InterMat Staff

2020 Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson (Photo courtesy of Larry Slater; LBSphoto.smugmug.com) Less than a week after winning an Olympic gold medal at the 125 kg weight class, did Gable Steveson just announce his retirement from wrestling? This was posted via his Instagram page today. Gable has not-so-subtlety hinted at a future in the WWE, as well as the UFC, and even the NFL earlier this week. Steveson's remarkable comeback in the gold medal match stirred up plenty of mainstream media attention and has made his stock rise even more significantly in those areas. We will have more information as Steveson makes his next step known to the public.

Raufeon Stots at Nebraska-Kearney (Photo courtesy of Adam Konruff; Kearney Hub) The UFC is taking this weekend off, which has allowed the PFL and Bellator to compete for attention on Friday night. As always, there are plenty of former wrestlers competing in the combat sports world this weekend. The following are some of the most notable competitors competing this weekend. PFL 2021 #7 In the main event of Friday's PFL show, Ray Cooper III will take on former UFC title challenger Rory MacDonald. Cooper is a legacy MMA competitor and has done some of his best work throwing heavy strikes at range. However, he does come from a wrestling background. During his prep days at Pearl City High School , he was a three-time Hawaii state champion. MacDonald is the favorite going into this fight, but he has looked vulnerable at times in his recent career. This fight has the potential to turn into a wild main event. The main card of PFL 2021 #7 will air live on ESPN2 starting at 9:00 pm ET. Bellator 264 The Bellator event will also feature a veteran wrestler. John Salter won an NAIA title for Lindenwood University in 2007 at 174 pounds . He made his professional MMA debut two years later and signed with the UFC after only four pro fights. Salter left the promotion in 2010 and eventually signed with Bellator in 2015. At his new home, he has gone 8-1, with his only loss coming against former champion Rafael Lovator Jr. Salter will face off against middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi with the title on the line. Mousasi is much more well-known in the MMA world and is as high as a -400 favorite on the books, but he has struggled against wrestlers in the past. Salter will likely need to stick to his roots to pull off this upset. Raufeon Stots was an NJCAA champion for Labette Community College in 2009 before transferring to Nebraska Kearney. There he trained with current UFC champion Kamaru Usman and won NCAA Division II titles in 2012 and 2013. He followed Usman into MMA and made his professional debut in 2015. He currently holds a 16-1 record, with his only loss coming against current UFC contender Merab Dvalishvili. Despite the record, the competition gets much more challenging here. The former Nebraska Kearney wrestler is set to take on Magomed Magomedov, who is a top prospect in his own right. He is 18-1 with a victory over recent UFC title challenger Petr Yan. Yan also handed Magomedov his only defeat in a rematch. "Tiger" signed with Bellator last year and has won his first two bouts with the promotion. This bout could easily be considered a battle between two of the brightest prospects in Bellator. Davion Franklin wrestled on the high school level in Minnesota for Watertown-Mayer. He then moved to the junior college ranks, where he was an NJCAA qualifier for Iowa Lakes in 2014. Franklin moved to MMA in 2020 and earned a scholarship of sorts from Bellator to train at the Jackson Wink team and has since gone 3-0 . On Friday, he faces off against Everett Cummings, who holds an undefeated record through his first 15 fights.

