InterMat Staff

Mark Cody

What do you get the wrestler or wrestling fan for the holidays? There are a number of winning gift options available to appeal to all ages, from the little ones who might someday be mat superstars and superfans ... to those old enough to remember wrestling without shirts and headgear. Here are some books, videos and other gifts sure to score big points with the wrestling fanatics on your holiday gift list this year. (NOTE: We realize this is NOT a complete listing of all wrestling gift ideas, but some items you might not know about, that are worthy of your consideration.) Books Fiction NearFall by Joe Reasbeck. A series of five novels which focus on two Iowa brothers and a group of their friends who grow up in the sport of wrestling. The first book in the series -- NearFall I: The Adventures of Matt and Mike -- was published in 2008; anticipated release date for book two: mid-November 2009. -Information: http://www.nearfallbooks.com -To order: http://www.nearfallbooks.com Pinned by Alfred Martino. A novel about two New Jersey high school wrestlers, Ivan Korske and Bobby Zane, who come from radically different backgrounds, yet are destined to meet on the mat. Read an InterMat article about the book. -Information: http://www.alfredmartino.com To order: direct from the author at Alfred@ListenandLive.com or from Amazon.com To Be The Best by H.L. Hertel. The story of Ron and Nick Castle, Midwestern brothers who dream of being high school state wrestling champs but encounter daunting physical and psychological challenges. Read an InterMat article about the book. -Information: http://www.hhcastle-mac.com -To order from Amazon.com Vision Quest by Terry Davis. The classic coming-of-age novel about a thoughtful high school wrestler, Louden Swain, as he tries to find his place in the world. The basis for a popular 1980s movie with soundtrack (see "Multimedia") To order from Amazon.com Wrestling Spoken Here by Milt Sherman. An upbeat novel, aimed at junior and senior high readers, about a high school sophomore who's experiencing his first season as a wrestler and grappling with all sorts of issues on and off the mat. Read an InterMat article about the book. -To order from Amazon.com Non-Fiction The African-American Wrestling Experience produced by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum. African American participation in wrestling has a depth and richness of culture to mankind's oldest sport. -To order from the Hall of Fame Web site, visit https://www.donate.net/donationSelector/basket_add_item.asp?shopper_id=1421583&dept_id=1000&sku=1000101 A Century of Penn State Wrestling compiled by the Penn State Wrestling Club. You don't have to be a Nittany Lions fan to enjoy this fact-filled, photo-filled history of 100 years of Penn State wrestling, and the coaches and wrestlers who wrote some history of their own on the mats. Read an InterMat article about the book. -To order, visit http://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org Cowboy Up by Kim Parrish. This book provides an all-access pass to follow the Oklahoma State Cowboy wrestling program for the entire 2004-2005 season, getting to know individual wrestlers and head coach John Smith. Read an InterMat article about the book. -Available for purchase from the Oklahoma State wrestling office at 405.744.3288 or the Oklahoma Heritage Association at 1.888.501.2059. A Distant Flame by Jack VanBebber, as told to Julia VanBebber. Moving, inspirational story of wrestler Jack VanBebber who overcame a near-fatal childhood accident and the Great Depression to become a three-time NCAA champ for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and a 1932 Olympic gold medalist. Read an InterMat article about the book. -Available for purchase at the publisher's Web site: http://www.newforums.com/store/book_contents.asp?numberpage=1&images=on&display=full&category=&searchstr=19920103&searchfield=itemid The Fighting Scots of Edinboro by John Dudley. The story of the wrestling program at tiny Edinboro University in northwest Pennsylvania, a David of schools going up against the Goliaths of college wrestling with considerable success, with individual NCAA champs like current MMA star Josh Koscheck, and Gregor Gillespie. Written by John Dudley, a sportswriter/columnist for the Erie Times-News who has covered Edinboro wrestling since 1999. Read an InterMat article about the book. -Available for purchase direct from the publisher at http://www.reedypress.com Glory Beyond the Sport: Wrestling and the Military, by Roger Moore; contributions by Jay Hammond, Jamie Moffatt, and Don Sayenga. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum honors the bonds between wrestling and the military with a book that salutes those who served who once wrestled. Read an InterMat article about the book. -To order direct from the Hall of Fame Web site: https://www.donate.net/donationSelector/basket_add_item.asp?shopper_id=1425660&dept_id=1000&sku=1000103 Grappling Glory: Celebrating a Century of Minnesota Wrestling and Rassling by Ross Bernstein. Large-format book, chock full of photos and info, on high school and college wrestling in the state of Minnesota, as well as professional wrestling. -To order from Amazon.com History of Collegiate Wrestling: A Century of Excellence by Jarius K. Hammond and various contributors. A carefully researched, lavishly produced 400-page book, covering 100 years of college wrestling year-by-year. Accented with individual profiles of significant wrestlers, coaches and programs. -To order direct from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Web site online: https://www.donate.net/donationSelector/basket_add_item.asp?shopper_id=1425660&dept_id=1000&sku=1000100 The Imaginary Girlfriend by John Irving. Well-known for bestselling novels such as The World According to Garp and The Cider-House Rules, Irving tells of his exploits in prep school and college where wrestling figured prominently in his life. -To order from Amazon.com Legends of the Mat: Stories of 34 of America's Greatest Wrestlers of All Time by Mike Chapman. Famed wrestling historian Mike Chapman serves up concise but information-filled profiles of all-time mat greats such as Bruce Baumgartner, Doug Blubaugh, Dan Gable, Terry McCann, John Smith, more. -To order online: http://www.wrestlingmuseum.