Former Oklahoma State standouts Steve Mocco and Daniel Cormier have earned
spots on the 2008 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling team.
“I was really
excited this year going into the trials,” said Mocco. “I felt like I was really
well-prepared and I trained hard. I’m glad it turned out the way it did.”
“Anytime you get to go to the Olympics, it’s an honor and
a privilege, but now it’s not about just going there anymore,” said Cormier. “I
went already. I went in 2004 and came up a little short so this time I worked
harder and I’m more focused and determined to come back with a gold medal. John
Smith told me the other day that only three guys from OSU made two Olympic teams
and I’m the fourth one. The other three were all gold medalists: himself, Kenny
Monday and Kendall Cross, so I’ve got some big shoes to fill and I look forward
to taking on that challenge.”
Mocco said he went through a rigorous training
schedule to prepare for the trials.
“I trained for this tournament,” Mocco
said. “I spent a lot of time in the weight room and doing a lot of cardio. I
took it really serious as far as my diet and everything else and I felt a lot
better at a lighter weight. I felt quicker. It was something that happened over
time. I transformed my lifestyle to be more professional on a daily
basis.”
“There were a lot of late night sessions,” said OSU wrestling coach
John Smith. “This is the opportunity and it doesn’t come around but once every
four years. One of these days you run out of these opportunities because of your
age or whatever it may be. Both of these guys’ mentalities will be that they
need to do whatever it is that they need to do, whether it be late night
sessions every night, if it’s working out three times a day, if it’s doing more
running or lifting, whatever it is to get that mental edge. They’re going to
have to go forward.”
“You have to look at it as you’re actually lucky to be
able to live that lifestyle,” Cormier said of the preparation. “Most people have
to go right to work after college. We’re lucky enough to do the thing that we
love to do. For me, it’s been eight years since college so I’m lucky enough to
do it for eight years and live okay. I’ve been blessed and have been lucky
enough to compete for a long time and do what I love to do.”
Cormier thinks
his Olympic experience in 2004 will help him this time around.
“Four years
ago, my eyes were wide open,” Cormier said. “I was in awe of the situation. It’s
the Olympic Games. I’ve been there now, I’ve experienced it. Nothing can
surprise me anymore. I told someone on Saturday, I said the moment of the
Olympic Games can be too much for you if you’re not prepared for it. In certain
situations, it’s huge and if you’re not ready for it, you’ll fold. That’s what I
did in Athens. I’m a better wrestler now and I’m better mentally so I think my
chances are a lot better because of that.”
Does he see 2008 as his last
chance for a medal?
“I don’t know,” Cormier said. “I don’t want to say that
this is it for me. I want to train hard and I look forward to competing in the
Olympics. I don’t want to put a timetable on my career. I think a couple guys
did that in 2004 and it didn’t work out for them because you almost tend to look
forward to the days when you aren’t stressing about competing or training. You
have to embrace the training and the lifestyle, and when you are looking forward
to retiring I don’t think that you can be as efficient in your training and in
getting things done as you need to be. I don’t want to put a timetable on my
career. In my eyes, I’m going to wrestler forever because I don’t want to look
forward to the days when I’m sitting on my deck relaxing.”
“Making a second
Olympic team is a great accomplishment, especially in the sport of wrestling,”
Smith said of Cormier. “There are only a handful of athletes who have actually
done it. Maybe a dozen over the last many years, if that. In 2004 it was a
matter of making the team, and maybe that was the ultimate goal. Maybe he didn’t
do a lot to get refocused to get a goal medal. I think this time around, it’s
what he expects. It’s not just to make the team but to win Olympic gold. Just
part of that process was to make the team. It’s a sense of maturity, a sense of
accomplishment and a sense of responsibility that this was just part of the big
picture to win Olympic gold.”
Smith assessed Cormier’s
chances.
“Pound-for-pound, it’s probably one of the toughest weight classes
in the entire world,” Smith said. “I can just say that Daniel will probably be
number three. The world champion from last year didn’t even make his own team in
Russia. He was beaten by a younger athlete who will probably be the number one
pick going into Beijing.
“I do believe that if Cormier will continue to train
from this point forward, he can put himself in a position. He must get better
before the Olympic games to get an Olympic gold. I do believe he wrestled well
at the trials, but he must get better to win the gold.”
That Olympic
experience inspired Cormier’s work ethic.
“In 2004 when I made the team, I
was like ‘Yes, finally something huge,’” he said. “I never won an NCAA title, so
I was happy and I felt good about it, but now I worked hard the last four years
and controlled the weight class. This was my opportunity and I deserve to go and
I did what I needed to do to get on this Olympic team. I’ve taken that step and
it was just another boundary to cross in order to get where I need to be and
that’s a gold medal.”
Mocco may have benefited from competing at both Iowa
and Oklahoma State - two of the top college wrestling programs in the
nation.
“I transferred from Iowa to Oklahoma State because OSU has such a
strong freestyle wrestling history,” Mocco said. “They had three guys on the
Olympic team that year and I got a lot of attention. Coach Smith really worked
with me on freestyle and even after I was done. It worked out well. It was a
good fit for me.”
Part of his OSU experience was a stint on the Cowboy
football team.
