InterMat Staff

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Following a bumpy 2009-10 season, the Fighting Illini look toward the 2010-11 campaign with renewed optimism in the second year under head coach Jim Heffernan. Although senior John Dergo and sophomore Jordan Blanton each earned their first career All-American honors, injuries and a myriad of other circumstances wreaked havoc on the Illini lineup and led to a disappointing eighth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and 23rd place finish at the NCAA Championships. Fifth-year senior Jimmy Kennedy returns to the lineup rejuvenated from a redshirt season last year and will compete for an NCAA title at 141 pounds, up from the 133-pound weight class where he wrestled his first three years. Blanton looks to be a major player on the national scene at 174, while sophomores B.J. Futrell and Conrad Polz will be strong points at 133 and 165, respectively. Futrell returns from a shoulder injury and bumps up to 133 after qualifying for the 2009 NCAA Championships at 125, while Polz will try to capitalize on a big freestyle season last summer that saw him make the United States Junior World Team. The schedule in 2010-11 looks a bit different, with Midlands and the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational the only tournaments that the Illini will participate in besides the postseason events. But Heffernan has continued the extremely competitive dual series with Missouri, which will be held at the Jon Davis Wrestling Complex in Edwardsville, Ill., home of Illini sophomore Daryl Thomas. The Illini also will host West Virginia in a return dual for Illinois’ trip to Morgantown in 2009, SIU Edwardsville for the second-straight year and will travel to Lock Haven for a dual the night after the Illini square off with Penn State. 125 Redshirt-freshman and three-time Ohio state high school champion Sam White is the front-runner for the starting job at 125, but he will be pushed by senior John Deneen, who started in Futrell’s absence last year, sophomore Daryl Thomas and freshman Logan Arlis. White won the Dan Gable Open and took fifth in the open division at the Missouri Open during his redshirt season last year. Deneen took seventh at the Big Ten Championships and finished 11-13 with a 7-7 dual record a year ago. Thomas started at 133 last year for the Illini, compiling a 13-18 record. Arlis is a two-time Illinois state medalist and three-time state qualifier, and is the younger brother of former Illini 157-pounder Clint Arlis. 133 Futrell, a 2009 NCAA qualifier at 125, moves up to 133 pounds for the 2010-11 season after a shoulder injury ended his season prematurely a year ago. At the time of his injury, Futrell was 6-1 with four falls, which gives him 10 falls in only 46 career matches. Backing him up will be Deneen, Thomas and sophomore Tyler LePretre. LePretre was 0-4 last year as a redshirt-freshman. 141 Two-time All-American Jimmy Kennedy will take aim at an NCAA title in 2010-11 as he enters the year ranked No. 1 by WIN Magazine. The senior redshirted last year and fared well in limited action, going 6-3 at Midlands and the Sunkist Open freestyle tournament. Kennedy finished second at Midlands at 141, losing only to Maryland’s Alex Krom. Kennedy will be backed up by LePretre and true-freshmen Jamie Clark. 149 Eric Terrazas will start at 149 for the third-straight year for Illinois, after finishing 12-9 a year ago. Terrazas started the season 11-0 despite missing the entire month of December with a broken foot he suffered while working out over Thanksgiving break. He won his first two matches after returning from the injury but went 1-9 the rest of the way, losing seven of those 10 bouts by two points or less. He also was in one of the toughest weight classes in the Big Ten, as he faced seven ranked opponents despite never squaring off with No. 1 Brent Metcalf. Terrazas will be backed up by junior Vince Vercelli, senior Matt Lee and freshmen Jed Lightfoot and Guy Kirby. 157 In what is likely Illinois’ most wide-open weight class, two juniors, a sophomore and three true-freshmen will compete for the spot. Sophomore Kyle Dooley and true-freshman Jackson Morse are the leading contenders for the spot, while juniors Jake Beechy and Jake Kimberlin, and true-freshmen Jake Gingerich and Joey Uccardi also will vie for time. Dooley was 8-8 last year, serving as Illinois’ starter at 157 against Davidson at the Sprawl & Brawl duals as well as at the Las Vegas Invitational. He also wrestled at 165 against Findlay and went 1-2 at Midlands at 157, with both losses coming to ranked wrestlers. Morse is very highly touted coming out of high school, as he was the No. 1 national recruit at 152 pounds according to Intermat at one point and was a three-time Michigan state champion. He also won a pair of Super 32 Challenge titles, one of the top national high school tournaments. 165 Sophomore Conrad Polz will start at 165 pounds for the Illini after an impressive summer freestyle campaign in 2010. Polz won the FILA Junior World Team Trials in May, earning a spot on the United States Junior World Championships team. He lost his lone match in Hungary, but the experience should be invaluable as he continues his collegiate career. Polz also finished seventh at the 2010 Big Ten Championships and posted a 17-15 season record. He will be backed up by senior Joe Barczak and true-freshman Adam Acheson. 174 All-American Jordan Blanton returns as Illinois’ starter at 174 after finishing 2010 with a bang. He out-performed his No. 5 seed at the Big Ten Championships, finishing third, and out-performed his No. 10 seed at the NCAA Championships with a fifth-place finish that earned his first career All-America honor. Blanton defeated five ranked opponents last year on his way to a 25-9 season mark. He’ll be backed up by senior Ben Friedl, sophomore Dan Stelter and freshman Nico Jimenez. 184 Redshirt-freshman Tony Dallago likely will man the 184-pound weight class for the Illini, but he’ll be pushed by senior Clinton Polz, sophomores Stelter and Matt McCarter, and true-freshman Brendan Mahaney. Dallago went 5-3 during his redshirt season, finishing third at the Eastern Michigan Open with a 5-1 mark. He also was a 2009 Pennsylvania state champion and four-time PIAA state medalist with a 171-28 career high school record. 197 Redshirt-freshman Mario Gonzalez will start at 197 for Illinois after going 5-3 during his redshirt season. He struggled early in the year and suffered a knee injury, but he bounced back later in the season with a third-place finish at the National Collegiate Open after winning four of his five matches at the event. McCarter also will back up Gonzalez at 197. Heavyweight Sophomore Pat Walker and junior Martin Smith once again will battle for the starting job at heavyweight, a year after they shared the role throughout the season. Walker was 10-14, including a 2-6 dual record, while Smith went 11-15 with a 4-7 dual mark. Smith started in five Big Ten duals compared to Walker’s three Big Ten starts.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Fueled by three bonus-point victories, Oklahoma State's Black team toppled the Cowboys Orange team by a 23-13 margin Thursday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Jamal Parks claimed the biggest win of the evening with a 4-2 sudden victory triumph over Albert White at 149 pounds. "This was a good start for us heading into this weekend," Head coach John Smith said. "This kind of gets me a little more excited after watching them. I am please with the effort." The bout between Parks and White drew most of the attention going into the evening, as both are capable of earning a spot on the All-America podium at the end of the year. "I knew it was going to be a tough match. I just had to keep focused," Parks said. "We're both tough competitors, so I mainly had to stay focused and I still have to get better." The Cowboys' three remaining All-Americans, Clayton Foster, Jordan Oliver and Alan Gelogaev were all bonus-point winners. Foster pinned Colton Hill at the 2:32 mark of their 197-pound bout, Oliver rolled to a very impressive 12-2 major decision victory over highly-regarded freshman Josh Kindig and Gelogaev was a 12-3 major decision winner over Tyson Yoder at 285 pounds. "I think Jordan Oliver and Josh Kindig was a good match," Smith said. "That Josh Kindig is a tough kid. He is a young kid and a young freshman, but he is tough. He is in on the No. 1 ranked guy in the country's leg three times in the first period, but you've just got to sustain it and he has to learn to finish. I think Oliver getting a major decision over Kindig is a good win for him. Even though he is young, that is a tough kid." A handful of Cowboy wrestlers were sidelined with nagging injuries, as 125-pounder Ladd Rupp, 141-pounder Luke Silver, 157-pounder Neil Erisman and 197-pounder Blake Rosholt all watched from the sidelines. Wrestling in front of the home fans for the first time, redshirt freshman 125-pounder Jon Morrison was an 8-3 winner over Tyler Dorrell, 184-pounder Zach White was an 8-3 winner over Darnell Bortz, 157-pounder Stephen Swan was an 11-7 winner over Matt White, Chris Perry was a 12-4 major decision winner over Elliott Hellwege at 184 pounds and 165-pounder Dallas Bailey was a 5-3 winner over Joe Ali. "I think that when you look at Chris Perry's victory, 12-4 over Elliott Hellwege, that is a good win, that Elliott is tough," Smith said. "That is a good competitive guy and a great leader. Chris Perry picking up a major decision over him is doing something." The most exciting bout of the evening came at 157 pounds, where Swan and White kept the action going at a frantic pace. Both Cowboys scored a takedown and an escape in the first period, but Swan created some space with an escape and a couple of takedowns Results: 125: Jon Morrison (Orange) dec. Tyler Dorrell (Black); 8-3 184: Zach White (Orange) dec. Darnell Bortz (Black); 8-3 197: Clayton Foster (Black) fall Colton Hill (Orange); 2:32 157: Stephen Swan (Orange) dec. Matt White (Black); 11-7 133: Jordan Oliver (Black) MD Josh Kindig (Orange); 12-2 184: Chris Perry (Black) MD Elliott Hellwege (Orange); 12-4 149: Jamal Parks (Black) dec. Albert White (Orange); 4-2 SV 174: Chris McNeil (Black) dec. Mike Benefiel (Orange); 4-1 165: Dallas Bailey (Black) dec. Joe Ali (Orange); 5-3 285: Alan Gelogaev (Orange) MD Tyson Yoder (Black); 12-3

