InterMat Staff

University of Northern Iowa wrestling head coach Brad Penrith announced the signing of Christian Brantley (Homewood, Ill./Mt. Carmel HS) to a National Letter-of-Intent to wrestle for the Panthers in 2007-08. Brantley captured the Illinois state title in the 215-pound weight class as a senior. Brantley tallied a 40-2 mark and notched a 172 takedowns in 2006-07. Brantley is ranked No. 5 by the Amateur Wrestling News, No. 9 by W.I.N. Magazine and No. 13 by InterMat in the 215-pound national rankings. Brantley is a two-time all-American and a three-time state placewinner. He is also a freshman-sophomore state champion in Illinois. He earned state titles in freestyle and Greco-Roman. Brantley placed first at the Northern Plains tournament as well. He served as team captain and was a member of the National Honor Society. Brantley joins Pat Mahan (Owatonna, Minn.) in the Panthers' 2007 recruiting class.

Columbia, Mo. -- W.I.N. Magazine announced today that Missouri wrestling Head Coach Brian Smith was named the Dan Gable Coach of the Year, while recent graduate Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) was tabbed the Schalles Award Winner as the most dominant pinner in the country. Taking his Tigers to a third place finish at the 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Auburn Hills, Mich., Smith has helped guide seven Missouri wrestlers to 14 All-America honors since beginning his career at Missouri in 1998. This season, Askren, Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) and Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) all finished among the top eight of their respective weight class, with Askren earning his second national title at 174 pounds. In addition, three grapplers, Askren, Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) and Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) earned Big 12 titles in their respective weight class helping Missouri tie its previous high team finish in Big 12 history, second. Missouri's third place finish at nationals was the program's highest in the 62 years history of the Tiger wrestling program. Askren, who set a new Missouri season falls record at 29 this season, also set the new Missouri career falls record at 91. Dominating his opponents throughout his senior campaign, Askren pinned 23 of his 42 opponents within the first period of competition. Along the way, Askren was named tournament champion at four tournaments, Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and Southern Scuffle and Gorarrian Award recipient at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Askren is a two-time Dan Hodge Award winner, four-time All-American and three-time Big 12 Champion.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State's wrestling team had three athletes named to the NWCA All-Academic Team as the Cowboy squad ranked 25th nationally with a 2.82 team grade point average. All-Americans Brandon Mason and Nathan Morgan were both named to the All-Academic team along with NCAA qualifier Newly McSpadden. Mason finished fifth at the NCAA Championships despite entering the tournament unseeded. The sophomore from Council Bluffs, Iowa earned his second honor as he compiled a 3.60 GPA in biology with a pre-med option. Morgan took fourth-place at the NCAA Championships, while maintaining a 3.34 GPA in civil engineering. It is the second honor for the junior from Bakersfield, Calif. Newly McSpadden earned his first NWCA Academic honor after qualifying for the NCAA Championships and maintaining a 3.60 GPA in sociology. The sophomore from Vinita, Okla. has twice been honored as an Arthur Ashe Scholar Athlete. The Cowboy wrestling program has excelled on the mat and in the classroom under current head coach John Smith. Oklahoma State has finished among the top 30 academic programs in six of the last seven years, winning four NCAA team titles in that span.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Nine members of the NCAA Division III national champion Augsburg College wrestling team will be training and competing with some of the top amateur wrestlers in the country at the FILA Junior World Team Trials, to be held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., from Sunday to next Saturday (5/20-26). Five All-Americans and two national champions will be among the nine Augsburg individuals competing at the meet. National champions Quincy Osborn (Jr., Grand Rapids, Minn., 141 pounds) and Jeremy Anderson (Jr., Thief River Falls, Minn., 157 pounds) will compete, along with national runner-up Seth Flodeen (So., Cannon Falls, Minn., 125 pounds), fifth-place finisher Robbie Gotreau (Jr., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS, 174 pounds) and eighth-place finisher Wally O'Connor (Jr., Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS, 197 pounds). Other Auggies competing will be Paul Bjorkstrand (So., Burnsville, Minn., 125 pounds), Jason Adams (Fr., Coon Rapids, Minn., 141 pounds), Matt Curtis (Fr., Coon Rapids, Minn., 165 pounds) and Jake Grygelko (So., Loretto, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS, 165 pounds). Sam Barber, who was named the new head coach of the Augsburg wrestling team in March, will accompany the Augsburg contingent to Colorado Springs for the week of action and training. "This experience will allow our athletes to see first-hand how Olympic hopefuls live and train," Barber said. "It is also an awesome opportunity to be coached by the national coaching staff, and to wrestle with and compete against the very best wrestlers in the entire United States." Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling practice will begin on Monday and run through Wednesday. Competition in both classes will take place on Friday and Saturday. Winners in each of the eight FILA weight classes (four in Freestyle, four in Greco-Roman) will advance to the FILA Junior World Championships Aug. 21-26 in Beijing, China. Champions from April's FILA Junior Nationals in Las Vegas, Nev., earn automatic berths into the best-of-three finals in each weight class, and will face the champions from the Friday-Saturday tournament.

