InterMat Staff

Oregon high school state champion. Two-time NCAA champion from Oregon State. Administrator at USA Wrestling. Coach Team Foxcatcher. Head coach at Lehigh. All of these describe Greg Strobel's long-time involvement in wrestling. However, even the most obsessive wrestling fans may not know about other aspects of Strobel's life as a devoted husband and father to two daughters, an avid fly fisherman, passionate about precision woodworking, and, since July 2008, Assistant Athletic Director for External Relations at Lehigh. The multiple dimensions of Greg Strobel's life and career are now revealed in Strobel: Stories From a Life With Wrestling, a brand-new 175-page book from Jamie Moffatt, produced by Exit Zero Publishing, Inc. This is Moffatt's third wrestling book. Two years ago, he wrote Wrestlers at the Trials, sharing the stories of wrestlers fighting for spots on U.S. Olympic teams from 1960-1988; in 2003, Moffatt teamed up with Roger Olesen on A Turning Point, which provided a fascinating look at the 1953 NCAAs at Penn State and the champs crowned there. With Strobel, Moffatt continues a thread established by his previous works -- providing a rather personal, you-are-there journey through wrestling history -- by telling the story of one man immersed in wrestling from an early age, in his own voice. Meet Greg Strobel Greg Strobel)Gregory Oscar Strobel was born in Montana on August 17, 1952, the fourth son of eight children. He was introduced to wrestling by his brothers ... but truly came into his own in the sport at Scappoose High School in Oregon, where he won three state titles (1968-1970). After turning down an offer from Oklahoma State to wrestle, Strobel chose Oregon State, where he competed for long-time coach Dale Thomas (who had been a member of the legendary Cornell College of Iowa wrestling team that won the 1947 NCAA team title). As a Beaver, Strobel was 126-8-1, for an incredible .940 winning percentage. He was a three-time NCAA All-American, three-time Pacific 8 (now Pac-10) Conference champ, and a two-time NCAA champ at 190 pounds in 1973-1974, winning Outstanding Wrestler honors at the 1973 national championships. After earning his Master's degree from Oregon State, Greg Strobel spent three years as a coach at Roseburg High in Oregon ... then returned to the Corvallis school to serve as an assistant coach for Dale Thomas, with the hope of replacing the long-serving coach upon retirement. However, when Thomas revealed he had no intentions of leaving the coaching job anytime soon, Strobel headed to Stillwater, Oklahoma to work at the then-headquarters of USA Wrestling. As National Teams Director for eight years, Strobel saw the world by attending international wrestling events ... and witnessed an endless parade of bosses. In 1991, Strobel was hired by John duPont as head coach at his Foxcatcher Farms facility outside Philadelphia. In 1995, Strobel got back into the college wrestling world by being hired as head coach at Lehigh University. The birth of a book When asked why he wrote a book on Greg Strobel, Jamie Moffatt cited Strobel's diverse wrestling resume: "His career covers so much ground -- an impressive high school career, wrestling for Dale Thomas at Oregon State, his involvement with USA Wrestling and Foxcatcher, and then Lehigh. I figured he must have so many great stories." Jamie Moffatt"I approached him in April or May of 2008 at the New York Athletic Club. I kind of knew him from my being an alum of Cornell University and seeing him at dual meets, EIWA championships and NCAAs. I put a bug in his ear about doing a biography. Two days later, he emailed me, saying ... 'I think you've got a great idea' and we started work." "We just started working together. There were no issues, no discussions about how things would be done. Greg is a very trusting person." "We had lots of interviews," Moffatt continued. "I have 28 tapes from talking to Greg." Most of the interviews were conducted in person at Lehigh, which is about three hours from Moffatt's home in southern New Jersey. "As I finished writing a section, I'd send it to him for him to correct any errors. If there was anything questionable or objectionable, we'd talk about it." Strobel speaks One of the more appealing aspects of Strobel is that it is written in the coach's voice, more like a memoir than a traditional biography. Brief interviews with other key individuals in his life -- including his wife Donna, their daughters, as well as wrestlers and friends -- are sprinkled throughout where appropriate. Greg StrobelWhy did Jamie Moffatt choose a first-person narrative style for the book on Greg Strobel? "He has an incredible memory. He could easily remember things from 20, 30, 40 years ago." "I really got lucky in terms of his ability to remember things, and his way of telling engaging stories." "For each interview session, I'd drive up to Lehigh in the morning, then spend 1 to three hours with him in person. He'd start talking wherever we were -- in his office, in the wrestling room -- and really let his hair down." "We even roomed together to Stillwater for the 2009 induction ceremonies at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame." "As I started writing, I had to decide what might readers might be interested in reading about," disclosed Moffatt. "A lot of good stuff was left in the editing room." Even the photos provide additional insight into who Greg Strobel is. Unlike most coaches' biographies that having nothing but pictures of their subject at work in the practice room or yelling from the sidelines, Strobel shares photos from Donna and Greg's scrapbooks, so there are plenty of images of Greg with his family ... sharing good times with friends ... or in solitary pursuits such as fly fishing. What makes Strobel special Jamie Moffatt described Greg Strobel as a "really solid guy. Extremely disciplined. A good thinker, very analytical." "He truly looked out for his wrestlers, both in terms of athletics, and academics" Greg StrobelIn the section of the book devoted to Strobel's 13 seasons as head coach at Lehigh, he demonstrated his concern for his wrestlers that went beyond teaching technique. For example, he encouraged his athletes to develop interests and skills they could use in the real world, such as public speaking, or taking up golf. "In college, it's hard for a student to find a mentor," said Moffatt. "Strobel filled that important role for a number of individuals." That level of care and concern extended to his own family. "Greg's always had very demanding jobs, requiring long hours, lots of travel, time spent away from home. He never lost touch with his family. He would bring them on overseas wrestling trips whenever possible, and include 'family time' away from the event, for sightseeing or relaxing ... He made the girls part of the wrestling room at Lehigh, where they served as team managers. They reveled in these experiences, with warm memories of time spent with wrestling greats like John Smith, Dave Schultz, Bruce Baumgartner." Another positive attribute of Strobel that Moffatt discovered in writing the book: "Greg is always looking at the big picture of wrestling. He has a different approach to the sport that goes beyond his own program. A broader vision, looking out for the overall success of the sport. He was actively involved in serving on committees for EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association), NCAA, USA Wrestling." One for the fans You don't have to be an Oregon State or Lehigh fan to enjoy reading Strobel: Stories From a Life With Wrestling. The book should appeal to anyone who wants to get to know more about all aspects about amateur wrestling, and one of the top wrestlers and coaches of the past 40 years. "I believe that wrestling fans who read the book will appreciate some insights about coaching -- could be any D1 sport -- that are not usually revealed," said Moffatt. "I think Greg does a great job of taking the reader behind the scenes with his stories in areas like the process of awarding coveted scholarships; the thinking behind making up the season schedule; the value of scouting reports on opponents -- key to some huge Lehigh individual NCAA victories; the handling of bad behavior and locker room lawyers' (how Strobel referred to guys who tried to subvert his efforts to build a unified team), and the whole recruiting process and how a team is built." "I think the reader will find things of interest beyond the headlines, stats and won-loss records that will add value to his or her understanding of the sport." To learn more about Strobel: Stories From a Life With Wrestling -- or to purchase a copy -- contact InterMat's Mark Palmer (mark@intermatwrestle.com) and he'll forward your request to book author Jamie Moffatt.