College wrestling has a new top-ranked team (Cornell) and the most exciting wrestler of the past 10 years (Darrion Caldwell). It is truly the season of the fan. InterMat looks at 10 storylines to follow this season in college wrestling. 10. Fresh meat I wrote about this a few weeks ago but the trend of freshman wrestlers will continue this season with the names of Logan Stieber, Chris Perry, David Taylor, and Ed Ruth. There's always delight in watching a young scrapper take out an established upperclassman. You just never want it to be your upperclassmen. 9. The wrestling state of Iowa This certainly won't be the best of seasons for perennial powerhouses Iowa and Iowa State, but could it be the worst? The Hawkeyes earned their lowest preseason ranking in five years and Iowa State has too, registering at 30th. Neither team has a wrestler in the NWCA All-Star Classic. Tom Brands has said that nine of his starting spots are unsettled. (McDonough at 125 is the one exception.) It's clear that Iowa State is in transition and that regardless of the circumstances surrounding his dismissal from the team, the Hawkeyes will miss Montell Marion in March. Dan Gable & Tim Johnson (Photo/The Guillotine)8. Big Ten Network coverage There will be 41 events streamed live on the Internet and on television. That's nine more than they had last season and 41 more than when I was in high school. The BTN isn't blindly committing to the development and growth of college wrestling ... That would be a fool's errand. The network actually makes money from their programs which consistently rank as their third most-watched sport behind football and basketball. Live streaming has allowed committed fans to watch their favorite teams, but these well-produced programs, with descriptions and explanations provided by professional commentators and analysts, brings new fans into the sport. New blood means more money and that means more matches on your DVR. 7. New head coaches What can they do, and how quickly? Northwestern head wrestling coach Drew Pariano inherits a program that performed poorly last season in dual meet competition and finished second to last in the conference, with only one NCAA qualifier. The only thing keeping the notoriously energetic Pariano from becoming an insomniac is the return of 125-pound All-American Brandon Precin, redshirt sophomore 157-pounder Jason Welch, and returning NCAA qualifier Andrew Nadhir (149). Doug Schwab will also be fighting for wins this season as he rebuilds a Northern Iowa program years removed from the memories of impact grapplers like Tony Davis. I'm sure the fans of Northern Iowa are looking for the Mark Branch-like turnaround enjoyed by Wyoming. Fans shouldn't worry too much. My guess is that if you fast forward a few seasons you'll see a lot more purple atop the podium. Kyle Dake (Photo/Tony Rotundo, Tech-Fall.com)6. Burroughs vs. Howe/Caldwell vs. Kid Dynamite These are the most interesting and exciting matchups of the season. Each of these wrestlers is either trying to defend or recapture an NCAA title. And each has dominated in the past. The Nebraska and Wisconsin thoroughbreds are so evenly matched, but stylistically different, that no matter your level of clairvoyance, it's impossible to create a technical scenario where one could outright dominate the other. Jordan Burroughs is as quick as Andrew Howe is disciplined. Darrion Caldwell and Kid Dynamite (Kyle Dake) are similar as athletes with equal talent for the big move, which makes their possible matchup the most fan-friendly of the year. My hope is that these two meet in the NCAA finals so that SportsCenter has to cut away from traveling calls and three-second violations to these two guys exchanging high-flying mat returns. 5. Social media Keeping up with your favorite wrestlers, teams, and wrestling sites has never been easier. Sign up for Twitter and make sure you're a fan on Facebook and you should have access to schedule changes, highlight films, and roster updates. Social media has allowed for total access to every program, conference and news outlet are working online to deliver quality content to fans regardless of geography or previous association. I know that Twitter makes some people feel like a 12-year-old, but all you have to do is check the feeds every once in a while or sign-up and receive all the information you need with basically no effort. 4. The influence of MMA UFC titleholders Frankie Edgar and Cain Velasquez recently recertified that the toughness of college wrestlers holds currency which fighters of other disciplines simply can't match. This wrestling season will see more marketing from MMA brands and we'll all be guessing which of the wrestlers we watch at NCAA's will go on to counter-jab a Brit, or lock-in a triangle on a Brazilian. Whoever chooses to pursue a career in professional fighting, it's comforting to know that all the weight-cutting and days spent training for free, will finally earn some of these hard workers a decent salary. They're certainly more deserving than chubby baseball players. Wachovia Center in Philadelphia3. Philadelphia hosts the NCAAs Apologies to the Midwest (I live in Chicago), but the NCAA wrestling tournament, one of only five profitable NCAA Championships and the biggest party of the season, is better than to be hosted in a city where you can't buy dinner past 10 p.m. or beer after midnight. The NCAA wrestling tournament is the premier show for athleticism in college athletics, and for fans and alumni it's also a chance to express their collegiate pride and pay good money to listen to Sandy Stevens call out mat assignments. 2. Cornell wrestling Rob Koll has said he expects to win the NCAA tournament. It's a bold prediction no matter the team, no matter the year. They have seven All-American candidates, the best facility in the country, and a lot of momentum. 1. To be determined ... Surprise conference champions and All-Americans are sure to change the late-night conversation at bars across Philadelphia. We have 18 weeks to discover a breakout wrestler, to watch for upsets, and to lavish attention on over-performing individuals and teams. Whatever the new theme for the season, InterMat will be sure to cover it, and you, with your fancy Facebook and Twitter can be sure to follow along.

WAVERLY -- Jim Miller didn’t like the feeling the end of the 2009-10 campaign left. “Hey, when you start the season, you’re never looking to finish third at nationals,” the Knights’ head coach said. “Obviously, it wasn’t so much that we finished that way. It was the fact that we didn’t perform to our potential.” “I’ve been pleased with what we’ve seen in the room during practice,” he added. “This group is very balanced with a good mix of veterans and newcomers. I think we’ll see some good battles for starting spots at a few weights. That will make us better.” Going through the line-up, the 18-time defending Iowa Conference champions have plenty to offer. 125 – Returning All-American Mark Kist, a senior from Eagle Grove, is the front runner. A two-time national qualifier and IIAC runner-up, he placed third as a sophomore. “Obviously, Mark is one of the guys we’re looking to for leadership,” Miller said. “He’s got the experience from two national tournament appearances.” 133 – One of the early-season clashes is staged here. Miller has a plethora of options open. Sophomore Tommy Mirocha of Davenport had a strong freshman campaign, compiling a 30-6 record. Junior Mike Kremer of Independence, coming off a 13-2 season, is also capable, while sophomores Tucker Weber of Clear Lake and Michael Merritt of Monett, Mo., showed last season they can be competitive. “We’re very young here,” Miller said. “It’ll likely be a new face.” 141 – Sophomore Nathan Vaske of Manchester, after a 26-9 freshman campaign, leads a young group. If three-time All-American Matt Kelly of Dubuque decides to come back in January, he would probably be in this weight as well. 149 – One of the stronger classes on the Knights’ chart, returning national qualifier Jacob Groth heads the list. The Marshalltown native is on track towards 100 wins. He needs only 18 more. Groth will be challenged by the twin sophomore brothers’ duo of Colton and Cameron Wagner of Belle Plaine, each of whom had success late in 2009-10, freshman Cole Welter of Gilbertville, a multi-time state qualifier and champion for the powerhouse Don Bosco program, and junior Chris Tims of Waterloo. Newcomer Tanner Kampen of Humboldt was a junior college All-American a year ago as well. 157 – Senior Carrington Banks of Stockbridge, Ga., after a national qualifying and Iowa Conference runner-up season of 24-5, is the early leader. Tims, Colton Wagner, and sophomore Matt Vercillo of Davenport, are also in the mix. “Tims, Wagner and Vercillo all have valuable experience under their belts,” Miller said. “They want to take the next step.” 165 – Junior Brennan Drew of Gurnee, Ill., who saw an early-season injury end 2009-10, returns along with two freshmen who have looked good early, according to Miller. Junior Zach Hyland of Vinton and freshmen Jase Schossow of Marshalltown, who prepped at East Marshall and Landon Williams, a former high school state champion at Davenport (Assumption) may be options as well. “Zach can be a factor here if he gets healthy,” Miller said. “Adam Weber of Waterloo (All-American and Iowa Conference runner-up a year ago) may also return after Christmas break at either 157 or 165.” 174 – Junior Dylan Azinger of DeWitt, after a tremendous run at the 2010 NCAA Division III Nationals Championships to earn sixth-place honors, will be one of Miller’s leaders. “I really like what I’m seeing from him as he continues to improve,” the Knights’ head coach said. “Ben Scott, another junior from Adel who was 20-9 last year, is also a possibility here or at 184. He’s been doing a good job in practice and is getting better every day.” Wartburg has freshmen Noah Minikus of Denver and Bradley Banks of Stockbridge, Ga., available. Banks could also drop down to 165 later, according to Miller. 184 – Another slot that has new faces for the Knights features former East Marshall standout Sam Upah, a state place-winner, and Punahele Soriano, a Hawaii high school state champion. Miller and his staff may get back 2009-10 Iowa Conference runner-up and national qualifier Todd Becker of Gilbertville after Christmas break. 197 – The Knights’ strengths continue at this weight. Returning national and conference champion Byron Tate of Clinton joins the team leader core. Tate takes a 58-10 career record into the season. “Byron leads by example,” Miller said. “What he did last year shows what hard work can do.” HWT – Two-time All-American and former conference champion John Helgerson of West Union returns. The senior sports a 73-18 career record. Miller and his staff also have a freshman, Ryan Fank of Independence, who they feel can do some things, and junior Dylan Wrage of Waverly, a former high school state champion. “I think the season comes down to how well the young guys pick things up, and how our veterans do leading them,” Miller said. “The returners know the expectations. They need to show that by what they do.”

TEMPE -- While the dual season doesn’t get underway until November 13, many of the Arizona State University wrestlers will take to the mats this Saturday as they will compete unattached at the 2010 Embry-Riddle Collegiate Championships inside the Activity Center Gymnasium in Prescott, Ariz. The open tournament starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday and will conclude that evening with the finals of each of the 10 weight classes. Many of the team’s redshirting wrestlers and several of the individuals that are fighting for a starting position in the Sun Devil line-up will compete on Saturday. Last year, 13 different wrestlers with ties to the program competed in Prescott with three Sun Devils placing in the Top 4 of their respective weight classes. Kalin Goodsite and Jake Hannaford both placed at 133 pounds, finishing second and fourth, respectively, while Orlando Jimenez finished fourth at 149 pounds. The tournament will mark the first of two events Sun Devil wrestlers will take part in on the ERAU campus in as many weeks. Following this week’s tournament, the Sun Devils will return to Prescott at 7 p.m. next Saturday (November 13) when they face the Eagles in a dual. Earlier in the day, ASU will open its dual season with a 1 p.m. contest at Grand Canyon University (Phoenix).

