Oct. 28, 2010

THIS WEEK: The Stanford wrestling squad will get a head start on the 2010-11 season this week as it hosts its annual wrestle-offs. The weekend will give fans an early preview of the Stanford season, which officially gets underway Nov. 7.

ABOUT WRESTLE-OFFS: Wrestle-offs, which will be held at Burnham Pavilion at 6:30 p.m. Friday, feature showdowns between the top two wrestlers in most weight classes. The results of each bout will give the coaching staff a much clearer indication on what starting line-up to use to begin the season. Fans are encouraged to come catch an early glimpse of the team, as wrestle-offs are free and open to the public.

UP NEXT: Stanford officially begins the season on Sunday, Nov. 7 at home against Northwestern, which enters the season ranked tied for 17th by InterMat. The Cardinal will be hosting a one of a kind outdoors dual. The teams will wrestle at the Taube Tennis Stadium on the Stanford campus.

TOP NOTCH RETURNERS: Stanford’s 17 returners are highlighted by five NCAA qualifiers, which ties for the most the Cardinal has ever had entering a season. Last year, Stanford sent four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in Omaha, Neb. - Juniors Zack Giesen and Justin Paulsen, sophomore Nick Amuchastegui and freshman Ryan Mango. Amuchastegui placed fourth at 165 pounds to pick up his first career NCAA All-America honors. It also marked the highest finish by a Stanford wrestler since 2004.

FRESH FACES: Stanford has seven newcomers on its roster this year. Highlighting the rookies are three state champions in Oregon’s Luke Amuchastegui, Hawaii’s Galen McCleary and Missouri’s Dan Scherer. Additionally, the new faces on the Cardinal roster include Donovan Halpin (Petaluma, Calif.), Garrett Schaner (Big Rapids, Mich.), Matt Schneider (Atlanta, Ga.) and Alan Yen (Saratoga, Calif.).

IN THE RANKINGS: Senior Zack Giesen, junior Nick Amuchastegui and sophomore Ryan Mango are listed among the top-20 in the InterMat preseason rankings to begin the 2010-11 season. Amuchastegui is the highest ranked Cardinal, coming in at No. 6 in the 174 pound weight class. Giesen starts the season at the No. 11 spot at 197 pounds, while Mango holds the No. 15 slot at 125 pounds.

NWCA All-STAR CLASSIC: Junior Nick Amuchastegui will be a “featured bout” in the 2010 NWCA All-Star Classic. The event will take place in Fresno, Calif., on Nov. 21. Amuchastegui will square off against Illinois’ Jordan Blanton at 174 pounds.

HEAD COACH Jason Borrelli: Stanford is under the guidance of a third-year head coach Jason Borrelli. In his first two seasons on The Farm, Borrelli has accrued an 18-23-2 record and sent a total of five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Borrelli, a former Central Michigan standout, first came to The Farm as an assistant coach in 2007 and quickly helped guide the Cardinal to one of its most successful seasons in school history.