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IWIAMOS&Product_Code=LOM&Category_Code=B1 Mat Snacks: Wrestling Stories to Feed the Spirit and Tickle the Funny Bone by Jack Spates. Humorous stories from the world of amateur wrestling, compiled by the head coach of the University of Oklahoma Sooners. -To order from Barnes & Noble Oklahoma Shooter: The Story of Dan Hodge by Mike Chapman. The biography of Dan Hodge, three-time NCAA champ at University of Oklahoma, 1956 Olympic silver medalist, an amateur and professional boxer, and a pro wrestler. Read an InterMat article about the book. -To order, send $22.95 plus $5 shipping and handling to: Culture House Books, P.O. Box 283, Newton, Iowa 50208 or call 641.791.3072. Season on the Mat: Dan Gable and the Pursuit of Perfection by Nolan Zavoral. A year in the life of the Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling program ... the 1996-1997 season, Dan Gable's last as head coach. To order from Amazon.com Strobel: Stories From a Life With Wrestling by Jamie Moffatt. Brand-new book about Greg Srobel, three-time Oregon high school state champ, two-time Oregon State NCAA champ (1973, 1974), former Team Foxcatcher coach, and, for 13 years, head coach at Lehigh. Read an InterMat article about the book. -For ordering information, contact Mark Palmer at mark@intermatwrestle.com. Wisconsin Wrestling: 1940-2007 by the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association. A nearly 200-page book, tracing the rich history of amateur wrestling in the state of Wisconsin, in words and photos. -To order, visit http://www.wwca.org/wwca/YearbookCategories.jsp Wrestlers at the Trials by Jamie Moffatt. A fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at how US Olympic wrestling teams have been put together from 1960-1988, in the words of wrestlers who realized their Olympic dreams ... and those who didn't. Read an InterMat article about the book. -For more information or to order, email Mark Palmer at mark@intermatwrestle.com. Wrestling: A Boy's First Book by William Bauer. Not a how-to-wrestle book, but a great introduction to the sport for 7-9 year-olds and their parents who are new to wrestling. Appealing color illustrations. Read an InterMat article about the book. -To order, visit http://www.drwkbauer.com or purchase by emailing the author at YPHD@aol.com. The Wrestling Presidents: From Pins to Patriots. Thirteen of the nation's Presidents have wrestled. This book, produced by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum, tells of the mat exploits of each of these grapplers-in-chief. -To order from the Hall of Fame: https://www.donate.net/donationSelector/basket_add_item.asp?shopper_id=1421583&dept_id=1000&sku=1000102 Wrestling the ABCs by Tom and Veronica Davids. A fun, rhyming ABC book on the sport of amateur wrestling, with illustrations by Robert Lence, who has worked on animated films for Disney and Pixar, and foreword by Dan Gable. -To order, visit http://www.wrestlingtheabcs.com This is just a sample of wrestling books available. For more great wrestling book gift ideas -- including instructional books, conditioning books, historical works, novels, biographies and more -- visit the Amateur Wrestling Bookstore in association with Amazon.com at Tom Fortunato's "The Web's Best of Amateur Wrestling" Web site. Multimedia National Wrestler NCAA championship videos: Now you can own DVDs of the NCAA Division I championship finals from 2009 back through the 1990s, with some selected events of the 1970s and 80s, too. For more information and to order online, visit http://www.nationalwrestler.com Penn State wrestling videos: A huge collection of Nittany Lion wrestling action from the 1940s to more recent times. Among the highlights: 1930s Grantland Rice Sportslight film on PSU wrestling, 1953 NCAAs (hosted by Penn State), EIWA championships from the 1950s, and video of individual PSU mat stars like Kerry McCoy, all which can be put on DVD. For details on what's available, contact Paul Karwacki at Penn State's Paterno Library at ppk107@psu.edu University of Wyoming vintage wrestling videos: Wyoming's American Heritage Center archives has silent films of the 1958 and 1959 NCAA finals, as well as Skyline Conference championship footage from 1954 and 1955, which can be transferred onto DVD. An unmatched opportunity to see old-school college wrestling. For more information, contact archivist John Waggener at Waggener@uwyo.edu Veritas documentary: Compelling film about Jon Trenge, a two-time Pennsylvania high school state champ and NCAA All-American for Lehigh who wears protective eye goggles because he has detached retinas. A behind-the-scenes look at a top wrestler at one of the top college wrestling programs (coached by Greg Strobel at the time). Available for purchase at http://www.veritas-movie.com Vision Quest movie: One of the iconic movies of the 1980s, it's a version of Terry Davis' young adult novel about a Washington State high school wrestler coming