Partner Neck Push-ups are an excellent way to increase the intensity of a push-up by engaging both partners. The bottom partner gets in a locked out push-up position keeping perfect core stabilization while the top partner places one hand on the shoulder and the hand on the neck. The top partner then performs push-ups. This exercise will strengthen the bottom partner’s neck in conjunction with his core. The top partner strengthens his core and upper-body pushing strength.

• Make sure both partners keep a strong core to prevent lumbar hyperextension
• Pick two partners that weigh the same
• Perform 10 push-ups to both sides of the body

Notice the placement of the hands. One on the shoulder and one on the side of the  head. 

  (Scott Goodpaster, CSCS, is the Director of Cincinnati Functional Fitness, an MMA Certified Strength & Conditioning coach and nationally recognized in the field of strength & conditioning for wrestlers.)

1. Kyle Dake wins third straight NCAA title at third different weight

The Cornell junior hasn’t been perfect during his three years while competing for his hometown college team in Ithaca, N.Y., where he has compiled a 100-4 career record with the Big Red.

But Kyle Dake is perfect when it matters: at the NCAA Division I national tournament — winning all 15 matches over the past three years for three individual championships,

And while the former New York state champion from Lansing High School became the first three-time NCAA titlist from this upstate Ivy League school, he is not the first to do so nationally.

Derek St. John (left) became the second Iowa wrestler to lose to Cornell's Kyle Dake in the last three NCAA championships.

But what made Dake’s trifecta unique is that he became the first three-time NCAA champ at three different weights:

• beating Iowa’s Montell Marion, 7-3, as a true freshman and No. 1 seed at 141 pounds in 2010 in Omaha, Neb.;

• beating Penn State’s Frank Molinaro, 8-1, as a sophomore and No. 4 seed at 149 pounds in 2011 in Philadelphia, Pa.;

• and finally beating Iowa’s Derek St. John,             4-1, as a junior and No. 1 seed at 157 pounds this past March in St. Louis.

“It’s a really good feeling, doing something no one’s done before,” said Dake, who was booed by the Iowa fans after speaking to ESPN immediately after the bout.   “Iowa doesn’t really like to lose, and their fans don’t like to lose either.  If it does happen, they get a little rowdy and they think they were cheated in some way.”

So now Dake must answer the same question he’s faced since winning a second championship: can he now win four NCAA titles and join the elite club of the NCAA’s four-timers: Pat Smith of Oklahoma State (1990-92, ‘94) and Cael Sanderson of Iowa State (1999-2002)?

“That’s obviously the next step that comes up and I’m really excited for that,” he said. “And I just want to show people that all the times I’ve won here it’s not just been luck or people running away or anything like that.  It’s just been I had the best tournament.”

Oh yes, there is one more question: will Dake move up to 165 for next year’s NCAAs in Des Moines, Iowa?  Dake competed at 163 pounds at the Olympic Trials in Iowa City, where he pinned David Taylor, Penn State’s 165-pound champion and Hodge Trophy winner.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It really comes down to what makes our team better. I know wrestling is an individual sport but whatever is best for my team is what is important to me.”

2. Jordan Burroughs wins World gold medal; sets high tone for U.S. at 2012 Olympics

The former two-time NCAA champion and 2011 Hodge Trophy winner from Nebraska officially made himself the face of USA Wrestling when — despite not wrestling freestyle for almost five years — he earned a spot on the 2011 World Team and eventually beat a Russian and Iranian to capture the United States’ first World/Olympic gold medal in freestyle since Henry Cejudo earned a gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The man with the unstoppable double-leg takedown also became the man to beat in the 2012 Olympics in London, especially when he defeated former college rival Andrew Howe in the 2012 Olympic Trials in Iowa City.

3. Penn State wins a second straight NCAA championship … after Cael Sanderson returns to competition

The Nittany Lions were favored to repeat this March — after capturing just the school’s first NCAA title since 1953 when the 2011 squad won the national championship in Philadelphia. Penn State was strong on paper coming into the season, Cael Sanderson returned nearly all his All-Americans from the 2011 title team.

But let’s remember that Cael Sanderson spent last summer preparing for the early-fall Worlds, competing for the first time in eight years. The only loss of the year for the 2011-12 Nittany Lion team was a Nov. 20 home dual meet with Minnesota, 23-14. 2011 national champion Quentin Wright was one of seven Lions to lose to the Gophers.

Penn State showed their dominance in the post-season, especially senior Frank Molinaro (149) and sophomores David Taylor (165) and Ed Ruth (174) who each captured Big Ten and NCAA championships; as the Lions out-distanced the Gophers by a 149-134 margin at the Big Tens and 143.5-117.5 at the NCAAs.

What makes the post-season performance by the Lions even more significant is that all but one of the six All-Americans return for 2012-13. This group includes 125-pound true freshman Nico Megaludis (second) and 141-pound freshman Dylan Alton (third).

4. Carver-Hawkeye Arena was the place to be

By the end of the 2012 Olympic Trials, Carver-Hawkeye Arena at the University of Iowa, was being called the “House that Dan Gable Built”.  A statue was erected in honor of the legendary Hawkeye coach and was unveiled days before the Trials began.

