Having served it's purpose by helping to bring back wrestling to Arizona State University (in just over a week), SaveASUWrestling.com will get a new home as an archive on TheWrestlingTalk.com.

Gene Mills and Ed Banach to go 'On the Mat' this week
Kent Sesker Dan Gable Museum
09/24/2008

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature wrestling legends Gene Mills and Ed Banach.

Mills was one of the most dominant wrestlers to ever take the mat. After winning a high school state championship in New Jersey as a senior in 1976, Mills blossomed at Syracuse University where he was a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA Wrestling champion at 118 pounds. He pinned 107 opponents while compiling a college record of 144-5-1. Mills was a three-time World Cup Champion, 1980 Olympian and 1985 World team member.

Banach still holds the career pin mark at the University of Iowa with 73. He was a three-time NCAA champion, a four-time finalist and a key member of four consecutive NCAA team championships from 1980-1983. A native of Port Jervis, NY, Banach was an Olympic freestyle champion in 1984 at 198 pounds.

"On the Mat" can be hard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

Olympian Andy Hrovat determined to come back strong in 2009
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
09/24/2008

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – There is not a day that goes by when freestyle wrestler Andy Hrovat isn’t reminded about what happened at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Hrovat suffered a heartbreaking, last-second loss to Cuba’s Reineris Salas in his first and only bout of the Olympics last month in Beijing, China.

“Every day you run into somebody and they find out you’re an Olympian. They ask ‘How did you do?’ and I have to tell them I lost with three seconds left,” Hrovat said. “It’s something that is with me and something that will push me to hopefully win that title next year. It’s something that I will definitely use for motivation.”

The 28-year-old Hrovat is back on the mat training and looking for something big at 84 kg/185 lbs. during the 2008-09 season.

Hrovat, who lives and trains in Ann Arbor, Mich., was working out this week at the U.S. Olympic Training Center during a brief visit to Colorado Springs.

“I came out here for my Olympic evaluation, and it went as I expected,” Hrovat said. “Kevin (Jackson, U.S. National Coach) said I did everything I was told. He said if someone wasn’t living out here he would want them on my schedule with the way I train and go places to compete and wrestle the toughest competition. I go to the Overtime club to train with (Coach) Sean Bormet and I come out here for training camps. I’m going to continue to follow the same schedule for the upcoming season.”

Hrovat had the lead late in his opening match at the Olympics before the Cuban scored in the closing seconds of the third period to pull out a 3-0, 1-3, 2-2 victory.

“The Olympics is a big stage, but I felt real comfortable out there and I felt stronger than the guy I was wrestling,” Hrovat said. “I wasn’t pushing the pace hard enough where the guy would’ve folded. He was somebody I should be able to tech-fall two periods in a row. There’s no excuse for me losing. The way I see it, I was three seconds away from being in the finals. That’s realistic, because I could beat everybody else that was on my side (of the bracket). That’s the hardest part, knowing I had a mental lapse. That’s the difference between having a chance to win a gold medal and not getting a chance to wrestle back.”

A 2006 U.S. World Team member, Hrovat hopes to finish the upcoming season at the 2009 World Championships. That event is scheduled for Sept. 21-27, 2009 in Herning, Denmark.

“I need to change some things around mentally so I can get past those big matches internationally and start winning like I can,” Hrovat said. “I’m looking forward to getting back into it and competing again.”

Hrovat never left his wrestling shoes on the mat and would like to keep wrestling through the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

“I’m just taking it year-by-year right now,” he said. “By the time 2012 rolls around I will be 32. You never know how healthy your body will be. The goal is four years, but I don’t want to be holding on if I get injured or something. I’ve been fortunate with the way I wrestle where I don’t put myself in those positions to hurt my knees or anything.”

The U.S. freestyle team won just one medal, the gold won by Henry Cejudo, at the 2008 Olympics.

“Everybody needs to buy into our system and push each other,” Hrovat said. “Some people in the U.S. refuse to wrestle overseas and they’re not going to get any better if they don’t. The best guys in each weight class need to train with each other and make each other better. Some guys won’t do that because they don’t want to show the other guy what they have. I was training today with Bryce Hasseman, and we’re two of the top guys in our weight class. We pushed each other and made each other better. We also had guys who didn’t come to training camps. You can’t do that if you expect to win.”

Hrovat said the 21-year-old Cejudo had a razor-sharp focus while he geared up his preparations for the Olympics.

“Henry was a huge bright spot for us,” Hrovat said. “He’s a professional and that’s why he won. He trained every day as a professional and lived his life as a professional. He did everything the coaches asked him to do and he bought into the plan we had. He’s a 21-year-old kid, but he was the leader of this team. He pushed the pace and set an example by how hard he worked.”

