InterMat Staff

This week we fire up the mobile Brute Adidas studios and head out to Las Vegas where we'll make our home at the Hooters Hotel, yes JB "The Hooters Hotel". I will be announcing a full night of MMA at the Thomas and Mack Center on the Campus of UNLV for Kim Couture. Super Fights MMA Presents: Night of Combat 2 produced by KC Concepts. Night of Combat 2 will be broadcast by HD Net one week delayed. This event will feature a great roster many with wrestling backgrounds. Card is listed below Scheduled to join us Live on air- Kim Couture, Gray Maynard, John "Hurricane" Halverson, Mike Pyle, Frank Trigg, Gina Carrano And many others. Should be a lot of fun. I always remember that 7 AM is awfully early out there where the sun never truly sets. So I'll be ready for about anything. Hope you'll Join us for America's Wrestling Radio Show Live from Las Vegas, Nevada Superfights MMA: A Night of Combat 2 Saturday, October 11, 2008 Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV Fight Card: Elena Reid vs. Stephanie Palmer Ian Omalza vs. Ryan Hass Patrick Gonzalves vs. Ryan Lamareaux Johnathan Mix vs. John Halverson Josh Haynes vs. Steve Byrnes John Alessio vs. Gideon Ray Mike Pyle vs. Brian Gassaway Jay Hieron vs. Bryson Kamaka Hector Ramirez vs. Rick Roufus

