagher (Photo/Redskin Yearbook)As head coach, Gallagher's Cowboys racked up a 138-5-4 overall record for an incredible .952 winning percentage. During his 24 seasons at the reins, Gallagher's teams had nineteen undefeated seasons, winning eleven NCAA team titles. Gallagher coached 22 wrestlers to earn 37 individual national championships; seventeen of his Cowboys wrestled in Olympic competition, with three winning gold medals. Because of these accomplishments, Ed Gallagher's name adorns the arena at Oklahoma State… and he was named one of three "Best Wrestling Coaches" in an online poll of wrestling fans for the NCAA 75th Anniversary Team honors in 2005. (The other two coaches: Iowa State's Harold Nichols, and University of Iowa's Dan Gable.) The versatile athlete who never wrestled Born September 5, 1887 in Perth, Kansas, Edward Clark Gallagher was a natural athlete, running track and playing football in high school. As a student at Oklahoma State -- then called Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College -- Gallagher set 100-yard dash and hurdle records that stood for thirty years. In 1908, he ran 99 yards for a touchdown against Kansas State, which still stands as an Oklahoma State record for longest run from scrimmage. After graduating from Oklahoma State in 1909 with an engineering degree, Ed Gallagher stayed in Stillwater as the school's track coach. In 1913, he was lured away to Baker College in Baldwin City, Kansas, where he coached all sports … however, two years later, he was back at Oklahoma State, serving as athletic director. During the 1914-1915 school year, Oklahoma State launched its wrestling program, with A.M. Colville as coach. That first season, the Cowboys wrestled only one dual meet – held in conjunction with a gymnastics event -- and were trounced by the University of Texas. The following year, Ed Gallagher took the helm of the wrestling program … despite never having wrestled in an organized program in high school or college. Ed Gallagher's lack of mat experience may seem stunning these days, considering today's top college wrestling coaches have resumes loaded with high school state and national wrestling titles, NCAA championships and even international mat honors. Yet, when Gallagher was in school, organized wrestling programs were rare, outside those at YMCAs and men's clubs, or at eastern colleges … so opportunities to compete on the mat were very limited for someone from the Great Plains such as Gallagher. The lack of on-the-mat experience ultimately didn't hurt Ed Gallagher and his Oklahoma State wrestlers. Admittedly, Gallagher's first season as head coach (1915-16) was a losing one; the Cowboys again had just one dual meet, again losing to Texas, this time by an even more lopsided 22.5-2.5 score. However, in his second year, Gallagher's matmen wrestled three duals, winning two (against Emporia State and Texas), and tying with Arkansas. That winning momentum was sidelined after the 1916-17 season; because of World War I, there was no wrestling team at Oklahoma State, as most of the male students were serving in the military or reserves. However, when the program resumed in the 1919-20 school year, the Gallagher dynasty began its long, successful run as the dominant college wrestling program throughout the 1920s and 30s. Engineering success on the mat As an engineer, Ed Gallagher employed a systematic approach to the sport of wrestling … starting with how he selected young men to wrestle for Oklahoma State. He looked at their families, picking sons of "upstanding" parents … and favoring "only boys who cannot go out in society." In other words, those who might be considered economically disadvantaged, and would view wrestling as a springboard for success in life beyond the mat. Ed GallagherGallagher also expected his wrestlers to live clean -- no smoking, no drinking, and, perhaps most startling nowadays, no dating. "The best woman in the world can do you no good," claimed the Cowboy coach. (No, Gallagher was not a confirmed bachelor; he married right out of college, and together, Ed and the former Mary Austella Taylor had a total of six children -- three boys, and three girls.) Along with clean living off the mat, Gallagher stressed clean behavior on the mat. He wanted his men to wrestle tough, with determination … but with character, and good sportsmanship. In selecting wrestlers for his program, Gallagher also favored a specific type of physique. He sought "lean plainsmen" -- tall, slim, strong men, rather than compact, muscular types who were typical in college wrestling even 80-90 years ago. Ideally, these long, lean wrestlers must have quick reactions, according to the coach's criteria. Ed Gallagher's engineering background also guided his primary focus -- the study