Greg Amos

John Trudgeon

Phil Davis

Bobby Telford

Chad Dubin

Mark Branch

Mel Hughes

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The West Virginia University wrestling team will conduct a free clinic for coaches and wrestlers, with donations encouraged, on Nov. 1, to benefit WVU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics employee Cindy Smith, and her husband, Sam, who suffered two strokes in August 2009. The clinic, which will run from noon until 4 p.m., will be held in the WVU wrestling room. The clinic will feature six instructors, including world-renowned Cary Kolat, who was a four-time NCAA All-American, two-time NCAA champion and a three-time World Cup medalist. WVU assistant coaches Greg Jones, a three-time NCAA champion, and Danny Felix, a member of the 2009 U.S. World Team and a three-time Pac-10 champion, also will be at the clinic. The other three instructors are: Jim Akerly (All-American in 1987), Drew Headlee (All-American in 2005) and Mark McKnight (All-American in 2008). "She and her family are going through a very challenging time and it's something that immediately came to us," Turnbull adds. "We wanted to try and help in some way because she's been a long-time employee and a long-time supporter. She has done wonderful work with the wrestling program. When someone else needed help, she would be first in line. The wrestling team would like to provide some support for her and her family while they go through this difficult time." Pre-registration is strongly encouraged, but all walk-ups are welcome to participate. In order to help the Smiths, 100 percent of all donations received will go directly to the family to help manage medical costs and the loss of income. "Her original employment at the university began with the wrestling program," coach Craig Turnbull says. "The wrestling program has been associated with Cindy and her work for quite a period of time. She's done almost every aspect of work-related activity on the administrative side for the wrestling program and she's done it very well. Cindy is one of those people who is always willing to help, always extends herself and is very pleasant and enjoyable to work with." For more information regarding the wrestling clinic, please visit MSNsportsNET.com and click wrestling, or contact assistant coach Greg Jones at (304) 293-9872 or Greg.Jones@mail.wvu.edu.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The No. 15 Indiana University wrestling team held the 2009 intrasquad scrimmage Tuesday evening with nine matches on the docket, including 2008 National Champion Angel Escobedo in action. An exhibition heavyweight match started the night, pitting junior Joe Fagiano versus true freshman Jowan Gill. Fagiano, a likely redshirt for the 2009-10 season, made quick work of Gill, pinning him in 1:50. 149 LBS. -- r-Junior Alex Warren vs. Freshman Anthony Fretwell Warren jumped ahead 9-0 following the first period with a takedown and seven near-fall points. He then quickly recorded a reversal and two more near-falls to notch a 16-0 tech fall in the second period. Warren ran a very effective tilt to earn the majority of his back points. 141 LBS. -- r-Freshman Danny Monaco vs. r-Freshman Nick Viterisi After a scoreless opening period, Viterisi took a 1-0 advantage with an escape from his starting bottom position. Monaco quickly matched his escape in the final period before posting the only takedown of the match and going ahead 3-1. Viterisi would escapedonce again but fail to take down Monaco, dropping the match, 3-2. 133 LBS. -- r-Sophomore Matt Ortega vs. r-Freshman Geno Capezio Ortega tallied three takedowns in this contest, one in each period. He also added an escape while Capezio failed to score any offensive points. In the end it was Ortega coming out on top, 7-5. 174 LBS. -- r-Senior Trevor Perry vs. Freshman Bryce Grimes Perry controlled the pace from the get-go against Grimes, taking him down twice in the first period and five times for the match. Add-in an escape and riding time point for Perry, leading to a 12-3 victory for the three-time NCAA Qualifier. 165 LBS. -- r-Junior Paul Young vs. Freshman Ryan LeBlanc LeBlanc gave Young all he could handle in the 165-pound bout. LeBlanc, a top-50 recruit nationally, was the first to light the scoreboard with a first-period takedown on the edge of the mat. Young escaped from LeBlanc's grasp and tallied a takedown of his own, however, before the period came to an end. The two then exchanged escapes in the final two periods, resulting in a 4-3 winner for Young. HEAVYWEIGHT -- Senior Nate Everhart vs. Senior Justin Kuhn Everhart owned a 3-0 edge after two periods. Kuhn chose to start down in the final period and escaped after a long ride by the two-time NCAA Qualifier. Everhart then regained the top position once again and rode Kuhn out for the remainder of the period, grabbing a riding time point as well as the 6-1 win. 125 LBS. -- r-Senior Angel Escobedo vs. Freshman Justin Brooks It was a slow start for the 2008 national champion, taking a 2-0 lead into the second period. He then turned on the jets in period number two, increasing his lead to 10-4. Escobedo continued to add to his lead in the third period, completing the major decision, 15-6 157 LBS. -- r-Junior Kurt Kinser vs. r-Senior Matt Coughlin The marquee contest of the night, matching-up a pair of two-time NCAA qualifiers, began with a stalemate in the 0-0 opening period. The outcome remained very uncertain heading into the third period as Kinser held just a 1-0 advantage. He finally pulled away in the third period, however, snagging a couple of takedowns en route to a 7-1 triumph. The Hoosiers officially begin their 2009-10 campaign on Nov. 15, heading to the Michigan State Open. Indiana is slotted 15th nationally in the preseason coaches' poll.

TEMPE -- The matches have been set for the Arizona State University wrestling program's annual Maroon and Gold Dual, Head Coach Shawn Charles announced today. The event, which serves as the program's wrestle-offs for the starting positions in the upcoming dual season, will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night inside the Riches Wrestling Complex on campus. Head Assistant Coach Bryan Snyder will coach the gold team while Assistant Coach Brian Stith will guide the maroon team in the annual competition. In all, 10 matches have been set which include nine wrestle-offs for the starting position and one featured match as well. That featured match will see Jake Meredith take on volunteer coach Raymond Jordan at 184 pounds. Here is a look at the matches: 125: Anthony Robles vs. Ben Ashmore - perhaps the most anticipated match of the dual will be the first on the mat as two highly skilled competitors face off for the starting job at 125. Robles is coming off a 29-8 season last year that saw him win titles at the Reno Tournament of Champions and Pac-10 Championships before earning his first All-America honor by finishing fourth at the NCAA Championships. Although redshirting during the season, Ashmore still found his way into several competitions as an unattached competitor and met up with Robles in the consolation quarterfinals of the Midlands Championships where Ashmore took a 3-2 decision before placing fifth and Robles seventh. 133: David Prado vs. Jake Hannaford - Prado ended the season as the starter at 133 for the Sun Devils and placed eighth at the Pac-10 Championships while Hannaford is making his return to the roster after not being part of the program for three seasons. 141: Chris Drouin vs. Orlando Jimenez - Drouin will look to retain his starting position for the third year in a row after posting a 29-9 record in 2009 that culminated with his first All-America honor by placing sixth at the NCAA Championships. A pre-season pick for the national Top 4, Drouin also won the Reno tournament last year and was runner-up in both the Las Vegas Invitational and Pac-10 Championships. Jimenez is making the move up to 141 this season after posting a 2-6 overall record last year at 133. 149: Tony Ruiz vs. Vicente Varela - Varela will look to remain the starter once again as the sophomore is coming off a rookie season that saw him finish 10-13 overall and placing seventh at the Pac-10 Championships to finish among the Top 8 first the first time in a collegiate tournament. Ruiz did not compete during last season after transferring in from Cerrittos College. 157: Lucas Mariacher vs. Te Edwards - After initially opening his freshman season as a redshirt last year, Edwards earned a place in the starting line up and went on to finish fifth in the Pac-10 Championships to post a 4-8 overall record in limited action. Mariacher did not compete during the 2009 season. 165: Sal Musto vs. Kyle DeBerry - DeBerry will look to retain the starting nod after recording a 14-14 overall record last year as a redshirt freshman and placing fifth at the Pac-10 Championships. Musto competed in one match last year (also as a redshirt freshman) and dropped a tough 9-7 decision in overtime. 174: Eric Starks vs. Emilio Veramontes - Starks emerged as a strong competitor last year in his true freshman season and posted a 15-11 overall record while earning the No. 2 seed at the Pac-10 Championships and taking second in a 5-2 decision to No. 12 Nate Lee of Boise State. Veramontes did not compete last year as he redshirted his first season with the program. 184: Jake Meredith vs. Raymond Jordan - The featured match will see Meredith taking on a tough competitor in Jordan, who was a two-time All-American at Missouri with one each at 174 pounds and 184 pounds. Meredith, in his true freshman season last year, posted an 11-12 overall record and was 5-4 in duals before placing sixth overall at the Pac-10 Championships. Jordan, who went 123-29 in his collegiate career, recently placed fourth at the Sunkist Kids International Open at 185 pounds. 197: Anthony Pike vs. Michael Hawkins - The 197 match will see a pair of relative newcomers to the program square off for the starting job as Pike will look to make the varsity line up as a true freshman and Hawkins will try for the job after redshirting last season. Pike was a two-time state champion in Arizona, including last year at Sunnyside HS in Tucson, while Hawkins was a two-time state placer in Colorado after winning 94 career matches with 59 coming by fall. 285: Erik Nye vs. Imanibom Etukeren - The heavyweight match will feature the two starters from last year as Nye will look to reclaim the job that he held at the start of the year before being forced out of the line up. Nye was 3-2 in the first month of the season with both of his losses coming one-point decisions while Etukeren posted a 2-11 record and finished eighth in the Pac-10 Championships. 2009 Maroon and Gold Dual 125 - Anthony Robles (M) vs. Ben Ashmore (G) 133 - David Prado (M) vs. Jake Hannaford (G) 141 - Chris Drouin (M) vs. Orlando Jimenez (G) 149 - Tony Ruiz (M) vs. Vicente Varela (G) 157 - Lucas Mariacher (M) vs. Te Edwards (G) 165 - Sal Musto (M) vs. Kyle DeBerry (G) 174 - Eric Starks (M) vs. Emilio Veramontes (G) 184 - Jake Meredith (M) vs. Raymond Jordan (G) 197 - Anthony Pike (M) vs. Michael Hawkins (G) 285 - Erik Nye (M) vs. Imanibom Etukeren (G)

