InterMat Staff

Event: UFC 96: Jackson vs. Jardine Date: March 7, 2009 Venue: Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio) Saturday night brings another UFC event to Columbus, Ohio. Let's take a look at the card. Quinton "Rampage" JacksonIn the main event, light-heavyweight, Keith "The Dean of Mean" JARDINE (14-5-1) is coming off a split decision victory over Brandon Vera. And a devastating beating that he took at the hands (and feet) of Wanderlei Silva. He was also overwhelmed and KO'd by Houston Alexander. Yet, he's cut down Chuck Liddell and upset Forrest Griffin. That's the problem. He's incredibly inconsistent. He will have his hands full with former champion Quinton "Rampage" JACKSON (29-7), whose dehydration and mental meltdown last year make him a mystery to figure out as well. For Jardine to win, he will need to be persistent and relentless with his kicks, as he was against the Iceman, effectively keeping his opponent away. I don't see that happening, as I think Rampage will unleash his fury early and end the bounty-hunter's night early with a second-round KO, as he positions himself once again for a UFC title shot. Take JACKSON and lay the juice @-320. The public is pounding the favorite and driving the betting line upward. In an interesting match-up of heavyweight sluggers, Shane CARWIN (10-0) is the very popular underdog with a perfect record, ending each of his fights in the very first round! His mission will be to show if he is ready for the likes of one Gabriel "Napao" GONZAGA (10-3), who is best known for decapitating Mirko Cro-Crop with a vicious kick to the head. This is a real matchup of crowd-pleasing fighters. And, this one ain't going to the judges scorecards! Though Carwin is known as a powerful wrestler, he usually stands and brawls. Gonzaga's best shot is on the ground where his far superior jiu-jitsu skills will take over. Take GONZAGA @ -170 to win by second- round submission by rear-naked choke. Two fighters fighting to stay in the UFC are matched up in a questionable main card appearance. Welterweight, Matt BROWN (11-7), brings an aggressive, well-rounded fight game to the octagon. He seems to be in every fight, but wins only slightly more than he loses. Same with his opponent, Pete "Drago" SELL (8-5), another brawler who likes to push the pace. This fight should have lots of action. Take BROWN as a slight underdog @ +115 to do enough to win a close decision. In what is a wrestler's dream, rising UFC newcomer, and former NCAA Division I national wrestling champion Mark "The Philippine Wrecking Machine" MUNOZ (5-0) meets Matt "The Hammer" HAMILL (7-2) in a light-heavyweight battle. Hamill opened as a -250 favorite, but the public quickly bet on Munoz, who still stands at a tempting +140 underdog. I like Hamill's experience and improved striking techniques, but I also like the value offered with Munoz, and the fact that he is seen by Dana White as a quick and rising star in order to get main card exposure like this. A win over Hamill would go a long way towards rewarding that confidence. Take MUNOZ @ +140 to upset Matt Hamill with a shocking chicken-wing-to-a-pin move that leads to a third-round ground-and-pound TKO. Former Michigan State All-American, lightweight Gray MAYNARD (7-0-1) brings his undefeated record into the Octagon to be tested by Jim MILLER (13-1). The answer to tonight's winner can be found in Frankie Edgar, whose only loss was to Maynard, and who also gave Miller his only loss! If form holds true. Maynard will use his brute strength to overpower a feisty Miller who will be frantically looking for submission holds to end his misery. Take MAYNARD @ -165 to beat Miller by second-round armbar submission. On the undercard: Take welterweight Tamden "the Barncat" McCRORY (11-2) @ -290 to use his lanky body and reach advantage to frustrate UFC newcomer, Ryan "the Lion" MADIGAN (5-0). If he doesn't get his 1st round KO, he will end it in the second- round with a guillotine choke submission. Take middleweight, Kendall "Da Spyder" GROVE @ -185 to also use his distance advantage to score a decision over Jason "Dooms" DAY (17-6). Take light-heavyweight Brandon "The Truth" VERA (9-3), @ -500 to put his opponent, Michael PATT (15-3), away early with some vicious Muay Thai knees to the head. This is my one "bridge jump" play of the night. Take Big Tim "The Barbarian" BOETSCH (8-2) @ -130 to shove Jason BRITZ (16-1-1) against the cage and unload his relentless arsenal of fists and elbows to score a first-round KO of his startled opponent. … and take energetic and experienced Aaron RILEY (27-10-1) @ -200 to outscore an overmatched Shane NELSON (12-3) and win a decision. So, now let's put our handicapping to the test and see what we can do with our "fictitious" $1000 bankroll … ready? Let's go big on Rampage Jackson. We'll lay $192 to win $ 60. Easy money. Lay $102 to win $60 on Gabriel Gonzaga. Let's lay $70 to win $98 on Mark Munoz. Let's lay $40 to win $46 on Matt Brown. Let's lay $99 to win $60 on Gray Maynard. Lay $116 to win $40 on Barncat McCrory. Lay $111 to win $60 on Kendall Grove. Lay $ 65 to win $50 on Tim Boetsch. Lay $100 to win a Jackson ($20) on Brandon Vera's bridge jump. Lay $100 to win $50 on Aaron Riley. That's it. In summary, we are laying $995 to win $544. Let's donate the remaining $5 and our winnings to our local youth wrestling programs! Enjoy the fights. I know I will. More later. The UFC Monster

LINCOLN -- Official seedings for Saturday's Big 12 Wrestling Championship were announced by the league office tonight. Seedings are finalized by a vote of the conference coaches and are based on head-to-head competition against Big 12 opponents, highest-ranked common opponents and current national rankings. Six NU wrestlers earned a top-three seed to avoid the pigtail round, including junior Jordan Burroughs (157) and Vince Jones (184) at No. 1. The two natives of Sicklerville, N.J., both enter the Big 12 Championship undefeated in conference action. Craig Brester (197) and Brandon Browne (174) are No. 2 seeds, while Robert Sanders (149) and Stephen Dwyer (165) earned the third seed in their respective weight class. A full list of the final seedings is below. Doors to the NU Coliseum open at 10 a.m. with the pigtail round set to begin at 11 a.m. and semifinals at noon. The second session commences at 4 p.m. with consolation matches, while the finals start at 7 p.m. Tickets can still be purchased at the door. All-session packages are $20 for reserved seating or $15 for general admission, while single-session tickets are $12 for reserved and $8 for general admission. 2009 Big 12 Championship Official Seedings: 125 Pounds 1. Joey Fio – OU 2. Obenson Blanc – OSU 3. Tyler Clark – ISU 4. Troy Dolan – MU 5. Andy Pokorny – NU 133 Pounds 1. Nick Fanthorpe – ISU 2. Chris Notte – OSU 3. Brian Shelton – OU 4. Matt Vacanti – NU 5. Todd Schavrien - MU 141 Pounds 1. Marcus Hoehn – MU 2. Nick Gallick – ISU 3. Jamal Parks – OSU 4. Seth Vernon – OU 5. Curtis Salazar – NU 149 Pounds 1. Kyle Terry – OU 2. Mitch Mueller – ISU 3. Robert Sanders – NU 4. Andrew Sherry – MU 5. Luke Silver – OSU 157 Pounds 1. Jordan Burroughs – NU 2. Michael Chandler – MU 3. Cyler Sanderson – ISU 4. Robert Erisman – OSU 5. Chad Terry – OU 165 Pounds 1. Nick Marable – MU 2. Jon Reader – ISU 3. Stephen Dwyer – NU 4. Brandon Mason – OSU 5. Ryan Smith – OU 174 Pounds 1. Raymond Jordan – MU 2. Brandon Browne – NU 3. Newly McSpadden – OSU 4. Jeff James – OU 5. Duke Burk – ISU 184 Pounds 1. Vince Jones – NU 2. Jerome Ward – ISU 3. Pat Flynn – OU 4. Dorian Henderson – MU 5. Chris McNeill – OSU 197 Pounds 1. Jake Varner – ISU 2. Craig Brester – NU 3. Max Askren – MU 4. Clayton Foster – OSU 5. Eric Lapotsky – OU Heavyweight 1. David Zabriskie – ISU 2. Mark Ellis – MU 3. Jared Rosholt – OSU 4. Tucker Lane – NU 5. Nathan Fernandez – OU

The pre-seeds have been released for the 2009 EIWA Championships. 125: 1. Troy Nickerson CORNELL (Jr 16-0) 112 2. Rollie Peterkin Penn (Jr 18-4) 98 3. Derek Reber BUCKNELL (Fr 27-9) 84 4. Thomas Williams AMERICAN (Fr 18-12) 69 5. Prescott Garner NAVY (Fr 25-12) 57 6. Lance Penhale ARMY (Jr 23-12) 42 7. Greg Einfrank BROWN (So 11-7) 24 8. John McDonald LEHIGH (Fr 8-8) 7 9. Matt Fusco RUTGERS (Fr 18-12) 6 10. Kevin Tao COLUMBIA (Fr 16-11) 5 David Luthy ESU (So 5-19) Robert Benitez PRINCETON (Sr 3-22) 133: 1. Joe Baker NAVY (Sr 11-0) 112 2. Mike Grey CORNELL (So 20-7) 98 3. Matt Fisk LEHIGH (Jr 22-6) 84 4. David Marble BUCKNELL (Jr 24-8) 70 5. Bryan Ortenzio Penn (So 20-13) 55 6. Jasen Borshoff AMERICAN (So 16-10) 40 7. Whitt Dunning ARMY (Sr 17-13) 27 8. Thomas Picarsic HARVARD (Sr 8-5) 15 9. Matt Swallow ESU (Sr 17-11) 3 Eli Harris BROWN (Sr 8-11) Ross Baldwin BROWN (Sr 4-6) Andrew Grabfelder COLUMBIA (Fr 13-11) Matt Murray F&M (Fr 4-18) Mike DeMarco RUTGERS (So 12-18) 141: 1. Corey Jantzen Harvardvard (So 11-1) 112 2. Seth Ciasulli LEHIGH (Jr 20-8) 98 3. Rick Rappo Penn (Sr 15-6) 79 4. Trevor Melde RUTGERS (Fr 22-7) 73 5. Matt Mariacher AMERICAN (Fr 17-10) 56 6. Stephen DeLorenzo BROWN (So 16-6) 40 7. William Simpson ARMY (Sr 14-4) 18 8. Corey Manson CORNELL (So 7-12) 13 9. Matt Pagan NAVY (Jr 16-13) 12 10. Adam Healey BUCKNELL (Fr 17-18) 3 Matt Michaels ESU (Fr 0-3) Frank Higgin F&M (Fr 4-12) 149: 1. Matt Kyler ARMY (Jr 36-4) 112 2. Bryce Saddoris NAVY (So 36-5) 96 3. Trevor Chinn LEHIGH (Sr 25-7) 83 4. Cesar Grajales Penn (Sr 23-7) 63 5. Kyle Borshoff AMERICAN (So 24-4) 60 6. Kevin LeValley BUCKNELL (So 25-10) 47 7. D. J. Meagher CORNELL (So 13-8) 29 8. Walter Peppelman HARVARD (Fr 19-11) 10 9. Scott Heckman ESU (Sr 14-14) 3 10. Kellen Bradley RUTGERS (Jr 18-12) 1 Dave Foxen BROWN (So 10-16) Nick Standish COLUMBIA (So 8-7) Al Gianforti F&M (Sr 11-19) Daniel Kolodzik PRINCETON (Fr 9-11) 157: 1. J. P. O'Connor HARVARD (Jr 26-2) 111 2. Jordan Leen CORNELL (Sr 20-2) 99 3. Matt Dragon Penn (Jr 23-5) 81 4. Scott Winston RUTGERS (Fr 34-6) 73 5. Joel Ahern NAVY (Sr 26-12) 54 6. Marty Everin PRINCETON (Sr 16-10) 43 7. Derek Sickles COLUMBIA (Jr 24-12) 20 8. Sean Bilodeau LEHIGH (Fr 14-13) 12 T9. Patrick Graham AMERICAN (Fr 18-15) 4 T9. Bryan Tracy BROWN (Jr 14-14) 4 11. Rudy Chelednik ARMY (So 18-16) 3 Scott Sechler BUCKNELL (So 9-13) Ken Monarque ESU (Fr 5-5) Matt Gittleman F&M (Jr 0-12) 165: 1. Mack Lewnes CORNELL (So 31-0) 112 2. Andy Rendos BUCKNELL (Jr 25-5) 98 3. Mike Galante LEHIGH (Jr 24-5) 84 4. Matt Pletcher RUTGERS (Sr 29-9) 65 5. Matt DeMichiel NAVY (So 27-15) 59 6. Zack Shanaman Penn (Sr 9-6) 43 7. Eren Civan COLUMBIA (So 15-9) 29 8. Christopher Stout AMERICAN (Jr 9-8) 10 9. Thad Frick ESU (Fr 11-7) 4 Brian Rowan ARMY (Sr 1-2) Jeff Lemmer BROWN (Fr 3-6) Andrew Bongarzone F&M (So 13-15) Bryan Panzano HARVARD (Fr 2-12) Andy Lowy PRINCETON (Fr 10-10) 174: 1. Mike Cannon AMERICAN (Jr 26-0) 108 2. Steve Anceravage CORNELL (Sr 25-3) 102 3. Scott Giffin Penn (So (14-7) 84 4. Luke Rebertus NAVY (Fr 32-7) 69 5. Alex Caruso LEHIGH (So 15-7) 49 6. Shane Riccio BUCKNELL (Jr 27-13) 46 7. Justin Herbert F&M (Sr 21-9) 26 8. Michael Whalen RUTGERS (Sr 20-13) 17 9. Ryan Mergen ARMY (Jr 19-10) 3 Bran Crudden BROWN (So 7-9) Mike Wolfer COLUMBIA (Jr 10-17) Jeff Jacobs ESU (Fr 13-16) Andy Olsen HARVARD (So 4-3) Travis Erdman PRINCETON (So 11-18) 184: 1. David Craig LEHIGH (Jr 21-4) 110 2. Louis Caputo HARVARD (Jr 26-4) 100 3. Justin Kerber CORNELL (So 28-8) 84 4. Casey Caldwell NAVY (Sr 29-11) 63 5. David Thompson BUCKNELL (So 18-12) 61 6. Matt Gevelinger BROWN (Sr 21-10) 42 7. Colin Hitschler Penn (Sr 13-11) 24 8. Kurt Brendel PRINCETON (Fr 15-11) 17 T9. Kenji Porter COLUMBIA (Sr 8-12) 1 T9. James Schulz F&M (Sr 7-11) 1 T9. McPaul Ogbonna RUTGERS (So 12-16) 1 Andy Semple AMERICAN (Jr 1-6) John Drew ARMY (Sr 9-8) Eddie Ebewo ESU (Fr 8-9) 197: 1. Richard Starks ARMY (Jr 30-6) 112 2. Cam Simaz CORNELL (Fr 30-8) 98 3. Joe Kennedy LEHIGH (Fr 20-11) 83 4. Phillip Neese NAVY (Sr 21-21) 65 5. Andy Silber AMERICAN (Sr 19-10) 59 6. Thomas Shovlin Penn (Jr 14-7) 43 7. Shane Mallory ESU (Jr 19-8) 17 8. Louis Miller COLUMBIA (Jr 17-10) 16 9. Branden Stearns BROWN (Jr 13-14) 7 10. Karim Mahmoud RUTGERS (Jr 11-18) 4 Nathan Jones BUCKNELL (Fr 8-18) Colin Ely F&M (Fr 10-15) Sean Murphy HARVARD (Fr 3-15) Zach Morse PRINCETON (Sr 3-17) 285: 1. Ryan Flores COLUMBIA (So 27-3) 106 2. Zach Rey LEHIGH (Fr 19-3) 104 3. Trey McLean Penn (Sr 17-7) 84 4. Chris Birchler ESU (Jr 19-4) 68 5. Michael Sprigg ARMY (Sr 28-11) 54 6. Zach Hammond CORNELL (Sr 14-10) 39 7. D. J. Russo RUTGERS (So 27-12) 29 8. Zach Zdrada BROWN (Sr 13-12) 19 9. Nico Somers F&M (Sr 13-12) 1 Quinton Pruett AMERICAN (Sr 8-14) Andrew Knapp HARVARD (Jr 4-10) Tyler Moyer NAVY (Sr 7-12) Stephen Turne PRINCETON (Fr 1-11)

