It has come to the attention of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) that erroneous information regarding wrestling uniforms is being distributed by individuals not associated with the NFHS. The NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee has not approved a new uniform style for use at the high school level such as was recently approved by the NCAA for use at the college level.

Rule 4-1-1 has not been changed for the 2005-06 season. The timeframe for discussion of any uniform changes in high school wrestling would be at the committee’s next regularly scheduled meeting in April 2006.

Any questions should be directed to Jerry Diehl, NFHS Assistant Director, at 317-972-6900.

Doug Meisenhelter, at 55, decided to join his son on the Keystone Games wrestling mat.

By DAVE SOTTILE
Daily Record/Sunday News

Doug Meisenhelter and his wife, Sue, criss-crossed Pennsylvania for nearly 10 years, driving each summer from their Red Lion home to Bethlehem, Johnstown, Harrisburg and Wilkes-Barre to watch their son, Matt, compete in the Keystone State Summer Games.
A heavyweight wrestler, Matt Meisenhelter had seen his share of Keystone Games competition and hardware through grade school, junior high and senior high school.

Doug Meisenhelter, a York County District Justice, also knew a thing or two about wrestling. He competed at Red Lion High and Shippensburg University. His first job out of college was teaching and coaching the sport at Gettysburg High School.

During the summer of 2002, the elder Meisenhelter surprised his son with a strange comment.

“At the time, I was 55,” Meisenhelter said. “We were joking around, and I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be something if we wrestled together?’ Matt thought I was nuts, and so did my wife.”

Fast forward one year to Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, where Doug Meisenhelter won a Keystone Games bronze medal in the 190-pound weight class of the masters division, and his son struck gold in the 275-pound open division.

There are many life lessons and lessons about one’s self that sports can teach kids. The Hingham wrestling team had a disappointing season last year winning fewer than half their matches. However, the wrestlers learned a great deal about themselves and about their teammates and why as a team they failed to have a winning season. As in life very often one learns more from one’s failures than from one’s successes and it is apparent these grapplers took away some very important growth experiences.

One of the glaring weaknesses of the team as a whole was their lack of strength when compared to their opponents. Part of this was related to the youngness of the squad. The wrestlers recognized this deficit and made a commitment to correct the problem.

Immediately after the season ended last February, fifteen wrestlers began a twelve week training program at “Absolutely Fit Personal Training” in Hingham. The athletes performed circuit training that involved 1-minute sets at 4 separate stations. Prior to the start of the conditioning session, the athletes performed as many push ups as possible. By the end of the program every wrestler had dramatically increased the number of pushups done. Most had nearly doubled their initial baseline. The greatest improvement was accomplished by Mike Riley who increased from 53 pushups in week one to 115 pushups at the end of the program.

FARGO, N.D.
The sale of T-shirts in a tent across the street from the Fargodome has drawn the ire of USA Wrestling, the governing body of the Junior and Cadet national tournaments.

USA Wrestling is threatening to pull its event out of Fargo if a vendor continues to sell the T-shirts and other products across the street from the dome. Wrestling Apparel, a Fargo company, is selling its merchandise out of a tent in the parking lot of the Fargo Air Museum.

USA Wrestling says it has an exclusive contract with All American Wrestling Supply of Madison, Wis., to sell USA Wrestling merchandise. Pete Isais, the director of national events for USA Wrestling, would not disclose the exact amount of the contract, but he said it is “six digits.”

USA Wrestling and North Dakota State University are in the final year of a three-year contract to host the national tournaments. NDSU has been the host site of the Junior tournament since 1992 and the combined Junior and Cadet since 1996. Isais said the only matter holding up another contract is Wrestling Apparel’s tent.

“It’s a problem,” Isais said.

By JAMES WENSITS
Tribune Political Writer

SOUTH BEND — To the extent that lawyers and potential Supreme Court justices use Latin, there is no doubt in Jim Coppens’ mind that John Roberts knows that language well.

Coppens, now the executive director of South Bend Civic Theatre, taught Roberts Latin at LaLumiere, the LaPorte County-based Catholic boarding school where Roberts graduated in 1973.

“I remember he was a great kid,” Coppens said of President Bush’s nominee to the Supreme Court. “You knew he was going to be prepared every single day and he was going to retain every single thing that you taught him. He really kept you on your toes.”

Coppens, who started teaching at the exclusive Catholic prep school in 1968, said he taught four years of Latin to Roberts in three years, as Roberts compressed the first two years into one during his sophomore year.

By the time he was a senior, Roberts was taking an advance placement class and was the only student.

