InterMat Staff

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Mike Finn, Jim Gruenwald and Wayne Boyd. Finn is currently the editor of Wrestling International Newsmagazine. He was awarded the National Wrestling Media Association's Journalist of the Year for 2006. Finn will be providing a live update of the Junior Nationals, which are being held in Fargo, ND. A 2004 Olympian, Gruenwald is currently the assistant Greco-Roman coach at the United States Olympic Education Center located on the campus of Northern Michigan University. In 2003 USA Wrestling named Gruenwald Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year. Boyd was an NCAA champion in 1969 for Temple University at 123 pounds. A long-time supporter of wrestling, Boyd produced and starred in his own movie "One More Shot". Boyd recently produced a new wrestling video entitled "Champions of Champions". This video features interviews with 15 wrestling champions including Dan Gable, John Smith, Tom Brands, Bruce Baumgartner, and Kenny Monday. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "us.f592.mail.yahoo.com" claiming to be radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

Brute Adidas is proud to present this weeks Takedown Wrestling Radio on the road as we will be broadcasting 2 big shows on Saturday July 21st LIVE from Oklahoma City, Ok. Show #1: We'll be joined in person by several guests including World of Wrestling Tournament Director Jack Roller, newly signed Team Takedown Member Shane Roller, John Rizzuti of the Rizzuti/Austin marketing Group and Team Takedown Founder Ted Ehrhardt. Joining us on the Live Line will be: Old Dominion Head Coach Steve Martin. Life after Lee Pritts? You bet. The Old Dominion train keeps on a rolling along! Who will take Pritts' place. Tune in and find out. Virginia Cavaliers Head Coach Steve Garland. What's the recruiting news like for this 2nd year Cavaliers Head Coach? Kevin Dresser, Head Coach of Virginia Tech. Now that the dust has settled lets get down to it it with Coach Dresser. His staff is one of the best in the land. Rider University Head Coach Gary Taylor talks about asst. John Hangey and what its like being the winning est active coach in D 1. Show #2: This will be a FREE LIVE broadcast of the Masters of the Cage Professional MMA event scheduled for the evening of the 21st. This broadcast is made possible by a generous grant from Ted Ehrhardt and his family. The event will feature the Professional MMA debut of Team Takedown Members Jake Rosholt (OSU) and Eric Bradley (PSU). This broadcast will start at 7:30 PM and can be heard only at Takedownradio.com. join Scott Casber, John Rizzuti, Ted Ehrhardt and others Saturday night for a special TDR broadcast Live from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

DALLAS -- The National Collegiate Wrestling Association has officially announced the addition of a Women's Collegiate Division for the upcoming 2007-2008 season. This monumental addition will provide the only post high school collegiate style venue for women, thus catering to a deeply underserved wrestling population. "We are excited to lead the way and act as pioneers for women's wrestling" said NCWA Executive Director, Jim Giunta. "Women's wrestling is rapidly growing across the nation on the youth and high school level, but there are very few options for them on the college level." Currently there are just under 5,000 girls wrestling in high school nationwide. Only a total of six colleges offer women's freestyle teams and until this announcement, absolutely zero post high school opportunities to wrestle women's collegiate style wrestling. Going into its 11th year, the NCWA currently has nearly 150 colleges and universities across the nation with successful men's wrestling programs. With a strong core structure already in place, adding a women's division to run along side the men's should allow for a seamless and well received inaugural first year. The NCWA is committed to providing and expanding athletic leadership opportunities through involvement in collegiate style wrestling. With a strong commitment to providing and expanding collegiate style wrestling opportunities, the NCWA's Goal is to have over 300 Universities actively competing intercollegiately by 2012. That's more teams than the NCAA DI, DII and DIII currently have combined. With a bold Goal, so comes a bold Vision. The Vision of having a team at every college…every private, every public, every junior, every community college, every trade school, every secondary institution that wants to grow leaders. Although the men's and women's wrestling divisions will be conducted separately, they will operate under almost identical rules and regulations as set forth by the National Collegiate Wrestling Association and the team's respected institutions. Since 1997, NCWA events have provided over 100,000 additional college matches to over 9,000 student athletes. These graduates would not have been afforded college competition without the expanded opportunities provided by NCWA member institutions' coaches and volunteers. About the National Collegiate Wrestling Association: The National Collegiate Wrestling Association is committed to providing and expanding Athletic Leadership Opportunities through involvement in Collegiate Style Wrestling. The NCWA is designed to be a spawning ground for America's Leaders. NCWA Students not only excel athletically and compete well with their NCAA counterparts, but NCWA Wrestlers take athletics to another level. NCWA Student Athletes learn more than just how to wrestle, they Learn Leadership skills. Through a wrestling team model students not only learn, but get practical applied leadership skills. Some of which include: group organizational management, business budgeting, proposal and presentation planning, fund raising, motivational speaking, winning attitude, transportation coordination, and many other leadership skills necessary to make their team a success both on and off the mat. NCWA Administration is 100% Volunteer. From the Executive Director and Board to the Conference Chairmen and Committees, the NCWA is the only National Wrestling Association that is 100 % Volunteer. That means 100% of any money earned goes to work providing serious opportunities for today's young people.

MMA history will be made this night as Oklahoma State's own three-time NCAA wrestling champion Jake Rosholt and his Team Takedown teammate, Penn State's Eric Bradley, make their professional MMA debuts at Masters Of The Cage XV. When: Saturday, July 21, 8:00 p.m. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Where: Coca Cola Bricktown Event Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) Tickets: From $20. Available at www.fightpass.com or 888-377-2229 Team Takedown: Jake Rosholt -- Three-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American Eric Bradley -- All-American/National boxing champ Johny Hendricks -- Two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American Shane Roller -- Three-time All-American and Big 12 champion Ted Ehrhardt -- Managing Partner -- TTD www.teamtakedownfighters.com Scott Casber –- Host -- "Takedown Radio" www.takedownradio.com Team Takeodown signs another elite wrestler Shane Roller has joined Team Takedown as elite fighter number four, alongside Jake Rosholt, Johny Hendricks and Eric Bradley. Shane's MMA training will begin with Guy Mezger at Lion's Den in Dallas and continue at world champion Randy Couture's Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas. Listen on the Internet Those Who Can't Make it to MOTC XV can hear it via the Internet, at www.takedownradio.com live, free-of-charge: host Scott Casber will be joined by one of the Southwest's leading MMA fight experts, John "JR" Rizzuti (www.insidetexaswrestling.com) during MOTC XV and for the regular broadcast of "Takedown Wrestling Radio," 9-11 a.m. Saturday.

To: National Wrestling Community Fr: Mike Moyer, Executive Director �- National Wrestling Coaches Association Re: "Call to Action" -- Save University of Oregon Wrestling Date: July 10, 2007 As many of you have probably already heard, the University of Oregon wrestling program is in imminent danger of being dropped to make room for baseball and one or more additional women's sports. There have been numerous newspaper articles written about this possibility although the university administration has remained mostly silent on the issue. We would like to make an urgent request to the entire northwest U.S. wrestling community to voice your concern, via e-mail or faxed letter to the following University of Oregon officials (please do not wait to act on this request): Dr. Dave Frohnmayer Mr. Pat Kilkenny President, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics University of Oregon University of Oregon 110 Johnson Hall 2727 Leo Harris Pkw Eugene, OR 97403-1226 Eugene, OR 97401-8835 Phone: 541-346-3036 Phone: 541-346-5432 Fax: 541-346-3017 Fax: 541-346-5031 pres@uoregon.edu kilkenny@uoregon.edu In your letter/e-mail, please be sure to convey the following speaking points: * Intercollegiate Wrestling fully supports the mission of University of Oregon athletics, PAC10, and the NCAA. Specifically, one of the main objectives stated on the www.goducks.com website is: "To provide educational opportunities for those interested in athletics-related careers, such as coaching, teaching or administration." This is particularly important to note because historically, the University of Oregon wrestling program has played a major role in replenishing the depleted pool of high school and middle school teachers/wrestling coaches in the Northwest. In fact, in the Northwest U.S., there are approximately 33,000 high school wrestlers and only nine NCAA intercollegiate wrestling teams (about 270 college roster spots). * Eliminating the University of Oregon wrestling team could force the entire PAC10 Wrestling Conference to dissolve based on having too few PAC 10 schools sponsoring wrestling. * University of Oregon is virtually guaranteed a nationally competitive wrestling team simply by sponsoring the sport. On average, approximately 80-85% of all D-I schools with a wrestling program will advance at least one wrestler to the NCAA's each year. This is primarily because we have approximately 250,000 high school wrestlers and only 220 NCAA member institutions with wrestling teams. * The elite academic reputation of University of Oregon is very similar to the IVY League schools. Even without scholarships, several IVY League wrestling programs (i.e. Cornell, Pennsylvania, etc) are among our most nationally competitive wrestling programs. * Intercollegiate wrestling is relatively inexpensive to sponsor based on the NCAA's cost per student-athlete estimates. * University of Oregon has a rich wrestling tradition as evidenced by having 2 NCAA Champions, 31 NCAA All Americans, and 6 Olympic team members. Further, University has one distinguished member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. * If it is in the best interest of University of Oregon to have baseball, it doesn't have to be at the expense of wrestling. Let's work together to have both. As you convey your thoughts, please be respectful of the university administration. We want to always take the high road. Make sure the key decision makers know that the regional and national wrestling community stand ready to help the administration develop a plan that ensures the future of their varsity wrestling program. While the grass roots wrestling community conveys the above-mentioned speaking points, the NWCA will be working with prominent University of Oregon alumni, business leaders, and politicians to promote similar messages. In addition, the NWCA is working to host its signature event, the NWCA All Star Classic, in Eugene or a nearby location on November 19, 2007. This will provide us with an opportunity rally the entire wrestling community to take any further steps that might be necessary.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Howie Miller and Wayne Boyd. Miller recently produced and directed the documentary "Veritas". This film is a feature-length documentary about the senior wrestling season of Jon Trenge as he strives to achieve his childhood dream of becoming an NCAA champion for his hometown school of Lehigh University. Miller graduated from the University of Virginia where he was an ACC wrestling champion and a two-time NWCA Academic All-American. He has also worked as a producer on SCIFI Channel, ABC, and FOX's Best Damn Sports Show, Period. Boyd was an NCAA champion in 1969 for Temple University at 123 pounds. A long-time supporter of wrestling, Boyd produced and starred in his own movie "One More Shot". Boyd recently produced a new wrestling video entitled "Champions of Champions". This video features interviews with 15 wrestling champions including Dan Gable, John Smith, Tom Brands, Bruce Baumgartner, and Kenny Monday. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

