InterMat Staff

The 2022 U20 freestyle world team with James Green (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Best of Three Finals Results 57 kg - Jore Volk (Wyoming/MN) 4-2, 3-6, 5-5 over Troy Spratley (Minnesota/TX) 61 kg - Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State/FL) 6-14, 12-7, 15-4 over Jesse Mendez (Ohio State/IN) 65 kg - Vince Cornella (Cornell/CO) 3-4, 12-10, 4-1 over Carter Young (Oklahoma State/OK) 70 kg - Mitchell Mesenbrink (Cal Baptist/WI) 2-2, 7-2 over Levi Haines (Penn State/PA) 74 kg - Alex Facundo (Penn State/MI) 10-0, 12-0 over Jack Thomsen (South Dakota State/IA) 79 kg - Brayden Thompson (Oklahoma State - verbal/IL) 3-2, 2-2 over Luca Augustine (Pittsburgh/PA) 86 kg - Bennett Berge (South Dakota State/MN) 6-11, 13-3, 11-0 over Sam Fisher (Virginia Tech/VA) 92 kg - Jaxon Smith (Maryland/GA) 13-6, 10-0 over Silas Allred (Nebraska/IN) 97 kg - Ben Kueter (Iowa - verbal/IA) 5-0, 7-0 over Noah Pettigrew (North Carolina/GA) 125 kg - Nick Feldman (Ohio State/PA) Fall 3:39, 5-0 over Hunter Catka (Virginia Tech/PA) Challenge Tournament Finals 57 kg - Jore Volk (Wyoming/MN) over Cooper Flynn (Virginia Tech/TN) 5-2 61 kg - Jesse Mendez (Ohio State/IN) over Emilio Ysaguirre (Arizona State/AZ) 12-2 65 kg - Carter Young (Oklahoma State/OK) over Ryan Jack (NC State/CT) 11-5 70 kg - Levi Haines (Penn State/PA) over Hunter Garvin (Stanford/IA) 14-4 74 kg - Jack Thomsen (South Dakota State/IA) over Braeden Scoles (WI) 12-2 79 kg - Brayden Thompson (Oklahoma State - verbal) over Josh Barr (Penn State - verbal) 4-1 86 kg - Bennett Berge (South Dakota State/MN) over Tate Picklo (Oklahoma/OK) 5-2 92 kg - Silas Allred (Nebraska/IN) over Martin Cosgrove (Penn/NJ) Fall 4:18 97 kg - Noah Pettigrew (North Carolina/GA) over Zak Taylor (Nebraska/OH) 11-0 125 kg - Hunter Catka (Virginia Tech/PA) over Josiah Hill (Little Rock/CA) 14-3 Consolation Finals 57 kg - Richie Figueroa (Arizona State/CA) over Nate Jesuroga (Iowa - verbal/Iowa) 11-1 61 kg - Nasir Bailey (North Carolina - verbal/IL) over Kannon Webster (Illinois - verbal/IL) 7-6 65 kg - Tagen Jamison (Minnesota/TX) over Kaleb Larkin (Arizona State/AZ) 8-0 70 kg - Cody Chittum (TN) over Paniro Johnson (Iowa State/PA) 5-4 74 kg - Nicco Ruiz (Arizona State - verbal) over Derek Fields (NC State/OH) 11-0 79 kg - Rocco Welsh (Ohio State - verbal/PA) over James Rowley (Wisconsin/OR) 10-4 86 kg - Caden Rogers (Lehigh/PA) over Clayton Whiting (Missouri/WI) 6-4 92 kg - Hayden Walters (Michigan - verbal/OR) over Evan Bates (Northwestern/IN) 7-6 97 kg - None 125 kg - Aden Attao (ID) over Ben Kawczynski (UW-LaCrosse/WI) 12-0

Benji Peak after his third match at Final X Stillwater (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The United States particularly in our men's freestyle and, of late, women's freestyle programs have emerged as perennial threats to win team titles at the World Championships. With such stacked, star-driven lineups, there is little room for new faces to emerge. Case and point, at the 2021 World Championships, Yianni Diakomihalis was the lone men's freestyle team member making his world debut. The women's freestyle team featured three first-timers (Amy Fearnside, Maya Nelson, and Kylie Welker); however, the Olympic team had none and only one in 2019. All that to say, it's become a big deal when we see a first-time world team member emerge, especially from the lengthy process we have in place (US Open, World Team Trials, Final X). The selection process is tilted towards our returning stars and rightfully so, as they have earned it with world and Olympic medals in the past. Today, we are saluting the four wrestlers that earned a spot on their first world team last night, Seth Gross, Abby Nette, Dymond Guilford, and Benji Peak. Gross was the only first-timer on the men's freestyle team and he did so with the deck stacked against him. The Wisconsin assistant coach finished sixth at the US Open, which gave him a berth at the Trials. There he avenged an Open loss to champion Nico Megaludis with a cradle in the finals, before surviving Daniel DeShazer in two-straight matches. In Stillwater, Gross was paired off with the hometown favorite, Daton Fix. The current Cowboy is a three-time NCAA runner-up and was coming off a silver medal at 61 kg in Oslo, Norway, at the World Championships. In match one, Fix jumped out to a 5-0 and seemed to be cruising in the second period. However, with under two minutes left, Gross kept pushing and made things interesting. With eight seconds left in the contest, he tied the contest at five, but still trailed on criteria, due to a caution. While it was a loss, Gross proved he wasn't there to roll over for the local favorite. Match two was similar as Fix held an early lead, but Gross rallied late. Four scores in the second period gave Gross a 5-4 victory. In the rubber match, it was late-match heroics from Gross again. Trailing 5-4, near the edge of the mat, Fix was grounded and a step-point point looked inevitable. Gross deftly avoided that fate and stepped around the Cowboy star for a takedown. Fix's corner challenged the ruling only to lose. That put him at a 7-5 disadvantage. Fix went for broke in the final ten seconds and was in on Gross' leg, however, the crafty vet exposed Fix for two clinching points. Gross went from a loss via technical superiority to Fix at the 2021 WTT's, to sixth place, at the Open, to Final X and a trip to Serbia, all within nine months. The other wrestler in this group that fought through a three-match battle was Benji Peak, who unseated multiple-time world team member Pat Smith. Like Gross, Peak's back was against the wall after suffering a loss in match one. A four-pointer from Smith late in the first period, proved to be the difference-maker in a 5-3 setback. Undeterred, the young star fought through a mangled singlet in match two to get the victory. Initially, the official ruled that Smith scored at the edge; however, that was taken off the board after a challenge that showed Smith's hand caught in the singlet. Peak would come out on top, 3-2. In the deciding bout, it was once again, a singlet pull that proved to be the turning point. Peak was in an advantageous position as he was on top in par terre and pulled Smith up to his feet in a body lock. Smith countered and fell on top of Peak out of bounds, seemingly for two points. Peak implored his corner to challenge, which they did. The reverse angle replay showed, in fact, there was a singlet grab by Smith. The match two grab was just given a warning; however, a caution and two were doled out in this instance. It proved to be a four-point swing in Peak's favor. A second caution later in the second period put the match out of reach and Peak got his hand raised and after a 6-2 win. On the women's freestyle side, it was inevitable that there would be two first-timers, as 59 and 76 kg, both featured competitors with no previous Senior-level world experience. Dymond Guilford, at 76 kg, became the first woman of the evening to clinch a spot on the world team and did so in impressive fashion versus Yelena Makoyed. Both were collegiate national champions in 2022, in their respective divisions. Guilford was the aggressor throughout the two-match series and frequently found herself on Makoyed's legs. Though there were a few tense moments in match one, she still won comfortably, 10-5. Match two was more one-sided as Guilford won 12-2. Earlier this spring, Guilford also secured a spot on the U23 World Team. Speaking of the U23 World Team, Abby Nette has competed internationally in that age group, but never on the world stage at the Senior level. That will change in a few months. Nette imposed her will from the opening whistle in match one and rarely was out of position or in danger of any sort. She downed Lexie Basham 12-4 and 8-5. Nette's triumph marks a great comeback for the Emmanuel and Campbellsville star who missed significant time within the last year due to a shoulder injury. She resurfaced with the Army WCAP team and was one of three Army wrestlers to earn a trip to Belgrade last night. Greco wrestlers Max Nowry (55 kg) and Jesse Thielke (63 kg) were the others. Of course, Final X is not over as the remainder of the weights will resume on Wednesday from New York City. There will be at least two more first-timers from the women's side of things (53 kg and 72 kg) and possibly more if we see an upset or two. Now that these four have their respective “feet in the door” no one can take this away from them, as most athletes like to say. They have a shot to settle it on the mat, etch their name into American wrestling history and come home with a medal. Doing so would flip the script and give them a leg up on anyone seeking to make the team at their weight in 2023. Final X Stillwater Round One Results Final X Stillwater Round Two and Three Results

Bo Nickal at the 2020 Olympic Team Trials (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On Friday night in Richmond, Virginia, Hodge Trophy winner Bo Nickal finally made his professional MMA debut in dramatic fashion. He needed only 33 seconds to finish off his opponent John Noland via knockout and advance to 1-0. The former wrestler did not attempt a single takedown in the bout. He clearly made a point to display his nascent striking ability. The southpaw landed a hard left hook that stunned Noland. He followed that up with a two-punch combination that sent his opponent to the floor, and the bout was over.

Mallory Velte survives a three-match series to make the world team at 65 kg (photo courtesy of Mark Lundy; LutteLens.com) Final X Stillwater Round Two Results 63 kg GR - Jesse Thielke over Sammy Jones 3-2 76 kg WFS - Dymond Guilford over Yelena Makoyed 12-2 130 kg GR - Cohlton Schultz over Tanner Farmer 5-2 70 kg MFS - Jordan Oliver over Zain Retherford 5-4 72 kg GR - Benji Peak over Patrick Smith 3-2 59 kg WFS - Abby Nette over Lexie Basham 8-5 82 kg GR - Ben Provisor over Spencer Woods 5-3 57 kg MFS - Thomas Gilman over Vito Arujau 14-2 55 kg GR - Max Nowry over Brady Koontz 1-1 61 kg MFS - Seth Gross over Daton Fix 5-4 55 kg WFS - Jacarra Winchester over Jenna Burkert InjDef 92 kg MFS - Nate Jackson over J'den Cox 3-2 65 kg WFS - Forrest Molinari over Mallory Velte 3-1 97 kg MFS - Kyle Snyder over Kollin Moore 12-2 68 kg WFS - Tamyra Mensah-Stock over Sienna Ramirez 10-0 Final X Stillwater Round Three Results 70 kg MFS - Zain Retherford over Jordan Oliver 4-3 72 kg GR - Benji Peak over Patrick Smith 6-2 61 kg MFS - Seth Gross over Daton Fix 9-5 92 kg MFS - J'Den Cox over Nate Jackson 3-0 55 kg WFS - Jacarra Winchester FFT Jenna Burkert 65 kg WFS - Mallory Velte over Forrest Molinari 10-0

Daton Fix wins match one in his Final X series with Seth Gross (photo courtesy of Mark Lundy; LutteLens.com) Final X Stillwater Round One Results 63 kg GR - Jesse Thielke over Sammy Jones 4-4 76 kg WFS - Dymond Guilford over Yelena Makoyed 10-5 130 kg GR - Cohlton Schultz over Tanner Farmer 5-1 70 kg MFS - Zain Retherford over Jordan Oliver 8-3 72 kg GR - Patrick Smith over Benji Peak 5-3 59 kg WFS - Abby Nette over Lexie Basham 12-4 82 kg GR - Ben Provisor over Spencer Woods 8-0 57 kg MFS - Thomas Gilman over Vito Arujau 12-2 55 kg GR - Max Nowry over Brady Koontz 1-1 61 kg MFS - Daton Fix over Seth Gross 5-5 55 kg WFS - Jenna Burkert over Jacarra Winchester 6-4 92 kg MFS - J'den Cox over Nate Jackson 4-2 65 kg WFS - Mallory Velte over Forrest Molinari 9-1 97 kg MFS - Kyle Snyder over Kollin Moore 11-0 68 kg WFS - Tamyra Mensah-Stock over Sienna Ramirez 14-3

David Carr and Joey Lavallee wrestling for true third place (photo courtesy of Mark Lundy; LutteLens.com) Before the action gets underway from Final X Stillwater, there were two wrestle-off matches for true-third place in men's freestyle. Zane Richards and David Carr finished in third place at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in May, but did not meet the eventual second place finishers at their respective weights. Because of this, there are two matches necessary today and a handful of others slated for Final X NYC. These matches are important as the national team members receive a stipend, will receive invites to training camps, and could be selected to wrestle internationally. In both matches, the third place finisher from the Trials, ended up defeating the second place finisher. Zane Richards was in control of his 57 kg contest from the outset and ended the bout before the conclusion of the first period. David Carr and Joey Lavallee had a slow-paced first period, in which the Cyclone star led 3-0. Action picked up in the second and both earned four-point scoring maneuvers, before Carr pulled away with a 16-6 tech. Final Results 57 kg - Zane Richards over Jakob Camacho 10-0 74 kg - David Carr over Joey Lavallee 16-6

