9.27.2011
9.22.2011
9.19.2011
Congrats to Alumni and former UB Wrestler Mike Graber
Pittsburgh Sports Performance Center Opens With Young Guns Invitational
Peter Roselli September 17, 2011
A Young Guns Invitational competition marked the opening of the new Pittsburgh Sports Performance Center on Sept. 3.
This center, previously the site of a for-profit sports training facility, was purchased and renovated by USAW Grassroots Board member Regis Becker, president of the Pittsburgh Barbell Club, and donated to the Pittsburgh Sports Performance & Development Corporation – a non-profit foundation created by Becker for the advancement of Olympic weightlifting and the application of Olympic lifting methods and means to other sports. The generosity of the Becker family in making this substantial investment is a noteworthy development for USA Weightlifting.
Located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Bridgeville, Pa., the Center has been configured specifically for Olympic weightlifting in a 4,000 square foot space, including one competition and six training platforms, together with supporting strength training and related fitness equipment. The space is ideal both for day-to-day training and competitions. The facility has also been designed to support athletes from other sports seeking high level strength and conditioning, with ample space for expansion as needs require. Specialized kettle bell training is offered on-site, as well as boxing and martial arts training.
The opening of the center represents a serious and significant commitment on Becker’s part to expand and energize Olympic weightlifting in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region – an area with a rich weightlifting history. Located in the western most part to Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh is situated three hours west of York which has been the center of weightlifting in the United States. Former weightlifting greats Russ Knipp, Cal Shake and Kurt Setterberg as well as USAW Hall of Fame Coach Marty Cypher have hailed from the Pittsburgh area.
The York Barbell Company, less active for the most part in recent years in terms of involvement in Olympic weightlifting, has again offered its facilities for competitions. With this development and the opening of the Pittsburgh Sports Performance Center, significant weightlifting activity can be anticipated to return Pennsylvania and revive the connection that formerly linked weightlifting in the Northeast with the Midwest.
(L-R): 2011 Junior National 85kg Champion Mike Nackoul, 2011 National 56kg Champion Mike Graber and 2011 National Championship 77 kilo Silver Medalist Mike Cerbus.
The weekend’s events at the center included an A Session invitational component on Saturday, followed by a pizza supper at the center provided by the Becker family for lifters and visitors. A novice competition was conducted on Sunday morning, followed by an open B Session.
The quality of the lifting on Saturday was high level, reflecting the caliber of the lifters in attendance, including National Champion Mike Graber, National Junior Champion and Junior World Team member Mike Nackoul, National silver medalist Mike Cerbus and national level competitors Kelly Charniga, Drew Dillon, Kevin Cornell, Mike Kreatsoulas and Tony Blanksteen. All were fit and in good lifting condition.
International level coaches in attendance with these lifters included Lou DeMarco, Mark Cannella and Bud Charniga as well as former national level lifter and Pittsburgh resident Frank Remschel. Since former Olympian and Team New Jersey coach Bob Giordano was unable to attend, having just returned from the World University competition in China, USAW High Performance Director Peter Roselli handled coaching duties for Mike Graber. Notable visitors in the audience were former elite international U.S. weightlifters Roy and Kurt Setterberg.
On Sunday, Roselli refereed the novice session comprised of high school level athletes, primarily wrestlers using weightlifting for strength and conditioning, and identified four of the most promising lifters from among the group. Roselli, Becker and Graber, a former intercollegiate wrestler, talked with the group and their forward thinking coach, Paul Recrosio. Graber was able to provide some insight and a unique perspective from a wrestler’s point of view regarding the benefits of Olympic weightlifting and the opportunities in weightlifting for wrestlers once their scholastic or intercollegiate careers end.
Complete results for the competition can be found in the events section of the USAW web site.
Contact information and directions:
Pittsburgh Sports Performance Center
331 Station St.Bridgeville, Pa 15107
Attn: Regis Becker
Phone: 412.276.7905
Email: regis.becker@verizon.net
Peter Roselli September 17, 2011
National Champion Mike Graber (MIDDLE)
A Young Guns Invitational competition marked the opening of the new Pittsburgh Sports Performance Center on Sept. 3.
