InterMat Staff

EDMOND, Okla. -- Nebraska-Kearney heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev has been named the 2007-08 NCAA Division II Wrestler of the Year after an undefeated season capped by a national finals victory that catapulted the Lopers to their first-ever team title. Dlagnev becomes the inaugural winner of the award, sponsored by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches' Association and voted on by eight regional representatives from around the country. Each of the four regions nominated a candidate, with West Region nominee Dlagnev receiving seven first-place votes and finishing with 31 points to beat runner-up Kyle Evans of Central Oklahoma and the Midwest Region. Minnesota State-Mankato's Jason Rhoten was the North Region representative and Dan Scanlan of Limestone the East nominee. Dlagnev, a native of Arlington, Texas, went a perfect 38-0 this season with 16 falls, six major decisions and five technical falls. He captured his second straight national championship with a 4-1 finals win over Central Oklahoma's Dustin Finn that enabled UNK to edge MSU-Mankato by a mere half-point for the team crown. A four-time West Region champion, Dlagnev finished with a school-record 167 wins. He put together a phenomenal 167-19 career record that included 55 falls, 38 major decisions and 10 technical falls and he was 87-1 his last two years. Dlagnev became just the fourth four-time All-American in UNK history with national tournament finishes of sixth-second-first-first. Also a four-time Wrestling Coaches All-Academic pick, Dlagnev was selected for the 2008 NWCA All-Star Classic and will continue his wrestling career on the international level. He was a fourth-place finisher in the Senior Men's Freestyle Division at the U.S. National Championships in 2007 and won the prestigious Sunkist Kids International Open last fall.

NORMAN, Okla.-- The Oklahoma Sooners held their annual banquet to end the season at the Postal Training Service Center in Norman Friday night. Oklahoma ended the 2008 campaign with a 14-5 overall record and a 39th place finish at the NCAA's in St. Louis, Mo. "Although we didn't have a lot of celebrate in terms of how we finished the season, this was still a great night," head coach Jack Spates said. "We celebrated this evening these kids' spirits, dreams and hard work." Senior Joshua Weitzel was honored with the most outstanding wrestler award, ending the season with a 26-5 record at 184 pounds. The Lincoln University, Pa., native ended his Sooner career as a three-time NCAA qualifier and a two-time Big 12 All-Academic team honoree. The Jimmy White award, given to a select wrestler on the basis of athletic ability, team contribution, individual achievement and team spirit went to redshirt freshman Zack Bailey. The Kansas City, Mo., native ended the 2008 season with a 28 victories at 141 pounds, a team high. Joey Fio was awarded the outstanding freshman award after advancing to the NCAA Championships in his first year as a Sooner at 125 pounds. Fio's season highlight included a victory over reigning national champion Paul Danohoe of Nebraska. He ended his opening season in Norman with a 20-10 record. Jeff James from El Reno, Okla., was then handed the most improved wrestler honor. James, wrestling at 174 pounds, won his first 11 matches on the year and garnered an 18-7 overall record before a season-ending injury versus Cal Poly on Feb. 15. Senior Max Dean, a three-time NCAA qualifier, ended the night by receiving the outstanding scholar athlete award. The three-time Academic All-American from Cincinnati, Ohio, ended the year with a 19-11 record at 165 pounds. The Sooner coaching staff also recognized the 2008 lettermen, as well as departing seniors in Weitzel, Dean, Brad Farmer, Blake Allen and two-time All-American Joel Flaggert. 2008 Awards: Outstanding Wrestler of the Year: Joshua Weitzel Jimmy White Award: Zack Bailey Outstanding Freshman: Joey Fio Most Improved: Jeff James Outstanding Scholar Athlete: Max Dean

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Penn State Wrestling Club held its annual awards banquet on Sunday at the Nittany Lion Inn, and senior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) was honored as the team's Most Outstanding Wrestler, capping a stellar career that saw the Harrisburg native cement his place in Penn State's history books. A number of Nittany Lions received awards at the annual event. Davis received two awards at the banquet. He took home the William Neidig Award given to the Most Outstanding Wrestler after an outstanding senior year that saw him accomplish so much: Davis went 26-1 and ends his career with a 116-20 career record, ninth all-time at Penn State; he won the 2008 NCAA National Championship at 197 pounds, becoming PSU's 21st NCAA champ and the 18th individual to win a crown; he became only the fourth four-time All-American in Penn State's 100 years of wrestling; his 58 dual meet wins is fourth all-time; his 30 points is sixth all-time; and his 136 career matches is 20th all-time. Davis also won the Charles M. Speidel Award, given to the senior with the most career dual meet wins (58). True freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J) took home the Bill Koll Award, presented to the Outstanding Freshman Wrestler. Molinaro, who redshirted this year, posted an outstanding 17-2 overall record in unattached action primarily at 141 pounds. The talented New Jersey native won three separate Open tournament titles this year. He went 4-0 in points, including one fall in just :40 seconds. He won the Kent State Open title with a perfect 5-0 mark and matched that record to win the Cleveland State Open title, too. Molinaro opened the season by going 6-0 to win the East Stroudsburg Open title back in November as well. Junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) claimed the Kaye Vinson Award, presented to the Most Improved Wrestler. Bomberger entered the season hoping to keep his spot as Penn State's 184 pounder and ended it with his first ever trip to the NCAA Championships. Bomberger went 19-10 this year, including a 12-5 mark in dual meets and a superb 5-2 record in Big Ten duals. He was ranked among the nation's top 20 all season long and placed fifth at the Big Ten Championships. Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) was honored with the Larry Reilly Courage Award, for showcasing courage in wrestling to the betterment of his team and teammates. Haas, a co-captain on this year's squad, battled injuries for the third time in five seasons at Penn State. The Camp Hill native injured his knee in Penn State's season-opening dual but battled back to return to action on January 4 in Penn State's centennial win over Cornell. Haas ended the year with a 7-15 record and posted a solid 3-5 mark in Big Ten duals. The fifth-year senior has petitioned the NCAA for a sixth year in light of his numerous injuries. Junior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) was honored with the Eleventh Man Award, given for leadership and dedication to the total team effort. Decker emerged as one of Penn State's main reserves and saw dual meet action at 184 and 197. Decker went 15-7 overall, including claiming the 184 pound title at the Wilkes Open. He upped his career mark at Penn State to 45-37. Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) claimed the Joe Scalzo Award, presented to the Best Freestyle Wrestler. Jenkins gave early indication to what would be a stunning sophomore year at 149 when he claimed the 2007 FILA Junior World Championships in Beijing, China, during the summer leading up to the 2007-08 campaign. Jenkins' prowess in freestyle action translated well to the NCAA season as the Virginia native ended the year as the National Runner-Up at 149 pounds, wrestling in the NCAA finals in March and earning his first All-America honor. Jenkins went 26-6 in his first year at 149, including a 15-3 dual meet record and a 6-2 mark in Big Ten duals. Red-shirt freshman Nathan Andrews (Spring Mills, Pa.) was given the Academic Excellence and Community Service Award. Andrews posted a 2-7 overall record this year, getting one major decision. Andrews sports a 3.90 grade point average in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. Senior Eileen Gibbons (Chatham, N.J.) was honored with the Carl A. Winterburn Award, given to the manager who demonstrates year round support of the Penn State wrestling program. Gibbons is a native of Chatham, N.J., and is wrapping up her third year as a manager with the Nittany Lion wrestlers and her fourth year as a member of the Penn State Wrestling Affiliate Club. Gibbons served as Club President this year as well. Two club related awards were given as well. Betty Arnold was given the Ed Sulkowski Award and David A. Becker won the Outstanding Alumnus Award. The banquet served to honor the outstanding season that head coach Troy Sunderland and his team put forth in 2007-08. The Nittany Lions went 14-5 in dual meets and placed third in the regular season standings with a 5-3 Big Ten mark. Penn State ended the year ranked No. 6 in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll for duals. Sunderland's Lions capped off a stellar season by placing third at the 2008 NCAA Championships, crowning four All-Americans, a national champion, a national runner-up and a third and fourth place finisher.

