The series has gone through a few iterations in the past few years and though attendance has been great for many dual meets this season, the series itself hasn't captured the imagination of fans and athletes. That is caused by many factors, not the least of which is a lack of larger influence on the teams and their wrestlers. Stake-driven matchups and dual meets with immediate consequences are the only way fans, wrestlers and the media will start to make a bigger investment in the sport and its future.
Speaking of investment, it was announced this week that Wyoming Seminary will start a women's wrestling program next year -- a move that was met with plenty of cheer. This was an awesome move by one of the nation's top programs and one of the steps necessary to get our girls into the mainstream!
To your questions ..
Kyle Dake finished runner-up at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials at 86 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Q: Seeing Kyle Dake beat up on Alex Dieringer was a bit strange. I expected Dake to win, but that was a tad lopsided. Both had legendary achievements in college. It illustrates how hard it is to win on the international level. Only six wrestlers qualify for the Olympics now due to the reduced weight classes. If we look at the last quad there were 40 NCAA champs (10 weight classes x 4 years), only 29 individuals won titles, since some won multiple times. Of the six freestyle Olympians in 2016, only four were Division I NCAA champs and only two of those were from this past quad. It shows just how elite that next level really is.
-- Chad L.
Foley: That next level really is really NEXT LEVEL. Kyle Dake is a total flamethrower right now. I've been down on him the past few years, but only because he wasn't "wrestling" during his matches. When he did there was magic. When he was in blocking and tackling mode he lacked that spark that makes him special. When he's conservative he can be much less effective from start to finish.
Kyle Snyder during the national anthem before Ohio State wrestled Arizona State (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Q: I don't understand the rules that allow Kyle Snyder to remain a college amateur. He can't be a full-time student with all his travel. I also thought that the Olympic winners were given a cash prize ($250,00?). So what am I missing here?
-- Ed
Foley: He can! Not too much travel for a guy like Snyder to take a week here or there. Think about the college basketball and football players. Those guys miss weeks upon weeks in a row and are often accommodated. Snyder is an Olympic champion and the academic staff at Ohio State is certain to know that success and want to play a part in his success.
From what I understand Snyder's money is held in escrow until he graduates.
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
The 2017 Freestyle World Cup is on. The USA has a difficult draw, but there is a lot of talent on the team that could result in some head-turning results.
Wrestling at the Super Bowl
Q: Do you see more major tournaments using a format like the Paris International tournament, with a mix of women's freestyle, men's freestyle, and Greco-Roman competing each day? Would this ever be an option logistically for the World Championships or Olympics? I really like the format, and feel it gives better exposure to all of the styles.
-- Gabe S.
Foley: That happens every so often and I'm confident you'll be seeing much more of that format in the future, too. Wrestling likes the cross-pollination and has looked to achieve this at every world championship for more than a decade. The bigger question is when will this be the norm for the NCAA?
Q: I'm excited for Penn State vs. Oklahoma State in the NWCA Division I National Duals championship. I would love to hear your weight-by-weight predictions on that dual meet.
-- Darren D.
Foley: Penn State 25 , Oklahoma State 8
125: No. 2 Nick Suriano (Penn State) dec. No. 11 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State), 5-1 (3-0 PSU)
133: No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) maj. dec. George Carpenter (Penn State), 13-1 (4-3 OSU)
141: No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) maj. dec. No. 11 Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State), 9-1 (8-3 OSU)
149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) dec. No. 3 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State), 9-2 (8-6 OSU)
157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) dec. No. 6 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State), 7-3 (9-8 PSU)
165: No. 4 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) dec. No. 8 Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State), 9-4 (12-8 PSU)
174: No. 7 Mark Hall (Penn State) dec. No. 9 Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State), 4-3 (15-8 PSU)
184: No. 2 Bo Nickal (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 6 Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State), 14-5, (19-8 PSU)
197: No. 9 Matt McCutcheon (Penn State) dec. No. 8 Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State), 4-1 (22-8 PSU)
285: No. 3 Nick Nevills (Penn State) dec. No. 6 Austin Schafer (Oklahoma State), 3-2 (25-8 PSU)
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