This was posted at the Wrestling Talk forum, apparently originally posted by King Cole himself at The Guillotine website…

The text of this message has been posted in the FILES section of NCAA Heavyweight Champs 2

Well i said i would hop on here and give an update as to how the weekend went, so im staying true to my word.

As im sure many of you noticed, i was upfront with the Jets on the importance of my wrestling and one way or the other both Tommy and I weren’t planning on staying past monday night. It was three days to showcase our skills… (i would say natural skills but i dont believe in ‘natural skills’) So mainly what they were looking for was our foot speed, and most importantly balance. Everyday we went from 6 am until 10pm learning everything you could imagine in the football world; plays, strategies, calls with different formations from the defense, and actually a lot about the press and displaying a positive image… which is quite tricky actually, you would be surprised how the press phrases questions to get arrogant sounding responses even when its not intended that way (i saw how that happened to a guy and will likely never believe an arrogant quote i see again, you only here a response… not the question). Then twice a day we took to the field working plays, foot drills, bag drills, conditioning, even once a guy who trains pro boxers came in and we did a boxing workout which was a lot of fun. All in all it was a great experience and i would do it again in a heartbeat.

College wrestlers attend Jets’ minicamp
By DENNIS WASZAK Jr., AP Sports Writer
Sun May 13, 4:19 PM ET

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Cole Konrad looked down at the football gear spread out in front of his locker, shook his head and smiled.
“There’s tons of stuff here,” Konrad said with a laugh Sunday in the New York Jets’ locker room.

Konrad, a two-time NCAA wrestling champion at Minnesota, is used to wearing very little while competing in his natural sport. As one of 51 players participating in the Jets’ rookie minicamp, Konrad is in new surroundings, with a multipiece football uniform and helmet replacing his usual wrestling singlet and head gear.

“Football’s foreign to me, just like a lot of these guys would feel if they tried wrestling,” said Konrad, wearing a gray Minnesota Wrestling T-shirt. “I’m just learning every day as I’m coming in here. Everything’s new to me.”

He’s not alone. Tommy Rowlands, also a two-time NCAA wrestling champ from Ohio State, is in camp with the Jets on a tryout. The two wrestlers are roommates during the three-day camp — and opponents on the mat.

By Ron Good
Amateur Wrestling News

Waverly, Iowa is located 20 miles north of Waterloo and nearly smack dab in the middle of one of the country’s elite wrestling states. It’s the home of Wartburg College, the defending Division III national champions.

The Wartburg Knights head coach is the likeable and successful Jim Miller, himself a native of Waterloo. In his 16th year as head coach, Miller is this year’s recipient of the annual Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year award.

As head coach at perennial powerhouse Wartburg, Miller has guided his boys to multiple national titles as well as continuing a classic rivalry with Division III nemesis Augsburg College of Minnesota.

“It’s been awesome,” said Miller of his many battles with Augsburg College and head coach Jeff Swenson.

“The rivalry has helped both of us get better. If you look at the teams winning the championship back in the mid-90’s, the point totals were not even close to what they are now. We’ve pushed each other to where it almost takes 10 guys to win it.”

Miller says there is great respect between the schools and that the classic battles have drawn national interest.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS — An Arlington, Texas-based elite Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter management group today announced the signing of former Penn State All-American Eric Bradley to a long-term professional services contract. Bradley joins former NCAA national wrestling champions Jake Rosholt and Johny Hendricks on the Team Takedown roster.

Competing at 184, Bradley was an NCAA wrestling All-American for the Nittany Lions in 2005 and 2006. He was also the National Collegiate Boxing light heavyweight champion in 2003.

At Penn State, Bradley compiled an outstanding wrestling record of 81-16, including 40-5 in dual meets and a stunning 20-2 record in the extraordinarily rugged Big Ten, where he was also a two-time conference tournament champion.

Eric was ranked No. 1 in the nation during much of his senior season. Before enrolling at Penn State, Eric was a three-time New Hampshire state high school champion and a national high school All-American.

Born in Stoneham, Massachusetts, Bradley is now 25 years old, stands 5″ 10″ and weighs in at 185. He will compete in the MMA at 170. He currently lists his hobbies as fighting, sports and movies, and his favorite books are The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer, proving that he has brains to go with his brawn.

Iowa City may host wrestling Classic

By Andy Hamilton
Iowa City Press-Citizen

The event that introduced the wrestling fans of Iowa to one-day college stars Cael Sanderson, Mike Zadick and Mark Perry Jr. is coming back.

The Dream Team Classic is set to return to Iowa next spring, and there’s a strong possibility West High will be selected as the site of the annual meet featuring the nation’s top high school seniors against a team of all-stars from the host state.

“It’ll be fun,” West coach Mark Reiland said. “I don’t know how cool it will be until I figure out how much work I’m actually going to have to do for it.”

Chances are, Reiland could be doing some coaching that night, too. His state championship team includes Nate Moore and Grant Gambrall, two of the state’s top wrestlers in the Class of 2008.

Moore, the No. 1 125-pounder in the country, is one of four nationally-ranked Iowans in a junior class loaded with college prospects. The star-studded group is a primary reason why Wyatt Schultz — a Cedar Rapids resident, co-owner of The Predicament wrestling publication and photographer for the Dream Team Classic — lobbied to bring the meet back to Iowa for the first time since 2003.

