InterMat Staff

Jared Frayer

Arno Niemand

Jacob Ballweg, a two-time Iowa Class 3A state champion for Waverly-Shell Rock, has given a verbal commitment to Iowa. Ballweg, who is ranked as the No. 58 senior recruit in the country by InterMat, has two older brothers, Matt and Mark, who are members of the Hawkeye wrestling team. This past season, Ballweg, won the Class 3A state title at 135 pounds and led Waverly Shell-Rock to both the individual and dual team state titles. Ballweg had a successful spring in freestyle. In April, he won a Western Regionals title in Las Vegas at 135 pounds. In May, Ballweg claimed a title at the Northern Plains Regionals in Waterloo, Iowa. Ballweg is projected to wrestle at 141 pounds for the Hawekeyes.

Liberty head wrestling coach Jesse Castro has announced the addition of Joe Pantaleo as an assistant coach to his three-time defending NCAA East Regional champion coaching staff. “We are very excited to have someone of Coach Pantaleo’s background and experience become a part of the Liberty wrestling program,” commented Castro. “He is a former world class wrestler himself, and he coached at the highest level of collegiate wrestling during his time at Iowa and Michigan State. “We expect Coach Pantaleo to help raise the level of intensity in the practice room, and to greatly benefit our wrestlers through his focus on individual workouts. This is an important step in our effort to build a Top 25 wrestling program at Liberty.” Pantaleo brings with him a vast array of top level collegiate experience, including stints at storied wrestling programs like Iowa, Michigan and Michigan State. Pantaleo was a two-time NCAA All-American at Michigan, where the 158-pounder finished second at nationals in 1988 and 1989. As a team, Michigan captured the Big 10 team title during Pantaleo’s junior season (1987-88), while the Wolverines finished fifth at nationals during his senior campaign after a 20-2 season and an unblemished 12-0 mark in conference action. The two-time Big 10 runner-up completed his bachelor of science degree in physical education from Michigan in 1989. After graduation, Pantaleo remained with the Wolverine program as a graduate assistant for two years (1990-91), where he helped Michigan to a pair of Top 30 finishes at the national championship and a Big 10 team title in 1991. Following his days at Michigan, Pantaleo continued his graduate work at Iowa, where he coached under the tutelage of legendary wrestling coach Dan Gable. In 1992, the Hawkeyes finished the year undefeated at 16-0-0 and won their third-straight NCAA team national championship. Pantaleo got his first full-time coaching position at Michigan State, coaching with the Spartans for five years (1992-97). During his time at Michigan State, he helped the program improve from a 63rd-place finish at nationals in 1992 to a fifth-place ranking in 1995. Four out of his five years at the Big 10 school the squad finished in the Top 10 at the national title event. From 1998 to 2006, Pantaleo served as the head wrestling coach at Grosse Pointe High School in Grosse Point, Mich., before returning to Michigan as a volunteer assistant coach, while pursuing other business interests. “I am really excited to be joining Coach Castro's staff and Liberty University,” commented Pantaleo. “This is a young and upcoming program with great support, and I am looking forward to working with this team. I believe that my experience can be used to have a positive impact on the young men on and off the mat.” Pantaleo, who was a 1987 Junior World Champion and two-time Olympic alternate at 149.5 pounds (1992 and 1996), is the uncle of current Flames wrestler Joe Pantaleo. The 125-pounder was 11-7 during his first collegiate season before suffering an injury during mid-January that sidelined him for the remainder of his rookie campaign.