of leverage, and how it applied to wrestling. Using a human skeleton and rubber bands, he spent hours figuring out holds and counters -- one report saying he spent at least two hours a day in his office on this task. The Cowboy coach developed, by his own count, 400-500 holds and variations; he expected each of his men to know at least 200 of those. Perhaps most surprising, Ed Gallagher was open about sharing his scientific approach to wrestling. His teams often put on wrestling demonstrations before or after a dual meet in an opponent's gym. In 1939, he and his Cowboys were featured in a three-page "how-to-wrestle" feature for the popular photo-magazine, "Life." In addition, he wrote two very popular instructional books, titled simply "Amateur Wrestling" and "Wrestling." Break it down Here's a specific example of how the engineer in Ed Gallagher guided his instruction of his wrestlers: He told them to think of an opponent on all fours as a table. To succeed, his wrestlers need to "break" at least one leg of the table. If the opponent's arms were weak, that was the point of attack; if the arms were strong, go for the legs. Another way to "break" an opponent, according to Gallagher: Make more than one attempt or counter. Continue a string of attacks until you have opponent under control. In other words, never give up. Not all of Ed Gallagher's ideas came from his own engineering mind. According to the book about the history of the Oklahoma State wrestling program, "Cowboys Ride Again!" Gallagher picked up a tip from 1920s professional wrestling champ Ed "Strangler" Lewis: If possible, "take two deep breaths and immediately pitch back viciously. To do this correctly, break out of the predicament first, and, step back and draw the breaths. Now, he (the opponent) will see this and either follow suit or at least temporarily relax, and you can catch him somewhat relaxed." Eat to win Coach Gallagher made a science of studying the diet of his wrestlers. He generally allowed his wrestlers to eat what they wanted, as long as it what was what they typically consumed, in reasonable quantities. However, he discouraged his wrestlers from consuming cold drinks. He focused on glycogen, the form in which sugar is used in the body, turning one-third of that into carbon dioxide, and the remaining two-thirds to water and lactic acid -- the cause of oxygen debt, leading to hard breathing during exertion in workouts and during a wrestling match. After weigh-ins, instead of chowing down with a big meal as most wrestlers did in the 1920s and 30s, Gallagher's wrestlers usually contented themselves with hot tea, sweetened with brown sugar, honey or Karo syrup. He wanted his men to be "properly sugared" especially when trying to make weight. Your great-grandfather's Cowboys College wrestling of the Ed Gallagher era differs significantly in a number of ways from the sport we know today. For starters, the Cowboys wrestled just 5-8 dual meets in a typical season in the 1920s and 30s. Each regulation match lasted ten minutes. There was no point scoring system; matches were won by a pin (back then, shoulders had to be on the mat for a full three seconds), or by "time advantage" -- essentially, whoever had the most riding time. In 1938 -- towards the end of Gallagher's coaching career -- this system was replaced, with the referee making the decision as to who won. The referee decision system didn't last; in 1941, the beginnings of today's point system made their appearance in college wrestling. Perhaps the most startling difference for today's fans: For home meets, the Oklahoma State wrestlers competed in a roped-off ring, like those for boxing or professional wrestling. The actual wrestling area was the same as on-the-floor mats in other college events. In reviewing "NCAA Wrestling Guides" of the era -- the annual rules-and-results publication for high school and college wrestling -- there are diagrams governing ring size, number of ropes, what the ropes should be made of, and how they should be secured… but nothing about rules governing how the ring could be used. The only hint: In "Cowboys Ride Again!" there's a description of a match in which an angry Oklahoma State wrestler threw an opponent over the top rope, which apparently was against the rules… but the Cowboy wasn't disqualified, and the match resumed. (The Cowboys weren't alone in wrestling in roped-off rings. According to college yearbook photos, teams at Indiana University, University of Iowa, Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa), and Northwestern University also had rings for home meets 70-80 years ago. (The NCAA banned wrestling rings in the early 1940s.) The gear Ed Gallagher's men wore to wrestle was radically different, too. No one-piece black-and-orange, synthetic-fabric