InterMat Staff

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

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

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

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

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Jesse Ventura and Tolly Thompson. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. Ventura was a successful pro wrestler who became the governor of Minnesota from 1999 through 2003. Known as "The Body," Ventura has appeared in several movies, including two with California governor Arnold Scwarznegger. In 2003, Ventura was given the Frank Gotch Award for bringing respect and positive recognition to professional wrestling. Ventura has written a new book entitled "Don't Start the Revolution Without Me!," which was released on April 1, 2008. Thompson was an NCAA wrestling champion for the University of Nebraska in 1995 and a three-time All-American. A native of Janesville, Iowa, Thompson became the only native born Iowan to win a world medal when he earned a bronze at the 2005 World Championships. Thompson, who still competes and is an assistant wrestling coach for the University of Northern Iowa, will be one of the special guests for Frank Gotch Day. Frank Gotch Day will held on April 3, 2008, in Waterloo, Iowa, to commemorate Frank Gotch's victory over George Hackenschmidt on April 3, 1908. Gotch's win over Hackenschmidt is considered one of the seminal moments in wrestling. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Tom Brands and Mike Chapman. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. Brands is the head wrestling coach of the University of Iowa wrestling team that won the 2008 NCAA championship this past weekend. The Hawkeyes scored 117.5 points and were 38.5 points ahead of team runner up Ohio State. The Iowa wrestling team sent three wrestlers to the finals, winning two individual titles. Overall the Hawkeyes had seven wrestlers earn All-American honors. Chapman is the executive director of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum and the author of a new book entitled "The Life and Legacy of Frank Gotch." This is Chapman's third book on Gotch. Frank Gotch Day will be celebrated on April 3, 2008, in Humboldt (Gotch's hometown), Waterloo and at the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum here. The museum is planning several activities and has invited everyone to participate. April 3, 2008, will commemorate the 100-year anniversary of Gotch's win over George Hackenschmidt to win the world heavyweight wrestling championship. Gotch's victory in Chicago on April 3, 1908, was a pivotal moment in wrestling history. Gotch's victory set off a wild celebration among sports fans in Humboldt, across Iowa and around the nation. Chapman will discuss Frank Gotch Day and Gotch's importance to wrestling. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

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

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

Lincoln –- The Nebraska wrestling team has invited the public to attend its annual postseason banquet on Saturday, April 5. The event will be held on the third level of west Memorial Stadium, beginning with a reception at 5:30 p.m. and a buffet dinner following at 6 p.m. Cost is $30 per person. Husker fans will have the chance to mingle with the Nebraska coaches and wrestlers before the dinner and catch the awards presentation afterwards. Head Coach Mark Manning and his staff will announce the winners of Nebraska's team awards, including academic honorees and senior recognition. The Huskers finished fourth at the NCAA Championships last weekend, their highest finish since the 1993 season. Five NU wrestlers earned All-America honors, including third-place finishers Paul Donahoe and Jordan Burroughs. Reservations for the banquet must be made through Ellen Shutts at (402) 472-9430 or at eshutts@huskers.com by Monday, March 31.

ST. LOUIS, MO -- Hofstra University sophomore Lou Ruggirello was named the 2008 winner of the Manuel Gorrarian Award following the 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Scottrade Center. The Gorrarian Award is presented annually to the student-athlete who records the most pins in the least amount of time at the NCAA Championships. Ruggirello (Walden, NY), who recorded three pins in a total of 4:54, posted the fifth-best three-pin time since records were kept in 1952. The record, three-pin time of 4:19 was recorded in 2004 by Virginia's Scott Moore, who placed third at 141 pounds that Championship. Ruggirello, who posted a 4-2 record and fell just one win short of placing in the All-American round at the NCAA Championship, is the second 133-pound wrestler to win the award, following North Carolina's Evan Sola in 2005, since the weight class was created in 1998-99. He is only the fourth wrestler in a weight class in the 130s to capture the award following Sola, Iowa State's Dan Gable at 137 pounds in 1969, and Michigan's Norvard Nalen at 130 pounds in 1954. Ruggirello concluded his sophomore year with a season-best record of 38-7 to improve his career mark to 69-16.

