Edinboro Director of Athletics and former U.S. Olympian Bruce Baumgartner is featured in the new book, The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps.

The book is an educational resource for parents, youth and high school wrestlers and helps educate and inform wrestlers and parents on how to make the best possible decision when it comes to picking a wrestling camp, club and other training options. With interviews, comments and information from over 40 of the most informed and knowledgeable people involved in the sport of wrestling, this book is not only an educational resource for wrestlers, it’s a valuable tool for parents who are trying to learn more about the training opportunities available for their son or daughter. The book provides tips and information for wrestlers of all ages, including youth wrestlers, middle school wrestlers and high school wrestlers. It also provides wrestling stories from some of the top names in the sport.

Baumgartner, who helps run Bruce Baumgartner and Tim Flynn’s World Class Wrestling Camps and Heavyweight School (get more info at brucebaumgartner.com) is featured in the case study section of the book, which features first-hand advice from those involved directly with camps. Baumgartner talks about wrestling camps and specifically, how to succeed at a big man camp. This year, Baumgartner and Flynn will put on 13 different wrestling camps for area athletes.

Baumgartner is one of four wrestling legends interviewed in the book. The others include Dan Gable, Ken Chertow and Gene Mills.

“Bruce has experienced just about everything you can as a wrestler and as a camp director,” said author Matt Krumrie. “And he’s succeeded in everything he’s done in the sport of wrestling. So it was a natural fit to ask Bruce to help provide comments for the book. As expected he provides some great ideas and tips on how wrestlers and parents can get the most out of a wrestling camp.”

There is a strong Edinboro presence in the book. In addition to Baumgartner, there is a father and son case study featuring an interview with Brad Gillespie, father of Edinboro wrestlers Torsten and Gregor Gillespie. Mr. Gillespie talks about some of the camps and training methods his sons participated in while growing up.

Other top college coaches featured in the book include Minnesota’s J Robinson, Cornell’s Rob Koll, Virginia’s Steve Garland and Air Force’s Joel Sharratt, among others. Jeff Aveni of Pennsylvania’s Clearfield High School is also one of 12 high school coaches from across the country interviewed.

The source list for the book includes Olympians, NCAA champions, All-Americans, college coaches, high school coaches, club directors, camp directors, parents, youth wrestlers, female wrestlers and more.

The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps is more than just a resource about camps. It provides information on club wrestling, the combination of MMA training and wrestling, nutrition tips, offseason training tips, camp checklists, case studies and wrestling stories from those who have experience at all levels of the sport of wrestling.

The author of the book is Matt Krumrie, former editor of The Wrestling Mall and contributor to Intermatwrestle.com, W.I.N Magazine and The Guillotine, Minnesota’s amateur wrestling newspaper.

You can learn more about the book, order the book and read other blog posts at wrestlingcampguide.com. The book can also be ordered through Amazon.com.

Related:
Become a Fan of The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps on Facebook.

Sure, you can read glossy brochures and pour over detailed web sites filled with impressive lists of big-name clinicians, and incredible promises of exciting outcomes like these popular slogans:

Discover the state champ inside you!”

Become a pinning stud!

Gain the skills that’ll get you noticed by big-time college programs!

Unfortunately, however, for anyone trying to choose a wrestling camp, unbiased, independent information isn’t readily available. Consumer Reports doesn’t provide ratings on wrestling camps the way it does after testing mixers and minivans. U.S. News & World Report doesn’t have an annual “100 Best Wrestling Camps” issue to accompany its annual analysis of best colleges.

And, while independent amateur wrestling magazines and web sites provide rankings of the top high school and college wrestlers and programs, they don’t do the same for wrestling camps.

So, as a wrestler – or parent of a wrestler – what are your options when it comes to finding out how to choose a wrestling camp or other training options?

That’s where the new book, The Ultimate Guide To Wrestling Camps comes into play.

The goal of this new book is to educate and inform wrestlers – and their parents – on how to best choose a wrestling camp and other training options.

