History:

If the Olympic Games are a history of mankind, wrestling is the prologue. When the ancient Games of the Olympiad were born, wrestling already was an ancient game. Widely recognised as the world's oldest competitive sport, wrestling appeared in a series of Egyptian wall paintings as many as 5000 years ago. When the Games began in 776 BC, more than two millenniums later, it included wrestling, and, in the years that followed, wrestling featured as the main event.

The sport would return in a similar role when the Olympic Games returned after a 1500-year absence in 1896. Organisers, seeking direct links to ancient times, found a natural in the sport that had enjoyed popularity across much of the ancient world, from Greece, Assyria and Babylon to India, China and Japan. They resurrected Greco-Roman wrestling, a style they believed to be an exact carryover from the Greek and Roman wrestlers of old.

In Greco-Roman wrestling, the wrestlers used only their arms and upper bodies to attack. They could hold only those same parts of their opponents. It worked nicely from a historical perspective, but another breezier style was sweeping across Great Britain and the United States by then. Known as "catch as catch can", it had become standard fare - and popular professional entertainment - at fairs and festivals in both countries.

In 1904, the Olympic Games added the second wrestling event and called it "freestyle". Now, wrestlers could use their legs for pushing, lifting and tripping, and they could hold opponents above or below the waist.

Date Ranked:09/02/2009

Ranked By

The NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches' Association Top 20 poll, with points and last ranking:

Rank School (State) Points Last Ranking

1. Nebraska-Kearney 157 2nd

2. Nebraska-Omaha 151 4th

3. Central Oklahoma 148 1st

4. Minnesota State-Mankato 135 3rd

5. Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 129 5th

6. Adams State (Colo.) 120 6th

7. Upper Iowa 100 8th

8. West Liberty State (W.Va.) 97 15th

9. Western State (Colo.) 86 9th

10. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 81 7th

11. Wisconsin-Parkside 76 18th

12. Ashland (Ohio) 75 10th

13. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 63 17th

14. Augustana (S.D.) 54 11th

15. Indianapolis (Ind.) 45 13th

16. Newberry (S.C.) 43 12th

17. Chadron State (Neb.) 26 20th

18. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 23 14th

19. Findlay (Ohio) 22 16th

T20. Minnesota State-Moorhead 20 19th

T20. Kutztown (Pa.) 20 20th

Others receiving votes: Central Missouri, Shippensburg (Pa.).