Carver-Hawkeye Arena saw some robust wrestling crowds this year.

In January, there was a sellout crowed of 15,400. This was the third largest dual crowd in NCAA history and the second largest dual crowd in Carver-Hawkeye Arena history. Fans at that meet saw Oklahoma State end Iowa’s 84-match unbeaten streak, 17-16, as the final point came from a No. 3 criteria (OSU outscored Iowa, 54-51, in total match points).

Then in April, fans blew away the record for watching an Olympic Trials, as at least 13,520 fans attended each of the four sessions, which resulted in an overall attendance of 54,766. That broke the mark of 50,170 who watched six sessions at the 2000 Trials in Dallas.

The Trials were made even more special as a pair of “bridesmaids” in this sport — Sam Hazewinkel and Jared Frayer — earned spots on the 2012 Olympic Team in men’s freestyle after coming just short in at least three previous World/Olympic Trials.

5. Minnesota wins NWCA National Duals

For the first time in the nearly 30-year history of the National Duals, the tournament was structured with four regional sites — at Cornell University, Rutgers, Iowa State and Oklahoma State — with the four respective winners — Illiniois (which upset Cornell), Minnesota, Iowa and Oklahoma State — advancing to the first-ever National Duals Final Four in Stillwater, Okla.

The Gopher prevailed in the one-day event as coach J Robinson’s squad defeated both Iowa and Oklahoma State as each dual came down to the heavyweight match with the Gophers’ Anthony Nelson prevailing in each bout.

6. Beat the Streets brings wrestling to the streets of New York City

On May 5, 2011, the United States defeated a Russian team, 5-2, in a dual meet held in Times Square. It marked the return of Olympic champion Henry Cejudo to competition, and featured victories by Jordan Burroughs and Jake Varner, who went on to win medals at the 2011 World Championships. It was the first sports event ever held in historic Times Square, and thousands of fans packed the area to see history in the making.

This event, which is to be duplicated this June 7, was organized by the Beat the Streets group which brings the sport to many disadvantaged young people to a growing number of cities in the United States.

7. High school wrestling changes its weight classes

In high school matches before the start of the 2011-12 season, the following were the weight classes: 103, 112, 119, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 152, 160, 171, 189, 215 and 285

That all changed last year when the National Federation of State High Schools changed the weight classes to: 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220, 285.

Not everyone was happy with this decision that basically eliminated one of the middle weights and added a heavier weight class. This led to more forfeits at a time when high school wrestling is losing some of its bigger wrestlers to football.

8. Blair regains No. 1 ranking at Ironman

Heading into this year’s high school season, St. Eds of Lakewood, Ohio, was ranked No. 1 in preseason polls. That lasted until Dec. 3-4, when Blair Academy of Blairstown, N.J. topped St. Eds by a 252.5-240.5 margin at the prestigious Ironman tournament at Walsh-Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

Blair’s biggest strengths in 2011-12 was its depth as 13 wrestlers placed at the Ironman, led by three champions: Dylan Milonas at 145, Frank Mattiace at 195 and Brooks Black at heavyweight.

9. Ohio State wins first dual with Iowa in 46 years

Not since Feb. 12, 1966, did an Ohio State wrestling team beat perennial power Iowa in a dual meet. But that’s what happened on Jan. 20, 2012, when the Buckeyes of head coach Tom Ryan — a former Hawkeye All-American — won seven of the ten matches.

“I know the guys on the other side of the mat,” said Ryan, who wrestled at Iowa the same time as Iowa coaches Tom and Terry Brands. “Those men were teammates. I know how they react when they get punched in the nose, they do not fall down, they punch back. The nice thing is the battle is on. Ohio State is officially in a fist fight. I am very proud of this group of guys.”

What was even more remarkable about these Buckeyes is that six of the seven winners were freshmen, including true freshman Hunter Stieber, who defeated two-time All-American Montell Marion, 4-2, at 141 pounds. One month earlier, Stieber — the younger brother of eventual 2012 national champion Logan Stieber (133) — defeated 2011 national champion Kellen Russell at the Las Vegas Invitational, which these young Buckeyes also won.

10. Missouri leaves Big 12 on high note

With all the comings and goings of universities to different athletic conferences, that left many wrestling programs competing for the last time in their conference tournaments.

One of those was the University of Missouri, the Tigers will compete next year in the Southeast Conference (which does not have wrestling). Mizzou had never won the Big 12 tournament … until March 12, 2012.

On that date, four Tigers — Alan Waters (125), Drake Houdashelt (157), Zach Toal (165) and Mike Larson (184) — won championships for coach Brian Smith, whose group scored 77 points to top Oklahoma State (73) and Oklahoma (60.5).

“It is an accomplishment of so many people though that put some put effort in,” said Smith. “I thank all the wrestlers that wrestled for me and all the people that donate to the program and make it get to where it is, all the trainers and doctors, there are so many people. I am just really, really proud of everybody. This team did an amazing job today.”