This week on TDR is a big week on TDR. We get ready for some road work at the Hall of Fame, then its off to Vegas for the World Team Trial Broadcasts. A big thank you to all of our guests, our listeners and our sponsors. You all make this very worthwhile! Please take time to join us either Live or in our archived section on Takedownradio.com. Our program is now available through Podcasting. We are America's Wrestling Radio Program. This week we welcome the President of the New York Metropolitan Wrestling Club- John Welch Oklahoma's Asst. head Robbie Waller will join us to discuss the upcoming camp season, recruiting in the modern era and what its like working for a legend, Jack Spates The Asst. Head Coach of the Citadel, Jeff Ragan, will join us to discuss the season of improving and the season of camps. who will be guest clinicians this year. Greg Strobel will join us to discuss the Mountain Hawks recent acquisitions in recruiting and the new camps coming this summer. Make plans to attend. For our nutrition segment, Joyce Hoppes, Consumer information director of the Iowa Pork Producers Association will join us to discuss nutrition and grilling with lean meats. Asst. Head Coach at U of Iowa under Tom Brands, Wes Hand, will join us for his once every several years appearance on the program. We'll take a look at the improving Hawks, recent signings, the V-tech kids-er now Hawks. Please take time to join us either Live or in our archived section on Takedownradio.com. Our program is now available through Podcasting. We are America's Wrestling Radio Program. We will be broadcasting the Inductions into the Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma Live! We'll start with a special Thursday May 31st program Thursday May 31st- 6- 9 PM Oklahoma State Cowboy Head Coach John Smith and his Coaching staff go one-on-one with Scott Casber on Takedownradio.com LIVE from Freddy Paul's Steak House. We'll also talk with Hall of Fame Director LeRoy Smith and Board Member Stan Zeamer. Many don't know it but Stan donates office space to the NWCA. he is also partly responsible for the state chapter movement around the country. A visionary and a mover and shaker. Friday June 1st- 6-9 PM live from the Wrestling Hall of Fame- Scheduled Guests include, New Inductees, Honorees, Recent Inductee's, Members of the Board of Directors etc. Saturday June 2nd- LIVE from the Ball Room at the OSU Student Union 9 AM to 11 AM we will broadcast our regular program special guests include our inductees and other VIP's including Jim Keen 6:30 PM LIVE from the Ball Room at the OSU Student Union First time ever you'll get to hear the inductions around the world at Takedownradio.com during our evening spectacular. We'll start with some brief opening remarks and then send the broadcast to the podium where Sandy Stevens will provide the reading of the bios of our Inductees and then we'll be able to hear the responses from our inductees as well. Full schedule is below: 8:10 p.m. Sandy Stevens will ask the first honoree to come up with their presenter and stand center stage while he reads the honorees bio: DSHSE- Zach Sanders, Presenters are Ron Sanders and Spencer Yohe, President of the Minnesota State Chapter of the NWHOF 8:16 p.m. Second Honoree, Official-Mike Allen, Presenters are Denise Allen and Vince Zuaro, Distinguished Member of the NWHOF and founder of this award 8:24 p.m. Third Honoree, Order of Merit-Mike Chapman, Presenters is Danny Hodge, Distinguished Member of the NWHOF&M, and Board of Governor member Stan Zeamer 8:32 p.m. Fourth Honoree, Medal of Courage-Joe Russell, Presenters are Brandon Paulson and Board of Governor member Alan Rice 8:40 p.m. Fifth Honoree, Outstanding American-Ret. General Ronald Fogleman, Presenters are Wayne Baughman Distinguished Member of the NWHOF and James Ravannack, Board of Governor member and President of USA Wrestling. (Following his acceptance speech request that the honoree remain at the podium for the presentation of his induction ring by his wife Jane) 8:48 p.m. Sixth Honoree, Outstanding American- Michael Novogratzr, Presenters are Robert Novogratz (father) and Distinguished Member of the NWHOF Alan Rice. (Following his acceptance speech request that the honoree remain at the podium for the presentation of his induction ring by his wife, Sukey Caceres) 8:56 p.m. Seventh Honoree, Distinguished Member-Barry Davis, Presenters is his father Elmer. (Following his acceptance speech request that the honoree remain at the podium f or the presentation of his induction ring by his wife, Nan) 9:04 p.m. Eighth Honoree, Distinguished Member-Greg Gibson, Presenter is his high school coach Max Birch. (Following his acceptance speech request that the honoree remain at the podium for the presentation of her induction ring by his Junior College Coach Leon Donahue) 9:12 p.m. Ninth Honoree, Distinguished Member-Larry Kristoff, Presenter is his son Mark Kristoff (Following his acceptance speech request that the honoree remain at the podium for the presentation of his induction ring by his wife, ??) 9:20 p.m. Tenth Honoree, Distinguished Member-Bill Weick, Presenter is Bruce Baumgartner, DM (Presentation of ring by his wife Rossellen) 9:28 p.m. Sandy will request all Honorees come up to the Podium for a final group photo... 9:30 p.m. Sandy will announce conclusion of the program and wish everyone a safe return to your home destination…

Dana College is pleased to announce the appointment of four-time NAIA All-American wrestler Beau Vest as head wrestling coach for the Dana Vikings. "I am confident that Coach Vest is going to help us continue the national prominence we have built in NAIA wrestling over the last several years," said Athletic Director Bill Danenhauer. Vest has served as head wrestling coach at Topeka High School in Topeka, Kan., for the past six years where he coached 11 state medalists, three state finalists and two state champions. He also has been a member of the Team Kansas Cadet Freestyle/Greco National Coaching staff. He earned his bachelor's degree from Missouri Valley College in mathematics and secondary education in 2001 where he was a four-time NAIA Wrestling All-American, three-time National Finalist and 1996 National Champion at 118 pounds. He also attended Oklahoma State University. He helped lead NAIA wrestling powerhouse Missouri Valley College to two national team titles and three runner-up finishes. "I am very excited to make the move to college wrestling. Being able to come in and coach at an established NAIA program is a huge bonus. I feel the NAIA is one of the very best divisions for the student athlete to compete in and I look forward to bringing quality kids to Dana College," stated Vest. Vest inherits a program that has excelled on the mat and in the classroom. The Vikings were NAIA National Champions in 2006 and finished fourth at the national meet this season. The Dana College Vikings came in as the top team in the NWCA/NAIA All-Academic team tally for 2007. Five Dana wrestlers were named to the All-Academic team, while the overall program at Dana ranked No. 1 with a 3.34 team GPA, finishing well ahead of second-place Campbellsville University, which came in with an overall 3.176. Vest replaces Richard Fergola who has been hired as head wrestling coach at North Iowa Area Community College.

The next three editions of "On the Mat" will feature several of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum's Class of 2007 award winners. The Honors Weekend Banquet and Induction Ceremony for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will take place on June 1-2 in Stillwater, Okla. This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Larry Kristoff and Bill Weick, two of this year's Distinguished Members. Kristoff won five World medals for the United States, capturing silver medals in 1966, 1969 and 1979 and bronze medals in 1965 and 1967. He also made Olympic teams in 1964 and 1968, placing seventh and fifth respectively, and won 12 senior-level national titles. For 30 years (1969-1999), Kristoff served as the head coach for Div. II powerhouse SIU-Edwardsville. He led the Cougars to three consecutive NCAA Div. II national titles (1984-86), and coached the team to a top 10 finish at the NCAA Div. II Nationals 18 times. Weick, a former two-time NCAA champion for Iowa State Teachers College, is one of the greatest high school coaches ever. With a career high school coaching record of 749-112-2, Weick coached 21 individual state champions at Mount Carmel High School in Illinois from 1986-2003. Weick was also member of the first Greco-Roman World Team in 1961 and was a seven-time placewinner at the AAU National Championships. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 5-6 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.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS -- An Arlington, Texas-based elite Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter management group today announced the signing of former Penn State All-American Eric Bradley to a long-term professional services contract. Bradley joins former NCAA national wrestling champions Jake Rosholt and Johny Hendricks on the Team Takedown roster. Competing at 184, Bradley was an NCAA wrestling All-American for the Nittany Lions in 2005 and 2006. He was also the National Collegiate Boxing light heavyweight champion in 2003. At Penn State, Bradley compiled an outstanding wrestling record of 81-16, including 40-5 in dual meets and a stunning 20-2 record in the extraordinarily rugged Big Ten, where he was also a two-time conference tournament champion. Eric was ranked No. 1 in the nation during much of his senior season. Before enrolling at Penn State, Eric was a three-time New Hampshire state high school champion and a national high school All-American. Born in Stoneham, Massachusetts, Bradley is now 25 years old, stands 5" 10" and weighs in at 185. He will compete in the MMA at 170. He currently lists his hobbies as fighting, sports and movies, and his favorite books are The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer, proving that he has brains to go with his brawn. Bradley currently lives in Hollywood, but will soon relocate to Las Vegas. He will train with his Team Takedown teammates Rosholt and Hendricks at Randy Couture's facility, Xtreme Couture MMA. Previously Bradley has been working out in Los Angeles but has not yet participated in a sanctioned MMA fight. ABOUT TEAM TAKEDOWN True to their motto, "Turning great wrestlers into ultimate fighters," Team Takedown differentiates itself from other management groups by finding the very best NCAA All-American wrestlers, signing them to multi-year performance contracts, and providing them with everything they need to be successful. This includes salaries and extensive world-class MMA training. Team Takedown then goes much farther: the company has assembled an elite group of marketing, publicity and design professionals so that each athlete will have their own media coverage, major appearances and events, clothing line and fan club. No other MMA management company offers its fighters this type of total support package. According to Scott Casber, host of the nationally-syndicated radio show "Takedown Wrestling Radio" and a leading MMA promoter and authority, "What Team Takedown is doing makes great sense. I believe they will be very successful." To learn more about Team Takedown, visit www.teamtakedownfighters.com. To schedule an interview, please contact Ted Ehrhardt, managing partner of Team Takedown at mon1000@aol.com or 817-821-1790 (24/7), or John Rizzuti, managing director of the group's PR firm at john@rizzuti.com or 214-476-1324 (24/7).