The 2009-10 season could be the start of something big for the Oklahoma State wrestling team. Head coach John Smith has brought a tremendous amount of potential into the Cowboy program, as eight different Fargo champions go at it in the OSU wrestling room on a daily basis. Not counted in that total is two-time All-American and 2008 Big 12 heavyweight champion Jared Rosholt. Perhaps the best word to describe the Pokes this year is “new”. A preseason look at possible lineup combinations would indicate that no more than four of OSU’s 10 weight classes will look the same as last season. Jamal Parks returns at 141 pounds, Neil Erisman at 157 pounds and Rosholt is back at heavyweight. Additionally, Luke Silver returns at 149 pounds but has stiff competition from newcomer Albert White for the starting spot. An additional three returners are debuting at new weight classes, with Chris Notte moving from 133 pounds to 125 pounds, Clayton Foster moving from 197 pounds to 184 pounds and Chris McNeil moving from 184 pounds to 174 pounds. It can be argued that Oklahoma State redshirted its two most dynamic wrestlers last season in 133-pounder Jordan Oliver and 197-pounder Alan Gelogaev, but the redshirts come off this year and those two are part of the optimism surrounding this year’s team. Additionally, 165-pounder Alex Meade also becomes active after redshirting a year ago. A pair of transfers into the OSU program are also expected to provide a boost, with 149-pounder Albert White coming in from Northern Iowa Area CC and 174-pounder Mike Benefiel coming in from Northwestern University. Both were Fargo champions and highly-touted recruits during their junior days. A weight class-by-weight class breakdown: 125 pounds Chris Notte is the clear-cut starter here after moving down from 133 pounds, where he was the 2009 Big 12 runner-up and an NCAA qualifier. The Riverton, N.J., native was 27-9 last season with a 16-2 record in duals. He was a perfect 4-0 in Big 12 duals. Notte began last year as an unknown commodity, but moved into the starting lineup in December and never looked back. He is one of the leaders in the Oklahoma State locker room. Notte is a key figure for OSU this year, as he is the Pokes’ only 125-pounder with varsity experience. Other 125-pounders on the roster include redshirt freshman Drew Partain, who was 12-6 last year in open tournaments, junior Andre Taylor and a crop of true freshmen led by Jon Morrison (2007 Fargo champion from Orland Park, Ill.) and Ladd Rupp (a four-time Oklahoma high school state champion). Look for Morrison and Rupp to redshirt this year. 133 pounds Redshirt freshman Jordan Oliver was a terror in the OSU wrestling room as a true freshman last year and is one of the more intriguing figures in all of college wrestling this year. Oliver took the bronze medal at the FILA junior world championships this past summer and was honored as the outstanding wrestler at the U.S. junior freestyle championships as well. The 2007 Fargo champion is a takedown specialist who has enjoyed a high level of success throughout his career to this point and all indications show that trend continuing as he moves forward. While Oliver will likely get his share of headlines this season, he has steady competition in the wrestling room from senior Tyler Shinn, who has logged 31 dual starts during his OSU career and is a two-time NCAA qualifier. Shinn was the Cowboys’ starter last year before having his season cut short due to injury in December. He is more than capable of starting this year. 141 pounds The clear-cut starter at 141 pounds is sophomore Jamal Parks. While the Tulsa Union HS graduate proved himself to be a solid Big 12 wrestler in his first year as a starter last season, there is still room for improvement. He was 29-10 as a redshirt freshman in 2008-09, including a 16-6 record in duals. His best win came over then-No. 6 Mike Thorn of Minnesota in Minneapolis and he ranked second on the team with 51 takedowns. Redshirt freshman Jake Peck will provide added depth when he cuts from 149 to 141 at the semester break. Sophomore Luke Ashmore is at this weight class as well. 149 pounds Perhaps the most interesting weight class for Oklahoma State this season is 149 pounds, where the starter returns in sophomore Luke Silver, but newcomer Albert White will challenge him immediately for the top position. Silver was 18-15 a year ago with a 6-11 dual match record. White, who may be the strongest Cowboy pound-for-pound, brings very impressive credentials with him to Stillwater. A 2006 Fargo champion, he was 200-4 during his high school career and won a junior college national title as a freshman before redshirting the 2008-09 season to allow himself three years of eligibility at OSU. While Silver and White may get most of the attention, junior Quinten Fuentes is capable of stepping in as well. Fuentes has 15 dual starts under his belt and is perhaps the most proficient Cowboy when it comes to getting pins. 157 pounds Coming off a breakthrough season in 2008-09, junior Neil Erisman is one of the leaders in the Cowboy wrestling room. He was 32-11 last year with 12 dual match wins and is a candidate for All-America honors this year. Erisman went from being a backup to nearly an All-American last year, as he started the year behind senior Newly McSpadden, but was too good of a talent to leave on the bench. He was promoted to the role of starter for the Cowboys’ dual at Minnesota and never relinquished that position. Erisman is joined at the 157-pound weight class by newcomer Alex Munoz, who was 10-11 competing in open tournaments while at the University of Pittsburgh last year. 165 pounds Redshirt freshman Alex Meade is the likely starter for the Cowboys at 165 pounds, but don’t count out senior Kevin Wainscott. A sought-after prospect coming out of the Delaware prep ranks two years ago, Meade went 19-2 as a redshirt last year with 13 of his 19 wins coming with bonus points attached. He won the Missouri Open and the Loper Open and was the runner-up at the Oklahoma Open. Meade beat teammate Neil Erisman in the title bout at the Loper Open. Erisman went on to finish the season ranked in the top 10 nationally, so Meade has shown flashes of being able to wrestle at a very high level. As for Wainscott, he is a veteran who enters his fifth year in the Cowboy program. He has not seen consistent duty as a starter, but has taken the mat for nine dual matches during his career. Other 165-pounders on the roster include talented true freshman Dallas Bailey (a four-time Oklahoma high school state champion), redshirt freshman Joe Ali and freshman Cade Draper. 174 pounds Another interesting weight class for OSU is 174 pounds, where Chris McNeil will get the first crack at being the starter. At the semester break, however, Northwestern transfer Mike Benefiel becomes eligible to compete and he is more than capable of challenging McNeil for that starting spot. McNeil provided Oklahoma State with one of its best storylines last year when he stepped into the starting lineup for the Big 12 Championships and placed fourth in the 184-pound bracket to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships. McNeil wasn’t a starter for the majority of the year, but made the most of the opportunity that he earned. McNeil will need that same kind of resolve to hold off Benefiel, a 2007 Fargo champion who was one of the top recruits in America when he came out of the prep ranks. This past summer, Benefiel showed he remains a threat by winning the 79-kilogram bracket at the ASICS University National Championships. Adding quality depth at 174 pounds is junior Kyle Griffin, who was 10-4 last year and has some dual match experience. Health is a concern for Griffin entering the season, however. 184 pounds A mainstay in the Oklahoma State lineup the last two years at 197 pounds, Clayton Foster moves to 184 pounds for his junior campaign. Foster was 29-7 overall and 20-2 in dual matches in 2008-09 with six wins over ranked opponents. Yet another Fargo champion in the OSU stable, Foster led the Cowboys with 60 takedowns and 19 bonus-point wins last season and is a legitimate All-America candidate this year. Foster is the clear-cut starter at this weight class, but talented true freshman Chris Perry is waiting in the wings. A junior national freestyle champion himself, Perry won four Oklahoma high school state titles during his time at Stillwater HS. Look for Perry to redshirt this season. Rounding out OSU’s group of 184-pounders is redshirt freshman Elliott Hellwege. 197 pounds What is it about Alan Gelogaev that has everyone buzzing about him going into his debut season? Is it his pedigree? A native of Moscow, he trained five years under Russian wrestling legend Buvaisar Saitiev in Siberia before moving to the United States, where he is now mentored by six-time world champion John Smith. Is it that he pinned 2008 U.S. Olympian Andy Hrovat when the two met at the New York Athletic Club Open? Regardless, Gelogaev has been one of the most talked-about figures in college wrestling this preseason and he will be turned loose in 2009-10. Of course, all of his success to date has come in the freestyle ranks and there may be a transition period for him in adjusting to collegiate-style wrestling. Gelogaev is dynamic on the mat and if his performance in the OSU wrestling room is any indication, he will be in the mix for championships during his collegiate career. Though true freshman Zach White is the only other 197-pounder listed on the roster, there are other options at this weight class as 184-pounder Elliott Hellwege is a candidate to move up. 285 pounds Senior Jared Rosholt is on the very short list of NCAA title favorites at 285 pounds going into the season. He was ranked No. 1 nationally for most of last year before placing third at the NCAA Championships. A two-time All-American, Rosholt is without question the most decorated active Cowboy, but missing from his career resume is a national title. Rosholt was 35-5 a year ago and has 91 career victories to his name, including 26 wins over ranked opponents. For Rosholt, the 2009-10 season will be about standing atop the NCAA podium at the end of the year. Redshirt freshman Tyson Yoder (16-9 record in open tournaments last year) is his primary backup, with true freshmen Blake Rosholt and Dalton Salisbury in the Cowboy wrestling room as well. John Smith Breaks Down OSU’s Weight Classes: 125 pounds Likely starter: Chris Notte John Smith says: “Chris Notte is a senior, but he’s moving down to 125 pounds for the first time. There may be an adjustment period for him but he’ll get comfortable once he gets his weight established. One thing for sure is that he’ll feel a lot more powerful at 125 when his weight adjusts. Guys like Andre Taylor and Drew Partain are solid backups at this point. They’ll need to prove a lot more before they move into the starting spot. Jon Morrison and Ladd Rupp will definitely be going into a full redshirt year.” 133 pounds Likely starter: Jordan Oliver or Tyler Shinn John Smith says: “Several people have slotted Jordan Oliver as the starter, but we do have Tyler Shinn here as well. He is a senior this year. Obviously, Jordan had a good redshirt year and a good summer wrestling freestyle. As he becomes disciplined with his weight, he will be a bear at 133. I feel comfortable that we’ll see both guys wrestle for us this season. Tyler Dorrell and Ricky Dellagatta are here as well. J.J. Goblet will definitely redshirt.” 141 pounds Likely starter: Jamal Parks John Smith says: “Jamal Parks comes back after wrestling every match for us last year. He was up-and-down last season and what we’re looking for out of him is consistency. I have seen a much better attitude from him so far and the hope is that wrestling with a year of experience, he places high expectations on himself and makes that a priority. Jake Peck will start at 149 pounds but we hope he will be able to make the move to 141 pounds. He may be caught between weights, but I love his attitude. I love his will and I love his determination.” 149 pounds Likely starter: Luke Silver or Albert White John Smith says: “Luke Silver is our returning starter here. He had a full year, but he struggled. He was so small last year that it was difficult to finish matches. It’s not an excuse, it’s just what happened. He was too small. I have seen him grow and get bigger during the summer. The year of experience that he has will help. Albert White comes in this year from junior college and will make things interesting. We have great depth here. Quinten Fuentes has been a starter for us at times, but needs to reach another level before we consider him as a starter at this point.” 157 pounds Likely starter: Neil Erisman John Smith says: “Neil Erisman is in his junior year now. He had a full year of experience last season. We expect him to challenge anybody and everybody this year. Alex Munoz wrestled as a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh last year. He will likely get a full redshirt here this year.” 165 pounds Likely starter: Alex Meade John Smith says: “Alex Meade is a redshirt freshman and he appears to be the possible starter. He had a pretty good redshirt year and a good summer in freestyle as well. He needs to be more disciplined and balanced before he can be competitive at this weight class. We could see Kevin Wainscott at this weight second semester. He’ll attempt to go at 174 pounds to start and could move down if it doesn’t look like he’ll be in the starting rotation. Dallas Bailey, Cade Draper and Joe Ali are here as well. Bailey and Draper I’m sure will have a full redshirt year.” 174 pounds Likely starter: Chris McNeil or Kevin Wainscott, Mike Benefiel John Smith says: “At the beginning of the season, the only choices we’ll have here are Chris McNeil and Kevin Wainscott. One of those two will be the starter. Mike Benefiel won’t be eligible until the second semester starts. This is a weight class where we hope to be more competitive than we have been recently. Kyle Griffin is injured going into the season and at this point, it doesn’t look like he’ll be completely healthy this year. Darnell Bortz will have a full redshirt year.” 184 pounds Likely starter: Clayton Foster John Smith says: “Clayton Foster moves down from 197 pounds to 184 pounds this year. There will be an adjustment period for him, but he’ll feel like this has always been his true weight as he wrestles more at 184. I’m excited for him and for this season. I think it’s going to be a good year for him. I like Elliott Hellwege. He needs experience and he could become a solid contributor. Chris Perry will definitely redshirt.” 197 pounds Likely starter: Alan Gelogaev John Smith says: “Alan Gelogaev needs to learn the collegiate style of wrestling. He grew up his whole life in freestyle. He will have to adjust and be patient with his development. I’m excited about watching him. I like that he challenges me technically. He likes to learn and focus on his skill, which is very exciting for me as a coach. We’re a little thin at this weight class but Zach White is here as well.” 285 pounds Likely starter: Jared Rosholt John Smith says: “Jared Rosholt is a two-time All-American for us and now he’s a senior. He has had a great career when you consider where he started and where he is now. He came in as a small 215-pounder, but now he’s a healthy 255 pounds. There has been a lot of work on his part. The difference between being an All-American and winning an NCAA title for him will be managing adversity. That will be the key for him this year. I love his work ethic right now and I’m excited about his senior season.”

