NCEP program to host free weight management and nutrition webinar on October 29

USA Wrestling’s National Coaches Education Program (NCEP) will host a free webinar (on-line seminar) on Wednesday, October 29 from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m Mountain time.

The webinar is entitled “Weight Management and Performance Nutrition for High School Wrestlers.”

USA Wrestling’s Manager of Coaches Education Sam Barber and Sports Nutritionist Laura Anderson from the United Stated Olympic Training Center will host the webinar. It is limited to the first 1,000 participants, and people can sign up right away to secure a spot in the program.

The webinar is one hour in length and designed to inform and educate coaches and wrestlers on the science behind weight management and performance nutrition.

“One of the biggest public issues we face in wrestling is weight management,” said USA Wrestling NCEP Manager Sam Barber. “It is an educational opportunity to help wrestlers and their coaches to properly manage their weight and nutritional needs.”

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

“If this is successful, we would love to do more of these to include topics such as sport psychology, strength and conditioning, leadership and other important issues,” said Barber.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/279549104

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 01:54 PM | Permalink

The United States women’s freestyle wrestling team started quickly with three first-round wins at the World Championships.

But that momentum came to a screeching halt as each American fell to a past World champion in the quarterfinal round on Saturday at Yoyogi National Stadium.

The good news for the U.S. is that two of its three competitors – Helen Maroulis and Deanna Rix – will receive a chance to wrestle back. Both have a chance to bounce back and win a bronze medal in Saturday afternoon’s second session.

American Elena Pirozhkov lost to past World champion Katerina Burmistrova of the Ukraine in the quarterfinals at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Pirozhkov was eliminated when Burmistrova fell to past World medalist Martine Dugrenier of Canada in the semifinals.

Pirozhkov, a 2008 World University champion, downed two-time World bronze medalist Monika Rogien-Michalik of Poland in her first match. That avenged a loss from earlier this year in a tournament in Sweden.

Maroulis, a 2008 Junior World bronze medalist, pinned Poland’s Roksana Zasina in the opening round at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. Zasina placed eighth at the 2008 Junior Worlds. Maroulis then fell to five-time World champion Hitomi Sakamoto of Japan in the quarterfinals. Sakamoto then reached the finals to bring Maroulis back into the field.

The 17-year-old Maroulis, the youngest U.S. World Team member in 12 years, will meet Canada’s Jessica Bondy on Saturday afternoon. A win there would send her into the bronze-medal match.

Rix, a past National High School Wrestling's Wrestler of the Year, opened with a win against Alena Filipova of Belarus at 59 kg/130 lbs. Filipova placed fifth at the 2007 World Championships and was 13th at the 2008 Olympics at 55 kg/121 lbs. Rix then fell to three-time World champion Ayako Shoda of Japan in the quarters.

Rix stayed in the tournament when Shoda advanced to the finals. Rix will gear up and battle Kyrgystan’s Nestan Kiiazova in her wrestleback. A win there would send Rix into the bronze-medal match.

Day 2 of the three-day tournament continues on Sunday with competition at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and 63 kg/138.75 lbs. The U.S. will send Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) to the mat at 48 kilos with Alaina Berube (River Falls, Wis./New York AC) competing at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.

WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

U.S. results – Saturday, Oct. 11, Tokyo, Japan

51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)
WIN Roksana Zasina (Poland), by fall
LOSS Hitomi Sakamoto (Japan), 7-0, 6-0

59 kg/130 lbs. – Deanna Rix, River Falls, Wis. (New York AC)
WIN Alena Filipova (Belarus), 1-0, 2-0
LOSS Ayako Shoda (Japan), 1-0, 4-0

67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Elena Pirozhkov, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
WIN Monika Rogien-Michalik (Poland), 3-0, 0-1, 1-0
LOSS Katerina Burmistrova (Ukraine), 3-2, 5-0

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 07:11 AM | Permalink

High School Wrestling has officially found a home in Arkansas.

High School Wrestling

When the 40-plus schools begin the season on Nov. 17 as an officially sanctioned sport by the Arkansas Activities Association, Arkansas will become the 49th state to officially sanction the sport, leaving only Mississippi as the only state not to sponsor the sport.

The Arkansas Wrestling Association, led by Greg Hatcher, spearheaded the movement to get the sport officially sanctioned.
This is a preview of "High School Wrestling Debuts Around Arkansas". Read the full post (1228 words, 2 images, estimated 4:55 mins reading time)

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 10:52 PM | Permalink

High School wrestling has been sanctioned by the MHSAA and will now be available to Mississippi high school students.

Grady Brown will be the head coach at Ocean Springs High, and is spearheading the campaign to grow the sport in Mississippi, especially here on the Coast.

If you’re interested in getting wrestling at your local high school, give Brown a call at 228-282-0599.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 06:09 PM | Permalink

Dylan Ness, Taylor Massa move within one victory of winning Cadet Triple Crown
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
07/25/2008

FARGO, N.D. – USA Wrestling Triple Crown winners in the Cadet division have been a rare occurrence at the Junior and Cadet Nationals.

Just three wrestlers – Hayden Zillmer of Minnesota in 2007, Zach Sanders of Minnesota in 2004 and Taylor Moore of Missouri in 2003 – have won Triple Crowns in the Cadet high school wrestling class.

