InterMat Staff

BOSTON -- The Boston University wrestling program and head coach Carl Adams are excited to announce that seven newcomers will join the team�s roster for the 2009-10 season. The Terriers will welcome six freshmen and a transfer as they look to build off a solid 2008-09 season that saw three wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships. �We feel that this is a quality recruiting class that includes at least a couple of wrestlers that can step right in and compete right away,� said Adams, who is entering his 29th season as the Terriers� head coach. �This group definitely fills some holes in our lineup and is a nice complement to last year�s strong class.� Kyle Czarnecki - Buffalo Grove, Ill./Buffalo Grove 2009 Illinois state champion ... Placed fourth in state as a junior ... Went 5-2 at Senior Nationals, one win away from All-America status ... Named 2008-09 Athlete of the Year at Buffalo Grove. Jordan Frease - Clearwater, Fla./Countryside Posted career record of 151-35 at Countryside to set school record for wins ... Two-time district and conference champion ... Placed fourth in the state as a senior after placing sixth as a junior ... 2009 team captain. Nate Lavallee - Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth Three-time state champion ... 2009 New England runner-up ... Placed fourth at Junior Nationals ... Allowed no offensive points as a senior until New England finals ... Semifinalist for Fitzpatrick Trophy, given to top football player in Maine. Brock Mantella - Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity Catholic/Pittsburgh Has two years of collegiate eligibility remaining after competing at Pittsburgh the past two seasons ... Has a collegiate record of 30-33, including an 18-14 mark last year ... Two-time state placewinner in Georgia at Blessed Trinity Catholic, finishing second in 2006 and third in 2005 ... Two-time High School All-America selection. Edgar Remotti - Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry Posted a record of 63-19 as a two-year captain at Dobbs Ferry ... HVAL All-League and Section 1 honoree ... Placed seventh at Western New Englands ... Class Salutatorian. Ian Squires - Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge Four-time placewinner at Virginia state championships and Ironman ... Capped high school career with state championship after finishing third as a junior and second as a freshman ... Placed sixth at 2009 Beast of the East ... Career record of 182-37 with 92 pins ... Member of three top-15 nationally ranked teams ... Team captain as a senior. Nestor Taffur - Bound Brook, N.J./Bound Brook Three-year captain at Bound Brook ... Placed fourth in New Jersey as a senior ... Career record of 130-35 ... third winningest wrestler in school history ... Three-time county champion ... District 18 Most Outstanding Wrestler as a senior ... 2009 Region 5 champion.

Sean Dolan of St. Mark's High School in Delaware has given a verbal commitment to wrestle at North Carolina State. Dolan, a three-time Delaware state champion (103, 112, 119), is ranked as the No. 76 senior in the country by InterMat. He was a 2007 NHSCA Nationals champion at 103 pounds. He was a Beast of the East runner-up in 2007, but did not compete at the event this past season due to injury.

Parker BrandParker Brand of Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) in Minnesota has always thrived as the underdog. As a high school sophomore, Parker reached the state finals at 171 pounds when most people thought he would be lucky to even place. After his senior year of a high school, Parker, who was not ranked nationally, competed at the NHSCA High School Nationals, went 6-1 against the nation’s best high school wrestlers, finished third, and took home the award for the most falls in the least amount of time. In February, Parker, who was unranked and failed to win a match at the regional tournament, reached the finals of the 2009 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Championships while competing at 197 pounds. Growing up in Southeastern Minnesota Rushford, Minnesota is a small agriculture town nestled in the heart of southeastern Minnesota's Bluff Country. Parker Brand’s father, Dale Brand, was born and raised in Rushford, where he excelled in wrestling and football. He qualified for the Minnesota state wrestling tournament at heavyweight in 1983. He then went off to college at the now-defunct University of Minnesota-Waseca, where he played football. Dale passed on his love for sports to his two sons, Parker and Logan. When Parker was in kindergarten, Dale took over as coach of the elementary school wrestling program at Rushford-Peterson. After Parker started wrestling in kindergarten, it wasn’t long before his younger brother (by 18 months), Logan, followed suit and started wrestling. Parker and Logan would wrestle in five or six local tournaments a year and usually fared well. There were seasons where both boys would finish the season undefeated. “It was always my brother and me competing against each other for the most pins of the year,” said Parker. “We always had little competition between us.” Dale chose not to send Parker and Logan to tournaments in other areas of the state. He also held the boys out of regional and state events. “I saw kids back in my day that did a lot of wrestling,” said Dale. “And they kind of got burned out by it. I didn’t want my kids to get burned out. I always wanted them to want more. Maybe I should have taken them to some more tournaments, but it always kept them striving and wanting more.” Wrestling varsity Parker began wrestling varsity in seventh grade for Rushford-Peterson. A year later, when Parker was in eighth grade, Rushford-Peterson combined its wrestling team with its neighboring school, Lewiston-Altura, and became Lewiston-Altura/Rushford-Peterson (LARP). “My first few years on varsity were really rough,” said Parker. “Not too many wins. But I had good practice partners that really helped me improve.” When Parker was in seventh grade, he practiced regularly with Hank Becker, a senior at the time who went on to place in the state tournament that season. Hank had his way with Parker in the wrestling room. One night, Parker came home from wrestling practice and his nose was so sore that he couldn’t touch it because Hank had been crossfaced him so much. Parker said to his mom, 'Don’t tell Dad about it … because I don’t want him to say anything.’” In ninth grade, Parker broke his leg just a few matches into the season, which forced him to miss most of the wrestling season. He came back shortly before the section tournament and nearly qualified for the state tournament. The next year, when Parker was a sophomore, he reached the state tournament for the first time in his career … and the state finals. “Making it to state was pretty sweet,” said Parker. “I had a goal that year just to place. At the state tournament, I really wasn’t looking at the bracket too much. I have never really believed in looking at the bracket or scouting. It all comes down to heart at the end if you keep it close. All of a sudden, before I knew it, I was in the state championship match. Then the nerves really kicked in. I was really nervous there.” Parker lost in the state finals as sophomore, but that performance helped him gain notoriety on the wrestling mat. But it wasn’t only on the wrestling mat where Parker was gaining notoriety. The previous year, he had started on Rushford-Peterson’s varsity baseball team that reached the state finals. He was also excelling on the gridiron in football. As a junior, he helped lead Rushford-Peterson’s football team to the state title. Parker, a running back and linebacker, was named the Player of the Game by a local radio station in all the state tournament games. Parker Brand capped off an undefeated senior season by winning a Class A state title in Minnesota at 215 pounds (Photo/The Guillotine)As a junior, Parker placed third in the state wrestling tournament at 189 pounds. In the fall of his senior year, he and his dad visited Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC), a school located in Rochester, Minnesota, and an hour drive from Rushford. They met with RCTC wrestling coach Randy Rager. “Parker was looking at playing two sports,” said Rager. “He wanted to do football and wrestling. There aren’t a lot of schools that will let you do both anymore. They want you to specialize in one or the other.” Shortly after that visit, Parker made the decision to attend RCTC. As a senior, Parker dominated his competition all season long. He went undefeated and won the state title at 215 pounds, becoming Rushford-Peterson’s first state wrestling champion ever. “I had gotten third and second, so there was only one more place to get,” said Parker. “I had a lot of desire to get there. I was ranked No. 1 all season. I never let anything stop me. I just had a lot of determination and believed that no one could beat me.” The Brands had initially heard about the NHSCA High School Nationals, an annual event for all high school grade levels, back in 2006 when Parker qualified for the event by finishing second in the state tournament. But Parker chose not to compete that year or as a junior. During Parker’s senior year, Dale Brand talked to some people in the Minnesota wrestling community who encouraged him to send Parker to the NHSCA High School Nationals. Not only did they see it as a good opportunity for Parker to test himself against the nation’s best high school wrestlers, but it was also an opportunity to get some national exposure. Every year, coaches from all the top wrestling schools in the country attend the NHSCA High School Nationals in hopes of landing some recruits in the late signing period. Parker flew to Virginia Beach with the assistant wrestling coach at LARP, Mike Buringa, while Parker’s mom, dad, brother, and sister drove nearly the nearly 1,000 miles. When Parker arrived at the tournament, he was amazed by the enormity of the event. “Going there, walking into an arena that holds 30 mats and easily could get another 10 more in there, it was kind of overwhelming,” said Parker. “But I was there to have fun. My goal was to place and become an All-American.” Parker won his first match 11-2 and then pinned his next three opponents. He suddenly found himself in the semifinals in one of the nation’s most prestigious high school wrestling events. His opponent in the semifinals was Marcel Dubose, a three-time Michigan state champion and Junior Nationals champion whose physique resembled that of a body builder, not a high school wrestler. Marcel DuboseParked jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period against the heavily-favored Dubose. In the second period, Dubose reversed Parker with a Granby roll, scoring nearfall points in the process, to go up 4-2. Parker came back