BUFFALO, NY -- Head wrestling coach Jim Beichner has announced the hiring of Paul Bradley as UB's assistant wrestling coach. Bradley brings impressive credentials with him as he spent one season on the coaching staff at Indiana and he was a two-time All-American at the University of Iowa. In his first season at Indiana, Bradley helped lead the Hoosiers to a 10-5 dual-meet record and a fifth place finish at the Big Ten Championships. Ultimately, Indiana finished 14th at the 2007 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Bradley worked with the higher weight classes at Indiana. "I am very excited for the opportunity that was given to me by Coach Beichner," said Bradley. "I am looking forward to recruiting as well as bringing my style of wrestling from Iowa to UB. I was drawn to the position because I know Coach Beichner and I have the same philosophy and that is that we won't settle for anything less than a winner." During his career at Iowa, Bradley wrestled anywhere from 184 pounds to heavyweight. His sophomore and junior seasons saw him garner All-American status at 184 pounds, where he competed for the majority of his career. In 2003-04, Bradley went 26-12, placing second in the Big Ten and finishing fourth at the NCAA Tournament. That year, he recorded five major decisions and six pins for Iowa. In 2004-05, Bradley followed up his first All-American selection with a second, this time finishing fifth in the nation. It capped off a 24-9 season for the junior, who brought home a fourth-place finish in the 184-pound division at the Big Ten Championships. Bradley finished his career with a 16-10 mark as a senior, wrapping up his final Big Ten tourney with a seventh place finish. He advanced to the NCAAs, but was unable to succeed in his quest for a third straight All-American nod. "We are thrilled to bring in somebody with the collegiate wrestling experience of Paul Bradley," said Beichner. "When he wrestled at Iowa he was known as an 'old school' type wrestler. He can get very intense on the mat, but what will make him a good recruiter is his ability to turn off that intensity when he has to. He is a great technician like our current assistant coach, Jeff Catribone, and he will have a positive impact not just on the heavyweight wrestlers, but on the entire team."

When Brent Metcalf steps on the mat for the Iowa Hawkeyes this season at 149 pounds, it will mark one of the most anticipated debuts ever for a collegiate wrestler. As a prep, Metcalf compiled a perfect 228-0 mark and won four state titles for Davison High School in Michigan. He also captured six Junior Nationals titles in Fargo. Brent MetcalfMetcalf redshirted at Virginia Tech during the 2005-06 season before transferring last year to the University of Iowa, after Tom Brands was hired as head coach of the Hawkeyes. Metcalf, though, was ineligible to compete last year because Virginia Tech refused to release him from his scholarship. Metcalf competed unattached last year and compiled a 14-0 record, which included tournament titles at the Kaufman-Brand, Northern Iowa, and Glen Brand Opens. He also tested the waters in numerous senior-level freestyle events such as the Sunkist Kids International Open, Clansmen International, Dave Schultz Memorial, U.S. Nationals, and most recently the U.S. World Team Trials. InterMat recently caught up with Metcalf and asked him if he harbors any hard feels towards Virginia Tech, what makes Tom Brands a great coach, his thoughts on his performance at the U.S. World Team Trials, who he sees as the biggest threat at 149 pounds, and what it's going to take for the Hawkeyes to bring home the title this season. Obviously a lot has been made of the Virginia Tech situation, so I don't want to focus too much on that. But with everything that has happened, do you harbor any hard feeling towards Virginia Tech? Metcalf: No, I don't have any hard feelings. They had the right to do what they did … and that's what they chose to do. Obviously, it didn't work favorably towards me, but it was their right. It was too bad they had to punish us that way, but it is what it is. There are several wrestlers who are very loyal to Tom Brands. Mike Zadick and Doug Schwab quickly come to mind. It's obvious how much Tom Brands means to you and your wrestling career. What makes him such a great coach? Metcalf: Just the type of person he is. It's his intensity and his passion for wrestling. He really gets you excited about the sport. He cares about you. He cares about your family. He cares about your friends. He's just a good guy. All of that put together makes you want to do anything in the world for him. Describe Dan Gable's influence in the Iowa wrestling program. Metcalf: I think Gable just brings back the mystique of Iowa wrestling. He brings it to light. His role in the room right now is to be a positive influence and take us in the direction we want to go. The wrestling room at Iowa has quite a stable of very talented wrestlers around your weight. Who do you typically work out with? Metcalf: There are a lot of guys. Probably the guys I train with the most are Ryan Morningstar, Matt Ballweg, and Mark Perry. Those are probably the main guys I wrestle with the most. Do you work out with assistant coaches Doug Schwab and Mike Zadick much? Metcalf: Oh yeah, and then the coaches … definitely Schwab and Zadick a lot too. How about Tom Brands? Metcalf: I wrestled with him one time at Virginia Tech, but he's getting to be kind of like Gable. He needs about 45 minutes to warm up. He doesn't get at it every day. He's on the mat for sure. He's suited up and ready to go every day. At the U.S. World Team Trials last month, you went 2-2. You defeated Joe Johnston and Kendall Cross, but lost to Jared Frayer and Eric Larkin. How would you characterize your performance? Metcalf: Good, but not good enough. I personally feel like I'm right there with them, but I need to definitely step it up … maturity-wise and smartness on the mat. I'm right in every one of those matches. I just made little mistakes … and those mistakes can't be there. It was a good performance, but not good enough for me to go 2-2. Two seasons ago, while redshirting at Virginia Tech, you watched Dustin Schlatter win the NCAA title as a true freshman. What went through your mind after watching Schlatter win his NCAA title? Metcalf: It confirmed what I knew in my mind, which was that I'm the best in the country. It confirms to me that I can achieve the things that I want to achieve. How hard was it sitting out another collegiate season and watching Gregor Gillespie, a wrestler you defeated at the NHSCA Senior Nationals, win the NCAA title this past March at 149 pounds? Metcalf: It wasn't fun by any means. But at the same time, I'm not going to sit here and dwell on it. The worst part about it was that it was in my hometown. But you know what, it is what it is. By that point, I already accepted it. You were very active competing in freestyle this past season. You competed at the Sunkist Kids International Open in October, Dave Schultz Memorial, U.S. Nationals, U.S. World Team Trials. Did you ever seriously consider taking an Olympic redshirt this coming season? Metcalf: I guess it was a possibility, but I didn't want to do it. I needed to get on the mat. These two years have been tough enough. Even my freshman year, I wanted to wrestle, but Tom wanted me to redshirt for whatever reason. It's been two years where I've been itching to wrestle … and I couldn't. In my mind, it wasn't a possibility. Do you have aspirations of wrestling on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team? Metcalf: Absolutely. Do you favor one style of wrestling, freestyle or folkstyle, over another? Metcalf: I guess that I enjoy freestyle a little bit more. It's more fun. But at the same time, when you break it down it's all the same. A takedown is a takedown. The fundamentals of wrestling are in each of them. To me, they're both the same. You just have to wrestle differently in each one. For wrestling fans that have never seen you compete, how would you describe your wrestling style to them? Tom BrandsMetcalf: Aggressive, relentless, attack. Staying on my opponent, staying in his face. Would it be fair to call your style the throwback Iowa style? Metcalf: I guess that's what I try to do. That's how I was raised. I was raised with videos of Tom and Terry Brands. My coach said, 'If you want to be good wrestlers, you have to exactly what these guys do.' You're never identical those guys. No one will ever be. But that's the attitude I try to carry with my wrestling. Looking ahead to your competition this season at 149 pounds, which wrestler do you see posing the biggest threat to your NCAA title hopes? Metcalf: There are a lot of guys out there. It's one heck of a weight class. It's deep. It's guys that I've competed with in the past. I know where I'm at. I just have to go out and perform. Will anything less than an NCAA title be a disappointing season? Metcalf: Yeah, I guess. I'm going out there to win an NCAA title. Period. I don't really like to use the term 'disappointing season' … it sounds kind of like a downer. I expect to win every time. Your high school teammate at Davison, Jonathan Reader, is expected to be in the lineup for Iowa State this coming season. Do you still stay in touch with him? And what's it like having one of your high school teammates competing for your rival school? Metcalf: You know, I don't stay in touch with him. I try to. I've called him, but I haven't really talked to him much. I think he takes the rivalry a little more seriously than I do. I'm really excited for him. It's really cool that we ended up wrestling in the state. Is it realistic to think the Hawkeyes could win the NCAA team title in 2008? And if so, what is it going to take? Metcalf: I think it's very realistic. But it's going to take a lot of growing up and a lot of good, solid wrestling. It's going to take a lot of guys maturing and performing to their ability. Ability-wise, we have it on our team. We just have to get the guys to go out there and perform like they can.