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Saturday night at the 2011 OHSAA state tournament belonged to three wrestlers who have left their mark on Ohio wrestling history. Three great wrestlers came into high school with lofty expectations and they lived up to those great expectations. Hunter Stieber, Cam Tessari and Chris Phillips all became four-state champions in Ohio the first time any school has had that many four-time state champions, the state hasn't even had that many wrestlers be four-time state champions in the same year. Those three join Logan Stieber as four-time state champions as the tiny school of Monroeville now has the most four-time state champions in Ohio history, what is more remarkable is before Logan Stieber came into high school they didn't even have a state champion. Hunter Stieber, Chris Phillips, and Cam Tessari joined Logan Stieber as four-time state champions for Monroeville (Photo/Mark Ransick)All three wrestlers dominated their finals opponents as none was pushed at all in their matches. At 135, Hunter Stieber wrapped up his high school career in fashion getting the fall in just a minute flat. Next up at 140 was Cam Tessari who came away with an 11-4 decision had the closest of the group in the finals. Both Stieber and Tessari will join Logan Stieber at Ohio State next year. Chris Phillips at 171 came way with his 4th state title as well with a 16-7 domination. What is most remarkable about Phillips is he won all his titles at 171 something that has never been done in Ohio history. There is no doubt that Ohio hasn't seen a group of kids assembled like that before and we will probably never see something so remarkable again. While the Monroeville "triple threat" was on display all night there was a lot of great wrestling as well through the divisions. The theme could be summed as expect the unexpected as nationally-ranked wrestlers went down throughout the night and no one was safe no matter how high the ranking. Matt Stephens of Graham took on No. 2 nationally-ranked Ian Miller of Oak Harbor. Stephens and Miller battled to a scoreless tie at the end of regulation with both wrestlers taking turns riding each other out. The action really heated up in overtime when Stephens got a body lock and lifted Miller up and to the mat, but Miller looked to have not given up the takedown. Stephens, however, was awarded the two which, was the right call as he shocked the arena winning his first state title. Nationally-ranked Kagan Squire of Wadsworth had defeated his opponent Joey Ward of Moeller three different times this year. On Saturday night, he was not able to make it four as Joey Ward pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the night, winning in triple overtime, escaping with less than 10 seconds left. Squire was not the only nationally-ranked wrestler to go down in the finals. Ironman runner-up Huston Evans of Graham lost 5-2 to Chaz Gresham of Goshen. Gresham controlled the action and hit two beautiful throws on the edge to convert them into takedowns. Bo Jordan (Photo/Mark Ransick)While upsets were frequent in the finals there were many favorites that walked away with state crowns again. Bo Jordan is well on his way to becoming one of the most dominating wrestlers in Graham history, which is no easy task. Jordan, only a sophomore, dominated his way through the state tournament, pinning every opponent this past weekend. During the state qualifying process Jordan had only one match not end in a pin he defeated that opponent by technical fall 19-4 in the district tournament. Teammates Nick Brascetta, Micah Jordan, and Isaac Jordan all won state titles, making it six individual titles for the Falcons this past weekend. To no one's surprise Graham won the state tournament with much ease for the 11th year in a row. Lakewood Saint Edward returned to its position on top of the big school division as they ran away with the state title over Massillon Perry and defending champion Wadsworth. St. Eds was led by Dean Heil, who came away with his second state title in as many years this time at 119. Heil was able to use a big move to knock off surprise finalist Max Byrd of LaSalle. Joining Heil on top of the podium was teammates Mark Martin at 152 and Dominic Abounader at 160 for both Martin and Abounader it was their first state titles. In the small school division St. Peter Chanel captured their first state title since the 1970s, winning over Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. Besides the "triple threat" from Monroeville there were other nationally-ranked wrestlers winning state titles in Division III. No. 1-ranked nationally Nathan Tomasello captured his second state title with a 9-4 decision in the finals at 103. The match of the night in DIII had to be between former Graham standout Felipe Martinez, now at Genoa Area, and Dominic Prezzia of St. Clairsville. Martinez, who has missed much of the season, was taken into overtime as he was pushed by Prezzia the whole match. It wasn't until Martinez was able to hit a takedown to get back points did he lock up his third state title. Alex Utley in a perfect world could have been going for his third state title this weekend. Instead he finally broke through and won his first. Utley, up at 189, has been the victim of being in the same bracket as some of the best wrestlers in DIII getting stuck with both Zach Toal and Chris Phillips. Utley finally made the most of his opportunity by winning his first state title in dominant fashion, posting a 6-0 victory in the finals. The entire OHSAA state tournament lived up to the billing from the opening round matches to the pomp and circumstance for the parade of champions. Most importantly, though, history was made when the Monroeville crowned the three four-time state champions all in one night all there will most likely never see something so truly remarkable again. The odds of those great wrestlers coming together at one school in a tiny northern Ohio town are astronomically small. I was just glad I was able to witness history being made on the grandest stage for Ohio wrestlers.

NORMAN, Okla. -- In its final preseason event of the season, the University of Oklahoma's wrestling squad saw the red team dominate the white squad by a 28-6 final margin at the annual Red/White scrimmage in Edmond on the campus of UCO Wednesday evening. “I thought it was a great performance tonight,” head coach Jack Spates said. “I thought for the most part we did well, especially since we really trained through this experience.” The evening began with an exhibition match between Justin DeAngelis and Bobby Williams at 149 pounds. DeAngelis took the early, 2-0, lead after a first period takedown and never looked back. DeAngelis, the 2010 Lindenwood champion, won the match 8-0. Intrasquad action opened with the 125 pound dual between Jarrod Patterson and Greg Cannon. Patterson, the defending Big 12 champion, ran out to a 5-0 lead late in the second period before Cannon had a reversal, 5-2. Patterson poured it on in the third period when he added two more escapes to take the victory, 10-4, and give the Red team a 3-0 advantage. “I thought Jarrod Patterson did some real good things and turned a pretty tough match into a route,” Spates said. The 133-pound bout was decided in the third period between sophomore Alex Ekstrom and freshman Dustin Reed. Ekstrom led 3-1 going into the final period but Reed got an escape to close within one. Ekstrom closed out the win for the Red team after gaining a minute of riding time and the 4-2 decision. Returning All-American Zack Bailey then recorded the victory at 141 pounds over Scott Chene with a total of seven takedowns in the match. Chene was only able to muster multiple escapes throughout, giving Bailey a 16-4 win and putting the Red team up 10-0. “I thought Zack Bailey, just his aggressiveness and his relentlessness, has really turned the corner,” Spates said. “He's a great wrestler and I'm real excited to watch him this year.” Freshman Nick Lester took to the mat for the Red team taking on Shane Vernon. After a scoreless first period Lester posted an escape to give him the early, 1-0, lead. Vernon accounted for an escape in the third period to send it to overtime. In overtime Lester secured the win, 3-1, with a takedown. The Red team continued the route after Matt Lester pinned Parker Madl in the 157-pound bout, putting the Red team up 19-0. The most exciting matchup of the night came at the 165 pound contest between newcomer Chase Nelson and Kyle Detmer. Nelson led 2-1 going into the second period but Detmer evened it at 2-2 after posting an escape. In the third period Nelson went ahead 3-2 after an escape, but Detmer took over the lead, 4-3, with a takedown with just 15 second remaining. However, Nelson secured a reversal at the last second to claim a 5-4 victory and gave the White team its first win. “Kyle Detmer is tough and it is a big high school rivalry between them. They have wrestled each other quite a bit. That was a tough match. Kyle made a great move to go ahead and it looked as if the match was lost but that's the key in wrestling. You don't quit and you don't put your head down. Chase didn't and came from behind to win.” At 174 pounds Dax Perrier gave the White team its second victory after the Pawhuska, Okla., native posted a 2-1 win over Nolan McBryde, with riding time being the deciding factor. The Red team got back on the winning track after Erich Schmidtke narrowly defeated returning NCAA participant Jeff James. Schmidtke won 2-1 with an escape and the help of a James penalty. Keldrick Hall took an early 6-1 first period lead over Quincy Mondaine in the 197-pound bout due to his two takedowns and a nearfall. Hall put the Red team up 25-6 going into the heavyweight showdown. In the heavyweight matchup Nathan Fernandez took the early lead with a first period takedown. In the second period Fernandez earned two escapes to take a 4-2 lead. In the third Back secured an escape but fell to the senior, 4-3. “I see a lot of potential. We need to tighten up and improve in finishing, but for the most part we did a pretty good job.” The Sooners will officially kick off the 2010-11 season Saturday, Nov. 7 when they compete in the Oklahoma City Open, hosted by Oklahoma City University. Results: Ex 149 - Justin DeAngelis (Red) maj. dec. Bobby Williams (White), 8-0 125 - Jarrod Patterson (Red) dec. Greg Cannon (White), 10-4 133 - Alex Ekstrom (Red) dec. Dustin Reed (White), 4-2 141 - Zack Bailey (Red) maj. dec. Scott Chene (White), 16-4 149 - Nick Lester (Red) dec. Shane Vernon (White), 3-1 157 - Matt Lester (Red) fall Parker Madl (White), 2:28 165 - Chase Nelson (White) dec. Kyle Detmer (Red), 5-4 174 - Dax Perrier (White) dec. Nolan McBryde (Red), 2-1 184 - Erich Schmidtke (Red) dec. Jeff James (White), 2-1 197 - Keldrick Hall (Red) dec. Quincy Mondaine (White), 7-2 285 - Nathan Fernandez (Red) vs. Joe Bach (White), 4-3

