Journal of a Champ

I intend to update this journal regularly, so come back again soon! It will update you with the highlights of what's going on in my life. I welcome your comments at [email protected].

07/17/01 Week 44
Hello! Sorry not updating my journal as often as I'd like. I will try to do a better job at making weekly entries.

Right now I'm at Boston University working a wrestling camp. Last week I was in Philadelphia at another camp and also recruiting some kids. I'm heading to San Francisco on Thursday to attend the wedding of Charles Burton. He was our Olympian at 85 kg last year. As you can tell, this past month has been hectic.

I officially start training when I get back home to Iowa. I want to arrive at training camp in Colorado Springs in shape and ready for action. I've been keeping active these past few weeks since the trials, working out once a day, and its kept me in decent condition.

Worlds are just about two months away. I've watched countless hours of video of my international opponents, something I really enjoy, but there is still more to be seen.

Training continues for me back at Iowa State from July 23 through August 4. After that I head off to the Olympic Training Center from August 5 until who knows when. It will be good to be out there where I can focus better without distractions. All I'll do is train, and I love to do that. I will be ready!

Chris

06/27/01 Week 41
Hello!

First, I'd like to start by saying a big "thank you" to all the people who have been along side and supported me. We have finally earned a chance to be the best in the world!

The World Team Trials in Cincinnati were great. All the training, hard work and preparation paid off. I had to win two tough matches in the mini tournament before gaining a berth in the finals. Both Yoshi Nakamura (Dave Schultz Wrestling Club) and Chris Ayers (New York Athletic Club) were tough competitors, but I beat them 4-1 on Friday and 6-2 on Saturday respectively. I was very pleased in the way I wrestled both matches.

By the time Sunday's matches rolled around I was feeling great, both in body and spirit. I've survived mini-tournaments many times, but this was the first time I came out of them healthy! My opponent in the best two out of three finals was Ramico Blackmon (Team Excel), who I lost to 6-3 in the US Nationals finals in April. He's a great wrestler, an even better person, and also comes from Florida! The finals went well for me, as I took both matches by scores of 3-0 and 4-3.

Those victories lead me to my next tournament in September, the World Championships at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where I'll be representing the Unites States in my 69 kg freestyle weight class. I'm humbled to be with the best wrestlers in the world, and I will prove that I deserve to be among them.

I'm writing this from back home in Florida where I'm hosting one of my yearly wrestling camps. I guess what I've accomplished never struck me until my Wif Niki and I were walking on the beach yesterday. We talked about what this opportunity really means: To be the best in the world. That's an awsome concept, and one I have worked for all my life. This is my chance of a lifetime. It may never come again, and I will run with it. It should be fun!

Follow my journal as I update it during training for the World Championships. Thanks again to all, and see ya next time! Chris.

06/11/01 Week 39
I was out in Colorado Springs all last week and got some real good training in. It was great working out with different partners and work on some different positions. I feel I'm ready and improved. I'm in shape and mentally believe I can win!

There are only 10 days away from weigh ins. Ahead are about 7 or 8 days of hard work before I begin to taper off. Rest is very important before big meets. I'm very excited to compete and to test myself. I've done my homework- the film studies, the weights, the wrestling, the conditioning and the mental preparation. It's now time to do it.

Thanks to all of you who follow and support me. See ya next time- Chris

05/28/01 Week 37
Sorry it has been so long since I last updated my journal. I have been real busy, having just spent 5 days out in West Virginia training. It was good to get a change of scenery. We worked hard on all aspects of training with me concentrating on my weak areas.

I have workout partners coming to Ames this week. That's good, so I can train at home. Next week I return to to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for 5 days. Then it's back home for 10 days, then off to the World Team Trials in Cincinnati.

With help, I've clearly defined my weakest areas and continue to wrestle hard and smart. As for my training, I feel I've improved greatly since April and the US Open. I can tell because of the way I wrestled my World Cup matches. I scored in positions where I never used to, while defending usually weak positions.

Now is the time. I want to win a world title, and I want to do it this year in the USA! The tournament draws near!

Little Josie is almost 6 months old and about to crawl. She is so much fun to be around, always making me laugh. Taking care of her is a lot of work, but she is the best. Then again, so is my wife Niki!

Hope all is well- Chris

05/09/01 Week 34
I'm back from the World Cup. Team USA won the title, and I placed second in my weight class. We needed a pin at heavyweight to win the dual against Iran. It was real exciting and the atmosphere was great.

As for me, I wrestled OK. I did some things from the training camp that I had been working on, so that is a positive. I beat both the Russian and the wrestler from Uzbekistan, and lost to the Iranian and Turk. With the results from the other matches, I was able to take second, but that wasn't my goal.

Next up will be the World Team Trials in June. The tournament winner will represent the USA at the World Championships and get a chance to compete against the best in the world! My training schedule these next few weeks will take me to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs as well as other parts of the country. It will give me a chance to work with other athletes and coaches to better myself. All my work these many months lead me to these two big tournaments, and I'll be ready.