3x NCAA Champion Yianni Diakomihalis (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Cornell! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell Central Michigan Chattanooga Clarion Cleveland State Columbia NCAA Qualifiers (70) 2022 125 - Vito Arujau (#2); 133 - Dom Lajoie (#32); 149 - Yianni Diakomihalis (#1); 157 - Hunter Richard (#30); 165 - Julian Ramirez (#13); 174 - Chris Foca (#14); 184 - Jonathan Loew (#11); 197 - Jacob Cardenas (#19); 285 - Lewis Fernandes (#18) 2020 125 - Dom Lajoie (#32); 133 - Chas Tucker (#3); 141 - Noah Baughman (#22); 149 - Hunter Richard (#25); 174 - Brandon Womack (#30); 184 - Jonathan Loew (#28); 197 - Ben Darmstadt (#4); 285 - Brendan Furman (#28) 2019 125 - Vito Arujau (#8); 133 - Chas Tucker (#9); 141 - Yianni Diakomihalis (#1); 174 - Brandon Womack (#16); 184 - Max Dean (#5); 197 - Ben Honis (#9); 285 - Jeramy Sweany (#23) 2018 133 - Chas Tucker; 141 - Yianni Diakomihalis (#3); 165 - Jon Jay Chavez (#16); 174 - Brandon Womack; 184 - Max Dean (#9); 197 - Ben Darmstadt (#2); 285 - Jeramy Sweany 2017 133 - Mark Grey; 157 - Dylan Palacio (#7); 165 - Brandon Womack (#16); 174 - Brian Realbuto (#2); 184 - Gabe Dean (#1); 197 - Ben Honis 2016 125 - Dalton Macri; 133 - Nahshon Garrett (#1); 149 - Joey Galasso; 157 - Dylan Palacio (#5); 165 - Duke Pickett; 174 - Brian Realbuto (#2); 184 - Gabe Dean (#1); 197 - Owen Scott; 285 - Jeramy Sweany 2015 125 - Nahshon Garrett (#2); 133 - Mark Grey; 149 - Chris Villalonga (#5); 157 - Brian Realbuto (#2); 165 - Dylan Palacio (#12); 174 - Duke Pickett; 184 - Gabe Dean (#1); 197 - Jace Bennett (#9); 285 - Jakob Aiken-Phillips 2014 125 - Nahshon Garrett (#2); 133 - Mark Grey (#15); 141 - Mike Nevinger; 149 - Chris Villalonga (#3); 157 - Brian Realbuto (#7); 165 - Dylan Palacio (#14); 184 - Gabe Dean (#3); 197 - Jace Bennett (#10) 2013 125 - Nahshon Garrett (#6); 141 - Mike Nevinger (#11); 149 - Chris Villalonga; 165 - Kyle Dake (#1); 184 - Steve Bosak (#4); 197 - Jace Bennett; 285 - Stryker Lane NCAA Champions Yianni Diakomihalis (141 - 2018, 2019; 149 - 2022) Nahshon Garrett (133 - 2016) Gabe Dean (184 - 2015, 2016) Kyle Dake (165 - 2013) NCAA All-Americans 2022: Vito Arujau (125 - 3rd); Yianni Diakomihalis (149 - 1st); Jonathan Loew (184 - 8th) 2019: Vito Arujau (125 - 4th); Yianni Diakomihalis (141 - 1st); Max Dean (184 - 2nd); Ben Honis (197 - 8th) 2018: Yianni Diakomihalis (141 - 1st); Jon Jay Chavez (165 - 7th); Mat Dean (184 - 8th); Ben Darmstadt (197 - 6th) 2017: Dylan Palacio (157 - 6th); Brandon Womack (165 - 8th); Brian Realbuto (174 - 5th); Gabe Dean (184 - 2nd) 2016: Nahshon Garrett (133 - 1st); Dylan Palacio (157 - 4th); Gabe Dean (184 - 1st) 2015: Nahshon Garrett (125 - 5th); Chris Villalonga (149 - 6th); Brian Realbuto (157 - 2nd); Gabe Dean (184 - 1st) 2014: Nahshon Garrett (125 - 2nd); Brian Realbuto (157 - 6th); Gabe Dean (184 - 3rd) 2013: Nahshon Garrett (125 - 3rd); Mike Nevinger (141 - 5th); Kyle Dake (165 - 1st); Steve Bosak (184 - 3rd) NWCA All-Americans Chas Tucker (133 - First Team) Ben Darmstadt (197 - First Team) NCAA Round of 12 Finishers Julian Ramirez (2022 - 165) Lewis Fernandes (2022 - 285) Mark Grey (2014 - 133) Chris Villalonga (2014 - 149) Dylan Palacio (2014 - 165) EIWA Champions 2022: Vito Arujau (125); Yianni DIakomihalis (149); Jonathan Loew (184) 2020: Chas Tucker (133); Ben Darmstadt (197) 2019: Chas Tucker (133); Yianni Diakomihalis (141); Max Dean (184) 2018: Yianni Diakomihalis (141); Jon Jay Chavez (165); Ben Darmstadt (197) 2017: Dylan Palacio (157); Brandon Womack (165); Brian Realbuto (174); Gabe Dean (184) 2016: Nahshon Garrett (133); Dylan Palacio (157); Brian Realbuto (174); Gabe Dean (184) 2015: Nahshon Garrett (125); Chris Villalonga (149); Brian Realbuto (157); Gabe Dean (184); Jace Bennett (197) 2014: Nahshon Garrett (125); Chris Villalonga (149); Gabe Dean (184); Jace Bennett (197) 2013: Nahshon Garrett (125): Kyle Dake (165); Steve Bosak (184) EIWA Runners-Up 2022: Lewis Fernandes (285) 2020: Hunter Richard (149) 2019: Vito Arujau (125); Brandon Womack (174); Ben Honis (197) 2018: Chas Tucker (133); Max Dean (184) 2016: Joey Galasso (149); Duke Pickett (165) 2015: Dylan Palacio (165) 2014: Dylan Palacio (165) Dual Record 2021-22: 12-3 2021: No Season (Ivy League) 2019-20: 11-7 2018-19: 13-3 2017-18: 13-2 2016-17: 13-2 2015-16: 6-5 2014-15: 17-2 2013-14: 13-1 2012-13: 14-4 EIWA Tournament Placement 2021-22: 1st 2021: No Season (Ivy League) 2019-20: 2nd 2018-19: 2nd 2017-18: 2nd 2016-17: 1st 2015-16: 1st 2014-15: 1st 2013-14: 1st 2012-13: 1st NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 7th (54.5 points) 2021: No Season (Ivy League) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: 7th (59.5 points) 2017-18: 7th (48 points) 2016-17: 8th (60.5 points) 2015-16: 7th (67 points) 2014-15: 5th (71.5 points) 2013-14: 7th (53 points) 2012-13: 5th (65 points) Head Coaching History Mike Grey (2021-Present) Rob Koll (1993-2021) Best Lineup (Comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Vito Arujau: 2x All-American (3rd, 4th), 2x EIWA Champion 133 - Nahshon Garrett: 4x All-American (3rd, 2nd, 5th, 1st), 2016 NCAA Champion, 4x EIWA Champion 141 - Yianni Diakomihalis: 3x All-American (1st, 1st, 1st) 3x NCAA Champion, 3x EIWA Champion 149 - Chris Villalonga: 2015 All-American (5th), 2x EIWA Champion 157 - Dylan Palacio: 2x All-American (4th, 6th), 2x EIWA Champion, 4x EIWA finalist 165 - Kyle Dake: 4x NCAA Champion, 3x EIWA Champion 174 - Brian Realbuto: 3x All-American (2nd, 5th, 6th), 3x EIWA Champion 184 - Gabe Dean: 4x All-American (2nd, 1st, 1st, 3rd), 2x NCAA Champion, 4x EIWA Champion 197 - Ben Darmstadt: 2018 NCAA 6th, 2020 NWCA 1st Team All-American, 2x EIWA Champion 285 - Lewis Fernandes: 2022 NCAA Round of 12 Finisher, 2022 EIWA Runner-Up Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2022: #56 Erik Gibson (PA); #96 Aiden Hanning (NH); #238 Ashton Davis (TN) 2021: #26 Brett Ungar (NJ); #46 Ryan Sokol (MN); #50 Vince Cornella (CO); #61 Cooper Kropman (NY); #147 Justin Mayes (OH); #167 Christian Hansen (NY); #275 Evan Canoyer (NE): #249 Ethan Fernandez (NJ) 2020: #10 Joshua Saunders (MO); #18 Greg Diakomihalis (NY); #69 Cole Handlovic (PA); #76 Ethan Hatcher (OH); #89 Gage McClanahan (PA); #129 Chayse LaJoie (MI); #158 Najee Lockett (OH) 2019: #6 Jacob Cardenas (NJ); #16 Julian Ramirez (FL); #26 Colton Yapoujian (CO); #31 Chris Foca (NJ); #58 Phillip Moomey (NE); #70 Mason Reiniche (TN); #97 Lewis Fernandes (NJ) 2018: #40 Andrew Merola (NJ) 2017: #3 Yianni Diakomihalis (NY); #4 Vito Arujau (NY); #54 Jake Brindley (FL); #59 Seth Janney (PA); #65 Andrew Berreyesa (NV); #70 Brendan Fuhrman (PA) 2016: #16 Ben Darmstadt (OH); #86 Noah Baughman (OH); #92 Max Dean (MI); #114 Foster Karmon (MI); #150 Trence Gillam (CA) 2015: #49 Chas Tucker (MA); #145 Jonathan Furnas (OH) 2014: #23 Joey Galasso (PA); #32 Jon Jay Chavez (ID); #42 Dalton Macri (PA); #52 Dillon Artigliere (NJ); #59 Jeramy Sweany (CA); #94 Andrew Garcia (MI); #103 Brandon Womack (AL) 2013: #44 Jake Taylor (PA); #190 Dan Choi (NY)

A Columbia/Stanford dual from the 2019-20 season (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) June is here and starting today world team spots will be earned. I'd wish the best of luck to the thirty wrestlers competing, but only fifteen of you can win, so I'm wasting fifteen lucks on the rest of you. Instead, I'll wish one good luck per weight and you can wrestle a best two-out-of-three to see who gets it. Can't wait to see where my best wishes go! For now, you asked some very urgent and important questions so let's get to it! Why doesn't Jagger answer any of my questions? Is he afraid I'll sue him? @FloLegalKaren I've been advised to plead the fifth on this one. WTH is USA Wrestling thinking by trying to single thread Final X on one mat? Do the math. These events will be insufferably long. @Eagle_Fan If every match goes to three, plus the two third-place matches, that's 47 matches! Spread out over two sessions! Ten more than 37! Look, what are you going to do? This is what happens when you reduce it from three locations to two. Now we know most weights likely won't go to three, but it still seems like an overload. But, if we can watch a random tournament from Tajikistan all weekend that starts at four in the morning, we can afford to watch our best men and women do their thing. Yes, it will be long. Yes, we will complain. But all the athletes deserve the spotlight and all that comes with it. For some, it will be a bitter end to a dream. The least we can do is sit our lazy asses down and watch the damn thing all the way through. Have you convinced the Intermat boss, @MatScoutWillie, to get a pair of cut-offs yet? @luke_w_wise He actually just said he will rock a pair if Jamison Taillon tosses a perfect game for the Yanks right here. Oh, there goes that out the window. Speaking of the Big Cheese... When you're in the office at Intermat, who do you prank the most? Willie Saylor We at The "Mat are all about having a good time. Put salt in the sugar shaker. Change all the computers to write in comic-sans. Change the bathroom bulbs to black light. You know, stuff like that. But the greatest trick that this devil ever pulled was using a DNA test to convince Seth Petarra that he was actually one hundred percent Irish. I let him flip only four cars over before I told him it was just a goof. What a day. Which team should do another big outdoor dual? @PelikanHead None if you ask me. I hate the whole idea of it. The lighting sucks whether it's day or night. The mat gets slippery. The fans are too far away and the noise drowns out in the open sky. That being said, I'd have to pick a team who's somewhere reasonably warm. North Carolina is a good candidate. Maybe a dual against Duke would have a little juice to it. Rock Harrison can throw out the first pitch. What do you think about the influx of college eligible guys making deep runs at Senior National events? @SethPetar I think it's a product of the advancements in school-affiliated RTC"s and clubs. With the rebirth of American freestyle wrestling in the last decade-plus, the growth has expanded into better environments, better coaching, and more advanced athletes at an early age. The constant debate is that wrestling folk hurts our freestyle training for the younger wrestlers and I disagree. I think it's good to have a change of pace here and there. These kids are bound to wrestle year-round now. I don't think it's a bad thing to train multiple styles. The results are now starting to show that you can compete with the best fresh off a grueling college season. Will we see a repeat of the '86 Mets in our lifetime? @EricAsselin74 Stay alive until October and find out Bubba. If you could travel to any big International tournaments, not Worlds/Olympics, what ya picking? @wiems19 Probably the Yarygin, so I can smoke butts inside and experience hypothermia outside. Do you have good stories of wrestling in hot weather? If not, just skip this question. @oldestgreatest Skipping this question. Enjoy the show today, folks. Don't forget Bo Nickal fights tonight! Same time as the second session! Great scheduling!

South Dakota State's Clay Carlson at the 2021 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Since 2000, there have been six colleges with wrestling programs that have successfully transitioned from Division II to Division I. Unfortunately, there have also been three schools that dropped their wrestling programs during the transition between divisions. Currently, four schools are in the process of transitioning: California Baptist, Bellarmine, Lindenwood, and Queens University. With these schools all at different stages in this process, I wanted to look at how different wrestling teams have historically done with the transition. The six schools that have been competing at Division I after a transition from a lower division within the last twenty years are Gardner-Webb, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Northern Colorado, SIUE, and Long Island University. SIUE was a dominant DII school at one point, winning multiple titles and consistently placing near the top 10. However, the program was briefly cut but brought back in 2003. They struggled to find the same success but made the move to DI starting in 2009. They competed in the NCWA four times while transitioning and placed in the top 10 three times. Since then, they have had 14 qualifiers and 1 All-American. They are also bringing in an improved recruiting class with two on the Big Board for both 2022 and 2023. Long Island University is the most recent school to complete the DI transition and is a younger team after being restarted in 2013. In DII, they had seven qualifiers and four All-Americans. Since joining the EIWA in 2020, they are still looking for their first qualifier. Gardner-Webb began competing in DI in 2001 and became eligible for the postseason in 2003. Since then, they have had 31 NCAA qualifiers and tied for 1st in the Southern Conference in 2016. Before moving to DI, they had achieved four All-Americans at the DII level. North Dakota State, South Dakota State, and Northern Colorado all made the move to DI at the same time in 2004 and became postseason eligible in 2007. All three teams were contenders at Division II while they were there. North Dakota State had won 4 titles in 1988, 1998, 2000, and 2001, and was almost always in the top 25. South Dakota State and Northern Colorado finished in the top ten more seasons than not in the decade before the transition. Originally, all three teams were a part of the Western Wrestling Conference which was absorbed by the Big 12 in 2016. During that time, NDSU won the conference for the final two years. They've also had 58 DI qualifiers and 4 All-Americans historically. SDSU has had 41 qualifiers and 6 All-Americans, including a champ in Seth Gross. Northern Colorado has had 38 qualifiers and 1 All-American. While none of these teams has challenged for the Big 12 title yet, they are all bringing in strong recruiting classes with multiple MatScouts Big Boarder's. California Baptist will be joining the Big 12 next season after completing the four-year reclassification process. Since the program started again in 2009, the school spent time as an NAIA program then reclassified to DII for three years. In that time, they won two NWCA championships. At DII, they placed in the top six the final three years before beginning to again reclassify to DI. While they have not been able to compete in the postseason yet, they have a 5-29 dual record against DI opponents since 2019, including wins over Cal Poly and Drexel. Now to take a look at where the other three schools that are still early in the process are and what we can expect to see at first. Bellarmine began competing in Division I in the 2021 season, while Lindenwood and Queens University should begin DI competition next year. Bellarmine only started in 2016, and in four years, improved their dual record from 1-12 their first year to a 16-11 record over their last two years. They had two national qualifiers in that time as well but no All-Americans. Since moving to DI, they are 3-23 in duals with wins over Presbyterian and SIUE. While competing in the Southern Conference, they finished 7th last year. However, they could have been considered as a young team with only one senior. This year, they will likely see a similar schedule with a lot of duals and opens. Currently, Bellarmine is the only Division I school in Kentucky with a wrestling program. Queens University wrestling is a newer team as well having only started in 2019. In that time, they've gone 13-45 in duals, including two losses to DI teams. They've had 7 national qualifiers and an All-American. The school currently plans on joining the Atlantic Sun Conference, which is the same conference that Bellarmine is in. Since the conference itself doesn't have wrestling, it would make sense to see Queens join the Southern Conference with Bellarmine. Queens will be the seventh school in North Carolina to sponsor wrestling. Lindenwood University sponsors both men's and women's wrestling teams. As of now, they would be the fourth DI team to have a women's team. Their men's team won five championships while in NAIA, and were two-time runner-ups at the NCWA championships while moving to DII. In eight tournaments at Division II, they have finished in the top 20 five times, including three top 10 finishes. They've had 35 national qualifiers, 18 All-Americans, and 3 National champs. Their women's team has been around since 2009 and has multiple All-Americans including multiple-time World Team member Victoria Francis. The school is moving to the Ohio Valley Conference which doesn't have wrestling. This means Lindenwood could be independent for a while, but I think they would be a great fit in the MAC. While these three schools are still in the process of moving to DI, there are several schools to look at and see what fans may expect. For some, the transition is smoother and more successful than for others. It will be interesting to see more new competitors in the sport at the Division I level.

