Old Dominion Wrestling Signs Four in Early Recruiting Class

Monarchs Bolster Roster For Next Season

NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion wrestling coach Steve Martin announced the signing of four recruits to national letters of intent on Tuesday. Jerome Robinson, Matt Tourdot, Tristan Warner and Matt White will make up the class that will attend ODU starting in the fall of 2010.

"The coaching staff feels very fortunate to fill heavy needs in our lineup in four weight classes," said Martin. "We were looking for kids that fit our university, our program and our goals. All four of these kids were perfect fits. We feel that this recruiting class has tremendous potential to not only win national titles and be All-American's, but to also be Academic All-Americans."

Robinson will come to Old Dominion ranked as the No. 2 overall recruit at 112-pounds by both WIN Magazine and Wrestling USA. He is the No. 32 overall recruit regardless of weight class.

Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio and wrestling out of St. Ignatius High School, Robinson is a three-time state qualifier and two-time state place winner. He won the state title during the 2008-09 season. Additionally, Robinson was a two-time Ironman Placer and the Super 32 champion in 2009. Robinson is expected to wrestle at 125-pounds as a Monarch.

MARTIN ON ROBINSON: Jerome comes from a High School with extremely high academic standards and that should allow him to transition very easily to becoming a collegiate student-athlete. He choose to attend ODU over numerous Big 10 and Big 12 schools. He's the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the nation at his weight class because he's so athletic and explosive.

Tourdot finished his high school career at Sparta with 109 wins and 54 pins. The Wisconsin native placed third in the state during the 2008-09 season. He also gained All-American status at the USA junior folkstyle nationals (4th), USA junior freestyle nationals (6th) and USA preseason nationals (3rd). Tourdot ranks fourth nationally on themat.com future Olympian rankings. He also played football and tennis in high school, garnering all-conference honors in football.

MARTIN ON TOURDOT: Matt is an excellent student-athlete. He had a great spring, summer and fall by becoming an All-American at all his events. He wrestled at 215-pounds, but he'll be a 197-pounder for us. He is a diamond in the rough and he'll make huge gains at the 197-pound weight class because he wrestles very hard. Athletes that wrestle hard at any weight class have a high probability of getting onto the podium.

Warner is ranked No. 12 by WIN Magazine and is projected to wrestle at 165-pounds, but could compete at a higher weight class if needed. He is a two-time PIAA state qualifier and recently won the Super 32 Challenge at 171-pounds. In 2007-08, Warner finished third at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals, wrestling at 152-pounds. In 2008-09, he finished sixth at the Super 32 Challenge and claimed seventh at the Beast of the East. He was ranked third in Wrestling USA for juniors.

MARTIN ON WARNER: Tristan is an outstanding student and wrestler. He is serious about succeeding both on and off the mat. He is from the same high school as national finalist Ryan Williams (Cumberland Valley). One of the reasons we recruited Tristan is because he mirrors Williams academically, athletically and socially. Warner was heavily favored to place high in the PIAA state tournament last year, but he contracted pneumonia before the event. We believed in him so those results didn't make a difference to us. We know we have a solid wrestler as he just recently won the Super 32, which is a preeminent tournament in the U.S. for high school wrestlers in folkstyle. He is a typical Cumberland Valley wrestler and has tremendous skills.

White, out of Woodward High School in Oklahoma is a two-time state placer in both 2008 and 2009. He garnered All-American status by finish seventh at the USA Junior freestyles. White, who is ranked No. 17 by Wrestling USA and No. 18 by WIN Magazine, is projected to wrestle at 157 or 165-pounds at ODU.

MARTIN ON WHITE: Matt comes from good blood lines as he is John Smith's (Head Coach at Oklahoma State, five-time World Champion and two-time Olympic Champion) nephew. We feel very fortunate to be able to snag Matt away from the Big 10 and Big 12 schools. Matt is very explosive on his feet and came out of nowhere this past summer to place at the prestigious junior freestyle nationals in Fargo, ND in a loaded weight class.