Sacchi retires after 40 years
Rutgers University Sports Information

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Rutgers head wrestling coach John Sacchi has announced his retirement after coaching for 40 years, including the last 17 at the helm of the Scarlet Knights program.

John SacchiHis devotion to the sport he holds dear to his heart has guided him to an astonishing 447-162-9 career record, making him the second winningest active coach in college wrestling at any level with regard to dual victories.

“There have been so many great things that have happened with individual wrestlers over the years and it gives me great pleasure to know that some of the kids I coached are now coaching themselves,” Sacchi said. “It’s giving back to the sport. I feel very, very fortunate that I was able to find a career where I could make a living and enjoy every day of it. I just feel blessed that I was able to do that.”

Rutgers Director of Athletics Bob Mulcahy said, “John has been an integral member of the Rutgers athletics family for the past 17 years, and I am thankful for the leadership that he has provided our wrestling program. John has been an ambassador for the sport of wrestling, and for Rutgers University, through the years. He has had a positive impact on so many. He will be missed.”

Minneapolis, MN
GopherSports.com

Wrestling’s Cole Konrad and volleyball’s Meredith Nelson garnered the male and female athlete of the year award at the first annual Golden Goldys student-athlete gala, tonight at the Radisson Metrodome. Along with Konrad’s individual honor, the wrestling team was named the male team of the year, while the women’s track & field team was tabbed the female team of the year.

Konrad defended his NCAA heavyweight title this year to lead the Gopher wrestling team to its third national championship in the last seven years. Konrad became the fifth wrestler in school history to win three individual Big Ten titles and the fifth athlete in school history to earn All-America status four times in his career. With an undefeated record of 35-0, Konrad finished his Gopher career winning his last 76 matches, a school record. He was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year for the second time as he guided the Gophers to a their second straight Big Ten Championship this season. Konrad defeated track’s Aaron Buzard, hockey’s Alex Goligoski, golf’s Bronson La’Cassie and football’s Matt Spaeth.

Simpson freshman wrestler Curtis Barber (Winterset, Iowa, Winterset H.S.) is scheduled to be featured on Saturday’s CBS Sports NCAA Winter Sports Highlights show. The show will air locally in Des Moines on KCCI-TV at 12 p.m. CDT. Barber will be featured in a story on his relationship with his father Kevin, who was deployed to Iraq, just prior to Barber’s appearance at the national tournament. In tribute to his father, Curtis has “DAD” written on the side of his wrestling head gear.

Barber was the only Simpson wrestler to qualify for the 2007 NCAA Division III Championships. Barber lost both of his matches at nationals. In the first round of the 149-pound championship bracket, he lost to the No. 6 seed, Don Ooten of Brockport State in the first round. He was eliminated from the tournament when he lost 16-5 to NYU’s Eugene Koblinsky in the first round of the consolation bracket. He ended the year with a 19-14 overall record and 2 pins.

The NCAA Winter Highlights Show typically features highlights and unique NCAA student-athlete stories from the Division II and III championships. Check your local listings for channel and air time information in your part of the country.

Pat Galbincea
Plain Dealer Reporter

Austintown- Ohio is reputed to have the best high school wrestling in the nation, but Buckeye State grapplers consumed a hefty dose of humble pie Saturday in the 11th Wrestling USA/Cliff Keen Dream Team Classic at Fitch High School.

Ohio all-star wrestlers were soundly beaten by Pennsylvania, 38-16, and in the follow-up meet, the USA All-Stars beat Team Ohio, 27-16.

The latter result was not unexpected since the USA All-Stars, who wrestle against a different state each year, have never lost. Iowa’s 39-21 loss in 2001 had been closest scare the USA had gotten.

Plain Dealer Wrestler of the Year Kevin Hardy (145 pounds) gave the crowd plenty of excitement in his 7-3 decision over four-time Texas state champ Luke Ashmore, 7-3. The lanky, angular Hardy used leverage to score three takedowns - two off a Russian tie and one single leg - and engulfed Ashmore with adroit mat wrestling.

“I used to have trouble with short, stocky wrestlers,” said Hardy, a three-time Division I state champ. “It’s taken me a few years, but now I’ve finally figured out how to beat them . . . and it’s not really that hard any more.”

While attending Legends of Fighting on April 13, I had the opportunity to speak with Paul Bradley. Bradley is the current 185 lb. Amateur Belt holder with the LFC. Bradley is a great athlete looking to make his dream of becoming a great MMA fighter a reality.

MM: Paul, great fight tonight. Congratulations on winning the 185 lb. title.

PB: Hey thanks!

MM: When did you start fighting in MMA?

PB: I started training in Iowa at Miletich’s camp in March of 2006.

MM: Cool, I have some good friends that train out there with those guys. It was a great opportunity for you to train out there with them.

PB: Yes it was. I am currently training at Damage Incorporated in Indianapolis.

MM: Who is the owner of Damage Incorporated?

PB: Scott McCorkle, he is also the promoter of the LFC.

MM: Where did you attend high school at?

PB: I went to South Tama High School in Tama, Iowa.

MM: I guess you were a wrestler in high school?

PB: Yes I was. I went on to wrestle in college at Iowa. I was a 2 time All-American at Iowa.