The reality is parents spend hundreds – and often times thousands – of dollars over the course of a child’s wrestling career. By reading and using the tips provided in The Ultimate Guide To Wrestling Camps, hopefully those expenses can be reduced – and the camp experience enhanced.

The book is an educational resource for parents, youth and high school wrestlers and helps educate and inform wrestlers and parents on how to make the best possible decision when it comes to picking a wrestling camp, club and other training options. With interviews, comments and information from over 40 of the most informed and knowledgeable people involved in the sport of wrestling, this book is not only an educational resource for wrestlers, it’s a valuable tool for parents who are trying to learn more about the training opportunities available for their son or daughter. The book provides tips and information for wrestlers of all ages, including youth wrestlers, middle school wrestlers and high school wrestlers.

Zalesky is featured in Chapter 10, titled: Top College Coaches Coach You on Choosing a Camp

One of the messages Zalesky shares with readers is this:

What are the best ways for a wrestler to ensure he/she is getting the most from a camp?

Zalesky: “They need to get their mind set on maximizing their experience while there. It is a time to learn. Write down everything they can, ask a lot of questions. It is a lot of money to sit back and be afraid to do this. They should ask questions to find out “How do these clinicians win? How do they diet? What is their day like during the season? What can I take from them to make me a better wrestler?”

Other top college coaches featured in the book include Minesota’s J Robinson, Cornell’s Rob Koll, Virginia’s Steve Garland, Air Force’s Joel Sharratt and former Santa Ana assistant Jed Clark, among others. Wrestling legends providing information include Dan Gable, Ken Chertow, Bruce Baumgartner and Gene Mills. California head coaching legend Wayne Branstetter of Poway High School is also among the 12 high school coaches from across the nation interviewed. In addition, current Stanford assistant and National Champion Matt Gentry provides comments and tips. The source list for the book includes Olympians, NCAA champions, All-Americans, college coaches, high school coaches, club directors, camp directors, parents, youth wrestlers, female wrestlers and more.

The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps is more than just a resource about camps. It provides information on club wrestling,  the combination of MMA training and wrestling, nutrition tips, offseason training tips, camp checklists, case studies and wrestling stories from those who have experience at all levels of the sport of wrestling.

The author of the book is Matt Krumrie, former editor of TheWrestlingMall.com and contributor to Intermatwrestle.com, W.I.N Magazine and The Guillotine, Minnesota’s amateur wrestling newspaper.

“What I did was take the advice, comments and experiences of those who are involved with camps, clubs and training and coaching wrestlers and turned it into resources and stories that can benefit wrestlers and their parents,” says Krumrie. “Parents spend hundreds and often times, thousands of dollars on a kids wrestling career, traveling to events and tournaments, taking them to club practice, attending summer camp. The goal of this book is to inform and educate and help the parent make the best decision for their budget and the wrestler the best decision for his or her career. The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps does just that”

More about the book and other blog posts and resources are available at wrestlingcampguide.com. The book can ordered off the web site, or through Amazon.com

For more information and to see where the book ranks, go to the Amazon.com best sellers in wrestling page. These updates do change hourly.

Order from Amazon.com

While that option is still available, the book is now also available on Amazon.com.

Check both out to order your copy today!

Perhaps your wrestler has talked about enrolling in an MMA training facility or camp to learn new skills and enhance their conditioning for wrestling. They may have even expressed an interest in an MMA career for themselves, having seen a number of top former amateur wrestlers find success in MMA competition.

As a parent, you may have even considered encouraging your wrestler to explore the possibilities of MMA, whether it’s for the multi-disciplinary approach that enhances wrestling skills, the opportunity for greater conditioning in the off-season, or with the hope that of a potentially lucrative career.

For all these reasons, it makes sense for wrestlers and their parents to learn more about mixed martial arts… what to consider when selecting an MMA training program… and perspectives on launching a possible MMA career.

HIGH SCHOOL COACHES WEIGH IN ON MMA
Steve Goudy is head wrestling coach at Troy Christian High School, back-to-back Division III team champions at the Ohio state tournament in 2007 and 2008… crowning four individual champions in March 2008. The Eagles are one of the top-ranked programs in the U.S., going up against other prep powerhouses such as Blair Academy (New Jersey), St. Paris Graham (Ohio) and St. Edward in suburban Cleveland.