to terms with his sport, his father and the older woman who's renting a room at his house. Stars Matthew Modine, future Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker, Linda Fiorentino, and, in one of her first movie roles, Madonna, as a singer in a bar. Available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Vision-Quest-Matthew-Modine/dp/6305161909/ref=pd_bxgy_m_img_b Vision Quest soundtrack: If the music from the 1985 movie doesn't get you fired up, nothing will. Among the classic selections: Only the Young by Journey, Hot Blooded by Foreigner, Lunatic Fringe by Red Rider, Shout to the Top by The Style Council, and two songs by Madonna: Gambler and Crazy for You. Available for purchase at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Vision-Quest-Original-Soundtrack-Picture/dp/B000000OPQ/ref=pd_sim_b_2 Subscriptions Amateur Wrestling News magazine: For over fifty years, AWN has provided timely coverage of high school and college wrestling developments. For more information, visit http://awn.awnonline.com. To subscribe: 1.800.275.8551. The Crossface magazine: Your source for kids, high school, college and senior wrestling in the state of Wisconsin. To subscribe: http://wiwrestling.com/Crossface/indexcrossface.html The Guillotine newsmagazine: For the amateur wrestling community in the state of Minnesota, this is the publication. Covers youth, high school, college and international wrestling. To subscribe: http://www.theguillotine.com/subscrib.html Pennsylvania Wrestling Newsmagazine: Winner of the 2009 NWMA (National Wrestling Media Association) "Publication of the Year", PWN bills itself as "the No. 1 state wrestling publication" for its coverage of junior high, high school and college wrestling in the Keystone State. To subscribe: http://www.gobanana.com/pwn The Predicament magazine: The publication that covers high school and college wrestling in the state of Iowa. Available in a traditional printed form, as well as online, and an "Ultimate Ticket" print/online combination. To subscribe: http://www.thepredicament.com/signup/signup.asp WIN magazine: Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine covers all aspects of amateur wrestling -- youth, high school, college and international -- from coast to coast. For more information, visit http://www.win-magazine.com. To subscribe, visit the Web site or call 1.888.305.0606. Wrestling USA magazine: The magazine that advertises itself as "the voice of schoolboy, high school and college wrestling." Also includes "Where Are They Now?" historical features. For more information, visit http://www.wrestlingusa.com. To subscribe, visit the Web site or call 1.800.359.1850. InterMat Platinum: The amateur wrestling Web site InterMat serves up unique, premium content -- exclusive profiles, one-of-a-kind audio interviews, recruiting information, and more -- available only to InterMat Platinum subscribers. To subscribe: https://intermatwrestle.com/platinum Kolat.com online video subscription: One of the superstars of amateur wrestling in the 1990s, Cary Kolat, has created a Web site with an archive of over 1,200 instructional videoclips, available online by subscription. For more information, visit http://www.kolat.com. To subscribe: http://www.kolat.com/join Technique Wave: From the folks who created the popular amateur wrestling Web site FloWrestling.com, Technique Wave is a constantly growing collection of wrestling technique videos from across the nation from the nation's best coaches and wrestlers, introducing athletes to a wide range of wrestling styles and techniques, available online by subscription only. For more information and to subscribe: http://www.flowrestling.org/technique_wave Welcome surprises ... Heroes of Wrestling II Trading Card Set: Stuff their stocking with this unique trading card set features 36 different wrestlers who have competed over the past 20 years, from A (Ben Askren) to Z (Bill Zadick, Mike Zadick). To order: http://www.wrestlingmuseum.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IWIAMOS&Product_Code=HOWITCS&Category_Code=NI "The Epic of Gilgamesh" Poster. Beautifully illustrated poster, numbered and signed by artist Tadaaki Hatta, 1965 NCAA champ for Oklahoma State, brings to life the oldest piece of literature in the world, about the oldest sport in the world. Written nearly 4500 years ago, it tells the story of a great king named Gilgamesh who wrestles Enkidu, a wild man from the forest. http://www.wrestlingmuseum.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IWIAMOS&Product_Code=TEMOG662&Category_Code=NI Still haven't found what you're looking for? If you're still seeking the perfect gift, here are some other online sources you might check out: Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute & Museum online store has a unbeatable assortment of books, posters, wrestling videos/DVDs, collectibles, wearables, even wrestling gear. http://www.wrestlingmuseum.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc? DanGable.com online store features books, videos, apparel and even autographed items from the legendary Iowa State wrestler, 1972 Olympic gold medalist and Iowa Hawkeye head coach. http://www.dangable.com Cael Sanderson online store has a wide range of merchandise -- wrestling shoes, apparel, accessories, posters, memorabilia, and videos -- hand-selected by Sanderson who was undefeated in college and a 2004 Olympic gold medalist, and is now head coach at Penn State. http://www.caelsanderson.com/store "The Web's Best of Amateur Wrestling" Web site has a heavyweight selection of wrestling books and some DVDs as well. http://www.wrestlingsbest.com/wresbook.html

