InterMat Staff

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State University wrestling program will hold its annual awards banquet on Tuesday, April 29, at the Groves Wedding Garden & Reception Center in Mesa, Ariz. The event, which is open to all-comers, will begin at 6 p.m. will feature guest speaker Pat Murphy, the head coach of the Sun Devil baseball program. The banquet will begin at 6 p.m. with a social hour and will be followed with dinner at 7 p.m. Remarks from Sun Devil wrestling coach Thom Ortiz and guest speaker Murphy, along with the presentation of awards, will begin at 7:30 p.m. Cost for the banquet is $15 per person and can be paid at the door (please make checks out to Sun Angel Foundation). The Groves Wedding Center & Reception Center is located at 606 N. Alma School Road in Mesa (85201). The center is on the west side of Alma School Road approximately one-quarter of one mile north of University Drive. For more information and/or to R.S.V.P. for the banquet, please contact Kelly Kodrick via email at kelly.kordick@asu.edu. The Sun Devils are coming off a successful season that saw a group of young and talented competitors take the mat for the maroon and gold. In all, the starting lineup featured between five and seven redshirt freshmen in a starting lineup that sent five Sun Devils to the finals of the Pac-10 Championships with two winning titles (Patrick Pitsch at 165 and Brent Chriswell at 184). All five finalists, including runners-up Anthony Robles, Chris Drouin and Jason Trulson, competed at the NCAA Championships with four of those wrestlers (Robles, Drouin, Pitsch and Trulson) falling one victory short of attaining All-America honors.

AKRON, Ohio -- Five University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestlers earned Freestyle All-America honors last week at the University Nationals in Akron, Ohio. Led by departing senior Lloyd Rogers, who placed third at 74 kg (163 pounds), the fivesome received berths to the University World Team Trials held May 18-24 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Rogers, Co-Wrestler of the Year in the Southern Conference in 2007-08, defeated Aaron Janssen of Iowa, 3-4, 3-0, 3-0 in the third-place match. Upcoming senior Seth Garvin finished seventh in the same weight class, receiving an injury default walkover when Mike Miller, an unattached wrestler, was unable to compete in the seventh-place match. The top eight placers in each division earned All-America status. Freshman Demetrius Johnson placed eighth at 55 kg (121 pounds) and graduated wrestler Aaron Martin was sixth and freshman Kelly Felix eighth at 66 kg (145.5 pounds). The respective winners at the University World Team Trials will advance to the University World Games in Thessaloniki, Greece, July 9-13.

The St. Cloud State University wrestling team, which finished with an impressive 13-2 record in 2007-08 and a 12th place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division II championships, has been invited to participate in the 2009 Division II National Duals tournament on Jan. 10-11, 2009 at the UNI Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The top six teams from last year's National Duals are automatically accepted into this elite tournament each season. The remaining teams must apply and points are given based on returning All-Americans, national qualifiers, returning starters, previous season results. "This is a great opportunity for the 08-09 Husky wrestling team," assistant coach Matt Lowers said. "This will give our team a chance to compete against the best teams in Division II wrestling in the most exciting dual meet atmosphere ever assembled, as all divisions have their national dual tournament taking place in the dome at the same time. "Our wrestlers worked very hard to finish where they did this year, and it is exciting for them to have earned the opportunity to be invited to this tournament. Wrestling this type of competition will allow our wrestlers to gain valuable insight into what to expect at the National Tournament at the end of the year. " The Huskies expect to bring back eight starters from their 2007-08 team next season. Included in this group are returning All-Americans Brad Padgett (184-pounds) and John Sundgren (157-pounds). SCSU will also benefit from a solid incoming recruit class that has been produced by head coach Steve Costanzo and his staff at SCSU. To gain a look at the tentative schedule for the 2008-09 season, please check out this website: http://www.stcloudstate.edu/athletics/sports/wrestling/schedule.asp

Gratefully we return to our home Brute Adidas Studios for this weekends show. After working in beautiful Florida and getting to know the good folks down there its still good to be home if only for a few days. A busy weekend is in store for us. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to call, email and write us over the past few weeks. It's great to hear from our listeners on a regular basis. It also helps us to know where you are listening, what state and city too. Joining me in studio this week will be the New Head Coach of the New Grandview College program, Nick Mitchell. Nick was at Wartburg College under the legendary Coach Jim Miller Scheduled Guests this week include: Brad Penrith- University of Northern Iowa Head Coach. UNI finished the season with a dual mark of 7-5-1 and qualified nine wrestlers for the NCAA Championships. The Panthers also captured the Western Wrestling Conference dual and tournament championships. UNI was a perfect 4-0 in league dual action for the second consecutive season. The Panthers then finished off the WWC season by winning the NCAA West Regional/WWC title. The regional win marked the 23 rd straight regional crown for the Panthers. Mark Manning- University of Nebraska Head Coach. The Big 12 Conference has named Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning the 2008 Big 12 Coach of the Year. Manning, in his eighth year at NU, has led the Huskers to new heights, particularly during the 2007-08 season. Manning has accrued a 109-42-2 record in duals, including 14-3 and 3-1 in the Big 12 last season. Under Manning, the Huskers nearly went undefeated in the conference for the first time in their 98-year history. The year's highlights include a second-place finish at the National Duals in January before defeating Oklahoma State for just the third time in school history on Jan. 20. Manning also collected his 100th career dual win at Nebraska against Northern Colorado. Jayson Ness- University of Minnesota 125 lb Wrestler. It was a disappointing end to a tough season for the Golden Gopher wrestling team. Jayson Ness, Minnesota's lone representative in the finals round at the 2008 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, was beaten 10-3 in the 125-pound championship match by Indiana's Angel Escobedo. Ness' defeat means the Gophers finished the national tournament with 61.5 team points and in 10th place, their lowest finish since 1996. Despite the loss, it was an outstanding year for the Gopher redshirt sophomore and Bloomington, Minn. native. Ness finishes the 2007-08 season with a 39-2 record and his second All-American award. He also tied a school record with 20 pins (two at the NCAA Championships), a feat also accomplished by Gopher head assistant coach and fellow Bloomington Kennedy High School graduate Marty Morgan. Ness rounds out his second NCAA tournament with a 4-1 record. He is 9-3 lifetime at NCAAs (79-7 total in two seasons with the Gophers) and has lost just three times in his last 43 official collegiate matches. All three of those losses have come against Escobedo. Troy Nickerson- Cornell University Big Red 125 lb Wrestler. Big Red wrestling's Jordan Leen was named the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association's (EIWA) Wrestler of the Year, while rookie Mack Lewnes earned Freshman of the Year honors. Leen won the NCAA title at 157 pounds in St. Louis last weekend to earn his second All-America honors. Placing fourth at 165 pounds, Lewnes also became an All-American. The duo helped lead the Big Red to a ninth-place team finish with 67 points. One has to wonder if the complexion and overall outcome of the Championships would have been different if Cornell's sparkplug, Troy Nickerson would have been in the line up. Nickerson, now cleared for active practice had shoulder surgery early in the season to repair some previous damage. Nickerson sports some impressive credentials. All-American (2006, 2007), NCAA Qualifier (2006, 2007), EIWA Champion (2006), EIWA Finalist (2006, 2007), All-Ivy First Team (2006, 2007), Ivy League Wrestler of the Year (2006), Ivy League Rookie of the Year (2006) Westley Tielens- Former HS and College wrestler who has made a Wrestling Docudrama "The Perfect Circle" A quest for State. Two brothers are on a quest to become state champion wrestlers. They cant... do it alone and must seek advice from CA's greatest like Dan Henderson, Steve Neal and Daryl Vasquez. In the end one brother makes it and one does not. If you want to be the best this video is for you. Very Inspirational. Order only at zfire.org "Beyond the Norm we come not as humans but as wrestlers." Richard Fergola- Head Coach of Northern Iowa Area Community College- Since leaving his post at Dana College Coach Fergola has only sped up the action by placing third in his Division after less than a year of having completed his team. He has also been busy on the political front and will make expound on an announcement regarding his conference championships and the new locations that will include Des Moines, Seattle and Rochester. Join us Live each Saturday at 9:05 AM to 11:00 AM CST for America's Wrestling Radio. 2 Hours of intense, fun, informative, educational and impromptu wrestling conversation. Miss a show? No big deal check out our archives at Intermatwrestle.com, click on the Takedownradio Logo and look for the archives bar on the upper left side. Loads of great shows. Join the now over 10,000 subscribers to the podcast version of the show. Have someone you feel should be on the show? Let me know. We'll do our best to contact them and get them on the schedule. All the Best in Wrestling to each of you!