“It was just him and me across the table and me trying to keep up with him, basically,” said Coppens.

RealProWrestling season two is coming. RPW’s own Toby Willis hits these rumors head on in his response to a rumor thread over at TheMat.com:

You’re info is incorrect. RPW is planning a second season. RPW has had challenges from the beginning and we have made it this far. Meanwhile we have been surrounded by many people, even in the wrestling community, who think we didn’t have a chance. While nothing is for sure in this life, we continue moving forward. Don’t judge us by rumors; judge us by our real results.

It takes time to get sponsors, tv contracts, planing, etc. It is not just money. After working on this project for four years, what I really need is a vacation. Same for Matt. Also, I have put off my family and house for RPW and need some time to regroup after the fire we had. So while RPW is a corporation and planning big projects, it still comes down to people and our personal needs and responsibilities.

As for the wrestlers not getting paid, that is not true. I’m sure your wrong info didn’t come from Joe Heskett. We paid out over $250,000.00 to the wrestlers at the taping of the show. We also paid the wrestlers in the pilot.

Former Milton coach passes
By James Shappell Staff writer

MILTON — Passionate. Competitive. Fun. Loved sports. Helped kids.

These are just some of the descriptions former players, coaches and friends gave of Max H. Shnyder II, former head football coach at the Milton Area High School, PIAA wrestling official and Little League softball coach, who died Monday at the age of 49 while vacationing with his family in Ocean City, N.J.

“The first thing that comes to mind when I think about him is he was always great with the kids,” Sheldon Sumner said. Sumner coached football with Shnyder during his tenure at Milton, from 1998-2004. “He had a way of getting the most out of those kids. Most of them respected him a lot.

“He was just a fun guy to be around. He just enjoyed life so much. He’ll be missed.”

Stephen Bish, former middle school and high school principal in the Milton Area School District, coached softball with Shnyder the year he brought home a state championship. “He had a real passion for coaching,” Bish said. “He lived it and breathed it. I thought he was a really good teacher of the game. I enjoyed his competitive nature.”

FARGO, North Dakota Representatives from at least six Division I wrestling schools are working on a new conference.

North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Utah Valley State, Northern Colorado and Wyoming are expected to send representatives to the Fargodome on Thursday. Fresno State (Calif.) and Air Force Academy also have indicated a commitment.

“We want to get it up and running in some form by next year,” Northern Colorado head coach Jack Maughan said.

Maughan said the schools will discuss conference affiliation, a target starting date and NCAA Division I tournament automatic qualifiers.

The proposed new league – which does not yet have a name – has been approached by the five wrestling schools in the Big 12 Conference about a possible merger.

The Big 12 has 36 automatic qualifiers among Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, would like more.

“If we pair up with them, we would get like 80 to 85 and that would be an advantage for everybody,” Maughan said. “The bad thing is, you’re wrestling five of the best schools in the country. The good thing is you’re wrestling five of the best schools in the country.”

A Summer of Training, Coaching at Camps and Working as an Intern Are Mixed in Between Visits and Calls From College Wrestling’s Top Programs

By Matt Krumrie – Senior Editor
Please send comments, questions or replies to: info@thewrestlingmall.com

David Craig was just returning home from a week at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in preparation for the 2005 Asics/Vaughn Junior Nationals, held July 23-30 at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota, when he reflected on the past, present and future.

It’s been a hectic time for Craig, but then again, when you are considered the best high school wrestler in the nation by many, it’s the time of year to be busy. Craig had just a short time home, then he was off to Fargo, where the three-time Florida state high school champion from national power Brandon High School is preparing to add to an already championship-laden wrestling resume that includes a career record of 136-0 and several national titles, as well as championships at the Beast of the East and Ironman Tournaments.

FAIRFAX, Va. - George Mason’s Brian Shaffer announced his resignation as head coach of the Patriot wrestling team effective Friday, July 29. Shaffer, a two-time Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year, led George Mason to three conference titles in 10 seasons and coached more than 25 NCAA qualifiers.

“This has been one of the toughest decisions of my life, but I feel that I am at a stage where I need to spend more time with my family without sacrificing the guys and the program,” expressed Shaffer. “I want to thank George Mason University for the opportunity to coach here and I wish nothing but the best for the program.”

“I’d like to thank Brian for the dedication and hard work he has given to the George Mason wrestling program,” stated Assistant Vice-President/Director of Athletics Tom O’Connor. “He not only helped produce fine young athletes, but he also helped groom fine young men. The George Mason family wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.”