Tristan Warner

Tervel Dlagnev

Jason Borrelli

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan announced the promotion of Carl Perry to the position of associate head coach on Tuesday. Perry is in his eighth year on the Fighting Illini coaching staff and has helped produce 19 All-Americans and six NCAA finalists during his seven years at Illinois. He brings expertise along with experience, as he was the 2000 NCAA champion at 141 pounds and a two-time All-American. "Carl is a very important member of our staff and is very deserving of this promotion," Heffernan said. "He is integral to all of our efforts from coaching to recruiting to the many administrative duties he performs. I am extremely happy to have him on our staff as we continue to work toward winning Big Ten and NCAA championships." Perry has been instrumental in the success of Illinois' lightweights and middleweights over the past seven seasons, particularly in the development of three-time All-American Mike Poeta and two-time All-American Jimmy Kennedy. He also coordinates team travel and often drills with Illini wrestlers during practice. "It is an honor to be named associate head coach," Perry said. "I'm excited to stay at Illinois, which I have great passion for as an alumnus, and I'm thankful for the support from athletic director Ron Guenther, our administration and Jim Heffernan. I look forward to continuing to help build Illinois wrestling into the perennial national title contender we all believe it can be." Perry was a four-time NCAA qualifier during his wrestling career and compiled a 13-6 career record at the NCAA Championships. He was a two-time team captain and finished his time as an Illini student-athlete in the top 20 of career wins (98) and winning percentage (.748). He also helped the 2000 Illini squad to the best dual winning percentage in school history (.933), as the team was 14-1 in duals that season.

NEW YORK -- Two-time All-American Roman Fleszar has joined the Columbia wrestling coaching staff, head coach Brendan Buckley announced today. "We are very excited to have Roman Fleszar joining our staff," said Buckley, the Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling. "He grew up not too far from Columbia where he won two state titles for Kittatinny High School in New Jersey before he went on to be a two-time NCAA All-American at Hofstra University. We feel Roman has a tremendous amount of knowledge to share with the team." Wrestling at 133 pounds, the Newton, N.J., native was a two-time All-American, placing seventh as a junior and fifth as a senior for the Pride. He was also a three-time East Coast Wrestling Association conference champion. Fleszar arrives to Morningside Heights after coaching at Centenary College for one season. Prior to his stint with the Cyclones, Fleszar worked closely with the Stillwater-Fredon Youth Wrestling Club where he built and aligned a youth program focusing on training and technique. "Roman will serve as a terrific role model and mentor for the young men on our team. We know he will have an immediate impact on our program and are eager for him to begin work immediately," added Buckley. In addition to his two state titles at Kittatinny, Fleszar was a three-time state finalist and Beast of the East Champion as a senior. A 2001 graduate of Hofstra, Fleszar majored in video/television with a minor in art history.