On a side note, I'll be putting an official Iranian warm-up jacket up for sale or auction, and a USA paper flag with all of team USA coaches and wrestlers' signatures from the 2001 World Cup! I'll put pictures of both up on my web site soon. If you'd like to get a sneak peek beforehand, email me of your interest and I'll get back to you!

Thanks- Chris

05/02/01 Week 33
I've been in Annapolis, Maryland at the Naval Academy these past few days training for the World Cup matches Saturday and Sunday. All of Team USA has been here as well, along with a few college aged kids as workout partners. Training has been great, we're all working hard and I continue to learn more and more each day.

Our practices have been short and intense, as we workout trice daily at 10 AM and 4:30 PM. Tomorrow (Thursday) we start to taper down with omly one practice in the morning. Then we leave for Baltimore (site of the competition) where we'll be on our own. Most of us will go to the nearby health club to drop a few pounds.

We all make weight on Friday at 6 PM. Wrestling starts on Saturday at 12 noon. First up is Uzbekistan, followed by Iran. On Sunday we wrestle Turkey and Russia, again in dual meets.

The Naval Academy is beautiful campus, with wonderful wrestling facilities- 6 full masts! The weather been just great. We're staying at hotels that have kitchens in them and grills outside, so,we've been cooking our own food every night. My roommate, Charles Burton, has been doing the cooking, and we've been eating well.

Anyway, I'm ready to wrestle. Can't wait until Saturday! Take care.

04/28/01 Week 32
Sorry it has taken me so long to update my journal. As you probably know, I finished second in Las Vegas against Ramico Blackmon of Team Excel. I'm really disappointed in myself.

By coming in second, I'll have to wrestle in the World Team Trial's mini-tournament in June in Cincinnati. If I win that, I go against Blackmon in a best two out of three to see who represents the US at the World Championship.

I leave for Baltimore, Maryland, tomorrow (Sunday) to compete in the World Cup. (See details in my last entry.) The duals format tournment actually takes place on Saturday and Sunday. In the mean time, my teammates and I will be attending a week long training session at the Naval Academy in Annapolis getting ready.

I've been training hard since my return from Vegas. No let up. Every tournament teaches me something about my opponent, and more importantly, something about myself. My body is ready- I just need to wrestle smarter!

I look to proving myself again during these World Cup matches, looking forward to to June's competition, which I want to win very badly! It should be fun, and thanks for all the support! Chris

04/18/01 Week 31
Well, I got home from Vegas in one piece but didn't accomplish what I wanted to do. I placed 2nd at the Nationals, winning 5 out of 6 matches, losing 6-3 in the finals against Ramico Blackmon of Team Excel.

This now this puts me in the mini tournament of the World Team Trials in June which I must win to get me into the finals. When I get there I'll need to wrestle Blackmon in a best two out of three matchup. It will be a long road, but I'll be ready and just wish the tournament was tomorrow!

Right now I'm getting ready to wrestle in the World Cup tournament in Baltimore, Maryland. Team USA wrestles May 5-6 against four countries,Uzbekistan, Iran, Russia, and Turkey in a series of duals as a "tune up" for the upcoming World Championships in September in New York City. My teammates are: Sammie Henson (119 lbs.), Kerry Boumans (127.75 lbs.), Cary Kolat (138.75 lbs.), me (152 lbs.), Joe Williams (167.5 lbs.), Charles Burton (187.25 lbs.), Dominic Black (213.75 lbs.), and Kerry McCoy (286 lbs.).

Over the next two months I'll be concentrating on specific situations that caused me trouble in Vegas. I do feel I improved, but there are still ways I can get better.

Thanks to everyone who came to support me in Las Vegas. Chris

04/08/00 Week 30
Sorry for no journal last week!

I did get in some good training sessions last week. I'm starting to get very anxious, and am ready to compete. Physically and mentally I'm set- which is half the battle.

This week my focus will be on a few tactical moves and getting my weight down. I feel everything has been done. My training these past eight months have been in preparation for this US Nationals title. I deserve to win this tournament. Check out the link to tournament results on my main home page.

For those of you who don't know, the winner of the Nationals becomes the #1 seed at the World Team Trials at Cincinnati in July. That seed automatically gets into the finals, and doesn't have to wrestle through a grueling mini- tournament to see who competes against him in a best 2 of 3 finale.

Baby Josie rolled over on her own this week, and now can go from belly to back and back to belly! It is getting fun. She sleeps much better and is getting a heck of a personality. She weighed 17.5 pounds and was 25 3/4 inches long at her 4 month appointment last Friday. We baptize her on April 22nd. My wife will be taking her to the tournamnet in Las Vegas on Thursday. I hope she travels well.

I'll give tournament results and my comments when I get home.

Hope all is well- Chris

04/02/01 Week 29
No report.

03/28/01 Week 28
Another week has gone by. We are about 2 weeks until the National Open. In the past I've travelled elsewhere to train against different partners. This year I'm staying right here at home, in my own environment, working out harder than ever to get ready.