StaleMates. You've heard of them, yeah? If you haven't, you probably aren't keeping up with the trends. StaleMates is one of the fastest-growing wrestling-based media companies in 2021. Co-founders Zach Bogle and Tyler Walker have utilized social media in a unique and electrifying way, entertaining roughly 6,000 followers daily. StaleMates aims to capture the drama that occurs on and off the wrestling mat, providing their followers with a behind-the-scenes take on all things wrestling. If you think you know everything about StaleMates, you don't! I was lucky enough to sit down with co-founder and co-host, Zach Bogle, to discuss a variety of interesting facts that you didn't know about StaleMates, until today. StaleMates was originally started a full season before their first episode. Zach and Tyler were hard at work a full season before their first episode officially aired. Due to COVID and the cancellation of nationals, StaleMates was temporarily put on hold to the public. During that time, StaleMates recorded roughly six episodes that were never released. Zach and Tyler chose not to release those episodes in an effort to pinpoint exactly what they wanted to cover in wrestling, and how they would deliver that content to the public. Co-Host, Tyler Walker, has one of the first YouTube videos, ever. Roughly fifteen years ago, Tyler created a YouTube channel where he posted one of the first videos, ever. Although it didn't go viral as expected, Tyler was still eager to show all of his friends and family. With YouTube being newly established in February 2005, Tyler didn't know how to utilize the search feature to show his friends and family. In order to view the video, Tyler would give out his login information. Tyler's video may or may not still be on YouTube. But if you're curious, the username is Jammer2000, and the password is Nirvana69. Co-Host, Zach Bogle, made Facebook pages go viral in high school. When Zach was in high school, he would create Facebook pages, with the sole purpose of building them up to receive as many likes as possible; essentially going viral. One Facebook page reached 30,000 likes. Zach primarily created Facebook pages when he was bored, but still received enjoyment out of the not-so-common hobby. StaleMates co-founders attended a well-known high school in Centerville, Iowa. Zach and Tyler both attended Centerville High School, located in Centerville, Iowa. Centerville High School is the alma mater of two very well-known wrestlers; TJ Sebolt and Chad Zaputil. TJ Sebolt posted a 207-1 record in high school, winning four Iowa state titles. Of those 207 wins, he recorded 137 pins and a 192-match win streak. Currently, Sebolt is the Owner and Head Coach at Sebolt Wrestling Academy, one of the countries most prestigious wrestling academies. In high school, Chad Zaputil was a four-time Iowa state representative and two-time Iowa state champion. In college, Zaputil became a three-time Big Ten Conference champion and three-time NCAA championship finalist for The University of Iowa. StaleMates stardom partially occurred because of The Willie Trials. StaleMates stardom is most notably linked to their proactive participation during The Willie Trials. After each trial day, StaleMates would give a brief synopsis for the public, and break down crucial points within the court case. After the trial ended, one of the defendants' lawyers sent StaleMates a "thank you" letter. In that letter, the lawyers disclosed that the videos posted by StaleMates were utilized to better shape the strategy used in the court case. But wait, there's more! Here are a few additional interesting facts about StaleMates. Zach and Tyler can't remember how they came up with the name, StaleMates. When StaleMates first started, they wanted to build their brand by creating highlight videos for high school wrestlers. StaleMates bought a van solely for their Kevin Dresser interview in Ames, Iowa, and it has never been driven since. Zach (in his own words) sucked at wrestling in high school. Well, there you have it. Now you know everything about StaleMates. Or do you? When asking StaleMates what they wanted wrestling fans to know moving forward, they stated, "We want people to know that we like all of the new creatives that are also trying to do new and cool stuff in wrestling media. We might not talk about it a lot, but we do pay attention to all of the podcasts, videos, and interviews that are posted. This past year, we have learned a lot from everyone." If you'd like to support StaleMates, you can follow them on Twitter (@stalematesshow), Instagram (@stalematesshow), Facebook (StaleMates), and YouTube (StaleMates). But wait, there's more, again! StaleMates is streaming StaleMates Street League live on Patreon tonight at 7:00pm! You can subscribe to StaleMates on Patreon for $3.99 to stream the event. **Subscriptions require a monthly payment of $3.99. You can cancel at any time.**