This center, previously the site of a for-profit sports training facility, was purchased and renovated by USAW Grassroots Board member Regis Becker, president of the Pittsburgh Barbell Club, and donated to the Pittsburgh Sports Performance & Development Corporation – a non-profit foundation created by Becker for the advancement of Olympic weightlifting and the application of Olympic lifting methods and means to other sports. The generosity of the Becker family in making this substantial investment is a noteworthy development for USA Weightlifting.
Located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Bridgeville, Pa., the Center has been configured specifically for Olympic weightlifting in a 4,000 square foot space, including one competition and six training platforms, together with supporting strength training and related fitness equipment. The space is ideal both for day-to-day training and competitions. The facility has also been designed to support athletes from other sports seeking high level strength and conditioning, with ample space for expansion as needs require. Specialized kettle bell training is offered on-site, as well as boxing and martial arts training.
The opening of the center represents a serious and significant commitment on Becker’s part to expand and energize Olympic weightlifting in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region – an area with a rich weightlifting history. Located in the western most part to Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh is situated three hours west of York which has been the center of weightlifting in the United States. Former weightlifting greats Russ Knipp, Cal Shake and Kurt Setterberg as well as USAW Hall of Fame Coach Marty Cypher have hailed from the Pittsburgh area.
The York Barbell Company, less active for the most part in recent years in terms of involvement in Olympic weightlifting, has again offered its facilities for competitions. With this development and the opening of the Pittsburgh Sports Performance Center, significant weightlifting activity can be anticipated to return Pennsylvania and revive the connection that formerly linked weightlifting in the Northeast with the Midwest.
(L-R): 2011 Junior National 85kg Champion Mike Nackoul, 2011 National 56kg Champion Mike Graber and 2011 National Championship 77 kilo Silver Medalist Mike Cerbus.
The weekend’s events at the center included an A Session invitational component on Saturday, followed by a pizza supper at the center provided by the Becker family for lifters and visitors. A novice competition was conducted on Sunday morning, followed by an open B Session.
The quality of the lifting on Saturday was high level, reflecting the caliber of the lifters in attendance, including National Champion Mike Graber, National Junior Champion and Junior World Team member Mike Nackoul, National silver medalist Mike Cerbus and national level competitors Kelly Charniga, Drew Dillon, Kevin Cornell, Mike Kreatsoulas and Tony Blanksteen. All were fit and in good lifting condition.
International level coaches in attendance with these lifters included Lou DeMarco, Mark Cannella and Bud Charniga as well as former national level lifter and Pittsburgh resident Frank Remschel. Since former Olympian and Team New Jersey coach Bob Giordano was unable to attend, having just returned from the World University competition in China, USAW High Performance Director Peter Roselli handled coaching duties for Mike Graber. Notable visitors in the audience were former elite international U.S. weightlifters Roy and Kurt Setterberg.
On Sunday, Roselli refereed the novice session comprised of high school level athletes, primarily wrestlers using weightlifting for strength and conditioning, and identified four of the most promising lifters from among the group. Roselli, Becker and Graber, a former intercollegiate wrestler, talked with the group and their forward thinking coach, Paul Recrosio. Graber was able to provide some insight and a unique perspective from a wrestler’s point of view regarding the benefits of Olympic weightlifting and the opportunities in weightlifting for wrestlers once their scholastic or intercollegiate careers end.
Complete results for the competition can be found in the events section of the USAW web site.
Contact information and directions:
Pittsburgh Sports Performance Center
331 Station St.Bridgeville, Pa 15107
Attn: Regis Becker
Phone: 412.276.7905
Email: regis.becker@verizon.net
9.15.2011
Joe Muscarella Letter
Dear Alumni & Friends of UB Wrestling:
Hello from Buffalo, NY! It is my hope that this letter finds all of you in good health and ready for another exciting year of UB Wrestling. I wanted to take a minute or two to give you an inside perspective of what is going on with our UB Wrestling program.