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell wrestling team held its annual intrasquad match Tuesday night in Davis Gym and the two evenly matched teams split 10 individual matches, but a pin by Shane Riccio and a technical fall by Andy Rendos proved to be the difference as the Blue squad defeated the Orange, 21-17. Both teams had four freshmen in their lineups, while the Orange squad had three of the team’s six NCAA qualifiers from last year. Rendos and Riccio were the only two NCAA qualifiers on the Blue team. Freshman Jack Ingram wrestled at both 125 and 133 pounds for the Blue squad. The match started at 133 pounds with senior three-time NCAA qualifier David Marble defeating Ingram by major decision, 19-6. It was the first of three straight victories for Orange, which went up 10-0 early as Zac Hancock and Kevin LeValley followed with wins by decision at 141 and 149. LeValley’s 6-0 win over John Regan was the lone shutout of the match. Brantley Hooks then won the first of five straight bouts for the Blue team. The senior had two takedowns and an escape, while Corey Lear recorded three escapes in his 5-3 loss. Rendos followed with an easy win over Scott Sechler. Rendos, an All-American at 165 pounds last year, posted three near-falls and did not allow Sechler to score a point after the first period. A takedown with 1:27 remaining in the third period staked Rendos to an 18-2 lead and he had a large advantage in riding time as well. At 174 pounds, Riccio pinned Nicholas Czapla in 5:50. Riccio was leading 10-1 at the time of the pin. Rob Waltko won a competitive match at 184 pounds over 2009 NCAA at-large qualifier David Thompson. Waltko was up 4-1 in the first period, but Thompson narrowed the score to 5-4 in the third. A late takedown by Waltko sealed the victory and avenged a 6-3 loss to Thompson in last year’s intrasquad match. The two heaviest weight classes featured a lot of inexperience with three freshmen and one sophomore (Kevin Foley) who wrestled only nine matches last year. Freshman Joe McMullan defeated Foley at 197 pounds by an 18-7 major decision. That victory staked the Blue team to a 21-10 advantage. The heavyweight bout was an even matchup between freshmen Conor Sweeney and Darin Rockwell. The score was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation. Finally, Sweeney scored an escape in the sixth overtime period, giving him a 2-1 decision. The final match of the night was Ingram against Derrik Russell at 125 pounds. Russell posted a 10-2 major decision over Ingram, who had wrestled less than two hours earlier against Marble. Russell scored six points in the third period on two takedowns, one escape and riding time. Bucknell’s season will officially get underway on Sunday, Nov. 15, when the Bison travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., to face North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Bucknell’s first home match will be Nov. 27 when it hosts Iowa and Rutgers in Sojka Pavilion. For tickets to that match, call 570-577-1000. Blue 21, Orange 17 125: Derrik Russell (O) maj. dec. Jack Ingram (B), 10-2 *133: David Marble (O) maj. dec. Jack Ingram (B), 19-6 141: Zac Hancock (O) dec. Adam Healey (B), 8-3 149: Kevin LeValley (O) dec. John Regan (B), 6-0 157: Brantley Hooks (B) dec. Corey Lear (O), 5-3 165: Andy Rendos (B) tech. fall Scott Sechler (O), 19-2 (5:33) 174: Shane Riccio (B) pinned Nicholas Czapla (O), 5:50 184: Rob Waltko (B) dec. David Thompson (O), 7-4 197: Joe McMullan (B) maj. dec. Kevin Foley (O), 18-7 HWT: Conor Sweeney (O) dec. Darin Rockwell (B), 2-1 sv * starting weight

Pat Popolizio

John Hangey

Jason Peters

At first glance, it might have seemed like a foregone conclusion that Evan Knight, a senior at Urbandale High School in Iowa, would end up donning a cardinal and gold Iowa State singlet. After all, his father, Steve Knight, was an All-American for the Cyclones and spent three seasons on the Iowa State coaching staff. His uncle, Dan Knight, was also an All-American for the Cyclones. Three other Iowa high school seniors with Iowa State in their blood, Michael Moreno, Kyven Gadson, and Trevor Voelker, have already announced their intentions to be Cyclones. Evan KnightBut on Tuesday, Knight chose a different path than his father and uncle when he gave a verbal commitment to Rob Koll and the Cornell Big Red. Knight chose Cornell over Iowa State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Arizona State. He projects collegiately at 184 pounds. Knight is a two-time Iowa Class 3A state champion and three-time state finalist. As a freshman, Knight finished runner-up at 152 pounds. He claimed the 160-pound state title as a sophomore. Last season, as a junior, Knight moved up two weight classes and won the state title at 189 pounds. He was a Cadet Nationals freestyle All-American in 2007. "Cornell is unlike any other school," said Knight, who plans to study developmental sociology. "They have a national championship caliber program, unbeatable academics, and the best coaching and workout partners in the country for my weight." Steve Knight and Rob Koll trained together at Team Foxcatcher in the early 90's and developed a lasting friendship. "From the time I was young my dad has been talking about Cornell and Koll's ability as a great coach," said Knight. "My dad believes he is one of the most technical guys in the sport, as a wrestler and as a coach." Knight says that his father, who has national and international success both as a wrestler and coach, was instrumental during the recruiting process. Steve Knight with Iowa State greats Bobby Douglas, Kevin Jackson, Cael Sanderson, and Chris Bono"He was instrumental in the fact that he knows and communicates with numerous college coaches," said Knight. "It's was easy for coaches to contact me because they had a friendship with him and that was cool. That helped me a lot." Cornell is on the brink of landing one of the nation's top recruiting classes. Knight, who is ranked as the No. 50 recruit in the country, becomes the fourth InterMat Top 100 recruit from the Class of 2010 to give a verbal commitment to Cornell, joining No. 3 Chris Villalonga (Blair Academy, NJ), No. 4 Marshall Peppelman (Central Dauphin, PA), and No. 99 Jesse Shanaman (Blair Academy, NJ). "All of those guys happened to be on my visit," said Knight. "They are all tough. It's exciting to know how tough our team could be." Knight credits much of his wrestling success to Excel Wrestling, a nationally-renowned program operated by his father. Evan Knight (Photo/Wyatt Schultz)"Excel Wrestling has definitely developed me into the wrestler I am today," said Knight. "My dad coaching the program has helped me greatly. He has worked with me every day since I was six. Excel has allowed me to work with some of the best technicians in the world through camps and traveling. I have had opportunities to wrestle all through Europe and this summer Japan." Knight's goals for his final season of high school wrestling are to be an undefeated state champion, making the FILA Junior World Team, and win a Junior Nationals title in Fargo. As for college and beyond, Knight has high aspirations and believes that he will be in the perfect environment in accomplish his goals on and off the mat. "There have been many national champions as true freshmen," said Knight. "I think with a lot more preparation I will be ready to get the job done." "I am training to become the very best I can be and I'm looking at a freestyle career after college. I think the coaching staff at Cornell can get me to where I need to be to accomplish all of my goals in wrestling and academically."

