They're old buddies. They've been hanging around together for years.

It's time, though, for Scott Glasser to throw Greco-Roman wrestling overboard.

At the Cadet and Junior Nationals, which begin today at the Fargodome, Glasser plans to take a bye through the first five days. He won't take the mat until Thursday.

That's a 180-degree change from his first four visits to the Cadet and Junior Nationals. He placed third in both Greco-Roman and freestyle in Cadets in 2004. Last year he took a fifth in Greco-Roman and was eliminated with a 4-2 record in freestyle.

Scott Knowlen, the state Juniors director and Glasser's coach at BismarckHigh, said his prodigy learned a hard lesson last summer at the Fargodome.

"Last year's experience played into his decision to go freestyle only," Knowlen said. "He was banged up after Greco."

Glasser wrestled 10 Greco-Roman matches en route to his fifth-place showing. "Iwasn't satisfied in freestyle or Greco," he recalled. "Iwent overtime with the guy who won it (in Greco-Roman) and the next match I didn't do to well."

So Glasser wants to save everything for freestyle in this his final Junior Nationals. "There are like 120 guys in a bracket. … Your muscles are so torn up after 10 (Greco-Roman)matches and freestyle is even more tiring."

So Glasser, who will enroll at the University of Minnesota next month, has pared his load down to three all-consuming days.

"My goal is to win it," he said.

That will take a record of about 10-0 against the best competition Glasser can find.

"I need to avoid injury and just wrestle hard," he said.

In the Glasser dictionary, wrestling hard means wrestling HARD - with intensity, concentration and focus.

"This is something where I can achieve and build and improve my wrestling a lot," he said. "It gives me more matches and mat time."

Another returning All-American, JohnBasting of Grand Forks, is also going freestyle-only.He was knocked out of the tournament last summer when he suffered a dislocated shoulder after starting 6-1 in the Greco-Roman tournament.

Knowlen and his coaching staff have been working with about 40 wrestlers in a two-week pre-nationals camp at Bismarck High. Among them are 11 state high school champions, including Basting and Glasser. The other champions are DaronHohbein, Jake Mellmer, Luke Mellmer, Matt Nyvold, BrianReisenauer, Nathan Schweitzer, Josiah Simburger, Justin Solberg and Tyler Steinwand.

"We have a nice little spike of talent," Knowlen said. "… There are five returning All-Americans, which is quite a few. I think that's the most we've had since that spike back in the mid-90s."

In 1995 North Dakota placed third in freestyle at Junior National and in the national duals won the freestyle tournament and placed second inGreco.

Knowlen said a two-week camp is probably more than most states run, but notes that there's a reason.

"There are a lot of (North Dakota)guys who don't get as much spring and summer wrestling in as we'd like," he said. "That's the reason we need a couple of weeks - to get them ready technically and physically.

"These kids are putting it on the line. It's a big commitment for them to take three weeks out of their summer."

Knowlen and his BHSco-coach, Jeff Schumacher, said the turnout of Bismarck wrestlers at the camp was disappointingly small.

"Ialways encourage my own athletes to better themselves in the off-season by getting summer mat time," Knowlen said. "Some choose to do so, some don't. … There's an old adage that definitely applies:'Summer wrestlers make winter champions.'"

Schumacher said he can't understand athletes who pass up a shot at what amounts to the big leagues of wrestling.

"I think the kids who didn't come to camp need to look at themselves," he said. "… The level of wrestling at Fargo is the best wrestling you could possibly find."

CADETANDJUNIORNATIONALS SCHEDULE

At the Fargodome

Saturday

11 a.m. - Cadet Greco-Roman, session 1.

4 p.m. - Cadet Greco-Roman, Session 2.

Sunday

11 a.m. - Junior Greco-Roman, session 1.

4 p.m. - Junior Greco-Roman, session 2; Cadet Greco-Roman, session 3.

Monday

9 a.m. - Junior Greco-Roman, session 3; Cadet Greco-Roman, session 4; Girls freestyle, session 1.

3 p.m. - Cadet Greco-Roman, session 5, finals and medal matches.

6:30 p.m. - Girls freestyle, session 2.

Tuesday

9 a.m. - Junior Greco-Roman, session 4; Girls freestyle, session 3, pool finals, finals and medal matches.

1:30 p.m. - Junior Greco-Roman, session 5, finals and medal matches;Girls freestyle national duals, rounds 1-2.