MINNEAPOLIS -- The NCAA Division III national champion Augsburg College wrestling team will be honored on Monday (5/14) by Minnesota's state government with an appearance at the governor's office. Augsburg's wrestling team and staff will meet with Gov. Tim Pawlenty at 4 p.m. on Monday. The State House of Representatives and State Senate are also presenting resolutions honoring the team. In March, Augsburg won its 10th Division III national championship, claiming three individual champions and nine All-Americans, in the national competition in Dubuque, Iowa. It was the third year in the last four that Augsburg has had nine or more All-Americans. Augsburg finished 11-1 in dual meets this season, winning the NWCA Division III National Duals tournament in January. Outgoing head coach Jeff Swenson was named National Wrestling Coaches Association National Coach of the Year. Swenson resigned his head coaching position in March and has been replaced by former associate head coach Sam Barber. Augsburg has won 10 NCAA Division III wrestling national titles in the last 17 years, a championship total doubling that of any other Division III school. Augsburg is one of only three NCAA schools to have won 10 or more wrestling national titles (Oklahoma State has won 34 Division I team titles, while Iowa has won 20 Division I team titles). Augsburg has also finished second in Division III national competition seven times, and has finished among the top four teams in national competition the last 19 seasons in a row -- the only NCAA school in any division that can make that claim. Since beginning its competition in the NCAA Division III national tournament in 1983 (Augsburg competed in the NAIA prior to 1983), Augsburg has won 38 Division III national titles, the most of any Division III school. Augsburg has had at least one All-American in national wrestling competition (NAIA and NCAA) every season since 1977, at least six All-Americans every year since 1996 and at least five All-Americans every year since 1989. Augsburg has also been a success in the classroom. Over the past 24 seasons, Augsburg has produced 100 NWCA Scholar All-Americans, the most of any college in any division in the nation. Augsburg had five Scholar All-Americans this season, has had at least three Scholar All-Americans every year since 1993, and has had 77 athletes honored since 1997. Augsburg has also had eight ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans in wrestling, as awarded by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Over the past 10 seasons the NWCA has awarded Division III academic team national championships, Augsburg has finished second three times and first once (1998-99). Augsburg finished 11th among Division III schools this season with a 3.283 team grade-point average.

Led by an impressive 3.85 GPA by junior Webster Farris, the Dana College Vikings came in as the top team in the NWCA/NAIA All-Academic team tally. Farris, a biology major, was one of five Dana wrestlers to make the All-Academic team, while the overall program at Dana ranked #1 with a 3.34 team GPA, finishing ahead of second-place Campbellsville University, which came in with an overall 3.176. Campbellsville had the most wrestlers to make the individual All-Academic team, placing seven national qualifiers on the squad with Education major Kyle Norred sporting a 3.87. Two NAIA champions graced the list, as Hayden Harrison of Embry-Riddle and Morningside's Jacob Stevenson were represented. Harrison carries a 3.85 in what might be the most impressive major among those represented -- Aeronautical Science. Stevenson notches a 3.32 in Business Administration. "I'm most pleased that our wrestlers are majoring in things like Education, Business Administration and Criminal Justice," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "It's this type of wrestler that will go on to serve our youth as mentors, coaches and leaders in the world of business after their wrestling careers are over." In all, 15 different schools were represented, over half of all the NAIA teams sponsoring wrestling. Great Falls, Embry-Riddle, Menlo, Jamestown, Northwestern College, Southern Oregon and King College round out the Top 10 teams. Thirteen NAIA All-Americans made the list. "It's also promising that many of the teams in the Top 10 are newer programs established since 1999," said Moyer. "Great Falls, Campbellsville and King College are still in the fledgling stages of their programs." "The NAIA is one place where the growth of wrestling has been the most prevalent," said Moyer. "You're seeing teams spring up and compete and also making a commitment to academic excellence. "It's very impressive," he said. "We have a lot of young coaches in the NAIA that are doing all the right things."

COLUMBUS, Ohio –- Ohio State wrestling Buckeyes J Jaggers, Mike Pucillo and Chris Vondruska were named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team the organization announced Monday. The three OSU honorees tied for the third-most for a school this year. Ohio State was just one of 11 schools with multiple honorees. Northern Iowa topped the list with five Academic All-Americans. Stanford was second with four award winners. Jaggers (So., Northfield, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel), a communication major, became an All-American in 2007 after finishing seventh at 141 pounds at the NCAA championships. Also majoring in communication, Pucillo (Fr., Strongsville, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) captured his first All-America honor with a sixth-place finish at 184 pounds. Vondruska (Bay Village, Ohio/Hofstra) is the lone graduate student on the list with a focus on education. Vondruska was a 2007 NCAA qualifier at 165 pounds. In order to be eligible for the NWCA All-Academic Team, student-athletes must have at least a cumulative grade point average of 3.2, be an NCAA qualifier or win 60 percent of his total schedule, while also competing in at least 60 percent of the season schedule. Another way to qualify for NWCA All-Academic honors is to own a 3.0 cumulative GPA as an NCAA All-American.

Upper Iowa Head Wrestling Coach Heath Grimm announced the signing of Stephan Swart to an Athletic Scholarship for the 2007-08 season. Swart, a Waukon, Iowa native, is transferring to UIU from Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Iowa. Swart attended Hawkeye for the last year after graduating from Waukon High School where he placed in the Iowa High School State Championships twice. Swart was named All-District First Team following his junior and senior seasons and All-District Second Team after his sophomore campaign. Swart was a two-time Iowa High School State place winner taking fourth his senior year and fifth his junior year. He was a Northeast Iowa Conference Champion and accumulated 100 wins in his Waukon career, which ranks him seventh in the fifty-two year history of Waukon wrestling. Swart was twice named team MVP. "I am pleased to have Stephan join our wrestling program. He is a dynamic young man with a lot of potential. He is originally from South Africa. Swart's family moved to Waukon when he was entering sixth grade, where he was exposed to wrestling for the first time. His eagerness to learn and to train are characteristics that all successful collegiate wrestlers must possess," said Coach Grimm. Stephan is the son of Hansie and Louise Swart and will major in Education at Upper Iowa University. Swart will join Arron Cramer (Grimes, Iowa) and Kyle Pedretti (Monona, Iowa) as new faces on the Upper Iowa wrestling team next season.

DeKalb, Ill. -- Being named one of the top 30 academic wrestling teams in the nation once could be described as an anomaly, but two years in a row sets a standard of academic excellence and for the second consecutive year the Huskie wrestling squad was listed as one of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Top 30 Academic Wrestling Teams. The Huskies finished 16th out of a total of 30 teams with a cumulative grade-point-average of 2.9075, ranking NIU above such academic stalwarts as Cornell and Harvard. Last years squad also finished 16th and had an almost identical GPA. "We're really proud of our guys accomplishments on and off the mat," Said head coach Dave Grant, "Our athletes have demonstrated great commitment to their studies and we're proud of their dedication." The criteria for the award includes the cumulative GPA of the 10 wrestlers that competed in the Mid-American Conference Tournament, as well as two alternates that wrestled in at least one varsity match. The NIU wrestling squad will return to action in the fall and will feature national qualifiers Pat Castillo and Duke Burk.

BUFFALO, NY –- The University at Buffalo wrestling squad honored its 2006-07 award winners at the annual UB Athletic Awards Banquet held on May 1 at the Millenium Hotel in Cheektowaga. Four student-athletes from head coach Jim Beichner's team received awards at the ceremony. Receiving awards from the UB coaching staff were redshirt freshman Ricky Scott (Walden, NY/Valley Central), senior Ray Lamb (Vineland, NJ/Absegami), senior Jake Blowers (Johnstown, NY/Broadalbin-Perth) and senior Mark Budd (Orrville, OH/Orrville). Scott was named the team's Top Newcomer following a remarkable 20-10 campaign at 197 lbs. After placing second at the UB Open at 184 lbs., Scott pounded the competition at 197, taking third at the Mat Town USA Invitational. Scott held a 12-3 record heading into a match with nationally-ranked Chris Weidman of Hofstra, but was defeated by major decision, 13-5. Weidman went on to finish third at the NCAA Championships. Following a fourth-place finish at the New York State Collegiate Championships, Scott suffered a season-ending tricep injury, preventing him from competing any further. Scott finished second on the team in season falls and technical falls with two a piece. Lamb was another successful grappler in the 2006-07 season, earning a career-best 24-14 record and Most Improved award. Lamb entered the starting lineup for good at 184 lbs. at the Bloomsburg Duals and provided the Bulls with a steady presence. Lamb went 10-4 in dual meets, the second most dual meet wins on the team, with his only four dual losses coming against nationally-ranked competitors. Lamb earned a fourth-place finish at the Mid-American Conference Championships. Blowers earned the Coaches' Award in his senior year after being a capable filler for many of the injuries and other circumstances at 197 lbs. When Scott suffered his season-ending injury, Blowers picked up the slack and provided strength at one of the toughest weights in the country. Blowers faced off against Central Michigan's Wynn Michalak on two seperate occasions, falling in both. Blowers finished the season with a 6-13 record. Budd, named Most Outstanding, became the fourth wrestler in UB history to win 100 or more matches. He ranked as high as eighth in the nation at 133 lbs. and had the most wins in the country at his weight class in 2007. A MAC champion and NYS Collegiate champion, Budd finished with a 36-6 record in 2007. He went undefeated in dual meets in 2007 and his 16-0 record gave him the second best all-time single season dual meet win percentage in school history. At the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Budd placed sixth after successfully upsetting nationally-fourth ranked Tyler McCormick of Missouri by a 3-1 sudden victory decision. Budd led the team this season with 41 takedowns. The Bulls finished 8-7 overall and 0-5 in MAC dual meets.

LAS VEGAS -- In exactly one month, the nation's best Olympic-level wrestlers will travel to Las Vegas to compete in the United States Marine Corps U.S. World Team Trials at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For two days, June 9-10, the top Olympic hopefuls in men's freestyle, men's Greco-Roman and women's freestyle will compete for coveted spots on the 2007 U.S. World Team. In addition, Grappling, the new international wrestling style, will host its first World Team Trials on the mats at the Convention Center. "The World Team Trials is the most important domestic event held annually, which determines who will represent the United States as the most important international event every year, the World Championships," said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. "We are excited to bring the event to Las Vegas, which has long been a strong supporter of wrestling. There is still time for people to make plans to join us for this great event." "We are one month away from hosting one of the most prestigious wrestling competitions – the 2007 United States Marine Corps U.S. World Team Trials," said Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events. "Not only is it exciting, but it is an honor to host the world's best wrestlers in Las Vegas for such a prominent event. We are confident that the athletes, coaches, officials and fans will have a memorable experience in Las Vegas, the most exciting city in the world." The field has been set in the three Olympic styles of wrestling for the United States Marine Corps U.S. World Team Trials, as the final qualifying event was completed this past weekend. The United States Marine Corps U.S. World Team Trials will have the same format and will feature the same field of athletes who are expected to compete at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling, also set for Las Vegas in June of 2008. This format provides one of the most popular spectator events in wrestling, where athletes compete with great intensity to reach a lifelong goal of representing the United States in World or Olympic competition. There are expected to be seven World or Olympic champions in the field, as well as 21 past World medalists competing in the Olympic styles at the World Team Trials. Tickets remain available and can be purchased in three ways. There will be an All-Event price, which covers every session during the two days of action. There is a single-day All-Session price, for fans to attend every session on a specific day. There is also a Single Session ticket price. There are three seat location options, Gold, Silver and Bronze, with the Gold seats considered the most desirable. Tickets can be purchased by calling 866-388-FANS or online at: www.USAWrestlingLasVegas.com A FanFest will also be held, allowing all spectators and participants a chance to attend entertaining and educational clinics, as well as review exhibits from many wrestling vendors and organizations. United States Marine Corps U.S. World Team Trials facts and figures: • There are two days of competition, Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10. All four styles of wrestling will be contested each day (men's freestyle, men's Greco-Roman, women's freestyle, Grappling) • Each weight class will be started and completed in one day. Therefore, there will be championship finals matches on both days of competition. • On Saturday, June 9, champions will be determined in 16 weight classes. They are Men's freestyle (60 kg, 74 kg, 96 kg), Men's Greco-Roman (55 kg, 74 kg, 84 kg, 120 kg), Women's Freestyle (51 kg, 59 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg), Men's Grappling (70 kg, 80 kg, 92 kg), Women's Grappling (48 kg, 55 kg) • On Sunday, June 10, champions will be determined in 14 weight classes. They are Men's freestyle (55 kg, 66 kg, 84 kg, 120 kg), Men's Greco-Roman (60 kg, 66 kg, 96 kg), Women's Freestyle (48 kg, 55 kg, 63 kg), Men's Grappling (62 kg, 125 kg), Women's Grappling (63 kg, 72 kg) • In the three Olympic styles of wrestling, this event will determine the 2007 U.S. World Team that will compete at the 2007 World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 17-23. • In Grappling, this event will determine the 2007 U.S. World Team that will compete at the 2007 World Wrestling Games in Antalya, Turkey, Sept. 7-9 • The tournament for the Olympic styles of wrestling consists of a Challenge Tournament early in the day in each weight class, with a best-of-three Championship Finals Series at the conclusion of the day. • Fifteen of the 21 U.S. Nationals champions in the Olympic styles, based upon their past achievements, have earned the right to skip the Challenge Tournament and advance directly into the Championship Final Series. • All participants in the World Team Trials had to qualify in order to compete. In the Olympic styles, the field in each weight consists of the top seven placewinners from the 2007 U.S. Nationals, past World or Olympic Team members, medalists from international tournaments within the year and specific medalists from selected qualifying events. • A total of 232 athletes qualified to compete in the three Olympic styles. That breaks down to 85 men freestyle qualifiers, 77 men's Greco-Roman qualifiers and 70 women's freestyle qualifiers. (Usually, not all of the qualifiers choose to enter). • There are seven World or Champions expected in the field. They include: - 1998 World champion Sammie Henson (freestyle) - 1996 Olympic champion Kendall Cross (freestyle) - 2006 World champion Bill Zadick (freestyle) - 2006 World champion Joe Warren (Greco-Roman) - 2002 World champion Dremiel Byers (Greco-Roman) - 2000 and 2003 World champion Kristie Marano (women's freestyle) - 2005 World champion Iris Smith (women's freestyle) • There are 21 World or Olympic medalists expected to compete. Along with the gold medalists listed above, they include: - 2006 World silver medalist Mike Zadick (freestyle) - Two-time World medalist Cary Kolat (freestyle) - 2006 World bronze medalist Donny Pritzlaff (freestyle) - Two-time World medalist Joe Williams (freestyle) - 2005 World bronze medalist Tolly Thompson (freestyle) - 2006 World bronze medalist Lindsey Durlacher (Greco-Roman) - 2006 World bronze medalist Harry Lester (Greco-Roman) - 2005 World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz (Greco-Roman) - 2001 World silver medalist Stephanie Murata (women's freestyle) - Four-time World and Olympic medalist Patricia Miranda (women's freestyle) - 2003 World bronze medalist Jenny Wong (women's freestyle) - Two-time World medalist Tina George (women's freestyle) - Three-time World and Olympic medalist Sara McMann (women's freestyle) - 2005 World bronze medalist Katie Downing (women's freestyle) • There are 29 past or current NCAA Div. I champions who qualified to compete. For more information on USA Wrestling, please go to: http://www.TheMat.com For regular updates on the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling, please go to: http://www.USAWrestlingLasVegas.com