Last week I got six hard days of training in. On Sunday I just sat in the sauna. Five of those mornings consisted of drilling, running and lifting. I've lifted way more this year than in the past, and as a result I feel a lot stronger. I'm in the condition I wanted and needed to be in by now.

I'm satisfied that if the tournament was tomorrow, I'd be ready, as I continue to improve in my weak areas. We'll see the results in two weeks.

As for my baby, she's now almost four months old and getting bigger. Josie sleeps more, which is good news for me and her mom. She smiles all the time. We both just enjoy her so much! She will travel to Las Vegas to watch her daddy wrestle there for the first time. It should be fun!

Take care- Chris

03/20/01 Week 27
Well, the NCAA’s are over and the Cyclones did not do as well as we wanted. We took 6th place, having two All-Americans and one national champ on the team. Minnesota took the title with a very balanced team, and didn't have a single wrestler in the finals!

I can't wait until next year. Our 2001-2002 roster is shaping up well, and should be balanced across all weights. We will lose two notable seniors, but return both All-Americans and add two transfers to round out the squad.

As for me, I'm looking forward to the big show (US Nationals) in Las Vegas. I got some great workouts in during the NCAAs with the Team USA coaches. I even worked out with the one and only Cary Kolat! Hey, Kolat, if you're reading this, I really did win the Classic in 1992! (Ha, ha, a joke between us!)

Anyway, we're about 3 1/2 weeks away from Nationals. I'll keep training at a feverish pace for the next two weeks before backing off a bit.

My baby girl Josie got to see her first NCAA tournament last week. Of course, my wife Niki came along for the ride, too! How time flies. Josie is now four months old and keeps growing bigger and bigger...

...til next time- Chris

03/12/01 Week 26
No report.

03/04/01 Week 25
I arrived home from Iran on Saturday night. It was long and I was pretty tired, but I was happy to see my wife and baby, who looked as if she had grown so much while I was away. I didn't do a thing on Sunday. Oh yes, my luggage bags never make home until later that day!

I woke up early on Monday morning ( still being messed up with the time zone change} and went for a run and a lift. It was actually a good workout. Later in the afternoon I wrestled hard with the team. Tuesday proved a little harder waking up, but I got another good run in again. By the afternoon I felt extremely tired and didn't work out at all. Wednesday morning I drilled on situations I had some problems with in Iran, and then wrestled hard in the afternoon.

I had another early run on Thursday and the Cyclones and I left for Stillwater, Oklahoma, for the Big 12 tournament. I managed to wrestle hard with the team when we got there. On Friday I wrestled with a graduate student from Oklahoma State and took a steam that night. I didn't hit the mat myself all weekend after that. I just needed a break on Saturday and Sunday. The rest was just what I needed, as I finally felt my old self and ready to go at it again.

If you haven't heard by now, the Cyclones took third place, qualifying nine wrestlers to nationals. Oklahoma State took first, Oklahoma took second, and Nebraska took fourth. We were only a half point out of third. Winning their weight class were Joe Jaskett and Cael Sanderson. Cole Sanderson and Perry Parks took second place, while Matt Azevedo, Zach Roberson, Billy Maldanodo, Zach Thompson and Mark Knauer took thirds. We’ll see what we can do!

Take care- Chris

02/26/01 Weeks 23 & 24
Well, I made it back home. That's the best part. Here are some notes from my trip to Iran!

Day 1 (Thursday, 2/15 )
What a start! At least I would be travelling with with someone I know, Iowa State wrestler Cody Sanderson. Our flight from Des Moines to Minneapolis was cancelled, making us miss all the connections as planned. So I couldn't meet the team there as planned. With no more flights out that night, we went back home!

Day 2 & 3 (Friday/Saturday, 2/16-17)
Cody and I wrestled in the morning before returning back to the airport. The first plane ride took us to Minneapolis (a 1 hour flight), then on to Amsterdam (7 hours, 40 minutes}. After a 10 hour layover (and a cop telling us we could not sleep in the airport), it was off to Istanbul, Turkey, but not before receiving a warning from a customs official to be careful with our US passports in our travels. Amsterdam to Istanbul took 4 hours, followed by a four hour trip to Tehran, Iran.

Day 4 (Sunday, 2/18)
We landed in Iran at 2 AM on the 18th. (Remember that we left Des Moines 11 AM on the 16th!) Someone was there waiting to pick up up along with the Turkish Team who took the same flight. We travelled by bus to a hotel where the US team was staying, getting there around 4 AM and finally fell asleep by 6 AM.

By 9 AM we awoke to see writings on a nearby wall saying "Death to Americans" and "USA, the Great Evil" along with many more like that. As it turns out, that wall encircled the former US embassy, the one that was taken over by zealots in the 1970's. We managed to get our picture beside it as our bodyguard kept watch.