2020 Olympic bronze medalist Sarah Hildebrandt (Photo courtesy of Larry Slater; LBSphoto.smugmug.com) Team USA brought home nine medals from the recent 2020 Olympic Games. Along the way, there were several standout statistical performances by individuals and the team in general. The following looks at some of the statistical trends at play and what it could mean for the U.S. on the international level going forward. Most Match Points Olympic bronze medalist Sarah Hildebrandt scored 42 points across her four matches at 50 kg, which was the most on Team USA. All three of her victories came via match termination, and she still managed to score seven points in her only defeat. 26 of those points came via her leg lace. Her 26 points via the leg lace were by far the most on the team. Tamyra Mensah-Stock scored the second-most points with the leg lace with six. Gut Wrench Offense/Defense While Team USA, particularly the women, were able to rack up points with the leg lace, it was not all positive in the par terre position. The U.S. scored 18 points with the gut wrench from the top with Dake leading the way with six points. However, opponents of Team USA were able to score 28 points with the technique. This was a particular issue for the Greco squad as Artem Surkov and Sergey Emelin both put up six points via the gut-wrench against Alejandro Sancho and Ildar Hafizov, respectively. Shutouts Team USA finished with 17 shutout victories in the tournament. Gable Steveson and Dake both contributed three of these victories to lead the squad. On the other hand, in 46 matches, Team USA only failed to score three times: Ildar Hafizov vs. Luis Orta Sanchez, Jacarra Winchester vs. Vanesa Kaldzinskaya and Dake vs. Muhamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau. Point Differential David Taylor averaged 2.34 points per minute during the event and allowed only five points in his four matches (0.32 per minute). That left him with a +2.02 point differential, which was the highest on the team. Taylor gave up the first takedown in his quarterfinal match against Myles Amine, but other than that, he did not surrender a two-point score. In the finals against Hassan Yazdani, he gave up a step out, allowed a shot clock point and was hit with a caution. Hildebrandt averaged slightly more points per minute (2.58), but she allowed 13 points and finished with a +1.79 differential. Shot Clock/Passive Points Team USA combined to score nine points via the shot clock in men's and women's freestyle. The team also gave up exactly nine points via the clock in those two styles. In Greco, Team USA earned four passive points while giving up seven. No Team USA wrestler scored more than one shot clock point in a match. However, Risako Kawai was able to best Helen Maroulis with a pair of shot clock points in the 57 kg semifinal. Four-point Moves Team USA managed only two four-point moves in the entire tournament. Taylor went feet to back against Ali Shabanau, and Sancho hit a four-point throw against Artem Surkov in his only match of the event. On four occasions, opponents of Team USA were able to put four on the board with a single move. Kadzimahamedau against Dake, Aline Rotter-Focken against Gray, Sun Yanan against Hildebrandt and Kaladzinskaya against Jacarra Winchester. All four of those throws turned out to be decisive as Team USA dropped all four of those matches. Leg Attacks The freestyle teams dominated the competition in terms of takedowns via leg attacks. Those attacks earned 112 points across both styles. Opponents managed only 20 points on leg attacks. Taylor and Mensah led the way for Team USA by scoring 20 points each via leg attack takedowns. In addition to those takedown points, Team USA also scored 13 points via step-outs that began as leg attacks. Kyle Snyder was particularly effective with this technique. He scored six points via the step out in the tournament and five of these scores began as leg attacks. It was clearly a part of his game plan going into this tournament. In both his quarterfinal and semifinal matches, Snyder started the scoring with a quick leg attack into a step out. He then waited for his opponent to go on the shot clock before turning on his full arsenal of offense. In the finals against Abdulrashid Sadulaev, Snyder was unable to set the tone with an attack into a step out and ended up going on the clock himself. Thomas Gilman finished with four step-outs on his way to a bronze medal. During many of his domestic matches leading up to the Games, he seemed more than happy to settle for the one-point score. However, at the Games, he made it a point to finish for the full two points, even when going out of bounds, and finished with seven takedowns in three matches. Gable Steveson Takedown Spree Continues Per Quant Wrestling, Steveson averaged 4.8 takedowns per minute during this past season at Minnesota on his way to an NCAA title. He carried that momentum into the Olympic Trials. After winning those tournaments, he took on the best in the World at the Olympics. Steveson scored 14 takedowns on his way to the gold medal. Those 14 takedowns came in only four matches, which means his takedown per match rate fell to only 3.5 when taking on the best in the World.