Hello wrestling fans! We have another great show planned for you this Saturday. We'll take a closer look at the new relationships between grappling, The IOC, Team Quest, the USOC, The International Fight League, Takedown Radio and USA Wrestling. Lots of great guests to answer the burning questions. We have a special guest LIVE LINE co-host this week -- Matt "The Law" Lindland-- Olympic Silver Medalist, MMA Star, Former NE Corn husker and founder of Team Quest joins us from Oregon. Our in Studio co-host, wrestler/fighter Mike "Mini-Van" Van Meer I hope you take time to join us. Each week those that can't join us live are now downloading the program via Pod Cast. However you get your TDR fix, we thank you! SC 9:05 IFL Founder Kurt Otto joins us to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of his company. His company, with a team format has been successful in the face of stiff competition. Now with teams sprouting around the globe, what's next for the International Fight League? MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR ORANGE COUNTY CONDORS JEREMY WILLIAMS The memorial service for Jeremy Williams will be at noon, this coming Monday, May 14 at the Cost Hills Community Church 5 Pursuit Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 949.362.0079 The family is currently setting up at trust fund for Jeremy's daughters and has asked that any donations in lieu of flowers be sent there. The information on the trust fund will be made available in the next few days and we will forward it and post it when it is received. The families have asked us to extend a very sincere thanks for the overwhelming outpouring of support and sympathy that they have received from so many. 9:20 Author/Writer Gordon Hassman joins us to discuss the broad spectrum of stalling along with his "2 Rules To Eliminate Passivity and Stalling." He'll talk about his proposal for "A 3rd New Rule to Solve the Stalemate Problem" to be published next month in the wrestling magazines. April 25, 2007 A 3RD NEW RULE TO SOLVE THE STALEMATE PROBLEM by Gordon Hassman, Playa del Rey, Calif. Via Iowa State U. In the 2007 NCAA wrestling tournament, stalemates proliferated, painfully. It adds to the sense of passivity or stalling. Some wrestlers confidently stall or wait for their opponent to attack so they can use their defensive skills to get the takedown. But, too often it ends up in a stalemate. The adoption of the previously described "2 - 1 Rule" will now allow a new rule, "The Stalemate Release Rule," to be adopted. This new rule solves the stalemate problem by requiring the less deserving, defensive wrestler to release his stalemate hold at the referee's command. Here is how it works: The Takedown Stalemate SITUATION: From the neutral position, wrestler red makes the offensive Float takedown attack against wrestler green. Green defends and a scramble ensues. Now the wrestling slows and is halted into a stalemate with both wrestlers (usually) having locked hands. When the referee determines it to be a stalemate, he signals it by making 2 overhead circles with his green arm. (His red arm is already in a stationary horizontal position indicating the red wrestler has the Floa.) At the same time, he shouts directly to the green Defensive wrestler, "Stalemate,....Green release." Instantly he begins counting off 3 seconds with his green arm which is the time the Defensive green wrestler must totally release his stalemate hand and/or leg hold. Green will usually release his stalemate hold within the 3 seconds and the wrestling continues. Green is not allowed to use the same stalemate hold in any subsequent stalemate in this same scramble on pain of losing the 2 point takedown. If green fails to release in 3 seconds, the match is stopped, a 2 point takedown is awarded to the red Floa wrestler and the match restarts in the referees position. Simplified, this rule states that during a takedown stalemate, the referee will command the defensive wrestler to release his stalemate hold. QUESTION: Since wrestler green is disadvantaged in the above situations, why should he have to release his stalemate hold first? ANSWER: Because, whenever possible, we give the advantages, incentives, rewards, and benefits to the action-producing, Offensive Floa wrestler (red in this case). The MAT STALEMATE SITUATION: During mat wrestling, the bottom wrestler attempts to score an escape or reversal,.....and has practically no motivation to lock up a stalemate. But, the top wrestler does try to prevent the escape or reversal,.......and he does so sometimes by locking into a stalemate. Therefore, in any stalemate that originated from mat wrestling (not during a takedown attempt), it is the top wrestler who must release his stalemate hold within 3 seconds of the referee's order. If he fails to release in 3 seconds, the match is stopped, the bottom wrestler is awarded 2 points for a reversal and they restart in the referee's position. Also, the top wrestler can NOT use the same stalemate hold in any subsequent stalemate in this same scramble on pain of losing the 2 point reversal. Simplified, this rule states that during a mat stalemate, it is the top wrestler who must release his stalemate hold first. This new rule is another step toward intensified, active and exciting wrestling matches, with passivity and stalling pinned. The goal: grow the sport on all levels and capture that national television market. 9:35 Tim Cysewski, Head Coach of Northwestern Wildcat Wrestling. Summer Camps, recruiting and commitments. The Wildcats had a good season and will look to build on that along with the studs coming in, what can we expect. 10:05 Bill Welker, Author WVMat.com. What's going on in West Virginia. We'll take a good look in our first visit with Mr. Welker. 10:20 Eric Bradley, 2x All American, Nat'l Collegiate Boxing Champion Joins us to discuss his future. You may be surprised. 10:35 Troy Steiner, Asst Head Coach of the Beavers of Oregon State. The New Tradition at OSU. This former Hawkeye is a dynamo when it comes to recruiting and to organization. We'll catch up with TS and find out what we can expect from the Zalesky led program and more.