2022 EIWA Runner-Up Josh Ogunsanya (photo courtesy of Tony DiMarco) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Columbia! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell Central Michigan Chattanooga Clarion Cleveland State NCAA Qualifiers (26) 2022 125 - Joe Manchio (#29); 141 - Matt Kazimir (#11); 165 - Josh Ogunsanya (#14) 2020 125 - Joe Manchio (#23); 141 - Matt Kazimir (#28) 2019 157 - Dan Reed 2018 157 - Markus Scheidel (#10); 174 - Tyrel White; 285 - Garrett Ryan 2017 165 - Tyrel White; 285 - Garrett Ryan (#16) 2016 157 - Markus Scheidel (#16); 165 - Tyrel White; 285 - Garrett Ryan 2015 157 - Markus Scheidel; 165 - Tyrel White; 285 - Garrett Ryan 2014 157 - Markus Schiedel; 165 - Josh Houldsworth; 174 - Shane Hughes; 184 - Zack Hernandez 2013 133 - Matt Bystol; 149 - Steve Santos (#5); 157 - Jake O'Hara; 165 - Josh Houldsworth; 174- Stephen West National Champions None NCAA All-Americans Steve Santos (2013 - 3rd) NCAA Round of 12 Finishers None EIWA Champions 2022: Matt Kazimir (141) 2018: Markus Scheidel (157) 2017: Garrett Ryan (285) 2013: Steve Santos (149) EIWA Runner's Up 2022: Josh Ogunsanya (165) 2020: Joe Manchio (125); Matt Kazimir (141) 2014: Markus Scheidel (157) 2013: Matt Bystol (133); Josh Houldsworth (165) Dual Record: 2021-22: 4-10 2021: No Season (Ivy League) 2019-20: 8-6 2018-19: 10-5 2017-18: 3-14 2016-17: 3-12 2015-16: 9-7 2014-15: 6-5 2013-14: 8-6 2012-13: 6-8 EIWA Tournament Placement: 2021-22: 5th 2021: No Season (Ivy League) 2019-20: 11th 2018-19: 11th 2017-18: 9th 2016-17: 12th 2015-16: 11th 2014-15: 4th 2013-14: 5th 2012-13: 8th NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 54th-tie (1.5 points) 2021: No Season (Ivy League) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: No Qualifiers 2017-18: 43rd-tie (4 points) 2016-17: 57th-tie (1 point) 2015-16: 50th-tie (3 points) 2014-15: 58th-tie (1 point) 2013-14: 51st-tie (3.5 points) 2012-13: 26th (17 points) Head Coaching History Zach Tanelli (2016-present) Carl Fronhofer (2011-2016) Best Lineup (Comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Joe Manchio: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2020 EIWA Runner-Up 133 - Matt Bystol: 2013 NCAA Qualifier; 2013 EIWA Runner-Up 141 - Matt Kazimir: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#11 seed); 2021 EIWA Champion 149 - Steve Santos: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#5 seed); 2013 NCAA 3rd Place, 2013 EIWA Champion 157 - Markus Scheidel: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#10 and #16 seeds); 2018 EIWA Champion 165 - Josh Ogunsanya: 2022 NCAA Qualifier (#14 seed); 2022 EIWA Runner-Up 174 - Tyrel White: 4x NCAA Qualifier 184 - Zack Hernandez: 2014 NCAA Qualifier 197 - Matt Idelson: 2015 EIWA 6th Place 285 - Garrett Ryan: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#16 seed); 2017 EIWA Champion Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2022: #87 Richard Fedalen (MD); #91 Jack Wehmeyer (PA); #116 Nolan Neves (OH); #199 Yianni Vines (AL); #243 Kai Owen (PA) 2021: #79 Jack McGill (PA); #87 Aaron Ayzerov (NJ); #103 Nick Fine (RI); #161 Jalen Stephens (PA); #213 Javen Jovero (CA); #250 Zack Witmer (PA) 2020: #92 Jaden Le (CA); #157 Joe Curtis (CA); #169 Matt Arciuolo (PA); #175 Connor Kievman (PA); #189 Josh Ogunsanya (IL) 2019: #54 Kyle Mosher (NY) 2013: #135 Matt Leshinger (NY); #156 Garrett Ryan (AZ); #169 Markus Scheidel (OH); #196 Troy Hembury (PA)

Ben Provisor at the 2022 World Team Trials (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Many consider the differences between folkstyle and Greco Roman to be quite numerous. Despite this many of the Greco competitors set to compete at this Friday's Final X event previously competed, or are currently competing, in folkstyle on the collegiate level such as Brady Koontz, Jesse Thielke and Cohlton Schultz. Another Final X contestant made his return to folkstyle this past season despite already qualifying for multiple World/Olympic events in Greco. In late April 2021, news broke that Ben Provisor signed a letter of intent to attend and wrestle for Grand View. The then-30-year-old competitor was already a two-time Olympian and one of the best domestic Greco Roman wrestlers in the United States. Since he had never wrestled collegiately, he would have four years of eligibility for the NAIA school while he worked towards his degree. Despite signing on to the folkstyle squad, Provisor remained committed to competing in Greco. The day after the announcement was made, he won yet another senior-level national title in Greco. He followed that up with a gold medal at the 2021 Pan American Championships in May and a trip to the 2021 World Championships in October. About two months after the senior-level World event, Provisor made his folkstyle debut for Grand View. Interestingly enough, that debut came in perhaps the team's most difficult tournament of the year, the Reno Tournament of Champions. Reno Tournament of Champions (12/20/2021) He entered the tournament at 184 pounds and got a bit of an early start as he was drawn into an opening-round match. Provisor faced off against Caden Gerlach of Cal Baptist. Gerlach was the Lancers' starter at 184 pounds for the entire season and finished the year with a 16-9 record. Gerlach started the scoring with a takedown about a minute into the match. After years of focusing on Greco, it was quickly clear that the top and bottom style of folkstyle would be a challenge. Provisor ended up spending the rest of the period on the bottom while Gerlach hunted for a cradle. Provisor's issues with mat wrestling continued in the second period. He began on top and tried to ride a leg but quickly ended up back on the bottom via a reversal. After Gerlach locked hands and acquired 3:10 of riding time, Provisor finally escaped back to his feet and cut the lead to 4-2. After taking neutral to start the third, Provisor evened the match at 4-4. He scored a takedown in a scramble as Gerlach tried to sneak behind. After an escape, Gerlach seemingly put the match out of reach with a takedown off a slip throw from Provisor. The Olympian found himself down 7-4 and once again in the bottom position. Despite his early issues on the bottom, he easily worked his way into an escape. Provisor was then rewarded with a stall point and then finally with only four seconds left hit a takedown to go ahead 8-7. Gerlach had already locked up the riding time, so the match went to sudden victory. Unfortunately for Provisor, the comeback came up short in the extra period. Within the first minute, Gerlach scored a shot, and Provisor attempted to defend with a chin whip. He ended up on his back, and Gerlach advanced with a 14-8 victory. Provisor dropped into the consolation round, where he picked up his first win of the season over Trillyon Fils-Aime of Southeastern. The Greco pedigree was on display early in this one. Provisor claimed an underhook early in the bout, transitioned into a headlock for a takedown and four back points. After an uneventful second period, Provisor chose to go down and escaped in only 39 seconds. He finished with a 7-0 decision victory to stay alive in the bracket. That trek through the bracket came to an end in the next round. The Grand View representative faced off against Jett Jones of Montana State Northern. The two-time Montana state champion scored an early takedown off a single leg and entered the third period with a 3-1 lead. Provisor escaped early in the final period to cut the lead to 3-2. He pushed hard for the takedown, but Jones scored on a reshot and held on for the 6-2 victory with riding time. NUWAY Combat College Open (1/6/2022) Following the Reno event, Provisor stayed out of action until entering the NUWAY Combat College Open in early January. This was likely Provisor's best folkstyle event of the year. He won four matches before receiving a forfeit in the finals and taking home the tournament title. Provisor started the day with a 6-0 decision over Luke Smith of Indiana Tech. He advanced to the next round where he found himself in a somewhat unlikely match. His opponent in the second round was Samy Moustafa. Moustafa represents Egypt on the international scene and is a four-time African Games/Championships medalist in freestyle. His best finish came in 2017 when he won gold. The open tournament allowed for two specialists from the Olympic styles to face off in folkstyle. After a scoreless first period, Provisor took bottom. Moustafa seemingly did not understand folkstyle rules and got hit for stalling twice while trying to implement a leg lace. He then cut Provisor who held a 2-0 lead. The American then scored a takedown by spinning behind after a shot. The third period started on the feet. Provisor extended his lead to 6-0 with another takedown. He then locked in an armbar and turned Moustafa for the fall. Provisor advanced to the quarterfinals where he faced off against Ashland's Nate Barrett. It was a tight match, but Provisor escaped with a 4-3 decision. In the semifinals, Provisor's opponent was Roman Bushek of Baker. This turned out to be one of his most dominant performances of the season. About a minute into the contest, he turned an underhook into a headlock and secured the fall in only 86 seconds. After receiving a forfeit from Sam Schroeder of Bellarmine in the finals, Provisor took home the tournament title. Grand View vs. Graceland (1/14/2022) During his first year at Grand View, Provisor only wrestled in one dual, but he certainly made the most of the opportunity. Against Graceland, he got the start at 184 pounds. He faced off against Trey Graves and scored the fall in only 30 seconds. It was his quickest finish of the season, and Grand View went on to win the dual by a 52-0 score. Missouri Valley College Invitational (1/21/2022) Provisor's last match of the folkstyle season came at the Missouri Valley College Invitational. He defeated Baron Gaunt of Vanguard via a 3-1 decision. However, he then medically forfeited out of the event. Provisor finished the season with an 8-2 record. Grand View went on to reclaim its spot as the top team in the NAIA. They won the national championship with 206.5 points, well ahead of their new rival Life University, who finished with 194 points. Grand View was represented at 184 pounds, Provisor's weight, by Ben Lee who entered as the number-one seed and finished second after coming up short against Eric Vermillion of Indiana Tech in the finals. In an interview following the Bill Farrell, Provisor would say that his “folkstyle season didn't even really kick off.” He also explained that he was dealing with a variety of injuries including a torn RCL and a shoulder issue. Despite this, he considers himself “blessed to have ended up at Grand View.” This past April Provisor returned to the Greco scene. He won the Bill Farrell and the U.S. Open while also making the finals of the World Team Trials Challenge tournament to secure the spot in Final X. Across those three events, he has outscored his opposition 38 to 7. The run includes a pair of victories over Spencer Woods, who will be Provisor's opponent in Final X. Despite the pair of victories by Provisor, Woods was the only competitor to notch a two-point score against the Grand View representative.

Final X 2019 (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Here is your one place to look for all of our content related to Final X 2022. This page will be updated with links to new content as they are released. Final X Matchups/Locations/Bout Order Storylines for Every Final X Series Final X Facts and Trends The Big Ten Fan's Guide to Final X and the Junior WTT's Final X Stillwater At Look at Ben Provisor's Return to Folkstyle Final X Stillwater: Greco-Roman Preview Final X Stillwater: Men's Freestyle Preview Final X Stillwater: Women's Freestyle Preview Richards and Carr Earn National Team Berths With Wins in Stillwater Final X Stillwater Round One Results Final X Stillwater Round Two and Three Results Four First-Timers Make the World Team in Stillwater Final X Stillwater Interviews Final X New York Miracle Receives Delay for Final X Series with Rogers Final X New York: Men's Freestyle Preview Final X New York: Women's Freestyle Preview

Mallory Velte (left) and Forrest Molinari (photos courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) By Friday evening, we'll know one-half of our 2020 Senior world team as the first leg of Final X will conclude competition. That marks the end of a qualifying process that started at the 2020 Olympic Trials (in April 2021). From the US Open, the field was narrowed down and at the World Team Trials, a week ago, matchups for Final X were determined. Now that we know who will compete in Final X, InterMat has previews of each style, by site. We're starting with the Stillwater half of Final X, one that gets underway Friday afternoon. Here are the five women's freestyle matchups, a preview of the action and the competitors who will square off in Oklahoma. 55 kg - Jenna Burkert vs. Jacarra Winchester This is it. This is the big one. Probably the most anticipated women's freestyle series of the entire Final X, regardless of site. Coming off a berth on the 2020 Olympic Team, Jacarra Winchester moved back up to her customary 55 kg weight class, the one where she won a world championship in 2019. But she wasn't able to get a shot at a second title as Jenna Burkert prevented her from making the 2021 world team. The two tangled in an incredible, three-match series at the 2021 Trials, with the match winners prevailing by one point (or criteria) in each individual match. In her fourth crack at winning a world medal, Burkert came back from Oslo with world bronze. So, how will another set of matches between the two play out? The pair feature contrasting styles, with Winchester striking swiftly from the outside, with big-move potential, while Burkert is as physical as anyone in the game. We're not picking winners now, but let's hope from an entertainment standpoint, that his match goes three bouts, once again. Interesting note, that has little to do with the actual result. This will be Burkert's third appearance in Final X. She has dropped a weight class in each of the two previous ones, starting at 57 kg in 2018. Winchester has swept both of her prior Final X contests. 59 kg - Abby Nette vs. Lexie Basham One of the positives about the Final X process is the opportunity for some unheralded stars to get their opportunity to shine individually on the big stage. In the World Team Trials of yesteryear, some matchups may have gotten lost in the shuffle. This match is one that could fit that bill. Abby Nette certainly isn't a stranger to big matches and international competition. She made a pair of U23 world teams and was a 2021 Matteo Pellicone champion. Unfortunately, due to injuries, Nette has been off the scene for awhile. Now back, and with the Army WCAP, Nette wasn't seriously tested in her two bouts at the WTT's. To clinch a berth in Final X, Nette put together a 5-1 win over former Junior and U23 World Team member, Michaela Beck. Lexie Basham renewed the rivalry in the semis, when she knocked off US Open champion Nanea Estrella. Basham and Estrella met in the 2022 NAIA national finals and it was Basham who got her hand raised. Like the Trials, Basham will have to prepare for competition with some uncertainty regarding her head coach, Ray Bedford, who was fired by Texas Wesleyan recently, much to the chagrin of Basham. 65 kg - Forrest Molinari vs. Mallory Velte This is the second women's freestyle in Stillwater that will feature a pair of past world medalists. Though Mallory Velte has spent most of the past quad at 62 kg, this isn't the first time she and Forrest Molinari have met. The two have a rivalry that dates back to high school in California, where Velte got the best of Molinari. That may have changed in 2022, starting with the Yasar Dogu, when Molinari picked up a 7-4 win over Velte in the gold medal match. Molinari earned a place in Final X by virtue of her world medal in 2021. That marked a breakthrough for Molinari, as she had fallen in a world bronze medal match in both 2018 and 2019. Velte is 1-1 in her Final X career, defeating Kayla Miracle in 2018 and going on to win world bronze, then she was beaten by Miracle a year later. Now training at Oregon State's Beaver Dam RTC, Velte looks close to her world medalist form. She survived a grueling three-match series with Emma Bruntil in the WTT finals, for the opportunity to compete at Final X. Like the Bruntil affair, this series should be as physical as any on the women's side. 68 kg - Tamyra Mensah-Stock vs. Sienna Ramirez If there was an MVP or MOW from the first two editions of Final X, Tamyra Mensah-Stock would be one of the leading contenders. In her four Final X bouts, Mensah-Stock has won 10-0 three times. The fourth match was a win via fall. Mensah-Stock has taken that dominance outside of the US border and came back with a world title in 2019 and Olympic gold in 2020. The Olympic gold medal immediately catapulted Mensah-Stock into another stratosphere when considering all-time greats in American women's wrestling. She's only the second Olympic gold medalist and now has four World/Olympic medals. Young Sienna Ramirez comes in as a huge underdog; however, she has looked unflappable winning the Open and prevailing at the WTT's in three matches. All three of those bouts came down to criteria. Ramirez was a 2021 NAIA national champion and is a five-time All-American. This year she shook off an early-round upset and battled back for third place. Once again, a match with the returning Olympic champion will represent a gigantic step up in competition. 76 kg - Dymond Guilford vs. Yelena Makoyed Could this be a preview of the future? With American legend and mainstay at 76 kg, Adeline Gray, pregnant and ready to give birth to her first child, will she return to competition? If not, we could see Dymond Guilford, Yelena Makoyed and others challenging for world/Olympic teams going forward. It will be the first Final X appearance for both. For those that long for the WCWA days where all of the women's collegiate stars wrestled in the same division, this can be a wrestle-off, of sorts. Both were national champions over their respective divisions at 170 lbs, with Guilford winning the NAIA crown for the University of the Cumberlands and Makoyed winning the NCWWC title for North Central. Now, these two are certainly no strangers to each other. They met in the semis of the Open this year and Guilford secured a fall after leading 10-3. She'd go on to win the entire tournament. While some upperweight matches can be tactical affairs, I'd expect both women to lay caution to the wind and put points on the board.

