InterMat Staff

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

The participants for the 44th NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by the Wrestling Alumni – College of William & Mary are selected and ready to compete November 22, 2009 at Titan Gym on the campus of California State Fullerton. William & Mary had their first and only ever All-Star participant in 1975, when Mark Belknap defeated Jim Miller of Northern Iowa. This year they are pledging their support to help other Universities like California State Fullerton keep the dream alive and allow young athletes to keep competing well into the future. Notably joining the ranks in 2009 with their first ever NWCA All-Star participants are: Kyle Borschoff (149) of American University, Andrew Rendos (165) of Bucknell University, and Josh Patterson (184) of Binghamton University. These three programs are no strangers to adversity, both Bucknell and Binghamton were both programs that were dropped and due to diligence of alumni were reinstated. American also fell on some tough times as the program was being evaluated with the potential to be eliminated. Over the past few years these three programs have been on the rise with National Champions, All-Americans, All-Academic Team Members and more importantly support behind their programs. In the numbers game Oklahoma State has had the most participants in the forty-four year history of the event with 81. Iowa comes in closely behind with 74 and Iowa State with 69. Matt Moley of Bloomsburg will join other Huskies of the past as the seventh Bloomsburg wrestler to compete in the event, the last being Dave Morgan in 1989. Chris Henrich, will be the third University of Virginia wrestler in the event. He is preceded by his current coaches, Steve Garland (2000) and Scott Moore (2004). At 197 pounds there is a rematch from the 2009 NCAA Finals between returning National Champion Jake Varner of Iowa State and Craig Brester of Nebraska. Joining Varner as returning National Champions this year are Nebraska's Jordan Burroughs (157) and Missouri's Mark Ellis (285). As the 2009 NWCA All-Star Classic travels to Fullerton, California, it is with one greater goal in mind to support collegiate wrestling at every level in every state. Cal State Fullerton must raise $200,000 in funds by April 2010 and $200,000 in pledges by August 2010 to survive. From past experiences Kirk Hankla, wrestling alumni from William & Mary knows that, "It is much harder to start or re-start a wrestling program than to save one that is still in existence. When wrestling was dropped at William & Mary, a knife of sorts was driven in to the cores of our souls; it twists each time another wrestling program is dropped. Given what wrestling has meant to us, we have resolved that we will do what we can to see that the mistake which was perpetrated by the College of William & Mary is not repeated again and again. We hope that you will join us, a group of former collegiate wrestlers that attended a university on the other side of the country, to save wrestling at Cal State Fullerton." This year's featured bouts will have representatives from other California Universities including: Cal State Bakersfield, Cal Baptist University (NAIA), Cal State Fullerton, and Stanford. 2009 NWCA All-Star Classic Competitors 125: No. 2 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) vs. No. 4 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) 133: No. 4 Steve Bell (Maryland) vs. No. 5 Daniel Dennis (Iowa) 141: No. 2 Nick Gallick (Iowa State) vs. No. 3 Alex Krom (Maryland) 149: No. 2 Lance Palmer (Ohio State) vs. No. 5 Kyle Borshoff (American) 157: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) vs. No. 2 Matt Moley (Bloomsburg) 165 :No. 4 Jonathan Reader (Iowa State) vs. No. 6 Andrew Rendos (Bucknell) 174: No. 2 Chris Henrich (Virginia) vs. No. 7 Stephen Dwyer (Nebraska) 184: No. 4 Max Askren (Missouri) vs. No. 5 Josh Patterson (Binghamton) 197: No. 1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) vs. No. 2 Craig Brester (Nebraska) 285: No. 1 Mark Ellis (Missouri) vs. No. 5 David Zabriskie (Iowa State) Featured Bouts: 141: Adin Duenas (Cal State Fullerton) vs. Elijah Nacita (Cal State Bakersfield) 184: Zach Giesen (Stanford) vs. Enoch Francois (Cal Baptist University) 197: John Drake (Cal State Fullerton) vs. Riley Orozco (Cal State Bakersfield) The 44th Annual NWCA All-Star Classic will take place on Sunday, November 22, 2009, at 2 p.m. on the campus of California State Fullerton in Titan Gym. Tickets can be purchased through TicketLeap: http://savefullertonwrestling.ticketleap.com.