Mason City, IA -- NIACC Head Wrestling Coach Richard Fergola announced today that former Iowa State University wrestler and one of the most highly decorated high school wrestlers in Iowa, TJ Sebolt has joined his coaching staff. Sebolt, from Centerville, IA, completed his high school career at Centerville with four Iowa state titles and a stellar career record of 207 wins and only one loss. Sebolt's 207 victories is an Iowa high school record. Other records that Sebolt holds is Most Consecutive Wins with 197 and Most Pins with 137. Sebolt also claimed the 2003 Junior National Freestyle Championship in Fargo, ND. At the collegiate level, Sebolt spent the 2006-07 season competing for Cael Sanderson at Iowa State and won the prestigious University of Nebraska-Omaha Kaufman-Brand Open at 141 pounds as a red-shirt, but did not compete after that due to a shoulder injury. Most recently, Sebolt finished in 6th place at the Junior FILA Freestyle Championships in Las Vegas, NV. at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Sebolt's duties will be primarily focusing on the smaller weights at NIACC. "I am very excited to get a young man like TJ on our staff," stated Coach Fergola. He will only add to the competitiveness in our room and will elevate our smaller weights tremendously. We are very lucky to have TJ and he is very excited about coaching." NIACC will be starting their inaugural wrestling season since cutting the program in 1976. Head Coach Richard Fergola has put together a 35 man roster for their first season and they kick off their competitive schedule at home on November 3rd with the Kaye Young/NIACC Open.

Ask a wrestler why he or she took up the sport, and many times the response is, "My dad was a wrestler." One can imagine that there might be considerable pressure on a youngster whose dad was a three-time NCAA champ (winning NCAA tournament Outstanding Wrestler honors twice) and long-time coach at the University of Northern Iowa and at Penn State. Yet Rob Koll -- an NCAA champion himself who has been head coach at Cornell University for more than a decade -- never experienced any arm-twisting from his father, legendary wrestler/coach Bill Koll. Product of a wrestling hotbed Rob Koll grew up in a wrestling environment. He was born and raised in State College, Pennsylvania, which is not only home to major wrestling powerhouse Penn State University, but also situated in the heart of one of the amateur wrestling hotbeds of the U.S. Yet it doesn't necessarily matter where the Kolls lived; it would have been, by nature, a wrestling-intense atmosphere. Rob Koll"I was the baby of the family, with brothers who were wrestlers," says Rob Koll. "It was natural I'd take up wrestling as a form of self-defense." "They beat the tar out of me on a regular basis. Not that I didn't deserve it sometimes. But it served as the best training ground." "My day care was the Penn State wrestling room," continues Rob, whose father Bill was head coach of the Nittany Lions from 1965 until his retirement in 1979. "By being around it, I picked up things by osmosis. I got a 'feel' for it just from being in the room." "My heroes growing up were guys like Rick Lorenzo (1968 EIWA champ and NCAA All-American at 191 pounds; Penn State head coach 1979-1992) and Andy Matter (1971-72 EIWA and NCAA champ at 167 pounds)." Rob's first taste of organized wrestling -- beyond the living room and the PSU wrestling room -- came in the fifth grade, when he entered a Takedown Tournament … and won it. His wrestling career in the Keystone State culminated with winning a Pennsylvania state title while competing at State College Area High School. From Little Lion to Tar Heel "Other than Penn State, North Carolina was the only school actively recruiting me out of high school," says Rob. "By this point, Dad had retired … I thought it would be neat to get out of town." Rob Koll headed south to Chapel Hill, where he made a name for himself on the mats for the University of North Carolina. He became the winningest wrestler in the history of the Tar Heels -- and Atlantic Coast Conference -- compiling a 150-20-1 record. Rob claimed three ACC individual titles, helping the Tar Heels win the conference team title those same three years. In addition, Rob was twice selected to represent UNC at the National Wrestling Coaches Association's All-Star event, winning both times … and traveled with the NWCA All-Star team to Italy. Rob also earned the distinction of being the first UNC wrestler to become a four-time All-American. He placed eighth in the 150-pound weight class at the 1985 NCAAs, and came in third at the 1986 and '87 NCAAs at 158 pounds. The younger Koll capped off his college career by winning the 158-pound title at the 1988 NCAAs at Iowa State; the top-seeded Tar Heel pinned sixth-seeded Joe Pantaleo of the University of Michigan at 1:14 in the finals. Rob KollWhen asked to recall his feelings at the time of being crowned NCAA champ as a senior, Rob Koll said, "After the match, it was more a relief to finally win … My dad was a presenter in my weight class, and I think I had a feeling of 'I better win this and not embarrass the family.'" Rob does have one negative memory from winning the NCAA title: what he terms a "lack of respect" on the part of the community in Chapel Hill. "There wasn't much coverage nor acknowledgement of me winning a national title … It was very much a basketball school." "During the regular season, we'd call up folks and beg them to come to our dual meets. It was strange to wrestle in front of fewer people in college than I did all through high school." "By contrast, the situation here at Cornell is much different. We're blessed with support from the administration, from the fans, and the media." Coming to Cornell Upon graduation from North Carolina with a degree in communication, Rob Koll worked as an assistant wrestling coach at his college alma mater, and competed internationally, winning the title at the 1989 Pan Am Games, placing fifth at the 1991 World Championships, and serving as an alternate on the 1992 U.S. Olympic team. But he was destined for even bigger things. An April 2007 article at Sports Illustrated's "SI On Campus" Web site opens with how Rob Koll found himself on the coaching staff at Cornell: "One day 18 years ago, Rob Koll came home from working at a wrestling clinic in Chapel Hill, NC, and his wife told him she had accepted a job on his behalf as an assistant wrestling coach at Cornell University. "'The week prior to that we were scraping under our mud mats in our car looking for quarters and nickels, anything to buy a Subway sub. And that's a true story,' he remembers. 'I spoke with the head coach (at that time, Jack Spates, now Oklahoma Sooner head coach) and I said, 'Hey, I don't mean to insult you, but is Cornell even any good?' And he said, 'No, but we are going to be good.'" Big Red success Five years after Rachel Koll had said yes to a job for her husband at Cornell, Rob became head coach of the Big Red … and in thirteen seasons, has built a wrestling powerhouse that is respected far beyond its home in upstate New York. Since Koll took the helm, Cornell can claim three individual NCAA champs … twenty-two Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association individual titles, and one EIWA team title … and eight Ivy League titles. During the nearly two decades that Rob Koll has been at the Ithaca, New York school, the Big Red have placed in the top twenty in the team standings at the NCAAs eight times, finishing as high as fourth at the 2005 NCAAs. That year, Koll was named NWCA Division I Coach of the Year, and also earned WIN-Magazine's Dan Gable Coach of the Year honors. The past few years, Cornell has been well-represented at the NCAAs. In 2007, Rob Koll brought eight men to the Palace at Auburn Hills -- the same number of wrestlers that competed at the 2003, 2004 and 2006 NCAAs. At the most recent NCAAs, four Cornell wrestlers earned All-American honors: Troy Nickerson finished in third place at 125 pounds, Jerry Rinaldi came in sixth at 197, and Jordan Leen (149) and Josh Arnone (184) took eighth in their respective weight classes. Rob Koll (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)That may not be enough for Rob Koll. In the Sports Illustrated article, he's quoted as saying, "People are telling us how great we did for the season (and) I feel like General Custer after the last stand. That's how I feel about the national tournament; we had a great year, but I just got scalped. What good does that do me?" However, under Rob Koll's leadership, Cornell has undergone an amazing transformation. "When I came here, there was just one state champ on the roster," says Coach Koll in an interview for this profile. "We had just one wrestling mat." "The program has grown tremendously. We have a beautiful new facility (the Friedman Wrestling Center, the only stand-alone college wrestling facility in the country)… We have incredible alumni and fan support." Dad would be proud of all that his youngest son has accomplished. Meet Bill Koll Bill Koll was arguably THE superstar of college wrestling in the 1940s. A three-time NCAA champ for Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa), Koll never lost a match in college. In his entire college career, Bill was taken down only once -- during the 1946 NCAA finals by Oklahoma State's Edgar Welch. Bill KollYet Bill Koll wasn't always the rough, tough, seemingly invincible mat star. As a high school sophomore in Fort Dodge, Iowa, he weighed only 78 pounds… and lost every one of his dual-meet matches. The following year, he experienced a tremendous growth spurt -- not only gaining almost 50 pounds, but also a ton of experience in the wrestling room and in actual matches -- and placed third at the state tournament at 125. By his senior year, Bill gained a bit more weight -- and even more strength and experience -- and won the Iowa high school state title at 135 pounds. College, interrupted In a profile for the 1981 book "From Gotch to Gable: A History of Wrestling in Iowa", Bill Koll told author Mike Chapman, "Frankly, I never seriously considered college until my senior year in high school… The only school that showed any interest in me was Iowa State Teachers College and (head coach) Dave McCuskey." Bill KollDuring the 1942-43 season, first-year student Bill Koll soaked up experience in the ISTC wrestling room and in open tournaments. (At the time, NCAA rules prohibited freshmen from competing in regular dual meets). But in February 1943, Bill was inducted into the Army, and "never saw a wrestling mat for 34 months," he's quoted as saying in "From Gotch to Gable". "As a combat engineer, I spent 24 months in Europe, where our unit of amphibious engineers landed at Omaha Beach at 6:15 a.m. on June 6." Bill's son Rob picks up the story: "He was one of the first at the Normandy beach invasion on D-Day … He was among those who had to clear the beach of the dead and wounded before the generals arrived. He only started to talk about all this about the time of the fiftieth anniversary of the invasion." "I think from this experience, he was so able to focus on anything, and develop what he called a 'controlled anger' which he used on his opponents," says the younger Koll. "He taught me to focus that way with escaping from the down position. Emotional control -- quick, explosive, 'fight or flight.' A lot of that came from his Army training. It made him more brutal on the mat." Return to wrestling Bill Koll was discharged from the Army in December 1945, and within three days was back at ISTC. The 1945-46 season had limited dual-meet competition, but Bill qualified for the NCAAs, held that year at Gallagher Hall at Oklahoma State. "Not being in top shape, I did not have one of my top tournaments," the elder Koll is quoted as saying in "From Gotch to Gable". "I was taken down in the finals by an Oklahoma Aggie (Edgar Welch of Oklahoma State) for the only time anyone gained a takedown on me, and even though the match was not a difficult one to win, I certainly was not as precise as when I was in good shape." Koll beat Welch 7-2 to win the 145-pound title at the 1946 NCAAs, and the trophy for the most falls. The following season, Bill Koll continued his winning streak, culminating in a 7-2 victory over Roger Snook of Cornell College of Iowa in the 1947 NCAA finals to win his second title at 145 -- one of three champs from ISTC -- and claim Outstanding Wrestler honors. Bill's senior year, the NCAAs were a qualifying event for the 1948 Olympics, using Olympic rules. Despite being new to this style of wrestling, Koll pinned his way through the tournament, winning the 147.5 lb title, and claiming his second straight Outstanding Wrestler award -- the first wrestler to win that honor more than once. By winning the 1948 NCAA title, Bill Koll earned a place on the U.S. Olympic team -- and a trip to London, where he placed fifth in his weight class. While at ISTC, Bill Koll was surrounded by greatness on the wrestling team. His roommate was Bob Siddens -- long-time wrestling official and legendary Waterloo West (Iowa) High School coach who guided many future NCAA champs, perhaps most notably Dan Gable. Among his ISTC teammates who also became NCAA champs: Cecil Mott, Gerald Leeman (who won the silver medal at the 1948 Olympics), Russell Bush, and Bill Nelson. "Dad thought his teammates could've stood up to any top modern program," according to Rob Koll. Slam time Bill Koll was known for his tough wrestling style. But he was revered -- and feared -- for his body-slamming technique that brought opponents crashing to the mat for the pin. Bob Siddens described the situation in Mike Chapman's 2006 book "Legends of the Mat": "Slamming was allowed in (Bill Koll's) era … I remember clear as a bell this one time Bill slammed a foe to the mat so hard, the fellow was nearly unconscious. Bill shook him when he was on top, so it looked like the guy was trying to escape, and the referee called a pin…" "They changed the slam rule after that," says Siddens. "I would slam 'em down if I could," Bill Koll was quoted in a 1985 Des Moines Register story, "The year I graduated, they took the slam out of wrestling … It was one of my favorite moves, a perfectly legal tactic. It wasn't something that was dubious. It was in our repertoire." "Wing locks, double-bar arms, the body slam … those are some of the things we used that are illegal now. They were kind of painful, and helped make a person submit quicker." The transition to coaching After graduating from Iowa State Teachers College, Bill Koll launched a long and successful career as a college wrestling coach. After brief stints at the University of Chicago and Cornell of Iowa, he came back to his college alma mater, where he was head coach for eleven seasons (1953-64), compiling a 71-42-6 record for a .622 winning percentage. While at ISTC, he coached three NCAA champs … and managed to earn his doctorate in education from Oregon State. "He was the key to the great Iowa Teachers teams of the 1940s and 50s," according to Bill Smith, a two-time NCAA champ for ISTC in 1949 and 1950, and 1952 Olympic gold medalist. "He administered beatings to all of us in the room, no matter what weight we were. He manhandled everybody, and made us all tougher … I probably wouldn't have been an Olympic champion without Bill Koll." Bill KollIn 1965, Bill Koll accepted the head coaching job at Penn State, taking the reins from Charlie Speidel, who had coached the Nittany Lions since 1927. During his fourteen seasons, Bill compiled a 127-22-7 record for a .852 winning percentage -- highest in Penn State history. His teams had five seasons without a dual-meet loss, and racked up a 41-match unbeaten streak at PSU's Rec Hall from 1969 through 1976. What's more, Bill led the Nittany Lions to six Top Ten NCAA finishes, with 20 All-Americans and three individual NCAA champions. "I think about how hard my dad had to work," says Rob Koll. "He was a full-time professor of Health and PE, and the head coach of the wrestling program, with just one assistant." Bill Koll retired from coaching at the end of the 1978 season. In addition to being inducted into both the Iowa and Pennsylvania Wrestling Halls of Fame, Bill Koll is a distinguished member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and the Glen Brand Hall of Fame at the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute & Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. In September 2003, Bill Koll passed away from a stroke at age 80. However, his legacy lives on. In 2007, thanks to the gift of an anonymous donor, the Outstanding Wrestler award at the NCAA Division I tournament was named in Bill Koll's honor … with Derek Moore, 141-pound champ from UC-Davis being first to win the newly-named Koll Award. And, of course, Bill Koll's legacy continues with the lives he touched as a wrestler, coach, and father.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Nikita Koloff, Ted DiBiase, and Steve Williams. Koloff is a former professional wrestler who was the 2006 recipient of the Frank Gotch Award. This award is given to someone who brings prestige and honor to professional wrestling. Known as "The Million Dollar Man", DiBiase is this year's recipient of the Frank Gotch Award. Last year DiBiase's father, Mike, was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Mike wrestled at the University of Nebraska in the late 1940s. Steve Williams was a four-time All-American at the University of Oklahoma from 1979-1982. At the 1982 NCAA tournament Williams reached the finals at heavyweight where he placed second to future two-time Olympic champion Bruce Baumgartner. Known as "Dr. Death", Williams was one of the most colorful figures in college wrestling history. Williams also embarked on a successful professional wrestling career. He will be inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame on July 14 at the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