Simpson College Athletic Director John Sirianni has announced he has promoted Clint Manny to head wrestling coach. Manny replaces Ron Peterson who resigned earlier this year. Clint Manny"Clint is ready for the challenge and I'm confident he'll do a great job," Sirianni said. "He grew up in Iowa, was very successful at Simpson, and understands what it takes to succeed at the conference and national level." Peterson also said Manny is ready to lead the program. "Clint is a tremendous coach and has the vision to lead Simpson wrestling to new horizons," Peterson commented. "He was born to be a college wrestling coach. He has the tools to help these student-athletes become champions." Manny moves to head coach after serving as a member of the Simpson staff for the past three years, two of which were as the full-time assistant. Manny was a student assistant for the Storm in 2005-06 as he completed his physical education degree. Manny became the all-time winningest wrestler at Simpson when he won three matches at the 2005 NCAA Division III National Championships. Manny concluded his career with a 148-24 record, breaking the old record of 146 (146-17-1) set by Travis Young (1989-92). A three-time All-American for Simpson at 149 pounds, Manny was the national runner-up at 149 as a junior and as a senior. He spent all of his senior season ranked first in the weight class. Of his five losses as a senior (34-5), two were to wrestlers from NCAA Division I Oklahoma State including then No. 1 Zach Esposito and three were to nationally ranked Division III opponents. Manny was named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the 2004 Division III NWCA Duals. He was chosen Iowa Conference Male Athlete and Wrestler of the Week a total of four times in his career. "I am very excited for the opportunity to represent Simpson College wrestling," Manny said. "I am looking forward to helping build a program that already has a strong tradition. I had a great experience at Simpson and am committed to providing the same opportunities for future student-athletes. I would like to thank Ron for giving me the tools to succeed in the sport of wrestling over the past seven years."

MOUNT PLEASANT -- A pair of wrestlers who will be wearing maroon and gold next season claimed individual titles at the National High School Coaches Association Senior Nationals last weekend. Scotti Sentes (Fort Myers, Fla./Riverdale HS) and Ben Bennett (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) won titles at 125 pounds and 171 pounds, respectively. A third CMU signee, Eric Cubberly (Pemberville, Ohio/Eastwood HS) placed third at 160 pounds. Bennett was selected as the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. CMU and Minnesota were the only programs to have two of their signees win individual titles at the tournament. Sentes was a four-time high school state champion and posted a career record of 213-3 with 152 pins at Riverdale High School. He recently was featured in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd. Bennett was a three-time Michigan state champion at Rockford High School. He matched Sentes with an identical 213-3 career record. Bennett recorded 125 career falls. Fans can log on to flowrestling.com for video of all of the tournament's matches and interviews with selected wrestlers. CMU finished tied for the seventh as a team at the 2008 NCAA Championships. Four Chippewas claimed All-America honors, including 197-pound national runner-up Wynn Michalak. CMU has won 10 consecutive MAC titles and seven straight conference tournament championships.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Cal Poly senior Chad Mendes has been named Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year, Boise State's Greg Randall garners Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors and Bronco protege Kirk Smith earns Pac-10 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year award, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced today. Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year: Chad Mendes, Cal Poly Mendes, a 141-pound wrestler from Hanford, Calif., will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in Mustang history after becoming the seventh Cal Poly wrestler to reach the NCAA Division I title match and the 39th All-American. His 30-1 record included an undefeated clip of dual matches, the eighth Mustang ever to finish a season unblemished in dual action. His second-place NCAA performance gave Mendes a second All-American recognition of his career. Mendes entered the Pac-10 Tournament as the heavy favorite and did not disappoint, winning the title over Arizona State's Chris Drouin. For his career, Mendes finishes with a 64-14 overall record. Pac-10 Coach of the Year: Greg Randall, Boise State Head coach Greg Randall led Boise State to its fourth Pac-10 Championship in the last eight seasons. His team earned 152.5 points at the Conference championship for the third highest point total in Pac-10 wrestling history. The team went 10-2 in dual matches including a 7-1 record in Pac-10 matches. Under the guidance of Randall, Boise State wrestlers captured two Pac-10 Conference titles (133 and 174-pounds), four second place finishes and three third place finishes. At the NCAA National Championships, Randall guided the first true freshman in Boise State history, Kirk Smith, to NCAA All-American honors. Pac-10 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year: Kirk Smith, Boise State Smith, from Boise, Idaho, became the first true freshman and the first Bronco since 2006 to earn NCAA All-American honors as he captured eighth place at the 2008 NCAA Wrestling Championships. He took second place at 184-pounds at the Pac-10 Championships, falling, 9-7, to Brent Chiswell in an extremely close title match. Was also impressive with first place finishes at the Cowboy Open and the Southern Scuffle. For the season he posted a 28-6 record, including one pin-fall and five major decisions. Past Winners: Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year 1976 Tom Brown, WASH, 158 Greg Gibson, ORE, HWT 1977 Larry Bielenberg, OSU, HWT 1978 Dan Hicks, OSU, 142 1979 Fred Bohna, UCLA, HWT 1980 Howard Harris, OSU, HWT 1981 Marty Ryan, OSU, 150 1982 Bill Nugent, ORE, 142 1983 Gary Bohay, ASU, 126 1984 Jim Baumgardner, OSU, 190 1985 Eddie Urbano, ASU, 150 1986 Adam Cohen, ASU, 150 1987 Mike Davies, ASU, 190 1988 Mike Davies, ASU, 190 1989 Dan St. John, ASU, 158 1990 Dan St. John, ASU, 167 1991 Paul Keysaw, CSUB, 190 1992 Ray Miller, ASU, 158 1993 Ray Miller, ASU, 158 1994 Babak Mohammadi, OSU, 134 1995 Les Gutches, OSU, 177 1996 Les Gutches, OSU, 177 1997 Stephen Neal, CSUB, HWT 1998 Stephen Neal, CSUB, HWT 1999 Stephen Neal, CSUB, HWT 2000 Steve Blackford, ASU, 165 2001 Eric Larkin, ASU, 141 2002 Eric Larkin, ASU, 141 2003 Eric Larkin, ASU, 149 2004 Matt Gentry, STAN , 157 2005 Cain Velasquez, ASU, HWT 2006 Ben Cherrington, BSU, 157 2007 Derek Moore, UCD, 141 2008 Chad Mendes, POLY, 141 Pac-10 Coach of the Year 1976 Dale Thomas, OSU 1977 Dale Thomas, OSU 1978 Darren Sipe, WASH 1979 Bobby Douglas, ASU 1980 Ron Finley, ORE 1981 Bobby Douglas, ASU 1982 Ron Finley, ORE 1983 Dale Thomas, OSU 1984 Dale Thomas, OSU 1985 Bobby Douglas, ASU 1986 Bobby Douglas, ASU 1987 Bobby Douglas, ASU 1988 Bobby Douglas, ASU 1989 Bobby Douglas, ASU 1990 Bobby Douglas, ASU 1991 T.J. Kerr, CSUB 1992 Mark Johnson, OSU 1993 Lee Roy Smith, ASU 1994 Joe Wells, OSU 1995 Joe Wells, OSU 1996 T.J. Kerr, CSUB 1997 T.J. Kerr, CSUB Lee Roy Smith, ASU 1998 Lee Roy Smith, ASU 1999 Mike Young, BSU 2000 Mike Young, BSU 2001 Lee Roy Smith, ASU 2002 Mike Young, BSU 2003 Thom Ortiz, ASU 2004 Steve Buddie, STAN 2005 Thom Ortiz, ASU 2006 Thom Ortiz, ASU 2007 Lennie Zalesky, UCD 2008 Greg Randall, BSU Pac-10 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year 2000 TJ Hill, CSF 2001 Jed Pennell, OSU 2002 Matt Gentry, STAN 2003 Ryan Halsey, CP 2004 Darrell Vasquez, CO 2005 Andrew Hochstrasser, BSU 2006 Tyler Sherfey, BSU 2007 Zack Giesen, STAN Brandon Halsey, CSUB 2008 Kirk Smith, BSU