Hrovat said he expects to be back competing in November.

“I’m real excited about this season,” he said. “The thing that excites me – even though I may have had a failure in the Olympics – is I have improved every year and I’m developing more. I’m gaining more and more confidence, and I keep getting better. I’m ready to get back out there and see what I can do.”

St. Louis to host 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships
09/24/2008

In announcing its new "NCAA Championships City" pilot program, the NCAA has also announced that the 2012 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships will be hosted in St. Louis, Mo.

In an email sent within the wrestling community, Randy Buhr, the Associate Director for Championships for the NCAA, indicated the following:

"Please note that St. Louis has been designated as one of the championship cities. As part of this designation, they have also been selected to host the 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Congratulations to our friends and partners at the St. Louis Sports Commission and the University of Missouri (as it relates to Division I Wrestling – they are the host institution)! We will look forward to returning to St. Louis not only in 2009, but also in 2012 for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships!"

NCAA OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

NCAA SELECTS SIX CITIES FOR INAUGURAL “NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP CITY” PILOT PROGRAM

INDIANAPOLIS --- The NCAA has selected six cities—Cary, N.C., Cleveland, Indianapolis, St. Louis, San Diego and San Antonio—to serve as inaugural members in its new “NCAA Championship City” pilot program.

The Championship City pilot program will feature multiple host opportunities of NCAA Division I, II and III men’s and women’s championships through 2012. The centerpiece of the Championship City pilot program is a long-term agreement between the NCAA and each host city to bring a wide array of championships and ancillary events to the six geographical areas over the course of several years.

“The Championship City model is a multiple-event concept that will create greater community support of the events through increased attendance and an enhanced atmosphere for the student-athletes and fans, as well as operational and economic efficiencies both for the cities and the NCAA,” said NCAA President Myles Brand. “This bundling of events allows the NCAA and the cities to provide benefits collectively that individual championships would be unable to provide on their own.”

Each of the six cities selected to take part in the pilot program has hosted an NCAA championship in previous years, including various levels of the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments. While most cities selected to host an NCAA championship focus on a specific division or sport, the Championship City pilot will provide the six cities with the privilege to host specific NCAA championships in Division I, II and III; a wider range of sports to host, which opens the city to a broader and diverse range of fans; rights to use enhanced NCAA trademarks; and NCAA marketing initiatives that identify it as a city selected specifically by the NCAA for the Championship City pilot program.

Through the program, the cities will work more closely with NCAA administrators to provide an enhanced championship experience for NCAA student-athletes and fans. Enhancements may include hosting social networking activities where student-athletes can communicate via the Internet about their academic and/or athletic experiences; creating a student-athlete lounge; hosting musical concerts and sports forums; hosting fan festivals that provide additional opportunities for visitors and community residents to celebrate the student-athlete and championship; and providing additional opportunities for student-athletes to interact with each other at host city attractions and venues.

The program will also incorporate an enhanced NCAA branding campaign to heighten the championship and place more emphasis on the student-athletes, the community that hosts the event and NCAA educational messaging. Creative art, special messaging and NCAA branding will also be implemented to enhance the program in the host city.

The NCAA Championship City pilot program has four primary objectives:
• enhance the overall experience for student-athletes who earn the opportunity to compete in NCAA championships
• increase promotion and visibility of the NCAA championship locally and nationally
• engage and support the communities selected to host NCAA Championships
• create fiscal and administrative efficiencies for cities that host championships

The Championship City pilot program will provide the six cities with increased leverage in long-term planning, in terms of general scheduling and developing ancillary and entertainment events. It also will allow city officials more time to establish additional resources to support the events and generate community involvement, which could have a positive economic impact on the host city. The cities will also have access to a wide range of NCAA championships, which includes a diverse audience of student-athletes and fan base.

The Championship City model emerged from a review of NCAA championship administrators seeking to enhance the student-athlete experience while reducing expenses. The multiple host model should reduce travel and costs in signage and lodging, which results in better fiscal and administrative efficiencies for the city and the NCAA national office.

“The championships staff at the national office is charged with efficient use of resources, effective operating and administrative procedures, supporting and enhancing the student-athlete experience, and meeting membership expectations, said Joni Comstock, NCAA senior vice president for championships. “Championship Cities is among the strategies that allow us to most effectively accomplish those four goals. We already have examples in men’s lacrosse, the Division II Championships Festivals and other sport-by-sport combinations (track and field, soccer and swimming) to show that concurrent championships lead to more efficiencies. The Championship City pilot program is another step in that direction.”

