Rutgers University Men's Wrestling

Goodale and members of the Rutgers wrestling team addressed the media on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at the Rutgers Athletic Center for the teams 2016-17 Media Day. The team begins the dual season on Friday, Nov. 11 at Cal State Bakersfield against the Roadrunners and San Francisco State. Parking for the "Battle at the Birthplace", presented by Autoland, against Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 19 at High Point Solutions Stadium will follow the parking rules put in place for the Rutgers Football game vs. Penn State scheduled for later that same day.

Pritzlaff owns more than 10 years of collegiate coaching experience at the NCAA Division I level. Prior to Rutgers, the Lyndhurst, N.J., native spent three seasons at the University of Michigan (2011-13) as an assistant wrestling coach after spending five years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as the associate head wrestling coach. Pritzlaff mentored four Wolverine All-Americans in his time in Ann Arbor, Mich., working closely with Kellen Russell, who captured his second NCAA title and fourth Big Ten title to finish a stellar collegiate career in 2012. Russell became just the 11th four-time Big Ten Champion in league history. Two Wolverine grapplers reached the national podium in 2014, as Pritzlaff and the staff helped lead Michigan to a 17th-place finish at NCAAs in Oklahoma City. An experienced recruiter, Pritzlaff has done nothing short of drawing top talent, securing a top-10 recruiting class in 2012 ranked No. 5 by ,  No. 7 by and No. 8 by . Prior to arriving at Michigan, Pritzlaff served five seasons as an assistant coach at Wisconsin (2007-11), including the last two as associate head coach. He helped lead the Badgers to top-10 team finishes at the NCAA Championships in each of the last three seasons, including a fourth-place finish in 2010. Pritzlaff was instrumental in developing the Badger middleweight wrestlers, battle-testing notable performers under his tutelage such as NCAA champion and three-time All-American Andrew Howe, NCAA finalist Craig Henning and All-Americans Tyler Turner, Zach Tanelli and Kyle Ruschell. In all, 36 Badgers qualified for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in his tenure, a list that included 15 All-Americans, five Big Ten Champions and 19 Academic All-Big Ten members. As Wisconsin's recruiting coordinator, Pritzlaff also oversaw and contributed to the development of the program's future. He helped rally three top-20 recruiting classes according to , including the nation's No. 2 class in 2008 and the No. 4 class in 2011. Pritzlaff previously served as an assistant coach at Hofstra University (2004-06) and as a volunteer assistant at Wisconsin (2002-03). While at Hofstra, Pritzlaff worked with three-time All-American Jon Masa and two-time All-Americans Mike Patrovich and Chris Skretkowicz, helping guide the Pride to three-straight Colonial Athletic Association titles and an 11th-place NCAA finish in 2006. As a collegiate wrestler at Wisconsin (1998-2001), Pritzlaff compiled one of the most impressive careers in the program's history. Pritzlaff was a two-time NCAA 165-pound champion (2000, 2001) and four-time NCAA All-American, placing fifth as a junior at 165 pounds in 1999 and sixth as a freshman at 150 pounds in 1998. He became the 12th NCAA champion in Badger program history with a 4-2 sudden-victory decision over Iowa State's Joe Heskett in the championship final. The following season, he again used an overtime takedown to edge Heskett, 3-1, en route to his second-straight NCAA title, becoming Wisconsin's fourth multiple champion and one of just three four-time All-Americans in program history. A 2001 NWCA All-Star selection, Pritzlaff claimed three-straight Big Ten Conference 165-pound titles (1999-2001). He posted a 135-15 career collegiate record, including a 43-1 mark as a senior, ranking fourth among Wisconsin's all-time winningest wrestlers. His .894 career winning percentage ranks third in Badger program history. Pritzlaff was inducted into the University of Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010. Pritzlaffs success continued on the international scene, as the experienced grappler completed a successful eight-year career in the 74 kg/163-pound freestyle division. He captured the bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships and earned medals at the Pan American Championships (silver, 2006), New York Athletic Club Holiday International Open (gold, 2001; silver, 