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107 articles in this category
1210 2Paul Rademacher to Lead Indiana Tech Women’s Wrestling Program
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Indiana Tech has hired Paul Rademacher to lead its women’s wrestling program, Director of Athletics Debbie Warren announced Monday.
“We are ecstatic to bring Paul into the Warrior Family and lead our women’s wrestling program,” Warren said. “His background in freestyle wrestling, knowledge of the NAIA and overall experience elevated him in this highly competitive search and we look forward to seeing him build the program and grow the sport of women’s wrestling in the Midwest.”
A former wrestler at Oregon State University, Rademacher comes to Tech following a two-year stint at Southern Oregon University, where he was the Associate Head Coach for the women’s wrestling team.
“I am very excited and honored to be selected to be the first Women's Wrestling Head Coach at Indiana Tech,” Rademacher said. “It was very obvious that Indiana Tech was fully invested in starting this program and being successful. I believe Fort Wayne will be a great place for Women's Wrestling and that student-athletes will come from around the country to join the Warriors and be a part of the Indiana Tech community.”
During his two years with the Raiders he went 14-14 and led the team to an eighth place finish at the first-ever NAIA National Invitational this past March and a 12th-place performance at the Women’s College Wrestling Association (WCWA) Championships in 2018. He mentored six All-Americans during his time in Ashland.
“The opportunity to start the program from scratch and set a culture of character, integrity, academic and athletic excellence was a major draw for me,” Rademacher said. “I look forward to working with the other athletic programs to continue the national success that Indiana Tech has produced. I would like to thank AD Debbie Warren, Dr. Daniel J. Stoker (VP for Student Affairs), and President Dr. Karl W. Einolf for believing in me and for this opportunity.”
Prior to his time at SOU, Rademacher served as the head coach for the boys and girls wrestling teams at Henley High School (Ore.) for two seasons and was in charge of Mount Vernon High School (Wash.) before that. he had 40 wrestlers place during his time at the prep ranks while four became state champions under his tutelage, while he recorded two top-four finishes in the Oregon State Athletic Association (OSAA) Tournament.
A 1999 graduate of Chiloquin High, Rademacher competed from 1999-2003 at Oregon State, where he named to the Pac-10 All-Academic Second Team as a senior. He continued to compete post-collegiately, and in 2014 placed second in the Veteran’s Greco Roman Division B 76-kilogram class and third in the Veteran’s Freestyle Division B 76-kilogram class. He was a quarterfinalist in the 2014 US Open Freestyles at 74-kilograms and won the 2012 Washington State Tournament Greco-Roman in the 85-kilogram division.
Rademacher is a USA Wrestling Bronze Certified Coach and was the head coach of the Oregon Junior National Team from 2015-18. He served as a wildland firefighter from 2000-15 at Baker River IHC was a member of the U.S. Forest Service in Washington.
He received his Master’s Degree in Teaching – Science from Western Governors University in 2017 and graduated from OSU with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise and Sports Science with a concentration in Fitness Management. Rademacher and his wife, Gretchen, have been married since 2004.
The Warriors will begin competing as a team in the 2020-21 academic year. To learn more about women’s wrestling in the NAIA click here. To learn more about Indiana Tech women’s wrestling, click here. Interested student-athletes may fill out a recruit questionnaire here.
704Trine Thunder Announces Class of 2013
Head Coach Dan Callahan has announced the class of 2013 for Trine University in Angola, Indiana. Callahan will be bringing in 24 new wrestlers into the four year old wrestling program with wrestlers representing Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois. The headliner of the group is Illinois 3A(big school) state champion Elias Larson of Marian Catholic just outside of Chicago. Larson is projected to wrestle 149 or 157lbs. The class also includes 11 other state qualifiers and placers including Hoosier natives Trace Hall and Tyler Lymburner of South Bend Riley, Will Sheets of Bellmont, Nick Odom of Warren Central, and Forest Romer of Ben Davis. The Thunder also will receive the services of two wrestlers transfers in Caleb Norville formerly of Mishawaka and Dylan Forbes formerly of Prairie Heights. Out of state wrestlers that will be wrestling for Trine next year include Michigan state runner-up Jeffery Nofzinger, Michigan 3rd place finisher Ben Wines, Ohio 8th place finisher Robert Blake and Michigan state qualifier Nathan Strickland.
Trine graduated their first class of wrestlers this past season and will be looking to replace Seniors Louis Posa, Bryan Wight, and Kyle Pittman. The Thunder will return starters Brandon Harvey at 125lbs, Tye Bowman at 133lbs, George Markou at 157lbs, Kyle Long at 165lbs, Nick Kraus at 174lbs, Alex Fleet at 197lbs and Mike Tees at heavyweight. This recruiting class along with all of the returning wrestlers, many of whom hail from Indiana, will help to contribute to a great 5th season for the Thunder wrestling program.
Name
High School
Weight Class
State Finishes
Elias Larson
Marian Catholic, IL
149/157
SQ '07, 6th '08,1st 2009 IL AAA
Trace Hall
SB Riley
141/149
4th, 4th & 7th IN
Jeffrey Nofziger
Morenci, MI
149/157
2nd 2009 MI Div 4
Ben Wines
Pittsford, MI
184/197
3rd 2009 MI Div 4
Will Sheets
Bellmont
133
4th 2008 IN
Caleb Norville
Mishawaka
165/174
6th 2008 IN
Robert Blake
Tinora, OH
197
8th 2009 OH
Nick Odom
Warren Central
141/149
8th 2008 IN
Tyler Lymburner
SB Riley
149/157
SQ 2009 IN
Forest Romer
Ben Davis
133/141
SQ 2009 IN
Nathan Strickland
Grosse Pointe MI
184/197
SQ 2009 MI Div I
Dylan Forbes
Prairie Heights
285
SQ 2008 IN
Henry Waring
East Noble
165/174
Dustin Kern
Peru
157/165
Elliott Corner
Peru
149/157
Alan McNeal
Southport
157/165
Brett Worden
Peru
184/197
Kyle Ullery
SB Riley
165/174
Jame Green
Cloverdale
125/133
Alex Bailey
Jeffersonville
157/165
David Waldroup
New Palestine
141/149
Aaron Overbey
Ben Davis
125/133
Andrew Leis
Elida, OH
141/149
Jay Dee Schmucker
Westview
285
574Indianapolis Announces Incoming Recruits
The University of Indianapolis has announced the class of incoming recruits for next year. New coach Jason Warthan inherits a team that only lost starter Jimmy Nichols and will look to replace him with state runner-up Casey Kenney of Jay County or three time state placer Alex Johns of Evansville Reitz. The Greyhounds will also bring in three other Indiana state placers. After a 3rd place finish this season and qualifying in 2008, Shelby Mappes of Center Grove will come to the Greyhounds and wrestle 174lbs. Andrew Leach of Avon will also be making the short drive to Indy, he finished 6th this year and is projected to wrestle 184lbs. Randy Kaufman of Rensselear Central, an 8th place finisher, is projected to wrestle 197lbs for the Greyhounds. State qualifier Nick Smith of Franklin is another signee that has been to the state finals. The top incoming recruit not within the Indiana border is North Carolina two-time placer Trey Weliver. Indianapolis is still working on a few other recruits and transfers that they are hoping to announce in the coming weeks.
Next year's line-up will look very similar to this year's line up with Johns or Kenney manning the 125lbs spot vacated by senior Jimmy Nichols. Two former state champions will be coming back at 133lbs and 141lbs in Ethan Harris from Beech Grove and Matt Irwin from Bellmont. Irwin is also a two-time NCAA qualifier. Northwood's David Lopez will look to keep the 149lbs spot, but will be pushed by incoming freshman Nick Smith. At 157lbs, NCAA qualifier and former state runner-up Cory Fornal of Rochester will look to build off his success from last season. Two Illinois products will going at it for the starting spot at 165lbs in former placer Jake Holler and two time qualifier Bryce Givens. Josh Curry of Columbia City, Shelby Mappes and the loser at 165lbs will all do battle to determine the starter for this weight. JT Jenkins from New Albany will move up to 184lbs next season and be pushed by a host of freshman. Sam Johnson a sophomore from Avon will be pushed for the 197lbs spot by freshman Randy Kaufman. The heavyweight weight class will be held down by senior Lynn Panko who was a state champion for Avon High School and a former NCAA qualifier.
Name
High School
Weight Class
State Finishes
Alex Johns
Evansville Reitz
125
3rd, 3rd, 6th IN
Casey Kenney
Jay County
125
2nd, 4th IN
Kyle Estrada
Avon('08)
133/141
Zach Moreno
St. Joseph, IL
141
Trey Weliver
Union Pines, NC
141
3rd, 4th NC
Nick Smith
Franklin
149
SQ IN
Shelby Mappes
Center Grove
174
3rd, SQ IN
Cody Wittkamp
Lima, OH
184
Kyle Keith
Portage
184
Andrew Leach
Avon
184
6th IN
Randy Kaufman
Rensselear Central
197
8th IN
400Purdue Announces Incoming Recruiting Class
Scott Hinkel and the Purdue Boilermakers have announced their 2009 recruiting class. The class includes seven wrestlers from Indiana and a total of eight state championships spread amongst the nine incoming freshmen. The wrestlers that Hinkel kept in-state include a pair of two-time state champions in Anderson Highland's Camden Eppert and Mishawaka's Steven Sandefer. The third Indiana state champion in this class is Lawrence North's Cashe Quiroga. Both Quiroga and Eppert are projected to be at 125lbs or 133lbs for the Boilermakers, while Sandefer is projected to wrestle 141lbs or 149lbs. Other Indiana natives include four-time state qualifier and three-time top four finisher Kyle Mosier of Yorktown, two-time state place winner Will Mascaro of Carmel and a pair of state runner-ups in Mount Vernon's Alex White and Lawrence North's Bryce Grimes. The Boilermakers also ventured to Ohio and Florida for two top recruits in Beavercreek, Ohio's four-time state place winner Adam Walls and three-time state champion Kendrick Sanders of South Date, Florida. Along with their in-state success, this class has made an impact on the national scene. Eppert is a two-time Junior freestyle All-American and also placed third at the prestigous Super 32 tournament. Quiroga was a Senior National's runner-up this year to go along with his placings at Junior and Sophomore Nationals. The prized recruit of this class is Shakendrick Sanders of Florida. Sanders has won three Greco-roman national titles and was a freestyle national runner-up as a cadet. Sanders also participated in the two most prestigous dual meets in the USA vs. Oklahoma dual and the Dapper Dan Classic.
The Boilermakers will return nine of their ten starters, but take a huge hit with the graduation of All-American Jake Patascil. Patascil's bonus points in tournaments and more importantly in duals will be hard to replace. Purdue will return 2009 NCAA qualifiers Colton Salazar, AJ Kissel, Logan Brown and Luke Manuel and look to them for both leadership and big wins in duals and tournaments.
Name
High School
Weight Class
State Finishes
Camden Eppert
Anderson Highland
125/133
4th. 1st, 2nd, 1st IN
Cashe Quiroga
Lawrence North
125/133
SQ, 2nd, 1st, 3rd IN
Kyle Mosier
Yorktown
165
SQ, 4th, 4th, 3rd IN
Alex White
Mount Vernon
285
SQ, 2nd IN
Adam Walls
Beavercreek, OH
285
6th, 4th, 2nd, 3rd OH
Steven Sandefer
Mishawaka
141/149
SQ, 5th, 1st, 1st IN
Will Mascaro
Carmel
141
SQ, 7th, 3rd IN
Bryce Grimes
Lawrence North
184
2nd IN
Shakendrick Sanders
South Dade, FL
149
4th 1st, 1st, 1st FL
769Wabash Little Giants Bring in Stellar Freshmen Class
From Wabash Athletics
Wabash College head coach Brian Anderson has announced the addition of twenty-eight student-athletes who will join the Little Giants wrestling program in the fall. The twenty-eight wrestlers come from five different states with the majority coming from Indiana. This is a big class of freshmen coming in that will provide depth from top to bottom. 10 out of the 28 wrestlers competed at their state tournament at least once, with another 16 of them falling in the state qualifying tournament. On top of the athletic accomplishments of these individuals, this class comes in with an average grade point average of 3.4.
Wabash started seven underclassmen this past season with four of those being freshman. This incoming class will make a strong impact on the 2009-2010 starting line-up, one which will see a heavy dose of youth again. The youth of this team will look to the two returning senior starters, Michael Burke at 197 and Rob Arnett at 285. Both seniors bring great leadership and plenty of mat experience to anchor down this young team.
Name
High School
Weight Class
State Finishes
Chad Barrett
Greentown, IN
141/149
3x State Qualifier (6th '08, 3rd '09)
Julian Cernuda
Hickory, NC
285
Patrick Clegg
Clarendon Hills, IL
285
6th @ State 2009
Willy Costakis
Merriville, IN
125
Semi-State Qualifier
Winston Craft
Attica, IN
125
2x Semi
Johnny Dillon
Hobart, IN
141/ 149
3x State Qualifier (5th '08)
Jordan Dulaney
Muncie, IN
149/ 157
2x State Qualifier (8th '09)
Jeramey Hicks
West Lebanon, IN
133/ 141
2x Semi-State Qualifier
Quinten Hizey
Nipomo, CA
125
Masters Qualifier
Martin Lantz
Goshen, IN
184/ 197
State Qualifier 2008
Ryan Lutz
Sacramento, CA
165/ 174
Masters Qualifier
Tyler McCoy
Lafayette, IN
165/ 174
State Qualifier 2009
Austin O'Neal
Griffith, IN
184
Semi-State Qualifier
Alex Orton
Clarendon Hills, IL
133
2x Sectional Qualifier
Garrett Payne
Michigan City, IN
141
3x Semi-State Qualifier
Corbin Richards
Avon, IN
149/ 157
2x Semi-State Qualifier
Derek Rowe
Logansport, IN
184
2x Semi-State Qualifier
Daniel Sandberg
Indianapolis, IN
184/ 197
Semi-State Qualifier
Jeromy Sisk
Peru, IN
133/ 141
State Qualifier 2007
Drew Spriggs
Thorntown, IN
133
Zach Stone
Elkhart, IN
285
Semi-State Qualifier
Jacob Strausbaugh
Orrville, OH
133
3x State Place Winner (6th, 4th, 5th)
Oscar Trujillo
Lafayette, IN
125
State Qualifier 2009
Gabe Watson
Columbus, IN
165/ 174
2x Semi-State Qualifier
Ryan Wells
Grove City, OH
165
2x District Qualifier
Ethan Wilson
Indianapolis, IN
157
Semi-State Qualifier
Bill Wood
Palos Heights, IL
133/ 141
3x State Qualifier
Devan Young
Chino Hills, CA
285
Masters Qualifier
462Indiana Announces Incoming Recruits
Head coach Duane Goldman has released his list of incoming recruits for the 2009/2010 school year. While the list is not long, it is high on quality with four of the six wrestlers state champions in their respective states. Coach Goldman scoured the nation for this year's class bringing wrestlers from New Mexico, New York, Georgia, and Kansas to Bloomington. Max Ortega is the headliner in the group, he comes to the Hoosiers with five, yes five, state titles in New Mexico. He will join his older brother Matt who was a starter last year at 133lbs. Another top wrestler that will be donning the cream and crimson will be Ryan Leblanc, who was a two-time New York state champion. Leblanc comes with not only in-season accolades, but with many top placements at national level tournaments including placing 1st at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals, 2nd at NHSCA Junior Nationals and 5th at NHSCA Senior Nationals. Two other out-of-state wrestlers will be wrestling for the Hoosiers next year in Georgia two-time state champion Anthony Fretwell and Kansas state champion Tanner Kriss.
Not to be left out of the mix, the Hoosiers will have some homegrown talent this year. Four-time state placer Justin Brooks will be making the short drive to Bloomington. Brooks finished fifth or higher all four years of high school, while making the semi-finals twice. Brooks will look to man the 125lbs spot for the Hoosiers after national champion Angel Escobedo graduates this year. Jowan Gill of Columbus North will be making an even shorter drive to Bloomington to help the Hoosiers at the heavyweight weight class. Gill placed fourth this past season at 285lbs for Columbus North High School.
Like their in-state rivals Purdue, Indiana only graduates one starter from their line-up. The Hoosiers return three-time All-American and national champion Angel Escobedo at 125lbs and will return four other national qualifiers in Kurt Kinser, Paul Young, Trevor Perry, and Eric Cameron. One other wildcard is former All-American Matt Coughlin who did not break the line-up last season.
Name
High School
Weight Class
State Finishes
Max Ortega
Rio Rancho, NM
141
1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st NM
Ryan Leblanc
Morrisville-Eaton, NY
165
3rd, 1st, 1st NY
Tanner Kriss
Colby, KS
197
Q, Q, 4th, 1st KS
Justin Brooks
Warsaw
125
5th, 4th, 4th, 5th IN
Anthony Fretwell
Henry County, GA
157
4th, 1st, 1st GA
Jowan Gill
Columbus North
285
3rd IN
584Calumet College of St. Joseph Announces First Class
First year head coach Leroy Vega has announced the wrestlers that will be the first to grace the mats at Calumet College of St. Joseph. The Crimson Wave bring in 25 wrestlers to start the program off. Vega not only brought in freshmen, but numerous transfers that will add some immediate college experience to the line-up. Leading the way is NCAA qualifier Dan Bedoy. Bedoy qualified for nationals with Purdue in 2006 and will come with one year of eligibility left. He will definitely make an immediate impact on the NAIA this season. Other key transfers include former state runner-up Andy St. Germain who comes from Harper Junior College and Chad Allen who originally started out at Portage, but won a state championship in North Carolina before wrestling for Manchester last year. Dave Ballentine, a fourth place finisher for Mishawaka in 2008, comes to CCSJ via King College to challenge for the 197lbs spot. Another top recruit is Bloomington South's Chris Head. Head placed 6th in the state as a freshman and was also a Junior Freestyle All-American in 2008. Former Merrillville state runner-up Eric Oria was a late addition to the team and the coaches look for him to make a solid contribution to the team right away.
Coach Vega has assembled a great base for the future of the Crimson Wave this year. Their schedule includes duals with Manchester, Indianapolis, and Wabash while they are also in numerous tournaments such as the Michigan State Open, Little States and the Midwest Classic. If you want to come watch the Crimson Wave they will be traveling the state and will most likely be in your area this year as they will not have a home meet this season.
Click here for the Calumet College of St. Joseph Crimson Wave schedule
Name
High School
Weight Class
State Finishes
Chris Head
Bloomington South
125
6th IN
Ronald Olson
Hanover Central
133
Nick Fouts
Crown Point
141
Brandon Ward
Hanover Central
157
6th IN
Anthony Nuzzo
Portage
149
Blake Wood
Perry Meridian
157
SQ IN
Chris Schaefer
Perry Meridian
285
Lance Surma
Munster('06)
149
Johnathan Tyler
Highland
165
Dustin Boyd
Mishawaka
184
Coty Anderson
Highland
285
Cody Gregory
Perry Meridian
174/184
Santiago Botello
St. Francis De Sales
133/141
Chad Allen
Portage/Manchester
133
1st NC
Dan Bedoy
Bishop Noll/Purdue
165
SQ, 2nd IN
Dave Ballentine
Mishawaka/King College
197
4th IN
Derek Allen
Portage
141
Nick Head
Bloomington South
149
Andy St. Germain
Chesterton/Harper JC
141/149
SQ, 2nd IN
Torrence Calloway
Cedar Shoals, GA
285
Tommy Torres
Portage
133
Victor Villegas
Thornton Fractional, IL
141
Eric Oria
Merrillville
141
8th, 2nd IN
Artie Grubba
Romeoville, IL/Elmhurst College
197
SQ IL
Nick Samaro
Bloomington South
149
407Sean McMurray Commits to Michigan State
Two-time state champion Sean McMurray has announced that he will attend Michigan State University to wrestle next year. He will join former Mishawaka state champions Ian Hinton and Josh Harper on the Spartan squad. More will be coming later.
933Indiana Wrestlers at the Loras Open
By Mindy Mascaro
[caption id=attachment_1404" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Brandon Ward of Calumet College][/caption]
Several Indiana wrestlers opened up the 2009-2010 season by competing in the 2009 Loras Open on Saturday. Loras College is a Catholic Liberal Arts university with an enrollment of approximately 1600 students located on a scenic campus overlooking the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa. Loras is a Division III wrestling school, but the Open drew competitors from all three NCAA Divisions and the NAIA.
Gold Division (upperclassmen) results:
Redshirt sophomore Jamal Lawrence (Merrillville H.S., University of Northern Iowa, Div I) turned in the best results on the day of the wrestlers from Indiana, garnering a Championship at 149 lbs. Jamal started the day off with a first round bye, and in the second round wrestled Zach Wilson (Cornell, unattached), winning by 14-6 Major Decision. He then faced two UNI teammates one after another—defeating Aaron Senzee (UNI unattached) by a 7-3 Decision, and then Cole Zemple (UNI) in a close 7-6 Decision. His fifth and final match of the day for the Championship was against yet another UNI teammate: Trevor Kittleson, whom he defeated by 12-3 Major Decision. He had a 5-0 record on the day. As a team, UNI had the most champions at 4, with 3 other Panthers placing in the top 6.