Some places have a knack for turning out great athletes in a particular sport -- for example, Western Pennsylvania as a launch pad for legendary football players like Joe Namath and Joe Montana. The same can be said for wrestling. Across the United States, there are small towns that have produced more than their fair share of accomplished wrestlers -- athletes who have earned state titles, NCAA championships, even Olympic medals. Some go on to even greater accomplishments. What's the explanation? In some places, it was one great high school coach -- or a succession of top-notch coaches. Sometimes, it's a family or group of families where wrestling success seems to be in the genes. In other communities, it might be a matter of success breeding success -- natural athletes are drawn to a high school sport where their friends and families became stars. Other times, the answer may be more elusive; perhaps it's just something in the water! From time to time, InterMat Rewind plans to visit these wrestling hotbeds, sharing the stories of the great coaches and wrestlers who call that community their own. First stop: Cresco, Iowa. In the state of Iowa, wrestling is about as close to a religion as it is anywhere. And, in this wrestling hotbed state, Cresco was one of its hottest incubators for the sport -- a place where mat champions were born and made. If Cresco were any further north, it would be in Minnesota. This community of approximately 4,000 residents is located in the rolling farm country of northeastern Iowa, about halfway between Waterloo, Iowa and Rochester, Minnesota. From the 1920s into the 1960s, Cresco launched more than its share of wrestling success stories … with names likely to be familiar to even to today's fans, including Nichols, Kurdelmeier, Peckham and Borlaug. If these names weren't enough of an indication of Cresco's status as a wrestling hotbed, consider these additional factors. The Cresco High School wrestling program was the subject of its own book, "The History of Wrestling in Cresco," published in 1984. What's more, Cresco is home to the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. Located in the Chamber of Commerce in downtown Cresco, this museum honors all-time great Iowa-born amateur wrestlers, including a number of hometown heroes. First seeds planted in 1921 According to "The History of Wrestling in Cresco," the wrestling program at Cresco High was launched by Superintendent of Schools A.R. Tiffany in 1921. The district had just completed a new building which included a gymnasium and locker rooms. In 1921, only a few high schools in Iowa had wrestling programs. In fact, throughout the U.S., organized amateur wrestling at colleges and high schools was a fairly new activity. The first college programs were established in the East in the first decade of the 1900s. Of the three major state universities in the state of Iowa, only two had intercollegiate wrestling programs in 1921: the University of Iowa (whose program started in 1911), and Iowa State (which established its program in 1916). The University of Northern Iowa's program came about in 1923. To provide some additional historical perspective: the birth of the Cresco program preceded the NCAA championships by seven years, and came just four years after the death of Frank Gotch, the world champion professional wrestler originally from Humboldt, Iowa whose superstar popularity helped fuel organized amateur wrestling throughout the U.S. A cavalcade of coaches Cresco High School's first wrestling coach was John Wheeler, an agriculture instructor from Iowa State. Twenty young men came out for the first season, competing in just dual meets, winning one (against Oelwein), and losing the other (to Mason City). That first year, the wrestling uniforms were actually long underwear, with leather patches sewn into the knees … and the wrestling surface was a twelve-foot-square horsehair mat, covered with canvas. In 1922, James Morrison took the helm. In both 1923 and 1924, Cresco had entries at the Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament (which also launched in 1921). David Bartelma became head coach in 1925, and really put Cresco wrestling on the map. In his first three seasons at Cresco, the Jasper County, Iowa native's teams were undefeated in dual-meet competition … and the school claimed its first state champ: Blair Thomas at 115 pounds in 1926. In 1927, Henry Pillard took the head coaching position at Cresco. The following year, his wrestlers won their first team title on the strength of three individual champs -- Paul Thomas at 85 pounds, Dick Jones at 115, and Wally Kent at 125 -- along with two other placewinners. Dave Bartelma returned to Cresco in 1931, building an even stronger Spartan wrestling program while also serving as the high school principal. His teams tallied up a record 29 straight dual-meet wins, claiming two state team titles in 1933 and 1935. Overall, his teams compiled a 45-5 dual meet record with seventeen individual state champs. "Bart" left Cresco in 1936 to coach the University of Minnesota wrestling program, where he remained into the early 1950s. He is referred to as "the father of wrestling in Minnesota" for his tireless efforts to encourage high schools in the Land of 10,000 Lakes to set up wrestling programs. Key to this effort was his hosting of the very first Minnesota High School State Tournament in 1937. He also recruited Iowa wrestlers to come north to become high school coaches. For his contributions to the sport, Dave Bartelma's name is on the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame, established in 1969 … and he was welcomed into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1973. After Bartelma left for Minnesota, assistant coach Henry Schroder filled in as head coach at Cresco for one year. In 1937, George "Chris" Flanagan came to Cresco to write more wrestling history. A native of Williamsburg, Iowa (which did not have a wrestling program at the time), Flanagan took up wrestling at Iowa State Teachers College (now Northern Iowa), where he was a 1934 Midwest Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) champ. During his more than 30 years at Cresco, he coached four teams to state titles and six runner-up honors, crowned 34 individual state champs, and compiled a powerful 317-89-5 dual-meet record. As of 1984, Cresco could claim seven Iowa state team titles, more than 60 individual state champions, and hundreds of placewinners. The Spartans' overall dual-meet record was 482-154-11, for a .680 winning percentage. In the early 1960s, Cresco High School was replaced by Crestwood High, a new facility that served a wider area of northeastern Iowa. In 1964, the school won the state small-school title; later in the decade, Crestwood moved into the larger-school division, placing as high as fifth in the team standings at the 1968 Iowa state tournament, and second in 1969, the year Iowa went to three divisions based on school enrollment. A couple years later, Cresco/Crestwood found a home among mid-size schools, more than once placing in the top ten in team standings, with a number of individual state champs. All-Time Cresco Mat Greats Now let's look at just some of the all-time greats who once wrestled at Cresco: Bob Hess: Cresco's First Mat Olympian Bob Hess wrestled at Cresco in the late 1920s for coach Henry Pillard. He was a 135-pound Iowa state champ in 1927. After graduating from Cresco, Hess went to Iowa State, where he compiled a 33-4 record. Hess was a 1932 Big Six champ at 175 pounds, and a two-time NCAA champ at 175 in 1932 and 1933. He just missed earning a medal at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, placing fourth in freestyle middleweight (174-pound) competition. Bob Hess was a member of the initial class welcomed into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1970. Norman Borlaug: Nobel Peace Prize Winner He didn't win any Iowa high school state titles (though he placed third at 145 pounds in 1932), nor did he earn a Big Ten or NCAA title as a wrestler at the University of Minnesota. Yet, Norman Borlaug is arguably the world's best-known wrestler to come out of Cresco … as winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 for his lifelong work as an agricultural scientist whose Green Revolution breakthroughs in developing high yields of wheat saved millions -- if not billions -- of lives from starvation throughout the world. Norman BorlaugBorlaug, who grew up on a farm outside Cresco, wrestled for coach Dave Bartelma at Cresco High School in the early 1930s … then headed north to the University of Minnesota. While at Minnesota, Borlaug usually wrestled at 145 pounds. Perhaps even more significant, he helped lure "Bart" to the "U", which only had a part-time coach at the time. He earned his bachelors in forestry from Minnesota, then stayed at the Twin Cities school for his masters and doctorate … also serving as the Gophers' freshmen wrestling coach. Borlaug started his lifelong work in wheat improvement in 1944, culminating in his serving as director of the Wheat Research and Production program at the International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in the 1960s and 1970s. Even now at age 94, he continues to serve as a consultant to CIMMYT, and raise awareness of ongoing hunger issues. In addition to his honors regarding his lifesaving agricultural work, Norman Borlaug has been acknowledged by the wrestling community as well. He was honored with the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's "Outstanding American" award in 1992, and the University of Minnesota's National M Club Lifetime Achievement Hall of Fame in 1994. Borlaug was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in his hometown in 2004. "Wrestling taught me some valuable lessons," Borlaug told the University of Minnesota in 2005. "I always figured I could hold my own against the best in the world. It made me tough. Many times, I drew on that strength. It's an inappropriate crutch perhaps, but that's the way I'm made." "Bo" Cecil Cameron: Cedar Rapids Coach An undefeated wrestler while competing for Dave Bartelma at Cresco, "Bo" Cameron built a 33-0 record. He was a two-time Iowa high school state champ -- 95 pounds in 1931, 115 pounds in 1933. Cameron headed east from Cresco to the University of Michigan, where he was 25-5, placing third at the Big Ten championships in 1936 and 1937, and second in 1938. After a one-year stint as an assistant coach to Dave McCuskey at Iowa State Teachers College in the 1949-50 season -- the year the program won the NCAA team title in its home gym -- Cameron headed south from Cedar Falls to Cedar Rapids, where he coached wrestling for 27 years, 17 as a head coach. His high school wrestlers earned an Iowa state team title and eight individual championships. Cameron was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1976. Donald Maland: Hometown Doctor Donald MalandDon Maland had success written all over his career on and off the mat. According to his senior bio in the 1934 Spartan yearbook, he was a class officer all four years of high school, culminating in being elected class president senior year. He was in orchestra and wrestled throughout high school. Competing for Dave Bartelma at Cresco, Maland won 38 straight bouts for a perfect prep record. He was the school's first three-time Iowa state champion (and only the fourth in the entire state), winning the 95-pound crown in 1932, the 105-pound title in 1933, and the 125-pound championship in 1934. After graduation, Maland went to the University of Iowa, where he wrestled for the Hawkeyes and coach Mike Howard. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at Iowa, and, after serving in World War II, came home to Cresco to practice medicine for over thirty years. Dale Hanson: World War II Hero Dale Hanson has the distinction of having wrestled for Dave Bartelma both at Cresco High and at the University of Minnesota. According to his plaque at the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, Hanson earned the nickname Pee Wee as a high school freshman because he was too small to compete, even in the lowest weight class, 85 pounds. As a sophomore, he grew a bit in size and was able to wrestle, losing a few matches. However, in his last two years at Cresco, Dale Hanson really came into his own on the mat. He was a two-time Iowa high school state champ, winning the 85-pound crown in 1934, then moving up to 105 in 1935. At Minnesota, Dale Hanson was a three-time letterman (1938-1940). He won two Big Ten titles at 128 pounds in 1939 and 1940. Henson was a two-time NCAA finalist, winning the 128-pound title -– and Outstanding Wrestler honors -- at the 1939 NCAAs, becoming only the second Golden Gopher to win the national wrestling title. While at Minnesota, he won 43 straight dual-meet matches. In fact, Hanson was undefeated in six years of wrestling his last two years in high school, and all four years in college. "Dale Hanson, pound for pound, was the greatest wrestler, amateur or professional, in mat annuls," says his only wrestling coach, Dave Bartelma. "He weighed only 128 at his peak but he was stronger than most heavyweights. He was the absolute master of wrestling techniques, and the greatest competitor I have ever known." According to the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, Dale Henson enlisted in the U.S. Air Force while still a senior at Minnesota. He was at Pearl Harbor during the attack on December 7, 1941, and at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. He was co-pilot of a B-17 bomber that was shot down over Rabaul, New Britain, Papua New Guinea in the south Pacific in October 1942. He was just 24 years old. Henson was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980, and into the Bartelma Hall of Fame in Minnesota in 1994. Harold Nichols: All-Time Great Iowa State Coach Harold Nichols -- affectionately known as "Nick" to wrestling fans in the state of Iowa -- never won an Iowa high school state wrestling title while at Cresco. He claimed his Spartan teammates were so talented, his first chance to wrestle varsity was as a senior. However, that didn't stop him from becoming one of the giants of college wrestling, being named one of the three all-time great coaches -- along with Ed Gallagher, Oklahoma State coach from 1917-1940, and Dan Gable, head coach at University of Iowa from 1976-1997 -- in the NCAA 75th Anniversary commemoration. According to Mike Chapman's book "Nick and the Cyclones," Harold Nichols only started wrestling as a high school freshman … but quit the team because of the five-mile walk home from school after practice. He came back to wrestling when the family moved closer to town, and his younger brother Don started high school. Despite being a middleweight, he often had to move up to heavyweight, giving up considerable poundage on his opponents … but usually found a way to win. As a senior, he placed third at 145 pounds in the Iowa state tournament. After graduation, Harold worked for a year at the Farmers Cooperative Creamery in Cresco, earning money for college. He ended up at the University of Michigan, who, at the time, already had a number of Cresco grads on the roster, and were actively recruiting Harold's brother Don. He and Don both wrestled for Cliff Keen, who coached the Wolverines from 1925 to 1970. As a sophomore, Harold Nichols placed third at the Big Ten championships. The following year, he lost in the finals to the University of Chicago's Art Finwald. However, his senior year, "Nick" truly made a name for himself, being named the wrestling team captain. He compiled a 13-0 dual-meet record, won a 1939 Big Ten championship, and the 145-pound title at the 1939 NCAAs, becoming only the third Wolverine to win a national title. After graduation, "Nick" served as an Air Force pilot in World War II, then launched his coaching career at Arkansas State, where he was responsible for a number of sports. As wrestling coach, he built a 37-18-3 record over five seasons. In 1954, Harold Nichols took the head coaching position at Iowa State, and revitalized the Cyclone wrestling program, making it a contender in a field that had been long dominated by the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. In 32 years at Ames, he compiled a 456-75-11 record for an impressive .851 winning percentage. In the Nichols era, the Cyclones won six NCAA team titles, placed second eleven times, and third eight times. Iowa State had 91 Big Eight conference individual champs, with 25 wrestlers winning 38 NCAA titles. Two of his Cyclones became Olympic gold medallists: Dan Gable, and Ben Peterson. Harold Nichols was twice named NCAA Coach of the Year before retiring in 1985. In 1970, he was part of the initial class inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. Eight years later, he was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Don Nichols: Flying the Friendly Skies Don NicholsYounger brother of Harold, Don Nichols was coached by Dave Bartelma and Harry Schroder while at Cresco. Don apparently had a considerable growth spurt in high school, competing from 85 pounds up to 155. He was a two-time Iowa state champ, winning the 85-pound title in 1933, and the 135-pound crown in 1935. At the University of Michigan, Don wrestled at 175 for Cliff Keen, where he was a two-time Big Ten champ (1938 and 1940). At the 1940 NCAAs, Don snared the 175-pound title and Outstanding Wrestler honors. Incredibly, he lost only three matches in high school and college! After stepping off the mat, Don Nichols had a long career as a captain for United Airlines. He was installed into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1990. Gene Lybbert: Spartan to Panther to Buccaneer Gene Lybbert was the very picture of the active student at Cresco High, involved in band, marching band, swing band, and orchestra … as well as football, baseball and wrestling. He was a two-time Iowa high school state runner-up for the Cresco Spartans (at 105 pounds in 1947, and at 112 in 1948), wrestling for Chris Flanagan. After graduating from Cresco, Lybbert stayed in state for college, going to Iowa State Teachers where he was a two-time national AAU champ, two-time NCAA All-American (1951 and 1952), and the 130-pound champ at the 1952 NCAAs during the program's glory days, when the Panther roster included all-time greats such as Bill Nelson, Bill Smith, and Keith Young. Lybbert headed north to Minnesota, where he coached the Blue Earth High School Buccaneers for a number of years. He was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1987. Gary Kurdelmeier: Building the Hawkeye Dynasty Gary Kurdelmeier (Photo/Cresco Yearbook)A four-sport star at Cresco, Gary Kurdelmeier was on the track and baseball teams, and was an all-state guard on the Spartan football team. However, he found his greatest success on the wrestling mat in both high school and college … and beyond. Wrestling for coach Chris Flanagan, Kurdelmeier was at two-time heavyweight state champ (1953, 1954), ending his prep career with a perfect 23-0 record. Upon graduating from Cresco in 1954, Gary Kurdelmeier headed south to the University of Iowa. After playing one season as tackle for the Hawkeye football team, he hung up the helmet and pads, and concentrated on wrestling. For three years, he was Iowa's 177-pound starter, winning the Big Ten title in 1957, and the NCAA championship the following year. After a high school coaching career in the first years of the 1960s, Gary Kurdelmeier returned to the University of Iowa in 1967, as an assistant coach to Dave McCuskey. Upon McCuskey's retirement in 1972, he became the head coach. In just four seasons at the Hawkeyes' helm, Kurdelmeier turned the program around; Iowa went from a decade of doldrums, to grabbing three Big Ten and two NCAA team titles, and five individuals claiming a total of seven national championships. Kurdelmeier's hand-picked assistant, Dan Gable, became head coach in 1977, building a 20-year dynasty upon his former boss' strong foundation that dominated the Big Ten and national competition. Gary Kurdelmeier was welcomed into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1978. Joe Frank: Coaching Success in Oregon and Minnesota Joe Frank wrestled for Chris Flanagan at Cresco in the late 1950s, winning the 127-pound Iowa state title in 1959. For college, Frank competed for another Cresco High graduate, Harold Nichols, at Iowa State. As a Cyclone, Frank compiled a 29-11 record. However, Joe Frank's greatest wrestling accomplishments were as a coach. In three seasons at Readsburg (Oregon) High, his teams won three state titles. He then came back to the Midwest, where he coached wrestling at Fridley High in Minnesota. In 17 seasons at Fridley, Frank's teams won three state team titles, earned five individual state championships, and built an incredible 227-31-1 record. The Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame welcomed Joe Frank in 2005. Tom Peckham: State Champ, NCAA Champ, Olympian Nowadays, it's typical for amateur wrestlers to take up the sport in grade school or even earlier. Forty or fifty years ago, most wrestlers first stepped onto a mat no earlier than junior high or high school. Tom Peckham, wrestling star of the 1960s, was ahead of his time; he began wrestling as a fourth grader, working out with the Cresco Junior High team. Competing for Chris Flanagan at Cresco High, as a freshman, Peckham qualified for the Iowa state tournament, but lost his opening-round match on a referee's decision… and it was his last loss in his high school mat career. Winning most of his bouts by pin, Tom Peckham compiled a 49-3 record at Cresco, bringing home three Iowa state titles: 127 pounds in 1960, 154 pounds in 1961, and 165 pounds in 1962. Peckham was recruited by fellow Cresco grad Harold Nichols to wrestle for his Iowa State Cyclones. He was a three-time finalist at the Big Eight conference championships, winning the 177-pound title on his third try, in 1966. At the 1964 NCAAs, Peckham placed fifth in the 167-pound weight class. In 1965, he avenged his Big Eight finals loss to Oklahoma State's Bill Harlow with a 5-3 win over the Cowboy to claim the 177-pound national title. In his senior year at the 1966 NCAAs in his home gym, in the 177 finals, Tom Peckham pinned the man he had defeated in the Big Eight finals a couple weeks earlier, Fred Fozzard of Oklahoma State, for his second NCAA title. After college, Peckham wrestled for the U.S. at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, placing fourth in freestyle competition in the 191.5 weight class (barely missing a medal). Peckham was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1985. For more photos of these all-time great wrestlers from this wrestling hotbed in northeastern Iowa, check out the "Cresco HS" photo album at VintageAmateurWrestlingPhotoAnnex. Here's a link to a History of Wrestling in Cresco Web site: http://www.angelfire.com/hi3/crestwoodwrestling/history.html. Fun Fact Spartans Take Over The Wolverines In 1937, five of the eight starters for the University of Michigan Wolverines were once Cresco High Spartans: "Bo" Cecil Cameron, Don Nichols, Harold Nichols, Earl Thomas, and Frank Morgan. That year, Michigan placed second in the team standings at the Big Ten championships, and eleventh at the 1937 NCAAs. Fun Fact Cresco vs. Cresco: Dual Meet Battle In the late 1930s, former Cresco teammates Norman Borlaug and Harold Nichols both ended up wrestling at Big Ten schools: Borlaug headed north to the University of Minnesota, while Nichols went east to the University of Michigan. Both wrestled at 145 pounds… so it was inevitable that the two former teammates would end up facing each other on the mat in college. According to the 1937 Michiganesian (Michigan's yearbook), Nichols pinned Borlaug in a Michigan vs. Minnesota dual meet. Fun Fact Cresco vs. Cresco: College Coaching Battle In the early 1970s, the head coaches at two of the top college wrestling programs in the nation -– Iowa State, and the University of Iowa -– were both Cresco High mat alumni. After the 1972 NCAAs, Gary Kurdelmeier, Cresco class of 1954, took the helm of the Iowa Hawkeye wrestling program … while, across the state, Harold Nichols, Cresco class of 1934, had been coach of the Iowa State Cyclones for nearly two decades. With two former Cresco Spartans in charge, the Iowa vs. Iowa State rivalry really intensified. At the 1972 NCAAs – before Kurdelmeier vs. Nichols -- Iowa State easily won the team title… while Iowa placed twelfth. The following year, Iowa State again claimed the team title, while Iowa moved up to a tie for seventh under new head coach Kurdelmeier. In 1974, the team race tightened further: Iowa State placed fourth, with Iowa right behind at fifth. By 1975, the team fortunes were reversed; the Hawkeyes won the NCAA team title, while the Cyclones placed fourth. The following season -- Kurdelmeier's last -- Iowa held on to the team title, with Iowa State coming in second.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Luke Moffitt and Nate Skaar. Moffitt is the head wrestling coach at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge and his teams have won the last three NJCAA tournaments. They also won their division at the NWCA National Duals the last two years. After winning a high school state championship for Estherville, IA, Moffitt was an NJCAA champion as an Iowa Central Triton at 141 pounds in 2000. He then competed for the University of Iowa where he won a Big Ten title in 2002 and was a two-time NCAA qualifier. Nate Skaar is beginning his third season as the head wrestling coach at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, IA. The Ellsworth Panthers had five All-Americans and placed 5th at the NJCAA tournament last year in Rochester, MN. A native of Hayward, MN, Skaar placed third in the state for Albert Lea High School in 1992 and was an All-American for Division III power Luther College (IA) at 142 pounds in 1995. "On the Mat" can be hard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show