The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team wrapped up the 2007-08 season with its annual awards banquet on Sat., April 19, in the McLeod Center's Alumni Suite. UNI finished the season with a dual mark of 7-5-1 and qualified nine wrestlers for the NCAA Championships. The Panthers also captured the Western Wrestling Conference dual and tournament championships. UNI was a perfect 4-0 in league dual action for the second consecutive season. The Panthers then finished off the WWC season by winning the NCAA West Regional/WWC title. The regional win marked the 23rd straight regional crown for the Panthers. The Panthers then placed 20th in the nation at the 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships held March 20-22 in the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. UNI's Moza Fay led the way with a 5th-place finish in the 165-pound weight class. Junior Moza Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) was named the Most Valuable Wrestler at the banquet. It marks the second straight season Fay has earned the Panthers' MVW award after sharing it last year with Nick Baima. Fay posted an overall record of 25-8 and led the squad with 11 falls. He was also named the WWC's Wrestler of the Year for 2007-08. Senior Alex Dolly (Mishawaka, Ind.) was given the Chuck Patten Award, which is based on leadership. Dolly reached the Round of 12 at the 2008 NCAA Championships and came within one victory of All-America status. Dolly also reached the Round of 12 at the 2005 NCAA Championships. He was a three-time national qualifier and posted 60 career wins for the Panthers. Junior Andrew Anderson earned the Lyle E. Schwarzenbach Award. The award recognizes an individual who exhibits the highest standards in citizenship, academics, practice and dedication. Anderson qualified for the NCAA Championships for the third straight season and posted a record of 21-11 in 2007-08. Anderson holds a 3.29 grade point average while majoring in business management. Redshirt freshman Dustin Bauman (Stratford, Wis.) was awarded the McCready/Steffensmeier Award for leadership. Bauman was a third-team all-WWC selection and earned 13 wins this season for the Panthers at heavyweight. Senior Danny Dunning (Waterloo, Iowa) was given the Most Courageous Award. Dunning tallied an 8-5 mark in 2007-08, while dealing the sudden death of his father, Walt. Sophomore Tyson Reiner (Mitchell, S.D.) garnered the Most Improved Award. Reiner qualified for the NCAA Championships and captured a win over Michigan's Jeff Marsh, 5-2. Reiner missed the first part of the 2007-08 season with a broken bone in his hand, but bounced back to win the 157-pound West Regional title. Reiner was a first-team all-WWC pick this season. Freshman Nick Pickerell (Albia, Iowa) tallied the Rookie Award at the banquet. Pickerell was also named the WWC Freshman of the Year after tallying a 21-9 overall record. Pickerell earned a trip to the NCAA Championships after winning the 149-pound title at the NCAA West Regional. Pickerell was also a first-team all-WWC pick. True freshman Christian Brantley (Homewood, Ill.) was given the Redshirt Award. UNI's four seniors were also recognized by head coach Brad Penrith and the rest of the UNI coaching staff. UNI's 2007-08 Senior Class Alex Dolly (Mishawaka, Ind.) Danny Dunning (Waterloo, Iowa) C.J. Ettelson (Hudson, Iowa) Justin Swafford (Mediapolis, Iowa) 2007-08 Award Winners Redshirt Award - Christian Brantley Rookie Award - Nick Pickerell Most Improved Award - Tyson Reiner Most Courageous Award - Danny Dunning McCready/Steffensmeier Award - Dustin Bauman Lyle E. Schwarzenbach Award - Andrew Anderson Chuck Patten Award - Alex Dolly Most Valuable Wrestler Award - Moza Fay NOTE: Mike Mixsell served as the emcee for the event - the 26th consecutive year he has served in that capacity.