"We expect all four of these student-athletes to compete for national titles and to gain All-American status," said Martin. "Although this is not a huge recruiting class, it's a talented one that fulfills needs at the lower, middle and upper weights."Old Dominion Wrestling Signs Four in Early Recruiting Class
Monarchs Bolster Roster For Next Season

NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion wrestling coach Steve Martin announced the signing of four recruits to national letters of intent on Tuesday. Jerome Robinson, Matt Tourdot, Tristan Warner and Matt White will make up the class that will attend ODU starting in the fall of 2010.

"The coaching staff feels very fortunate to fill heavy needs in our lineup in four weight classes," said Martin. "We were looking for kids that fit our university, our program and our goals. All four of these kids were perfect fits. We feel that this recruiting class has tremendous potential to not only win national titles and be All-American's, but to also be Academic All-Americans."

Robinson will come to Old Dominion ranked as the No. 2 overall recruit at 112-pounds by both WIN Magazine and Wrestling USA. He is the No. 32 overall recruit regardless of weight class.

Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio and wrestling out of St. Ignatius High School, Robinson is a three-time state qualifier and two-time state place winner. He won the state title during the 2008-09 season. Additionally, Robinson was a two-time Ironman Placer and the Super 32 champion in 2009. Robinson is expected to wrestle at 125-pounds as a Monarch.

MARTIN ON ROBINSON: Jerome comes from a High School with extremely high academic standards and that should allow him to transition very easily to becoming a collegiate student-athlete. He choose to attend ODU over numerous Big 10 and Big 12 schools. He's the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the nation at his weight class because he's so athletic and explosive.

Tourdot finished his high school career at Sparta with 109 wins and 54 pins. The Wisconsin native placed third in the state during the 2008-09 season. He also gained All-American status at the USA junior folkstyle nationals (4th), USA junior freestyle nationals (6th) and USA preseason nationals (3rd). Tourdot ranks fourth nationally on themat.com future Olympian rankings. He also played football and tennis in high school, garnering all-conference honors in football.

MARTIN ON TOURDOT: Matt is an excellent student-athlete. He had a great spring, summer and fall by becoming an All-American at all his events. He wrestled at 215-pounds, but he'll be a 197-pounder for us. He is a diamond in the rough and he'll make huge gains at the 197-pound weight class because he wrestles very hard. Athletes that wrestle hard at any weight class have a high probability of getting onto the podium.

Warner is ranked No. 12 by WIN Magazine and is projected to wrestle at 165-pounds, but could compete at a higher weight class if needed. He is a two-time PIAA state qualifier and recently won the Super 32 Challenge at 171-pounds. In 2007-08, Warner finished third at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals, wrestling at 152-pounds. In 2008-09, he finished sixth at the Super 32 Challenge and claimed seventh at the Beast of the East. He was ranked third in Wrestling USA for juniors.

MARTIN ON WARNER: Tristan is an outstanding student and wrestler. He is serious about succeeding both on and off the mat. He is from the same high school as national finalist Ryan Williams (Cumberland Valley). One of the reasons we recruited Tristan is because he mirrors Williams academically, athletically and socially. Warner was heavily favored to place high in the PIAA state tournament last year, but he contracted pneumonia before the event. We believed in him so those results didn't make a difference to us. We know we have a solid wrestler as he just recently won the Super 32, which is a preeminent tournament in the U.S. for high school wrestlers in folkstyle. He is a typical Cumberland Valley wrestler and has tremendous skills.

White, out of Woodward High School in Oklahoma is a two-time state placer in both 2008 and 2009. He garnered All-American status by finish seventh at the USA Junior freestyles. White, who is ranked No. 17 by Wrestling USA and No. 18 by WIN Magazine, is projected to wrestle at 157 or 165-pounds at ODU.

MARTIN ON WHITE: Matt comes from good blood lines as he is John Smith's (Head Coach at Oklahoma State, five-time World Champion and two-time Olympic Champion) nephew. We feel very fortunate to be able to snag Matt away from the Big 10 and Big 12 schools. Matt is very explosive on his feet and came out of nowhere this past summer to place at the prestigious junior freestyle nationals in Fargo, ND in a loaded weight class.