THIS WEEK The top-ranked Hawkeyes will vy for their 33rd conference team title at the 2009 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The event will be hosted by Penn State University, March 7-8, at the Bryce Jordan Center at University Park, PA. CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE Following is the Big Ten Championships event schedule. Times are Central. Session- Day - Time (CT) - Competition Session I - Saturday - 10 a.m. - Through quarterfinals and consolation 1st round Session II - Saturday - 5 p.m. - Through championship semifinals and up to the consolation semifinals Session III - Sunday - 11 a.m. - Consolation semifinals, followed by 7th place matches. Championship, 3rd, and 5th place matches for each weight will start at 1 p.m. TICKET INFORMATION All-session tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students/youth. Fans can purchase tickets from the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office at 814-865-5555. IOWA WRESTLING POST-SEASON MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES Iowa Head Coach Tom Brands will take part in a pre-Big Ten championships press conference Friday, March 6 at 1:30 p.m. (CT) at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center Media Room. Ohio State Head Coach Tom Ryan and Penn State Head Coach Troy Sunderland will also take part in the press conference. Brands will meet with the Iowa media Tuesday, March 10 at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena Press Room at 3:15 p.m. (CT) to discuss Iowa's performance at the Big Ten Championships, and the upcoming NCAA Championships. The Press Room is located on the arena's ground floor. Hawkeye wrestlers and the rest of the coaching staff will be available for interviews and photo opportunities in the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex practice room following the press conference. BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS Brackets and team standings will be available throughout the tournament at www.bigten.org and www.gopsusports.com. ON THE AIR Radio - Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on AM-800, KXIC and www.hawkeyesports.com. Broadcasts are available using the Hawkeye All-Access subscription ($14.95 per month or $119.95 per year). Television - The Big Ten Network will air a live broadcast of Sunday's finals at 1 p.m. (CT). Tim Johnson, Jim Gibbons and Ken Chertow will call the action. Internet - Press releases, meet results and audio broadcasts are available on the University of Iowa's website, www.hawkeyesports.com. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com. THREE HAWKEYES EARN TOP BIG TEN PRE-SEEDS Three Hawkeyes earned top preliminary seeds for this weekend's Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Penn State. Conference officials announced the preliminary seeds, which are determined by a vote of conference head wrestling coaches after consideration of regular-season results. The official Big Ten Championships brackets will be set on Friday. Five different schools are represented as No. 1 seeds in the 10 weight classes. Iowa and Wisconsin lead the way with three top seeds, while Northwestern features two wrestlers atop the preliminary seeding chart. Overall, of the 10 No. 1 seeds, nine rank among the top three in the nation in the latest USA Today/NWCA/InterMat Poll. Hawkeye juniors Daniel Dennis (133), Brent Metcalf (149) and Dan Erekson (Hwt.) earned the top pre-seeds at their respective weight classes. Metcalf brings a 29-0 record to the tournament and is on a 61-match winning streak. The defending Big Ten champion at 149 pounds, he was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year and Wrestler of the Championships in 2008. Dennis enters the tournament with a 25-2 record and has won his last 10 matches. Erekson is 18-6 this season. The other top pre-seeds are Zach Tanelli (141), Andrew Howe (165) and Dallas Herbst (197) from Wisconsin, Brandon Precin (125) and Jake Herbert (184) from Northwestern, Michael Poeta (157) from Illinois and Steve Luke (174) from Michigan. Hawkeye senior Charlie Falck (125) and junior Jay Borschel (174) each earned the second seed at their respective weight classes, while senior Alex Tsirtsis (141) and juniors Ryan Morningstar (165), Phillip Keddy (184) and Chad Beatty (197) are seeded third. NCAA QUALIFIERS The Big Ten Conference is alloted 61 automatic qualifiers for the 2009 NCAA Championships, scheduled for March 19-21 in St. Louis, MO. The breakdown of qualifers per weight class is as follows: 125-7, 133-6, 141-7, 149-5, 157-7, 165-8, 174-6, 184-6, 197-4, Hwt. 5. The Hawkeyes advanced nine qualifiers in 2008. After all of the national qualifying events have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 52 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 11. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers. The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; qualifying event placement; quality wins; results against common opponents; winning percentage; RPI; coaches ranking and the number of matches contested at that weight class. HAWKEYES EARN BIG TEN TITLE, GO 24-0 The Hawkeyes earned their second straight Big Ten regular season title Feb. 22 when they defeated Northwestern, 34-13, in Evanston,IL, going undefeated (24-0, 8-0 Big Ten) in dual competition for the 2008-09 season. It was the first time the Hawkeyes posted an undefeated season since 1999-2000, and the team ended the regular season on a 37-match winning streak. The school record for consecutive dual wins is 42 (1994-97). The current streak ranks second in school history. The Hawkeyes have posted 12 undefeated and untied seasons in school history, and the 2009 season produced the most victories ever. 2008 BIG TEN REVIEW - METCALF, IOWA WIN BIG TEN TITLES The top-ranked Hawkeyes came back with a strong second-day performance to win their 32nd Big Ten team title at the conference championships in Minneapolis, MN. The Hawkeyes scored 127 points, while runner-up Minnesota tallied 112.5. Sophomore Brent Metcalf became Iowa's 101st Big Ten Champion when he won the 149-pound title. The Hawkeyes qualified nine wrestlers to the 2008 NCAA Championships. It was the first time Iowa had advanced nine competitors since 2004 when it qualified its entire 10-man lineup. Iowa nearly swept the post-meet team awards as Metcalf was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships and Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, and Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Metcalf is the third Hawkeye to earn both honors in the same season. Former Hawkeyes Tom Brands (1989), Terry Brands (1992) and Mark Ironside (1997) also accomplished the feat. Brands is the third Hawkeye coach to earn the annual Big Ten honor. Former Hawkeye Head Coaches Dan Gable (1993, 1995, 1996) and Jim Zalesky (2000, 2004) also earned the honors for Iowa. Metcalf, who is the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 149 pounds, earned his first Big Ten title when he defeated two-time Big Ten champion and two-time all-American Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota, 5-3. It was the first collegiate meeting between the two. The Hawkeye sophomore scored his 30th season and career win and extended his winning streak to 27 matches with the decision over Schlatter, who was ranked third in the country. Schlatter scored the first takedown, but Metcalf countered with two escapes to tie the score at 2-2 after two periods. Schlatter escaped to start the third period, but Metcalf was awarded a point when the Golden Gopher junior was given his second stall warning of the match to tie the match at 3-3. Metcalf secured the win by scoring a takedown with 11 seconds remaining in the bout. Metcalf scored 24 team points at the two-day tournament, which was the most of all 110 competitors. Senior 165-pounder Mark Perry wrestled in his fourth Big Ten finals match, but came up short in defending his 2007 conference title. Perry lost a 3-2 decision to Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum. Perry, was the nation's top wrestler at 165. Hawkeye senior Matt Fields (Hwt.) and sophomores Joe Slaton (133), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) helped the team win its first conference title since 2004 when they wrestled back for third place at their respective weight classes. Fields won both of his Sunday matches in the tiebreak overtime, picking up his 90th career victory in the third-place match. Junior Charlie Falck placed fourth at 125 and sophomore Dan LeClere placed fifth at 141. Sophomore Ryan Morningstar picked up his 20th season win when he posted a 6-1 decision over Purdue's Nick Bertucci to place seventh at 157 and automatically advance to the NCAA meet. BIG TEN RECORDS Iowa holds records in five of seven Big Ten Championship categories. The Hawkeyes hold records for most individual champions in one tournament (9 in 1983), most consecutive team titles (25 from 1974-98), most falls by a team in one tournament (12 in 1979), largest victory margin (118.5 points in 1983) and fastest fall in all matches (Bart Chelesvig's 23-second pin over Illinois' Keith Bolman in 1992). The Hawkeyes have won the most Big Ten team titles (32) and crowned the most individual champions (182). Seven of the Big Ten's 10 four-time conference champions were Hawkeyes, and Iowa has had 18 of the conference's 47 three-time champions. BIG TEN HONORS The Iowa wrestling team has earned several individual Big Ten honors since they were initiated in 1986. Thirteen Hawkeyes have been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, eight have been named Wrestler of the Championships and four have been named Freshman of the Year. Only two Hawkeyes (Mark Ironside, 1996-97-98 and Royce Alger, 1987-88) have earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Year honors more than once. Three of Iowa's head coaches (Dan Gable, Jim Zalesky and Tom Brands) have earned conference Coach of the Year honors a combined six times. Three Hawkeyes - Ed Banach (1983), Barry Davis (1985) and Brent Metcalf (2008) have been named Jesse Owens Big Ten Conference Male Athlete of the Year. A total of seven wrestlers have been named Iowa's Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year and eight were named Iowa's Conference Medal of Honor winners. WRESTLING SUMMER CAMPS For dates and more information about 2009 Iowa Wrestling Summer camps visit www.iowawrestlingcamps.com. HAWKEYES SET ATTENDANCE RECORD Iowa set the national collegiate dual meet attendance record of 15,955 when it hosted #2 Iowa State Dec. 6 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The previous record of 15,646 was set Feb. 1, 2002, when Minnesota hosted Iowa at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Hawkeyes won the Iowa State dual, 20-15. HAWKEYE WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 852-215-30 (.790) in 97 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 21 national titles and 32 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 49 NCAA champions have won a total of 76 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 14 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 101 Big Ten champions have won a total of 182 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 135 all-Americans have earned all-America status 273 times, including 17 four-time, 27 three-time and 33 two-time honorees. CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Terry Brands, Doug Schwab, Mike Zadick and Jared Frayer earned a total of one Olympic gold medal, one Olympic bronze medal, six NCAA titles, 11 conference titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 487-83-2 (.858). UP NEXT The top-ranked Hawkeyes will vy for their 22nd NCAA team title at the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships, March 19-21, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO. The Scottrade Center was the site for the NCAA meet in 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2008. The NCAA, University of Missouri and the St. Louis Sports Commission will co-host the event. Sessions I (11 a.m.) and II (6:30 p.m.) will be held Mar. 19, sessions III (10 a.m.) and IV (6 p.m.) will be Mar. 20, and session V (9:30 a.m.) and the championship finals (5:30 p.m.) are set for Mar. 21. Sessions III and V will be aired live on ESPNU, session IV will be shown live on ESPN2 and ESPNU and the championship finals will be aired live on ESPN. ticketmaster.com. All-session tickets are priced based on seat location. The price breakdown is as follows: Plaza - $150, Mezzanine Center & Mezzanine Corner (1st 2 rows) - $120, Mezzanine Corner & Mezzanine End (1st 2 rows) - $95, Mezzanine End - $60.