Joey Clark, a St. Paul, Minnesota native, was a Greco-Roman standout for the U.S. Marines from 1996 to 2002. He placed everywhere from fourth to eighth at the U.S. Nationals and U.S. World Team Trials. Following his Greco-Roman wrestling career and service with the U.S. Marines, Clark went on to have success in mixed martial arts (MMA). Joey Clark (Photo/Sherdog.com)From 2003 to 2008, Joey "The Sandman" Clark posted an impressive 20-5-2 record in MMA competition. He defeated former UFC fighter Brian Gassaway in a 2006 King of the Cage event. But just last month, Clark, who is the older brother of Greco-Roman Olympic hopeful Jake Clark, made the decision to retire from MMA. RevWresting.com recently caught up with the 32-year-old Clark and talked to him about his experiences both as a Greco-Roman wrestler for the U.S. Marines and as an MMA fighter, how he expects former wrestling stars Marcus LeVesseur and Joe Warren to fare in MMA, what his younger brother, Jake, has meant to his career, why he made the decision to retire from MMA, and much more. You spent a number of years competing on the All-Marine Greco-Roman wrestling team. What was that experience like for you? Clark: As far as being a wrestler and being able to be on the Marine Corps wrestling team, it is probably one of the best experiences. First off, all your trips are completely paid for. You get to do something you love by wrestling a couple times a day. And you actually get paid to do it as well. It was the best experience that I could have ever had as far as being a wrestler. How did the opportunity come about to compete in MMA? Did you know anything about it prior to getting involved? Clark: When I got back from the military, I was going to be an air traffic controller. I was an air traffic controller for three out of the eight years I was in the Marine Corps. The other five years I wrestled. When I got out of the service, I was applying for federal air traffic control jobs all over the country. About a year and a half went by and I didn't get any jobs. I was getting frustrated. I didn't understand why. I wasn't even getting responses. I was bouncing at a couple bars just trying to earn some money when I got out of the service. When I went to work one day, a guy at the front said, "When you arrive, Boss told me to tell you to take your shirt off and get out of here." I was like, "What?" So I called the boss and said, "Hey, what's going on?" The boss said, "A year in jail and a felony sound familiar to you?" I said, "No." Anyway, he didn't believe me. I was some kid just out of the military. I come to find out that I have a felony on my record that I had no idea about. Someone did identify theft to me while I was in the service. So when I got out of the service and was trying to apply for federal jobs, my applications just kept getting thrown to the side. Along the way, I started fighting to make some extra money because I couldn't get the job I wanted. So I was bouncing and fighting. I used to sell a lot of tickets when I was fighting. That's how we made our money. We would sell tickets to people, have them come to the fight, and then maybe make fifty percent of the ticket value. At that time, one of my buddies said to me, "Instead of selling tickets, why don't you start selling houses?" That's how I got into real estate. So, as much as I wanted to be an air traffic controller, I ended up fighting and selling tickets, and it just kind of rolled me right into the real estate market. How much did your extensive wrestling background help you in MMA? Clark: It's the best background to have. I think it's easier to teach a wrestler how to box, kick box, or do Jiu-Jitsu than it is to teach a boxer how to wrestle, or a kick boxer how to wrestle, or a Jiu-Jitsu guy how to wrestle. You have a very good sense of your base, how to manipulate other people's bodies, and slow people down. So it's a great advantage. It seems like Greco-Roman wrestlers have gone on to have more success than freestyle wrestlers in MMA. Names like Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, and Matt Lindland immediately come to mind. Is that merely a coincidence? Or do you think the transition to MMA is easier for Greco-Roman wrestlers as opposed to freestyle wrestlers? Joey Clark (Photo/13twentythree.com)Clark: I think the transition is a lot easier for Greco-Roman wrestlers. But freestyle wrestlers still do well. When you are tied up with your opponent, you can control him without having him hit you. If somebody shoots in, you might end up eating a foot. If somebody shoots in on a single leg and I have my head on the inside, I might start getting punched in the face. With Greco-Roman wrestling, as you know, you can really control the person's upper body. And with inside knee taps and things like that, you can control the lower body at the same time. So I think it's a little more controlling. That's why I think Greco-Roman wrestlers have such a smooth transition into MMA. Compare the cardiovascular or conditioning needed in wrestling compared to MMA. Do you get more tired competing in wrestling or MMA? Clark: Well, my last fight I could have used a lot more conditioning! I think the rules to wrestling are a little bit different now. But I remember when I would wrestle like a five-minute match, the muscles in my fingers would even be tired. The conditioning is very similar. The only difference is that in wrestling you are not getting punched in the face. When somebody is swinging for the fences on your face it kind of throws off your conditioning a little bit. The sport of MMA seemed to be really exploding when you first started fighting back in 2003. How did the sport of MMA evolve or change from when you fist got involved to its present state? Clark: Yeah, it really was exploding. I jumped into MMA at a good time. The fan base really wanted more of it … just because of the violence of it. One thing that I like is that finally here in Minnesota, and in most other states, we have commissions in place. I remember when I first started fighting there were no blood tests or anything like that. As a fighter, you're out there making a couple thousand bucks or something, but there are some high risks involved. Now with the commissions in place, there is mandatory blood testing. If you go out there and fight someone who has something … all of a sudden, next thing you know, their blood is all over you. For $2,000, what just happened? You got infected with something. It's great that they have that stuff in place. I think it's very dangerous unless there are commissions in place. You competed in an event put on by Seconds Out Promotions in your last fight. The event was a combined boxing and MMA event. What are your thoughts on Seconds Out Promotions and their events? Clark: Tony Grygelko is offering a great product to the people. I was getting involved with the promotional side of things as well as I was stepping away from it. I'm probably still going to be involved in the promotional side of things with MMA. Tony has done a great job with the events. He just needs to keep driving forward with the promotions. It is something that the people want. You just have to keep putting good fights in front of them. When I fought B.J. Lacy in the last fight, I personally wanted that fight. I took that fight because I thought it would probably bring a pretty good crowd. We are both from St. Paul. He has his style and I have mine. I just thought it would make for a good show. Instead of having these fights where they are very lopsided, I would like to see two guys go against each other who are both very tough. That's what people want to see. I know Tony would say the same thing. You had an outstanding MMA career. You posted a 20-5-2 record. When you reflect back on your MMA career, what stands out in your mind? Joey Clark defeated Brian Gassaway in a King of the Cage event in 2006 (Photo/Sherdog.com)Clark: I probably could have competed in the UFC, really, but I let my business get in the way. I was just trying to make a living. I beat Brian Gassaway, who was a former UFC fighter, in King of the Cage. The promoter of that show said to me, "Hey, you come and fight in this fight and I will do you a favor next time." So I took that fight. I only got paid $400 for it, which is crazy. I don't think anyone thought I was going to win that fight, and I did, pretty handily won the fight. And then I called King of the Cage numerous times after that … and they never put me in another show. So it was pretty depressing. It was kind of a letdown. Early in my career, I fought a guy named Sam Stout, who has done very well in the UFC. During that fight, I took him down about a dozen times. I was never once on my back. But after the fight, they called it a draw. After the event, I said to the promoter, "I can't believe it was a draw." He said, "Well, you guys are both early in your careers and we didn't want to give anybody a loss." I'm not making any excuses by any means, but these are just some of the things that were said and that happened along the way. It was just like I kept missing my break. I'm OK with that now because I'm doing my business. I'm really happy. I'm making a living without getting punched in the face. When did you come to the realization that you might never get your shot at fighting in the UFC? Clark: After I fought Gassaway and won, I fought a guy named Chad Reiner, who was in the UFC as well, and I lost a split decision, which was a very good fight. But I ended up getting a really bad concussion that fight. It stuck with me for about four days. I couldn't even roll over in bed without the world spinning. It was really scary. It made me really gun shy after that. I used to just come screaming across the cage. I held nothing back. After that fight, I was a lot more reserved. When you start talking about concussions, over time that's a scary thing. You have to look at what you want to do the rest of your life. That is probably the point where I realized in my head what is most important to me. There has been a recent trend for successful collegiate wrestlers to move right into MMA after their collegiate careers are over. In recent years, we have seen collegiate standouts get into MMA like Gray Maynard, Rashad Evans, Frank Edgar, Johny Hendricks, Jake Rosholt, and Eric Bradley, among others. Most recently, after the last NCAA Championships, Chad Mendes and Phil Davis expressed interest in MMA. Why do you think wrestlers are choosing the MMA route immediately after their collegiate wrestling careers? Clark: I think these guys are making the transition because of the money involved. You grew up wrestling and your family did. Wrestling is one of those things that we do without ever any kind of monetary value behind it. We do it just because we love it. It's something we have done since we were kids. It's just kind of embedded in you that this is something that we do. It's kind of like wrestling is a way of life. When MMA got big and all these wrestlers started having success in it … now with all these sponsors coming on board, there is a lot of money to be made in the world of MMA. I think these guys see that. They feel like they have some gas left in the tank after college. It's definitely a way to pay the bills if you get into the right organizations. What kind of impact, if any, do you think it will have on the overall quality of wrestling in the United States? Clark: I don't think it's going to really hurt the quality of wrestling. As far as collegiate wrestling, that has always stayed the same. But with freestyle and Greco, those styles have really been changing with the rules. To me, it's kind of even a different sport a little. What I think is going to happen is that a lot of younger kids are going to get involved in the MMA … just because there is a lot of money to be had. A lot of times parents push kids toward sports like that and kids excel at an earlier age. I wouldn't say that MMA would take over wrestling. I don't think it will. I just think it gives people another door to open with a whole bunch of other possibilities. Marcus LeVesseur defeated Bryant Clark on March 29 to improve his MMA record to 12-1 (Photo/13twentythree.com)Marcus LeVesseur is another wrestler who is hoping to make a smooth transition from collegiate wrestling star to successful MMA fighter. In your opinion, how great can LeVesseur be in MMA? Clark: LeVesseur can be at the top if he wants to be. That's what I think. And I think he does want to be. The guy has phenomenal athletic ability. He's very gifted. If he wants to do it, just put your head down, butt up, and keep driving. What specifically does he need to do to get to the next level? Clark: His hands and speed are already there. If he can get his Jiu-Jitsu somewhere around his wrestling ability, I think he would be very impressive. I want to ask you about another former wrestler, Joe Warren. Warren, who was a World champion Greco-Roman wrestler and the self-proclaimed "Baddest Man on the Planet," is now training MMA and signed with Team Quest after getting suspended from wrestling. From what you have seen of Warren in Greco-Roman wrestling, how do you expect his transition to be from wrestling to MMA? Clark: When it comes to Joe Warren, I would say one thing: attitude. Attitude can overcome anything. And he has the attitude. When I found out that he was doing that, my hats off to him. I know he's going to succeed. He has the right positive mental attitude for it. Are you a fan of the UFC? Clark: Yeah, I watch it from time to time. I'm not a diehard fan, but I enjoy watching the fights. I enjoy the competition. I like seeing who is bringing what to the table and seeing who wins in the end. Randy Couture resigned from the UFC in October and was very critical of the UFC's pay structure. Did his comments surprise you? Clark: His comments didn't surprise me. What's happening now is that there are so many people who want to be in the UFC. There is that much of a supply of people who want to be in the UFC and that much of a demand, so the UFC doesn't have to pay them as much because people want to get in there so badly. If one guy won't fight for anything but $6,000 and another guy will fight for $2,500, they can be the guy who is demanding less. It's business. I know you are extremely close with your younger brother, Jake, who is an Olympic hopeful in Greco-Roman wrestling. How much has he meant to your entire career as a competitor, both in wrestling and MMA? Jake Clark and Joey ClarkClark: Jake is everything to me. I really wish we could have kept wrestling together, but after I left the Marine Corps and he stayed in there, we just kind of went on two separate paths. I always had a great time training with him. He is my No. 1 fan, but also my No. 1 idol in the same sense. I don't have enough words to explain it, I guess. He has been my other half. We have always been each others keepers. I wish that I could still train with him. I wish that I could get him involved in some MMA stuff. I hope he does very well this year. That's probably the hardest part about getting out of the service is that I don't get to hang out with him anymore. It has been a long road. But he's kind of doing his journey and I'm doing mine. You just turned 32. It appears that you could be very competitive in MMA for several more years. Why did you make the decision to hang up the gloves now? Clark: Honestly, it was a business decision. I have been doing real estate for a while now. I have a new business. It's a system where I am able to help families and people pay off a 30-year-mortgage in as little in eight to 11 years. It's helping people lift the burden of debt from their shoulders. America is buried in debt. I have been doing real estate for about five years, so I have done a lot of foreclosures for people. There is a new company out there called United First Financial. What they do is show homeowners how to cancel interest on their first mortgage. What United First Financial brought out is called the money merge account, which also stands for MMA, which is kind of funny. They show homeowners how to cancel front-end loaded interest on their mortgages. Therefore, you don't have to pay on a mortgage for 30 years. You can pay on it for seven, eight, nine, 10, 11 years, which is amazing. I have been going all over the place and just helping people with this. The Web site is www.payoffmyproperty.com. You are done competing, but do you still plan to stay involved with MMA or wrestling? Clark: Yeah, definitely. I don't think I will ever be able to pull away from it. On another note, didn't Roger Clemens and some of these other guys come out of retirement? Never say never, my friend. When you have an itch, you have to scratch it. For the time being, I just needed one less thing on my plate. Please Note: This story also appears in the April 18 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. For information on The Guillotine, Click HERE.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Seconds Out Promotions organization has announced that they will be hosting their second MMA/Boxing event "Uncaged" on May 17. This event will take place at the historic "St. Paul Armory" in St. Paul, MN. "We felt that with the proven success of our "Evolution" event in March that it was a no brainer to stay with our new MMA/Boxing format." said Tony Grygelko, Seconds Out Promotions President. "With the growing popularity of each sport here in Minnesota, it just seems right to give our fans the ability to continue seeing both of the sports they love together in one night." said Rick Johnson, Seconds Out Promotions. This thrilling MMA/Boxing event will be headlined by the "Pride of the Eastside" Matt "The Predator" Vanda (36-7) and St. Paul's MMA middleweight prospect Marcus LeVesseur, four-time NCAA national wrestling champion from Augsburg College. This event will also feature a lineup of outstanding local fighters from both the sports, such as boxers "Golden" Caleb Truax (5-0), Jon "The Ironman" Schmidt (4-1), and Corey Rodriguez (3-0), along with MMA fighters Rich Taylor (9-1) and Jimmy "The Outlaw" Gomez. "Uncaged" is promoted by Minnesota-based Seconds Out Promotions and will be held at the at St. Paul Armory in St. Paul, MN. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. The first bout will begin at 7:00 p.m. All fights and fighters are subject to change. Tickets for "Uncaged" went on sale Friday, April 17 and are priced at $45 Ringside, $35 Reserved Seating, $25 General Admission. Save money on box office fees, by purchasing tickets in advance at soboxing.com, or by phone at 612-807-5547. For more information, go to www.soboxing.com.