OREM, Utah -- Utah Valley's wrestling team held its annual UVU Intrasquad Dual Wednesday evening and this time around Coach KC Rock's black team came from behind to down Coach Erkin Tadzhimetov's green team 24-18. "It was good to get out and see where are condition is at and where we're at in certain positions," UVU head coach Greg Williams said. "I thought are older guys looked really good. I thought Flint (Ray) looked especially good; he was quick and used his hands really well. We've got a lot of young guys and there were some things that I was trying to get across to them and this was the perfect venue for that." In the first bout of the night at 141-pounds, redshirt-freshman Avery Garner picked up a close 11-10 win over sophomore Logan Wilson for the green team. Garner had a big lead early but Wilson made it interesting with three takedowns in the final period. Garner was able to pull out the win however with a late reversal. The black team then took its first lead of the night in the next match as freshman Sam Mecham (141-pounds) pinned fellow freshman Jorden Osbon only 2:40 into the bout. The black team then extended its lead to 9-3 as sophomore Paul Johnson (125-pounds) picked up a late escape point and takedown to defeat freshman Colby Christensen, 7-4. Sophomore Glenn Terrano (141-pounds) kept the black teams win-streak going, as he held on to a slim 5-3 margin of victory over redshirt-freshman Sean Porter in the next bout. Sophomore heavyweight Eric McAllister then responded for the green team as he made quick work in the next match, pinning 197-pound freshman Phillip Sorensen 1:26 in to cut the score to 12-9. In a 149/157-pound clash, sophomore 149-pounder Josh Wilson came away on top for the black team with a hard fought 2-1 victory. Wilson and redshirt-freshman Abner Cook were all-tied up at one in the third until Wilson was able to pick up a late escape to get the win. Freshman Colby Barlocker (165-pounds) then picked up a big win for the green team as he beat sophomore Dustin Olsen by major decision, 12-4. The win put the green team back only two points on the scoreboard, 15-13. Senior Flint Ray (133-pounds) then took the mat in the next bout against freshman Derek Malan and immediately took the upper hand as he led 10-1 after the first period. Ray then put the match away in the third period as he picked up the win via tech fall 5:18 into the bout. The win gave the green team its first lead since the opening match at 18-15. Senior Jeb Clark (165-pounds) then evened the scoreboard at 18-all as he held on to defeat sophomore Monte Schmalhaus by decision, 10-4. In the next match, a 184/197 clash, junior 184-pounder Brad Darrington came from behind to down the heavier competitor in freshman Trevor Rupp (197-pounds). Darrington won the match by decision 6-3 and in the process gave his black squad a 21-18 advantage. In the final bout and marquee match of the evening between senior 141-pounder Justin Morrill and sophomore Wyatt Ray, the veteran Morrill took the upper hand early as he took a 3-1 lead in the middle of the second period. Ray picked up an escape point to start the third period but it wasn't enough as Morrill held on to win 3-2, sealing the victory for the black team. The Wolverines will be back in action this weekend as they officially begin the 2010-11 season Saturday at the Trapper Open in Powell, Wyo. UVU's first home action of the season will be on Jan. 7, when the Wolverines face conference rival Northern Colorado in dual action.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- What do you need to reach your goals? Administrative support? Community awareness? Participation? Money? Of course you do. Your situation is common and there is an uncommon solution. When programs need money, too often they turn to selling cookies, coupon books or candles; none of which create a sustainable source of revenue or fans. Build a community of followers around your program and you will have a dependable source of income and support on which you can rely to help you achieve your goals. Jim Harshaw, founder of Riot Sports Marketing, will share three techniques that you can implement immediately to begin raising serious cash while increasing administrative support, community awareness and participation. Sign-up for this free webinar at www.riotsportsmarketing.com to be held Tuesday, November 9 at 9 p.m. ET. Build sustainable revenue. Make your job easier. Get what you need to succeed. Riot Sports Marketing helps programs communicate with fans, alumni, and supporters to help them get more of what they need- fans, support and money- through building and maintaining multiple channels of communication.

Not that long ago, the wrestling programs at Maryland and Wyoming were rarely mentioned among the nation’s top programs. Now, they’re viewed as two of the nation’s up-and-coming programs. 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.

CHICAGO -- The Big Ten Network will offer its most extensive wrestling schedule ever, with a total of 41 events on television or online, including the addition of 18 live streamed events over last year. The schedule features a minimum of 40 regular-season duals, plus the Big Ten Championships to be hosted by Northwestern University in March. Thirty-three of the 41 events will be conference matchups, and 36 will be available live. The regular-season schedule begins Nov. 14 as Michigan hosts Pittsburgh. Other non-conference highlights include Iowa hosting Iowa State on Friday, Dec. 3, and future Big Ten member Nebraska traveling to Wisconsin on Friday, Jan. 21. The network will dedicate three live hours to the Big Ten Championships. Last season, Iowa captured its third-straight national championship, and was one of eight Big Ten wrestling programs to finish in the top 25. The Hawkeyes were joined by No. 3 Ohio State, No. 5 Minnesota, No. 10 Penn State, No. 13 Indiana, No. 14 Wisconsin, No. 21 Purdue and No. 23 Illinois. The Big Ten Network is available to approximately 75 million homes in the United States and Canada, and produces the most college wrestling of any network in the country. Date/Event/Time/Outlet/Airtime Sun., Nov. 14 - Pittsburgh at Michigan at 2 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Dec. 3 - Iowa State at Iowa at 8 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Sun., Dec. 5 - Oklahoma State at Minnesota at 3 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Sun., Dec. 5 - Michigan State at Iowa at 3 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Sun., Dec. 12 - Missouri at Purdue at 12 PM on Big Ten Network LIVE Wed., Dec. 15 - Northwestern at Indiana at 7 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Jan. 7 - SIU-E at Iowa at 8 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Jan. 14 - Purdue at Michigan at 7 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Jan. 14 - Illinois at Northwestern at 8 PM on Big Ten Network LIVE Fri., Jan. 14 - Indiana at Minnesota at 8 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Jan. 21 - Minnesota at Purdue at 7 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Jan. 21 - Pittsburgh at Penn State at 7 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Jan. 21 - Nebraska at Wisconsin at 8 PM on Big Ten Network LIVE Fri., Jan. 21 - SIU-E at Illinois at 8 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Sat., Jan. 22 - Ohio State at Iowa at 4 PM on Big Ten Network LIVE Sun., Jan. 23 - Penn State at Indiana at 1 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Sun., Jan. 23 - Minnesota at Illinois at 2 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Jan. 28 - Michigan at Ohio State at 7 PM on Big Ten Network LIVE Fri., Jan. 28 - Iowa at Northwestern at 8 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Sun., Jan. 30 - Iowa at Penn State at 2 PM on Big Ten Network - Delay on 1/31, 9 PM Fri., Feb. 4 - Penn State at Michigan State at 7 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Feb. 4 - Purdue at Northwestern at 8 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Feb. 4 - Ohio State at Illinois at 8 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Sat., Feb. 5 - Minnesota at Ohio State at 7 PM on Big Ten Network LIVE Sun., Feb. 6 - Purdue at Wisconsin at 2 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Sun., Feb. 6 - Indiana at Iowa at 6:30 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Feb. 11 - Michigan State at Indiana at 7 PM on Big Ten Network - Delay - 2/12, 2 PM Fri., Feb. 11 - Illinois at Penn State at 7 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Feb. 11 - Minnesota at Michigan at 7 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Feb. 11 - Wisconsin at Northwestern at 8 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Sun., Feb. 13 - Michigan State at Purdue at 1 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Sun., Feb. 13 - Michigan at Iowa at 2 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Sun., Feb. 13 - Penn State at Minnesota at 3 PM on Big Ten Network - Delay - 2/14, 9 PM Thurs, Feb. 17 - Indiana at Illinois at 8 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Feb. 18 - Indiana at Purdue at 7 PM on Big Ten Network - Delay - 2/19, 11:30 AM Fri., Feb. 18 - Wisconsin at Penn State at 7 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Fri., Feb. 18 - Michigan at Michigan State at 7 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Sat., Feb. 19 - Northwestern at Ohio State at 12 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Sun., Feb. 20 - Wisconsin at Michigan State at 2 PM on BigTenNetwork.com LIVE Sun., Feb. 20 - Iowa at Minnesota at 3 PM on Big Ten Network - Delay - 2/21, 9 PM Sun., March 6 - Big Ten Championships at 4 PM on Big Ten Network LIVE Note – Big Ten Network Televised events in bold All times Eastern and subject to change About the Big Ten Network: A joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Networks, the Big Ten Network is the first internationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With approximately 350 live sporting events, and nearly all of them in HD, the network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. The network operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, showcasing a wide array of classic-to-current sports and televising more Olympic sporting events and women’s sports than has ever been aired on any other network. Original programming highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation’s finest universities. Each year, the network offers between 35 and 40 football games, 105 regular season men’s basketball games; 55 women’s basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Championship events; studio shows; coaches’ shows; and classic games. The network is available to more than 75 million homes across the United States and Canada, and currently has agreements with more than 300 affiliates, including AT&T U-Verse, Atlantic Broadband, Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox (Cleveland, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Omaha, Las Vegas and Northern Virginia), DirecTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Rogers Cable (Canada), Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct (Canada), Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS. For updated information on the Big Ten Network, go to www.BigTenNetwork.com.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith announced the lineups for the Orange and Black Ranking Matches, which will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday in Gallagher-Iba Arena. “We will use these ranking matches along with performances in the open tournaments to help us determine what our starting lineup will be for our first dual against Bucknell,” Smith said. “I am excited to see how our wrestlers perform when the lights come on for the first time on Thursday. The guys who start for us will have to earn it. Nothing is given.” Perhaps the feature bout of the night will come at 149 pounds, where a pair of former Fargo champions will square off. Last year’s Big 12 champion at 141 pounds, Jamal Parks moves up to 149 this year, where he will face stiff competition from Albert White, who was 9-0 last year as the Cowboy starter before having his season derailed due to injury. Both Parks and White are national-level wrestlers capable of finishing the season on the All-America podium. “It will be good to get out there and compete,” Parks said. “We see each other every day in the wrestling room and it’s about pride. We both respect each other’s skills and abilities, but neither of us is willing to give up a starting spot. In the end, we are teammates and we are there for each other, but we both want to be the starter.” Admission is free and fans are encouraged to stay in the arena after the wrestling ends to get autographs and pictures with their favorite Cowboy wrestlers. The Cowboys open their season in earnest when they compete at the Oklahoma City Open on Sunday, Nov. 7. 2010 Orange and Black Matchups 125 pounds: Jon Morrison (Orange) vs. Tyler Dorrell (Black) 133 pounds: Josh Kindig (Orange) vs. Jordan Oliver (Black) 141 pounds: Luke Silver (Orange) vs. Julian Feikert (Black) 149 pounds: Albert White (Orange) vs. Jamal Parks (Black) 157 pounds: Stephen Swan (Orange) vs. Matt White (Black) 165 pounds: Joe Ali (Orange) vs. Dallas Bailey (Black) 174 pounds: Mike Benefiel (Orange) vs. Chris McNeil (Black) 184 pounds: Zach White (Orange) vs. Darnell Bortz (Black) 184 pounds: Elliott Hellwege (Orange) vs. Chris Perry (Black) 197 pounds: Colton Hill (Orange) vs. Clayton Foster (Black) 285 pounds: Alan Gelogaev (Orange) vs. Tyson Yoder (Black)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rutgers wrestling team opened its 2010-11 season with its annual wrestle-offs in front of a near capacity crowd at College Ave. Gym. The Wrestle-Offs served as the final competition of a week of battles to determine the starting positions for the RU wrestling team. The event also served as the competitive debut for several Scarlet Knight wrestlers including transfers Alex Caruso (174 pounds) and Mario Mason (149 pounds). In a match with Mike Cucinotta, Caruso secured a 12-5 victory by using a variety of takedowns and solid riding. Mason also secured a victory in his debut with a 7-4 decision over Joe Mcauley. Mason showed his quickness throughout the match and secured a pair of solid takedowns. Also making his Scarlet Knight debut was 197-pound freshman Mike Wagner who downed Dan Hopkins, 7-5, in a hard fought match. Scott Winston made his return to the mat after a redshirt season last year. Winston rolled in his first match back earning a tech. fall over Evan Brewer, 25-7. A trio of returning NCAA participants, DJ Russo, Dan Rinaldi and Daryl Cocozzo, also earned victories. All three earned decisions of at least five points. Dan Seidenberg, Matt Fusco, Braden Turner, David Greenwald and Greg Zannetti also picked up victories at the Wrestle-Offs. The Scarlet Knights open their regular season on Sunday, Nov. 7, when they welcome Sacred Heart and East Stroudsburg to The RAC for a double dual. Season tickets for Rutgers wrestling are on sale now. To purchase season tickets please visit http://tickets.scarletknights.com or call 866-445-GoRU (4678). Results: 197: Dan Seidenberg dec. Chris Orzechowski, 4-1 174: Alex Caruso dec. Mike Cucinotta, 12-5 125: Matt Fusco dec. Joe Langel, 5-2 157: Braden Turner dec. Anthony Volpe, 5-2 285: DJ Russo dec. Sean DeDeyn, 7-0 197: Mike Wagner dec. Dan Hopkins, 7-5 141: David Greenwald dec. Cullen Isenberg, 7-2 165: Scott Winston T. Fall Evan Brewer, 25-7 174: Greg Zannetti dec. Brendan Ard, 4-1 184: Dan Rinaldi dec. Jesse Boyden, 6-0 157: Daryl Cocozzo dec. Nick Visicaro, 6-1 149: Mario Mason dec. Joe Mcauley, 7-4