J'den Cox (left) and Nate Jackson (photos courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) By Friday evening, we'll know one-half of our 2020 Senior world team as the first leg of Final X will conclude competition. That marks the end of a qualifying process that started at the 2020 Olympic Trials (in April 2021). From the US Open, the field was narrowed down and at the World Team Trials, a week ago, matchups for Final X were determined. Now that we know who will compete in Final X, InterMat has previews of each style, by site. We're starting with the Stillwater half of Final X, one that gets underway Friday afternoon. Here are the five men's freestyle matchups, a preview of the action and the competitors who will square off in Oklahoma. 57 kg - Thomas Gilman vs. Vito Arujau The 2020 Olympic Team Trials final at 57 kg was destined to be run back here with Thomas Gilman and Vito Arujau. Vito faced very little competition at the World Team Trials and was able to book his rematch after outscoring the competition 30-0 in three matches in Coralville. Even if Arujau is coming in fresh, he'll have to contend with a Gilman that has looked as good as ever. After narrowly missing out on a shot at Olympic gold, Gilman got the next best thing, then captured his first world title and recently won the Pan-Am's. When these two met in the Olympic Trials, it was Gilman who earned a fall in the opening bout, then scooted by on criteria, 2-2, in the clinching contest. In order for Arujau to turn the tables on Gilman, he'll need to wrestle an extremely sound bout, be able to handle Gilman's pressure, and finish his shots. That might be the case as Arujau works out with a great Spartan Combat crew that has three other men's freestyle teammates in Final X. But, Gilman also is with the Nittany Lion WC, who has proven time and again to be one of the best staff's in the world. 61 kg - Daton Fix vs. Seth Gross Since Gilman won an Olympic bronze medal, it forced Daton Fix to go up to 61 kg for the 2021 World Team Trials. That proved to be a blessing as Fix made his second Senior Team and claimed his first medal after reaching the world finals. Up a weight, the Oklahoma State star looked more explosive and dangerous than in recent appearances at 57 kg. Daton will also have a partisan crowd on his side as he wrestles in his home arena, Gallagher-Iba. On his way to making the 2021 world team, Fix rolled through 2018 NCAA champion Seth Gross. In our recent talk with Gross, he explained why this version of him will be much different than in September of 2021. Gross staged a remarkable comeback at the World Team Trials, when he was within a point of losing to high school sensation, Jesse Mendez, in the opening round. Gross survived the scare, then proceeded to pin US Open champion, Nico Megaludis. He would lock up a spot in Final X after a pair of close wins over Daniel DeShazer. A key to this series is Gross limiting giving up reckless points. With Fix's par terre abilities, one takedown could end up turning into a tech, quickly. 70 kg - Zain Retherford vs. Jordan Oliver Without James Green in the picture at 70 kg, most fans were unsure how this weight would play out at the Open and WTT's. Suffice to say, unless you have ties to another contender, I think most fans are glad to see another chapter in the Zain/JO saga. Overall, Jordan Oliver has the series lead (4-2) though Zain has wins when the stakes were highest, at the 2019 World Team Trials, to secure a spot in Final X, before making his second world team. The most recent meeting between the pair of Pennsylvania high school legends, who finished multiple collegiate seasons undefeated, came in the 2021 World Team Trials. Surprisingly enough, they met in the quarters and Oliver prevailed 2-2 on criteria. That score is a bit surprising as both have been able to rattle off points in past matches, familiarity never seemed to be an issue. Though they have different ways of going about it, both can be methodical in their offensive approach. Oliver from space and Retherford in your face. Either way, both pick and choose their shots wisely. With a world team berth hanging in the balance, I'd expect matches to be lower scoring than some past matchups. Like Fix, Oliver should benefit from the crowd. He was a legendary four-time All-American and two-time national champion for the Cowboys; whose fans certainly will remember on Friday. 92 kg - J'den Cox vs. Nate Jackson Our final two matches will feature wrestlers that have been teammates or training partners. At 92 kg, in the case of J'den Cox and Nate Jackson, they are close friends, as well. Cox is looking to ascend back to the number one spot in the world, as he won titles in 2018 and 2019, before having to move up for the Olympic Trials. He made the 2021 World Team, but ended up falling just short, with a bronze medal. Domestically, Cox has rarely been challenged at 92 kg. This will be his third Final X appearance and in his previous two, he's outscored the competition 24-4. On the other half of Cox's 2021 WTT bracket was Jackson, who fell to Kollin Moore in the semifinals. Jackson shook off the unbelieve distraction of an overturned positive test for PED's, which kept him out of the US Open, before cruising through the WTT's. Showing no rust, Jackson breezed through his bracket outpacing the opposition, 40-0. One note that has stuck in my mind since the WTT interviews, is that Jackson doesn't believe Cox has gone into a bout(s) like this, having to face a more athletic opponent. With their training history, Jackson would know if that's the case. Over the past three-plus years, there may not have been an American man that has improved as rapidly as Jackson. Could this continued growth include a monumental upset of a two-time world champion? Time will tell, Friday. 97 kg - Kyle Snyder vs. Kollin Moore Former Ohio State upperweight teammates Kyle Snyder and Kollin Moore will renew acquaintances with the 97 kg spot on the world team hanging in the balance. For Snyder, he's looking to make his eighth straight World/Olympic team at the weight. Without Russian legend Abdulrashid Sadulaev and the Russian contingent at the 2022 World Championships, Snyder has the inside track on winning World/Olympic title number four. While Snyder's status as an all-time great for American wrestling is already set, getting another title only places him higher on the list. But, we're getting way ahead of ourselves. Snyder will have to contend with Moore, who shut out Mike Macchiavello in two WTT bouts, for the distinction of another series with Snyder. The two also met in the 2020 Olympic Trials finals, with Snyder sweeping the series 10-0, 5-1. In a normal scenario, one may expect the loser of that series to close the gap in another meeting. But with Snyder and Moore's past, there are no secrets and no "getting more familiar." It just comes down to Moore "getting tired of being the little brother," as he mentioned in his post-WTT interview. If he can channel that frustration into positive energy on the mat, who knows?