singlets for the Cowboys back then. During the more than two decades Gallagher coached at Oklahoma State, his wrestlers wore a variety of uniforms. Through much of the 1920s, his wrestlers wore full-length wool tights. There was a time where the Cowboys wore tights with what was called a black Tom -- also known as an outside supporter -- on top of the tights. Towards the late 1930s, Gallagher's wrestlers usually wore wool trunks, much like we associate with pro wrestling, with no tights. Despite these variations in what the Cowboys wore below the waist, throughout the 1920s and 30s they usually wrestled bare-chested at home meets and at events at colleges in the Midwest and southwest. However, when wrestling in the east, Gallagher's wrestlers would often be required to put on sleeveless shirts, at the request of the school hosting the event. (An NCAA rule change in the mid 1960s prohibited shirtless wrestling.) Going all the way to the top … headgear was not required as it is now, and a very rare sight in the Gallagher era. When not wrestling, the Oklahoma State wrestlers often traveled in gear appropriate to their team name. Outfitted in Stetson hats, colorful flannel shirts, and cowboy boots, team members made an incredible impression wherever they traveled. Adding to the Cowboy mystique, some team members performed rope tricks in opponents' gyms before some dual meets. The Cowboy way of winning No matter what they wore -- or whether they wrestled in a ring or mats on the floor -- Ed Gallagher's Oklahoma State Cowboys dominated the college wrestling scene for more than two decades. In the years after World War I, the Cowboys never had a losing season. In fact, in the eleven-year period from the 1919-20 through the 1930-31 seasons, the Cowboys never lost a dual meet. That's 70 consecutive wins! Among the Cowboys' opponents during the Roaring Twenties: University of Oklahoma, University of Kansas, Kansas State, Texas, Iowa State, Cornell College of Iowa … as well as farther-flung teams such as West Virginia, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the Philadelphia Athletic Club. Who broke the eleven-year, 70-match winning streak? Cross-state rivals Oklahoma. The Sooners beat the Cowboys by one point in the last dual meet of the 1931-32 season. During the rest of the decade, the Cowboys had only one other loss (at Southwestern Oklahoma State in the 1936-37 season) … and three ties. Most victories were by a substantial margin. 1928 Oklahoma State teamIn 1928, the NCAA launched a national wrestling championship to conclude the dual-meet season. At the very first NCAAs -- held at the Armory at Iowa State -- Oklahoma State claimed four individual titles out of a total of seven weight classes. That was no fluke; in the thirteen years of NCAA competition, the men coached by Ed Gallagher ruled the national championships each year. The leanest year for Cowboys was 1936, when just one wrestler -- Harley "Doc" Strong -- won a title. However, in a typical year, at least three Cowboys brought home an individual championship. During the Gallagher era, 22 individual wrestlers won a total of 37 NCAA titles. Among the Cowboys who won three championships (back when freshmen were not eligible for NCAA/varsity competition): Earl McCready (the very first three-time college champ), Jack VanBebber, Conrad Caldwell, Rex Peery, Ross Flood, Joe McDaniel, and Stanley Henson. Ed Gallagher with 1937 NCAA champion Lloyd Ricks (Photo/Redskin Yearbook)Ed Gallagher's men did incredibly well on the ultimate international stage, too. From 1924 through 1936, Oklahoma State had fifteen wrestlers qualify for the U.S. Olympic wrestling teams … along with Earl McCready wrestling for his native Canada at the 1928 Olympics, and Canadian big man George Chiga competing for his home team at the 1936 Olympics. Of these Cowboy Olympians, four earned medals in freestyle competition. At the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, Bobby Pearce won gold at 123 pounds, while Jack VanBebber claimed gold at 158.5. In the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Ross Flood brought home a silver medal at 123 pounds, and Frank Lewis won gold at 158.5. Coach Gallagher's toughest battle For years, Ed Gallagher dealt with the challenges of Parkinson's, the same disease afflicting legendary boxing champ Muhammad Ali and actor Michael J. Fox today. In 1936, Oklahoma State and the entire Stillwater community put on a fundraising event at the school's Lewis Field football stadium so that coach Gallagher could travel with his wrestlers to the Berlin Olympics … then take a side trip to Vienna to be tested by physicians there, at the request of his son Clarence, a doctor. To help lighten his load, in 1938, Ed Gallagher retired as director