“I enjoyed it,” Mocco said.“It was a good cross-train to go
with my college wrestling career. It was a good way to keep in shape and have a
mental break from day-to-day wrestling. It was still similar. It was a good
opportunity to spend a lot of time in the weight room and get stronger.
“It
helped me focus on what was important to me and give me a good refreshed feeling
when I was done.”
Mocco has opted to train in the high elevation of Colorado
Springs rather than in Stillwater.
“It was a good decision for Steve,” said
Smith. “Heavyweight is tough. It’s hard to wrestle with college athletes when
you’re weighing 275, 280. You need to get in front of as many people as you can.
He had that opportunity to go out to Colorado Springs and be in front of three
or four heavyweights per day with several guys coming in on different occasions.
I was very supportive of that decision.
“I think part of being an Olympic
champion is finding your own path. I know that in the last Olympics, Jamill
Kelly along with Daniel and Eric Guerrero, they lived in Stillwater and spent
maybe half their time in Stillwater and the other time all over the country and
all over the world finding good training partners. I think there’s no question
that Steve made a good choice moving to Colorado Springs full-time because there
are many more workout partners.”
Cormier is looking forward to training with
Smith.
“Coach makes sure all bases are covered in training and if he makes a
game plan, I’m willing to follow it step by step and try to accomplish what he
did,” Cormier said. “ If he says let’s go at 3 a.m., I’m saying okay, let’s go
at 3 a.m., if he says let’s go at midnight, then we’ll go at midnight. We’re
going to do whatever it takes to get this gold medal.”
The work has already
paid dividends.
“Leading into the trials, coach spent a lot of time with me
on setting the pace of the match,” Cormier said. “A lot of times, I’ll work into
a match. I won’t start right away. He believes that if I wrestle hard for two,
four, six minutes, whatever it takes, I will smother guys with my pressure. I’ve
got pretty good conditioning. He’s worked with me on setting the pace of a match
and having an attitude from the beginning of the match.
“If you watched coach
wrestle, he always set the pace of the match and was always aggressive. He had
an attitude that he would basically force his will on his opposition and that is
what he’s focused on with me. Going into the games, I think we’re going to
continue going down that path. I need to get better in order to win and I’ll put
that in his hands. I know he’ll lead me in the right direction.
“Coach likes
to tell me that he knows me better than I know myself. Sometimes I’m hard-headed
about it, but whenever I give in to him, it always works out for the
best.”
Mocco credited Smith with helping his development.
“He helped me
out a lot,” Mocco said. “He changed a lot of facets of my career and changed a
lot of other stuff about me as far as training goes. It’s been a great
opportunity to wrestle for him and I feel really blessed.”
The Olympics are
truly a unique experience. Mocco enjoyed the reaction of family and friends when
he made the team.
“Everyone was really happy,” Mocco said. “They’ve been
through a lot. My wife and my brother and my dad have followed me around a lot
and they were real happy and pleased. It became real that I won when I made eye
contact with my wife and my brother. Before that I was kind of numb and didn’t
really know what happened, but I saw their expressions and I knew it was
real.”
Mocco’s sister Katie fell just short of making the women’s Olympic
judo team.
“She fell a little short at qualifiers and judo is a sport where
there is a very small margin for error,” Mocco said. “She fought hard and was
very aggressive and I’m very proud of her and I know the rest of my family is
too. I think she will continue to compete. She’ll be back up there and she’s a
hungry athlete.”
Mocco knows that OSU heavyweights have competed well in the
Olympics over the years.
“Oklahoma State has a strong tradition and always
has a lot of people on the Olympic teams,” Mocco said. “I’m excited to be part
of that. It shows how competitive it is and how successful the program has been.
Just look at the Olympic years.”
“Olympic wrestling and Oklahoma State
wrestling go hand-in-hand,” Cormier said. “No knock on any other university, but
when a guy makes an Olympic team, everyone praises him, but at OSU we want to
win gold medals. If you make the team, you represent yourself and you represent
your country, but you also represent Oklahoma State. We had three in 2004 and
now two in 2008. We expect it. We don’t fall over and go crazy because we have
guys on the Olympic team. We expect it and we move forward and try to win
medals.”
“It’s a great tradition,” Smith said. ”It’s a tradition that
continues through 2008 with two wrestlers representing us. It’s a proud
tradition for me. When you look back in the record books, we’ve been doing this
since 1924. There have only been a couple Olympics, of course we didn’t
participate in the Olympics in 1944 or 1980, but it’s a long history and there’s
a responsibility as the head coach that we continue that history. I was very
excited to watch these two athletes make the Olympic team.”
All-State wrestling
Newsok.com 7/29/08Her coach, Bobby Cook, wasn't.
Miller became the first girl in state history to be named to an All-State wrestling team.
"She's one of the premier female wrestlers in the country for her weight,” Cook said.
Miller, who lost her 119-pound match Monday to Cascia Hall's Kyle Torkleson, will wrestle for Oklahoma City University's year-old women's program next year.
"I'm really excited,” Miller said. "They've only been around for a year, and they're already one of the best women's programs in the country.”
Cook said gender doesn't matter in this case because Miller's performance proved she deserved a spot on the All-State team.
•Peck has special night: Monday night was special for Mike Peck for a couple of reasons.
The retiring Marlow wrestling coach was named the Oklahoma Wrestling Coaches' Association Coach of the Year, and also got to watch his son, Jacob, compete and win as an All-Stater.