MARTINGY, Switzerland -– The United States freestyle wrestling team is down to its last chance to qualify for the Olympics at 60 kg/132 lbs. 2006 World gold medalist Seyed Morad Mohammadi of Iran defeated 2006 World silver medalist Mike Zadick of the U.S. 1-0, 0-1, 1-0 in the second round of the Freestyle Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Saturday. Zadick was eliminated when 2004 Olympic gold medalist Yandro Quintana of Cuba swept Mohammadi 6-0, 2-0 in the quarterfinal round. This is the second-to-last Olympic Qualifying Tournament in freestyle. The final qualifier is set for May 3-4 in Poznan, Poland. The top three finishers in each weight class at that qualifier will qualify their countries for the Olympics. The U.S. has qualified in the other six freestyle weight classes for the Olympics, set for Aug. 12-21 in Beijing, China. "We are really in a pressure situation now," U.S. National Coach Kevin Jackson said. Zadick (Solon, Iowa/Gator WC) needed to place in the top four in Switzerland to qualify the U.S. for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. There were 28 wrestlers entered at 60 kilos. Zadick swept Themis Iakovidis of Greece 7-4, 4-0 in the first round. In the second-round match with Mohammadi, a rematch of the 2006 World finals, Zadick dropped the first period 1-0 when Mohammadi scored on a single-leg takedown. Zadick spun behind Mohammadi in the second period for a takedown to win the period 1-0. The third period was scoreless after two minutes and went to the clinch. Jackson said Zadick refused to let the Iranian clinch his leg and lost on a caution call to decide the match. "Mike did not get off enough scoring attempts in the periods we lost," Jackson said. "We cannot afford for periods to be determined by the clinch." The U.S. has qualified 14 of 18 weight classes overall for the Olympics. The U.S. has qualified in five of the seven classes in Greco-Roman and three of the four classes in women's freestyle. Two qualifiers remain in Greco-Roman and women's freestyle. The U.S. still needs to qualify for the Olympics in Greco-Roman at 60 kg/132 lbs. and 74 kg/163 lbs. The women still need to qualify at 55 kg/121 lbs.

Date: April 19, 2008 Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada Tonight's UFC 83 card has an amazing 11 fights on it, the biggest UFC card ever. And, in a sport where upsets often happen, and a fight can change direction in a heartbeat, the main event is a revenge match from one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. Welterweight phenom, Georges ST. PIERRE, will try to trade in his interim belt for the real deal. His opponent is the brash, cocky, New Yorker, Matt "The Terror" SERRA, who exploded with a surprising KO of GSP in the evry first round in UFC 69, a year ago. A back injury has prevented Serra from defending his crown. Tonight he loses it to perhaps the most dominating fighter in the UFC, outside of Anderson "Spider" SILVA. GSP will be fighting in front of a hometown, rabid, Canadian, sell-out crowd. I see this fight be the reverse mirror image of the last one. GSP -450 wins with a first-round TKO, a battering pounding of fists and elbows leaving Serra pondering his future. Serra has never been knocked out, until tonight! I'm bridge-jumping with GSP. Middleweight Rich "Ace" FRANKLIN has dominated everyone in the UFC (except Anderson SILVA), and has made a small fortune doing it. His opponent, Travis LUTTER, is fighting to stay in the UFC with a much-needed victory in his sight. Lutter will try to take the fight to the ground where he owns submission skills advantage. Franklin with try to keep the fight standing, and end it with a round-house punch or awesome side kick. I'd make the Franklin the favorite, too. But, I'll go to the mat with Travis as a big 'dog @+270. A dog fighting for his life, is a very dangerous dog! Lutter shocks the world with a third-round triangle choke of the former champion. As we continue our search for undervalued underdogs, we find middleweight Kalib STARNES @+230 fighting Nate QUARRY, a somewhat one-dimensional fighter with severe punching power and a strong determination to never quit. Both fighters have struggled through injuries, and re-opening a deep cut from Starnes' last fight is still a concern. I've never been a big fan of Quarry's. Franklin cold-cocked him, and he should have lost to Chris Leben, as well. I have a feeling Starnes may offer a submission surprise tonight. I'll go with Kalib to win with a second-round near-naked choke. Englishman heavyweight Michael BISPING is overated in my opinion. Matt "The Hammer" Hamill dominated him in a hometown favoring decision for Bisping. And, wrestler Rashad EVANS took him apart, and exposed his weaknesses. Tonight Bisping drops down to the middleweight division where he hopes his punching power will hold up better. It may, but I like the chances of another big 'dog, Charles McCARTHY @+280, who hasn't fought in over a year, but owns all 10 of his wins by submission! We have a puncher vs. a submission master here. If this gets to the mat, my man wins … I think it does. McCarthy wins by second-round armbar submission. And, in the remaining main card event, in a relatively obscure heavyweight match, TUF fighter Maac DANZIG tries to take out challenger Mark BOCEK. The oddsmakers give Bocek little chance @ +375. But, the UFC Monster likes the chances of a wrestler again going to the mat with a puncher. My underdog parade continues with a surprising second-round submission by rear-naked choke by Bocek. Strange things often happen in the UFC. That makes for four (4) underdogs and one (1) favorite on the main card. Now let's look at the undercard for more value … I see three (3) favorites and three (3) underdogs I like. Canadian Joe DOERKSEN has been fighting forever with over 50 MMA battles on his resume. One of those was a loss to fellow Canadian Jason MacDonald, tonight's opponent. Doerksen feels he is the better and more experienced fighter. This revenge is a big deal to him. MacDonald doesn't want the fight, thinking it doesn't advance his standing any in the UFC. I smell an upset, don't you? Motivated against unmotivated. I see Doerksen @ +140 with his hand raised at the end of the fight. This one ends with an armbar submission late in the first round. Rich CLEMENTI is an under-rated fighter with many weapons in his arsenal. He takes on Sam STOUT, a one-dimensional puncher who is relentless in his attacks. Stout will try to overpower Clementi and end it early with a crashing KO. I think the bookies have the wrong man favored here. I'll go with a more well-rounded and experienced Clementi @ +150. If he can weather the early barrage of punches, and take it to the ground, I think he can get it done. I'm betting on it! Clementi wins with a second-round rear-naked choke. Jonathan GOULET with the freaky, colored hair, can be a dangerous opponent for the obscure Japanese fighter, Kuniyoshi HIRONAKA. Goulet will be trying to outfox his opponent on the ground and hope for an opening to gain control of a victory in front of his Canadian fans. My seventh underdog of the night has at least a fighter's chance. Goulet @ +190 pulls the mild upset with a split decision over a game opponent. Alan BELCHER is also an under-rated UFC fighter. One loss and he could be looking for work in another venue. He takes on a Canadian journeyman making his UFC debut, Jason DAY. Belcher makes it look easy with a tap-out submission in the first round by a rare ankle lock submission. Lay the lumber @ -450. Young upstart, Demien MAIA, looks to derail TUF fighter Ed HERMAN. Ed will be fighting for his UFC life also, and will rely on his aggressive punching power to set up a rear-naked choke. That's his game, but Maia should be ready for all that Herman shows. We may have a new star on the horizon. Maia @ -220 wins in a first round by triangle choke. … and finally, highly-touted heavyweight Cain VELASQUEZ @ -260 will end Brad MORRIS' night early with a first-round KO over his over-matched opponent. So, let's put our fictitious $1000 bankroll to work. The UFC Monster has never lost with his posted fictitious bankroll. Let's see if that streak continues: Lay $225 to win $50 on St. Pierre. Lay $ 50 to win $135 on Lutter. Lay $ 50 to win $115 on Starnes. Lay $ 40 to win $112 on McCarthy. Lay $ 40 to win $150 on Bocek. Lay $110 to win $154 on Doerksen Lay $135 to win $ 30 on Belcher. Lay $110 to win $ 50 on Maia. Lay $ 80 to win $120 on Clementi. Lay $100 to win $ 40 on Valasquez. Lay $ 60 to win $114 on Goulet. In all, we are laying $1000 to win $1070. Enjoy the fights. I know I will. More later. The UFC Monster.