Jeff Pratt of Nashville, Tenn. has been selected as the Leadership Board Chairman for FCA Wrestling, the new national sports ministry with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Pratt's leadership role was approved and endorsed by the special task force for FCA Wrestling. He will begin immediately in helping form the new volunteer Leadership Board which will ultimately oversee the program. With a strong background in wrestling, ministry and leadership within the FCA, Pratt brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to his new post. "It is time to roll our sleeves up and get to work," said Pratt. "I have a saying with my wrestling team about strapping our shoes on. That time has come for FCA Wrestling. We will be able to instill values in young people. FCA Wrestling on the national level will be able to do just that." The task force, chaired by USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender, was formed in September and tasked to recruit a national leadership board to oversee the program. The selection of Pratt as Leadership Board Chairman for FCA Wrestling will be followed by announcements of the leaders who have agreed to serve alongside Pratt on the leadership board. Pratt currently serves as the Director of Student Ministry Training and Events for LifeWay Christian Resources, located in Nashville, Tenn. where he as served since 2006. He has previously been a camp speaker, guest lecturer and teacher in various seminary and college classes on the topic of student ministry He has served in a number of ministry positions since his career began in 1988. He served as Bi-vocational Pastor with Green Level Baptist Church. He was the Pastor of First Baptist Church in Gray, Ga. and Perryville Baptist Church in Perryville, Ky. Pratt was also student minister at Shirley Hills Baptist Church in Warner Robins, Ga. and South Garland Baptist Church in Garland, Tex., as well as church planner/pastor for Long Branch Baptist Chapel in Dahlonega, Ga. Pratt received his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1992. He received a bachelor's degree in recreation from Carson-Newman College in 1986. Pratt competed in wrestling at Carson-Newman, where he earned All American honors and represented the USA on an NAIA All-Star team in 1985 in Greece, Paris and Yugoslavia. "My passion for this project involves my personal experience of coming to Christ," said Pratt. "I became a Christian through wrestling. I went to Carson Newman for college. I went there to wrestle. Carson Newman was close to my home and offered me a scholarship. On my team, there was a gentleman who loved the Lord and was a testament for Christ. He showed me what it meant to be a Christian. I came to Christ on January 11, 1985. Prior to that, the wrestlers on our team were often rowdy. Many of the wrestlers became Christians and were saved. In just one semester, eight of the guys became Christians. It showed us the power of coming to Christ. God was transforming our lives. Many of those wrestlers are now in fulltime ministry. That is my story and that is what drives my life. Wrestling is such a big part of all of this." Pratt is the head wrestling coach at Donaldson Christian Academy in Nashville, Tenn. for the second year. He has served as a volunteer coach in the communities where he has lived, and has helped start wrestling programs there. For example, he worked with 1988 Olympian Nate Carr to get wrestling started in Gray, Ga. when he lived there. FCA Wrestling became the eighth national sports ministry for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. FCA National Sports Ministries focuses on ministry to a community of people who are united around a particular sport by providing opportunities to serve athletes and coaches in that particular sport. "My involvement with FCA began as a college student. Before becoming a Christian, my exposure to the Bible came through FCA activities on my campus. Once I got out of college, the more I got involved in student ministry, I found FCA was a great way to get connected to students at the youth level," said Pratt. Once the Leadership Board for FCA Wrestling is established, it will be tasked to hire a national director, and begin fundraising for the new ministry of FCA Wrestling. Pratt is very excited about the many leaders who are stepping forward to serve on the Leadership Board. "To me, one of the most exciting things is the level of involvement and commitment of our Leadership Board, which is now being formed," said Pratt. "Outstanding people who are actively involved in wrestling are stepping forward. God is doing great work. Those who are stepping forward are amazing people. When wrestling coaches and athletes see our Board when it is completed, there will be a ton of credibility for this program. As a group, we will have the opportunity to influence coaches, and they will have the opportunity to influence their athletes, not just in wrestling but in life." Pratt was married to Julie Renee Lay in 1986, and they have three children, Cole, Madison and Alec. He spends most of his spare time raising his three children, hunting ducks, and occasionally playing a round of golf. FCA Wrestling is expected to name its Leadership Board members during the next few weeks.

It is ironic that the first article I write for RevWrestling.com is about a wrestler from the Naval Academy. My grandfather, Glenn "Frank" Johnson, trained pilots in Pensacola, Florida during World War II for the Naval Academy. He passed away due to complications from pneumonia just a few months ago. My first RevWrestling.com story is for my grandfather. If you have spent any amount of time in or around wrestling you know what kind of a grind it is on a wrestler's body. People in and around wrestling know it also takes an enormous toll on a wrestler mentally. Even when things go well, the struggle to get in shape, make weight, grind through practices and perform on the mat, even when the body is 100 percent is too much for most people. Wrestlers are not most people. 2008 All-American Joe Baker from the United States Naval Academy is not most wrestlers. As Baker prepares for his final run toward the NCAA Championships, he will have done so by the shear will and determination he has inside. Joe BakerBaker didn't even start wrestling until he was in sixth grade. A friend of his convinced him to try it. "I didn't really want to wrestle," said Baker. "I was little. I weighed maybe 60 pounds. He kind of forced me into it." Even as Baker's wrestling career was starting, even if he didn't know it, he was displaying the mental toughness he would need as his career in wrestling would continue. "I didn't win a single match the first two years, but by eighth grade it took off." Baker didn't really know why he stuck with wrestling though the two winless seasons. He kept going mostly because all his friends were doing it. Baker attended high school in Poway, California … and his high school had one of the most successful wrestling programs in the state. Baker remembers going into the high school wrestling room and seeing the Wall of Fame. It was filled with all the past champions from the conference level up to the state level. After looking up at that wall Baker said, "I remember thinking I didn't care where, but I wished I had my name somewhere up there." After two years of struggling to get even one win, Baker made up for lost time. He wrestled on the junior varsity his freshman year and went undefeated. By the end of his sophomore season he was wrestling in the California State High School Wrestling Tournament. It was at that point that Baker "realized I could be good." As a junior he placed fourth at state and as a senior he solidified his spot on the wall by winning a state championship. To go from no wins just a few years earlier to a state champion didn't happen overnight. Baker didn't have an ahh ha moment. "It was just little steps. (Improvement) slowly came about." One man that took notice of Baker was the head coach at the Naval Academy, Bruce Burnett. After seeing Baker on tape, and knowing what it took to win that title at the end of his senior year, Burnett knew he might have found a gem. Joe Baker defeated Ohio State's Reece Humphrey at the 2008 NWCA All-Star Classic in Columbus, Ohio (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)"I knew he was mentally tough," said Burnett. "He won the California state championship on a bad ankle." Turns out, it was a perfect match. Burnett wanted him, but more importantly Baker wanted to come to Navy. Baker's father is a career Navy man. Currently he serves as the chief engineer on one of the Navy's aircraft carriers. Even so, young Joe "just always wanted to go to the Naval Academy. It is the only college I applied to." He had offers to wrestle other places, but he said, "I've always wanted to fly planes." Young athletes who decide to compete at the Division I level at one of the military institutions are already not like most athletes. Baker, the RevWrestling.com's eighth-ranked wrestler at 133 said, "You don't go to Navy to just wrestle. You have a job. You are in the military and you are going to go serve your country. A lot of guys are a year or two away from combat, so it is a different mindset." With that known up front, Baker and all other military athletes have to be ready for a different athletic experience. "This institution is here to get you ready to serve," said the 12-0 Baker, "not necessarily to wrestle. It's a struggle to find time to get your workouts in and do what you have to do to compete at a DI level, but still do what the Academy needs you to do. It's rewarding, though. I don't regret anything." Moving all the way across county, Baker brought to the Midshipmen an aggressive offensive wrestler who is a good rider, but an exceptional takedown machine. "I feel I can take down anyone," said Baker. "Whenever I have wrestled, I've been able to do that. Even when I've lost I've taken people down." Bruce BurnettCoach Burnett described his 133-pound senior as someone with "great athletic ability. He has fast-twitch muscles that are coiled like a spring -- ready to just pop." The only problem with those tightly coiled muscles is that they have often popped -- the wrong way. In just his four years in college, Baker has had to overcome a M.A.S.H. list of injuries. He has had surgery on his ankle, on both shoulders, on his knee, and he has had a broken pelvis. Baker has refused to let the injuries keep him down. "It happens," said Baker. "Twelve years of wrestling will break your body down. It's just learning how to get up and doing what you can to prevent it or make the recovery time shorter. When I am out I do everything I can to speed up the recovery time and when you do get back to prevent hitting the brick wall -- the shocking change getting your body back in wrestling shape. Wrestling is a lot different than running." Baker said one of the biggest challenges is repeatedly having to "build momentum and getting your body into shape. Your body kind of stalls out so you have to get your body back and your timing down." The number of comebacks Baker has had to make has challenged him more than any opponent ever could. "It's extremely frustrating", said Baker. "I can't tell you how many times I've been on the verge of freaking out. Why does this keep happening? Things happen for a reason, I can't complain. You just can't let it bother you. You just have to get up and do it again. You can't feel sorry for yourself. It's not going to get any better if you don't get up and do something about it." Even after all the injuries, including an October knee surgery and an injured quad shortly after that, Baker keeps coming back. "I'm a competitive person," said Baker. "I like seeing where I am at. I like winning and the competition. I am proud to say I am a wrestler." Joe Baker is ranked No. 8 in the country at 133 pounds by RevWrestling.com (Photo/Navy Sports Information)He will get a final chance to find out where he is at as his senior season winds down and the EWL Championships and NCAA Championships begin. The coach and the wrestler both think he is ready. "Joe is hitting his stride," said Burnett. "That's important because he has been hurt and it's been a process for him to get back. But I saw it when he had his match with Steven Bell from Maryland. Truly he shouldn't have been wrestling a guy of that caliber at that time. He wasn't ready, but he made it work. He just willed himself to win and kept wrestling. The only points Bell scored were off of Joe's shots." "I think I am better than I was last year at this time," said Baker. "I know I can be Eastern champ again. I know I can do much better than I did last year at Nationals. I'm in good shape and have been wrestling well. I've worked as hard as I could, so what happens happens." Whatever happens in the next couple of weeks for Baker will not change what has happened in the past or what will happen in the future. After overcoming everything he has on the mat, he will be going to Pensacola, Florida to start flight school. After two or three years of flight training, Baker will become an active part of a squadron. The military is not for most people. It takes a level of commitment most people are not willing to reach. Joe Baker is not most people. He has displayed that kind of commitment and determination that is perfect for our county. Baker has shown what it takes to overcome and become an All-American wrestler. With all he has overcome, there is no doubt as he moves into the next phase of his life that he knows what it takes to protect and serve all Americans.

Wartburg College head wrestling coach Jim Miller and WIN Magazine editor Mike Finn will be radio show guests this week "On the Mat." Jim Miller's Wartburg Knights (IA) have enjoyed tremendous success in his 19 years at the helm. Under Miller's guidance, Wartburg has won six NCAA Division III championships, 17 consecutive Iowa Intercollegiate Wrestling Conference titles and over 130 straight duals in the IIAC. Wartburg is currently ranked second in the nation behind arch rival Augsburg College (MN) heading into this weekend's national tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As an athlete, Miller won two NCAA Division II titles as a UNI Panther and was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American. Mike Finn is the editor of WIN Magazine, considered by many the best wrestling publication on the market. Finn does a terrific job covering wrestling at the high school, collegiate and international levels and is one of wrestling's most respected journalists. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show.

The Eastern Wrestling League Tournament finals will be televised and available in over 40 million homes. Below is a schedule with dates and stations that will cover the two-hour event.