Cody and I finally met Team USA in the hotel lobby by 9:30 and we all went shopping. The natives all stared at us- it was very uncomfortable. Returning at 2 PM, we left our hotel taking our luggage and went to workout at "The House of Wrestling." This place had a 2000 seat arena, five mats, weights, and a museum detailing the history of Iranian wrestling. It was amazing. Afterwards we left for the Tehran airport to fly to Mashad, site of the tournament, an hour flight away.

The travelling was already taking its wear on me, and I already missed my wife and baby girl. This is the first time I had been away from them for more than a day.

Day 5 (Monday, 2/19)
The team worked out at noon. It was time to start preparing to wrestle. We drilled hard, going over a variety of special techniques, and then cut some weight. The worked out took place at a beautiful spa, with a couple of saunas, a steam room, hot and cold whirlpools, and more. It was great.

We left at 4 and I caught a nap until 6. I was getting used to the 10 hour time difference from Iowa, but still needed to catch up on my sleep. We headed back to the spa at 6 to enjoy a sauna. The people treated us great, but a bodyguard was with us at all times- even in that sauna!

Day 6 (Tuesday, 2/20)
I had an awful night trying to sleep, tossing and turning. By 3:30 AM, I was up for good. I enjoyed a nice cup of Folgers instant coffee I brought along with me. At noon the team left the hotel to go and cut weight, which I made easily, being only 1.5 kilos over, about three pounds.

We went back to the hotel and I ate some lamb and rice in the hotel cafe along with some food I brought from home. Cody, Steven Neal and I went for a walk (without the body guard), but I turned back still feeling very uncomfortable with all the stares and people coming up to us wanting to talk. The other two did make it back safe! I did get a chance to call home. It cost me 36,000 runnells, about $7, to talk for 3 minutes. It was great to hear my wife's voice an dthat she and the baby were fine.

Now I could turn my mind to wrestling!

Day 7 (Wednesday, 2/21)
Well, the tournament was here. I woke at 6 30 AM for breakfast (bread and goat cheese, then again that was breakfast every morning). We went to the arena afterwards and I got a good warm-up in. There were only 2 mats used during the tournament; one for Greco-Roman and one for freestyle.

I won my first bout against an Iranian, Mardoni, on a 2-2 referee's decision. I should have beat the guy worse, but I was dead tired from the long trip. I eventually got better with each match. I was finished with the session and went back to the hotel.

The next session started at 3:30. I knew I wouldn't wrestle until about 7, so I went the arena around 6. I never set foot on the mat until midnight, and guess what? There were still fans there! I wrestled Mirzaiev from Azerbaijan, beating him 4-0. I felt great!

Day 8 (Thursday, 2/22)
I never got to bed until well past 2 AM, waking up after 4 1/2 hours of sleep at 6:30. It was bread and cheese for breakfast (again) and off to the morning wrestling session.

I fought against another Iranian, Babaee, winning 4-2. This guy would eventually get into the tournament finals, lose and take second place. I was surprised to learn that my weight class had a bye in the afternoon/evening session, and took it easy

Day 9 (Friday, 2/23)
It was starting to get routine- bread and cheese at 6 30, then travel to the arena. I had two tough matches early in the day. First up was Mohammadi of Iran with a 5-1 overtime win. Next up was Amez, another Irani, and I took him 4-2. I won my pool with those two wins, bringing me into the semi-finals in the PM session.

That semi-final matched me up against the number one ranked Iranian, Tavakoliam, his country's representative in the Sydney Olympics. It ended up 2-2 on ref's decision in overtime. I felt I outwrestled him, but don't forget, I was in Iran, and you must expect some wierd calls against the hometown favorites. That left me in third place.

My fourth match that day had me up against another Irani wrestler, Baraati. This would determine third and fourth place. I lost again, this time 3-2. Afterwards I ate a PopTart and was ready to hit the showers when the US coach came looking for me. He explained that the head ref thought I was cheated in that match and we had to re-wrestle over again. Only in Iran!

So I got dressed and went to the mat one last time. The thousands of fans went crazy when they saw me coming out again. I think that they felt I deserved better than I got. They got what they wanted- another look at this feisty American scrap again. This time even I felt it was fair and square despite a 3-1 loss, giving me fourth place for the second time that night.

All in all, I had eight great matches in the tournament's three days. I got really beat up. If you don't believe me, look at my mug. But I still look at the experience as the best in my wrestling career.

02/14/01 Week 22- Valentine's Day
Hello! Sorry for the late entry this week.

I'm getting ready to leave for Iran, as I take off tomorrow. The Takhi Cup tournament in Tehran will be a tough one, but I've been looking forward to it. I've trained well and feel I've made definite improvements since the Canadian tournament a few weeks ago.

The trip to Iran will be long, and I'm prepared for all kinds of things that might go wrong while there. I'm guessing the food will be bad, and there may not be enough water to drink and keep me hydrated. But if you can win under these less than ideal conditions, you can win anywhere. I'll be keeping a daily journal and will give you all a report when I get back, unless I can get Internet access!