Chris Mascaro (Carmel H.S., Coe College, Div III) has moved up to the 165 lb weight class for his sophomore season. Mascaro won his first match with a 10-7 Decision against Daniel Yuraitis (Hannibal LaGrange College), and in his second match defeated Michael Sandy (Wartburg College) in a 9-4 Decision. In the third round he lost a 12-4 Major Decision to two-time Division III All-American Josh Terrell (University of
[caption id=attachment_1406" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Jamal Lawrence of Northern Iowa][/caption]
Dubuque). In the wrestle-backs he then blanked Jason Nelson (Wartburg College) in an 8-0 Major Decision, and defeated Joe Hambleton (Cornell, unattached) by 3-5 Decision. With the tournament running late, the organizers decided to eliminate one wrestleback round, and so in his final match of the day, Mascaro dropped a 14-2 Major Decision to David Bonin to end up in 6th Place with a 4-2 overall record. Coe College had 2 Champions and 5 placers.
Andy St. Germain (Chesterton H.S., Calumet College, NAIA) wrestled at 141 lbs in the Gold Division in his first outing as a member of the Calumet Crimson Wave wrestling team. After a first round Bye, St. Germain faced Chad Garber (Coe College), winning by 14-5 Major Decision. He then lost by Fall (3:07) to Josh Kratovil (Harper College, unattached), and by Fall (2:08) to Alec Hoffman (UNI).
Brandon Ward (Hanover Central H.S., Calumet College) wrestled for the Crimson Wave in the Gold division at 149 lbs. After a first round Bye, he lost by a 16-1 Technical Fall (5:15) to Jason Taylor-Ohmes (Coe College), then dropped a 14-7 Decision to Johnny Siegel (Coe College).
Lance Surma (Munster H.S., Calumet College) wrestled at 157 lbs in the Gold division. He had a first round Bye, then faced Tiegen Podliska (Loras College), dropping the match in a close 3-2 Decision. After a third round Bye, Surma lost by Fall (4:11) to Chris Tims (Wartburg College).
Silver Division (Freshmen) results:
[caption id=attachment_1405" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Chris Mascaro of Coe College][/caption]
Anthony Nuzzo, (Portage H.S., Calumet College) wrestling at 141 lbs, lost his first round match to Mike Pulido (Loras College) by a 12-5 Dec. He then beat Alex Rostvet (Concordia Univ. NE) by 8-3 Decision, and defeated Chris Reed (Loras College) winning by 5-3 Decision. He lost his fourth round match to Matt Holmes (Loras College) by Fall (1:40).
In the 141 lb bracket, Nick Fouts (Crown Point H.S., Calumet College) won by Fall (6:49) over Abdul Adele (TCC), and in the second round won by 12-9 Decision over Chris Reed (Loras College). Fouts then lost by Fall (1:06) to Colton Schmitz (Truman State). In his fourth round match, he won over Cameron Wagner (Wartburg College) by forfeit, and lost to George Gulesian (Concordia Univ. NE) in a 15-1 Major Decision. Fouts finished in fourth place with a 3-2 record.
Nick Samaro, (Bloomington South H.S., Calumet College) wrestling unattached at 149 lbs, had a first round Bye, and then lost by Fall (4:50) to Brandon Starkev (Concordia Univ. NE). After a third round Bye, Samaro lost to Quinn McCullough (Loras College) by Fall (6:32).
David Balentine, 197 lbs, (Mishawaka H.S., Calumet College) had a first round Bye then dropped an 8-4 Decision to Alex Schwerdtfeger (Wartburg College). He then defeated Matt Regnier (Augustana College) by Fall (1:01) and lost to Joe Particelli (HCC) by Fall (4:57).
Wrestling unattached at 184 lbs, Cody Gregory (Perry Meridian H.S., Calumet College) dropped his first round match to Espen Fredriksen (Coe College) losing by Fall (1:24). He had a Bye in the second round, and then forfeited his third round match to Zach Haves (Truman State).
440Class of 2010 College Signings
Updated 7/1/2010
This is the section where you will find out where Indiana high school seniors will be going to college next year to wrestle. Good luck to these seniors as they take their skills to the next level.
New signings this week
Name
High School
College Choice
Projected Weight
James Caum
North Vernon
Wabash
285
Aaron Davis
Roncalli
Wabash
125
Marc Escobedo
Lake Central
Wabash
125/133
Holden Fudurich
Sullivan
Wabash
165
Chris Hurst
South Putnam
Wabash
285
Jose Perez
Crown Point
Wabash
133
Josh Sampson
New Washington
Wabash
141/149
Drew Songer
Southridge
Wabash
174
Von Wasson
New Castle
Wabash
157/165
Caleb Browner
Jeffersonville
Campbellsville
174
Terry Terrell
Bloomington South
Campbellsville
157/165
Jeremiah Oliver
Pike
Campbellsville
157/165
Quinten Brooks
Lawrence North
Campbellsville
165/174
Logun Taylor
Western
Southern Illinois Edwardsville
141/149
Victor Rodriguez
East Chicago Central
Calumet College of St. Joseph
133/141
Evan Floyd
Northwestern
Calumet College of St. Joseph
285
Zac McCray
Garrett
Trine
165
Shane Hendrickson
Elkhart Memorial
Trine
184/197
All of the signings
Name
High School
College Choice
Projected Weight
Shawn Miracle
Bloomington North
Blair Academy/West Point
133
Victor Rodriguez
East Chicago Central
Calumet College of St. Joseph
133/141
Evan Floyd
Northwestern
Calumet College of St. Joseph
285
Tony Lovejoy
Bishop Luers
Calumet College of St. Joseph
125
Al White
Mishawaka
Calumet College of St. Joseph
157/165
Anthony Hawkins
Crown Point
Calumet College of St. Joseph
125
Danny Bradley
Knox
Calumet College of St. Joseph
133
Caleb Browner
Jeffersonville
Campbellsville
174
Terry Terrell
Bloomington South
Campbellsville
157/165
Jeremiah Oliver
Pike
Campbellsville
157/165
Quinten Brooks
Lawrence North
Campbellsville
165/174
John Walker
Sullivan
The Citadel
133
Ryne Bell
South Newton
Harper Junior College
174
Anthony Napules
Merrillville
Harper Junior College
133
Korey Eck
Concordia
Indiana
285
Brandon Wright
Warren Central
Indiana
125
Cheney Dale
McCutcheon
Indiana
157
Darren Eads
Bloomington South
Indianapolis
197
Jake Jennings
New Palestine
Indianapolis
165
Taylor Scott
Heritage
Indianapolis
197
Paul Beck
Mishawka
Indianapolis
125
Evan Wooding
Mooresville
Indianapolis
285
Jeff Weiss
Heritage Hills
Indianapolis
174
Jacob Tonte
Perry Meridian
Indianapolis
157
Josh Williams
Warren Central
Indianapolis
141
Matt Milton
Center Grove
Indianapolis
141
Wade Theil
Fort Wayne North Side
Indianapolis
141
Zach Wimpleberg
Evansville Reitz
Lindsey Wilson
285
Michael Lovitt
Noblesville
Lindsey Wilson
133
Jason Pedigo
Zionsville
Manchester
285
Ross Janney
Yorktown
McKendree
285
Sean McMurray
Portage
Michigan State
157/165
Dylan Hall
Evansville Harrison
Missouri Valley
125
Zeke Lloyd
Marion
Mount St. Joe
157
Wayne Black
Pike
Mount St. Joe
133/141
Sammy Bennett
Anderson Highland
Northern Illinois
157
Caleb Smith
Princeton
Northern Michigan(USOEC)
74kg(163lbs)
Michael Duckworth
Union County
Ohio
174/184
Brock Norton
Carroll(Fort Wayne)
Purdue
133
Francisco Porras
Hobart
Purdue
141
Patrick Robinson
Hamilton Southeastern
Purdue
157
Brandon Nelsen
Lawrence North
Purdue
125
Alex Surma
Munster
Purdue
157
Ryan Stahl
Mishawaka
Purdue
157
Cameron Vlahos
Lafayette Harrison
Purdue
165
Braden Atwood
Delphi
Purdue
184
Logun Taylor
Western
Southern Illinois Edwardsville
141/149
John Petrov
Hanover Central
Southern Illinois Edwardsville
125
Cole Brandt
Avon
Southern Illinois Edwardsville
184
Zac McCray
Garrett
Trine
165
Shane Hendrickson
Elkhart Memorial
Trine
184/197
Isaac Krohn
John Glenn
Trine
149
Dalton Sparks
Peru
Trine
149
Bobby Perry
Bluffton
Wabash
125/133
Jimmy LaRowe
East Noble
Wabash
157
Dylan McBride
Crawfordsville
Wabash
197
James Caum
North Vernon
Wabash
285
Aaron Davis
Roncalli
Wabash
125
Marc Escobedo
Lake Central
Wabash
125/133
Holden Fudurich
Sullivan
Wabash
165
Chris Hurst
South Putnam
Wabash
285
Jose Perez
Crown Point
Wabash
133
Josh Sampson
New Washington
Wabash
141/149
Drew Songer
Southridge
Wabash
174
Von Wasson
New Castle
Wabash
157/165
Hunter Osenbaugh
Howe Military
Waldorf College
125
If you have a college signing to announce, email me at Joe@Indianamat.com to have it posted.
471Wabash College Announces 2010 Recruiting Class
From Wabash Athletics
Wabash College head coach Brian Anderson has announced the addition of nineteen student-athletes who will join the Little Giants wrestling program in the fall. The nineteen wrestlers come from seven different states with the majority coming from Indiana. This class of freshmen coming in will provide depth from top to bottom. 7 out of the 19 wrestlers competed at their state tournament at least once, with another 9 of them falling in the state qualifying tournament. On top of the athletic accomplishments of these individuals, this class comes in with an average grade point average of 3.41.
Wabash started seven underclassmen this past season with four of those being freshman. The 2009-2010 team finished 11-4 in duals and had two individuals at the national tournament. This incoming class will make a strong impact on the program over the next four years that will take Wabash to new heights. The youth of this team will be able to look to a number of different upper classmen who are getting it done in the classroom and on the mats.