Columbia, Mo. -- The fifth-ranked Missouri wrestling team will kick off the home portion of its 2008-09 schedule, Saturday, Nov. 22, with a 2 p.m. (CT) contest against Hofstra in the Hearnes Center. The afternoon dual is Missouri's first-ever "Wrestling Supports Wrestling" event in which every dollar from the Nov. 22 ticket sales will be added to the wrestling student-athlete scholarship endowment. The endowment will provide additional support to Mizzou wrestling for years to come. "I'm really proud of this event," Head Coach Brian Smith said. "This is an important dual because I convinced my athletic director (Mike Alden) and his staff that the wrestling fans would come out in large numbers to show their support of wrestling. I want to demonstrate to the rest of the sporting community and athletic administrations across the country that wrestling fans can and will support wrestling." Tickets for Missouri's dual with Hofstra are $20 for floor seats, $10 for A level seats and $7 for B level seats. All tickets can be purchased at the Mizzou Arena Ticket Office, or by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS. "If a program consistently draws large crowds, it has a positive economic impact on the athletics department," Smith said. "This Nov. 22 dual with Hofstra is a great way to endow the future of Mizzou wrestling." Fans unable to attend the event that are still interested in supporting the scholarship endowment can purchase tickets through 1-800-CAT-PAWS and have the tickets held, under Brian Smith's name, as a donation for youth wrestlers. "Brian came to us and proposed the idea of a dual in which all money from the ticket sales would go directly towards the wrestling scholarship endowment," Missouri Director of Athletics Mike Alden said. "We are confident that the wrestling community will come out in support of the event. Brian has done great things with our wrestling program over the past 10 years to raise the level of excitement around the team." Smith and his Tigers enter the season as the fifth-ranked team in the nation marking Missouri's third consecutive top-10 preseason ranking.