Smith was unsure where the Tigers will compete in next year’s NCAA qualifying tournaments … as is the cases of Pittsburgh and West Virginia, which are moving to the ACC and Big 12, respectively.

The University of Nebraska – Lincoln is honored as the nation’s top academic wrestling program, while five NCAA Champions: Cornell’s three-time NCAA Champion Kyle Dake, Iowa’s Matt McDonough, Michigan’s Kellen Russell and Penn State’s Frank Molinaro and David Taylor all headline the individual list.

The NWCA All-Academic Team records go back to 1991, which until 2011 the 2001 Princeton team held the highest team GPA of 3.43. For the second year in a row that record was broken by Nebraska with a 3.46 team GPA, earning the Huskers the third all-time highest team GPA. The 2011 Harvard team holds the highest all-time GPA with 3.51 and American the second highest with a 3.48 GPA.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers, lead by head coach Mark Manning, had a team GPA of a 3.46 to take home top honors for the first time in the history of the program. The 3.46 GPA is also the third highest ever for a team.

Last year’s team champion Harvard University finished a close second with a 3.37 GPA. This marks the ninth time the Crimson, under the direction of head coach Jay Weiss, has finished in the top 10.

Finishing out the Top 10 teams are: American, Utah Valley, Indiana, Stanford, Princeton, Brown, Lehigh, and Davidson.

Four of the top five teams from this year’s NCAA Division I Championships were recognized in the top 30 teams which includes team champion Penn State, Minnesota, Cornell and Ohio State.

The EIWA conference saw seven of their teams represented on the list.

For teams to be eligible for consideration, the team GPA is comprised of 12 student athletes, including the 10 wrestlers who were the entries in the NCAA tournament conference qualifier. If teams had less than 10 entries for their respective qualifier, they could fill those spots with wrestlers who competed in at least one varsity dual during the season.

On this year’s Individual All-Academic Team there are 87 total athletes, five NCAA champions, three NCAA runner-ups, 23 All-Americans and 77 NCAA qualifiers.

Joining the five NCAA champions listed above are the three NCAA runner-ups which include Nick Amuchastegui of Stanford, Lehigh’s Zack Rey and Penn State’s Quentin Wright.

The 2012 individual with the highest GPA is Northern Illinois’ Brad Dieckhaus. He has 4.0 while working towards his master’s degree in Sport Management.

This year’s NCAA Elite 88 winner Daniel Mitchell of American comes in at No. 2 with a 3.95 GPA followed by Tristan Warner of Old Dominion with a 3.95, Nebraska’s Tucker Lane with a 3.94, and Michael Klingsmith of Nebraska with a 3.94 to round out the top five.

American University and Nebraska tied for the most individuals on the team with five individuals apiece while Lehigh, Penn State and Virginia all had four individuals make the team.

“The NWCA All-Academic Team and team awards are one of the best acknowledgements we can give to our coaches and athletes at the end of a physically grueling season. These 87 young men have proved that they are not only talented competitors but are leaders in the classroom as well. The NWCA Board of Directors and staff look forward to watching these student-athletes continue their success at the collegiate level and eventually as the leaders of the future once they earn their college degrees,” said Mike Moyer, NWCA executive director.

Click here for the Top 30 Teams.

Click here for the Individual Team.

The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments.   The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling.

The three core competencies of the NWCA are: Coaching Development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling.

It’s that time of the year again: the spring signing period. It is probably the most stressful time of the year for high school seniors, their parents and many college coaches. The odd courtship period has come to end and it’s time for both the kids and college coaches to “show their cards.”

WIN Publisher Bryan Van Kley

Every year I hear frustrations from both sides. There’s often a communication breakdown between high school families and college coaches. Like professional athletes holding out for the top contract, some high-achieving wrestlers feel if they wait to the spring their stock and the scholarship offer will improve dramatically.

After winning state as a senior, many think the likes of Penn State, Minnesota, Iowa, Cornell and Oklahoma State will be busting down their door with the full-ride offer. This is not a reality.

Unfortunately, a lot of the pain created in this recruiting process comes from the dads and coaches of high school juniors and seniors. They falsely believe their son or the top wrestler on their team is quite a bit better than the rest of his peers and aren’t looking at the situation objectively.

Here’s a few recruiting myths to dispel:

         1. “I deserve a full ride in college”

No, actually you don’t. There are actually very few full rides given anymore, especially on the Division I level. Kids have dreamed of that “full-ride” wrestling offer like their buddy got to play football at School XYZ. The wrestler feels he deserves it, after all he’s a three-time state champ.

As many in wrestling know, that’s just not reality. There are less than 80 Division I programs. A large number of them aren’t even fully funded with 9.9 scholarships. Parents, coaches and preps would probably be shocked to see how many multiple-time state champs who’ve even won tournaments like Fargo, NHSCA Nationals or the Ironman have signed for 50 or 25 percent or much less!

Parents’ and coaches’ egos unfortunately hurt the kids in this process too often. Parents or a particular coach want to be saying to their friends that their phone has been ringing off the wall with all these college coaches wanting to talk to their son or wrestler. Encouraging kids to find the college that’s the right fit for them is the best approach.