of physical education at Oklahoma State, but continued on as wrestling coach. It was about this time that construction began on a new, $500,000 arena on the Oklahoma State campus that would serve as home for the Cowboy basketball and wrestling programs. Completed in 1939, what was originally called the 4-H Club and Student Activity Building was state-of-the-art for the time, featuring an air-cooling system … and over 5,000 theater-type seats, as well as collapsible bleachers for wrestling events, bringing total seating capacity to nearly 9,000 fans. Ed Gallagher's last Oklahoma State team in 1940 (Photo/Redskin Yearbook)February 3, 1939 was declared "Gallagher Day" in Stillwater, in honor of the beloved wrestling coach. It was that day that the new arena -- nicknamed "the Madison Square Garden of the Midwest" -- was officially dedicated. That night, the facility hosted its first event, a dual meet with Indiana University, one of the top programs of the era. The Cowboys defeated the Hoosiers 18-9. At the end of the 1939-40 season, outdoorsman and hunter Ed Gallagher went to the Rocky Mountains for an extended vacation. While in Colorado, he collapsed and died on August 28, 1940 … just a week shy of his 54th birthday. His funeral was held at the new arena that had been named in his honor (and is still home to the wrestling Cowboys, now called Gallagher-Iba Arena, having been substantially upgraded and expanded in 2001.) Thousands came for the funeral for the man referred to in obituaries as "the Dean of Collegiate Wrestling" and "the Knute Rockne of the Mats" (referring to the legendary Notre Dame football coach killed in a plane crash a few years' earlier). Reading the text of the 1939 "Gallagher Day" souvenir program and the 1940 Redskin yearbook -- the last featuring Ed Gallagher as coach -- has added poignancy now. Even though he had been battling Parkinson's for years, there was optimism in the words in these publications produced in the last year of his life. In the "Gallagher Day" program, long-time friend and sportswriter Randle Perdue began his profile of the coach with this positive paragraph: "The big news about Ed Gallagher is that he is improving in health! In recent weeks he has found a new medicine, the result of long search by his son, Dr. Clarence Gallagher, and evidently it is effective. Ed has gained nearly twenty pounds in weight. He is more cheerful, more hopeful. He is optimistic about the future. In fact, he has made a date to go quail hunting next fall. It will be his first time in about five years. When Ed gets back to quail hunting, he will be the Ed Gallagher of old." In the 1940 Redskin yearbook, the last line of text in the description of the Cowboys' 1939-40 season closes with "With two intercollegiate champions and several intercollegiate runners-up returning, Coach Gallagher should have little trouble turning out another national championship for Oklahoma A. and M. College in 1940-1941." (Art Griffith became the Oklahoma State head wrestling coach upon Gallagher's passing in 1940. The Cowboys were 6-0 for the 1940-41 season, winning four individual titles and the team title at the 1941 NCAAs.) The Gallagher legacy In tallying up the accomplishments of the Ed Gallagher era, the stats are impressive: 19 undefeated seasons out of 23 … only two losses in the last nine seasons … six AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) team titles … ten outright NCAA team titles (tied for first for an eleventh)… 73 NCAA and AAU individual champs … and three Olympic gold medallists. Ed Gallagher's legacy goes far beyond those stats. He coached a number of wrestlers who went on to become high school and college wrestling coaches themselves. Among the Cowboys turned coaches: Cliff Keen at the University of Michigan … Paul Keen at Oklahoma … Buell Patterson, who coached at Kent State, Nebraska and Illinois… Rex Peery at Pittsburgh … Fendley Collins at Michigan State … Joe McDaniel at Syracuse and Wyoming … and Orion Stuteville at Northwestern. Buell Patterson weighed in with his thoughts on coach Gallagher: "A reason that the men who have worked under Ed like him so well is that if he lost a match, they never received a bawling out. And believe me, it is a lot of satisfaction to give all one has for a man and know that what one gives will be satisfactory with him, even if one makes mistakes." Another one of his coaching protégés, Carl "Dutch" Voyles (who coached at Duke, and William & Mary), said of his mentor: "No one ever said an unkind word about him. That must have been because Ed was so full of kindness himself … there are all too few men like Gallagher in this world of ours." Ed Gallagher with three-time NCAA champion Stanley Henson (Photo/Redskin Yearbook)In his article about Ed Gallagher