Arizona State’s Valesquez, head coach Thom Ortiz and Boise State’s Andrew Hochstrasser honored.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — ARIZONA STATE junior Cain Valesquez was named Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year, Arizona State head coach Thom Ortiz earned Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors and Andrew Hochstrasser of BOISE STATE was named Freshman/Newcomer of the Year, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced today.

Valesquez, a 285-pound junior from Yuma, Ariz., was selected by Pac-10 coaches as the Wrestler of the Year after he finished the season with a 36-4 mark. Valesquez won his first Conference title and qualified for the NCAA Championships, where he took sixth-place honors at heavyweight. Arizona State placed 13th, the highest Pac-10 team finish. Valesquez earns his first Wrestler of the Year award, and the 14th overall for the Arizona State wrestling program.

Thom Ortiz earns his second Coach of the Year honor, and the 14th in Arizona State’s history. In just his fourth season at the helm, Ortiz led the Sun Devils to an 11-6-1 overall mark in dual meets, and an umblemished 8-0 Pac-10 record. Under Ortiz’s tutelage, two Sun Devil wrestlers won individual Pac-10 championships, Brian Stith at 157 pounds and Valesquez at heavyweight. In addition to Stith and Valesquez, five more of Ortiz’s pupils advanced to the NCAA Championships-Jeremy Mendoza (125), Patrick Williams (149), Patrick Pitsch (165), C.B. Dollaway (184) and Ryan Bader (197)-for a total of seven competitors. Ortiz, a graduate of Arizona State in 1990, was a two-time All-American and was a member of the 1988 NCAA Championship Sun Devil team.

By Jackie Reese Oklahoma Daily

Norman, OK (U-WIRE) — As the saying goes, “the third time’s a charm.” For junior wrestler Teyon Ware, it couldn’t ring more true.

Ware just returned from the 2005 NCAA Championships, which took place March 17-19 in St. Louis, Mo., where he claimed his second national title by defeating Nate Gallick of Iowa State by a 3-2 decision.

Ware won both titles wrestling in the 141-pound weight division.

However, this was not the first time this season that the two wrestlers met up.

During the regular dual season Gallick had Ware’s number when it came to their previous matches.

The first time they met up, Ware lost to Gallick by a 6-3 decision in a dual at Iowa State. The second time was in the finals at the Big 12 championships, where Gallick defeated Ware by a 4-3 decision in an 11-minute, six-overtimes match.

“I was angry about the Big 12’s in the way that I lost,” Ware said. “I just used it as motivation for the NCAAs. When your back is against the wall you just have to go out there and wrestle.”

By Blair Critchlow The Stanford Daily

Stanford, CA (U-WIRE) — The Stanford wrestling team’s two star competitors, co-captains Matt Gentry and Imad Kharbush, fought hard but fell short of their ultimate goals of individual national titles in St. Louis over a week ago. Despite going down in the tournament, both wrestlers can look back on great seasons for the Cardinal (6-7-1, 2-5-2 Pacific-10 Conference), and for Gentry, a senior, a great collegiate career.

After a first-round bye, the 174-pound Kharbush won his first match in a 4-1 decision over Eastern Illinois’ Kenny Robertson. The junior continued with a 16-7 drubbing of Northwestern’s Jake Herbert in his next bout.

The fourth round would be the beginning of the end as Kharbush fell 15-4 to Cornell’s Joe Mazzurco. In the consolation bracket, Kharbush dropped a razor-thin 3-2 decision to Mitch Hancock of Central Michigan. That loss eliminated Kharbush from competition and dropped him to honorable mention All-American status.

“All in all, it was bittersweet,” Kharbush said. “It definitely did a lot for my confidence. The tournament showed me that I’m at a level I need to be at to be a national champion. Obviously though, it was really disappointing to lose to a lower seed in my third match. It was even more disappointing in my fourth match to lose a shot at being an All-American.”

Cary Kolat Joins Forces With Sharpie® and Paper mate®, heading up popular consumer brands’ efforts to support the wrestling community

OAK BROOK, Ill., March 30, 2005 - Sharpie® and Paper Mate®, highly recognized brands of writing instruments, today announced that 2000 Olympic team wrestler and two-time NCAA champion Cary Kolat will spearhead the Sharpie and Paper Mate grassroots marketing effort in amateur wrestling as its National Marketing Manager, Wrestling. In this role, Kolat will manage advertising, public relations and event marketing activities targeting the fans of youth, high school and college wrestling.

By tapping Kolat’s knowledge of the sport, Newell Rubbermaid can now leverage its Paper Mate and Sharpie products with the strong loyalty of wrestling fans. The company intends to expand upon its efforts in amateur wrestling, including sponsorship of major tournaments such as the Dapper Dan Classic in Pittsburgh, Pa., and intensify its focus with Kolat’s help. Prior to his latest assignment, Kolat held several marketing positions with the company.

“I know it takes dedication to succeed in wrestling, and Paper Mate and Sharpie are committed to supporting wrestling,” said Cary Kolat, national marketing manager, wrestling for Sharpie and Paper Mate. “I’m happy to take the lead in showing wrestling enthusiasts what these great brands have to offer.”

Henson named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

Sammie Henson (St. Louis, Mo./Sunkist Kids) has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for the week of March 22-28.

Each week, TheMat.com will select an Athlete of the Week, based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level. The announcement will be made each week on Wednesday.