Paul Bradley improved his professional record to 8-0 in a dominant victory over a 5-1 Patrick Horner at NAAFS Caged Fury 5 on Saturday in Cleveland, Ohio. Bradley remains unbeaten and untested as a professional with all 8 victories coming by unanimous decision, submission, or TKO. Paul BradleyBradley, a two time All-American wrestler at the University of Iowa, dominated the fight on his feet. "I really wanted to showcase my improved punching and striking skills tonight," Bradley said after the fight. "I'm at the top of my game. I'm the best fighter I've ever been. I want the opportunity to showcase that and I'm willing to fight anyone to do it." Manager Chad Dubin of LionHeart MMA believes Bradley is ready for the national stage. "Paul has mowed through his competition at light heavyweight and middleweight and since joining LionHeart, he's had 5 months of nothing but intensive training under his belt. He's as mentally focused as ever and with his improved standup he's as complete a fighter as you can get. He's ready to step into the cage with any fighter at any venue."

The Citadel Wrestling team and head coach Rob Hjerling welcomes Billy Linane as a new assistant coach for the Bulldog wrestling program. Coach Linane is a 2005 graduate and former wrestler of The Citadel. While attending The Citadel, Linane majored in criminal justice. He was a four-time letter winner as a heavyweight and has a wide base of experience and knowledge that Coach Hjerling expects he will bring to the wrestling program. "We are excited to have Billy back in our wrestling room," Hjerling said. "He has a wealth of knowledge and experience to pass on to our upper weights." Linane was the 17th wrestler in school history to become a member of The Citadel Wrestling Wall of Fame. Among his accomplishments as a Bulldog were 92 career wins, a four-time Southern Conference tournament finalist, two-time conference champion, and two-time NCAA qualifier. "I am very excited to come back to the wrestling program as a coach. I look forward to giving back to the program that I wrestled for. We have some very good talent in the upper weights and I look forward to helping get to a higher level," stated Linane. The Citadel wrestling will be back in action for the 2008 season on Friday, Nov. 7 when they host Belmont Abbey at McAlister Field House at 7 p.m. For more information on Bulldog Wrestling, go to the official website of The Citadel Athletics, www.Citadelsports.com.

Fans of Wisconsin wrestling will have a number of opportunities to watch the Badgers during the 2008-09 season. The Big Ten Network released its TV schedule for the upcoming season and Wisconsin's season-ending dual against Ohio State will air live on the Big Ten Network. The match, which was originally scheduled for 1 p.m., has now been moved to a noon start and will take place inside the UW Field House. Wisconsin could appear two more times on the BTN throughout the season. If the Badgers make it to the semifinals and the finals of the Midlands Classic on Tuesday, Dec. 30, they will air live on the Big Ten Network. The classic begins Dec. 29 in Evanston, Ill., but the Big Ten Network will just carry the semifinals and finals beginning at 7 p.m. The Big Ten Network will also provide coverage of the 2009 Big Ten Championships, beginning on Sunday, March 8. The championships begin Saturday, March 7, in University Park, Pa., and the network will be there Sunday to showcase the second day. Times for coverage of the 2009 Big Ten Championships are still TBA. Badger fans can get their first look at the 2008-09 team by coming out to the UW Field House Saturday, Nov. 1, for the annual intra-squad scrimmage. The scrimmage begins at 5:30 p.m. but before that, high school coaches from the area are encouraged to come out for a free coaches clinic, beginning at noon. Wisconsin's first home match of the season will take place much earlier than last year and will be in a different venue than usual. Mark your calendars for Friday, Nov. 21 when Iowa State comes to town for a 7 p.m. bout on the main floor of the Kohl Center. Be sure to check back to UWBadgers.com regularly for updates on the Badger wrestling team. 2008-2009 BIG TEN NETWORK WRESTLING SCHEDULE Saturday, December 6 8:00pm Iowa State at Iowa (Same Day Delay - 10:30pm) Tuesday, December 30 7:00pm Midlands Classic: Semifinals/Finals (LIVE) Friday, January 23 7:00pm Penn State at Indiana (LIVE) Sunday, January 25 6:00pm Illinois at Iowa (LIVE) Friday, January 30 7:00pm Illinois at Purdue (LIVE) Friday, February 6 8:00pm Northwestern at Illinois (Same Day Delay - 10:30pm) Sunday, February 8 1:00pm Michigan at Michigan State (Same Day Delay - 8pm) Friday, February 13 7:00pm Ohio State at Michigan (Same Day Delay - 10:30pm) Sunday, February 15 3:00pm Minnesota at Iowa – (Same Day Delay – 8pm) Sunday, February 22 1:00pm Ohio State at Wisconsin – (LIVE) Sunday, March 8 TBA Big Ten Championships (TBA)

The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has collaborated with Fresh Health Innovations LLC and The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to produce a 23-minute web-based seminar, Preventing Skin Infections, for athletes, coaches and parents. The seminar includes an additional seven-minute "stand alone" component addressing the unique skin infection challenges in wrestling. The focus of the seminar is on the identification, prevention, and treatment of skin infections in sports. The seminar is free to everyone in the sports community and can be viewed at www.nwcaskinprevention.com. Preventing Skin Infections is also available on DVD for classroom viewing for a modest cost to cover duplication and shipping/handling. The seven-minute wrestling "stand-alone" component features wrestling legend Dan Gable and NCAA Champion and current Ohio State assistant coach Joe Heskett. One of the primary architects of the webinar, Dr. Dave Joyner, is a former All American wrestler and football player at Penn State University and has a long history of service to the US Olympic Committee. Dave Joyner said, "I am extremely gratified that this project is now being launched. Countless athletes in all sports will benefit from what they learn in this video." "With the emergence of widespread outbreaks of herpes and the potentially deadly antibiotic resistant strains of staph infection in sport specific populations, the prevention and treatment of skin infections has become as important as technical and tactical aspects of training. This video will help coaches and athletes recognize early signs and symptoms of skin infection so transmission to other athletes can be kept to a minimum," said NWCA President Jim Beichner. Mike Moyer, the Executive Director of the NWCA added, "Common sense and due diligence are still the most effective ways to battle skin infection. However, the prevention of skin infection is often the most overlooked aspect of training. We hope that this seminar will convey the important message to coaches and athletes that preventing skin infection is a responsibility that should never be taken lightly." "We wanted to produce a web site and corresponding video that were both engaging and informative," explains Fresh Health Innovations creative director, Fred Miles. "We used extensive animation, special effects, studio and on-location shooting to create a seminar that is not only fun to watch, but has a ton of practical information." The mission of Fresh Health Innovations, LLC. is to provide information to athletes, coaches and parents about injury prevention, conditioning, nutrition and other topics relating to health and fitness. Preventing Skin Infections was made possible by a grant from a leading Pennsylvania health insurance company.