for the 1939 "Gallagher Day" program, Randle Perdue said of the man he had known since 1911: "Applicable adjectives, on which Ed's friends all agree as describing him, include honest, fair, clean, square, quiet, unassuming, uncomplaining, canny, crafty, foxy, firm, shrewd, fearless, modest, sincere, stubborn, determined, and uncompromising – altogether friendly and possessing a fine sense of humor…" "Gallagher has never been cocky, or disagreeably boastful. He has taken his victories graciously. He has never complained about a referee's decision -- at least not publicly." The legacy of Ed Gallagher lives on in so many ways, beyond having his name on an arena … or the annual award that bears his name, given to an Oklahoma State wrestling alumnus. (Among the past honorees: Bobby Douglas, Doug Blubaugh, John Smith, Pat Smith, and Kenny Monday.) His analytical, engineering-based approach to amateur wrestling revolutionized the sport. The success of his Cowboys helped launch high school wrestling programs throughout the state of Oklahoma, making the Sooner State a leading hotbed for wrestling to this day. What's more, the foundation of success laid by Ed Gallagher and his wrestlers has been built upon over the decades to the point where today, the Oklahoma State Cowboys still claim the most individual and team titles in NCAA wrestling. To read more about one of Ed Gallagher's champions, Jack VanBebber -- winner of three NCAA titles and an Olympic gold medal, click HERE. Gallagher produced three NCAA heavyweight champs -- Earl McCready, Lloyd Ricks, and Johnny Harrell. To read more about them -- and the seven other Cowboy big men who won NCAA titles, click HERE. Winning percentages of some legendary, long-time college coaches Ed Gallagher, Oklahoma State (1916-1940) .952 Dan Gable, University of Iowa (1977-1997) .940 Myron Roderick, Oklahoma State (1956-1969) .914 Art Griffith, Oklahoma State (1940-1956) .898 Tommy Chesbro, Oklahoma State (1970-1984) .897 John Smith, Oklahoma State (1992-present) .889 Bill Koll, Penn State (1965-1978) .852 Harold Nichols, Iowa State (1954-1985) .851 Cliff Keen, University of Michigan (1926-1942, 1946-1970) .744

Can you feel it? The breath of past Olympians in making its way down the muscled backs of our USA team members as they prepare for Beijing and the 2008 Summer Games. God Bless Team USA. We'll be LIVE from our Brute Adidas studios this Saturday for another 2 hours of wrestling talk starting at 9:06 AM CST. Join us for a lively discussion on wrestling. The Olympics are days away and the best America has to offer will be showcasing their talent in Beijing, China. The results of their hard work, determination, and dedication will be evident. We should all take a moment and give thanks and offer a silent prayer to our Team. This week New NIACC Coach Mark Schwab sits in Steve's chair on TDR when our guests include: Russ Camilleri- Olympian and 13 X US National Champion. Russ competed for San Jose State, Air Force in the late 50's and early 60's. He was voted OW an amazing 6 different times. We'll catch up with Russ and find out what prep is like for the Olympics. Tim Flynn- Head Coach of the Fighting Scots of Edinboro- While the faces change, some move on and others stay to improve their game, Tim Flynn remains the rock at Edinboro. We'll discuss his incoming class of freshmen and the season that beckons. Jason Loukides- Head Coach of the Spartans of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In his first season Jason lead his squad to its 100th dual win and 200th dual match since its inception in 1993. Much is expected of the mighty Spartans and we'll see who will be expected to step up and show their metal this fall. Frankie "The Answer" Edgar- Asst. Coach of Rutgers- this Toms River joins us to discuss his recent fight. Edgar is no stranger to college wrestling, as he was a four time national qualifier at Clarion University from 2001-05. He won the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Championship in 2005, reaching the round of 12 in the NCAA Tournament. He was a freestyle All-American in 2004, and he had a career record of 120-29 Jared Shaw- Match Maker for Elite XC will join us to discuss his coming CBS event and the blurring lines between MMA and wrestling. A scheduled three-hour production from the Stockton Arena, starting at 8 p.m. ET with an hour on Showtime followed by two hours live on CBS, is more designed to turn fighters into stars, with the goal of a pay-per-view spectacular by early 2009. It's set to take place on Oct. 4 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla at the Bank Atlantic Center. Bas Rutten- Former World Champion and Co-host of the popular HDNet program Inside MMA. Bas will give us his unique insight in to the world of MMA. Never afraid to express himself, Bas is endearing and effusive when making a point. Tune in to see what this TDR regular has to say. Join us Saturdays from 9 AM to 11 AM CST for America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show. Now in our 11th year At Takedownradio.com It's all about the competition!

