March 14, 2005

NEWPORT NEWS, VA-- Former Monarch wrestling standout Jeff Rusak was named National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) National Coach of the YEar after leading Apprentice School to a third place finish in the NCWA Nationals in Richardson, TX.

Rusak, in his first year as head coach at the Apprentice School, had six of his wrestlers earn All-American honors as the team took third place out of 51 teams in the national tournament.

The honor came through a vote of coaches participating in the championships.

While wrestling at ODU, Rusak compiled a 135-19 overall record and held a 54-0 dual match record while wrestling for the Monarchs. He was a three- time Virginia State Champion and a four-time NCAA Tournament qualifier. He was also a four-time wrestling MVP for ODU.

Rusak earned CAA Rookie of The Year honors in 1998 and was CAA Wrestler of the Year in 2001-02. That same year he was named the ODU Male Athlete of the Year by the university alumni association.