with a reversal of his own to knot the score at 4-4. But Dubose retook the lead, 6-4, with a reversal in the closing seconds of the second period. In the third period, Dubose cut Parker to make the score 6-5. Parker then got in on Dubose’s legs … before Dubose took an injury timeout. When the action started up again, Dubose countered one of Parker’s shot and converted it into a takedown to go up 8-5 with just under a minute to go in the match. In the final 20 seconds, Dubose was riding Parker and got a little high. Parker slid through the back door and was closing to getting the reversal before Dubose screamed and called for another injury timeout. When the action resumed, Brand quickly added an escape. But it was too little too late and Dubose held on for the 8-6 victory. Parker still believes he could have and should have won that match, which would have put him in the national finals. “In Minnesota, you don’t see a lot of injury breaks,” said Parker. “If you’re taking an injury break, you’re hurt bad. There’s no just stopping to take a breath. There was a lot of that going on out there.” After losing to Dubose, Parker pinned his next opponent and closed out the tournament with a 13-1 victory to place third. He also won the trophy for most the falls in the least amount of time. Randy RagerRCTC wrestling coach Randy Rager was back in Minnesota following Parker’s progress throughout the tournament. As the tournament wore on, and Parker kept winning (and pinning), Rager wondered if Parker would still be honoring his commitment to attend RCTC or whether he would look elsewhere after his breakthrough performance. He was now on the radar of college wrestling coaches all throughout the country. “I was definitely worried,” said Rager. “I was keeping good track on how he was doing. We are in a situation where it’s sometimes difficult to recruit. We don’t give scholarship money. Kids come here because they want to wrestle.” After his NHSCA High School Nationals performance, a lot of schools showed interest, including some Division I schools. But because Parker had not taken his ACT, which is not required to attend RCTC, it made it difficult for Parker to even consider going anywhere but RCTC. Plus, he wanted to play football and wrestle, which he may not have had the opportunity to do at another school. “Parker in a way wanted to go look at these schools, but he knew himself he wasn’t really wasn’t ready for that step,” said Dale Brand. “It was really an honor for him. He felt really privileged to be getting the offers.” A rollercoaster first year at RCTC Parker enrolled at RCTC last fall and joined the football team. He quickly earned a spot as the starting fullback on the team. He got off to a fast start. He scored a touchdown in his first game and was averaging five yards per carry through the first two games. But in the third week of the season, while doing a drill with the defensive backs in practice, Parker posted his hand on the ground, his thumb got caught, and he completely tore the tendon in his thumb. The injury put him in a cast for eight weeks and put an end to his football season. Parker missed the first few weeks of the wrestling season while still recovering from his thumb injury. He finally recovered from his injury and returned to the mat. But less than a week after returning, he suffered another setback. While wrestling in practice, he dislocated the ring finger on his other hand, which put him on the shelf for another six weeks. “Being hurt all year, it was really hard mentally,” said Parker. “But I kept my mind in it. Through the injuries, it was really hard to do that since it was also my first year of college and all that brings. I kept my mindset. Once I came back, nobody knew who I was. I wasn’t ranked because I hadn’t wrestled.” Parker Brand reached the finals of the 2009 NJCAA Championship after going 0-2 at the North Central Region (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)He entered the North Central District Regional, a qualifier for the NJCAA Championships, with only eight matches under his belt. At that event, Parker lost his first two matches and failed to place. “I can’t blame it on anything,” said Parker. But if anything, it would be that I was not in shape at all. I fell apart in my first match. I had already majored the guys that got second and third and pinned the guy that got fourth.” After Parker was knocked out of the tournament, Dale Brand approached his son and had a heart-to-heart with him. “I gave him an hour to cool down, and then he and I sat down against the wall in the hall and had a talk,” said Dale. “He just wanted to get back to town and help his younger brother prepare for the state tournament. I said, ‘Parker, Coach Rager already talked to me and he is pretty sure you are going to get in on a wildcard. You have to realize that I’ll take care of your younger brother. I’ll do him good just like I did you good. Don’t worry about him. Right now, you have the opportunity to go and win a couple matches hopefully. Try to be an All-American there. You just have to learn to adapt. Your willpower and heart will take over. Just give it one hundred percent. Don’t hold back. You’re going to regret it when you get older if you don’t give it one hundred percent.’” Just as Rager predicted, Parker received a wildcard into the NJCAA Championships. Parker also took his father’s words to heart. “After that, getting the wildcard, being hurt, and not in shape, I knew that I had to kick it down if I was going to make a run at it,” said Parker. “So I put in a couple extra hours that whole week up until nationals.” At the NJCAAs, which were held in Rochester, Parker got on a roll. He pinned his first two opponents, and then picked up decisions in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Once again, he found himself in a position not many people expected him to be … wrestling for the national title. “Everything was clicking,” said Rager. “With Parker, it’s all about feel. When you get those kids that are all about feel, they’re going to be pinners. It’s not going to be a thing where they’re going to score a lot of points and win a lot of close matches. Either they’re going to get a pin or they’re going to wrestle someone who is fundamentally better and end up losing. But he found himself in a position to get quite a few pins. He was starting to take some shots that he wasn’t comfortable taking earlier in the year … and he was in better shape.” Parker Brand lost 15-6 to Iowa Centra's Phil Hawes in the finals of the 2009 NJCAA Championships (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)Parker’s RCTC teammate and training partner, Devin Clark, also got on a roll and reached the NJCAA finals at 184 pounds. “We fed off each other all season,” said Parker. “He helped me so much … and I think I helped him.” Clark went on to capture the national title, but Parker’s run was halted in the finals as he lost 15-6 to Phil Hawes of Iowa Central. The future After an injury-filled season and a strong finish on the mat, Parker has made the decision not to continue on with this football career. He wants to focus strictly on wrestling. After he finishes up at RCTC in the spring of 2010, he hopes to continue on with his college wrestling career. But at this point, he’s not yet sure where he’ll end up. “I’m going to take one year at a time,” said Parker. “I just want win a national title next season.” This story also appears in the June 26 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. For information on how to subscribe, click HERE.