“My guys are into (MMA), following it regularly,” according to coach Goudy. “They get together to watch pay-per-view events.”

“Guys I train here are wrestling towards a college scholarship. From what I understand, most MMA guys are coming out of college, not high school… It’s a huge leap from amateur wrestling to MMA. You need that college experience, the physical and mental maturation.”

“Our sport is such a good base for MMA,” continues Goudy. “All those years of training, all that conditioning, not to mention specific skills they’ve acquired.”

When asked if MMA could serve as a means to get young people into amateur wrestling, Steve Goudy responds, “This generation is tuned into MMA. However, I haven’t had any kid come up to me, saying they want to start wrestling because of MMA, but that could happen down the road.

A PARENT’S PERSPECTIVE ON WRESTLING AND MMA
Mike Lyons can offer a multi-faceted view of wrestling and mixed martial arts, as a former Division I athlete himself (he was a gymnast at Iowa State)… as someone who runs CrossFit Troy, a gym in Troy, Ohio that serves a wide range of customers, including local high school wrestlers… and, as a father of Mitch Lyons, a former high school and college wrestler who, having successfully competed as an amateur in mixed martial arts, is now becoming an MMA professional.

“From what I see, high school kids don’t express much interest in getting into MMA,” says Mike Lyons. “It’s not a high school sport. It doesn’t fit the high school mindset of being on a team.”

”That said, a lot of high school kids love MMA. They watch pay-per-view events, follow it online.”

“Some guys are getting into jiu-jitsu, muay thai, wanting to learn one discipline at a time.”

”By its name, mixed martial arts requires competing in more than one style. Kids haven’t had a chance to learn multiple skills like boxing, wrestling, judo, etc.”

When asked what it’s like to see his son Mitch compete in MMA events, Mike Lyons responds, “It’s shocking to see at first – no headgear, minimal gloves. You know how wound up some parents of wrestlers are at wrestling matches? Multiply that by ten (for MMA).”

“As a parent of someone in MMA, my mindset has changed… I appreciate the discipline of the referees and officials… It looks like a free-for-all to novices but a fight is called right away if a fighter is in trouble.”

“MMA is safer than boxing. In MMA, fights are stopped right away, whether someone is knocked out, or because of a submission hold.”

“We haven’t seen (Mitch) get beat up yet. I may feel differently if that happened.”

“Wrestling would be considered the foundation for MMA success… All matches go to the mat. A good wrestler can take a boxer down. You can teach a wrestler striking skills pretty quickly. In fact, I think it’s easier to teach a wrestler how to punch, than it is to teach a boxer all that’s involved in wrestling.”

“Amateur wrestling can be a ‘feeder’ for MMA,” says the owner of the CrossFit gym in Troy, Ohio. “After they get their degrees, they want to continue wrestling… My son was lost after his wrestling career was over. MMA is a way to leverage all he learned and all his hard work, and possibly a way to make a good living.”

To read the complete article and get more great training tips and information for wrestlers and parents, order your copy of The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps today!

“When it comes to wrestling camps, there aren’t many people who put in more work, time and effort to provide a successful, positive camp experience than Ken Chertow” says Matt Krumrie, author of The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps. “So it was a natural fit to ask Ken to write the foreword. His knowledge, expertise and passion on the subject is second to none. Think about this – there are lots of great camps, coaches and teachers out there, but Ken is one of a select few  – and maybe the only person – whose full-time occupation is coaching and teaching kids at wrestling camps and clinics. That’s pretty special, and having him be a part of the book was a special opportunity.”

Chertow’s segment in The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps talked about his involvement in camps as a young wrestler, when he attended camps by the legendary Doug Blubaugh. The training Chertow received and learned at Blubaugh’s camps helped shape his  philosophy as a competitor and coach and to this day Chertow still applies many of the values and principles learned at a young age at Blubaugh’s wrestling camps. Chertow talks about the importance of not just being a wrestler, but a scholar-athlete. He talks about the importance of succeeding on and off the mat and in the game of life.  He also shares stories about wrestling that any wrestling fan can enjoy.

