Portion of a sports columnist from the Creston (Iowa) News-Advertiser drawing some links between Caldwell-Metcalf and Owings-Gable…

Creston/O-M coach Darrell Frain has often told me tournaments are won on the back side of the brackets, and Iowa proved that with its consolation performance on the Saturday morning of this year’s NCAA meet in St. Louis. Guys like Ryan Morningstar, Dan Erekson and Phil Keddy were the real heroes for the Hawks, rebounding from disappointing losses to gain important team points in the consolations.

Of course, the most noteworthy match was the unexpected loss by unbeaten junior Brent Metcalf at 149 pounds, and the team point deduction he got for shoving North Carolina State’s Darrion Caldwell on the edge of the mat as time expired.

But here’s the deal. Metcalf only knows one thing, to wrestle until the final whistle. Caldwell started doing back clips, inbounds, before time expired. Some wrestlers would have shoved that showboat right off the stage in those circumstances. What’s with no unsportsmanlike call against Caldwell?

And here’s the curious part. In a tiring match against a wrestler (Metcalf) known for his third-period domination, Caldwell took 20 seconds for injury time in the final period because of back spasms. Then, he is able to do back flips with five seconds left?

Maynard stifled in debut, drops decision at Auburn Fight Night event
by John Morgan

Despite all the hype, all the questions, all the concerns of safety and regulations heading into the professional MMA debut of congenital amputee Kyle Maynard, the final product failed to answer many questions other than, “What happens if Maynard can’t take his opponent down?”

The inspirational former high school wrestler and ESPY award winner for Best Athlete with a Disability may be forced to recognize his limitations in MMA following a unanimous-decision loss in the main event of Saturday’s Auburn Fight Night in Auburn, Ala.

The card was held at the Auburn Covered Arena and was broadcast live on an internet pay-per-view broadcast.

Described by event commentators as having a “tin roof, barn next to us, a little hay and no poop on the floor,” the venue had a dirt floor, a square cage and a hammer and a metal pipe serving as the official bell.

But when congenital amputee Kyle Maynard made his way to the cage, the focus went from the shortcomings of the facility to the challenges of the main event fighter.

Former Iowa State gold medalist Kevin Jackson hopes his connection to the program and his experience coaching the 2008 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling team make him a contender to become the next coach of the Cyclones.

Jackson, a captain and all-American on Iowa State’s last NCAA championship team in 1987, said he has made his interest known to Iowa State officials.

“With my experience, my knowledge and my years in wrestling coaching training, standing next to Terry and Tom (Brands) and also being trained by Dan Gable and being around Bobby Douglas,” Jackson said, “there is no better candidate for the job than I am.”

Tom Brands is the current coach at rival Iowa, while Terry Brands helped Jackson coach the U.S. team last August at the Beijing Olympics.

Bobby Douglas coached Iowa State before the program was taken over by Cael Sanderson, the popular coach who recently resigned to accept the top job at Penn State.

Jackson said after trying to contact Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard about the Cyclones’ opening, he was told by senior associate athletic director David Harris to submit his material.

By Stephen Hennessey and Jocelyn Syrstad
Collegian Staff Writers

The signing of Cael Sanderson as Penn State’s next head wrestling coach has 149-pound Penn State wrestler Bubba Jenkins declaring a “new Penn State era” in which the Nittany Lions could challenge Iowa for the “dominating team” in college wrestling.

The announcement of the former Iowa State head coach leaving to become Penn State’s next head coach has the Nittany Lion wrestlers excited and Iowa State wrestlers shocked.

“I don’t think they could have made a better decision than what they did,” 125-pound Penn State wrestler Brad Pataky said. “His credentials are so superior. I am so excited about the decision. I’ve been such a fan of Cael, so it’s really exciting to have him as part of our program.”

Sanderson brings one of the most impressive résumés in college wrestling with him to Penn State. He won an ESPY award in 2002 for Best Male Collegiate Athlete after completing an undefeated career, the only wrestler in the history of collegiate wrestling to have an unblemished record. In each of his first three seasons as coach of Iowa State, the Cyclones finished in the top five at the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard showed interest in Iowa assistant wrestling coach Terry Brands, according to Hawkeye officials, but the feeling may not have been mutual.

Meanwhile, some of Iowa State’s signees are waiting to see who the Cyclones hire for their vacant head coaching position before deciding their immediate futures.

Iowa athletic director Gary Barta indicated in an e-mail to The Des Moines Register that Pollard expressed interest in Brands after Cael Sanderson left the Cyclones to become coach at Penn State.

Barta said, however, that Brands indicated he’s not interested in replacing Sanderson in Ames.