St. Louis, Mo. -- Three Tigers, Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.), Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) and Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.), earned All-America honors for the first time of their career by finishing third, fifth and seventh at 165, 184 and 197 pounds, respectively, at the Division I Wrestling Championships contested in the Scottrade Center of St. Louis. Wrestling on blue mat No. 4 for both of his matches, Marable strapped on green ankle-bands and shutdown eighth-seeded Moza Fay of Northern Iowa, 7-4, in his morning match and followed with a 3-2 decision of Cornell's Mack Lewnes to finish his first NCAA Tournament in third place. Marable closed out his season with a 27-4 record and finished the tournament with Missouri's best showing, 5-1. The meeting between Fay and Marable was the first of the season but the second of Marable's career. In Marable's redshirt freshman season, Fay earned a 5-2 decision, Dec. 3 at the UNI Open. In Saturday's match, Marable was first to score, managing two takedowns in the first period, followed by a single takedown in the second. Marable held his UNI opponent to only four escapes, and for the first time of the season, recorded over a minute-and-a-half of riding time, securing one point for his 1:40 of work. Marable and Lewnes squared off for the second time of the season in a battle for third place. The two grapplers with similar style and size were scoreless through the first period. Starting down to start the second period, Marable escaped in seven seconds and took down Lewnes with 1:28 left in the period. Allowing Lewnes only two escapes, the result of the third-place match was the same as that of their previous meeting, Jan. 27 in the Hearnes Center. "The last time we met it was a close match," Marable said. "My whole body hurts after three days of hard wrestling. But I knew I had to find a way to win and I did. I feel that I've wrestled better these past three days than I have all year." After suffering a one point loss, 3-2, to Michigan's Tyrel Todd, Jordan took his fifth place match with Iowa's Phillip Keddy into overtime where he scored a takedown 33 seconds into the one minute overtime period to win, 6-4. Jordan was down 2-1 entering the second period but escaped six seconds into the second to tie the match at two. In the third, Keddy escaped Jordan's hold but was quickly returned to the mat only to escape one final time for the 4-4 tie that forced overtime. "We both wanted to go out on a good note, so we both were wrestling hard," Jordan said. "It was tough to get back up and wrestle after losing last night. But I had to shake it off and finish with a win." Missouri's Askren recorded the final Tiger victory of the tournament with an 11-4 win in overtime over Iowa State's David Bertolino. The victory was Askren's third of the season over the Big 12 grappler and helped the Tiger claim his first All-America honor in his second Tournament appearance. Askren recorded four takedowns in his bout with Bertolino the final coming with four seconds remaining in overtime. "I can't complain too much about finishing seventh," Askren said. "It's not where I wanted to finish, but it's still a win. If nothing else, it really motivates me for next year." Championship finals are slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. (CT) and will air live on ESPN. Missouri sits in 11th with 48.5 points after the completion of the fifth session, while Iowa has all but locked up the team title with 109.5 team points. Big 12 opponent Nebraska stands in second with 74 points, while Iowa State is in third with 72. "It's tough losing the heartbreaker matches that we did the other night," Head Coach Brian Smith said. "Our guys did a good job of walking it off and coming back strong today. These three wrestlers (Marable, Jordan and Askren), have wrestled consistent all year. "Our team has spring break this week and they'll have some time to relax and get recharged," Smith said. "When they get back, we'll start working towards next year."