The mobile Brute Adidas studios will hit the road Friday and then will prepare for Saturday morning at 9:05 AM the voices of Steve Foster and Scott Casber will present this tough tournament in its entirety free of charge to our listeners. Our Thanks go to Brian Smith and the Tigers of the University of Missouri, Iowa State University's Cyclone Wrestling Club and Livesportsvideo.com. America's Wrestling Radio Show will present a complete presentation of the 2009 Big 12's Live from Lincoln, Nebraska. Who will win? Will ISU Repeat? Will the Tigers present an early surprise to the conference? Will the Cowboys Rise again? Will the Sooners continue their phenomenal season? Will the Huskers come alive and dominate at home? Tune in and find out. This Saturday at 9:05 CST on Takedownradio.com

Fullerton, Calif. -- Two will pack their bags for St. Louis at the end of the month for the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships, held at the Scottrade Center from March 19-21. Senior Heinrich Barnes (Pretoria, South Africa) and redshirt freshman Kelly Kubec (Lake Stevens, Wash.) both finished second at the 2009 Pac-10 Wrestling Championships, concluding Monday evening. Oregon State finished second to defending champion, Boise State (172.5), with 128.0 team points. The Beavers had three second place finishes, two third placers, one fourth, three fifth and one seventh, edging out Cal State Bakersfield, who finished with 124.5 points. "We lost two matches today because our wrestlers didn't wrestle, and we were on the edge in those matches," head coach Jim Zalesky said. "But we got two qualifiers in, so that's good, but we have two on the bubble and that's not the situation you want to be in to let a selection committee making the decision on whether you're in." After securing the automatic bid on Sunday, Kubec finished second to top-seeded Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State. A controversial opening takedown by Hochstrasser set the tone for the match. Kubec, who competed through most of the beginning of the season with a knee injury, tweaked it again on the initial takedown, but held on to keep Hochstrasser from earning bonus points. Barnes struggled against Jason Chamberlain of Boise State in the championship match. Barnes scored first and seemed to be in control, but Chamberlain battled his way back, forcing the bout into overtime. Unable to score in the sudden death minute, Barnes was unable to escape with Chamberlain making his way out to take the 6-5 decision. Wrestling for true second, Barnes returned to true form, pinning Barrett Abel of UC Davis in 2:27 to totally secure the second automatic bid for St. Louis and the 2009 NCAA Championships. Sophomore Jon Brascetta (Aurora, Colo.) finished according to his seeding in fourth, unable to score against No. 3 Lucas Espericueta of Stanford in a 5-0 final. And junior Keegan Davis (Salem, Ore.) took the third place matchup over No. 5 Joseph Granata of Cal State Bakersfield in an 11-6 decision. Senior Kyle Bressler (Federal Way, Wash.) wrestled his way to third place and a shot at an at-large NCAA bid, winning his third overtime match this season. Bressler defeated Ryan DesRoches, 6-4. In the heavyweight championship match of the night, redshirt freshman Clayton Jack (Vacaville, Calif.) took the early lead 2-0 before top-seeded Mitch Monteiro of Cal State Bakersfield tied things up at three points. Monteiro tallied the one-point escape in the beginning of the third period to take the heavyweight title. In the true second place match, Jack was unable to hold off Ricky Alcala of UC Davis, falling 11-6. In the Beavers' first match of the day, senior Jake Gonzales (Enumclaw, Wash.) fell in a highly controversial bout. Gonzales looked to have a takedown with just seconds remaining in the third period but was not awarded the points as time expired. Gonzales, a four seed at 125 pounds, fell to seventh-seeded Brian Owen from Boise State, despite controlling the tempo throughout most of the match. Brascetta advanced to the third place match on a major decision over sixth-seeded Joseph Wilson of UC Davis at 157 pounds. Brascetta racked up 10 points, allowing only a pair of escapes to Wilson. Davis followed closely behind Brascetta, earning his second major decision of the tournament over seventh-seeded Bryan Cantrell of Portland State. Davis racked up the points quickly with an 18-7 final. At 174 pounds, Bressler advanced on a 12-3 major decision. Bressler racked up the final five points he needed on a takedown and three-point near fall over No. 4 Todd Noel of Cal State Fullerton as time expired. After the end of the consolation semifinals, Oregon State was in second place with 117.0 total team points, edging out Cal State Bakersfield by 4.5 points. During placement matches, Gonzales defeated Micah Ferguson of Cal Poly in overtime with a reversal, winning 3-1. Gonzales finished the tournament fifth at 125 pounds. Sophomore Brice Arand (Springfield, Ore.) and redshirt freshman Chad Hanke (Dayton, Ore.) both picked up extra team points for the Beavers, finishing fifth at 184 and 197 pounds. Arand pinned Jake Meredith of Arizona State in 4:33, while Hanke earned the win on a medical forfeit. Wrestling will head to St. Louis, Mo., next for the 2009 NCAA Championships beginning on March 19.

The pre-seeds have been released for the 2009 Big Ten Championships. 125 lbs. 1. Brandon Precin, NU 2. Charlie Falck, IOWA 3. Angel Escobedo, IND 4. Brad Pataky, PSU 5. Zachary Sanders, MINN 6. Nikko Triggas, OSU 7. Michael Watts, MICH 8. Bernard Futrell, ILL 133 lbs. 1. Daniel Dennis, IOWA 2. Franklin Gomez, MSU 3. Jimmy Kennedy, ILL 4. Jayson Ness, MINN 5. Reece Humphrey, OSU 6. Jake Strayer, PSU 7. Zac Stevens, MICH 8. Carson Beebe, PUR 141 lbs. 1. Zach Tanelli, WIS 2. Kellen Russell, MICH 3. Alex Tsirtsis, IOWA 4. Mike Thorn, MINN 5. J Jaggers, OSU 6. Keith Sulzer, NU 7. Ryan Prater, ILL 8. Andrae Hernandez, IND 149 lbs. 1. Brent Metcalf, IOWA 2. Bubba Jenkins, PSU 3. Lance Palmer, OSU 4. Kyle Ruschell, WIS 5. Jake Patacsil, PUR 6. Andrew Nadhir, NU 7. Nick Walpole, IND 8. Eric Terrazas, ILL 157 lbs. 1. Michael Poeta, ILL 2. Jason Welch, NU 3. Kurt Kinser, IND 4. Tyler Safratowich, MINN 5. Jason Johnstone, OSU 6. Aaron Hynes, MICH 7. Anthony Jones, MSU 8. Ben Jordan, WIS 165 lbs. 1. Andrew Howe, WIS 2. Colt Sponselier, OSU 3. Ryan Morningstar, IOWA 4. Roger Smith-Bergsrud, ILL 5. Luke Manuel, PUR 6. Dan Villamont, PSU 7. Paul Young, IND 8. Rex Kendle, MSU 174 lbs. 1. Steve Luke, MICH 2. Jay Borschel, IOWA 3. Quentin Wright, PSU 4. Dave Rella, OSU 5. John Dergo, ILL 6. Trevor Perry, IND 7. Robert Kellogg, NU 8. Ian Hinton, MSU 184 lbs. 1. Jake Herbert, NU 2. Mike Pucillo, OSU 3. Phillip Keddy, IOWA 4. Jordan Blanton, ILL 5. A.J. Kissel, PUR 6. Anthony Biondo, MICH 7. Nick Palmieri, MSU 8. Eric Bugenhagen, WIS 197 lbs. 1. Dallas Herbst, WIS 2. Tyrel Todd, MICH 3. Chad Beatty, IOWA 4. Gordon Bierschenk, MINN 5. Patrick Bond, ILL 6. Matt Powless, IND 7. Logan Brown, PUR 8. John Schoen, NU HWT 1. Daniel Erekson, IOWA 2. Ben Berhow, MINN 3. Kyle Massey, WIS 4. John Wise, ILL 5. Nate Everhart, IND 6. Corey Morrison, OSU 7. Edwin Phillips, MICH 8. Chris Kasten, PUR

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The University of Wyoming's Michael Martinez (Pagosa Springs, Colo./Pagosa HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Wyoming's 125-pound redshirt freshman got the key win for Wyoming in their season-ending road dual victory over Northern Colorado last Wednesday. The decision by Martinez over Tony Mustari avenged a narrow loss earlier this season and helped the ‘Pokes secure a portion of the league's regular season title. Martinez solidly beat Mustari 8-2 in a bout that ultimately determined UW's team fate and was the Cowboys' biggest win of the night. Wyoming's light-weight was aggressive from the start and kept the pressure on Mustari all match, breaking through with a takedown late in the second period and then dominating the third period with two more takedowns, plus riding time. Mustari had beaten Martinez earlier this season in sudden victory overtime in the championship match at the Cowboy Open. Wednesday's win should give a boost to Martinez' NCAA qualification resume, as Mustari was an NCAA qualifier in 2008 and has spent parts of this season in InterMat's Top-20 rankings. Martinez now has a season record of 34-9, 15-3 in duals and 4-1 in the WWC. The win by Martinez gave the Cowboys a 6-0 lead in the dual, which would turn out to be key in a narrow 21-15 win. By remaining undefeated in the WWC at 5-0, the Cowboys claimed a share of the WWC regular season dual championship. 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 and Wyoming. The NCAA West Regional will take place March 7 in Greeley, Colo.

FULLERTON, Calif. -- Led by individual championships in six different weight classes, the Boise State University wrestling team scored a record 172.5 points as the Broncos won their second straight Pac-10 Conference Championship Monday (March 2) night. Andrew Hochstrasser, Jason Chamberlain, Tyler Sherfey, Nate Lee, Kirk Smith and Brent Chriswell all came away with league titles as Boise State easily dominated the other eight schools at this year's tournament. The 172.5 points the Broncos scored broke the old team point record of 155 set by Cal State Bakersfield. Oregon State was 44.5 points behind the Broncos in second place with 128 points, followed close behind by Cal State Bakersfield with 124.5 points. Boise State's win also marks the fifth time in the past 10 years the Broncos have come away with the Pac-10 Championship. The other titles came in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2008. For Lee and Chriswell, their victories on Monday night marked the second straight individual league titles for both wrestlers. Lee successfully defended his crown at 174 pounds when he handed Eric Starks of Arizona State a 5-2 defeat. Chriswell, the winner of the 184-pound weight class last year when he competed for Arizona State, battled his way through the second overtime period of the 197-pound match before recording a 4-2 win over Brandon Halsey of Cal State Bakersfield. Sherfey and Smith won their first league titles after placing second in their weight classes at last year's Pac-10 Tournament. Sherfey, who was second at 157 pounds a year ago before moving up to 165-pound weight class for his senior season, posted a 4-1 win over Nick Amuchastegui of Stanford. Smith, who lost the 184-pound title to Chriswell at the 2008 tournament, recorded a 2-1 decision over Riley Orozco of Cal State Bakersfield to win his first Pac-10 Championship. After being away from collegiate competition for three years (two years on a church mission and last year as a red-shirt), Hochstrasser captured his first Pac-10 crown with a 6-1 decision over Kelly Kubec of Oregon State. As a freshman at the 2005 tournament, Hochstrasser placed third in the 125-pound weight class. A true freshman, Chamberlain captured what he hopes will be the first of four league championships when he defeated Heinrich Barnes of Oregon State in double overtime, 6-5. Boise State had only one loss in its seven championship matches on Monday when Adam Hall lost a close double-overtime match to Chase Pami of Cal Poly, 4-3. The loss marked the second straight year Hall has lost in the finals. The Broncos also came away with three fourth place finishes on Monday. After advancing to the finals of the consolation bracket, Brian Owen, Cory Fish and Sam Zylstra all lost their matches for third place. Owen lost to Marcos Orozco of UC Davis, 7-3, at 125 pounds; Fish lost to Adin Duenas of Cal State Fullerton, 7-2 in the 141-pound weight class; and Zylstra lost by fall to Ricardo Alcala of UC Davis at the 5:43 mark at heavyweight. Boise State's six league champions have automatically qualified for the NCAA National Championships in St. Louis, Mo., March 19-21 (Thursday-Saturday). With a new qualifying system in place this season for the NCAA Tournament, the Pac-10 will announce its remaining national qualifiers later Monday night.

