RPW Staff Writer

Jared Lawrence is one of the youngest and most promising wrestlers on the U.S. National Freestyle Team. He is an extremely focused and conditioned athlete willing to take risks and creates excitement in every match. From an early age Jared has experienced success as a student-athlete through hard work, dedication and sacrifice. This relentless pursuit of excellence has put him in the forefront in a run on the 2008 Olympic games and also becoming a successful entrepreneur.

You would be hard pressed to find another wrestler with the credentials of Jared Lawrence. Below is just a highlighted version of his outstanding career so far…

• 2005 World Cup 3rd (Uzbekistan)
• 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Alternate
• 2002 NCAA Champion
• 4X NCAA All–American for University of Minnesota
• 4x Undefeated Idaho State Champion
• High School mark of 133-0
• FILA Junior freestyle national champion
• Cadet Greco-Roman national champion

Jared also won gold at the Clansman Invitational and the NYAC Christmas tournament where he defeated Kazuhiko Ikematsu, a Japanese wrestler who placed 5th in the 2004 Olympic Games. His road to Bejing is paved in gold so far.

In a major step toward changing its transfer and eligibility rules, the PIAA has eliminated its former athletic intent rule and replaced it with language that should make transfer cases less arbitrary for students and schools.
Gone from the PIAA bylaws is the phrase that if a transfer was deemed “either in whole or in part for any athletic purpose,” the student could be found ineligible for up to one year. The rule was designed to prevent a student from switching schools in order to benefit from an athletic standpoint.

In the past, students have attempted to switch from one high school to another so they could get more playing time, play under a specific coach or improve their chances for a college scholarship.

The PIAA board replaced that phrase with one that states transfers “which are motivated in some material way” could be subject to ineligibility. The PIAA also provided a list of situations that could result in a sanction.

“We’re hoping this takes some of the guesswork out of the hearing process,” PIAA executive director Brad Cashman. “We had a lot of difficulty with that term in part. Our district committees didn’t know whether that intent was one percent of the situation or if it should make up 51 percent of the situation.”

BY COREY ROEPKEN
News Sports Reporter

The University of Michigan wrestling team’s teddy bear is anything but a mascot.

He’s the starting heavyweight.

Fifth-year senior Greg Wagner has become a two-time All-American despite a less-than-desired level of intensity throughout his career.

Wrestling is a sport in which technical skill is important, but intensity and perseverance often make the difference in any match.

And, Wagner has rediscovered the ability to leave his cuddly nature behind once he steps into the circle for a bout.

That has put him in position to contend for this year’s NCAA title.

Wagner, who will lead the fourth-ranked Wolverines against Northwestern Saturday night and Michigan State Sunday afternoon, is 16-0. More than half have come with bonus points, and he is ranked third in both major national polls. He is considered one of the three elite heavyweights in the nation with Oklahoma State’s Steve Mocco and Minnesota’s Cole Konrad. At the National Duals earlier this month, he outscored five opponents, 36-0.

The most common way people describe Wagner is as a big teddy bear. A history major, Wagner likes to read and do crossword puzzles. He’s laid back and rarely outspoken. Too often during his first four years, he had trouble leaving those tendencies on the bench when he stepped into the circle.

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State wrestling coach Troy Sunderland isn’t happy.

Sure, his Nittany Lions are 8-2 and have risen to No. 10 in the rankings. And, yes, nine of them are ranked in the top 20 at their respective weights. But there’s one stat, one record, that gnaws at the coach — Penn State is 0-2 in the Big Ten.

Sunderland said he hopes to erase that 0 in the win column at 7:30 p.m. tonight in Rec Hall against No. 18 Michigan State (2-3).

“It’s back to the Big Ten frame of mind. It’s nice to wrestle the rivalries in the east, but when you get back to the Big Ten frame of mind, we’re 0-2 in the conference. That has to change (tonight),” Sunderland said.

“We have to be on our toes, ready to go. Michigan State is coming off a one-point loss to Edinboro. I’m sure they’ll be focused on coming in here and trying to knock us off. We have to have our guys ready to focus on (tonight). Then we have to prepare for Minnesota (1 p.m. Sunday) later (tonight) and Saturday.”

Schlatters going great as Gophers
Ex-Westerville residents among NCAA’s best

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

C.P. and Dustin Schlatter were arguably the two best wrestlers to come out of Ohio since Tommy Rowlands, and perhaps going back even further. They will return to the state this weekend as two of the best in the country.

C.P. Schlatter, a redshirt sophomore at Minnesota, is ranked as high as fourth at 157 pounds. Dustin, a true freshman, is ranked first at 149.

In the past two weeks, Dustin has beaten four wrestlers who at the time were ranked in the top five nationally, including defending NCAA champion Zack Esposito of Oklahoma State and previously unbeaten Ty Eustice of Iowa. There should be no doubt he deserves his lofting ranking.

“I’m not surprised that he’s up there,” C.P. Schlatter said. “Maybe I’m surprised that he did it so quickly, so early in the season. But that’s all.”

The Schlatters, who grew up in Westerville, were among the most-sought recruits in the country when they finished high school. C.P. won two state titles for DeSales and two for St. Paris Graham, and Dustin won two for Graham and two for Massillon Perry.

ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network and ESPN Regional Television (ERT), the nation’s largest producer and distributor of collegiate sports programming, along with Double Sport Apparel and the Oklahoma City All Sports Association, will present the first-ever ESPNU Double Sport Wrestling Invitational, which will be held at the Ford Center (Oklahoma City, Okla.) on Sunday, Feb. 12. It was announced today by Pete Derzis, senior vice president, ESPN Regional Television. The Wrestling Invitational will bring together two nationally prominent wrestling programs, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, to host the doubleheader event. The matches will be televised live on ESPNU starting at 1 p.m. ET.

“We are excited to showcase several of the nation’s top wrestling programs in Oklahoma City,” Derzis said. “We are hoping to establish a top-notch event that will give wrestling an opportunity to grow within the community and on ESPNU.”

“The ESPNU Double Sport Wrestling Invitational has the promise to become one of the leading annual events in this sport,” said Burke Magnus, vice president and general manager, ESPNU. “We are thrilled to present the best in college wrestling to college sports fans across the nation.”

By Rich Tortorelli
OCU Sports Information

OKLAHOMA CITY – Archie Randall, who turned El Reno High School into a perennial state champion and has been called an elite coach on the national level, has been named the first wrestling coach at Oklahoma City University.

This past spring, Randall guided El Reno to its 10th consecutive team tournament championship and its 10th dual state championship in a row. Randall, who has coached wrestling for 26 years, went 232-16 in duals in 13 years at El Reno. El Reno is 22-3 this season.

OCU recently announced the addition of wrestling to compete in 2006-07. The Stars have 26 NAIA national championships in other sports.

“Archie has impressed me with his enthusiasm and energy for the sport of wrestling,” OCU athletic director Jim Abbott said. “I’m confident that he can utilize those traits to build a championship team from scratch.”

Abbott said that he fielded several calls recommending Randall as OCU coach. Randall, also the assistant athletic director at El Reno, plans to finish the current high-school wrestling season before assuming his duties at OCU.

By Ron Bracken

rbracken@centredaily.com

Shad Benton has been removed as head varsity wrestling coach at State College High School, effective Thursday. Steve Kurzinger, a former Little Lion assistant coach under Ron Pifer and current teacher at the State College South Building, will serve as the acting head coach through the remainder of the season.

No specific reason was given for Benton’s removal although it comes at the conclusion of an internal investigation. Benton was in the midst of his second season at the helm of the Little Lions. He was hired to replace Pifer, who stepped down at the close of the 2003-04 season.

Benton remains on the faculty at State High. He was unavailable for comment.

“This is a result of investigation of concerns relating to the varsity and junior varsity wrestling programs,” explained State College director of athletics Ron Pavlechko. “We are entering this part of the season with a revised staff.”

Kurzinger will be assisted at the varsity level by Marc Decker, ex-Little Lion wrestler who was an assistant to Benton. Kurzinger admitted to being surprised at the turn of events. Decker coached the team for the past three dual meets while the investigation was ongoing.

By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN
Associated Press Writer

January 26, 2006, 3:07 PM EST

STAMFORD, Conn. — Wrestling star Brock Lesnar was billed as “The Next Big Thing,” but after a failed bid to play professional football he says he’s banned from performing anywhere in the world until he’s past his prime.

Lesnar, 28, has a lawsuit pending in federal court in Hartford challenging an agreement he reached with World Wrestling Entertainment, his former employer, that restricts him from working in sports entertainment until 2010.

The restrictions apply to many of the areas to which a 6-foot-3, nearly 300-pound man might aspire, from wrestling to ultimate fighting.

“Lesnar now desires to work and earn a living in the only occupation for which he has been trained and which he knows, professional wrestling, and/or the occupation for which his physical gifts and training as an amateur wrestler make him particularly well suited, professional combat sports,” Lesnar’s attorneys wrote in his lawsuit.

The ban stems from an agreement Lesnar reached with Stamford-based WWE in 2004 so he could try out for the National Football League. Lesnar was cut by the Minnesota Vikings in August 2004.

By Bill Ordine
sun reporter

When Olympic gold-medal wrestler David Schultz was murdered 10 years ago today, the homicide was no CSI whodunit.

That much was clear from the outset.

Instead, the killing of Schultz, perhaps the most beloved figure in his sport, became a tragic and fascinating case of why?

The man who pulled the trigger – three times – on the unsuspecting athlete had counted Schultz among his best friends. And he seemingly had nothing to gain, and certainly much to lose, from such a depraved act.

The killer, John E. du Pont, was a fabulously wealthy man whose fortune was estimated to be well over $100 million. And the crime he committed was totally without stealth and in front of two eyewitnesses, including Schultz’s horrified wife, Nancy.

Immediately after the shooting on a Friday afternoon, du Pont retreated to his mansion at Foxcatcher Farm, a sprawling estate of about 450 acres in Newtown Square, a western suburb of Philadelphia. A marksman with an array of weapons at his disposal, he kept a small army of police at bay for two days before was he was tricked into leaving the house and captured without a shot fired.