Kahlil Carazo Roanoke, VA 125 State Champ/3x Placer (4th, 2nd, 1st)
James Caum North Vernon, IN 285 2x Semi-State Qualifier
Aaron Davis Indianapolis, IN 125 2x Semi-State Qualifier
Marc Escobedo Schererville, IN 125/ 133 2x Semi-State Qualifier
Jordan Fenton Findlay, OH 165 2x District Qualifier
Holden Fudurich Sullivan, IN 165 2x State Qualifier
Chris Hurst S. Putnam, IN 285 Semi-State Qualifier
Jimmy LaRowe Churubusco, IN 157 2x State Qualifier (7th)
Dylan McBride Crawfordsville, IN 197 2x State Qualifier (6th)
Jose Perez Crown Point, IN 133
Bobby Perry Bluffton, IN 133 2x Semi-State Qualifier
Josh Sampson Charlestown, IN 141/ 149 State Placer (7th)
Charles Smothers Jackson Co, GA 184 2x State Qualifier (2nd)
Drew Songer Huntingburg, IN 174 2x Semi-State Qualifier
Dalton Stanley Topeka, KS 165/174 3x State Qualifier (5th, 3rd)
Andrew Stegelman Goshen, IN 149 Semi-State Qualifier
Justin Taylor Pike Road, AL 141
Von Wasson New Castle, IN 157/ 165 2x Semi-State Qualifier
Patrick Williams Baroda, MI 197
734NCAA Results for Indiana Wrestlers
Division I
125lbs Camden Eppert- Purdue- Anderson Highland
Loss by decision 11-9 Ryan Mango- Stanford
Loss by decision 4-0 Adam Bartelli- Boise State
149lbs Kurt Kinser- Indiana- Bloomington South
Win by decision 4-2 Kyle Bradley- Missouri
Loss by decision 3-2 Mario Mason- Rutgers
Loss by decision 3-2 Donnie Corby- Central Michigan
157lbs Paul Young- Indiana- Bloomington South
Win by decision Donnie Tasser- Pittsburgh 5-2
Win by decision Jesse Dong- Virginia Tech 9-4
Loss by decision Bubba Jenkins- Arizona State 4-3
Loss by decision Walter Peppleman- Harvard 6-4
157lbs Sean McMurray- Michigan State- Portage
Loss by decision James Flemming- Clarion 5-0
Loss by decision Bryan Deutsch- Northern Illinois 5-0
157lbs Bryan Deutsch- Northern Illinois- Columbia City
Loss by pin Corey Mock- North Carolina 6:39
Win by decision Sean McMurray- Michigan State 5-0
Win by decision Chase Nelson- Oklahoma 9-5
Loss by decision David Bonin- Northern Iowa 8-4
165lbs Andrew Howe- Wisconsin- Hanover Central
All American 3rd Place
Win by decision Ryan DesRoches- Cal Polly 4-1
Win by decision Brandon Hatchett- Lehigh 6-1
Win by decision Shane Onufer- Wyoming 4-1
Loss by decision Tyler Caldwell- Oklahoma 2-2 TB
Win by decision Josh Asper- Maryland 3-1
Win by decision Colt Sponseller- Ohio State 6-4
197lbs Matt Powless- Indiana- Evansville Memorial
All American 8th Place
Win by major decision LJ Helbig- Wyoming
Win by decision Sonny Yohn- Minnesota
Loss by pin Cam Simaz- Cornell 2:20
Win by decision Joseph Kennedy- Lehigh 3-2
Loss by major decision Luke Lofthouse- Iowa 10-1
Loss by decision Sonny Yohn- Minnesota 5-2
Division II
141lbs Matt Irwin- Indianapolis- Bellmont
All American 6th Place
Win by decision 9-6 Jimmy Savala- Chadron State
Win by decision 3-2 Jack Bachman- Pitt Johnstown
Loss by decision 5-3 Mario Morgan- Nebraska Omaha
Loss by decision 4-2 Gabriel Suarez- St. Cloud State
Loss by decision 6-0 Naveed Bagheri- San Fransico State
149lbs Nick Walpole- Indianapolis- Perry Meridian
National Champion
Win by fall 1:53Â Brendon Parker-Risk- North Carolina Pembroke
Win by decision 5-3 Kenny Jordan- Adams State
Win by fall 5:57 Mitchell Means- Fort Hayes State
Win by decision 4-2 TJ Hepburn- Nebraska Kearney
184lbs Casey Bradley- Limestone- Muncie South
All American 8th Place
Win by decision 2-1Â Brady Anderson- Mary
Loss by decision 5-0 Charlie Pipher- Western State
Win by pin 1:17 Andrew Brentzel- Pitt Johnstown
Loss by decision 8-3 Mitchell Schultz- Upper Iowa
Loss by decision 6-5 Ryan Becerra- Grand Canyon
Division III
149lbs Cameryn Brady- Manchester College- Lowell High School
Loss by decision 4-1Â Isaiah Britton- Lycoming
Win by decision 9-3 Martin Bell- Merchant Marine
Loss by major decision 13-0 James Locke- Coe
Others with Indiana ties
Division I
Indiana
285lbs Ricky Alcala
All American 6th Place
Win by decision Spencer Myers- Maryland 9-7
Loss by decision Jarod Trice- Central Michigan 3-2
Win by decision JT Felix- Boise State 4-2
Win by decision Dominick Russo- Rutgers 9-7
Win by decision Cameron Wade- Penn State 4-2
Win by decision Levi Cooper- Arizona State 4-3
Loss by decision Jarod Trice- Central Michigan 3-2
Win by decision Spencer Myers- Maryland 5-4
Purdue
157lbs Colton Salazar
Win by major decision Aaron Sulzer- Eastern Michigan 13-4
Loss by decision Adam Hall- Boise State 6-2
Loss by decision Frank HIckman- Bloomsburg 6-4
174lbs Luke Manuel
Win by decision Ryan Patrovich- Hofstra 5-2
Loss by major decision Jon Reader- Iowa State 13-0
Win by decision Alex Caruso- Rutgers 3-1
Win by decision Hunter Meys- Boston 4-0
Loss by decision Ed Ruth- Penn State 7-6
184lbs AJÂ Kissel
Loss by pin Joe LeBlanc- Wyoming 6:41
Loss by decision Austin Trotman- Appalacian State 7-4
197lbs Logan Brown
Win by major decision Shawn Fendone- Edinboro 13-4
Loss by decision Zac Thomusseit- Pittsburg 3-2
Loss by decision Brent Haynes- Missouri 9-6
Division III
Trine
157lbs Elias Larson
All American 3rd Place
Win by decision 5-3 Eduardo Delgado- Hunter College
Loss by decision 6-1 Carrington Banks- Wartburg
Win by pin 2:18 Derek Brenon- Ithaca
Win by decision 5-1 Jesse Harringont- Delaware Valley
Win by fall 2:03 Justin Berns- Concordia Morehead
Win by decision 4-1 Carrington Banks- Wartburg
197lbs Alex Fleet
Loss by major decision 11-3 Byron Tate- Wartburg
Loss by decision 2-0 Sam Johnson- Dubuque
Wabash
184lbs Greg Rhoads
All American 8th Place
Loss by decision 7-3 Ben Engelland- Wisconsin Stevens Point
Win by fall 2:41 Mitch Artist- Wisconsin LaCrosse
Win by decision 10-4 Dylan Azinger- Wartburg
Loss by decision 6-2 Dustin Baxter- St Johns
Loss by decision 9-5 Josef Rau- Elmhurst
448Indiana Announces 2011 Recruiting Class
Wrestling Signs 10 for the 2011-12 Class
http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/050311aaa.html
May 3, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Head Wrestling Coach Duane Goldman and his staff have bolstered the 2011-12 roster, signing 10 future Hoosiers to national letters of intent. The group has wrestlers from six different states, including four native Hoosiers from the state of Indiana.
The 2011-12 signing class owns a combined four state championships and 10 state place finishes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIGNEES AT A GLANCE
JOSH JULIEN • 125 lbs.
Lebanon High School (Indiana) ... placed sixth in the 2010 state championships ... semi-state qualifier ... career record of 130-28.
NICK SIMPSION • 125 lbs.
Clermont Northeastern High School (Ohio) ... placed third at the 2011 state championships.
BOB MEYERS • 125/133 lbs.
Radnor High School (Pennsylvania) ... Owner of a 104-14 career record.
CHRIS KERWIN • 133/141 lbs.
Sycamore High School (Illinois) ... 2010 state place winner.
ERIC ROACH • 149 lbs.
Crown Point High School (Indiana) ... ranked seventh nationally at 145 pounds ... two-time state champion ... 2010 Flonationals champion.
TERNER GOTT • 149 lbs.
Ostego High School (Michigan) ... placed third at the state championships.
LUKE SHERIDAN • 184 lbs.
De La Salle High School (California) ... ranked 12th nationally at 189 pounds ... a three-time state place winner ... a 2010 Junior National champion ... third-place showing at the Senior Nationals.
GARRET GOLDMAN • 197 lbs.
Bloomington High School North (Indiana) ... ranked 15th nationally at 189 pounds ... won the 2011 state championship with a record of 40-1 ... a Super 32 place winner.
ADAM CHALFANT • 285 lbs.
Harper Community College (Illinois) ... won the Indiana state championship in 2009 ... placed third at the JUCO Nationals.
CLAYTON CHABERSKI • 285 lbs.
Genoa-Kingston High School (Illinois) ... runner-up at the 2010 state championships.
1240Indiana Tech Announces Inaugural Recruiting Class
Indiana Tech Warrior head coach Mike Ester has released the recruiting class for the first season of Indiana Tech wrestling. The class is very impressive with many state placers from not only Indiana, but Michigan, Georgia and Florida. The first Warrior team will also benefit from transfers from Lincoln Junior College(Illinois), Darton Community College(Georgia), Muskegon Community College(Michigan), Trine University and Calumet College of St. Joe.Â
125#
FR-Nico Hensley: Angola HS, IN
FR-Conner Hughes: Portage, MI (Northern HS)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *MHSAA DII- SQ, 7th, SQ, 7th
FR-Kristopher McKinley: Ft. Wayne, IN (Northrop HS)
FR-Andre Sanders: Farmington Hills, MI (Harrison HS)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *MHSAA DI- SQ, 7th
FR-Preston Wilson: Whiteland HS, IN
FR-Lucas Willms: Fremont HS, IN
FR-Brett Yarbrough: McDonough, GA (Henry Co, HS)Â Â Â Â Â Â *GHSAA DIII - 2nd, 1st.
The 125lbs weight class is highlighted by Georgia State Champion Brett Yarbrough, who also finished as a runner-up one time. Two Michigan standouts in Conner Hughes and Andre Sanders are also the front runners to start at this weight.