2005; bronze, 2002, '03, '04), Henri Deglane Challenge (bronze, 2002), Dave Schultz Memorial International (gold, 2002, '05) and Sunkist Kids International Open (gold, 2002; silver, 2004). While in college, Pritzlaff captured the 1998 Junior World championship at 70 kg. A native of Lyndhurst, N.J., Pritzlaff graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in sociology. He and his wife, Robin, have two daughters, Adalena and Onaliese. Rutgers wrestlings Anthony Ashnault and Richie Lewis are brining two wins back to New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights captured victories Saturday night at the Wolstein Center in the 51st Annual All-Star Classic. Redshirt junior 141-pounder Anthony Ashnault is set to compete in the 51st Annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic this Saturday in Cleveland, Ohio. The two-time All-American will face off against 2016 NCAA runner-up Bryce Meredith of Wyoming. Rutgers athletics announced Thursday a student contest that combines the historic Battle at the Birthplace wrestling match and the football game versus Penn State at High Point Solutions Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 19. Rutgers wrestling is the No. 12 ranked team in the nation, according to the USA Today/ National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division I Coaches Poll, released Wednesday afternoon. Rutgers head wrestling coach Scott Goodale and Princeton head wrestling coach Chris Ayres will participate in a pre-match skull session in Athletes Glen prior to the Battle at the Birthplace, presented by Autoland, on Nov. 19. Redshirt 141-pounder Anthony Ashnault has been invited to partake in the 51st Annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic in Cleveland, Ohio on Nov. 5. The two-time All-American will face off against 2016 NCAA runner-up Bryce Meredith of Wyoming. Head coach Scott Goodale and members of the Rutgers wrestling team addressed the media on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at the Rutgers Athletic Center for the teams 2016-17 Media Day. The team begins the dual season on Friday, Nov. 11 at Cal State Bakersfield against the Roadrunners and San Francisco State. Parking for the "Battle at the Birthplace", presented by Autoland, against Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 19 at High Point Solutions Stadium will follow the parking rules put in place for the Rutgers Football game vs. Penn State scheduled for later that same day.

Leonardis made an immediate impact on the recruiting trail, as their first recruiting class was ranked nationally by (No. 3) and (No. 4). During Leonardis tenure, RU has produced four All-Americans, two conference champions, 51 NCAA Championship bids, 12 Big Ten Conference Championship placewinners, and 42 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA)Championships placewinners. Rutgers has produced All-Americans in each of the last three seasons. Anthony Ashnault (141 pounds) became the first Rutgers freshman to accomplish the feat in 2015 in St. Louis, and followed that performance up with a fourth-place finish in 2016 at Madison Square Garden. Ashnault is the first wrestler in RU history to start his career with consecutive All-America honors. In 2014, the program earned its first All-American since 2002, as 157-pounder Anthony Perrotti finished eighth at NCAAs. Perrotti closed his career on the national podium at 165 pounds in 2016 in front of a local crowd at MSG, becoming the third two-time All-American in RU history. With Leonardis and Goodale at the helm, RU notched five top-25 and two top-10 finishes since 2009. The 2015-16 season was undeniably the most successful in Rutgers wrestling history. The Scarlet Knights sent all 10 weight classes to the NCAA Championships for the first time and finished 15 in the nation. Ashnault won the Big Ten title at 141 pounds to become Rutgers first ever Big Ten champ, as the squad wrestled to a fifth-place finish at the 2016 Big Ten Championships. RU (16-5) closed the dual season ranked No. 10 in the final NWCA Coaches Poll, defeating seven ranked opponents and three in the top-10, culminating with an 18-15 win over No. 7 Lehigh in the NWCA National Duals Championship Series. Rutgers national prominence soared to new heights in 2014-15 in its first season in the Big Ten Conference. The Scarlet Knights tallied a new single-season attendance mark and posted the sixth-best attendance total (18,877) and average (2,697) in the nation, according to a report released . RU ended its inaugural Big Ten