Frank Mir

Tervel Dlagnev

Travis Paulson

Carl Perry

Jim Heffernan

Jarrod King

Paul Beatty, father of University of Iowa wrestler Chad Beatty, suffered a severe injury while trimming a tree seven years ago. The fall caused damage to his spine and left him paralyzed from the waist down. Paul's friends and his family are attempting to raise enough money to get him to Germany and have stem cell work done. This treatment involves taking live stem cells from his hip and implanting them in his damaged spine. If this procedure takes, it could possibly enable him to walk again. This surgery has to be done in Germany because stem cell work is still in the research stage in the United States. We, in the Iowa Wrestling Family, are asking you to assist Paul in his quest to walk again. There have been many fundraisers to date and the response has been overwhelming. On Aug 15, 2009, we are having a day, in Tipton, Iowa, dedicated to raising money for Paul's benefit. On this day, there will be the H.A.W.K. 5K road race along with numerous adult and kids games throughout the day. This will be topped off with a hog roast and live entertainment as the day winds down. You can find info on the H.A.W.K. 5K at http://roadrunner5k.home.mchsi.com or e-mail -- roadrunr@mchsi.com or William Bails 319.331.7939. My wife, Kathy and I operate the Tipton Motel. All the day's festivities will take place on the motel property except, of course, the 5K, which will start and finish in front of the motel. Rooms will be available for rent to only those that are coming in for the days events. You can call 563-886-3111 and mention that you are coming in for the Paul Beatty Benefit. There are only 13 rooms available, so call early. Thanks, William Bails Audio Interviews by Scott Casber: William Bails Paul Beatty Chad Beatty

If you would like to be an official at the 2011 InterMat JJ Classic, please send an e-mail to contact@intermatwrestle.com.

Trent Paulson

Success doesn’t always come right away. In wrestling, unless you are Cael Sanderson, you know at some point you will lose. Even Dan Gable tasted defeat. The key for most successful wrestlers is to not get too high when they have success and to not get too low when they lose. The successful wrestlers are not only physically strong, but mentally strong. For one of the top young wrestlers in the nation, Kevin Norstrem, who is ranked as the No. 4-ranked freshman in the U.S. by InterMat, it has been has been a steady rise to the top, but one that was not without lessons that have shaped the Brandon, Florida freshman into the wrestler he is today. Norstrem, who capped off his eighth grade high school season with a 112-pound state championship while wrestling for Tampa Bay Christian, started wrestling early. His dad, Tim, wrestled in high school and at the club level in college while growing up in Wisconsin. During college, he made the decision to start coaching wrestling. After coaching for a few years, Tim and his wife moved to Florida. While looking for a house, Tim mentioned to an acquaintance that he was a wrestler. The acquaintance told him, “If you are a wrestler, you’ve got to live in Brandon.” Kevin Norstrem went 45-1 and won a Florida state title at 112 pounds will competing for Tampa Bay ChristanNorstrem and his wife took the advice, settled in Brandon, and started a family. When Kevin, their first child, was 5 years old, Tim brought his young son to a wrestling tournament. Not initially impressed, Kevin then went to his first practice. He was soon hooked. “(Brandon High School head wrestling coach Russ) Cozart is really easy to work with,” said Norstrem. “I enjoyed all the friends that I made.” Kevin took his time early on. When his dad first mentioned traveling out of the state, Kevin took a measured approach. He was willing to try it, but was not willing to fully commit. One thing that made committing a whole lot easier was winning. “I traveled to a tournament when I was 7 or 8 and took second in that tournament,” said Norstrem. “I realized that I’m actually getting somewhere. Then I started working a little bit harder and a little bit harder. The next thing I knew I started winning tournaments outside of Florida. Then I really got into it and started working a lot harder.” Getting to that point was not an easy path. “When Kevin started out, there were a lot of times that he wasn’t coming home with medals around his neck,” said his dad. “There were times when I would talk to Coach Cozart and he would say, 'Here’s your goal -- if he doesn’t cry this weekend, he gets ice cream on the way home.’ Early on, (Kevin) would go 0-2 at a tournament.” Kevin stuck with it and kept improving and although his early career may have seemed like a roller coaster, it was more of a steady climb. Each threshold Kevin has reached, he has gotten there by putting in the time, working hard to improve and eventually getting there. “That perspective that he has of what it’s taken,” said Tim Norstrem, “he’s fought for every inch and he is not willing to relinquish any of it.” One tournament early on in his career was a good indicator of what it was going to take and what kind of a hard worker Kevin is. “At the USA freestyle and Greco kids nationals, before they had bantam, he was a first-year midget. He had two real tough Greco matches and lost both of his matches,” said Tim Norstrem. “I’ll never forget it. While the other kids were wrestling, we went in the back and had a little talk and he said 'I am not happy. This will not happen again.' We went over our match strategy for freestyle. What are we