133#
FR-Travis Barroquillo: Wolcotville, IN (Prarie Heights, HS)Â Â Â Â Â *IHSAA- 7th,SQ,3rd
FR-Jordan Bosma: Hesperia HS, MIÂ Â Â Â Â *MHSAA D IV- 4th, 1st, 4th
S0-Jarrard Edwards:Â South Bend, IN (Washington, HS)Â Â Â Â *Transfer from Muskegon CC
FR-Montana Gipson: Indianapolis, IN (Avon, HS)
FR-Matt Simmons: Angola HS, IN
The 133lbs weight class also has a state champion in Jordan Bosma of Michigan. He will be pushed by the first ever Indiana Tech wrestler, Travis Barroquillo.Â
141#
FR-T.J. Burnfield: Berne, IN (South Adams HS)Â Â Â Â *IHSAA SQ
SO-Adam Fahs: Portage, MI (Central HS)Â Â Â Â Â Â *Transfer from Trine U.
FR-Alex Gregory: South Bend, IN (Penn HS)Â Â Â Â Â *IHSAA- 4th, SQ, 4th
FR-Kyle King: Bluffton HS, IN
FR-Andrew Syndram: New Haven HS, IN
FR-Lukas Wygant: Huntington, IN (Huntington North HS)
At 141lbs the Warriors will have transfer Adam Fahs and Alex Gregory as the top contenders. Fahs is a former 4th place finisher in Michigan and Gregory has two 4th place finishes in Indiana to his credit.
149#
JR-Kafuba Donzon: Albany, GA (Rockdale Co. HS)Â Â Â Â Â *Transfer from Darton CC
FR-Dyllan Derrickson: Portland, IN (Jay County HS)Â Â Â Â Â
FR-(149/157#) Josh Ehr: Geneva, IN (South Adams HS)Â Â Â Â *IHSAA SQ, SQ
FR-Tiandre Edwards:Â Indianapolis, IN (North Central HS)
FR-Drake Meska: Dunkirk, INÂ (Jay County HS)Â Â Â Â Â Â *IHSAA SQ
FR-Timothy Scott: Detroit, MI (Highland Park HS)Â Â *MHSAA DI SQ;
FR-(149/157#) Isaac Yoder: West Mentone, IN (Tippecanoe Valley HS)Â Â Â *IHSAA SQ
This weight class features four state qualifiers and one transfer. Kafuba Donzon will venture from Georgia to Fort Wayne after attending Darton CC and finishing last year with a 17-4 record. The state qualifiers include Josh Ehr, Drake Meska and Isaac Yoder from Indiana and Timothy Scott from Michigan.
157#
JR-(157/165# James Bennett: Bowden, GA (Carrolltown, HS) *Transfer from Darton CC
FR-Quaylan Boone: Ft. Wayne, IN (Snider HS)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *IHSAA SQ, 7TH
FR-Sean Johnson: Ft. Wayne, IN (North Side HS)
JR-Kyle Long: South Bend, IN (Washington HS)Â Â Â Â Â *Transfer from Trine U.
FR-Reece Lefever: Ft. Wayne, IN (Carroll HS)Â Â Â Â Â *IHSAA SQ, 3RD
At 157lbs the Warriors will have two transfers and two former Indiana state placers in the mix. James Bennett will be coming from Darton CC where he had a 13-9 record last year. Kyle Long will be getting back on the mat after taking last year off, as a sophomore he was 34-9 for the Trine Thunder. Former Snider wrestler Quaylan Boone will be rejoining his high school coach after graduating in 2004. Last, but not least Reece Lefever who finished 3rd in Indiana this past season will look to be in the mix for the starting spot.
165#
FR-Adam Bonner: Rockford, MI (Greenville, HS)Â Â Â Â Â Â *MHSAA D2- 8TH, 2ND, 2ND
FR-Dominic Diaz: Davison HS, MI
(165/174#) Ladarious Jackson: New Port Richey, FL (Gulf HS)Â Â Â *FHSAA DIII- SQ, 1ST, 1ST
FR-Conner Lefever: Ft. Wayne, IN (Carroll HS)Â Â Â Â Â *IHSAA 8TH, 4TH
JR/SO-(165/174)Caleb Norville: Mishawaka HS, INÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â *Transfer from Trine U.
SO-Dalton Sparks: Peru HS, INÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *Transfer from Trine U.
This could be one of the most competitive weights in the Tech room with a two-time state champ, two-time state runner-up, two-time state placer and two transfers in the mix. Ladarious Jackson of Florida was a two-time state champion and also comes to Indiana with a very inspiring story(click here for information). Add to the mix Adam Bonner of Michigan who has finished second to 2012 top recruit Taylor Massa the past two years. The Warriors will also have the benefit of two Trine transfers in Dalton Sparks and Caleb Norville. Conner Lefever will make the short drive from Huntertown to round out this weight class.
174#
FR-Jeff Enrietto: Ft. Wayne, IN (Carroll HS)Â Â Â Â Â *IHSAA SQ
JR-Kelvin Jordan: Albany, GA (Bibb Co. HS)    *Transfer from Darton CC
FR-Michael Smith: Indianapolis, IN (North Central HS)Â Â Â Â Â *IHSAA SQ, SQ, 5TH
This weight class looks small compared to the others, but a couple of the 165lbers could make their way to this list. Kelvin Jordan is yet another transfer from Darton CC, he finished with a 5-7 record last year. Indiana state placer Michael Smith will be battling for the top spot here along with state qualifier Jeff Enrietto.
184#
SO-Dustin Boyd: Mishawaka HS, INÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *Transfer Calumet College St. Joe
FR-Jedidiah Bressman: Powell, OH (Worthington Kilbourne HS)
FR- (184/197) Jeremy Haskett: Indianapolis, IN (Lawerence North HS)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *IHSAA SQ
FR- (184/197) Jarrad Labelle: Davison HS, MIÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *MHSAA DI-SQ, 4TH SQ
Fr- Tanner Martin: Ft. Wayne, IN (Snider HS)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *IHSAA SQ
FR- Joshua Morgan: Maconaqua HS, IN
This weight looks to be extremely competitive with three state qualifiers and a transfer in the mix. Dustin Boyd will be coming over from Calumet College of St. Joe. Jarrad Labelle will be heading south from Michigan powerhouse Davidson after finishing in 4th place there. Also in the mix will be former Snider wrestler Tanner Martin and Jeremy Haskett of Lawrence North.
197#
FR-Brandon Bisping: Cedar Lake, IN (Hanover Central HS)
FR-Ashton Brierly: Columbus IN (Columbus East HS)
FR-Carlos Harbin: Detroit, MI (Highland Park HS)Â Â Â Â Â Â *MHSAA DI-SQ
FR-Moe Talamantes: Ft. Wayne, IN (Northrop HS)
Just like 174lbs, this weight could feature a few of the 184lbers. Leading the way here is Carlos Harbin who was a state qualifier in Michigan’s big school division.
285#
FR-Nick Cooper: Huntington, IN (Huntington North HS)Â Â Â Â Â *IHSAA SQ
JR-Andre Dunn: Kewanee, HSÂ Â Â Â Â Â *Transfer from Lincoln CC
Only two heavyweights will be on the roster this year, but they will be tough ones to handle. Nick Cooper qualified for state as a junior, but did not get to step on the mat as a senior due to a football injury. Andre Dunn will don the orange and black after compiling a 27-11 record at Lincoln CC last year.
1015Joe Gilbert Hired at Calumet College
The Athletic Department of Calumet College of St. Joseph proudly announces the hiring of Joseph Gilbert as the new head coach for the Crimson Wave wrestling program. Gilbert, a Chicagoland native, was a four-time Illinois high school AA state champion at Andrew High School during the late 1980’s. The Illinois high school standout took his grappling skills to the University of Michigan where he achieved Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1990. He we go on to become a two-time NCAA Division-I All-American at 134 pounds during his sophomore (3 rd place) and junior (6 th place) year as a Wolverine at Michigan. In 1995 Gilbert finished his collegiate career as a Bronco at Boise State University and qualified for the NCAA championship for the fourth time at 150 pounds. Gilbert eared his bachelor’s in Communication while at BSU.
“We have identified another quality head wrestling coach for our Crimson Wave program who will lead out student-athletes to accomplish more success on the mat and in the classroom,†states Athletic Director Peter Haze Haring. “Joe will provide excellent instruction, solid leadership and a strong work ethic as he builds the wrestling program into a national contending team. We are excited to have someone of Joe’s caliber part our of Crimson Wave family.â€
Gilbert’s coaching career began as an assistant coach for the University of Chicago before becoming the head coach at Oak Lawn Community High School. His most recent head coaching position was at Marian Catholic High School where he led the Knights program for the past six seasons and rebuilt the boys wrestling team into a top ten program in Illinois.
Gilbert says enthusiastically, “I have always wanted to coach at the collegiate level even while I was competing. I think the NAIA is a good fit for my coaching style and CCSJ is a great fit being in Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland. We have some of the strongest wrestlers in the country in this area.â€
The sport of wrestling for Gilbert spilt into the mixed martial arts arena where he acquired a 2-3 overall record. The mixed martial arts competitor’s most prolific fight occurred during UFC 31 against B.J. Penn former UFC Lightweight Champion. Currently Joe and his brother, Danny, own and operate the Gilbert Grappling –G2 Training Center located in Country Club Hills, IL. The center’s mission is to provide a quality wrestling training environment for youth and adult students.
“Starting day one my first priority is to set a winning tone and positive attitude.†Gilbert goes on to say, “The guys have to realize right away that I am here for them and CCSJ is here for them, that we are all in this together.â€
467Class of 2011 College Signings
Updated 10/26/2011
This is the section where you will find out where Indiana high school seniors will be going to college next year to wrestle. Good luck to these seniors as they take their skills to the next level.