2020 Olympic bronze medalist Thomas Gilman (Photo courtesy of Larry Slater; LBSphoto.smugmug.com) We've had a few days to digest the feast that was seven days of high-intensity wrestling competition at the 2020 Olympic Games. Like any other wrestling tournament, Team USA was on the positive end of some upsets and exceptional finishes, while also absorbing the bitter taste of defeat from some of our top athletes. Since this was the Olympics, those successes and setbacks were multiplied. Remember, this is a tournament that only comes around every four years (five this time). What we're doing today is reviewing the performances of our nine (yes, NINE!) Olympic medalists and attributing one singular word to their tournaments. Of course, we'll describe why exactly that word fits with more than a few words. Thomas Gilman - Respect Think about the whispers you've heard regarding Thomas Gilman and the 57 kg weight class domestically over the past four years. Sure, he made the world finals straight off the collegiate mat in 2017. Critics may have poo-pooed his side of the bracket. Well, the following year, he made the team, but fell in the semifinals to a then-relatively unknown Nurislam Sanayev (Kazakhstan). For the bronze, Gilman lost to young Suleyman Atli (Turkey). A couple years later, those losses don't seem as bad, considering the pair have been ranked in the top-five at 57 kg. In 2019, Gilman lost his spot on the world team to college phenom Daton Fix. This was a close, three-match series, one that could have gone Gilman's way based on a call or two. During the pandemic, Gilman moved from Iowa to the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. Whispers out of Iowa were that he wouldn't have been the Hawkeye Wrestling Club's number one guy anyways, with Spencer Lee in the pipeline. Oftentimes, in life, we want the new shiny toy rather than being satisfied with what we currently have. The 57 kg weight class is a perfect example. Going into the Olympic Trials, most favored Nick Suriano, Vito Arujau, Fix, and Lee, if he were to wrestle. Not many picked Gilman and I'm sure there were a few that were ready to move on to the next generation. Gilman went out and did it at the Olympic Trials, then he did it at the Olympic Games. When the lights were the brightest and pressure was at its peak, Gilman pushed the two-time world champion to the brink, only to suffer a heartbreaking defeat. Even so, he rebounded and crushed his next two opponents to claim the silver medal. There's a lot of young talent at 57 kg and plenty of reasons to be optimistic for the future. But for now, let's put some respect on Thomas Gilman's name. He's an Olympic medalist and the first American at the lowest weight to medal since Henry Cejudo in 2008. Kyle Dake - Motivation Let's face it, the only one ever undefeated in sports is father time. Sooner or later, an athlete's body breaks down and it's time to hang up the wrestling shoes. At 30 years old, Kyle Dake is at a crossroads for a Senior-level wrestler. International wrestling, particularly at the lower and middleweights (not 97-125kg), is dominated by youth. Speed and explosiveness are key traits needed for success against the best of the best and, at some point, those characteristics can fade. What we're getting at is that Dake was in a perfect position to win an Olympic gold medal and head off into the sunset. He already had a pair of world championships, put together one of the most incredible and unique folkstyle careers ever, and just hit the 30-year-old mark. It would be an excellent time to walk away. But, with the way that his tournament played out, retiring on the strength of a gold medal isn't possible. Dake was suffering the after-effects of an injury and was dominated in a way we've never seen, in the Olympic quarterfinals against Mahmedkhabib Kadzimahamedau (Belarus). A day later, Dake looked more like his usual self and defeated Frank Chamizo (Italy) for the bronze. Now, competing until 2024 may have been in Dake's plans all along. But, with an uncharacteristic performance against the Belarussian in the quarters, I imagine Dake has just a little more motivation to keep himself going towards Paris. Earlier this week, Dake already announced his intentions to compete at the 2021 World Championships, which he was entitled to after winning an Olympic medal. I don't care who is in the field in Oslo, would you bet against Dake with a chip on his shoulder? David Taylor - History David Taylor is in a similar position as his former rival/teammate/friend Kyle Dake. He's also 30 years old and will turn 31 before the end of the year. While Taylor does an incredible job at maintaining himself in top physical condition, you have to wonder if he'll be as effective at 33 years old, the next time the Olympics roll around. But, with an Olympic gold medal on the resume, to go along with a world title in 2018, combined with a boatload of credentials from Penn State, Taylor's fate is sealed as one of the legends of our sport. Anything he does from now on just adds to it. A loss somewhere in Tokyo would have forced him to “chase” that first gold medal. That's something that will be difficult for a 33-year-old. Taylor has already stated that he'll compete at the 2021 World Championships. While he'll always put pressure on himself to perform at the highest level and win, there isn't that additional monkey on his back. As he stated in his post-match interview, he'll “always be an Olympic champion.” The 2021 World Championships and