Two new members could join that elite group on Friday afternoon.

Dylan Ness of Minnesota (130 pounds) and Taylor Massa of Michigan (140) each stand one win away from winning Triple Crowns after each reached the Cadet Nationals freestyle finals on Friday morning at the Fargo Dome.

Ness and Massa won Cadet Nationals titles in Folkstyle and Greco-Roman this year.

The Cadet Nationals finals are scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday in Fargo.

There are three 2007 Cadet National freestyle champions who stand one win from defending their titles: Zillmer (91), Hunter Stieber of Ohio (112) and Chris Phillips of Ohio (171).

Zillmer won a Cadet Nationals Greco-Roman title earlier this week.

The other 2008 Greco-Roman champions who are in the freestyle finals are Nick Roberts of Pennsylvania (84), Mark Grey of New Jersey (98), Cody Brewer of Missouri (105), Jahwon Akui of Illinois (160), Andrew Campolattano of New Jersey (189) and Evan Craig of Pennsylvania (285).

The Junior Nationals in freestyle continue with a session later today. The finals in that class are set for 9 a.m. Saturday.

One of the biggest matches of the session came in the Juniors when Oklahoma's Chris Perry downed Iowa's Grant Gambrall 1-0, 0-4, 3-1 at 189. Gambrall is a University of Iowa recruit. Perry, a senior-to-be in high school, is the No. 3 ranked overall recruit in the country by InterMat. Perry's brother, Mark, was a two-time NCAA champion for Iowa.

CADET NATIONALS FREESTYLE FINALS MATCHUPS

84 pounds – Nick Roberts of Pennsylvania vs. Dylon Thompson of Colorado

91 – Freddie Rodriguez of Michigan vs. Hayden Zillmer of Minnesota

98 – Mark Grey of New Jersey vs. Joe Orecchio of New Jersey

105 – Cody Brewer of Missouri vs. Robert Deutsch of New Jersey

112 – Hunter Stieber of Ohio vs. Zachary Horan of Pennsylvania

119 – Brandon Wright of Indiana vs. Alex Dieringer of Wisconsin

125 – Louis Trujillo of New Mexico vs. Ryne Cokeley of Kansas

130 – Dylan Ness of Minnesota vs. Stanley Taylor of Nebraska

135 – Destin McCauley of Minnesota vs. Justin DeAngelis of Oklahoma

140 – Colby Kloetzer of Idaho vs. Taylor Massa of Michigan

145 – Blake Roulo of Virginia vs. Anthony Baldasarro of New Jersey

152 – Bryce Hammond of California vs. Joey Chandler of Oregon

160 – Ronnie Balfour of Oklahoma vs. Jahwon Akui of Illinois

171 – Ethan Blackstock of Georgia vs. Chris Phillips of Ohio

189 – Morgan McIntosh of California vs. Andrew Campolattano of New Jersey

215 – Connor Medbery of Colorado vs. Joshua Davis of New Jersey

285 – Evan Craig of Pennnsylvania vs. Tyler Demott of Pennsylvania

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 08:02 AM | Permalink

I'm just not able to maintain enough high school wrestling info on Fargo to even try to compete with the likes of HSWrestling. They have been all over the updates and we suggest watching there!

Live updates have been flowing in all day.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 01:42 PM | Permalink

Every year, the nation’s best high school wrestlers come together for the world’s largest wrestling competition, the ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Accelerade Cadet Nationals at the FargoDome in Fargo, N.D.

This competition produces great stories of champions, many who go on to glory in college wrestling, and ultimately at the World and Olympic levels.

The tournament is scheduled for July 19-26 and is expected to feature outstanding wrestlers in every weight class.

The ASICS/Vaughan Junior Nationals features high school wrestlers in grades 9-12. This year, the Junior division could be one of the strongest in many years, featuring numerous talented athletes who are proven winners.

There were two double champions in 2007, winning both the freestyle and Greco-Roman titles, and both are eligible to return this year, Max Nowry of Illinois (98) and David Taylor of Ohio.

2007 Junior National freestyle champions who are eligible to return are Nowry and Taylor, plus Jon Morrison of Illinois (112), Jordan Oliver of Pennsylvania (119), Nate Moore of Iowa (125), Colin Johnston of Pennsylvania (135), Jason Chamberlain of Utah (135), Michael Mangrum of Washington (145), Mario Mason of New Jersey (145) and Scott Winston of New Jersey (160).

Returning Junior National Greco-Roman champions who are eligible to compete in Fargo are Nowry and Taylor, plus Andrew Long of Iowa (112), Kendrick Sanders of Florida (140), Jake Deitchler of Minnesota (145), Ty Vinson of Montana (171), Ryland Geiger of Oregon (189) and Marcel Dubose of Michigan (215).

Deitchler shocked the nation by qualifying for a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in Greco-Roman and is not expected to attend the Junior Nationals, as he will be training to compete at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Each year, ASICS recognizes the nation’s top high school athletes with its All-American Team. Members of the ASICS First Team who were Junior Nationals champions last year include Taylor, Moore, Chamberlain, Mangrum, Geiger and Dubose.