2022 US World Team Trials Champion Seth Gross (Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) 57 KG #6 Azamat Tuskaev (RUS) moved up two spots in the rankings to #4 after winning the Poddubny tournament over Nachyn Mongush (RUS) and #17 Abubakar Mutaliev. Tuskaev's move up the rankings coincides with Mongush's return to the rankings as Mongush upset Yarygin champion #4 Ramiz Gamzatov (RUS) in the semis to return to the rankings at #5. Bronze medalists at the Poddubny tournament were #6 Ramiz Gamzatov (RUS) and #18 Abubakar Mutaliev (RUS). While the story of the Poddubny was Tuskaev and Mongush, Gamzatov was able to avenge two past losses to 2021 world bronze medalist #13 Aryan Tyutrin (BLR) in the quarterfinals of the Poddubny and came back to win bronze over the 2021 Yarygin runner-up Musa Mekhtikhanov (RUS). 2021 Olympic Trials runner-up Vito Arujau (USA) was dominant in his finals match at the U.S. World Team Trials, beating Jakob Camacho by a 23-0 point difference across two matches. Arujau will face off against 2021 world champion #2 Thomas Gilman (USA) at Final X. Zane Richards took bronze at World Team Trials while U.S. Open champ Matthew Ramos took fourth. #2 Thomas Gilman (USA) won the Pan-Am championships over Darian Cruz (PUR) to avenge a loss from the 2017 125 LB NCAA semifinals. Bronze medalists at the Pan-Am championships were Alexei Blanco (CUB) and Oscar Tigregros Urbano (COL). Gamal Mohamed (EGY) won the African championships over Ebikewenimo Wilson (NGR) with Omar Faye (SEN) and Diamentino Iuna Fafe (GBS) taking bronze. Khalid Magomedov won the Dagestan U23 Championships over Gadzhimagomed Akhmedov with Yunus Yavbatyrov and Khabib Mekhtikhanov taking bronze. Ananda Dashiev won the Russian University Nationals over Kharyskhal Grigoriev with Amir Chamzyn and Dmitry Ilarionov taking bronze. 61KG Seth Gross (USA) came out on top of an electric 61 KG bracket at the U.S. World Team Trials to secure his chance to wrestle at Final X against 2021 world silver medalist #2 Daton Fix (USA). To make the finals, Gross won a 13-12 shoot-out against 2021 Junior world rep Jesse Mendez (USA), a pin against U.S. Open champion #8 Nico Megaludis (USA), and a two-match series against breakout star Daniel DeShazer (USA). For his efforts, Gross debuts in the rankings at #13 while DeShazer impresses in his debut at #15 after finishing runner-up to Gross and tech falling #9 Josh Rodriguez (USA) in the semifinals. In the bronze medal match, #8 Nico Megaludis (USA) won a tight 3-2 match against #9 Josh Rodriguez (USA), which was a rematch of their U.S. Open finals match. Megaludis and Rodriguez take a significant bump in the rankings due to their losses in the semifinals plus the impressive performances of unranked Magomed Baitukaev (RUS) and 16th ranked Bashir Magomedov (RUS) at the Poddubny tournament that catapulted them into the top 10. The Poddubny tournament saw top-ranked Abasgadzhi Magomedov (RUS) overcome a game #16 Bashir Magomedov (RUS) for gold. Bronze medalists at the Poddubny were the 2021 Cadet world champion Magomed Baitukaev (RUS) and Zhargal Damdinov (RUS). Even with finishing as a bronze medalist, Baitukaev was one of the major breakthroughs at the Poddubny, upsetting 2021 Russian nationals runner-up #5 Muslim Mekhtikhanov (RUS) in the quarterfinals. Baitukaev debuts in the rankings at #6 for his win over Mekhtikhanov while #16 Bashir Magomedov climbs up eleven spots to #5 based on his win over Baitukaev in the Russian Junior Nationals finals in March plus his bronze medal finish in December at the Umakhanov. Abdelhak Kherbache (ALG) took gold at the African championships over Shehabeldin Mohamed (EGY) with Sofiane El Khamer (MAR) and Didier Diatta (SEN) taking bronze. #2 Daton Fix (USA) won the Pan-Am championships over Joseph Andres Silva (PUR) with Pedro Flores Salazar (MEX) taking bronze. Kezhik Seden won the Russian University Nationals over Alexander Avelov with Bilal Kazimagomedov and Gadzhimurad Gadzhiev taking bronze. Magomedrasul Dagirov won the U23 Dagestan Championships over Akhmed Abdulaev with Magomed Darzhania and Ramazan Shamilov taking bronze. 65KG By winning their semifinal matches against Nick Lee (USA) and Ian Parker (USA), Evan Henderson (USA) and Yianni Diakomihalis (USA) booked their spot for Final X where they will wrestle against each other for the world team spot. After a shocking quarterfinal upset loss to Ian Parker (USA), #12 Joey McKenna (USA) was able to finish his world team trials tournament in bronze with a win against Parker in the bronze medal match. With Yianni back on top and McKenna's loss, the United States will have Yianni at #12 in the rankings while McKenna drops three spots to #15 for his loss to Ian Parker (USA). 2021 Yarygin champion Alik Khadartsev (RUS) made his return to the rankings in a big way, winning the Poddubny over 2021 world bronze medalist Tulga Tumur Ochir (MGL) in the finals. Khadartsev notched impressive wins as well over 2020 61 KG Russian nationals bronze medalist Ibragim Abdurakhmanov (RUS) and Yarygin bronze medalist #11 Ibragim Ibragimov (RUS) on his way to the finals. Taking bronze at the Poddubny was #10 (70) Ibragim Abdurakhmanov and Arip Abdullaev. Khadartsev is back in the rankings at #10 for his wins over #10 Ramazan Ferzaliev (RUS) from the 2021 Yarygin, #11 Ibragim Ibragimov (RUS) and Ibragim Abdurakhmanov (RUS). Abdurakhmanov is back in the 65 KG rankings at #13 for beating Ibragimov for bronze at the Poddubny. Yarygin bronze medalist Ibragimov drops three spots in the rankings to #14 for his losses to #10 Alik Khadartsev (RUS) and Abdurakhmanov. Artur Badtiev beat the 2021 Yarygin bronze medalist Chayan Mongush to win the Russian University Nationals with Abdurakhman Dalgatov and Kilyab Khanipaev taking bronze. Dalgat Abdulkadyrov won the Dagestan U23 Championships over Akhmed Zubairov by forfeit, with Ramazan Chankaev and Abdurakhman Dalgatov taking bronze. McKenna won the Pan-Am championships over Sebastian Rivera (PUR) with Augustin Destribats (ARG) and Albaro Camacho (DOM) taking bronze. Mbunde Mbali (GBS) won the African championships over Chouaib Sahraoui (ALG) with Yehia Hafez (EGY) and Otmane El Bahja (MAR) taking bronze. 70KG #14 Zain Retherford (USA) and #15 Jordan Oliver (USA) will meet at Final X to decide who will be the U.S. world rep at 70 KG. Retherford secured his second Final X bid by beating #13 Alec Pantaleo (USA) in the semifinals while Oliver made the Final X by beating NCAA champ Ryan Deakin (USA) in the semis. Finishing with bronze at the world team trials was Tyler Berger (USA) over Sammy Sasso (USA). A pair of notable upsets in the consolation bracket were Sasso over Pantaleo and Berger over Deakin. So here are the results before I get into the rankings on the bottom half of 70 KG: Berger>Deakin>Sasso>Pantaleo. So following that logic Tyler Berger slots in at #16, Ryan Deakin at #17, Sammy Sasso at #18 and Alec Pantaleo all the way down to #19. 2020 Russian Nationals #12 Ruslan Zhendaev was the big difference maker this month as he upset #4 Israil Kasumov (RUS) and #6 Kurban Shiraev (RUS) to make the finals of the Poddubny tournament where he injury defaulted out to #5 Viktor Rassadin. Bronze medalists at the Poddubny were Ruslan Bogatyrev (RUS) and Shiraev. From the aftermath of the Poddubny, Zhendaev skyrockets up the rankings to #5, Rassadin moves up one spot to #4, Kasumov falls to #7 and Ruslan Bogatyrev (RUS) is in #12 for beating Yarygin runner-up #11 Anzor Zakuev (RUS) for bronze. Mukhamed Dadaev won the Dagestan U23 National over Magomed Zharulaev with Ali Makhachev and Naib Gaziev taking bronze. Sayin Kazyryk won Russian University Nationals over Konstantin Kaprynov with Mukhammed Beshtoev and Magomed Magomedov taking bronze. Emmanuel Olapade (CAN) won the Pan-Am championships over Vinicius Da Silva Joaquim (BRA) with Alexis Olivera Magallandes (MEX) taking bronze. Bacar Ndum (GBS) won the African championships over Rami Brinis (ALG) with Mohamed Zorgui (TUN) and Said Elghahsh (EGY) taking bronze. 74KG #8 Jason Nolf (USA) pinned 2019 Junior world champion David Carr (USA) and then scored two tech fall wins over Joey Lavallee (USA) in the finals of the world team trials to secure his spot in Final X opposite 2021 world champion #2 Kyle Dake (USA). Carr took bronze at the world team trials after tech falling Tommy Gantt (USA). In a battle of North Ossetian senior world champs, top-ranked Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS) would edge #10 David Baev (RUS) 3-1 for gold at the Poddubny. Taking bronze at the Poddubny was #5 Razambek Zhamalov (RUS) and #6 Cherman Valiev (RUS). Baev moves up five spots to #5 for his semifinal win over Zhamalov while Sidakov keeps the top spot locked down for his wins over Baev and Valiev. Zhamalov and Valiev both drop one spot each to #6 and #7 respectively. #2 Kyle Dake (USA) won the Pan-Am championships over Franklin Gomez Matos (PUR) with Franklin Maren Castillo (CUB) and Cesar Bordeaux Rego Alvan (BRA) taking bronze. Amir Reda Ramadan Hussein (EGY) won the African championships over Abdelkader Ikkal (ALG) with Arno Van Zul (RSA) and Ogbonna Emmanuel John (NGR) taking bronze. Anton Suchkov (RUS) won the Russian University Nationals over Asludin Bagamaev (RUS) with Aslan Gagaev (RUS) and Aisen Potapov (RUS) taking bronze. Imam Ganishov (RUS) won the Dagestan U23 Championships over Biysoltan Arslanov (RUS) with Abdulkadyr Abdulkadyrov (RUS) and Gadzhimurad Hasanov (RUS) taking bronze. 79KG #19 Chance Marsteller (USA) came out on top of an absolute shark tank of a bracket at World Team Trials to claim his spot at Final X opposite reigning world champion #1 Jordan Burroughs (USA). To make the finals, Marsteller got a nail-biting 5-4 win over NCAA champion Carter Starocci (USA) in the quarterfinals and in the semifinals beat U.S. Open champion #5 David McFadden (USA) to book his spot in the finals opposite #6 Vincenzo Joseph (USA). In three of the best matches of the entire tournament, Marsteller was able to come out on top two-matches-to-one against Joseph to claim gold. Other important matches results were #6 Vincenzo Joseph (USA) over #7 Alex Dieringer (USA) in the semis and Carter Starocci (USA) coming back to take third with wins over Dieringer and McFadden. From the aftermath of the U.S. Open, Marsteller skyrockets fourteen spots up the rankings to #5, while world team trials bronze medalist Carter Starocci (USA) makes his debut at #7 for beating McFadden and Dieringer. McFadden drops three spots to #8 and Dieringer drops two spots to #9. #2 Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (BLR) won the Poddubny in impressive fashion, using a second-period comeback to take the gold over #3 Radik Valiev (RUS) in the finals. Finishing with bronze at the Poddubny was #4 Malik Shavaev (RUS) and #16 Amanulla Gadzhimagomedov. Valiev returns at #3 after having a foray up to 86KG, where he won the North Ossetia wrestling championships. #11 Atsamaz Sanakoev got moved above #4 Akhmed Usmanov (RUS) at #12 because his resume from winning the Umakhanov over #4 Malik Shavaev (RUS) and Usmanov gives him better footing to take the loss he had to #19 Dmitri Kuprin (RUS) at the Yarygin and keep his spot then Usmanov did for losing to Shavaev and Gadzhimurad Alikhmaev (RUS), plus his loss in December to Sanakoev at the Umakhanov. #16 Dmitri Kuprin falls three spots to #19 for his loss to Gadzhimagomedov for bronze at the Poddubny. Rasul Asluev (RUS) won the Dagestan U23 Championships over Ali Nurov (RUS) with Nabi Aputaev (RUS) and Akhmed Manilov taking bronze. #13 Magomed Magomaev (RUS) won the Russian University Nationals over Ali Tsokaev (RUS) with Roman Petrenko (RUS) and Alik Badtiev (RUS) taking bronze. Chems Fetairia (ALG) won the African championship over Youssef Boulahari (MAR) with Jean Marie (MRI) and Andy Mukendi (COD) taking bronze. #1 Jordan Burroughs (USA) won the Pan-Am championships with Samuel Barrish (CAN) finishing runner-up and Victor Santos Acosta (PUR) with bronze in the round-robin format. 86KG #8 Zahid Valencia (USA) won the U.S. World Team Trials in two matches over two-time Junior world champion Mark Hall (USA) to make his second Final X appearance. Valencia will take on 2021 world silver medalist #2 David Taylor (USA) in June. Finishing with bronze at the world team trials was Trent Hidlay (USA) over Drew Foster (USA). Valencia doubled up in May with a title at the Pan-Am championships over Lazaro Hernandez (CUB). Bronze medalists at the Pan-Am championships were Carlos Izquierdo Mendez (COL) and Ethan Ramos (PUR). Fateh Benferdjallah (ALG) won the African championships over Mahmoud Badawi (EGY) with Ekerekeme Agiomor (NGR) and Edward Lessing (RSA) taking bronze. #3 Artur Naifonov (RUS) beat #4 Dauren Kurugliev (RUS) in the finals of the Poddubny tournament. Bronze medalists were #6 Ada Bagomedov (RUS) and #7 Amanulla Rasulov (RUS). Important head-to-head results were Naifonov over #6 Ada Bagomedov (RUS), Kurugliev over Rasulov, Kurugliev over #13 Arsenali Musalaliev (RUS), Rasulov over Musalaliev for bronze, and Bagomedov over 2019 79 KG world bronze medalist Gadzhi Nabiev (RUS) in the qualification round. Aslan Bagaev (RUS) won the Russian University Nationals over Shamil Magomedov with Alexander Kondratov (RUS) and Akhmed Bagavudinov (RUS) taking bronze. Magomednabi Magomedov (RUS) won the U23 Dagestan Championships over Ramazan Abuzagidov (RUS) by forfeit, while Akhmed Bagavudinov and Rashid Satykhadzhiev (RUS) took bronze. 92KG Two-time 92 KG world champion #10 (97) J'den Cox (USA) is back at 92 KG, where he won the Pan-Am championships with Jeremy Poirier (CAN) and Cristian Sanchez Hernandez (MEX) took bronze. Cox slides back into the rankings at #3. Nathan Jackson (USA) won the world team trials tournament over Isaac Trumble (USA) to book his spot in Final X opposite #3 J'den Cox (USA). Mohammed Fardj (ALG) won the African championships over Imed Kaddidi (TUN) with Machiel Grobler (RSA) and Noureldin Hassan (EGY) taking bronze. 2021 world runner-up #2 Magomed Kurbanov (RUS) won the Poddubny tournament over Junior Russian Nationals champion Magomed Sharipov (RUS). Bronze medalists at the Poddubny were #13 Guram Chertkoev (RUS) and #16 Azamat Zakuev. Sharipov debuts in the rankings at #14 for upsetting #13 Chertkoev and Tazhudin Mukhtarov (RUS). Kurbanov keeps his top spot with wins over Sharipov, #14 Tamerlan Tapsiev (RUS), and #16 Azamat Zakuev (RUS). Zakuev moves up three spots to #13 for avenging his loss from the Yarygin to Tapsiev in the bronze medal match. Chertkoev and Tapsiev both drop two spots to #15 and #16 respectively after their losses. Gadzhimurad Kadilov (RUS) won the Dagestan U23 Championships over Sagrab Isaev (RUS) with Kamil Abdulkadyrov (RUS) and Shakhban Surkhaev (RUS) taking bronze. Nikita Safronov (RUS) won the Russian University Nationals over Berd Kusov (RUS) with Farid Kazimov (RUS) and Salikhan Imeev (RUS) taking bronze. Three-time World/Olympic medalist #9 Selim Yasar (TUR) has been removed from the rankings due to inactivity. 97KG Kollin Moore (USA) won the U.S. World Team Trials against Michael Macchiavello (USA) to book his spot for Final X against 2021 World and Olympic runner-up #2 Kyle Snyder (USA). #2 Kyle Snyder (USA) won the Pan-Am championships over Artur Silot Torres (CUB) while Maxwell Lacey Garita (CRC) and Luis Perez Sosa (DOM) took bronze. Mostafa Elders (EGY) took gold at the African championships over Nicolaas De Lange (RSA) while Ulrich Manouan (CIV) and Mohamed Saadaoui (TUN) took bronze. Junior Russian Nationals runner-up Akhmed Tazhudinov (RUS) came out of absolutely nowhere to wrestle a career-best tournament and win gold at the Poddubny. Tazhudinov's tournament started off with a quarterfinal upset of 125 KG Tokyo Olympian #15 Sergey Kozyrev (RUS), avenged his Junior Nationals finals loss to #19 Abulla Kurbanov (RUS) in the semifinals and capped it off with an impressive victory over 2021 Russian Nationals champion #5 Alikhan Zhabrailov (RUS). With the results of his incredibly impressive run, Akhmed Tazhudinov (RUS) is able to make his debut in the rankings at #7. Finishing with bronze at the Poddubny was Kurbanov and #20 Aleksandr Hushtyn (BLR). Tamil Dzhikaev (RUS) beat Maxim Tolmachev (RUS) to win the Dagestan U23 Championships with Dagir Iskakov and Gadzhimagomed Tazhudinov (RUS) taking bronze. Shamil Umarov (RUS) won the Russian University Nationals over Magomedarip Abdulkhalikov (RUS) with Akhmed Mutalimov (RUS) taking bronze. 125KG Hayden Zillmer (USA) and #16 Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) both won their semifinal matches against Dom Bradley (USA) and Tony Cassioppi (USA) to book their spots into Final X against each other. Bradley finished bronze at the world team trials over Ty Walz (USA). Amarveer Dhesi (CAN) is back in the rankings at #15 for beating Gwiazdowski in the finals of the Pan-Am championships. Bronze medalists at the Pan-Am championships were Catriel Muriel (ARG) and Jose Daniel Diaz Robertti (VEN). Youssif Hemida (EGY) won the African championships with Anas Lamkabber (MOR) and Hamza Rahmani (TUN) taking bronze. #4 Zelimkhan Khizriev (RUS) won the Poddubny over 2021 world bronze medalist #9 Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur (MGL). Bronze medalists at the Poddubny were Erik Dzhioev (RUS) and #7 Anzor Khizriev. Dzhioev returns to the heavyweight rankings at #11 for beating #12 Atsamaz Tebloev (RUS), #13 Vitali Goloev (RUS), and #16 Alen Khubulov (RUS). Ostap Pasenok (RUS) returns to the rankings at #7 for upsetting #5 Baldan Tszyhipov (RUS). Tsyzhipov is now ranked at #8. Magomed Alichuev (RUS) won the Dagestan U23 Championships over Gamzat Alizhudinov (RUS) with Mansur Ilyasov (RUS) taking bronze. Gamzat Alizhudinov won the Russian University Nationals over Andrey Aronov (RUS) with Nikita Khabarov (RUS) and Abdulkhalil Dzhavatkhanov (RUS) taking bronze. Pound for Pound The biggest mover for this month in the pound for pound rankings is 2021 61 KG world champion Abasgadzhi Magomedov (RUS). Magomedov was originally ranked #22 pound-for-pound based on their not being a huge amount of head-to-head pound-for-pound guys for him to go against, plus not having as much world hardware as other members of the top ten, but then when I looked at his resume of wins over world medalists the likes of Daton Fix (USA), Thomas Gilman (USA), Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov (AZE), Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (CUB), Yuki Takahashi (JPN), Toshihiro Hasegawa (JPN), Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg (MGL) and Bekhbayar Erdenebat (MGL), plus being undefeated for the past two years, it's really hard to deny Abasgadzhi Magomedov as a top ten level talent pound-for-pound. Magomedov's debut in the top ten sees him land at the #9. 74 KG Poddubny tournament runner-up David Baev (RUS) is back in the rankings at #15 for beating #13 Razambek Zhamalov (RUS) in the semifinals of the Poddubny tournament along with his wins over #17 Cherman Valiev (RUS) and #21 Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (POL). On the bottom half of the rankings, I dropped three-time 125 KG World/Olympic champ #21 Taha Akgul (TUR) to #25 and 2021 World and Olympic runner-up #20 Geno Petriashvili (GEO) from the rankings. The reasoning here is that these guys were the old generation of heavyweight and while they had some great battles from the 2016-2020 quad, they were very quickly replaced by Gable Steveson (USA) and Amir Zare (IRI) and when you look at Akgul he hasn't touched world gold going on 5 years and Petriashvili is coming off back-to-back Olympic and World finals losses to Gable Steveson (USA) and Amir Zare (IRI) so it doesn't make sense to justify either of them over world champs or higher-performing guys with better recent resumes.