Jacob Peck won his 140-pound match against Cushing's Tyler Evans by decision 7-2.
Mike Peck coached for 26 years — 22 of them at Marlow. His team was the 2A dual state champion in 2008 and finished second at team state.
•Bryan takes Thorpe Award: Broken Arrow's Matt Bryan, who will wrestle at Purdue next year, was presented with the Jim Thorpe Player of the Year Award before the matches. The Jim Thorpe Association gives the award to an athlete in each sport included in the All-State Games. The athletes are judged on athletic performance, character, coachable attitude, unselfish spirit and academics.
•Lane wants to set example: Two-time state champion Raymond Lane of Star Spencer will begin his collegiate wrestling career at Oklahoma City University in the spring, but he started taking college courses in the summer.
Lane, who won his 215-pound match Monday over Jay's Frank Ambriz, will start college full time in the fall.
Being in college is important to Lane, he said, because he wants to set an example for his two younger brothers.
•Springfield finishes at home: Norman's Joe Springfield wrapped up his wrestling career at home.
Springfield, who finished second at state in 2008 and won't wrestle in college, wrestled his last match, a loss to Stillwater's Ky Corley, at Norman High.
By Jason Kersey
By Staff Reports
7/29/2008
Last Modified: 7/29/2008 3:32 AM
All-State games feature state's best athletes
OKLAHOMA CITY — All-State week is under way, and it started with big news for two perennial power basketball programs in the Tulsa area.
Wrestling
Broken Arrow graduate Drew Partain piqued interest from Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University and Central Oklahoma, but he was zeroed in on joining the squad at Oklahoma State.
Partain will walk on at OSU and walked away from a successful high school career when he took an 8-2 decision over Carl Albert’s Landon Comes.
- By DAN MCDONALD
- Special to The Advocate
JEYHUN
ABDULLA/AP
Wrestler Daniel Cormier, a Lafayette
native, competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
LAFAYETTE — Daniel Cormier knows he should already have an Olympic medal.
That’s little consolation to the
former Northside High School wrestling standout, since the entire focus of his
life for the past four years has been on one color — gold.
“Any time you get to go to the
Olympics, it’s an honor and a privilege,” Cormier said, “but now it’s not about
just going there anymore. I went already.”
Cormier was a member of the 2004
U.S. freestyle team at 96kg (211.5 pounds), the weight class he’s dominated
nationally for the past six years. At Athens, he went unbeaten in round-robin
competition until losing to eventual gold medalist Khadjimurad Gatsalov of
Russia in the semifinals.
Crestfallen after that loss, he
admittedly lost focus in the bronze-medal match and watched a 2-0 overtime lead
vanish in a 3-2 loss to Iran’s Ali Reza Heydari.
“I don’t know what happened,”
Cormier said. “I know that four years ago my eyes were wide open. I was in awe
of the situation. The Olympic Games can be too much for you if you’re not
prepared for it. It’s huge and if you’re not ready for it, you’ll fold. That’s
what I did in Athens.
“I’m a better wrestler now, and I’m
better mentally, so I think my chances are a lot better because of that.”
The 29-year-old Stillwater, Okla.,
resident is still an outside shot for gold in Beijing, considering that 96kg is
likely the world’s toughest weight class. How tough? Gatsalov, world champion
the last three years, didn’t even get out of Russia’s national team trials, and
2007 world silver medalist Saeid Abrahimi of Iran hasn’t lost an international
bout since that world meet.
But being an underdog isn’t anything
new for Cormier. In fact, considering he had never won an NCAA collegiate title
while at Oklahoma State, it was an upset when he won his first senior national
title and world team berth in 2003.
That win came amid tragedy, coming
less than a month after the tragic death of his three-month-old daughter in an
auto accident. USA Wrestling allowed him to compete in a special wrestle-off
after the trials, and he won the first of what has become the country’s longest
active streak of national titles.
The second of those titles was
closely followed by a win in the U.S. team trials.
“When I made the team, it was like,
‘Yes, finally something huge,’” he said. “I was happy and I felt good about it.
But I’ve worked hard the last four years and controlled the weight class. That
was my opportunity. … I did what I needed to do to get on this Olympic team. It
was just another boundary to cross in order to get where I need to be and
that’s a gold medal.”
Few people, including Cormier, were
thinking gold medals even after he won three state titles (1995-97) while with
coach Stephen “Tank” Lotief at Northside. Louisiana, after all, wasn’t the
wrestling hotbed that states in the Midwest were, with schools like Iowa and
OSU churning out national caliber wrestlers on an annual basis.
Cormier turned down football offers,
including one to LSU, and headed to Colby Junior College in Kansas. Two years
and one junior college national title later, he transferred to Oklahoma State
and finished second in the NCAA’s as a senior in 2001 under coach — and Olympic
gold medalist — John Smith. He also earned his degree that year, and has spent
the last eight years training for what he hopes will be a career highlight in
Beijing. He’s the only U.S. freestyle returnee from the Athens games.
“Making a second Olympic team is a
great accomplishment, especially in wrestling,” said Smith, who still coaches
Cormier in Stillwater. “There are maybe a dozen over the last few years that
have done that. The world champion from last year didn’t even make his own team
in Russia.
