The two schools will have representatives competing against one another at the 45th NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by the Marines on November 21 at Selland Arena in Fresno, Calif.
Sophomore Josh Asper of Maryland will take on Wyoming junior Shane Onufer in the 165-pound feature.
Asper, from Parkton, Md., was literally one second away from earning All-American honors last season in his first year in the Terps starting line-up. The former USA Wrestling Junior Freestyle National Runner-up and four-time high school state champion at Hereford went 34-9 last season en route to a second-place finish at the ACC championships.
Onufer, from Auburn, Wash., started his career at 174 pounds, qualifying for the NCAA championships as a freshman after winning the Western Wrestling Conference crown. Last season, Onufer again won the WWC going 25-7 in the process.
He’s a two-time Washington high school state champion and placed in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals.
Asper comes in ranked fifth in the nation by W.I.N. Magazine, while Onufer is ranked 11th.
The two met once last season, with Asper earning a 9-1 major decision in the second round consolations at the NCAA Division I Championships in Omaha. The match eliminated Onufer from medal contention.
Maryland has been represented in the NWCA All-Star Classic for the last three years, with Steve Bell represented at 133 pounds along with teammate Alex Krom wrestling last year at 141 pounds and Hudson Taylor wrestling in the event at 197 pounds in 2008. Maryland’s only other All-Star Classic participant came back in 1969, when Gobel Kline competed at 152 pounds.
Onufer is joined by teammate Joe LeBlanc, who is slated to wrestle top-ranked Kirk Smith of Boise State at 184 pounds. The Cowboys are represented for the first time by two wrestlers in the event. Prior to LeBlanc and Onufer’s selection, only Reese Andy represented Wyoming, competing in 1995 and 1996.
The 45th Annual NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by The Marines will be held at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California on Sunday, November 21, 2010. The doors open at 2:00 p.m. The All-Star Classic follows a weekend of fundraising events. For more information about the tournament, purchasing tickets and the fundraising events, visit the www.nwcaonline.com's event page.
To donate to the effort to save collegiate wrestling programs, visit http://nwca.ticketleap.net.
2010 NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by the Marines
Rankings by W.I.N. Magazine
125-
133- #1 Jordan Oliver, So. (Oklahoma St.) vs. #2 Andrew Hochstrasser, Sr. (Boise St.)
141- #3 Zack Bailey, Sr. (Oklahoma) vs. #5 Germane Lindsey, Sr. (Ohio)
149- #4 Torsten Gillespie, Jr. (Edinboro) vs. #5 Kevin LeValley, Sr. (Bucknell)
157- #1 Adam Hall, Sr. (Boise State) vs. #4 Bubba Jenkins, Sr. (Arizona State)
165- #5 Josh Asper, So. (Maryland) vs. #11 Shane Onufer, Jr. (Wyoming)
174- #3 Jordan Blanton, Sr. (Illinois) vs. #6 Nick Amuchastegui, Jr. (Stanford)
184- #1 Kirk Smith, Sr. (Boise St.) vs. #2 Joe LeBlanc, Jr. (Wyoming)
197- #3 Sonny Yohn, Jr. (Minnesota) vs. #4 Clayton Foster, Sr. (Oklahoma St.)
285- #2 Jarod Trice, Jr. (Central Michigan) vs. #4 Alan Gelogaev, Jr. (Oklahoma St.)
Exhibitions:
About California USA Wrestling
California USA Wrestling is a non-profit organization committed to the success and health of their athletes and dedicated to the promotion and preservation of collegiate and international styles of amateur wrestling. As the official California affiliate of USA Wrestling, the national governing board for international-style amateur wrestling in the United States, the club is responsible for the organization and execution of sanctioned USA Wrestling events in the state. California USA Wrestling educates the community about the styles of wrestling and the value of being involved in the sport. They strive to provide fun, exciting and well-planned events and improve the quality of California wrestling at the competitive level. For more information, visit www.ca-usaw.org.
About NWCA
The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to supporting and elevating the sport of amateur wrestling. NWCA provides leadership and guidance primarily to scholastic and collegiate wrestling programs, but is an advocate to all levels of wrestling. The NWCA promotes communication, recognizes achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events and serves as a resource for education and information pertaining to the sport of wrestling. Additionally, The NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of any competitive sport. For more information, visit http://www.nwcaonline.com.
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