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Hello Wrestling Fans its starts this weekend. This weekend the Brute Adidas studios hit the road. We are the guests of Virginia Tech's Kevin Dresser and Tony Robie brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. We'll post the broadcast schedule below. Saturday, Join Scott Casber, special guest hosts Wade Schalles and D1CollegeWrestling.net's Earl Smith for the traditional radio show and then for the 2 scheduled matches in the afternoon. Sunday, Join Scott Casber, special guest hosts Wade Schalles and D1CollegeWrestling.net's Earl Smith for the call on feature matches through the Hokie Open. Saturday November 6th- Schedule 10:00 AM to 12 Noon Radio Program- Our Guests Include: (All times Eastern) 9:01 Joe Bastardi- PSU Wrestling Insider 9:20 Jeff Murphy- Kemin Report, Big 10 and Big 12 Preview Balance of the show will be coaches participating in the matches of the day. 1:30 PM Pre Game Show with Wade Schalles and Earl Smith 2:00 PM Virginia Tech vs. Iowa State 4:00 PM Iowa State vs. Kent State Sunday November 7th- Schedule 10:00 AM to End of The Hokie Open (All times Eastern) Wade Schalles, Scott Casber, Earl Smith will highlight matchups throughout the The Hokie Open Tournament. Our thanks to Kevin Dresser, Tony Robie and the staff at Virginia Tech for the invitation and the opportunity to deliver to you fans a weekend of coverage free of charge. Visit our friends at Livesportsvideo.com, enter your password information and watch the matches. Wrestling fans- Episode 82 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check your TV Guide for listings. How to watch and listen- TDR and TDR TV. It's appointment Radio and TV! 6.1 MILLION HOMES AND GROWING! TDR on Radio: LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa. Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, TDR TV: Mediacom Cable Ch. 22. IA, MO, AK, NE, MN, IL Tues. 5 PM, Sat. 10 AM Time Warner Cable NY Ch. 813 (Check Local Listings) Comcast Cable Tennessee Ch. 96 Fridays 5 PM CATV- CCN, Pennsylvania Ch. 8 Fridays 5 PM Western Reserve Ohio Cable Ch. 9 Fridays at 5:30, Sat's 10 PM, Tues 11 PM Time Warner Texas- Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Etc. -TBA Time Warner Southern California- Los Angeles, San Diego, Etc. -TBA Long Lines Cable NW Iowa, NE Nebraska, SE South Dakota- TBA Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV, It works! TDR on Internet: You can join us 9 to 11 AM Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com TDR TV On Internet: 32 various web sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners at Livesportsvideo.com. Thanks for watching and listening!

Boise State finds its program again in the spotlight with the release of the 157-pound weight class for the 2010 NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by The Marines. Top-ranked Adam Hall will be the third Bronco wrestler in the event. He’ll have Pac-10 foe Bubba Jenkins of Arizona State in the November 21 event at Selland Arena in Fresno, Calif. While the two are both in the Pac-10, it’ll be the first collegiate meeting between the pair of 2005 High School National Champions and USA Wrestling Junior Freestyle All-Americans. Hall, from Bonners Ferry, Idaho, was third in last year’s NCAA Division I Championships at 157 pounds, while Jenkins was a 2008 NCAA runner-up at 149 pounds when he was wrestling at Penn State. Jenkins, from Virginia Beach, Va., was out of action last year and transferred in the offseason to ASU. He’s moved up to 157 and comes into the event ranked fourth by W.I.N. Magazine. Last season, Hall went 33-3 following up on his sophomore campaign where he went 35-6. A three-time NCAA qualifier and is the 2010 Pac-10 champion. Jenkins saw limited action last season in opens at Penn State and will return to 157 pounds, where he qualified for the NCAA championships as a freshman. He will be the 25th Sun Devil to compete in the event and the first since Pat Pitsch wrestled at 165 in 2007. With Jenkins now at Arizona State, this could be the first of several meetings this season between the pair. Hall and his Boise State brethren make up three wrestlers in the event, joining Oklahoma State as the only team with three competing in this year’s classic. Prior to this year’s event, Boise State had five total wrestlers compete in the 44 previous events. 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- 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.

Zack Bailey thought his career was over. Germane Lindsey was waiting for a breakthrough performance. The 2010 season saw Oklahoma’s Bailey reach the podium at the NCAA Championships for the first time after an injury-riddle career, while Ohio’s Lindsey was still waiting to live up to his high ranking coming out of high school. On November 21 at Selland Arena in Fresno, Calif., the two will face off at 141 pounds in the 45th annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by The Marines. Bailey, who thought his career was over in 2009, came back from several shoulder surgeries and an opening round loss to finish fourth, while Lindsey was unseeded and made a run into the quarterfinals and ultimately finished sixth. Bailey went 31-8 and finished the season winning 21 of his last 24 matches. He won six straight in the consolations to reach the third-place match in 2010, falling to Ohio State’s Reece Humphrey and finished fourth. Lindsey went 30-9 en route to the NCAA quarterfinals, beating third-seeded Mike Thorn of Minnesota in the process. He lost a thrilling overtime match in the quarters to eventual finalist Montell Marion of Iowa and ended the tournament with his first All-American honor. Bailey’s the 45th Sooner wrestler to compete in the event and first since 2006 when Matt Storniolo and Sam Hazewinkel both repped the Crimson and Cream. Lindsey is the 11th Ohio Bobcat to wrestle in the event and first since Jake Percival wrestled in the event at 157 pounds in 2004. 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- 165- 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.

The Finger Lakes Wrestling Club announced today that it has acquired Shamrock Wrestling Club's NY operations. The Finger Lakes Wrestling Club will expand its operations into the Southern Tier area of NY, an area dominated by Shamrock for the last 15 years. The move will include setting up a satellite practice site at rising DI power Binghamton University. "Shamrock has been our main competitor in this region for years, so joining forces with them is going to provide more and more opportunities for fans and wrestlers in our area, said FLWC Coach Clint Wattenberg. "We are excited to work with [Binghamton University] Coach Popolizio and his staff. They have been building a great program and this area is a hotbed for wrestling from youth to Division I." Shamrock, the brainchild of former BU assistant Scott Green, has a long history of producing champions at all levels in all styles. Three-club members -- Troy Nickerson, JP O'Connor and Kyle Dake -- have won NCAA titles in recent years. This season, Green left the area to become head coach at prep power Wyoming Seminary. Recently, the FLWC added Nickerson to its staff and he will be coaching all levels of the club.

FRESNO, Calif. -- Oklahoma senior Zack Bailey was selected to participate in the 45th-annual NWCA All-Star Classic on Sunday, Nov. 21, in Fresno, Calif., at the Selland Arena. Bailey, a senior from Kansas City, Mo., will take on Ohio’s Germane Lindsey in the 141 pound All-Star matchup. “What a tremendous honor for Zack Bailey, who couldn’t be more deserving,” head coach Jack Spates said. “This is a kid who showed tremendous courage and character in the midst of great adversity. He has had numerous, what would be for other people, career ending injuries and yet he has come back and took fourth at the NCAAs, led our team to a fifth place finish and really serves as a model for our young men. He has become an excellent student and is an outstanding young man off the mat. We are very proud of him.” Last season Bailey went 31-8 and finished the season winning 21 of his last 24 matches. He won six-straight in the NCAA consolations where he finished fourth overall and was named a 2010 All-American. In addition, Bailey earned a silver medal at the 2010 Big 12 Championships. Bailey accomplished all these feats despite suffering season-ending shoulder injuries three times throughout his career, all of which resulted in reconstructive surgery. “This is an event in which they select the top-two wrestlers in America at each weight, so it is a great honor to have him represent the University of Oklahoma,” Spates said. Bailey’s the 45th Sooner wrestler to compete in the event and first since 2006 when Matt Storniolo and Sam Hazewinkel both represented the Sooners. The 45th Annual NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by The Marines will be held at the Selland Arena in Fresno, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 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.