“Daniel will probably be the No. 3
guy there (the Olympics). If he continues to train like he has, he can put
himself into a good position. But he must get better before the Olympic Games
to get a gold. He wrestled well at the trials, but he must get better to win
the gold.”
And Cormier said he’s ready to do
that.
“Coach makes sure all the bases are
covered, and if he makes a game plan I’m following it step by step and trying
to accomplish what he did,” Cormier said of Smith’s 1988 gold in Seoul. “If he
says, ‘Let’s go at 3 a.m.,’ I’m saying OK, let’s go at 3 a.m. We’re going to do
whatever it takes to get this gold medal.”
All-State wrestling results
From Monday 7/29/08112: David McNeil, Carl Albert, maj. dec. Garrett Miller, Owasso, 10-2
119: Willie Gunter, Midwest City, tech. fall Jacob Deffenderfer, Sand Springs, 21-6
125: Drew Partain, Broken Arrow, dec. Landon Comes, Carl Albert, 8-2
130: Tyson Bernardi, Choctaw, maj. dec. Dusty Topping, Shawnee, 9-1
135: Ky Corley, Stillwater, dec. Joe Springfield, Norman, 7-2
140: Matt Bryan, Broken Arrow, dec. Auston Slater, Mustang, 1-0
145: Mike Brady, Del City, dec. Austin Standage, Stillwater, 5-1
152: Mark Meyer, Midwest City, pinned Justin Suskey, Catoosa
160: Daniel Ogle, Chickasha, dec. Ryan Freeman, Sand Springs, 4-2
171: Kyle Blevins, Sapulpa, dec. 0 Forcucci, Altus, 9-3
189: Mike Keating, Ponca City, dec. Chad Wright, Norman North, 3-1
215: Reno Redleaf, Ponca City, maj. dec. Aaron Lasater, Edmond Santa Fe, 10-0
HWT: Zack James, Del City, dec. Eric Marshall, Jenks, 3-0.
Small School
EAST 37, WEST 13
112: Hunter Wilson, Perkins, dec. Steven Baez, Hobart, 9-7
119: Kyle Torkelson, Cascia Hall, pinned Joey Miller, Woodward, 3:29
125: Jared Wynn, Blackwell, maj. dec. Jimmy Stout, Little Axe, 9-1
130: Donnie Curtis, Locust Grove, pinned Dakota Wigington, Watonga, 0:32
135: Brannon Frank, Cushing, tech. fall Mike Thomas, Clinton
140: Jacob Peck, Marlow, dec. Tyler Evans, Cushing, 7-2
145: Tucker Rutherford, Jay, dec. Hugo Gomez, Weatherford, 2-1
152: Dustin Kincaid, Blackwell, dec. Dustin Lasell, Pauls Valley, 3-2
160: Dalton Johns, Tonkawa, dec. Drew Weske, Marlow, 3-1
171: Derrick Adkius, Oologah, maj. dec. Zach Sell, Kingfisher, 18-5
189: Elliott Hellwege, Kingfisher, dec. Sean Murphy, Cascia Hall, 3-1
The Edmond Sun
Aaron Lasater thought it was all over, as he walked out the doors of
the State Fair Arena at the Oklahoma High School Wrestling Championships in
February. The former Edmond Santa Fe wrestling star did not have any plans to
wrestle in college, and figured his wrestling days were long gone.
That
was until a few weeks ago when he got a call from former Santa Fe head coach
Greg George. Lasater was informed that he was the first wrestler in school
history to be selected to the All-State wrestling team.
“It’s an honor to
be selected, it’s something a lot of people work for, and I was surprised I was
picked,” Lasater said.
While excited, Lasater was also a little worried
about how well he’d fare, after a nearly five-month layoff. He’s spent the past
few weeks working out with other All-State wrestlers at Del City High
School.
“I was so out of shape, I just took it easy since wrestling was
over, I got that call and it was like oh dang,” Lasater said.
Lasater
finished a strong high school career with his second straight trip to the Class
5A State Tournament. Lasater battled through the first day of competition at
state, but was eliminated after losing to Westmoore’s Beau Gastineau 2-1. As a
senior, Lasater finished with a 36-12 record, and led the team with 24
falls.
Lasater said he expects to compete at 215-pounds, but could be
bumped up to heavyweight if necessary. The East squad is scheduled to have Ponca
City’s Reno Redleaf wrestle at 215, and Jenks’ Eric Marshall compete at
heavyweight.
“I’m pretty positive I’m doing 215, that’s what the coaches
are telling me, but either way I’m ready for it,” Lasater said.
The
All-State Wrestling Meet will take place on Monday at 8:30 p.m. at Norman High
School.
Freestyle Olympian Cormier to lead off new series “A Shot at Glory,” July 28 on MOJO HD
MOJO HD
07/25/2008
2008 Olympian Daniel Cormier will be featured Monday, July 28 at 9:00 p.m. EST on MOJO HD in the first segment of “A Shot at Glory.”
A Shot at Glory - wrestling’s Daniel Cormier:
Athletics can provide order in a sometimes chaotic world. For Daniel Cormier from Lafayette, La., freestyle wrestling provides a vehicle for stability in a life filled with tragedy. Daniel watched his father get shot to death at a young age and recently lost his 3 ½-month-old daughter in a car accident. At 25 years old, wrestling has always been there, providing Cormier the chance to put tragedy aside and measure himself against the world. His has been rocky. He has had trouble getting down to 211 pounds and failed to make weight at the prestigious Uzbekistan Independence Cup in March. Beijing is likely Cormier’s last shot for a medal, a final chance to find glory despite hardship.