New signings this week
Name
High School
College Choice
Projected Weight
Grant Anglemyer
Penn
Manchester
149/157
Tyler Chapple
Penn
Concordia College
125
Sarah HIldebrandt
Penn
King College
116
Michael Hummer
Penn
Ashland
157
Mitchell Judkins
Speedway
Lindsay Wilson
174
Dustin Parrish
Plainfield
INdianapolis
Kaleb Head
Cascade
Indianapolis
Spencer Blatz
Brownsburg
Manchester
Duell Ginter
Brownsburg
Manchester
Travis Yoakum
Delphi
Manchester
Josh Mitchell
Heritage
Manchester
285
Justin Zienta
Fremont
Manchester
Mike Achenbauch
Anderson
Manchester
Drew Miller
Rossville
Manchester
Ryan Gossett
Ben Davis
Manchester
Ryley Hankenson
Bellmont
Manchester
All of the signings
Name
High School
College Choice
Projected Weight
Michael Hummer
Penn
Ashland
157
Jack Seaman
Munster
Augustana(IL)
285
Alex Bowers
Noblesville
Augustana(IL)
149/157
Eric Johnson
Highland
Calument College of St. Joseph
184
Rich Pennington
River Foreest
Calument College of St. Joseph
184
Tyran Claypool
Indianapolis Northwest
Calument College of St. Joseph
149/157
Javiar Avalos
Merrillville
Calument College of St. Joseph
149
Chris Pajdzik
Hammond Gavit
Calument College of St. Joseph
141
Zack Johansen
Hobart
Calument College of St. Joseph
133
Colten Bridges
Bloomington South
Central Missouri
197
Robert Stewart
Owen Valley
Central Missouri
141
Brandon Preston
Logansport
Central College(IA)
125
Ryley Hankenson
Bellmont
University of Chicago
174
John Sims
Evansville Mater Dei
Cleveland State
157
Tyler Chapple
Penn
Concordia College
125
Derek Lunsford
Pike Central
Cumberland
149
Josh Jullian
Lebanon
Indiana
125
Garret Goldman
Bloomington North
Indiana
197
Eric Roach
Crown Point
Indiana
149
Drake Meska
Jay County
Indiana Tech
149
Jeff Enrietto
Carroll(Fort Wayne)
Indiana Tech
174
Reece Lefever
Carroll(Fort Wayne)
Indiana Tech
157
Conner Lefever
Carroll(Fort Wayne)
Indiana Tech
165
Josh Ehr
South Adams
Indiana Tech
149/157
Ashton Brierly
Columbus East
Indiana Tech
174
Josh Morgan
Maconaquah
Indiana Tech
184
Travis Barroquillo
Prairie Heights
Indiana Tech
133
Alex Gregory
Penn
Indiana Tech
141
Lucas Willms
Fremont
Indiana Tech
125
Kris McKinley
Northrop
Indiana Tech
125
Nico Hensley
Angola
Indiana Tech
125
Matt Simmons
Angola
Indiana Tech
133
TJ Burnfield
South Adams
Indiana Tech
141
Tiandre Edwards
North Central(Indianapolis)
Indiana Tech
141
Montana Gipson
Avon
Indiana Tech
141
Kyle King
Bluffton
Indiana Tech
141/149
Andrew Syndram
New Haven
Indiana Tech
149
Isaac Yoder
Tippacanoe Valley
Indiana Tech
149/157
Lukas Wygant
Huntington North
Indiana Tech
157
Jeremy Haskett
Lawrence North
Indiana Tech
184
Nick Cooper
Huntington North
Indiana Tech
285
Josh Kieffer
Roncalli
Indianapolis
133
Justin Kieffer
Roncalli
Indianapolis
141
Aaron Stevenson
Indian Creek
Indianapolis
197
Baron Rieker
Columbus East
Indianapolis
125
Dustin Parrish
Plainfield
Indianapolis
Kaleb Head
Cascade
Indianapolis
Sarah HIldebrandt
Penn
King College
116
Mitchell Judkins
Speedway
Lindsay Wilson
174
Ethan Raley
Indian Creek
Lincoln
133
Brady White
Westfield
Luther
149/157
Garth Simpson
Rochester
Manchester
125
Spencer Blatz
Brownsburg
Manchester
Duell Ginter
Brownsburg
Manchester
Travis Yoakum
Delphi
Manchester
Josh Mitchell
Heritage
Manchester
285
Justin Zienta
Fremont
Manchester
Mike Achenbauch
Anderson
Manchester
Drew Miller
Rossville
Manchester
Ryan Gossett
Ben Davis
Manchester
Ryley Hankenson
Bellmont
Manchester
Grant Anglemyer
Penn
Manchester
149/157
Mark Collett
Jennings County
Manchester
285
Spencer Blatz
Brownsburg
Manchester College
Â
Kris Workman
Taylor
Newman University
133
Jackson Bratcher
Eastbrook
Northern Illinois
174
Demi Strub
East Central
Oklahoma City
63/67kg
Derek Dowdy
Evansville Reitz
Rend Lake
133
Luke Schroeder
Southwestern
Purdue
125
Chad Welch
Castle
Purdue
149
Doug Welch
Castle
Purdue
157
Drake Stein
Princeton
Purdue
184
Alex Corbin
Carmel
Southern Maine
197/285
Scott Ammons
Northfield
Triton College
197
Cody Strange
John Glenn
West Point
157
Dustin Kief
Franklin Community
St. Cloud State
125
Matt Madden
Fishers
Valley Forge Military College
133/141
Patrick Parham
Carmel
Wabash
125
Logan Cooper
Perry Meridian
Wabash
197
Tommy Poynter
Dekalb
Wabash
125
Colin Downey
Huntington North
Wabash
141
Collin Crume
Jimtown
Wisconsin Parkside
133
LaQuan Lunford
South Bend Clay
Wisconsin Parkside
149
Montrail Johnson
Tri Central
Wisconsin Parkside
157
If you have a college signing to announce, email me at Joe@Indianamat.com to have it posted.
1091Indiana Tech Dominates First Ever Match
Mike Ester and the Indiana Tech Warriors set the tone early and didn’t let up in the first match in the school’s history. The Warriors defeated the third ranked Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders 29-18 in front of a standing room only crowd at the Warrior Athletic Complex. The night started and ended almost identically, both literally and figuratively with the Lefever twins on the receiving ends of forfeits. In between those forfeits was some great wrestling that had the crowd on their feet the whole time.
South Bend native Kyle Long started the night out on fire defeating #6 ranked Harrison Courtney 12-0. In the only battle of two ranked opponents Long dominated from start to finish. Five point moves in the first and second period set the tone as Long never seemed to be in any trouble throughout the match. At 174lbs Kafuba Donzon, a JUCO transfer from Darton Community College(Georgia), put on a takedown clinic getting seven takedowns en route to a 17-8 major decision victory. The win pushed the Warrior lead to 14-0.
After taking several years off of school and wrestling Fort Wayne’s own Tanner Martin put on a show at 184lbs. The former Snider state qualifier did not look rusty as he defeated James Haywood 19-8 in a wild match that featured many upper body throws and Tanner Martin double legs. The Warriors suffered their first defeat at 197lbs when former Mishawaka Caveman Dustin Boyd lost 7-2 to #7 Jacob Bradford. Boyd made things interesting in the third period when he took Bradford down early, but he could not get the much needed points to overcome the early deficit. The heavyweight match did not go Indiana Tech’s way as Derek Nickel lat dropped Andre Dunn early and picked up the fall 1:01 into the match.
Connor Hughes of Indiana Tech faced #9 Myron Bradbury of Lindsey Wilson at 125lbs. Hughes and Bradbury were knotted at two entering the third period, but an escape and takedown by Bradbury sealed the 5-2 victory for the Blue Raider. The most dominant performance came at 133lbs when former Prairie Heights Panther Travis Barroquillo defeated #9 ranked Keith Klink by a 16-1 tech fall. Barroquillo led 4-0 entering the third period, but put on a show by putting Klink to him back from his feet twice to get the much needed tech fall. With the win, the Warriors were ahead 23-12 with two matches left.
The last two matches were anti-climatic as Indiana Tech freshman Adam Fahs was forced to default his match late into the first period due to a shoulder injury. At 149lbs, former Carroll Charger Reece Lefever rounded out the meet accepting a forfeit.
The night was quite special as it was the first ever college wrestling match in Fort Wayne and the Warriors put on quite a show. The standing room only crowd was loud and boisterous, which surely fueled the already fired up Warrior wrestlers. The Warriors utilized great conditioning to break their opponents in the third period and were very impressive. Look for the Warriors to make quite an impact this year and over the next few years.
125- #9 Myron Bradbury(LW) decision Connor Hughes 5-2
133- Travis Barroquillo(IT) tech fall #9 Kieth Klink 15-0
141- #6 DaMonte Riley(LW) Injury Default Adam Fahs
149- Reece Lefever(IT) Forfeit
157- Conner Lefever(IT) Forfeit
165- #11 Kyle Long(IT) major decision #6 Harrison Courtney 12-0
174- Kafuba Donzon(IT) major decision Aaron Back 17-8
184- Tanner Martin(IT) major decision James Haywood 19-8
197- #7 Jacob Bradford(LW) decision Dustin Boyd 7-2
285- Derek Nickel(LW) pin Andre Dunn 1:01
Final Score 29-18 Indiana Tech
407Tsirtsis Commits to Wrestle for Northwestern
IndianaMat.com has learned that Crown Point Bulldog and #1 ranked Jason Tsirtsis has verbally committed to continue his wrestling career at Northwestern University. In the end the decision was between Northwestern and Oklahoma State. Tsirtsis cited Northwestern's great academics and proximity to home as key reasons for the decision.Â
Even before the beginning of his senior year, Tsirtsis has left quite a mark on Indiana wrestling. He will be gunning for his fourth state title to join very exclusive company. Added to his in-state success is numerous national accolades including a Junior National Freestyle championship this summer. He has also placed highly at the FILA Junior Freestyle championships defeating many collegiate freshmen and sophomores in the process. Look for him to have an immediate impact at Northwestern.
Congratulations to Jason and best of luck pursuing an NCAA championship.
435No. 17 Purdue Wrestling to Host Indiana on Monday
No. 17 Purdue Wrestling to Host Indiana on Monday
Purdue looks to earn its third straight win over Indiana on Monday.\
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The 17th-ranked Purdue wrestling team looks to wrap up the 2013 Big Ten dual season in grand fashion as they host archrival Indiana on Monday in Holloway Gymnasium at 6:30 p.m. The Boilermakers look for their first winning conference dual mark in 15 years as they enter the match at 13-5 overall and 4-3 in Big Ten duals, while Indiana is just 6-8 (0-6 Big Ten).
With last week’s three match sweep of Wisconsin, Northwestern and Michigan, the Boilermakers have already hit several historical marks this season. The Boilermakers’ 13 dual wins and four Big Ten dual victories are their most since 2004, and their highest totals under sixth-year head coach Scott Hinkel. Their three-match conference win streak is their longest since 2003, and a win over Indiana on Monday would mark their first winning conference record and their longest conference win streak since 1998.
