The Marshall University Rec Center has teamed up with Ground Zero to put on a charity Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu double-elimination tournament, with all proceeds going to Relay for Life.

The tournament will be a gi & no-gi tournament with adult men’s & women’s divisions. Prices will be $30 for a single division & $50 for both. If you pre-register the single division cost will be $25 & $45 for both. Spectator tickets will be $5. All competitors will receive a competition t-shirt & 1st place winners will be awarded trophies; 2nd & 3rd medals.

Parking will be available at the Marshall University Stadium parking lot, across from the Rec Center. Weigh-ins will be held from 10:00am-11:00am, with the rules meeting at 10:30am. The tournament will begin at 11:00.

Come compete & help support a good cause! Grapple for life.

Marshall University Rec Center
402 Thundering Herd Drive,
Huntington, WV 25755
MAP

More information on the official site.

Injured Buffalo wrestler making strides
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A University at Buffalo wrestler who suffered a serious spinal cord injury during the Mid-American Conference championships is off a ventilator and has moved one of his legs for the first time since undergoing surgery.

University officials said Friday that Dan Bishop could be moved from a Saginaw, Mich., hospital to a rehabilitation center next week.

Bishop underwent emergency surgery after being hurt March 6 while competing in a 125-pound semifinal match at Central Michigan University. Doctors said the senior from Whitehall, N.Y., sustained a fracture between two vertebrae and damage to a major artery.

Bishop advanced to the finals with a medical forfeit and finished second in the tournament despite the injury.
Article taken from USA Today Web Site

This is a past article by Matt Diano, LighthouseWrestling.com about one of HSWrestling’s favorite “dark horses” from the 2010 Senior class. Lenzi passed on several other elite colleges before picking Penn and is excited to continue his career at the next level.

Wednesday evening, right around the time that the New York Yankees were surging to a 2-0 Game 6 lead by virtue of a Hideki Matsui home run, Lighthouse Wrestling was in the process of getting it confirmed that two-time defending CHSAA Catholic State/2008 NYS DI champion Andrew Lenzi had indeed officially come off of the market.

Responding to a Facebook message left for him, the two-time NYS finalist confirmed that earlier in the evening, he had contacted the University of Pennsylvania’s head wrestling coach, Rob Eiter, to inform him that he had decided to make the Philadelphia-based campus his home away from home for the next four years (commencing in the fall of 2010).

Lenzi becomes the first recruit from the current senior class to formally announce his intentions to join the Quakers.

A household name in New York since 2006 when he won the schoolboy state title in impressive fashion, teching nearly all of his opponents, the future student-athlete at the famed Wharton School of Business, has found himself on everybody’s radar ever since.

Electing to concentrate on the academic adjustment that accompanies matriculation at a top-flight college preparatory school in 2007, Lenzi and his family made the decision to forego the rigors of weight cutting. However, despite being pitted against physically more mature upperclassmen, the Ram wrestler compiled a more than respectable freshmen campaign, culminating with a third-place finish at the Catholic state tournament (CHSAA qualifier for the NYS tournament).

As a sophomore, Lenzi would distinguish himself as a true contender for the federation hardware at the Eastern States Tournament (considered by some to be a tougher tournament to win than the NYS title because it includes wrestlers from both divisions). Seeded 12th, Lenzi would go on to win his first four matches, including a 10-4 decision over top-seeded Brian Benton (currently at George Mason University), before bowing out in the finals to Dom Oddo. This would be a loss that Lenzi would study and learn from, avenging the defeat several weeks later in the quarterfinals of the state tournament�.a 14-5 major decision over Brandan McKeown in the semifinals would set the stage for a rematch with Benton, with the victor not only going the spoils, but claiming the 130-pound state crown as well. And, again, it would be the representative from the Catholic League that got his arm raised, emerging with the 5-3 decision. The win made Lenzi the first wrestler from the CHSAA to earn the top step on the podium since 2000 When St. Anthony’s Lucas Magnani (wrestled for Brown University and the University of Iowa) won the title as a sophomore. Lenzi would be an emphatic exclamation point on 2008, earning All-American honors at the NHSCA Sophomore National tournament, finishing sixth at 135-pounds.