The ten-part, all high-definition series delves into the mindset and motivation of the competitors as they discuss their intense training schedules and nutrition programs, their mentors and role models, their career-making competitions, and the personal stories behind each hard-fought climb to the upper echelons of sport.
Those chosen to be profiled include Cormier, BMX biker Donny Robinson, track and field’s Tyson Gay and Wallace Spearmon, boxing’s Gary Russell, Jr., beach volleyball’s Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs, traithlon’s Laura Bennett, canoe/kayak’s Brett Heyl, gymnastic’s Samantha Peszek, and swimming’s Kate Ziegler.
“A Shot at Glory” also features candid interviews with high-profile medal winners about their life experiences and what is truly required to be the best in their discipline. Those feature include boxing’s Sugar Ray Leonard, track and field’s Jackie Joyner-Kersee, gymnastic’s Mary Lou Retton, beach volleyball’s Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor, BMX’s Mike King, kayak’s Scott Schipley, swimming’s Amy Van Dyken, traithlon’s Susan Williams and wrestling’s John Smith.
Additionally experts in each sport will help detail the psychological and body strength needed to compete; how to overcome injuries and setbacks; and how these new competitors compare with previous champions.
The ten-part series premieres Monday, July 28, will run each weeknight from two weeks on MOJO HD, and is produced in partnership with USA TODAY.
For more information visit the MOJO HD webpage for “A Shot at Glory.”
“A Shot at Glory” is produced by USA TODAY Live, the television production arm of USA TODAY, in association with Orange Lion Productions. From USA TODAY Live, Lauren Ashburn is executive producer with Ginger Hudson as senior producer. From Orange Lion, Scott Henry is series producer. For MOJO HD, executive producer is Emilio Nunez with Siobhan Graham as supervising producer.
About USA TODAY:
USA TODAY is the nation’s top-selling newspaper. It is published via satellite at 34 locations in the USA and at four sites abroad. With a total average daily circulation of 2.3 million, USA TODAY is available worldwide. USA TODAY is published by Gannett Co., Inc. The USA TODAY brand also includes: USATODAY.com, an award-winning news and information web site that is updated 24 hours per day; USA TODAY Sports Weekly, a magazine for enthusiasists of college and professional football and baseball; USA TODAY Mobile, offering up-to-the minute news and information on a variety of mobile platforms and devices; and USA TODAY Live, the television arm of the USA TODAY brand that brings the spirit and quality of the newspaper to television.
About MOJO HD:
MOJO HD was created exclusively for the discerning upscale male, with attitude, wit and style, and is among the most widely distributed HD networks on cable. The company has been a pioneer in hi-def television since 2003. Original shows are about wide-ranging men’s interests including high tech, finance, comedy-reality, adventurous travel, music, cuisine and spirits. Other programming includes sports and movies, and MOJO is the exclusive HD cable home of “Heroes.” The network is 100% high definition, all shown in pristine 1080i picture and 5.1 sound, and is available as part of the HD offerings from Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Cablevision, Charter Communications Inc., Bright House Networks, Mediacom and others. MOJO HD is owned by iN DEMAND Networks, whose members are Comcast iN DEMAND Holdings, Inc., Cox Communications Holdings, Inc., and Time Warner Entertainment – Advance/Newhouse Partnership.
For screeners or information, please contact Ellen Cooper or Joan Behan at (646) 638-8206 or ecooper@indemand.com. For USA TODAY contact Alexandra Nicholson at (703) 854-5872 or anicholson@usatoday.com.
FARGO FEATURE: Chris Perry following in brother's footsteps
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
07/25/2008
FARGO, N.D. – Chris Perry’s biggest problem Friday wasn’t the opponents he was facing in the Junior Nationals freestyle competition.
It was figuring out which color singlet to wear.
Perry and opponent Cody Magrum of Ohio both came out wearing red singlets for their match early Friday night at the Fargo Dome. Perry realized he had the wrong color on and quickly went back and changed into blue.
The three-time state high school champion from Oklahoma then rolled to a 5-0, 1-0 win over Magrum at 189 pounds. Magrum is a three-time Ohio state high school champion who will wrestle collegiately at Ohio State University.
“I thought the top of the bracket is the red singlet,” Perry said with a laugh. “I still haven’t figured it out. I was talking to Craig Wilson of Missouri and he said, ‘You’re one of the best wrestlers I’ve ever watched who doesn’t know what singlet to wear.’”
Perry won eight straight matches in this year's event to reach Saturday morning's finals. He will meet Ohio's Brian Roddy in the finals. Roddy was fifth in the 2006 Junior Nationals.
In Friday’s first session, Perry pulled out a tough, three-period win over University of Iowa recruit Grant Gambrall.
Perry placed fourth at Junior Nationals last year after taking fourth in Cadet Nationals in 2006.
“This tournament is a grind – every match you have to be ready to go,” Perry said. “In the past, I’ve relaxed as I’ve come closer to the finals and I’ve underestimated people. I need to stay solid throughout the tournament.”