Tyrel Todd is one of the most successful wrestlers ever to strap on a singlet at the University of Michigan. The senior 197-pounder is a two-time All-American with a career record of 114-28. Last summer, Todd placed fourth in the challenge tournament at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in freestyle. Tyrel ToddTodd, a three-time Montana state champion, made the move up from 184 pounds to 197 pounds for his senior season. He owns a 18-1 record this season and is ranked No. 5 in the country heading into the Big Ten Championships this weekend. RevWrestling.com talked to Todd about his knee injury and how it has affected him, the move up to 197 pounds, how Andy Hrovat has helped him, what he needs to finish on top of the podium at 197, his future aspirations, and much more. Tyrel, you suffered a knee injury earlier this season at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. How has your knee injury affected your wresting? Todd: It changed the course of my season a lot. For a couple weeks, I was off the mat … trying to get the swelling out of it. Then getting used to wearing the brace has been a huge adjustment. I lost a match at the National Duals because I was trying a different style, avoiding my leg attacks, and really focusing on attacking the upper body, high-level attacks. I've been effective with them in the past, but I took an aspect of my game that I really need out of it … and I ended up losing the match due to that. I learned that I can't really change my style too much. I just need to keep attacking like I always have … using a single leg attack, constant pressure, moving forward, and really trying to smother my opponent with my offense. So I learned that I need to keep that style going despite not having the mobility that I would like to have. It has really come back, though. Toward the end of the Big Ten season, the last weekend, I wrestled without my brace and felt great. Unfortunately, at the beginning of this past week I had a setback. I was only able to get on the mat (Friday), actually, so I was just trying to get the swelling out of it again and control that. Once the swelling gets out of it, after a couple more days, I'll be good to go again. I'm looking to peak for the Big Tens and then be in the best position possible for Nationals. You moved up from 184 pounds to 197 pounds this season. What has been the biggest adjustment for you moving up to 197 this season? Tyrel Todd was an All-American at 184 pounds the past two seasons, but moved up to 197 pounds for his senior season (Photo/Michigan Sports Information)Todd: The biggest adjustment is the strength aspect. I had a lot of horsepower at 184. At 197, I would say that I definitely have a lot of strength. That hasn't been an issue for me with any of my opponents this season. I haven't faced the top guys yet due to our schedule. So I'm looking forward to doing that at Big Tens and Nationals. Thus far, strength really hasn't been an issue. So that would be the biggest thing. It's a little slower pace and more horse power. That is the biggest change that I have noticed. That has worked well into my style, especially being less mobile with my knee. And for weight purposes. I don't have to be busting my butt every week to get my weight down like I would be if I was at 184. That has been a blessing in disguise, really, making the move up. Last season, you were upset in the second round of the NCAA Championships. I heard you say in an interview that you really let the atmosphere get to you when you lost. How do you prevent that from happening again? Todd: It has a lot to do with having more experience and more confidence going in there. I definitely have a lot more confidence this year, even with the knee injury I have going into the tournament this year. Even though I haven't been able to do all the training that I would like to have done, just knowing that I have the tools to win that national title and put together a great tournament, the best tournament of my life, and beat all these opponents. I have wrestled many of the top guys. I beat Jake Varner two years ago at National Duals. I beat Max Askren in freestyle a couple times. So I've competed with many of the top guys. It's just a matter of being mentally in the game and really thinking about the right things. All about that positive reinforcement. Visualizing winning. Visualizing great attacks, great offense, and great scoring holds. That's what I'm trying to do now … and that's what I'll continue to do into the tournament. I think that will really help limit any other distractions. The tournament got to me a little bit last year, but more than anything last year, I made some errors in that match. When you make errors, you lose. That's what happens. I think it has more to do with the errors … because I was able to come back and win from there. So I'm not really worried about mental issues at this point, especially as my game has improved this year, if not physically, it has mentally for sure. Tyrel Todd works out regularly with 2008 Olympian Andy Hrovat (Photo/Michigan Sports Information)Andy Hrovat, a 2008 Olympian, is on staff. How has he helped you as a wrestler? Todd: Andy being on staff has been a huge benefit to me. Just being able to compete with one of the top guys not only in the United States, but in the world, everyday, has built my confidence. I know that if I can go with Andy, I should be dominating these guys that I'm wrestling in college. That has been a huge aspect … not only the physical challenge and the physical development that I've had, but mentally, too, just the confidence that I've built from working with Andy has been a huge advantage. You have two straight wins over Jake Herbert of Northwestern in freestyle. You have also defeated Mike Pucillo of Ohio State a couple times, once by pin. Both Herbert and Pucillo are NCAA champions. Do you ever feel like you should already be an NCAA champion because of some of the wrestlers you have beaten in your career? Or are those things you have just put in the past? Todd: Yeah, I have kind of put those things in the past. Both those guys are great wrestlers. They've had their day in the sun. There's no question. I don't really like to think about the could'ves, would'ves, and should'ves. The NCAA tournament is all about that weekend. It's just the event. Working out with Andy … there are days when I have really taken it to him. It just so happened that at the Olympic Trials he had his day and won the tournament. That's the art of wrestling, trying to come to that peak at the right time. I feel like Jake and Mike have done that in the past. I'm just doing everything I can to try to achieve that now. I was third last year, falling short of the national finals and winning that title. But that's in the past. Through the journey, I've learned so much that is going to help me in freestyle career and later in life. You compete at 84 kg/185 pounds in freestyle. Now that you're competing collegiately at 197 pounds, do you think it's going to be quite a bit tougher to get back down to 185 pounds for freestyle? Todd: I'm not too worried about. Naturally, I'm just a little over 200 pounds. When we're working hard, like right now, I'm having a hard time keeping my weight up to 197. I'm not too worried about coming back down. With surgery and everything, I'm going to be rehabbing and doing a lot of upper-body strength training, not trying to put on bulk, just trying to lean down, stay trim and strong. So I'm not too worried about that. It's day before weigh-ins. It's a different ballgame in freestyle. Freestyle is really my game. I love freestyle. That's what I've wrestled ever since I was a little guy. I love the game. And I'm really looking forward to taking my freestyle to the ultimate level, to the best level that I can possibly take it. Tyrel Todd has built a record of 18-1 this season and is ranked No. 5 in the country at 197 pounds (Michigan Sports Information)You placed fourth in the challenge tournament at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, losing twice to Bryce Hasseman. How important is it you to make the U.S. World Team this year? Todd: Well, this year it's not very important. I'm not even going to be competing this year. I'm getting knee surgery right after the season. I'm getting my ACL repaired. I feel that in order to really continue my career and have the success that I want, I need to have a sound knee and get this ACL repaired and rehabbed back. Unfortunately, that's a slow-coming-back surgery. It's six to nine months rehabbing and pretty rigorous. So that's what I'm going to be doing for the next six to nine months after the season. I'm taking some classes this spring. And I'm actually student teaching next fall, so it works out with my academic schedule because I'll be able to rehab while I'm student teaching. And then after that one semester, I'll be able to really wrap up my freestyle training before the U.S. Open and hopefully wrestle in the Dave Schultz tournament next year. I know you have talked about wanting to pursue a coaching career. Have you put a timetable on how long your plan to compete in freestyle? Or haven't you really put much thought into it? Todd: I have. I really want to focus on my training and be a World champion and then an Olympic champion in 2012. And then after that, I don't really have any guarantees. But I see myself moving toward teaching. I'm an education major. Or coaching at the college level. I'm going to cross that bridge when I get there. I'm really focusing on the 2012 Olympics. After I come back from this knee surgery, I'm really going to do everything I can possibly do, whether it be training at a university, moving to Colorado Springs, or whatever it may be, to make myself the best freestyle wrestler I can be. Being that you're a senior and two-time All-American, are you putting more pressure on yourself to win that NCAA title in your final season? Todd: Something that I've learned through the years is that you always have that pressure. But I would say that I'm not putting as much pressure on myself. I mean, the pressure is constant. My goals are set. My goals are to be a Big Ten champ and national champ. There is enough pressure as it is. My plan is to take it match by match and really focus my energy … and wrestle each match for what it is … and put everything I can into that match, avoid the positions I need to avoid, stay on my offense and do the things I want to do. And it will work itself out. I have found that when you start putting too much pressure … there is enough pressure as it is, especially in that atmosphere where there are so many people. It's all about pressure there. So I'm trying to limit that by taking it one match at a time and, like I said earlier, reinforcing the right type of thinking, focusing on winning, having success, and the right kind of thoughts going through your mind. Those negative thoughts pile up quickly if you let them. You have yet to face Jake Varner of Iowa State this season. How much are you looking forward to a potential matchup at the NCAA Championships with Varner? Todd: I really am. I really believe that he's going to have to wrestle really well to get to the national finals. There are a lot of guys at 197 that are close. He has lost to Dallas Herbst already this year. No one has really separated themselves at 197 this year. So he's going to have to wrestle hard. But absolutely, there's no question that I would love to wrestle with him in the finals … if it comes down to that. And who knows, it just may. But his style is hard. I've wrestled with him several times. He's real defensive. He's a hard individual to score on. I'm really looking forward to meeting up with him or whoever it may be through the course of the tournament. You and Steve Luke came to Michigan the same year and have been in the lineup together for four seasons. Describe your relationship with Steve and what it has been like having him as a teammate. Todd: He and I were roommates our freshman year. I wouldn't say we are the closest of friends, but we have a tremendous amount of mutual respect for each other. We share different interests. That guy spends a lot of time in the library, which is good. He should do that. He's not really into outdoor life. He doesn't really have too many outdoor hobbies, like I do. Interest-wise, we're a little bit different. But as far as wrestling goes, I mean, we both have a lot of respect for each other. I've learned a tremendous amount from him … and I would say that he's definitely learned some from me. There's a competition aspect between us too, coming in the same year, both of us having successful careers, and neither of us having achieved our goals of being national champs. The heat is on a little bit. It's a great relationship and we will be lifelong friends. There's no question. Steve Luke is going to be a national champ at 174 this year. You can quote me on that. Tyrel Todd will more than likely enter this weekend's Big Ten Championships as the No. 2 seed at 197 pounds behind Wisconsin's Dallas Herbst (Photo/Michigan Sports Information) You have been on a tear lately. You have pinned four of your last five opponents, with your only non-pin being a 17-5 major decision over a top 20 opponent. How are you feeling about the way you're performing heading into the post season? Todd: I feel great about it. I really feel like, despite the setback of my injury and the bumps in the road, I'm at the top of my game. Sometimes I even to think to myself, 'I shouldn't be having this much confidence because of what I have gone through.' I really believe it has a lot to do with my spiritual relationship with the Lord, just staying strong with that, and having confidence that even though I can't go through the training that I would have liked to, I'm going to be ready at that time, on that day, and I'm going to be a warrior and no one is going to compete with me at that time. I think that has really helped raise the level of my competition. It has helped me compete better through the Big Ten season. And I believe it will help me compete better in the Big Tens and Nationals.

FULLERTON, Calif. -- Boise State University has a commanding lead following the first day of competition at this year's Pac-10 Conference Championships as seven Bronco wrestlers advanced to Monday's (March 2) finals. Andrew Hochstrasser, Jason Chamberlain, Adam Hall, Tyler Sherfey, Nate Lee, Kirk Smith and Brent Chriswell will compete for individual titles Monday night after posting semifinal victories Sunday night on the Cal State Fullerton campus. Those seven, and three other Bronco wrestlers who are still alive in the consolation brackets, have helped Boise State to 138 points and a 29 point lead over second place Cal State Bakersfield. Competing at 133 pounds, Hochstrasser was the first Bronco to advance to the finals when he recorded a 9-4 decision over Filjia Novachokov of Cal Poly. He will face Kelly Kubec of Oregon State in the finals. Hochstrasser defeated Kubec 11-2 back in December in a dual match in Boise. Chamberlain, a true freshman, will go for his first Pac-10 title when he faces the top seed at 149 pounds in Heinrich Barnes of Oregon State. Chamberlain advanced to the finals with a 4-0 shutout of Teddy Astorga of Cal State Fullerton. Chamberlain will be looking for his first victory over Barnes this year following 12-4 and 7-4 losses earlier this season. After finishing second in his weight class (149 pounds) last year, Hall will be looking to become Pac-10 Champion at 157 pounds on Monday when he faces Chase Pami of Cal Poly. Hall and Pami have had two close matches this season with Hall coming out on top both times, 5-1 and 6-4. Hall advanced to the finals with 7-3 decision over Jonathan Brascetta of Oregon State. The only Bronco senior remaining among the seven who advanced to the finals, Sherfey recorded a 6-3 decision in the 165-pound weight class over Keegan Davis of Oregon State on Sunday night. Sherfey will try to close out his Pac-10 career with his first championship when he faces Nick Amuchastequi of Stanford. The two wrestlers have split their previous two meetings this season with Amuchastequi handing Sherfey a 4-2 loss in the finals of the Cowboy Open back in November, before Sherfey recorded a 3-2 decision early last month. Lee will be going for this second straight title at 174 pounds when he faces Eric Starks of Arizona State. Lee recorded a 10-1 major decision over Todd Noel of Cal State Fullerton in the semifinals. This will mark the first time this season Lee and Starks have wrestled each other. Smith had a tough semifinal match at 184 pounds before handing Jake Johnson of Stanford a 2-1 defeat. Smith, who is in his second straight Pac-10 finals, will face Riley Orozco of Cal State Bakersfield. Smith handed Orozco an 8-1 defeat in mid-January of this year. Chriswell, who defeated Smith in last year's Pac-10 final at 184 pounds when he wrestled for Arizona State, advanced to the finals of the 197-pound class when John Drake suffered an injury during their match and had to default. Transferring to Boise State this past summer, Chriswell will face Brandon Halsey of Cal State Bakersfield in Monday's finals. Chriswell has a 5-3 victory over Halsey this season. Boise State had only one semifinal loss on Sunday night when Cory Fish lost his 141-pound match to Elijha Nacita, 5-1. Fish is in the consolation semifinals along with Bronco teammates Brian Owen at 124 pounds and Sam Zylstra at heavyweight. Owen defeated Matt Sencenbaugh of Stanford 5-3, while Zylstra was an 8-5 winner over Kurt Klimek of Cal State Fullerton. The Broncos, who scored 152 points in winning last year's Pac-10 title, will be trying to the break the league record of 155 points held by Cal State Bakersfield. The consolation semifinals will begin at 3:00 p.m. (PT) on Monday with the championship and consolation finals beginning at 7:00 p.m. (PT) on the Cal State Fullerton campus.

