This post will contain lists of the recruiting classes for Division III teams. The information will be taken from the Intermat list of recruits (found here) or from emails directly from the coaching staffs of the various teams. Since there is no DIII Letter of Intent or scholarships, these commitments are generally only reported when a school has received a deposit from the athlete. Even then, the decision is not binding in any way.

Updated 6/18/2009

Centenary
Glenn Cannici (Queen of Peace, NJ)

Concordia-Moorhead
Derek Lee (Bismarck, ND)
Josten Coleman (Oakes, ND)
Tyler Blauert (Frazee, MN)
Kevin Fynboh (Thief River Falls, MN)
Josh Kelly (Oaks, ND)
Adam Sommers (Rosemount, MN)
Nathan Schmitz (Perham, MN)
Tom Bouressa (Alexandria, MN)

Elizabethtown
125-Kevin Aspril- Lampeter Strasburg, PA
174/184- Julian Meaney- Manchester Twp, NJ
149/157- Ross Stockdale- Warwick, PA
133- Jordan Stepanchick- Hempfield, PA
141- Matt Nobbs- Point Pleasant Boro, NJ
157- Max Barsky- Abington, PA
141/149- Tye Boyer- Indian Valley, PA
174- Skip Newberger- Boys Latin, MD
133- Andrew Mariani- Penncrest, PA
174- Jim Gentile- Paulsboro, NJ
133- Ryan Irvin- Big Spring, PA
184- Cameron Aregood- Gateway Regional, NJ
133/141- Colin Sheridan- Mt. Pleasant, PA

Gettysburg
CJ Ceci (Northfield Mount Hermon, MA)
Nick Cutler (Trinity Pawling, NY)
Joe Fiore (Kellenberg Memorial, NY)
Adam Finkelstein (Somers, NY)
Michael Gooding (Thayer Academy, MA)
Adam Hammdorf (Hamilton-Wenham, MA)
Garrett Lincoln (Hingham, MA)
Anthony Parry (Greenwich, CT)
Michael Picciani (Episcopal, PA)
Kevin Poplaski (St. John’s Prep, MA)
Colin Pryor (St. Anthony’s, NY)
Marhsall Puls (The Hotchkiss School, CT)
Branden Strohl (Catasaqua, PA)
Bill Walton (Brooks, MA)
Tim Zielinski (Northfield Mount Hermon, MA)

John Carroll
Danny Rose (Beachwood, OH)

Johns Hopkins
Teno Boone (Baltimore, MD)
Stuart Corless (Wellesley, MA)
Ben Elder (Lexington, KY)
Andrew Giannascoli (Downingtown, PA)
Joseph Gowen (Concord, NH)
Paul Marcello (Pembroke Pines, FL)
Lance McCoy (Baltimore, MD)
Dylan Meade (Freehold, NJ)
Isa Mohammed (Clarksville, MD)
Reid Mosquera (Andover, MA)
Matt Nelson (Gahanna, OH)
Salvatore Rizzo (Islip, NY)

Johnson & Wales
Colin Lenhardt (Gloucester, VA)
Humphrey Swift (Danburty, CT)
James Morrison (Roselle, NJ)
Cody Mooney (Raritan, NJ)
Joe Pronk (Marshfield, MA)

King’s
Chris Puorro (Seton Hall Prep, NJ)
Brendan Dwyer (Pittsford, NY)
Dave Foley (Fairport, NY)

Lycoming
Terrell Nixon (Philadelphia, PA)
Nick Bravo (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ)

McDaniel
James Young (Arlington, VA)
Marcus Carter (Greenbelt, MD)
Scott Forrester (Manchester Twp., NJ)
Tony Vorndran (Millville, NJ)
Mark Loebeck (Lancaster, PA)
Mason Goldbach (Wake Forest, NC)
Shawn Crimmons (Reading, MA)
Tommy Goretsas (Hampstead, MD)
Dan Wolohojion (Rockville, MD)
Earl Eppard (Baltimore, MD)
Ryan Spicer (South China, ME)
Michael Tancredi (Wall, NJ)
Josh Moore (Denton, MD)
Sam McCauley (Westtown, PA)