Perry, younger brother of two-time NCAA champion Mark Perry of Iowa, is the No. 3 ranked overall recruit by InterMat. He will be a senior at Stillwater High School.
Mark Perry is here in Fargo watching his brother compete.
“He’s had a huge impact on my career,” Chris said. “He said winning a national title was the greatest feeling of his life, and I want to experience the same thing.”
With numerous Division I college recruiters on hand here in Fargo, including Iowa coach Tom Brands and Oklahoma State coach John Smith, Perry is being followed closely during his bouts this weekend.
Perry’s uncle is Smith, a two-time Olympic champion and four-time World champion who has coached the Cowboys to five NCAA team titles.
“John is a great coach and a great technician,” Perry said. “He’s worked with me on many things.”
Perry has spent time training in the OSU room with Cowboys wrestler Clayton Foster, a member of the U.S. Junior World Team in freestyle.
Perry also is a top football player. He plays running back and safety. He rushed for 1,700 yards as a junior.
“I have a lot of options for college, and I really haven’t narrowed it down at this point,” he said. “I’ve talked to some coaches here and there. I’ve just tried to stay focused on this tournament. My options for college, I’m just keeping them open at this point.”
DHs junior adds track title to wrestling hardware
By David Miller 5/18/2008The Duncan Banner
 David Miller/The Duncan Banner/ |
DUNCAN — Casy Rowell is no stranger to state
championship medals. The two-time state title wrestler has become accustomed to
having the number ‘1’ below his feet on the podium. Just never in
track.
That all changed at this season’s Class 5A state track meet, where
Rowell won the pole vault with a personal-record 14-6 height, adding his third
gold medal as a Duncan High School student athlete. Rowell credits a stronger
work ethic and dedication to the sport for getting better.
“I felt a lot
more confident this year because I worked harder,” Rowell said. “Last year, I
really don't feel like I deserved it.”
The win helped erase memories of
last season’s disappointing third-place finish at state.
“I came into
last season's state meet ranked No. 1 and had my pole snap in four
places.”
Having a pole break in the middle of a jump can result in
injury, and can hang on the memory next time around, but not for
Rowell.
“A lot of people asked me if I thought about this year because it
hurt really bad when it happened, but I didn’t let that thought affect me,” he
said. “If it was going to happen, it was going to happen. There’s nothing you
can do about it.”
The thoughts of last season didn’t rattle him, but the
expected state championship jitters did.
“I was more nervous than I was
at wrestling state,” he said. “I remember going down the run way and not being
able to feel my legs because I was so nervous. It was only me and the Shawnee
kid (Cameron Kessler), and we just went back-and-forth, touché, touché. Somebody
had to miss, and it was him.”
Extra pole runs and weight lifting sessions
kicked into high gear for Rowell once the state meet started to creep
up.
“At first, I didn’t think much about it (the expectation of winning
state),” he said. “I just got out of wrestling and was wanting to chill, but
then I realized I have a chance to win this. So I started to pick it up a couple
of weeks before regionals. It hit that if I really worked at it, I could win
state.”
Rowell’s state title was one of four individual golds for DHS, as
Dustin Mettler won the other three. The personal success for Mettler and Rowell
reflected the team’s achievements this year.
Duncan took third at state
and won a regional title to go along with their Southern Oklahoma Invitational
win.
“I was happy for (Todd) Ledford mainly,” Rowell said. “He was making
a lot of changes and he helped us get a lot of new stuff. He knew we had
potential. It was awesome to be a part of.
“Last season, we would have
people come out and get tired of it and end up quitting because school is
letting out. This year, everyone was motivated.”
Rowell, who started
vaulting in seventh grade, said that his biggest improvement came in his
speed.
“I got a lot faster from last year to this year,” he said. “I used
to run with my feet real low to the ground, but I learned to keep my knees up
and that helped me get faster, which in turn helped me go higher.”
Rowell
initially got his training from former DHS pole vaulter Jimmy Dial before Stan
Reyes joined the DHS staff as a volunteer.
“I give most of my credit to
him (Dial) and Stan,” Rowell said. “Stan was here every day, it was amazing
because he was he didn’t get paid to be out here. They deserve a lot of
credit.”
With one more year at DHS, Rowell believes he can go at least a
foot higher.
“If I work like I did this year, I will keep getting
better,” he said. “I think I can hit 16 feet by state next season.”
Jacob Deffenderfer had other plans for next Monday night, plans he's glad to break now.
The Sandites will battle for their squad against the Large West in the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State mat dual Monday at 8 p.m. at Norman High School.
Deffenderfer will be at 119 pounds while Freeman is slated to go at 160 pounds.
Sandite head coach Kelly Smith says while Deffenderfer was not on the original Large East roster, he was added recently when another grappler was unable to compete.
"It was a great surprise but it couldn't happen to a nicer kid," said Smith.
Deffenderfer placed fourth at the 5A State Tournament on Feb. 23 in Oklahoma City. He was also fourth at regionals at Broken Arrow on Feb. 16.
He claimed a fifth at the five-state El Cajon Invitational in California on Dec. 29.
"He's a kid who was right there all year long and turned the corner at the end," says Smith. "He's worked hard for this."
Deffenderfer's wrestling style can be deceptive.