With backgrounds varying from active competition, technology, coaching and administration, the three recipients of the National Wrestling Coaches Association's Dan Gable "American Needs Wrestling" Award cross the entire spectrum of wrestling. The work done by the 2008 award winners – Danielle Hobeika of Naperville, Ill., Jim Root of Saratoga, Calif., and Rex Jones of Chadron, Neb., in support and promotion of wrestling are applauded with this award. "We have three individuals who rightly deserve this award with vastly different backgrounds," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "It goes to show you don't always have to be one type of individual to do wonders for the sport of wrestling. This award is to recognize those individuals who have given significant time and effort to the sport of wrestling. Those efforts must have had significant impact on the preservation or promotion of the sport, through contributions that are financial, service and/or leadership in nature. Hobeika, a former member of the U.S. Women's National Team and a graduate of Harvard, has long been the driving force behind wrestling's presence on the internet. After starting wrestling late in her high school career, Hobeika competed at Harvard before dotting the country with coaching stints at Menlo College, Pacific, and Princeton. But her impact has been made in her quick efforts to help athletes launch web sites and for causes like Beat the Streets, Save Fresno State Wrestling, Save Oregon Wrestling and the NWCA's Program Entrenchment initiative. Hobeika has also been active in the promotion of women's wrestling, launching The Women's Mat, a web site exclusively for women's wrestling. She's also been spearheading the research in trying to elevate women's wrestling as a recognized emerging sport by the NCAA. "Danielle has been one of those people within the sport of wrestling who has really used her talents to not only promote, but to engage the wrestling community," said NWCA President Ron Mirikitani. "When something happens in wrestling, and a web site needs to be developed quickly, Danielle never waits around. She jumps right in and steps up." "She's one of the most dedicated individuals wrestling has, we're honored to announce her as a recipient," said Mirikitani. Jim Root has spent more than four decades as a wrestling coach, teacher and educator in California. Having coached at West Valley College in the California Community College system, Root doesn't coach for the money. That's not a motto, it's a fact. "When Jim Root stepped away from coaching, the school tried to drop the program and that wasn't going to happen with a guy like him," said Moyer. "In a selfless act, Coach Root gave up his coaching stipend, retired from teaching and coaches at West Valley College, not for the financial aspect, but to keep wrestling going at the college." Root represents the California Community College programs at the state Commission on Athletics (COA) meetings, the governing body for the community college athletics programs within the state. His guise with the sport of wrestling goes beyond just coaching in California as Root has long attended NCAA Championships and NWCA conventions. "It's hard to find a more ardent supporter when it comes to wrestling," said Mirikitani. Root, a native Californian, wrestled for Hayward High School before moving on to Cal Poly. After Cal Poly, he received his Masters Degree from San Francisco State. While at West Valley, he coached nine State Junior College Champions and has placed in the Top 10 at the state meet 11 times. Most importantly, though, Root was the co-founder of the California State high School Wrestling Championships. The final recipient of the 2008 award will be Rex Jones of Nebraska. Jones doesn't have the wrestling background as a competitor like Hobeika, nor the coaching background of Root, but what Jones has done in Nebraska for the sport of wrestling as an administrator is extremely worthy. Inducted into the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2003, Jones' contributions to the sport of wrestling span 26 years as the Associate Director of the Nebraska School Activities Association have been sizeable. When he took hold of wrestling in Nebraska in 1975, attendance at the state meet was 29,000. His last season as Associate Director in 2001 saw the figure reach 45,000 (all sessions). Jones' operation of the Nebraska state tournament relied heavily on getting the