Brandon Rolnick of the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey is one of the nation's top high school wrestlers. Rolnick, who is ranked as the No. 27 recruit in the country by InterMat, has won some of the most prestigious high school events, including the Walsh Ironman, Cadet Nationals, and FILA Cadet Nationals. He has placed in the top three at Prep Nationals in each of the past three seasons. This past summer, Rolnick placed third at Junior Nationals in freestyle at 152 pounds. Last Friday, Rolnick gave his verbal commitment to Princeton. InterMat recently caught up with Rolnick. Brandon RolnickWhy was Princeton the best fit for you? Rolnick: For a number of reasons. First of all, growing up in New Jersey and going to Lawrenceville, it's a pretty easy transition. It's a big networking system around here. A lot of my teachers go to Princeton. In terms of wrestling, I know that I will have a lot of support there. It's obviously a great school. I also like the social scene too. I didn't want to make a decision solely based on wrestling when I feel that college is a little bit bigger than that. Another reason is Chris Ayres. I know that he can work wonders with the program. He's a great wrestler and a great coach. I feel like I'll be taken care of at Princeton. There will be critics who say that you will never be able to reach your full potential as a wrestler unless you compete for school ranked in the top 10. How do you respond to people who say that? Rolnick: Obviously, I disagree. If you take a look at Cornell's program, UPenn's program, Harvard's program ... You have guys placing high at NCAAs, if not winning NCAA titles. Coming from a school like Lawrenceville that doesn't even really have a wrestling program, I have made it work here. With Ayres at Princeton, it's not going to be an issue. He's talked about possibly having me take an Olympic year in college to train out at the Olympic Training Center. At Lehigh, he has had so much success, even as an assistant coach, so I have a lot of faith in him. Also, I know the Rider guys really well. I work out there two or three times a week. It's about two blocks away and right down the street from Princeton. I've been going there a few times a week ... and they have been bringing in some of their younger college guys to work out with me. Their volunteer assistant coach, Doug Umbehauer, is also really supportive. I have been working out with him a lot and he does a good job. I don't think I'll really need the supplement, but it's there if I need it. I'm not saying I'm not going to have my growing pains that everyone who goes into college has. Even this year I'm trying to wrestle more college kids. I'm going to the East Stroudsburg Open on November 21. I'm just trying to get acclimated to the college style. They are tougher on top in college. The mat wrestling is going to be my hardest transition. Like I said, I'm going to obviously go through the pains of becoming a college wrestler. We also got a couple kids that can roll around on the mat. I know they are looking to recruit another assistant coach too. Princeton has gotten verbal commitments from a few other wrestlers from the Class of 2010. Have you gotten to know any of them? Rolnick: A little bit. I wrestled with Ryan Callahan at the end of my middle school career ... actually in the state finals. So I've known him. He's a New Jersey guy and our parents talk. Then I met Robert Shepherd, who is from Ohio. I didn't get a chance to talk to him much, but he seemed like a nice kid and that he was really dedicated to the program. Lawrenceville is a boarding school with strong academics. How important was it for you to be at a boarding school with strong academics to prepare for college? Rolnick: It was huge. I have been living away from my parents for four years already. I don't have anyone standing over my shoulder telling me when to do my work, when to go to practice, and when to have fun. I have been dealing with time management on my own for like four years. Freshman year is a lot more strict trying to get used to being able to go to college. They initially have two-hour study halls that are mandatory. And then they get a little bit more relaxed sophomore and junior year. Now, this year ... It's on me to get my work done. If you take a look at my GPA, my freshman year I had like a 2.9. Sophomore year I had like a 3.2 ... and I have just gotten progressively better. Junior year I had like a 3.6 or 3.7, so the system works pretty well. I have learned to deal with academics on my own. College will be a little bit bigger of a step in terms of not really having anyone look after you at all. But in terms of boarding school, I think it was a good thing to do. Blair Academy is the premier wrestling program not only in New Jersey, but also in the country. Did you ever considering attending Blair Academy? Rolnick: Yeah ... actually I got into Blair Academy. My parents were pushing me to go to Blair. I really had a tough time with that decision. Blair is also a boarding school with good academics. But when it came down to it, I just liked Lawrenceville better as a school overall. I talked with one of my club coaches, Ernie Monaco, at Edge Wrestling. He basically said, 'Look, if you stick with us and go to Lawrenceville, you'll still be able to become a great wrestler. If you like Lawrenceville better, you should just go to the school you like most.' I took his advice and worked closely with those guys and with some other club coaches ... and I got it done at a school that I like better and where I felt more comfortable. I also like having a little bit more control over my schedule. I can choose whether or not I want to go to certain tournaments ... and if I need to get the work done, I can take that time off and get the work done at Lawrenceville. I feel like with Buxton, he's going to be a little overbearing ... and I would have to go to all the tournaments he wants me to go to. Obviously, there are exceptions, like if you have SATs, but like I said, I just want to have a little more control over my schedule and take a break when I want to take a break ... and I have that ability at Lawrenceville. Living in New Jersey, have you worked out much in the Blair Academy wrestling room? Rolnick: Oh yeah ... I love the room. The room is great. I work out there probably two or three times a week in the summer. You don't have to think about anything. Buxton works on everything you need to work on. Brandon Rolnick placed third at the 2009 Junior Nationals in freestyle at 152 pounds despite beating finalist Joey Cozart. He scored a 1-0, 4-0 victory over Nebraska recruit Brandon Wilbourn of Missouri in the third-place match (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)Have you decided what you are going to do study at Princeton? Rolnick: No ... I have no idea. I was also looking at UPenn and Harvard. I thought if I went to UPenn, I would want to go to Wharton. I feel like Princeton just had a better liberal arts program. I thought I could take my time and decide what I want to do when I get there. What was the recruiting process like for you? Rolnick: It was bittersweet. I loved going and meeting the teams and the excitement of being in a new school ... and having the choice all over again on what school I wanted to go to. Then again, it was very stressful because of all the SAT prep, everyday speculation about which school is better, which one you think you can get into ... It's overbearing. It's always kind of looming over your head. At the end of the process, it's great to be done and know what school you're going to. But it's also pretty horrible having to call up the coaches and say, 'Look, I know your job is invested in what kind of kids you can get into your school, but I can't come to your school.' During the process, coaches are calling every week and you get to know them all pretty well ... It's really heartbreaking. I guess they are professionals and they deal with that all the time, but it's still tough. You have finished in the top three at Prep Nationals the past three seasons. How important is it to you to get that Prep Nationals title? Rolnick: It's huge. I'm going to be gunning for it hard. I have a lot of people supporting me. I'm going to win it this year. I have to. It's not about winning it as much as going there fully prepared. If I lose, I want to know that I tried my best. The past couple years it has been rough. My best training has come at other schools because there's not much going on at my school. A lot of times it's just a waste of two hours of my life. During the summer, like for Fargo, I'm always well trained because all I have to focus on is wrestling. I have all the time in the world to train. In the winter, it's pretty hard to keep up with the Blair team when I'm not practicing as hard. But this season, I've been working out at Rider, as I've said. And I'm going to be working out with Ayres a little bit too. I have faith that they can get me in the best shape and put me in a position to win it this year. Looking ahead to college, have you pinpointed to what you hope to accomplish on the wrestling? Rolnick: Not exactly. Obviously, everyone wants to win the big tournament at the end of the year. But I feel like I'm going to take it one season at a time. Try to set little goals and then work my way up to the big tournament. I just really want to get better one day at a time ... and stay more focused on wrestling my best, rather than winning and losing, especially the first year. I know that I'm going to suffer more losses than I'm ever used to losing my first year as a true freshman. I want to stay positive. Obviously, I want to win, but I'm more focused on getting better and improving on aspects that are weak.