"We expect all four of these student-athletes to compete for national titles and to gain All-American status," said Martin. "Although this is not a huge recruiting class, it's a talented one that fulfills needs at the lower, middle and upper weights."
No. 12 Wisconsin Tops No. 22 Old Dominion, 21-19

Badgers Pull Ahead of Monarchs in Last Bout
MADISON, Wis. - The No. 22 Old Dominion wrestling team fell in a closely contested match, 21-19, to the 12th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers in both teams first official dual of the 2009-10 season at the UW Field House Friday evening.
The Monarchs led going into the final match of the night, but junior heavyweight Eric Bugenhagen topped ODU's Grant Chapman, 3-2, to seal the Badgers victory.
"We wrestled very hard against Wisconsin and gained a lot of respect against the No. 12 team in the country," said ODU head coach Steve Martin. "The match came down to 285-pounds and we came up on the short end of the stick on a very questionable call. The bottom line is, if you don't have close bouts, then you can control your own fate."
In the first match, No. 5 James Nicholson dominated senior Drew Hammen to give ODU the early advantage. Nicholson, who won his weight class at the Hokie Open last week, scored the first takedown at the 1:57 mark in the first period and continued to add to his lead from there. He won the bout 12-5.
At 133-pounds it was a battle of redshirt freshman as UW's Tyler Graff, ranked No. 10, battled ODU's Joshua Gillis. In an extremely high scoring match, Graff recorded 14 takedowns to win the matchup in a tech fall (28-13). Since Graff only scored takedowns, the Badgers garnered four team points to go up 4-3.
Redshirt freshman Craig Wilson would put ODU back on top with a major decision win (16-5) over Cole Schmitt at 141-pounds.
Wisconsin bounced back with three straight victories to go up 18-7. The Badgers won a decision at 149-pounds, recorded a pin at 157 and earned a tech fall at 165.
Senior NCAA qualifier Eric Decker stopped UW's momentum and got ODU going in the right direction with his 2-0 decision at 174-pounds. Decker scored on an escape in the second period and received points for riding time.
At 184-pounds, Joe Budi netted ODU's only pin of the match, taking down Jimmy Duffy. After a scoreless first period, the sophomore chose down, escaped and pinned Duffy at the 4:11 mark.
With the Monarchs trailing 18-16 overall, No. 10 Jesse Strawn and freshman Jackson Hein battled at 197-pounds. ODU's Strawn controlled the entire match and picked up the 6-0 decision to give Old Dominion a 19-18 lead going into the final bout. 
After a scoreless first period in the heavyweight matchup, Bugenhagen picked up a point after escaping from starting down. Chapman evened it up with an escape in the third, but Bugenhagen recorded a takedown with just 24 seconds left and held on for the 3-2 win.
Old Dominion will next be in action on Saturday, Nov. 21, competing at two different events. The Monarchs will take part in both the Kaufman/Brand Open in Omaha, Neb. and in the NC State Open in Raleigh, N.C.
Old Dominion Wrestlers Win Six Weight Classes at Hokie Open

Nearly 400 Wrestlers Compete in Second Annual Event
SALEM, Va. - The Old Dominion wrestling team kicked off the 2009-10 season with a bang, winning six weight classes at the second annual Hokie Open, held Sunday at the Salem Civic Center. The event had nearly 400 wrestlers competing on 10 mats throughout the day, including most of the Monarchs' roster.
Senior Jesse Strawn and junior James Nicholson each defended their Hokie Open titles, winning their respective weight classes.
Nicholson posted a 5-0 record at 125-pounds to improve to 9-0 all-time at the event. After an opening round pin, the redshirt junior used a 10-3 decision to advance into the quarterfinals. Nicholson then won three straight bouts by major decision, including an 11-3 win over Matt Oliver of Newberry in the finals.
Strawn went 4-0 at 197-pounds for the second consecutive year. He posted first period pins in each of his first two matches to move into the semifinals. The senior would then face back-to-back opponents from the University of North Carolina. In his toughest match, Strawn upended Dennis Drury, whose ranked No. 16 in the nation, 8-7 before getting a third period pin against Zac Bennett to claim the title.
Joe Budi improved on his third place finish from 2008 by winning at 184-pounds this year. The sophomore went 4-0, including a big win over Virginia Tech's Tommy Spellman by a 3-2 decision in the semifinals. Spellman is ranked No. 17 in the country.
Eric Decker went 4-1 at 174-pounds, garnering a second-place finish. The senior fell 3-1 to Jake Young of Tennessee-Chattanooga in the finals. It was Decker's second consecutive second-place finish at the Hokie Open.
Redshirt freshman Craig Wilson also performed well, advancing to the quarterfinals in the 141-pound weight class.
Kyle Hutter, John Nicholson and Chris Brown also won their weight classes wrestling unattached.
Old Dominion Places Five Wrestlers on the CAA's 25th Anniversary Team