It was a disappointing end to a tough season for the Golden Gopher wrestling team. Jayson Ness, Minnesota's lone representative in the finals round at the 2008 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, was beaten 10-3 in the 125-pound championship match by Indiana's Angel Escobedo. Ness' defeat means the Gophers finished the national tournament with 61.5 team points and in 10th place, their lowest finish since 1996. "It would have been a nice note to end on, a way to salvage the last three days," said Gophers' head coach J Robinson about Ness' match. "At the same time, you've got to look at and see that he was a national finalist." After watching teammates Mack Reiter, Manuel Rivera and Dustin Schlatter win their final matches of the season in the consolation medal rounds, Ness was the first wrestler to take the mat during Saturday night's main event at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The 125-pound title bout was a rematch of this season's Big Ten final, also won by Escobedo. Ness, determined not to be taken down early by Escobedo (he fell behind in the first period of his 4-2 loss to the Hoosier at the Big Ten finals), locked arms with the top-ranked wrestler for most of the first period. But 2:17 into the match, Escobedo swung around and gained position on Ness near the edge of the mat, earning a takedown to go up 2-0. Ness escaped less than 30 seconds later to make the score 2-1, but entered the second frame trailing for the second straight time against the Indiana wrestler. Ness held his own during the second period, but was unable to earn that crucial takedown in the two-minute timeframe. Unlike the Big Ten final, when Escobedo racked up more than four minutes of riding time (including the second period) Ness earned an escape 35 seconds in, but not before Escobedo had accumulated more than one minute of total riding time. Ness nearly connected on a single leg with 15 seconds to go in the period, but Escobedo somehow avoided the takedown as the pair entered the final frame tied at two. Escobedo began down in the third, and after Ness was called for stalling at the 1;35 mark, was allowed to escape 30 seconds in to go up 3-2. Ness, needing a score to win the match, instead suffered a crucial takedown by Escobedo at 1:08 into the period – he would not escape until just 27 seconds were left. Desperately trying for that critical score in the waning moments, Ness suffered a four-point swing in the final three seconds (a takedown and two-point nearfall). The bonus riding time point made the final tally 10-3 in favor of Escobedo. "Escobedo is great at single-leg defense, and I just had to keep working," said Ness. "I couldn't get him in the end." Despite the loss, it was an outstanding year for the Gopher redshirt sophomore and Bloomington, Minn. native. Ness finishes the 2007-08 season with a 39-2 record and his second All-American award. He also tied a school record with 20 pins (two at the NCAA Championships), a feat also accomplished by Gopher head assistant coach and fellow Bloomington Kennedy High School graduate Marty Morgan. Ness rounds out his second NCAA tournament with a 4-1 record. He is 9-3 lifetime at NCAAs (79-7 total in two seasons with the Gophers) and has lost just three times in his last 43 official collegiate matches. All three of those losses have come against Escobedo. "I've just got to keep training like I did this whole last year," said the sophomore his prospects for next season. "I've got to get back to work, and hopefully things will go my way next year at the tournament. "Five matches is a lot to win in a row, especially against this kind of competition," said Ness. "I had a great year, but the goal was to be at the first place stand on the podium, and I couldn't get that." Robinson expressed the same sentiment as his top wrestler about the program's outlook for the future. The Gophers finished with four All-Americans in 2008 after winning the national championship with four a year ago. "We've just got to get back at it," he said.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Fifth-year senior Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS) and senior/junior Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) fell just short in their bids for individual national titles -- both losing by narrow decision margins -- on Saturday (March 22) at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in front of 16,154 fans at the Scottrade Center. Behind the performances of four All-Americans, the Wolverines took a share seventh place (69 points) in the team race -- their eighth consecutive top-10 finish at the national event. Tannenbaum could not overcome an early deficit against Iowa's Mark Perry in the 165-pound championship match, losing 5-2 despite a late rally in the final period. The Hawkeye wrestler struck quickly in the opening frame, countering a U-M shot to score in the opening 20 seconds. Perry rode out the remainder of the period and picked up a quick escape in the second to essentially carry a four-point advantage into the final stanza. After choosing neutral, Tannenbaum -- who had failed to convert on several low single-leg shots in the opening two periods -- finished on a double leg with about a minute remaining. After cutting Perry loose on a restart late in the period, the Wolverine captain was unable to penetrate his opponent's defense as the Hawkeye held on to capture his second straight NCAA title. A single-leg takedown proved the difference in the 174-pound final as Pittsburgh's top-seeded Keith Gavin scored the only offensive points en route to a 4-2 decision over Luke in the Wolverine junior's first career appearance in the NCAA finals. Luke took the match's first shot -- a deep single leg early in the opening period -- but failed to finish as he walked the opportunity out of bounds. The pair continued to trade shots, but only Gavin converted, scoring his winning single-leg takedown early in the second period. The Panther wrestler rode a majority of the final frame to accumulate 1:20 in riding-time advantage and remain undefeated on the season. Senior/junior Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) earned back-to-back 3-2 decisions in the morning medal round to complete the trek back to third place, defeating Missouri's sixth-seeded Raymond Jordan in the consolation semifinals and fourth-seeded Christian Sinnott of Central Michigan in the placing bout. Todd took an early advantage against Jordan, converting on a high-crotch shot just 30 seconds into the opening frame. The Wolverine wrestler, seeded third, struck deep on two more single-leg opportunities in first and second period and fended off of couple Missouri shots in the third to maintain his advantage. Todd's second match had a similar tone. After a scoreless first period, the U-M captain set the tone in the final two periods, finishing on a duck-under opportunity late in the second period. Sinnott's escape before the end of the frame knotted the two at two a piece, but Todd one of his own early in the third and avoided a couple late shots to hang on. After falling in the second round, Todd earned six consecutive victories to record his best finish in three appearances at the NCAA event. Fifth-year senior Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) surpassed his seed at 149 pounds, placing fourth after splitting a pair of morning consolation matches. Churella lost a close 4-2 decision against fourth-seeded Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska in the third-place contest on a second-period reversal and a late takedown on the edge of the mat in the third. The Wolverine captain, seeded fifth, avenged the only major-decision loss of his career with a 6-2 victory over North Carolina State's seventh-seeded Darrion Caldwell in the consolation semifinals. With the score knotted at one a piece -- after escapes -- early in the third, Churella shot in on a single leg and fought for nearly a full minute to get the call, making several adjustments on the mat before putting Caldwell to his back and picking up an additional three points in the closing 20 seconds of the match.