“We’re on a great run right now, but we have to keep our foot on the gas,†said Hinkel. “We had three great matches last week, and now our focus is on beating Indiana and continuing our pursuit of our goals. We have to keep doing it one match at a time.â€
Several individuals have been instrumental in the Boilermakers’ three-dual win streak, but none more so than sophomores Brandon Nelsen and Patrick Kissel. Nelsen and Kissel are undefeated in their last three contests, each scoring bonus points in two of the three bouts. Nelsen came up with a clutch fall in the 22-14 win over Wisconsin, in addition to a huge 12-0 major decision over Michigan’s Camryn Jackson to secure the dual-winning bonus point, while Kissel had major decisions in the wins over Wisconsin and Northwestern, as well as a late takedown to seal a 4-3 win over Michigan’s Chris Heald last Sunday.
“Brandon and Patrick have really come on strong for us this season and are taking care of business,†said Hinkel. “It’s great when guys are consistently winning in your lineup, but when they’re getting bonus points it’s huge. Those are the difference between wins and losses for the team.â€
Junior captain Cashé Quiroga returned to the lineup last weekend after a month layoff, earning a pair of key victories at Northwestern and at home against Michigan. Quiroga is 6-1 on the year at 133 pounds with a trio of Big Ten dual wins, looking to finish the season strong and earn a bid to his third NCAA Championship.
“Getting Cashé back in the lineup is big for our team,†said Hinkel. “Aside from the talent he brings to his individual match and results, he’s a sparkplug for the rest of our guys. He competes with a very high energy level and that’s contagious.â€
The Hoosiers come to West Lafayette in search of their first Big Ten win of the season, having dealt with a tough year of injuries in their starting lineup. They’ve been without starters at 133, 141, 165 and 197 pounds through parts of the season, and the entire year in some cases. The highlights of the Indiana lineup remain at 157 and 285 pounds, where sophomore Taylor Walsh and junior Adam Chalfant have put together outstanding seasons. Walsh is 26-6 this season at 157 pounds, good for a top-15 ranking nationally, while Chalfant is 20-6 at heavyweight, also claiming a spot inside the national top-15 in a brutal Big Ten weight class.
Monday’s match will feature a series of specials and promotions, including buy one, get one free tickets and an honorary captain appearance by Purdue University president Mitch Daniels. The match will air live on the Big Ten Network, marking the Boilermakers’ only live television appearance of the season. Tickets for the dual are $5 for adults and $2 for youth, with groups of 15 or more gaining admission for $1 per person, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. Following tradition of the last home dual of the season, Boilermaker seniors Tommy Churchard, Jake Fleckenstein and Ivan Lopouchanski will all be honored before the dual in a presentation starting at approximately 6 p.m. Doors to Holloway Gymnasium will open at 5:30 p.m.
401Lefever Named D3wrestle.com Freshman of the Year
Brent Harris
Riley Lefever continues to add accolades to his resume, earning Freshman of the Year honors for 2014 from d3wrestle.com.
Lefever was named to the website's All-Freshman team at 184 pounds. He was the only first year to win a national title — the first national champion in the history of the Wabash wrestling program. He scored a takedown in the closing seconds of overtime to defeat 2013 national runner-up Brian Broderick from The College of New Jersey in the championship round to earn the title. In addition, Lefever finished the season with a spotless 41-0 record.
Lefever also finished tied for eighth in the InterMat Freshman of the Year voting. The award is presented to the best college freshman among NCAA Divisions I, II, and III based upon balloting by ten writers and executives of InterMatWrestle.com. Lefever joined ten other rookie wrestlers who received at least one vote on the ballot.
Jason Tsirtsis, a Crown Point, Indiana native and 149-pounder for Northwestern University, was named the website's top overall freshman. Tsirtsis finished the year with an overall record of 32-3 while capturing NCAA Division I and Big Ten championship titles in his first season. He received five of the ten available first-place votes.
Lefever was the only Division III freshman to receive votes in InterMatWrestle.com balloting.
"It's an awesome honor to get recognized by d3wrestle.com and InterMatWrestle.com," Lefever said. "Being recognized with fellow Indiana native and NCAA Division I national champion Jason Tsirtsis is a tremendous accomplishment. He was one of the wrestlers I looked up to while I was competing in high school. To be on the same list makes me feel like I'm heading in the right direction as a student-athlete."
"This is icing on the cake for Riley to not only be named the Division III Freshman of the Year, but to be recognized as one of the best freshmen wrestlers across all divisions," Wabash head coach Brian Anderson said. "The way in which Riley approached all phases of his life the entire year definitely enabled him to enjoy the success he did and achieve such high accolades."
Lefever was part of a school-record six national qualifiers at the DIII Wrestling Championships for Wabash. The Little Giant team earned a ninth-place finish for its best effort in 19 trips to nationals. Reece Lefever, Riley's older brother, added his second All-America award in as many years with a fourth-place finish at 157 pounds. Reece finished seventh as a sophomore in 2013.
2014 d3wrestle.com Freshman of the Year/All-Freshmen Team
InterMatWrestle.com Freshman of the Year
426Greyhound wrestling adds seven for 2014-15
INDIANAPOLIS- Head Coach Jason Warthan will add seven new Greyhounds to his 2014-2015 roster, signing the new UIndy student-athletes as a part of National Signing Day April 16.
Joining the Hounds will be Kyle Keller, Brendon Kelley, Heath Lange, Tyler Scott, DJ Smith, Brian Wagner and JD Waters. The seven new Greyhounds boast placing at their state meets a total of 16 times, including four state championships. The group contains three grapplers who hold their prep career wins records, and a total record of 1,034-213 with a .829 win percentage, while the group went to the state meet a total of 19 times in their careers.
"We are obviously very excited and proud to add these student-athletes to the Greyhound wrestling family," Warthan said. "They are all character guys that take academics seriously and will all bring a unique set of skills to our team."
Keller, who will come in as a 133-pounder for the Hounds, is a Delta, Ohio product, earning four letters for the Panthers. He is a four-time state qualifier, and placed three times at the Ohio State Championships in his career. He boasts a runner-up finish this past season, along with a fourth place finish as a junior and a fifth place finish as a sophomore. Keller closed out his prep career with a record of 178-28, along with 96 career pins. He helped Delta to two state dual championships, and was a four-time league and sectional champion. His 178 wins are a Delta career record, while off the mat he was a four-year honor roll student and a 2014 Academic All-Ohio selection.
Kelley is an Indiana native, coming to the Hounds from Evansville Central High School. The three-time IHSAA state placer holds the Bears' record for career wins, posting a record of 169-18 in high school. Kelley went 50-0 with 37 pins en route to the 152-pound Indiana State title, pinning his opponent in 2:24 in the state championship bout. He will come in as a 149 for UIndy, after placing fourth as a junior and fifth as a sophomore. Kelley tallied a total of 121 pins and tech falls during his career, and was a three-time Regional champion a two-time sectional champion and a two-time Souther Indiana Athletics Conference champion.
Lange will also make the trip West to UIndy from Ohio. The Huntsville native earned four letters on the mat for Indian Lake High School, posting a career record of 147-36 as a two-time Ohio state placer. Lange, who will come into the UIndy room as a 157, is a three-time state qualifier, taking fourth as a junior and third as a senior. The honor roll student is a four-time All-Area selection, a three-time Conference champion, a two-time sectional champion and Indian Lake's career wins leader.
Scott will come in as a 197 for the Greyhounds, from Cedar Lake, Ind.'s Hanover Central High School. The high honor roll student went 139-40 as a prep, placing fourth at the IHSAA state championships as a senior. He is a two-time Regional and Sectional champion, adding a semistate and conference title to his resume as a senior as well. The two-time Academic All-State honoree was also a four-time semistate qualifier during his career for the Wildcats.
Smith, from nearby Franklin, Ind., will come into the UIndy room as a 125-pounder. The 2014 Indiana state champion at 113 pounds, Smith is a three-time Midstate, Johnson County and sectional champion. He was a three-time state qualifier and two-time state placer, also taking third as a junior. He boasts a career record of 111-14 with 494 career takedowns as a Grizzly Cub, and is also an Honor Roll student and National Honors Society member.
Wagner is also a Central Indiana product, from UIndy alum Chad Red's New Palestine program. Wagner earned nine total letters at New Pal, and will come to UIndy as a 197-pounder. He is a two-time state placer, taking third at 182 in 2013 and second at 195 this past year. He also earned a semistate champion as a senior, and was the sectional and regional runner-up this past year. He leaves New Pal with a career record of 131-29, and is a four-year member of the Academic "A" Team, as well as a member of the National Honors Society.
Waters rounds out the class, coming to UIndy as a 149 from Hudson, Mich. The two-time state champion and three-time state placer went 159-48 as a prep, and also was a three-time All-County selection, along with a three-time District and Regional champ. He also was a two-time League and county champion, and was honored as the LCAA Wrestling Scholar Athlete three times. He was also Academic All-State as a senior, and is a National Honors Society member.
The Greyhounds lost seven of their 10 starters from this year's eighth-place finishing team at the NCAA Division II National Championships to graduation or exhaustion of elgibility.
480LeBlanc, Lappan Win Big Ten Medal of Honor
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University Vice President and Director of Athletics Fred Glass presented seniors Ryan LeBlanc (Wrestling) and Meghan Lappan (Water Polo) with the 2014 Big Ten Medal of Honor tonight at the Spirit of Indiana Showcase at the IU Auditorium.
The Big Ten Conference is currently celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Big Ten Medal of Honor award. The conference's most exclusive award was the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to recognize academic and athletic excellence. The Big Ten Medal of Honor was first awarded in 1915 to one student-athlete from the graduating class of each university who had "attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work." Big Ten schools currently feature more than 8,200 student-athletes, but only 24 earn this prestigious award on an annual basis. In the 99 years of the Medal of Honor, more than 1,300 student-athletes have earned this distinction.
Lappan has been named Academic All-Big Ten and a member of the Collegiate Water Polo Association All-Academic Team for the past three years. The senior has started all but seven matches since she became a Hoosier in 2011. Known for her defensive powers, Lappan has career totals of 142 steals, 66 goals, and 90 assists.
A member of one of the best team's in IU water polo history, Lappan helped the 2012 squad to a 28-9 record, setting a program record for wins in a season and finished the year ranked No. 14 in the country. In her freshman season Lappan and the team made the trip to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in school history. She also helped this year's squad repeat as back-to-back Western Division Champions, a feat that had never been done at IU.
Just this past weekend Lappan and her teammates won the CWPA championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Lappan was also presented with a Scholastic Achievement Award, Hoosier HERO award and Aline Robinson Mental Attitude Award at tonight's ceremony.
The North Vancouver, B.C., Canada native will graduate this May with her degree in sociology. Lappan plans on moving back to Vancouver upon graduation with the goal of working with children and teaching water polo.
A redshirt senior, LeBlanc racked up 103 wins in his career, more than double his amount of losses (51). He also accumulated 25 major decisions, nine technical falls and 11 pins en route.
