InterMat Staff

Head coach J Robinson and the University of Minnesota wrestling program announced seven National-Letter-of-Intent signees today. Alec Ortiz (Photo/Wyatt Schultz)Once again there is a strong local flavor in the Gophers recruiting class, with five of the seven student-athletes hailing from the state of Minnesota. The class includes Jake Kettler (Ramsey, Minn.), Alec Ortiz (Newberg Ore.), Bart Reiter (Gilbertville, Iowa), Pat Smith (Chaska, Minn.), Kevin Steinhaus (Pennock, Minn.), David Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) and Danny Zilverberg (Wayzata, Minn.). "Having five Minnesota High School wrestlers sign with us during the fall period is a tribute to the great programs for youth wrestling that exist here in Minnesota," Robinson said. "There is exceptional quality in this state and we are very excited about this incoming class. They have proven themselves on the national level and we expect big things from this group at the collegiate level." Kettler, a product of Anoka High School, wrestled in the heavyweight class as a prep and placed third at the 2008 Minnesota high school tournament. A 2008 second team academic all-state selection, Kettler posted a 40-6 overall record as a junior. On a national level, Kettler was named a Junior National Greco-Roman All-American. Ortiz is a three-time Oregon state champion at 160 pounds from Newberg High School. The No. 4 overall recruit in the nation and the No. 1-ranked wrestler in his weight class, Ortiz has been a dominant force in Oregon wrestling, compiling a 95-0 record during his prep career to go with four Junior National All-America citations (two in Freestyle and two in Greco-Roman). Reiter, the younger brother of Gopher three-time All-American Mack Reiter, is a three-time state wrestling champion at Don Bosco High School in Gilbertville, Iowa. A National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Junior National All-American, Reiter owns a 118-2 prep record and is ranked as the No. 10 recruit in his weight class and No. 80 prospect overall by Intermat. He is currently ranked No. 1 in Iowa in the 125-pound class. Pat Smith (Photo/The Guillotine)Smith, who attends Chaska High School, placed third in the 2008 Minnesota high school state tournament at 135 pounds. Considered the No. 11-rated recruit in his weight class, Smith compiled a 37-4 record as a junior and was named second team academic all-state. Smith was also honored as an NHSCA Junior National All-American. Steinhaus, of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg High School, is a two-time Minnesota state champion, a three-time finalist, and a four-time placewinner. Steinhaus is also a first team academic all-state selection and won the 152-pound Class A title as a junior after capturing the 145-pound title as a sophomore. During an outstanding junior campaign, Steinhaus posted a 47-0 record. The No. 5-ranked prospect in his weight class, Steinhaus was the 2008 NHSCA Junior National Championships runner-up. Thorn, from St. Michael-Albertville High School and the brother of current Gopher Mike Thorn, is a three-time state champion and a two-time Junior National Freestyle All-American. He captured the Minnesota state title at 125 pounds as a junior and finished the 2008 campaign with a 46-2 record. Ranked as the No. 24 overall prospect in the nation and the No. 2 recruit in his weight class, Thorn also earned second team academic all-state honors as a junior. Zilverberg, a Wayzata High School product and the brother of current Gopher David Zilverberg, is a two-time state placer at the Minnesota state tournament. He posted a 48-2 record as a junior and finished third at the 2008 state meet after taking fourth as sophomore in 2007. Zilverberg also won the 2006 Folkstyle National Championship at the cadet level. "I am very pleased with the direction of our recruiting right now," Robinson added. "Coming off our No. 1-ranked recruiting class last year, we believe the University of Minnesota wrestling program will continue to do great things." Minnesota opened its 2008-09 campaign by winning eight titles at last weekend's Bison open. The Gophers continue their season this Saturday at the Nebraska-Omaha Open before traveling to Rochester, Minn., for the Northern Quad on Saturday, Nov. 29.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia wrestling, ranked No. 24 nationally by InterMat, continues its brutal early schedule Sunday as it competes in the Journeymen Sprawl and Brawl Duals in Binghamton, N.Y. The Cavaliers face their fourth straight foe from the Big Ten Conference, No. 14 Penn State, in the opener at 9:45 a.m. UVa then will tackle American International College at 1:15 p.m. Virginia battled three Big Ten foes last Saturday at the ACC/Big Ten Clash, defeating Michigan State, 23-15, and falling to No. 12 Wisconsin, 25-15, and No. 9 Illinois, 39-7. Chris Henrich (So., Lansdale, Pa.) won all three of his matches at 174 pounds and was named the ACC Co-Wrestler of the Week following his performance. The honor is the first career conference wrestler of the week distinction for Henrich. Henrich (7-0), moved up to a No. 14 national ranking this week. He is slated to wrestle No. 17 Quentin Wright of Penn State in the opener. UVa has two other wrestlers ranked – Rocco Caponi (Sr., Uniontown, Ohio) is up to No. 8 at 184 and Ross Gitomer (Jr., Flemington, N.J.) is ranked No. 17 at 125. Coming off an injury, Gitomer is on track to compete for the first time in three weeks on Sunday. Caponi is scheduled to face No. 13 Phil Bomberger of Penn State. Penn State has two others who are ranked, both of whom are No. 2 in the country at their respective weight classes – Bubba Jenkins at 149 and Dan Vallimont at 157. The Nittany Lions are 0-1 in duals this year after suffering an 18-15 loss to Hofstra last Sunday. They are scheduled to travel to No. 4 Cornell Friday night for a dual prior to the Sprawl and Brawl Sunday. Penn State has won all of the seven previous meetings with UVa, but the programs have not met since 1988. In the second match, Virginia will face AIC, which is 2-1 this season. The Yellow Jackets fell to Boston University (37-6) before downing Seton Hill (21-18) and Duquesne (21-20) in road bouts last weekend. UVa and AIC have never met previously in wrestling. Virginia travels back to New York Nov. 29 to compete in the Northeast Duals in Albany. UVa is slated to wrestle No. 7 Oklahoma State at 11 a.m., Bucknell at 1 p.m. and Harvard at 3 p.m.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Thom Ortiz, the head coach of the Arizona State University wrestling team, announced today that Norman Richmond has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his educational and athletic careers with the Sun Devils. Richmond is slated to compete at 133 pounds for the Sun Devils when he joins the program in time for the 2009-10 campaign. "Norman is a fine addition to our team," Ortiz said. "We strive to be the best team in the Pac-10 Conference and compete for national titles and Norman will certainly help our chances. He is an exciting competitor and we look forward to having him in our program." A native of Portland, Ore., Richmond is currently a member of the Sierra College team in Rocklin, Calif., the same school the produced current Sun Devil heavyweight and two-time undefeated California College champion Erik Nye. Richmond has already found success at SC as he won the 133-pound title at the California Championships in 2007 and was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament. He also earned All-America honors while helping his team to the state title. This season, Richmond has not competed in order to have three years of eligibility with the Sun Devils. His addition to the line-up could prove to shore up a very tough lightweight group that currently features a pair of sophomores that are ranked No. 8 in the nation: Anthony Robles at 125 and Chris Drouin at 141. Richmond already has had success against Pac-10 foes as he won the 2007 Fullerton Open with four of his five wins coming over wrestlers from Pac-10 schools. Prior to defeating Cal Poly's Filip Novachcov in the final (11-7), Richmond knocked off top-seed and nationally ranked T.J. Dillashaw of CS Fullerton, 2-1. Dillashaw was fourth in the Pac-10 last season as the tournament's No. 1 seed. Prior to Sierra, Richmond won a pair of Oregon state championships. After missing the state tournament in his first two years of competition, Richmond tore through the competition and won the state title at 125 pounds during his junior season before adding the 133-pound title as a senior. He also competed in the USA Junior Nationals, winning the Greco-Roman title and placing second in freestyle.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma wrestling squad improved to 2-0 on the season after a dominant performance Thursday evening in Norman, defeating Oklahoma City University (4-2) by a 47-0 final. With the victory, Oklahoma coach Jack Spates picked up his 200th win at OU. "There are a lot of great memories and certainly a lot of great kids that are responsible for the wins," Spates said. "I was proud of the way we wrestled tonight. It doesn't matter who the opponent is, you have to come out with the same focus and intensity each night." The No. 19th-ranked Sooners (2-0) began with a 6-0 team lead after Oklahoma City forfeited the opening weight, with sophomore Joey Fio picking up the win. Senior David Armstrong then recorded an 8-3 decision over Justin Blumer at 133 pounds to put the Sooners up 9-0. The Cleveland, Ohio, native recorded two takedowns and a reversal to pick up his third win of the season. A decisive 19-2 technical fall by redshirt sophomore Zack Bailey followed at 141 pounds over Jeremy Garner. After scoring three takedowns and four nearfalls on the evening, the Kansas City, Mo., native improved to 5-0 on the season. Kyle Terry quickly took control of the 149-pound match, scoring four nearfalls and a takedown in the first period to lead 15-1. Just 39 seconds into the second, Terry posted a fall, his third of the season, and gave OU a 20-0 team lead. Shane Vernon continued OU's dominance by recording three takedowns, three nearfalls and a reversal to post an 18-5 major decision at 157 pounds over Mark Meyer. Sooner Ryan Smith pushed the lead to 27-0 by recording a 10-2 major decision over Nik Turner at 165 pounds. Jeff James then put six more on the board, recording a pin versus Andrew Pontikes. The redshirt sophomore now has two pins this season and three in his career. Redshirt sophomore Pat Flynn then recorded a 10-1 major decision over Dillon Blackmon at 184 pounds before teammate Eric Lapotsky scored his fourth fall in only six matches this season at 197 pounds. The Mt. Carmel, Pa., native now owns 12 pins in only 22 matches as a Sooner. Redshirt Freshman Nathan Fernandez sealed the OU shutout with a 9-4 decision at heavyweight over Corey Johnson, scoring three takedowns for his fourth victory of the season. The Sooners will return to action this Sunday, Nov. 23, when they host No. 20th-ranked Old Dominion at 4 p.m., at the McCasland Field House in Norman.