Columbia, Mo. -- Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.), Missouri's two-time wrestling National Champion and 2007 graduate, was named Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year as announced today by the conference office. Joining Askren is Nebraska volleyball player Sarah Pavan as Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year. Askren becomes the first Tiger to earn conference Athlete of the Year honors since men's basketball player Anthony Peeler was recognized for his work in the Big Eight Conference during the 1991-92 season. "I feel honored to win such a prestigious award," Askren said. "It encompasses so many great athletes in the Big 12 Conference. This is a great culmination to my athletic career at the University of Missouri." Throughout the course of his senior campaign, the 174-pound grappler continuously pushed himself to excel on the mat and in the classroom. Askren claimed six tournament titles including his third Big 12 medal and fourth All-America honor. In addition, Askren was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and Southern Scuffle as well as being awarded the Gorarrian Award for most pins recorded at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Recording a perfect 42-0 mark as a senior, the Tiger captain set a high standard for future Missouri wrestlers. Now atop the record books with 91 career pins, 29 falls in a season (2006-07) and 153 career victories, Askren also recorded the longest Missouri consecutive win streak at 87, dating back to the start of his junior campaign. As a senior, 23 of Askren's 42 matches were decided in the first period by way of fall. Capping off the 2006-07 campaign by earning his second national title, Askren became Missouri's first four-time wrestling All-American. Askren's dominating style on the mat also helped him earn his second Dan Hodge Trophy, wrestling's equivalent to the Heisman, and second Wade Schalles Award for most falls in the season. On June 25, Askren received his first ESPY nomination in the category of Best Male College Athlete. One of four finalists, the winner will be announced Sunday, July 15, at 8 p.m. (CT) on ESPN. "Ben goal was always to dominate in the sport of college wrestling," Missouri wrestling Head Coach Brian Smith said. "For Ben to receive this award over so many other well qualified athletes is a testament to the amazing performance he gave day-in and day-out this past season." Askren, named Missouri's voluntary assistant coach for the upcoming 2007-08 Tiger wrestling season, becomes the first grappler since Iowa State's Cael Sanderson to earn the title of Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year. Sanderson received the award for his performance during the 2001-02 season.

Brute Adidas brings you America's Wrestling Radio Show each and every Saturday and over 600 hours of additional programming through the year. Join us for shows LIVE at Takedownradio.com from 9 AM to 11 AM each Saturday and archived and now Pod cast too. Who's going to Colorado Springs for the decision between Zadick and Gallick? The times, date and place have been set for the Special Wrestle-Off between Nate Gallick and Mike Zadick. These 2 warriors will meet in a best-of-3 series to determine the final spot on the U.S. World Freestyle Team on Aug. 16 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Gallick holds the advantage in previous meetings. The decision to broadcast this event live to the world rests in the hands of USA Wrestling. We're available and would love to bring this to you LIVE as it happens. We'll keep you posted. This week on Takedown Radio we'll talk a little bit of the UFC event to be held later that night and in wrestling. We're joined by: US Air force Academy's- New Head Coach Joel Sharratt joins us to discuss all that's going on in Colorado Springs. His Coaching staff, his recruits and the national movement of a more successful wrestling community. Mary Jo Madvig joins us to promote her new calendar to raise funds and awareness on Cancer research and breast cancer. Jared Platt (Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy) has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for June 19-25. Each week, TheMat.com will select an Athlete of the Week, based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level. The announcement will be made each week on Wednesday. Platt won gold medals in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling this past weekend at the Pan American Junior Championships in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Platt, a Blair Academy standout and Penn State recruit, captured the Greco-Roman title at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. on June 22 and followed two days later by winning the freestyle title at the Pan American Junior Championships. Platt dominated the field in freestyle, including pins over both silver medalist Luis Olivarez of Venezuela and bronze medalist Bharon Saez of Panama. Platt also rolled to the Greco-Roman title, pinning Saez and scoring a 6-0, 4-1 win over Venezuela's Enyerber Rodriguez Tim O'Brien of the now well known Iowa Games joins us to discuss this upcoming event (July 14th)and wrestling throughout the year. Who said it was a winter sport anyway. Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) has been named TheMat.com/TDR Wrestler of the Week for June 12-18. Durlacher turned in one of the strongest performances of the weekend in winning the U.S. World Team Trials title in Greco-Roman wrestling earlier this month in Las Vegas. Durlacher, a 2006 World bronze medalist, made his third straight U.S. World Team at 55 kg/121 lbs. by sweeping two straight matches from 2006 World University champion Spenser Mango in the final-round series at the World Team Trials. He swept Mango 2-0, 2-0 in the first match and followed with a 2-0, 1-1 win in the second match. Durlacher came back strong at the World Team Trials after finishing second at April's U.S. Nationals. Durlacher, 32, a past All-American for the University of Illinois, is part of a veteran and strong U.S. World Team in Greco-Roman that will take aim at the team title at September's World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. The seven-member U.S. World Team includes two World champions, three World bronze medalists and two fifth-place World finishers. Durlacher turned in a superb performance at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China. He went 4-1 in China, dropping only a close 5-3, 3-2 semifinal match to eventual champion Hamid Sourian of Iran. He rebounded from that loss to beat Venelin Venkov of Bulgaria 4-0, 2-0 to earn his first World-level medal. Durlacher's strong performance helped the U.S. to a third-place finish in the team race at the 2006 World Championships. Doug Schwab (Iowa City, Iowa/Gator WC) has been named TheMat.com/TDR Wrestler of the Week for June 5-11. Schwab turned in arguably the best performance of the U.S. World Team Trials by winning the freestyle title at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. on Sunday, June 10 in Las Vegas. Schwab had never placed higher than fifth at the World or Olympic Team Trials. He now qualifies for September's World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Schwab, 29, an assistant coach at the University of Iowa, came into Sunday's Challenge Tournament as the No. 6 seed after placing seventh at April's U.S. Nationals. Schwab started with a win over two-time NCAA champion Teyon Ware before he knocked off No. 3 seed Jared Lawrence, No. 2 seed Zack Esposito and No. 1 seed Jared Frayer to win the Challenge Tournament. Schwab then outlasted U.S. Nationals champion Chris Bono, who had sat out all day after clinching a spot in the finals, in the best-of-3 finals series on Sunday night. Bono beat Schwab 2-1, 3-0 in the first match before Schwab won 2-1, 2-1 in the second match and 0-1, 1-0, 1-1 in the third bout. Schwab, a past NCAA champion for Iowa, trailed 1-0 late in the match with Bono before he scored the winning takedown with 15 seconds left.