I totally understand a good college education is incredibly expensive anymore. I also understand that in the world of private clubs and coaches, parents are looking at the thousands of dollars they’ve already spent to send little Johnny to twice-weekly club practices, trips and to buy all his gear. Parents are ready for someone else to be footing the “wrestling bill.”

This may be the case, but college coaches don’t have the financial resources to be that person.

         2.) “After winning states as a senior, all the schools will want me in the spring.”

It would be impossible to know exactly, but a large portion of the scholarship money available each year is gone in the fall at the Division I level. Just look at the fall recruiting rankings each year and see the number of ranked preps who sign then.

Schools only have so much money to give out. Preps who wait until spring are taking a risk of there not being money left or not being able to get an offer at all.

College coaches don’t like kids/families playing hardball in the negotiating process. Most of the time, it probably works against the kid looking for the right program. When a college coach says he won’t guarantee his offer will be good in two months without a firm commitment, they mean it.

Don’t be upset or feel slighted when they sign the next 133-pounder in line just because you decided to look at two or three other schools or that acting like you weren’t “that interested” might up their offer.

It’s good for a student-athlete to go through the recruiting process and see which coach and program would be best for them. But have some humility in the process, be respectful, and understand these coaches and their assistants have a job to do.

         3.) “It’s Division I or nothing for me”

Then it will probably be nothing. It’s not hard to do the math on how few kids every year get the opportunity to wrestle on the Division I level. And you don’t have to even just look at scholarship kids. Many schools have squad caps and sometimes only sign six to eight kids total, or less in some situations. And a number of those kids may be asked to walk on or only have books taken care of by the school.

As we’ve written in the past in WIN, there are a number of great wrestling schools in every division. In many situations, Division I is probably not the best fit for high school seniors. Many of the top programs in Div. II, Div. III and even some NAIA programs are just as competitive, if not more, than some lower-tier Division I programs.

At the end of the day, it’s all about the education and athletic experience a student athlete is going to get. As parents and coaches, one of the biggest overriding questions should be is if the coaching staff and school are going to help the young man be successful. Both on and off the mat. Having a realistic view of the process and what schools can offer will help both high school families and the college coaches just trying to do their job.

Best of luck to all of you who are trying to finalize this all-important decision as to what the next chapter looks like for your high school senior.

By Scott Goodpaster

RDL (Romanian Deadlift) is one of the best traditional exercises around for general strength.  RDL’s strengthen the hamstrings, glutes, low back, and a wrestlers grip.  The posterior chain is often neglected, but is essential for top performance as well as injury prevention.  RDL’s develop excellent suplex and pick-up abilities.  RDL’s will have your hamstrings screaming the next couple of days after.

• It’s imperative to maintain a lordotic posture throughout the movement
• Keep focal point straight ahead
• Make sure to hinge at the hips
• Facilitate a slight knee bend
• Lower the bar as far as good technique and strength allows
• During the Hypertrophy phase reps should be between 8-15, during the strength phase reps should be between 3-6

(Scott Goodpaster, CSCS, is the Director of Cincinnati Functional Fitness, an MMA Certified Strength & Conditioning coach and nationally recognized in the field of strength & conditioning for wrestlers.)

May is a great time for wrestlers to practice and compete in Freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling.  There are many freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling events around the country during the month of May.

Freestyle competition will  improve your  takedown wrestling skills at a more efficient rate.

Freestyle wrestling will improve wrestlers ability to control the center of the mat; with scoring coming from push outs.

Freestyle wrestling will improve your single and double leg offensive and counter offensive finishes; as exposure points can be earned in freestyle wrestling.

Most of the scoring in freestyle wrestling occurs on the feet which will further develop your set ups, hand fighting, finger fighting, and open scoring attacks from the feet.

Greco Roman wrestling will help your ability to hand fight as well as throw.  Freestyle and Greco Roman matches are short two-minute bouts with an emphasis on speed, power, and dynamic attacks which is in line with most spring wrestling strength training programs during this time of year.

Plan to add wrestling freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling training and competitions to your schedule in May.

Washington’s Jordan Rogers captured the Junior Hodge Trophy

Jordan Rogers

From the moment Jordan Rogers started wrestling at the age of four — when he quit the first day — the 182-pound senior from Mead High School in Spokane, Wash., learned to grow from tough moments and become the most dominant high school wrestler this past season.

Check out the story of this future Oklahoma State wrestler at http://www.win-magazine.com/win-awards/junior-hodge-trophy/jordan-rogers-wins-junior-dan-hodge-trophy/

Ageless J Robinson of Minnesota named WIN’s Dan Gable Coach of the Year

J Robinson

Minnesota coach J Robinson may be 65 years old but that didn’t stop him from igniting a young Gopher team — that featured seven underclassmen in the starting line-up — to beat Penn State in a dual meet and finish second at the NCAAs where the Gophers scored more points above their seeds than any squad.