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt's Keith Gavin captured the 2008 National Championship at 174 pounds with a 4-2 victory over Michigan's Steve Luke tonight at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. Gavin finished his senior season with a record of 27 wins and zero losses, recording Pitt's first undefeated season since Pat Santoro went 48-0 as a junior in 1988. Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail), the nation's top ranked wrestler for the entire 2007-08 season, matched up with Luke, the No. 2 seed, for the second time this season. Gavin and Luke also met in the final of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational earlier in the season, with Gavin claiming victory by a count of 3-2 in a tiebreaker. After a scoreless first frame, Gavin chose bottom to begin the second and quickly registered an escape, gaining a 1-0 advantage with less than 10 seconds gone in the period. He followed the escape with a takedown that swelled his lead to three. Luke managed an escape before the end of the second period, however, and headed to the third down by just two points. Like Gavin in the second, the Wolverine grappler also chose the bottom position to begin the final period of action, hoping to gain another escape and trim the deficit to just one. Last year's national runner up, Gavin would not allow Luke to leave his grasp and used a series of trips to keep his opponent close to the mat for the majority of the period. Gavin's unyielding work from the top position helped him rack up well over a minute of riding time and earn an extra point at the conclusion of the match. Luke was finally able to wriggle free with 22 seconds remaining on the clock, but Gavin held off his offensive advances and waited for the clock to strike zero. The victory makes Gavin the school's first national champion since Santoro accomplished the feat in 1988 and 1989. Pitt now has 16 national champions in its rich wrestling history. For complete results from St. Louis, please visit the following link:

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Junior Jordan Leen defeated Illinois' Michael Poeta 5-4 in the finals of the 157-pound bracket to claim his first national title on Saturday evening at the 2008 NCAA wrestling championship. The No. 8 seed in the tournament completed his unlikely run by knocking off the top two seeds en route to capturing the title. Leen took a shot with 50 seconds left in the first period and converted to go up 2-0, but with 10 seconds left, Poeta escaped. The Big Red grappler started the second period in the down position and went up 3-1 with an escape. Leen earned another point when Poeta was hit with a penalty for fleeing the mat. Leen thought that they were out of bounds, and Poeta nearly countered to score before the referee blew the whistle. Poeta began the third period down on the mat and came within two with an escape. The Illinois wrestler tied up the bout with a takedown, but Poeta let Leen up looking for another takedown to win. Leen evaded Poeta with time running out to win a 5-4 decision for a National Championship title. Leen is just the second wrestler from Tennessee to ever become an NCAA champion. The first was Bill Harlow of Oklahoma State in 1966. The last Big Red wrestler to win a NCAA title was Travis Lee in 2005 at 133 pounds. Leen ‘s title is the ninth in Cornell history, and the fourth under head coach Rob Koll.

ST. LOUIS, MO -- Bloomsburg University wrestler Matt Moley (Phoenixville/Spring Ford) earned All-American honors for the first time in his career after finishing eighth in his weight class at the 2008 NCAA Division I wrestling championships. Moley's All-American award makes it two consecutive years that a member of the Huskies (Mike Spaid last year) has earned the coveted honor. It also marks the first time the Huskies have had All-Americans in back-to-back years since a run of five straight years from 1985 to 1989. In the consolation quarterfinals, Moley lost by fall to Indiana University in a time of 1:35. Moving to the consolation seventh place match, Moley lost to Cyler Sanderson of Iowa State by a score of 7-5. Moley finished the season with a mark of 33-11.