Columbia, Mo. -- Missouri wrestling Head Coach Brian Smith has named Lee Pritts and Shawn Charles as assistant coaches while Ben Askren will serve as the Tigers' volunteer assistant for the upcoming 2007-08 campaign. "I lost two very experienced assistant coaches in Bart Horton and Pat McNamara," Smith said. "But, I know that I'm replacing them with three individuals that are as equally talented and up to the challenge of coaching this team to its first National title." Pritts, a former Missouri assistant coach from 1998 through 2004, will fill the roll as assistant in charge of the Tigers' lighter weight classes. A native of Davie, Fla., Pritts left Missouri following the 2003-04 campaign to serve as head assistant at Old Dominion. Over the course of two years, Pritts helped guide the Monarchs to back-to-back Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) runner-up finishes with three individuals, a program tying record last set in 1995, qualifying each year for the NCAA Championships. In addition, Pritts helped build two top-10 recruiting classes. As a college wrestler at Eastern Michigan Pritts made three NCAA appearances, earning All-America honors at 118 pounds in 1996. "Lee is one of the hardest working assistant coaches in the country," Smith said. "It's nice to have him back on staff. He's a very motivated and driven person and that meshes well with the team's desire to win." Familiar with Big 12 wrestling, Charles enters his first year at Missouri with 13 years of coaching experience to his name. Among the schools he has coached at, Charles served four seasons as top assistant at the University of Nebraska from 2001 through 2005. During his time in Lincoln, Neb., the Cornhuskers were ranked as high as third in the nation and finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships twice. Upon leaving Nebraska, Charles served as head coach at Fresno State, coaching the Bulldogs to a third-place finish in the NCAA Western Regional before the program was cut in 2006. Last season, Charles was an assistant coach at Brown University. In college, Charles wrestled for Arizona State, becoming the school's first four-time All-American while competing at 126 pounds. "Shawn has gained a lot of valuable coaching experience over the past few years," Smith said. "His work at Nebraska combined with his head coaching experience at Fresno State and freestyle experience with SunKist Kids will help take this program to the next level." Recent ESPY nominee Askren will enter his first year as a volunteer assistant coach this coming fall. Missouri's first four-time wrestling All-American and two-time National Champion, Askren is the recipient of two Dan Hodge Trophies and Wade Schalles awards. Missouri's record holder for career falls (91) and season falls (29), Askren also owns Missouri's record for most consecutive wins at 87 and career wins at 131. While serving on the Tiger coaching staff, Askren will continue to prepare for his run at the 2008 Olympics. "Ben has a lot of youthful energy," Smith said. "He wants to continue to learn not only on the mat, but how to be a better coach. His experiences, combined with those of Lee and Shawn are sure to make for a winning combination."

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Who will be the kings and queens of the beach in 2007? The 2007 U.S. Beach National Wrestling Championships and World Team Trials will be held on Charlotte Beach in Rochester, N.Y., July 6-8. A new set of Beach Wrestling national champions will be crowned on the shores of Lake Ontario. There will be competition at five age divisions at the U.S. Beach National Championships: Schoolboy/girl, Cadet, Junior, Senior (men and women) and Veterans. In all age groups, weight classes will be determined after weighins, using the blocked weight system. Beach Wrestling was added as a new style of international wrestling, starting in 2005. Athletes compete on sand, in a style that features takedowns within a ring. The sport has been growing in popularity across the nation. The first U.S. Beach Wrestling National Championships were held at the Hilton Singer Island Waterfront Resort in Riviera Beach, Fla., August 19, 2006. The USA Wrestling record books now list the first set of national champions in this new international style of wrestling. On the Senior level in the men's division, there were seven U.S. Beach National champions. These historic first champions were Orlando Lagos of Florida (132), Mike Waldron of Florida (141), J.P. Reece of Florida (168), Ray Downey of New York (183), Steve Forrest of Virginia (188), Craig Salvatore of New Jersey (207), Jeff Zastrow of Wisconsin (231) and Angelo Borzio of Pennsylvania (276). Four Women's Senior champions were also added to the record books: Ingrid Santos of Florida (109), Lila Ristrevska of Florida (127), Clara Curtis of Colorado (138) and Leigh Jaynes of Colorado (148). In addition, on the age-group levels, there were 16 athletes winning historic first U.S. Beach Nationals titles. Who will be the national champions this year? Will anybody be able to win a title two years in a row? The World Team Trials on the Senior level will determine the U.S. team to compete in the Beach Wrestling competition at the World Wrestling Games in Antalya, Turkey, Sept. 7-9. Only the World Team Trials will feature the international weights for Beach Wrestling: Men (Under 85 kg/187.25 lbs. and Over 85 kg/187.25 lbs) and Women (Under 70 kg/154 lbs. and Over 70 kg/154 lbs.). The top three placewinners at each weight class will earn the right to participate at the World Championships. At the first World Beach Wrestling Championships last year, the U.S. entered six athletes, winning three medals. The United States placed second as a team in the men's division and third as a team in the women's division. Ray Downey (Babylon, N.Y./East Meadow WC), won a bronze medal at the Men's Under 85 kg/187.5 lbs. division while Angelo Borzio (Stroudsburg, Pa.) captured the bronze medal at the Men's Over 85 kg/187.5 lbs. In the women's Under 70 kg/154 lbs. weight class, Leigh Jaynes (Colorado Springs, Colo./Prince of Battle) also earned a bronze medal. Three other athletes were on that historic first U.S. Beach World Team: J.T. Taylor (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at Men's Under 85 kg/187.5 lbs., Carlos Dolmo, Bronx, N.Y. (Men's Over 85 kg/187.5 lbs.) and Jeff Zastrow (Whitewater, Wis.) at Men's Over 85 kg/187.5 lbs. Can any of these pioneer athletes make the U.S. Beach World Team for the second straight time? At least one of the Beach World medalists have confirmed that they will be competing in Rochester. Ray Downey will be on the beach in Rochester, N.Y., competing in both the Senior and the Veterans divisions. Carlos Dolmo, who was fifth in the World Championships last year, has pre-registered to compete again this year. There is still time for you to make plans to attend the U.S. Beach National Wrestling Championships and World Team Trials in Rochester, N.Y., July 6-8. Athletes may register on site, but all are encouraged to sign up in advanced in order to receive a discount on their entry fee. All participants can sign up online at the following link: https://www.trackwrestling.com/tw/registration/BasicPreReg1.jsp?tournamentGroupId=175009 All athletes SHOULD pre-register on-line at by 6:00 PM (EST), Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007 or will be subjected to a late fee. Entry fee is $20 if pre-registered by 6:00 PM (EST), Tuesday, July 3rd, or if registering on-site: $25 for Schoolboy/girl, Cadet, and Juniors; $30 for Seniors and Veterans. Please make checks payable to "Titan Wrestling Club." 2006 U.S. Beach Nationals champions Men's Senior champions 132 – Orlando Lagos (Florida); 141 – Mike Waldron (Florida); 168 – J.P. Reece (Florida); 183 – Ray Downey (New York); 188 – Steve Forrest (Virginia); 207 – Craig Salvatore (New Jersey); 231 – Jeff Zastrow (Wisconsin); 276 – Angelo Borzio (Pennsylvania) Women's Senior champions 109 – Ingrid Santos (Florida); 127 – Lila Ristrevska (Florida); 132 – Clara Curtis (Colorado); 148 – Leigh Jaynes (Colorado) Schoolboy champion Kyle Koziec (Florida) Cadet champions 110 – Craig Barker (Florida); 116 – Andy Skaggs (Missouri); 129 –Thrasher Porcher (Florida); 139 – Gunnar Magliolla (Florida); 150 – Jacob Schalles (Florida) Elite champions 121 – Pedro Lopez (Florida); 132 – Christopher Perrodin (Florida); 145 – Jeremy James (Florida); 159 – Dean Hancock (Connecticut); 188 – Chris Renza (Florida); 211 – Nick Chase (Florida); 235 – Justin Chase (Florida) Veterans champions 136 – Stephen Biedrycki (Virginia); 162 – Scott Sodergren (Florida); 223 – Robin Franze (New York) 2006 U.S. Beach World Team Trials results Men's Under 187.5 lbs results 1st – Steve Forrest (Virginia) dec. Dewitt Driscoll (N. Carolina), 2-0; 3rd – Jonathan Taylor (Florida) dec. Ray Downey (New York), 2-0 Men's Over 187.5 lbs. results 1st – Carlos Dolmo (New York) dec. Frank Workman (Virginia), 2-0; 3rd – Angelo Borzio (Pennsylvania) pin Jeff Zastrow (Wisconsin), 1:44 Women's Under 154 lbs. results 1st – Leigh Jaynes (Colorado) dec. Lila Restrevska (Florida), 2-0; 3rd – Ingrid Santos (Florida) dec. Clara Curtis (Colorado), 2-1 2006 U.S. World Beach Wrestling Team Men's Under 85 kg/187.5 lbs. - Ray Downey, Babylon, N.Y. (East Meadow WC), bronze medal Men's Under 85 kg/187.5 lbs. - J.T. Taylor, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., dnp Men's Over 85 kg/187.5 lbs. - Angelo Borzio, Stroudsburg, Pa., bronze medal Men's Over 85 kg/187.5 lbs. - Carlos Dolmo, Bronx, N.Y., 5th place Men's Over 85 kg/187.5 lbs. - Jeff Zastrow, Whitewater, Wis., dnp Women's under 70 kg/154 lbs. - Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Prince of Battle), bronze medal 2006 World Beach Wrestling Champions Men's Under 85 kg/187.5 lbs. - Hakkin Ceylan of Turkey Men's Over 85 kg/187.5 lbs. - Ali Riza Kaya of Turkey Women's Under 70 kg/154 lbs. - Aurorra Fajardo of Spain Women's Over 70 kg/154 lbs. - Dacil Lopez of Spain