“That’s what I liked about writing the book,” adds Krumrie. “While the focus of the book is to educate and inform parents and wrestlers on how to best choose a wrestling camp, club or other training options, it also features stories about wrestling from some of the  great people involved in the sport. If there is one thing wrestling fans love is stories about the sport of wrestling and this book features that.”

Here is a segment from Chertow’s foreword:

Ken Chertow has had tremendous success as an athlete, coach and camp director. He is a U.S. Olympian, 3-time NCAA All-American, 3-time Academic All-American, former head coach at Penn State and Ohio State and is now founder of Ken Chertow’s Gold Medal Training Camp System. Chertow’s experiences as a camper, counselor, coach and camp director have enabled him to develop one of the most successful and highly respected camp systems in the nation. Below are his thoughts on the importance of wrestling camps and how this book can be a valuable resource for wrestlers and parents.

Wrestling camps have been instrumental to my development as a wrestler and coach. My experiences as a camper from elementary school through high school, and now as a full-time wrestling coach and camp director have had a significant impact on my career and life.

Though camps are clearly beneficial, it is critical that you select camps that you will benefit from as much as possible. With many camps to choose from it is important that you do your homework when selecting the camps that are best for you and your team. Matt Krumrie has made your research easier by putting together this informative book. The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps is a valuable tool that will help you make the best decision possible for you or your wrestler(s).

Reflecting on my history at wrestling camps reminds me why Matt has asked me to share my thoughts with you. I have been involved with wrestling camps in every capacity. I’ve participated as a wrestler and camp director, teaching and training thousands of successful wrestlers in the process. Throughout my youth and high school wrestling career I attended multiple camps every summer. I would read camp brochures, talk to my coaches and other wrestlers who had been to camps, and then after narrowing down the choices, my parents and I would contact the camps to ask questions and discuss details. I would then choose the camps that I wanted to attend, see which ones fit into my calendar best, and travel to the camps that I thought would benefit me most. We went through this process annually. Though you now have web sites to conduct research and can send emails asking questions to various camps to make your research more efficient, it is still time consuming – but this book will help you save time and make the best decisions possible.

Though I attended a variety of camps, I chose to attend one specific camp consistently every year from seventh grade through high school and that was Doug Blubaugh’s Camp. I connected well with coach Blubaugh and chose to work with him every summer. As an NCAA and Olympic Champion he was clearly a dominant athlete, but he was also an outstanding teacher of wrestling and a no nonsense man. He had a clear understanding of what techniques he wanted the campers to focus on and we drilled them repetitively and intensely daily. He also gave us a camp notebook that was very helpful to retaining and developing the moves I learned at camp. To this day I have clear recollections of learning many different techniques at Coach Blubaugh’s Camp including: Front Headlock Lock Series, Near Wrist Series, 2 on 1 Series, and numerous leg attack finishes and counters. I successfully executed many of the moves that Coach Blubaugh taught me throughout my career at the highest levels of competition. I have also passed along these moves to my students.

For more stories and resources like this, order your copy of The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps today!

Ken Chertow’s Gold Medal Training Camps
Ken Chertow’s 2010 Summer Camps will be held in these states and locations: North Dakota, California, Colorado, Oregon, Wisconsin, Missouri, Nebraska, Florida, Carolinas, Texas, Georgia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New England, Maryland, Michigan,
Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. For more information check out his camp web site at Kenchertow.com

Here are some of the results, highlights and accomplishments from the weekend:

Ninth Grade
One thing is certain about those in the 9th grade 106 and 115 pound brackets – the wrestlers earning All-American honors and championships had their work cut out for them. These were two of the biggest brackets in the entire tournament, with 27 kids entered at 106 and 28 at 115. Emerging as champions from the masses in these deep and talented weight classes were Zac Gentzler of Kansas at 106 and Barlow McGhee of Illinois at 115. Gentzler went 5-0 on the weekend and won the title by defeating Brandon Ireland of Illinois with a pin at 1:01. In his first four matches Gentzler outscored his opponents 49-5 before earning the pin in the finals.  McGhee also went 5-0 in his bracket and won the title with a 14-9 win over Baldwin Fox of Florida. Also competing in this bracket was Kevin Bonilla of Texas, Bonilla is the nephew of the president of Honduras and was featured in an interview on Takedown radio prior to the tournament. Bonilla won his first two matches before losing to the runner-up Fox. Nick Georgean of Illinois won the 148 pound title one year after winning the 2009 141 pound title. Georgean earned the title with a 5-4 win over Aaron Puckett of Kansas in the finals. Winning the 155 pound title was Oliver Pierce of Texas. Pierce has had success on the national level for some time and is one of the most talented young wrestlers in the state of Texas. Winning titles in the upper weights in this age group were Nick Cobb of Texas at 192, Carter Shipley of Florida at 218 and Jarin Brown of Kansas at 288.

10th Grade
In 2009, Jared Brooks of Indiana earned All-American honors by finishing 4th at 106 pounds. In 2010, he took it even farther, earning a title in the 10th grade division at 106, after defeating Seth Nehls of Nebraska  21-6 in the finals.  Brooks was an offensive machine during the tournament. He won his first match by fall, then scored 26 points in his next match before scoring 21 in the finals.

Another repeat champion was Connor Bolling of Nebraska. Bolling won the ninth grade 106 pound title last year and repeated at the same weight class in the 10th grade division at 106. Bolling won the title with a 13-7 win over Morgan Engbrecht of South Dakota.

Ky Biddle of Kansas won the 122 pound title as a ninth-grader last year and won the 133 pound title this year with a win over Jarrod Trotter of Texas.

Another repeat titlist was Alex Bontz of Kansas. Bontz finished first at 133 last year and earned a title at 143 this year. He defeated Colton Duhr of Kansas 1-0 in the finals. Bontz proved he could defend and win the close match, as he advanced to the finals with a 1-0 win over Landon Stroud of South Dakota.

Winning titles in the middleweights of the tenth grade division were Drake Holland of Illinois at 148, Travis Lang of Missouri at 155 and Keegan Davis of Iowa at 163. Lang went 4-0 and earned three pins before winning the title with a 10-2 win over Skylar Caldwell of Ohio in the finals.

11^th grade
Justyn Martinez of Kansas earned All-American honors last year with a third place finish in the 10th grade division at 115. He earned a spot on the top of the podium this year, defeating Kendall Kermick of Tennessee  11-5 in the finals to earn the 11th grade 115 pound title.

Brady White of Indiana was a fifth-place finisher at 128 pounds in the 10th grade division this year and won a title at 138 pounds in the 11th grade division this year. White defeated Colton Eck of Kansas 5-4 in the finals. Esk had an impressive tournament leading up to the finals, winning all three of matches by pin before losing to White.

Trey Houlden of Kansas was a runner-up at 143 pounds last year, but emerged as the champion this year, defeating Kale Newell of Kansas 4-3 in the finals.

Curtis Anderson of Indiana won the 155 pound title one year after finishing fourth at 143 last season. Anderson defeated John Sims  in the finals. Houlden was 4-0 in the tournament and won 14-12, 3-0 and by pin prior to the finals match.

Tim Weber of South Dakota added another BAN title to his resume, winning the 163 pound title with a 4-0 win over Dylan Penka of Kansas in the finals. Weber was the champion at 155 pounds in the 10th grade division last year.

Gage Knudson of Kansas won a second straight 218 pound title. After winning at the same weight in the 10th grade finals last year, Knudson won the title in the 11th grade division this year with a win by fall over Taylor Kettler of Kansas in the finals. Knudson fought off Nic Wittu of Missouri for a tough 6-5 win in the opening round, and then pinned his next three opponents on the way to the BAN title.

Willie Henson of Indiana earned a title at 288 one year after finishing runner-up in the same weight class in the 10th grade division.