Lincoln -- Junior Craig Brester pinned Chattanooga's Ethan Winel in 2:45 to lead the No. 6 Huskers to a 29-15 dual win over the Mocs at the NU Coliseum on Thursday. Nebraska notched a victory in its season opener for the 14th consecutive year, while Chattanooga fell to 3-4 on the year. The Huskers came out strong with wins in the first six matches of the night, but Brester blew the doors open during the fifth match with a pin in his first contest of the season. The All-American notched a takedown 19 seconds in and collected a three-point nearfall at the 45-second mark, before earning the fall with 15 seconds left in the first period. Brester's win extended the Nebraska lead to 20-0, and put the match out of reach with UTC forfeiting two matches later. NU built a large early lead thanks to major decisions from juniors Jordan Burroughs and Levi Wofford. Making his first appearance at 157 pounds, Burroughs earned seven takedowns, including three in the final period, to earn a 17-7 victory over No. 19 Joey Knox. Wofford was just as impressive at 184 pounds. He surrendered an early takedown, but battled back with three three-point nearfalls in the final period to notch a 15-3 win against Kyle McKee. Fifth-ranked Stephen Dwyer (165), third-ranked Brandon Browne (174) and Tucker Lane (Hwt.) also rattled off decisions for the Huskers before the Mocs put points on the scoreboard. Wrestling in the second and third matches of the night, Dwyer and Browne posted 9-3 and 12-6 victories, respectively. Dwyer earned 2:28 of riding time in his match against Seth Garvin, while Browne notched four takedowns and two reversals against Jason McCroskey. Lane, making his first career dual appearance, posted a 5-3 decision over Cody Sliger. The Huskers forfeited at 125 pounds to break their six-match winning streak, but UTC forfeited at 133 to give the six points right back to Nebraska. The Mocs picked up victories at 141 and 149 in the final two matches of the night. Nebraska returns to the mat on Nov. 28 with a doubleheader against Augustana (S.D.) and Oregon State. The Huskers battle the Vikings at 4 p.m. and Beavers at 6 p.m. Fans can get into the duals free with a valid ticket from the Nebraska-Colorado football game.