Stars from the world of sports and a legendary Hollywood stunt man will be the featured guests at the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum when the facility hosts its biggest event of the year July 13-14. The weekend event is the primary fundraising event for the not-for-profit company, which moved to Waterloo in January after a nine-year run in Newton. All events are open to the public. "We have gone all out to make this a family-oriented, fun weekend," said Mike Chapman, the museum's executive director. "We think anyone who attends any one of the five major events will have a great time meeting some of the legends of pro wrestling, and many others sports figures." The weekend revolves around the inductions into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. The inductions will be held Saturday, July 14, at 11 a.m. at the museum. It is open to the public for the regular general admission prices. "The ceremony lasts about an hour, then fans can mingle and meet the inductees and about a dozen former hall of famers. One of the top attractions will be the appearance of Judo Gene LeBell, a top Hollywood stuntman who is a legend in the world of mixed martial arts, and was a pro wrestling star in the 1950s and �60s. He received the museum's Frank Gotch Award in 2005 and has come back ever since. "It's one of the highlights of my year to be involved with the Gable Museum," said LeBell. "I am really looking forward to seeing the new facility in Waterloo." "Gene has met most of the big names in Hollywood history," said Chapman. "He was with Georges Reeves, the Iowan who played Superman on television in the 1950s, the night George was shot to death in his Hollywood home." LeBell will have his biography for sale at the museum, as will Handsome Harley Race, one of the biggest pro stars of the past half-century. In addition, visitors can see a 40-mintue tribute to legendary wrestler Lou Thesz, and the ESPN Sports Century show on Dan Gable. Other events include a celebrity golf tournament and a pro wrestling show at Young Arena, both on Friday, and the Inductions Banquet Saturday night at the Five Sullivan Brothers Center. Banquet tickets, pro wrestling show tickets, and golfer tickets are available for purchase on the museum website at www.wrestlingmuseum.org or by calling the museum at 319-233-0745. "We have been looking forward to this event for two years, since we attended the golf tournament in Newton," said Gary Wheat, director of the Waterloo Convention and Visitors Bureau. "This weekend promises to be a great showcase event for Waterloo and the entire Cedar Valley. We are very excited about it." The five big events of the July 13-14 weekend are: 1. Celebrity Golf Tournament, Noon Friday, July 13, at Gates Park -- The public is invited to play with some greats from the world of sports, including Don Perkins, ex-running back with Dallas Cowboys; Rick Folkers, eight years in the major leagues; Dan Gable, Olympic wrestling champion and coach of 15 NCAA team champions at Iowa; Other celebrities include Johnny Orr, legendary ISU basketball coach; Sherwyn Thorson, Canadian Football hall of fame and NCAA wrestling champion at Iowa; Mike Reilly, former Iowa All-American football player and pro star with the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings; Olympic wrestlers Tom Peckham and Chuck Yagla; NCAA champions Mark Ironside and Les Anderson; and pro wrestling legends Baron Von Raschke, Nikita Koloff, Dan Hodge and many more! To sign up, call Skip Horton at 319-291-4485. The deadline is Thursday, July 12, at noon. 2. Pro Wrestling matches 7 pm Friday, July 13, at Young Arena -- Come see rising stars like Trevor Murdoch of the WWE, and former stars like Steve "Dr. Death" Williams. A great card... PLUS at ringside will be hall of fame wrestlers Dan Hodge, Baron Von Raschke, Mad Dog Vachon, Larry "The Axe" Hennig, Tom Drake, Red Bastien, Ted DiBiase (the Million Dollar Man) and the great Judo Gene Lebell, legendary wrestler, Hollywood stunt man and author! For tickets, call the Wrestling Museum at 319-233-0745. 3. Inductions Ceremony at 11 am Saturday, July 14, at Gable Museum -- Experience the inductions into the pro wrestling hall of fame at the museum. Red Bastien, Steve "Dr. Death" Williams, the family of Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig and Ted DiBiase, "The Million Dollar Man," will be present. Afterwards, they will greet the public. Also, several book authors - including Judo Gene LeBell, Harley Race, and Mike Chapman - will have their books for sale and will be signing them. 4. Inductions Banquet, 7 pm Saturday, July 14, at 5 Sullivan Brothers Center -- Banquet for 2007 Hall of Fame. Present will be Red Bastien, Steve "Dr. Death" Williams and Ted DiBiase, "The Million Dollar Man." Also present will be the family of Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig and a dozen former hall of fame inductees, including Judo Gene LeBell and Dan Hodge. Tickets are $65 and MUST be ordered by 5 pm Tuesday, July 10, by calling the museum at 319-233-0745. 5. Silent auction during the golf tournament at Gates -- One-of-a-kind items available, including: a football signed by Bobby Stoops of the University of Oklahoma; a football signed by former Super Bowl quarterback Brad Johnson; a poster of Don Perkins during his career with the Dallas Cowboys; a baseball signed by Waterloo sports stars Rich Folkers, Don Perkins and Dan Gable; a DVD "Tarzan the Apeman" signed by Denny Miller, who played basketball for John Wooden at UCLA before becoming Tarzan in 1959; a signed poster of Billy Mills, 10,000-meter Olympic champion who was the focus of the movie, "Running Brave," signed Chuck Norris autobiography, signed John Irving autobiography and more fascinating items! All proceeds go to the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum.

DURHAM, N.C. -- 15 ACC wrestlers were named to the 2007 All-ACC Academic Wrestling Team, announced Friday by Commissioner John D. Swofford. Six Blue Devils made the squad, which led all ACC schools. ACC Champion N.C. State was next, tallying four spots on the chart. All six league schools competing in wrestling were represented on the team. To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career. Duke's senior Dan Shvartsman and redshirt freshman John Barone are two of three third-place ACC Championship finishers named to the academic team. Shvartsman was a third-place finisher at 149 pounds, which Barone took home third place at 174 pounds. Also making the team for the Blue Devils were redshirt sophomore Aaron Glover, redshirt junior Patrick Keenum, junior Kellan McKeon and sophomore Wade Van Sickle.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -– The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling program will once again welcome one of the nation's top recruiting classes as the 2007-08 academic year nears its start. Eleven new grapplers will join Penn State for the upcoming season thanks to the efforts of head coach Troy Sunderland and assistants Matt Dernlan, Dave Hart and John Hughes. "I'm extremely proud of this group of newcomers," Sunderland said. "These young men have proven themselves at every level they've competed at and I'm excited to see them wear the Blue and White. We have national and state champions, All-Americans and international champs. Each of these athletes brings something very special to the mat and I'm honored that they have chosen to continue their academic and athletic careers at Penn State." The class begins with, alphabetically, Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.). The Mifflinburg High School graduate projects at 157 or 165. He is a two time state qualifier and was PIAA runner-up. He also went on to place third at high school nationals. Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) is a three-time state champion and claimed the high school national championship. The Nazareth High School star projects at 157. Darling took the PIAA bronze as a freshman before claiming his three state titles. Shane Everett (Saylorsburg, Pa.) joins the Nittany Lions as a PIAA state qualifier and projects at 149 for Penn State. The Saylorsburg native is a Pleasant Valley High School graduate. Matt Jacobs (Phoenix, Md.) will be entering his freshman campaign at Penn State and projects at 141 for the Nittany Lions. The Maryland native is a Dulaney High School graduate and won the 145 state title this season. Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) will be a sophomore this season and is transferring in from Navy, where he went 4-4 last year as a freshman at 133. Lynch is a three-time PIAA state qualifier and placed as high as third. Chad Mitchell (Lilburn, Ga.) comes to Penn State as a Georgia State Champion and projects at 125 or 133 for the Nittany Lions. A three-time placer in Georgia for Parkview High School, Mitchell is a two-time Cadet National All-American. Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) comes to Penn State as a three-time New Jersey State Champion. Projecting at 141 for Penn State, the Southern Regional High School graduate placed second at High School Nationals. Desmond Moore (Easton, Pa.) is an Easton High School graduate who projects at 125 for the Nittany Lions. Moore capped off a superb high school career by placing third at the PIAA Championships this past year. Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.) comes to Penn State after an outstanding career at Ridgway High School. Pisani, who could wrestle at 141 or 149 early on for Penn State, placed second and fourth at the state championships during his time at Ridgway. Jared Platt (Blairstown, N.J.), who recently won two Junior Pan Am gold medals while claiming Pan Am Outstanding Wrestler laurels, comes to Penn State at a 197-pounder. Platt is a two-time Prep National Champion and junior national runner-up. He also placed as high as third at high school nationals. Platt is a Blair Academy graduate. Cameron Wade (Chanel, Ohio) was a two-time Ohio State Champion at heavyweight for St. Peter Chanel High School. A three-time state finalist, he was a junior national runner-up, a cadet national runner-up and placed fourth at high school nationals. "None of what we achieve here at Penn State would be possible without the tireless work of our outstanding assistant coaches," Sunderland said. "Matt, Dave and John have once again worked extremely hard to put together one of the nation's top recruiting classes. Their dedication and commitment to keeping Penn State at the top of the national wrestling scene shines through in every thing we do." Penn State's 2007-08 season begins in November with the annual wrestle-offs on Sunday, Nov. 4, at 1 p.m. Dual match action begins with a home date against Maryland on Sunday, Nov. 11, also at 1 p.m.