FARGO, N.D. -- Five high school wrestlers, including four unbeaten seniors and state champions from North Dakota, Minnesota and Montana, have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their education and compete at North Dakota State University. Head coach Bucky Maughan made the announcement today. North Dakota champions Tyler Johnson (Bismarck) and Kriss McCleary (Napoleon), Minnesota champion Drew Ross (Fergus Falls), and Montana champions Trent Sprenkle (Billings) and Tyler Wells (Kalispell) join North Dakota champion Justin Solberg of Wahpeton, who committed during November's early signing period. Johnson won three state titles at 140 as a freshman and 152 as a junior and senior. He was 50-0 his senior year and finished his Bismarck High career 175-15 with 87 pins. He finished second at the High School Nationals at 152. McCleary won four consecutive titles at 215 pounds and closed out his career on a 105-match winning streak. He was 40-0 his senior year and won 200 career matches, 111 by fall. McCleary placed fifth at the High School Nationals. His father, Barry, wrestled with the Bison in the 1970s. Ross won a Minnesota state title at 189 pounds this year after a runner-up finish in 2007. He went 39-0 with 23 pins his senior year, and he was 40-4 with 34 pins his junior year. He won 102 career matches. Sprenkle was a three-time state champ in Montana, including a 42-0 record with 34 pins en route to a Class 2A title at 119 pounds his senior year. He set school career records for wins (132-22), pins (86), takedowns (344), near falls (146) and team points (740). He graduated in 2006 and will have completed a two-year LDS mission before coming to NDSU. Wells won the Montana state title at 152 pounds this year after a runner-up finish in 2007 and a fifth-place showing in 2006. He was 41-3 as a senior and finished his career at Flathead High third on the all-time wins list with a 127-27 record. Wells won two USA Wrestling freestyle and Greco-Roman state championships. In addition, four-time Minnesota state qualifier Mark Erickson of Roseau has been accepted for admission and will join the wrestling team. Erickson made a state runner-up finish at 125 pounds as a junior in 2007. He was a two-time team MVP for Roseau, had a career record of 157-45, and set a school record with 43 wins his senior year. He won a USA Wrestling state freestyle championship in 2006 and was runner-up in the freestyle and Greco-Roman in 2007. North Dakota State was 11-9 overall and 4-2 in the Western Wrestling Conference this year. The Bison placed fifth in the NCAA West Regional and qualified three wrestlers for the NCAA Division I national championships.

Augustana College head wrestling coach Jason Reitmeier today announced the addition of five high school standouts to the Vikings' 2007-08 recruting class. Joining the Viking program are Austin Carmichael of Columbus, Neb., Chris Meredith of Nebraska City, Neb., Michael Edgington and Marcus Edgington of Sioux City, Iowa and Cody Lensing of Mounds View, Minn. The addition of these five wrestlers brings the 2007-08 recruting class to eight members. They join a class that consists of Luke Heine of Vermillion, S.D., Carl Serck of Hudson, S.D., and Nate Herda of Rock Rapids, Iowa, who signed with Augustana in November. "(Assistant coach) Tom Meester and I are very excited to begin working with this bunch of kids," Reitmeier said. "They are not only great athletes, but some of the brightest kids we have met. They all bring a special quality to our program. We can't wait until next fall to begin their college experience with them." Carmichael is a two-time Class A state champion and a three-time state placer from Columbus High School. He went 39-1 this past season and 36-0 as a junio in capturing back-to-back state titles. Carmichael, who is expected to wrestle at 141 or 149 pounds for the Vikings, posted a 95-4 record in his final three seasons in high school "Austin is a well round wrestle who excels on his feet," Reitmeier said. "He is explosive with a variety of offense and very excite to watch. We are excite to have Austin coming to Augie, he will be a great addition to our middle weights." Meredith attends Lourdes Central Catholic High School, but wrestles for Nebraska City High School through a co-op program. A four-time Class B state qualifier, Meredith accumulated a 134-26 career record, setting the school record for wins. A three-time district champion, he won the 152-pound state title as a junior in 2007 before finishing fifth at 160 pounds as a senior in 2008. A two-time all-conference football player, Meredith will compete at 165 or 174 pounds in college. "Chris is a long athlete who has a lot of room to grow," Reitmeier said. "He is again a well-rounded wrestler who is good in all positions. Once on the weights Chris could be a middle to upper weight guy for us. He will be a great addition to our squad." Michael and Marcus Edgington, who are twins, both enjoyed stellar careers at Hinton High School in Hinton, Iowa. Michael Edgington posted a 34-4 record during his senior campaign in 2008. He went on to a sixth-place finish at the Class 1A state tournament. He recorded 111 career victories for the Blackhawks. "Michael is an extremely hard worker both on the mat and in the classroom," Reitmeier said. "He has a wealth of wrestling experience competing in national tournaments in all styles. He is exceptional on top and has improved on his feet. Michael is very long and could grow into a middle upper weight wrestler for us in the years to come." Marcus Edgington was a four-time Class 1A state qualifier for Hinton. He went 44-0 as a senior in 2008 en route to a state championship. He also finished fourth as a junior and fifth as a freshman. He had a 167-22 career record. "Marcus is coming of an outstanding senior year, winning an Iowa state title and beating some very tough competition during the year," Reitmeier said. "Marcus, like his brother Michael, does very well in the classroom. Marcus is explosive on his feet and very hard to take down. He also has a lot of national experience in all styles of wrestling." Lensing is a four-time state qualifier at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, Minn. He posted a 41-3 record in 2008 and was the Class AA state runner-up. As a sophomore in 2006, Lensing, who is expected to wrestle at 125 pounds at Augie, placed sixth at the Class AAA state meet. A two-time academic all-state selection, Lensing has twice placed at the Junior USA Wrestling Nationals meet. "Cody is a little spark plug," Reitmeier said. "He brings a lot of energy to the mat. Cody has seen success at every level, placing many times nationally in Greco Roman wrestling. Cody will need to put on some size for college but is very bright and dedicated. We are excited about what Cody bring to Augie athletically and to the school academically."

Back in his heyday at Purdue, Tim Dernlan wrestled at 125 pounds. That means there wasn't a lot of meat on his bones. In the wrestling vernacular, he was a lightweight. Dernlan's resume is not like that. There's a lot of weight to that piece, including state championships and All-America honors as a wrestler and proven success as an assistant wrestling coach at some of the most accomplished Division I wrestling programs in the country. Tuesday (Apr. 15), Ashland University named Dernlan as its head wrestling coach. Dernlan was introduced to the media and AU community at an on-campus afternoon press conference. "I was flattered and overwhelmed with the interest level in our head coaching position in wrestling here at Ashland University," said AU director of athletics Bill Goldring. "It was clear that Tim Dernlan's background and personal integrity stood out. He is absolutely the right person at the right time to lead our program. The fact that he and his family have achieved a status in Ohio where they are recognized for their outstanding accomplishments is an added bonus. Tim has prepared himself to be a head coach and I truly believe he'll do an outstanding job at Ashland University." "I know he'll do well," said Purdue head coach Scott Hinkel, who was Dernlan's college head coach. "It's a great fit. We're very proud of him, being an alumnus. We wish him the best, except when Ashland wrestles us." "Passion, drive, a lot of energy, that describes Tim," said Lehigh head coach Greg Strobel. "He's the kind of kid who works, works, works. You have to tell him to go home. "He was with me for two years," continued Strobel. "I put a lot of pressure on him in recruiting. It wasn't easy for him to pick up right away. He comes to Ashland with a lot of experience, especially with a private institution. There were a lot of challenges here in recruiting and Tim did a great job. Tim's class last year was really a Top 10 class and this year we have nine top wrestlers. I gave him the lead with that." Dernlan was selected from a field of over 40 applicants. "Ashland University has a great tradition in wrestling," said Dernlan. "It's located in the greatest wrestling state in the nation. Ashland is a place with great support for wrestling. I'm looking forward to the future at Ashland University." Dernlan comes to the Eagles from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, where he has served as the lead assistant coach since 2006. In that role, he coordinated all of Lehigh's recruiting efforts and co-directed a summer wrestling camp that attracted over 950 participants. Dernlan was an assistant wrestling coach at Penn State from 2003-2006. With the Nittany Lions, he developed and implemented an individual and team system of training. The new AU head coach was an assistant mat coach at Ohio State from 1999-2000 and was an assistant at his alma mater, Purdue, from 1998-99. He was the owner and operator of Victory Wrestling Camps from 1998-2007. In that role, he managed a budget of over $100,000 and coordinated and directed 14 camps at 12 locations throughout Ohio. In seven years of coaching, Dernlan has coached 42 NCAA Division I qualifiers and 11 NCAA Division I All-Americas. His 2007 recruiting class ranked sixth in the country. His 2006 recruiting class was ranked third in the country and in 2005, the class he helped recruit was ranked fourth nationally. In 2004, Penn State's list of newcomers was ranked 14th in the nation. While at Penn State, Dernlan was responsible for the administration of the team's academic progress. For three consecutive years, Penn State ranked among the nation's Top 20 teams in grade point average. During that stretch, PSU had 12 All-Big Ten selections and four Academic All-America selections. "He's got a great presence," emphasized Penn State head coach Troy Sunderland. "He's a sincere individual and I know Penn State and Lehigh, their programs have been better by having Tim Dernlan. I know Ashland University, the entire community and the wrestling program will be very pleased with Tim and everything he brings to the university." Sunderland said it's not fair to label Dernlan as just a recruiter or a technician. "Obviously, he does a lot of things well," Sunderland said. "He's very sound. I think he brought a fresh perspective to our program. A lot of times Tim thinks outside the box. His strength is relating and communicating with athletes and staff." Strobel says that Dernlan's ability to recruit shouldn't overshadow his ability to teach and coach. "He's terrific in the room," stressed Strobel. "That's his forte, planning an overall program. That's something I do here. We compared notes a lot, how he did it, how I did it. Because I did that, I got him into the recruiting part of it. Tim had to do all the hard work with that." Dernlan has spent the past several years in Pennsylvania but that shouldn't reduce his effectiveness in his home state. "Timmy is such a hard worker," said Hinkel. "He's very personable and that's important in recruiting. His personality is great. The thing is, Tim's a legend in Ohio. He's well known and his family is well known and they are highly regarded." Dernlan wrestled at Purdue and throughout his career, was one of the Boilermakers' top performers. He was a team captain in 1997 and 1998 and was an Academic All-Big Ten selection in 1996 and 1998. Dernlan earned All-America laurels in 1998 when he placed sixth in the country at 125 pounds. He won 110 matches for the Boilermakers. "For us, he was the first wrestler out there and that was key for us," recalled Hinkel. "We could count on him for excitement, to provide a spark." In 2004 Dernlan was a USA Wrestling Final Olympic Trials qualifier. He was a resident athlete at the United States Olympic Training Center from 2001-2003. Dernlan trained as a fully funded Olympic Training Center Athlete. He had the opportunity to study and train with some of the nation's best wrestling and strength coaches while he was in that program. Dernlan was the 1996 USA Wrestling University National Freestyle champion. In 1994 and 1995 he finished first at the USA Wrestling Olympic Festival Freestyle Championships. In 1994 he placed first at the USA Wrestling Espoir National Freestyle Championships. He was first at the 1992 USA Wrestling Junior World Team Trials. Dernlan was a three-time undefeated Ohio High School state champion (1990, 1991, 1993). He wrestled at West Liberty-Salem High School. The new AU head coach is a 1998 Purdue graduate. He expects to earn his master's degree in educational leadership from Lehigh in December, 2008. Dernlan and his wife, Kara, have three children, Boaz, 4, Zeke, 2, and Rebecca, seven months.