Augsburg College has been one of the most successful wrestling programs on the Division III level. Now the school will be at the center of wrestling promotion as KAUG, the student-run campus radio station, will be the host studio for Wrestling 411's twice weekly radio program beginning November 11. Wrestling 411, the brand operating under the wrestling marketing and promotions company Media Sports Production, is launching its first full season of its made for television wrestling highlights show. The made for television show, Wrestling 411, will be complimented by a timely twice weekly show airing on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the season. "We're excited about having KAUG as our studio host," said Jason Bryant, Production Manager and Writer for the Wrestling 411 television show. "KAUG offers the flexibility we desire and the ability to stream and archive our shows for a nationwide audience. We also felt Augsburg was a natural fit because the school's strong presence within the sport of wrestling. It just makes perfect sense." Tom Brands, the head coach of the defending Division I NCAA team champion Iowa Hawkeyes, will be the show's first guest on Nov. 11. Kyle Klingman will serve as the host for the radio side of Wrestling 411, with Jason Bryant adding his services as well. Each show will provide dynamic and comprehensive discussion and coverage in studio on topics crucial not only to wrestling, but wrestling coverage, rankings, results and the entire scale of wrestling from high school to the international styles. Along with guests, the Wrestling 411 radio program will feature weekly guests ranging from the nation's most respected coaches and athletes and wrestling's top minds. Information about the show will be updated frequently on the Wrestling 411 web site at www.wrestling411.tv. "The benefit of having both a radio and television medium will help enhance coverage and visibility of college wrestling. The radio program will not only inform the public, but it will also serve as a sounding board and also give updates on what fans can look forward to on the Wrestling 411 television program," said Bryant. "Our show will be a great compliment for the sport of wrestling. We're confident the product will be up to par with what the wrestling community has come to expect from Kyle and I." Klingman was the associate director of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum for the past six years. He is a featured columnist for W.I.N. Magazine and hosted "On The Mat," a weekly wrestling radio show where he interviewed some of the top names in wrestling. In 2008, Wrestling International Newsmagazine honored Klingman with its Wrestling Journalist of the Year award. Bryant spent three years as the Director of Media Relations for the National Wrestling Coaches Association. He helped InterMat garner the National Wrestling Media Association's Wrestling Web Site of the Year Award in 2006 and as a journalist. Bryant has been the recipient of Wrestling International Newsmagazine's Journalist of the Year as well as Amateur Wrestling News' Bob Dellinger Award for Wrestling Writer of the Year.

IOWA CITY, IA -- Two-time World Champion and 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Terry Brands returns to the University of Iowa wrestling program to serve as an assistant coach. His twin brother, Tom, is the head coach of the Hawkeyes. "I am thrilled that my brother is joining our staff," said Tom Brands. "His work ethic, intensity and coaching experience will give our entire staff a boost." Brands joins the Hawkeye staff after a three-year stint (2005-08) as USA Wrestling's National Freestyle Resident Coach in Colorado Springs, CO. During his tenure, Brands worked with 2008 U.S. Olympic freestyle gold medalist Henry Cejudo and 2006 World champion Bill Zadick. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006. Terry and Tom, who was inducted in 2001, were the first set of twins to earn hall of fame spots. "We are delighted to have Terry Brands as our assistant wrestling coach," said Associate Director of Athletics Fred Mims. "He brings a wealth of experience in working with elite athletes which will benefit our program tremendously". Brands was a two-time NCAA champion, three-time all-American and three-time Big Ten champion for the Hawkeyes (1989-92) at 126 pounds. He ended his career at Iowa with a 137-7 record. He still ranks fourth in season wins (43 - 1990-91) and career record, fifth in career wins (137), sixth in career pins (48) and ninth in season pins (18 - 1990-91). He is one of 18 Hawkeyes to post an undefeated season record, going 35-0 in 1991-92. His collegiate coaching experience includes three years as head coach at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (2002-05), and as an assistant coach at Montana State-Northern (2001-02), the University of Nebraska (2000-01) and the University of Iowa (1992-2000). At Chattanooga, Brands led the Mocs to the 2005 Southern Conference title, while crowning three conference champions and two all-Americans. Brands was one of the nation's greatest freestyle wrestlers, winning World gold medals in 1993 in Toronto, Canada, and in 1995 in Atlanta, GA, at 125.5 pounds (57 kg). As a member of the 1993 and 1995 U.S. World Teams, he was on the only two U.S. teams to win World Team Titles in freestyle. In 1993, he won his world title with Tom, who was the World champion at 136.5 pounds (62 kg). Terry and Tom were named 1993 USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year, 1993 John Smith Freestyle Wrestler of the Year and 1993 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year. The Brands brothers became the first U.S. brothers to win a World title during the same year. Brands placed second at in the 1996 U.S. Nationals and the 1996 Olympic Team Trials, falling just short of making the U.S. Olympic Team. He qualified for the 1997 and 1999 U.S. World Teams, but did not compete due to injury. In 2000, he made a comeback and won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 127.75 pounds (58 kg). He earned a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Brands earned a bachelor of science degree in Human Development from the University of Iowa in 1992. He and his wife, Michelle, have a son, Nelson, and a daughter, Sydney.

J Robinson and the University of Minnesota wrestling coaching staff will host its annual coaches' clinic on Friday, October 24. The event begins at 1:00 p.m. at Bierman Field Athletic Complex. Registration runs from 12:30-1:00 p.m. A welcome from head coach J Robinson and a season outlook will begin the event. The day also includes a technique clinic led by former Olympican Cary Kolat, a two-time NCAA champion and four-time NCAA All-American. Mack Reiter, a three-time NCAA All-American, Big Ten individual champion and Junior Pan-American champion, will lead a session on cradles and defense to cradles later in the afternoon. The afternoon session will conclude with a live Minnesota wrestling practice. After an hour-long dinner break, Duke University professor and doctor of sports psychology, Dr. Gregory Dale, will deliver a speech on ‘A Model For Success and Teambuilding' to kick off the evening session. A second technique clinic by Cary Kolat and a social will follow. Registration is available until Oct. 21 for a cost of $100. Those registering after Oct. 21 will incur an additional $15 fee. Days Inn is offering a hotel discount for the event. For more information, contact: Mack Reiter reit0125@umn.edu 612.626.7697