Champaign, IL -- The Fellowship of Christian Athletes will hold their 16th Annual Banquet on Monday, March 9th at 6:30pm. The banquet will be held at the U of I Memorial Stadium Colonnades Club. The theme of the evening is "The Influence of a Coach". Comedian and author Kenn Kington will MC the event. This year's banquet will feature the presentation of the FCA Influence Award. FCA prides itself on its values of INTEGRITY, SERVING, TEAMWORK, and EXCELLENCE, and this award will honor an individual who exudes all of these qualities and more in both his coaching career, and his life. This individual is Illinois Wrestling Coach Mark Johnson. Prior to joining Illinois, Mark was an accomplished wrestler himself winning 2 NCAA championships. He also competed in the 1980 Olympics as a member of the USA Wrestling Team. Coach Johnson began his career at the University of Illinois in 1992, and in that time has led the Illinois wrestling program to more wins, NCAA championships, and All-Americans than any other coach. He has won the honor of Big Ten Coach of the Year both in 2001 and 2005, NWCA National Coach of the Year, and IWCOA (Illinois Wrestling Coaches & Officials Association) Man of the Year, among many others awards and distinctions. While all these awards are great honors, it's his positive influence on both his wrestlers and the community that earned him the FCA Influence Award. In addition to the presentation of the Influence Award, FCA is proud to have Les Steckel, former NFL head coach and current president and CEO of FCA as the evening's guest speaker. Les Steckel has been the president and CEO of FCA since March 2005. He attended his first FCA conference in 1972 as a college football coach. Since then he has served as a Huddle Leader, platform speaker, camp dean, football clinician at various FCA Camps across the nation and served regularly as a guest speaker for FCA events. Les and his wife, Chris, have both served on the FCA National Board of Trustees. Steckel's football coaching career spans over 32 years. With 23 years in the NFL, Les served as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and offensive coordinator the Tennessee Titans during their 2000 Super Bowl appearance and as offensive coach for the New England Patriots during their 1985 Super Bowl season. If you would like more information on how to attend this event, please contact Angela at the FCA Office at 217-378-4518.

The Western State College wrestling team claimed the third Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship/Division II West Regional at today's tournament in Kearney, Neb. The last time the Mountaineers won was in 1997 and 1991 and the first conference title for 12th year head coach Miles VanHee. After posting a 9-0 RMAC dual record and a 14-4 overall dual record, head coach VanHee was selected as the 2008-09 RMAC Coach of the Year. This honor is the VanHee's second RMAC Coach of the Year. VanHee lead his fourth-ranked Mountaineers to a first place finish with 121.5 points. Following behind Western was No. 12 Adams State (114) and No. 5 Nebraska-Kearney took third (104). The Mountaineers will send eight individuals to the NCAA Division II National Championships on March 13 and 14 in Houston, Texas. Those include Chris Freije (149), Donovan McMahill (197), Charlie Alexander (HWT), Marques Bravo (133), Skye Wells (165), Larry Wilbanks (184), Daren Hockett (141) and Nick Ross (174). The Mountaineers had three first place finishers, three runners up, two fourth place finishers and one fifth place finish to earn the title. Senior Chris Feije and sophomores Donovan McMahill and Charlie Alexander claimed their first-ever NCAA West Regional/RMAC Championships titles, while senior Marques Bravo and Larry Wilbanks and sophomore Skye Wells took second place in their respective weight classes. Also placing for the Mountaineers were Nick Ross (174 pounds, fourth place), Daren Hockett (141 pounds, fourth place) and Eddie Lopez (125 pounds, fifth place). Freije, ranked No. 6 at 149 pounds, swept through the competition. Freije scored a pin over Jake Lords of Chadron State in the opening round (1:38). From there he went on to earn decision victories over his opponents. He decisioned Adams State's Joey Deaguero (5-2) and then earned a 7-5 decision over Colorado School of Mines' Jesse Snider (7-5). In the Championship round, Freije defeated top ranked Ryan Etherton of Nebraska-Kearney, 4-2. McMahill, earned RMAC Wrestler of the Year, was impressive from the beginning. Claiming the top spot at 197 pounds, McMahill earned a bye in the first round, that he followed up with a pin over Ben Evans of Fort Hays State (2:07). In the third round, McMahill posted a 15-3 major decision over Luke McPeek of N.M. Highlands to continue his way to the Championship round. Facing against No. 2 Josh Majerus of Chadron State, McMahill was hoping for the same outcome as they first meeting between these two wrestlers. McMahill went on to man-handle defending national champion Majerus, to earn an 8-4 decision to claim his first ever RMAC Championship and Regional Title. Alexander, ranked No. 1 at heavyweight, posted three decision victories and his first RMAC/West Regional title. Alexander earned a 5-2 decision over Adams State's Jeff Schossow. He then posted a 6-4 decision over Nebraska-Kearney's Derek Ross to earn a trip to the Championship round. During the Championship round, Alexander decisioned No. 2 Steve Franklin of San Francisco State (5-4). Bravo started off strong with two technical falls. The first came against CSU-Pueblo's Joe Jones (16-0, 5:25) in the first round. He followed that up with his second one against Kellen Costelow from Colorado Mines (15-0, 6:25). His next dual, Bravo posted a 7-0 decision over ASC's Dominic Valencia to advance to the next round. Bravo came up short against San Francisco State's Naveed Bagheri, falling in a close 7-6 decision. Wilbanks, who was wrestling at 184 pounds for the first time this season, opened up with an 8-0 major decision over Chadron's Ty Brown. To advance to the Championship round, Wilbanks upset FHSU's Tyler Gonzales (3-2). The only loss for Wilbanks, came at his final match against ASC's Kyle Sand. Sand defeated Wilbanks, 5-1 to take the title. Wells, ranked No. 3 at 165 pounds and his first trip to Regional's, started off his day with a pin over SFSU's Zach Sesar (4:26). Wells then advanced to the Championship round, by defeating FHSU's Troy Lussenhop (10-6). But Nebraska-Kearney's Taylor May took the title from Wells, after earning a 6-3 decision victory. Hockett started off with an 8-1 decision over Jason Wenger (Mesa State) in the opening round, but then fell to Fort Hays State's James Annon 9-4. Hockett battled his way through the consolation bracket, earning three decision victories (3-2, 8-4, 4-3). But, in his final dual of the tournament, Hockett fell to SFSU's Ben Lockett in a 6-5 decision, resulting in a fourth place finish. Ross, who has been wrestling at 157, 174 and 184 pounds for the Mountaineers, was defeated by Jesse Feinsod (Fall, 0:56), but worked his way back into the National hunt throught the consolation bracket. Ross went on a 3-1 record to claim fourth place. He decisioned CSU-Pueblo's Jesse Grant 6-4 and squeaked past Grand Canyon's Daniel Garay (2-1). His next task was FHSU's Shawn Kuhlman. Ross posted a 6-3 decision on Kuhlman to advance to a match against Feinsod for third place. Feinsod pinned Ross at 2:25. Lopez, a senior, started off with a 7-5 decision over UNK's Michael Abril, before falling to Adam State's Arsenia Barksdale in a 6-3 decision. Lopez battled his way through the consolation bracket, but fell to Devlon Webb (4-3). Battling for fifth place, Lopez went on to earn an 8-4 decision over Abril.

ERIE, Pa. -- The Newberry College wrestling team took home their second straight Super Region I title by mounting 135.5 team points at the tournament. The scarlet and gray had three champions, one runner-up, two third place finishers, two fourth place finishers and one sixth place finisher. Head Coach Jason Valek was also named the Super Region I coach of the year as his team finished the season with a 23-2 record and went undefeated against region teams. Eight Newberry wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Division II tournament, which is the same amount that qualified last year when Newberry finished eighth. This year the tournament is being held in Houston, Texas. Coming in behind Newberry at second place was Pittsburgh-Johnstown with 108.5 points. West Liberty State took third place with 92 points and was followed by Gannon University (80.5) and Mercyhurst College (71). Claiming the first championship of the day for Newberry was Matt Oliver (Toms River, N.J.). Oliver won his semifinal match over No. 3 Scott Morgan of Pittsburgh-Johnstown with a 11-3 major decision and then won by medical forfeit over No. 5 Russell Weakley of UNC-Pembroke in the championship match. The championship was Oliver's first as he took second in last years regional. Oliver qualified for the national tournament for the second time in his career. Making his third straight trip to the national tournament at 133 lbs. is Andrew Young (Summerville, S.C.). Young went 2-1 on the day, but claimed third place in the tournament. In his semifinal match, Young lost to the eventual champion, Shane Valko of Pittsburgh-Johnstown by a 4-1 decision. However, Young battled back to win his next match over No. 4 Mike Nash of UNC-Pembroke by a 8-3 decision. In the third place match, Young defeated sixth-seeded Nick Wykoff of West Liberty State by a 5-2 decision. Young's season record now stands at 16-7. Tony Washington (Georgetown, S.C.) went 1-2 on the day to claim sixth place. Washington won his first match with a 8-2 decision over No. 7 Dallas Evans of Seton Hill, but lost in his following match to No. 5 Jeremy Parker of Limestone by a 2-1 decision. In the fifth place match, Washington lost his second straight match by a point to No. 2 AJ Milanak of Gannon by a 1-0 decision. Washington failed to qualify for the national tournament as his finished his season with a 23-10 mark. At 149 lbs., Latra Collick (Berlin, Md.) claimed his third-consecutive Super Region I Runner-up as he went 1-1 on the day. Collick defeated No. 5 Kayne Melko of West Liberty State in the semifinals with a 3-1 sudden victory, but then lost in the championship finals to No. 3 Kevin McElhaney of Gannon by a 7-3 decision. By claiming second place, Collick qualified for his third straight national tournament. His season record now stands at 26-8 after a 3-1 showing this weekend. Sean Byrnes (Jackson, N.J.) failed to place in the tournament as he lost to No. 2 Mike Rogers of Carson-Newman by a 10-3 decision. Byrnes went 2-2 in his first ever regional tournament as he finished his freshman campaign with a 18-12 record. At 165 lbs., Brandon Kelly (Fort Myers, Fla.) took home third place as he went 2-1 on the day to qualify for his first national tournament. Kelly lost to Pittsburgh-Johnstown's No. 3 Kyle Keane in the semifinals by a 5-3 decision, but won in his next match over Gannon's No. 4 Brett Terry with a 8-3 decision. In the third place match, Kelly defeated No. 6 Seth Phalen of West Liberty State by a 8-4 decision. Kelly's record improved to 28-8 as he held a 4-1 record at the region tournament. Also placing for Newberry was Josh Whitelock (Rhodesdale, Md.) at 174 lbs. Whitelock went 1-2 on the day to qualify for his first national tournament. In the championship semifinals, Whitelock lost by a narrow 5-4 decision to Belmont Abbey's No. 2 Adam Phillips. Whitelock responded with a 7-2 decision over Zach Lundgren of Pittsburgh-Johnstown. In the third place match, Whitelock was unable to defeat Joby Shreckhise of Limestone as he lost by a 5-1 decision. Competing in his first region tournament, Whitelock went 2-2 and improved his season record to 24-10. Top seed at 184 pounds, Bryant Blanton (Summerville, S.C.) took fourth place as he went 1-2 on the day. Blanton lost his semifinal match to No. 4 Mitch Knapp of West Liberty State in the second tiebreaker by a 4-2 score. However, Blanton rebounded with a 21-second pin of Shippensburg's Zach Hogentogler in the consolation semifinals. Blanton was unable to defeat Carson-Newman's No. 5 Landon Hall as he fell by a 4-3 decision. Despite the loss, Blanton still qualified for the national tournament, which will be his second appearance. Taking home the 197 pound crown was Keeno Griffin (Jacksonville, Fla.), who finished the tournament with a perfect 4-0 record. Griffin defeated No. 5 Zach Anderson of Anderson University by a 9-2 decision in the semifinals and then claimed a 6-2 decision over Kutztown's No. 3 Scott Snyder. Griffin's record now stands at 29-2 as the 2008 All-American will travel to nationals for the third straight year. Griffin's winning streak now stretches to 18 matches. In the heavyweight division, No. 1 Cy Wainwright (Green Cove Spring, Fla.) claimed his second straight region title as he finished the tournament with a 3-0 record. In the semifinals, Wainwright defeated UPJ's No. 5 Chris Dempsey by a pinfall at the 2:14 mark and then beat Gannon's No. 3 Frank McGrath by a 13-3 major decision. The 2008 All-American still holds a perfect record this season at 32-0 and has a winning streak of 34 matches. Wainwright will also make his third appearance at the national tournament. The Newberry College wrestling team will travel to Houston, Texas for the NCAA Division II Tournament, where they will be looking to improve upon last year's eighth place finish. Championship information can be found at the following link. More information about the Super Region I Tournament can be found on Mercyhurst's website.