Hall, Nicholson, Rusak, Staylor and Williams Named to Team

RICHMOND, Va. - Five current and former Old Dominion University standouts were represented on the Colonial Athletic Association's Silver Anniversary Wrestling Team, the league announced Wednesday. The team includes 22 All-America honorees and 10 former CAA Wrestlers of the Year.

Nick Hall, James Nicholson, Jeff Rusak, Jody Staylor and Ryan Williams were all chosen to be a part of the prestigious team.

As part of its 25th Anniversary celebration in 2009-10, the CAA is recognizing Silver Anniversary teams in 21 championship sports. The teams are selected by a panel of current and former coaches in the conference.

Hall, who was inducted into the ODU Athletics Hall of Fame this year, was a three-time NCAA qualifier and an All-American in 1995. He was chosen as the CAA Wrestler of the Year and was the league's heavyweight champion in 1995 and 1996. The three-time Virginia State champion posted a career record of 116-18-3.

Nicholson, the only current Monarch making the team, is a two-time NCAA qualifier who received All-America honors in 2008 at 125-pounds. He was the CAA champion in 2008 and 2009 and was the 2008 CAA Rookie of the Year. Nicholson also received NWCA Academic All-America accolades in 2008.

Rusak was a two-time NCAA qualifier and two-time CAA champion at 174-pounds. He was named the CAA Wrestler of the Year in 2002 and Rookie of the Year in 1999. He ended his Monarch career with a record of 135-19 with an ODU-record 51 pins.

Staylor was also a two-time NCAA qualifier and he was the national runner-up at 126-pounds in 1994. In 1994, Staylor was named the CAA Wrestlers of the Year and Virginia State Champion. He was the CAA champion at 126-pounds in 1994 and 1995.

Williams, who completed perhaps the greatest season in ODU wrestling history last year, was a three-time NCAA qualifier. He was the national runner-up at 141 pounds in 2009 and was named the CAA Wrestler of the year and the end of the season. Williams was also named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2008 championships. A two-time CAA champion at 141-pounds, Williams holds the ODU career wins record with 137 victories.

Members of the CAA Silver Anniversary team for wrestling are:

Mike Coyle (James Madison), John Curtis (George Mason), Jason DeBruin (Hofstra), Josh Feldman (Virginia Tech), Matt Finacchio (George Mason), Don Fisch (Rider), Sean Gray (Virginia Tech), Charles Griffin (Hofstra), Nick Hall (Old Dominion), Ryan Hluschak (Drexel), Chris Martin (Virginia Tech), Jon Masa (Hofstra), James Nicholson (Old Dominion), Michael Patrovich (Hofstra), Josh Patterson (Binghamton), Rob Rebmann (Drexel), Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra), Jeff Rusak (Old Dominion), Chris Skretkowicz (Hofstra), Jody Staylor (Old Dominion), James Strouse (Hofstra), Doug Umbehauer (Rider), Chris Weidman (Hofstra), Ryan Williams (Old Dominion) and Payam Zarrinpour (Sacred Heart).
Nicholson's Shine at Annual Old Dominion Blue/Silver Intersquad

James and John Nicholson Each Record Major Decisions

NORFOLK, Va. - Brothers James and John Nicholson led the way with a pair of major decisions at the annual Blue/Silver Intersquad Sunday evening, kicking off the 2009-10 wrestling season.

Junior James Nicholson (Des Moines, Iowa), a two-time CAA Champion at 125-pounds, defeated freshman Eric Dunnet (Pine Hill, N.J.), 18-6. Dunnet had beaten redshirt freshman Joshua Gillis earlier in the evening, 3-0.