"He's hard to score on and can score on other people's mistakes," Smith says. "He's incredibly strong for a 119 pounder."
Smi+th also points out Deffenderfer was also involved in student council and several other clubs and activities.
Deffenderfer finished his senior season with an overall record of 22-20.
Prep notebook: Pawnee hires Beer as football coach; Draper to lead Santa Fe's wrestling team
7/4/08Perry is a three-time state champion for the Pioneers. Perry said he will visit Oklahoma State as well as other schools.
Perry is wrestling for the Oklahoma team this week in the U.S. Junior National Freestyle Championships at Oklahoma City University. His older brother, Mark, wrestles for Iowa, and his uncle is OSU head coach John Smith.
•Draper to be named coach: Tim Draper will be named as the new Edmond Santa Fe wrestling coach, pending board approval. The board is going to vote Monday.
Tim's son, Cade Draper, won the 152-pound Class 4A state championship last season at Deer Creek and placed third as a sophomore. Tim Draper has been coaching wrestling for 12 years and was a three-time NCAA national qualifier at Utah State.
 Ladd Rupp of Oklahoma, top, wrestles Zachary Waldrop of Texas in the 119-pound weight class during the Junior Freestyle Duals at the National Junior Wrestling Tournament in Abe Lemons Arena at Oklahoma City University on Thursday. BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN  Stephen Swan of Oklahoma, right, wrestles Trey Adamson of Texas in the 145-pound weight class during the Junior Freestyle Duals on Thursday. BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN |
The Maroons have developed a dynasty on the mats with five consecutive state championships. Two wrestlers that haven't shied away from the spotlight are Stephen Swan and Ladd Rupp.
The two have combined for five state titles and are a perfect 9-0 through two days at the U.S. Junior National Freestyle Duals at Abe Lemons Arena.
"He's like a brother to me,” Swan said about Rupp. "It means a lot to have him here. We've been through so much together.”
But even Swan isn't perfect. In Team Oklahoma's final match of the day, the 145-pounder came out and lost the first period to Texas' Trey Adamson, 1-0.
"I just wasn't mentally focused,” Swan said.
He rebounded to thump his opponent in the second, 4-0, and third, 3-0 periods to score an easy victory.
Swan enters his senior season as the ninth-best 145-pounder in the nation, according to Wrestling USA. Rupp is seventh at 119. But there's no rivalry between the two.
"We're just such different wrestlers that you can't really compare it,” Swan said. "It's just great having someone so talented to train with.”
The dual win against Texas was anything but easy. After being down 11-2, Rupp scored a technical fall to give Oklahoma its first win. Rupp has scored two technical falls and one pin in his five victories.
Though the two Perry boys did what they could, it was a huge outing by former Weatherford star Tyson Yoder that proved to be the difference in the 33-27 win.
Oklahoma entered the 215-pound match down 27-25. Yoder was just looking to score a decision or maybe even a technical fall against Courtland Harrisson. He wound up with a surprising pin that swung the momentum in Oklahoma's favor, giving the team its first lead of the afternoon.
"I knew what I needed to do,” Yoder said. "We needed something special.”
The finals are today at 3:30 p.m. They were originally scheduled for 5:30 but have been moved up.
Depending on Friday morning's outings, it's possible Oklahoma could be wrestling for a team title. Third-seeded Illinois has won the championship the last two years.
Oklahoma, seeded seventh, defeated the top team in its pool, second-seeded Missouri, on Wednesday and is 5-0 through two days. Oklahoma defeated California, 31-28, and the second Minnesota team, 53-12, in earlier matches Thursday.
The second Oklahoma team was unable to secure a victory in any of its matches.
The senior Oklahoma team returns today for duals at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Former Cowboy wrestlers join the USA Olympic squad
July 3rd, 2008
JENKS - Two Jenks wrestlers made national headlines in Kansas City this past weekend not only for helping their team, Team Oklahoma, win first place honors at the Cadet National Duels, but by going undefeated individually in their respective weight classes.
Justin DeAngelis, a junior at Jenks High School this fall, and last year's state champion, pinned all opponents including the nations number 2 and number 4 ranked wrestlers.
Pretty exciting," were DeAngelis' words on Monday.
He is wrestling in the 135-pound weight class.
Teammate Josh Walker, an incoming freshman and former Middle School state champion, at 91 pounds also went 10-0 in the three-day freestyle competition.
"They were outstanding," said Jenks High School wrestling coach Ray Weis. "They both went up against wrestlers that were 9-0 in the final round. That's tough competition. Think about it, these tow Jenks boys didn't lose a single match."
Weis did not go to Kansas City but said he encourages his wrestlers to participate in such contests.
"This is something they do on their own," he said. "But it definitely helps them in their high school sport."
Wrestling picks up again at school in October with first matches in November. Weis said these two will be hard to beat.
About a dozen wrestlers from across Oklahoma make up the freestyle team. The teams in Kansas City came from all over the country. Oklahoma took first, Pennsylvania, second; New Jersey, third; Missouri, fourth; and Wisconsin, fifth. Oklahoma was 35-33 in the finals.
DeAngelis, 16, is currently preparing to travel to Nationals in Fargo, N.D. where he will be wrestling the best kids in the country - 100 in his weight class.
"My personal goal is to win All-American," he said.