Beginning in May, USA Wrestling will begin to host a series of 12 qualifiers to determine the field for the 2008 USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials. These USA Wrestling sanctioned qualifiers will identify the best Grapplers in the United States, and give them an opportunity to try out for the 2008 U.S. Grappling World Team, which will compete at the Grappling World Championships in Lucerne, Switzerland on December 20-21. The USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Series will run from May through August, and will be placed in strategic locations around the country. The series has been designed to increase the participation level from last year, and encourage the nation's best athletes to try out for the U.S. Team. USA Wrestling has yet to determine the site and date for the 2008 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials, but it is expected to be held in September 2008. Visit TheMat.com and read the next issue of USA Wrestler for the final details on the date and location for the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials. "USA Wrestling is excited to bring this series of competitive World Team Trials Qualifying events to the Grappling community," said Jason Townsend, USA Wrestling's Manager of Developing Wrestling Styles. "We expect the nation's best Grappling athletes to attend these events, for a chance to make the U.S. World Team. Anybody who has competed in Grappling, wrestling, Jiu-jitsu or other martial arts should attend these outstanding events." In order to qualify for the 2008 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials, which is for Senior-level athletes, men must place in the top four in their weight class and women must place in the top three of their weight class. Returning 2007 U.S. World Team Trials champions automatically qualify for the 2008 U.S. World Team Trials. USA Wrestling started a Grappling program in 2007, after the international wrestling federation FILA recognized the sport as a form of wrestling. A series of qualifiers were held, and the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials were held alongside the wrestling trials events in Las Vegas, Nev. The U.S. World Team, sponsored by No Limits MMA, traveled to Antalya, Turkey and has a historic performance, coming home with all nine gold medals from the 2007 FILA World Wrestling Games. FILA has announced that the Grappling World Championships will be held separately from other styles of wrestling, in a historic event set for Dec. 20-21 in Lucerne, Switzerland. "It is our intention for Grappling to have its own independent World Championships which will spotlight this new style," said Jean-Francois Court, Executive Director of the FILA World Grappling Committee. "Last year, we used the World Wrestling Games as our de facto World Championships because of the time constraints we faced in organizing the event. So, this will be our first World Championships where Grappling is on its own." Several of the nation's top Grappling teams have already committed to taking part in the process of entering the Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Series. "I look forward to Cobra Kai Jiu-jitsu competing in these events," said Grappling legend Marc Laimon. "We expect to improve on last years' performance and really plan to step up our training to prepare specifically for these events. I want to dominate the World Team Trials and get my guys on the World Team and make the trip to Switzerland and come back with some gold medals." Events will be held in California, Colorado, Maryland, Texas, New York, Virginia, Illinois, Florida, Nevada, Hawaii and Oregon. The first and the final qualifying events will be hosted at No Limits MMA, USA Wrestling's National Training Center for Grappling and Sombo. All athletes must have a USA Wrestling membership and be U.S. citizens to be eligible to compete in the Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Series as well as the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials. You can purchase a USA Wrestling membership on www.themat.com. Athletes can pre-register and pay their $50 entry fee for these Qualifying events at www.TrackWrestling.com starting April 14th. On-site late registration will cost $75, so all are encouraged to pre-register. For more information on the 2008 World Team Trials Qualifying Series contact Jason Townsend at (719) 598-8181 or jtownsend@usawrestling.org USA Wrestling's Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Series Saturday, May 10 Southern California Regional Qualifier, No Limits MMA, Irvine, CA Contact: Chris Carlino at (714) 334-9257 E-mail: chriscarlino@mac.com Saturday, May 17 Rocky Mountain Regional Qualifier, Massari Arena, Pueblo, CO Contact: Troy Rutz at (303) 815-2306 E-mail: troy.rutz@dcsdk12.org Sunday, May 18 Mason Dixon Regional Qualifier, Rising Sun High School, North East, MD Contact: Will Townsend at (757)450-7469 E-mail: vausagrappling@yahoo.com Saturday, May 31 Southern Plains Regional Qualifier, Dollamur Sport Surfaces, Fort Worth, TX Contact: Scott Templeton at (888) 628-7655 E-mail: scott@dollamur.com Saturday, May 31 Northeast Regional Qualifier, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, NY Contact: Gene Mills at 315 652-7922 E-mail: pin2win@genemills.com Saturday, June 7 Middle Atlantic Regional Qualifier, Phoebus High School, Hampton, VA Contact: Will Townsend at (757) 450-7469 E-mail: vausagrappling@yahoo.com Saturday, June 21 Midwest Regional Qualifier, Wright College, Chicago, IL Contact: Joe Manzello at (630) 495-9717 E-mail: jmanzello@theolympiancentre.com Saturday, June 28 Southeast Regional Qualifier, River Ridge Middle School, New Port Richey, FL Contact: Russ Schenk at (727) 992-7229 E-mail: rschenk@pasco.k12.fl.us Saturday, June 28 Southwest Regional Qualifier, Throwdown Training Facility, Las Vegas, NV Contact: Scott Bieri at (702) 340-0484 E-mail: scott@ckjj.com Sunday, July 13 Hawaiian Islands Regional Qualifier, Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, HI Contact: Bryan Sanders at (808) 688-3962 E-mail: bdshawaii@hotmail.com Saturday, July 19 Northwest Regional Qualifier, Parkrose High School, Portland, OR Contact: Scott McKendry at (503) 661-4134 E-mail: scottm@tqmma.com Saturday, August 23 Last Chance Qualifier, No Limits MMA, Irvine, CA Contact: Chris Carlino at (714) 334-9257 E-mail: chriscarlino@mac.com

