2008 Dream Team rosters announced

BY MATT PFIFFNER
The rosters for the 2008 Dream Team Classic, to be held on April 12, 2008 at Iowa City West High School, have been announced.

This is the 12th Dream Team Classic, which pits a group of the top high school senior wrestlers in the nation against a group of all-stars from a selected state. This is the fifth time in the 12-year history of the event that Iowa has been chosen to take on the USA Dream Team.

The last time the Dream Team came to Iowa in 2003, the locals took a 60-0 beating. But in 2001, the Iowans gave the national team one of their toughest duals, a 39-21 win for the Dream Team. Iowa also hosted the event in the first two years of its existence, in 1998 (a 44-10 Dream Team win) and in 1997 (a 40-12 victory for the Dream Team).

Expect to see many future NCAA All-Americans and champions on the mat on April 12. The list of former Dream Team participants includes Cael Sanderson, Mike Zadick, Joe Heskett, Eric Larkin, Luke Eustice, Zach Roberson, Damion Hahn, Tommy Rowlands, Troy Letters, Jake Rosholt, Steve Mocco, Teyon Ware, Trent Paulson, Johny Hendricks, Kurt Backes, Cole Konrad, Mark Perry, Jake Herbert, Troy Nickerson, Cyler Sanderson and Brent Metcalf, just to name a few.

Click here to view results and wrestler bios from the previous 11 meets.

Using the most recent Wrestling USA high school rankings, 13 of the 14 top-ranked seniors in the nation will be participating in the 2008 Dream Team Classic. Ten of them will be on the USA team, while the other three are Iowans.

Members of the Iowa team have won a combined 23 individual State Championships and 13 of the 14 were State champions this season.

Tickets for the event will be $8 in advance and $10 at the door. No pre-purchased tickets will be mailed out, they will be available the day of the event at will call.

Here is the line-up for the dual, using the latest Wrestling USA High School Senior rankings. The Iowa wrestler is listed first.

2008 Dream Team Classic
103 - Kris Thompson (Marion) vs. #1 Gilberto Camacho (California)
112 - #11 Ridge Kiley (Eagle Grove) vs. #1 B.J. Futrell (Illinois)
119 - #1 Andrew Long (Creston/O-M) vs. #2 Thomas Williams (California)
125 - #1 Nate Moore (Iowa City West) vs. #2 Brian Owen (Washington)
130 - #3 Matt McDonough (Linn-Mar) vs. #1 Jordan Oliver (Pennsylvania)
135 - #5 Mark Ballweg (Waverly-Shell Rock) vs. #1 Colin Johnston (Pennsylvania)
140 - Nate Herda (Central Lyon) vs. #1 Jason Chamberlain (Utah)
145 - Tanner Kampen (Humboldt) vs. #2 John Burns (North Carolina)
152 - Jeret Chiri (New London/WMU) vs. #1 Alex Meade (Delaware)
160 - Marcus Edgington (Hinton) vs. #1 Jason Welch (California)
171 - #4 Grant Gambrall (Iowa City West) vs. #1 Quentin Wright (Pennsylvania)
189 - #9 Josh Ihnen (Sheldon/South O'Brien) vs. #1 Ryland Geiger (Oregon)
215 - #11 Byron Tate (Clinton) vs. #1 Tyrell Fortune (Oregon)
285 - #1 Eric Thompson (Waverly-Shell Rock) vs. #3 Elijah Madison (Missouri)

Iowa Coach - Kent Kersten, Logan-Magnolia