Before we move forward, let me provide you with last year’s highlights. The 2010-11 Wrestling Bulls had a banner year. We crowned four Mid-American Champions and one of them was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. When all was said and done UB qualified 6 out of 10 wrestlers to participate in the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Our accolades did not stop there; because of the strong finish Coach Jim Beichner was named the 201-11 Mid-American Coach of the year. One would ask how could our wrestling program build upon that?
First, our Athletic Administration decided to make a major investment into our wrestling program and our wrestling facility. They invested $400,000 into our facilities to ensure that we can compete both on and off the mat. This allows us to recruit and compete for the ‘blue chip’ wrestlers. It provides the current wrestler with a state of the art wrestling facility complete with a remote scoreboard, mini fitness center and top notch video system. When you see it will light the competitive fire in you and stir up old memories of you and your teammates.
Second, Coach Beichner took the coaching staff to another level after the sudden departure of coach Frank Beasley. Coach used all of his contacts and put the word out that UB needed to fill the assistant coach’s position. Within minutes of this announcement, the flood gate open and the amount of high quality candidates poured in. When the dust settled and the interviews were completed, our wrestling program was able to attract and hire an unbelievable coach. Don’t believe it, let me spell it out for you. Our new assistant wrestling coaches’ name is Matthew Lackey. Coach Lackey brings a great deal of experience to the program in both the collegiate and international styles of wrestling. As a collegiate wrestler, Matt was a 2003 Division I National Champion, 3X all-American, Academic all-American and Big Ten Male Athlete-of-the-Year at the University of Illinois. He is a two-time Olympic Trial qualifier and took fourth at the 2008 U.S. Senior Nationals. An Illinois native, Lackey won two high school state championships. He brings to our program experience, intensity, intelligence and is a person with great character. Enough said on that topic, the proof is right in front of you. He won the big one and he wants to work and train our athletes to achieve the same and he expects nothing short of excellence in every aspect of the wrestlers’ lives.
Finally, did you know that the Univeristy at Buffalo purchased a suite at the NCAA’s and hosted an UB Wrestling Alumni & Friends during all three days of competition at the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships held in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. It was a first class event and our administration and alumni association like it so much that they are going to partner with us to make this a yearly event at the NCAA’s. Please consider making the trip!
Do I have your attention yet? If not, let me explain how you can help yourself and our wrestling program continue to grow to becoming a top ten wrestling program! We need each and every alumnus, former wrestler and friends to get on board; only together we can make this dream a reality. With the next two weeks the athletic development office will be sending you a mailer outlining the room renovation concept. I would like to ask that each of you take some time and read this important material and also reflect on your past experience wrestling here for the BULLS. IF you had a great experience here and enjoy wrestling and meeting our friends and teammates, I would ask you to strongly consider giving back to the program that made all of us winners and gave us the ability to provide for our families. I like many of you have pledged what I could to ensure that our wrestling program has the resources it needs to remain competitive. It is a personal choice and I am aware of the current financial twist and turns, however your wrestling coach and your teammates believed in you and it is now you turn to step up to be heard and remembered if you are so inclined. The letter will outline the current funding levels broken down over a four year period.
This will be another big year for our wrestling program, we will be having a wrestling room grand opening and dedication, we will be wrestling the University of Michigan in Alumni Arena in November, The University will be inducting two more former wrestling greats into the Athletic Hall of Fame, we will be wrestling in the Virginia Duals, conducting our third annual Takedown Cancer Event. All of this with the sole purpose of winning the Mid-American Championships and qualifying as many wrestler as we can to represent you and our university at the 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships.
I like all of you who wrestled for UB want the very best for this program. The sport of wrestling gave me all of the tools I need to successful and now it is my turn to do the right thing and help this program. Let’s support the Blue and White and continue to prove that wrestlers are the best, both on and off the mat.
