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OSU Wrestling (2008 and 2009 NCAA Runners-up)

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OZone
WrestlingQ & A with Tommy Rowlands
By Kevin Schlosser
K. S.: What wrestlers did you follow or who did you look up to growing up?
T. R.: ?I have looked up to a lot of people over the years; so many I can?t count. By the time I was in sixth or seventh grade I was a complete wrestling nut. From people like Ross Thatcher who wrestled at my high school to guys like Kurt Angle, Tom Brands, and Bruce Baumgartner who won the Olympics in 1996; I have had a lot of idols and a lot of people that I look up to.?
K. S.: When did wrestling in the Olympics become one of your dreams?
T. R.: ?It became a dream for me when I was fifteen-years old watching the 1996 Olympics. It was something I thought was awesome. Even at that young age I appreciated it; I was enamored by the platform or the stage that the Olympics are on. I always thought that it was cooler than the Super Bowl, the World Series, or any big event like that because it was so pure.?
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Dispatch


Buckeyes build impressive stable of talent quickly
Sunday, June 22, 2008 3:18 AM
By Jeremy McLaughlin
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Ohio State wrestling coach Tom Ryan hasn't had much time to celebrate the Buckeyes' runner-up finish at the NCAA championship in March. He said he can't if OSU is to dethrone Iowa, the national champion, in the future.
To accomplish that, he and his staff have been seeking multiple recruits who can fill needs for next year and beyond. The results have been plentiful.

Ohio State has added two transfers who could solidify the Buckeyes' lineup next season. It has received commitments from two Ohio high-school wrestlers ranked No. 1 in the nation. And it has attracted the collegiate all-star classic to be held in November.

"We're having too much fun to take a break," Ryan said.

The good vibes started when Dave Rella and Cody Gardner transferred. Gardner was the nation's top-ranked high-school wrestler at 215 pounds in 2007. He went 6-1 at heavyweight for Virginia Tech last season but left the team in December because of personal reasons. He could start at 197 or heavyweight this season if he is granted a release from Virginia Tech.
"He's someone who throughout his career has excelled at the highest level," Ryan said. "He has tremendous upside."

Rella, an Ohio native, started the past two years at Penn State at 165 and qualified for the NCAA meet this past season. He told Penn State coaches in April that he planned to transfer, but before leaving he was charged with driving while intoxicated, according to the Centre Daily Times. He waived a preliminary hearing in May, the newspaper said.

Ryan said he did not condone Rella's action but noted that his "previous track record is impeccable" and believes Rella has learned from his mistake. Rella could fill an opening at 174 pounds because he was granted a release by Penn State.

Rella and Gardner accompany an incoming freshman class ranked between 12th and 16th nationally. With eight returning starters, including two national champions, Ryan should have his deepest team in three years.
"We've got 40 guys on the roster," he said. "There will be no weight classes given away. It's getting more and more competitive in the wrestling room."

It'll stay that way. Collin Palmer, a three-time state champion from Lakewood St. Edward and the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 135, committed for 2009. He is the younger brother of current OSU All-American Lance Palmer.

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OZone

Wrestling
Cleveland Indians Honor Jaggers & Pucillo
Wrestlers throw first pitches to open the Battle of Ohio
By Kevin Schlosser
(Cleveland, Ohio) Ohio State national champions J. Jaggers and Mike Pucillo grew up Cleveland Indians baseball fans. On Friday night they were invited by the Tribe to throw out the opening pitches at Progressive Field as Cleveland opened a series with the Cincinnati Reds. The hometown boys did northeast Ohio proud on the mat for the Buckeyes and the Indians returned the favor on the field with a win in front of 34,844 fans.


[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Mike Pucillo (left) and J Jaggers prepare to throw out the first pitch.
[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Photo by Kevin Schlosser
[/FONT]
pucillo-jaggers.jpg


?I grew up a fan of Cleveland everything; the Cleveland Browns, the Indians, and the Cavs; Cleveland everything,? admitted Jaggers. ?I am definitely a big Cleveland Indians fan.
It was much the same story with Puccillo.
?I am a real big Cleveland sports fan period, but I have always been a big Indians fan,? stressed Pucillo. ?I can remember going to game back in 1995 and 1997 when I was a little kid.?
It is not everyday that a wrestler gets to throw out a first pitch a fact not lost on Jaggers.
?It was an incredible experience; a lot of times wrestling doesn?t really get the limelight that many other sports do so it?s great to see wrestling get recognized,? said Jaggers. ?(OSU Head Wrestling Coach) Tom Ryan and the work of Chris Vondruska had a lot to do with making today happen. They are making sure that we get the notoriety for what we do because it is such a great accomplishment that we are very proud of achieving.?

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That pic of Mike and "J" is one of the coolest I've seen in a long time. I'm a fan of wrestling, and have an idea of, but no real knowledge of what these kids sacrifice on a daily basis every day of the year to reach the status that they have. To see them, for at least this moment being allowed to be the "kids" that they are is great. The shirts on their backs deserve "respect" above and beyond. They've earned it!!
 
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Gardner ready for fresh start at OSU

Cody Gardner, the greatest wrestler in Timesland history, is starting over.