“Terry is a world-class coach and so this certainly didn’t surprise me or anyone else,” Barta wrote. “However, on more than one occasion (Tuesday) Terry shared with me he is not interested in becoming the coach at Iowa State, that he’s a Hawkeye.”

Brands, the brother of Iowa coach Tom Brands, said Tuesday afternoon he had not been contacted about the job, but declined additional comment on questions that would specifically eliminate his name from consideration.

He left Wednesday for Venezuela to help coach at the Pan American Championships.

From Cael’ Sanderson’s Blog:

Hello Everyone,

It has been a very difficult decision for me and my family to go to Penn State University. I have a deep passion and love for Iowa State University. But most importantly I love the staff and wrestlers at ISU like family. I really don’t have the words to explain how hard this decision has been. My family and I feel terrible about the kids in the program. I don’t have any soothing words to make this ok. It was a tough decision. It’s was especially tough because the decision affected a lot more people then just me and my family.

There has been a lot of speculation as to why I have decided to take the job at PSU. I have taken the job because of the long term opportunity and limitless potential of Penn State Wrestling. When I say opportunity, I am not talking about money. I have answered many questions where people are speculating that I got a million dollar contract (dont know where that came from) or something ridiculous like that. The truth is that the offer I received was less then a 10% increase from what I made last year.

Sanderson talks with local media on Friday in Ames

Iowa State’s former head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson says his decision to leave is not about the money. He said it’s not true that he will make a staggering amount of cash by leaving to go to Penn State. Sanderson says it’s less than a 10% bump in his salary.

On his website, Sanderson also seems to take a little shot at ISU Athletics Director Jamie Pollard, who he writes may have taken a little shot at him. Sanderson posted the comments on his blog Sunday.

“The opportunity to step in and awake a sleeping GIANT is exciting. I know ISU will always be at or near the top. I feel terrible that I didn’t accomplish what I said I would do at Iowa State and that was to win the national championship. That alone almost made me pass on what I feel is a better opportunity for my family. It hurts but down deep I know I have made the right decision.”

This is likely the part Sanderson’s talking about from Pollard’s statement he released Friday:

STILLWATER, Okla. — The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum has selected its 2009 state and regional winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award as part of its Educational Outreach Program. Forty-nine seniors from those states that sponsor high school state wrestling championships have been chosen for the honor.

The High School Excellence Award is named in honor of Olympic and World Champion Dave Schultz. Each award recipient is evaluated on excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, character, citizenship, and community service.

“A graduate of Palo Alto High School and the University of Oklahoma, Dave Schultz was one of the most respected high school, collegiate, and international wrestlers the United States has ever had,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Regarded as a tireless competitor and supreme technician on the mat, Schultz was beloved throughout the world of amateur wrestling for his friendliness and eagerness to lend help or advice to teammates and opponents alike. He was inducted into the sport’s Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997.

Cael Sanderson had an answer for why he was leaving Iowa State for Penn State.

He just didn’t know if it was a good one.

The 29-year-old head coach addressed his team Friday afternoon, then spoke with a couple recruits, and then spoke the media, telling of his stunning move to leave Ames.

An offer Sanderson said he wouldn’t have previously considered turned into an opportunity he couldn’t resist.

“A lot of the reasons for staying at Iowa State were more emotional, “Sanderson said. “This is a place that, where you can get it done here, you know. I haven’t been able to quite do that yet. I believed we were right on the edge, and so that makes it even more difficult to – to leave, but I don’t know; it’s a tough decision.

“I don’t know how long – I haven’t slept in a few days here. And it feels like it’s the right thing to do, but only time will tell.”

The latest story of a coach leaving Iowa State is probably the most confusing.

Training in Ames, Sanderson developed the most impressive resume of any collegiate wrestler ever, winning all 159 matches, four NCAA titles and then an Olympic Gold Medal in 2004.

By SEAN KEELER AND TOMMY BIRCH • skeeler@dmreg.com • April 17, 2009
Ames, Ia. — Cael Sanderson told reporters today that he hasn’t slept in a few days. Now it’s Iowa State wrestling fans’ turn to suffer through some sleepless nights.

“I don’t have an answer for them other than, ‘I’m sorry,’ ” Sanderson said of the news that he was leaving the Cyclones — his alma mater — to coach at Penn State. “I just feel like this is the best move for me and my family (wife Kelly and son Tate).”

The 29-year-old Sanderson, a four-time NCAA champion, had been Iowa State’s wrestling coach since 2006, when he was offered the top job in an effort to keep him in Ames at a time when a number of schools — including rival Iowa — had coaching vacancies to fill.

The Cyclones won Big 12 Conference titles all three years under Sanderson and finished in the top five in each of the past three NCAA championships. But Sanderson said the “potential” of a program that hasn’t won a national wrestling title since 1953 was enough to sway him to move east.