College wrestling coaches Brad Penrith (UNI), Heath Grimm (Upper Iowa) and Jim Miller (Wartburg) will be radio show guests Wednesday night. Penrith is in his 10th year as the head wrestling coach at University of Northern Iowa. The Panthers had their wrestle-offs last Saturday in the West Gym on the UNI campus and will begin the regular season on Saturday at the Loras College tournament in Dubuque, Iowa. Two of the top returnees for UNI are sophomores Christian Brantley (285) and Trent Washington (141), both NCAA qualifiers last season. Originally from Windsor, New York, Penrith was a three-time NCAA finalist as a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes, including winning the 1986 NCAA title at 126 pounds. He also won a silver medal at the 1991 World Championships. Grimm begins his 10th season as the head wrestling coach at Upper Iowa University and the Peacocks are the only NCAA Division II wrestling team in the state of Iowa. Upper Iowa placed 10th in the nation last year and looks to improve on that performance this season. The Peacocks will be led by All-American seniors Travis Eggers (2nd, 157) and Mitch Norton (5th, 174). Grimm hails from tradition rich Osage, Iowa and he was a two-time NCAA Division III All-American for Luther College in the early 1990s. Upper Iowa will open their season on Saturday at the NIACC Open in Mason City, Iowa. Miller’s Wartburg Knights won the NCAA Division III championship last season, their seventh title in the last 14 years. Wartburg returns three All-Americans from last year’s squad, junior Mark Kist (3rd, 125), junior Matt Kelly (3rd, 133) and junior John Helgerson (3rd, 285). Wartburg has captured the last 17 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships, considered by many as the toughest league in the nation for Division III wrestling. The Knights have also won their last 132 conference dual meets, dating back to 1994. A Waterloo, Iowa native, Miller was a two-time NCAA Division II Champion at 134 pounds for UNI in the mid 1970s where he also placed second and fourth in the NCAA Division I tournament. This is the 19th season Miller has been the head coach at Wartburg. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum and can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show.