Freshman John Nicholson (Des Moines, Iowa) put together an impressive performance, topping redshirt freshman Louis Johnson, 22-8, at 149-pounds.

"Overall the team looked pretty good considering it's so early in the year," said Monarch head coach Steve Martin. "The kids wrestled hard and never backed down. The freshmen really pushed our seniors and that competition within our own team will only help us in the long run."

Another impressive performance came from sophomore Joseph Budi (Appleton, Wis.) at 184-pounds. Budi, who picked up a pair of victories at the CAA Tournament last year, topped freshman Billy Curling 7-2 and ended the bout with a 4:22 advantage in riding time.

Senior Kyle Hutter (Mokena, Ill.) also looked good at 133-pounts, topping one of ODU's top recruits, Justin LaValle. Hutter, a two-time NCAA qualifier, won the bout 8-2. Junior Dan Rivera (Winter Springs, Fla.) was the only other upperclassmen to pick up a win, upending redshirt junior Derek Gallagher, 4-2.

Redshirt freshmen Craig Wilson and Michael Chapman both won their matches, while true freshmen Victor Njomo, Chad Lowman and Joey Sheridan all won bouts.

The wrestling Monarchs will next compete at the Hokie Open on Sunday, Nov. 8.


Final Results:

Match 1 (125)
Dunnet dec Gillis, 3-0

Match 2 (HWT)
Njomo dec Burbank, 2-1

Match 3 (133)
Hutter dec LaValle, 8-2

Match 4 (141)
Wilson dec Brumley, 7-2

Match 5 (149)
Jo. Nicholson maj dec Johnson, 22-8

Match 6 (149)
Lowman dec Watkins, 4-0

Match 7 (157)
Sheridan dec Brunke, 9-2

Match 8 (157)
Rivera dec Gallagher, 4-2

Match 9 (184)
Budi dec Curling, 7-2

Match 10 (125)
Ja. Nicholson maj dec Dunnet, 18-6

Match 11 (HWT)
Chapman dec Njomo, 4-0
Old Dominion Wrestling Unveils 2009-10 Schedule

Slate Includes Possible Matchups with 22 Top-25 Squads

NORFOLK, Va. - The Old Dominion wrestling program released its 2009-10 schedule, head coach Steve Martin announced Wednesday. Each year ODU boasts one of the toughest slates in wrestling and the upcoming season will be no different.

"Our schedule this year is extremely challenging," said Martin. "We want to really test ourselves this season as we continue to build towards our goal of being a Top-10 program year in and year out."

Of the top 25 teams ranked in the Division I Wrestling Report, No. 19 Old Dominion will compete against 22 in either head-to-head matchups or in multiple-team meets. The Monarchs will once again compete against many of the top teams in the best wrestling conferences in the nation.

"We're especially looking forward to wrestling the Big 10 and Big 12 teams because we use them as a measuring stick for our program," said Martin. "These matchups will season our squad for the NCAA Tournament at the Qwest Center in Omaha at the end of March."

Old Dominion will begin its season with an intersquad meet on Sunday, Nov. 1 at the Athletic Admin. Building. Preceding the Blue-Silver meet is a clinic, ran by Monarch assistant coach and Junior World Team Member Luke Smith.

ODU's regular season kicks off Sunday, Nov. 8 at the Hokie Open in Salem, Va. The Monarchs fared well last season at the Hokie Open with five placewinners and two weight-class champions.

The Monarchs first dual meet will come against preseason No. 13 Wisconsin in Madison. The matchup with the Badgers will get underway at 7 p.m. on Nov. 13.

Old Dominion will then compete in five consecutive meets outside of Virginia. The Monarchs will look to make a splash at the Kaufman/Brand Open (Nov. 21), NC State Open (Nov. 21), Las Vegas Invite (Dec. 4-5), Nittany Lion Open (Dec. 6) and Southern Scuffle (Dec. 29-30). Numerous Top-25 teams will be represented at each event.

Old Dominion's home-opener will come on January 3 at the ODU Quad. The Monarchs will welcome UNC Greensboro, Big 10 foe Purdue and CAA rival Rider.

The Virginia Duals are next on the slate, taking place in Hampton January 8-9. ODU placed fifth in an extremely competitive field last season.

