NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS JOURNAL (Updated March 22): Ohio State making big impact in Ryan's second year
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
03/22/2008

ST. LOUIS – There were a handful of teams being mentioned as contenders for the 2008 NCAA team title.

Ohio State wasn’t among them.

But that didn’t faze the eighth-ranked Buckeyes, who sit in second place with three finalists entering the final day of the NCAA Championships.

While second-year Iowa coach Tom Brands has gained his share of recognition, and it’s well-deserved, second-year Ohio State coach Tom Ryan also has made an immediate impact on his program in Columbus.

Ryan has put together a great coaching staff with Lou Rosselli, Tommy Rowlands and Joe Heskett.

Ryan already has pulled in a No. 1 recruiting class. With all the talented wrestlers in his own backyard in Ohio, Ryan and the Buckeyes may be here to stay as one of the nation’s best programs.

It was good to see a very good wrestler like OSU senior heavyweight J.D. Bergman stay on the front side of the bracket this year. Bergman entered this year’s NCAAs with a 14-5 career record in this tournament, but he had lost his first match each of his three previous trips to this event.

Bergman came back to place third as a freshman and fourth as a junior. He will face Dustin Fox of Northwestern in Saturday night’s finals. Bergman is a top international prospect in freestyle and Greco-Roman.

The USA Wrestling Olympic Preview Show is scheduled for this afternoon at 5:30 at Union Station with Olympic freestyle coach Lee Kemp scheduled to be joined by 2004 Olympians Brad Vering and Daniel Cormier.