Once the Championship City model was created, the NCAA approached about three dozen cities, with 21 submitting proposals to join the pilot program. The field was narrowed to six cities, all of which had extensive experience in hosting NCAA championships in past years.

In reviewing the proposals from the cities, the NCAA looked at applications that focused on enhancing the championship experience for student-athletes, to include hospitality and pre- and post-championship activities. The group also considered proposals that would increase attendance, develop better community and regional awareness and highlight student-athlete achievements through extended media efforts. Community involvement that supported NCAA educational messaging and explained the academic and athletic accomplishments of student-athletes was considered, along with corporate community involvement and grassroots development in selection of the Championship Cities.

Additional championships may be awarded to the six inaugural pilot program cities. The NCAA will discuss opening the program to other cities once the pilot model and championship events have been evaluated. The NCAA will also host its annual convention in San Antonio (2011) and Indianapolis (2012).

The following are the Championship Cities and the championships they will host:

Cary, North Carolina
2008 Division I Women’s College Cup*
2009 Division I Women’s Basketball Regional*
2009 Division I Men’s College Cup
2010 Division I Women’s College Cup
2010 Division II Baseball Championship
2011 Division III Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships
2012 Division III Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships

Cleveland
2009 Division III Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships
2009 Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship
2010 Division III Men’s Tennis Championships
2010 Division III Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships
2011 National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics Championships

Indianapolis
2009 Division I Men’s Basketball Regional*
2010 Men’s Final Four*
2011 Women’s Final Four*

St. Louis
2009 Division I Wrestling Championships*
2009 Women’s Final Four*
2010 Division I Men’s Basketball Regional*
2010 Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship
2011 Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship
2011 Division I Men’s Ice Hockey regional
2012 Division I Wrestling Championships

San Antonio
2009 Division II Women’s Basketball Championship
2009 Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships
2010 Women’s Final Four*
2010 Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships
2011 Division II Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships
2011 Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship

San Diego
2009 Division I Women’s Basketball Regional*
2010 National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship
2011 Division I Men’s Golf Regional

Chun, Murata among finalists at U.S. World Team Trials for women's freestyle
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
09/20/2008

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – 2008 Olympian Clarissa Chun shook off a slow start to move into the finals of the U.S. Women’s World Team Trials.

Chun overcame an early three-point deficit to charge back and defeat Junior World Team member Victoria Anthony 5-3, 4-0 in the semifinals on Saturday afternoon at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Chun, fifth in the Olympic Games last month in Beijing, China, advances to face Alyssa Lampe in the best-of-3 match series in the final round at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. The finals are scheduled to start at 4 p.m.

Chun is the only member of the four-athlete U.S. Olympic women’s freestyle wrestling team from Beijing who has entered the tournament. Chun had the lead late in her semifinal match at the Olympics against two-time World champion Chiharu Icho of Japan before falling.

“I want to compete in the Worlds – just to get that shot again,” Chun said. “I’m lucky to have another opportunity so close to the Olympics. I want to win a World title.”

The winners at the Trials qualify for the World Championships. The World Championships for women’s freestyle will be held Oct. 11-13 at Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. The World Championships are being held in the seven women’s freestyle weights, because only four weights were contested at the Olympic Games for women.

Also reaching the final round are World silver medalist Stephanie Murata (51 kg/112.25 pounds), Junior World silver medalist Tatiana Padilla (55 kg/121 lbs.), World Team member Leigh Jaynes (59 kg/130 lbs.) and World University bronze medalist Alaina Berube (63 kg/138.75 lbs.).

World University champion Elena Pirozhkov (67 kg/147.5 lbs.) will meet Junior World champion Adeline Gray (67 kg/147.5 lbs.) in the finals at 67 kg/147.5 lbs..

Two-time World University champion Stephany Lee and 2005 World champion Iris Smith will battle in the finals at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

Murata will meet 2008 Junior World bronze medalist Helen Maroulis in the final round.

FINALS MATCHUPS FOR U.S. WORLD TEAM TRIALS FOR WOMEN’S FREESTYLE

48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs (Sunkist Kids) vs. Alyssa Lampe, Tomahawk, Wis. (Sunkist Kids)

51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Stephanie Murata, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)

55 kg/121 lbs. – Tatiana Padilla, Azusa, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Chelynne Pringle, Hugo, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

59 kg/130 lbs. – Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) vs. Deanna Rix, River Falls, Wis. (New York AC)

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Alaina Berube, River Falls, Wis. (New York AC) vs. Schuyler Brown, Montpelier, Va. (USOEC)

67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Elena Pirozkhov, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) vs. Adeline Gray, Denver, Colo. (USOEC)

72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Stephany Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)