On January 16 th , the Monarchs will travel to Fairfax to compete in the CAA Duals before returning home for back-to-back battles with Bucknell (Jan. 24) and Central Michigan (Jan. 31.) Central Michigan is ranked No. 12 in the preseason polls.

A pair of huge in-state rivalries will follow in two of ODU's next three matches. The Monarchs will travel to nationally ranked Virginia (Feb. 6) and Virginia Tech (Feb. 18) with a matchup against NC State at home (Feb. 7) sandwiched in-between.

Old Dominion will close out the regular season on Sunday, Feb. 21, hosting American at 7 p.m.

The CAA Tournament will be held at Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J. this year. Teams will compete March 5-6.

The NCAA Tournament runs March 18-20 in Omaha, Neb. Last season, ODU qualified a school-record tying six wrestlers for NCAA's.


OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY 2009-10 WRESTLING SCHEDULE
Nov. 1 Blue-Silver Intersquad Norfolk, Va. 5 p.m.
Nov. 8 Hokie Open Salem, Va. All Day
Nov. 13 at Wisconsin Madison, Wis. 7 p.m.
Nov. 21 Kaufman/Brand Open Omaha, Neb. All Day
Nov. 21 NC State Open Raleigh, N.C. All Day
Dec. 4-5 Las Vegas Invite Primm, Nev. All Day
Dec. 6 Nittany Lion Open State College, Pa. All Day
Dec. 29-30 Southern Scuffle Greensboro, N.C. All Day
Jan. 3 ODU Quad Norfolk, Va. 11, 1, 3
Jan. 8-9 Virginia Duals Hampton, Va. All Day
Jan. 16 CAA Duals Fairfax, Va. All Day
Jan. 24 Bucknell TBD TBD
Jan. 31 Central Michigan Norfolk, Va. 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 6 at Virginia Charlottesville, Va. 1 p.m.
Feb. 7 N.C. State Norfolk, Va. 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 18 at Virginia Tech Salem, Va. 8:00 p.m.
Feb. 21 American Norfolk, Va. 7:00 p.m.
March 5-6 CAA Tournament Lawrenceville, N.J. All Day
March 18-20 NCAA Tournament Omaha, Neb. All Day
Matt Small Biography for Granby Brochure

Head Coach-Cox High School
 
 
Matt Small competed at Great Bridge High School where he was a state Place winner for wrestling Coach Steve Martin. He continued his career at Old Dominion University for Granby legend Grey Simmons who was a 3X NCAA Champion and Olympian. Matt was a 2002 CAA Runner-up, a Co-captain of the wrestling team and graduated Cum Laud from ODU with a 3.45 GPA. Matt was an Assistant Coach at Great Bridge High School until 2007. While at Great Bridge, he assisted in the development of 8 State Championship Teams and 21 Individual State Champions. Matt was voted the Virginia High School Assistant Coach of the Year for the
2006-07 season.  He started the wrestling program at Grassfield High School from scratch in 2007-2008.  In  2008-2009 just the school's second year, Coach Small's team won the Southeastern Regular and Tournament Titles, Placed 2nd in the Eastern Region, and 4th in the AAA Virginia State tournament while producing 2 state champions, 5 state place winners, and 2 High School All-Americans using the Granby School Techniques.  Matt is a student of the sport and is a great teacher and coach of The Granby Series.  He is in his 17th year of attendance at the Granby School of Wrestling
 
 
 
Steve Martin
Head Wrestling Coach
Old Dominion University
Email:  smartin@odu.edu
Cell:  757-373-6177
"Building Champions on and off the mat"
OLD DOMINION INCOMING FRESHMAN LAVALLE CAPTURES 2009 JUNIOR NATIONAL GRECO-ROMAN TITLE AT 130 POUNDS

FARGO, N.D. - Incoming Old Dominion wrestling freshman Justin LaValle (Apple Valley, Minn.) won the 2009 Junior National Greco-Roman Championship on Tuesday in Fargo, N.D. The national title was the first for an incoming Monarch freshman under head coach Steve Martin.
LaValle, who currently ranks as high as fifth nationally (Amateur Wrestling News) in his weight class, posted a shutout victory over Tucker Ray of Utah, 1-0, 7-0, to capture the 130 pound title.
"Justin LaValle winning the Junior National Greco Championships is another first for the Old Dominion wrestling program," said Martin. "This is the first time that we have had an incoming student athlete win this event. The athletes that win championships at the Junior Nationals end up being contenders for NCAA titles and Olympic teams. We are very proud of his accomplishment!"

