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Joel Sharratt is currently in his fourth season at the helm of the Air Force wrestling program. In his first three years, Sharratt has already made his mark on the Falcons' program. In 2008, Air Force, which put together a 9-9 overall dual record, had a solid year, capturing a second-place finish at the 2008 NCAA West Regional, matching their best-ever showing at the tournament (also finishing second in 2003). Jake Kriegbaum, named the Outstanding Wrestler at the West Regional, and Tyler French both won their respective weight classes at the NCAA West Regional/WWC Championships, while three others--Jacob Devlin, Stephen Crozier and Tony Dorward--placed second. For helping orchestrate Air Force's remarkable turnaround, Sharratt was named the Western Wrestling Conference Coach of the Year. Kriegbaum and French were honored as first-team All-WWC selections, while Devlin, Crozier and Dorward were named to the second team. To cap off the season, the Falcons also sent four wrestlers--Kriegbaum, French, Devlin and Crozier--to the NCAA Championships for the third time in the past four seasons. All four won at least one match at the national meet, with Kriegbaum and Devlin each bringing home two victories. Although faced with a rebuilding task in his first season as head coach, Sharratt helped lead Air Force to a 3-1 mark in its inaugural season in the Western Wrestling Conference. With the Falcons earning a sixth-place team finish at the NCAA West Regional, Crozier and Devlin led Air Force as third-team all-conference selections. Sharratt's influence has been notable off the mat as well. The Falcons are in the top 10 percent of the NCAA APR (Academic Progress Rate) rankings among all Division I wrestling institutions, while earning NWCA All-Academic honors as a team in 2009. In addition, Stephen Crozier, a 2009 graduate was named to the NWCA All-Academic team in 2008 and 2009, and was also a three-time member of the WWC All-Academic team. Already, the goals that Sharratt set upon his arrival seem to be coming to fruition. "Air Force has a great program and a great staff and I'm looking forward to the chance to get it going," said Sharratt in 2006. "My goals for the Air Force wrestling program are for every athlete to graduate and be commissioned as an Air Force officer, for our wrestlers to be leaders in the Cadet Wing, and for each individual to reach his full potential on the mat." The multi-faceted approach to molding cadets into future leaders--through military training, academic endeavors and athletic competition--is one that Sharratt is quick to embrace. "The opportunity to work and serve at an institution where athletics is recognized as an extension of the classroom is important to me," said Sharratt. "Here at the Air Force Academy, the wrestling program is the Combative classroom, where the rubber meets the road in testing each individual's ability to perform under stress and pressure, demonstrate the ability to be flexible and ready to adapt to the rapidly changing circumstances you experience in a combat sport and develop the disposition to impose our program's physical, technical and mental strategy in a real world environment. It is where we educate the cadets on the myriad of possibilities confronting you in a combat situation." "Civilian schools' sports are simply thought of as entertainment or extracurricular activity," continued Sharratt. "Here, we are an integral contributor to the mission of the institution. Each year that a cadet commits 100 percent to our wrestling program is the equivalent of a 12-month immersion program in Global Engagement!" Sharratt is no stranger to the unique mission and demands of a service academy, arriving at Air Force after spending six seasons as the head assistant wrestling coach at the United States Naval Academy. In 2005-06, Sharratt helped lead the Midshipmen to a 13-2 dual record, their best win total since the 1990-91 season, while also sending five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Sharratt was also a tenured assistant professor at the Naval Academy, teaching physical education courses in wrestling, martial arts, judo and hand-to-hand combat, while additionally serving as the faculty chair of the USNA combative courses. A 1995 graduate of the University of Iowa, Sharratt was a three-time All-American, earning three trips to the NCAA Finals, winning the championship in 1994. Training under the tutelage of legendary coach Dan Gable during his college career, Sharratt was a four-year letterwinner for the Hawkeyes, and was twice selected as the team captain. Sharratt led his team to the 1995 Big Ten and NCAA titles, winning the Big Ten individual championship that season. Sharratt also competed as a member of the 1993 and 1994 Big Ten Championship teams, as well as the 1992 and 1994 NCAA Championship teams. Following his college career, Sharratt was a two-time member of the U.S. National Team, earning the bronze medal at both the 1996 Olympic Trials and 1997 Pan American Championships. While competing on the international level, Sharratt represented the United States around the world including trips to Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Italy, France and Canada. Accomplishments as a coach in the freestyle arena included cadet national champions and junior national champions, as well as multiple national team members and world medalists. Sharratt has also served as a graduate assistant at the University of Minnesota, where he earned his master's degree in sports administration in 2000, serving a two year position as the Developmental Freestyle Coach for the state of Minnesota. Sharratt also worked as an assistant coach at Lehigh from 1996-98 and as a graduate assistant at his alma mater during the 1995-96 season. Sharratt and his wife, Jamie, live in Monument, Colo., with their four daughters, Tori (5), Taylor (3), Carly (1) and Trista, who was born in September 2009. |
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