The three-time NCAA Qualifier advanced to the round of the 12 at the 2014 NCAA Championships, coming up just one win shy of becoming an All-American. LeBlanc earned Academic All-America laurels from the National Wrestling Coaches Association in 2013. His excellence in the classroom was recognized by the conference office as well as a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Off the mat LeBlanc served as the 2013-14 president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
608Beyond the Mat: Wrestling a Lifetime Passion for Tsirtsis
By Mike Zoller, NUSports.com
EVANSTON, Ill. — In the Tsirtsis family you’re born with wrestling headgear. Northwestern wrestler Jason Tsirtsis added onto his family’s wrestling legacy by not only winning an NCAA Championship this year, but also becoming the first freshman Wildcat to win a title.
With a family full of decorated wrestlers, Tsirtsis followed suit winning four straight Indiana high school championships at Crown Point High School and was named the 2012 InterMat High School Wrestler of the Year.
Tsirtsis had the benefit of being guided by his older brother Alex, who himself had been a four-time high school state champion never losing once in those four years compiling a record of 236-0.
“He’s been an influence ever since I began wrestling,†Tsirtsis said. “But I’d say the biggest time frame of him helping was after his career in college. He came home after college and he was involved all the time with me. He knows my wrestling better than anyone. He’s able to watch me and critique me better than anyone.â€
With the Tsirtsis name and a laundry list of awards and championships the recruiting process was intense. It came down to Oklahoma State and Northwestern. Tsirtsis saw pros and cons to both programs but in the end he chose Northwestern not only because it was closer to home, but he saw the program on the rise and wanted to be part of something special.
“Oklahoma State has the richest wrestling history ever in the NCAA,†Tsirtsis said. “But Oklahoma State is 14 hours away and NU is only an hour. Having that hometown support is really crucial. Big Ten wrestling is the best in the country and we’re an up-and-coming program. We’re not a powerhouse or the best yet but we’re on our way.â€
Head coach Drew Pariano called his recruiting battle with Oklahoma State the toughest he had ever faced.
“They (Oklahoma State) won 34 team national titles,†he said. “It’s a compliment that we were recruiting against them. The best guys are going to choose wrestling powers and it’s an added bonus that we have a great academic program here.â€
Tsirtsis wrestled unattached during his first year in Evanston, which allowed him to develop without burning a year of eligibility.
During that first year Tsirtsis wrestled most of the time in the 141 lbs. weight class but felt more comfortable at 149 lbs. and made the decision to keep the weight rather than constantly battle to lose it.
“I could have made 141 if I reshaped my body and dieted,†he said. “At that point you’re not focused on wrestling, you’re focused on cutting weight. You’re not in the right mindset. That unattached year made me realize I had to move up a weight class and get a little bit bigger.â€
By any measure Tsirtsis had a successful and productive year wrestling unattached. He went 18-3 and won three tournaments, while placing eighth at the 50th annual Midlands Championships. He also wrestled at the Junior World Team Trials and represented the U.S. at the Junior World Championships in Bulgaria.
Coming back to Evanston to begin his first real season of collegiate wrestling Pariano knew Tsirtsis could be capable of big things.
“Before he even started I was telling people he was going to be a four-time national champ,†Pariano said. “I don’t do that too much – if ever. I don’t know if I’ve ever done that. If I say something like that it probably comes from pretty deep within.â€
Junior heavyweight Mike McMullan noticed Tsirtsis’ talent from the start. As a team leader he watched over the freshman but didn’t mentor him in the traditional way.
“Jason’s a unique kid,†McMullan said. “He doesn’t need the same guidance that other younger kids need. He knows what he is capable of. Being someone who shares similar aspirations, we can relate to one another and talk about our goals and our vision for how matches should go.â€
It wasn’t a smooth start for Tsirtsis. After some early success he suffered three losses in a span of two weeks. He turned those losses into positives, and they would wind up as his only three losses of the entire 2013-14 season
“We watched and evaluated those matches,†assistant coach Jay Borschel said. “We saw some things where he didn’t control the match. He didn’t control the hand fighting. The other guy pushed him around and controlled him.â€
“He needed to change his workout regimen and probably get a little better sleep,†Pariano said. “I don’t think it was necessarily a wake-up call but it was definitely a message that, ‘Hey if I want to win a national title I need to do ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’’ and he did.â€
It’s not uncommon for a young wrestler to stumble during the middle of the year. McMullan said one of the hardest things to adjust to is the full grind of how long the NCAA season lasts.
“The one thing a lot of people find out from that redshirt year is that they don’t realize the length of the season,†McMullan said. “When you’re actually in the lineup you’re competing week in and week out. He made the adjustments and remembered his capabilities. He had a little hiccup in the middle and ended on a pretty long win streak.â€
Tsirtsis wouldn’t lose again. He notched individual victories over wrestlers from No. 1 Penn State and No. 2 Iowa earning him a No. 3 seed in the 2014 Big Ten Tournament. On the way to the Big Ten Championship, Tsirtsis knocked off the two wrestlers seeded above him, and following the tournament he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Despite being the Big Ten Champion at 149lbs, Tsirtsis entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed. Something that didn’t sit right with Pariano.
“I was not happy with the draw,†Pariano said. “To win the Big Ten Tournament you have to be an absolute stud. But he (Tsirtsis) had a really good perspective on it saying ‘I have to beat everyone anyways so I might as well beat them early.’â€
In the quarterfinals Tsirtsis defeated the reigning NCAA champion at 141 lbs. only to follow that up with a victory over the No. 1 seed in the semifinals. In the semis Tsirtsis had just nine seconds to escape his opponent’s hold – he got out with one second remaining.
“It was an intensity-filled nine seconds,†he said. “Probably the most intense nine seconds I’ve had in my life.â€
It was also the match that would provide the timeless image of the tournament as Pariano hoisted a bloodied Tsirtsis up into the air just after his victory.
“I didn’t know he was bleeding,†Pariano said. “Back in the hall I was like, ‘You’re bleeding?’ They stitched him up right there – three stitches.â€
After notching All-American status with a win in the semifinal match, Tsirtsis went into the final match and, true to his “Cardiac Cat†style tournament, took down the No. 11 seed in overtime to become the NCAA Champion.
“After I won it was like I hadn’t even won†Tsirtsis said. “It was overwhelming. As a kid you want to be an NCAA champ. To finally have the opportunity to reach that goal and succeed so quickly in my career is pretty surreal and hard to explain.â€
Alex embraced Tsirtsis after the match. While he had been a highly touted recruit out of high school, he had never finished better than seventh at the NCAA Championships.
“I saw him after I got my award and gave him a big hug,†Jason said. “It was real emotional. It was a great moment.â€
Tsirtsis is now focused on the offseason where he will wrestle in a few tournaments before returning to Evanston for the 2014-15 season. As the returning champ he’s preparing to be the wrestler to beat.
“People are going to come after him harder now than ever before,†Pariano said. “In wrestling its such a one-on-one sport that he’s going to have to be ready for every single match. The Big Ten isn’t going to get any easier. The (149 lbs.) weight class is going to remain one of the best in the country.â€
Besides being the champion, Tsirtsis will also be looked to as a leader when the season starts. The Wildcats boast the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation and they will look to him for guidance.
“I’m more of a vocal guy than most,†Tsirtsis said. “I like to express what I think and see. I’ll make sure I’m on those guys. I want to make sure I’m encouraging them too. I need to make sure they are training hard and are on the right track. I also need to make sure I lead by example.â€
For next year the goal is simple for Tsirtsis – repeat. But he’s going to make sure he enjoys his time as well.
“I just need to keep getting better, but also having fun. That’s going to make the goal (of repeating) a little less stressful and a little more entertaining and enjoyable.â€
Via http://www.nusports.com/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/050514aaa.html
549Indianpolis Wrestling fourth-best DII team as All-Academic Teams named
COMPLETE 2013-14 NCAA DII ALL-ACADEMIC TEAMS
INDIANAPOLIS- The 2014 NCAA Super Regional #2 champion Greyhound wrestling team placed seven on the 2013-14 NCAA Division II All-Academic wrestling teams, and placed fourth in the academic rankings as a team.
The fourth place team ranking, with a team GPA of 3.333 for the season, is calculated by averaging the cumulative grade point averages of 10 wrestlers from each team, of which eight of those wrestlers must have competed in their teams Super Regional tournament. California Baptist won this year's Academic team title, with a GPA of 3.375.
UIndy placed four grapplers on the All-Academic First Team, with Alex Johns (3.32; Exercise Science), Josh Kieffer (3.24; Criminal Justice), Justin Kieffer (3.14; Nursing) and Jeff Weiss (3.13; Nursing) all making the first team. The Greyhounds, along with Western State, placed the most on the first team, which is made up of 47 wrestlers.
On the second team, Taylor Scott (3.52; Criminal Justice), represented the Greyhounds, while Weston Davis (3.76; Education) and Shelby Mappes (3.07; Nursing) each were named Honorable Mention All-Academic.
A total of 181 student-athletes from 38 institutions were honored as All-Academic. In order for a student-athlete to be nominated to the Division II All-Academic Team, he needs a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale. He must also be in at least his second full year at his institution, be a varsity team member or key reserve, demonstrate a degree of skill and have a minimum of two letters of recommendation submitted on his behalf.
486@INTechWrestling in Best of Brand "Solid Service" Video Finals
Aubree Reichel
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- For the second year in a row, Indiana Tech wrestling is one of the six finalists in the Elite Level Sports Marketing (ELSM) and National Wrestling Coaches Association's (NWCA) Best of Brand "Solid Service" category the groups announced on Tuesday. The category highlights programs' community service outreach during the season. The Warriors won the award last year.
Other finalists include Johns Hopkins, North Carolina, Ouachita Baptist, Wabash and Wayland Baptist.
This year, the wrestling team participated in The Women's Bureau's Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, Down Syndrome Association of Northeast Indiana's Buddy Walk and hosted the Warrior Elite Wrestling Camp.
The winner will be determined through judges assessing video performance (70%) and an online voting competition (30%). The online voting is split into two parts, as well, with half of the 30% allocated to the actual vote totals and the other half to the creativity of the campaign during the "Battle Round" voting.
The Battle Round will be in bracket format and will begin on Monday, June 9 at noon and can be found here.
Indiana Tech is "seeded" in the #2 spot behind Wayland Baptist and will, therefore, receive a bye to the semifinal round beginning at noon Tuesday, June 10 with the final starting at noon Wednesday, June 11. Voting concludes at 9 p.m. during each round.
The winner will be announced at the 2014 NWCA Convention in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on August 1.
Last year's video and current polls can be found here.
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