member schools to participate as volunteers, assistants, tappers, and made it an event for the state's schools to attend. "The state tournament in Nebraska became something all teams involved would look forward to," said Moyer. "Not just the athletes competing, but all the schools and Rex Jones played a major role in facilitating the prestige of the tournament." Jones has also served on the National Federation of High School State Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee for 12 years. "Rex Jones is the type of administrator who took interest in a sport without having the extreme wrestling background," said Mirikitani. "If it was his responsibility, he was going to be the guy that got it done. In 26 years, Rex became a wrestling person and we're honored to present him this award." Last year, the NWCA recognized Arkansas' Greg Hatcher, Virginia's John Licata and Texas' Steve Silver as the recipients of the prestigious award. The 2008 recipients will be presented their awards at the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis. The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate programs. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The NWCA, through its organizational structure, promotes communication, recognizes achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events, and serves as an educational and informational source. Additionally, the NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of athletic competition.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern head coach Tim Cysewski was named USA Wrestling FILA Junior/University Person of the Year. The award goes to a leader who works with athletes and programs on the FILA Junior (ages 17-20) and University (18-24) levels. USA Wrestling Release Tim Cysewski of Lincolnshire, Ill. was named USA Wrestling FILA Junior/University Person of the Year. This award goes to a leader(s) who works with athletes and programs on the FILA Junior (ages 17-20) and University (ages 18-24) levels. Cysewski has served 18 years as head coach at Northwestern, where he has coached numerous athletes to Big Ten and NCAA Championships medalists, including two individual national champions. Cysewski has been a leader within USA Wrestling, helping to develop and build the successful University National Championships. For 14 years, Northwestern hosted the University Nationals under Cysewski's direction (1992-2006). He also helped develop the FILA Cadet National Championships, which were held alongside the University Nationals during those years. "We grew the University Nationals, and showed you can put on a good event year after year," said Cysewski. "The University Nationals went from an idea and took off. The rest is history." Cysewski has encouraged athletes from Northwestern to compete in the international styles through his coaching and management of the Wildcat Wresstling Club. He has also had a close relationship with the nearby Overtime Wrestling Club, which has also helped develop successful wrestlers in a number of age levels. "We have a great working, cooperative relationship," said Cysewski. He has coached a number of U.S. team on international tours, including assignments at the Pan American Games, the World Cup, the Espoir World Cup among others. Cysewski has a commitment to building the U.S. program in freestyle and Greco-Roman. Hotel Orrington "They need to continue to wrestle international styles," said Cysewski. "If kids want to wrestle in college, they need to compete. When I am recruiting kids, I want them to wrestle in the spring and summer. It shows they are consistent, and are always trying to get better. With the rule changes, we need to continue to work with these kids, so when it is their turn to represent the United States, they are ready." Cysewski took over as the Wildcats' head coach after serving eight seasons as an assistant under Tom Jarman. During that time, the Jarman-Cysewski tandem compiled a 108-79-1 record and produced seven All-Americans in eight years. Prior to that, Cysewski was an assistant coach for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. He served six years on the National Wrestling Coaches Association Board of Directors, as well as four years on the NCAA Rules Committee. As a freestyle wrestler, Cysewski captured many titles, including the World Cup Championship, the Pan Am Games, the New Zealand Games, the U.S. Wrestling Federation Championship and the AAU Championship. Cysewski is a member of the Illinois Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Midlands Hall of Fame. He placed third in the 1976 NCAA Championships for the Univ. of Iowa. He won two Big Ten silver medals and one bronze medal for the Hawkeyes. Cysewski also captured five Midlands titles during his career.