2x MAC runner-up Marcus Robinson (photo courtesy of Cleveland State athletics) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Cleveland State! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell Central Michigan Chattanooga Clarion NCAA Qualifiers (15) 2022 149 - Marcus Robinson (#21); 165 - Riley Smucker (#24); 197 - Ben Smith (#29) 2021 149 - Marcus Robinson (#30); 184 - DeAndre Nassar (#26); 197 - Ben Smith (#24) 2020 141 - Evan Cheek (#16) 2018 141 - Evan Cheek 2017 184 - Nick Corba 2016 197 - Sam Wheeler; 285 - Riley Shaw 2015 125 - Ben Willeford (#13); 285 - Riley Shaw 2013 125 - Ben Willeford; 285 - Riley Shaw NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans None NWCA All-Americans Evan Cheek (141 - Honorable Mention) NCAA Round of 12 Finishers None Conference Champions MAC 2022: Ben Smith (197) EWL 2018: Evan Cheek (141) 2016: Riley Shaw (285) 2015: Riley Shaw (285) 2013: Ben Willeford (125) Dual Record 2021-22: 8-9 2021: 1-3 2019-20: 9-6 2018-19: 4-12 2017-18: 3-10 2016-17: 2-11 2015-16: 8-8 2014-15: 7-3 2013-14: 3-11 2012-13: 4-10 Conference Tournament Placement MAC 2021-22: 6th 2021: 6th 2019-20: 7th EWL 2018-19: 7th 2017-18: 6th 2016-17: 6th 2015-16: 4th 2014-15: 4th 2013-14: 5th 2012-13: 6th NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 56th-tie (1 point) 2021: 51st-tie (1.5 points) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: No Qualifiers 2017-18: No Points 2016-17: 44th-tie (4 points) 2015-16: 50th-tie (3 points) 2014-15: 53rd-tie (1.5 points) 2013-14: No Qualifiers 2012-13: No Points Head Coaching History Josh Moore (2018-Present) Ben Stehura (2008-2018) Best Lineup (Comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Ben Willeford: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#13 seed); 2013 EWL Champion 133 - Justin Patrick: 2020 MAC 7th Place 141 - Evan Cheek: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2018 EWL Champion 149 - Marcus Robinson: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2x MAC Runner-Up 157 - Nico O'Dor 165 - Riley Smucker: 2022 NCAA Qualifier 174 - Gabe Stark: 2016 EWL Runner-Up 184 - Nick Corba: 2017 NCAA Qualifier 197 - Ben Smith: 2x NCAA Qualifier, 2022 MAC Champion 285 - Riley Shaw: 3x NCAA Qualifier; 2x EWL Champion Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2022: #198 Dylan Layton (SC) 2021: #131 Ben Aranda (IL); #194 Douglas Terry (OH) 2017: #58 Georgio Poullas (OH) 2016: #68 Logan Lacure (OH) 2013: #176 Nick Corba (OH)

Brown wrestling at the Pizzitola Sports Center (photo courtesy of Brown athletics) On May 5th, Todd Beckerman stepped down from his position as the Marvin Wilenzik ‘56 Head Coaching Chair of Wrestling for Brown Wrestling, in order to transition to another role within the athletic department. With very little movement on the head coaching front, the Brown job became the most attractive opening in the nation. Shortly after this was announced, InterMat put together a list of viable candidates for the vacancy. Now we're back talking Brown wrestling again to look at everything the new head coach will have to work with while in Providence. Basically, what does the opening have in its favor and what will the new staff have to improve. Coincidentally, we also have looked at Brown in our “10 years of,” feature, so this illustrates the production of the program, on the mat, during the last decade. With all of that out of the way, here's the Brown wrestling program: The Conference The EIWA via the Ivy League. A decade ago, competing in the Ivy League may not have had the same cache, at least from a wrestling standpoint. Since the early-2000's, Cornell has proven themselves to be a national power. However, after Cornell, there was a significant drop-off. Cornell took the reins from Penn, which had been a national factor before Rob Koll turned Ivy recruiting on its head. Now, fast forward to 2022 and there's no reason why you can't be nationally competitive on the recruiting scene and on the mat in the Ivy League. Cornell continues to have the best national-level results with a seventh-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Championships. But, you can't just pencil the Big Red into the top of the Ivy standings like most of the last two decades. Princeton knocked Cornell off in 2019-20 to take another step in their run as the “best turnaround in college athletics.” This year, the Tiger put a pair of wrestlers in the NCAA finals. It marked their first finalist since 2002 and the only time in school history more than one wrestler made it to the NCAA Championship bout. Both finalists will return next season. Beyond Cornell and Princeton, Penn showed the fruits of their coaching staff recruiting efforts with the first All-American of head coach Roger Reina's second tenure, when CJ Composto made the podium at 141 lbs. Penn nabbed the #18 overall recruiting class this year, after bringing in #23 in 2021. They'll be formidable and more experienced in 2022-23. Also, hitting the recruiting trail hard has been Columbia. The Lions received honorable mention honors for this year's class after snagging a #25 group in 2021. As competition ramps up in the Ivy League, the rest of the EIWA can be tough, as well. Traditional power Lehigh was ranked in InterMat's dual rankings for most of the year, but was done in by injuries and one of the most difficult schedules in the nation. Both service academies, Army West Point and Navy, have recruited well and have proven to be difficult in dual competition. That should only increase in the future. The EIWA was certainly hurt by the Ivy League sitting out the 2020-21 campaign and only was able to pick up two All-Americans at the national tournament in 2021. That figure improved to seven in 2022, six of which came from the Ivy League. The School In the 2022 US News rankings of “Best National Universities,” Brown University came in at #14. Excellent, huh? In general, that's a fantastic ranking. The only issue is that Princeton (#1), Columbia (#2-tie), Harvard (#2-tie), and Penn (#8) are Ivy rivals that rank ahead of Brown. There's no disputing that you can receive an excellent education in Providence; however, you can bet those other Ivy League schools are aware of their placement in the rankings. Additionally, Stanford (#6) and Northwestern (#9), are both schools with DI wrestling teams that are likely to recruit against Brown and sit above them in this list. Of course, Brown is above Cornell, but the Big Red can point to two decades of wrestling excellence which will be enough to offset any academic advantage for Brown. The Roster Brown is coming off two consecutive years without a national qualifier sandwiched around the 2021 season, in which the Ivy League did not participate. Suffice to say, the next head coach will have his work cut out for him, trying to get the Bears competitive with the big four in the Ivy League and in the upper have of the EIWA. That being said, the cupboard isn't necessarily bare. Coach Beckerman and his staff brought in five top-300 recruits in 2021 and have three more on the way with this incoming freshman class. The highest-ranked from the Class of 2022 is Ohio state champion Antwaun Burns, who was #112 on the Big Board. As far as the existing roster goes, Brown sent a lineup to the 2022 EIWA Championships that featured only two seniors. As of now, it's unclear whether either is slated to return. One of them, Reese Fry (125) was one of two Brown wrestlers to place at the tournament. Nicky Cabanillas (133) was the other. Both were eighth in their respective weight classes. Freshman Timothy Levine (141) and Jack Bokina (157) were the only Bear wrestlers that competed in the postseason and finished the year with winning records. While the new head coach will have to increase the output on the recruiting front, there is some talent in-house ripe for development. The Facilities The Bears practice and compete in the Pizzitola Sports Center. The facility opened over 30 years ago and has undergone a few renovations in the time since. The competition area is about on par with many of the schools in the EIWA, yet behind a few of its Ivy League brethren. Their wrestling room is similar to many in the conference, as well. The Salary Since Brown is a private institution actual salary figures do not have to be released. That being said, we've done some research and figured out a pay range for the head coaching position. On the job posting, it is listed as “Grade 11.” Using the Fiscal Year Salary Range table posted by the school's human resources department, the salary range is 70k as a minimum, 94k as the midpoint, and 118k as the maximum. Depending on an offer from the athletic department, the school should be pretty competitive for most candidates. The Administration The athletic department is led by M. Grace Calhoun, a Brown alum, who has been on the job for just over a year. Prior to her arrival, Calhoun held the position of Director of Athletics and Recreation at the University of Pennsylvania since 2014. That link led us to believe that Calhoun may offer the job to the talented young assistant from Penn, Bryan Pearsall. Since that time, Pearsall's name has not surfaced as a candidate for the Brown vacancy. While originally a track athlete herself, Calhoun seems to value a diverse athletic environment. During her tenure at Penn, the Quakers captured 27 Ivy or conference titles in 16 different sports. That is just under half of the offerings (33) at Penn. Additionally, Penn set records for fundraising under her leadership. Calhoun has also chaired NCAA national committees and has worked closely with NIL implementation for the NCAA. Stability in the athletic department is crucial for Brown since they have endured a tumultuous two-plus year. Amid the Covid pandemic, 11 sports were relegated to club status, lawsuits were filed against the school, and five were reinstated. People close to the team confirm that there is a strong alumni base that wants to win and is willing to “put their money where their mouth is.” That could bode well for a program with new leadership atop the athletic department and a history of success on the field and raising money. The Recruiting Base Ivy League schools generally operate on a national level when it comes to recruiting. Their association with the conference is strong enough to get attention from any student-athlete that puts a heavy emphasis on the “student” half of the label. Brown recruits this way, to an extent. From their 2021-22 roster, only five of the 26 team members came from outside of the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Now the Mid-Atlantic includes New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, so having a lineup full of wrestlers from those states is definitely a good strategy. It would probably be best if the new staff continues this strategy, while picking a few studs from out of that radius. The current roster doesn't have anyone from Blair Academy, Malvern Prep, or Wyoming Seminary, three of the top schools in the nation, all from this area, which regularly churn out top-level DI prospects with Ivy-like grades. Brown does have some local flavor on the roster with three wrestlers from New England. That's probably about right. Maybe more for a local fanbase, but there isn't enough talent from the region to fully support a strong DI roster. The area is slowly improving, so it wouldn't be a bad idea for a new coach to develop some connections in the area.

Thomas Gilman and Vito Arujau at the 2020 Olympic Team Trials (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) We get it, spring is a busy time for most people, with school ending, graduation, prom, wedding season and families taking off on vacations. Understandably, the casual college fan may not be able to keep up with all of the wrestling that's gone on the past couple of months. But with the U.S. Open and the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament behind us and Final X and U20 and U23 World Team Trials ahead, here's a quick recap of the highlights Big Ten wrestling fans should know about what's happened so far and what to keep an eye on in June. Upcoming events: Final X Stillwater: June 3 - Stillwater, Oklahoma U20 and U23 World Team Trials: June 3-5 - Geneva, Ohio Final X New York: June 8 - New York, New York True Third National Team Wrestle-Off : June 8 - New York, New York Big Ten will be well-represented at Final X Plenty of former Big Ten stars - and a couple current wrestlers - will be in action at Final X Stillwater on June 3 and Final X New York on June 8. Headlining those lineups will be the likes of Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska/Big 12 at the time), David Taylor (Penn State), Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) and Thomas Gilman (Iowa), who all earned their byes to the final by the virtue of earning medals at the most recent World or Olympic championships in men's freestyle. Joining them, in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, will be former Penn State stars Jason Nolf and Zain Retherford, former Ohio State All-American Kollin Moore and current Buckeye Brady Koontz, former Wisconsin wrestlers Seth Gross and Jesse Thielke and current Badger Braxton Amos, former Indiana All-American Nate Jackson, former Minnesota wrestler Pat Smith, Tanner Farmer, who played football for Nebraska, and Spencer Woods, who wrestled as a redshirt for Maryland before transferring. All will be wrestling for the chance to represent the U.S. at the Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 10-18. The 97 kg men's freestyle championship will feature an all-Buckeye matchup between Moore (2020) and 2016 Olympic champ Snyder (2018) in Stillwater. Snyder earned silver medals at both the 2021 World Championships and 2020 Olympics to earn his Final X berth. Moore shut out former N.C. State wrestler Mike Macchiavello (10-0, 6-0) to win the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament on May 22. Snyder won the last matchup between the pair (10-0, 5-1), taking the first two bouts in a best-of-three series to make the 2020 Olympic team. This time, Moore is hoping for a different result. "He's been a huge part of my success as a wrestler but at some time it's like, alright, I'm tired of being the little brother," Moore told reporters when asked about Snyder after his World Team Trials win. "So, hopefully, this time is different, I think it will be. But he's not going to take me lightly, I know Kyle. He's going to come out there and try to kill me and I've got to do the same." A few other former Big Ten wrestlers will be looking to avenge previous losses. Nolf will be taking on World gold medalist and Olympic bronze medalist Kyle Dake at 74 kg in New York. Dake rolled to an 11-0 technical superiority win over Nolf when they last met at the Olympic Trials last year. Retherford earned close wins over Doug Zapf (4-1) and Alec Pantaleo (5-2) to win World Team Trials. The two-time Hodge Trophy winner will be up against a familiar face in former Oklahoma State star Jordan Oliver. The pair have wrestled several close matches against each other, with Oliver owning a 4-2 advantage. Gross will also be taking on a familiar opponent in rising Oklahoma State senior and reigning World silver medalist Daton Fix, who cruised to an 11-0 tech over Gross in the 2021 World Team Trials. Gilman will also face a familiar opponent, rising Cornell junior Vito Arujau. Gilman has three wins over Arujau, including two in the best-of-three final to make the 2020 Olympic team. The two current Big Ten wrestlers competing at Final X - Amos and Koontz - are both in Greco-Roman. Amos, a rising sophomore, went 2-0 to reach the 97 kg championship at World Team Trials, where he swept Hayden Mayley (9-1, 11-2) in the best-of-three series. He'll face G'Angelo Hancock, who represented the U.S. at the 2020 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships in Oslo, Norway, in New York. Coming off a first-place finish at the Pan American Championships in Mexico on May 5, Koontz, who's headed into his redshirt senior season this fall, went 2-0 in the 55 kg at World Team Trials. He'll face four-time U.S. National Team member Max Nowry at Stillwater. The future of the Big Ten is bright The up-and-coming stars of the Big Ten made their names known at the U20 Freestyle Nationals in Las Vegas on April 30. More than half of the 10 winners in men's freestyle are current or future Big Ten wrestlers. Penn State redshirt freshman Alex Facundo highlighted the group, out-scoring his opponents 74-5 to be named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler. Facundo shut out five of his seven opponents, surrendering just five points in the tournament. He beat Vincent Zerban, a four-time USAW Cadet/Junior All-American and NHSCA National Champion, to win the 74 kg title. Facundo went 11-3 wrestling unattached this year for the Nittany Lions. He told the media after his final match that he struggled with finding himself in his first season at Penn State, but that he feels like this tournament got him back on track. "Toward the Southern Scuffle time, I was kind of lost, I didn't know where I was mentally," he said. "But after talking to Jason (Nolf) and Bo (Nickal), and those guys and Aaron (Brooks), he told me, 'Don't go away from what you've done to get here, because what you've done to get here works. Keep on building on top of that.' I really think I've found myself in this tournament again and I'm able to continue to be as dominant as I was." Also winning were future Golden Gopher Troy Spratley (57 kg), Maryland freshman Jaxon Smith, future Hawkeye Ben Kueter, and future Buckeyes Nic Bouzakis and Nicholas Feldman. The winners earn byes to the finals at the U20 and U23 World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio, June 3-5. The winners there will represent the U.S. at the U20 World Championships Aug. 15-21 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Spratley also had an impressive tournament, highlighted by a first-round win (12-2) over Penn State's Robert Howard, a three-time Cadet World Team member. For his part, Howard went on to win eight straight matches to finish third. Spratley, meanwhile, gave up just four points in the tournament, winning the final, 9-0, over Ohio State's Andre Gonzales. Smith also faced off against a fellow Big Ten wrestler in the finals, beating Nebraska freshman Silas Allred, 12-1, for the title. Smith went 10-0, 11-0 and 11-1 to reach the finals. Kueter, who plans to both wrestle and play football for the Hawkeyes, had two 10-0 wins to make the finals, where he beat future Tarheel Noah Pettigrew, 4-3. Feldman also dominated his way through the tournament, going 12-0, 10-0 and 10-0 until the semifinals, where he earned a 2-1 win over Juan Mora. He found his offense again in the finals, rolling to a 10-0 technical superiority in just under a minute. Bouzakis put together five wins to reach the finals at 61 kg, where he met promising Bucknell freshman Dylan Chappell, a three-time PIAA runner-up who went 20-6 his freshman season. The match didn't last long, as Bouzakis ended the match, 12-2, in 2:07. Incoming Rutgers freshman Brian Soldano had a strong third-place performance, beating a pair of Big Ten opponents in Penn State's Lucas Cochran and Michigan's Jaden Bullock. Another future Buckeye, Jesse Mendez, who's joining the roster this fall, took on the senior U.S. Open freestyle bracket, going 6-1 to place third. He went 1-2 at the Senior-level World Team Trials. Current Big Ten wrestlers also get in plenty of work this spring While future and former stars may have dominated the headlines this spring, current Big Ten wrestlers - in addition to Amos and Koontz - were also in the mix. Fresh off his second NCAA title, Penn State sophomore Carter Starocci finished third at the Senior World Team Trials and will wrestle former Nittany Lion Vincenzo Joseph for true third and National Team status on June 8. Starocci's loss came to former Lock Haven wrestler Chance Marsteller, who went on to win the bracket and will face Jordan Burroughs at Final X. Starocci was up by one with 30 seconds to go, but a late takedown gave Marsteller the 5-4 victory. Starocci went on to win three straight, over Brayden Thompson, Alex Dieringer and David McFadden. Rising Purdue sophomore Matt Ramos also competed at the World Team Trials on the Senior level, placing fourth at 57 kg. He went 2-2, with losses to Jakob Camacho (11-7) and Zane Richards (6-5). Ramos had won the U.S. Open at 57 kg a few weeks earlier in order to secure the No. 1 seed at the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. "It's an amazing tournament," Ramos told reporters after his U.S. Open win in April. "Thanks to Purdue wrestling, they helped me - with my partners and my coaches - achieve this goal and we're going to do a lot more in the future." While he fell short of making the Senior World Team, Ramos plans to compete at the U20 & U23 World Team Trials. Michigan State sophomore Peyton Omania placed third at 67 kg in Greco-Roman, while redshirt senior Cameron Caffey was fourth at 92 kg in freestyle. Ohio State's Sammy Sasso also had a fourth-place finish, at 70 kg in men's freestyle. Ohio State's Tate Orndorff made the Greco-Roman National Team by placing third at 130 kg. While Orndorff's Buckeye teammate Nicholas Boykin came up short of joining him on the Greco-Roman National Team, placing fourth at 97 kg, his spring hasn't been without some hardware. The rising junior won the 97 kg Greco-Roman title at the Bill Farrell Memorial International Open at the beginning of April and earned bronze at the Pan American Championships.