Robbie Waller

Barry Davis

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- Lock Haven University has announced Robbie Waller as the new associate head wrestling coach for the Bald Eagle wrestling team. Waller, a Western, Pa. native and former NCAA Division I champion at the University of Oklahoma begins his tenure in Mat Town, U.S.A. after four seasons as the assistant coach at his alma mater. Waller, a 2003 graduate of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Arts in English has spent the last four seasons as a top assistant for the Sooners, helping the team to a third-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Championships. As an assistant with the Sooners under head coach Jack Spates, Waller assisted in all facets of coaching, including recruiting. Waller, who claimed an individual National Championship in 2003, is very excited about the opportunity to coach at Lock Haven. “I’m very excited to start here at Lock Haven,” Waller said. “Lock Haven has such a great tradition and it’s in the hot bed of scholastic wrestling.” Waller, who is originally from Latrobe, Pa. and is a graduate of Mount Pleasant Area High School, is also very excited to be back to the area, but with his return he brings lofty goals. Waller, who’s worked at some of the nation’s top youth wrestling camps, spent time at the University of Missouri, Columbia, one of the nation’s top wrestling programs before returning to Norman, Okla. Waller was a graduate assistant and assistant at Missouri, where he earned his Master of Education degree in 2007. As a coach, Waller has coached 12 NCAA Division I All-Americans and four NCAA Finalists. In 2006 he helped OU to a third place finish at the National Championships. Waller also helped Missouri to an 11th place showing at the NCAA Championships in 2005 and a 13th place finish in ’04. Waller is no stranger in getting to the elite level. Along with his 2003 National Championship, he was also an All-American in ’02 and was a four-time NCAA qualifier. In 2006 Waller was inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame. The 1998 Pennsylvania State Champion finished his scholastic career with a remarkable 128-3 record. He was a two-time State Runner-up and FILA Junior Freestyle Champion. Lock Haven head coach Rocky Bonomo (eighth season) is very excited to bring someone of Waller’s caliber to The Haven. “To bring this caliber of a person to Lock Haven, it just goes to show the type of place Lock Haven is when it comes to wrestling,” said Bonomo. ‘He’s been a Pennsylavnia State Champion and a NCAA Champion, so he knows what it takes to win at the highest levels.” “He brings with him great energy, great people skills and he’s proven that he can recruit some of the top athletes in the country,” added Bonomo. Lock Haven Director of Athletics Sharon E. Taylor is also excited about Waller’s hire. “We are all very pleased to have Robbie (Waller) on our wrestling staff at LHU,” Taylor said. “His credentials and experience, as well as his Pennsylvania roots, made him a very attractive candidate and an easy selection for everyone that has met him.” “Coach Bonomo’s respect for and confidence in Robbie is reflected in his role of Associate Head Coach, a designation that we utilize very infrequently,” Taylor added. “He’s a super young man and I look forward to having him in our program.”

Mike Duroe

Dillon Dennis

Troy Larsen

Lars Jensen

Morgan McIntosh

Ed Aliverti

Professional and amateur wrestling legend Jim Raschke and author Mike Chapman will be radio show guests Wednesday night. Jim Raschke won state titles in both football and wrestling for Omaha North High School in the late 1950s. He went on to wrestle for the University of Nebraska where he won a Big 8 title at heavyweight in 1962. He also won national AAU titles in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Raschke won a bronze medal in Greco-Roman at the 1963 World Championships. As a professional, he went by the name of Baron Von Raschke and had a long and successful career. Raschke will be in Waterloo this weekend playing in the 10th Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament on Friday and also attending the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame activities. Raschke was inducted into the Hall in 2002. Author Mike Chapman has written 21 books, 13 of those about wrestling. He is also the founder and executive director of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo. Mike spent 35 years in the newspaper business and has been named Writer of the Year five times by four different wrestling publications. He was inducted into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa in April and is the founder of WIN Magazine and the Dan Hodge Trophy. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum and can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show.

Stephen Dutton of Miller Place, New York has informed InterMat that he has given a verbal commitment to Lehigh. Dutton, a 2009 state champion for Rocky Point High School (NY), is InterMat's No. 68 senior recruit. He is a three-time NHSCA Nationals All-American. In 2007, Dutton was a NHSCA Freshman Nationals champion at 125 pounds. The following season, Dutton placed fourth at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals at 130 pounds. This past season, Dutton, who competed at 135 pounds, followed up his undefeated season with a runner-up finish at the NHSCA Junior Nationals. Dutton is the second top 100 recruit Lehigh has received a verbal commitment from. No. 19 Frank Cagnina of Queen of Peace High School in New Jersey has also given a verbal commitment to Lehigh. Dutton is projected to wrestle at 141 pounds for Lehigh.

