Wrestler

This might be hard for non-wrestling fans to understand, but to those who loved Chris Benoit's work, his grisly double-killing and suicide was as shocking as if Peyton Manning or Tim Duncan or Derek Jeter had committed the same acts. He was that good at what he did and that respected by fans and peers for doing everything the right way. As such, accounts of the way he strangled his wife, smothered his child and hanged himself are as disturbing as any I've encountered. They raise countless questions about drugs, the vagaries of the mind and our propensity for glorifying risk.

In 1989, a one-time college wrestler from New York arrived at UMBC to interview for the job of athletic director. He never left. Yesterday, Dr. Charles Brown - now the longest-tenured college AD in Maryland - signed a contract extension that will keep him at UMBC through 2011. "Four more years is about as much as I can go," Brown, 62, said. "May they be as enjoyable as my first 18 here." During that stretch, UMBC has gained a foothold in Division I athletics. In the past 10 years, the Retrievers have won 42 league championships and upgraded facilities for nearly all of the school's 19 varsity sports.

Former Arundel wrestler Nicole Woody, the first girl to reach a state final while competing against boys, has signed to wrestle at Oklahoma City University. Woody, who made her decision Monday, will join a women's program that is just getting started. The Stars' first dual meet will be against the University of the Cumberlands of Kentucky on Oct. 13. Woody, who was the Class 4A-3A state runner-up at 103 pounds last March, was America's lone junior world champion - male or female - in Guatemala last August.

It has been eight days since North Carroll's top wrestler, Tom Goretsas, was sidelined by a weigh-in interpretation at the state duals, taking down with him the Panthers' plans for a state championship. Despite the setback, Goretsas and his teammates are doing their best to look ahead to next weekend's county individual championships, and then to the state individual championships, secure in the knowledge that they have played a role in reviving a sport that is important in the North Carroll community.

Professional wrestler Diamond Dallas Page isn't a bad guy. He just plays one on TV.The former good guy of World Championship Wrestling "turned heel" recently. Outside the ring, though, Page sheds his villainous image for a charity of his own creation: Bang It Out for Books, which provides books and educational materials for kids at schools in need.Page himself (real name Page Falkinburg) has struggled with reading all his life, and discovered only as an adult that he was dyslexic. The Sun caught up with Page last week at autograph sessions to raise money for the charity in Baltimore (donations stay in the communities where they are made)

IF THERE'S ONE question that troubles every thinking person, it's this: Does cheating go on in professional wrestling?In an effort to find an answer, I recently attended a tournament sanctioned by Florida Championship Wrestling. I chose FCW for two solid journalistic reasons:* It is a venerable circuit in the minor leagues of professional wrestling, where the potential stars of tomorrow learn the ground rules, the do's and don't's, that make up the ethical standards of the sport.* It is near my house.

When Western Maryland coach John Lowe first heard news of a wrestler who barely spoke a word of English but had competed internationally, he and an assistant went after him."We literally left the phone swinging and went out the door," Lowe recalled. "Here was an opportunity We wanted to learn from him."That was in 1995, when Lowe was in his third season at Western Maryland but still a competitive wrestler. He wanted someone to train with him. Little did he imagine that the athlete he sought as a partner would one day become his best hope for an NCAA title.

Wrestler of the YearBrandon Lauer, River Hill, Jr., 112: He extended his two-year career record to 73-0 and won his second state championship. His toughest win at the state meet was a 10-9 victory over third-place finisher John Narlis of Towson, whom he had beaten the previous year at states. Lauer is ranked No. 1 in the state and 13th nationally. His 38-0 record included county and region titles and tournament titles at Magruder, Wicomico and Arundel, as well as 19 pins. He is a national Amateur Athletic Union champ and Eastern National champ.

Wrestler of the YearMatt Pandullo, Meade, Sr., 119 (33-1): With his 4-3 decision over Old Mill's Adam DeCosmo on Saturday, Pandullo accomplished the goal he has aimed for since he first began wrestling in the fifth grade. "Ever since I started wrestling, I wanted to be a state champ. My last year, I got it. I've never felt this good in my whole life," he said, shortly after standing atop the podium over the weekend. It didn't come easy, which is no different from the rest of his stellar four-year career at Meade, where he became the Mustangs' career leader in wins with a 123-17 mark.

Old Mill's two-time 3A-4A state champ Chris Combs and Archbishop Curley's private schools state champ Paul Boettcher earned All-America honors with fourth-place finishes at the weekend's National High School championships at Pittsburgh's Duquesne University.Combs (112) went 6-2 and Boettcher (140) 7-2 in the 10th annual event, which featured 750 public and private school state champs or runners-up from 48 states.DeMatha wrestlers Drew Robertson (140, third) and Wes Cummings (171, third) were Maryland's only other All-Americans in a tournament featuring nine four- time state champs.

Starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei. Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Released by Fox Searchlight; $29.95, Blu-ray, $39.95. **** (4 STARS) Getting a broken-down actor, savaged by time and broken almost beyond repair by his own miscalculations, to play a broken-down wrestler, savaged by time and broken almost beyond repair by his own miscalculations, was only part of the genius behind The Wrestler. The rest was not letting that be the only reason to recommend the movie. Make no mistake: Getting Mickey Rourke, his body and reputation ravaged by years of physical and emotional self-abuse, to play Randy "The Ram" Robinson, was an incredible gamble (financing was tough to come by, given Rourke's track record)

wrestling Wrestler of the Year: Ron Vaughters, Old Mill Vaughters compiled a 38-3 record during the regular season and then rolled to four more wins in the state tournament. The sophomore won the 135-pound title with two pins, a default and a 5-3 decision over last season's 130-pound state title holder, Peter Tatanish of Urbana. One of the most aggressive wrestlers in the state, Vaughters is ranked No. 1 in his weight class by the Maryland State Wrestling Association. Coach of the Year Dan Youngblood, Old Mill In only his second year as a head coach, Youngblood, 42, made history at his alma mater, leading his team to both the state dual meet and state tournament titles in 4A-3A competition.

wrestling Wrestler of the Year Nathan Kraisser, Centennial The 103-pound freshman went 39-1, including a victory at 112 pounds during the regular season when he wrestled up a class to face two-time state champ Scott Mantua of River Hill. He followed that confidence boost by doing what no other wrestler in the 4A-3A class could - he pinned his first three opponents and then won the state title, 12-0. Coach of the Year Ryan Kanaskie, Reservoir The Gators were a surprise from their opening match when they routed Centennial, 51-28.

The brilliance of Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler is that he plays an '80s pro wrestling star, Randy "the Ram" Robinson, a celebrity big enough to earn his own plastic action figure, as if he were a flesh-and-blood action figure. He's a shallow guy with a sense of humor and a heart. He's any overgrown boy's best friend. He's a buddy for all fellow grapplers who follow the sport's elusive rules. He's a playmate for any neighbor kids in his trailer park who can still get a kick out of seeing the Ram's avatar fight in fading first-generation video games.

Most 16-year-olds have a problem with long-term focus. Their minds skip from the next music download to where their friends are going to be Saturday night. But Archbishop Curley wrestler Brett Przywara has a clear vision of what he wants and what it will take to get there. Przywara won the state private schools wrestling title in the 103-pound weight class last winter as a freshman and immediately stepped into the spotlight. "His goal is to win four straight titles," Curley coach Gregg Kessler said of Przywara, who plans to move up to 119 this season.

Matt Cross of Bel Air completed his high school wrestling career with his first individual state title last weekend, and coach Craig Reddish couldn't be happier. "He has worked so hard to accomplish this goal, and the manner in which he went about it is refreshing," Reddish said. "His humble approach makes him a great teammate and a pleasure to work with." Cross finished his stellar senior season with a 4-1 victory over Steven Gamble of Sherwood in the 152-pound Class 4A-3A state title match at Cole Field House.

Few high school careers end the way Bubby Graham's did. The Annapolis wrestler won his third consecutive state title with his 97th straight victory last weekend at the University of Maryland, College Park. The senior was 36-0 this season, his last win a pin of North Harford's Tom Stewart in the Class 4A-3A 160-pound state final. It was his third pin in four state bouts. It made Graham one of four area wrestlers who were undefeated state champions. Graham had a career record of 121-8, including his 32-0 junior season at 152 pounds.

As Chris Gonzalez lies on his back and closes his eyes in an effort to stay calm, a feeling of apprehension creeps into his psyche. The 14-year-old freshman from North Carroll is dressed in a bright-red and black wrestling singlet and a baggy "Panthers" jacket. He's lying near the wall of the Westminster High gym, his white iPod earphones on snugly. As he waits for his match to begin, the 145-pound junior varsity wrestler keeps telling himself, "If you lose, it's OK." Finally, it's his turn.

While many people are asleep at 5:30 a.m., McDonogh wrestler Ben Levin is already at work. The 130-pound senior is running and lifting weights because he knows he's part of one of the best Eagles teams in recent years and wants to stay at the top of his game. The two-year captain and four-year varsity wrestler is part of a No. 1 team that has no weaknesses in its lineup. Levin has been wrestling for 12 years and plans to attend the Naval Academy after graduation, where he'll continue to wrestle.

Mercy girls scoring victories with confidence, balanceGames to watch Coach Mary Ella Marion saw the turnaround in her Mercy girls basketball team start last season, but it really showed last week. The unranked Magic upset then-No. 13 Archbishop Spalding, 46-37, on Monday and knocked off then-No. 6 McDonogh, 41-38, on Wednesday. "We were 14-12 last season, but I started to see the work ethic. I could see some little things, whether it was in a game or in practice. I could see what the kids could accomplish," said Marion, whose team is 14-2 overall and 9-1 in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference.