The spring is often a time of the year that high school senior athletes make their decision concerning where they will attend college. All across the nation, talented and dedicated wrestlers and their families are looking into many possibilities for their athletic and educational futures.    In the old days, a wrestler had college wrestling options in only one style, the collegiate "folkstyle" of wrestling contested at the NCAA, NAIA and junior college levels. However, for high school athletes with goals of winning Olympic medals, for both boys and girls, there is now a option that will allow them to reach their athletic and education goals.    The U.S. Olympic Education Center (USOEC) is located on the campus of Northern Michigan Univ. in Marquette, Mich.  This program, which has an affiliation with the U.S. Olympic Committee, provides elite teams in sports not currently within the NCAA program, including boxing, speedskating, weightlifting and wrestling.    The wrestling trained and contested at the USOEC are men's Greco-Roman and women's freestyle wrestling. The Greco-Roman program, which has been in existence for many years, has become a model system in building future U.S. champions in the style. The women's program, which is completing its first season, has attracted talented athletes who are already making noise on the national level.    Both teams have high-quality coaching staffs. The Greco-Roman program is led by head coach Ivan Ivanov, a past Greco-Roman World medalist, and assistant Steve Goss, a veteran competitor and coach. The women's team is managed by head coach Shannyn Gillespie, also a talented athlete and coach in freestyle.    Each team has a highly competitive schedule, which features both top domestic events as well as international tournaments overseas. Both teams are closely connected with the National Coaching staffs for USA Wrestling, and participate in special training camps and programs. All of the athletes have access to high-quality training facilities, medical staffs and resources. The great thing is that these future U.S. stars are also receiving a quality college education while they are pursuing Olympic goals.    The athletes in the USOEC program are eligible for direct financial support in terms of scholarships. The B.J. Stupak Olympic Scholarship Program is a federally-funded grant program, provided for Olympic hopefuls. This program allows the USOEC athletes to have their education costs covered, similar to an athletic scholarship at a school competing in folkstyle.     In some ways, the financial support is even more extensive than can be received by a "scholarship" from a program affiliated with the NCAA system. And while a Div. I men's college team can provide up to 9.9 scholarships, the USOEC program in Greco-Roman can support more than 25 scholarships to their team.    The USOEC programs at Northern Michigan provide athletes with the kind of coaching, competition, support resources and education that matches opportunities that other college wrestling teams can offer. However, the ability to train and compete in the Olympic styles gives these athletes a decided edge in their quest for Olympic glory later on.    The Greco-Roman program has over 30 athletes involved, many who are already nationally ranked on the Senior level. Although the program is already large, there is room for many new talented and motivated wrestlers each and every year.    "If they are looking for a place to wrestle Greco-Roman in college, they should come to us," said Ivanov. "We will give them the best foundation here. They will not lose four years of international preparation while in college. We have the tools to make them better wrestlers. We have national and international tournaments they can compete in."    Ivanov reminds wrestlers with Olympic goals that if they hope to wrestle in Greco-Roman after college, but decide to compete in a folkstyle program, that they will graduate from college many years behind the athletes who are USOEC wrestlers in Northern Michigan.     More than 20 members of the USOEC team traveled to Bulgaria this year for an extended joint training camp with international stars there, then participated in the Petrov Cup tournament against many top foreign athletes.  The USOEC athletes are showing strong results.    "We are on the brink of world success," said assistant coach Goss. "We are on the cutting edge here."    The women's program started this year with more than a dozen experienced and talented college athletes. Coach Gillespie is seeking to build the roster to be equal in size and prestige as the Greco-Roman team.    "We are trying to get the best wrestlers in the nation," said Gillespie. "The first year, we had the challenge of educating the public about the program, and we have done that. Now we want the most talented wrestlers to come here."    Based upon the success of some of the athletes competing on the first USOEC team, Gillespie has set high goals for the incoming athletes and the overall program.    "A person should come to our school because we have the best training partners, coaching and resources. This is because we are so closely linked to USA Wrestling, the U.S. Olympic Committee and the USOEC. We are trying to develop Olympic champions. We have been seen as a feeder program in the past. But now, some of our athletes already have high rankings. We want to produce some of the best wrestlers in the entire nation."    The coaching staff of both programs always encourage athletes to fill out applications and have themselves considered for the USOEC program. However, current high school seniors need to get their applications sent in right away if they wish to be considered for a spot on the team in the fall.    Those interested in the USOEC Greco-Roman program should contact Coach Ivan Ivanov at 906-227-2869 or via e-mail at iivanov@nmu.edu.    Those interested in the USOEC women's program should contact Coach Shannyn Gillespie at 906-227-1285 or via e-mail at sgillesp@nmu.edu.