For the first time ever, USA Wrestling may crown a Junior Triple Crown winner. Last year was the first year that USA Wrestling hosted a Junior folkstyle national tournament, creating the opportunity for an athlete to win USA Wrestling national titles in all three styles. No athlete was able to win a gold medal in all three styles in 2007. This year, a new set of Junior folkstyle champions were crowned in Cedar Falls, Iowa in April. Will 2008 be the first year that there is a Junior Triple Crown winner?

Many of last year’s Cadet National champions are expected to move up into the Junior ranks this year and challenge for titles.

USA Wrestling has official state team standings in all the divisions held in Fargo. Last year, the Wells Fargo Insurance Services Cup champion in Junior freestyle was Illinois, followed by Iowa, New Jersey, Minnesota and Missouri. In Junior Greco-Roman, capturing the Wells Fargo Insurance Services Cup was Minnesota, with New York, Illinois, California and Oregon rounding out the top five.

Another strong indication of the strength of the state teams are the results from the 2008 Junior National Duals, held in June in Oklahoma City, Okla. For the second straight year, Illinois won the team title in both styles at the Junior National Duals. In freestyle, Iowa was second, New Jersey third, Minnesota was fourth and Oklahoma finished fifth. In Greco-Roman, California was second in the Greco-Roman division, with Minnesota in third, Iowa in fourth and Kansas in fifth.

The women’s freestyle division will be held early in the week with the championships set for Monday, July 21. This tournament, in its eighth year, has grown in size and quality every season, and promises to be very competitive again this year.

Returning Junior National women’s champions include Hanna Martin of Oklahoma (95), Helen Maroulis of Maryland (109), Micheala Hutchison of Alaska (119), Randi Beltz of Missouri (124), Tatiana Padilla of California (132), Veronica Carlson of Illinois (139), Adeline Gray of Colorado (146) and Brittany Delgado of South Carolina (190) and Lakia Henderson of Florida (220)

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 11:13 AM | Permalink

10 wrestlers earn Triple Crowns at USA Wrestling Kids Nationals
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
07/05/2008

OREM, Utah – His name is Ty, but all he does is win.

Wisconsin’s Ty Pelot continued his magical 2008 season by capturing a coveted USA Wrestling Triple Crown on Saturday at Utah Valley University’s McKay Events Center.

Pelot won the Triple Crown in the Novice 60-pound division as the three-day USA Wrestling Kids National Freestyle and Greco-Roman Championships concluded on Saturday morning.

Pelot recorded a first-period pin over Montana’s Cody Jackson in the freestyle finals. Pelot won USA Wrestling’s Ultimate Dominator Award earlier this year.

“This tournament was a lot of fun,�? Pelot said. “It’s exciting to win this.�?

Pelot was one of 10 wrestlers to win a Triple Crown this weekend.

Also winning Triple Crowns on Saturday were Midget wrestlers Anthony Artalona of Florida and A.J. Jaffe of Illinois.

Pelot was joined as a Triple Crown winner in the Novice division by Dante Rodriguez of Nebraska, Matthew Kolodzik of Ohio and Joey Nelson of Wisconsin.

Sam Brancale of Minnesota won a Triple Crown in the Schoolboy class on Saturday. Ryan Cone of Wisconsin, Joe Scanlan of Iowa and Eric Mason of Kansas won Triple Crowns on Friday in the Schoolboy division.

This is the final event in the quest for the 2008 USA Wrestling Kids Triple Crown. Each year, USA Wrestling honors athletes who are able to win national titles at their age-level in all three styles: folkstyle, Greco-Roman and freestyle.

The nation’s best 9-14 year old wrestlers battled for national titles and All-American honors in three age-divisions: Midget (9-10), Novice (11-12) and Schoolboy/girl (13-14).

Pelot didn’t mess around in his finals match. He shot in on a pair of textbook single-leg takedowns before eventually turning Jackson to his back with a power half-nelson maneuver. Jackson fought valiantly to avoid being pinned before Pelot finally was able to secure the fall late in the opening period.

Pelot said his wrestling heroes include his father along with Olympic gold medalist Dan Gable and Olympic silver medalist Dennis Hall.

“I want to wrestle in the Olympics,�? Pelot said.

MIDGET FREESTYLE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
50 – Jaxon Cole of Utah
55 – Dylan Duncan of Illinois
60 – Anthony Artalona of Florida
65 – Austin Gomez of Illinois
70 – A.J. Jaffe of Illinois
75 – Max Odell of Connecticut
80 – Christian Bahl of Minnesota
87 – Wyatt Koelling of Utah
95 – Dylan Meeks of Florida
103 – Alexx Herrera of Idaho
112 – Garrett Whitehead of Idaho
120 – Sam Anderson of Minnesota
120 plus – Porter Thomas of Idaho

NOVICE FREESTYLE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
60 – Ty Pelot of Wisconsin
65 – Caleb Williams of Utah
70 – Dante Rodriguez of Nebraska
75 – Matthew Kolodzik of Ohio
80 – Tyler Berger of Oregon
85 – Luke Lovett of Wyoming
90 – Jon-Jay Chavez of California
95 – Joey Nelson of Wisconsin
100 – Angus Arthur of Michigan
105 – Nicholas Villarreal of California
112 – Connor Doak of Illinois
120 – Robert Akil of Oregon
130 – Colby Meeks of Florida
140 – Jared Langley of Kansas
140 plus – Javin Harrison of California