Lee MunsterLee Munster of Grant Community High School in Fox Lake, Illinois has found a great deal of success both on the wrestling mat and in the classroom. He is a two-time Illinois state champion and three-time Scholar Athlete who maintains a 4.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). He is also a seven-time judo national champion. Munster, who competed at 171 pounds this past season, is InterMat's No. 8 senior recruit in the country. He has given a verbal commitment to Northwestern and is projected to compete collegiately at 174 or 184 pounds. InterMat recently caught up with Munster. Why did you choose Northwestern? Munster: I chose Northwestern because they have the perfect balance and emphasis placed between wrestling and academia. The wrestling program is developing and becoming one of the best in the country and the coaches at Northwestern are extremely supportive and devoted to their current and future wrestlers. The academics at Northwestern rank very highly in the country and this will lead me to success hopefully both on and off the mat. Two-time NCAA champion and U.S. World Team member Jake Herbert is around your weight. Have you met him before or had a chance to work out with him? If so, what has that been like? Munster: I have had the pleasure and opportunity to both work with and get to know Jake. After a few select workouts with Jake, I have found that it's an amazing experience to be able to stand opposite someone with such success. Jake is a premier example of a Northwestern product; having both success in athletics and academics, which proves that this is the type of person I hope to continue to become in the future. Having him as a coach and workout partner will hopefully help me to emulate his current and future success. You're a seven-time judo national champion. How has your judo helped your wrestling? Munster: Judo helped me in wrestling specifically because it increased my mat awareness and although the mental approaches to each of the sports are different, it still enabled me to have success through complimentary movements in both arenas. Judo has helped me to understand and learn about defeat because this is a sport that can be won or lost in a second to even the most surprising of opponents. Along with Judo helping my mental abilities in training and competition, judo has helped me tremendously with my balance and footwork; especially in throwing situations in wrestling. Judo has also helped me keep composed in stressful situations and this helped me to have an edge on my opponent. My experiences in the national judo championship matches definitely helped keep my composure in many of the most defining matches of my wrestling career. What are your plans for the summer? Munster: My summer plans are to continue my offseason training by wrestling freestyle this spring and summer. I have participated in the Junior Western Regional, the Junior National Duals, and I plan on wrapping up this summer's competition by competing in the USA Wrestling Junior Nationals in Fargo. I am also preparing myself for my senior season and will continue to try to be as prepared for college as possible. What are your wrestling goals at Northwestern? Munster: My wrestling goals at Northwestern are to be a four-time All American and hopefully an NCAA champion.