Bleeding Blue and White Forever,
Joseph D. Muscarella
Alumni – Class of 1993
Voice of UB Wrestling & Program Historian
Hello from Buffalo, NY! It is my hope that this letter finds all of you in good health and ready for another exciting year of UB Wrestling. I wanted to take a minute or two to give you an inside perspective of what is going on with our UB Wrestling program.
Before we move forward, let me provide you with last year’s highlights. The 2010-11 Wrestling Bulls had a banner year. We crowned four Mid-American Champions and one of them was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. When all was said and done UB qualified 6 out of 10 wrestlers to participate in the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Our accolades did not stop there; because of the strong finish Coach Jim Beichner was named the 201-11 Mid-American Coach of the year. One would ask how could our wrestling program build upon that?
First, our Athletic Administration decided to make a major investment into our wrestling program and our wrestling facility. They invested $400,000 into our facilities to ensure that we can compete both on and off the mat. This allows us to recruit and compete for the ‘blue chip’ wrestlers. It provides the current wrestler with a state of the art wrestling facility complete with a remote scoreboard, mini fitness center and top notch video system. When you see it will light the competitive fire in you and stir up old memories of you and your teammates.
Second, Coach Beichner took the coaching staff to another level after the sudden departure of coach Frank Beasley. Coach used all of his contacts and put the word out that UB needed to fill the assistant coach’s position. Within minutes of this announcement, the flood gate open and the amount of high quality candidates poured in. When the dust settled and the interviews were completed, our wrestling program was able to attract and hire an unbelievable coach. Don’t believe it, let me spell it out for you. Our new assistant wrestling coaches’ name is Matthew Lackey. Coach Lackey brings a great deal of experience to the program in both the collegiate and international styles of wrestling. As a collegiate wrestler, Matt was a 2003 Division I National Champion, 3X all-American, Academic all-American and Big Ten Male Athlete-of-the-Year at the University of Illinois. He is a two-time Olympic Trial qualifier and took fourth at the 2008 U.S. Senior Nationals. An Illinois native, Lackey won two high school state championships. He brings to our program experience, intensity, intelligence and is a person with great character. Enough said on that topic, the proof is right in front of you. He won the big one and he wants to work and train our athletes to achieve the same and he expects nothing short of excellence in every aspect of the wrestlers’ lives.
Finally, did you know that the Univeristy at Buffalo purchased a suite at the NCAA’s and hosted an UB Wrestling Alumni & Friends during all three days of competition at the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships held in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. It was a first class event and our administration and alumni association like it so much that they are going to partner with us to make this a yearly event at the NCAA’s. Please consider making the trip!
Do I have your attention yet? If not, let me explain how you can help yourself and our wrestling program continue to grow to becoming a top ten wrestling program! We need each and every alumnus, former wrestler and friends to get on board; only together we can make this dream a reality. With the next two weeks the athletic development office will be sending you a mailer outlining the room renovation concept. I would like to ask that each of you take some time and read this important material and also reflect on your past experience wrestling here for the BULLS. IF you had a great experience here and enjoy wrestling and meeting our friends and teammates, I would ask you to strongly consider giving back to the program that made all of us winners and gave us the ability to provide for our families. I like many of you have pledged what I could to ensure that our wrestling program has the resources it needs to remain competitive. It is a personal choice and I am aware of the current financial twist and turns, however your wrestling coach and your teammates believed in you and it is now you turn to step up to be heard and remembered if you are so inclined. The letter will outline the current funding levels broken down over a four year period.
This will be another big year for our wrestling program, we will be having a wrestling room grand opening and dedication, we will be wrestling the University of Michigan in Alumni Arena in November, The University will be inducting two more former wrestling greats into the Athletic Hall of Fame, we will be wrestling in the Virginia Duals, conducting our third annual Takedown Cancer Event. All of this with the sole purpose of winning the Mid-American Championships and qualifying as many wrestler as we can to represent you and our university at the 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships.
I like all of you who wrestled for UB want the very best for this program. The sport of wrestling gave me all of the tools I need to successful and now it is my turn to do the right thing and help this program. Let’s support the Blue and White and continue to prove that wrestlers are the best, both on and off the mat.