Merchant Marine
Garrick Skubon (Mercersburg Academy, PA)

Messiah
Pat Hogan (Liberty University)
Spencer Alexander (Hanover, VA) 125
Stephen Antonek (Mendham, NJ) 133
Ryan Snead (Potomac Falls, VA) 133
Josh Bressler (PCA, MD) 141/149
Steve Bandstra (Midland Park, NJ) 165
Travis Ebersole (Manheim Central, PA) 184/197
Russell Jones (Pope John, NJ) 184/197

Milwaukee School of Engineering
Austin Binish (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Craig Evans (West Allis Central, WI)
John Fowler (Colville, WA)
James Franke (Wheaton-Warrenville South, IL
TJ Huemann (Johnsburg, IL)
Joey Marsh (Wausau West, WI)
Fernando Morales (Lake Park, IL)
Steve Nguyen (Burnsville, MN)
Matt Ostovich (Greenfield, WI)
Caleb Staub (Dakota, IL)
Matt Weber (St. Anthony, MN)
Josh Wengerter (Pulaski, WI)

NYU
Gabe Gleason (Bound Brook, NY)
Ramsey Chahine (Manhattan Beach, LA)
Adlee Fayyez (Rye, NY)
Justin Murberg (Hillsdale, NJ)
Jackson Yates (Baltimore, MD)
Billy Kartsonis (Jacksonville, FL)
Alex Pineiro (Oradell, NJ)
Chris Amro (Brooklyn, NY)
Jimmy Carriddi (Oradell, NJ)
Sam Galassi (Bergen Catholic, NJ)

Plymouth State
Jesse Bilodeau (Otter Valley Union, VT)
Ryan Cunniff (Bath, ME)
Femi Wheeler (Mamaroneck, NY)
James Matlack (Hamilton, NJ)
Sean Kelley (Winnacunnet, NH)
Seth Carter (Alvirne, NH)
Jake Greenwood (Windham, ME)
Derek Bolduc (Mt. Mansfield, VT)
Kyle Folino (North Adams, MA)
Mike Strong (Vergennes, VT)
Peter Bronder (Noble, ME)
Rob Phillips (Brick Memorial, NJ)
Josh Robbins (Belfast, ME)
Greg Bohenko (Westford Academy, MA)
Steve Sughrue (Wilmington, MA)
Craig Manning (South Glens Falls, NH)
Jon Miller (Manchester High School West, NH)
Matt Moher (Manchester High School West, NH)

Roger Williams
Michael Armata (Syosset, NY)
Hagai Brandon (Newton, MA)
Jack DiBurro (Haverhill, MA)
Cody Emond (Mount Vernon, NY)
Phil Ernst (Succasunna, NJ)
Matt Hart (Albany, NY)
Joseph Holbeche (Wappingers Falls, NY)
Stephen Kein (Rutherford, NJ)
Ryan Kelly (Portland, CT)
Ryan Lynch (Hudson, MA)
Bobby Markowski (Wayne, NJ)
Michael Monson (Southington, CT)
Kaare Stokdal (Kingston, NY)
Mark Whitesell (Silver Spring, MD)

St. John’s
Trenton Seck (Delano, MN)
Charlie Kirscht (Alexandria, MN)
Chris Stevermer (Prior Lake, MN)

St. Olaf
Matt Bailey (Robbinsdale Armstrong, MN)
Collin Jergenson (Minnewaska Area, MN)
Mike Roth (Delano, MN)
Bernt Bratagar (Burnsville, MN)
Jake Bohler (Delano, MN)
Joe Pesta (Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, MN)

Southern Maine
Dylan Shultz (NH)
Shane Daly (ME)
Ernie Matthews (ME)
Nick Healy (CT)
Mark Richardson (ME)
Peter Gilman (ME)
Jonathan Dowling (MA)
Logan Russell (Plymouth State)
Tyler Lott (NH)
Spencer Chipman (ME)
Jim Koshivas (MA)
Clyde Tibbetts (ME)
Tony Trickett (MA)
Alex Holland (MA)
Dan Suarez (NJ)