SCHOOLBOY FREESTYLE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
70 – Adam Burchett of Washington
77 – Sam Brancale of Minnesota
84 – Micah Perez of California
91 – Corey Keener of Pennsylvania
98 – Blayne Briceno of California
105 – Andrew Schulte of California
112 – Tomaz Gonzalez of Idaho
120 – Dakota Trom of Minnesota
128 – Eric Hoffman of Maryland
136 – Brandon McBride of Idaho
144 – Jordan Rogers of Washington
152 – Ryan Cone of Wisconsin
160 – Connor King of Colorado
175 – Joe Scanlan of Iowa
190 – Brooks Black of Pennsylvania
210 – Eric Mason of Kansas

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 09:21 AM | Permalink

by: Roger Moore
OKLAHOMA CITY – There was a lot of down-to-the-wire drama at the 2008 Junior Greco-Roman Wrestling Duals inside Abe Lemons Arena on the campus of Oklahoma City University.

Illinois, however, was not part of it.

The 2007 champions turned in a performance for the ages in rolling to the 2008 title. Top-seeded Minnesota was no match, falling 40-22, in a Wednesday morning semifinal. A short break and Illinois ran away from upstart California, 45-18, in the championship match.

“I was almost thinking that my guys might have been over-confident (after beating second-seeded Missouri on Tuesday),�? said Illinois coach Mike Powell. “I made it clear that we were coming here as the four seeds. Minnesota had almost double the seed points, so my guys kind of had that chip on their shoulder coming in.

“This is the best group of kids. When you’ve got guys taking two trains and a bus to come to practice you know you have a good group. I was wondering if they were having too much fun or are they just that good?�?

Illinois advanced to the finals with a decisive 40-22 victory over Minnesota. The Storm won just four bouts and took a forfeit at 285 pounds.

Jake Bellis geared up Illinois with a victory at 98 over Cadet champion Hayden Zilmer, and like the rest of the week, it was off to the races.

“I think we warmed up 100 times better than (Minnesota),�? said Bellis. “We came in knowing we were going to win. After Missouri we knew we had the best team and we felt like we could beat everybody by 20 or 30 points.�?

Jimmy Chase had a pin at 125 and Kent Williams, Ellis Coleman and Josh Castellano had technical falls as Illinois built a 32-5 lead through 145 pounds. Coleman dominated Dylan Ness at 135 pounds in a battle of Cadet champions.

“I knew I had a tough weight and I expected to wrestle all of them,�? Coleman said. “Greco is my thing and I feel like I’m in better shape than anybody right now.

“I think we had the best team here. As the tournament was going along I noticed that we had the best guys in the lower weights and that we would be starting off all the matches up like 30-5 or something.�?

The finals against the seventh-seeded Californians was more of the same as Illinois built a 29-3 lead after 140 pounds.

Williams used a front headlock for three straight turns in the third period to beat Cody Pack at 112; Lillashawn Coleman made quick work of Zach Zimmer at 119; Chase had a 23-second pin at 125 and Ellis Coleman had a technical fall against Cody Rodebaugh at 135.

By the time Dan Martin used a late third period turn to beat Tyler Sheridan at 152, the trophy was headed back to Illinois.

Ellis Coleman, who has his sights set on Northern Michigan and a future in Greco, wrestled five matches in a tough 135-pound weight class this week and recorded five technical falls.

“He’s the real deal,�? said Powell, his high school coach. “He is the ultimate combination of talent and hard work. I’m not surprised by his results because I can’t find people to come and work out with him.

“He reminds me of T.C. Dantzler. He’s got that type of talent.�?

A day after escaping Wisconsin, California decided to live dangerously once again in the semifinals against third-seeded Iowa.

Tied at 29 after 189 pounds, California’s Dominic Pica saved the day with a decisive third-period, 3-point throw for a 3-5, 3-1, 6-3, decision of Byron Tate. Kasey Cowan, whose dramatic win against Wisconsin closed out that dual, beat Blayne Beal to pull out a 35-31 victory.

Iowa picked up pins from Joe Colon and Andrew Long, a technical fall from George Ivanov, and a decision by Matt McDonough to take a 19-13 lead after 135 pounds.

Iowa led 23-22 after 152 when Trent Weatherman beat Sheridan in three periods. Officials debated a third-period point for Sheridan for some 20 minutes before Weatherman had his hand raised.

Dustin Reid responded with a first-period pin at 160 to put California up 27-23 before back-to-back victories by Iowa’s Tyler Kettman and Josh Ihnen sent the dual to 215.

“I was trying to stay calm (against Iowa),�? said Pico, who had one of just three wins for California. “I was trying to keep my composure and find a way to win the match.

“(On Tuesday against Wisconsin) Coach came and talked to us from 160 through heavy and said we could do this. I don’t think people really took us seriously coming into the tournament and we showed what came happen when they don’t.

“It was a good tournament for us, but we didn’t really show up with our wrestling shoes on (against Illinois).�?