Lincoln -- The Big 12 Conference has named Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning the 2008 Big 12 Coach of the Year, the league office announced today. Manning, in his eighth year at NU, has led the Huskers to new heights, particularly during the 2007-08 season. Manning has accrued a 109-42-2 record in duals, including 14-3 and 3-1 in the Big 12 last season. Under Manning, the Huskers nearly went undefeated in the conference for the first time in their 98-year history. The year's highlights include a second-place finish at the National Duals in January before defeating Oklahoma State for just the third time in school history on Jan. 20. Manning also collected his 100th career dual win at Nebraska against Northern Colorado. Manning balanced that regular season success with an impressive run in the postseason. The Huskers finished second at the 2008 Big 12 Championships, matching their best finish as a team and earning 62.5 points in the process, their most ever. The team capped its season with a fourth-place showing at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, its highest showing since 1993. The Huskers crowned five All-Americans, the most in a single year at NU for Manning, and the most for Nebraska since 1995. Manning has coached 22 Huskers to All-America status and led NU to four top-10 team finishes. The award is decided by a vote of the conference coaches. This is the first conference honor for Manning.

After not having any Pac-10 All-Academic honorees for the 2006-07 season, the Viking wrestling program had a trio of sophomores earn All-Academic accolades, Monday. Steven Dailey, the 157-pound grappler, was named to the first team, 285-pound wrestler Zack Smith earned second-team honors, and 197-pound Keena Washington nabbed honorable mention accolades. Dailey had an overall record of 1-6 this past season. His win came at the hands of Weston Blasius of South Dakota State, 4-1. Dailey has the highest GPA on the Pac-10 All-Academic roster with a perfect 4.0 (on a 4.0 scale). The Tulsa, Okla. native is majoring in Science. He is the son of Rick and Marilyn Dailey. Smith wrestled in every 285-pound match this past season and tallied a 6-20 record. He has earned a 3.56 GPA, while majoring in Criminology & Criminal Justice. The Graham, Wash. native is the son of Michael Smith and Kim Goddard. Washington managed a 2-10 record in 2008. His two wins came while he was competing at the Cal State-Fullerton Open. He defeated Arizona's Kevin Gressley and Pima CC's Nicholas Richardson. Washington has earned a 3.14 GPA in School Health. Keena is from Lakewood, Wash. and is the son of Crosby and Kyong Washington. To be eligible for the Pac-10 All-Academic selection, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and be either a starter or significant contributor.

With the 2007-08 wrestling season officially at an end, Stanford can look back on one of its most successful years in history. In the course of the season, the Cardinal squad won 13 duals, posted its highest Pac-10 finish in school history, its second-highest national finish and sent a program-best five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Stanford opened its season with an impressive showing in the Midwest, beating Fort Hays State in its first dual meet before having four placers and two champions at the Central Missouri Open. Over the remainder of the preseason, nine more wrestlers placed and senior Tanner Gardner won two more 125-pound titles, including one in a field of ten ranked wrestlers at the Las Vegas Invitational. At the Reno Tournament of Champions, senior Josh Zupancic became the fifth wrestler in school history to reach 100 wins. At the start of the new year, Stanford headed east to compete in five duals in a three-day span. The Cardinal won four of them, and capped the weekend with its first shutout in recorded history, a 52-0 demolition of Wagner at the New York Athletic Club. When the Pac-10 season began in mid-January, Stanford already had six wins and was racing towards one of its best dual records in history. The Cardinal matched its win total from the previous two seasons (8) with an exciting win over Cal State Bakersfield on Jan. 24, and tied its second-highest dual win total in school history (10) the very next day with wins over Menlo College and Portland State. The team continued to run, and capped its regular-season with the program's first-ever win over Arizona State on Feb. 17. The victory boosted Stanford's win total to 13, the most in over three decades, and the second most in school history. On Mar. 2, ten Cardinal wrestlers began competition at the Pac-10 Championships in Eugene, Ore. Nine of the competitors placed, and the team edged defending conference champion Oregon State for the runner-up spot, the highest Pac-10 finish is school history. Gardner pinned two opponents and beat a top-20 wrestler in the title match to become the Cardinal's first back-to-back conference champion in more than two decades. In his second bout, the senior shattered two program records in one fell swoop, pinning Marcos Orozco of UC Davis to best both the school's career win record and single-season pin record. At the conclusion of the tournament, the senior was named the event's Most Outstanding Wrestler. Three Stanford wrestlers earned automatic bids to the NCAA Championships, and two more were awarded a Pac-10 wildcard spot. With five wrestlers earning a spot at NCAAs, Stanford matched the most in program history, a feat the Cardinal has now accomplished four times. A number of other accomplishments followed at the national championships. Luke Feist and Zack Giesen won their first NCAA matches, and Giesen upended the first ranked opponent of his career. Lucas Espericueta ended his rookie season as the fourth winningest freshman in school history with 25 wins. Zupancic topped three consecutive ranked opponents to advance to the national semifinals at 157 pounds. The senior finished sixth nationally to garner his second consecutive All-America honor and become just the third wrestler in school history to earn multiple All-America honors. He finished his career with 120 wins, the third highest total in program history. Gardner took fifth nationally at 125 pounds and became the school's first three-time All-American. He continued to build on his school win record, finishing with a program-best 145 career wins. Gardner also became the first Cardinal wrestler to post more than one 40-win season, and broke his own single-season win record in his final collegiate match (43 wins). As a team, Stanford took 19th nationally, matching its second-highest national finish in school history and just its third all-time top-20 finish. For just the third time in program history and the second time in two years, Stanford produced two All-Americans in the same season. Owning two of the conference's four All-Americans, the Cardinal's 19th place finish was the best in the Pac-10. All in all, Gardner won four titles and placed in every tournament he competed in, leading a combined 28 tournament placers and five tournament champions on the year. As a team, Stanford wrestlers combined to win 289 matches, pin 64 opponents and beat 13 ranked individuals. The squad now bids farewell to two of the best wrestlers in school history, but the landmarks the Cardinal reached this season are merely a starting point for next year. "We had an incredible year," says Head Coach Kerry McCoy. "A lot of records were broken, a lot of standards were raised and we're very happy about that. Although there was some disappointment, when you step back and look at what we accomplished - two All-Americans, finishing second at Pac-10s, nine conference placers, 13 dual wins, five NCAA qualifiers, a top-20 NCAA finish – it's all pretty good. We have a lot of good, young guys coming back, as well as three NCAA qualifiers, which gives us a great mixture of experience and youth. We look forward to having a good summer and will pick up where we left off."