NCAA Division II

Individual Rankings

125 Pounds

1. Cody Garcia, Nebraska-Omaha 25

2. Nick Smith, Minnesota State-Mankato 18

3. Trevor Charboneau, Nebraska-Kearney 18

4. Arsenia Barksdale, Adams State (Colo.) 19

5. Kody Pierson, Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 20

6. Tyler Mumbulo, Upper Iowa 42

7. Chas Welch, Northern State (S.D.) 19

8. Chris Trampe, Augustana (S.D.)19

133 Pounds

1. Brett Allgood, Nebraska-Kearney

2. Andy Uhl, Findlay (Ohio)

3. Jeff Pfaffinger, Minnesota State-Mankato

4. Jake Brumbelow, Carson-Newman (Tenn.)

5. Shane Perkey, Indianapolis (Ind.)

6. Joe Kemmerer, Kutztown (Pa.)

7. Brandon Reasy, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)

8. Reimark Neidermaier, Belmont Abbey (N.C.)

141 Pounds

1. Kyle Evans, Central Oklahoma 18

2. Shane Valko, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 18

3. Travis Elg, Minnesota State-Mankato 28

4. Tony Washington, Newberry (S.C.)

5. Jeff Rutledge, Nebraska-Kearney 19

6. Doug Sura, West Liberty State (W.Va.) 18

7. Tony Iovine, Ashland (Ohio) 32

8. Yasiim Bribieseca, Nebraska-Omaha 25

9. Soufyane Benziane, Iowa, NCAA 15

149 Pounds

1. Todd Meneely, Nebraska-Omaha 19

2. Jason Rhoten, Minnesota State-Mankato 19

3. Mikel Delk, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 18

4. Shea Timothy, Central Oklahoma 25

5. Don Cummings, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 28

6. Marcus Gordon, Ashland (Ohio) 18

7. Charlie Pingleton, Indianapolis (Ind.) 29

8. Matt True, Nebraska-Kearney 28

157 Pounds

1. Jason Leavitt, Central Oklahoma

2. Brad Becker, Wisconsin-Parkside

3. Tony Guerra, Findlay (Ohio)

4. Austin Scarset, Augustana (S.D.)

5. Mike Gallegos, Adams State (Colo.)

6. Brandon Girtz, Minnesota State-Mankato

7. Joe Ellenberger, Nebraska-Kearney

8. Danny Grater, Fort Hays State (Kan.)

165 Pounds

1. Ross Taplin, Nebraska-Omaha

2. Andy Pickar, Minnesota State-Mankato

3. Nate Baker, Minnesota State-Moorhead

4. Mitch Norton, Upper Iowa

5. Eric Lakia, Ashland (Ohio)

6. Brett Hunter, Chadron State (Neb.)

7. Kevin Kalbach, Kutztown (Pa.)

8. Justin Wood, Central Oklahoma

174 Pounds

1. J.D. Naig, Nebraska-Omaha

2. Zach Shafer, Mercyhurst (Pa.)

3. Tom Clark, West Liberty State (W.Va.)

4. Michael Jackson, Indianapolis (Ind.)

5. Cody Henriksen, Augustana (S.D.)

6. Quinn Tolbert, Newberry (S.C.)

7. Eli Garshnick, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)

8. Brady Hakeman, Upper Iowa

184 Pounds

1. Mike Corcetti, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)

2. Nate Jones, Carson-Newman (Tenn.)

3. Matt Farrell, Nebraska-Kearney

4. Jared Hess, Central Oklahoma

5. Jared Deaguero, Adams State (Colo.)

6. Travis Krinke, Minnesota State-Mankato

7. Dan Scanlan, Limestone (S.C.)

8. Mark Murphy, Shippensburg (Pa.)

197 Pounds

1. Casey Woodall, Adams State (Colo.)

2. Jacob Marrs, Nebraska-Omaha

3. Nate Buys, Augustana (S.D.)

4. Derek Brunson, North Carolina-Pembroke

5. Ryan Phillips, Upper Iowa

6. Mike Fowler, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)

7. Chris Taylor, West Liberty (W.Va.)

8. Kelsey Empting, Nebraska-Kearney

285 Pounds

1. Tervel Dlagnev, Nebraska-Kearney

2. Josh LeadingFox, Central Oklahoma

3. Brady Wilson, Minnesota State-Mankato

4. Andrew Ubben, Fort Hays State (Kan.)

5. Josh Ohl, Ashland (Ohio)

6. Jose Navarro, Indianapolis (Ind.)

7. Tony Lewis, Nebraska-Omaha

8. Dan Goodson, Upper Iowa

What is New:Shawn Bunch, one of the quickest and most explosive wrestlers in any weight class, won the U.S. Nationals. Zadick and Gallick sat out the event after trying to qualify the U.S. for the Olympics at events in Europe. 2008 NCAA champion Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State proved he could be a force in freestyle after finishing second at U.S. Nationals. Scott is a past Junior World Team member.

Two-time NCAA champion Teyon Ware has dropped back down to this weight class and took third at U.S. Nationals. Past NCAA runner-up Dylan Long was fourth at U.S. Nationals. 2005 World Team member Michael Lightner is back on the mat this year and placed fifth at U.S. Nationals. Zach Roberson, third in the 2007 World Team Trials, ended up in sixth place at U.S. Nationals.

Angel Cejudo is another very talented wrestler in this weight class. Cejudo won the Dave Schultz Memorial International earlier this year. Cejudo has struggled to make weight in this class, but could be a force if he is able to drop down for the Olympic Trials.

The three U.S. wrestlers in Div. A competing on Sunday were eliminated. In the three-day event, the U.S. claimed four medals, including a gold by Valentin Kalika.

We also have a young wrestler, Soufyane Benziane who is going too.

He has beaten great NCAA champs and we are all looking forward to see what he is capable of doing in an international level

More Info: Team USA:We will be going on February 16, 2010. NCAA is giving a large sum of prize money to anyone who has NCAA by their name in ranking. GOOD LUCK SEE YOU IN EGYPT. This Means:Anyone who's name is up there is qualified to go to Egypt and wrestle their butts out.The best of the best are going to compete of these amazing athletes get Olympic invitations.