After losing to California, Iowa, cashed it in against Minnesota, falling 52-13, in the third-place match. After Travis Rutt’s 17-second pin at 171, Iowa forfeited the final three weights. Among Minnesota’s victories was Justin Lavalle’s 3-0, 6-3, decision of Long at 130 pounds and Erick Yngsdal’s three-period win over Dylan Carew at 145.

The fifth-place match, with six forfeits, saw Kansas beat Michigan, 34-31. Missouri won the final three bouts, including a pin in the finale by Elijah Madison, in beating Wisconsin, 39-27, for seventh.

New York beat Texas in the consolation finals. Ken Altrac pinned Andy Harmony in the final bout to give NY a 33-30 victory.

For some, it’s time for a long trip home to start preparation for Fargo. For others, perhaps the crazy ones, weigh-in for freestyle is at 4 p.m. (CST).

Illinois pulled off the double in 2007, adding a freestyle title to the Greco trophy.

Freestyle hits the mats tonight with two rounds of competition. The finals are Friday.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 10:59 AM | Permalink

The 2008 Cadet National Duals Freestyle All Tournament Team:

Wrestling Videos from this freestyle wrestling event will be available at The Wrestling Talk.

84 lbs.
Nick Roberts of Pennsylvania A went 10-0

91 lbs.
Josh Walker of Oklahoma 1 went 10-0
Cory Clark of Iowa went 8-0
Zack Abkemeier of Oklahoma 2 went 6-0

98 lbs.
Davey Dolan of Oklahoma 1 went 10-0
Conner Mullins of Indiana went 9-0

105 lbs.
Cody Brewer of Missouri 1 went 10-0
Eddie Klimara of Illinois went 10-0

112 lbs.
Chase Ferman of Oklahoma 1 went 10-0
Devin Carter of Virginia went 7-0

119 lbs.
Jesse Thielke of Wisconsin went 10-0
Zachary Waldrop of Texas went 7-0
Evan Silver of Maryland went 6-0

125 lbs.
Aaron Runzo of Virginia went 7-0
Drew Lexvold of Minnesota 1 went 7-0
Evan Silver of Maryland went 6-0

130 lbs.
Jordan Wohlfert of Michigan went 7-0
Aaron Runzo of Virginia went 7-0

135 lbs.
Justin DeAngelis of Oklahoma 1 went 10-0

140 lbs.
Pat Greco of Illinois went 6-0

145 lbs.
Anthony Baldosaro of New Jersey went 9-0

152 lbs.
Mark Havers of Pennsylvania A went 10-0

160 lbs.
Ronnie Balfour of Oklahoma 1 went 10-0

171 lbs.
Roland Dunlap of Wisconsin went 10-0
Ronnie Balfour of Oklahoma 1 went 10-0
Levi Clemons of Florida went 8-0

189 lbs.
Andrew Campolattana of New Jersey went 9-0
Scott Schiller of North Dakota went 7-0
Max Adair of Oklahoma 1 went 6-0
Matt Lowe of New York went 6-0

215 lbs.
Cody Krumwiede of Iowa went 10-0
Hayden Bock of Missouri 1 went 10-0
Andrew Campolattana of New Jersey went 9-0
Payton DeCoteau of North Dakota went 7-0
Cody Davis of Texas went 7-0
Max Adair of Oklahoma 1 went 6-0

285 lbs.
Austin Blythe of Iowa went 7-0
Karl Green of Maryland went 7-0
Mike Shoff of Nebraska went 6-0

TheWrestlingTalk.com provides wrestling news, social networking, rankings, photos, and excellent wrestling discussion.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 08:27 PM | Permalink

“Wrestling in the Olympics has always been Jake’s goal. I knew it would happen some day. I didn’t think it would happen at 18 years old,�? said Jason Deitchler, who won the state Class A heavyweight title as a senior at Park Rapids in 1988. “We figured he might have a chance to make it in 2012. Jake has such a passion for wrestling. He can accomplish anything he wants, but it was still a shock that he made it. It was a lot of fun. Everybody who knows him around Park Rapids is excited.�?

Deitchler needed four come-from-behind victories at the Thomas and Mack Center to earn his Olympic berth.

In his first match, Deitchler defeated Shannon Slack 1-5, 4-1, 8-1. In the semifinals, Deitchler rallied to defeat 24-year-old Harry Lester 0-5, 5-2, 5-3. Lester, a two-time world bronze medalist, was favored to win a medal at the Olympics this year. Lester retired from wrestling following the U.S. Olympic trials.

Deitchler capped off his tournament run by defeating 32-year-old Faruk Sahin in the best-of-three finals. Deitchler won the first match 0-5, 7-4, 1-1 and claimed the Olympic berth with a 2-3, 7-5, 3-0 victory in the second match. Deitchler trailed 5-0 in the second period of the second match before scoring 7 straight points to spark the win.

“Harry Lester, I thought, could win a gold medal for us in Beijing, for sure. He’s that good,�? U.S. Greco-Roman coach Steve Fraser told the Associated Press. “He (Deitchler) did it on his conditioning, he outwrestled everybody, he was in everybody’s face. He got Harry Lester tired, he got Faruk Sahin tired. That’s how you beat a guy who has better skills, you take him out of his game and get him tired.�?