DES MOINES, IA -- The accolades keep coming for the NCAA and Big Ten Champion University of Iowa wrestling team. Iowa Governor Chet Culver will proclaim Thursday (April 3rd), "University of Iowa Wrestling Day" in the state of Iowa. The recognition will come in a ceremony at 4 p.m. that day in the Governor's office at the State Capitol in Des Moines. The entire Hawkeye squad has been invited to participate in the ceremony. Iowa won its 21st NCAA title - the first for Head Coach Tom Brands and the first for the Hawkeyes since 2000 - and crowned two individual champions and seven all-Americans at the 2008 national tournament in St. Louis two weeks ago. Brands was named National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and Big Ten Coach of the Year this season. Senior 165-pounder Mark Perry won his second national title at the event, becoming Iowa's 14th two-time NCAA champion. He also earned his fourth-all-America honor, becoming Iowa's 17th four-time all-American. Sophomore 149-pounder Brent Metcalf was Iowa's other NCAA champion, earning his first all-America honor and ending the season on a 32-match winning streak. Metcalf earned the Dan Hodge trophy last week, which is annually presented to the nation's top collegiate wrestler. Iowa's lone Big Ten champion, Metcalf was named Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA and Big Ten Championships, and at the Division I NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. He was also named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year. The NCAA title capped off a strong season for the Hawkeye wrestling team. The squad won Iowa's 32nd Big Ten title - the first for Brands - at the conference championships in Minneapolis at the beginning of March. The Hawkeyes won the Big Ten regular season title with a perfect 8-0 conference record, while posting a 21-1 overall dual record. Iowa won its last 14 dual matches.

William Penn University Athletics Director Greg Hafner has announced the hiring of Eric Reed as head wrestling coach. Eric ReedReed served as an assistant coach in the program this past year, helping the team to a 3-2 dual record and a 15th-place finish at the NAIA National Tournament. He guided three individuals to All-American status, while two wrestlers claimed Central Regional Tournament crowns. Reed, who came to Penn after being the head coach at Central from 2004 to the summer of 2007, also skippered the Wabash (Ind.) program from 2002 to 2004. At Wabash, he guided one All-American as well as helping the squad finish second at the Midwest Regional Tournament in 2004, the highest team finish in 18 years. He has also been an assistant coach at the high school level. A 1994 graduate of Wisconsin-La Crosse with a degree in biology, Reed extended his education to a graduate program, also at UW-La Crosse, earning his master's in science and sport science-pedagogy in 2000. While at UW-La Crosse, Reed also succeeded on the mat, garnering All-American honors twice. He has also organized and instructed various camps throughout the Midwest and has competed for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club as well.

This week we return to our home based Brute Adidas studios in Des Moines for a fantastic show. We were happy to broadcast the AAU Iowa kids Folk style Tournament with a record number of fans in attendance and a record number of listeners. Wrestling in unbelievable. This week on TDR: Brent Metcalf - U of Iowa,2007/08 NCAA Champion and his father Tom Metcalf (Metcalf Electric) join us to discuss Brent's youth, his HS and Collegiate run and his recent incredible season. He is this years recipient of the coveted Hodge award. Congrats! What lies next for this NCAA Champion? Tune in and find out. Tanner Gardner - Stanford's all-time winningest wrestler and first three-time All-American. After placing eighth and seventh in his previous two trips, the Kansas native placed fifth at 125 pounds for coach Kerry McCoy and the Cardinal. With 145 wins, Gardner has set the standard for excellence at Stanford. Jordan Cronin - This our first Resilite Focus on a High School Athlete Kahlil Gibran stated, "Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing what will be." Incline Kids Wrestling Club athlete Jordan Cronin certainly continues to progress remarked Incline Kids Wrestling Coach Tony Guerra. "When Jordan steps out onto the mat, he has a plan, he has a purpose. Most importantly though he has the guts to dream big and do the work that it takes to live his dream." Cronin, a 6'4" 260 pound Nevada sophomore and 2008 Nevada Union FS/GR Tourney Champion. Cronin is actively working toward his goal of wrestling in college and tournaments such as the highly competitive Nevada Union Tourney serve to help him prepare for this summers USA Wrestling Freestyle and Greco-Roman National Championships. Held in Fargo North Dakota July 17-26 2008, the tournament is regarded is a showcase of the nations most talented wrestlers. Cronin the 2x defending state champion in the heavyweight division will compete head to head with our nations best and most competitive athletes for all American status and a national title. Cronin, at 16 years old, will likely be one of the youngest athletes to compete in the "Junior Division" which is generally populated by 17 and 18 year olds. Asked how he feels about the opportunity to compete at a higher level, "I feel I've got a lot to give. I feel good about raising the bar." Cronin replied. "We should welcome the chance to challenge ourselves if we want to excel." Cung Le - MMA Sensation. Star of Elite XC, Showtime and CBS TV joins us to discuss his recent victory over legendary MMA star Frank Shamrock. What's in store for this quiet, well spoken very nice young man? Practice, practice and more training. Not many people gave him credit in the fight against Shamrock but Le stayed true to his game and like a spider drew Frank in to his web of high kicks and hard punches. Le has a tremendous wrestling background as most MMA stars do but his ground game is not one to mess with. When GSP was on the show 3 weeks ago he predicted (off air) that Le would win based on leg striking alone. This has not been a good month for the Shamrock brothers with Ken loosing to a relatively unknown fighter only weeks ago. Jordan Leen - Only the second NCAA champion in history from the state of Tennessee, Leen rode an improbable wave to the NCAA championship from the #8 seed. He beat top-seeded Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro, #12 Josh Zupancic of Stanford and #2 Mike Poeta of Illinois to claim the title at 157 pounds. Phil "P-Diddy" Davis - NCAA Champion for Penn State. The senior made two NCAA finals and placed at the tournament four times after a high school career that only found him placing fourth as his highest state accolade. Never a district or state champion, Davis became one of four four-time All-Americans this season. His unorthodox style made him fun to watch and Davis always rose to the occasion for big matches. He can put up points in a hurry. Josh Zupancic - Two-time All-American from wrestling powerhouse Walsh Jesuit High School in Ohio. Zupancic left Big Ten country in the Midwest for a gig at Stanford. Under Kerry McCoy, Zupancic placed twice at the NCAA tournament. Zupancic joins teammate Tanner Gardner and former wrestler Chris Horpel and the program's only two-time All-Americans. Zupancic finished seventh last year.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Jesse Ventura and Tolly Thompson. "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. Ventura was a successful pro wrestler who became the governor of Minnesota from 1999 through 2003. Known as "The Body," Ventura has appeared in several movies, including two with California governor Arnold Scwarznegger. In 2003, Ventura was given the Frank Gotch Award for bringing respect and positive recognition to professional wrestling. Ventura has written a new book entitled "Don't Start the Revolution Without Me!," which was released on April 1, 2008. Thompson was an NCAA wrestling champion for the University of Nebraska in 1995 and a three-time All-American. A native of Janesville, Iowa, Thompson became the only native born Iowan to win a world medal when he earned a bronze at the 2005 World Championships. Thompson, who still competes and is an assistant wrestling coach for the University of Northern Iowa, will be one of the special guests for Frank Gotch Day. Frank Gotch Day will held on April 3, 2008, in Waterloo, Iowa, to commemorate Frank Gotch's victory over George Hackenschmidt on April 3, 1908. Gotch's win over Hackenschmidt is considered one of the seminal moments in wrestling. "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.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Lou Rosselli, an assistant coach for the Ohio State wrestling team, was honored by the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Alumni Association at the Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony Saturday. Rosselli was the recipient of the Young Alumni Award. The second-year OSU coach, who recently helped guide two individual Buckeye national champions at the 2008 NCAA Championships en route to Ohio State's program-best second-place finish, earned the honor for achieving distinction in his career and exceptional service to the University. A 1993 graduate of Edinboro with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education, Rosselli began his coaching career at Edinboro, helping the Fighting Scots to eight Eastern Wrestling League tournament championships. Internationally, Rosselli was named the 2007 U.S. Freestyle World Team Coach for the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. He also served as the U.S. World Team coach in 2006 and led the freestyle squad to a third-place finish at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China. In 2005, Rosselli guided the World University Games squad to three gold medals. Also an Edinboro University Athletic Hall of Fame member, Rosselli was a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team. Initially presented in 1976, the Distinguished Alumni Award was established to recognize outstanding alumni and the University's tradition of excellence.