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- With another season of Lehigh University wrestling set to get underway with the annual wrestle-offs on Friday, Lehigh Athletics has announced its 2009-10 wrestling broadcast schedule. Once again, most dual meets can be heard live in the Lehigh Valley on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 or WLVR-FM (91.3), with live coverage, interviews, and more. Lehigh has also teamed up with the Lehigh Valley’s largest cable television provider – Service Electric – to televise a number of home matches on its award-winning 2 Sports outlet. Plans call for four home duals to be shown on Service Electric, the Lehigh Valley’s largest cable provider. In addition, the Big Ten Conference has granted Lehigh permission to produce Lehigh’s dual at Michigan to air live on WFMZ-TV (channel 69) in Allentown, Pa. For the third consecutive season, all eight home matches – including the wrestle-offs – can be seen live and on-demand via the Lehigh web site at Lehighsports.com. “We are thrilled with the depth and breadth of our Lehigh wrestling broadcast coverage this season,” said Jeff Tourial, Lehigh’s Director of Broadcast & Multimedia. “We have one of the most passionate and knowledgeable fan bases in the nation, and our broadcast partners have been extremely supportive in helping us put together one of the most comprehensive wrestling broadcast schedules of any school anywhere.” In addition to the 12 matches that can be heard on the radio, at least five more matches can be heard exclusively on-line as part of the Yahoo! Sports College Broadcast. An industry leader in on-line broadcasts, Lehigh Athletics will stream well over 200 events on its web site in 2009-10. On-line broadcasts of Lehigh wrestling are being underwritten by the Lehigh Athletics Partnership and will be free of charge this season. The Athletics Partnership is the fundraising arm for the department, funding travel, recruiting and more. “We are extremely grateful that the Partnership has stepped up to fund the production costs of our Internet broadcasts,” Tourial explained. “As we increase our video presence on-line, the support of our alumni base and loyal fans will enable us to present more in-depth coverage than ever before.” For the sixth straight season, the broadcast team of Steve Lomangino and Gary Brownell '72 will call the action on the radio. 2 Sports’ Doug Heater and Kyle Berger will team up on each of the televised broadcasts. Three Lehigh wrestling matches will also air nationally on Fox College Sports. Available in over 56 million homes on cable systems around the country, FCS has partnered with Lehigh for the last five years to air a variety of content, including Lehigh wrestling. The 2009-10 Lehigh wrestling broadcast schedule gets underway on Friday night, when Lehighsports.com presents live exclusive coverage of the annual wrestle-offs at 7 p.m. with Steve Lomangino and Lehigh wrestling historian Denny Diehl ’70. That broadcast will feature live video for the fourth consecutive year. For more information on Lehigh’s on-line broadcasts or on the Lehigh Athletics Partnership, please click on the link above.

Simon Kitzis

Robert ShepherdOn Tuesday, Robert Shepherd, a 2009 Ohio state champion (Division I) from Mason High School, gave a verbal commitment to Princeton. Shepherd project collegiately at 141/149 pounds. He talks about his decision and his wrestling goals. Why Princeton? Shepherd: Throughout high school, I knew that I wanted to wrestle in a Division I college. I needed a great coach and challenging academics to achieve my goals in wrestling and school. Princeton has both of these things going for them in that Chris Ayres is a great coach, and Princeton is the best collegiate education in the country. Also at Princeton it seems that everyone supports each other in everything they do. The sense of community there is very strong, and people are there to help you throughout college, life, and wrestling. On top of that, I feel that in Princeton wrestling I can be a part of a up and coming team that will compete on the national level. What are your future goals in collegiate wrestling? Shepherd: In collegiate wrestling my goal is to be a NCAA champion. I come from a hard working family and wrestling program, in highly competitive state for wrestling. I believe that if I work hard and continue to improve my skills in wrestling, I will achieve this goal. I continue to have the passion and drive that are necessary to be successful in this sport. I feel that I have been quietly going about my business and overlooked in some cases being overshadowed by the larger names in my class. I look forward to wrestling on a national level, and continuing to adapt and work hard to achieve my goals. I feel like I have accomplished most of my goals locally, and that I am just beginning to work toward my goals on a national level. This is a journey and a challenge that I am looking forward to. Do you feel prepared to make the jump to Division I collegiate wrestling? Shepherd: I feel that by the end of my senior year I will be prepared to wrestle competitively at the Division I level. I have great coaching in my high school room, as well as coaches that have successfully competed at the Division I, Division III and NAIA levels that understand what it takes to do well at those levels. My strength coach has coached at many colleges both Division I and Division III and he continues to push me and my team mates to excel and prepare us for now and the future. What three words would describe you? Shepherd: Persistent. Diligent. Focused What are you looking forward to the most headed into your senior season at Mason High School? Shepherd: I am looking forward to leading my team both in wrestling and academically to achieving both the teams goals and my personal goals.

Chris Villalonga of Blair Academy in New Jersey is the best wrestler on the best high school team in the country. He is a three-time National Prep champion and has won both the Walsh Ironman and Beast of the East the past two seasons. Villalonga, who is ranked as the No. 3 recruit in the country by InterMat, gave a verbal commitment to Cornell on Monday. InterMat talks to Villalonga about his college decision, Blair Academy, and his wrestling goals. Chris VillalongaWhy did you decide that Cornell was the best fit for you? What all factored into your decision? Villalonga: In the end, I just felt as though I could achieve all of my goals there. The school speaks for itself both academically and in wrestling. Both of these facts weighed heavily in my decision process. What other schools did you consider and/or take official visits to? Villalonga: Rutgers, Harvard, Penn, and Lehigh. What was the recruiting process like for you? Enjoyable? Stressful? Villalonga: Very stressfull! I want to thank all of the coaches who spent time recruiting me. It was a very difficult decision because all of them put in a great deal of time and effort during this process. In my opinion I could not have made a bad choice because all of the coaches were great. What weight class do you plan to compete at this season? And where do you project collegiately? Villalonga: At this point I am unsure, I will decide in a few weeks when I have to certify. I could see myself competing at 149/157 in college. Have you decided on a major at Cornell? Villalonga: Yes, I plan on attending the AEM School of Business at Cornell. Ivy League schools, like Cornell, are not allowed to redshirt athletes unless there is legitimate injury to the athlete. So you will be competing for a spot in the lineup right away. Did that factor into your decision at all? Villalonga: Yes, it did factor into my decision, but I hope to be ready to compete right away. Cornell has also received a verbal commitment from Marshall Peppelman. Have you gotten to know Marshall at all ... and if so, have you had a chance to talk to him about the decision? Villalonga: Yes, I met him on my official visit and we got to know each other little. I have not spoken to him since then, but look forward to training with him the next four years. The success of the Blair Academy wrestling program speaks for itself. But for you personally, how much has the Blair Academy program helped your development as a wrestler? Villalonga: Blair has helped me grow immensely not only as a wrestler but also as a person. Over these past three plus years, Coach Buxton has taught me so many things in a short period of time that I don�t think I could have learned anywhere else. Even now, each time I step into the wrestling room, I feel as though I learn something new. He gives each one of his wrestlers one hundred percent of himself ... and that is what he expects from us in return. He has taught me many life lessons that will stay with me the rest of my life. You are a three-time National Prep champion, multiple-time Walsh Ironman and Beast of the East champion, and helped lead Blair to a national title last season. What are your wrestling goals for your senior season of high school before you head off to Cornell? Andrew Alton and Chris Villalonga squared off at Junior Nationals in Fargo. Alton is the nation's No. 2 recruit by InterMat, while Villalonga is No. 3 (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)Villalonga: My goals are to hopefully win Walsh Ironman, Beast of the East, and the National Prep titles again this year. If I can accomplish that, it would be a perfect end to my high school career. Obviously, you still have your senior season in front of you, but have you mapped out your college wrestling goals? Villalonga: My goals are probably not much different than most wrestlers entering college. It would be great to be a four-time time All-American and eventual NCAA champion. I obviously have a lot of hard work in front of me to be able to achieve these goals In addition to your high school success at Blair, you have also had success in freestyle. Do you think you plan to continue on with your freestyle career throughout college? And do you have long-term goals in freestyle wrestling? Villalonga: Yes, I enjoy freestyle and plan on competing in college and beyond. Being an Olympic champion is clearly the ultimate accomplishment in wrestling, and I will train with that goal in mind.