Click on the links below to listen to audio interviews from the champions at the 2009 NJCAA Championships held at the UCR Sports Center in Rochester, Minnesota. Patrick Hunter (125) Billy Murphy (133) Jeremy McCoy (141) Ganbayar Sanjaa (149) Carrington Banks (157) Brad Lower (165) James Nakashima (174) Devin Clark (184) Phil Hawes (197) Tyrell Fortune (285) Luke Moffitt (Iowa Central Coach)

Audio Interviews Brackets/Results ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Simply put, it was a landslide victory for Iowa Central on Saturday night at the 2009 NJCAA Championships at the UCR Sports Center in Rochester, Minnesota. The Tritons, who won their fourth consecutive national title, crowned five individual national champions (half its lineup) and eight All-Americans en route to setting the all-time record for points scored in the NJCAA Championships with 161. Nassau finished a distant second (first in non-scholarship) with 91.5 points. North Idaho (89.5), Clackamas (87), and Colby (74.5) rounded out the top five. "I'm proud of these guys because they work hard," said Iowa Central coach Luke Moffitt. "They buy into the system as far as what we're trying to do from day one." Winning national titles for the Tritons were Patrick Hunter (125), Billy Murphy (133), Carrington Banks (157), Brad Lower (165), and Phil Hawes (197). Hunter, a New Jersey native who came into the tournament ranked No. 4 at 125, picked up a 7-4 victory over unranked Ricardo Gomez of Nassau. "I sucked it up and got the big one for myself," said Hunter, who lost to Brian Moreno of Iowa Lakes two weeks ago in the North Central District finals. "I've been doing the right things, staying out of trouble, hitting the books real hard, doing the things not for everybody else but for myself." Arguably the most dominating performance of the tournament was turned in by Murphy, who won by technical fall, 17-1, over Tim Thurston of Iowa Lakes in the 133-pound final, and earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors for the tournament after registering two technical falls and two pins. "This is what I planned," said Murphy, a former blue chip recruit out of California who started his collegiate wrestling career at the University of Iowa (Click HERE to read a profile story on Billy Murphy). "I had these goals since I started. It's just a matter of I already had a goal to go DI again. It's just another step. I got this step out of the way. Now I just look to the next thing." Banks, who placed fourth at the 2008 NJCAA Championships, took home the title at 157 pounds with a hard-fought 8-6 victory over Bekzod Abdurakhmanov of Colby, the younger brother of former two-time NJCAA national champion and NCAA Division I All-American Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov. "It was a big relief," said Banks. "I was expecting to win it last year. I wasn't ranked No. 1, but I was expecting to win it, and then I didn't win it. So I came back this year, working hard, ranked No. 1, and I got it. It was a relief, a big relief." Lower, who was an NJCAA runner-up in 2008, won the 165-pound title over surprise finalist Steve Merth of Itasca, 8-3. "Last year, I pretty much had that match won," said Lower. "I made one big mistake, got put to my back. That might have been why I was out there … I was kind of hesitating on some stuff on top, but I guess it just made me more aware of keeping myself in safe position." Iowa Central's final national champion came at 197 where unranked Phil Hawes took home the title in impressive fashion, winning by a major decision in the finals, 15-6, over Parker Brand of Rochester. "It means so much," said Hawes. "I've been training non-stop this whole year, just focusing on wrestling. This is really big." At 141, Ellsworth's Jeremy McCoy was overcome with emotions after picking up a 5-3 victory over No. 1-ranked Aaron Senzee of Meramec. "I'm so proud of myself," said McCoy. "I mean, I've wanted this my whole entire life, to win something that actually means something to me. This is nothing that I've ever done in my whole entire life. This means more than anything, to my family, to me. I feel I can do anything now. That was a sign from God to tell me to never give up and keep going, Jeremy, you're going to make it. I've had a long, hard road. People who know me know that I've been through more than any kid out here … and it's just indescribable." Other national champions included Ganbayar Sanjaa of Colby (149), James Nakashima (174) of Lincoln (174), and Tyrell Fortune of Clackamas (285).

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA has announced the qualifier allocations for the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships as listed in the chart below. Each qualifying tournament was awarded spots per weight class based on current year data. Each wrestler was measured on the following: Division I winning percentage; rating percentage index (RPI); and coaches ranking. A threshold of a 0.725 winning percentage, top 28 in the RPI and top 28 in the coaches ranking was established to allocate 278 of the 330 championships field positions. For each wrestler that reached the threshold in at least two of the three categories, his qualifying tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class. Each qualifying tournament was awarded a minimum of one wrestler per weight class, which will go to the tournament champion, even if they did not have any wrestlers reach at least two of the three thresholds. NCAA tournament spots for each qualifying event will be awarded at the tournament based solely on place-finish. After all of the qualifying events have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 52 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 11. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers. The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; qualifying event placement; quality wins; results against common opponents; winning percentage; RPI; coaches ranking and the number of matches contested at that weight class. The complete listing of the 33 wrestlers in each weight class for the final coaches' panel rankings, as well as the second RPI for the 2008-09 season can be found by logging on to www.ncaa.com.

Des Moines, Iowa -- Hello Wrestling fans. Let me warn you that this is a long release but an important one given its content. Each year our friends at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, OK decide on a special feature that we embrace and promote for the better health of wrestling. This years feature is- "Glory Beyond the Sport: Wrestling and the Military" As is now customary we also produce a Black History Month special each February. Why Not combine the two? This week we have a very special 3 Hour program from the Brute adidas Studios of TDR. The second 2 of the scheduled 3 Hour special will be our tribute to African Americans who have served our country and our wrestling community. We'll welcome back to the Brute adidas studios Coach Bobby Douglas and wrestling historian Mike Chapman. Our first hour featured guests include: Rollie Peterkin- U-Penn- 2007-08: 2008 NCAA Qualifier ... 2008 EIWA Champion at 125 pounds ... Finished season with a 31-5 record ...Advanced to the Round of 12 at the NCAA Championships with a 3-2 record ... Wrestled in every dual, going 15-2 and scoring 58 team points ... Five wins over ranked opponents ... 8-1 against EIWA opponents in regular season ... Went 4-0 at Keystone Classic (11/18) to win 125-pound title ... Went 5-1 at Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas (11/30-12/2) to finish in third place ... Two falls in 07-08, with the fastest coming in 30 seconds against Grand Canyon's Tony Covert (1/6) ... Eight major decision victories to go with one tech fall ... Shut out his opponent five times Mike Clayton of the Stevens Institute Ducks- Clayton in his second season leading the Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling team after being named head coach in August of 2007. A former top assistant at the United States Military Academy and four-year letter winner and NCAA Division I Qualifier at the United States Naval Academy during the 1990's, Clayton led the Stevens wrestling program back to prominence in his first season, 2007-08, and was named the 2008 NWCA Division III Rookie Coach of the Year. To round out the first hour Mike, Bobby and I will have a lively discussion on the history of Black Americans who have served our nation. Our "African Americans in the Military" Black History Month Special Guests Include: Sergeant Iris Smith- 10 Year US Team Member at 72 Kilos, World Champion, U.S. Nationals Champion, 2000-2002 University Nationals Champion, President of the student council at her HS where she also competed on the men's varsity Team. Now a member of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program CAREER NOTES: * 2005 World Champion * 2005 World Cup bronze medalist * Two-time U.S. World Team member (2000, 2005) * Four-time U.S. Nationals champion (2000-02, 2005) * Seventh in 2000 World Championships * Missed the 2001 World Championships to attend basic training with the U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Shon Lewis Head Coach for the Army World Class Athletic Program Wrestling Team, Greco, Freestyle Men's and Women's programs Sergeant DREMIEL BYERS CAREER NOTES: * 2002 World champion * 2007 World bronze medalist * Member of 2007 World Team Champions * Seventh in 2008 Olympic Games * 2005 CISM Military World Champion * 2001 World Cup gold medalist * Sixth in 1999 World Championships * Seven-time U.S. Nationals champion (1999, 2002-06, 2008) * 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up * Seven-time Armed Forces champion (1997, 1999, 2000, 2003-06) Harold Henson- Harold Henson: Two years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier by being the first black to play in Major League Baseball, the first African-American competed at the national college wrestling championships, according to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The man who made history at the 1949 NCAAs: Harold Henson of San Diego State University. (Note: The Hall of Fame had given the name of the first black wrestler at the NCAAs as being Harold Hanson, but, according to articles in the SDSU student newspaper and yearbook of that era, the wrestler's last name was Henson.) Until the Hall of Fame had disclosed that Henson was the first black to wrestle at an NCAA event, it was widely assumed that the first African-American college matmen made their appearance in the mid 1950s… pioneers such as Simon Roberts at the University of Iowa, Ellie Watkins for the Iowa State Cyclones, and Kent State's Clarence McNair. According to the San Diego State student newspaper, just before the 1949 NCAAs, Harold Henson won the 136-pound title at the CCAA conference championships, pinning his opponent in the finals. Then, he and his teammates piled into two cars -– a '49 Ford, and a '49 Mercury -- and made the trip to the national championships, hosted by Colorado State University in Ft. Collins. There were twelve men in the 136-pound weight class at the 1949 NCAAs; Harold Henson was unseeded, while 1947 champ Lowell Lange of Cornell College of Iowa was the top seed, and defending champ Dick Dickenson of Michigan State was seeded second. Henson drew a bye in the first round. In the second, he went up against Oklahoma State's Don Meeker, who was the fourth seed. The Cowboy got a 7-3 win over the Aztec grappler. That was Henson's first and last match in the tournament; back then, a wrestler who lost in the second round did not make it into the consolation bracket, so, Henson did not place. (Only the top four placers in each weight class earned All-American honors. In the 136-pound finals, Lange shut out Dickenson 6-0 to win his second title.) After competing at San Diego State, Harold Henson served in the U.S. Army for 26 years, retiring as a Colonel … then became a Senior Executive in Washington, D.C. government. He is now enjoying retirement. Bob Pickens, V P of the Board of Commissioners for the Chicago Park District. He was appointed by The HR Mayor Richard M. Daley in Feb 2000 to serve as a Comm until April 2009. The President of the Chicago Park District appointed Comm Pickens to the NE Illinois Planning Comm for a two-year term from 2005-2007. Pickens is fulfilling his lifetime commitment to leadership and civic engagement. Pickens currently owns Merrill Associates, Ltd., a contract labor, janitorial and maintenance company and is an independent Relocation Specialist with AKP Properties, LLC. He continues to be involved in manufacture trade investments with the Republic of China. Prior to retirement, Pickens worked at Sears for 18 years as the Toy Buyer and assistant to the Chairman, National Sales Manager. He began his career as Director of Diversity and Minority Outreach at Foote, Cone and Belding, advertising agency. Pickens 1958-1962 attended Evanston Township High School in Evanston, IL, an all-state offensive tackle in football, the 1961 Heavyweight State Champion in wrestling and the 1961 Suburban Shot Put and Discus Champion. While at the University of Wisconsin, Pickens was selected as the 1963 pre-season All-American and Big Ten Lineman of the Year during his sophomore term. In 1964, Pickens was selected for the Greco-Roman Wrestling Team representing the U.S. at the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. He placed sixth in the world. In 1965, Pickens transferred to the University of Nebraska where he was selected as an All-American candidate, received All Big-Eight offensive tackle honors in football and finished second in the National AAU Wrestling Tournament Heavyweight Division. He was conferred his B.S. degree in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska. From 1967-1969, Commissioner Pickens was drafted to the NFL Chicago Bears, the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League. Then served as an official for the Big 10 in 76 to 89. He has served as national steering committee President of the NFL Players Association and President of the NFL Retired Players Association, Chicago Chapter. Pickens volunteers for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Better Boys Foundation, the Michael F. Sheahan Youth Foundation and Boundless Playgrounds for special needs children. He has been inducted into The History Makers Athletic Hall of Fame and The Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. Pickens is married to Judith Jamison Pickens and has two children, Todd and Tori, and one grandson, Ameer. Sylvester Hodges "Airman 1st class" Born in Montrose, Alabama Hodges joined the U.S. Air Force in 1960 and was training as an Aircraft and Missile Elec. when he was recruited into the US Air Force Wrestling Team. He became the 1st Black on that team in our nations history. After winning numerous tournaments he qualified for the OTC but was prevented from training due to injury. Hodges went on after discharge from the U.S.A.F to graduate from the Merritt Community College with and A.A. Degree and was awarded the Athlete of the year award becoming the first Wrestler to receive that distinction. Hodges went on to continue his education at Cal State-Hayword where he was the Undefeated League Champion in 1969. He challenged the NCAA rules, He rose above the din and mediocrity to become one of the best. He co-founded the 1st African American Wrestling Team called Wan Tu Wazuri (Beautiful People). He has served as Past President of the Oakland School Board and is now retired. 1st Lt. Mike Van Arsdale (born June 20, 1965 in Waterloo, Iowa) UFC Vet and currently signed with the American Fight League.[1] He holds a professional record of eight wins and five losses and his last fight in the UFC was at UFC 57, where he lost to Renato Sobral via a RNC. His MMA debut came in 1998 when he traveled to Brazil to compete in the no-rules International Vale Tudo Championships, a tournament in which van Arsdale won three consecutive fights in one evening to claim the title. A decorated Hall of Fame high school and ISU collegiate wrestler Van Arsdale was 1988 NCAA Division 1 collegiate wrestling champion at 167 lb (76 kg), while competing for Iowa Sate University. He has been inducted into the Iowa HS Wrestling Hall of Fame and the in the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa, located in Waterloo. So friends as we celebrate our sport, diversity and the American way through wrestling I ask that you join us for America's Wrestling Radio program. TDR is Live each Saturday 9AM to 11 AM CST from our Clear Channel Studios of KXNO in Des Moines, Iowa. TDR is heard around the world each week and can be enjoyed through our archives and through Pod Casts as well.