Augustana wrestler Ty Copsey has been the 2007-08 North Central Conference Freshman of the Year in a vote of the league's head coaches, the NCC office announced today. Copsey, a 197-pound freshman from Glenwood, Iowa, enjoyed one of the most successful seasons by a Viking freshman. He compiled a 31-7 overall record to go along with a 6-1 dual record, won the North Regional title and earned All-America honors by placing fourth at the NCAA Division II National Championships. Copsey, whose 31 victories led the team, enjoyed a lot of success during the regular season. He won the Daktronics Open and earned runner-up finishes at the Dakota Wesleyan Open, the UNK Loper Open and the Midwest Classic. He then went 3-0 at the regional meet to win the regional title.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The Western Wrestling Conference has announced its 2007-08 All-Conference teams. Individuals earned their spots on the respective teams with their finish at the 2008 NCAA West Regional on March 8 in Fargo, N.D. The University of Northern Iowa led the way with six first-team honorees. The United States Air Force Academy added two first-teamers. North Dakota State University and the University of Northern Colorado each had one wrestler on the first team. UNI had all 10 wrestlers earn all-conference recognition. Air Force, Northern Colorado and the University of Wyoming all had five wrestlers earn all-league honors. Each school that competed at this year's West Regional had at least one individual on the all-conference squads. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley State and Wyoming. The conference formed in April 2006. 2007-08 WWC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM - FIRST TEAM 125 - Eric Hoffman (NDSU), Sr., Davenport, Iowa (Davenport North HS/Iowa Central CC) 133 - Josh Baldridge (UNI), Jr., Haysville, Kan. (Campus HS/Labette CC) 141 - Jake Kriegbaum (Air Force), Sr., Abilene, Kan. (Abilene HS) 149 - Nick Pickerell (UNI), R-Fr., Albia, Iowa (Centerville HS) 157 - Tyson Reiner (UNI), So., Mitchell, S.D. (Mitchell HS) 165 - Moza Fay (UNI), Jr., Anamosa, Iowa (Anamosa HS) 174 - Tyler French (Air Force), So., Malta, Mont. (Malta HS) 184 - Andy O'Loughlin (UNI), R-Fr., Independence, Iowa (Independence HS) 197 - Andrew Anderson (UNI), Jr., Sioux City, Iowa (Sioux City East HS) 285 - Reece Hopkin (Northern Colorado), Sr., Kersey, Colo. (Platte Valley HS) 2007-08 WWC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM - SECOND TEAM 125 - Tony Mustari (Northern Colorado), So., Greeley, Colo. (Greeley Central HS) 133 - Cory VomBaur (Wyoming), So., Vancouver, Wash. (Evergreen HS) 141 - Carter Downing (Wyoming), Sr., Woodruff, Utah (Evanston {Wyo.} HS) 149 - Ryan Adams (NDSU), So., Coon Rapids, Minn. (Coon Rapids HS) 157 - Tony Dorward (Air Force), Sr., Seattle, Wash. (Mt. Ranier HS) 165 - Stephen Crozier (Air Force), Jr., Monona, Iowa (MFL-Mar-Mac HS) 174 - Alex Dolly (UNI), Sr., Mishawaka, Ind. (Mishawaka HS) 184 - Jacob Devlin (Air Force), Sr., Livingston, N.J. (Livingston HS) 197 - Jacob Bryce (NDSU), Jr., Glenwood, Minn. (Minnewaska Area HS) 285 - Jason Still (Wyoming), Sr., Aurora, Colo. (Gateway HS) 2007-08 WWC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM - THIRD TEAM 125 - Caleb Flores (UNI), R-Fr., Rosemead, Calif. (Northview HS) 133 - Eric Sanders (NDSU), Sr., Wabasha, Minn. (Wabasha-Kellogg HS) 141 - C.J. Ettelson (UNI), Sr., Hudson, Iowa (Hudson HS) 149 - Cole Dallaserra (Wyoming), R-Fr., Butte, Mont. (Butte HS) 157 - Rocco DePaolo (Northern Colorado), R-Fr., Aurora, Colo. (Eaglecrest HS) 165 - Eric Coxbill (Wyoming), Jr., Wright, Wyo. (Wright HS) 174 - Ryan Johnson (Northern Colorado), Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo. (Doherty HS) 184 - Tyler Sorenson (SDSU), So., Garretson, S.D. (Garretson HS) 197 - Patrick Carey (Northern Colorado), Phoenix, Ariz. (Marcos de Niza HS) 285 - Dustin Bauman (UNI), R-Fr., Stratford, Wis. (Stratford HS)

The Western Wrestling Conference has announced its award winners for the 2007-08 season. Air Force's Joel Sharratt was voted Coach of the Year, UNI's Nick Pickerell was named Freshman of the Year and UNI's Moza Fay earned Wrestler of Year honors. The awards were voted on by the league's head coaches. Sharratt, who is in his second season as the Falcons' head wrestling coach, has been named the 2007-08 WWC Coach of the Year. He led Air Force to a second-place finish at the 2008 NCAA West Regional and qualified four wrestlers for the NCAA Championships. The Falcons posted a 9-9 overall dual mark to go along with a 3-2 record in WWC dual action. The Panthers' Pickerell (Albia, Iowa) has been named WWC Freshman of the Year. Pickerell posted a 21-9 overall record and won 149-pound West Regional title to earn a spot into the NCAA Championships. Pickerell lost an 8-6 decision to No. 12-seeded Morgan Atkinson (Cal State Fullerton) in his first-round NCAA match after leading 5-1. He scored a pair of wins over national qualifier Ryan Adam (NDSU) this season. Pickerell went 3-2 in dual action. He also picked up first-place honors in the 149-pound weight class at the Jim Fox Open on Dec. 8 and the Flash Flanagan Open on Jan. 5. UNI's Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) has been named WWC Wrestler of the Year. Fay, 25-8 overall and 6-0 vs. WWC opponents, became the conference's first All-American after placing fifth at 165 pounds at the 2008 NCAA Championships. At the NCAAs, Fay went 5-2 with wins over ranked foes No. 5 Stephen Dwyer (Nebraska), No. 9 Trevor Stewert (Central Michigan) and No. 10 Michael Cannon (American). Fay earned his second trip to the NCAA Championships after winning the 165-pound NCAA West Regional title on March 8. Earlier this season he won the 165-pound title at the Loras Open on Nov. 10 and placed second at the Kaufman-Brand Open on Nov. 17. Fay led the Panthers this year with 11 pins. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley State and Wyoming. The conference formed in April 2006.