Ursinus
Connor Gregory (Winchester, MA)
Maxwell Lehner (Baltimore, MD)
Samuel Brenner (West Roxbury, MA)
Hassan Elghawy (Collegeville, PA)
Travis Quinn (Lititz, PA)
Curtis Watkins (Fairfield, CT)
Andrew Corbett (Pittsgrove, NJ)
Anthony Dain (Mount Laurel, NJ)
Joseph LaSala (Nesconset, NY)
William Rieck (Jim Thorpe, PA)
John Robinson (Danvers, MA)
Christopher Brzezynski (Pennington, NJ)
Eric Pfeiffer (East Greenville, PA)
Christopher Warren (New Milford, NJ)
Kevin Kozub (Bay Head, NJ)
Matthew Leahy (Waltham, MA)
Michael Kevlin (Manalapan, NJ)
Stephen Hayman (Toyko, Japan)
Myles Tornetta (Frazer, PA)
Kyle Levocz (Philadelphia, PA)
Theodore Conrad (Doylestown, PA)
Brian Greene (Plainview, NY)
Edward Berry (Philadelphia, PA)
Brett Smyers (Gardners, PA)
Louis Fein (Cambridge, MA)
Bill Cornely (Camden Catholic, NJ)

UW-La Crosse
Mitch Spano (Woodbury, MN)
Scott Hogan (Eastview, MN)
Josh McLain (Anoka, MN)

UW-Platteville
Jesse Wellman (Hastings, MN)

UW-Stevens Point
Jordan Schulte (Mosinee, WI)
Jordan Poirier (Bloomer, WI)
CJ Hale (Auburndale, WI)
Cody Stichman (Waupaca, WI)
Ben Strobel (Neenah, WI)
Matt Wallace (Kaukauna, WI)
Matt Cuadra (Oshkosh/West, WI)
Mark Puckhaber (DePere/West, WI)
Mike Weber (Necedah, WI)
Dustin Wozniak (Stanley, WI)
Patrick Sloan (Mukwonago, WI)
Hayden Silvers (Baraboo, WI)
Lucas McGann (Merrimac/Baraboo, WI)
Derek Roosa (Mosinee, WI)
Tom Jung (Hinsdale Central, IL)
Shane Sweeney (Edgewood/Monona, WI)
Ryan Conat (New London, WI)
Craig Brandvold (Merrill, WI)
Jordan Kust (Shawano, WI)

Wabash
Chad Barrett (Greentown, IN)
Julian Cernuda (Hickory, NC)
Patrick Clegg (Clarendon Hills, IL)
Winston Craft (Attica, IN)
Johnny Dillon (Hobart, IN)
Jordan Dulaney (Muncie, IN)
Jeramey Hicks (West Lebanon, IN)
Quinten Hizey (Kutztown University)
Martin Lantz (Goshen, IN)
Ryan Lutz (Sacramento, CA)
Tyler McCoy (Lafayette, IN)
Austin O’Neal (Griffith, IN)
Alex Orton (Clarendon Hills, IL)
Garrett Payne (Michigan City, IN)
Corbin Richards (Avon, IN)
Derek Rowe (Logansport, IN)
Daniel Sandberg (Indianapolis, IN)
Jeromy Sisk (Peru, IN)
Drew Spriggs (Thorntown, IN)
Zach Stone (Elkhart, IN)
Jacob Strausbaugh (Orrville, OH)
Oscar Trujillo (Lafayette, IN)
Gabe Watson (Columbus, IN)
Ryan Wells (Grove City, OH)
Ethan Wilson (Indianapolis, IN)
Bill Wood (Palos Heights, IL)
Devan Young (Chino Hills, CA)
Willy Costakis (Merrillville, IN)

Washington & Jefferson
Tyler Berger (Burrell, PA)
Nicholas Sewell (Blair Academy, NJ)
Brett Jeffries (Watkins Memorial, OH)
Brady Fyffe (Grove City, PA)
James Vautier (West Mifflin, PA)
Peter Bowditch (St. Mark’s, MA)
Eric Kohr (River Hill, MD)
Daniel Singer (Avella, PA)
Robbie Mies (Williamsport, MD)
Nathan Miller (Teays Valley, OH)
Ty Sampsell (Milton, PA)

Wilkes
Kyle Huber (Newton, NJ)

