Unique Wrestling Opportunity: Isringhausen, Beffa have chance to tour Europe this summer
By Tom Rackers of the News Tribune, www.newstribune.com


Coach David Ganey works with Patrick Beffa (left) and Trevor Isringhausen in the Helias wrestling room Friday. Beffa and Isringhausen have a chance to take a wrestling trip to Europe this summer.

Jefferson City, MO - Developing not only as wrestlers, but as wrestlers, but as people. That's the idea behind a cultural exchange program by Team Excel.

Team Excel is a club sanctioned by USA Wrestling and also a Junior Olympic Program, and two local wrestlers - Trevor Isringhausen of Jefferson City High School and Patrick Beffa of Helias High School - have the opportunity to make the trip to Europe this summer.

"It's a great chance for Patrick and Trevor to not only improve their wrestling skills by seeing how wrestlers in Europe train, but also develop other skills that will make them more successful citizens and athletes," said David Ganey, director and coach for the Missouri Team Excel Program.

The tour is scheduled for July 27-Aug 7 and will visit three cities - Munich, Germany; Bibione, Italy and Salsburg, Austria - to compete against club teams from those countries. Other wrestlers on the 20 person US team on the tour will come from Colorado, Iowa, and Hawaii.
"Financial support thus far has been provided by several area businesses. We're still looking for sponsors to help us out," Ganey said.

Team Excel Missouri is a State-club program focused on youth development, working on freestyle wrestling in the off-season in Central Missouri.

"This is a great opportunity to still coach, yet have time for my family," said Ganey, former Co-head coach at Helias who currently teaches at Jefferson City High School. "I get to work with the kids from age 8 through high school, and to interact with them has been tremendous."