Tom Owens is one of the most significant individuals in the sport of amateur wrestling from the past 15 years. No, he never won a state or national high school title, an NCAA championship, or an Olympic medal or world title. Nor did he coach a team to a state or national championship. Nor is he a behind-the-scenes bureaucrat in the NCAA, USA Wrestling, or FILA. Yet Owens’ contributions to the sport have had a significant and lasting impact on wrestlers, coaches, and wrestling fans. Tom OwensIn 1995, Tom Owens launched InterMat, the first independent Web site dedicated to covering the nation’s amateur wrestling scene. For today’s wrestlers and young fans, it’s hard to imagine NOT being able to follow wrestling online. These days, there are thousands of Web sites dedicated to the sport (over 6,200 listed at Tom Fortunato’s “The Web's Best of Amateur Wrestling” Web site) … Web sites that provide live streaming video of events around the world, audio and video interviews, athlete profiles, action photos, up-to-the-minute statistics, historical information, and online forums for fans to discuss the sport. However, 15 years ago, the Internet was in its infancy … at least for individuals outside the government, or major universities or corporations that viewed the Internet as a research/communication tool. For wrestling results, photos and athlete profiles, the wrestling community had to wait for the latest issue of Amateur Wrestling News (or their favorite regional wrestling newsletter) to be snail-mailed to their mailbox. Want to see wrestling action from your home? You’d have to wait for one of those rare TV broadcasts … or score a videotape shot at an event. There was no InterMat, no TheMat, no TheWrestlingMall, no RevWrestling.com, no Flowrestling, no TheWrestlingTalk forum. You could say that all these Web sites can trace their roots ultimately back to Tom Owens. From wrestling mat to InterMat Tom Owens was born in Iowa, raised in the small community of Moville in the western part of the state, near Sioux City. He wrestled at Woodbury Central High for Jim Fisher, a coaching legend in the state of Iowa with an incredible 389-95-9 record. Owens continued wrestling as a walk-on in college, but, a neck injury sustained years earlier ended his on-the-mat career. In 1989, armed with his college degree, Owens started a career at Pioneer, the hybrid agricultural business … and also launched his coaching career, at Dallas Center-Grimes. “In the early 1990s, we used the Internet at work, but it was in its infancy stage,” according to Owens. “At the time, it was very much a business tool, but that started to change. ESPN started its Web site in the early 1990s.” “At the time, I started thinking, 'Wrestling just doesn’t get attention online.'” InterMat's logo in 2002“There was also a boom in interest in wrestling recruiting about the same time,” Owens adds. “I remember thinking, 'Too bad college coaches don’t have easy access to information on wrestlers -- records, stats, GPA, outside interests.' Everybody knows the top 20, but beyond that, resources weren’t available.” With that, Tom Owens had a vision for an online college wrestling recruiting service. “I talked to a few college coaches, to see if this would be used, and they said yes.” With that, in June-July 1995, Owens unveiled his amateur wrestling Web site with the clever-but-direct name InterMat. (When asked about the origin of the name, Owens immediately replied, “I have to give credit to my wife, Anne. Before we launched the site, she said, 'InterMat!' tying in 'mat' with the Internet.”) Paying a premium for one-of-a-kind information Following ESPN’s lead, InterMat was introduced as a premium paid subscription service. “I used to do a state-by-state ranking for individual wrestlers, then would put together national rankings based on that information,” according to Tom Owens. To determine rankings based on solid information -- and not just gut feelings -- Owens compiled a one-of-a-kind databank of up-to-date information on individual wrestlers. Click on a name, find a wrestler’s won-loss record and specific statistical information. Because it was online, the stats were updated constantly. Because it was gathered all in one place, it was easy for anyone to access the data. Not just a coach scouting out a particular recruit. Wrestlers and coaches could use InterMat to scope out future opponents. And fans could follow their mat heroes from anywhere. What’s more, by being the first to provide complete results from the Cadet and Junior Nationals, InterMat also helped bring Fargo to members of the wrestling community unable to travel to North Dakota. Tom Owens describes how this came about: “My wife and I spent two weeks the first summer typing in complete results from here in Iowa. Then the second year, we actually went to Fargo and I spent at least 18 hours a day entering results. There were a couple evenings that I was up until 2-3 a.m. entering results. We had to do this for about 4-5 years before USA Wrestling were able to catch up with the technology and enter results so we could actually cover the event instead of spending the whole week entering results.” Tom Owens coaching his oldest son, Zachary, at a kids district wrestling tournament in IowaInterMat provided one-stop shopping convenience for anyone in the wrestling community who sought up-to-date, independent information. Realize that the Internet was a vastly different place 15 years ago. Here’s how Tom Owens describes the online world of the mid 1990s: “There was no DSL, all dial-up, using a 540k phone line. Showing video was a distant dream. A heavily graphic site took minutes to load onto the screen.” “I had to introduce coaches to the Internet,” explains Owens. “When we got started, hardly any schools had a Web site. With that in mind, we offered templates for schools and wrestling camps to create webpages.” “It pretty much was a full-time venture right away,” says Owens. “We saw that we needed to be more than just recruiting information to be financially successful … make it more an online magazine, with rankings, results, stats