Three-time Indiana high school state champ. Junior Nationals freestyle champ. The one wrestler from the Hoosier state to earn the Dave Schultz 2008 High School Excellence Award. Andrew HoweAndrew Howe can claim all those honors … and more. Howe, a graduate of Hanover Central High School in northwest Indiana, is a key component in a talent-rich freshman class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, ranked second in the nation by InterMat (behind Big Ten rival Minnesota). In addition to Howe, other blue-chip recruits joining the Badgers this season: Trey Bertram (Woodbury, Minnesota), Jim Duffy (Naperville, Illinois), Tom Kelliher (Burnsville, Minnesota), Brad Nardick (Northbrook, Illinois), Tyler Graff (Loveland, Colorado), Travis Rutt (Belle Plain, Minnesota), Cole Schmitt (New Glarus, Wisconsin), and Ben Jordan (St. Paris, Ohio, son of Jim Jordan, two-time NCAA champ for Wisconsin in the 1980s). However, even among these highly accomplished young wrestlers, Andrew Howe may be the one true freshman competing on the varsity team, as the Badgers' starter at 165 pounds. Even as a freshman, Howe is ranked seventh in his weight class by RevWrestling.com. Great expectations It was expected that Andrew Howe would make his debut as a Badger in the November 15 ACC/Big Ten Clash … but he was recovering from a knee injury, and did not compete. Once he's had time to recover, Howe is still expected to compete at 165. Despite the knee injury, great things are expected of Andrew Howe. In an entry in his blog at the official Wisconsin wrestling website early in November, head coach Barry Davis writes, "Our starting lineup is not set yet. A lot have people have asked about the freshmen and whether or not some of them are redshirting. We're not sure yet if all the freshmen are going to compete this year. Tyler Graff, Ben Jordan and Travis Rutt are all up in the air right now, but Andrew Howe will for sure wrestle for us at 165 pounds" "He's head and shoulders above most other freshmen," according to Donny Pritzlaff, assistant coach at Wisconsin who earned two NCAA titles for the Badgers. "(Howe) thrives under pressure," says Pritzlaff. "He's incredibly well-adjusted, which speaks volumes about his work ethic." "He was here all summer. We helped him get ready for Fargo." "He's ready in all respects -- wrestling-wise, academically, too." Coach Pritzlaff continues, "(Howe's) not a vocal kid, but his leadership shows. He's among the hardest-working guys in the room." "He brings a lot of energy to the room. There's a quiet confidence about him. A lot of kids respect that about him." Prep near-perfection You could say that wrestling is in Andrew Howe's genes. His dad Mike wrestled in high school and at Miami University (Ohio); his two older brothers, Jon and Eric, were also wrestlers. (In fact, Eric, who wrestled at Purdue, was a volunteer assistant at Hanover Central.) Andrew Howe took up the sport in first grade, and loved it from the start. In high school, Howe compiled a nearly perfect 192-1 record; the one loss was in the 130-pound finals at the Indiana state championships. As a sophomore, Howe captured his first state title, at 140 pounds. The following year, he claimed his second state crown, this time at 152. As a senior, and captain of the Hanover Central team, Howe completed his prep career with his third Indiana state title, as a 160-pounder. What's more, Andrew Howe was named the sole Indiana winner of the Dave Schultz 2008 High School Excellence Award. This honor, presented to one prep wrestler from each of the 49 states that offers high school wrestling, acknowledges excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, character, citizenship, and community service. Andrew Howe won the 2008 Junior Nationals title in Fargo at 160 pounds (Photo/Wyatt Schultz)Ask Andrew Howe the high point of his wrestling career so far, and without a moment of hesitation, he answers, "Winning Fargo this summer." In the 160-pound finals of the 2008 Junior National Freestyle Championships held at Fargo, Howe faced off against another prep superstar, Alex Meade of Delaware. Meade won the first period, but the Badger recruit came battling back with 3-0 and 6-2 wins over the future Oklahoma State Cowboy to claim the title. "The competition is intense at Fargo," according to Howe. "I had fallen short in the past, which makes the win even sweeter." Working Overtime towards success You could say that Andrew Howe's road to three Indiana high school state titles and a national championship in Fargo traveled through Naperville, Illinois, and the Overtime Wrestling Club. Howe made the long trek from his home in Cedar Lake, Indiana to Overtime in west-suburban Chicago up to three or four times a week. All those miles -- not to mention the money spent on the Illinois Tollway -- apparently paid off for Howe. "Overtime helped me a huge, huge amount," says the Wisconsin freshman. One could also say that Overtime Wrestling Club also played prominently in the journey from Indiana to the University of Wisconsin. Sean Bormet (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)"(Howe's) trained at Overtime for years," according to Donny Pritzlaff. "I got a heads up from Overtime's Sean Bormet about him." In addition to coaching Howe, Sean Bormet, owner of the nationally-respected Overtime facility, has coached Pritzlaff in his freestyle career … and told the Wisconsin assistant coach about the impressive wrestler from northwest Indiana whose style he thought would be a good fit for the Badger wrestling program. "I wanted to stay close to home," discloses Howe. "My focus was on Big Ten schools." "Donny started recruiting me. I liked him a lot." "When I made my visit, I immediately fell in love with the campus … I hit it off with the coaches right away, too." On, Wisconsin! Ask Andrew Howe about the transition from Hanover Central High School -- where he was an honor roll student, earning all As and Bs -- to the University of Wisconsin, and he responds, "Academically, at times it's challenging. However, we're provided with excellent tutoring, study tables and assistance to help us succeed in the classroom." "In terms of the transition wrestling-wise, it's really great," Howe continues. "Everything's really structured here. The coaches watch us very closely, give very specific guidance that makes a real difference …" "In practice, we're pushed a lot harder. It's much more intense. Our workout partners provide a much higher level of competition." "I was hoping to start right away," Howe continues. "The coaches told me, 'We'll see if you're ready.'" "They now think I'm ready to go." Style and substance Despite growing in high school from 130 to 160 pounds, the 5'8" Howe has maintained the same wrestling style: "I've always wanted to go through the (other) guy, be as intense as possible, beat the guy up … be powerful, stay on top of him." Donny Pritzlaff"It's really boring not to create action." When asked to describe Andrew Howe's on-the-mat style, coach Pritzlaff responds, "Exciting. Constantly moving forward. Bang and snap. In your face." "He's technically sound, making adjustments as necessary." "He has an incredible passion for the sport." "It doesn't take much to motivate him. He has an inner drive that's second to none." "As we get into the season, he wants to do his best," adds Pritzlaff. "He wants to be the best on the big stage -- the Big Tens, NCAAs." Those statements line up with Andrew Howe's stated goals: "I want to be a multi-time conference and NCAA champ … In the off-season, I want to continue to compete in freestyle as much as possible. I want to make a couple runs at the Olympics." The freshman 165-pounder is still in his first semester of college, and has not yet declared a major. However, his ultimate dream: "I'd love to be a coach." "Being around the sport the rest of my life would be great, helping others achieve success," says Howe. "All my coaches are great people. They've showed me a world of wrestling, and so much about how to be a genuine human being."

Lincoln -- The Nebraska wrestling team signed one additional student-athlete to a National Letter of Intent, Head Coach Mark Manning announced Thursday. C.J. Napier of Columbus, Kan., has signed and will wrestle for the Huskers. "When I took my official visit I felt like I fit in really well," Napier said. "Coach Manning and his whole staff are great people. Everybody was so nice. I was treated real well, and it is an awesome program." Napier will join five other Huskers that signed during the early signing period. Napier, along with Kyle Waldo, David Klingsheim, Cody Compton, Michael Klinginsmith and Caleb Kolb, will join the team in the 2009-10 academic year. C.J. Napier – Columbus, Kan. Wrestling for his father, Todd Napier, at Columbus High School, C.J. Napier has claimed the last two Class 4A state titles. He posted a 34-5 record to place third his freshman year at 130 pounds, before notching 37-3 and 37-1 marks his last two seasons at 135 pounds. Napier owns a 108-9 career record heading into his senior campaign. Napier is also a three-time All-American at the Cadet/Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D. He won the cadet freestyle title in 2006 at 135 pounds, and has finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the junior freestyle division at 135 pounds the last two summers. He is the No. 65 wrestler in the InterMat's top 100 recruits of 2009. Napier's hometown of Columbus is just 25 miles from Pittsburg, Kan., the hometown of current Husker freshman Tyler Koehn. Napier chose Nebraska over Oklahoma State, and is projected to wrestle at 133 pounds for the Huskers. Manning on Napier: "C.J. is really a smart wrestler. He is very dedicated and wants to be the best. He has the right mentality. We are just extremely happy to have C.J. because he fits into the type of young man we want on our team and the type of competitor to help us win at the highest level."

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Millersville, Pa. -- The 2008-09 Millersville wrestling team under first-year head coach Todd Roberts opened made its Pucillo Gymnasium debut Wednesday evening and the Marauders defeated both Wagner and Delaware State in convincing fashion. Millersville (2-0) recorded five falls and nine of 10 matches in a 44-3 victory over Wagner, and then won six of the 10 bouts against Delaware for a 25-18 victory. Millersville improved to 13-0-1 all-time against Wagner and 5-0 all-time against Delaware State. The evening couldn't have started any better for the Marauders as the first three wrestlers that stepped on the mat each earned a fall. Sophomore Sean Reed continued the impressive start to his Marauder career by recording falls in both of his matches. Against Wagner's Nicholas Keshecki, the 133-pound Reed scored the pin in just 1:08. His match against Delaware State's Kelvin Watford wasn't nearly as easy. Watford had just scored a three-point nearfall and was in position to score again when Reed bridged and pinned Watford. Brothers John Andel (125) and Sean Andel (141) each scored falls against Wagner as well. John, a senior, pinned Jason Mandragona in two minutes and Sean, in his first career match, pinned Jacob Villaret at 5:59. At 174 pounds, Shane Smith boosted his record to 6-2 on the season. It took him just 2:03 to pin Wagner's Ryan Malloy. Against Delaware State's Kyle Skinner, he earned a hard-fought 3-0 decision. J.J. Lester picked up a 21-5 technical fall against Wagner's Nick Dalcero, but ran into the nation's No. 13-ranked wrestler at 149 pounds against Delaware State. Matt Catthel handed Lester just his second defeat of the season, pinning him at 2:07. 197-pound Raymond Bennett also turned in a pair of outstanding efforts. He pinned Wagner's Mark Wagner in just 58 seconds and then topped Shawn Nowery of Delaware State by a 15-5 major decision. Jeremy Brooks, wrestling at 165, also won both of his bouts, and freshman heavyweight D.J. Fox earned a 4-3 overtime win over Wagner's Angelo D'Amico in his first career match. The Marauders travel to Lock Haven for the Mat Town Open Saturday, Nov. 29.