CORVALLIS, Ore. -– Ty Watterson earned the Robin Reed Outstanding Wrestler Award and Jeremy Larson received the Dale Thomas Hustle Award when the Oregon State wrestling team held its annual banquet Sunday afternoon in The Club at Reser. Other winners were Bobby Pfennigs earning the Team Leadership Award; Watterson, Kyle Larson and Travis Gardner sharing the Most Pins Award; Gardner earning the Chad Flack Memorial Award for Most Improved Wrestler; Jake Gonzales the Hardest Worker Award; Tim Patrick earning the Team Impact Award for the newcomer who had the most impact upon the team; and Jamie Rakevich earning the Highest Grade Point Average Award. Watterson (Enumclaw, Wash./Enumclaw HS), a senior heavyweight, earned All-America honors by placing fourth at the NCAA Championships. He won the Pacific-10 championship and finished the season with a 33-6 record and eight pins. Larson (Hermiston, Ore./Hermiston HS), a senior 174-pounder, earned the Thomas Award by compiling the best score through a formula using victories, team points scored and grade point average. Larson won the Pac-10 title, came within a win of All-America honors at the NCAA Championships, finished the season with a 31-8 record and five pins, and was named to the Pacific-10 All-Academic first team for the third straight season. Pfennigs (Great Falls, Mont./C.M. Russell HS), a senior 133-pounder, earned the Team Leadership Award as one of the Beavers' co-captains, placing second in the Pac-10 and qualifying for the NCAA Championships as he finished 23-8 with four pins. Watterson, junior 141-pounder Kyle Larson (Hermiston, Ore./Hermiston HS) and junior 197-pounder Gardner (Portland, Ore./Parkrose HS) shared the Most Pins Award by recording eight each during the season. Gardner earned the Flack Award by placing fourth in the Pac-10 and reaching the NCAA Championships, finishing the season 21-11 with eight pins. Gonzales (Enumclaw, Wash./Enumclaw HS) received the Hardest Worker Award as the sophomore 125-pounder went 12-12 with two pins. Patrick (Milwaukie, Ore./Milwaukie HS), a freshman 149-pounder, redshirted during the collegiate season and later won the Junior Nationals title in Greco-Roman at 74 kilograms (163 pounds). Rakevich (Elma, Wash./Elma HS), a senior heavyweight, captured the Highest GPA Award as he earned Pacific-10 All-Academic first team honors.

IOWA CITY, IA -- University of Iowa senior Eric Luedke has been named to the 2006-07 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) all-academic wrestling team. The Colby, KS, native is a two-time all-American and two-time academic all-Big Ten selection. He wrestled at 165 pounds in 2005-06 and at 174 in 2006-07. In 2006-07, Luedke placed third at the NCAA and Big Ten Championships. He posted a 33-4 season record in collegiate matches, going 16-1 in duals and 7-1 in Big Ten duals. He won a title at the Midlands Championships and led Iowa in collegiate wins (33), duals wins (16), collegiate winning percentage (.892) and dual winning percentage (.941). Luedke finished his Hawkeye career with a 56-19 record, going 23-8 in dual matches. Luedke was also named to the NWCA all-academic team in 2005-06, making him the first Hawkeye to gain the honor in consecutive seasons. Former Hawkeye Jeff McGinness was named to the team in 1995 and 1998. In total, eight Hawkeyes have earned a spot on the squad. Luedke is a health and sports studies major with a 3.49 grade-point average. To be selected to the NWCA all-academic team, wrestlers must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA, have been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total matches - and must have competed in at least 60 percent of his team's schedule. The other way to qualify is to have a 3.0 cumulative GPA and been an NCAA all-American. Overall, 57 wrestlers representing 38 different schools were named to the all-academic team.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana wrestling team has signed two additional wrestlers to National Letters of Intent, Head Coach Duane Goldman announced on Tuesday, May 8. The Hoosiers will add Jeff Pelton (Bellevue, Ohio/Bellevue) and Matt Powless (Evansville, Ind./Memorial) for the fall of 2007. The pair joins the trio of Joe Fagiano (Chicago, Ill./St. Patrick), Matt Ortega (Rio Rancho, N.M./Rio Rancho) and Reece Freeman (Bloomington, Ind./South), who signed in December 2006. "We are very pleased with the athletic and academic quality of this recruiting class," Goldman said. "They are all impressive wrestlers and hard-working students. They will all fit nicely into the young lineup that we placed on the mat this past season, and will provide a lot of excitement for IU fans." Pelton finished as the Division II Ohio state champion at 135 pounds this season, earning two major decisions and a pin in his four matches at the championships. In the finals, he upset 11th-ranked Ben Jordan with a 2-1 win. Pelton, who was a two-time runner-up at the state championship, finished his prep career with a 150-13 record and 79 pins. Pelton followed that up at the Cliff Keen/Wrestling USA Dream Team Classic on April 21, when he topped Ortega's former teammate, fourth-ranked Vicente Varela, 3-1 in overtime. Pelton was ranked 20th in the nation by Wrestling International Newsmagazine before his wins over Jordan and Varela. Powless was the Indiana state champion at 171 pounds this season, going a perfect 51-0 for Memorial as a senior. He became the first wrestler at his high school to ever win the Indiana state championship. His performance in 2007 followed up a sixth-place finish at the state tournament the year prior. Powless is the second state champ to sign with IU for 2007-08, joining fellow undefeated wrestler Freeman, who went 44-0 at 125 pounds for Bloomington South. Fagiano was the 2006 Illinois state champion at 215 pounds in 2006 and finished as the runner-up in the weight class in 2007, as he was defeated in sudden victory in the championship match. He finished the season 44-3 and his career with a 129-28 mark. He was named the 2006 East Suburban Catholic Conference Most Outstanding Wrestler after winning the conference title, and was most recently ranked 10th in the nation at 215 by W.I.N. Ortega (125) set a school record by earning his fourth state championship in 2007. He then traveled to Virginia Beach, Va., for the NHSCA Nationals, where he emerged as the 125-pound national champion. Ortega won his first state championship at 103 pounds and his second at 112 before moving up to 119 for his junior campaign. Ortega was most recently the eighth-ranked wrestler in the 125-pound class by W.I.N. Freeman was a teammate of current Hoosier freshmen Paul Young and Kurt Kinser at Bloomington South, helping the team to two sectional, regional and semi-state championships in his first three years. Freeman finished his career with a 45-0 record at 125 pounds in 2006-07 after going 46-2 and placing fifth in Indiana at 119 the year before. He finished his career with a record of 179-10 over four different weight classes. The Hoosiers finished the 2006-07 season with a 13-5 dual record and a 4-4 record in Big Ten competition. IU finished fifth at the Big Ten Tournament and 14th at the NCAA Championships. Indiana returns all three of its 2007 All-Americans in addition to two-time All-American Brandon Becker, as nine of Indiana's 10 starters will be back in Hoosier uniforms for 2007-08.