12^th Grade
Josh Coulter earned the title that he just missed in 2009. Coulter, from Ohio, finished second at 128 pounds last year, losing to Joey Vogelsberg of Texas in the finals. This year though, Coulter emerged as the 128 pound champion with a 13-7 win over Logan Welch of Missouri. It was one of the feature matches of the event that put Coulter, a 2009 runner-up, against Welch, a 2009 122 pound champion.

Other lower weight champions included Duane Richardson of Iowa at 133, Kyle Borders of Illinois at 138 and Kash Biddle of Kansas at 143. Biddle won the title with a 3-2 win over Derrick Weller of Kansas.

Parker Swanson of South Dakota, a 143 pound All-American last year (5th place), earned the 148 pound championship this year with a 9-1 win over Vance Oliver of Kansas.

Zeb Spicer of Missouri won the 155 pound title with a win over Josh Syverson of Missouri. Spicer finished fifth last year before winning the title this year.

Evon Royal of Kansas finished 5th as an 11th grader at 163 but won the title this year with a 11-8 win over Marvin Lawrence of Georgia

Joe Naig of Iowa won another BAN title. The 2009 163 pound champion won the 174 pound title this year, defeating Chris Mart of South Dakota 7-6 in the finals.

Dylan Matheny of Kansas finished third at 192 last year, but emerged as the 218 pound champion in the senior division this year. Matheny defeated Kyle Rich of Illinois 12-5 in the finals.

Jake Gegg of Missouri went 4-0 on his way to the 288 pound title, defeating Cody Kasprick of North Dakota 4-3 in the championship match.

Here are some of the results, highlights and accomplishments from the weekend:

Seventh Grade Tyler Ferguson of Indiana, the 2009 6th grade champion at 65 pounds, earned the 2010 7th grade title at 78 pounds. Ferguson went 3-0 and outscored opponents 30-2 in his matches. Gable Henderson of Iowa earned the 2010 85 pound title one year after winning the 6th grade 80 pound title. Henderson was dominant in his three matches, winning two by fall and in the finals by a score of 9-0. Tristan Star, a runner-up at 85 pounds last year, earned the 92 pound title this season with a 9-5 win over Gable Verschoor of Iowa. Luke Strong of Iowa earned the 125 pound title one year after winning the 6th grade 108 pound title. Strong won 6-0, 6-1 and by fall to earn another BAN title.

Eighth Grade Daniel Lewis of Missouri won another BAN title, this time winning the 98 pound title with a 15-4 win over PJ Cheney of Kansas. Lewis won the 2009 92 pound final. Lewis scored 32 points in two of his matches and won another by fall to go 3-0 on the weekend. Christian Roney of Oklahoma was an All-American at 104 pounds last year and earned a title this year by defeating Jacob Durosett of Kansas 10-7 in the 118 pound finals. Nick Wuthnow, a 2009 118 pound champion from Kansas, won the 141 pound title with a win by fall over Charlie Lipford of Kansas. Spencer Bird added another title to his list of accomplishments, winning the 2010 8th grade 148 pound title one year after winning the 7th grade 125 pound title. Bird, from Kansas, defeated Jacob Franklin of Indiana 7-5 in the finals. Mario Galvan, a 2009 champion at 188 pounds, won a 2010 title at 192 pounds. Galvan defeated Tyler Radley of Louisiana by fall in the finals Galvan won all three matches by fall and did so in a total of 3:50 in the three matches.

Here are some of the results, highlights and accomplishments from the weekend:

First Grade: The first grade division is full of firsts – literally. It includes first-time Brute adidas Nationals participants, first time All-Americans and first-time national champions. Those who claimed national championships in their first BAN include: Garret Grice of Nebraska at 43 pounds, Andres Mendoza of Texas (46), Antrell Taylor of Nebraska (49), Easton Taylor of Kansas (52), Clayton Moison of Kansas (55), Austin Mages of Kansas (61), Jared Neel of Missouri (68) and Colby Stephens of Kansas (hwt).