WPI
Dylan Billings (Westminster, MA)
Michael Fitch (Bronx, NY)
Daniel Gilman (Framingham, MA)
Thomas Jones (Raynham, MA)
Cody McCormick (Clarence Center, NY)
Joseph Pasquarelli (Pittsfield, MA)
Gregory Mollnow (Cohoes, NY)

York
Will Forero (Wheatley School, NY)
Jeff Snair (Kings Park HS, NY)
Alex Paladino (Caesar Rodney HS, DE)
Will Pumphry (Old Mill HS, MD)
Jeff Slater (Lutheran HS, NY)
Kevin Braodwater (St. Joseph HS, NJ)
Brandon Heffelfinger (Panther Valley HS, PA)
Chris Gugliotti (Pittston Area HS, PA)
Sal Disimone (Center Moriches HS, NY)
Kevin Cassidy (Bel Air HS, MD)
Evan Ennis (Calvert Hall HS, MD)
Kerry Boughton (Kingston HS, NY)
Ryan Milbourn (Smithfield HS, VA)
Mark Burkhart (Ridley HS, PA)
Mike Golt (Dover HS, DE)
David Fouts (Hereford HS, MD)
Steve Andolena (Transfer – Ithica)
Will Carr (St, Andrews Episcopal School, MD)
Alan Dyer (Camden Catholic HS, NJ)
Zach Downing (Winter Mills HS, MD)
Vinnie Bianchinni (Paul VI HS, NJ)
Aaron Vrabel (Milton Hershey Sch., PA)
John McHale (Transfer – Frostburg State)
John Starcevich (Transfer – Widener)
Richard Walton (South Plainfield HS, NJ)
Nick Page (Kennard-Dale HS, PA)
Amro Elansari (Downingtown East HS, PA)
Matt Pagano (Hopewell Valley HS, NJ)
Jason Walters (Southern Regional, NJ)

The ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America At-Large team has been released.  In a previous post, the Academic All-District teams were released, and now the All-America teams are available.  In the College Division, six Division III wrestlers made either the first or second team.  Dan Laurent (UW-Lax), Kyle Vanderhyde (Olivet), Aaron Wernimont (Wartburg), and Ben Youel made the first team, while Alec Bonander (Luther) and Joel VendeBoom (MSOE) were second team selections.  See the full release below.

ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America® Team – Selected by CoSIDA

Now you can surf d3wrestle.com easier from your mobile device.  If you go to d3wrestle.com with a mobile device, you will se a version of the site formatted for easier navigation and reading.

There is also a search box in the right most column that will find anything that we’ve ever had on d3wrestle.com.

Another highlight video, this time of Wartburg

Muhlenberg impressed with Kocsis’ ‘passion’

from The Morning Call

The last open position was filled this week

Filled Positions
Muhlenberg – Mike Kocsis replaces the retiring Tom Schleicher
Olivet – Brandon Brissette takes over for Todd Hibbs
UW-Eau Claire – Derek Sikora replaces the retiring Don Parker
Wheaton – Jim Gruenwald replaces Dan Weber

Three time NCAA Division I qualifier Mike Kocsis has been named head wrestling coach at Muhlenberg College.  He replaces Tom Schleicher, who retired this spring.  Please see the Muhlenberg release below.

For immediate release
Monday, June 8, 2009

MIKE KOCSIS NAMED MUHLENBERG WRESTLING COACH

Allentown, Pa. – Muhlenberg College has hired Mike Kocsis, a former ranked Division I wrestler and one of the top natural bodybuilders in the world, as its new head wrestling coach. He replaces Tom Schleicher, who retired in March after 13 seasons at Muhlenberg.

Kocsis is a 1993 graduate of Central Connecticut State, where he was a four-year starter and two-time East Coast Conference champion. He qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships three times and was ranked as high as 12th in the nation.

Kocsis also enjoyed a stellar scholastic career for a Phillipsburg High School wrestling team that won four group state titles and was voted the No. 1 team in New Jersey three times. He finished his career with a record of 90-11 and was a three-time district champion, placing third in the state meet as a senior.

After graduating college, Kocsis spent one year as an assistant coach at Central Connecticut, one at Franklin (N.J.) High School and three at Phillipsburg High School.

Since 2000, Kocsis has been owner and director of Unlimited Changes Personal Fitness and Performance Center in Easton, Pa. Among the wrestlers he mentored there are Kellen Russell, a two-time Big Ten champion at the University of Michigan, and Jon Gregory, a 2008 Division III All-American at Ithaca College.

Kocsis has also enjoyed great success as a natural bodybuilder. In his first professional competition, he placed fourth in the 2002 World Natural Bodybuilding Federation Pro Natural Mr. Universe contest, and he finished second the following year. He won the World Natural Sports Organization Mr. Natural USA title and placed in the top six at the world championships three straight years from 2005 to 2007.

A certified personal fitness trainer, Kocsis has had articles published nationally and performs speaking engagements, seminars and camps and clinics for groups all over the country. He was the cover model for FAME Fitness Lifestyle Magazine in February 2007.

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel has approved rule changes for the 2009-2010 season.  From the NCAA release:

Wrestling changes

In wrestling, referees will say “set” to the defensive and offensive starting positions before the whistle sounds for the participants to begin competing. Previously, officials were instructed only to ensure a pause before blowing the whistle to start the competition. Adding the verbal command should decrease false starts and enhance the competitive equity of the match.

Weigh-ins will also be conducted differently next season. All contestants will be required to wear a suitable undergarment such as briefs, boxers, shorts or a competition singlet when they step on the scale.

Overtime rules have also been tweaked. In the event a wrestler takes a second injury timeout at the beginning or during overtime, the non-injured wrestler will get the choice of position after the opponent’s second injury timeout.

This change gives the non-injured wrestler the opportunity to win in overtime by riding the opponent for one minute in any sudden-victory period, or for at least one minute in the tiebreaker periods.

In December of 2008, Norwich University announced that it would be dropping wrestling as a cost-cutting measure after the 2008-2009 season.  Since that time, Head Coach Rich Hasenfus has been working with alumni and friends of the program to save the program for 2009-2010 and beyond.  This week, Norwich announced that the program was reinstated for the 2009-2010 season.  However, that reinstatement is only for next year unless funds can be raised to keep the program viable into the future.

The number given to the wrestling team was $85,000 in order to continue for next season.  As of now, according to Hasenfus, there are $77,000 in total pledges, with $62,000 pledged toward next year.  They team is still in the process of fundraising for 2009-2010, but the school administration has seen enough to reinstate the team in the short term.  Please take the time to go to www.savenorwichwrestling.com to find out how you can help in the fundraising effort.

The team has had to make some budgetary concessions to stay afloat, including eliminating some of their longer road trips.  Also, Hasenfus is currently without an assistant coach.  There are a few ways the team hopes to raise awareness and publicity within both the wrestling and military communities.  First, Norwich is hopeful that they can put together a proposal to host the All-Academy Championships and use the event to gain support for the future of their team.  Second, former Norwich wrestler Mike Brown is the current WEC Featherweight champion in mixed martial arts.  He will be fighting former champion Urijah Faber on Sunday night at 9pm on Versus and will also be supporting the Norwich cause with some clinics.

“I’m glad that we were able to save the team for next year.” stated Hasenfus.  “Even though it’s not permanent, it buys us more time to save the program for the future.  If it goes away, it’s gone forever, so it was good to be able to keep it going.  Cutting the team was shortsighted by the administration.  Wrestling brings students into Norwich, even if they’re not on the team.  For this past year, I had contact with 69 different students who deposited at Norwich.  Even though they didn’t all wrestle, they came to the school, and wrestling had something to do with it.”

Even with the team back, Hasenfus recognizes what he is up against, especially with recruiting.  “We couldn’t really recruit this year after the announcement was made that the team would be cut.  Even now that it’s back, it is a hard sell because we don’t have a guaranteed future beyond this year.”  Even keeping the current wrestlers around is tough, though the roster should have about 20 wrestlers back next year.

The first battle has been won at Norwich, but the fight isn’t over.  Hopefully, the wrestling community can come together to help support the team financially and keep college wrestling in Vermont.  Every little bit helps, especially if the wrestling and military communities can get behind this cause.  Again, visit www.savenorwichwrestling.com to learn how to give and what you can do to help.