Philadelphia -- Drexel wrestling opened their 2008-09 dual match season with a 22-11 victory over visiting East Stroudsburg. The Dragons took the final six matches to erase an early 11-4 deficit. Drexel's Steve Mytych (Wyoming, Pa./Northampton) earned a major decision victory at 125 pounds while six other Dragons took wins by decision. For Head Coach Jack Childs it was his 396th career victory at Drexel as he moved closer to the 400-win mark. East Stroudsburg opened the match strong with a pair of major decision wins. The opening bout at 197 pounds saw Shane Mallory defeat Justin Sachse, 22-9. Sachse was moved up from his normal weight class of 174 pounds to challenge Mallory. Chris Birchler earned the Warriors another four pounds when took a 12-3 major decision win in a match-up against Drexel's Kyle Frey. Mytych, a senior co-captain, got the Dragons on the board with a convincing 16-4 triumph to halve the Warriors' lead. At 133 pounds, Matt Swallow outlasted Justin Giani, 9-5, before Drexel made its run of six straight victories to close the match. Freshman Matt Dugan won perhaps the most exciting bout of the day as he trailed in the second period, 3-0. Dugan started the second period in the up position and was assessed a penalty point for an illegal move to increase his deficit to 3-0. He rode Matthew Rizzo out to finish the period then started on top to begin the third. Rizzo was called for stalling twice in the third period while Dugan continued to run up his riding time. With the score 3-2, Dugan earned two points for a near fall with just seconds remaining and won the match, 5-3, while not earning a single takedown. Robbie Robinson picked up a win at 149 pounds with a 4-2 victory over Joe Schick while Billy Haydt followed with a 13-6 decision against Jesse Dunn. Scott Hunter and Brian Stouffer picked up wins with decisions by five points as Hunter defeated Jeff Jacobs, 11-6, and Stouffer topped Nick Tetro, 7-2. Justin Wieller ended the match with a 6-2 victory at 184 pounds over Trevor Salvatore. The Dragons return to action on Saturday, Nov. 22 when they head to Ithaca, N.Y. to participate in the Cornell Body Bar Invitational. The first match starts at 9:00 a.m.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army juniors Matt Kyler and Richard Starks were two of nine Black Knights to pick up decisions in a 41-3 victory over Franklin & Marshall, Tuesday night at Gillis Field House. "Tonight was a good night for us," said Army head coach Chuck Barbee. "It was good to see our guys take care of business as we prepare for some strong competition this weekend at Cornell." Kyler, who was ranked ninth at 149 pounds in both of this week's national polls, improved to 7-1 this season by pinning Jay Tracy in 2:31. It was Kyler's fourth fall of the season. Starks, the 16th-ranked wrestler in both polls, ran his record to 5-2 with a 15-0 (7:00) technical fall opposite Colin Ely at 197 pounds. Junior Lance Penhale started the night off at 125 pounds with a 4-1 decision over Stephen Sabreen as the Black Knights won the first seven bouts of the match. Senior captain Whitt Dunning pinned Matt Murray (3:40) at 133, sophomore Casey Thome defeated Al Gianforti, 14-2, at 141, sophomore Rudy Chelednik shutout James DiNicola, 15-0 (5:29) at 157 and freshman Mike Gorman pinned Anthony Bongarzone (6:04) at 165 to stake Army to a 31-0 lead. Black Knight freshman Derek Stanley defeated Jimmy Schulz, 7-1, at 184, while junior Michael Sprigg took a 4-2 decision over Nico Somers at heavyweight to finish the night. Army will compete at the Body Bar Invitational this Saturday (Nov. 22), hosted by Cornell. Action is scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m.

Seventh-year Head Coach Dan Hicks has received national letters of intent from six highly regarded high school senior wrestlers who will join the Cal State Fullerton program as freshmen for the 2009-10 season. "We are very excited about the group that has committed and the future looks bright," said Hicks. The list, alphabetically: Jonah Cruz, 141 / 149, Bakersfield HS -- two-time state place winner... ranked in top four this season Martin Gonzalez, 125, Gilroy HS -- was selected by W.I.N Magazine this week as the No. 1 recruit out of California among all weight classes.. ranked No. 5 senior nationally at 125 Justin Schellenger, 165, Great Valley HS in Malvern, PA -- placed at state in Pennsylvania... career record of 83-24 in first three seasons Taylor Warden, 197, Calvary Chapel High School in Santa Ana -- 5th at state in 2008... currently ranked as high as No. 1 Bryce Whitehead, 149 / 157, Sprague HS in Salem, Oregon Henry Yorba, 133, Poway HS -- two-time state place winner... ranked No. 2 this season

NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion University wrestling coach Steve Martin announced the signing of five recruits to national letters of intent this week. Jack Burbank (Virginia Beach, Va.), Eric Dunnet (Voorhees, N.J.), Justin LaValle (Burnsville, Minn.), John Nicholson (Des Moines, Iowa), and Joey Sheridan (Tulsa, Okla.) all signed National Letters of Intent to attend ODU in the fall of 2009. Jack Burbank is a standout from right here in the Hampton Roads area as he heads into his final season at Cox High School in Virginia Beach. He ranks as high as 13th in the nation and will come in to wrestle in the 285-lb weight class. He placed 6th at the VHSL Championship in 2007 and earned the State Champion crown in 2008. He was also named Beast of the East place winner in 2007. MARTIN ON BURBANK: "We're excited to get a local kid as talented as Burbank. We think he has the potential to do great things. He is a big, tall kid, standing at 6-4, so it should be an easy transition into college wrestling from high school." Eric Dunnet is from Eastern Regional HS in New Jersey and ranks 9th in the nation. He finished 6th in the state his freshman year and was 2nd at sophomore nationals. He also placed 5th at Junior Freestyle Nationals and 6th at Fargo. He is a three-time state placewinner. MARTIN ON DUNNET: "Dunnet is a very scrappy wrestler from New Jersey. He has a strong work ethic and desire. We look forward to helping him develop his technique and help him get on the podium." Justin LaValle arrives from Minnesota as the 5th ranked wrestler in the nation by two publications. He was named to the 2008 National Duals Greco "All Team" and is the 2008-2009 Apple Valley HS Team Captain. Apple Valley HS is currently ranked 3rd in the Nation for High School Wrestling and he has compiled a 141-30 record from for the Eagles. He is ranked #1 in the state of Minnesota in the 130 lb weight class and will wrestle 133 at ODU. MARTIN ON LaVALLE: "LaValle is from national powerhouse Apple Valley HS and was recruited heavily by Minnesota and Nebraska. He's already proven himself on a national level; he is very good on the mat, especially from the top position." John Nicholson is the younger brother of current ODU Wrestler James Nicholson from Des Moines, Iowa. John ranks as high as 7th in the nation coming in. Nicholson won the Class 3-A 152-pound state championship for Roosevelt HS as a junior in 2008 after placing third in that same competition his sophomore year. He takes a 139-14 record into his senior season and will join his brother at Old Dominion as a wrestler in the 157 lb weight class. MARTIN ON NICHOLSON: "John Nicholson wrestles the old school Iowa style of wrestling, constantly coming at you. He's really going to be fun for our fans to watch. He was recruited heavily by Iowa and Missouri with his final choice coming down to us & Iowa. He chose ODU in part because of his brother James." Joey Sheridan joins the Monarchs from Tulsa, Oklahoma where he is a two-time Oklahoma state champion in the 160-lb weight class. Coming to ODU from Tulsa Union HS, Sheridan is ranked as high as 8th in the nation. He was the Cadet National Freestyle Champion in 2006 and is a Reno Tournament of Champions place winner. Sheridan will wrestle at the 174 lb weight class for ODU. MARTIN ON SHERIDAN: "Sheridan has been nationally ranked his whole life. It is very difficult to land a good big guy and he is one of the top three wrestlers coming out of Oklahoma this year. We competed head on with Oklahoma State, Nebraska, and Missouri for this athlete and we're pleased to get him because it is very hard to get an Oklahoma kid to leave Oklahoma." The recruits will join an experienced class of grapplers that will lose just one to graduation this year. The team went 17-3 in 2007-08 and has placed ten in two tournaments to start the 2008-09 campaign. "We had specific recruiting needs at several weight classes. Our staff did a great job of getting five nationally ranked wrestlers at five different weight classes," said Martin. "We were able to lure these athletes away from Big Ten and Big 12 schools because of one common theme: they all want to be a part of the building process of a team that will beat the Oklahoma State's and Iowa's of the world. In addition, each of these student-athletes have high standards in the classroom and off the mat. This recruiting class will be highly ranked."