Patrick Smith (left) and Benji Peak at the 2021 World Team Trials (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) By Friday evening, we'll know one-half of our 2020 Senior world team as the first leg of Final X will conclude competition. That marks the end of a qualifying process that started at the 2020 Olympic Trials (in April 2021). From the US Open, the field was narrowed down and at the World Team Trials, a week ago, matchups for Final X were determined. Now that we know who will compete in Final X, InterMat has previews of each style, by site. We're starting with the Stillwater half of Final X, one that gets underway Friday afternoon. Here are the five Greco-Roman matchups, a preview of the action and the competitors who will square off in Oklahoma. 55 kg - Max Nowry vs. Brady Koontz This is the only Greco-Roman rematch from our last Final X in 2019. That result meshed with the rest of the meetings between Max Nowry and Brady Koontz. It was a clean sweep by Nowry, 3-0 and 11-5. That marked the first Senior world team appearance for the veteran Nowry. It was the same story last year as Nowry edged Koontz to make the 2021 team. Now, this time Koontz was able to narrow the margin to 2-1 and 3-1. Can Koontz continue to inch closer and turn the tables on Nowry? Koontz has made world teams at each age group except for the Senior level, maybe it's his time. Even as Koontz continues to improve, Nowry isn't showing any signs of slowing down. He didn't need more than 90 seconds in either of his two matches at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. 63 kg - Sam Jones vs. Jesse Thielke In my eyes, this may be the most intriguing Greco-Roman series of either Final X lineup. Sam Jones has asserted himself as the man to beat at 63 kg. Jones was a US Open runner-up in 2018 and 2019, along with 2019 Senior Nationals, before breaking through and taking the world team spot in 2021. Before locking up his spot in Final X, Jones went to the Pan-American Championships and garnered his first career gold medal at the event. Jones' recent consistency and success have made him one of the faces of US Greco. But to go back-to-back and make a second world team, Jones will have to go through a highly decorated veteran in Jesse Thielke. The former Junior World bronze medalist, Thielke, made the 2016 Olympic Team, but has not competed regularly since 2019. In the interim, Thielke has moved to Army WCAP and appears to be reinvigorated. The results speak for themselves as Thielke went through the US Open and WTT qualifying without surrendering a point in five matches. 72 kg - Patrick Smith vs. Benji Peak Another unreal series is this one at 72 kg. It will be an excellent contrast of style with the grinder, Patrick Smith and the high-flying Benji Peak. The two squared off at the 2021 WTT's and Smith prevailed on criteria in the first bout and by two points in the second. Smith's last appearance at Final X saw him take on an opponent that looked flashier than him (Kamal Bey), as well. After losing the first bout via tech, Smith used a workmanlike effort to claim a spot on the 2019 team. The style clash between these two was evident at the WTT Challenge Tournament, as all of Smith's bouts ended via early stoppage, though he wore his opponents down and eventually put them away in the second period. Peak didn't go into the second minute in either of his two matches. This has the opportunity to be a “changing of the guard” type of scenario with the young Peak making his first team or business-as-usual for the veteran Smith, earning a spot on the world team for the fourth time. 82 kg - Ben Provisor vs. Spencer Woods It seems like a theme with this crop of Greco matches, but once again we'll have another matchup that features a highly-decorated veteran against a young, talented foe that has been knocking on the door recently. That's the case with Ben Provisor and Spencer Woods. And like some of the series we've discussed earlier, this is another rematch of the 2021 WTT's. Provisor swept the two bouts in his typical, hard-fought fashion. It gave the Grand View wrestler his fourth berth on a world/Olympic level. After getting to compete on the world stage, with the U23 world team in 2021, Woods looks ready to take that next step. The two have met already once in 2022 with Provisor getting the best of Woods, 5-3 in the US Open finals. Once again, Woods continues to inch closer to Provisor, so will he be able to make the necessary adjustments to close that gap in Stillwater? 130 kg - Cohlton Schultz vs. Tanner Farmer The backstory at 130 kg is one of the best of any of the Final X matchups. Tanner Farmer qualified for Final X three years after his college football career ended. That's right, Farmer was a three-year starter for Nebraska's football team, before taking a graduate year at Concordia, returning to the wrestling mat and finishing as an NAIA national runner-up. Now Farmer is two matches away from making the Greco world team. Last year, Farmer entered the WTT's and finished third with wins over contenders Lee Herrington and Donny Longendyke. His only loss? It was 5-0 in the semifinals to Cohlton Schultz. Schultz went on to survive a three-match series with Jacob Mitchell to make his first Senior world team. It was never “if” Schultz would make a Senior team, merely “when”, as he's had success at every age-group level. Schultz was a 2017 Cadet world champion and a two-time Junior World medalist. The Arizona State start has been able to balance high-level Greco performance with collegiate success, as he made the 2022 NCAA finals opposite Gable Steveson. It marked the second time that Schultz finished in the top four in two attempts. With more mat time, Farmer has clearly been able to improve by leaps and bounds, but is it enough to overcome one of the young superstars of the sport?

4x NCAA qualifier Brock Zacherl (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Clarion! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell Central Michigan Chattanooga NCAA Qualifiers (19) 2022 197 - Will Feldkamp (#32) 2021 197 - Greg Bulsak (#14) 2020 149 - Brock Zacherl (#11) 197 - Greg Bulsak (#10) 285 - Tyler Bagoly (#32) 2019 165 - Evan Delong (#31) 197 - Greg Bulsak (#25) 2018 141 - Brock Zacherl (#7) 149 - Taylor Ortz 184 - Greg Bulsak 197 - Dustin Conti 2017 125 - Jake Gromacki 141 - Brock Zacherl 2016 141 - Brock Zacherl (#15) 174 - Michael Pavasko 2014 149 - Justin Arthur 157 - Austin Matthews 2013 149 - Tyler Bedelyon 157 - James Fleming (#5) NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans James Fleming (2013 - 8th) NWCA All-Americans Brock Zacherl (149 - Second Team) Greg Bulsak (197 - Second Team) NCAA Round of 12 finishers Brock Zacherl - 141 (2018) Justin Arthur - 149 (2014) Conference Champions MAC 2020: Greg Bulsak (197) EWL 2018: Dustin Conti (197) 2016: Brock Zacherl (141), Michael Pavasko (174) 2014: Austin Matthews (157) Dual Record 2021-22: 9-7 2021: 3-5 2019-20: 10-6 2018-19: 7-7 2017-18: 10-7 2016-17: 6-10 2015-16: 7-12 2014-15: 1-16 2013-14: 9-15 2012-13: 5-10 Conference Tournament Placement MAC 2021-22: 5th 2021: 7th 2019-20: 12th EWL 2018-19: 6th 2017-18: 4th 2016-17: 4th 2015-16: 5th 2014-15: 6th 2013-14: 6th 2012-13: 4th NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 46th-tie (3 points) 2021: 51st-tie (1.5 points) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: No Team Points 2017-18: 50th-tie (2 points) 2016-17: 57th-tie (1 point) 2015-16: 62nd-tie (1.5 points) 2014-15: No Qualifiers 2013-14: 40th (7 points) 2012-13: 33rd (9 points) Head Coaching History Keith Ferraro (2014-present) Troy Letters (2012-14) Best Lineup (comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Jake Gromacki: 2017 NCAA Qualifier, 2017 EWL Runner-Up 133 - Seth Koleno: 2019 EWL 4th Place 141 - Brock Zacherl: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#7, #11 and #15 seeds), 2020 NWCA 2nd Team All-American, 2018 NCAA Round of 12 Finisher 149 - Justin Arthur: 2014 NCAA Qualifier, 2014 NCAA Round of 12 finisher 157 - Austin Matthews: 2014 NCAA Qualifier, 2014 EWL Champion 165 - Evan Delong: 2019 NCAA Qualifier 174 - Michael Pavasko: 2016 NCAA Qualifier, 2016 EWL Champions 184 - Greg Bulsak: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#10, #14, and #25 seeds), 2020 MAC Champion, 2022 NCAA All-American (8th) for Rutgers 197 - Dustin Conti: 2018 NCAA Qualifier, 2018 EWL Champion 285 - Tyler Bagoly: 2020 NCAA Qualifier Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2022: #228 Nate Burnett (OH) 2021: #66 Joey Fischer (PA) 2017: #67 Max Wohlbaugh (FL) 2016: #91 Greg Bulsak (PA); #108 Taylor Ortz (PA) 2014: #40 Brock Zacherl (PA) 2013: #34 Austin Matthews (PA); #110 Justin Arthur (WV)

Nick Gwiazdowski defeats Gable Steveson at Final X Rutgers in 2019 (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) It's officially Final X week! The first installment of the method used to determine our Senior-level world teams takes place Friday in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Before getting to actual previews of the action and competitors, we're looking back at the first two editions of Final X (2018 and 2019) to find some trends and figures to monitor for 2021. Remember, Greco-Roman did not participate in 2018's version of Final X, so many of our facts will be skewed towards freestyle. The following wrestlers have qualified to wrestle in all three editions of Final X: Men's Freestyle Thomas Gilman, Daton Fix, Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Dake, David Taylor, J'den Cox, Kyle Snyder, Nick Gwiazdowski Women's Freestyle Sarah Hildebrandt, Jacarra Winchester, Jenna Burkert, Kayla Miracle, Mallory Velte, Forrest Molinari, Tamyra Mensah-Stock Rematches from prior Final X series: Women's Freestyle 57 kg - Helen Maroulis vs. Alex Hedrick (2018). Won by Maroulis 10-0, 12-0. Greco-Roman 55 kg - Max Nowry vs. Brady Koontz (2019). Won by Nowry 3-0, 11-5. Wrestlers seeking to win their third Final X series: Men's Freestyle Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Dake, J'den Cox, Kyle Snyder, Nick Gwiazdowski Women's Freestyle Sarah Hildebrandt, Jacarra Winchester, Forrest Molinari, Tamyra Mensah-Stock Of the wrestlers with 2-0 series records (and are competing this year) in Final X, only Sarah Hildebrandt and Tamyra Mensah-Stock have gone unscored upon during their four wins in two series'. Over the first two years of Final X, only nine series have gone to three matches: 2019: MFS 57 kg: Daton Fix over Thomas Gilman 2019: MFS 61 kg: Tyler Graff over Joe Colon 2019: MFS 74 kg: Jordan Burroughs over Isaiah Martinez 2019 WFS 65kg: Forrest Molinari over Maya Nelson 2019 MGR 77kg: Patrick Smith over Kamal Bey 2018 MFS 61kg: Nahshon Garrett over Joe Colon 2018 WFS 50kg: Whitney Conder over Victoria Anthony 2018 WFS 62kg: Mallory Velte over Kayla Miracle 2018 WFS 72kg: Erin Clodgo over Rachel Watters Of the series that went three matches, only five of the eventual winners lost in bout one: 2019: MFS 61 kg: Tyler Graff over Joe Colon 2019 WFS 65kg: Forrest Molinari over Maya Nelson 2019 MGR 77kg: Patrick Smith over Kamal Bey 2018 MFS 61kg: Nahshon Garrett over Joe Colon 2018 WFS 62kg: Mallory Velte over Kayla Miracle Patrick Smith is the only wrestler in Final X history to have lost a bout via tech, but still won the series. He fell to Kamal Bey 11-2, then rallied to win 2-1 and 6-3. Smith and Erin Clodgo are the only two that picked up series wins while being outscored by their opponent. Smith won despite being outscored 14-10, while Clodgo's margin was 14-8 in favor of Rachel Watters. Jenna Burkert is the only wrestler that has appeared in all three Final X's and will compete at three different weights. This year she is competing at 55 kg. In 2019, she was at 57 kg and in 2018 Burkert wrestled at 59 kg. Speaking of moving weights, Hayden Zillmer qualified for Final X at 125 kg. In 2018, Zillmer fell to J'den Cox at 92 kg at Final X Bethlehem. The Greco portion of Final X will feature two bouts between Army WCAP teammates (60 kg - Ildar Hafizov and Dalton Roberts; 77 kg - Kamal Bey and Britton Holmes). In 2019, there was one between Hafizov and Leslie Fuenffinger. Hafizov won that clash, 7-5, 9-0. The men's freestyle side of Final X will have three battles between former teammates/training partners. At 65 kg with Yianni Diakomihalis and Evan Henderson, 92 kg between J'den Cox and Nate Jackson, and former Buckeye big men Kyle Snyder and Kollin Moore at 97 kg. Three of the ten women's freestyle bouts at Final X will see former world medalists square off. 50 kg between Sarah Hildebrant and Alyssa Lampe. 55 kg with Jacarra Winchester and Jenna Burkert, and at 65 kg with Forrest Molinari and Mallory Velte. There are no such instances in men's freestyle and Greco-Roman. Across the three styles, there are three series' that are rematches from the 2020 Olympic Team Trials finals. Gilman/Vito Arujau at 57 kg MFS, Snyder/Moore 97 kg MFS, G'Angelo Hancock/Braxton Amos 97 kg MGR. In Greco, there are four Final X matchups that took place in the 2021 World Team Trials finals. 55 kg Nowry/Koontz, 60 kg Roberts/Hafizov, 72 kg Smith/Benji Peak, 82 kg Ben Provisor/Spencer Woods. There are no rematches from the 2021 WTT finals in men's freestyle and only one in women's freestyle. 55 kg between Jenna Burkert and Jacarra Winchester. Over two years of competition, only six falls have been registered in Final X bouts: 2019: Whitney Conder, Tamyra Mensah-Stock, Victoria Francis, Adeline Gray, and Ellis Coleman 2018: Adeline Gray Conder, Francis, and Gray (2018) picked up pins in series-clinching victories. Men's freestyle has tended to be the most competitive style of the three. Only one series (David Taylor/Nick Reenan in 2018) has ended with two techs. Also, during the previous 50 Final X series', only one ended with two matches decided on criteria. That was in 2019 when Gwiazdowski defeated Gable Steveson 4-4 and 3-3. Patrick Downey, in 2019, is the only Final X winner to receive a forfeit. Nahshon Garrett, in 2018, is the only Final X winner who did not compete at the World Championships. He pulled out due to an injury and Joe Colon replaced him, then came home with a bronze medal. We mentioned earlier that former Ohio State teammates Snyder and Moore will meet in the 97 kg men's freestyle series. It's the second time that Ohio State alums have met in Final X. In 2018, Logan Stieber and Joey McKenna wrestled for the 65 kg spot. Since the inception of women's wrestling at the collegiate level, Simon Fraser has been a consistent power. That's on display again as four SFU alums have qualified for Final X (Dom Parrish, Helen Maroulis, Alex Hedrick, and Mallory Velte). Maroulis and Hedrick will meet at 57 kg in New York. In past years, Victoria Anthony and Alyvia Fiske are other former SFU stars that have competed at Final X. To date, the only wrestler to compete in Final X in freestyle and Greco-Roman was Adam Coon, who lost to Gwiazdowski in freestyle in 2018 and beat Cohlton Schultz in Greco in 2019. The only returning world medalists who have lost series' in Final X are Becka Leathers (2018 and 2019), Mallory Velte (2019), and Joe Colon (2019). Three series have been decided outside of the original Final X sites/dates. The controversial matchup between Zain Retherford/Yianni Diakomiahlis featured a match re-wrestled at Wilkes University in 2019. Injuries pushed back Kyle Dake's win against Alex Dieringer that same year. The two ended up wrestling in Round Rock, Texas later in the year. Maroulis and Hedrick were slated to meet in Bethlehem in 2018, which technically happened, but a few months later at Who's #1, rather than their originally scheduled Final X date. Speaking of Dake. He continues to have as tough of a path to the world team as anyone. This year's matchup is against Jason Nolf. Dake's three Final X opponents have combined to win eight NCAA titles (Nolf x3, Dieringer x3, and Zahid Valencia x2). At least one of the three is capable of a world medal, had Dake been out of the picture. Burkert has had a tough run in her own right. In 2018, she fell to two-time world silver medalist Alli Ragan. In 2019, she knocked off world bronze medalist Becka Leathers. This year, Burkert is a part of one of the most anticipated women's matchups by facing 2019 world champion Jacarra Winchester. Home field advantage. The following wrestlers will compete in their home state. Daton Fix (Stillwater). Nick Gwiazdowski, Kyle Dake, Yianni Diakomihalis (New York). Additionally, Jordan Oliver is an Oklahoma State graduate and wrestles in Stillwater.