Henson won a gold medal at 55 kg/121 lbs. at the Medved International, held in Minsk, Belarus, March 25. He was one of six U.S. wrestlers to medal at the event, but the only American to claim a gold medal.

Henson defeated Otar Sultanov of Russia in the gold medal finals, 1-0, 2-2, 1-0. Sultanov had defeated Henson in a dual meet in Russia earlier this season.

Henson defeated Russian Adam Batirov in the semifinals. Batirov was second in the 2004 Russian Nationals. (Batirov is twin brother of 2004 Olympic champion Mavlet Batirov).

Henson was a 2000 Olympic silver medalist and was a 1988 World Champion. He placed second in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

By Ryan Wallace

Wrestling is a sport full of technical moves and mentally sharp athletes. And there’s no better place to find the tougher competitor than at the college ranks.

If you need any proof, just ask four area wrestlers who have all learned the tricks of the trade first-hand. Thomas and Samuel Fragoza of Valley Springs, T.J. Dillashaw of Angels Camp and Ryan Upchurch of Mokelumne Hill have all endured the physicality of the sport and they know the competition they’re facing is a good as it gets.

Samuel Fragoza, who graduated from Calaveras High in 2003, said the biggest thing he’s learned in his two years at Fresno State University is that there’s no such thing as blowing out your opponent.

“It’s just more intense,” Samuel said. “The whole way you look at the match is completely different. You’re not going to wipe the floor with these guys and winning by five or six points is a big deficit.”

For Samuel, who took seventh and fourth at the CIF state meet in his final two high school seasons and was the high school national champion in 2003, this past season also taught him a valuable lesson.

By Ben Elder Daily O’Collegian

Stillwater, OK (U-WIRE) — While Oklahoma State University’s wrestling squad sits atop the collegiate rankings, the sport’s new found vitality has produced new cries for its installment.

States across the nation hold few stakes in the sport.

In Mississippi, there are only three organized wrestling clubs.

Bob Kranz, USA Wrestling state chairperson, said he hopes he can reconcile the growing sport in the state.

“We have the buzz here, and we have enough congeal to make it a force,” Kranz said.

Since the recent success of OSU’s wrestling squad, Kranz is looking for the aid of Cowboy assistant coach Eric Guerrero as an ambassador to the sport in the state of Mississippi.

“We are going to make it happen. The more I can get people from Oklahoma State and other places, the more I can make people move,” Kranz said.

Guerrero an Olympian and three-time national champion for the Pokes, said he believes this is more than a promotion - but a loyalty to the sport of wrestling.

OK, I admit it. I watch professional wrestling. Have most of my life, since I was 10. In fact, I’m watching the WWE Monday Night Raw, the last one before this Sunday’s Wrestlemania 21, as I write this sentence. But this week, I had planned to tune in to a different type of pro wrestling — RealProWrestling.

Most people know, at least I hope, that WWE wrestling is choreographed; the results are predetermined. While I have a hard time calling it “fake” or even “not real” — if you consider weightlifters or gymnasts athletes, I’ll argue the same can be said of WWE wrestlers — I’m the first to admit it’s not pure sport. Heck, the last initial states it is “entertainment.” The second “W,” for wrestling, is where the question lies. It certainly isn’t the same thing that happens in the Olympics or the Beast of the East.

RealProWrestling claims to be exactly what its name implies. Professional — paid — wrestlers, doing the “real” stuff.

His Angle to be the best

BY SCOTT FISHMAN
Miami Herald Writer

In Kurt Angle’s rookie year, he achieved what most wrestlers only dream of doing — winning every major singles title in WWE including the coveted heavyweight championship in 2000.

”They always say I can have a good match with a mop,” Angle said. “That’s a compliment. I have a reputation to make my opponents look strong but at the same time keep myself strong.”

Angle is not your typical athlete. He was an impressive amateur and Olympic wrestler who now covets an undying passion for sports entertainment. This was exemplified when he risked permanent paralysis in 2003 to fulfill his commitment and not disappoint the fans at the biggest event of the year, WrestleMania, in an anticipated main event against Brock Lesnar.

When pondering the situation, the gold medalist elicits the same type of traits as his opponent for this year’s extravaganza — Sunday, April 3 at the STAPLES Center — the self-proclaimed Mr. WrestleMania HBK Shawn Michaels.

”Shawn and I should be able to steal the show.” Angle said. “We should be doing some crazy stuff, but at the same time, we want to tell the right story.

Olympic-style wrestling league hoping to catch on, earn spot in national sports craze

By Paul Adamski
News-Chronicle
In this version of the age-old tale regarding David and Goliath, Toby Willis has slung the proverbial stone.

Now, he and the rest of the aspiring wrestling community must wait to see if it lands with a heroic and captivating thwack or a measly blow en route to failure.

Willis believes it will indeed land, thus dispatching his vision of an Olympic-style wrestling league to the masses and perhaps one day a spot in the national sports craze that is occupied by the NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, etc.

Real Pro Wrestling, a made-for-TV competition that combines serious wrestling with the presentational flair of MTV, debuts this week as a nine-week series on Fox Sports Net.

RPW actually first aired Sunday on little-known Pax TV, while FSN is set to launch its series Wednesday - area cable viewers can see the inaugural episode at 3 p.m. on Fox Sports North.

With rosters of seven wrestlers each, eight teams with such names as the Texas Shooters, Iowa Stalkers and Minnesota Freeze vie for $250,000 in prize money in a series that was taped on a Los Angeles sound stage last fall.