Check out the story at http://www.win-magazine.com/win-awards/dan-gable-coach-of-the-year/ageless-j-robinson-of-minnesota-named-dan-gable-coach-of-the-year/

Impact Award winners Clay McEldowney and Billy Baldwin continue their fight against Title IX implications on wrestling

Clay McEldowney

In the 40^thanniversary of Title IX and it’s negative impact on the sport of wrestling, Billy Baldwin in his support of Binghamton University and Clay McEldowney, founder of the American Sports Council, continue to remind fans why it is important to continue the fight in preventing the loss of more programs

Billy Baldwin

Check out the story at http://www.win-magazine.com/win-awards/chapman-impact-award/baldwin-and-eldowney-share-wins-mike-chapman-impact-award/

Schalles winner Jordan Oliver taught himself to be a pinner at Oklahoma State

Jordan Oliver

Before the native of Easton, Pa., arrived on the Cowboys campus in Stillwater, Okla., he was known more as a takedown artist. With the help of head coach John Smith, the three-time All-American learned to be a better pinner and flattened 19 of 28 victims this past year.

Check out the story at http://www.win-magazine.com/win-awards/schalles-award/jordan-oliver-named-schalles-award-winner/

Jordan Rogers pinned 42 of 42 matches for Junior Schalles

The winner of this year’s Junior Hodge Trophy also earned the award given to the nation’s best high school pinner when he flattened all his foes during the regular season for Mead High School in Spokane, Wash., including all but the one in the first period.

Check out the story at http://www.win-magazine.com/win-awards/junior-schalles-award/jordan-rogers-pinned-42-of-42-for-junior-schalles-award/

Penn State broadcaster Jeff Byers named WIN’s Journalist of the Year

Jeff Byers

For the past 22 years, Jeff Byers’ passion for Penn State and the sport of wrestling brought the emotion of the Nittany Lions’ success on radio stations in the State College area.

Check out the story at http://www.win-magazine.com/win-awards/journalist-of-the-year/penn-state-broadcaster-jeff-byers-named-wins-journalist-of-the-year/

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Jared Frayer understood the frustration Brent Metcalf — and many of the confused fans in Carver-Hawkeye Arena — felt when the former Oklahoma wrestler defeated the former Hawkeye for the 145.5-pound championship at the 2012 Olympic Trials Sunday night.

RETURN TO WIN’S OLYMPIC TRIALS SECTION

So did another Sooner, Sam Hazewinkel, who like Frayer, decided he had waited long enough of playing the bridesmaid role when he defeated 2011 World team member Nick Simmons to capture the 121-pound freestyle championship.

It has been a long battle. It really has,” said Hazewinkel whose highest NCAA finish at Oklahoma was second in 2007 while also  settling for runner-up positions in three straight World Team Trials (2005-07) and the 2008 Olympic Team Trials while he was competing in Greco-Roman wrestling.

Several of the lifts between Nick Simmons (left) and Sam Hazewinkel had to be reviewed.

“It says something about perseverance and keeping your head up and staying positive. The last few years, it got hard. It really did. You get that many seconds, and it becomes its own battle just thinking you can take first. We worked real hard on mental game this year and getting over that hump. I believed it paid off.”

Frayer, who like Hazewinkel is also a current Sooner assistant coach, knows three-fold what it feels like to finish second at such and event.

“Three times, second place,” said Frayer, speaking of finishing second in the 2006, 2009 and 2010 World Team Trials … and whose highest NCAA finish at Oklahoma was also second place in 2001. “This is the fourth time I have been in the finals. I learned a lot from it. This year I am older and wiser and did things right, listened to my body.”

And speaking of listening, Frayer said it did not bother him considering he was the least favorite of the wrestlers in this Championship Series of the 13,712 fans who attended Sunday night’s session and were part of the 54,766 who showed up in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in four sessions Saturday and Sunday.

“I heard them. I love it. I have wrestled in here. I beat Mike Zadick in here and he came back and beat me. I know these fans and they know me,” said Frayer, who spent one year as an assistant (2009-10) at Iowa. “You got to get amped up for it. You don’t see this. You may see it in Iran or Russia, but in the United States, it is awesome.”

When the clock hit all zeroes in the third period of their second meeting in the best of three Championship Series, many of the fans with an Iowa allegiance thought Metcalf had won when he scored a takedown with ten seconds left to apparently win the period — and force a third meeting — by scoring last.

But because Frayer scored the higher-rated move during the period, Frayer was eventually crown Olympic Trials champion.

Hazewinkel and Frayer were joined on the U.S. team — headed for the London Olympics this August — by former World medalists Jake Herbert (185 pounds) and heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev.

In Greco, 132-pound Ellis Coleman — known for his “Flying Squirrel” move in last summer Junior Worlds — and 163-pound Ben Provisor earned trips to their first Olympics, while 211.5 pound R.C. Johnson won the Trials, must first wait to see if former World Team member Justin Ruiz qualifies the weight class in a tournament next weekend in China, then face Ruiz in a special wrestle-off to see if he travels to London this August.

In women’s freestyle, 2008 World champion Clarissa Chun (105 pounds) became the first women to qualify for two Olympics, while 2010 World silver medalist Elena Pirozhkova won at 138.75 pounds for his first Olympics experience.