On Saturday, March 29, at the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood, Minnesota, two former Minnesota standout wrestlers, Marcus LeVesseur and Joey Clark, will be featured in mixed martial arts (MMA) fights in an event put on by Seconds Out Promotions called "Evolution." The event will be comprised of four boxing fights and three MMA fights. It is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. with the doors set to open at 5 p.m. It will be the first boxing and MMA fight that Minnesota has ever put on. "I think we are starting to see a paradigm shift in the whole market," said Tony Grygelko, who has owned and operated Seconds Out promotions since 2006 "Boxing was dead for a long time here in Minnesota. We are really starting to build it back up. Now that our company is getting involved in MMA, we're really excited about building this sport up, too. I think we can make some things really happen positively with MMA." LeVesseur and Clark will be the final two MMA fights on the event card. Marcus LeVesseur (Photo/The Guillotine)LeVesseur (10-1), who was a four-time NCAA Division III champion with a perfect 155-0 record while wrestling for Augsburg, will take on Bryant Clark (3-2) in a three-round welterweight fight. LeVesseur is widely considered to be one of the top wrestlers the state of Minnesota has ever produced. Prior to his collegiate mat dominance, LeVesseur was a four-time Minnesota state high school champion with a dazzling 218-12 record while competing for Minneapolis Roosevelt and Bloomington Kennedy. He owns the longest consecutive wins streak in the history of the Minnesota State High School League with 141. "Marcus LeVesseur is incredibly talented," said Grygelko, who wrestled at Augsburg before becoming a professional boxer. "The kid is so gifted. It doesn't matter what he does. I think he could be a gymnast and be a world champion. He has some sick skill." Grygelko's father-in-law, Ron Lyke, who is one of the top boxing trainers in the world and one of the most respected men in the industry, has also come away extremely impressed by what he has seen thus far from LeVesseur, who goes by the nickname "The Prospect." "We brought Ron over a few times to see Marcus fight and he was just like, 'Wow, that kid is phenomenal,'" said Grygelko. "He said that he would love to work with somebody like that. Normally, when you get a top trainer like that … not that they aren't looking for talent, but it's not too often that they say, 'Hey, I would love to work with this guy.' But he was like, 'Wow, I'm just blown away by how talented the kid is. I would love to help him with his striking. I could really help the kid become a top fighter.'" Joey Clark (Photo/Sherdog.com)Joey Clark, who will fight B.J. Lacy in the main event on Saturday, thinks LeVesseur has an extremely bright future in MMA. "Marcus LeVesseur is tough," said Clark, who goes by the nickname "The Sandman". "He takes his wrestling credentials with him to the MMA world. He's ready to go to the next level. He just needs to pull the pin and go. I don't think he should be held back any longer. I think he should just take the next step and go to the next level. He could be phenomenal." Clark, a former U.S. Marines Greco-Roman wrestler who placed everywhere from fourth to eighth at the U.S. Nationals and U.S. World Team Trials, is ready for his middleweight fight against Lacy. "I feel prepared for it," said the 31-year-old Clark, who is the older brother of Greco-Roman Olympic hopeful Jake Clark. "He's more just a stand up and bang guy. I feel that with my wrestling experience, once I get inside to the body, I should be able to capitalize and win the fight." The event card will also feature some accomplished local boxers, including Caleb Truax, who has a 4-0 record with three knockouts, and Kenny Kost, who sports a 13-3 record with six knockouts. "Caleb Truax is kind of the Minnesota kid who everyone thinks is going to win the world title," said Grygelko. "He has all the skill and all the power. He graduated from the University Minnesota with a political science degree. He has looked good and is one of the top prospects in the nation right now at super middleweight." Seconds Out Promotions has put on seven boxing events since November of 2006. One of the shows, on January 12, 2007, which took place at the Target Center in Minneapolis, was the highest grossing boxing event in Minnesota history. Seconds Out Promotions also brought in the Showtime Cable Network on April 6, 2007. Because of the fact that boxing fights often take longer to develop than MMA fights, Grygelko felt it was important to wait a while before exposing boxing fans to MMA. "What I didn't want to do is expose boxing fans to MMA right away," said Grygelko. "I wanted to try to slowly expose them to it with good fights. Joey Clark vs. B.J. Lacy and Marcus LeVesseur vs. Bryant Clark are really good fights that should be very entertaining. I think it's great for the sport of MMA." Tickets prices for "Evolution" are $45 for ringside seats, $35 for reserved seating, and $25 for general admission. Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at 651.989.5151. For more information, visit www.soboxing.com.

This weekend TDR's mobile Brute Adidas studios will be LIVE at the Iowa AAU State Tournament at Vets in Des Moines, Iowa. After the fantastic NCAA Championships this past weekend in St. Louis we'll catch our breath for a couple days and then its right back in to the fire as we broadcast the This event like many around the country helps us stay in touch with the many kids that wrestle, their families, their attitudes, likes and dislikes and the fact that for many this is something they do for fun and enjoyment. It's still competitive, there are still tears and friendships, smiles and handshakes, but in true AAU fashion its fun and competitive. Join us LIVE this Saturday morning 9:06 AM to 8:00 PM CST and Sunday 10AM to 2PM for the action, the excitement and interviews of this monster tournament. The show will continue throughout each of the days at Takedownradio.com Special thanks and TDR recognition to Lee Pamulak for his many years of service to the kids and families of the AAU. What a kind hearted, gentle giant of a man is Lee Pamulak!

AMES, Iowa -- The Iowa State wrestling team will host its annual awards banquet on Tuesday, April 1 at Hickory Hall in Ames. Fans are welcome to attend the ceremony to honor the two-time Big 12 team champions. Check-in and social hour will begin at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and awards at 7 p.m. Tickets are limited and can be purchased for $20. To reserve a spot, contact Molly Donnelly at 515-294-4872 or mdonnely@iastate.edu. Tickets will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.

