AU Volunteer Assistant Coach Brad Vering has been named the 2007 Wrestling Male Athelte of the Year, U.S. Olympic Committee officials announced this week. Vering won a silver medal during September's Senior World Championships to lead the U.S. team to its first world title.

Vering currently splits time between AU and Colorado Springs, Colo., where he is currently training for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Vering joined the AU coaching staff prior to the 2006-07 season, rejoining Head Coach Mark Cody who was an assistant coach at Nebraska University during Vering's time as a Cornhusker.

Vering was a three-time All-American at NU and captured the 2000 197 lbs. National Championship. Vering is currently fourth on the Huskers career wins list and ranks in their top-10 in career win percentage, dual meet win percentage and most wins in a season.

Since graduating in 2001, Vering has continued to demonstrate his abilities on the wrestling mat as one of the top competitors in the world. He was a silver medalist in this past fall's Senior World Championships, a gold medalist at the 2007 Pan American Games and has four career titles at the U.S. World Team Trials.

Vering was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team and is the top U.S. seed attempting to qualify for the 2008 Beijing games.