To do so, he has to finish in the top eight.
Both boys have been wrestling all of their lives.
It was Justin's second National Championship. The team beat Pennsylvania last year.
Both boys were selected to the All Star Team.
Oklahoma team brings plenty of talent in freestyle
By Matt PattersonStaff Writer 7/2/08
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Stillwater's Chris Perry, Catoosa's Dallas Bailey, Perry's Ladd Rupp and former Midwest City Wrestler Willie Gunter have 12 state championships between them. Teams like Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois might be the favorites, but Oklahoma should be in the mix, too.
"We've got a lot of talent,” Perry said. "Last year I thought we had a good shot to win it. We have a shot this year too. A lot of people bumped up, everyone will grow in the summer, so we'll see what happens.”
Gunter is wrestling in his last Junior National Duals. He'll head to Central Oklahoma in the fall.
"I've done pretty good in it in the past two years,” Gunter said. "I hope to go undefeated. As a team we've been practicing hard, we have a lot of good kids. We're looking to win the national title and we should do pretty well if we wrestle the way we can.”
Illinois, coached by former OU wrestler John Kading, has won the last two freestyle championships. The Big 10 might be a football conference, but those states annually produce loads of college wrestlers.
And that's the way Gunter likes it.
"You're challenged every match,” he said. "You're going to wrestle a state champion every time out.”
While Gunter has college nailed down, Perry has a ways to go. Tuesday was the official start to recruiting season, a fact Perry had forgotten about until he woke up to the sound of his cell phone ringing. Perry and Bailey are considered the state's top high school recruits this season.
"It's going to be a good experience for me,” Perry said. "It's an honor but you can't let it get in the way of your wrestling. I'm going to take some visits to OSU and some other schools.”
But for now it's lake trips with friends, practice and this tournament. Perry has seen his typical summer routine curtailed because of an injury.
He wants to avoid the mistakes he made at last year's Junior Nationals.
"I've done pretty well, but for some reason I always lose one match to a guy who isn't that good,” he said. "You have to focus every match.”
The Oklahoma Greco team lost to Washington 48-21 Tuesday.
Getting a victory by forfeit brings a frown to Blackwell's Wynn
Jared Wynn's first day at the U.S. Junior National Greco Duals at Abe Lemons Arena on Monday night ended easy enough.
Wynn won the last of his four matches for the day by forfeit, his third win of the day. Only thing is, Wynn isn't a big fan of winning by forfeit. In fact, he hates it.
"Sometimes they're hurt, and sometimes they're not,” Wynn said. "Sometimes they're just scared of you. I don't like to forfeit to people. If I'm going to lose; I'd rather lose wrestling.”
Wynn hasn't done a whole lot of losing during his high school career at Blackwell. He won a Class 3A championship as a sophomore and won another at 125 pounds as a senior. He's only wrestled Greco style twice before but still managed to pull off a five-point move in a win over Evan Warrington of Georgia.
"That was amazing,” Wynn said. "I thought he was going to throw me, and I wound up throwing him for five. It was at the very end. It could have gone either way. When I got off the mat, everyone was hoopin' and hollerin'. That felt real good.”
Wynn will continue his wrestling career at Oklahoma City University. He signed in March and will walk into the Stars' wrestling room as a starter. He also drew interest from NCAA Division II power Central Oklahoma.
"Coach (Archie) Randall said their 25-pounder that's there now quit,” Wynn said. "He said if you come here you're a starter your freshman year. That made it easy.”
Oklahoma defeated New Jersey 45-25 on Monday, but it lost to Georgia 49-13 and Iowa 50-17.
Tulsa Union's Cody Beisel also had a strong day, finishing 3-1. Two of his victories came by technical fall.
•Oklahoma freestyle team loaded: While Oklahoma's Greco team struggled in its opening day, the freestyle team is loaded with potential. Catoosa's Dallas Bailey (160 pounds) is a three-time state champion, as is Stillwater's Chris Perry. Perry's Ladd Rupp (119) and Midwest City's Willie Gunter (125) have a combined six championships between them. Bailey and Perry will be state's top two recruits next season.
•OU connection: Missouri's Greco team has at least one member who is familiar with his surroundings this week. Mac Bailey, younger brother of OU wrestler Zack Bailey, won two of his first three matches by technical fall and another by decision.
Wolves wrestling coach search over?
Jeff Harrison 6/30/08The Edmond Sun
The Edmond Santa Fe wrestling program appears to have found their man.
The Wolves are expected to name Tim Draper as the team’s new head coach next
week, pending approval by the school board.
Draper has spent the last 12
years coaching wrestling at various levels, including stints with the Deer Creek
Public Schools, where he served as the middle school head coach, and an
assistant at the high school.
The former Antlers coach was also a
standout wrestler in high school and college. Draper was a three-time state
place high school in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and went on to enjoy a successful
career at Utah State University. With the Aggies, he was a three-time NCAA
Division I national tournament qualifier and three-time conference
champion.
Draper’s son Cade is also a standout wrestler at Deer Creek.
Last season the younger Draper won the Class 4A State title 152 pounds, after
finishing third at state the previous year.
Santa Fe athletic director
Barry Blagowsky declined to comment on the coaching vacancy until the school
board votes on the issue. The Edmond School Board is expected to address the
issue at the July 7 meeting.