going to do, what are we going to work on let’s focus on what did we learn from Greco? He came back, made it to the finals and beat the kid who won Greco in the championship match.” Much of Norstrem’s career has followed a similar pattern. He did not go right to the top. He came to each new level and conquered them one at a time. With each level change, he would have to work to get to the top of that level. Hard work has never been a problem for Kevin. Kevin Norstrem is the No. 4-ranked freshman in the U.S. by InterMat“He’s got a good work ethic,” said his dad. “He’s got a good curiosity level. When you teach him something he wants to know the right way to do it -- he wants to know exactly the right way to do it. If he doesn’t get it, he wants to figure it out until he does get it.” With that approach, Norstrem has learned to focus on the task ahead of him and not worry about the past. “He is very good at being focused on what’s important next and looking ahead,” said his dad. The support he has received from his family is a big reason why Norstrem has been able to keep moving up the wrestling ladder. “My family is super supportive,” said Norstrem. “In this house it is all about wrestling. My dad is the one who got me into it. My mom really loves watching me. They are always there to help me whether it is to lose weight, find different training partners. They are one of the biggest reasons I am where I am at now.” Kevin’s family also gave him a good athletic base to start from. “We are a very athletic-oriented, fitness-oriented house,” said Tim. “My wife teaches spin classes and exercise classes at the YMCA. We eat right and eat healthy. I’ve done triathlons, running, weight lifting, body building -- all sorts of stuff. That was kind of the backdrop for it. We have an expectation of fitness.” The level each of the Norstrem kids reach is dependent on how much they want to put into it. “Every level that Kevin is willing to commit to, we’re willing to commit family resources and time to allow him to get to that next level,” said Tim. “If he is willing to train his butt off, we are willing to send him to the Olympic Training Center. We will meet you at your level of commitment.” Russ CozartMuch of the credit for Norstrem’s success goes to Coach Cozart and his wildly successful Brandon High School wrestling program. Brandon’s wrestling program lost one dual meet last season and it was the first in over 450 matches. The historic streak has given Norstrem more than enough motivation to keep working hard. “I see all the other guys that came out of Brandon and a lot of them are really successful,” said Norstrem. “I thought if I work as hard as these guys and train as hard as these guys, maybe I can be just a percentage of what they are. Just because of that I was very focused and very driven.” To say that drive has paid off is an understatement. Norstrem has placed or won a number of tournaments across the country as he has progressed. Most recently, he won the USA Wrestling Southeast Cadet freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments as well as compiling a 5-1 record in freestyle and a 5-0 record in Greco at the East Coast Duals. Kevin said his preferred style is Greco. The transition to Greco was seamless in Coach Cozart’s program. Right after the high school season ends, Cozart and his staff transition right into Greco. For Kevin, it was a perfect fit. On his feet he likes to work inside and set up his shots from the inside. He enjoys hitting the big throws and controlling his opponents while in tight quarters. The Norstrem’s feel fortunate to be in the situation they are in. To be involved in wrestling and to be in Coach Cozart’s Brandon program has allowed Kevin to evolve into the wrestler he is today. “The friends, the support, the coach, that we have -- unbelievable,” said Tim Norstrem. “We just feel extremely fortunate that we have that opportunity to have those resources with us. Russ (Cozart) is an awesome coach. Russ is like an uncle to Kevin. It’s one of those deals where Russ hardly has to say anything to him.” With as accomplished a coach and wrestler Russ Cozart is, possibly the best compliment Kevin Norstrem could have received came from Cozart’s high school coach, George Beresford. Kevin, his younger brother Kyle, and Tim were at a tournament in Reno. The boys were walking around in the stands wearing Brandon wrestling t-shirts when Cozart’s high school coach, noticed them. Tim and the boys explained that Coach Cozart was not there, it was just the three Norstrem boys. Both Kevin and Kyle made the finals of the tournament and were wrestling at the same time. Obviously, Tim could only be helping one of his kids. So after talking with Beresford, Tim asked him if he would sit in Kevin’s corner so he could watch Kyle. Kevin Norstrem“Beresford said, 'I don’t know how to coach him. I don’t know what he does',” said Tim. “I said, 'Just coach him like you would coach Russ.’ After the match -- Kevin had won his match -- Beresford came over to me and said, ‘You’re right. He wrestles just like Russ. I had a blast. Thanks for having me down.'” High praise coming from the coach of someone as accomplished as Russ Cozart is praise that has been earned. It is praise that comes because of a wrestler’s commitment to keep improving and to go back out there even when he has struggled. Kevin Norstrem was not handed his success on a silver platter. His path and the lessons he has learned along the way have made him made him what he is -- mentally tough and one of the best young wrestlers in the nation.