Rev Audio: Keith Gavin (Pittsburgh) PITTSBURGH -- University of Pittsburgh head wrestling coach Rande Stottlemyer and 2008 National Champion Keith Gavin have been honored by the Eastern Wrestling League for a stellar 2007-08 season, it was announced today by the league office. Stottlemyer was named as the conference's Coach of the Year and Gavin its Wrestler of the Year. Stottlemyer led the Panthers to a 13-4 dual meet record, including a 5-1 mark in conference action, and program-best finishes at the Midlands Championships and the EWL Tournament this season. At the conference championships, his squad captured four EWL crowns, the most in Pitt's rich wrestling history, and grabbed second place in the team standings, tying the school's highest finish at the tournament. During his 29 years at the helm of Pitt Wrestling, Stottlemyer has produced two NCAA National Champions - Gavin and two-time champion Pat Santoro - 26 All-Americans, 113 national qualifiers and 29 EWL champions. In 19 of the past 25 years, he and his staff have coached at least one NCAA All-American and have seen their teams finish within the top-30 at the NCAA Championships. Pitt finished the 2008 regular season at No. 23 in the USA Today/Intermat/NWCA poll, marking the sixth time in the past 11 seasons that the Panthers have ended the year in the nation's top-25. The honor marks Stottlemyer's third Coach of the Year accolade, as he was also bestowed the award in 1986 and 1989. Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna) is the reigning NCAA Champion at 174 pounds after his 4-2 defeat of No.2 Steve Luke of Michigan this past weekend in St. Louis, Mo. The victory capped a remarkable senior season in which Gavin went a perfect 27-0, including victories at the Midlands Championships and the EWL Tournament. Over the past two seasons, he has accumulated a record of 55-4, which equates to a winning percentage of .932. Gavin finished his career as a Panther with the 8th most pins and tied for the 9th most wins in school history. Gavin's performance in St. Louis made him the school's 16th National Champion and the first since Santoro accomplished the feat in 1988 and 1989. Gavin's unblemished record is also Pitt's first undefeated season since Santoro went 48-0 as a junior during the 1988 campaign. Last season, Gavin went 28-4 and advanced to the finals of the NCAA Tournament where he captured second place and his first All-America honor. At the conclusion of the 2006-07 season, he was also recognized by WrestlingReport.com as their 2007 Pennsylvania Wrestler of the Year. This season, Gavin is expected to be in the running for the Hodge Award, which is given to the nation's most outstanding wrestler.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Tom Brands and Mike Chapman. "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. Brands is the head wrestling coach of the University of Iowa wrestling team that won the 2008 NCAA championship this past weekend. The Hawkeyes scored 117.5 points and were 38.5 points ahead of team runner up Ohio State. The Iowa wrestling team sent three wrestlers to the finals, winning two individual titles. Overall the Hawkeyes had seven wrestlers earn All-American honors. Chapman is the executive director of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum and the author of a new book entitled "The Life and Legacy of Frank Gotch." This is Chapman's third book on Gotch. Frank Gotch Day will be celebrated on April 3, 2008, in Humboldt (Gotch's hometown), Waterloo and at the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum here. The museum is planning several activities and has invited everyone to participate. April 3, 2008, will commemorate the 100-year anniversary of Gotch's win over George Hackenschmidt to win the world heavyweight wrestling championship. Gotch's victory in Chicago on April 3, 1908, was a pivotal moment in wrestling history. Gotch's victory set off a wild celebration among sports fans in Humboldt, across Iowa and around the nation. Chapman will discuss Frank Gotch Day and Gotch's importance to wrestling. "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.

Two-time NCAA champion Mark Perry has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for March 18-24. The top-ranked Hawkeye wrestling team won its 21st national title and crowned two individual champions in Perry and sophomore 149-pounder Brent Metcalf at the 2008 NCAA Championships last weekend in St. Louis, MO. It was Iowa's first team title since 2000, and the first time the Hawkeyes crowned more than one NCAA champion since Doug Schwab and T.J. Williams won titles in 1999. Iowa scored 117.5 team points in the victory, more than doubling its NCAA point total (57) from 2007. Iowa and runner-up Ohio State were the only teams with two individual champions. Perry became Iowa's 14th two-time NCAA champion when he defeated Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum in the 165-pound finals, 5-2. It was the fifth time the two had met, with each wrestler owning two wins. Perry scored a takedown in the first 19 seconds of the match and rode Tannenbaum the entire first period. He took a 3-0 lead early in the second period on an optional start escape, but injured his right knee in a scramble. Perry injured the same knee in January and sat out the entire Big Ten dual season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery. Tannenbaum scored a third-period takedown to make the score 3-2, but released Perry and did not score again. Perry's riding time point made the final score 5-2. The senior from Stillwater, OK, ended his Hawkeye career with a 96-16 record, going 20-3 this season. A three-time NCAA finalist and four-time Big Ten finalist, Perry is Iowa's 17th four-time all-American. Perry is the third Hawkeye to earn the national weekly honor this season. Metcalf was named Wrestler of the Week on Jan. 16 and Mar. 12, and sophomore 133-pounder Joe Slaton was picked on Dec. 12.

Rev Audio: Jordan Leen (Cornell) Rev Profile: Mack Lewnes (Cornell) ITHACA, N.Y. -- Big Red wrestling's Jordan Leen was named the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association's (EIWA) Wrestler of the Year, while rookie Mack Lewnes earned Freshman of the Year honors. Leen won the NCAA title at 157 pounds in St. Louis last weekend to earn his second All-America honors. Placing fourth at 165 pounds, Lewnes also became an All-American. The duo helped lead the Big Red to a ninth-place team finish with 67 points. Leen (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) upset three ranked wrestlers en route to his title. In his opening bout, he defeated returning All-American Ryan Hluschak of Drexel, 4-3, and followed with a 4-1 decision over Maryland's Brian Letters. In the quarterfinals, Leen defeated the No. 1 seed, Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro, 8-6, before advancing to the finals with a 9-2 victory over No. 12 Josh Zupancic of Stanford. Leen, the lowest seeded wrestler in the finals, won the title with a 5-4 win over No. 2 Mike Poeta of Illinois. The junior became just the second collegiate wrestler from Tennessee to ever win a NCAA championship. Leen registered a 3-1 mark at the EIWA tournament to place second and qualify for his third NCAA tournament. He continued his perfect record against Ivy competition over his career (14-0) to earn his third first-team All-Ivy honor. Leen captained the Big Red to its sixth-straight Ivy League title this season. He opened his junior campaign by placing second at the Brute Binghamton Open and followed by winning the title at the Body Bar Invitational. Leen also placed first at the Reno Tournament of Champions. In dual matches this season, he had a 7-1 record. With eight major decisions, he has the second most on the team. Leen has 89 career victories, which ties him for 17th on the Big Red all-time wins list. At 165 pounds, Lewnes (Annapolis, Md.) earned his first All-America honors placing fourth at the NCAA tournament. He was the only freshman to advance to the semifinals. The rookie opened the tournament with a 5-3 win over Old Dominion's Chris Brown, and followed with a pin in 4:09 against West Virginia's Donald Jones. In the quarterfinals, he won 6-5 in a tiebreaker against No. 5 Stephen Dwyer of Nebraska. Lewnes then faced No. 1 seed, and eventual NCAA champion, Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan. Tannenbaum advanced to the finals with a 4-0 win over the Big Red wrestler. In the wrestlebacks, Lewnes pinned No. 10 Michael Cannon of American to advance to the third-place bout. He placed fourth after being edged out, 3-2, by No. 3 Nick Marable of Missouri. Lewnes defeated all four of his opponents at the EIWA championships en route to winning his first individual title at 165 pounds and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Lewnes is second on the team in wins with 36, and has just five losses. He also is second among the Big Red in pins with 13. Lewnes opened his rookie campaign with a 12-match win streak where he won titles at the Brute Binghamton Open and Body Bar Invitational. He also placed first at the Reno Tournament of Champions and Southern Scuffle.