OREM, Utah -- Utah Valley wrestling head man Greg Williams isn't shy when asked about his goals for the upcoming 2010-11 season. "We will have 10 individuals wrestling in March and we want all of them to qualify for Nationals if they can and as many of them to place there as possible," Williams said. "As soon as we start getting All-Americans here, we will start to have more belief that, `hey I can win the whole thing'. Right now I have one guy who I know believes that this is possible and several others who really believe they can become All-Americans." Last season the Wolverines sent three of their grapplers to the NCAA Division I Championships in their first season in which they were eligible to do so. Benjamin Kjar (125-lbs.), Flint Ray (133) and Brad Darrington (174) were the three that became UVU's inaugural NCAA Qualifiers and this year Williams is hoping to get even more wrestlers to the "Big Show" and UVU's first-ever All-Americans as well. "I throw out the number five this year but realistically we have seven or eight wrestlers that could make it but sometimes things don't always go your way," added Williams. "There is some luck involved in it and they all have to stay healthy. There is also a number of other things that need to go our way including that they all have to make it in the rankings to insure themselves that you can still make it to Nationals if you get upset at conference." UVU returns nine letterwinners, seven of the 10 starters and all three NCAA Qualifiers from the 2009-10 roster. The Wolverines also have an upperclass top-heavy lineup that includes five seniors and a junior. UVU also has three wrestlers individually ranked in the numerous pre-season polls. Benjamin Kjar (125) is ranked anywhere from 11th to 15th, Flint Ray (133) from 13th to 18th and Brad Darrington (174) from 16th to 24th. The Wolverines roster also includes eight sophomores and 15 freshmen, of those 10 are newcomers. UVU will once again have a challenging schedule this year to help prepare itself for the postseason. Last year the Wolverines finished with a 10-3 overall record, a second place finish in the Western Wrestling Conference at 4-1 and its first defeat of a nationally ranked opponent in the No. 8 Boise State Broncos. This year UVU will have nine dual dates on its schedule, three of which that are against ranked opponents in Boise State (No. 2), Nebraska (No 12) and conference foe Wyoming (No. 17). The Wolverines will also host three duals in Orem as well as the UVU Open on Jan. 8. UVU will also partake in six invitational tournaments this year, three of which that will feature top-talent from all over the nation in the Kaufman-Brand Open, the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and the Southern Scuffle. The Wolverines will also wrestle five of their six fellow WWC foes this year with the lone exception being Northern Iowa. The conference schedule will begin for UVU on Jan. 7, when Northern Colorado comes to Orem and will end on Feb. 18 and 19, when the Wolverines travel to the Dakotas to take on South Dakota State and North Dakota State respectively. This years NCAA West Regional/WWC Championships will be hosted by the Air Force Academy and will take place on March 6. There, 10 UVU grapplers will be trying to wrestle their way into the 2011 NCAA DI Championships that will take place March 17-19, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The Wolverines probable starting dual lineup includes all five seniors, a junior, a sophomore, two redshirt-freshmen and a true freshman. UVU will showcase its talents for the first time in 2010-11 with the UVU Intrasquad Dual on Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. in the Activity Center. Admission is free to the public and it will be a great chance to see nearly every Wolverine wrestler in action. WEIGHT CLASS BREAKDOWN: 125 - At 125-pounds, 2009-10 NCAA qualifier Benjamin Kjar is back for his senior season for UVU. The Wolverine-Star has already become UVU's all-time record holder for most victories in school history, with 99. This year Kjar won't only be looking to make it back to the NCAA Championships but to fulfill his dream of becoming an All-American. Behind Kjar and challenging him will be sophomore Paul Johnson as well as freshman Colby Christensen. 133 - 2009-10 WWC Champion and NCAA Qualifier senior Flint Ray will be the Wolverines starter at 133. This year Ray won't have to surprise people to make it back to the NCAA Championships as he is ranked nationally in the preseason polls. Behind Ray is sophomore Logan Wilson and two newcomers in Derek Malan and Jorden Osbon. 141 - Senior Justin Morrill will look to make the switch from 149 to 141 this year and will most likely get the starting nod here. Morrill had a solid season last year where he went 21-11 and just missed out of qualifying for the NCAA Championships. Behind Morrill will be another one of the Ray brothers in sophomore Wyatt Ray who finished last season as the 141-pound starter. Also at 141 will be sophomore Glenn Terrano, redshirt-freshmen Avery Garner and Sean Porter as well as newcomers Sam Mecham and Kyle West. 149 - Josh Wilson is finally healthy in 2010-11 and will look to be the Wolverine starter this year after redshirting in 2008-09 and medically redshirting last season. Behind Wilson will be Morrill as well as true freshman Bryson Foy. 157 - Redshirt-freshman Abner Cook, an Idaho state standout high school wrestler will most likely be the guy at 157. Behind Cook is sophomore Richard Winger who saw some starting action last year. 165 - Senior Jeb Clark is healthy and ready to wrestle in 2010-11. Clark missed the first half of the season last year but came on strong late as he wrestled his way to a 13-4 record. Behind Clark will be proven starter sophomore Monte Schmalhaus, sophomore Dustin Olsen and newcomer Colby Barlocker. 174 - 2009-10 NCAA Qualifier Brad Darrington will enter his junior campaign this year. The preseason ranked wrestler will only look to get stronger in 2010-11. Olsen and Barlocker who are also backups at 165 will push him. 184 - Casen Eldredge, the three-time letterwinner for UVU, will enter his senior year at 184-lbs. Eldredge will concentrate on wrestling at 184 this season after flirting with some heavyweight last year. Behind him will be freshman Sam Fulton. 197 - With last year's 197 starter gone, Williams will look to a true freshman to start for him in the former Idaho High School Star Trevor Rupp. Another newcomer in freshman Phillip Sorensen will challenge Rupp. Hwt. - The Wolverines suffered a key injury at heavyweight last year and have had that feat repeated already this season as redshirt-freshman Zac Jensen went down with a knee injury. Sophomore Eric McAllister will bulk-up and look to carry the heavyweight load for UVU in 2010-11.

WATERLOO, Iowa -- Four former NCAA champions and a historic championship team will be inducted into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa on April 16, 2011. The Hall of Fame is located inside the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo. The Class of 2011 includes Bill Zadick, Doug Schwab, Jason Smith and Joe Scarpello. Zadick and Schwab wrestled for the University of Iowa and both were NCAA champions. Zadick won his title at 142 pounds in 1996 and Schwab won his title at 141 pounds in 1999. Both were highly successful freestyle wrestlers as well. Zadick was a World champion at 145.5 pounds in 2006 while Schwab made the 2007 World team and the 2008 Olympic team at the same weight. Smith was a three-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion for Iowa State. Smith won individual titles in 1969 & ’70 and was part of team championships both years. Scarpello was a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion for the University of Iowa. Scarpello placed first in 1947, third in 1948, second in 1949, and first in 1950. He will be the first person to be inducted into two halls of fame at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. Scarpello was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003. In addition to the four individual inductees, one Iowa high school or college championship team will be selected for induction into the Hall of Fame. The Cornell College team that won the 1947 NCAA championship was chosen by the selection committee as the inaugural team inducted. The 13-member selection committee includes 10 past Glen Brand Hall of Fame inductees and three members of the media. Committee members are Les Anderson, Bobby Douglas, Jim Duschen, Dan Gable, Jim Gibbons, Tim Johnson, Randy Lewis, Jim Miller, Bill Nelson, and Chuck Yagla. Members of the media include Jim Nelson (Waterloo Courier), Andy Hamilton (Iowa City Press Citizen), and Mike Finn (WIN Magazine). “The addition of the first hall of fame team makes this induction class special,” said Kyle Klingman, director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. “All the inductees have contributed to Iowa’s unique wrestling heritage.” The Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame was established in 2002 to honor the people who have made an impact on the sport on a national level, or who have done extraordinary work in the State of Iowa. The hall recognizes native-born Iowans, and those who achieved their fame while wrestling or coaching for an Iowa college. This is the tenth class. The hall is named after Glen Brand, an NCAA champion for Iowa State in 1948, who won an Olympic gold medal the same year, at 174 pounds in London. He graduated with a degree in civil engineering and by 1983 he owned two companies in Omaha – Brand Hydraulics and Brand Fluid Power. He passed away on Nov. 15, 2008, in Omaha, at the age of 85. The committee selected three living inductees from 47 nominees and one posthumous inductee from 17 nominees. Committee members may also nominate candidates for future classes. C.J. Ettelson, Dan LeClere, Jay Borschel, T.J. Sebolt, Bart Reiter, Barron Bremner, John Bowlsby, Mark Perry, Brent Metcalf, Jake Varner, J Robinson, Dale Brand and Dick Hauser were nominated by committee members and will be placed on next year’s ballot for the first time. Nominations may be submitted by anyone. In addition to the individual and team inductions, Steve Knipp, former head wrestling coach at East Waterloo, will be presented with the Russ Smith Community Impact Award at the induction ceremony. The award is given to a person demonstrating exceptional local impact on wrestling. The Class of 2011 will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 16, 2011, at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum located at 303 Jefferson St. in Waterloo, Iowa. For more information contact the museum at (319) 233-0745 or info@wrestlingmuseum.org. A full schedule of events will be made available at a later date. Biographies Bill Zadick was a two-time All-American for the University of Iowa, placing fifth in 1995 and first in 1996. He also wrestled competitively through 2008, making World teams in 2001 & ‘06. Zadick won the 2006 World Championships in Guangzu, China, at 145.5 pounds. A native of Great Falls, Mont., Zadick was a four-time state champion for Great Falls High School from 1988-1991. He currently serves as the Freestyle Developmental Coach and Assistant National Freestyle Coach for USA Wrestling. Doug Schwab was a three-time All-American for the University of Iowa, placing first in 1999, third in 2000, and second in 2001. He made a freestyle World team in 2007 and an Olympic team in 2008, both times at 145.5 pounds. A native of Osage, Iowa, Schwab was a state champion for Osage High School in 1996. He is currently the head wrestling coach at the University of Northern Iowa. Jason Smith was a three-time All-American for Iowa State University, placing third in 1968, and first in 1969 & ’70. He was a Big Eight champion for Iowa State in 1970 and was an integral part of NCAA team championships for the Cyclones in 1969 & ’70. Smith was a state champion for Ankeny High School in 1966. Joe Scarpello was a four-time All-American for the University of Iowa, placing first in 1947, third in 1948, second in 1949, and first in 1950. Scarpello was Iowa’s first two-time NCAA champion at Iowa and the third wrestler in Big Ten history to win four consecutive conference titles. He also wrestled professionally and was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003. Scarpello died on Nov. 9, 1999. In 1947 Cornell College, located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, became the first team outside the state of Oklahoma, and the first in the state of Iowa, to win an official NCAA wrestling tournament. The private liberal arts school – with an enrollment of 415 male students at the time – defeated all teams entered at the tournament by a sizeable margin. Of the eight weight classes contested, Cornell had two NCAA champions (Dick Hauser and Lowell Lange) and four other place winners (Leo Thomsen, Rodger Snook, Fred Dexter, and Dale Thomas). Steve Knipp will receive the Russ Smith Community Impact Award for his years of service to wrestling. Knipp was the head wrestling coach at East Waterloo High School for 26 years, leading his wrestlers to the Iowa state team title in 1983. During his tenure he coached 30 state place winners and eight state champions. Knipp is best known for his work as a volunteer at local, state, and national wrestling events. USA Wrestling named him Kids Person of the Year in 2002 and National Events Person of the Year in 2007.