“We knew he had a shot if he wrestled the way he can,�? said Jason Deitchler. “The guys there are good and have more experience. But they weren’t used to Jake’s pace. He’s young and aggressive and he has a huge heart. He got beat in every first period, but he won every second and third period. He gave it everything he had.�?

Having success on the mats is nothing new for Deitchler.

After going 15-17 as a seventh grader, Deitchler compiled a 31-14 record and finished sixth at 112 pounds at the state Class AAA tournament as an eighth grader. As a freshman, Deitchler went 32-6 and placed fifth at 125 pounds at the state Class AAA tournament.

His final three years in high school resulted in three state titles and a 123-1 record.

Deitchler went 45-1 and won his first state title at 140 pounds as a sophomore and followed with a 40-0 record and a state title at 145 as a junior. Deitchler capped off his high school career with a 38-0 record and the state title at 152 pounds. Deitchler ended his high school career with 111 consecutive victories and a school-record 201 victories.

Deitchler, who was the Greco-Roman Junior National Champion in 2007, prepared for earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team with a runner-up showing at the U.S. Nationals.

That gave Deitchler a shot at wrestling in the Olympic trials. And the 18-year-old took advantage to become the first high school wrestler to make the U.S. Olympic team since Mike Farina Greco-Roman in 1976. The only other high school wrestler to make the U.S. Olympic team was Jimmy Carr in freestyle in 1972.

Making the U.S. Olympic team has made Deitchler a celebrity. Deitchler spent Thursday and Friday in New York City doing several interviews for various media.

Deitchler will head to the Olympic training center in Colorado until July 19 and will fly to Beijing on July 28. The opening ceremonies begin Aug. 8 with Deitchler making his Olympic debut Aug. 13.

After shocking the American wrestling community by making the U.S. Olympic team, Deitchler will be looking to shock the world by bringing home an Olympic medal.

“He won a high school state championship, and the next day he’s on our (U.S. training center) mat in Colorado Springs. Every chance he can come and get better, he’s there. He’s already told us he wants to come in early for the Olympics,�? Fraser told the AP. “I think it was a surprise to everybody. But the kid’s got some great hunger and I know he’s going to go to the Olympics and wrestle his heart out.�?

“Jake’s goal is to win it,�? said Jason Deitchler. “He beat Lester, who was considered the best Greco wrestler in the world at that weight class. His coaches believe he can do it. Everything has to fall into place, but if he performs at the level he’s capable of performing at, he can do it. Jake wants to win a gold medal for the United States.�?

Jake has his eyes on the prize!

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 12:47 AM | Permalink

A high school wrestling coach in a Michigan city known for its large Arab community says he’s being forced out of his job of 35 years on trumped up allegations he allowed his assistant, a local clergyman, to try converting students to Christianity.

The coach, Jerry Marszalek, told FOXNews.com he thinks the decision to not renew his contract with the school in Dearborn, Mich., just one year shy of his retirement is political. He said the principal, who is a Muslim, is bending to what Marszalek sees as unfounded complaints by a Muslim parent.

“This all started about three years ago when my volunteer assistant was released for religious dealings that he had in the community,“ Marszalek said.

According to Marszalek, Fordson High School accused the assistant, Trey Hancock, of using his position with the wrestling team to proselytize Muslim youths, and the school ordered Marszalek to “keep Hancock and his family away from the other children,�? the coach said.

Marszalek said he never saw Hancock talk to the students about religion, “but I still complied. ... I even told his wife she couldn’t work the concession stand anymore.�?

But Hancock has a son on the team, so the school could not prevent him from coming to the meets as a parent. And though Hancock only came to support his son, Marszalek said, another father who attended the meets continuously complained to the principal that the coach didn't do enough to keep Hancock away from the students.

Dearborn Schools' spokesman David Mustonen confirmed that principal Imad Fadlallah decided not to renew Marszalek’s contract but said it has nothing to do with Hancock.

“Jerry Marszalek is a non-union employee…If we have a union member, a teacher that’s part of the union, they are given priority to people from the outside when it comes to coaching positions. We had an assistant coach who was a union member and had expressed interest in the job, so he was given priority,�? Mustonen said.

Marszalek claims he got a different story at a meeting with school officials, including Fadlallah, who admitted it was all about Hancock and cited the parent’s complaints.

FOXNews.com was unable to reach Fadlallah for a comment.

Jerry Marszalek said he hasn’t decided whether to pursue legal action against the school.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 10:59 AM | Permalink

Alton twins seek wrestling success side by side
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
05/24/2008

There is a tradition within wrestling of amazingly tough twin brother combinations. Think of the Brands brothers, the Scherr brothers, the Banach brothers, the Steiner brothers, the Purler brothers, the Hughes brothers, the Keller brothers, the Paulson brothers, the Bonomo brothers. Wrestling fans can come up with many more. All were twins, and all were very successful side by side.

There is a new brother combination in USA Wrestling’s age-group national programs, the Alton twins of Pennsylvania, Andrew and Dylan.