Lenzi, rated as the No. 8 senior in the Empire State’s 2010 class, would wrestle his way back onto center state last season, winning his first three matches in Albany (including a thrilling 6-5 decision over former 2x NYS champion/Current Harvard freshman Paul Liguori). However, unlike his magical sophomore season, the future Quaker would have to watch as his opponent, Rocky Point’s Stephen Dutton (No. 3 senior in NYS; Verbal commitment to Lehigh University) would go on to get his first taste of glory, knocking the defending champion from his throne via a 10-1 major decision.

Now, just a month or so away from the beginning of his swan song, those of us who have chatted with Lenzi know how hungry he is to return to the top of the mountain. Should the FP captain succeed in his mission to recapture the gold, he will have made history, becoming the first wrestler from the Catholic League to win multiple state crowns. In doing so, he will immediately join the likes of the aforementioned Magnani in the discussion of the greatest wrestler in CHSAA history.

Projected as a 141-pounder on the next level, Lenzi chose the University of Pennsylvania over Ivy League rivals Columbia University, Harvard University, and Princeton University. When asked about the deciding factors, the two-time CHSAA State Most Outstanding Wrestler cited the quality of the coaching staff, saying “Coach Eiter and Coach Valenti are really good guys and really good coaches. I believe I will be able to achieve all of my goals under them. They are the type of people that would do anything for me or any other member on the team to help them achieve their goals.” Lenzi also spoke very highly of the camaraderie that he experienced during his visit to the campus, talking in detail about how he was impressed with the fact that all of the team members are friends off of the mat as well. To conclude, Lenzi commented about life after wrestling and how he felt the strength of the academics (especially the Business program) were ideal for him, saying “Wharton is the No. 1 business school in the nation. It will provide me with the opportunity to be most successful after my career on the mat is finished.”

With the addition of former two-time NCAA champion Matt Valenti to the UPenn coaching staff, coupled with the return of incumbent starter Bryan Ortenzio (133) and former blue-chip recruits Dan White and Zack Kemmerer, there should be no shortage of quality workout partners to reach the fullest extent of his potential.

On behalf of everyone at LHW, we offer our sincerest congratulations to Andrew and his family on this big moment. Coach Eiter is getting a great young man!!!

Teams Prepare for First NCWA Women’s National Championship
Dallas, Texas – March 6, 2008 --After announcing the addition of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) Women’s Division this past summer, colleges from all over the United States and Canada are set to compete in the first ever National Championship to be held March 13-15 in Lakeland, Florida.
Among the newly established NCWA programs is Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania, which is known for its deep seeded tradition in Division I men’s wrestling.
“I am hoping we set the stage for collegiate women, said Lock Haven’s Rachael Groft.

Groft, who is currently ranked #5 at 112-pounds had quit wrestling two years ago and was convinced her post-high school wrestling career was finished due to lack of competitive opportunities.

Groft was coaching a girls club team while working and attending community college near her hometown when she responded to an e-mail from Lock Haven’s Women’s Coach Terry Fike, who was spreading the word about the new Lady Eagles wrestling program.

“Rachael mentioned that she attended Lock Haven University previously and had worked out with a member of the men’s team, but had no competitive opportunities,” said Fike. “I read between the lines in her e-mails, and I told her it sounded like she had some unfinished business to attend to, and apparently, she agreed.”

Groft said she probably wouldn’t have returned to Lock Haven if not for the creation of the women’s team. “I would have probably completed my education at community college” she said. “Once I learned about the women’s program, I knew I’d also have an opportunity to compete.”