DES MOINES -- Takedown Wrestling Radio (TDR) announced a new interactive feature and program designed to connect all members of the wrestling community. TDR's Wrestling Round Table is a weekly Internet radio program with a concurrent chat room feature. The premier two hour TDR Wrestling Round Table event begins Wednesday, October 15 at 7 p.m. CST. Subsequent programs will alternate between Wednesdays and Thursdays based on wrestling schedules that week and announced through normal channels. Anyone with a computer can join in discussions with top journalists from the wrestling world at takedownradio.com. Concurrent audio streaming and chat room functions allow instantaneous communication between all participants. Scott Casber, co-founder and host of TDR, serves as moderator and is joined each week by a top flight of wrestling reporters, experts, and statisticians. "We've divided the country into five regions and have selected leading authorities representing each of those regions to participate in the audio portion of the program," Casber described. "Our listeners can now become participants themselves by providing questions, perspectives, opinions, and advise in the chat room feature at Takedownradio.com. Listeners logged into the program will be able to view on their computer screen all comments being made by everyone participating," Casber concluded. Inaugural guest hosts will represent specific geographic regions and include: Jeff Breese: InterMat Chief (Pennsylvania, Region 1) Pat Costilow: Co-founder of Ohiowrestling.net (Mideast, Region 2) Andrew Hipps: Founder RevWrestling.com (Southeast, Region 3) Matt Krumrie: TheWrestlingMall.com (West, Region 4) Britt Milinsky: Well known pundit and statistician (Midwest and Northwest, Region 5) Earl Smith: Founder of D1collegewrestling.net (Mid Atlantic, Region 6) Confirmed future expert contributors include Dan Cosimi from ohiowrestling.net, long time Oklahoma State University voice J. Carl Guyman, Wisconsin wrestling pundit Koy Kosek, W.I.N. Magazines Bryan Van Kley and Mike Finn, TDR's Steve Foster among others. "For the past 11 years, the Saturday morning TDR program has been primarily interview driven. You could go down a list and basically check off every luminary in the wrestling world that's been on the show," stated Casber. "TDR's Wrestling Round Table allows us to maintain the Saturday format, benefit from the relationships we built there, and expand our coverage to include the entire wrestling community. Now, youth wrestlers in small communities who want to connect with their heroes can realize their dream. It's a brave new world, and this is our way to embrace it," completed Casber on a visionary note. This is your opportunity to have your voice heard! Each week, Every week of the year! You make the call, ask the questions and participate in your show. Takedown Wrestling Radio's NEW TDR Wrestling Round Table. Wednesday October 15, 7 p.m. CST at Takedownradio.com. Jump in to the chat room and participate. TDR is currently developing other new technology products along with synergistic partners. Details on those developments will be provided in the near future. Our thanks to our partners who make this program possible.

Clockwise from upper left: J Robinson, Jayson Ness, Mario Mason, Dustin Schlatter (Photos/The Guillotine & Tech-Fall.com) The University of Minnesota is coming off a disappointing 10th place finish at the 2008 NCAA Championships in St. Louis. The Gophers, who won the NCAA title in 2007, lost four All-Americans to graduation. There are a lot of questions that still need to be answered about the Gophers entering this season. It was media day on Wednesday for the Gopher wrestling team. Minnesota coach J Robinson addressed the media. RevWrestling.com also caught up with Gopher All-Americans Jayson Ness and Dustin Schlatter … as well as talented freshman Mario Mason. Media Day Interviews: Rev Audio: J Robinson Rev Audio: Jayson Ness Rev Audio: Dustin Schlatter Rev Audio: Mario Mason

This week we'll be in our Brute Adidas home studios. Next week we'll be live from Las Vegas with Randy and Kim Couture to cover Night of Combat 2 from the Thomas and Mack Center. We'll be joined by a lot of great guests like Gray Maynard and Jay Hieron to name a few. Lots going on in wrestling. Jackson departs USA Wrestling-Thank you to Kevin Jackson for your years of service to wrestling. All of us at TDR wish you continued success at Sunkist. Art Martori is fortunate to be able to hire such an experienced and dedicated Coach. Over the past few days we have interviewed many of wrestling's top people for the Intermatwrestle.com premium service. If you are not a member, please consider joining today. Visit Intermatwrestle.com for more information. These are one of a kind candid interviews wrestling enthusiasts will really enjoy! This week on Takedown Radio: 9:05 Connie Christiansen- Penn State Wrestling Club Historian. We continue our recognition of 100 years of wrestling at Penn State with one the Nittany Lions most fervent supporters. 9:20 Dr. Tom "Doc" Allen-Oklahoma State Cowboy team Physician. This former Varsity pole vaulter and past Dean of the OSU medical school has treated every team member for everything from poked eyes, broken noses, chipped teeth, bit tongues and everything north and south for over a decade. A treasure to the Cowboys program and to our sport. He is the calm before the storm. A bright light in our sport! 9:40 Mark Schwab- Head Coach of NIACC. What changes are in store for the fall under his leadership? Who are the new recruits. What can the fans expect? Tune in and find out. 10:05 Ron Kruck- Inside MMA on HDNet host of Kruck's Korner. Since 2003, Kruck has worked as a host, reporter and producer for Mark Cuban's national high definition network HDNet. Covering both mixed martial arts and boxing, Kruck is an integral part of the network's HDNet Fights series. He's been a feature reporter for the MLS, studio host for NHL games and host of the Broadway Boxing Series. 10:20 Tom Borrelli-Head Coach of the Chippewas of Cent. Mich. Borrelli has built a dynasty in his 17 seasons. His Chippewas have strung together nine consecutive Mid-American Conference titles and six consecutive MAC Championships crowns. His incoming recruiting class is ranked 3rd nationally. 10:40 Jason Valek-Head Coach of D II Powerhouse. Martin Fleming, editor of The Takedown Report, has recognized Newberry College in all divisions as the top team in the Carolinas. Martin should know he covers the Carolinas like a blanket. Tune in and find out why. I can feel it, smell it! It's in the air. Get your tickets to the greatest show on earth. College Wrestling is around the corner! Miss a show? No worries, you can get Takedown Radio at Takedownradio.com from our archives section or via Pod Cast all at no charge thanks to our sponsors.

The annual wrestling dual between Minnesota and Iowa will air live on the Big Ten Network, the network announced this week. The Gophers and Hawkeyes will meet on Sun., Feb. 15 at 2:00 p.m. in Iowa City. The program also finalized start times for three other road dual meets. The program's Jan. 30 dual at Penn State will begin at 7:00 p.m. (CT). A Feb. 13 meet at Wisconsin is also slated for a 7:00 start, as is the Gophers' Feb. 20 dual at Iowa State.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Vic Marcucci and Jason McCloud. Vic Marcucci was an NCAA champion and three-time all-american at Iowa State University in the mid 1960s. Wrestling at 167 pounds, he placed third, then dropped to 160 and took second and first in consecutive NCAA tournaments. Originally from the Chicago area, Marcucci has been a resident of Waterloo, Iowa for the last two decades. Jason McCloud is the head wrestling coach at Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, IA. Iowa Lakes, along with NIACC in Mason City, is the second junior college program in Iowa to start or restart a wrestling program in the last two years. McCloud previously coached eight successful seasons at Jamestown College in South Dakota, an NAIA school. McCloud was a two-time state runner up for Simley High School in Minnesota and was a four year starter at Arizona State University in the 1990s. "On the Mat" can be hard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa this Thursday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on 1650, The Fan. The show is normally on each Wednesday at the above time. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