Alumni and Friends, I would like to thank everyone for their support of the the Maryland wrestling program for the past five years, it has been an amazing ride that I will never forget. The young men that I have been blessed to coach are hungry and ready for the new challenges that lie ahead. The momentum at Maryland has never been greater and this team has very high goals and your continued support will ensure their success to higher levels. The decision to leave Maryland was very difficult and an emotional one for me and my family. We are very thankful that we had the opportunity to be a part of such a great University. We also feel so fortunate that our paths crossed with all of you and feel a special bond with Maryland. Debbie Yow and Chris Boyer have been very supportive and understanding through this process, and I am very confident that they are going to find a great coach to lead the Terps. I always want our wrestlers to respect and protect each other and leave here without regrets. The only regret I have is I won't be around for their finest hour. Thank you again, All my best, Pat Santoro

The past month has been incredibly rewarding for Brent Metcalf. In rapid succession, the University of Iowa 149-pound sophomore has won a Big Ten championship, Big Ten Outstanding Wrestler award, an NCAA title, NCAA Outstanding Wrestler honors, and the Hodge Trophy for 2008. Now he can add one additional honor: 2008 Rev Wrestler of the Year. Brent Metcalf posted a 39-1 record and won the NCAA title at 149 pounds (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Each year, this award is given to the nation's top wrestler across all divisions of college wrestling, and is determined in balloting by RevWrestling.com writers and executives. Brent Metcalf is only the second individual to earn Rev Wrestler of the Year honors; Missouri's Ben Askren won the award twice, in both 2006 and 2007. Metcalf nabbed four of the seven first-place votes to earn a total of 53 votes. Keith Gavin, Pittsburgh's 174-pound NCAA champ with a perfect 27-0 record, was a distant second with 35 votes (including three first-place votes). Tied for third place: Penn State's 197-pound champ Phil Davis, and 125-pound champ Angel Escobedo of Indiana, each getting 21 votes. Right behind them was Metcalf's Iowa teammate Mark Perry. The two-time NCAA 165-pound champ received 20 votes to take fifth place in the balloting. In his first year of official college competition (having wrestled unattached in the 2006-07 season after transferring from Virginia Tech), Brent Metcalf put up some impressive numbers. He built a 39-1 record (the only loss was to North Carolina State's Darrion Caldwell), getting twelve pins, seven technical falls, and nine major decisions. In fact, seventy percent of his wins were by pin, technical fall, or major decision. In another statement on Metcalf's dominating style, none of his matches went into overtime. At the 2008 Big Tens, Metcalf dominated his way through the tournament, getting two pins and a 15-3 win in the semifinals before defeating Minnesota's Dustin Schlatter, 5-3, in the finals. Two weeks later, at the 2008 NCAAs, the Hawkeye won all but one of his matches in decisive fashion, culminating in a 14-8 victory over Penn State's Bubba Jenkins in the title bout. 2008 Rev Wrestler of the Year 1st-5th-Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1 Total Votes/(First-Place Votes) 1. Brent Metcalf, Iowa: 53 (4) 2. Keith Gavin, Pittsburgh: 35 (3) T3. Phil Davis, Penn State: 21 T3. Angel Escobedo, Indiana: 21 5. Mark Perry, Iowa: 20 6. Mike Pucillo, Ohio State: 9 7. Coleman Scott, Oklahoma State: 8 8. Tervel Dlagnev, Neb. Kearney: 7 9. J Jaggers, Ohio State: 1 "Brent Metcalf separated himself from an incredibly gifted field of 149 pounders through hard work in the practice room," said Tom Franck, RevWrestling.com staff writer. "All season long, Metcalf attacked right from the opening whistle, even against dangerous opponents whom some coaches might advise trying to slowly wear down. His offensive philosophy was so wholehearted that he sometimes found himself giving up the initial takedown or two. Leads against Metcalf were always short-lived as his pace simply could not be matched." "Metcalf demonstrated an uncanny ability to make crisp, last-second adjustments throughout his matches," Tom Franck continued. "His wrestling was so consistently sharp and without falter that he denied many valiant scoring attempts from opponents, often countering with his own counter-takedowns." Brent Metcalf's success at Iowa isn't a total surprise, given his great prep career. At Davison High School in Michigan, Metcalf crafted a perfect 228-0 record, earning four state titles, and claiming Michigan's "Mr. Wrestler" honors in 2005. He also was a two-time FILA Junior World champion, and six-time Junior Nationals champion.

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson announced Tuesday that four-time Illinois high school state qualifier and state champ Chris Spangler (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley HS) will join the Cyclone squad for the 2008-09 season. Spangler is currently ranked fourth among preps nationally at 171 pounds by W.I.N. Magazine and is projected to wrestle at 174 or 184 pounds collegiately. Spangler closed out his prep career with a third-place finish at 171 pounds in the Illinois high school state tournament in February. He pinned two opponents and registered a major decision en route to the third-place finish while wrestling. He finished his senior season with a 44-1 record and was selected to wrestle for Team USA at the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic against a squad of Pennsylvania grapplers. As a freshman in 2005, Spangler was a qualifier at 103 pounds and followed with a state title in the same weight class as a sophomore in 2006. Spangler jumped up two weight class for his junior season to 119 pounds where he was a state qualifier and posted a mark of 2-2. Spangler joins Sanderson's list for 2008-09 with Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa), Nate Carr Jr. (Gray, Ga.), Eric Thompson (Waverly, Iowa), Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) and Ridge Kiley (Eagle Grove, Iowa).

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State's David Bertolino finished as the freestyle runner-up at 84 kg (185 pounds) at the ASICS University Nationals Sunday in Akron, Ohio. David Zabriskie placed fifth at 120 kg (264.5 pounds). Ben Hanisch (60 kg), Joey DeMarie (63 kg) and Laramie Shaffer (63 kg) also wrestled in the event. All five Cyclone grapplers wrestled freestyle for the Cyclone Wrestling Club in the two-day tournament. Bertolino, who recently capped off his collegiate career with an All-American performance at the NCAA Championships, won four matches en route to the title bout. He first knocked off Rick Loera (Iowa) 4-0, 7-2 and went on to shutout his next two opponents. In the semifinals he defeated Kurt Brenner 2-2, 2-2, 6-0. Former Northwestern NCAA champ Jake Herbert (Wildcat Wrestling Club) denied Bertolino in the championship match 2-0, 1-0. Bertolino then had to turn around and wrestle a true second-place match against Raymond Jordan (Sunkist WC), winning 1-1, 3-2. "I thought he wrestled really well in a huge bracket," associate head coach Cody Sanderson said. "Especially in his true second-place match against Raymond Jordan only 10 minutes after wrestling [Jake] Herbert. I think he found out that if he wants to continue to compete at the open level he has the potential." Bertolino's win earns him a qualifier spot at the University World Team Trials in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 23-24, 2008. The event in Colorado will determine the athletes in these styles who will compete in Greece at the World University Championships. Zabriskie advanced to the semifinals at 120 kg by winning four matches before being sent into the consolation bracket on a 4-0, 6-0 blanking at the hands of Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids). Zabriskie was pinned in the consolation semifinals by Justin Dobies (CWC) in 1:39. The ISU sophomore received a forfeit for fifth place. Hanisch won his opening match against Nikko Triggas (Ohio State) 8-7, 2-4, 3-1 despite suffering three dislocated ribs. He then faced Franklin Gomez (Michigan Wrestling Club) and suffered a 6-0, 6-0 setback to drop into the wrestlebacks. Hanisch exited the tournament on a 0-1, 2-0, 0-7 loss to Aaron Ely (Edinboro). Both DeMarie and Shaffer each won their opening bouts at 63 kg, but lost back-to-back matches to be eliminated from the tournament. DeMarie picked up his lone win with a 4-0, 4-0 shutout of Ty Costa (River City Wrestling Club). Shaffer defeated Rob LaBrake (Clarion Wrestling Club) 5-0, 4-1.