for both high school and college.” “When we started that, business really took off. If it hadn’t, we wouldn’t have lasted 6-8 months.” “It took a lot of effort, and even more of an investment.” Grappling for their share of the wrestling audience Even in the early days of InterMat, there was competition. “There’s some question as to who’s first,” says Tom Owens. “TheMat was online first, in February 1995. However, it was not as 'national'; it was developed in North Carolina. It was not part of USA Wrestling back then; it was purchased later, around 1999-2000, instead of USA Wrestling starting from scratch. TheWrestlingMall started about the same time.” “This competition put pressure on me. We were set up as a for-profit business, requiring paid subscriptions, competing against Web sites that were not for profit, who had deep pockets and could absorb losses.” One incident that didn’t help InterMat’s situation involved its online forum. “We had a good message board/discussion group up to about 2000,” says Owens. “However, it was difficult to monitor. The administrator shut it down on his own without my permission. By the time it was restored 2-3 days later, many of its users had already migrated to TheMat Forum.” Despite that setback, Tom Owens found a way to expand his business and generate more income. “In 2000, we expanded by opening a retail store for wrestling in Johnston, Iowa, and offering the wrestling merchandise online, too.” “The grand opening was huge,” says Owens. “We had (Dan) Gable, Bobby Douglas, Jim Miller, Tom Brands. Got a lot of press.” “The store offered shoes, singlets, posters, etc. If it had to do with wrestling, we probably had it.” “We had a really good first year,” the InterMat founder continued. “However, 9/11 really hit us hard. After that, we experienced much slower growth, and got stuck with inventory. However, we came out of that OK, and stayed in e-commerce for about four years.” “In spring 2004, we sold the Web site to NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association), and got out of the retail business.” “I worked for NWCA’s InterMat for one year,” according to Owens. “It gave me a chance to stay within the business without the financial risk.” “I think about how much happened in my personal life during the InterMat years. I went from being a newlywed to a father of three.” Why sell? Why did Tom Owens sell InterMat, and, eventually leave the world of wrestling Web sites -- a world he helped establish a decade earlier? A screen shot of what InterMat looked like in 1997“It was harder to separate our product from the competition,” says Owens. “A lot of things that were our backbone as a subscription business were being offered for free elsewhere.” “We had to change our business paradigm almost every year. I was putting in long hours, and having to hire people to update the site. It was getting more costly for servers. We didn’t have deep pockets.” ”We were seeking to present information in a cleaner, more efficient way. But there was no sign the other Web sites were backing off.” The competitive landscape continued to change. According to Owens, “Within a year of the sale, TheMat stopped offering college results. At that point, the NWCA-owned InterMat then focused on college.” Life after InterMat Since selling InterMat to the NWCA (which has since sold the brand to Rev Wrestling Corporation earlier this year), Tom Owens has employed his fascination with statistics in a whole new way separate from the world of amateur wrestling. Owens is now working in risk management for Wells Fargo in Des Moines, and is presently pursuing his MBA. What’s more, Owens also retired from coaching at the end of the 2008 season. “I had been a head coach for two years, an assistant coach for 14 years, and had some volunteer coaching, too,” says Owens. Has Owens divorced himself completely from wrestling? ”I’m just a fan now,” Owens discloses. “I still follow the sport. I attend 4-5 college duals a year, and Nationals each year. I also go to a few high school meets and the state tournament. Most of my time is spent at youth tournaments which my two sons are heavily involved. I really enjoy watching Zachary and Eric compete.” “I use the Internet for wrestling news and scores. If I look at the boards, it’s for factual news stories, not the gossip.” Still passionate about the mat Tom Owens is no longer an amateur wrestling Web site guru -- and is no longer involved in coaching -- but he still cares passionately about the sport in ways that go beyond attending wrestling events. During our interview, we talked at length about ways to promote wrestlers and wrestling … including the need for a career option for wrestlers once they’ve graduated from college that doesn’t necessarily involve WWE or MMA. Owens also has strong feelings about making college wrestling a sport that attracts a larger fan base -- and holds onto it. “There are too many matches that aren’t particularly exciting to watch,” says the one-time wrestler and coach. “There’s just not enough action. Too many wrestlers ride an opponent without making any attempt to score. And, there’s too much reluctance on the part of officials to call stalling.” Tom Owens with his youngest son, Eric, before a wrestling matchOwens would like to open up more scoring opportunities for wrestlers. His proposal: Create an offensive takedown -- one where the scoring wrestler initiates the move -- worth three points. A defensive takedown would be worth two points, and an escape would remain a one-point move. “This would reward an offensive wrestler for being more aggressive, to create more action,” according to Owens. “It could really open up the scoring, and eliminate these too-close, 1-0, 2-1 matches that won’t win over potential fans.” Who decides what’s an offensive takedown? “Give the second mat official more responsibility. Let him decide the scoring on offensive and defensive takedowns.” That’s the kind of creative thinking that helped launch InterMat nearly 15 years ago, and revolutionized the way that wrestlers, coaches and fans get stats, scores and more.