PITTSBURGH -- The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team welcomes a new coach to its staff, as recent graduate and 2008 NCAA Champion Keith Gavin joins the program as an assistant for the upcoming 2008-09 season, announced head coach Rande Stottlemyer. Gavin posted a perfect 27-0 record and was Pitt's first national champion since Pat Santoro won back-to-back championships in 1988 and 1989. A runner-up in the 2007 NCAA Championship, Gavin maintained his No. 1 preseason ranking in the 174 lbs. weight class throughout the year. "We are obviously excited to keep Keith," said Stottlemyer. "He epitomizes what you're looking for in a division one athlete. He displays a great example of hard work, commitment and dedication, and that is why he was the only undefeated division one guy in the nation." In addition to being a two-time All-America selection and a three-time NCAA qualifier, Gavin has found success on the international level. Most recently, he brought home the bronze medal in the 74 kilo (163 pound) division at the 2008 World University Wrestling Championships, held July 9-13 in Thessaloniki, Greece. He earned his seed at the World Championships by claiming the top spot at the University Freestyle Nationals, held in Akron, Ohio, April 10-13. Gavin also took part in the USA Olympic Trials, held June 12-15, in Las Vegas, Nev. He posted a 2-2 record, picking up wins over Eric Luedke (0-1, 6-0, 3-1) and Casey Cunningham (1-0, 1-2, 2-0), while suffering setbacks to Travis Paulson (1-0, 5-3) and Tyrone Lewis (1-1, 1-0, 1-0). Currently, Gavin is training in Colorado Springs, Col., helping to prepare members of the United States Olympic Team for the Beijing games. The Panthers concluded the 2008 season with a 16th-place finish at Nationals, their best since the 1988-89 squad took 13th.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Colt Sponseller, a rising sophomore on the Ohio State wrestling team, was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division I True-Freshman All-Academic Team the NWCA announced Monday. Sponseller, a native of Glenmont, Ohio, is one of just five freshmen named to the list. "Colt epitomizes the Ohio State way," Tom Ryan, Ohio State head coach, said. "He excels on the mat, in the classroom and gives his time in the community. Ohio State is proud of his commitment." It is the first time the NWCA has compiled a freshman all-academic team list and recipients must meet the same criteria required for the Divisions I, II, III and NAIA All-Academic Teams. In order to qualify, freshmen must have at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average, been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule, competing in at least 60 percent of the team's schedule. Wrestlers who have a 3.0 cumulative GPA and are an NCAA All-American also are eligible. Sponseller is joined by Torsten Gillespie of Edinboro, Trevor Hall of Cal State-Bakersfield, A.J. Kissel of Purdue and Ethan Headlee of Pittsburgh.

ITHACA, N.Y. -– Former Rutgers wrestling head coach John Sacchi was elected to the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame, the school announced Monday. Sacchi, an Ithaca, N.Y. native who graduated from Ithaca in 1966, will be inducted on Sept. 20, along with seven others, as part of Ithaca's Homecoming Weekend. For more information, log on to http://bombers.ithaca.edu/index.aspx. A 40-year coach, Sacchi compiled a collegiate record of 447-162-9 at Middlesex County College and Rutgers before retiring in 2007. He finished his career in Piscataway with a record of 167-102-5, a winning percentage of .619. Sacchi coached the winning freestyle team at the 1982 Junior Pan-Am Games and served as vice-president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. In September of 2007 he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.