Tickets for the 2009 U.S. Wrestling World Team Trials, presented by the U.S. Marines, will go on sale Friday, February 27 at 10 a.m. CST at all Ticketmaster locations. The event is scheduled for May 30-31 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. To purchase tickets through Ticketmaster go to: http://www.ticketmaster.com or 1-800.745.3000 To purchase tickets through the Mid-America Center Box Office go to: http://www.midamericacenter.com or 712.326.2295. This event will feature Greco-Roman, Men's Freestyle, and Women's Freestyle athletes wrestling for the opportunity to represent the U.S. at the 2009 World Championships in Herning, Denmark. For tournament, ticket and hotel information visit: www.theworldteamtrials.com

Wrestling411 has already provided some of the best wrestling news and commentary in its first full production year. The twice-weekly radio show has featured interviews with over 30 college coaches, numerous NCAA and Olympic champions as well as some of the top names within college wrestling. We push forward this upcoming weekend with broadcast coverage of the NJCAA National Championships from University Center in Rochester, Minn., and live coverage in conjunction with NorthernSun.TV of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championships from Marshall, Minn. Wrestling411 will hit the road for an NJCAA preview show live from Rochester on Thursday, Feb. 26 before providing updates, news and notes from the tournament's two days. Wrestling411 will air live the NJCAA finals (audio) and post tape-delay video of the finals of both events. That's where the fun only begins for the wrestling fan. In the next three weeks, Wrestling411's Jason Bryant and Kyle Klingman will pack up and journey across the country covering the NCAA Division III, II and I championships. A complete schedule of championship events is below, but in between championship weekends, stay dialed in to www.wrestling411.tv for exclusive interviews and road shows. We're also excited to partner with Web Stream Productions and NCAA.com for their web casts of the NCAA Division II and III Championships from Houston and Cedar Rapids. Jason Bryant's take on the trip I'm a big believer that wrestling needs to be represented in the national media at every level. We've had coaches on from every division and we're looking forward to providing live, on-site updates from four national championships, and getting live updates from a fifth, the NCWA Championships from Hampton, Va., with our own Wade Schalles. There are hundreds of wrestling programs which don't get coverage even from our own sport, we're going to be the ONLY national outlet which covers all three NCAA championships and the NJCAA Championships. I'm proud of what we've been able to accomplish in our first full year of production and am very pleased with the working relationships we've been able to initiate. This will be a win-win for us and the wrestling community as a whole. Kyle Klingman's take on the trip College wrestling deserves great comprehensive coverage – and Wrestling411 will provide that coverage. This is going to be a memorable trip. Wrestling411 Championship Travel Schedule: February 26 - NJCAA National Preview Show - Rochester, MN 27 - NJCAA National Championships Day 1 - Rochester, MN 28 - NJCAA National Championships Day 2 - Rochester, MN March 1 - Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championships - Marshall, MN 2 - Travel Day - Arden Hills, MN 3 - Show Day - Arden Hills, MN 4 - Dan Gable International Wrestling Museum & Institute - Cedar Falls, IA 5 - NCAA Division III Preview Show - Cedar Rapids, IA 6 - NCAA Division III Championships Day 1 - Cedar Rapids, IA 7 - NCAA Division III Championships Day 2 - Cedar Rapids, IA 8 - Travel Day - Columbia, MO 9 - National Wrestling Hall of Fame - Stillwater, OK 10 - Travel Day - San Antonio, TX / Austin, TX 11 - Travel Day - Houston, TX 12 - NCAA Division II Preview Show - Houston, TX 13 - NCAA Division II Championships Day 2 - Houston, TX 14 - NCAA Division II Championships Day 2 - Houston, TX 15 - Travel Day - Little Rock, AR 16 - Travel Day - St.Louis, MO 17 - Show Day on Location - St. Louis, MO 18 - NCAA Division I Preview Show - St. Louis, MO 19 - NCAA Division I Championships Day 1 - St. Louis, MO 20 - NCAA Division I Championships Day 2 - St. Louis, MO 21 - NCAA Division I Championships Day 3 - St. Louis, MO

Terry Brands is one of the most successful U.S. freestyle wrestlers ever. Brands, who won two NCAA titles as a college competitor at Iowa, was a two-time World champion and Olympic bronze medalist. He won the World Cup twice and was also a Pan American Games champion. In 2006, Brands was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Terry BrandsBrands started his college coaching experience as an assistant at Iowa (1992-2000) before moving on to Nebraska (2000-01), and then Montana State-Northern (2001-2002). He landed a head coaching job at Tennessee Chattanooga, where he coached from 2002-2005. In 2005, Brands took over as the USA Wrestling's National Freestyle Resident Coach. He was instrumental in the development of several successful U.S. freestyle wrestlers, including 2006 World champion Bill Zadick and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo. Brands resigned as USA Wrestling's National Freestyle Resident Coach to come back to Iowa this season as an assistant coach and work under his brother, Tom Brands. RevWrestling.com recently caught up with Terry Brands and talked to him about a variety of different subjects, including his decision to leave USA Wrestling and come back to Iowa, whether he thinks Henry Cejudo will wrestle again, what it has been like reuniting with his brother, whether he has aspirations of becoming a head coach again, and much more. Terry, you came back to the University of Iowa this season after serving as the National Freestyle Resident Coach at USA Wrestling for three-and-a-half years. Why did you decide to make that move? Brands: I just felt like it was time to go. They saw things a little differently than I was anticipating. It was time to make the move. You served as a mentor and coach to Henry Cejudo. I know you are very close to him. Years of blood, sweat, and tears went into your training. Describe the emotions you felt when Henry won the Olympic gold medal in Beijing. Terry Brands coached Henry Cejudo to an Olympic gold medal at 55 kg in freestyle last summer in Beijing (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Brands: I think it's gratifying anytime one of your student-athletes wins at the elite level. Mostly for them and very little, if any, of that joy is felt for me … because it's giving those guys the opportunity. And then watching them fulfill, follow through with that opportunity, and capture all aspects of it. Very gratifying. Henry hasn't competed since the Olympics. There has been talk of him possibly getting into MMA. As someone who is close to him and has spent a significant amount of time with him, do you personally think we'll see him wrestling competitively again? Brands: I don't know. He's bounced around. He has said some different things. He talks about it sometimes. And then sometimes he talks about maybe not wanting to. Part of the dangers of having success at that level is that you may not want to compete again. It's hard to say what he's going to do. I obviously am hoping he does compete. But if he doesn't, I'm going to wish him the best. Henry took the non-traditional route for his wrestling career, going straight from high school wrestling to international wrestling. Recently Jake Deitchler made the same decision. Do you think we'll start seeing more and more talented high school wrestlers go that route? Or do you think those two are exceptions? Brands: Well, right now they are the exception. I think you could see that. The way I know Brent Metcalf, it's hard to say he would have ever done it that way. It's funny to listen to some people who have never wrestled or won an NCAA championship talk about how easy it is to win an NCAA championship … or they call it the bush leagues or this or that … the guys who have international success that maybe never won an NCAA title. The one thing about the NCAAs that is unique is that hands down, no questions about it, it is the toughest tournament in the world from a grind point of view. You make weight three straight days. You wrestle five matches over three straight days. And they're seven-minute matches. It's a unique five-year training opportunity to hone your mind and body to the things that are necessary to become championship-minded. You can win on the international level going through an NCAA program. There's just no question about that. These critics that say that our NCAA rules and the way that FILA has moved from that … to say that we can't win, is just crazy. It's just crazy to me that we think that way. Would you like to see college wrestling changed from folkstyle to freestyle … or it least have the rules tweaked to be more like freestyle? And how much do you think it would help the U.S. succeed internationally in freestyle? Terry Brands, who won two World titles as a competitor, spent three-and-a-half years as USA Wrestling's National Freestyle Resident Coach (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Brands: The last part of your question, again, I'm not going to make an excuse for our country not being good. We have talent here that can win on the international level … whether they change the rules or not. As far as the rules, yeah, it would be nice to maybe get some kind of a pushout rule. It would be nice to move a little bit towards some of the rules that make sense for international wrestling. To move completely to freestyle, that's like asking other cultures, like the Chinese, or the Mongolians, or the Siberians, to change to folkstyle wrestling. They're not going to change that style. That's their culture. That's what they feel like makes them competitive in the long run. It's kind of the same thing here. The NCAA tournament, and the rules that the collegiate and high school folkstyle compete under, is a very entertaining system and style to watch. So it's hard to say if we want to change completely over to freestyle, especially when FILA dictates and governs the rules. Now you're looking at a change every so many years. That's kind of what drives fans away … that they just don't understand the scoring and the rules of the sport. You have worked on the same coaching staff as your brother, Tom, in the past, when you were both assistant coaches at Iowa. But now you're an assistant coach and he's the head coach. What has this experience been like for you working as an assistant coach under Tom? Brands: It's been real good. The best thing about it is that it's compatible philosophies. So the discipline, accountability, and standards that I want to uphold as a coach, and hold my student-athletes accountable to, we think the same. So it's a no-brainer. I don't have to butt heads with him about so and so dropping classes or drinking whisky or whatever they are doing that maybe isn't conducive to winning Olympic, World, and NCAA championships. That's very, very gratifying to me. Terry Brands has been instrumental in Ryan Morningstar's development this season (Photo/Iowa Sports Information)You have kind of taken Ryan Morningstar under your wing since coming to Iowa. He's 25-4 and having the best season of his college wrestling career. What does he need to do to accomplish his goals this season? Brands: He needs to stay focused on the things that he can control. We all know what those are. He needs to be able to get those things under control and be able to execute. When he does that, he's a very, very dangerous competitor. When he doesn't, he could still win the NCAA tournament. I'm not saying he couldn't do that. But it's going to be very difficult to be consistent. Again, it doesn't mean he can't win. It just means that it's not a consistent route. Steve Mocco is back training in Iowa City. What kind of impact has he had on your program this season? Brands: Unfortunately, not a lot. With the NCAA rules the way they are … the way that you can use your club … and the way that you can use your past alumni are two or three different things. So with Mocco graduating from Oklahoma State, we have to train him at separate times. He's just not around a lot. He doesn't travel with us and things that could help us tremendously. But his presence … obviously the guys see him in the locker room. The guys see him working out when they come through in the morning when he's lifting. He's a very, very social person that they relate to immediately. From that end, it's been good. From the work and him being able to get in on the grind of it, it hasn't been any of that. It's great for him to be here. I think the environment is what he needs. I think he's very happy here with his family. It is working, even though it's tough to tweak his workouts around the college guys … and sometimes it gets to the point, especially this time of the year, where you kind of have to tell him that he can't come in at a certain time because we're doing something with the college team. But he understood before he even came here … that that was going to be the case … and he has thrived here. I know the goal of Iowa wrestling has always been domination. When you were the National Resident Coach for USA Wrestling, I heard you say in an interview that a wrestler can win a one-point match but still dominate that match. Do you think the same could be said about winning a one-point match in collegiate wrestling? Or is it different? Brands: I don't think it's different at all. I think that could certainly be the case. You have a kid who is a freshman or sophomore who is wrestling a three-time returning NCAA champion … and he's just all over him and the scores just aren't turning his way and he ends up winning 3-2 on a takedown, but was in on two or three shots and is trying to get better and finish those shots. That could be a dominating performance, even though it's too close because he slips on that wet spot, it could cost him the match the next time around. But because of his ability to dominate in those positions, the next time around it will widen the gap. Now that the regular season is over in college wrestling and you're preparing your team for the Big Tens and NCAAs, how does the training change? Brands: It doesn't. We continue to build on, speak about, and execute on the same things that we've been doing all year. The workouts become a little shorter and more intense. But for the most part, the training really doesn't change … because the training is psychological anyway. You have had experience as a Division I head coach at Tennessee Chattanooga. Wyoming made a play to hire you as its head coach last summer. How important is to you to become a Division I head coach again? Brands: From the outside, it seems to be fairly important. The NWCA called. They were pretty fired up that Wyoming was trying to get me to come. I was really fired up about that. There was one little hiccup that they had … and they wouldn't really change things around so that I could make a call that most head coaches would make. That's the only reason why I ended up not going. It was very, very hard to turn that down. Tom Burman was awesome. Great leader. Great AD. I think they did the right thing by moving on and getting Mark Branch in there. As far as becoming a head coach and whether that is something I have to be … I would say no. Opportunities that come and present themselves, there are a select few options that would even get my attention at this point. But that wouldn't mean that I would ever rule it out. Looking at the U.S. national rankings in freestyle, you have three of the top four wrestlers at 66 kg in your room: No. 1 Doug Schwab, No. 3 Jared Frayer, and No. 4 Brent Metcalf. All three are competing for the same spot on the U.S. World Team. What's the dynamic between those three? And do they wrestle against each other in practice? Wyoming made a play to hire Terry Brands last summer as its head coach (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Brands: We have Schwab and Frayer wrestle quite often. Obviously they work out a lot in those club workouts. And then Schwab gets in and wrestles with Metcalf fairly regularly, too, because he's a coach. Frayer and Metcalf, because of the rules, can't, which is crazy, but I'll save that for another time. Between the three, they have a good bond and a strong relationship. I think being together is obviously going to help them sharpen themselves to rise to the occasion. We're looking for one of those guys to come to the forefront and contend for world championships and Olympic gold medals.