CHECK OUT WIN’S MORE IN-DEPTH COVERAGE OF THE OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS IN THE NEXT ISSUE, PRINTED MAY 2, 2012.

 SundaySessionII BRACKETS

2012 Olympic Trials — Sunday’s Championship Series

Men’s Freestyle

55 KG / 121 pounds
Match 1 – Nick Simmons (Sunkist Kids) dec. Sam Hazewinkel (Sunkist Kids), 3-0,0-5,5-4
Match 2 – Hazewinkel dec. Simmons, 0-1, 1-0, 2-0
Match 3 – Hazewinkel dec. Simmons, 0-1, 4-0, 3-0

66 KG / 145.5 pounds
Match 1 – Jared Frayer (Gator Wrestling Club) dec. Brent Metcalf (NYAC), 5-1, 1-4, 6-0
Match 2 – Frayer dec. Metcalf, 2-1, 0-1, 2-2

84 KG / 185 pounds
Match 1 – Travis Paulson (Sunkist Kids) dec. Jake Herbert (NYAC), 0-1, 2-1, 1-1
Match 2 – Herbert dec. Paulson. 4-2, 3-2
Match 3 – Herbert dec. Paulson, 3-0, 2-1

120 KG / 264.5 pounds
Match 1 – Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids) dec. Les Sigman (Nittany Lion WC), 3-0, 4-0
Match 2 – Dlagnev dec. Sigman, 1-0, 2-0

Greco-Roman

60 KG / 132 pounds
Match 1 – Ellis Coleman (NYAC) dec. Joe Betterman (Sunkist Kids), 1-0,2-0)
Match 2 – Coleman dec. Betterman (Sunkist Kids), 0-2, 5-0, 1-0

GR 74 KG / 163 pounds
Match 1 – Aaron Sieracki (Army) dec. Ben Provisor (Sunkist Kids), 1-0, 0-1, 2-0
Match 2 – Provisor dec. Sieracki (Army), 2-0, 1-0
Match 3 – Provisor dec. Sieracki (Army), 1-0, 0-1, 1-0

96 KG / 211.5 pounds
Match 1 – RC Johnson (Sunkist Kids) dec. Pete Gounaridis (Sunkist Kids), 1-0, 0-1, 1-0
Match 2 – Johnson dec. Gounaridis, 0-1, 1-0, 1-0

Women’s Freestyle

48 KG / 105 pounds
Match 1 – Clarissa Chun (Sunkist Kids) dec. Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids), 0-2, 1-0, 3-1
Match 2 – Lampe dec. Chun, 0-7, 2-2,5-2
Match 3 – Chun dec. Lampe, 2-0, 2-2, 4-1

63 KG / 138.75 pounds
Match 1 – Elena Pirozhkova (Gator Wrestling Club) dec. Adeline Gray (NYAC), 1-0, 4-0
Match 2 – Pirozhkova dec. Gray (NYAC), 1-0, 3-1

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa fans, who have made up much of the record-setting crowds in the 2012 Olympic Trials, will have one of their own to cheer in Sunday evening’s Challenge Series in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

That’s because Brent Metcalf, the former two-time NCAA champion from Iowa, will be among the wrestlers who will trying to win the final one of the final nine weight classes in the Trials.

Metcalf, a native of Davison, Mich., earned a trip to the finals — where he will meet former Oklahoma star Jared Frayer at 145.5 pounds — when he defeated another notable Michigan native Josh Churella, 1-0, 0-3, 1-0.

The deciding point came after the two scrambled off the mat and the mat official ruled in favor of Churella before giving Metcalf the point.

“I feel comfortable there,” said Metcalf, who recorded wins over current Oklahoma State star Jordan Oliver and Chase Pami before the Churella meeting. “I wanted to get up and drive through the zone. He probably got me a little more than I wanted to, forward wise, but I think the call is right.”

Also moving into the Championship Series was 2011 World team member Nick Simmons, a former four-time NCAA All-American from Michigan State, will meet a former college foe Sam Hazewinkel, who once starred at Oklahoma.

Simmons moved to the Championship Series with perhaps the most exciting match of the Challenge Tournament; beating 2008 Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo, 3-0, 5-9, 5-2, at 121 pounds in freestyle.

“(Henry) Cejudo is a great wrestler, obviously, he is the defending Olympic champ,” said Simmons, who shared a standing ovation after their match that was decided when Simmons caught Cejudo in his front headlock. “To get that is good confidence-wise. I knew that me and him were going to have some flurries like that. We have wrestled before and we have scored a lot of points when we wrestled. We go out there and put points up. He is a great competitor. It was just great to get it.”

After the match, the 25-year-old Cejudo — who had not competed at the weight class since winning his gold medal in Beijing in 2008 — retired from wrestling when he threw his shoes into the stands in Carver-Hawkeye Arena that held a record 13,784 fans.

“I do it for the people,” said Cejudo. “I’m not here to entertain anybody, really.   I’m here to wrestle and to do it for the people.  I could keep my shoes.  I could even sell them on Ebay.  But it’s not about that.”