Conference campaign No. 21 in the nation in the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll after a 14-7 campaign that featured a pair of ranked wins and five NCAA Championships selections. The Scarlet Knights wrapped up the 2012-13 season at No. 25 in the USA Today/ NWCA Coaches Poll after recording a 16-4 mark and sending seven wrestlers to the 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championships. In 2011-12, Rutgers played host to one of four regional sites of the 2012 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, continuing to boost the Scarlet Knight grapplers national prominence. RU ranked ninth in the final USA Today/ NWCA Coaches Poll in 2010-11 after posting an all-time best 21-2 record. Nine Scarlet Knights placed at the EIWA Championships, including Scott Winston who took home the 165-pound title to become the first RU wrestler to capture an EIWA championship since Tom Tanis in 2001. RU qualified eight individuals for the NCAA Championships, which tied a school record. In 2009-10, Leonardis helped Rutgers to a No. 22 finish in the final USA Today/ NWCA Division I Team Coaches Poll after posting a 19-5-1 record. Seven Scarlet Knights earned NCAA bids, which at the time was the most since 1960. The No. 22 ranking was the highest in school history at that point. The Scarlet Knights put together a 15-match unbeaten streak from early December to late February which was the longest streak in school history. Leonardis was a three year varsity wrestling letterwinner at Lehigh before graduating in 1997. He was an EIWA Champion in 1996 in the 190-pound weight class. The Sea Girt, N.J., native played football and wrestled for Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J. His senior year he was a captain for both wrestling and football, leading each program to a State Championship. During his wrestling career, Leonardis was a four-time National Prep placewinner and champion and an Amateur Wrestling News All-American. On the coaching front, Leonardis has extensive experience. For six years (2000-06), he compiled a .720 winning percentage as the head coach at Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J. Leonardis-coached teams placed in the top-five of the National Prep Championships five times. He coached 32 National Prep Place winners and four Junior National All-Americans. The nine-year assistant coach also worked as the New Jersey Wrestling Federation Coach from 1997-2007, receiving Coach of the Year honors three times from the . Rutgers wrestlings Anthony Ashnault and Richie Lewis are brining two wins back to New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights captured victories Saturday night at the Wolstein Center in the 51st Annual All-Star Classic. Redshirt junior 141-pounder Anthony Ashnault is set to compete in the 51st Annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic this Saturday in Cleveland, Ohio. The two-time All-American will face off against 2016 NCAA runner-up Bryce Meredith of Wyoming. Rutgers athletics announced Thursday a student contest that combines the historic Battle at the Birthplace wrestling match and the football game versus Penn State at High Point Solutions Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 19. Rutgers wrestling is the No. 12 ranked team in the nation, according to the USA Today/ National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division I Coaches Poll, released Wednesday afternoon. Rutgers head wrestling coach Scott Goodale and Princeton head wrestling coach Chris Ayres will participate in a pre-match skull session in Athletes Glen prior to the Battle at the Birthplace, presented by Autoland, on Nov. 19. Redshirt 141-pounder Anthony Ashnault has been invited to partake in the 51st Annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic in Cleveland, Ohio on Nov. 5. The two-time All-American will face off against 2016 NCAA runner-up Bryce Meredith of Wyoming. Head coach Scott Goodale and members of the Rutgers wrestling team addressed the media on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at the Rutgers Athletic Center for the teams 2016-17 Media Day. The team begins the dual season on Friday, Nov. 11 at Cal State Bakersfield against the Roadrunners and San Francisco State. Parking for the "Battle at the Birthplace", presented by Autoland, against Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 19 at High Point Solutions Stadium will follow the parking rules put in place for the Rutgers Football game vs. Penn State scheduled for later that same day.