Dear Friends, Alums, and Supporters of Maryland Wrestling: It is with mixed emotions that we notify you all of Coach Pat Santoro's resignation from the Terrapin family to become the head wrestling coach at Lehigh University. Obviously, we are saddened to see the current ACC Coach of the Year leave the University of Maryland in the midst of his rebuilding of our wrestling program back to national prominence. However, we are also excited to wish Pat, along with his wife Julie and daughter Leah, the best in his return home to his native Lehigh Valley. Please join us in wishing Pat success in his new position and extending our sincere appreciation for returning our wrestling program back into the national rankings and the top of the ACC where we belong. Wrestling matters very much to me personally and to the University of Maryland, and, like each of you, Maryland Athletics had a vision of a bright future for Terrapin Wrestling when we hired Pat away from Lehigh five years ago. We are grateful that Pat, his staff, and student-athletes, along with the loyal support of each of you, have strengthened the foundation for our wrestling future, and we now look forward to continuing to build a preeminently competitive program with our next head coach. Details of Pat's departure will be finalized in the coming days, and the search for a strong successor to continue the resurgence of our wrestling program is already underway. We will inform everyone as soon as it is time to welcome a new head wrestling coach to the Terps. In the interim, I extend my sincere gratitude to all of our Wrestling stakeholders and to Pat. Go Terps, Debbie Yow

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh University has named Pat Santoro its new Lawrence E. White '64 Head Coach of Wrestling, Goodman Dean of Athletics Joe Sterrett '76 announced Tuesday. Santoro, who becomes just the eighth head coach in the 99-year history of Lehigh wrestling, replaces Greg Strobel who will be making the transition into an administrative leadership role within the Lehigh Athletics Department. This announcement marks the return to Lehigh for Santoro, a Bethlehem native who spent nine seasons at Lehigh as an assistant coach. "Greg Strobel was ready for a new assignment outside of coaching and he is very well skilled and suited for working with our camps program and in our athletics alumni relations and fund raising areas," said Sterrett. "Pat Santoro was an outstanding assistant coach at Lehigh for nine years, and has done a magnificent job in developing the Maryland program. He will bring a deep affection for the institution, the educational values we prioritize, and the ability to make the transition seamless." Pat SantoroSantoro returns to Lehigh after spending the last five years as the head coach at the University of Maryland where he helped resurrect the Terrapins program, which in 2008 captured its first ACC title in 35 years; a feat which earned Santoro ACC Coach of the Year honors. This past season the Terps went 16-4 and entered the national rankings for the first time since 1993, climbing as high as No. 21. Under Santoro's guidance, Maryland crowned its first All-American since 1997 en route to a top-25 team finish at the NCAA Championships. Santoro posted a 48-41-1 record in five seasons at College Park, including an impressive 33-9 dual mark the last two years. "It's an honor and a privilege to be the new head coach at Lehigh University," said Santoro. "Lehigh is a program with a strong and rich tradition of wrestling, and terrific support from the alumni, fans and the community. Lehigh wrestling has been a part of my family for a long time. I grew up around the program and its great tradition, and I'm looking forward to coming back home and trying to continue the great history and tradition of Lehigh wrestling." Prior to his stint at Maryland Santoro served as an assistant at Lehigh for nine years, including eight seasons as the top assistant on Greg Strobel's staff. During his initial tenure, Santoro was part of some of the most successful teams in school history. In 2003, Santoro was named the national Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, after helping guide the Brown and White to its fourth EIWA title in five years, and a fourth place finish at the NCAA Championships, at the time the program's best finish in 24 years. "I had a great experience in my first nine years at Lehigh, and Greg and I were together for eight of those years," explained Santoro. "We became very close, and Greg helped me tremendously throughout the years, especially in my first few years at Maryland when I was trying to build the program. I'm very fortunate to have worked along side him." Strobel's transition into Lehigh's athletic administration comes as part of a more comprehensive re-organization of Lehigh's athletics leadership structure. In 13 seasons, Strobel amassed a career dual mark of 189-83-1 and led Lehigh to six EIWA championships including five consecutive titles from 2002-06. Strobel was named EIWA Coach of the Year four times, and was named National Coach of the Year by the NWCA after leading Lehigh to a third place finish at the 2004 NCAA Championships. His wrestlers captured 28 individual EIWA titles and totaled 30 All-America medals. Strobel coached two national champions, Rob Rohn in 2002 and Troy Letters in 2004. One of the most respected figures in American wrestling, Strobel also served as the U.S. Olympic head coach in 2000, and worked closely with a number of U.S. national freestyle teams. In his new role, Strobel will oversee Lehigh's highly-successful summer camp program, while also taking on additional responsibilities in athletics fund raising and sport supervision. "I'm really excited," said Strobel. "It's a win-win for both me and Lehigh wrestling. I've wanted to move into administration for a while, and it just happened that the position I wanted opened up. It really is the perfect assignment for me, dealing with camps, and alumni and fund raising and I'm ready to move on." Strobel then offered his thoughts on his successor, "I'm excited for Pat as well. He was an integral part of our program for my first eight years and for him to come back will be a tremendous thing for the program. We have a great group of student-athletes returning, and I think they will enjoy having Pat as their head coach. His coaching style is very similar to mine, so there should be a pretty seamless transition." After wrestling for Bethlehem Catholic High School and taking a post-graduate year at Blair Academy, Santoro wrestled collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh, where he became the Panthers' only four-time All-America while capturing national titles in 1988 and 1989 at 142 pounds. Santoro graduated from Pittsburgh with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1992 and went on to enjoy a successful international career, becoming a four-time member of the U.S. National Team and serving as an alternate for the 1996 Olympic Team and the 1999 World Team.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Dan Mashek, Chuck Patten, and Mike Van Arsdale. All three guests will be inducted into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa on April 19 at the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. Dan Mashek did his wrestling at West Waterloo High School (for hall of famer Bob Siddens) and at UNI (for Patten), but earned his greatest fame by far as an Iowa high school coach. Retiring with a record of 519-105-5, he has the most dual meet wins of any coach in Iowa history. He started the program at Don Bosco of Gilbertville in 1970 and quickly made the Dons a perennial power. While there, he claimed four traditional team titles and one dual team title. He saw 20 of his wrestlers win a total of 24 individual state titles. He began coaching at North Scott in 2000 and compiled a record of 93-30. He currently lives in Eldridge. Patten wrestled at East Waterloo High School, placing fourth in the 1955 state meet, and for Bill Koll at UNI. He was president of both the Division I and Division II coaches associations and was chair of the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee from 1974-1978, the only Division II coach to receive this honor. He also served as a color commentator for Iowa Public Television broadcasts from 1983 to 1986. Today, he lives in Everett, Washington. Mike Van Arsdale placed sixth, third and first at the NCAA meet while wearing the cardinal and gold for Iowa State. His individual title came at 167 pounds in 1988. He made several international freestyle teams and won a gold medal at the 1997 World Cup. His senior level wrestling career spanned three different decades, culminating at the 2000 Olympic trials in Dallas, Texas. "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.

IOWA CITY, IA -- The 2008 NCAA and Big Ten Champion Iowa wrestling team will be recognized at Kinnick Stadium prior to the start of the Iowa football spring practice/scrimmage Saturday. The team introduction will take place at approximately 1 p.m. The Hawkeyes have also earned national recognition as State Representative David Loebsack sponsored resolution number H.RES.1100, which congratulated the team on winning the national title. Congressmen Leonard Boswell, Bruce Braley, Steve King and Tom Latham served as co-sponsors for the legislation. Iowa won its 21st NCAA title - the first for Head Coach Tom Brands and the first for the Hawkeyes since 2000 - and crowned two individual champions and seven all-Americans at the 2008 national tournament in St. Louis. Brands was named National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and Big Ten Coach of the Year this season. Hawkeye senior Mark Perry (165) and sophomore Brent Metcalf (149) each won NCAA titles. Metcalf was also awarded the Dan Hodge Trophy, which is annually presented to the nation's top collegiate wrestler. Iowa's lone Big Ten champion, Metcalf was named Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA and Big Ten Championships, and at the Division I NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. He was also named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year. The NCAA title capped off a strong season for the Hawkeye wrestling team. The squad won Iowa's 32nd Big Ten title - the first for Brands - at the conference championships in Minneapolis. The Hawkeyes won the Big Ten regular season title with a perfect 8-0 conference record, while posting a 21-1 overall dual record. Iowa won its last 14 dual matches.