COB BASRA, Iraq -- Who is Coach J Robinson? Robinson has had an illustrious career as an Army Ranger during the Vietnam War, an Olympic wrestler and one of the greatest coaches in University of Minnesota history. (Photo/Pfc. J. Princeville Lawrence)Robinson demonstrated his bravery by telling a roomful of military policemen how he listens to Britney Spears and Lady Gaga to get motivated. Robinson is also caring. He flew to Iraq recently to motivate the troops and when he learned the government wasn't going to pay his way, he was perfectly willing to fly halfway around world on his own dime. All to offer a simple "Thank you." "When the chaplain called and asked if I could come, I thought it was the least I could do," said Robinson, who was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2005. "I was sitting at home, and you know what that's like. It's pretty good. Sometimes you don't realize that until you leave." Robinson visited troops all over Contingency Operating Base Basra, at each stop encouraging Soldiers and telling them to embrace their deployment as a learning experience. "The lessons you learn in Iraq will follow you for the rest of your lives," said Robinson, who attended Airborne, Jungle Warfare and Ranger school before deploying to Vietnam. "I'm more proud to be a Ranger than I am being an Olympian, because the lessons I learned there I've used for the rest of life." (Photo/Pfc. J. Princeville Lawrence)Robinson, a member of the 1972 Olympic wrestling team, addressed Soldiers on the importance of perspective, concentration, and the power of choice and striving for excellence in everything they do. In addition, Robinson told the Soldiers that someday they would be able to look back at their time in Iraq and be proud of the people they had helped, even those they had not known they helped. "One thing you learn as a coach, you do a lot of stuff and you touch a lot of people, and you might never see it," said Robinson. "You're not always going to get that pat on the back." Robinson's busy schedule included wrestling classes with the 34th Military Police Company. The coach of three team national titles instructed the MP's on hand placement and balance; "the fundamentals," said the seven-time Big Ten Coach of the Year. "It's part of his striving for excellence," said Lt. Col. Jeffery Johnson, Inspector General for the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division and an alumnus of the U of M. "A, giving thanks from the state of Minnesota, and B, helping the MP's strive for excellence." (Photo/Pfc. J. Princeville Lawrence)While Robinson could only visit for a few days, his visit was appreciated up to the highest levels. "Soldiers want to know three things: to know that their folks back home are alright, that life back home is going normally, and that folks back home are thinking of them," said Brig. Gen. David Eliciero, deputy commanding general of the 34th Inf. Div., and U of M Class of 1980. "I think this accomplishes that." So who is Coach J Robinson? A Ranger? An Olympian? A Hall of Fame wrestling coach? For a while in COB Basra, the answer was simple: a legend, an old Soldier, a man willing to come back out to the front to show his gratitude to the Soldiers personally. "For me, I have to come out here to say thanks," said Robinson.

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Expectations will run high for the Wyoming Cowboy Wrestling `Young Guns' in 2009-10, as head coach Mark Branch enters his second year at the controls of the program and after a successful 2008-09 campaign branded UW as a team on the rise in the world of collegiate wrestling. UW returns 11 letterwinners for the 2009-10 season, four NCAA qualifiers including All-American Joe LeBlanc, and boasts a recruiting class that was recognized by numerous national publications for its' potential at the NCAA level. Of 24 Wyoming squad members this season, 20 are underclassmen, meaning this talented young team will represent UW on the wrestling mat for multiple years to come. Several media outlets have listed the Cowboys in their preseason top-25 team polls, in addition to D1CollegeWrestling.net, InterMat, TheOpenMat.com and W.I.N. Magazine each ranking UW's recruiting class in the nation's top 20. "My expectations for this team are always high," Branch quoted. "However, this year the team has the same mind-set that I do. They believe that they are capable of the very highest level both as a team and individually, meaning a national title. I will never tell them otherwise because I have seen amazing things happen first-hand. I believe in the work ethic and skills of our guys and I know they will give me everything I ask of them." Twelve returning team members saw dual match action last season when the Cowboys grabbed a share of the regular season Western Wrestling Conference dual championship with a record of 15-3 overall, 5-0 in the WWC. The 2008-09 UW team also had a runner-up finish at the West Regional/WWC Tournament, four individual champions and automatic NCAA qualifiers, as well as nine of 10 wrestlers placing in the top-three of their weight class which led the WWC. Branch was the league's Coach of the Year and was selected as the Top Rookie Coach in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News. "As far as specific team goals, I will say that after coming so close last year at the conference tournament we definitely want to win that league title and bring that trophy back to Laramie," Branch continued. "Another focal point will be sending ten guys to the NCAA Tournament. As I look up and down our lineup I see that as a realistic possibility." Despite Wyoming's youth, the team should not have to rely on any true freshmen at any of the ten weight classes, so the training approach and scheduling approach has been adjusted by the UW coaching staff to match the squad's needs for the 2009-10 season. Cory VomBaur is one of two (Alex Rieder the other) seniors on the UW team this year and is a three-time NCAA qualifier. "Our approach to preseason training has changed this year since the coaching staff has a better idea of what we have to work with," Branch observed. "There is more of a focus on mat wrestling, more top and bottom work, since we emphasized technique on our feet all of last season. We are trying to address areas where we saw needs and ones that will make us better. "Last year we had a young, unproven team that simply needed live experience. They wrestled more matches than I will probably ever ask of them again, but it was to their benefit. This year, although our team numbers are not where I would like them, we do have options and experience at every weight. Our goal will be to keep the guys healthy, rested and strong, while at the same time facing tougher opponents, and a wide variety of opponents which will help our chances in the NCAA qualification process. "Our schedule will be considerably tougher this year, as we have tried to expose our team to competition across the country. There were really two key elements we considered when putting together our schedule. One, we want to wrestle elite competition, so that when championship time comes around we have confidence knowing we are prepared. Two, we wanted to cater to our fans and provide more opportunities to watch Cowboy Wrestling in Laramie. "We are eagerly anticipating our home events. In addition to hosting the Cowboy Open we have seven dual match-ups, which include the most successful wrestling program in history in Oklahoma State, Northern Iowa and several of our other conference rivals." The Cowboys will have a chance to qualify for the NCAA National Tournament by earning automatic or wild-card bids at the West Regional Tournament and WWC Championship, March 6, 2010 in Brookings, S.D. This year's NCAA Wrestling Championships will be held March 18-20 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. "Everything that we do as a program is in preparation for the postseason," Branch concludes. "We should be well prepared when that time comes because of the effort we have put into training and because we will have challenged our team during the season against tough teams, in tough tournaments and in tough environments." WEIGHT CLASS BREAKDOWN 125 - 2009 NCAA qualifier Michael Martinez returns at this weight and should make it a strength for the team. The Cowboy sophomore's participation this past summer in the Senior World Team Trials, as well as his successful freshman year will further his confidence with three years of remaining eligibility. Freshman Tyler Cox brings a list of impressive prep credentials, but will likely use his redshirt year. 133 - Senior Cory VomBaur, a three-time NCAA qualifier at this weight, will move up to 141 leaving a void that redshirt freshman Kasey Garnhart is poised to fill. Garnhart is an unknown on the national scene, but has impressed the UW coaches with his hard work and competitive nature. Freshmen Jake Eitzen and Kyle Komata give depth here but should redshirt. 141 - An interesting and exciting group that features three starters from last season who are changing weight classes. VomBaur, who is moving up, and sophomore Chase Smith, who is moving down from 149. Both are experienced, but both may move back to their original weights before season's end. Last year's starter at this weight, junior Cole Dallaserra, is moving up to 149. Newcomers Jimmy Belleville and Colton Zier will also factor into this group, with Belleville expected to redshirt. 149 - Dallaserra will get the nod to start the season here based on his experience. He has hit the weight room hard and has the frame to wrestle at this weight after coming up from 141. Dallaserra came into his own at the end of last year before struggling with an injury. Belleville and Chase Smith could also wrestle at 149. 157 - There is a three-way toss-up at this weight. Sophomores Tyler Davis and Mikah Kadera, as well as redshirt freshman Eric Jones are all on a level playing field. It is a competitive group with depth and it will be interesting to see who rises to the top. Davis has some dual experience and competed in the recent FILA Junior World Team Trials, Kadera got in 22 matches last year, while Jones is very talented, but had a tough initial adjustment to college. 165 - This is another deep weight class for UW, with sophomore Shane Onufer, a 2009 NCAA qualifier at 174, moving down and senior Alex Rieder remaining a viable option. Onufer's body should be a better natural fit in this group than at 174. Sophomore Brock Smith could also wrestle down at this weight. Freshman Patrick Martinez should use his redshirt year here. 174 - There are a lot of good options in this group, including sophomore Dallas Hintz, Rieder and Brock Smith. Competition will drive the market here as all three are very equal and any one could go for the `Pokes. All are team players, will do what is asked of them and are very natural at this weight. Onufer could also wrestle here if needed. 184 - Returning All-American Joe LeBlanc has come back working harder than ever and he headlines the upper weights for UW. The Cowboy sophomore competed for a Junior FILA World Team spot this past summer and wants nothing less than an NCAA title in 2010. Redshirt freshmen Lee (LJ) Helbig and Michael Poulos, as well as sophomore Joe O'Farrell give depth here and should be able to spell LeBlanc when he has the opportunity to rest. 197 - The UW coaches feel good about this weight as sophomore Alfonso Hernandez started most of last year and is the odds on favorite to win the spot in 2009-10. Helbig and O'Farrell will also try to make the travelling squad here. Hernandez is still a raw athlete, but did taste success last year and should challenge to win the conference title after working hard on all aspects of his wrestling. Hwt. - Junior transfer Matthew (Bubba) Mclaughlin is the only true heavyweight on the Wyoming team, but there is a good feeling about his presence in this spot. He was successful at the junior college level and is a hard worker. The key will be to keep Mclaughlin healthy and in order to accomplish that any one of the Cowboy 197 pounders could wrestle up if the opportunity presents itself against smaller opponent heavyweights.