Wrestling fans remember the Alton twins from Fargo, N.D. last summer, when they both Cadet National freestyle titles side by side, Dylan at 130 pounds and Andrew at 135 pounds. Andrew was also a Cadet National Greco-Roman champion, with Dylan placing second.

This weekend, Dylan enters the event as the top seed in the FILA Junior World Team Trials at 60 kg/132 lbs., after winning the FILA Junior Nationals in Las Vegas in April. Andrew was entered in the Challenge Tournament portion of the FILA Juniors on Saturday morning.

The Alton brothers, who started wrestling at the age of six together, won’t wrestle each other. Their father Neil Alton said that they have not wrestled for a reason. In the practice room, the training tends to go after practice. The brothers don’t want to stop because both want to score the last takedown.

“When they were little, they would argue who was better. If they’d wrestle a match, one would win and it would hurt the other. They are so close, yet so competitive. We would come back home, there would be holes in the wall and blood on the wall. They were always wrestling,�? said Neil.

The brothers admit that competing in a match may not be a great idea, especially with the way that they train together.

“We get into brawls sometimes. We get into fights about who is winning and who is not. We get at it,�? said Dylan.

“We go hard in the room,�? said Andrew. “We get at each other. Sometimes it is anger, but it is mostly being competitive.�?

Earlier this year, at the FILA Cadet Nationals in Akron, Ohio, the Alton brothers made the finals in freestyle at 138.75 pounds and decided to be co-champions under the USA Wrestling age-group brother rule. The regulation was approved by USA Wrestling at the time that two other Pennsylvania twins were regularly banging heads at the same weight, John and Russ Hughes. Dylan was pleased with the co-champion rule.

“That was very nice. That would have gone to a coin flip if we had to choose. That made it a lot easier. We didn’t have to decide,�? said Dylan.

The Alton twins were high school sophomores this season. Dylan won the state title this year for Central Mountain High School, the first Pennsylvania champion ever for the school, something that Neil said “was a big deal�? at the school. Andrew placed third for the second straight year. Both of the brothers talk to each other and visualize winning state and national titles side-by-side.

“We are both training hard this summer for next year,�? said Andrew. “Hopefully, there won’t be any upsets next year.�?

“It would be nice to win at the same time,�? said Dylan. “Sometimes we come up a little short. We will work harder next year so we both have the same result.�?

Neil indicated that the brothers decide for themselves who will go which weight class during the regular season and in the summer events.

Currently, Andrew competes up in weight, while Dylan goes down. According to their dad, at their natural weight, Andrew is a few pounds heavier than Dylan. When they were little, it was the other way around, with Dylan at the higher class and Andrew down in weight. At this time, Andrew is a little stronger in the weight room.

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 11:03 AM | Permalink

Championship finals set for University/FILA Junior World Team Trials for Saturday night
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
05/24/2008

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. - The Championship Series have been determined for the FILA Junior World Team Trials and the University World Team Trials for Saturday night, which is being held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

There will 11 weight classes completed on Saturday night in four different tournaments: University freestyle, University Greco-Roman, FILA Junior freestyle and FILA Junior Greco-Roman.

The Challenge Tournament was held on Saturday morning, with the winner advancing to Saturday night�s best-of-three series against the top seed in their weight class. The top seed was the University Nationals champion or FILA Junior Nationals champion in each weight, or the next ranked wrestler if the national champion did not enter.

Highlights of Saturday�s Challenge Tournament action included:

� 2007 U.S. Nationals champion Sam Hazewinkel of the Gator WC defeated Miguel Pena of the U.S. Marines Corps, 7-0, 6-0 at 55 kg/121 lbs. in University Greco-Roman. Hazewinkel will face 2008 University Nationals champion Nikko Triggas of Ohio State in the Championship Series Saturday night.

� 2007 Junior World Team member David Taylor needed three periods to defeat Demetrius Johnson of the Sunkist Kids, 1-3, 3-1, 7-0 at 55 kg/121 lbs. in FILA Junior freestyle. After losing the first period, Taylor opened up the scoring, earning a tech fall in the third period with a takedown and multiple exposure turns. Taylor competed at 50 kg/110 lbs. last year, placing eighth at the Junior Worlds. Taylor face FILA Junior Nationals runner-up Zach Sanders of the Minnesota Storm in the Championship Series.

� Colorado high school sensation Tyler Graff of the New York AC defeated Northwestern NCAA All-American Brandon Precin of the Wildcat WC in two straight periods, 2-0, 10-3 at 60 kg/132 lbs. in FILA Junior freestyle. Graff was on the Junior World Team last year, competing at 55 kg/121 lbs. Graff will face FILA Junior Nationals champion Dylan Alton of the New York AC in the championship finals.

� In University freestyle at 74 kg/163 lbs., Eric Luedke of Iowa defeated Tyler Sherfey of Bronco, 1-1, 2-0. In the semifinals, Leudke beat 2007 FILA Junior Team member Jake Kerr of Iowa. In the Championship Series, Leudke will face 2008 University Nationals champion Keith Gavin of the New York AC, who was a NCAA champion this year for the Univ. of Pittsburgh.

� In an all USOEC finals in FILA Junior Greco-Roman at 74 kg/163 lbs., Talon Knox defeated Jonathan Drendel, 1-1, 4-0, 1-1. Drendel had won a University Nationals title at 70 kg/154 lbs. this year. Knox will battle Ben Provisor (Dennis Hall/World Gold) in the Championships finals series.