Second Grade: In the second grade division Gabe Grice of Nebraska earned the 55 pound championship with a hard-earned 1-0 win over Christian Goin of Illinois. Grice is now a two-time BAN champion – he won the 49 pound division as a first grader. Hunter Williams of Missouri took home his second straight Brute Adidas Nationals title. Williams, who won the 52 pound title as a first-grader, earned a title at 61 pounds with a fall over Jarron Williams of Oklahoma in 50 seconds. In the heavyweight division, Zackary Gonzales of Kansas became a two-time BAN All-American with a third place finish. Gonzales finished second in 2009 in first grade. Jackson Hartley of Kansas won the 2010 2nd grade heavyweight title with a 4-0 win over Maverick Sadler of Missouri

Third Grade: Samuel Fair of Indiana stormed through the brackets on the way to the third grade, 55 pound title. Fair did not give up a point and outscored his opponents 19-0 on the way to the title. He won the title by the score of 11-0. Easton Graff of Iowa won the 2009 BAN 2nd grade title at 52 pounds, and added another title to his name with a 2010 title at 60 pounds. Graff went 3-0 in the tournament and earned the title with a close 1-0 win over Darryl Rylant of Kansas in the finals. Thaddeus Hanmel of Indiana, a 2009 runner-up at 61 pounds, earned a 2010 title with a fall at 1:30 over Tanner Johnson of Kansas. Bret Bobber of Kansas won the 75 pound title one year after placing third in the 68 pound second grade division.

Fourth Grade: Earning All-American honors in 2009 was a nice accomplishment for Jaxson Roney of Oklahoma, Conner Ward of Kansas, Ryan Adams of Kansas and Hunter Christensen of Kansas, but earning national titles in 2010 is even better for this quartet of experienced BAN participants. Roney finished 3rd at 55 pounds in the third grade division last year, but earned the 60 pound title this year with a fall over Chappell Logan of Oklahoma in the finals. Ward, meanwhile, finished 5th at 60 pounds before earning the title with a pin in 50 seconds over Logan Brown of Kansas. Adams finished 8th at 70 pounds last year but the jump up 15 pounds served him well as he won the 85 pound title with a 9-4 win over Dakota Schmidt of Missouri. Christensen finished fourth at 92 pounds last season but earned the 108-pound title this year. Jalin Harper of Kansas earned another BAN title, this time winning the 80-pound championship after winning the 75 pound title in 2009.

Fifth Grade: In fifth grade action Mason Turner of Kansas, a 2009 runner-up at fourth grade, 55 pounds, emerged as a 2010 champion at 60.1 pounds. Turner defeated Levi Green of Kansas 5-0. Caleb Bartel of Kansas, a 2009 All-American at 60 pounds (3rd place) earned a 65 pound title with a 3-0 win over Paul Stuart of Kansas. Among those who earned a 2010 title were the brother combinations of Matt and Mike Berg of Colorado. Matt Berg won the 85 pound title with a fall over Watters Collton of Arkansas, while Mike Berg won the 92 pound title with a fall over Daniel Butler of Kansas.

Sixth Grade: Dillon Prutch of Oklahoma earned the 2010 65 pound title one year after finishing in 7th place at 70 pounds in the fifth grade division. Madison Roney of Oklahoma, a 2009 65 pound champion, won the 2010 70.1 pound championship, defeating Case Pemberton of Kansas in the finals. Earlier in the tournament, Pemberton talked about how much he enjoyed competing at the BAN. “This is a fun tournament, you get to see great competition and wrestle matches against kids from all over,” said Pemberton. “That’s what I like about it, it’s neat to be here.” Alan Clothier of Kansas won the 2009 92 pound fifth grade title and added another championship by winning the 2010 108 pound championship. Hunter Howerton of Kansas, a 100-pound All-American last year, won the 119-pound championship with a 3-2 win over John Hiltner of Missouri. Jacob Steiner won a 127-pound title last season and repeated this year, this time winning the 165-pound division.

Quotes from the Event:

“I like this tournament better than kid’s state. Here you can stand by the mat and watch your brother or friends, at state they make you sit in the stands.” – One young wrestler competing at the 2010 Brute adidas Nationals

“I love this event each year because we get to experience so many other things aside from the wrestling on the mats.” – 9^th Grade wrestler competing at the 2010 Brute adidas Nationals