Announcement on Norwich Athletics page

Norwich University has announced that they will be reinstating for 2009-2010 the wrestling and tennis teams that were dropped in December.  Not much information more than that is available right now.

Norwich reinstating wrestling program

Audio interview with Gruenwald also available at Wrestling411.

Wheaton College has a long history of wrestling success and an impressive list of former wrestling alumni.  Wheaton wrestlers have captured six national championships and 22 different wrestlers have captured All-America honors in the program’s history.  In addition, Wheaton wrestling alumni include the well known missionary Jim Elliot as well as Dennis Hastert, the longest serving Republican Speaker of the House in Congressional history.

Wheaton has had different coaches in each of the past two seasons, as 2001 NCAA Champion Dan Weber took over for the 2008-2009 season when Seth Norton stepped down after 12 years at the head of the program.  It was to be a one year appointment, however, as Weber will be taking his family to Zambia this year to become a missionary.  That left Wheaton looking for its third coach in three years as the program seeks a return to stability and greater regional and national success.

The search led Wheaton to select two time Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler and current assistant coach at the U.S. Olympic Education Center Jim Gruenwald.  Gruenwald has been at the USOEC coaching some of the nation’s best up and coming Greco-Roman wrestlers since 2005.  Since then, he has coached some of the top wrestlers in the United States including 2009 National Champions Joe Betterman and Harry Lester along with 2008 Olympians Spenser Mango and Adam Wheeler.

Gruenwald competed at Maranatha Baptist Bible College under Olympic champion Ben Peterson.  He won three National Christian College Athletic Association titles, was a Wheaton Invitational champ, and is a member of the Midlands 20 win club.  After college, he went on to make two Olympic teams and win three U.S. National titles.

It will be a change moving from Greco-Roman wrestling to collegiate, but Gruenwald believes the transition will be smooth. “I’ve spent the last 21 years involved with Coach Peterson’s Camp of Champs, and I had a good bit of success wrestling collegiately.  It will be a little bit like riding a bike.  Wrestling isn’t something that you forget how to do.”  Furthermore, Gruenwald believes his Greco-Roman experience as a competitor and coach can give his wrestlers and advantage. “People believe you don’t use your legs in Greco, but in reality, you just have to be sneaky about it.  Now that we can use the legs, I can try to bring some of the Greco techniques to Wheaton that will be helpful in collegiate wrestling.”  Additionally, Gruenwald has made two technique videos entitled “Greco Techniques for the Folkstyle Wrestler.”  One focused on the two-on-one series and the other on underhooks.

Beyond technique, Gruenwald plans to bring a new attitude and intensity to the Wheaton wrestling program.  “I want to get the most out of these individuals as students, athletes, and Christians, and to inspire them to become the best that they can be.  It can be frustrating as an athlete to have teammates that let wrestling take a backseat, so we want to train each wrestler to take responsibility for maximizing his own abilities.  I believe there is a level of excellence that each of us is required to achieve depending on the abilities God has given us.”

To get the wrestlers to that level, Gruenwald has some strategies that he will look to implement in the first few years of his tenure.  He recognizes that a wholesale change cannot be made overnight, especially since he took the position after all recruiting was done for this year.  Instead, he will focus on the things he can influence.  “We will be well-conditioned, strong, and we’ll focus on a few important techniques.  Additionally I will look to augment each wrestler’s style and strengths to help him have the most success possible.  This is what my coaches have done for me, and I hope to do the same here at Wheaton.”