Pollard begins his seventh year On the Banks in 2016-17. Pollard continues in the volunteer assistant coach role after serving as one of the Rutgers wrestling programs assistant coaches in 2011-12. He assists in all facets of the wrestling program, including training, conditioning and opponent scouting. In Pollards time at Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights have produced four All-Americans, two conference champions, 39 NCAA Championship bids, 12 Big Ten Conference Championship placewinners, and 28 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA)Championships placewinners. RU set a school record in duals won (21) and tied Rutgers best total for NCAA qualifiers (eight) in 2011. Pollard joined the Scarlet Knights after spending seven seasons as an assistant coach at The College of New Jersey under legendary coach Dave Icenhower. While at TCNJ, Pollard helped the Lions reach new heights as 18 wrestlers earned All-America honors under Pollards tutelage. For his successes at TCNJ, Pollard was named NCAA Division III National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2007. Prior to accepting the position at TCNJ, Pollard was a three-year varsity starter at Rider University. While at Rider, Pollard was a two-time Josh Hanson Award winner, given to the wrestler who demonstrates exceptional leadership, work ethic and academics. A placewinner at the Prep Nationals as a student at the Peddie School, Pollard was a New Jersey State qualifier. A two-time first-team All-County selection, he was also a three-time County Champion and earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors at the Mercer County tournament. Pollard currently resides in Hamilton, N.J.   Email Joe Pollard A strong presence in Rutgers wrestling room over the last six seasons, Joe Pollard begins his seventh year On the Banks in 2016-17. Pollard continues in the volunteer assistant coach role after serving as one of the Rutgers wrestling programs assistant coaches in 2011-12. He assists in all facets of the wrestling program, including training, conditioning and opponent scouting.

Ashnault saved his best for last as a senior at the 2012 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo., from March 15-17. The 141-pounder upset two seeded wrestlers and compiled a 3-2 record in his final national meet as a Rutgers wrestler, finishing one victory shy of securing All-America honors. Ashnault was dangerous in the consolation bracket, first edging No. 10 Jake Sueflohn of Nebraska by a score of 5-4 and then topping No. 12 Tyler Small of Kent State, 1-0. Ashnault earned a degree in Exercise Science and Sport Studies in his time On the Banks.     Rutgers wrestlings Anthony Ashnault and Richie Lewis are brining two wins back to New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights captured victories Saturday night at the Wolstein Center in the 51st Annual All-Star Classic. Redshirt junior 141-pounder Anthony Ashnault is set to compete in the 51st Annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic this Saturday in Cleveland, Ohio. The two-time All-American will face off against 2016 NCAA runner-up Bryce Meredith of Wyoming. Rutgers athletics announced Thursday a student contest that combines the historic Battle at the Birthplace wrestling match and the football game versus Penn State at High Point Solutions Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 19. Rutgers wrestling is the No. 12 ranked team in the nation, according to the USA Today/ National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division I Coaches Poll, released Wednesday afternoon. Rutgers head wrestling coach Scott Goodale and Princeton head wrestling coach Chris Ayres will participate in a pre-match skull session in Athletes Glen prior to the Battle at the Birthplace, presented by Autoland, on Nov. 19. Redshirt 141-pounder Anthony Ashnault has been invited to partake in the 51st Annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic in Cleveland, Ohio on Nov. 5. The two-time All-American will face off against 2016 NCAA runner-up Bryce Meredith of Wyoming. Head coach Scott Goodale and members of the Rutgers wrestling team addressed the media on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at the Rutgers Athletic Center for the teams 2016-17 Media Day. The team begins the dual season on Friday, Nov. 11 at Cal State Bakersfield against the Roadrunners and San Francisco State. Parking for the "Battle at the Birthplace", presented by Autoland, against Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 19 at High Point Solutions Stadium will follow the parking rules put in place for the Rutgers Football game vs. Penn State scheduled for later that same day.