anything beyond, just adds to his legacy. Kyle Snyder - Consistency Let's face it, we probably take Kyle Snyder for granted! Is he this generation's Bruce Baumgartner? Big Bruce amassed 13 World/Olympic medals during his illustrious career with two Olympic gold medals and three world titles. At only 25 years old, Snyder has six in his collection. He has an Olympic gold medal and two world titles. Considering his love for the sport and the fact that he's an upperweight, there's no reason why Snyder can't push for Baumgartner's 13 medals. Snyder has now earned World/Olympic medals at the last six tournaments. That's a streak that current legends like Jordan Burroughs, Helen Maroulis, and Adeline Gray haven't been able to maintain. Of those five world medals, only one is bronze. And in the tournament where Snyder left with bronze, he suffered a semifinal loss to Olympic and World champion Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan). He also has the 2017 gold medal at the expense of Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia). As the years pass, that win looks even better. Sadulaev is on the fast track to being remembered as one of the best EVER in the sport. For all of Sadulaev's greatness, Snyder wasn't that far away from defeating him in the 2020 Olympic gold medal match. Two separate pairs of exposure points for Sadulaev were the primary difference in the bout. Snyder remained the only wrestler that threatened the Russian. Snyder has already indicated that he'll compete at the World Championships this year, so expect him to add more hardware to his collection. Gable Steveson - Superstardom As someone who picked Gable Steveson to win the gold pre-tournament, I figured that winning it all would probably catapult Steveson into mainstream stardom that few wrestlers obtain. What I couldn't account for was the manner in which he won. Steveson dismantled the reigning Olympic champion, Taha Akgul (Turkey), and waved the Turkish stud back to the center of the mat as he seemingly gave up, down 8-0. For the gold medal, Steveson pulled off a sensational comeback that will live on in American wrestling lore until the end of time. The Minnesota heavyweight took down three-time World Champion, Geno Petriashvili (Georgia), twice in the last :13, including securing the winning takedown with only .02 left on the clock. Steveson's brash gesture's against Akgul, combined with his buzzer-beater against Petriashvili, resonated with mainstream sports media exponentially. Hours after his win, Barstool Sports was selling a pair of Gable-themed shirts. Steveson has made the rounds appearing on some of the more widely heard shows and podcasts in the nation since. Of course, before the Olympics, there were not-so-subtle hints that there was a mutual attraction between Steveson and the WWE. The UFC is also an option for Gable. On Tuesday, Steveson and the Minnesota Vikings exchanged tweets and teased a possible future together. It goes without saying that, but Steveson has more career prospects outside of wrestling than any other wrestler before him. And more power to him. Sarah Hildebrandt - Validation Whenever fans talk about the top active American women's Tamyra Mensah-Stock, Adeline Gray, and Helen Maroulis typically get mentioned first. And for good reason. Each are world champions that have displayed consistency over a decent amount of time. One name that may get overlooked is Sarah Hildebrandt. It says a lot about the growth of our women's program that a past world silver medalist isn't automatically thrown into the conversation for best in the nation. The word we chose to describe Hildebrandt's Olympic tournament was validation. This is true on multiple fronts. Her bronze medal performance validated her choice to drop from 53 kg, a weight where she earned her world medal, to 50 kg at the beginning of 2020. As someone who competed at 55 kg, as recently as 2017, that cut couldn't have been ideal. But with the drop in weight, Hildebrandt has encountered unmatched success on a consistent basis. Her semifinal loss to Yanan Sun (China) was the first setback at her current weight. The loss to Sun was a heartbreaking one. Hildebrandt led 7-0 at one point and 7-6 in the closing seconds. Sun was able to notch a four-point trip as a last resort move and advanced to the finals. Many a wrestler has packed it in and lost their following match after losing such a close, high-profile bout. Not Hildebrandt. She demolished 2018 world bronze medalist Oskana Livach (Ukraine) for the Olympic bronze, marking her third win of the tournament by technical superiority. I'm sure the loss to Sun will continue to sting, but Hildebrandt was able to pick herself up, dust herself off and bounce back in unbelievable fashion. The bronze medal that followed serves as validation that she belongs in the conversation with the triumvirate of women atop the US ranks. Helen Maroulis - Resilience During one of Helen Maroulis' bouts in Tokyo, fellow Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs made the accurate assessment that “winning a gold medal usually improves your life, but Maroulis has faced more difficulties since winning hers.” A year after pulling a stunning upset in Rio, Maroulis appeared to be the best woman in the world...pound for pound. She outscored her competition 52-0 and grabbed her second world title. In early 2018, Maroulis suffered a severe concussion while competing in the India Pro League, and injury that hindered her for the bulk of the year. Despite