The Peacock wrestling program will enter the 2009-2010 season with a focus on building toward the NCAA Championships in Omaha, Nebraska this coming March. Head Coach Heath Grimm has crafted this year's schedule to best prepare his team for the progression of the Northern Sun Conference season, the NCAA Super Regional, and the NCAA Championships. In November, Upper Iowa will compete in three open tournaments on consecutive Saturdays. UIU will enter the Kaye Young Open in Mason City, Iowa on the 7th, the Pointer Open in Stevens Point, Wisconsin on the 14th, and the Brute-Adidas Open in Minneapolis, Minnesota on the 21st. The Peacocks will wrestle four times in December with an even mix of duals and tournaments. Upper Iowa will travel to Iowa Falls, Iowa to line up against the Panthers of Ellsworth Community College in a dual on the 2nd before opening their home schedule the following Wednesday, the 9th, in Fayette against Waldorf College. The home opener begins at 7:00 p.m. Prior to the Christmas holiday, UIU will enter the Jim Foxx Open in Dubuque, Iowa on the 19th and the Reno Tournament of Champions on the 20th. The field in Reno will include Adams State University, Edinboro University, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Newberry College, Oklahoma State University, Penn State University, Stanford University, University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), West Virginia University. Upper Iowa will not waste any time getting on the mats in 2010. The Peacocks will compete in the Flash Open in Dubuque, Iowa on the 2nd of January as a tune up for another trip to the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals hosted by the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Upper Iowa placed 8th (2-3) in 2008 and 7th (3-2) at last year's event. The team's success last year was fueled by Trevor Franklin's 5-0 record that included a fall, a technical fall and three decisions by a combined 20 points. After the National Duals, the Peacocks will open their Northern Sun Conference season. Upper Iowa won the NSIC title in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Last year, UIU finished in second place behind Minnesota State, who claimed the runner up spot at last year's NCAA Championships. Upper Iowa will travel for their first two NSIC matches of the season. The Peacocks will battle the Marauders of the University of Mary on Saturday, Jan. 16, and the Wolves of Northern State University on Sunday, Jan. 17. UIU will then defend Dorman Gym in four straight NSIC duals in Fayette. The home stand begins with the Dragons of Minnesota State University Moorhead on Thursday, Jan. 21. The Peacocks will then welcome the Mavericks of Minnesota State University, Mankato to campus on Thursday, Jan. 28, and the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University the following night, Jan. 29. All three duals are set for 7:00 p,m. starts. The Peacocks will wrap up their home schedule with a Sunday afternoon matinee on Feb. 7 at 2:00 p.m. UIU will line up against the Vikings of Augustana College. Upper Iowa will then wrap up their NSIC schedule on the road at St. Cloud State the following Sunday, Feb. 14. Following the Northern Sun season, Upper Iowa will send 10 wrestlers into competition for the NCAA Super Regional III hosted by Northern State in Aberdeen, S.D. The top four wrestlers in each weight class will earn a spot at the NCAA Championships hosted by the University of Nebraska-Omaha on Mar. 12 and 13.

PHOENIX -- Illinois assistant wrestling coach and former three-time All-American Mike Poeta won the title at 74 kg/163 lbs at the Sunkist Kids International Open freestyle tournament over the weekend. Poeta topped Jon Reader of Iowa State, 1-0, 2-1, in the finals. In addition, freshman Sam White took sixth at 55 kg/121 lbs, falling, 3-0, 3-1, to Mark McKnight, a former Penn State wrestler who placed fourth at the 2008 NCAA Championships. The Illini currently are practicing in preparation for their season-opener at Missouri at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 12.

Blake Meeks

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The University of Maryland wrestling team began the 2009-10 season Saturday afternoon at Comcast Pavilion with the annual Red & Black Wrestle-Offs exhibition, won by the red team, 25-9. A crowd of 428 came out to see the defending Atlantic Coast Conference Champions for the first time this season and the fans were treated to several competitive matches featuring the likes of big-time returnees Alex Krom, Mike Letts, Brian Letters and Patrick Gilmore, as well as several promising newcomers to the program. "It was a good day. Our guys have been waiting for an opportunity to compete in front of our fans," Maryland head coach Kerry McCoy said. "Competing against teammates is always a challenge, but I think they did a good job. I'm excited this part is behind us and we can now look forward to the season." The match began with a tight contest at 125 pounds between James Knox and Pat Strizki. Tied at 2-2 after regulation and the first sudden victory period, each wrestler earned an escape in the tiebreakers sessions. Strizki held the crucial riding-time advantage at the start of the final tiebreaker, but Knox earned an escape and turned the riding time advantage in his favor to earn the victory by the slimmest of margins. Mookie Golden earned a 2-0 decision for black at 133 pounds to knot the match at 3-3. Red and Black alternated the next two weight classes, with Alex Krom earning a 6-1 decision for black at 141 and Jon Kohler getting the three points back for red at 149, topping Chris Stinnett, 11-4. With the score tied at 6 apiece, Red took the next three matches to pull away. Brian Letters earned a 4-2 decision against Kyle John in a very-competitive matchup at 157 pounds. Josh Asper took a 14-3 major decision against Andrik Cruz at 165 and Mike Letts posted an 18-1 technical fall against Owen Smith at 174 pounds to give Red an 18-6 lead in the match. Corey Peltier scored three points for Black at 184 pounds, defeating Bradley Nielson, 3-0. At 197 pounds, freshman Christian Boley notched a late takedown to win a 4-3 decision against sophomore Ryan Gray. Patrick Gilmore capped the afternoon with a 14-3 major decision against Owen Duffy at heavyweight. There were four exhibition matches during the day, as well. Freshman Bryan Osorio defeated fellow freshman Danny O'Malley, 7-3, in a matchup of two 133-pounders. In one of the most entertaining matches of the day, freshmen 149-pounders Justin Cash and Domenic DeRobertis went back and forth at a fast pace, with Cash winning in the end, 12-7. Freshman Jimmy Sheptock defeated Andrew Bradley, 7-3, in another exhibition and freshman Dallas Brown posted the only pin of the day in the last exhibition, doing so in 3 minutes, 58 seconds against Ty Snook. The Terps officially start the regular season Saturday, Nov. 7 at Comcast Pavilion for a tri-meet with Drexel and York College. RED 25, BLACK 9 125 -- James Knox (Red) dec.Pat Strizki, 4-3 [tb2] (3-0) 133 -- Mookie Golden (Black) dec. Joey Boone, 2-0 (3-3) EXH -- Bryan Osorio (Red) dec. Danny O'Malley, 7-3 141 -- Alex Krom (Black) dec. Matt Bogusz, 6-1 (3-6) 149 -- Jon Kohler (Red) dec. Chris Stinnett, 11-4 (6-6) EXH -- Justin Cash (Black) dec. Domenic DeRobertis, 12-7 157 -- Brian Letters (Red) dec. Kyle John, 4-2 (9-6) EXH -- Jimmy Sheptock (Black) dec. Andrew Bradley, 7-3 165 -- Josh Asper (Red) major dec. Andrik Cruz, 14-3 (13-6) 174 -- Mike Letts (Red) tech. fall over Owen Smith, 18-1 [7:00] (18-6) EXH -- Dallas Brown (Black) fall over Ty Snook (3:58) 184 -- Corey Peltier (Black) dec. Bradley Nielson, 3-0 (18-9) 197 -- Christian Boley (Red) dec. Ryan Gray, 4-3 (21-9) HWT -- Patrick Gilmore (Red) major dec. Owen Duffy, 14-3 (25-9)