The Cyclone team is still ranked 4th in the country. We dual Nebraska on Friday and UNI (University of Northern Iowa) on Sunday. The Cyclone Wrestling Club is planning a bus trip to the Big 12 conference tourney. If you're interested in going, contact Jon Mustaine by email at [email protected] as soon as possible. It should be fun!

My baby girl is getting real big. She weighed 14.7 pounds at her 2 week check up. She's starting to smile and laugh now. It's so wonderful- she is wonderful. I don't know what I'm going to do when I'm away in Iran. It will be hard on me and my family.

Hope all is well, and I'll write again when I get back in a couple of weeks. Chris

02/04/01 Week 21
Well, I'm back from "Winterpeg" (alias Winnipeg) and the Manitoba Open. It was so cold and gloomy up there I thought I was in Moscow.

As for the wrestling, I finished 3rd. I won 4 matches and lost in the semi-finals to Bill Zadick. The score was 2-2, but he won on passivity calls. I didn't wrestle my style against him, but I really had a valuable experience. I am glad I got 5 matches in, especially since I used moves I had practiced on during practice. My third place finish came from a 10-1 decision over Celso De Arda of Mexico.

I was in good shape, but need to pick up my training pace. I go to Iran in 10 days and I'm looking forward to a great tournament. My main goals ahead are the US Nationals in April, the World Team Trials in June, and then the World Championships in New York City in September.

I'll be training intensely this next week and a half on the my weak points from Winnipeg. Then it will take me two days of travelling to get to Iran where I'll be ready to scrap. April is getting closer day by day...

Hope all is well- Chris

01/28/01 Week 20
Sorry I did not post a journal entry last week. I was out at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for a few days. I learned a whole bunch and it was nice to work out with different people. One practice we worked together with the Greco team on gut wrenches, gut wrench D and also on the clich position.

I'm gettin ready to compete this week in Manitoba, Canada. It should be a tough tourney with many different countries expected to attend. I will be ready, my body feels good and I'm in great shape. This tourney will help me as I get ready to go to Tehran, Iran, on the 15th of February.

On Friday night (1/26) the Cyclones lost to the #2 ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys. We wrestled well but still lost. We'll get them back at the conference and national tourney. This coming Friday will feature a meet between us and the University of Oklahoma. It should be a good dual.

Take care. I will post results when I return from Canada.

Chris

01/22/01 Week 19
Sorry- no entry this week.

01/15/01 Week 18
I had a very tough week of training this week. It was what I like and needed, improving on strength, conditioning, technique, and tactics.

Here was my training schedule:

Monday

AM- ran 1 mile hard, four 330 meter sprints, weightlifting circuit

PM- wrestled hard and intense for one hour, then 10 sprints finishing off the day

Tuesday

AM- drilled 20 minutes on my feet and 40 more on the mat

PM- 4 matches (8 and 30 seconds with a sudden death overtime) with no rest in between

Wednesday

AM- more drillling on my weaknesses on my feet and on the mat

PM- 40 minutes of hard wrestling (1 minute goes, 2 minute goes, all kinds of goes!)

Thursday

AM- same as Monday morning's routine

PM- 3 matches

Friday

AM- 40 minutes in the sauna

PM- 2 matches and drilled a long time

Saturday- a welcome day off

Sunday

AM- drilled for 25 minutes and did 3 matches

Josie got to see her first wrestled match this past week. Well, not really, as she slept through the whole thing!

Cael Sanderson tied Dan Gable's and Iowa State's 100 match winning streak without a tie at a match against Hofstra. Dan Gable was there, and spoke to the crowd in his old ISU letter jacket. Cael was even on ESPN's Sportscenter Sunday night.

To top it all off, the Cyclones won that dual meet against Hofstra as well. It was an eventful week.

Take care- Chris

01/08/01 Week 17
Well, this past weekend was a great one.

I got to watch a 30 year old record be broken. It was great to see a kid like Cael Sanderson set the all time collegiate wrestling consecutive win streak. He now has 99 straight wins- 1 more than Dan Gable. Cael was so humble in accepting all his awards, it is unbelievable. His career has been absolutely incredible so far,and it couldn't have happened to a better person. If he continues to work and improve as he has been doing, he'll keep setting records. Congrats Cael!

My training has been going great. The intensity in during our practices has picked up, and everyone is wrestling harder, which I love. A lot of scrapping, headbutting, slapping and all out brawling. My conditioning level has gone up and I'm putting more and more time in as my international trips get close.

I just added a trip to Winnepeg, Canada on February 2nd, then on to Iran February 17th. Beforehand I'll be at the Olympic Training Center at Colorado Springs on January 23rd.

I keep trying to get better every day. That's the goal!

Take care- Chris

01/01/01 Week 16
Happy New Year!

I wrestled in the Midlands tournament at Northwestern University on December 29-30. Check out the photos. My weight class (157 pounds) had a big bracket, and I got 6 matches in. I was happy to get an extra match! The only downfall of wrestling in this tournament having wrestle my own Iowa State student, Cole Sanderson.