The former Christiansburg High School and Virginia Tech wrestler has begun taking summer classes at Ohio State, which has given him close to a full scholarship.

Gardner will either wrestle at heavyweight or in the 197-pound class for the Buckeyes, who finished second at the NCAA championships this year.

"He could be really, really special." OSU coach Tom Ryan said Wednesday.

Gardner went 6-1 as a Tech freshman heavyweight before quitting the team in early December. His father, Keith Gardner, said at the time that his son's heart was no longer in wrestling.

Cody Gardner said that he has regained that passion.

"We all go through seasons of life, and Cody went through one that was really challenging for him," Ryan said. "Cody Gardner is a rejuvenated, excited person."

Gardner was not in school last semester. He spent part of that time working at a factory in New Jersey, where his mother lives, and at a Christiansburg pizzeria.

Gardner talked with Tech coach Kevin Dresser about possibly rejoining the Hokies, but he decided leaving the area would be better. He visited Ohio State, Oklahoma State and Minnesota.

"Virginia Tech was too close to home," Gardner said. "Being [away] at college instead of being at home will help me succeed."

"He had some misfortunes in this area," Dresser said. "There might have been some skeletons in the closet he needed to get rid of -- get away and get a fresh start."

Gardner might regain his freshman year of eligibility. Ohio State has made a hardship appeal to the Big Ten based on "personal issues," said Ryan.

"We all know people in our life that fell flat on their face and have rebounded," Ryan said. "The things Cody struggled with at Virginia Tech are behind him."

Gardner is due in a Christiansburg court in August. He was charged in April with being a driver under the age of 21 who has consumed alcohol. His blood-alcohol level was between .02 and .07, according to court records.
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Gardner ready for fresh start at OSU - Roanoke.com
 
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Dispatch

Ohio State roundup: Wrestler takes silver at University World Championships

Friday, July 11, 2008 6:15 AM

Reece Humphrey, an Ohio State junior, won a silver medal in the 132-pound freestyle division at the University World Championships in Thessoloniki, Greece.
Humphrey, of Indianapolis, won two matches to advance to the final, including a 2-4, 1-0, 4-0 victory over former world champion Vagif Kaziev of Russia. He lost the final 1-0, 0-4, 1-0 to a wrestler from Japan.

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From the SI article mentioned & linked by ThisIsMyUserName & smitty03 in the football recruiting forum:

Where Will They Be?
You may not know their names or their faces just yet, but you will—and soon. These 15 teens are among the best in their sports in their age groups, and each one is on track to be a star at a major college, earn professional riches or go for gold at an Olympic Games. (In some cases, maybe all three)

Logan and Hunter Stieber
17 and 15 WRESTLERS
Monroeville, Ohio

Achievements Logan, a junior, went 94--1 in his first two years at Monroeville High, winning state championships at 103 and 119 pounds. He also won the 119-pound title at the nation's top high school tournament, the Walsh Ironman, and is a two-time national cadet champ. Hunter, a sophomore, went 51--0 last winter and won the 103-pound state title. He also won his weight class at the Ironman and at last summer's cadet freestyle nationals.

Reminiscent of Cael Sanderson and Joe Heskett. Logan, like Sanderson, attacks nonstop. Hunter, like Heskett, can turn unfavorable positions into advantages.

Coach's comment Eagles coach Scott Bauer on Logan: "He comes straight at you. In the first eight to 10 seconds he's got at least a takedown." On Hunter: "He likes to lull you to sleep and wait for you to make a mistake."

Next step Logan has committed to Ohio State and wants to win a Big Ten title before competing in the Olympics. Hunter has the talent to do the same.
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CPD

Inside Joe Heskett pumps the heart of a champion

by Doug Lesmerises Sunday August 24, 2008, 5:04 AM


large_joe-heskett-sit.jpg
Marvin Fong / The Plain DealerWalsh Jesuit High School graduate Joe Heskett should have been in Beijing competing in the Olympics this month, but he has come to terms with the circumstances that ended his wrestling career and kept him home in Columbus.
Former Walsh Jesuit wrestler Joe Heskett was all but a lock to represent the United States in at the Beijing Games. Then, one day last October changed his life forever and ended his career. Heskett ended up staying home, but he still struck gold.

COLUMBUS -- Joe Heskett should be gone -- on the other side of the world living his dream. Or just gone.
He sits, instead, between the tragic and the miraculous, betrayed by a heart that made him who he is.
Heskett is an Olympian -- in talent, in expectation, in spirit. But the Walsh Jesuit High School graduate, a three-time Ohio high school wrestling champion, NCAA champion, U.S. champion, coach, teammate, grandson, husband and father of two, is not at the Olympics.
He's here.
Ten months ago, Heskett returned to the wrestling room at Ohio State, five days removed from representing his country in the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. There, he wrestled an Iranian on the edge of Iran, heard the chants against him, and came within 20 seconds of reaching the gold-medal match.
He was eager to get back on the mat after his fifth-place finish for Team USA in the 163-pound weight class. That finish ensured that the U.S. had a spot in the 163-pound class in Beijing.
That's when his heart started racing.

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