Bleeding Blue and White Forever,
Joseph D. Muscarella
Alumni – Class of 1993
Voice of UB Wrestling & Program Historian
9.01.2011
Tailgate Party
JOIN THE WRESTLING PARTY AND WATCH UB FOOTBALL TEAM CRUSH STONY BROOK.
FRIENDS - FOOD - FUN - WRESTLING - FOOTBALL, IT CAN'T GET ANY BETTER!!
Hello Alumni and Friends we are once again about to embark on another BULLS wrestling season. We are very excited about all the young talent in this year’s recruiting class along with all the upperclassmen we have returning. In addition we have recently hired Head Assistant Coach Matt Lackey, and are still in the process of renovating our wrestling facility which is almost complete.
We would like to invite you to a Tailgate Wrestling Party taking place on the 10th of September prior to our football home opener vs. Stoney Brook University at 6pm. The tailgate will begin at 3pm in the recently added Stampede Square on the corner of Coventry Road and Augspurger Road. The cost of the social will be $10.00 per person and $5.00 for children under 12.
The $10.00 ticket will pay for the food and tent that we are reserving for the day. We will also be raffling off a gift at the door when you purchase your ticket. Feel free to bring your own adult beverage to the tailgate as soda and water will be included. Game tickets will be available for $10.00 at the tailgate.
This will be a great opportunity for you to meet 3x All American, NCAA Champ Matt Lackey our new head Assistant coach along with current members of this year’s UB wrestling team.
We hope that you are able to join us for a wonderful kickoff to another season of UB wrestling and watch the UB Football team pounce all over Stony Brook!!
PARKING: GO TO FLINT ENTRANCE ON NORTH CAMPUS. GO TO LAST SET OF STOP SIGNS AND TURN RIGHT ON AUGSPURGER ROAD (4 WAY STOP). FOLLOW SIGNS FOR PARKING. WALK TOWARD THE STADIUM AND OUR TENT WILL BE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF AUGSPURGER ROAD IN FRONT OF THE LAST PARKING LOT ON RIGHT HAND SIDE.
Contact information
Joe Muscarella 716-400-1315
Mickey Moran 716-829-6015
Good Bulls
FRIENDS - FOOD - FUN - WRESTLING - FOOTBALL, IT CAN'T GET ANY BETTER!!
Hello Alumni and Friends we are once again about to embark on another BULLS wrestling season. We are very excited about all the young talent in this year’s recruiting class along with all the upperclassmen we have returning. In addition we have recently hired Head Assistant Coach Matt Lackey, and are still in the process of renovating our wrestling facility which is almost complete.
We would like to invite you to a Tailgate Wrestling Party taking place on the 10th of September prior to our football home opener vs. Stoney Brook University at 6pm. The tailgate will begin at 3pm in the recently added Stampede Square on the corner of Coventry Road and Augspurger Road. The cost of the social will be $10.00 per person and $5.00 for children under 12.
The $10.00 ticket will pay for the food and tent that we are reserving for the day. We will also be raffling off a gift at the door when you purchase your ticket. Feel free to bring your own adult beverage to the tailgate as soda and water will be included. Game tickets will be available for $10.00 at the tailgate.
This will be a great opportunity for you to meet 3x All American, NCAA Champ Matt Lackey our new head Assistant coach along with current members of this year’s UB wrestling team.
We hope that you are able to join us for a wonderful kickoff to another season of UB wrestling and watch the UB Football team pounce all over Stony Brook!!
PARKING: GO TO FLINT ENTRANCE ON NORTH CAMPUS. GO TO LAST SET OF STOP SIGNS AND TURN RIGHT ON AUGSPURGER ROAD (4 WAY STOP). FOLLOW SIGNS FOR PARKING. WALK TOWARD THE STADIUM AND OUR TENT WILL BE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF AUGSPURGER ROAD IN FRONT OF THE LAST PARKING LOT ON RIGHT HAND SIDE.
Contact information
Joe Muscarella 716-400-1315
Mickey Moran 716-829-6015
Good Bulls
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