Wednesday

9 a.m. - Girls freestyle national duals, rounds 3, 4, 5 and placement matches.

10:30 a.m. - Cadet freestyle, session 1.

4 p.m. - Cadet freestyle, session 2.

Thursday

10:30 a.m. - Junior freestyle, session 1.

4 p.m. - Junior freestyle, session 2; Cadet freestyle, session 3.

Friday, July 28

9 a.m. - Junior freestyle, session 3; Cadet freestyle, session 4.

3 p.m. -Junior freestyle, session 4; Cadet freestyle, session 5, finals and medal matches.

Saturday, July 29

9 a.m. - Junior freestyle, session 5.

2 p.m. - Junior freestyle, session 6, finals and medal matches.

TEAMNORTHDAKOTA

Juniors

Sean Ballard, Devils Lake, 152 pounds, freestyle, G-R, (2nd in state HStournament).

JohnBasting, Grand Forks, 140 pounds, freestyle (state HSchampion, 2-time All-American).

Collin Engelhardt, Bismarck, 145 pounds, freestyle, G-R.

Evan Forde, Fargo, 119 pounds, freestyle, G-R (2nd in state HStournament).

Scott Glasser, Bismarck, 160 pounds, freestyle (5-time state HSchampion, 3-time All-American).

DaronHohbein, Mandan, 125 pounds, freestyle (state HSchampion).

Dusty Holmes, West Fargo, 130 pounds, freestyle (6th in state HStournament).

Dustin Kreuger, Jamestown, 119 pounds, freestyle (5th in state HStournament).

Gus Lee, Hillsboro, 135 pounds (3rd in state HStournament).

Geoff Martin, Fargo, 135-130 pounds, freestyle, G-R (5th in state HStournament).

Jake Mellmer, Dickinson, 135-130 pounds, freestyle,G-R(4-time state HSchampion, All-American).

Luke Mellmer, Dickinson, 145 pounds, freestyle, G-R (state HSchampion, 2-time All-American).

Graham Mootz, Devils Lake, 160 pounds, freestyle, G-R.

Matt Nyvold, Wahpeton, 119 pounds, freestyle, G-R(state HSchampion).

Brian Reisenauer, Fargo, 98 pounds, freestyle, G-R (stateHSchampion).

JoshRoberts, Grand Forks, 125 pounds, freestyle, G-R, 2nd in state HStournament, All-American).

BrandonRoehrich, Stanley, 140-135 pounds, freestyle, G-R (7th in state HStournament).

Nathan Schweitzer, Minot, 140 pounds, freestyle, G-R (state HS champion).

Shane Scott, Belcourt, 112 pounds, freestyle, G-R (3rd in state HStournament).

Josiah Simburger, Mandan, 140 pounds, freestyle, G-R (state HSchampion).

Ben Simons, Enderlin, 160 pounds, freestyle, G-R.

Cody Slusher, Fargo, 130 pounds, freestyle, G-R.

Justin Solberg, Wahpeton, 119 pounds, freestyle, G-R (2-time state HSchampion).

Tyler Steinwand, Mandan, 130 pounds, freestyle (2-time state HSchampion).

Cameron Stewart, Grand Forks, 215 pounds, freestyle, G-R.

Nick Walton, Fargo, 145 pounds, freestyle, G-R (8th in state HStournament).

Cadets

Garrett Andel, Valley City, 171 pounds, freestyle(7th in state HStournament).

Chris Benson, Devils Lake, 130 pounds, freestyle.

Jordan Braaten, Fargo, 140 pounds, freestyle, G-R.

Jake Bruns, Fargo, 275 pounds, freestyle, G-R (7th in state HStournament).

Cameron Keller, Mandan, 160 pounds, freestyle,G-R.

Joe Latham, Bismarck, 152 pounds, freestyle,G-R.

DerekLee, Bismarck, 135 pounds, G-R (7th in state HStournament).

Tyler Lehmann, Fargo, 119 pounds, freestyle, G-R (2nd in state HStournament).

Donn Nelson, LaMoure, 145 pounds, freestyle.

Patrick Nord, Enderlin, 135 pounds, freestyle (8th in state HStournament).

Jerrod Peterson, Grand Forks, 125-119 pounds, freestyle, G-R (7th in state HStournament).

JoshSchuh, Bismarck, 171 pounds, G-R.

Beau Vogeli, Oakes, 140 pounds, freestyle (2nd in state HStournament).

Jesse Finneman, Bismarck, 160 pounds, freestyle, G-R.