No. 12 Cornell College defeated Simpson College 35-10 in the dual opener for both schools Nov. 19 in Mount Vernon, Iowa. In the 125-pound opener, Micky Spiwak posted a 16-4 victory over Casey Miller (So., Overland Park, Kan., Blue Valley NW H.S.). Tigue Snider pinned Levi Vogel (So., Jesup, Iowa, Jesup H.S.) 4:33 into their 133 pound match. Kevin Donahue earned a major decision victory, 11-3 over Caleb Brus (So., Creston, Iowa, Creston H.S.) at 141. The Storm got on the board at 149 when Calvin Barber (Jr., Winterset, Iowa, Winterset H.S.) charted a 13-4 major decision victory over Jacob Schwebke. Dave Paramski defeated Ben Hektoen (Sr., Birmingham, Iowa, Fairfield H.S.) via technical fall at 6:02 in the 157-pound matchup. Joe Hambleton defeated Wade Dowling (Jr., West Des Moines, Iowa, Valley H.S.) 8-0 at 165. No. 6 Kyle Kehrli pinned Sam Thielen (So., Lee's Summit, Mo., North H.S.) at 1:51 of the 174-pound contest. Carmen Sacco defeated Jordy Ammons (So., Knoxville, Iowa, Knoxville H.S.) 5-1 at 184. At 197, Robet Widemer defeated Sam Collora (Jr., Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Mt. Pleasant H.S.) 6-5. John Bunch (So., Prole, Iowa, Martensdale-St. Mary's H.S.) won by forfeit at heavyweight to end the dual. "I was disappointed with how we wrestled tonight," said Simpson head coach Clint Manny. "We didn't come ready at all. Calvin attacked in his match and did a good job. He let (his opponent) up to go for the major decision. We need to regroup and get ready for Augsburg this weekend." The Storm travel to the Augsburg Brute-Adidas Open Saturday in Minneapolis. Bell time is set for 9 a.m.

The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team opened conference action at the Fitzgerald Field House tonight, Nov. 19, defeating Eastern Wrestling League rival Bloomsburg 27-7. The Panthers won eight of ten matches including the first four to coast to their first victory of the season. "We won eight of ten tonight, I think that's pretty good to say the least," noted Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer. "I really felt like our guys went out and tried to control the match from the start. Being able to win a conference match in our league this early in the season is always a great thing." True freshman Chris Albright sparked Pitt (1-1, 1-0) in the opening match of the night at 125 pounds. Down 8-6 to Ian Moser entering the third period, Albright was able to draw two stalling points from Moser to knot the score with 10 seconds remaining. He was then able to hold off Moser's late takedown attempts to secure the 9-8 win after accumulating over a minute of riding time, giving Pitt the early 3-0 lead. "You know, we're always looking for improvement and for Chris to come out tonight and win after being majored two weeks ago by Moser, that shows that our guys are improving on a daily basis," said Stottlemyer of his 125-pounder. Junior Jimmy Conroy, ranked 20th in the latest USA Today/Intermat/NWCA poll, put Pitt up 6-0 with his 4-1 decision over Jason Guffey in the 133-pound match. Conroy cruised after a late first-period takedown, yielding only an escape point to Guffey en route to his first dual win this season. Tyler Nauman made it three straight for the Panthers with his 10-3 decision over Rockey Donald at 141. The redshirt freshman jumped out to a 4-2 lead after the first period and continued to pour it on en route to his second straight dual win. Click here to find out more! Senior transfer Mark Powell gave Pitt a 12-0 advantage with his 4-0 shutout decision over George Hickman. After a scoreless first and second period which say Powell accumulate two minutes of riding time, he escaped eight seconds into the third to take the 1-0 lead. Powell added a takedown late in the third for good measure and tacked on a riding time point to even his dual record at 1-1. Bloomsburg's lone wins came by way of a major decision at 157 and decision at 165. No. 11 ranked Matt Moley downed junior Jeff Warusz 12-2 in the 157-pound match while Ricky Schmelyn was an 8-2 winner over sophomore Ethan Headlee at 165. Redshirt junior David Sullivan and freshman Zac Thomusseit quickly put the Panthers back on track with wins in the 174 and 184-pound matches respectively. Sullivan accumulated over two minutes of riding time on his way to earning the 4-1 decision while Thomusseit's early third-period escape proved to be the difference in the 3-2 decision. Matt Wilps was the third freshman of the night to earn a victory. After trading escapes in the second and third periods, Wilps and Ryan Sutton entered overtime tied at 1-1. 18 seconds into the extra frame, Wilps carded his first collegiate pin and dual match victory, putting Pitt up 24-7. It was business as usual for the No. 7 ranked heavyweight in the country on the mat tonight. Less than 20 seconds into the first period Zach Sheaffer struck with a two-point takedown on Zac Walsh. Two takedowns and an escape later, Sheaffer had racked up over four minutes of riding time, taking the 8-3 decision for his second win on the year. "Zach is always fun to watch because he is technically sound," said Stottlemyer. "He does some things that most heavyweights just don't do and we are fortunate to have a leader of his caliber on our team, setting the example for the younger guys." The Panthers will hit the road for the next three weeks of the season. The next stop is the Keystone Classic hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Sunday, Nov. 23.