Among the remaining finals in men’s freestyle, Jake Herbert, a 2009 World silver medalist, will face former Iowa State wrestler Travis Paulson at 185 pounds, while  former NCAA Division II rivals Tervel Dlagnev (Nebraska-Kearney)  and Les Sigman (Nebraska-Omaha) will meet at heavyweight.
There will be three weight classes in Greco-Roman determined tonight:

132 pounds — Joe Betterman (Sunkist Kids) vs. Ellis Coleman (NYAC)
163 pounds — Aaron Sieracki (Army) vs. Ben Provisor (Sunkist Kids

211.5 pounds — RC Johnson of Sunkist Kids vs. Pete Gounaridis (Sunkist Kids)

To reach the finals, Betterman earned a 3-0, 7-0 decision against former World champion Joe Warren, who has been competing in Mixed Martial Arts.

In the women’s freestyle, Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids) will meet 2008 World champion Clarissa Chun at 105 pounds, while Adeline Gray  (NYAC) faces 2010 World silver medalist Elena Pirozkova at 138.75 pounds. Both Chun and Pirozhkova sat out the Challenge Tournament after winning the U.S. Open in December.

Lampe reached the Championship Series when she used a headlock in the final seconds of the third period to beat Victoria Anthony (NYAC), 0-3, 1-1, 5-2. Gray, meanwhile, blanked Jennifer Page (OCU/Gator), 1-0, 2-0, after dropping down from her normal non-Olympic weight of 147 pounds.

“It sucks to make (138.75), but they’ll put 67(kg) in it one day,” Gray said. “But until then, this is what you have to do to win and hopefully you’re looking at your first US Olympic Gold medalist.”

Championship Series Matches for Sunday night

Men’s Freestyle

55 KG / 121 pounds
Nick Simmons (Sunkist Kids) vs. Sam Hazewinkel (Sunkist Kids)

66 KG / 145.5 pounds
Jared Frayer (Gator Wrestling Club) vs. Brent Metcalf (NYAC)

84 KG / 185 pounds
Travis Paulson of Sunkist Kids vs. Jake Herbert of NYAC

120 KG / 264.5 pounds
Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids) vs. Les Sigman (Nittany Lion WC)
Women’s Freestyle

48 KG / 105 pounds
Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids) vs. Clarissa Chun

63 KG / 138.75 pounds
Adeline Gray (NYAC) vs.  Elena Piriozkova

Greco-Roman 60 KG / 132 pounds
Joe Betterman (Sunkist Kids) vs. Ellis Coleman (NYAC)

74 KG / 163 pounds
Aaron Sieracki (Army) vs. Ben Provisor (Sunkist Kids)

96 KG / 211.5 pounds
RC Johnson of Sunkist Kids vs. Pete Gounaridis (Sunkist Kids)

IOWA CITY, Iowa — All nine wrestlers who won championships at the 2012 Olympic Trials needed just two victories to win their best of three Championship Series.

Jordan Burroughs, the 2011 World champion in men’s freestyle at 163 pounds needed just one.

BACK TO WIN’S OLYMPIC TRIALS SECTION

That’s because the former two-time NCAA champion from Nebraska only had to break a sweat for one match against rival Andrew Howe for a 4-2, 1-2, 1-0 victory in the first match.

There was no second match because Howe, the 2010 NCAA champion from Wisconsin, was forced to default their second bout after suffering a knee injury at the end of their first match.

“It was kind of anti-climactic,” said Burroughs, who one year removed from an incredible 2011 year that saw him claim a second NCAA title, the Hodge Trophy and a World title in Istanbul, Turkey last summer.  “I didn’t want it to end this way.  I’m happy being on the team.  Being on the team was my main goal at the beginning of the season and I did that.  So despite the odds and despite the way I got on the team, I made it on the team.”

With only three of the seven men’s freestyle weight competed on Saturday in the University of Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Burroughs will be joined on the 2012 London Olympics team with Jake Varner, who won two NCAA championship for Iowa State before capturing a bronze medal in last year’s Worlds.

“I don’t really care where it happens as long as I was able to do something like this,” said Varner, who defeated former Ohio State heavyweight Tommy Rowlands who dropped down to 211.5 pounds for the Trials. “It was cool to come back here and wrestle in front of these fans, but it doesn’t really matter where it happens to me.”

The University of Iowa and the Iowa City area has more than lived up to its commitment of making the 2012 Olympic Trials special after a record a record 13,520 fans watched the first session on Saturday afternoon, which was broke by the 13,750 that showed up Saturday night … despite the fact that no former Hawkeye was competing.

Actually almost all the championships proved to anti-climatic, including both women’s freestyle weights where Kelsey Campbell (121 pounds) and Stephany Lee (158.5) upset a pair of 2011 World team wrestlers, Helen Maroulis and Ali Bernard, in two straight matches.

“It’s surreal,” said Campbell, who broke down immediately in tears after completing her 2-0, 0-1, 1-0 victory in the second match. “I feel like I am dreaming, like is this real? It’s crazy. It’s awesome. A lot of people believed, but I think I had to go out there and do it to believe. It had to happen this way. It’s a great feeling.”