Minneapolis -- The University of Minnesota Wrestling team and head coach J Robinson will host a Public Practice on Saturday, Nov. 7. The event is completely free and open to the public, as well as the media. Gopher Wrestling's Public Practice will take place in the gymnasium in the Bierman Field Athletic Building and will begin at 9:00 a.m. There will be plenty of seating for spectators as the new edition of Minnesota Wrestling hits the preseason home-stretch, just a week away from their first competition. The Minnesota football team plays host to Illinois at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, and fans are welcome to come and take in a little wrestling practice before making the short walk down to TCF Bank Stadium. There are still some great seats available for the game, so fans don't miss a chance for a maroon and gold filled Saturday with a preview of Gopher Wrestling followed by Gopher Football action. Minnesota will be looking to return to the top of both the Big Ten and NCAA in 2009-10 led by seniors Jayson Ness (Bloomington, Minn.) and Dustin Schlatter (Massillion, Ohio). The pair will each be gunning for their fourth All-America certificate this season while Ben Berhow (Hayward, Minn.), Zach Sanders (Wabasha, Minn.) and Mike Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) look to return to the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Gophers begin their season on Nov. 14 at the Bison Open in Fargo, N.D. Minnesota's first dual of the season is at home in Williams Arena on Nov. 28 when they host Cal State-Bakersfield. The following week, the Gophers get their first ranked opponent when they visit the sixth-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys.

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt junior wrestler Ryan Tomei has been named the Eastern Wrestling League’s Wrestler of the Week following his dominating performance at the Buffalo Open on Sunday. Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) breezed through five matches en route to the heavyweight title. He opened the tournament with a first-period fall and followed it up with two straight major decisions to advance to the semifinals. In the semis, Tomei claimed an 8-2 win over Jason Weber of Buffalo and a 9-2 finals win over Patrick Gilmore of Maryland for the title. The junior redshirted last season and has returned as possibly the biggest surprise heavyweight in the country. The Wrestler of the Week honor is Tomei’s first of his career. Pitt got off to a strong start on the weekend with 14 wrestlers placing in the Buffalo Open, including three who won their weight class – Dane Johnson at 141, Matt Wilps at 197 and Tomei at 285. The Panthers will host their annual Blue and Gold intersquad match Thursday at 6 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field House

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- Liberty head wrestling coach Jesse Castro has announced the completion of his coaching staff for the 2009-10 season, as Joe Kemmerer has officially joined the three-time defending NCAA East Regional staff as a graduate assistant. Kemmerer comes to Liberty after completing a successful two-year wrestling career at Kutztown, last spring. He was a two-time NCAA Division II national champion at 133 pounds, claiming the title in 2007 and 2009. During last year’s national title event, Kemmerer was tabbed the event’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. Kemmerer finished his days with the Bears' program by compiling an impressive 60-4 record, beginning with a 32-2 mark during the 2006-07 season. After redshirting during the following season, he returned to the mats for Kutztown for the 2008-09 campaign. During his senior season, he became the program’s first Pennsylvania State Athletics Conference (PSAC) champion since 1942, before capturing his second national title. He finished off his collegiate career with a 28-1 record as a senior. Kemmerer began his collegiate wrestling career at UNC Greensboro, where he posted a 31-7 record as a freshman at 125 pounds and was a national qualifier. His cumulative collegiate wrestling record was 91-11 (89.2 winning percentage). Prior to his collegiate career, which allowed him to earn a bachelor of science in psychology from Kutztown, Kemmerer wrestled at Crestwood High School in Mountaintop, Pa. During his prep career, he was a 2004 AAA state champion and finished with a perfect 32-0 record at 119 pounds as a senior. He was selected to represent the state of Pennsylvania against the United States All-Stars at the 2004 Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic. He won at a 93.5 percent clip in high school, posting a 101-7 record with the Comets. Kemmerer joins two other newcomers to Castro’s wrestling coaching staff, as assistant coach Joe Pantaleo and volunteer assistant coach Allen Hackmann are also in their first year with the program.

Steve Martin

J Robinson

Zach Zimmer

Tammy Tedesco

C.D. Mock

Dorian Spradlin

Jeff Beshey

Spencer Fisher