Rob Koll, head wrestling coach at Cornell University, and John Smith, head wrestling coach at Oklahoma State, will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, November 3. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Koll is the current head wrestling coach at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. The Big Red are ranked first in preseason polls after finishing second at the NCAA tournament in 2010. Koll was an NCAA champion for North Carolina in 1988. Smith is the current head wrestling coach at Oklahoma State. He has led the Cowboys to five NCAA team titles, including four in a row from 2003 through 2006. Smith won two NCAA titles for Oklahoma State in 1987 & ’88, and was a six-time World and Olympic champion.

As the wrestling season's start is fast approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From early August until the middle of November, InterMat will introduce fans to the top senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. From Alaska to Florida, and from Maine to California, fans will gain exposure to the potential stars of future NCAA Championships. The rankings within this article do not necessarily reflect those done by InterMat. Did you a miss a Wrestling 49 feature? Visit Wrestling 49 archives. Illinois wrestling has been on a serious roll since 2005. Once again, the freestyle and Greco-Roman teams were dominant during the summer. Powered by a combination of the recent 2010 graduating class and the 2011 seniors Illinois wrapped up their third consecutive ASICS freestyle national championship along with the first Greco Junior title in Illinois history. In addition, the 2010 Cadet freestyle national title won by Illinois serves notice that future Illinois teams will be strong as well. Illinois is very proud of their past wrestling legacy and stepping into the No. 1 slot for 2011 is Jahwon Akui (St. Rita) the best multi-sport athlete to come out of Illinois since John Dergo (Morris/Illinois) in 2006. A record setting football running back and multiple-time wrestling All-American, Akui follows Lee Munster (2010), Tony Ramos (2009), Conrad Polz (2008), Albert White (2007) and Brandon Precin (2006) as recent selections. The 2011 Illinois InterMat Top 10 also enters new territory, as nine of the 10 are preseason ranked in the Top 100. This class has a chance to be compared to the legendary 2006 class which to date has produced five NCAA All-Americans, seven NCAA qualifiers, and one NCAA DII finalist. The 2011 seniors boast seven state champions and three runner-ups. Three of the seven state champs are multiple-time state champs and five have won freestyle or Greco national championships during their careers. In addition, the team also has a USA Wrestling folkstyle champion and FILA freestyle champ as well. There are six current high school All-Americans and a total of eight of the 10 have obtained All-American status during their careers. Without a doubt, the Illinois Top 10 headline a very deep 2011 senior class. 1. Jahwon Akui (St. Rita) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 171/189 Projected College Weight Class: 165 Analysis: Akui's wrestling prowess is often mentioned in the same breath with his football ability. The starting tailback for powerhouse St. Rita is arguably the best running back in the state, in addition to being the best overall wrestler in Illinois. He has amassed 4,359 yards (1,246 on the year), should break his school's record of 4,500 and leads the state with 15 touchdowns heading into the state playoffs. He only needs 150 more yards to own the St. Rita school record. He has amassed 62 touchdowns in his career for 19th in Illinois history. Jahwon AkuiWhile football is Akui's first love, it is wrestling that he will pursue in college at the NCAA DI level, mainly because of his small 5'6" status. Akui captured his first state title in 2010 at 171 pounds. Injured the last two summers, Akui still captured the bronze medal in Greco at Fargo but when healthy in 2008 he was a double Cadet National champion. Akui uses a couple of different wrestling styles but basically is a defensive folkstyle wrestler. He subscribes to the theory that you can't win if you can't score. Very strongly built he uses that strength to tie his competition up and often will have close matches before scoring off of the opponent's mistakes with counter takedowns. Although the elusive DI football scholarship offer has not come, Akui ranked ninth nationally by InterMat, is leaning towards wrestling for Arizona State. Buffalo, Michigan State, Illinois and Edinboro have also expressed interest in his services. 2. Edwin Cooper (Providence) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Edwin CooperAnalysis: For years, even prior to coming high school, Edwin Cooper has been one of the most discussed wrestlers in the state. His skill level often brought debate about which weight class would be best for him in any given year. Cooper, who has a very long slender build, marched into the finals his first two seasons with a total of two losses, capturing the 112 pound state title and the 130-pound freestyle Cadet National title. This past season once again found Cooper in the 130-pound finals dropping the decision to Nebraska recruit Keith Surber. Cooper bounced back to win the 140-pound USA Wrestling folkstyle title and followed that up with a second at Juniors 140 in the ASICS championship. Cooper's stats are impressive, even by Illinois standards. Ranked 17th nationally by InterMat, a three-time All-American, three-time state finalist with a title, three-time Dvorak Invitational champion (Illinois best in season national tourney) and two-time Chicago Catholic League champion, Cooper boast an impressive 115-6 overall record. Cooper is an attack wrestler who can quickly score a lot of points. While strongest on his feet and solid on top, Cooper is competent in the bottom position. He is very dangerous when scoring first and can be hard to catch up to if you fall behind when wrestling him. As far as college, he is open and has deferred his college options until after the season. 3. Austin Mardsen (Crystal Lake Central) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 189 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Austin MardsenAnalysis: Mardsen captured his for state title in 2010 at 189 pounds, posting a 49-2 record. He followed that up with a freestyle 189-pound title at FILA Cadets. An impressive 101-19-career record is bolstered with back to back All-American success for Mardsen at the ASICS Freestyle National Championships. Mardsen has committed to join legendary Coach John Smith and his third-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys. Former Illinois standouts Mike Benefiel (Montini), Albert White (St. Rita) and Jon Morrison (Sandburg) currently wrestle for OSU. 4. Joey Kielbasa (Crystal Lake Central) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Joey KielbasaAnalysis: Kielbasa joins teammates Mardsen and Jauch in Illinois Top 10, giving Crystal Lake Central one of the toughest line-ups in the state. No other team other than Montini and Marmion can boast three All-Americans in their lineup. Kielbasa enters his senior season seeking his third state title to follow up his titles at 145 (2010) and 140 (2009) in Class AA. A midseason matchup at the Lincoln Tournament against Lane Tech's top-ranked junior Max Schneider, the Class AAA 145-pound champion will be an excellent guage for Kielbasa. Schneider may well be the overall top-ranked Illinois wrestler in 2012. While not much of a freestyle or Greco wrestler, Kielbasa did capture the 152-pound USA Wrestling folkstyle national title last season. Tough on top with a good motor, Kielbasa likes to hand fight and is very comfortable in all tie up situations. His sparkling 125-10 overall record is testimony to his dominating style of wrestling. Ranked by InterMat as the 59th senior prospect, Kielbasa has committed to sixth-ranked Central Michigan. 5. Luke Smith (Wheeling) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 140/145 Projected College Weight Class: 149/157 Luke SmithAnalysis: The two-time All-State, three-time state qualifier comes from a long line of Smith brothers that have represented Wheeling high school. Smith garnered his first All-American honors with a fourth-place finish in Greco at the ASICS National Championships in 2010. Primarily a defensive-style wrestler, Smith is comfortable when he is free of the tie-ups, often looking to counter his opponent's attack. His matches are high scoring, building points while on top or off his opponent's mistakes. An All-Conference free safety for the football team, Smith is also an excellent student with a 4.2 GPA and a 24 ACT score. Interested schools include Old Dominium, Central Michigan, and Northwestern. 6. Joey Gosinski (Glenbard North) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Analysis: Gosinski concluded a banner 2010 season with an undefeated record (52-0) en route to the 125-pound state title. Joey GosinskiA two-time All-State wrestler for the Panthers, he was an All-American in 2010 has a career record of 134-22. Gosinski is ranked by InterMat the 73rd senior recruiting prospect. When on the mat he likes to control the tempo of his matches, and prefers to work for takedowns on his feet. Gosinski's battles with Jameson Oster (Lockport) are starting to be legendary in Illinois. He beat Oster for the state title in 2010 and Oster sent Gosinski to the wrestle backs as sophomores en route to his title. Their wrestling wars date back to the kids level and will possibly renew in the state finals of their senior year. With a 26 on the ACT, Gosinski has drawn the attention of Missouri, Purdue and Indiana for his wrestling services. 7. Jameson Oster (Lockport) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 130/135 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Jameson OsterAnalysis: A state champ as a sophomore at 119 pounds and runner up last season to Gosinski, Oster is a three-time All-State selection. He comes from a family where excellence has preceded him. His older brother, Jake Oster, shocked the state of Illinois in 2004 when he upset the favored returning champ Nick Fanthorpe. Jake went on to become a two time All-American at Elmhurst College and national champion in 2009 at 125 pounds. Jameson's 129-10 career record and his 29 ACT score coupled with his 3.7 GPA have made him an attractive recruit for Northwestern and Illinois. The pre-medicine major has a style of wrestling that is best described as extremely funky. Much like his brother, he can score from any position and is very dangerous in any scramble situation. Oster is ranked by InterMat as the 77th national senior recruiting prospect. 8. Trevor Jauch (Crystal Lake Central) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 135 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Trevor JauchAnalysis: The third member of Crystal Lake Central's Illinois Top 10 with Mardsen and Kielbasa. Jauch is going for his third consecutive state title after winning championships at 112 and 125 pounds. He added ASICS All-American status to his resume with a third-place finish in 2010. An offensive wrestler that uses lots of single leg shots, high crotches and generally attacks whatever is open to score upon. He is very explosive off the bottom. Ranked 87th by InterMat, the future elementary education major hopes to coach and has committed to Missouri. 9. Jack Allen (Hinsdale Central) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 285 Projected College Weight Class: 285 Jack AllenAnalysis: Allen recorded a 45-2 record in 2010 as the state runner up at heavyweight. A two-time All State wrestler, Allen was in the finals at 215 pounds in 2009 as well. Allen, who also plays center on the Red Devils football team, looks to score off his shot and is very active for a heavyweight. He is strong getting off the bottom and is very offensive with his style of wrestling. Ranked by InterMat 91st in the country, he has committed to wrestle for the Spartans of Michigan State. 10. Michael Sojka (Winnebago) Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 215 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Michael SojkaAnalysis: The lone Class A representative, Sojka was perfect (52-0) in 2010 while winning his first state title at 215 pounds. A three time All State wrestler with a fourth-place finish in 2008 and third-place finish in 2009 he is also a two-time ASICS All-American. Sojka won the 2008 ASICS Cadet Greco title and last season finished fourth in Junior Greco. Sojka is aggressive and likes to wear his competition down. He uses good movement and is solid on both top and bottom positions. His desire to be a pre-medicine major along with a combined 29 ACT/3.89 GPA has attracted Stanford. In addition, University of Pennsylvania, Northern Iowa, Navy, and Old Dominion want his wrestling skills, Honorable Mention (No Particular Order): Wes Cathcart (Geneseo) Stephen Robertson (Montini) Sam Brooks (Oak Park River Forest) Mike Avelar (Brother Rice) Malik Taylor (Brother Rice) Nick Drendel (West Aurora) Danny Sabatello (Stevenson) Derek Elmore (Harlem) Tyler Argue (Mt. Carmel) Chris Williams (Bethalto) Spatacus Chino (Wheaton-Warrenville) Blaise Butler (Boyland)