University of Missouri Head Wrestling Coach Brian Smith will be the featured guest on Wrestling 411 Radio on Thursday, November 20. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 – 8 p.m. Central Standard Time by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Archives of each broadcast, along with a video from each show, will be available on the website as well. Smith's Tigers won dual meets over Lock Haven and Bucknell this past weekend, and will be hosting Hofstra on November 22 at 2 p.m. The Hofstra dual meet is part of a special event "Wrestling Supporting Wrestling," where all money raised from tickets sales will go directly to Missouri's wrestling program. During his time at Missouri Smith has compiled a 121-60-2 dual meet record, producing 11 All-Americans to 17 top-eight performances and recently aided in two-time National Champion Ben Askren's run through the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. The Tigers also placed third at the 2007 NCAA tournament. Visit www.wrestling411.tv for information on the show.

Two-time All-American wrestler Jayson Ness of the University of Minnesota has drawn a new opponent for his match at the 43rd annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic. Ness, who will be competing in the 133-pound class this year after earning All-American accolades at the 125-pound level each of the last two seasons, will wrestle Jimmy Kennedy from Illinois. Ness was originally slated to face Iowa's Joey Slayton. The NWCA All-Star Classic annually showcases the nation's top wrestlers. This year's event is being hosted by Ohio State on Nov. 24 at St. John's Arena and will be televised live on ESPNU. Last year, Ness tied a single-season school record with 20 pins. The national runner-up at 125 pounds at the NCAA Championships last March in St. Louis, the junior is one of four returning starters and one of two returning All-Americans for a Minnesota squad that is just two years removed from a national championship.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team has signed five wrestlers to National Letters-of-Intent, head coach Brad Penrith announced today. Inking to wrestle for the Panthers starting in 2009-2010 are Jake Demmon (Ottumwa, Iowa/Eddyville-Blakesburg HS), Joe Johnson (Swea City, Iowa/Algona HS/Iowa Central CC), Joey Lazor (McDonough, Ga./Union Grove HS), Ryan Loder (Granite Bay, Calif./Granite Bay HS), Brice Wolf (Greeley, Colo./Greeley Central HS). Demmon (125/133 lbs.) captured a state title in 2008 for Eddyville-Blakesburg High School as he pinned his way through the 119-pound weight class. Demmon's title capped a perfect junior season at 42-0. He was a freestyle regional runner-up and earned All-America honors with a seventh-place finish at Junior Nationals. In 2007, he placed third in the state tournament with a mark of 45-3 at 119 pounds. He was a sectional and regional champ in 2007. Demmon also captured the 2007 freestyle state championship. As a freshman, he qualified for state in the 112-pound weight class with a 36-5 record. Demmon is a three-time academic all-district and first-team all-district honoree. Demmon has compiled a three-year prep record of 123-8. Demmon is ranked fifth in the nation in his weight class in freestyle wrestling by W.I.N. Magazine. "We are extremely happy to have Jake sign with us," Penrith said. "He is one of the finest wrestlers in the state. He is very hard-nosed, wrestles hard and has a gas tank. He loves the sport." Johnson (184/197 lbs.) is ranked No. 2 in the nation at 184 pounds going into his sophomore season at Iowa Central Community College. Johnson placed fourth at last year's NJCAA national meet. Johnson was a three-time state placer at Algona High School. Johnson placed fourth in the state as a senior at 189 pounds after posting a 34-2 record. He placed fourth in the state as a junior at 171 pounds. He tallied a fifth-place finish at 171 pounds at the 2005 state tournament. Johnson posted a prep record of 121-23. He was a two-time first-team all-state linebacker in high school. "Joe is very discipline, motivated, and hasn't even come close to reaching his full potential," Penrith said. "He may be our diamond in the rough this year. I'm excited to add another quality Iowa high school wrestler to our program." Lazor (133/141 lbs.) recently placed third in the nation at the Super 32s. He won the 130-pound Class AAAAA state championship in Georgia as a junior with a perfect 45-0 record. Lazor has compiled a prep record of 163-8 heading into his senior season. He placed second in the state as a sophomore in the 119-pound weight class and also placed fourth in the state as a freshman at 103 pounds. Lazor placed third at the 2008 Brute Adidas Nationals. He is ranked as the 12th-best senior in the nation in his weight class by W.I.N. Magazine. "Joey puts a lot of high goals on himself," Penrith said. "He has a very positive attitude and strong work ethic both in the classroom and on the mat. He has a natural feel on the mat, comes out on top a lot." Loder (184 lbs.) is the 90th-ranked overall recruit in the nation by InterMat. He is ranked as the 6th-best senior recruit in his weight class by W.I.N. Magazine. He is ranked as the ninth-best senior recruit in his weight class by InterMat. Loder is a four-time high school All-American and he placed sixth in the state tournament as junior. Loder placed in the top-12 in the state of California as a sophomore. He placed third at Cadets in 2007 and sixth at Juniors in 2008. He has compiled a high school record of 124-19 heading into his senior season. "We feel Ryan will be an excellent all-around wrestler for us," Penrith said. "He is very focused, has a great attitude and we feel his potential is unlimited." Wolf (174 lbs.) is the 46th-ranked overall recruit in the nation by InterMat. Wolf placed fourth at the 2008 High School Nationals. Wolf is a three-time state placer in the state of Colorado and won the state title as a sophomore. He placed fifth in the state as a freshman and notched a third-place finish as a junior. He is a three-time all-conference honoree. Wolf has compiled a prep record of 116-13 heading into his senior season. Wolf is a two-time football letterwinner. He has earned the Academic Excellence Award and maintains a 3.57 grade point average. He was a Colorado High School Athletic Association Academic All-State honorable mention honoree. He wrestled for head coaches Eric Penfold and Joe Banas in high school. He plans to major in business and minor in art at UNI. "We're really excited to have Brice join our program," Penrith said. "He has a great work ethic and passion for the sport. He wrestles very hard. He is in a weigh class where we need some depth. He is our first kid from Colorado since Steve Ertl."

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Ohio State University assistant coach Joe Heskett and Luther College (IA) head coach Dave Mitchell. Joe Heskett won three high school state championships for Walsh-Jesuit High School in Ohio. At Iowa State University, Heskett was a four-time all-american and three-time finalist at 165 pounds, winning the NCAA title as a senior in 2002. He was also a four-time academic all-american. Heskett had considerable international wrestling success prior to winning both the U.S. Nationals and the World Team Trials in 2007. He placed fifth at the World Championships at 163 pounds and was forced to retire from competition shortly afterwards due to health concerns. Currently, Heskett is an assistant coach at Ohio State University where he helped the Buckeyes to a second place finish at last season's NCAA Championships. Dave Mitchell is in his 13th season as the head coach at Division III power Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Mitchell was the NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year in 2004 following his team's third place finish. Luther College has finished in the top five nationally six times since 2001. He has coached 39 all-americans, seven national champions and compiled a dual meet record of 156-62-5. A native of Riceville, Iowa, Mitchell was an all-american wrestler at University of Wisconsin- LaCrosse and was a two-time academic all-american. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Wyoming 174-pounder Shane Onufer has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Onufer (Auburn, Wash./Auburn HS) went 5-0 this past weekend, led Wyoming to a 34-10 dual win over Stanford and earned the 174-pound title at the Cowboy Open. In his five matches Onufer did not give up a single point to his opponents. On Friday night he won by fall at 1:54 over Stanford's Victor Haug, giving Wyoming a large cushion on the way to UW's first dual win of the season. Onufer then bullied his way to the 174-pound crown on Saturday in the Elite Division at the 36th annual Cowboy Open. He posted a 4-0 record and was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler. He won his first two matches by fall, his third round bout by major decision, 15-0 over Brett Hunter of Chadron State, and then out-muscled Nebraska-Kearney's Kamarudeen Usman, the No.2 ranked DII wrestler in the country, by a score of 7-0 in the finals. Onufer's season record is now 13-0, with nine pins. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Others nominated: Northern Colorado - Tony Mustari, Jr., 125 lbs., Greeley, Colo. North Dakota State - Kenny Moenkedick, So., 184 lbs., Perham, Minn. UNI - Trevor Kittleson, So., 149 lbs., St. Ansgar, Iowa Utah Valley State - Ben Kjar, So., 125 lbs., Centerville, Utah