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The University of Northern Iowa opened the 2009-10 wrestling season with the annual intrasquad wrestle-offs Saturday in the West Gym. "We wrestled very well today," UNI head coach Brad Penrith said. "This is our first time competing this year and I'm very happy with our guy's performance. They were very aggressive and competitive. Our freshmen wrestled very well. They are a group of guys that compete. Those guys aren't afraid to wrestle, and we definitely saw that today." Caleb Flores won a 13-6 decision over Grant Sutter at the 125-pound weight class. "Caleb really performed well today," Penrith said. "He was attacking late into the third period which I was very happy to see." Freshman Joey Lazor topped Jake Demmon 9-3 and then came back to pin sophomore Steven Fitzgerald in 6:41 at the 133-pound weight class. Jamal Lawrence topped Aaron Senzee 8-2 and then returned to the mat to top Charlie Ettelson 15-13 in an action-packed match at the 149-pound class. "Jamal also had a very good day," Penrith said. "He kept wrestling and didn't stop moving. Charlie came back at him and gave him a big challenge but he came out of it and then came out with the win." True freshman Brice Wolf topped senior Scott Hazen 9-5, but later fell to Jarion Beets 11-6 at 165 pounds. Trent Washington scored an 11-5 decision over Alec Hoffman at 141 pounds. "Trent scored 10 points in two periods," Penrith said. "We need him to wrestle like that. He attacked and was very aggressive, which is what I like to see." Another true freshman, Ryan Loder, scored a big win over an upperclassman as Loder topped Andy O'Loughlin 7-2 at 184 pounds. At the heavyweight slot, Christian Brantley topped Blayne Beale 9-5. "Christian continued to attack throughout the match," Penrith said. "That was good to see." "Overall I'm very pleased with our performance," Penrith said. "We still need to work on some things and stay concentrated and keep doing the right things. We're just excited to get rolling." The Panthers will open the regular season Nov. 14 at the Northwestern Duals. The Panthers will face Eastern Michigan, Purdue and Stanford. UNI Intra-Squad Wrestle-Off Results: 125 Sutter dec. Jauch, 7-0 133 Lazor dec. Demmon, 9-3 149 Ettelson dec. Zempel, 8-2 149 Lawrence dec. Senzee, 8-2 174 Wolf dec. Hazen, 9-5 174 Beets dec. Simon, 9-5 141 Washington dec. Hoffman, 11-5 157 Reiner dec. Robbins, 8-6 184 Loder dec. O'Loughlin, 7-2 285 Brantley dec. Beale, 9-5 125 Flores dec. Sutter, 13-6 133 Lazor pinned Fitzgerald, 6:41 149 Lawrence dec. Ettelson 15-13 165 Beets dec. Wolf 11-6

NORFOLK, Va. -- Brothers James and John Nicholson led the way with a pair of major decisions at the annual Blue/Silver Intersquad Sunday evening, kicking off the 2009-10 wrestling season. Junior James Nicholson (Des Moines, Iowa), a two-time CAA Champion at 125-pounds, defeated freshman Eric Dunnet (Pine Hill, N.J.), 18-6. Dunnet had beaten redshirt freshman Joshua Gillis earlier in the evening, 3-0. Freshman John Nicholson (Des Moines, Iowa) put together an impressive performance, topping redshirt freshman Louis Johnson, 22-8, at 149-pounds. "Overall the team looked pretty good considering it's so early in the year," said Monarch head coach Steve Martin. "The kids wrestled hard and never backed down. The freshmen really pushed our seniors and that competition within our own team will only help us in the long run." Another impressive performance came from sophomore Joseph Budi (Appleton, Wis.) at 184-pounds. Budi, who picked up a pair of victories at the CAA Tournament last year, topped freshman Billy Curling 7-2 and ended the bout with a 4:22 advantage in riding time. Senior Kyle Hutter (Mokena, Ill.) also looked good at 133-pounts, topping one of ODU's top recruits, Justin LaValle. Hutter, a two-time NCAA qualifier, won the bout 8-2. Junior Dan Rivera (Winter Springs, Fla.) was the only other upperclassmen to pick up a win, upending redshirt junior Derek Gallagher, 4-2. Redshirt freshmen Craig Wilson and Michael Chapman both won their matches, while true freshmen Victor Njomo, Chad Lowman and Joey Sheridan all won bouts. The wrestling Monarchs will next compete at the Hokie Open on Sunday, Nov. 8. Final Results: Match 1 (125) Dunnet dec Gillis, 3-0 Match 2 (HWT) Njomo dec Burbank, 2-1 Match 3 (133) Hutter dec LaValle, 8-2 Match 4 (141) Wilson dec Brumley, 7-2 Match 5 (149) Jo. Nicholson maj dec Johnson, 22-8 Match 6 (149) Lowman dec Watkins, 4-0 Match 7 (157) Sheridan dec Brunke, 9-2 Match 8 (157) Rivera dec Gallagher, 4-2 Match 9 (184) Budi dec Curling, 7-2 Match 10 (125) Ja. Nicholson maj dec Dunnet, 18-6 Match 11 (HWT) Chapman dec Njomo, 4-0