BEST OF THREE FINALS SERIES ON SATURDAY NIGHT

FILA Junior Freestyle

50 kg/110 lbs. � Top seed Desmond Moore (Penn State) vs. Challenge Tournament winner Mark Rappo (Sunkist Kids)

55 kg/121 lbs. � Top seed Zach Sanders (Minnesota Storm) vs. Challenge Tournament winner David Taylor (Mat Rats)

60 kg/132 lbs. � Top seed Dylan Alton (New York AC) vs. Challenge Tournament winner Tyler Graff (New York AC)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. � Top seed Jordan Burroughs (Sunkist Kids) vs. Challenge Tournament winner Kellen Russell (Cliff Keen)

FILA Junior Greco-Roman

74 kg/163 lbs. � Top seed Ben Provisor (Dennis Hall/World Gold) vs. Challenge Tournament winner Talan Knox (USOEC)

84 kg/185 lbs. � Top seed Zac Nielsen (Minnesota Storm) vs. Challenge Tournament winner Chris Bullins (McMichael)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. � Top seed Michael Rossetti (USOEC) vs. Challenge Tournament winner Brent Eidenshink (Minnesota Storm)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. � Top seed Peter Kowalczuk (Sunkist Kids/USOEC) vs. Challenge Tournament winner Nathan Schwartz (Cleveland WC)

University freestyle

74 kg/163 lbs. � Top seed Keith Gavin (New York AC) vs. Challenge Tournament winner Eric Leudke (Iowa)

84 kg/185 lbs. � Top seed Jake Herbert (New York AC) vs. Challenge Tournament winner Phillip Keddy (Iowa)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. � Top seed Brent Jones (Cavalier WC) vs. Challenge Tournament winner Konrad Dudziak (New York AC)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. � Top seed Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids) vs. Challenge Tournament winner Aaron Anspach (Penn State)

University Greco-Roman

55 kg/121 lbs. � Top seed Nikko Triggas (Ohio State) vs. Challenge Tournament winner Sam Hazewinkel (Gator WC)

60 kg/132 lbs. � Top seed Spenser Mango (Gator WC) vs. Challenge Tournament winner Donovan DePatto (U.S. Marines)

66 kg/145.5 lbs � Top seed Jacob Curby (Gator WC) vs. Challenge Tournament winner Chad Vandiver (unattached)

CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT FINALS ON SATURDAY MORNING

FILA Junior Freestyle Challenge Tournament finals

50 kg/110 lbs. - Mark Rappo (Sunkist Kids) dec. Cody Pack (Legends of Gold), 4-1, 3-0

55 kg/121 lbs. - David Taylor (Mat Rats) dec. Demetrius Johnson (Sunkist Kids), 1-3, 3-1, 7-0

60 kg/132 lbs. - Tyler Graff (New York AC) dec. Brandon Precin (Wildcat WC), 2-0, 10-3

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Kellen Russell (Cliff Keen) dec. Zach Kemmerer (Sunkist Kids), 3-1, 3-3, 1-0

FILA Junior Greco-Roman Challenge Tournament finals

74 kg/163 lbs. - Talan Knox (USOEC) dec. Jonathan Drendel (USOEC), 1-1, 4-0, 1-1

84 kg/185 lbs. - Chris Bullins (McMichael) dec. Micah Burak (Athletes in Action), 3-0, 1-2, 4-2

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Brent Eidenshink (Minnesota Storm) dec. Nader Maghribi (Air Force), 1-1, 4-0

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Nathan Schwartz (Cleveland WC), uncontested

University Freestyle Challenge Tournament finals

74 kg/163 lbs. - Eric Luedke (Iowa) dec. Tyler Sherfey (Bronco), 1-1, 2-0

84 kg/185 lbs.- Phillip Keddy (Iowa) dec. David Bertolino (Sunkist Kids), 2-0, 4-0

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Konrad Dudziak (New York AC) dec. Mike Tamillow (Wildcat WC), 1-0, 1-0

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Aaron Anspach (Penn State) dec. Scott Steele (Navy Mat Club), 2-3, 1-0, 3-0

University Greco-Roman Challenge Tournament finals

55 kg/121 lbs. - Sam Hazewinkel (Gator WC) tech fall Miguel Pena (U.S. Marines), 7-0, 6-0

60 kg/132 lbs. - Donovan Depatto (U.S. Marines) dec. David Armstrong (Cleveland WC), 3-5, 2-1, 3-1

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Chad Vandiver (unattached) dec. Carlo Ferrandino (B.U.W.C), 6-0, 5-0

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 04:02 PM | Permalink

The list is rather awkward (uses the ID code of the video for its name) so I decided to simply link to the list of the top 500 wrestling videos.

This list includes some great matches including many matches pairing Randy Lewis with some of America's other great wrestlers.

There is a second list called "200 Amateur Wrestlers" that is not very accurate in regards to its content for lesser known wrestlers, but there is quite a bit for the more popular figures in amateur wrestling.

Enjoy!

Posted by Wrestling Fan at 12:07 PM | Permalink