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A year ago, Darrion Caldwell became NC State's first All-American in 12 years. Now, Caldwell has become the first Wolfpack wrestler in 16 years to earn an invitation to the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic. The NWCA All-Star Classic, presented by the United States Marine Corps, normally pairs the top two college wrestlers in each of the 10 weight classifications. This year's event will be hosted by Ohio State University at St. John Arena on Monday, November 24. Caldwell will face No. 1-ranked Brent Metcalf of Iowa at 149 pounds in what will be the one-year anniversary of their first meeting. Caldwell met Metcalf, then ranked No. 6, last November 24 in a dual match in Lakewood, Ohio. Caldwell stunned Metcalf by pinning him in 1:40. Metcalf did not lose another match after his loss to Caldwell. He finished the season 35-1 and won the national championship. As of November 17, he had not seen action yet this season. Caldwell finished fifth in the nation a year ago at 149 to earn All-America honors. He is off to an 8-0 start with three falls, a technical fall, and three victories over ranked opponents. Caldwell is No. 4 in the latest NWCA rankings. Bouts in the NWCA All-Star Classic are counted as exhibition matches only and will affect neither the national rankings or postseason seedings. Exhibition or not, this will be Caldwell's 13th career match vs. a top 10 opponent. As a freshman 141-pounder, he went 2-2 vs. top 10 foes. Since moving up to 149 pounds last season, Caldwell has wrestled eight matches against top 10 opponents and won them all, including two this season. He defeated fifth-ranked Lance Palmer of Ohio State 2-1 at the Wolfpack Open, then took an 8-4 decision over No. 7 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge last weekend. Caldwell is 64-11 for his career with 36 falls. He ranks fourth in NC State history in career winning percentage (.853), third in career pins, and needs eight more victories to crack the school's top 20 for career victories. The last NC State wrestler invited to participate in the NWCA All-Star Classic was Sylvester Terkay, who participated twice, in 1992 and 1993, and won both times. Tickets for those fortunate enough to attend are $10 apiece. All children 6 and under are admitted free of charge. NWCA members receive a complimentary ticket when showing their NWCA membership card. Call TicketMaster at 614-431-3600 to order your tickets or visit www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com. ESPNU will air the event on tape delay. Dates and times will be announced once they become available.

AMES, Iowa -- Glen Brand, Iowa State's first Olympic Gold Medalist in any sport when he won the 174-pound class in freestyle wrestling at the 1948 London Olympic Games, died Saturday night in his sleep at his Omaha, Neb. home. He was 85 years old. Brand was the first of five Iowa State wrestlers to win Olympic gold and was the 1948 NCAA champion at 175 pounds. Funeral services will be Wednesday at 10 a.m. and a visitation will be Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Roeder Mortuary, 2727 North 108th St. in Omaha. "I'm deeply saddened by the passing of Glen Brand," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "From his World War II service, to his extraordinary wrestling career and his success as a businessman and as a family man is a shinning example to all of us and made him the best possible ambassador on behalf of Iowa State University." After Brand graduated from Iowa State, he went on to found Brand Hydraulics in Omaha, Neb. He was still working there at age 85. The company has come a long way from 1956, when he started the firm with $400 in the bank. Brand has won numerous honors and awards for his wrestling achievements, and for his support of wrestling through the years. He is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Iowa State Hall of Fame, and his name graces the hall of fame of the International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo. Sanderson won a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Iowa State's other Olympic wrestlers to win a gold medal are Dan Gable (1972), Ben Peterson (1972) and Kevin Jackson (1988). "Glen achieved so much in his life because he worked for it," Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard said. "Our deepest sympathy goes out to Ruth Brand and the entire Brand family." Brand won 51 of 54 career bouts as a Cyclone, pinning 30 of his opponents. The Cyclone star wrestled through 1948 without a blemish, compiling an 11-0 mark. The junior threw six straight opponents to earn a conference and NCAA titles at 175 pounds. His triumph made him one of Iowa State's first three-time All-American wrestler. Brand's strong junior season earned him Iowa State's Athlete-of-the-Year honor. Brand qualified for the 1948 United States Olympic team by defeating eight straight opponents at the Olympic Trials. At the London Games, Brand pinned Erik Linden of Sweden to become the first ISU athlete to earn an Olympic gold medal, winning the 174-pound class. When Glen Brand came to Iowa State to get an engineering degree in 1946, he couldn't have imagined that just two years later, he would be in London's Wembley Stadium as the first wrestler at an Iowa college to win an Olympic Gold Medal. In fact, had it not been for a slide rule in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, he would never have started that journey at all. Brand recorded a stellar high school wrestling career at Clarion, where he lettered three times as a grappler, and twice in football and track. Clarion is a wrestling hotbed in north central Iowa. World War II intervened, however, and Brand spent 33 months in the Marine Corps, including a stint as a radioman on Guam. It was there that his life took a new direction. "I was walking along a runway," Brand told the Des Moines Register in 2005. "And there was a group of men standing around the end of it. There was a young Marine lieutenant in charge, and he had a pencil, a clipboard and a funny block of wood that he was moving around, doing something with. I had never seen a slide rule." Brand expressed an interest in engineering to a fellow Marine who immediately told him that Iowa State University had a great program for engineering. Later another soldier told him during a talk about wrestling that Iowa State had a great wrestling program. Brand took heed and the road to London began. It didn't take long after Brand's arrival at ISU for legendary Cyclone coach Hugo Otopolik to see that this 24-year-old veteran was special. Brand didn't lose a match as a freshman (freshmen were eligible at the time) and placed third at the 1946 NCAA meet. "It was during 1946 that (Otopolik) told me ‘Glen I think you have a good chance to make the Olympic team,'" Brand told cyclones.com in August. "I started working harder after that." Otopolik knew what he was talking about. The Cyclone head coach had led the 1932 U.S. Olympic wrestling team at the Los Angeles Games. By the time the 1948 U.S. Olympic Trials were held in Ames, everyone knew what Otopolik had known two years earlier. Brand was indeed special. He started the trials with a 36-3 record in college, including the 1948 NCAA 174-pound title, which was wrestled by Olympic rules. Brand beat seven opponents, including Joe Scarpello of Iowa, in the Trials' final match, to earn a ticket to the London Games. Scarpello had beaten Brand in the 1947 NCAA final and Brand had beaten the Hawkeye in the 1948 NCAA championship match. The U.S. team crossed the Atlantic on S.S. America. "We would run around the circumference of the ship to stay in shape," Brand said. "We worked out and wrestled as well." In London, the team stayed in World War II barracks, rustic after use by the British Air Force. The 1948 Olympics were quite austere as Great Britain and the world slowly recovered from World War II. The first day of the London Games, Brand missed the opening ceremonies. "The wrestling started the day after the opening ceremonies," Brand said. "Our coach wanted us to stay in our barracks to rest. In those days, the athletes would have to stand for up to three hours (at the opening ceremonies). Our alternates, who would wrestle if we were hurt and help us train, took our places for the opening ceremonies." When the U.S. team arrived at Harringay Arena competition site, Brand separated himself from his American counterparts. "Our team was sitting on the front row of the bleachers," Brand recalled. "The small weights wrestled first so I had some time. I wanted to be all by myself. I said ‘I'm going up to the top bleachers.' I went up, up, up until I reached the last row. If I stood on my toes I could touch the ceiling. I was all alone, just the way I wanted." Brand watched the lower weight wrestling from his perch and spied his 174-pound competition. He experienced the seminal moment of his Olympic experience heading back down the steps to get ready for competition. "While I was going down these steps, I said ‘oh my god, all of these guys that I have seen in my weight, I can beat every one of them,'" Brand said. In the first round, Brand beat Iran's Abbas Hairiri, 3-0. In the second round Brand pinned R.B. Arthur of Australia in 4:21, setting up a semifinal match against 31-year-old veteran Adil Candemir of Turkey. Wrestling was a national sport in Turkey and Candemir was one of his country's best. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, freestyle wrestling matches consisted of three two-minute periods. In Brand's era, the matches were physical, 15-minute dogfights. Conditioning was a huge factor and Brand knew it. "I told myself that I was going to wrestle this Turk so hard that he will run out of gas and won't be able to keep up with me energy-wise," Brand said. "I did everything possible to make him work hard. After about 12 minutes, he had enough." Brand lifted and threw Candemir to his back. The Turk was a beaten man. "At 13:24, he laid out flat on his back, spread his arms and legs out as far as he could," Brand said. "He was done. He was beat physically, mentally and spiritually and I pinned him." Brand went on to pin Linden in the gold medal match but his biggest thrill was yet to come. The day after Brand won the gold medal, the award ceremonies were conducted before 95,000 fans in Wembley Stadium. Brand will never forget taking the highest plateau of the award stands, donned in his U.S. sport coat and tie. "They played the U.S. national anthem and raised the American flag as I was handed my medal in front of 95,000 cheering spectators," Brand said. "As the music played, I got goose bumps. It was the biggest thrill of my entire life." Brand sat out the 1949 season with a shoulder injury and returned for his final collegiate campaign in 1950. He was 7-0 when injuries ended his career at ISU and doused any dreams about returning to the Olympic Games. Considering his numerous vocational achievements after wrestling, when Glen Brand says the Olympic medal ceremony was the biggest day of his life, it had to be a special moment indeed. Brand was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Lou Brand. He is survived by wife Ruth, son Greg Brand, step-children, Debra Huebscher, Pamela Graskowiak, David Rader, Duane Rader, Bryan Rader; grandchildren Adam and Jackie Graskowiak, Andrew Rader; sister-in-law, Judy Davidson and a host of friends from all walks of life.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rutgers wrestling program, under the guidance of second-year head coach Scott Goodale, announced that it signed three athletes to National Letters of Intent. Carl Buchholz (Malverne, Pa.), Vinnie DellaFave (Toms River, N.J.) and Alex Pagnotta (Woodbine, Md.) will all compete for the Scarlet Knights starting in 2009-10. "These three will address immediate lineup needs for us," said assistant coach John Leonardis. "We feel they will fit in well with our current team and will add to the chemistry of the squad. All three have aspirations of being NCAA Champions. DellaFave is one of the best wrestlers in New Jersey, but we also went out of state to get Buchholz and Pagnotta. We felt it was important for us to get guys from outside the state of New Jersey and we are excited to see what they can bring to Rutgers wrestling." Buchholz wrestles at 215-pounds for Pleasant Valley High School in Brodheadsville, Pa. He finished his junior season with a remarkable record of 41-3, taking fourth-place in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletics Association AAA State Championships. Buchholz also plays football for PVHS, earning all-area honors last season. DellaFave is a 119-pounder from Toms River East High School in Toms River, N.J., and is projected to wrestle at either 125 or 133 for the Scarlet Knights. He is a three-time New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) placewinner, winning the championship in 2008, finishing third in 2007 and second in 2006. DellaFave took fourth in the 2008 Junior National Freestyles and sixth at the 2007 Super 32. Pagnotta is a 189-pounder who is projected to wrestle at 184-pounds for Rutgers. He enters his senior year with a career record of 119-25, including 39 pins. In 2007-08 he finished 46-3 en route to winning his second straight Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament title as well as his first private school state title. He is a three-time Mount Mat Madness placewinner and a two-time National Prep placewinner. The Scarlet Knights return to the mat on Nov. 23, for the Sprawl & Brawl in Binghamton, N.Y. Rutgers will be competing against Columbia, North Carolina, Boise State and Clarion.