the setback, she made the 2018 world team, but suffered a shoulder injury in her only bout at the World Championships. The lingering effects from the concussion almost forced Maroulis to hang up her shoes on multiple occasions. Maroulis finally was able to get in position to compete for another spot on the Olympic team, but suffered a knee injury before the Trials in early April. She gutted through the injury and secured her place on the team by winning an emotional, three-match series with Jenna Burkert. Along the way, Maroulis changed her training situation a couple of times, too. She settled on Sunkist Kids at Arizona State before the Games, and had Sun Devil coach Mark Perry in her corner in Tokyo. Unless you were training with Maroulis, you were probably uncertain how her 2020 Olympic Games would play out. In her only tune-up before the Games, Maroulis dropped matches to a pair of talented opponents that she normally would defeat. Her opening match seemed daunting, as well. After about 15-20 seconds of movement, it was apparent that this version of Helen would be closer to the Helen we all remember. She turned in solid performances in her opening two matches, both against past world medalists, the second coming at the expense of Tatyana Kit (Ukraine), one of the foes that downed her in Poland. Maroulis would come up on the short side of a 2-1 loss to fellow 2016 gold medalist Risako Kawai (Japan), in a tentative, defensive struggle. She rebounded to dominate for a bronze medal. While her 2016 gold medal win was one for the ages, the resilience Maroulis showed by winning a spot on the team and leaving with a medal could be a more rewarding gift. Tamyra Mensah-Stock - Royalty Despite the long list of credentials possessed by Helen Maroulis and Adeline Gray, Tamyra Mensah-Stock was arguably the top American woman, pre-Tokyo. After Tokyo, there are no doubts. Tokyo provided the coronation of the new queen of American women's wrestling. While some may have gotten uneasy looking at Mensah-Stock's draw, she didn't even flinch. Mensah-Stock's tournament began with a pair of 10-0 technical superiority wins over 2016 Olympic champion Sara Dosho (Japan) and world silver medalist Feng Zhou (China). You wouldn't have known by the result, but Zhou was the last opponent to defeat Mensah-Stock. The semifinals saw Mensah-Stock “only” defeat Alla Cherkasova (Ukraine) by the score of 10-4. Cherkasova was a 2018 world champion in a weight class where Mensah-Stock took bronze. Mensah-Stock capped her tournament off with a controlled 4-1 win over Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria). In winning the gold, she became only the second American woman to do so and the first Black female to win Olympic gold. As I suspected, the post-match interview went viral and exposed a national audience to the irreverent, yet genuine, and loveable character that the wrestling community had already fallen in love with. Like Steveson, Mensah-Stock could have more national media appearances and endorsement opportunities abound after her wins on the mat and personality off of it. Regardless, she has clearly staked her claim as the queen of American wrestling (along with the future) and perhaps one of the top pound-for-pound women in the world. Adeline Gray - Closure Regardless of whether or not Adeline Gray wrestles another match, the hypothetical Mount Rushmore of American women's wrestling already has a spot carved out for Gray. Prior to this year, Gray had been on eight world teams and the 2016 Olympic squad. During that time, she's hauled in seven world medals, five of which were of the gold persuasion. Gray's five world titles are the most by an American, male or female. The one honor that was missing from Gray's lengthy resume was Olympic medalist. In 2016, Gray was considered a favorite to take the gold, but she was stunned in her second bout by Vasilisa Marzaliuk (Belarus) 4-1. When Marzaliuk failed to make the finals, Gray was eliminated from the tournament. This time, many of the key players were the same at Gray's 76 kg weight class. It was the deepest of any women's freestyle bracket, with 12 of its 16 entrants owning a past World/Olympic medal. Three wins from Adeline locked up a silver medal and put her in the finals opposite longtime rival and friend Aline Rotter-Focken (Germany). A gold medal wasn't in the cards for Gray as she gave up a few uncharacteristic points to Rotter-Focken and fell into an early hole. The loss shocked American wrestling fans who expected the bout to go Gray's way and give her that elusive gold medal. While the wrestling public was shocked, Gray proceeded to give a remarkable interview just a short time after the match. Though probably stunned and deeply disappointed, Gray was able to put her medal into perspective and displayed the professionalism that we have become accustomed to hearing from her. Not winning it all is a letdown, but earning a silver medal at the Olympics is an honor that a minuscule fraction of the wrestling population can ever fathom. With her Olympic silver medal, Gray can get some semblance of closure on her Olympic career. Like others above, at 30, it's hard to say whether or not Gray will want to continue shooting for the 2024 Olympics. However, she did mention preparing for the World Championships in that interview. It should be noted that Adeline hasn't officially committed to entering the world's this year, that quote may have been attributed to raw emotion, but I wouldn't be surprised if she did.