GREENSBORO, N.C. –- North Carolina All-America Evan Sola headlines the 2007 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Wrestling Team, announced Friday by Commissioner John D. Swofford. All six league schools competing in wrestling were represented on the team, but Sola is the lone 2006-07 All-ACC wrestler honored. To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career. The Duke Blue Devils led all schools with six honorees on this year's team, while ACC champions NC State tallied four spots on the chart and Maryland placed two student-athletes on the academic squad. Two-time All-America and three-time ACC champion Evan Sola finished his final campaign with a 15-5 record and is tied for fourth all-time at UNC with 117 wins. The Wernersville, Pa., native and 133-pound wrestler is also ninth in Tar Heel program history with 27 pins to his name.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell wrestling will add 10 grapplers to its roster this season to make up the class of 2011 it was announced today by Rob Koll, The David Dunlop '59 Head Coach of Wrestling. "I am ecstatic about this year's recruiting class," Koll said "We signed 10 wrestlers representing all but one of the 10 weight classes. This class is comprised of wrestlers who have won 21 state championships respectively. The class assures us of four more years of Big Red wrestling success." At 125 pounds, Frank Perrelli (Delbarton, N.J.) joins the Big Red. Perrelli is a three-time region and district champion from Delbarton School. With a 142-20 career record, he was the New Jersey state champion in 2006 while placing third in 2005, and fifth in 2007. Perrelli placed fourth at the National High School Coaches Association senior nationals in 2007 and took fifth in 2006. Mike Grey (Delbarton, NJ) will wrestle in the 133 pound weight class. With a career record of 157-2 at Delbarton School, Grey is the first four-time New Jersey state champion. At 125 pounds, Grey recorded 120 wins by fall. He is a junior national freestyle champion and a NHSCA champ. At 141 pounds, Eric McGill (Munster, Ind.) will look to work his way into the Big Red lineup. McGill is a two-time state champion from Munster HS, winning at 125 pounds in 2006 and taking the title at 140 pounds in 2007. He was named first-team academic all-state in 2007. McGill was a cadet freestyle All-American in 2005 at 119 pounds. Three-time New Hampshire state champion, DJ Meagher (Bow, N.H.) will compete at 149 pounds. The two-time New Hampshire outstanding wrestler from Bow HS, is a two-time New England champion and was named New England's outstanding wrestler his senior year. With an overall record of 164-9, Meagher was the captain of his team his junior and senior years. He placed sixth at the NHSCA senior nationals earning him All-American status. Meagher was the New Hampshire recipient of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award. The award is presented annually to a high school senior based equally on outstanding wrestling success, scholastic achievement and citizenship or community service. Meagher also captained his lacrosse team his senior year and was named first-team all-state. At 174 pounds, Colin McDonald (Waverly, N.Y.) will wrestle for the Big Red. With a career record of 195-30, he is a two-time New York state champion and a state runner-up. McDonald also lettered in baseball at Waverly HS. Indiana state runner-up Travis Dale (West Point, Ind.) looks to make the lineup for the Big Red at 184 pounds. At McCutcheon HS, Dale also lettered in football. Jason Winckle (Bonne Terre, Mo.) will also join Cornell at 184 pounds. The three-time state qualifier from North County HS took third his senior year after winning the championship at 171 pounds his junior year. Winckle had a record of 138-10 during his high school career. At 197 pounds, Cameron Simaz (Fennville, Mich.) will wrestle for the Big Red. The three-time Division II Michigan state champion at Allegan HS is a Fila cadet All-American with a 237-6 career record. Simaz was also a two-year starter in football as a quarterback and linebacker and was named all-conference his senior year. He was a two-year starter in baseball as a pitcher and second baseman. Maciej Jochym (Williston Park, N.Y.) joins the Big Reds heavyweight ranks. Jochym was the New York state champion at 215 pounds from Hericks HS in 2007 after placing second at 189 pounds in 2006. He took sixth at senior nationals and has a 141-13 career record. After deferring enrollment last year to train at the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Mack Lewnes (Mt. St. Joes, Md.) joins this year's recruiting class at 165 pounds. With a career record of 187-13, Lewnes is a four-time Maryland state champion from Mt. St. Joes Prep. He is also a two-time National Prep Champion and two-time runner-up. The Big Red claimed its fifth straight Ivy League title last season going a perfect 5-0 against conference opponents for the fifth consecutive season. Cornell had eight All-Ivy selections, including four first-teamers. In his 15th season, the Big Red will once again be led by Rob Koll, who has amassed a 163-62-4 overall record during his tenure leading Cornell to eight Ivy League titles.

LEXINGTON, Va. -- Head coach John Trudgeon and the VMI wrestling program have announced their 2007-08 schedule, one that includes annual trips to some of the most prestigious tournaments on the East Coast, along with five dual meets to be hosted at The Thunderdome, on post at VMI. In all, the Keydets are slated for seven tournaments and 15 dual meets in the upcoming season, capped off with the Southern Conference Championships, being held in Chattanooga, Tenn. on March 8, 2008. The schedule also includes duals with three members of the ACC, along with four showdowns with in-state rivals. Coach Trudgeon's troops open up the season at a quad-meet in Charlottesville, where the Keydets face off with Virginia, Wagner and Anderson on Saturday, Nov. 3. A trip to the Pembroke Classic in Pembroke, N.C. awaits the team the following weekend, as the team makes the trip south on the following Saturday, Nov. 10. A pair of tournaments in Pennsylvania follow, as Penn hosts the Keystone Classic on Nov. 18 in Philadelphia, followed by the Nittany Lion Open hosted by Penn State on Dec. 2. The team's home debut comes on evening of Friday, Dec. 7, as Gardner-Webb comes to town for a 7:30 p.m. start at The Thunderdome. That marks the final competition before winter break for the team, though they will make their annual trip to the Southern Scuffle during the furlough, with the team heading to Greensboro, N.C. on Dec. 29-30. The new year dawns with the Virginia State Championships, being held on Saturday, Jan. 5, though the location has yet to be announced. The Keydets then begin the heart of their dual season, heading north for a tri-meet at George Mason in Fairfax, Va. that will also feature Campbell on Saturday, Jan. 12. The Southern Conference slate begins on Wednesday, Jan. 16, as the Keydets tangle with UNC Greensboro on the road before hosting Davidson on Friday, Jan. 25. The team then steps out of the Conference to renew a tradition, however with a twist. For the first time in three years, the Keydets will participate in the "Rumble on the River", a wrestling showcase at St. Christopher's School in Richmond. However, the opponent will not be Virginia as in years past, but instead will include a tri-meet with The Citadel and Virginia Tech in an event slated for Sunday, Jan. 27. A trip to West Point, N.Y. for the All-Academy Championships is set for Saturday, Feb. 2, as eight military schools do battle for in the 14th annual event. Back-to-back home duals will see the Keydets host SoCon foe Chattanooga on Friday, Feb. 8, while a visit from Delaware State on Wednesday, Feb. 13 marks the first-ever meeting between the programs. A swing through North Carolina the following weekend will have the Keydets face off with Duke on Saturday, Feb. 16 in Durham, while wrapping up the SoCon season against Appalachian State on Feb. 17 in Boone. A showdown with Liberty at The Thunderdome caps off the regular season on Friday, Feb. 22, before heading to Chattanooga for the SoCon Championships on Mar. 8, slated to take place at the McKenzie Arena. The Keydets will be looking to send competitors to the NCAA Championships for the second straight season, as this year's event will be held in St. Louis, Mo. on Mar. 20-22.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -– Two of Penn State's finest young wrestlers, one a true sophomore and one an incoming true freshman, helped lead the United States to a team gold and a team silver medal at the 2007 Pan American Junior Championships. Sophomore Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) and incoming true freshman Jared Platt (Blairstown, N.J.) both came away with titles at the event in Maracaibo, Venezuela Platt claimed two gold medals in the tournament and was named tournament Outstanding Wrestlers. The Blairsville native and graduate of the Blairsville Academy first one a gold medal in Greco-Roman at 96 kg (211.5 lbs.). His performance helped lead Team USA to a second place finish and the silver medal. The soon-to-be Nittany Lion true freshman then won the freestyle gold at 96 kg (211.5 lbs.). He went a combined 6-0 at the championships with three pins. Rella claimed silver in Greco at 74 kg (163 lbs.) and then won the freestyle gold medal at 74 kg (163 lbs.). Rella, who went 21-13 at 165 last year for Penn State as a true freshman, combined to go 5-1 at the tournament. He teamed with Platt to lead Team USA to the freestyle gold medal.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Incoming Buckeye freshman wrestler and U.S. representative Nikko Triggas won a gold and bronze medal Saturday and Sunday at the 2007 Pan American Juniors Championship in Maracaibo, Venezuela. A native of Moraga, Calif., Triggas was crowned champion at 55kg/121 pounds in the Greco-Roman competition before winning the bronze medal at 60kg/132 pounds in the freestyle contest. Triggas and the U.S. men's freestyle team won gold, while the Greco-Roman squad was a silver medalist. In the Greco-Roman competition, Triggas won his first match against Freddy Pylco of Ecuador, 6-1, 6-1. He followed that performance with 3-0, Fall, and 3-2, Fall, victories over Jose Guevara of Venezuela and Mandiez Hidalgo of Cuba, respectively. Triggas' opening freestyle match against Luis Portillo of El Salvador resulted in a 6-0, 2-7, Fall, loss, but he rebounded with a 10-2, 6-1, win against Moises Soto of Panama.