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. -Robert Frost On this particular day, thick snowflakes blanket the woods around Blair Academy, nestled in the foothills of northwestern New Jersey. Mark Grey is a three-time Cadet Nationals champion in Fargo, North Dakota (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)But there's only one road that Mark Grey is currently walking on, the path that winds through the prep school's gorgeous sprawling campus to the brand spanking new wrestling and basketball facility. It's a path he might not have followed had his older brother Mike not first blazed his own trail in the state of New Jersey. Now an All-American wrestler at Cornell, the 141-pound junior went 157-2 at Delbarton School, becoming the first four-time New Jersey state champion in the process. Mark knew that comparisons to his brother's career would be inevitable were he to also attend Delbarton. But he'd been tagging along with Mike to informal sessions at Blair in junior high, and had gotten to known legendary Bucs wrestling coach Jeff Buxton. Once he did well on the entrance exam, Mark decided to trade a green and gray singlet for a navy one instead. "I didn't want to take the same route that my brother did," Mark said. "I wanted to do my own thing, so I went to Blair." No disrespect to Delbarton, but going to Blair upped the ante in terms of competition. Mark's first tournament was the Walsh Ironman; his second, Beast of the East. Talk about putting your feet to the fire. "I think by coming to Blair, it kind of put (the comparisons to Mike) to rest," Coach Buxton said. "He's going about it in a little bit different way (by) wrestling at a school that has a more competitive schedule, so he's in a very different environment than Mike was on a daily basis ... He's set his own accolades and already raised the bar pretty high." It goes without saying that New Jersey has some of the fiercest high school wrestling competition in the country, so the bulls-eye would have been squarely on Mark's back from day one. "With Mike winning four state titles, Mark got to see firsthand the pressure and everything that goes with wrestling in New Jersey," his older brother John Grey Jr. said. "Going to Blair means he's not putting all his eggs into one basket. The schedule is so diverse. There are so many major tournaments that it gives him the opportunity to create his own path and set other goals." Mark GreyOf course, you don't start at a place like Blair as a freshman without coming in highly touted. As the 2008-09 school year began, Mark was fresh off winning a double Cadet national championship in freestyle and Greco-Roman in his first trip to Fargo. In his corner for the tournament were his brother Mike and fellow Pascack Hills alum Cody Cooperman. A vaunted wrestling club in Northern New Jersey whose famed alumni includes current and former All-Americans like Grey, Cooperman, Kurt Backes and Steve Mocco, the Pascack Hills Cowboys were Mark's first introduction to wrestling. He would follow Mike to practice and imitate his moves. Mark finally joined at age four, and wound up winning his first AAU Eastern National championship by five. And he hasn't stopped winning ever since, claiming everything from six Northeast Regional championships to a USA Wrestling Kids Triple Crown. After being a double champion at Fargo, he went 38-1 as a nationally-ranked freshman, winning titles at the prestigious Beast of the East tournament and a National Prep Title at 103 pounds. His only loss came in the finals of his first major tournament, the Walsh Ironman. There he fell by a narrow 6-3 decision to Nick Brascetta of St. Paris Graham. Mark would finish the season ranked No. 2 in the country at 103 pounds by InterMat, second only to Brascetta. Mark Grey won his second Cadet Nationals Greco-Roman title this past summer (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)Now the No. 6-ranked sophomore in the country by InterMat, Mark says his loss was one of inexperience, and he's ready for a rematch. "It was my first major tournament and I was nervous," Mark admits. "I messed up with a dumb headlock in the first period. I really didn't wrestle the way I can." It was that headlock that cost him the match, as Brascetta countered him for an easy takedown, then controlled on top the rest of the match. "He prepares really well, we prepared for this particular kid and he got out of the game plan," Coach Buxton said. "This happens (occasionally) with young kids when they get nervous in the finals of a big tournament, and I think being able to find his groove and stay calm for those big matches will be key down the road." Of course, times have changed and a rematch might not be in the works. Mark bulked up over the summer, wrestled at 112 pounds at Fargo, and is unsure at this point whether he'll move up to wrestle at 119 or 125 for the Bucs this season. He guessed that he might wrestle at 135 by senior year, then eventually end up at 141 or 149 in college. "He's a stronger wrestler physically," said Blair 112-pounder Evan Silver, Mark's teammate and training partner. "We're lifting now and he's really powerful with his takedowns." But with the new season and the added weight will also come additional challenges in the form of better, more experienced competition. "As he moves into 119 or 125, instead of hitting ninth graders, now he's going to be hitting seniors," Coach Buxton said. "That's going to be the biggest adjustment. He's going to hit better guys at those weights because that's where the best guys in the country usually are -- between 119 and 140 pounds." It's said that the transformation from freshman year to sophomore year at Blair is a substantial jump, and a recent practice confirms that. To see Mark Grey practice reveals a focused, confident wrestler who has filled out and looks nothing like the nervous freshman of a year ago. Mark Grey (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)"He's become a lot more explosive," Coach Buxton said. "I'm really excited to watch him wrestle in December because I think he's made such big jumps this year." One thing Mark will not lack in is support. With brother Mike rooting him on from Ithaca and older brother John Jr. on the Bucs coaching staff, there are plenty of people to make sure he stays the course. Not that he needs it. His stated goal since the age of five has been to wrestle in the Olympics, and that has not changed. But for a 16-year-old, Mark Grey has a maturity and patience that belies his years. He understands that it's a long process, a journey that requires discipline and consistent, if not dramatic, improvement on a daily basis. Suffice it to say, the sophomore will experience some growing pains, as the road to wrestling glory is never easy. But when descriptive nouns like "the total package" and "a juggernaut" are thrown around to describe a wrestler still realizing his potential, bright lights wouldn't seem to be too far off.