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University of Maryland wrestling team opened the 2009-10 season Sunday at the Buffalo Open, with four Terps taking home individual titles. While no team scores were kept, seven Terps reached the finals of their respective weight divisions, with James Knox (125), No. 4 Steven Bell (133), Kyle John (157) and No. 4 Mike Letts (174) winning titles. "It was a good weekend," said head coach Kerry McCoy. "We saw some areas we need to continue to work on, so we'll give these guys a few days of rest before getting back to the drawing board and beginning preparations for our next matches." Knox ran through the competition at 125 pounds, winning five straight decisions to claim the title. Bell, wrestling unattached, picked up major decisions in the quarter and semifinals before earning a 7-2 decision over Kevin Smith of Buffalo in the championship match at 133 pounds. Mookie Golden went 4-2 on the day, including a 16-0 tech fall 4:13 into his opening match, to finish fifth at 133. At 141, Matt Bogusz took home third place. Bogusz won his first match by pin 2:20 in, rebounding to win two matches after a semifinal loss to Dane Johnson of Pittsburgh. Jon Kohler won four straight matches before falling 10-7 to Desmond Green of Buffalo in the finals at 149. The Terps got their third title of the day at 157 pounds, as sophomore Kyle John went 4-0 with a 7-2 decision over Andy Lamancusa of Merchurst in the championship match. Maryland took home second and third place in the 165 pound division. Josh Asper went 4-1 with two major decisions to take second place, and freshman Jimmy Sheptock won his first three matches before falling in the semifinals and eventually taking third. At 174, Letts opened with a pin in 3:07, and then won four more matches to earn the title. Bradley Nielson and Christian Boley finished fourth at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively, for the Terps. At heavyweight, Patrick Gilmore opened with an 11-2 major decision before earning a 19-3 tech fall in 6:58 in the second round. Gilmore won two more matches before falling 9-2 in the final to earn second place. Other Maryland competitors included: Tommy Sitar, Owen Duffy, Danny O'Malley, Joey Boone, Brian Osorio, Domenic DeRobertis, Danny Orem, Justin Cash, Andrik Cruz, Steven Gamble, Owen Smith, Dallas Brown, Ty Snook, and Ryan Gray. The Terps return to College Park for their home opener, with dual matches scheduled against Drexel at 2:00 p.m. and York at 4:00 p.m. on Nov. 7.

Columbia, Mo. -- For the fourth straight year, the Gold Team walked away with the win, 21-12, at the annual preseason Black and Gold Wrestle-Offs held in the Hearnes Center. Seven wrestlers donning gold singlets earned victories in their matches, while three, including 2009 heavyweight national champion Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.), won while representing the Black Team. “Our wrestlers looked good and aggressive today,” Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith said. “I’m pleased with how they competed. We’ll go back to the practice room and work on certain areas that need improvement and begin focusing on our first dual opponent, Illinois.” The afternoon opened with an exhibition match featuring true freshman Kyle Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo.) and redshirt freshman Cody Farinella (Maryland Heights, Mo.) at 141 pounds. Wisdom came out strong, earning a win by major decision, 14-2. True freshman Brad Wisdom (Farmington, Mo.) took a 5-2 win over sophomore Troy Dolan (Blairsville, Pa.) at 125 pounds, giving the Gold Team its first points of the day. The two Tiger grapplers were scoreless through the first period and Wisdom chose down to start the second, escaping in 43 seconds. Wisdom managed two takedowns in the third period to hold off Dolan for the win. Competing at 141 pounds, junior Todd Schavrien (Poway, Calif.) won his match against Nicholas Hucke (Pewaukee, Wis.) by way of 7-1 decision. Schavrien got off to a fast start, scoring two takedowns and allowing Hucke only one escape in the first three minutes of action. Choosing down to start the second, Schavrien escaped and took down Hucke adding to his pint total and holding on for the win. The Black Team received its first points of the dual on Patrick Wright’s (Grand Ledge, Mich.) 2-0 shutout of teammate Nick Gregoris (Mebane, N.C.). After a scoreless first period, Wright was cautioned twice in the second for false starts. Wright rode out (1:57) Gregoris and escaped in the third for the two point decision. In one of three matches featuring true freshmen, two-time All-American Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) bested Zach Toal (Sidney, Ohio), 8-2, at 165 pounds. Toal entered the meet after claiming the Lindenwood Open title Friday evening. 