People have asked me why I competed in this tournament. There are several reasons:

When I train, I need short term goals. This is the only tournament between the Sunkist Open (last November) and my upcoming trip to Iran (in late February) which fits into my schedule. Going four months without a competion can hurt you.

The only way to truly test yourself is through competition, both physically (including making weight) and mentally.

I learn from my mistakes, and every match is learning experience.

Matches with up and coming college wrestlers prepares me for when I have to face them in future competitions. No surprises!

Lastly, it's a way of rewarding myself! I love to compete.

Overall, I felt great in the tourney, but I should have pushed the tempo of the matches and opened up more. I'm right on track with my Iran preparations. I need to continue working on my mistakes and keep training hard. As always, I'll be ready!

12/25/00 Week 15
Merry Christmas! I'm enjoying the holidays with my family. See our photos.

12/19/00 Week 14
Another week has gone by. This was the best week of training I've had since I started back up again. We had a very tough week and I feel my conditioning has hit a new level.

I'll be wrestling next in the Midland tournament on Dec 29-30. Meets like this help me evaluate myself in real combat situations as I prepare for my big goals this year- tournaments in April, June and September. I'd like to get as many matches in as I can until then!

Training hard theses upcoming two weeks during the holidays can give me an edge over my competition, as I turn everything up a notch. Maybe they'll slack off, but I won't. I'll be ready for the Midlands and in top form.

As you can see by the pictures, our baby is doing very well. She is actually sleeping a little bit now! We had our 2 week doctor's visit today and she has already gained 1.5 lbs. Mom is doing a whole lot better as well. Josie is just a wonderful blessing and the best Christmas present Niki and I could have ever received.

Happy Holidays- Chris

12/11/00 Week 13
Hello!

Sorry I did not write last week, but I had a busy time with the birth of my daughter, Josie. It was the most incredible thing I have ever been a part of. It was better than anything I have ever been a part of! The good Lord gave us a healthy, beautiful child, and that is all I could ask for.

She is doing great, and mom is coming along, too! She's about ready to get out and finish Christmas shopping- oh no!

As for my workouts, I didn't get back into the room until Wednesday, when I was able to get in two good ones. Thursday I ran and wrestled in the afternoon.

Friday we went to Iowa City to wrestle the Hawks. I was able to get a good workout in the morning up there with one of our freshman, Nicky Possalono. We all took Saturday morning off in preparation for the 9 PM match. I guess you could say that we had another great practice that evening as well! It was a great effort by the entire team.

I took Sunday off. I'm in great shape, despite having been killing myself knowing I'd take a couple days off to be with my wife and child. I will really push myself these next four weeks knowing that my competition will be taking some time off for the holidays. I'll do anything to get an edge!

I'm off to shovel the foot of snow we got!

Chris

12/04/00 Week 12
No report- see why in week 13!

11/29/00 Week 11
This journal entry will be a late and short one this time around, sorry!

Well, last week was an OK one for me. I got some good training in, and feel I'm getting better every day. The Cyclones won 3 duals this week. We wrestle at the Simpson Duals this coming Saturday followed by Central Michigan Sunday at home. Next Friday we travel to Iowa City to wrestle the Hawkeyes. A great matchup to be sure!

That compares to this week so far, a big letdown! Our baby was due on Saturday, but I guess she's just not ready to come out yet. We're still waiting and hoping she will get here soon.

Next week I'll give a more detailed writeup about my training!

Take care and thanks for reading my journal.

Chris

11/20/00 Week 10
Well, the week started off great on Monday, as I worked out with team at 6:30 AM doing a group run and circuit followed by a very tough practice. Some of the guys on the team need to get stronger, and weightlifting is the answer, so we then hit the weight room afterwards.

I've been almost injury-free my whole career and clearly attribute that to weight training. But I've slacked a bit in past two years and need to push myself harder. Getting stronger will help in my efforts this coming April, then in June for the nationals and world team trials.

Tuesday I sat in the sauna in the morning, preparing for another tough practice and a great weight room session in the afternoon. By Wednesday I was tired, but still had a great run, practice and lift. My Thursday routine was another morning run and drill, and an afternoon practice. On Friday I ran, did a circuit, and drilled hard in the PM. I lifted afterwards.

By early Friday evening I packed up the car for a drive to the Omaha Open tournament. Coming along representing the Cyclones were six non-starters and five independent red-shirts. All did well and got plenty of matches in- the real goal of our participation.

Cyclone starters attended the Missouri Open on Saturday with Coach Douglas. Five guys came back as champs- Azavedo, Cole and Cael Sanderson, Heskett, and Parks). Add to that two second place finishes by Zack Thompson and Mark Kanuer.

This coming Wednesday we wrestle two dual meets at Iowa Central Community College. We hope some of our Iowan rivals can make it.

Still no baby!!! Saturday is the due date, so stay tuned!

Take care- Chris

11/16/00 Week 9
Well, last week I kind of took it easy. I had some little aches and pains and some minor cuts that needed healing before starting to really get to it again.