Ty Eustice

Des Moines, IA -- Men oft times go by many names. In the case of our June High School Wrestler of the Month, Morgan McIntosh, the moniker of champion has been attached to his God given name nearly as many times as the number of years he has spent on the planet. As a registered member of the Kickapoo tribe of Oklahoma, he is also known as Ane Kwa peta. Morgan is 16 years old, a resident of Santa Ana, CA, where he completed his Sophomore year at Calvary Chapel High School in Costa Mesa. Morgan entered Calvary Chapel as a Freshman, having completed his years of home schooling, a formula that has proved successful for his four siblings before him, Morgan being the youngest. Morgan grew up surrounded by strong work ethic, and with a preponderance for what it takes to become a wrestler, let alone a champion. Morgan's parents, Brooke and Rebecca, contributed greatly, and provided appropriately, to allow him to participate in countless clubs and competitions, along with the travel that was required. Brooke, a professional horse shoer for 30 years, and a former wrestler himself, exhibited the balance of strength and skill Morgan picked up, applying it to thousands of hours on the mat. Morgan's engagement with wrestling began easily and instantly when Rebecca located a flier for a local club, instantly perking Morgan's interest. Days later, the birth of a champion wrestler. Fast forward to his high school career, where he completed his freshman year , going 41-5, and securing 5th in state at 160 lbs. This year he finished with the 171 lb. title, in the nations most populous state, and where 820 schools compete in a single class. He carried a 43-0 perfect season record, and earned the Champion of Champions Award, a result of voting among his peers, based on his complete personal presentation, both on and off the mat. As can be expected of Morgan, he accepted the award with understated humility. The road from age 7, when he entered the sport, to his most recent state title, is one paved with complete dedication, as well as requisite challenges. As Morgan was home schooled during his elementary education, wrestling provided a great source of interaction with other kids his age. His parents pursued every opportunity that was possible for Morgan to learn, train, and compete. He competed in the USA Nationals as many times as the family was able to afford, always finishing in the top three for Freestyle, placing three times in Greco, including 1st Place, and was a Folkstlye National Champion. Along the way, he has also been a State Freestyle and Greco Champion, a two time triple crown winner, twice the Junior High Freestyle Champion, and was awarded the Most Valuable 8th Grade Award title. He also credits a Tulsa Nationals title to his name. He faced one of his greatest challenges in April during the Junior Western Regionals in Las Vegas, when he dislocated his elbow, still finishing 4th. The McIntosh family feared he would be sidelined for the Summer, although Morgan bested all predictions and recovered in time for the Cadet Nationals in Fargo. He completed the event as a finalist in both tournaments, ultimately losing at 189 lbs. to Andrew Campolitano of New Jersey, the second ranked high school wrestler for the past season. Morgan's experience and success on the mat certainly defines well rounded. Impressive records, varied styles, multiple weight classes, and the titles to his name only begin to describe him as a person. He is a avid reader, and excels in History, and Social Sciences. He always delivers an A in Bible studies, and takes an active role in his schools Youth Group, making contributions to many different communities. Head Calvary Chapel Coach Arsen Aleksanyen provided great guidance to Morgan from the day he arrived at Chapel Calvary. Assistant Coaches Josh Holladay and Jake Harmon, are also Youth Pastors, leading the Youth Group, and providing strong inspiration to Morgan. Recently the group has been working on developing new fish farming techniques, employing hydroponics, to provide alternate food sources for missions in Mexico. Morgan completely enjoys learning ways he can help people that are less fortunate than him. He is already focused on college, knowing he will apply his great wrestling experience and talent during his higher education. He also owns a keen interest in the military, and may pursue a career there. He certainly shows the attributes that are necessary to become a leader in one of our nations greatest, and most important resources. TakeDown Radio, and all of the award sponsors, are very proud to select Morgan as the June recipient. He becomes the tenth remarkable young person to earn the prestigious award. TakeDown Radio would like to thank the sponsors of the High School Wrestler of the Month Award. Without Resilite, W.I.N. Magazine, Brute adidas, Intermat, and Sunflower Wrestling Supply, the award would not be possible. We are all very pleased to place our support in some of the nation's most promising youth.