2022 SoCon champion Fabian Gutierrez (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Chattanooga! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell Central Michigan NCAA Qualifiers (44) 2022 125 - Fabian Gutierrez (#20); 133 - Brayden Palmer (#19); 165 - Drew Nicholson (#29); 197 - Matthew Waddell (#33) 2021 125 - Fabian Gutierrez (#24); 165 - Drew Nicholson (#26); 184 - Matthew Waddell (#25); 197 - Logan Andrew (#32) 2020 125 - Fabian Gutierrez (#25); 149 - Tanner Smith (#22); 184 - Matthew Waddell (#20) 2019 125 - Alonzo Allen (#26); 141- Chris Debien (#28); 149 - Tanner Smith (#32); 197 - Rod Jones (#33) 2018 125 - Alonzo Allen; 184 - Bryce Carr (#12); 197 - Scottie Boykin (#10) 2017 133 - Chris Debien; 184 - Bryce Carr (#13); 285 - Jared Johnson (#11) 2016 141 - Mike Pongracz; 157 - Kamaal Shakur; 174 - Sean Mappes; 184 - John Lampe; 197 - Scottie Boykin; 285 - Jared Johnson (#13) 2015 125 - Sean Boyle (#5); 133 - Nick Soto (#15); 141 - Mike Pongracz; 149 - Shawn Greevy; 174 - Sean Mappes; 197 - Scottie Boykin; 285 - Jared Johnson 2014 133 - Nick Soto (#10); 157 - Alex Hudson; 165 - Corey Mock (#6); 174 - Levi Clemons; 285 - Dawson Peck 2013 125 - Nick Soto; 141 - Dean Pavlou; 149 - Alex Hudson; 165 - Josh Condon; 197 - Niko Brown NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans None NCAA Round of 12 Finishers Bryce Carr - 184 (2018) Sean Boyle - 125 (2015) SoCon Champions 2022: Fabian Gutierrez (125); Matthew Waddell (197) 2021: Drew Nicholson (165) 2019: Chris Debien (141) 2018: Alonzo Allen (125); Bryce Carr (184); Scottie Boykin (197) 2017: Chris Debien (133); Bryce Carr (184) 2016: Kamaal Shakur (157); Scottie Boykin (197) 2015: Sean Boyle (125); Nick Soto (133); Sean Mappes (174) 2014: Nick Soto (133); Corey Mock (165); Levi Clemons (174) 2013: Nick Soto (125); Alex Hudson (149); Josh Condon (165); Niko Brown (197) Dual Record 2021-22: 9-10 2021: 8-4 2019-20: 7-9 2018-19: 7-7 2017-18: 8-7 2016-17: 7-9 2015-16: 12-4 2014-15: 13-6 2013-14: 16-7 2012-13: 11-6 SoCon Tournament Placement 2021-22: 3rd 2021: 3rd 2019-20: 3rd 2018-19: 3rd 2017-18: 2nd 2016-17: 4th 2015-16: 2nd 2014-15: 1st 2013-14: 1st 2012-13: 1st NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 56th-tie (1 point) 2021: 54th-tie (1 point) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: 56th-tie (0.5 points) 2017-18: 48th-tie (2.5 points) 2016-17: 69th (-0.5 points) 2015-16: 60th-tie (2 points) 2014-15: 45th-tie (3.5 points) 2013-14: 51st-tie (3.5 points) 2012-13: 55th-tie (3 points) Head Coaching History Kyle Ruschell (2018-present) Heath Eslinger (2009-2018) Best Lineup (Comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Sean Boyle: 2015 NCAA Qualifier (#5 seed); 2015 NCAA Round of 12 finisher; 2015 SoCon Champion; 2x NCAA Qualifier for Michigan; 2011 NCAA Round of 12 finisher 133 - Nick Soto: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#10 and #15 seeds); 4x SoCon Champion 141 - Chris Debien: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2x SoCon Champion 149 - Tanner Smith: 2x NCAA Qualifier 157 - Alex Hudson: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2013 SoCon Champion 165 - Corey Mock: 2014 NCAA Qualifier (#6 seed); 2014 SoCon Champion; 2x NCAA Qualifier for North Carolina 174 - Sean Mappes: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2015 SoCon Champion 184 - Bryce Carr: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#12 and #13 seeds); 2018 NCAA Round of 12 finisher; 2x SoCon Champion 197 - Scottie Boykin: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#10 seed); 2x SoCon Champion 285 - Jared Johnson: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#11 and #13 seeds); 2x SoCon runner-up Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2022: #139 Sergio DeSiante (FL); #145 Jeremy Paradice (GA); #147 Colby Cochran (GA); #245 Cole Thomas (GA) 2021: #93 Kamdyn Munro (GA); #175 Hunter Noland (GA); #189 Blake Boarman (IN); #216 Alex Cottey (IN) 2020: #72 Noah Castillo (FL) 2015: #84 Chris Debien (TN) 2014: #102 Kamaal Shakur (GA) 2013: #111 Kevin Cooper (KY)

Brandon Meredith now of South Dakota State (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) It's been 20 days since our last transfer tracker update and there are plenty of new names on our list. Most notable is 2021 All-American Taylor LaMont, who moves on to Wisconsin from Utah Valley. Two new NJCAA All-Americans, Deron Pulliam and Jose Valdez, have been added as they have signed with DI schools. The Penn State/South Dakota State pipeline is alive with 125 lber Brandon Meredith going to Brookings. Finally, a pair of former NC State teammates, have moved on with Jarred Papscy and Jacob Ferreira. Papscy doesn't have much of a move as he'll go from Raleigh to Durham, while Ferreira goes back to his home state. Pay attention, as there will be more transfers forthcoming!

4x NCAA All-American Ben Bennett (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Central Michigan! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell NCAA Qualifiers (54) 2022 141 - Dresden Simon (#14); 149 - Corbyn Munson (#25); 157 - Johnny Lovett (#15); 285 - Matt Stencel (#8) 2021 125 - Drew Hildebrandt (#4); 141 - Dresden Simon (#9); 157 - Johnny Lovett (#26); 165 - Alex Cramer; 285 - Matt Stencel (#3) 2020 125 - Drew Hildebrandt (#6); 133 - Drew Marten (#31); 141 - Dresden Simon (#12); 157 - Logan Parks (#21); 197 - Landon Pelham (#28); 285 - Matt Stencel (#5) 2019 125 - Drew Hildebrandt (#13); 157 - Logan Parks (#18); 285 - Matt Stencel (#9) 2018 141 - Mason Smith (#10); 149 - Justin Oliver (#10); 157 - Colin Heffernan; 174 - CJ Brucki (#16); 184 - Jordan Ellingwood (#16); 197 - Jordan Atienza; 285 - Matt Stencel (#16) 2017 125 - Brent Fleetwood; 133 - Corey Keener; 141 - Mason Smith; 149 - Justin Oliver (#9); 157 - Colin Heffernan (#16); 174 - CJ Brucki (#16); 184 - Jordan Ellingwood (#16); 197 - Austin Severn (#16); 285 - Newton Smerchek 2016 125 - Brent Fleetwood; 133 - Corey Keener; 141 - Zach Horan; 149 - Justin Oliver (#9); 157 - Luke Smith (#11); 174 - Mike Ottinger (#10); 184 - Jordan Ellingwood 2015 141 - Zach Horan (#10); 149 - Colin Heffernan; 184 - Jordan Ellingwood 2014 125 - Corey Keener; 133 - Joe Roth (#12); 141 - Zach Horan (#7); 157 - Luke Smith (#12); 174 - Mike Ottinger (#10) 2013 125 - Christian Cullinan; 133 - Scotti Sentes (#10); 149 - Donnie Corby; 157 - Luke Smith; 165 - Mike Ottinger; 174 - Craig Kelliher; 184 - Ben Bennett (#2); 285 - Jarod Trice (#10) NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans Drew Hildebrant (2021 - 4th) Matt Stencel (2019 - 7th) Justin Oliver (2016 - 7th) Joe Roth (2014 - 7th) Ben Bennett (2013 - 4th) Jarod Trice (2013 - 6th) NWCA All-Americans Drew Hildebrandt (125 - First Team) Dresden Simon (141 - Second Team) Matt Stencel (285 - First Team) NCAA Round of 12 Finishers Dresden Simon - 141 (2021) Justin Oliver - 149 (2017, 2018) Luke Smith - 157 (2015) Scotti Sentes - 133 (2013) MAC Champions 2022: Matt Stencel (285) 2021: Drew Hildebrandt (125); Dresden Simon (141); Matt Stencel (285) 2020: Drew Hildebrandt (125); Dresden Simon (141); Matt Stencel (285) 2019: Matt Stencel (285) 2018: Matt Stencel (285) 2016: Jordan Ellingwood (184) 2015: Zach Horan (141) 2013: Mike Ottinger (165); Ben Bennett (184) Dual Record 2021-22: 12-4 2021: 5-2 2019-20: 8-4 2018-19: 5-8 2017-18: 8-6 2016-17: 9-3 2015-16: 11-5 2014-15: 9-6 2013-14: 10-11 2012-13: 17-3 MAC Tournament Placement 2021-22: 2nd 2021: 2nd 2019-20: 2nd 2018-19: 3rd 2017-18: 2nd 2016-17: 3rd 2015-16: 2nd 2014-15: 5th 2013-14: 5th 2012-13: 2nd NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 39th (4.5 points) 2021: 22nd (20 points) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: 28th (12.5 points) 2017-18: 38th (6.5 points) 2016-17: 23rd (19.5 points) 2015-16: 32nd (10 points) 2014-15: 50th (2.5 points) 2013-14: 33rd (12 points) 2012-13: 18th (30.5 points) Head Coaching History Tom Borrelli (1991-present) Best Lineup (comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Drew Hildebrandt: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#4, #6, and #13 seeds), 2021 NCAA 4th Place, 2020 NWCA All-American, 2x MAC champion, 2022 NCAA Qualifier for Penn State 133 - Scotti Sentes: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#10 and #11 seeds), 2x All-American (4th and 7th), 2x MAC Champion 141 - Dresden Simon: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#9, #12, and #14 seeds), 2020 NWCA All-American, 2021 NCAA Round of 12 finisher 149 - Justin Oliver: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#6 and #9 seeds), 2016 NCAA 7th Place, 2016 MAC runner-up, 2019 NCAA Qualifier for NC State 157 - Luke Smith: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#11 and #12 seeds), 2014 NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 2014 MAC runner-up 165 - Mike Ottinger: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#10 seed), 2x MAC champion 174 - CJ Brucki: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#16 seed), 2018 MAC runner-up 184 - Ben Bennett: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#2, #3, #6, and #7 seeds), 4x NCAA All-American (4th, 6th, 6th, 8th), 4x MAC champion 197 - Austin Severn: 2017 NCAA Qualifier (#16 seed) 285 - Matt Stencel: 5x NCAA Qualifier (#3, #5, #8, #9, and #16 seeds), 2019 NCAA 7th Place, 2020 NWCA First-Team All-American, 5x MAC Champion Recruiting Big Boarder's By Year 2016: #30 Matt Stencel (OH), #120 Dresden Simon (MI) 2014: #64 Brent Fleetwood (DE), #77 Cody LeCount (IN), #114 Justin Oliver (MI) 2013: #103 Jordan Ellingwood (IL), #127 Newton Smerchek (WI), #139 Colin Heffernan (OH), #171 Alex Bambic (AZ)

Tyler Kasak at the 2022 Cadet World Team finals (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Today, the defending national champion Penn State Nittany Lions got a huge verbal from one of the top remaining, uncommitted wrestlers in the Class of 2023. 2021 Pennsylvania AAA state champion Tyler Kasak (Bethlehem Catholic, PA) gave Cael Sanderson's staff a verbal commitment. Recently, Kasak earned a spot on the Cadet World Freestyle Team after an epic, three-match series win over Joel Adams (Millard South, NE) in the 65kg finals. Within the last year, Kasak has racked up the national-level accolades. He was a 16U freestyle national runner-up in Fargo in 2021. A few months later, Kasak finished fifth at 138 lbs at the Super 32. During the high school regular season, Kasak notched titles at the Walsh Ironman, the Beast of the East, and Escape the Rock. Kasak enters his senior year at Bethlehem Catholic as a three-time state placewinner. He was fifth as a freshman, before winning the 126 lb weight class as a sophomore. This year, Kasak was upset in the semifinals by Pierson Manville (State College) and had to settle for third place. His performance at the Cadet World Team Trials has boosted Kasak to a #2 ranking nationally at 145 lbs. Ultimately, Kasak likely projects at 157 lbs for Penn State. Getting Kasak isn't too big of a surprise since he works out with Nittany Lion legend David Taylor at Taylor's M2 club. If incoming freshman Levi Haines can't hold 157 lbs for more than a year or two, that becomes a weight class of need. After a small Class of 2022, the Nittany Lions are really loading up with the Class of 2023. Kasak's commitment gives Sanderson's team verbals from three of the top-22 juniors in the nation. He'll join #4 Josh Barr (Davison, MI), #22 Braeden Davis (Dundee, MI), and #120 Cael Nasdeo (Williamsport, PA), as early verbals for the Nittany Lions. For more recruit news, check out InterMat's College Commitment Page.