Monday was a rest day. Tuesday was spent drilling and wrestling a hard go, some of it hand fighting with new Cyclone freshman Matt Sanchez. All freshman have a lot to learn about hand fighting and positioning. I ran and went through a full workout in the wrestling room on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday was spent drilling in the morning with Cole Sanderson and we all had light workout before the guys competed the next day.

Saturday was a visit to the Harold Nicholas Open to watch my guys compete. We took five returning champs to the Cyclone Open. Cael and Zach Thompson didn't wrestle. As expected at the beginning of any season, some looked good and others weren't so. The tournament gave me a chance to evaluate our team and I hope to work on improvements this week. They continue to improve daily. Our next competition will be on Saturday, November 18 at the Omaha Open. The Cyclone's first home dual meet is Sunday, December 3 against Central Michigan.

Yesterday (Sunday) was a rest day, but this morning I was up running and lifting with the team early at 6:30 getting right back to it.

Still no baby for us yet. Niki is at 12 days and counting, but we hope the baby is early. We'll know more after a doctor's appointment on Wednesday.

Take care- Chris

11/06/00 Week 8
Well, I finally got back home from the Sunkist tourney in Phoenix after a long day on Sunday. Our original flight home was cancelled, so we had to switch airlines, making it home at 2:30 AM and some 5 hours late.

As for the tournament, we Iowa State guys did well. We had 3 champs out of 8 weight classes. Cody Sanderson, Joe Heskett, and I all won titles. Cael Sanderson won the University World Championships in Tokyo, Japan as well this weekend. So it was a great time for Cyclones around the world.

As for me, although I won, it was the worst I wrestled in 3 years. I felt fine and was in good shape, but seemed rather rusty. I started off with a 3-1 overtime win againt Steve Rose from Canada. Next up was Shaime Jaime and I won 12-1 by technical fall.

In the quarter finals I wrestled Ramico Blackmon, ranked #3 in my weight class (with Lincoln McIlravy #1). We went one-on-one with each other and he started off with a 4-0 lead, but I came back and won by disqualification. In the semis I was up against Nathan Vasques from Fresno State, winning 4-3 in overtime. The finals paired me against Kirk White of Boise State. I again won in overtime, 3-1.

As you can tell, it wasn't my best wrestling, but it taught me the things I need to continue to work on. That's why I wrestled this weekend- to see where I am against the competition and learn what I need to do to get to the next level. I'm taking today off and will pick up tomorrow working on the areas I need improvement on.

Here are the finals matchup from the Sunkist Tournament

Mena def Cassidy
Sanderson def Hunter
Dununzio def Angle
Bono over White
Heskett over Trigg
Simpson def Japan
Davis over Tobin
Neal def Blunt

My baby has still not come into the world, but is getting close. This weekend we travel to nearby Fort Dodge and the Cyclone Open. My wife Niki is coming along with the team, as her folks only live some 10 minutes away. There's no chance of me missing out on the baby!

Take Care- Chris

10/16/00 Week 7
Happy Halloween!

I had a good week of practice last week. Right now I'm getting ready to compete. Weigh-ins are this Friday (it's Tuesday now) with wrestling on Saturday and Sunday. I'm passing the time by watching videos of some of the guys I think will be there. I'm even watching some of the guys who won't be there, as you can never be too prepared!

My workout Monday morning started with a long run, followed by a good intensive wrestling practice in the afternoon. Today I had a good drill session in the morning and wrestled hard this afternoon. I'll back off until Thursday, two days before the meet. My training is going to pay off, as I feel I'm going to win this tournament. It's going to be a lot of fun!

My wife and I went to the doctor today. The good news was that the baby has finally turned head down and is ready to go! We've been nervous as last week she was the other way around. Mom is getting more and more uncomfortable every day, but is doing a wonderful job of carrying the baby. Let's just hope nothing happens to mom or baby until I get home on Sunday!

I'll have a full report for you next week about the tournament... and the baby!

Take care- Chris

10/23/00 Week 6
Another week has gone by, and that means it is getting closer to competition! I had a good week of training, getting in 2 workouts every day then took Sunday off.

My body is starting to recover a lot better then before. That means I'm getting into the kind of shape that I like to be in. This week will be a tough one as I will continue to train at a high volume until next week, then back it off and get ready. If I were competing every week, I would train through this tournament, but since I won't wrestle for a month or so after this I can afford to rest a little and feel my best. I want to win this tournament and have trained to do so!

My brother-in-law and his wife had a baby boy this week, their first, so it has really made my wife and myself excited for ours to arrive. Just one month until the due date. I hope she comes early, but not until after I get home from the Sunkist tournament! My wife is starting to feel uncomfortable now, but we are getting close.

The cyclones are working hard and getting ready. We have a good group of guys this year and the team has high goals. it should be an exciting season.

Take care- Chris

10/16/00 Week 5
This week was a great week! I reached all my goals interms of how much I wanted to run, drill, and wrestle. I felt like my conditioning went to another level this week and I actually wrestled pretty good in the room.