Back this week to the Brute Adidas studios of Takedown Wrestling Radio. Some say that the summer is the "off time" for wrestling. It isn't so. Congratulations to Michael Johnson Jr. who competed in Utah over the last few days and was able to hobble on to the mat with a previously injured ankle and win the Triple Crown in his age group at 220 pounds. This big kid is 6 ft 2 and has no desire to play football. I can only hope for Olympic Gold for this straight A student from Downers Grove Illinois. Michael Johnson, Jr. (Schoolboy/girl 210 pounds). This is familiar territory for Johnson, who was a Kids Triple Crown winner as a Novice wrestler in 2007. It caps a very strong season for him. Johnson was the Ultimate Dominator in 2008-09, scoring the most points in USA Wrestling’s Ultimate Challenge Series of Folkstyle Wrestling. Joining us this week: Chris Ayres- Head Coach of Princeton joins us to discuss his team, his recruits, the Ivy and summer training and camps. Ray Brinzer- The head man at Angry Fish and one of my all time favorite wrestlers joins us to discuss his mutual effort behind developing "The Open Mat.com". Aside from being informative and a walk down memory lane it should be very fun as well catching up with "Ray man". Eric Betterman- Co-founder of TheOpenMat.com. He'll share with us his goals for his site, his views and why he has developed this site with Ray Brinzer. Brian Antonelli- Asst Head Coach of the US Naval Academy Wrestling team. What's it like to work with Head Coach Bruce Burnett. Navy has a stellar recruiting class ranked in the 25 in the country. When you think about of tuff is is to get into the Academy that's quite a feat! Jimmy May- Baker University in Baldwin City Kansas. Recently inducted in to the Nevada Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Jimmy will tell us of the recruits signed and why smaller colleges, both public and private are adding wrestling at a steady pace. The team is set to start competition fall of 2009. I'm excited! Harley Race- WLW Wrestling Boss Man, Former many x Pro Wrestling World Champion will host a pro wrestling event in Waterloo, Iowa Friday July 10th to benefit to Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. Many of the Legends of Pro Wrestling will be on hand. Many Thanks to Harley, his wife and partner BJ for their unflagging support of the DGIWIM. More information on this event can be had at: http://www.wrestlingmuseum.org Join us for America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show on a radio station near you or on line at many of our broadcast partners including Takedownradio.com. We air 9 AM to 11 AM every Saturday morning and look forward to having you listen in.

A Blue Earth, Minn., native has been named as the new head wrestling coach and housing manager at Iowa Lakes Community College. Ty Eustice was selected for the position effective today, July 2, 2009. He comes to Iowa Lakes following a year as Assistant Wrestling Coach at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon. At Cornell, The Rams placed eighth in the NCAA Division III National Tournament, counting three All-Americans, including one wrestler who had the most wins in all of Division III wrestling. Ty EusticeEustice was a four-year NCAA Division I national qualifier and a two-time All-American wrestler at the University of Iowa. During his time as a Hawkeye, Eustice was a 100-match winner and a two-time team captain from 2001 through 2006. In 2005, he placed 5th at 149 pounds at the NCAA Division I National Championships and then finished second at 149 a year later. Troy Larson, Athletics Director at Iowa Lakes, says Eustice’s prestigious career will reflect well on his tenure at Iowa Lakes. “He had an outstanding wrestling career at the University of Iowa and has learned from some of the best coaches in the world, including Tom Brands,” Larson said. “You will see a very aggressive, tough, hard-nosed style of wrestling at Iowa Lakes. And, you’ll see a coach who understands the meaning of student-athlete and will have high quality young men in the program.” Eustice already has set goals for the Lakers. “Building off of last year’s great success, I’d like to see continued improvement – first and foremost in the classroom – but also greater dedication to the sport of wrestling,” said Eustice. “The performance level of our athletes – and future recruits – will continue to grow as I instill higher expectations in my athletes and for the program.” After graduating from Iowa, Eustice spent two years as a graduate assistant at Minnesota State University in Mankato. While there he helped coach 12 All-Americans while working under Jim Makovsky. During that time, the team crowned seven All-Americans and two individual champions while placing second in the team race by just one-half point at the 2008 NCAA Division II National Championships. Minnesota State won the team title at the 2008 National Duals. His academic degrees include a bachelor’s degree in art from the University of Iowa in 2006 as well as a master’s degree in sports management from Minnesota State two years later. While at nearby Blue Earth, Eustice won four Minnesota state championships as he wrestled for his father, Coach Jack Eustice. He was also a Cadet and Junior National Freestyle All-American. “Obviously, being closer to my hometown is a neat situation for me and my family. But knowing the talent in the southern Minnesota and northern Iowa area the potential for this program is exceptional,” said Eustice. While in Mankato, Eustice also interned for the Minnesota Vikings during their summer training camp in town, working alongside the Vikings players and coaches. He also has worked with Special Olympics. In 2006, Eustice was a member of a student group which organized a “Raising Spirit” event which included a sport camp and silent auction that raised money for Special Olympics in Mankato. Eustice, along with his wife and son will be relocating to the Estherville area in the near future. Along with his leadership duties as the head wrestling coach, he will assume the position of housing manager. As manager, Eustice’s duties will range from enforcing housing policies and promoting healthy lifestyles, to meeting with students to solve conflicts when necessary.