Event: UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun Date: October 24, 2009 Venue: Staples Center (Los Angeles, CA) The UFC Monster will be in Las Vegas for tonight’s UFC event. Unfortunately, the event is in Los Angeles, not Las Vegas! However, this did give me a chance to spend a few days shopping the Vegas sportsbooks, and seeing how the action is coming in on the fights. And, as expected, it is coming in strongly on the favorites on a fight card stacked full of one-sided favorites, according to the oddsmakers, who set such odds. On paper, tonight’s fights have clear favorites to win, and decided underdogs to lose. But, as we know, UFC fights are not fought on paper. They are fought in a caged octagon. So, let’s take a look at the matchups, and see if we can have a profitable night. My fictitious bets have made a profit of over $600 to InterMat readers! Let’s keep the winning streak going … The main event pits the undefeated light-heavyweight champion Lyota “Dragon” Machida (15-0) against former Pride champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (18-3), once considered the best 205-pounder on the planet. Injuries have hampered Shogun, and his few UFC fights have been less than impressive as he enters the twilight of his career. Machida is a quiet, unassuming athlete, who is about the only fighter in mixed martial arts to center his game around karate. Amazingly, Lyota has not only won all of his fights, with names like BJ Penn, Rich Franklin, Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva, and Rashad Evans on his resume, but he has NEVER lost a single round in a UFC fight! Now, that’s incredible. He rarely gets hit with his unorthodox style, and his pin-point striking makes him a lethal opponent. Once he has you measured, the fight will soon be over. He is outrageously expensive in a fight like this, but you either bet on him or you don’t bet at all. A bridge jump at -410 may be scary, but it should also land you in the winner’s circle. In a 5-round battle for the belt, Machida will be standing with his hand raised by unanimous decision. Heavyweight Cain Velasquez will put his undefeated 6-0 record on the line against veteran slugger Ben Rothwell (16-4). Velasquez, the former Arizona State All American wrestler, should be able to take Rothwell to the mat. Once there this becomes the classic wrestler vs. striker scenario. We know who wins those encounters, don’t we? Cain will raise cane with some vicious elbows and fists from a full mount position. A bloodied Rothwell will wonder why he joined the UFC. Velasquez at -300 ends this in the first period by TKO. I’m not sure why lightweights Gleison Tibau (29-6) and John “the Dentist” Neer (25-8-1) are on the main card, but the fight promises lots of action. Neer is anxious to redeem himself after an unimpressive loss to Kurt Pelligreno in Philadelphia in August. His under-rated takedown defense and striking power should be the different here, as he wins by knockout in the second round. He is a slight underdog at +105. I’m not sure why the oddsmakers have made “Joe Daddy” Stevenson (35-10) a -250 favorite over Spencer “The King” Fisher (24-2) since Stevenson has lost three of his last four UFC fights. Joe likes to box and trap you into his wicked guillotine chokehold. But, Fisher is a relentless striker who should take advantage of Stevenson’s propensity for bleeding. The refs will have seen enough midway through the third period, calling off the dogs as Fisher advances toward a long awaited title shot that may never happen. I’ll go with Fisher at +200 to surprise the powers to be. The final bout on the main card pits welterweight Anthony Johnson (7-2) against Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida (11-3). Yoshida will be looking for a mistake to capitalize on as he tries to put a submission hold on his opponent. AJ will be looking for a knock-out with his massive body and punching power. He gets it here in the second round with a thundering uppercut, reminiscent of Mike Tyson’s early days. Somewhat over-priced at -320, Johnson will cash your ticket and reward his faithful fans. Now let’s take a look at the undercard. Undefeated light-heavyweight Ryan “Darth” Bader (10-0) is a bully who should have little trouble controlling Eric “Red” Shafer (13-3-2). He is a better wrestler and much stronger, leaving Shafer’s only hope at victory, his ability to maneuver a submission hold on his bigger opponent. But, don’t rule that out. Shafer has won most of his fights by submission and if he gets lucky here, he could do the same to Bader. But, my money says he won’t, so I’m laying the big number at -500 to see Bader’s streak continue with some brutal ground-and-pound. Two of the world’s best heavyweight kickers meet when Pat Barry (4-1) takes on Antoni Hardonk (8-5). Both will have sore legs tomorrow. Rumor has it that Barry may even have a ground game, but I doubt it. Hardonk has no interest in going to the mat either. This one opened as a pick ‘em, but the public has been betting Hardonk. I’ve found a few books that have it even, so my value goes with Hardonk at -115. The ref stops this midway through the second round when Barry has trouble standing. Middleweights Yushin Okami (24-4) and Chael Sonnen (24-10-1) are both seasoned veterans who are known for their ability to win fights, but not finish their opponents! Half of their fights end in a judge’s decision, and that makes them unpopular with most UFC fans (and Dana White for that matter). Therefore, the loser here may be on the outside looking in. Sonnen’s ability to defend Okami’s clinching and grabbing style will determine who wins this one. As a +200 underdog the value lies with Chael. In yet another judge’s decision he will have his hand raised at the end. He has won 13 of his 14 fights won by decision. Add another to his belt. Two more middleweight veterans meet when the popular Jorge “El Conquistador” Rivera (16-7) takes on Rob “The Rosedale Reaper” Kimmons (22-4) in another interesting fight. In what could be the fight of the night, both like to stand and punch and neither has a glass jaw, tho’ Rivera has been caught early before (see Terry Martin for details). I’m of the opinion that Jorge’s better fight days are behind him. I’ll try my luck with the heavily tattoo’ed Kimmon’s to win by third round TKO. The betting action is coming in on Kimmons, and the -150 price tag should prevail. Kyle Kingsbury (7-2-1) at -115 will eke out a decision over Razak “Razor” Al-Hassen (7-1) And 6’11” Stefan Struve (21-3) will prove to be no match for Chase Gormley (6-0), who opened at +200, but is currently at -200! So let’s see how we do with our fictitious $1000 bankroll tonight: Let’s lay $123 to win $30 on the Dragon, Lyota Machida. Let’s lay $150 to win $50 on Cain Velasquez. Let’s lay $50 to win $100 on Spencer Fisher. Let’s lay $96 to win $30 on Anthony Johnson. Let’s lay $40 to win $42 on Josh Neer. Let’s lay $150 to win $30 on Ryan Bader. Let’s lay $92 to win $80 on Antoni Hardonk. Let’s lay $50 to win $110 0n Cael Sonnen. Let’s lay $75 to win $50 on Rob Kimmons. Let’s lay $69 to win $60 on Kyle Kingsbury. Let’s lay $100 to win $50 on Chase Gormley. In all we are risking $995 to win $632. The cocktail waitress gets a $5 tip. That’s 7 favorites and 3 underdogs with one pick’em. Good luck and enjoy the fights. I know I will. And, don’t forget to give a large portion of your profits to your local youth wrestling program, where future champs are made! Fantastic Five: Five fighters who had wrestling success Tony Nguyen Many of the fighters competing tonight have had some sort of wrestling background. Let’s take a look at five fighters who had collegiate wrestling success. We begin with the co-main event: Cain Velasquez squares off with “Big” Ben Rothwell. Cain Velasquez was an NJCAA champion at Iowa Central Community College and then went on to become a two-time All-American at Arizona State. He’s an undefeated fighter whose climb up the heavyweight ladder has been meteoric. His last win against kickboxing monster Cheick Congo put him within two fights of a title shot. Against Congo, when Velasquez got in trouble early, taking poor angles, and getting hit, he went back to his wrestling and controlled the fight on the ground. Let’s see if he’s improved his standup since his last outing. Ben Rothwell was the IFL’s No. 1 contender and one of their best fighters. He has a victory over former UFC champ Ricco Rodriquez. In the Affliction league, he lost a tough battle against former UFC champion Andre Arlovski. He’s a serious test for Cain Velasquez, and a battle-tested veteran. The winner of this fight is a fight away from fighting for the belt against Brock Lesnar. Another former wrestler on the main event card is Anthony Johnson. He’s quickly rising as one of the UFC’s most exciting welterweights. His devastating knockouts of Tommy Speers, Kevin Burns, and Luigi Fioravanti have fans clamoring for more of the man they call“Rumble.” What fans might not know is that Johnson was a successful wrestler at Lassen Community College. He uses his wrestling background to defend takedowns and throw his powerful strikes. He faces a man that wants nothing more than to take him down … in Yoshiyuki Yoshida, a judo expert and former judo Olympian. Yoshida will want to clinch and take this fight to the mat, and avoid the striking of Johnson. This is an interesting fight as styles make fights. If Johnson keeps it standing, it’s only a matter of time before he connects and hurts Yoshida. If Yoshida can get this fight to the mat, he could win via decision. You don’t want to miss this fight. Ryan Bader, a two-time NCAA all American and reality TV superstar, is fighting Eric Schafer on the undercard. The bout, based mostly on Bader’s popularity, is going to be aired live on Spike TV. Bader is known in wrestling circles for his wrestling accomplishments at Arizona State University. He’s extremely popular since winning a season on Spike TV’s reality TV show, and is now a fan favorite. He trains alongside many great former All-American wrestlers turned MMA fighters such as C. B. Dollaway, Aaron Simpson, and Ben Askren at Arizona Combat Sports. His last win against Carmelo Marrero was solid, but not spectacular, and now makes a jump in competition against Schafer. Eric Schafer is a submission specialist that has solid wins against Houston Alexander and Antonio Mendes. He will have his chances if Bader takes him to the mat, but in the end, it’s a tough road. Bader is the stronger puncher and can take Schafer down at will. Schafer has to hope for a submission to win this fight. Chael Sonnen is also on the undercard and is facing Yushin Okami, one of four fighters that has a victory against current middleweight king, Anderson Silva. Sonnen wrestled at the University of Oregon and was a very accomplished Greco-Roman wrestler as well. He was the top middleweight in the WEC before arriving as a serious contender in the UFC. Okami is Japan’s top middleweight. He has a great clinch game and wins most of his fights by clinch, using his physical strength and striking. Okami is 7-1 in the UFC and the winner of this fight moves into the top two or three as a contender for a title shot. This will be a battle of equal fighters. I believe that whichever fighter can dictate the rhythm and impose his “will,” will win the fight. This one is too close to call! Chase Gormley is a big heavyweight at 6-3, 265 pounds. This former wrestler is also sporting a perfect 6-0 MMA record and looking to make a splash in his UFC debut. Chase was an NAIA All-American wrestler at both Montana State Northern University and Lindenwood University. He is fighting Steven Struve, who is a lanky 6-11, 238-pound fighter out of Holland, has the look of a basketball player, but is a submission specialist. He also is 1-1 in the UFC and 17-3 overall. Struve will want to submit Gormley in any way possible. Gormley will have to negotiate the long reach and lanky frame of Struve. He must be cautious of taking Steven down and work solid footwork in his standup and apply some ground and pound. Should be a fun fight. You can follow Tony Nguyen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TonyNguyenMMA.

TDR this week will be LIVE from the home based Brute Adidas studios of TDR for the final time before hitting the road for several weeks of room shows. The season is almost upon us and we look forward to our visits around the country. A complete and evolving schedule will be posted soon on the Takedownradio.com web site. The big news for us this week is that next weeks TDR TV will be on TV. Mediacom in Iowa and surrounding areas will air TDR TV on a weekly basis on its MC 22 channel. Thanks to our friends at Mediacom for their belief in wrestling. Tune and watch. This week on TDR: Chris Ayers- Head Coach of the Princeton Tigers joins us to discuss prep for the season and his new freshmen. Tim Flynn- Head Coach of Edinboro. With a number of elite wrestlers ranked highly, it is apparent that Flynn's squad is highly respected Dr. William K. Bauer- Writer, teacher and good guy penned the book, "Wrestling: A Boys First Book" Joe McFarland- A new Home for the Wolverines of Michigan, a heck of a good incoming class and some seniors looking to make their marks. Mychal Grenawalt- Matside Michigan, the Radio Show returns to the air with some of the best youth, high school and collegiate wrestling in the state of Michigan on Supertalk 1570 and others as well as http://supertalk1570.com Emily Klinefelter- 13 national titles and two Gold Medals from the Pan Am Games in Brazil. She has fought all over the world and owns a 5-0 MMA record, and 6-0 pro boxing record. November 13th she will face Nately Jerez at Max Fights DM: Ballroom Brawl Missed an episode of TDR? Now You can get TDR on your PDA or iPhone at Lightsout.tv and at iTunes Please note that Episode 28 of TDR TV is now up on all the top web sites around the country and is available for your viewing. TDR every week! It's appointment Radio! Join us at Takedownradio.com. America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show airs on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa and on a radio station near you or on line at many of our broadcast partners around the world including Livesportsvideo.com. We air 9 AM to 11 AM CST every Saturday morning and look forward to having you listen in.