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- The Oklahoma State wrestling team crowned eight of a possible 10 champions at the Central Missouri State Open Sunday. Obenson Blanc (125 pounds), Tyler Shinn (133 pounds), Jamal Parks (141 pounds), Brandon Mason (165 pounds), Kyle Griffin (174 pounds), Jared Shelton (184 pounds), Clayton Foster (197 pounds) and Jared Rosholt (285 pounds) all emerged as the best of their respective weight classes. Fellow Cowboys Jordan Oliver (125 pounds), Chris Notte (133 pounds), Luke Silver (149 pounds), Newly McSpadden (157 pounds) and Cody Hill (174 pounds) all advanced to the final round in their respective weight classes as well. Oklahoma State coach John Smith said going into this weekend's action that the Orange and Black Ranking Matches and the Central Missouri State Open would both factor in to his decision-making for who starts for the Cowboys when the season opens Nov. 22 against Old Dominion. That said, Tyler Shinn took a pair of huge steps toward locking up the starting spot at 133 pounds with a 3-1 sudden victory win over teammate Chris Notte at the Orange and Black Ranking Matches and a 4-2 win over Notte in the title bout at the Central Missouri State Open. Another weight class that was in question for Oklahoma State going into the year was 149 pounds, where Luke Silver has now emerged as the narrow favorite by virtue of his 9-8 win over Quinten Fuentes at the Orange and Black Ranking Matches coupled with his finals appearance at the Central Missouri State Open. Silver medical forfeited the title bout to Oklahoma's Will Rowe, who bumped Fuentes from the bracket with a 16-5 major decision win in the semifinal round. Cowboy 157-pounder Newly McSpadden placed ahead of teammate Neil Erisman at the CMSU Open Sunday, which when paired with McSpadden's win over Erisman at the Orange and Black Dual would give McSpadden the edge in that weight class. OSU's deepest weight class this year is 174 pounds, but with his two wins at the Orange and Black Dual plus his first-place finish at the CMSU Open, Kyle Griffin appears to have taken command at this early juncture.

Bucknell junior Andy Rendos has been named the first EIWA Wrestler of the Week of the new wrestling season. Rendos, a two-time NCAA Qualifier upset the Nicholas Marable of Missouri in a dual meet held on the Bucknell campus on Sunday. Marable is the defending champion in the Big 12 Conference, and placed third in the nation last season. Rendos, ranked 17th in the nation at 165, faced Marable, ranked first in the nation. Marable owned a 54-12 career record and was taken down just twice last year. Both wrestlers earned an escape during regulation as the match went into overtime tied 1-1. In the one-minute sudden-victory overtime period Rendos nearly posted a takedown, but Marable was able to get out of bounds first. Rendos then reversed Marable at the end of the first of two 30-second overtime frames to go up 3-1. Neither wrestler scored in the final 30-second period as Rendos picked up his 61st career win.