MARCH MADNESS HITS THE MATS!!! 
 Star college wrestlers in the major Conferences vie for berths at NCAA Championships 
 WRESTLING FOR THE NEXT MILLENNIUM CAMPAIGN SUPPORTS ELITE ATHLETES AND THE FUTURE OF THE SPORT 
 To many sports fans, March Madness means hoopin' it up on the hardwood. But, for the collegiate wrestling community the second season begins this weekend as the nation's best wrestlers battle for the highest placement possible at their respective Div. I conference tournaments.  
 The goal: To place as high as he can to ensure the best seed possible for the upcoming NCAA Div. I Championships, which will be held at The Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pa., March 18-20. 
 These important events will help focus attention on a major new effort to ensure the future of wrestling on all levels. "Wrestling for the Next Millennium" is a joint capital campaign by USA Wrestling, The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Coaches Association, who are working together to raise $10 million for the sport of wrestling by the end of the year 2000.  
 Included in the campaign is the goal to raise $6 million to endow USA Wrestling's National Teams, which will provide living and training expenses for the best Olympic wrestlers in the nation. In addition, it also funds full-time professional National Coaches in freestyle and Greco-Roman. 
 Many of the athletes competing in this weekend's conference tournaments will be the recipients of this National Team support in the future. 
 Among the major conference wrestling championships this weekend are the Big Ten Conference (March 6-7; Ann Arbor, Mich.), Big 12 (March 6; Ames, Iowa), the Atlantic Coast Conference (March 7; Charlottesville, Va.), the Eastern Wrestling League (March 5-6, Cleveland, Ohio) and the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (March 5-6, West Point, N.Y.). 
 Wrestling supporters will also keep a close eye on the NCAA Division III Championships in Trenton, N.J., March  5-6 and the NCAA Division II Championships in Omaha, Neb., March 13-14.  
 "This is our time of year as well - not just the time for NCAA basketball. We (the USA Wrestling staff and coaches) scout  all major conferences and the NCAA Championships (Div. I, II and III) to get a pulse on the competition and future stars. Our World and Olympic team members once had to wrestle their way through conference tournaments and the NCAA Championships," said Jim Scherr, Executive Director of USA Wrestling. "This is our future." 
 College wrestling has long been a proving ground for future Olympic stars. Seven 1996 Olympic Games medalists were college wrestling stars. Included were gold medalists Kendall Cross (Oklahoma State), Tom Brands (Iowa) and Kurt Angle (Clarion). Silver medalists Brandon Paulson (Minnesota), Matt Ghaffari (Cleveland State) and Townsend Saunders (Arizona State) were also college stars. Indiana State's Bruce Baumgartner won a bronze medal, his fourth career Olympic medal. 
 "Wrestling for the Next Millennium" is chaired by business leader Scott Beck, a former chairman of Blockbuster Video and founder of Boston Chicken and Einstein Bros. Bagels. Honorary co-chairs are Dan Gable and Nancy Schultz, widow of Olympic champion Dave Schultz. 
 The committee's goal is to raise $10 million by January 2000.  Of this total, $6 million will endow its national teams, which will ensure living and training expenses; $2 million is planned for expansion and renovation of the Stillwater, Okla.-based Wrestling Hall of Fame; and $1 million will go to the National Wrestling Coaches Association.  The final $1 million is planned for USA Wrestling's new "Beat the Streets" program, an aggressive program to promote the sport at the local level. 
 Each program to be endowed by the campaign could be named in honor of a donor. Pledges can be earmarked for specific programs and can be made in lump sums or monthly payments. 
 For information on participating in the Wrestling for the Next Millennium campaign, contact USA Wrestling, 6155 Lehman Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, (800)999-8531.