St. Louis, Mo. -- Two Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers entered the championship finals of the 2008 NCAA Wrestling Championships just one win away from a prestigious individual title. Senior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) dominated Central Michigan's Wynn Michalak to claim the national crown at 197 and spur Penn State on to a superb third place finish in the team race. Penn State's other finalist; sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) dropped a hard-fought 14-8 decision in his title tilt at 149. Jenkins was Penn State's first finalist. Jenkins, the 6th seed at 149, took on top-seeded Brent Metcalf of Iowa. Metcalf had defeated Jenkins twice during the regular season. Metcalf immediately got in on Jenkins' thigh, but Jenkins stepped out of trouble and action resumed with 2:30 left in the opening period. Metcalf shot low on Jenkins and this time, the Nittany Lion sophomore countered the Hawkeye, worked underneath and behind him for a takedown at the 1:58 mark and an early 2-0 lead. Metcalf escaped to a 2-1 deficit shortly thereafter. Jenkins forced another scramble on the edge of the mat and after a brief struggle to pull Metcalf back into the mat, he got his second takedown with :38 left to lead 4-2 after the Hawkeye escaped. Trailing 4-2, Metcalf chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-3 deficit. He then stepped around the Nittany Lion sophomore and notched his first takedown at the 1:38 mark to take a 5-4 lead. Jenkins escaped to a 5-5 tie after a reset in the center circle. Metcalf got in deep on Jenkins' right leg again and lifted the Nittany Lion off the mat. But Jenkins was able to force a stalemate after action returned to the surface and the bout remained tied. Metcalf once again got control of Jenkins' legs and this time took him down for two points and three back points as the period ended. Trailing 10-5, Jenkins chose down to begin the final period. Jenkins escaped, cutting Metcalf's lead to 10-6 and immediately tried a cement mixer to send Metcalf to the mat. But the talented Hawkeye rolled through and notched a takedown of his own to up his lead to 12-6. A Jenkins escape with a minute left cut the Hawkeye's lead to 12-7. Metcalf would add one more takedown and post a 14-8 win. Jenkins ends a stellar sophomore season as the 2008 National Runner-Up as the 6th seed. He went 4-1 during his first run at 149 and ends his year with a 26-6 record. Davis, the second seed at 197, was making his second appearance in the national finals (he lost in the finals in 2006 as a sophomore). Davis, who yesterday became only the fourth four-time All-American in Penn State history, was facing 4th seeded Wynn Michalak of Central Michigan. Michalak entered the bout 2-0 all-time against Davis, having beaten him during the NCAA tournament in 2005 and at the Reno Tournament of Champions in 2006. Davis took the opening shot, but Michalak countered and tried to work his way around behind Davis for a takedown of his own. Davis then gained control of the scramble, getting Michalak's left leg under control and notching his first takedown at the 1:23 mark, taking a 2-0 lead. Michalak escaped to a 2-1 deficit :30 later and action moved to the middle of the mat. Davis' constant offensive pressure forced Michalak into a first stall warning and Davis led 2-0 after one period (with :30 of riding time). Michalak chose down to begin the second period and escaped to a 2-2 tie with 1:26 left. The CMU grappler then looked to get in on Davis' leg and the Nittany Lion senior deftly countered the move, slid around behind him and notched a second takedown with just over 1:00 left in the period. Davis then dominated Michalak, riding him out to lead 4-2 after two periods (with 2:13 in riding time). Up by two, Davis chose down to start the final period and steadily got to his feet. After working Michalak to his side, Davis escaped at the 1:30 mark to a 5-2 lead with his riding time edge still in tact. Michalak then got hit for a second stall, giving Davis a 6-2 lead with 1:04 left in the match. Davis countered one last Michalak shot, hopping up to one foot and winding out the clock. His riding time point gave him a 7-2 decision and his illusive national crown. The win also punched Penn State's ticket to a superb third place finish in the team standings. Davis ends the tournament with a 5-0 mark and his senior season 26-1. He leaves Penn State with stunning 116-20 record. Penn State ended the tournament with 75.0 points, good enough for third place. The Nittany Lions finished only four points behind Ohio State (79.0). Iowa claimed the team title with 117.5 points. The third place finish is the highest for Penn State since finishing in third in 1994. The 75.0 team points is the fifth most in school history.