A quote from one of my favorite movies of all-time, "Prefontaine," stated that the protagonist's drug was winning at everything. Apparently, this is a personal philosophy that Cornell University head coach Rob Koll also subscribes to. The owner/operator of the preseason No. 1 team in the nation, Koll continued his pursuit of the top-ranked recruiting class in 2011 today by getting a verbal commitment from three-time Missouri state finalist/2010 state champion Bricker Dixon, the No. 41 recruit in the current senior class. The Park Hill High School stud is the highest regarded of the quartet, joined by No. 65 Joe Rendina (Dundee, MI), No. 97 Caleb Richardson (Blair Academy), and No. 93 Duke Pickett (Woodberry Forest, VA. The Big Red have also landed twin 2010 NYS DII state champions in Craig and Owen Scott (Palmyra-Macedon). A state runner-up (at 103 in 2008; 112 in 2009) in his first two seasons as a member of the P.H. Trojan wrestling program, Dixon went a combined 79-7 during his freshman and sophomore seasons. During each of these seasons, the future Big Red student-athlete demonstrated that he could hack it on the national stage as well, earning All-American honors once in both of the international styles. In 2008, he capped off his freshman year by placing fourth in the 105-pound weight class at the Cadet Greco-Roman national tournament. He would follow this solid effort up in 2009 by making a smooth transition to the Junior level, earning his spot on the podium with a sixth-place finish in freestyle at 112 pounds. The latter feat must have been a source of immense inspiration heading into his junior season as the 3.8 GPA student would go on to have about as good a third year campaign as anybody in the nation. Finishing the regular season with an unblemished 46-0 record, Dixon cruised through the MSHSAA Class 4 state tournament, registering bonus points in all four of his bouts (three major decisions; one TF), outscoring his opponents by a margin of 50-4 in the midst of earning his first individual crown. As an added bonus, Dixon's performance (he was one of five Trojan state champs) also proved key in assisting Park Hill in repeating as the team champions, as they accumulated approximately 70 more points than their nearest challenger, Blue Springs High School. To put the finishing touches on an amazing 2010 season, Dixon added his third consecutive All-American finish under the FARGODOME, claiming the bronze medal in Junior freestyle at 119 pounds. Regarded as the No. 6 senior prospect at his projected collegiate weight class of 125 by TheOpenMat.com, Dixon was rumored to also be considering the University of Virginia, UPenn, Oklahoma State, and NC State among others. His decision to commit to Cornell surely broke a lot of hearts as his future coach, Koll and staff continue to build the caliber of depth that would make their second-string a national title contender. Barring a Saturday commitment, today's news officially closes out what has been a great week for NYS DI colleges in the recruiting war, as over the course of the past six days, Binghamton (No. 19 Nick Gwiazdowski), Buffalo (No. 44 Jake Waste), and now Cornell have all successfully landed a Top 100 recruit from the class of 2011. It is reasons such as these that have Empire State wrestling fans jumping for joy as they take a glimpse into the future. LHW extends it sincerest congratulations to Bricker, his family, his coaches at Park Hill, as well as our friends at Cornell. We wish all of the aforementioned success and health as they all embark on what is sure to be another action packed and award winning season of fierce competition. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from LighthouseWrestling.com.

Wrestling fans in the West will get two chances to see Colorado and Idaho mix it up on the college wrestling mats. They'll do so watching wrestlers representing schools from Minnesota and Oklahoma. Minnesota's Sonny Yohn and Oklahoma State's Clayton Foster have been selected to compete against one another at 197 pounds on November 21 at Selland Arena in Fresno, Calif., as part of the 2010 NWCA All-Star Classic presented by The Marines. As noted earlier, Yohn and Foster will be the second Colorado vs. Idaho matchup in the event, following the 184-pound matchup released earlier between Joe LeBlanc and Kirk Smith. Yohn hails from Alamosa, Colo., while Foster is from Kamiah, Idaho. Both were All-Americans last season – Yohn finished eighth at 197 pounds, while Foster finished sixth at 184 pounds. The two met once last season, in the dual meet between the two schools and before Yohn moved up from 184 to 197. Foster won that match 13-1. It was also Yohn's only loss at 184 before the move up. Going back to high school, Foster bested Yohn in a three-period final at 189 pounds at the USA Wrestling Junior Freestyle Nationals in 2006. Yohn won the Junior Nationals the next season. Yohn finished the season 27-13, while Foster finished up with a 23-6 mark. Foster is the third Cowboy in the 2010 event and 84th overall. He's joined this season by Jordan Oliver at 133 pounds and Alan Gelogaev at 285 pounds. Yohn becomes the 27th Golden Gopher to wrestle in the event. 125-pounder Zach Sanders wrestled in the event last year, beating Old Dominion's James Nicholson. 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- 149- #4 Torsten Gillespie, Jr. (Edinboro) vs. #5 Kevin LeValley, Sr. (Bucknell) 157- 165- 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.)

Fans enjoyed their first look at the 2010-11 Lehigh wrestling team Thursday night with the annual Lehigh wrestle-offs inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Ten bouts were contested on the evening as fans got to see the 17th-ranked Mountain Hawks in person before they open the regular season at home against Drexel on November 5. “It's wrestle-offs,” said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro after the proceedings were done. “I don't think anyone ever enjoys wrestle-offs. It's teammates versus teammates, which is a difficult situation to be in. They don't ever ‘go well.' You're happy for half the guys but disappointed for the other half. He continued, “There were some nice things. Some guys scored points. We didn't have many low-scoring 3-2 matches. Some guys had opportunities to try and get bonus points and didn't take advantage.” The evening began with a match-up between senior Mitch Berger and sophomore Alex Abreu. Berger started fast with a pair of first period takedowns, before adding an escape, a second period takedown and riding time advantage in an 8-2 win. Next up was an exhibition between freshman 133-pounder Frank Cagnina and deferred freshman Albert Woody, who certified at 141. Cagnina was unable to convert on any of his shots and the match went into sudden victory tied 1-1. After a scoreless sudden victory period, Cagnina rode out the first 30 second tiebreaker and then escaped in the second period to win 2-1. In the first of three bouts at 149 on the evening, sophomore Joey Napoli built a 7-2 first period lead on senior Kyle Rosser and went on to a 9-2 victory. Sophomore Shane Welsh then gave up the first takedown to classmate Dane Stevens, but responded with a quick escape and takedown of his own to take a 3-2 lead. Welsh added a second period escape and riding time to win 5-2. A pair of true freshmen squared off in the third bout at 149. Anthony Salupo scored a takedown in every period and yielded just three escapes in an 8-3 win over Dillon Smith. At 157, juniors Sean Bilodeau and Brian Tanen met, with Tanen moving up from 149 where he competed last year. Bilodeau scored first late in the first period and took a 2-1 lead to the third period, where he broke things open with a reversal and takedown to prevail 7-2. The match-up at 174 ended prematurely with deferred freshman Austin Meys winning by injury default over freshman Shane Stark. Meys led 2-1 early in the first period when Shark suffered an injury trying to counter a takedown attempt. Sophomore Robert Hamlin showed no ill-effects from his move up to 184. Hamlin scored two first period takedowns and added one in the third to control classmate Kevin Bailey and win 8-4. At 197, junior Joe Kennedy made a first period takedown stand, earning an escape and riding time to defeat freshman Max Wessell. The final bout of the evening matched 184-pound senior Kadeem Samuels against freshman heavyweight Tim Granata. From the opening whistle, Samuels pushed the pace. An early takedown turned into a 10-0 lead with three tilts. After yielding an escape, Samuels scored his second takedown and added a three-point near-fall and a two-point near fall in the final seconds, to win by technical fall 17-1 in just three minutes. The Mountain Hawks officially open the 2010-11 season on Friday, November 5 when they host the Drexel Dragons inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The first match is set for 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME, by visiting the Lehigh ticket office, located in Grace Hall or by logging on to Lehighsports.com. 125 – Mitch Berger (Brown) dec. Alex Abreu (White) 8-2 141(EX) – Frank Cagnina (Brown) dec. Albert Woody (White) 2-1, t.b. 149 – Joey Napoli (White) dec. Kyle Rosser (Brown) 9-2 149 – Shane Welsh (White) dec. Dane Stevens (Brown) 5-2 149 – Anthony Salupo (Brown) dec. Dillon Smith (White) 8-3 157 – Sean Bilodeau (White) dec. Brian Tanen (Brown) 7-2 174 – Austin Meys (White) inj. def. Shane Stark (Brown) 1:11 184 – Robert Hamlin (Brown) def. Kevin Bailey (White) 8-4 197 – Joe Kennedy (Brown) def. Max Wessell (White) 4-1 285(EX) – Kadeem Samuels (White) TF5 Tim Granata (Brown) 17-1, 3:00 Attendance – 1,037 Referee – Jake Llewellyn