EDINBORO, Pa. -- Edinboro University received word today from the NCAA that wrestler Jarrod King has been granted a sixth year of eligibility. King now seeks to become Edinboro’s first two-time Division I national champion after capturing the 165 lb. crown this past March. Combined with the recent news that Phil Moricone would also receive a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA, head coach Tim Flynn’s lineup has taken on a decidedly different and more imposing look. King transferred to Edinboro two years ago after spending three injury-filled seasons at Oklahoma. He redshirted in 2004-05 thanks to a shoulder injury, then posted a 16-9 record for the Sooners at 165 lbs. in 2005-06. The following year he was again felled by s shoulder injury, going 6-2 while missing almost the entire season. The NCAA deemed that King had missed two full seasons due to separate injuries and therefore granted the sixth year of eligibility. Jarrod KingIn his first season as Fighting Scot King went 32-9, qualifying for Nationals at 165 lbs. for the first time. He went 2-2 at Nationals. King won both EWL and PSAC championships. King capped an incredible year this past March by winning the national championship at 165 lbs. after arriving in St. Louis as the 12th seed. The senior proceeded to win all five of his matches, upsetting three higher seeds along the way. The first was a 12-5 decision over fourth-seeded Moza Fay of Northern Iowa in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, he won a grueling 6-6 two tiebreaker match against Iowa State’s Jonathan Reader, the eighth seed. He prevailed thanks to an 11-second advantage in riding time. That left King in the finals against second-seeded Andrew Howe of Wisconsin. He parlayed a body lock in the third period for the bout’s lone takedown, snapping a 1-1 tie to win 3-2. King became Edinboro’s fourth Division I national champion, joining Sean O’Day, Josh Koscheck and teammate Gregor Gillespie. King ended a rollercoaster year with a 32-5 record. He ran off 12 straight wins to start the season, winning the Oklahoma Gold Classic and the PSAC Championships. Following a 4-1 loss to sixth-ranked Colt Sponseller of Ohio State, King won eight more matches in a row. That included a win in the title match of the Reno Tournament. The eight-match win streak came to an end thanks to a 3-2 loss to top-ranked Mack Lewnes of Cornell in the championship match of the Southern Scuffle. Less than two weeks later King had to be pulled from the lineup in the Virginia Duals due to a knee injury. It turned out he had a staph infection in his knee. Following a stay in the hospital and over a month out of the lineup, King returned with a week of practice under his belt to compete in Edinboro’s final four dual meets. King struggled somewhat upon his return, losing two of three matches, including a 5-3 decision to Donnie Jones of West Virginia in the final dual of the season. He looked like a different wrestler two weeks later, pinning Jones in 23 seconds in the EWL title match for his second straight EWL crown. King is a standout both in the classroom and on the wrestling mat. He has a 3.79 GPA as an Individualized Studies major. In wrestling, King was named both the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Wrestler of the Year. In the classroom, he was recently named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Men’s At-Large University Division All-America Team. The Fighting Scot wrestler was one of 15 student-athletes named to the first team. He was also an NECA All-Academic selection and was named to the PSAC Winter Top Ten. Moricone entered the 2008-09 campaign seeking a third straight trip to the NCAA Division I National Championships. He opened with three impressive wins in the Fighting Scot Duals, but then went down with a herniated disk in practice. He would later require surgery, ending his senior year. Moricone will return with a 59-26 career record. Like King, his back injury was the second major injury he suffered during his time at Edinboro. He had previously suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in 2005-06 as a redshirt freshman. That came after he opened the season with a 6-2 record. He returned the next year to claim the starting job at 174 lbs., finishing with a 26-11 record and qualifying for Nationals for the first time. He went 2-2 at Nationals. Moricone won the PSAC championship in 2006-07. Moricone returned to Nationals in 2007-08 after placing third at the EWL Championships. He would lose both of his matches to end the year with a 24-13 record.