The newly established Lady Eagle program follows in the steps of 2004 Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann, as well as nationally ranked and Olympic team contenders Jenny Wong, Erin Tomeo, and Jenna Pavlick, all of whom attended and trained at Lock Haven University in the past, without the benefit of a women’s program.
Although this is a historical first year for the NCWA Women’s division, many of the programs and competitors are no stranger to an elite level of competition.
Pacific University in Oregan has had their program established since 2001, and has produced some of the nations top ranked wrestlers including 2004 Olympic team member, Tela O’Donnell.
Adding to the already elite level of United States women’s competition in this year’s championship will be two Canadian teams: Douglas College and Simon Fraser University.
Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, established their women’s program in 1990 and is one of the oldest and most successful women’s programs in both the United States and Canada.

Just last weekend, the team captured the Canadian University CIS National Championships held in Calgary. Among the Seven SFU National Championship team members set to compete at the NCWA National Championships are CIS National Champions Ashley McKilligan (105-lbs), Miranda Dick (121-lbs) Stacie Anaka (148 lbs) National Runner-ups Rita Pare (112 lbs) and Danette Torgeson (138 lbs) and third place place finisher Erin Church (158 lbs)
Among the other colleges and universities set to attend this years championship event are: San Jose State (CA), Stony Brook University (NY), University of California-Santa Barbara, The University of Florida, and The University of Texas-Arlington.
This year’s Championships are hosted by The University of Central Florida and will be held at The Lakeland Center’s George Jenkins Arena in Lakeland, Florida. The NCWA Men’s National Championship competition will begin at 10 am Thursday March 13 and the Women’s competition begins on Friday at 10 am. Both tournaments will run simultaneously together with both the men’s and women’s finals set for Saturday March 15th at 4 pm.

Contact:
Jim Giunta, Executive Director – National Collegiate Wrestling Association
Phone: 214-378-8700 extension 107
Email: jim@ncwa.net

Address: 13111 North Central Expressway, Fifth Floor, Dallas, Texas 75243

Web: www.ncwa.net
Press Release written by:
Tabitha Wilson, Women’s Director – National Collegiate Wrestling Association

Phone: 412-309-0116
Email: Tabitha@wilsoncreativegroup.com

MY FIRST CIVIL WAR
December 8, 2007

I just got back home to Corvallis, Oregon from my first ever Civil War Dual Meet. The match took place in the nostalgic McArthur Court, on the campus of the University Oregon. Oregon State, the team I coach for, won the dual 23-14.

However, this dual was bitter sweet. I have heard about the Oregon State - Oregon rivalry since I first began discussing the possible coaching position with Jim Zalesky. Everyone told me how intense the rivalry was and how deep the loyalties ran. So many spoke of how hard the athletes compete, and how intensely the fans cheer. Those on both sides have expressed how intimately the match-up between the universities, depsite athletic contest, effects them. Tonight I saw a glimpse of that.

The sad thing is, despite this rivalry being one of the most heated in collegiate sports, it is coming to an end. Yes, that is right the third longest wrestling rivalry at the division one level just experienced its last contest in McArthur Court. That is because, despite large financial donations form several prominent boosters in recent history (including the $100 milion given by Phile Night of Nike) wrestling is being dropped by University of Oregon Athletics. McArthur Court, the nostalgic, timeless, and historic venue is being demolished. The new, $200 plus million Arena will not house wrestling, or its contests. Instead, baseball and competitive cheer is being added by the University of Oregon Athletic Department. This is an Athletic Department headed by a man named Pat Kilkenny, who does not have an undergraduate degree. Yes, every person he is in charge of has one. Yes, every athelete at the University of Oregon is required to work towards the completion of one. Yet, he does not. How can a leader expect something from his followers that they themselves do not posses? Unfortunatley, I can not answer that question, despite my own undergraduate degree with honors, it simply dumbfounds me.

So when you really examine the situation, it should not suprise you that this is happening at such a prominent and progressive instutuion like the University of Oregon. An instituion, that has lead the way in academic, athletic, and social endeavors should not be regressing, or even staying stagnant. It is though, and it is due to an ineptness of leadership. Maybe I should not say that, maybe it is unprofessional? However, this is America and freedom of speech is still protected in my constitutional rights. This leadership, has never participated at the division one level in athletics, graduated with a four year degree, or had the experience of running the day to day operations of a major athletic department at a prominent university.