Last year, LaValle finished runner-up in the Junior National Greco-Roman competition, losing in the finals to Luke Goettl of Arizona.
The Minnesota native will come to ODU ranked seventh by InterMat and Wrestling USA, and eighth by W.I.N. Magazine. The projected 133-pounder was a USA Wrestling Junior National All-American in 2008, and finished in 5th place at the event this season. He is a two-time Minnesota state champion and is the second Monarch recruit ranked in the InterMat Top 100, checking in at 80th overall.
LaValle and the 2009 Old Dominion recruiting class is ranked sixth nationally by W.I.N Magazine.
-ODU-
__________________________________________________________
Dustin Semonavick
Assistant Sports Information Director
Old Dominion University
Athletic Admin. Bldg.
Norfolk, VA  23529-0201
Three Recruits also named Wrestling USA Scholastic All-Americans
June 5, 2009

MANHEIM, Pa. -- Three ODU wrestling Monarchs were announced as members of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division I All-Academic Team for the 2008-09 season. Senior NCAA Finalist Ryan Williams (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) earned the honor for the third straight year, while James Nicholson (Des Moines, Iowa) and Kyle Hutter (Mokena, Ill.) were named for the second straight.

"We are please once again to place three Student Athletes on the National All-Academic team," said head coach Steve Martin. "These individuals are to be commended for carrying over the values that they have learned in athletics to the classroom. Ryan Williams again has set the standard for Old Dominion Wrestling and has become the first ever three-time selection in program history."

All three were NCAA Qualifiers for the Monarchs this season, leading ODU to the highest national ranking in school history, at 16th in the nation. ODU also finished higher at the national event than ever before, finishing among the top 20 teams for the first time. ODU went 17-6 including a perfect 5-0 CAA record to capture the regular season title for the first time in school history.
“The fact that we are one of only five programs in the country that placed three or more student-athletes on the team speaks volumes for the direction of the program,” said Martin.

Williams led the way for the Monarchs, reaching the NCAA Tournament Finals and becoming the second All-American in as many years for head coach Steve Martin. He became the all-time leader in wins for ODU with 137 and just the second Division I finalist in school history. He was named the ODU Male Athlete of the Year, as well as the CAA Wrestler of the Year, Virginia Sports Information Directors Wrestler of the Year and the Norfolk Sports Club Top Senior Athlete award winner. He becomes the program's first ever three-time National All-Academic team member and posted a 3.33 cumulative GPA, majoring in Marketing.

Junior Kyle Hutter earned his second selection to the All-Academic team after reaching the NCAA Tournament for a consecutive season. He became the first Monarch to earn an at-large bid by the NCAA Selection Committee under the new format. The junior 133-pounder went 22-12 in the regular season and finished second at the CAA Tournament. Hutter carried a 3.35 GPA in Accounting this year.

Joining the two upperclassmen on the All-Academic team is repeat selection <http://www.fansonly.com/schools/oldd/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/nicholson_james00.html>James Nicholson. Nicholson posted a 3.62 GPA in Finance while maintaining a Top 10 ranking all season long. He managed a 36-4 record and has 71 career victories already, through just two seasons. He won his second straight CAA Championship and earned a return trip to the NCAA Tournament in his sophomore season, going 1-2 at the big dance.

ODU also boasts three Scholastic All-Americans, according the Wrestling USA, in the 2009-10 recruiting class. John Nicholson, Justin LaValle and Joey Sheridan were listed by the national magazine as 2008-09 honorees. Nicholson ranks in the top five in the nation and is a two-time Iowa state champion. LaValle ranks seventh in the nation and was a USA Wrestling Junior National All-American in 2008. Sheridan also ranks in the top ten for his weight class, and is a three-time Oklahoma state champion.

Rob Silsbee
Asst. Sports Information Director
757.683.3374
rsilsbee@odu.edu