Shawn Bunch

Kerry Boumans

David Ray

Dan Yates of Hesperia, Michigan has informed InterMat that he has given a verbal commitment to the University of Michigan. Yates, who was ranked as the 12th best high school senior in the U.S. by InterMat, won three state titles at Hesperia High School. He compiled a high school record of 248-9. This past season, Yates went 63-1 en route to winning his third state title. In April, Yates won the 2009 NHSCA Senior Nationals title at 160 pounds, which included victory in the finals over No. 14-ranked senior John Nicholson of Des Moines, Iowa. Yates joins a recruiting class that includes InterMat top 100 recruits Eric Grajales of Brandon High School in Florida, who was ranked No. 2, and Sean Boyle of Blair Academy in New Jersey, who was ranked No. 32. He will sign his National Letter of Intent when he returns from the 2009 AAU Scholastic Duals in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Craig Sesker

Joe Russell

By the time Sunday rolls around, it will be just under three weeks from what most consider the biggest event in scholastic wrestling -- the ASICS/Vaughan Junior & Cadet National Championships, Presented by the U.S. Marines. As for what is the second biggest event of the spring/summer wrestling offseason? That would be the Junior National Duals in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, which will be coming to a close with the championship pools and medal matches -- in freestyle -- this coming Sunday (June 28). Wrestling commences with Greco-Roman starting on Wednesday, June 24. Medal matches for Greco-Roman will occur on Friday, as will the start of the freestyle competition. The competition in both styles will be strong with many wrestlers in the national rankings present. Looking back to the 2008 Junior National Duals, 30 of the Greco-Roman competitors were ranked by InterMat in the end of year weight class rankings for 2008-09. From the freestyle competition, approximately 50 wrestlers appeared in the end of season rankings for 2008-09. Those numbers do not account for some of the top graduates in the class of 2008 that competed -- such as Scott Winston, Jordan Oliver, Mario Mason, and Nate Moore. In the midst of the highly competitive environment, entries from the state of Illinois have found Oklahoma City to be very kind in recent years. In freestyle, the squad from the Land of Lincoln has made the championship match four consecutive times, the last three times coming home with the title. The Greco-Roman squad has had similar success, with three straight championship match appearances and two straight titles. What is the key to the success of Team Illinois? Obviously, first and foremost is terrific talent. However, the other important component is superlative leadership, organization, and coaching. Illinois teams made it to the finals in both Schoolboy Dual Meet championships this year, winning the Freestyle title; and swept the titles at the Cadet National Duals this past weekend. Sean Bormet, head freestyle coach for Illinois, is a two-time winner of USA Wrestling’s Freestyle Coach of the Year (2006, 2008) and earned USA Wrestling’s Developmental Coach of the Year in 2004. Head Greco-Roman coach Brian Medlin is a veteran of the national and international Greco-Roman circuit, and currently serves as head coach at Washington High School. Looking ahead to 2009 For yet another year, fans everywhere will be able to follow the competition using TrackWrestling.com. The computer program will have up-to-date pools, results, and the schedule of matches. For news recaps of the competition, check out the Web site for USA Wrestling, TheMat.com. While neither an official team list nor official lineups have yet to be made available to the public, expect to see at least 25 teams for each style from close to 25 states. Each competition will start with a round-robin in which teams will be split into four pools. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the championship competition, which will commence with two four-team groups that compete in another round-robin. The top team in each championship pool will compete for first place, the second team in each competes for third place, and such for the top eight places. Teams finishing third through sixth in the preliminary pools will advance to a single elimination consolation bracket, from which the two finalists will finish ninth and tenth. Defending champions Illinois look to be locked and loaded in each of the competitions. However, more titles will not be going back to the Land of Lincoln without stiff challenges. Look for Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas, Iowa, and Michigan to lead the pack of challengers in Greco-Roman competition. In the freestyle competition, the host squad Oklahoma looks to be the primary challenger. They will be led by many of the wrestlers that upset Team USA in the Wrestling USA Dream Team Classic. Ladd Rupp, Stephen Swan, Dallas Bailey, Zack White, and Chris Perry are among those likely to appear on the Junior Duals freestyle squad. The quintet of wrestlers went 4-1 in the Dream Team Classic match. Other squads to watch include those from New Jersey, Iowa, Ohio, and Minnesota. Looking back at 2008 Greco-Roman: Illinois went undefeated for the competition, going 8-0 without facing any real challenges on the way to a second consecutive title. This included victories over teams that finished second, third, fifth, sixth, seventh, and ninth. Runners-up California were victorious in their first seven matches of the competition; including wins over the fourth, sixth, eighth, and tenth place squads. Championship Match: Illinois defeated California 1, 45-18 Third-Place Match: Minnesota 1 defeated Iowa, 52-13 Fifth-Place Match: Missouri defeated Wisconsin, 39-27 Seventh-Place Match: Kansas defeated Michigan, 34-31 Ninth-Place Match: New York defeated Texas, 33-30 Freestyle: Facing only one really close dual meet along its path, a 29-28 victory over host Oklahoma in the championship pool stage, Illinois was 9-0 for the competition on the way to a third consecutive title. It also marked back-to-back sweeps of the Junior National dual meet championships. Despite a 48-20 loss to Kansas in the final dual of the championship pool, Iowa advanced to the final on the strength of its victory over New Jersey in the previous round. Yet again, Illinois defeated a powerful group of challengers on the way to the title -- earning victories over teams that finished second, third, fourth, fifth, eighth, and ninth. Championship Match: Illinois defeated Iowa, 39-23 Third-Place Match: New Jersey defeated Minnesota-1, 33-27 Fifth-Place Match: Oklahoma defeated Missouri, 42-20 Seventh-Place Match: Kansas defeated Pennsylvania, 33-28 Ninth-Place Match: New York defeated Texas, 38-19