What Kyle Dake accomplished as a true freshman at Cornell, winning an NCAA title at 141 pounds and going 33-2, is nothing short of incredible. Almost equally incredible, though, is the fact that a year ago Dake was ranked behind three other Class of 2009 wrestlers. David Taylor (Photo/BuckeyeWrestling.com)In the final InterMat grade level rankings for the 2008-09 season, Dake, a two-time New York state champion, was ranked fourth in the Class of 2009 ... behind No. 1 David Taylor (Graham, OH), No. 2 Eric Grajales (Brandon, FL), and No. 3 Chris Perry (Stillwater, OK). Taylor (Penn State), Grajales (Michigan), and Perry (Oklahoma State) all redshirted this past season. One has to wonder, considering Dake's immediate success, what kind of impact Taylor, Grajales, and Perry will have in their first official season of collegiate wrestling. Could the Class of 2009 go down as one of most accomplished classes ever? If this past collegiate wrestling season is any indication, it certainly has the makings of what looks to be a special class. Dake was not the only Class of 2009 wrestler to earn All-American honors as a true freshman. Two other InterMat Top 100 recruits from the Class of 2009, Tyler Caldwell (Goddard, KS) and Cashe Quiroga (Lawrence North, IN), found places on the All-American podium at the Qwest Center in Omaha. Interestingly, Caldwell and Quiroga were ranked 43rd and 65th respectively coming out of high school. Of the InterMat Top 10 recruits from the Class of 2009, only three started this past season as true freshmen. Below is a look at how the InterMat Top 10 recruits fared this past collegiate wrestling season ... and what other wrestlers in the Top 100 made an impact. 1. David Taylor (Penn State) Taylor began his redshirt season with an 11-4 exhibition loss to teammate Cyler Sanderson, a two-time All-American, at Penn State's intrasquad. Taylor, a four-time state champion who won everything under the sun as a high school wrestler, went on to compile a 21-2 record at 157 pounds in open tournament competition. His first loss came to two-time All-American Bubba Jenkins, a teammate at the time, 4-3, at the East Stroudsburg Open. His only other loss came to Sanderson, 9-7, at the Nittany Lion Open. 2. Eric Grajales (Michigan) Grajales tore his ACL before stepping foot on the Michigan campus, which prevented him from competing as a true freshman. He wrestled one match, picking up a pin at the Simonson Open on January 23, before injury defaulting out of the tournament. Chris Perry3. Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) Perry, the younger brother of four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion Mark Perry, went 15-1 as a redshirt at 184 pounds. His only loss came to teammate and All-American Clayton Foster, 7-4, in the championship match at the Central Missouri Open. Of his 15 victories, 10 came with bonus points. Perry won tournament titles at the Missouri Open, Fort Hays State Open, and Roger Denker Open. 4. Kyle Dake (Cornell) Dake put together a sensational true freshman campaign at Cornell. The Lansing, New York native went 33-2 and became the first true freshman since Dustin Schlatter in 2004 to win an NCAA title. He was named 2010 InterMat Freshman of the Year. 5. Ed Ruth (Penn State) Ruth compiled a 14-3 mark as a redshirt at 184 pounds. He won the Floyd 'Shorty' Hitchcock Memorial Open on January 17. Two of his losses came to teammate Quentin Wright, a 2009 true freshman All-American who redshirted this past season, and his other loss came to redshirt Chris Honeycutt of Edinboro, who went 26-1 with a victory over All-American Dustin Kilgore of Kent State. Collin Palmer6. Collin Palmer (Ohio State) Palmer, the younger brother of Buckeye four-time All-American Lance Palmer, saw limited action this season as a redshirt. The four-time Ohio state champion was runner-up at the Cleveland State Open on December 13, losing in the finals at 149 pounds, 3-2, to Purdue's Sam Patcsil. 7. Jake Kemerer (Penn State) Kemerer redshirted and competed in three open tournaments, going 11-4 at 165 pounds. He placed third at both the Washington & Jefferson Open and East Stroudsburg Open. 8. R.J. Pena (Oregon State) Pena started for the Beavers at 149 pounds and put together a solid true freshman season. He placed seventh at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and spent much of the season ranked nationally. But Pena struggled mightily at the end of the season, losing his final four matches of the regular season. At the Pac-10 Championships, Pena lost in the opening round, but bounced back to place fifth, which was not good enough to get him into the NCAA Championships. He finished the season with a 29-13 record. 9. Joey Napoli (Lehigh) Napoli earned the starting nod at 149 pounds for Lehigh. He compiled a season record of 21-12. His season ended with a disappointing 0-2 performance at the EIWA Championships. 10. Tony Ramos (Iowa) Ramos redshirted and went a perfect 12-0 at 133 pounds while competing in open tournaments. He won tournament titles at York Open, Grand View Open, and Duhawk Open. Other InterMat Top 100 recruits from the Class of 2009 who made an immediate impact … No. 14 John Nicholson (Old Dominion) Nicholson started for Old Dominion at 149 pounds and finished with a 23-8 record. He won the Hokie Open and placed seventh at the Southern Scuffle. No. 27 David Klingsheim (Nebraska) Klingsheim started at 125 pound s for Nebraska and went 15-16. No. 28 Alex Ekstrom (Oklahoma) Ekstrom was the starter for the first part of the season at 133 pounds for Oklahoma before Kendric Maple took over the spot. He finished with a 6-8 record. No. 29 Shane Young (West Virginia) Young went 16-10 and qualified for the NCAA Championships at 125 pounds for West Virginia. No. 32 Sean Boyle (Michigan) Boyle went 20-21 as Michigan's starter at 125 pounds. His season ended with a 1-2 performance at the Big Ten Championships. No. 36 Robby Fisher (Minnesota State-Mankato) Fisher went 20-15 for Division II Minnesota State-Mankato, but failed to qualify for the NCAAs. His biggest win of the season was a pin over two-time NCAA Division I qualifier Elijah Nacita of Cal State Bakersfield at the Reno Tournament of Champions. No. 37 Ellis Coleman (USOEC/U.S. Olympic Training Center) Coleman started the season in the USOEC program in Northern Michigan, but transferred out and is now a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, focusing on Greco-Roman full-time. He recently placed No. 39 Eloheim Palma (North Carolina State) Palma started at heavyweight for North Carolina State and went 23-16. No. 40 Orlando Scales (Notre Dame) Scales was an NAIA runner-up for national team champion Notre Dame College at heavyweight, losing in the finals to Simon Fraser's Arjan Bhullar, the Canadian World Team member in men's freestyle. No. 41 CJ Napier (Nebraska) Napier was the starter at 133 pounds for Nebraska and compiled a record of 16-15. No. 42 Ian Paddock (Ohio State) Paddock was an NCAA qualifier at 133 pounds for Ohio State, going 2-2 in Omaha. No. 43 Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma) Oklahoma's Caldwell earned All-American honors, finishing fifth at 165 pounds. He won over 30 matches. No. 52 Cory Lear (Bucknell) Lear went 20-11 at 165 pounds for Bucknell during the absence of All-American Andy Rendos from the lineup. No. 61 Joe Colon (Iowa Central) Colon was an undefeated NJCAA champion for Iowa Central. He registered a victory over Division III champion Clayton Rush of Coe during the regular season. No. 62 Joe Waltko (Clarion) Waltko earned the starting spot at 125 pounds for Clarion and went 15-16 on the season. No. 64 Steven Keith (Harvard) Keith started at 125 pounds for Harvard and qualified for the NCAA Championships after a third-place finish at the EIWA Championships. No. 65 Cashe Quiroga (Purdue) Quiroga, who started at 125 pounds for Purdue, earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. He finished with a 28-15 mark. No. 68 Brendan Ard (Wisconsin) Ard earned the starting spot in the Wisconsin lineup at 174 pounds, finishing with a 1-11 record. No. 72 Brian Stephens (Virginia Tech) Stephens was thrust into the starting lineup for Virginia Tech at 149 pounds after an injury to Pete Yates. He made the most of the opportunity. Stephens won 23 matches (including 12 in a row at one point) and captured the ACC title to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships. No. 73 Dale Shull (North Carolina State) Shull dropped down to 133 pounds for the latter part of the season for North Carolina State after wrestling 141 pounds. He was 18-16 on the season and finished 4th at the ACC Championships at 133 pounds. 80. Justin LaValle (Old Dominion) LaValle started at 133 pounds for Old Dominion, which allowed two-time NCAA qualifier Kyle Hutter to redshirt. He compiled a 17-13 mark and placed fourth at the CAA Championships. No. 81 Erik Spjut (Virginia Tech) Spjut began the season as the starter at 133 pounds for Virginia Tech, but knee injury cut his season short. He finished with a 7-6 record. No. 88 Nick Pica (Iowa Central) Pica placed third in the NJCAA Championships at 184 pounds for Iowa Central. No. 90 Luke Vaith (Hofstra) Vaith spent much of the season as Hofstra's starter at 141 pounds before dropping down to 133 pounds at the end of January. He finished with an overall record of 16-18. No. 91 Bret Baumbach (Stanford) Baumbach started for Stanford at 141 pounds and finished with a 10-22 record. No. 96 Roger McCovey (North Idaho) McCovey was an NJCAA runner-up at heavyweight for North Idaho. No. 100 Ryan Mango (Stanford) Mango, the younger brother of 2008 Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler Spenser Mango, started at 125 pounds for Stanford and qualified for the NCAA Championships, going 1-2 in Omaha, after a third-place finish at the Pac-10 Championships. He compiled a 25-15 record.