Recruiting wrestlers to Wheaton will be a different challenge for Gruenwald that it was at the USOEC.  Both organizations have to recruit wrestlers, but the USOEC has no restrictions on what they can offer and when they can contact wrestlers.  The USOEC essentially has 24 wrestlers on full scholarship at Northern Michigan, but the challenge there is to get wrestlers to give up the idea of competing for an NCAA championship to focus on an Olympic style of wrestling.  The contrast with Wheaton is the fact that it is a Christian college that is also very expensive and academically rigorous.  However, finding athletes to fit that mold will require a national focus just like that of the USOEC.  Gruenwald is up to the challenge and sees it as an opportunity as much as a challenge.  “I will try to increase the visibility of the program in order to attract the right type of individual.  Some of the things that make it challenging will be the same things that make the school appealing over a wider area than some other schools.  I’m taking a positive attitude on recruiting with the understanding that what draws students to Wheaton will also draw the right type of wrestlers.  I’m glad that Wheaton has high academic standards.  Why can’t high academic standards and achievement spill over into athletic and spiritual success?”  Gruenwald seems to understand the challenges in recruiting, but he has also identified the strengths of the school.  Last year’s team featured 13 wrestlers from nine different states, a trend that will likely continue if the team is to be successful.

The attitude that Gruenwald will bring to the team is the same one that helped him have success as an athlete and a coach.  Wins and losses will come, but he believes that setting a high standard and focusing on excellence for each individual will be the best path to success on the mat and in life.  “We will do our best to seek perfection and settle for the excellence it brings.  Too many people are satisfied with just getting by, but we will focus on doing their best, because that is significant and successful, regardless of wins and losses.  Those things will take care of themselves if the focus is in the right place.”

Gruenwald is tasked with solidifying the Wheaton wrestling program and helping to return it to its past success.  He has won as a coach and an athlete, and he is up to the challenge set before him at Wheaton.  Over the years, the team will continue to compete against tough competition in the Great Lakes Regional with the goal of adding to that list of 22 All-Americans while developing wrestlers athletically, academically, and spiritually.

Olympic wrestler and former USOEC greco coach Jim Gruenwald has accepted the position of head wrestling coach at Wheaton College as of this evening.  He was preceded by Dan Weber and takes over a team that had its first All-American since 2003 this year.  Gruenwald will be the third coach in the last three seasons at Wheaton, hopefully bringing some stability to the program.

Wheaton release

The official release will be forthcoming, but d3wrestle.com has learned the names of DIII wrestlers who have been named to the first and second ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District At Large teams.  First team members will be considered for ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America honors

First team members
Kyle Vanderhyde, Olivet
Dan Laurent, UW-La Crosse
Ben Youel, North Central
Joel VandeBoom, MSOE
Alec Bonander, Luther
Aaron Wernimont, Wartburg

Second team members
Josh Wake, Oneonta
Derrick Smith, Oswego
Andrew Goldstein, Gettysburg
Luke Miller, Ohio Northern
Ben Adams, John Carroll
Ben Hoover, Maranatha

Waynesburg University head coach Ron Headlee will be inducted into the Washington/Greene Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame this summer.  Headlee recently finished his first year at Waynesburg, taking two wrestlers to the NCAA championships.  Prior to that, Headlee was a long time high school coach in the area after a college career at Messiah College where he became the school’s first ever Division III All-American.

Ron Headlee to be inducted into state hall of fame

Terence Haynes wrestled at 285 for Baldwin-Wallace this past season.  Not particularly remarkable until you consider the fact that he lost 200 pounds the previous year and is 45 years old.  See this link for the story and watch the video segment from E:60 below.

B-W Article
Cleveland Plain Dealer Article

Wrestling411 has caught up with Augsburg Head Coach Mark Matzek since he was named to the permanent head coaching position, dropping the interim tag.

Augsburg head coach Mark Matzek and assistant coach Jared Evans each have been given permanent positions at the school.  Each served in an interim capacity this past year as Augsburg placed 2nd in the NCAA, won the National Duals, and crowned seven All-Americans.  Matzek and Evans are both former Augsburg wrestlers.

Matzek, Evans remove ‘interim’ tag

Wrestling 411 got in touch with new UW-Eau Claire coach Derek Sikora for an interview.  Check it out here.

Derek Sikora has taken over the head coaching position as UW-Eau Claire after long time coach Don Parker announced his retirement.  Parker spent 32 seasons at Eau Claire, coaching 15 All-Americans and one national champion.  Sikora was that national champion in 2006 when the Blugolds placed 16th in the NCAA.  Sikora was a three time All-American and was an assistant coach at Eau Claire last season.

Wrestling coach Don Parker to Retire

Sikora Named Head Wrestling Coach