Sure, I may be on a soap box right now, but it kills me to see a sport that has given me so much continue to suffer due to others short-sightedness and lack of understnading. A sport that has allowed me to travel the world, make life-long friends, receive a college education, spend time with my family, find employment, etc., etc., etc. I could go on forever, and anyone who has been involved in the sport could also do so. Wrestling is the oldest sport known to man, an original olympic event, and the fastest growing high school sport in much of the nation. However, opportunities at the collegiate level are continuing to disappear. Many claim title IX, and its constraints for this. I do not. I blame those not doing everything they can to promote our great sport and save our programs. I blame those that are using title IX inappropriatley. I blame those who have the ability to step in when they can and make a difference and do not.

When will this stop? When will our sport fight back? That is what wrestling is; a controlled fight. Universities like that of Oregon, that are progressive and have substantial financial backing must lead the way. They must continue to be leaders and innovators. Will they do the right thing? Will Mr. Kilkenny fix the biggest mistake he may ever make? Will the University of Oregon step in and correct their mistake? I hope so, maybe if they do and are lead by the new athletic director (the one with no degree) in this correction, others will follow. My fear is that if they do not our great sport may continue to regress and lose opportunties. This is simply unacceptable.

So I guess this really goes out to those at the University of Oregon, those with the ability to truly step in and make a difference, those with the power to reverse the decision and do what is right; Save Oregon Wrestling!!!! I hope this is not my last trip to Eugene to experience the great rivalry known as the "Civil War."

Sacred Heart University is seeking applications for the part-time position of Head Wrestling Coach for its Division I wrestling program (associate member of the Colonial Athletic Association). The successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of the wrestling program which includes practice/skill development, scheduling, recruitment, academic advisement and other day-to-day administrative tasks within the program. Qualifications: Bachelor?s degree required, successful collegiate level coaching experience preferred.

If interested, please send your cover letter, resume and references to:
Sacred Heart University,
c/o Mike Guastelle,
Sr. Associate Athletic Director,
5151 Park Avenue
Fairfield, CT 06825
or via email at guastellem@sacredheart.edu

Sacred Heart University is a four-year co-educational, private Catholic university located 55 miles north of New York City in Fairfield, Connecticut. Sacred Heart's four colleges provide a high quality education for over 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The University is the third largest and fastest growing Catholic university in the Northeast. Sacred Heart possesses a proud athletics tradition and, as a member of the NCAA DI Northeast Conference, fields 32 varsity teams involving over 800 student-athletes.

Missouri, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and Minnesota all heading to the Semis.

Did anyone count out the Cowboys? Shame on you. They came out battling and rejuvenated after a lack luster performance at Lone Star Duals. Ran through the hosts UNI and then University of Iowa and did so in front of the Iowa crowd. They now have there hands full tomorrow in the semis where they face the University of Missouri. Just goes to how you that you cant count out John Smith's cowboys.

University of Missouri defeated Penn however not after losing 4 bouts. The score wasn't nearly as close as it might seem 27-15 thanks to pins by um ...I forget his name.....oh yeah, Ben Askren. Missouri then faced Northwestern in the quarters and handled them pretty good 33-8. The only thing is that Askren's pin streak ended in this meet, thus leaving all the pin heads across the country saddened. (He talks about the match in this interview with Flowrestling)

Minnesota easily defeated both Cornell and Central Michigan. #1 ranked Dustin Schlatter at 149lbs had a close bout but was able to win, as usual.

Iowa State was seeded 6th heading in. First they defeated Michigan in a pretty close match 25-15. The most exciting match of this dual was between Josh Churrella of Michigan and Cyler Sanderson of Iowa State. Cyler Sanderson always puts on a high intensity and entertaining matches, but Josh Churrella matched his intensity and was able to pin Cyler from a defensive position! After Michigan Iowa State faced Hofstra where Trent Paulson faced his second defeat in three weeks. #6 Ranked James Strouse did the honors with a tight and exciting bout all the way to the end.