PITTSBURGH -- The University of Pittsburgh's head wrestling coach Rande Stottlemyer has announced the 2008-09 Panthers schedule. Seven matches are slated to take place in Fitzgerald Field House, highlighted by visits from Big Ten foes Northwestern and Illinois. The Panthers will meet four teams that placed in the top-25 at last year's NCAA Championships, including Central Michigan (seventh), Northwestern (13th), Illinois (14th) and Edinboro (21st). Pitt opens the season in East Lansing, Mich., at the Michigan State Open, Sunday, Nov. 9. In their two dual matches during the month of November, the Panthers host Lehigh (Nov. 15) and Bloomsburg (Nov. 19). Pitt finishes the month on the road at the Keystone Classic hosted by the Penn Sunday, Nov. 23. The squad then heads west to Las Vegas for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 5-6) before returning home to host Northwestern (Dec. 19) in their only dual match of the month. Pitt finishes the year in Evanston, Ill., at the Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30). Pitt rotates between home and away matches during January. The Panthers host Illinois (Jan. 10) before hitting the road for an Eastern Wrestling League matchup with Lock Haven (Jan. 15). Three days later, Pitt hosts Mid-American Conference power Central Michigan (Jan. 18). Pitt will head east to Philadelphia for the second time during the 2008-09 season for a dual against Penn (Jan. 25) before hosting conference rival Cleveland State (Jan. 28). On the last day of the month, the Panthers will head to Kent State to battle the Golden Flashes (Jan. 31). February features just three dual matches, but all will be against EWL rivals. Pitt hosts border rival West Virginia (Feb. 7) in the final home match of the season at Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers finish the regular-season on the road at Clarion (Feb. 13) and Edinboro (Feb. 20). Postseason action gets underway March 7 with the EWL Championships hosted by Lock Haven. Following the EWL Championships, the NCAA Championships return to St. Louis, Mo., for the second consecutive year.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma vice president for intercollegiate athletics programs and director of athletics Joe Castiglione and head coach Jack Spates announced the 2008-09 wrestling schedule Thursday. The annual Red/White scrimmage will be held Oct. 29, at the University of Central Oklahoma before official competition opens when OU travels to Brockport, N.Y., for the annual Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic on Nov. 8. The 19-match season includes eight home matches versus Central Oklahoma (Nov. 13), Oklahoma City (Nov. 20), Old Dominion (Nov. 23), Oklahoma State (Dec. 7), Maryland (Jan. 16), North Carolina State (Jan. 30), Missouri (Feb. 6) and Nebraska (Feb. 8). In addition to traveling to the Brockport Classic, Oklahoma participates in the Big 12/Pac-10 Challenge on Dec. 13, in San Luis Obispo, Calif., where it faces Cal-Bakersfield, Cal-Fullerton and Cal Poly. The Lonestar Duals in Arlington, Texas, matches the Sooners against North Carolina, Stanford and Appalachian State on Jan. 3. Other road contests feature Oklahoma at Chattanooga (Jan. 11), Arizona State (Jan. 18), Iowa State (Jan. 23), Michigan State (Feb. 15) and Oklahoma State (Feb. 22). Eight teams the Sooners are pitted against this season finished in the top 25 at last year's NCAA Championships (Nebraska, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Stanford, Maryland and North Carolina State). "As always, this is an extremely competitive schedule," Spates said. "Last year we had the 12th most competitive schedule in the nation and we have significantly upgraded it this year. We think that this kind of battling will harden our guys for the end run and will result in a strong NCAA performance." The Sooners will begin postseason competition at the Big 12 Championships March 7, in Lincoln, Neb. The NCAA Championships will make a return trip to St. Louis, Mo., and are slated for March 19-21.

Cumberland University wrestling has three sets of brothers for the Fall 2008 school year; Adam and Estil (Trey) Myers, Cody and Corey Bleaken, and Andrew and James Casadaban. Adam and Trey Myers were true freshman and a junior last year and both redshirted in the 2007-2008 season. This year they will be redshirt freshman and redshirt junior at 157 and 174 respectively. The Myers brothers went to Vandalia Butler High school in Dayton, Ohio. Trey Myers is a two-time NAIA national qualifier and led all freshmen in 2005-2006 with 21 wins. Adam is a two-time state alternate and will compete for a starting spot this season at 157 or 165. This season two more sets of brothers will be added to the roster as Cody and Andrew will join their brothers Corey and James. Cody and Corey Bleaken are from Clifton High school in Clifton, New Jersey. Cody will compete at the 133 or141 weight class and Corey will compete at the 149 or157 weight class. Cody was high school athlete of the year last year at Clifton High. Corey was 3rd in the NAIA national tournament in 2007 as a true freshman at 149 and had a school record 40 wins that season and was a national qualifier in 2008. Andrew and James Casadaban are from Brother Martin High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Andrew will compete at 133 or 141 weight class and James will compete at 157 weight class. Andrew was a 2008 state champion for Brother Martin last year. James was a redshirt freshman last year and was a NAIA national qualifier. Head coach Jarad Swint said "It is pretty unique to have three sets of brothers. It is great to see the family support that these young men get. They are all very different but one thing is for sure they all get good family support. We see each of their families during the season every year. The Myers family started things off this year by being at the first conditioning run. Adam and Trey's younger brother Jesse and Mr. Myers ran with us and Mrs. Myers was also present supporting the guys. Mr. Bleaken has been out to the national tournament every year and you can see how much he enjoys the sport. The Casadaban family is like an entire crew. Their parents, grandparents, girlfriends and other family members will show up at any number of tournaments. I know all of the families are excited about the season and we are looking forward to all of the family support. We had great family support at the national tournament in 2008 and we look forward to having that kind of support again and hopefully even better from the entire team. Our success is very dependent on the family support these young men receive each year. I know one thing for sure most of our guys wrestle better when their family is around. Even a phone call to see how they did helps them!"

DES MOINES -- Nationally recognized announcer, commentator, promoter, and Take Down Radio founder Scott Casber returned to the set of the HD-Net program Inside MMA. He was joined by other panelists, UFC World Champion Georges St. Pierre and top ranked female fighter Gina Carano. This was Casber's second time on the show, following his previous appearance with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Casber has assisted with casting on the program based on the relationships he's made during eleven plus years reporting on wrestling, MMA, and other combat sports. Inside MMA is a weekly news and talk program exploring current events and all aspects of mixed martial arts (MMA). New episodes premier each Friday at 9:30 EST. Casber, St. Pierre, and Carano can be viewed during Episode 236 at the following link. http://www.hd.net/insidemma.html Additionally, Casber will travel to Baghdad in late October with a small contingent including MMA fighters, actors, and musicians. During the eight day tour, Casber will host public appearances, private visitations, and combative contests between competing US troops stationed there. The USO has assembled a top team of MMA personalities to entertain as well as to educate our soldiers. Casber will be joined by UFC star Hermes Franca, renowned kick boxer and MMA fighter Rob Kamen, former World Champion kick boxer turned actor Tony Schiena, as well as others.

NORFOLK, Va. -- The No. 22 ODU wrestling team will return to the mats for its annual Blue/Silver Intersquad to kick off the 2008-09 season on October 26 at 12:30 pm. The intersquad will be held in the Athletic Administration Building at ODU with parking available behind the building off of Elkhorn Avenue. The team is coming off one of the best seasons in school history after posting a 17-3 record in duals and qualifying six wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament. Returning eight of ten starters from last year, head coach Steve Martin, now in his fifth year at the helm, is anticipating another solid year from his program. The 2008-09 team boasts seven national qualifiers, including 2008 All-American James Nicholson at 125 lbs and two-time NCAA Qualifier Ryan Williams at 141 lbs. Kyle Hutter (133), Chris Brown (165), Eric Decker (184), Jesse Strawn (197) and Andy Totusek (Hwt.) are the other national qualifiers. The projected lineup was good enough to be ranked 22nd in the nation according to the Pre-Season rankings offered by W.I.N. Magazine. Several Monarchs are ranked individually by W.I.N. and also by Wrestling USA. Nicholson comes in at fourth (W.I.N.) and fifth (Wrestling USA) after his All-American run, while Chris Brown also checks in among the top ten in his weight, listed as the ninth best 165-pounder by W.I.N. Magazine; Brown also ranks 19th by Wrestling USA. Hutter ranks 15th (W.I.N.) and earned a Special Mention by Wrestling USA, while Williams comes in at 20th (W.I.N.) and also earned a Special Mention in Wrestling USA. Strawn, bumping up to 197 lbs this season, ranks 18th in the nation by Wrestling USA in his third year for ODU. In addition to an already deep roster, the Monarchs coaching staff brought in yet another top ten recruiting class in 2008. Rookies David Wilson (Hwt.) and Joe Budi (184) could provide a boost to the starting lineup, with newcomers Jacob Kahnke (197), Craig Wilson (141), and Brennan Brumley (133) also adding depth to the Monarch roster. Transfer Eric Decker, an NCAA qualifier, will battle to earn a spot in the starting lineup for ODU as well. The full ODU schedule will be forthcoming, but Monarch fans can look forward to home dates against the ACC's Virginia and Virginia Tech, as well as duals against No. 25 Northern Iowa, Purdue, UNC Greensboro and George Mason. ODU will also travel to face top competition this season, including a weekend swing against No. 6 Oklahoma State and No. 20 Oklahoma, who boast 41 national championships between the two schools. ODU will also travel to the Northeast Duals, which will include a dual against No. 5 Missouri. All dates and times for the ODU schedule will be released at a later date.

PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Pennsylvania's head wrestling coach Zeke Jones has announced his resignation to accept a position as the head coach of the United States freestyle national team. Zeke Jones (Photo/Hunter Martin)With Jones' resignation, Penn has also announced that assistant coach Rob Eiter has been appointed interim head coach of the program. "Penn has been a tremendous place for me and my family," Jones said. "It has been a great place to work and live. Penn is one of the best places for a student-athlete to achieve success academically and athletically and working with men as gifted as the ones at Penn has been a blessing." "This is a great opportunity for Zeke and we wish him the best with U.S.A. Wrestling," Penn's Director of Athletics Steve Bilsky said. "At the same time, we feel very fortunate to have someone with Rob's ability and credentials to step up to the head coaching position." Penn begins its 2008-09 wrestling season on November 22 with a pair of dual matches against Princeton (noon) and Michigan (2 p.m.) at The Palestra.

Lincoln -- Head Coach Mark Manning and his staff will conduct their annual Fall Coaches Clinic on Friday, Nov. 7, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Highlights will include guest speaker Darin Boysen, assistant director of the Nebraska School Activities Association, and two technique sessions from All-Americans Travis and Trent Paulson. Manning and his staff will conduct the clinic at the Devaney Center around Nebraska's wrestle-offs. The Huskers begin full-team, regular-season practices on Wednesday, Oct. 1, and the wrestle-offs serve as an open practice that helps the staff determine NU's starting lineup. The clinic begins with opening comments from Manning at 10:30 a.m., followed by a program from Boysen on high school wrestling rules. Boysen is responsible for the NSAA's wrestling weight management program. The afternoon features two technique sessions from the newest additions to the Husker coaching staff, Travis and Trent Paulson. Both were three-time All-Americans at Iowa State, wrestling under Bobby Douglas and Cael Sanderson. Trent captured a national championship at 157 pounds in 2007. The two also narrowly missed qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympics after each finished third in their respective weight class at the Olympic trials. The wrestle-offs begin at 6 p.m. and will feature 15-20 matches on two mats. Coaches will have a chance to watch Nebraska's four current All-Americans (Jordan Burroughs, Stephen Dwyer, Brandon Browne and Craig Brester) wrestle, along with the rest of the Husker squad. Attendees will also receive a Nebraska wrestling t-shirt, three meals and an invitation to an evening social. Pre-registration is encouraged and coaches can sign up by clicking on the registration form above. Cost is $95 before Oct. 31 and $100 at the door. Registration begins at 9:15 a.m. on Nov. 7. Contact the wrestling office by calling (402) 472-9430 for more details or email Ellen Shutts at eshutts@huskers.com.

We come closer to the beginning of what looks to be a very exciting season indeed. We'll take a closer look as we return to the Brute Adidas studios of Takedown Wrestling Radio this Saturday from 9 AM to 11 AM CST. Join Scott Casber, Chris Arns, Steve Foster and Randy Crimmins for 2 fun filled informative hours. Can't catch it live? No worries, TDR is now pod casting it's shows and have always offered archives for you rabid fans who, like me, can't get enough of this good thing. Note- I spoke with Cornell wrestler Adam Frey, he's in the hospital and doing fine sometimes and sometimes not so fine. You might want to reach out to him as our family does and send him a note of encouragement. Funny how things like that help. He's a good guy and plans to join me mic side for the broadcast of the Bodybar Tournament November 22nd in Ithica, NY. Our Guests this week, and its a packed show, include- Guy Sako- Defense Soap Founder. Its better to be prepared when dealing with skin issues. Plan to succeed and defeat the problem before it becomes one. Tune in and find out how. Troy Sunderland- Head Coach at Penn State. Something is going on in the Lion's Den. It may be the staff, the athletes, the facilities, the booster club, the fans or all of the above. This promises to be a fantastic interview with a coach who has put in the time and effort and a program that has put itself out there. Cael Sanderson- Head Coach of the Cyclones of Iowa State- Cael has made some changes but enters the fall as the number 2 team in all of the country. # 2 right behind The Iowa Hawkeyes. The Cyclones must face the Hawkeyes at Iowa City this year. It will be a battle for the ages. It will be a season of challenges for sure, lets hear how Coach Sanderson plans to rally his troops. Jim Martin- PSU Champ back in the day. Lets take a look back in the books and see who was his nemesis, the Achilles heal and what drove him to greatness. Pushed by PSU mentor and champ Carl DeStephanis, Martin climbed many mountains achieving 155 Career victories along the way. He also became a Midlands Champ twice, an NCAA Champ in 1988, EWL Champ, part of the 88' Lions team that traveled to and defeated the Hawkeyes at Iowa City. Jim has the honor of being the Lions 2nd 4 x All American. He defeated Tom Brands for goodness sake. This cat was something special. Chris Pendleton- The very core of the OSU Championship team, the rock, the resilience, the moral fiber of the team is what Chris Pendleton weaves and others benefit from his strong convictions. This Cowboy is one in a million. Josh "The Punk" Thompson- recently Victorious in his MMA battle, now he improves his record to 8 consecutive wins. Josh Thomson talks about his non-title win over Ashe Bowman at Strikeforce at the Playboy Mansion 2 and who he'd like to fight in the future. Record: (16-2-0, 1 NC) I've been asked to shorten my weekly press releases and believe me I'm trying. Tune in this and every Saturday to America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show, Takedownradio.com. Remember 9 AM to 11 AM CST. Our road trips start soon so keep checking out the web sites for our travel schedule.

DOVER -- Delaware State University Director of Athletics Rick Costello has announced the appointment of former NCAA champion and U.S. Olympic qualifier Ken Melchior as the university's new head wrestling coach. Ken MelchiorMelchior, 61, has nearly four decades of coaching experience at high schools in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut. "Ken's energy and enthusiasm for the sport of wrestling put him head and shoulders above a quality pool of candidates," said Costello. "He brings over 30 years of wrestling experience to our program. Ken's been successful at every level he's coached and participated and I look forward to him bringing that success to Delaware State. An outstanding student-athlete himself, Ken is the perfect person to lead our wrestling program. He's not only a coach, he's an educator. He's a person who will guide our student-athletes on the mat as well as in the classroom." A retired educator, Melchior most recently served as an assistant coach at Haddonfield (N.J.) High School, helping lead the school to a 140-50 dual meet record since 1998. In addition, Haddonfield produced six district champions, eight regional qualifiers and three state qualifiers during his tenure. In 11 years as head wrestling coach at West Deptford High School in New Jersey, Melchior compiled a record of 114-63 in dual meets. He led the team to two conference championships and a No. 11 ranking among all New Jersey schools in 1979. West Deptford produced numerous individual district, regional and state champions during Melchior's tenure. Melchior earned four collegiate wrestling championships while at Lock Haven University, including the 1968 NCAA 115-pound title. In addition, he was a three-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) champion. Melchior was an All-America First Team selection in 1968 and '69. He compiled an overall record of 98-6 during his collegiate career. Melchior qualified for the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team in 1968 and '72. He also competed in the 1971 and ‘72 world championships, finishing fifth and third, respectively, and was a three-time U.S. Military champion. "There is such great potential in the Hornet wrestling program," Melchior said. "I'm familiar with Delaware State wrestling, as well as the many fine high school programs in the state and surrounding area. I'm looking forward to working with the DSU administration, staff and student-athletes to bring long-term success to wrestling program." A native of Lindenhurst, N.Y., Melchior has been inducted into the NAIA, Lock Haven University, Lindenhurst High School and South Jersey Wrestling halls of fame. Melchior earned a bachelor's in Education from Lock Haven in 1970.