NORMAN, Okla. -- University of Oklahoma head wrestling coach Jack Spates recently wrapped up the 2009-10 recruiting class, signing five Intermat Top 100 recruits, including two in the top 20. The 11-member class also included two that ranked among the top 15 nationally in their respective weight classes. Collectively, the future Sooners combined to win 24 state championships, spanning seven states across the country. Additionally, two were crowned champions at High School Nationals and three more placed in the top six. “We are extremely excited about this year’s recruiting class,” said Spates, who is entering his 17th season at Oklahoma. “With three, four-time state champions, two national champions and numerous high school All-Americans, it looks to be the strongest recruiting class in my tenure at OU.” Headlining the class is two-time Pennsylvania state champion Jake Kemerer, ranked No. 7 overall in the 2009 recruiting class by Intermat. The Greensburg, Pa., native is notched as the No. 1 160-pound recruit by Intermat and is expected compete for the 165-pound starting job at OU next fall. Also signing with Oklahoma are the Lester twins, Matt and Nick, of Eureka, Mo. Both own two Missouri state championships. Matt is ranked as the 18th-best wrestler overall by Intermat and the second best at 160 pounds by Amateur Wrestling News after winning the title at High School Nationals. Nick is tabbed as the 86th best senior wrestler in the country and No. 11 overall at 152 pounds after a runner-up finish at High School Nationals. Matt is expected to compete at 149 pounds for Oklahoma, while Nick will wrestle at 141 pounds. Alex Ekstrom, ranked No. 28 overall by Intermat and the fourth best wrestler at 135 pounds, also inked with the Sooners. The Palmyra Macedon, N.Y., native was crowned champion at High School Nationals and was a four-time New York state champion. Another pair of four-time state champions, Jarrod Patterson and Tyler Caldwell, will provide depth for the Sooners at 125 pounds and 174 pounds, respectively. A Cushing, Okla., product, Patterson is tabbed as the eighth best wrestler in his weight class by Intermat. Caldwell, hailing from Goddard, Kan., is ranked as the 43rd best wrestler in the country and No. 8 overall at 160 pounds after a third place finish at High School Nationals. Expected to wrestle at 133 pounds for the Sooners, Kendric Maple from Wichita Heights High School in Wichita, Kan., is notched as the 14th-best wrestler at 135 pounds. Maple was twice crowned Kansas state champion and placed third at High School Nationals. Spates also gained commitments from two-time state champions Kyle Detmer (Wichita, Kan.) and Nolan McBryde (Eagle River, Alaska). Rounding out the class is Clay Reeb from Cheektowaga, N.Y. and Joe Lospinoso from Kenilworth, N.J. Reeb (157 pounds) and Lospinoso (133/141) earned fourth and sixth place finishes at High School Nationals, respectively. “These are all great young men with great passion and work ethic,” Spates said. “They all possess big dreams, and it will be fun to help make them come true.” 2009 WRESTLING RECRUITING CLASS TYLER CALDWELL From Goddard, Kan. … Was a four-time Kansas state champion … Placed third at High School Nationals … Projected college weight class is 174 pounds … Ranked No. 43 overall in 2009 recruiting class by Intermat … No. 8 in 160-pound weight class by Intermat and No. 10 by Amateur Wrestling News. KYLE DETMER From Wichita, Kan. … Was a two-time Kansas state champion … Expected to compete at 157 pounds for the Sooners. ALEX EKSTROM From Palmyra Macedon, N.Y. … Ranked No. 28 overall in 2009 recruiting class by Intermat … Notched at No. 4 in 135 pound-class by both Amateur Wrestling News and Intermat … Projected college weight is 133 pounds … Was a four-time New York state champion ... Crowned champion at High School Nationals. JAKE KEMERER From Greensburg, Pa. … Is the highest ranked Sooner recruit overall, notched at No. 7 by Intermat … Ranked No. 1 in 160-pound weight class by Intermat and No. 4 by Amateur Wrestling News … Was a two-time Pennsylvania state champion in high school … Projected college weight is 165 pounds. KENDRIC MAPLE From Wichita, Kan. … Was a two-time Kansas state champion in high school … Placed third at High School Nationals … Ranked at the 14th-best 135 pound recruit … Projected to compete at 133 or 141 pounds for the Sooners. NOLAN MCBRYDE From Eagle River, Alaska … Was a two-time Alaska state champion … Projected to compete at 174 pounds for Oklahoma. JOE LOSPINOSO From Kenilworth, N.J. … Placed sixth at High School Nationals … Projected to compete at 133 or 141 pounds for the Sooners. JARROD PATTERSON From Cushing, Okla. … Ranked No. 8 and No. 20 at 130 pounds by Amateur Wrestling News and Intermat, respectively … Is projected to compete in 125-pound weight class in college … Was a four-time Oklahoma state champion. MATT LESTER From Eureka, Mo. … Ranked No. 18 overall in 2009 recruiting class by Intermat … Ranked No. 2 in 160-pound weight class by Amateur Wrestling News and No. 5 by Intermat … Projected college weight is 149 pounds … Was a two-time Missouri state champion … Crowned champion at High School Nationals … Took title at Junior Nationals … Twin brother, Nick, also committed to the Sooners. NICK LESTER From Eureka, Mo. … Was a two-time Missouri state champion … Runner up at High School Nationals … Placed fifth at Junior Nationals … Ranked No. 86 overall in 2009 recruiting class … Ranked No. 11 in 152-pound weight class by both Intermat and Amateur Wrestling News … Projected college weight class is 141 pounds. CLAY REEB From Cheektowaga, N.Y. … Placed fourth in the New York state championships … Projected college weight is 157 pounds.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois head wrestling coach Jim Heffernan has announced the hiring of Jeremy Hunter as an assistant coach and the addition of Mike Poeta as a volunteer assistant coach, completing Heffernan's first coaching staff. Hunter and Poeta will join Carl Perry as on Heffernan's staff, giving the Fighting Illini a wealth of experience and expertise, including three national championships, 12 All-America honors and a variety of international experience. Poeta also will continue to train for and compete in freestyle events, having recently won the Northern Plains Senior Regional. "I am extremely pleased that we are able to announce that Jeremy Hunter will remain on our staff as an assistant coach and Mike Poeta as a volunteer assistant," Heffernan said. "Their knowledge, work ethic and past experience as successful competitors will play important roles in all areas of the program. Jeremy has been an integral part of our success for the past eight years and Mike for the past five years, and they will continue to be very valuable assets to our student-athletes. We are fortunate to have Jeremy and Mike at Illinois." Hunter has served as a volunteer assistant coach with the Illini for the past eight seasons, working primarily with the lighter and heavier weights. Recently, he was instrumental in the success of 133-pounder Jimmy Kennedy and heavyweight John Wise, who both earned All-America honors at the 2009 NCAA Championships. Hunter was the NCAA champion at 125 pounds in 2000 and was a three-time All-American at Penn State, earning the honors from 1998-2000. He wrestled post-collegiately for four years, competing in two World Team Trials and the 2004 Olympic Trials, where he placed fourth at 55 kg. He was the 1999 Big Ten champion and finished in the top three in each of his four seasons. He was the 2000 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year after his second-straight 33-1 campaign and was the conference's Rookie of the Year in 1997. He led Penn State in scoring for three consecutive seasons and posted a string of 41 straight dual-meet wins. "I fell a little short of my goals in college," Poeta said. "But I'm in the next chapter of my career and I'm going to do everything in my power to be a world and Olympic champion while also doing everything I can to get as many NCAA champions in our program as possible." Poeta recently wrapped up a very successful collegiate career in which he was a three-time All-American and two-time national finalist. He won Big Ten 157-pound titles in 2008 and 2009, and finished his career with the second-best winning percentage in school history (.882). Poeta is the 10th three-time All-American in school history, and his 2008 campaign in which he went 35-3 ranks eighth in the Illini record books in winning percentage and ninth in wins.