TEMPE, Ariz. –- Arizona State University wrestler Jason Trulson has been honored by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) for his academic success this year, selecting the Sun Devil junior as one of its NWCA All-Academic Team members, the Association announced Monday. Trulson, a biology major, was one of only 57 wrestlers selected for the national honor and ranked 10th overall and third among 197-pound wrestlers based on overall grade point average (3.74). Trulson enjoyed a successful season in 2006-07, his first as a starter, where he went 24-15 overall and recorded a 10-7 mark in dual competition and a 14-8 record in tournaments, the second-most wins on the team in tournament action this year. A 5-1 record holder in Pac-10 Conference duals, Trulson won three total bouts by fall, including a pin of Liberty's Josh Moore in just 15 seconds at the Virginia Duals in January. After placing sixth at the Reno Tournament of Champions, his first tournament placement, Trulson went on to finish third at the Pac-10 Championships by scoring a 13-1 major decision over Travis Gardner of Oregon State to secure his first berth into the NCAA Wrestling Championships. At the national event in Auburn Hills, Mich., Trulson posted a 2-2 record and did not place in the event. Trulson is the third Sun Devil to earn academic honors from the NWCA after both Curtis Owen and Rocky Smart were honored in 2003. Owen was chosen for the first team while Smart garnered a place on the honorable mention team. The national honor is the second academic award of the year for Trulson after he was selected to the Pac-10 All-Academic First Team earlier this year.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -– Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) has been named a first team Academic All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. In addition, head coach Troy Sunderland's squad once again earned a spot among the nation's top 20 academic teams. Strayer sports a 3.22 grade point average as a sophomore Kinesiology major. A starter for the past two seasons at 133 pounds, Strayer earned All-America status this year by placing seventh at the 2007 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Detroit this past March. The honor is Strayer's second straight first team selection to the team. The South Fork, Pa., native went 27-8 this year, including a 6-2 mark in Big Ten duals. He was 16-3 in duals overall. Over the course of his two-year stint in the starting line-up, Strayer has amassed a 53-14 record and is 12-4 in Big Ten duals. He was a national qualifier in 2006 as a freshman, finishing just one win shy of earning All-America status in Oklahoma City. He was an Academic All-Big Ten selection this past winter as well. Penn State's team GPA was a lofty 2.8991, good enough for 17th on the NWCA's listing of All-Academic teams. Duke was the top team with a 3.3861 GPA. Only Northwestern among Big Ten school's had a higher team GPA than Penn State as the Wildcats checked in with a 3.0152 mark. Purdue (20th), Indiana (29th) and Michigan State (30th) round out the Big Ten teams listed among the top 30.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Brian Kilmeade, Jim Raschke, and Jeff Swenson. Kilmeade is a sport's anchor for FOX News Channel and is the co-host of "FOX & Friends", the number one morning program on cable television. He is also the author of two books: "The Games Do Count: America's Best and Brightest on the Power of Sports" and "It's How You Play the Game: The Powerful Sports Moments That Taught Lasting Values to America's Finest." In "The Games Do Count" Kilmeade compiled stories from 74 prominent people about how sports have influenced their lives. Included in the book are 10 individuals who had a background in wrestling. Included in this list are Senator John McCain, author John Irving, and actor Robin Williams. Jim Raschke was a professional wrestler best known at Baron Von Raschke. Stomping into the ring using his feared claw hold, Raschke was a top box-office draw for two decades and won many titles. He is currently starring in a play about his life called "The Baron." Raschke was also a pioneer in the Greco-Roman style of wrestling. A former Big Eight champion for the University of Nebraska, Raschke became only the second American to win a medal at the Greco-Roman World Championships when he placed third in 1963. Swenson recently retired from an impressive 25-year coaching career at Augsburg College. Under Swenson's leadership, Augsburg won a record10 NCAA Division III national championships and produced a career dual-meet record of 321-44. He will continue his duties as the school's Assistant Dean for Athletics and Recreation. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 5-6 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.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's recruiting class is complete as Frank Battaglia (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) has signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Wildcats for the 2007-08 campaign. Battaglia, who projects to be a 165/174-pound wrestler for the Wildcats, compiled a 141-27 career record with 71 career falls. In his senior year for the Hinsdale Central Red Devils, he was 46-2 with 22 pins. He earned first-place finishes at both the IHSA Regionals and Sectionals in 2007 and finished third in the 2007 state tournament. He owns his high school records in career and single season wins. He is a four-time All-West Suburban Conference selection and was All-State in 2007. Battaglia is a four-year honor roll student and is an All-Academic West Suburban Conference selection. Battaglia joins Mike Benefiel (Aurora, Ill./Montini Catholic), Robert Kellogg (Sioux City, Iowa/Sioux City North), Ben Kuhar (Concord Township, Ohio/St. Edward) and John Schoen (Homer Glen, Ill./Marist) in this year's recruiting class. Full bio appears below: Frank Battaglia 5-10 • 165/174 Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central High School: Career record of 141-27 with 71 falls ... first place at IHSA Regionals (2007) ... First Place at IHSA Sectionals ... Third Place at IHSA State Finals (2007) ... Owns high school single season and career wins records ... Four-time All-West Suburban Conference selections ... 2007 All-State selection. Personal: Born Frank A. Battaglia on 11/21/88 ... Son of Ernie and Rosalie Battaglia ... Plans to major in economics ... Chose Northwestern over Wisconsin, Old Dominion and Northern Illinois.

Columbia, Mo. – The Missouri wrestling team earned National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) academic honors by finishing 28th in the nation with a collective 2.81 grade-point average, while three members of the Tiger team were recognized for their outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments for the 2006-07 campaign. Leading the way for the Tigers is junior Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.), a two-time All-American and sixth place finisher at 133 pounds in 2007. McCormick, a business major, owns a 3.95 GPA and tops a list that includes 57 individuals from 35 different universities. The NWCA honor is the second in McCormick's career. Next on the list for Missouri is redshirt freshman Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.). Earning his first NWCA Academic All-America honor with a 3.42 GPA, Askren is majoring in linguistics. Askren was a 2007 NCAA Qualifier at 197 pounds and earned his first Big 12 title on March 3. Missouri's final honor was awarded to senior Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.). His third honor in four seasons, Askren owns a 3.19 GPA and will graduate in May with a degree in geography. Askren is Missouri's only two-time National Champion in the sport of wrestling and claimed the prestigious Dan Hodge Award both this season and last. Missouri was one of three Big 12 schools to have at least one individual tabbed to the Academic All-America team and one of 11 schools overall to boast more than one recipient.