2009 NCAA qualifier Dorian Henderson (Columbus, Ga.) added points for the Gold Team with his 3-2 win over Todd Porter (House Springs, Mo.). The match was one of five on the day decided by two or fewer points. Two-time All-American Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) made his first appearance of the season at 184 pounds. Battling with true freshman Weston Keleher (Moberly, Mo.), Askren tallied 11 points through one takedown and three nearfalls, before pinning Keleher. The match ended in 2:30. The heavyweight battle paired Ellis against Junior World Champion Dominique Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo.). A back-and-forth match, Ellis claimed the 2-0 win, scoring first on an escape in the second period and adding one point for 1:54 of riding time. Missouri will open its season Thursday, Nov. 12, at 6:30 p.m. (CT) against border opponent Illinois. The home match is one of five duals that will be held in the Hearnes Center this season. Exhibition Match 141 Kyle Bradley (Gold) major decision Cody Farinella (Black): 14-2 Wt. Wrestler vs. Wrestler Black Gold 125 Brad Wisdom (Gold) decision Troy Dolan (Black): 5-2 0 3 133 Nathan McCormick (Gold) decision Taylor Crane (Black): 3-1 0 6 141 Todd Schavrien (Gold) decision Nick Hucke (Black): 7-1 0 9 149 Brandon Wiest (Gold) decision Scott O’Donnell (Black): 3-1 OT 0 12 157 Patrick Wright (Black) decision Nick Gregoris (Gold): 2-0 3 12 165 Nicholas Marable (Gold) decision Zach Toal (Black): 8-2 3 15 174 Dorian Henderson (Gold) decision Todd Porter (Black): 3-2 3 18 184 Maxwell Askren (Black) fall Weston Keleher (Gold): 2:30 9 18 197 Brent Haynes (Gold) decision Jake Glore (Black): 9-2 9 21 HWT Mark Ellis (Black) decision Dominique Bradley (Gold): 2-0 12 21

Four-time Colorado state wrestling champion Tyler Graff is preparing for his first official season with the Wisconsin Badgers in 2009-10. Last season he took a redshirt year to fine-tune his wrestling and prepare for the next four years. Graff has had success nationally and internationally and is prepared for his indoctrination into Big Ten wrestling. After compiling a 162-1 record in high school, Graff, who will compete at 133 pounds, is one of those guys who relishes everything about the sport and if past experience shows the wrestling world anything, will continue to thrive and enjoy every moment -- as long as Graff can. Tyler GraffGraff's wrestling career started largely because his parents wanted him to be involved in sports and knew he needed an outlet for his childhood energies. "My dad brought me to a wrestling room when I was seven years old," said Graff. "I guess I was always an aggressive kid and I liked it right away just because I was able to grab people and wrestle people. The coaches just taught me from there." Even if he couldn't foresee the success he was going to have, Graff knew right away wrestling was something he was going to enjoy for as long as he could. "I enjoyed it a lot," said Graff. "I enjoyed going to practice and wrestling and competing and stuff. It was fun right from the start." Before long Graff got involved in national tournaments and started to have success at that level. "When I was 10 or 11, I entered some of the little kid competitions and national competitions," recalled Graff. "I was doing well in those and it improved my confidence. The coaches I was around, some of them were Olympic gold medalists. Hearing their stories got me thinking 'I'd like to be like that.'" In order to be like that, he had to enjoy the grind. He continued to grow in all aspects of the sport and found that he enjoyed the less glamorous aspects of wrestling. That desire to get better had to come from within, but it was fueled by some of his early coaches. Tyler Graff (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)"Hearing some of my coaches talk about some of the prices you have to pay to win," said Graff, "like do your best, it is not always fun -- a better word would be it's not always comfortable -- but you should enjoy it because you've got to think of it as an adventure or as a way to accomplish your goals." Partially because of how much he enjoyed it, he took to the coaching he received completely and in turn developed a style that is hard to pin down. "I couldn't necessarily say I am good at any one thing," said Graff. "I like to think I am good everywhere." Unable to come up with a portion of his wrestling style that he would consider a strength, he commented on a part of wrestling that, although he might not say it, can only lead to success. "I just enjoy the challenge," said Graff. "I like everything about it. Whether it is training, preparation, weight management, performing, everything. I enjoy it all and it is never a duty or something I feel I have to do. It is a privilege." His preparation and his approach on the mat are two of the reasons he has been so tough to beat. "I feel I can't really force anything," said Graff. "If I really had to push to put pressure on a guy I feel like I would have to get a really good setup, get him off balance and make them come to me in some way. I find ways to get my offense off -- you can't really force anything. I see what is there and I take it." He developed that style of wrestling over time. "I wasn't always like that," said Graff. "At some points I was one dimensional in some areas, but I think just as the years have gone on and being around a lot of different coaches and learning from other people I have just been able to absorb their styles and taking what is good for me and what works." Tyler Graff defeated NCAA champion Franklin Gomez of Michigan State at the 2009 U.S. Nationals (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)That approach helped him to one of the most successful high school careers in Colorado. His one loss came during his freshman year. The expectations and pressure that might have come with such a long winning streak might have worn down Graff, but instead he thrived on it. "I didn't feel any pressure whatsoever," said InterMat's No. 10-ranked 133-pounder. "I thought of every day and every match as an opportunity and that is the main goal, improvement, the bigger picture and taking it one day at a time." Before he wrestled at the collegiate level, he was able to compete internationally. He placed second in the 2007 Junior Pan-American Games and was a two-time member of the Junior World Team (2007 and 2008). "Those experiences were really good and they really motivated me," said Graff. "Even though they didn't quite go the way I wanted them to. I was disappointed, but I came away with things to work on, things I can improve on. I was more hungry after I left." After his experiences internationally and after doing everything he could possibly do as a Loveland Colorado high school wrestler, he was one of the most sought after wrestlers in the 2008 recruiting class. "I was looking at a few schools," said Graff. "Wisconsin was always one I would keep in mind because a buddy of mine, Tommy Clum, came here. He was a two-time All-American and he was one of the guys I looked up to when I was in the Excel wrestling program (in Colorado). He would be at the camps and he kind of told me one time that he thought Coach (Barry) Davis and I would get along and thought alike. I believed him, but it was a lot different when I actually met Barry for the first time. When I first got here I met the coaches, saw the (wrestling) room, saw the guys and I was pretty much sold right there." "His work ethic was perfect for the sport of wrestling," said Davis. "There are not a lot of kids that you know about that know the history of wrestling. He knows guys back in the 80's. He is a historian in that way and I think that really caught my eyes as well." Graff and Coach Davis elaborated on what they had in common. Barry Davis"We both had a relentless mentality," said Graff. "Like a dictating mentality that they've got. I agree with it 100 percent. I believe in dominating on and off the mat, in practice -- everything. That personality alone got my attention." "It's all about work ethic and what you have to do to be a good wrestler," said Davis. "Spending the time in the (wrestling) room to not only get better in the sport, but figuring it out your opponents, watching them on film and ways to attack. Finding ways to not only beat your opponent physically, but how to beat them mentally. Right away we connected with Ty. When we talk, we talk at a high level at a real in-depth place about the sport. With him knowing so much about wrestling and being an historian we can talk about that stuff." Last season Graff took a redshirt year and compiled a record of 18-2 as a redshirt. This year he will be in the mix from day one, but he used last year to fine-tune his entire game. "Most of it was done in the (wrestling) room," said Graff. "A lot of it was technical and mental. Basically I matured as a wrestler -- not making mistakes I made in high school or being more composed in situations and knowing how to wrestle in all areas." Graff made sure he put in plenty of time in the wrestling room -- a fact his coaches noticed during his first year. Coach Davis said that Graff is the kind of guy who is always taking notes and is always the last guy out of the wrestling room. This year Coach Davis has a clear vision for Graff -- and all his wrestlers. Tyler Graff (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)"My thing is in every match you lay it on the line and that makes inroads to get better come March," said Davis. "Don't worry about going undefeated. Just worry about wrestling ... and winning and losing will take care of itself. If you go out and compete like that, you will make bigger strides than worrying about winning and losing and saying 'this is my goal, if I just win I will keep my goal'. No, you achieve your goal by going on the mat, competing, letting it loose on the mat and that will show you were you are at. Throughout the season it will make you better because you are not afraid to make mistakes. You will build much quicker that way." This season Graff dives into the grind of a Big Ten season and will be facing some of the best wrestlers in the nation right off the bat. Regardless of how his freshman season shapes up, with his love for the preparation and Coach Davis' vision to build toward March, Graff will get better and better during his freshman campaign and throughout his time in Madison. Taking into account his desire to continue to wrestle internationally after his time as a Badger is up, Graff will continue to compete, train and enjoy every moment -- as long as he can.