The toughest thing that Lee had to do was celebrate when she fell on her back after trying a back flip after beating Bernard, 3-1, 6-0, in her championship.

“It’s a judo thing,” said Lee, a native of Honolulu, Hawaii. “It’s called an uchi mata. I’m a black belt in judo and I actually started wrestling to improve my judo and in turn I loved wrestling more and judo ended up helping me wrestle instead.”

In Greco-Roman wrestling, there was definitely and Army pride as three of the four championships were won by the Army’s World Class Athlete Program: 121-pound Spenser Mango, 145.5-pound Justin Lester and heavyweight Dremiel Byers.

This marks the second straight Olympics for Mango and Byers while Byers is a two-time bronze World medalist.

“I’ve wrestled almost all the top guys in the world in my weight class,” said Mango, who beat Max Nowry in two straight matches; the first coming by a pin in the first period.  “I know what I need to do, just really get out there and get after it.  You can’t make any mistakes on the world level; the guys are too good.”

Lester, who was upset by high school wrestler Jake Deitchler at this weight four years ago for the 2008 Olympic berth, defeated another Minnesota wrestler C.P. Schlatter, who switch from freestyle to Greco in 2011.

“I’m pretty much eight years deep into it,” said Lester, who went by the first name Harry in 2008. “That’s a pretty long time to be in to it compared to some of the guys like C.P. who’s studied for two or three years.”

“It’s my last time to do it, so I came here and show them who I am and show them what I can do and just leave it all out on the mat,” said Byers.  “Don’t walk off the mat fresh.  Don’t walk off the mat and watch a lesser guy get his hand raised and wonder what happened.  I know I did everything I can do to get this done.  That’s the point.  That’s the way I’m going in to it.”

In the other Greco weight class, Chas Betts defeated fellow Minnesota Storm club match Jordan Holm at 185 pounds.

In the other men’s freestyle final, former Oklahoma State national champion Coleman Scott defeated Logan Stieber, the 2012 NCAA titlist from Ohio State at 132 pounds.

The only problem for Scott is that he needs to first see if Shawn Bunch, Reece Humphrey or perhaps himself can qualify the weight for the Olympics. Bunch is expected to compete in China at a qualifier next weekend. If that does not happen, U.S. coach Zeke Jones will choose between the three for a final qualifier in Finland two week from now.

The 2012 Olympic Trials will finish up Sunday with another Challenge tournament in the morning and a Championship Series in the evening … at the nine remaining Olympic weights: 121, 145.5, 185 and heavyweight in men’s freestyle; 105 and 138.78 in women’s freestyle and 132, 163 and 211.5 in Greco.

Men’s Freestyle

60 KG / 132 POUNDS
Match 1 – Coleman Scott (Gator Wrestling Club) dec. Logan Stieber (NYAC), 3-0,1-0
Match 2 – Scott (Gator Wrestling Club) dec. Stieber, 2-0,0-1,2-0)

74 KG / 163 POUNDS
Match 1 – Jordan Burroughs (Sunkist Kids) dec. Andrew Howe (NYAC), 4-2,1-2,1-0
Match 2 – Burroughs (Sunkist Kids) won by injury default over Andrew Howe (NYAC)

96 KG / 211.5 POUNDS
Match 1 – Jake Varner (Nittany Lion WC) dec. Tommy Rowlands (Sunkist Kids) (Dec 0-1,2-0,1-0)
Match 2 – Varner dec. Rowlands, 2-0, 1-0

Women’s Freestyle

55 KG / 121 POUNDS
Match 1 – Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids) dec. Helen Maroulis (NYAC), 0-2, 1-0, 2-1
Match 2 – Campbell (Sunkist Kids) dec. Maroulis, 2-0, 0-1, 1-0

72 KG/158.5 POUNDS
Match 1 – Stephany Lee (Sunkist Kids) dec. Ali Bernard (Gator Wrestling Club), 3-1, 5-2
Match 2 – Lee (Sunkist Kids) dec. Bernard (Gator Wrestling Club), 3-1, 6-0

Greco-Roman

55 KG / 121 POUNDS
Match 1 – Spenser Mango (Army) pinned Max Nowry (NYAC), 1:53
Match 2 – Mango (Army) dec. Max Nowry, 1-0, 3-0

66 KG / 145.5 POUNDS
Match 1 – Justin Lester (Army) dec. CP Schlatter (MN Storm), 1-0, 2-0
Match 2 – Lester (Army) dec. Schlatter, 2-0, 1-2, 1-0

84 KG / 185 POUNDS
Match 1 – Chas Betts (MN Storm) dec. Jordan Holm (MN Storm), 1-0, 0-3, 2-0
Match 2 – Betts dec. Holm, 2-0, 2-0

120 KG / 264.5 POUNDS
Match 1 – Dremiel Byers (Army) dec. Steve Andrus (Michigan Wrestling Club), 1-0, 1-0
Match 2 – Byers dec. Andrus (Michigan Wrestling Club), 2-0, 2-0