On Friday I wrestled hard in the morning and afternoon, which was good because my body was pretty tired by that point of the week. I'm feeling better and better every day, getting back to where I was in June. I have 2 full work weeks where I will go hard and turn it up each day. Then I'll have two or three good days before I start to get my weight down and get ready to compete!

My wife went to the doctor last week and everything is going well with baby and mom. We have a little over a month til our lives will be flipped around, but we cant wait.

The team is doing well and training hard. We compete in the Harold Nicholas open in Fort Dodge on Friday, Nov 10. I think they're ready to wrestle against other guys. After scrapping with the same teammates for about a month, this is about the time everyone gets edgy, so we'll have them ready!

I almost had a chance to go Russia next week to compete, but the trip fell through. I was ready to go, but the timing wasn't right and we're not sending a team after all. It would have been fun. It always is in Russia... ha!

I almost forgot. My camp in Florida is almost finalized. It looks like it will run from June 26-29 in Jacksonville. I should have the Sanderson brothers down there with me, and will post more info later!

Hope all is well- Chris

10/08/00 Week 4
This was an up and down week for me.

I started off great and increased my workouts. On Wednesday, I backed off a little because I was really run down, having only wrestled two matches in practice. Thursday and Friday were great workouts, getting in two good morning and 2 good afternoon sessions. Saturday I drilled for about an hour on important situations, the clinch etc. finishing up with some conditioning.

Today I'll go for a long run in the afternoon and get ready for another week of hard practices. I'm getting in good shape, as 8, 9 and 10 minute goes are getting easier!

The Cyclone team is doing great. We completed our first full week of regular season practices. All the freshman are amazed at the Bobby Douglas drill system. The Hodge Trophy was presented to Cael Sanderson at half-time of yesterday's football game between the Cyclones and the Huskers. It was great!

My wife Niki is doing well and getting ready for our first child. It's getting crazy around here, and I can't wait for her to arrive.

There's only about 4 weeks until competition.

Hope all is well- Chris

10/02/00 Week 3
Check out my olympic predictions page here and see my comments about all our Olympians.

Last week was another good week of training for me. Every day I feel like I am getting better in all aspects. I'm not quite in shape as I want to be, but I'm doing very well with just a month left before competition.

There are still some wrestling positions that I need to improve on. The only way I can get better is to start from those difficult positions and wrestle from there. It's frustrating at times, but I'm improving. There is still a lot of work to do.

My body feels great. All my nagging little injuries from June's Olympic trials are gone and my body is recovering from my workouts. I'll really turn up my training now and be ready November 3!

This weekend the Cyclones (4-0) play #2 Nebraska in football here in Ames. It could be a turning point in Iowa State football. Good luck to them! I'll be there rooting them on.

Take care- Chris

09/23/00 Week 2
This week has been a good one for me. Training wise, I'm getting better and better everyday. Right now I'm working on getting in shape, running and doing cardio most mornings, and wrestling long goes in the afternoons. Other mornings I'm drilling, mostly in par terre. I feel if I can get better in the top and bottom positions, I'll be able to compete better at the international level.

As for my team, we start official practice Wednesday afternoon, September 27. The Cyclones have been working hard in their pre-season workouts, but now it's getting close to REAL workouts. Last year left a bitter taste in their mouths, being so close to a title, yet so far away. This year should be a fun one!

I'm 8 weeks away from being a dad and counting, with 1 more Lamaze class to go. My wife is doing well. She's a little sick as I write this, but hopefully will recover soon.

By the way, congrats to Matt Lindland, 76kg Greco-Roman wrestler, who went through all the court stuff to make the team. He can do no worse than 2nd place for a silver medal. His gold medal match takes place at 1 AM Tuesday Central time (5 PM in Sydney). Good luck!

I talked to Charles Burton who is in Australia getting ready to wrestle. He seems in good spirits and said all the guys are ready to go.

Hope all is well- Chris

09/18/00 First entry!
I'll be writing about everything in my journals, including the Iowa State team, my own training, my family, wife Niki (who is due with our first child on November 25), and anything else you might want!

This morning I went to the Ames Middle School to help celebrate the Olympics. I spoke about trying to make the Olympic team and my goals for the next four years. Ed Banach was there with his gold medal from the 84 Olympics. It was fun to see the kids wearing Ed's medal.

My own training is starting to pick up, running more and more (as I get in shape) and wrestling longer and harder. My first competition since the Olympic Trials will be the Sunkist Tournament in Tempe, Arizona, November 3-5. I will be ready!

Shortly afterwards my wife is expected to give birth to our first child. I have planned to take some time off to help my wife and enjoy my baby girl (we cheated).

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]. I've set up my first camp for next summer. It will be at the Garnet Valley Middle School (same place as last year) in Pennsylvania, scheduled for July 9-13. Lasting 5 days, it will be bigger and better than last year!

Hope all is well- Chris