Eight Golden Gopher wrestlers competed at the 2008 University Freestyle and Greco-Roman Nationals this weekend at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. Junior Tyler Safratowich took first place in the 70 kg/154.25 lbs. Freestyle weight class, while freshman Zach Sanders was runner-up at 55 kg/121 lbs. Other Minnesota wrestlers competing in the Freestyle division included freshman David Zilverberg (60 kg/132.25 lbs.), redshirt sophomore Mike Thorn (fourth at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.), freshman Ryan Blake (63 kg/138.75 lbs.), freshman Joe Murphy (63 kg/138.75 lbs.), freshman Joe Grygelko (70 kg/154.25 lbs.), freshman Jared Rickert (70 kg/154.25 lbs.), freshman Kaleb Young (74 kg/174 lbs.), freshman Sonny Yohn (seventh at 84 kg/185 lbs.), sophomore Brent Eidenschink (84 kg/185 lbs.) and redshirt freshman Joe Nord (120 kg/264.5 lbs.). Gophers competing in Greco-Roman included Blake, Murphy, Grygelko (fourth at 70 kg/154.25 lbs.), Rickert, Young, and Eidenschink. Minnesota's wrestlers compete for the Minnesota Storm wrestling club during the Freestyle and Greco-Roman seasons. Safratowich, who was the Gophers' starter at 165 pounds and compiled a 28-10 record during the 2007-08 collegiate season (including 13-2 in dual meets), cruised through five opponents before meeting Joel Ahearn of the Naval Academy Wrestling Club in the finals. Safratowich defeated Ahearn 3-0 and 1-0 to take home the tournament crown. Sanders defeated both Michael Martinez (Cowboy Wrestling Club) and unattached Matthew Steintrager before losing 3-1, 0-3, 3-1 to Penn State's Brad Pataky in the championship match. He then won by forfeit over Obenson Blanc in the true second place match-up. Thorn advanced as far as the tournament semifinals before losing to Ohio State's Reece Humphrey. Seven wrestlers, including recent 2008 NCAA Division I national champion Keith Gavin (Pittsburgh) and 2007 NCAA champion Jake Herbert from Northwestern captured gold medals in their weight classes at the event and earned a spot in the U.S. Olympic Trials team in Las Vegas, Nev., June 13-15.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's Jake Herbert qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials by winning the 185-pound division at the University National Freestyle Championships last weekend. Herbert was named Most Outstanding Wrestler and was one of four Wildcats to place in the tournament. In the finals, the 2007 NCAA champion at 184 lbs. defeated Iowa State's David Bertolino of the Cyclone WC, 2-0, 1-0. Herbert had three victories during the final day including a three-period win over Matt Pell of Cavalier WC in the second round. Herbert took an Olympic redshirt year from the Wildcats last season and has been competing in many international events. He wanted one more tournament before the U.S. Nationals coming up in two weeks in Las Vegas. "I got in a good test, wrestled good matches and know what my strengths and weaknesses are," Herbert said. "I also got my qualification for Olympic Trials. It now doesn't matter what I do at U.S. Nationals if I win Olympic Trials. That is what I have been working so hard for." The next event for Herbert in his quest to qualify for the Olympics is the U.S. Nationals, April 23-26. The winner of the U.S. Nationals becomes the No. 1 seed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The top three finishers in each weight at the trials are named to the U.S. National Team. The U.S. Olympic Team Trials take place June 13-15 in Las Vegas. NU had three other All-Americans in the tournament. Mike Tamillow took true second at 211.5 lbs. and Ryan Lang was second at 145.5 lbs. Mike Benefiel, who redshirted last season and will be a starter for the 'Cats in 2008-09, finished fifth at 174 lbs. Andrew Nadhir went 4-2 and Robert Kellogg went 2-2 to round out the Wildcat contingent.

In just two seasons as head coach, Tom Ryan has achieved great things at Ohio State. Under his leadership, the Buckeyes have rocketed from 45th place in the team standings at the 2006 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, to tenth in 2007. At the 2008 NCAAs, Ohio State earned second-place honors -- the best in the program's long history -- with two individual champs (J. Jaggers at 141 pounds, and 184-pounder Mike Pucillo) and four All-Americans (in addition to the titlewinners, Lance Palmer, who placed eighth at 149, and J.D. Bergman, heavyweight runner-up). For taking his team so far so fast, Tom Ryan has been awarded Rev Coach of the Year honors for 2008. Tom Ryan, who led Ohio State to a runner-up finish at the 2008 NCAA Division I Championships, helps his first Buckeye NCAA champion, J Jaggers, off the mat (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Each year, this award is given to the nation's top coach across all divisions of college wrestling, and is determined in balloting by RevWrestling.com writers and executives. Ryan joins previous Rev Coach of the Year honorees John Smith of Oklahoma State (who won the award in 2006), and 2007 winner Cael Sanderson of Iowa State. Ryan received two of the seven first-place votes for a total of 51 votes. Tom Brands of the 2008 NCAA Division I team champions, the University of Iowa, claimed second-place honors with 44 votes (including three first-place votes). Rounding out the top three vote getters was yet another Big Ten head coach, Penn State's Troy Sunderland, who garnered 31 votes (including two first-place votes). Rob Koll of Cornell University placed fourth in the balloting with seventeen votes, while Jim Miller, head coach of the 2008 NCAA Division III team champs Wartburg College, came in fifth with eleven votes. "The state of Ohio has long been a hotbed for amateur wrestling, as evidenced by being the home state to more 2008 NCAA All-Americans than any other state," according to Mark Palmer, RevWrestling.com staff writer. "Yet, until recently, so much of that mat talent went out-of-state to wrestle in college. Now, thanks to Tom Ryan and his highly respected staff of assistant coaches -- Lou Rosselli, Joe Heskett, Tommy Rowlands, and Ross Thatcher -- the new-found success of Ohio State has generated considerable excitement within Ohio, especially among high school wrestlers who would like to continue their college careers with a successful program closer to home." Thomas Shaun Ryan, a native of Wantagh, New York, was a two-time Big Ten champ and NCAA All-American wrestler for the Iowa Hawkeyes in 1991 and 1992. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Indiana University in 1992. In 1995, Ryan became head coach at Hofstra University, where he led the Pride to six consecutive conference titles, and was named coach of the year seven times. 2008 Rev Coach of the Year 1st-5th-Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1 Total Votes/(First-Place Votes) 1. Tom Ryan, Ohio State: 51 (2) 2. Tom Brands, Iowa: 44 (3) 3. Troy Sunderland, PSU: 31 (2) 4. Rob Koll, Cornell: 17 5. Jim Miller, Wartburg: 11 6. Mark Manning, Nebraska: 8 T7. Joe McFarland, Michigan: 3 T7. Cael Sanderson, Iowa State: 3 T7. Chris Bono, UTC: 3 T10. Jim Makovsky, MSU-Mankato: 1 T10. Pat Santoro, Maryland: 1 T10. John Smith, Oklahoma State: 1 T10. Greg Randall, Boise State: 1 In Tom Ryan's first season in Columbus (2006-07), his Buckeyes were 8-7, and placed ninth at the 2007 Big Ten conference championships. This past season, Ohio State amassed a 19-4 record, and came in fifth at the 2008 Big Tens. The 2008 NCAAs were the first time the Buckeyes had ever placed as high as second in the team standings. It was also the first time Ohio State had three finalists; the last time the team had two individual champs was in 1993. Prior to this season, Ohio State's last individual titlist was Tommy Rowlands, in 2004.

The mobile Brute Adidas studios will be back on the road this week LIVE from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and will feature wrestlers, MMA stars and promotion folks etc. That's about it for this week. Should be a fun seat of the pants type of a show. We look forward to having each of you join us as we go over the week in wrestling. Thanks and please do me the favor of keeping Cornell wrestler Adam Frey in your prayers. He needs all of them he can get right now as he is battling cancer.

According to the National Junior College Athletic Association, the National Wrestling Tournament will officially take place in Des Moines in 2010. North Iowa Area Community College head wrestling coach Richard Fergola initiated the planning of the bid for the event. "NIACC is a strong supporter of the sport of wrestling. I presented the idea of moving the national championships for the sole purpose of recognizing the NJCAA athletes and coaches in a much higher level. We want the coaches and athletes of the NJCAA to feel like they are at the National Championships and most importantly promote the NJCAA on the highest level possible," Fergola said. "Moving the NJCAA National Championships to Iowa will move the NJCAA into a major wrestling limelight." The Des Moines Area Sports Commission and the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference worked together to bid on the location of the tournament. During the Annual NJCAA National meetings in Colorado Springs, CO, the Des Moines Area Sports Commission proposed the wrestling tournament be in Des Moines. The NJCAA championship events committee made the final decision to take the tournament to Des Moines on Feb. 24-28, 2010, at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. NIACC participates in the Iowa Community College Athletic Association and had three wrestlers win national titles individually as well as finished fourth as a team at the 2008 National Junior College Athletic Association Wrestling Championships in Rochester, MN. The Iowa Community College Athletic Conference represents Regions XI in the National Junior College Athletic Association. The ICCAC is a non-profit organization whose primary objective is to govern junior college athletics in Iowa. The conference was established in 1996 and is located in Ames.