More than a decade after his murder, Dave Schultz remains one of the most respected and beloved figures in amateur wrestling. Respected for his considerable accomplishments on the mat -- 1977 California high school state champ, 1982 NCAA champion at 167 pounds from the University of Oklahoma, 1984 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle at 74 kg/163 lbs, and ten-time Senior Nationals champ -- are just some of the biggest highlights in a career of highlights. Just as important, however, Dave Schultz was beloved for his generous spirit and ease in forming warm, lasting friendships with wrestlers and fans around the world. Alexander and Dave SchultzDave Schultz was very much a family man. He left behind a wife of fourteen years, Nancy, a daughter Danielle, and son Alexander, named for the legendary Russian wrestling champion Alexander Medved. Alexander Schultz turned 21 this past spring. He describes himself as being "built just like my dad" … and his father's easygoing spirit comes through in conversation. Yet the son of Dave Schultz is very much his own man as he charts his own course in life. Sporting interests It might be a surprise to amateur wrestling fans that Alexander Schultz describes his involvement in amateur wrestling to be "minimal." "I wrestled some in middle school," says Alexander. "There was some pressure because of who I am, to be in wrestling, and some of it was self-imposed … No pressure ever from my dad." So what is the main sport of the only son of one of the greatest amateur wrestlers of the late 20th century? Basketball. Alexander says that, in high school, his home was the center of activity in the neighborhood. "Friends would hang out at my house, play basketball, eat, play more basketball … We'd play for four or five hours at a time." Wrestling fans, all is not lost. "I love wrestling," says Alexander. "The sad thing is, basketball and wrestling are in the same season. If they were in different seasons, I'd do both." Alexander Schultz is finding a way to channel his love of wrestling into a new activity: mixed-martial arts training, which he describes as being "real fun." Mixed martial arts would not be unprecedented for Alexander Schultz. His uncle Mark, like Dave an NCAA champion wrestler and 1984 Olympic gold medallist in freestyle, became one of the early superstars in MMA competition. And, after his father's death, Alexander spent considerable time with Kevin Jackson and Dan Henderson, both amateur wrestling greats involved in MMA. "To be successful in mixed martial arts, you have to be good at so many things -– grappling, kickboxing, ground wrestling," according to Alexander. "The art of jiu jitsu -- a form of submission wrestling -- is also critically important." "It's all a chess game, deciding when to use what technique during a match…. It's very much a mental as well as physical game." Life with father at Foxcatcher Alexander Schultz spent most of his formative years at the Foxcatcher compound outside Philadelphia, where his father was coach of Team Foxcatcher at the time of his murder in January 1996 by John du Pont, multimillionaire owner of the facility. Alexander and Dave Schultz"Foxcatcher was family," recalls Alexander. "I grew up having so many 'uncles', many of them great wrestlers of that era." Among the "uncles": Dave Lee, Dan Chaid, Melvin Douglas, Dan Henderson, Kevin Jackson, Kenny Monday, Kendall Cross, Brian Dolph, and Heath Sims. The younger Schultz describes what sounds like a carefree, fun-filled life. "My dad was a great friend, while my mom played the role of the enforcer." "Mom would tuck me into bed, then dad would come up a bit later and we'd go play Super Mario downstairs," muses the 21-year-old Schultz. "He'd also make up great bedtime stories." "When it snowed, dad built a mound next to the house and we'd jump off the roof into the snowpile." "He'd also tie our sleds to the back of the Toyota Tercel and tow us through the snow, to the woods to go sledding." "He also took us hunting on the Foxcatcher estate. We ate what we killed; I ate a lot of groundhog stew," says Alexander. Even though Alexander refers to his mom as being 'the enforcer' of the family compared to his dad, he also describes growing up in a household with plenty of love … and a seemingly relaxed lifestyle. He recalls one specific incident with fondness: "When I was little, I wanted to stay up. I was not going to go to bed. Neither of my folks were the kind to spank us, but there was one time when dad tried to spank me, but he just couldn't. I remember we just laughed about it." The son's warm memories of his father aren't limited to the estate. "He'd come to our elementary school for just about any reason… He'd come to have lunch with us, played soccer with us. I remember more than once he bought all the kids ice cream." "Foxcatcher would be the perfect place to grow up." Remembering January 26, 1996 Alexander Schultz was incredibly open in discussing his father's murder … and the man who committed the crime, John du Pont. "du Pont was almost comic relief," says Alexander. "He said and did strange things, like driving his Lincoln into the pond, and not just once … He went fox hunting in his tank." "Dad and I try to see good in everyone … He didn't see anyone differently. Whether you were a world champion or a janitor, he treated everyone the same, with kindness and respect. That includes du Pont." Immediately before discussing the actual murder for this profile, Alexander Schultz said, "Everyone who was at Foxcatcher has a tough time grasping the reality of it all … du Pont did crazy things but generally didn't hurt people. Though he did some things that were dangerous. One time when he drove the Lincoln into the pond, someone else was in the car with him … He also once pulled a gun on (Team Foxcatcher wrestler) Dan Chaid." The younger Schultz recalls that January day with incredible clarity, especially considering he was only nine years old at the time. "We [Alexander and his then six-year-old sister Danielle] were called out of class about 2:40. We went to the office along with (two-time Olympic medallist wrestler from Bulgaria, Valentin) Jordanov's kids Yoni and Irena, and Will & Laura Shorts' four daughters." Danielle, Nancy, and Alexander Schultz"We were driven to Don and Toni Lyons' house. (The Lyons were not in wrestling, but were family friends.) We drove right past our house, and could see the police and the media in front …" "When we asked what was going on, we were told something like 'du Pont had one of his episodes.'" "While at the Lyons' house, we couldn't watch TV." "Mom came about 5, took us up to a bedroom, then told us. I immediately ran downstairs to tell my friends." "I stayed downstairs crying for a long time." Alexander continues: "We stayed inside for a couple days, staying in the same bedroom (where mom told us the news) that night." "I tried to stay strong during the funeral." A few months after the murder, the funeral and the memorial service, NBC ran a tribute to Dave Schultz during its wrestling coverage of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The segment, lasting nearly seven minutes, was narrated by then Today show host Katie Couric, but Dave's friends and family did most of the talking. Nine-year-old Alexander was featured at least once during the segment. Early in the piece, he was shown holding his father's 1984 Olympic gold medal around his neck, saying. "If I won a baseball game, he'd rather talk about that than the Olympics." Towards the end of the NBC tribute broadcast during the 1996 Olympics, Nancy Schultz said, "Alexander told me that he missed his dad a lot … but then said, 'Aren't we lucky he was our dad?'" Alexander Schultz today When not playing basketball with his friends, Alexander is taking classes at a community college in Arizona, with the hope of eventually continuing his education at the University of Arizona. He also plans to continue his involvement in mixed-martial arts, hoping to train with Dan "Hollywood" Henderson. And, he's serving as an executive producer of a friend's music CD about to be recorded in the San Francisco Bay area. Alexander Schultz with Dan HendersonHe still keeps in touch with many of his "uncles" -- the great wrestlers who were friends of his father more than a decade ago. His late father's memory still lives on, strong as ever. "I can't go anywhere without hearing from someone who knew my dad," Alexander says. "I wouldn't be who I am now without him."

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –- The times, date and place have been set for the Special Wrestle-Off between Nate Gallick and Mike Zadick. Gallick and Zadick will meet in a best-of-3 series to determine the final spot on the U.S. World Freestyle Team on Aug. 16 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Gallick beat Zadick in the finals of April's U.S. Nationals at 60 kg/132 lbs., but suffered a foot injury and was unable to wrestle in the U.S. World Team Trials earlier this month. Gallick (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) requested and received permission to take part in the Special Wrestle-Off at a later date because of his injury. He was permitted to do so by virtue of winning U.S. Nationals and having already clinched a berth in the finals of the U.S. World Team Trials. Weigh-ins for the Gallick-Zadick series are scheduled for 3-3:30 p.m. on Aug. 15. The first match of the series is set for 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 16 with the second match to follow at 1:30 p.m. A third match, if necessary, is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. The event is open to the public and admission is free. The winner of the Special Wrestle-Off will qualify for the World Championships on Sept. 17-23 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Zadick, a 2006 World silver medalist, won the U.S. World Team Trials on June 9 in Las Vegas to earn another shot at Gallick. Zadick, an assistant coach at Iowa, will compete along with the other six U.S. World Team members in freestyle at the Pan American Games late next month in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Gallick, a past World University champion, has won the last three meetings against Zadick (Solon, Iowa/Gator WC). Gallick was an NCAA champion for Iowa State and Zadick was an NCAA All-American for Iowa. Gallick, recently hired as an assistant coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga, is trying to make his first World Team on the Senior level. The Special Wrestle-Off will take place during the U.S. World Team freestyle camp, which is scheduled from Aug. 5-18 in Colorado Springs.