Olivia Brown (Photo courtesy of John Sachs; Tech-Fall.com) The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Wednesday announced that Olivia Brown of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is the 2021 national winner of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA). “I am honored to receive the Tricia Saunders Award,” said Brown. “Wrestling has given me both physical and mental strength. I have been able to travel to the different areas of the country to compete and to train with some of my role models. “Now, I want to be a role model to other young girls so that they can pursue their dreams,” she added. “I want to thank my family for always supporting my goals and for teaching me to care for others, and also, my coaches for pushing me to be the best wrestler I can be.” First presented in 2014, the TSHSEA is named for Saunders, a four-time World Champion and women's wrestling pioneer. Saunders was the first woman to be inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 and was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011. The TSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. “We are excited to honor Olivia Brown as the national winner of the 2020 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award,” said Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. “This award and honor represents the Hall of Fame's pride in a young woman who has demonstrated a commitment to balancing her pursuit of excellence on the wrestling mat with academics and community service.” The daughter of Michael T. Brown and Suzanne M. Caruso, Brown was an Oklahoma state girls champion in 2021 and 2020 for Broken Arrow High School. The top-ranked 200-pound wrestler in the National Girls High School Rankings, she will continue her wrestling career at Grand View University. Brown was Miss Wrestling Oklahoma in 2021 and was named the Joey Miller Wrestler of the Year in 2020. She was a National Cadet champion in freestyle and folkstyle in 2018 and 2019. Brown finished second at the Folkstyle Nationals in 2019 and fourth in 2018 while finishing third at Freestyle Nationals in 2019 and seventh in 2018. Brown received the John and Jonna Cockrell Award of Excellence in 2020 and was also named Most Valuable Junior Wrestler for Broken Arrow in 2020. She was Wrestler of the Year at Holland Hall in 2018. She was team captain for Broken Arrow from 2019 to 2021 after being team captain at Holland Hall from 2017 to 2019. Brown also lettered in softball two years and in track for one year at Holland Hall. A National Honor Society officer, Brown was AP English Student of the Year in 2019-20 and Magna Cum Laude in 2018-19 and Maxima Cum Laude in 2017-18 for the National Latin Examination. Brown placed second in Business Law and Ethics, sixth in Entrepreneurship and seventh in Quick Service Restaurant Management at the Oklahoma D.E.C.A. competition. Beginning in 2017 as a core volunteer, Brown is very involved with BrightSpot Mobile Family Services, an organization that delivers free meals directly to people who live in food deserts, meaning there is no access to fresh food within three miles. During the pandemic, Brown walked miles to help deliver groceries and meals to those in need. She has also organized clothing drives and created personal hygiene bags for teenage girls while encouraging other teens to get involved and bringing them to volunteer. Viewed as a group leader by BrightSpot administrators, Brown helps set up monthly outreaches and interacts and assists residents. She also served on the Diversity and Inclusivity Council at Holland Hall. Brown was named as the national winner of USA TODAY's Female Wrestling Athlete of the Year on August 6. For the third consecutive year, the Hall of Fame recognized a record number of TSHSEA state winners with 47, up from 46 in 2020, 35 in 2019 and 32 in 2018. Women's wrestling is one of the fastest growing high school sports with participation growing by 71 percent in the last two years to more than 28,000 female high school wrestlers competing across the nation. Winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. Twenty-four states have hosted an official girls championship and eight more are scheduled to host in the future. Hawaii was the first state to host a girls state championship in 1998 while Texas began its girls tournament in 1999. The number grew to six states by 2015 and has exploded in the last three years to 32 states. States that are hosting state-sanctioned girls wrestling championships are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington. Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wisconsin are scheduled to host their first official girls tournament in 2021-22. There are 92 intercollegiate women's wrestling teams. The NCAA has approved “Emerging Sport Status” for women's wrestling at the Division I, Division II and Division III levels and the NAIA also recognizes women's wrestling as an emerging sport. The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for its high school excellence awards from state chapters and coaches. The nominations are reviewed by a committee, which selects state and regional winners. The committee then determines the national winners from the regional winners. All-Time National Winners of Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award 2021 -Olivia Brown, Broken Arrow High School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 2020 -Nanea Estrella, Lahainaluna High School, Makawao, Hawaii 2019 -Emily Shilson, Mounds View High School, North Oaks, Minnesota 2018 -Alleida Martinez, Selma High School, Selma, California 2017 -Cierra Foster, Post Falls High School, Post Falls, Idaho 2016 -Katie Brock, Sequatchie County High School, Whitwell, Tennessee 2015 -Marizza Birrueta, Grandview High School, Grandview, Washington 2014 -Marina Doi, Kingsburg High School, Kingsburg, California

King University signee Sage Mortimer (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Wow, what a summer it's been for women's wrestling. Women's Nationals, Fargo, a stunning Olympic performance by Team USA - and suddenly we're just a few weeks away from the World Team Trials. As our post-Olympic withdrawal sets in, it's a good time to look at recruiting classes, as we now know where the top Class of 2021 women stack up. USA Wrestling provided us with their final set of rankings for the season to kick off July, and after taking a look at where each ranked senior will lace up her shoes in the fall, we can assemble recruiting class rankings based on two main factors: quality and quantity. It's important to note that now that the NAIA, NCAA and NJCAA have each granted emerging sport status to women's wrestling, the days of everyone coming together at the WCWA Championships are behind us. The NAIA schools have their own championship event, while the NCAA schools assemble at the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships, or NCWW. The NJCAA hosted their first championship event in 2021 as well. We will rank the Top-10 classes across all three organizations, but note for you the school's division. This is important as it makes a big difference particularly in the world of recruiting, where some schools have athletic scholarships to offer while others do not. All NAIA, NCAA Division 1 and Division 2, and select NJCAA schools have the option to offer wrestling scholarships, while NCAA Division 3 institutions do not. 1. King University (NCAA DII) Number of Ranked Recruits: 7 Ranked Recruits: Samara Chavez (#1 at 112), Sage Mortimer (#1 at 117), London Houston (#1 at 132), Cheyenne Bowman (#3 at 152) Montana Delawder (#8 at 127), Tiffany Baublitz (#9 at 164) Dianna Holmes (#12 at 112). King takes the top spot in this year's class because of a mixture of both of our ranking criteria. This class certainly has the quantity a top class needs, with seven ranked wrestlers, but also boasts three #1s, more than any other school in the country. Mortimer and Chavez actually just wrestled each other in the Fargo Junior finals last month, with Mortimer taking the stop sign in a 12-7 victory over her future teammate. Both wrestlers earned a spot on the Junior National team after a 2nd place finish for Chavez, at 50kg, and a 3rd for Mortimer at 53kg at Women's Nationals in May. The two then hit two days later in the U23 bracket at 53kg, where it was Chavez pinning Mortimer in the consolation semis. London Houston is another rising star who opened eyes at Women's Nationals, earning a runner-up finish in the Junior division and a third in the U23 bracket. She represented Team USA at the Junior Pan Ams in June, where she came home with a gold medal, and stormed her way to the Fargo Junior title at 132 pounds last month. Bowman and Delawder each earned All-American awards at Women's Nationals as well, with Bowman falling in the Junior finals to Amit Elor. ***Editor's Note***: King also will receive transfer Vayle Baker from Augsburg. Baker is a two-time Cadet World Team member, a runner-up at WCWA's, and an All-American at NCWWC's. 2. North Central College (NCAA DIII) Number of Ranked Recruits: 12 Ranked Recruits: Amani Jones (#1 at 122), Traeh Haynes (#2 at 225), Kendra Ryan (#3 at 112), Tiera Jimerson (#5 at 132), Ashley Reed (#8 at 164), Fiona McConnell (#9 at 180), Sara Sulejmani (#11 at 138), Emily Alvis (#13 at 122), Adaugo Nwachukwu (#14 at 127), Sydney Petzinger (#16 at 106), Yele Aycock (#20 at 132), Emma Grimm (#24 at 127). No scholarships, no problem for Coach Norton and the Cardinals, as they landed a whopping 12 ranked recruits. They win the quantity award, but make no mistake, this class contains some seriously quality wrestlers as well. Amani Jones headlines the class as the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 122 pounds. Jones was a young star winning a Super 32 title in 2018 and a Fargo 16U title in 2019, and recently proved that she can do it at the Junior level as well. She was the runner-up at Women's Nationals in May and brought home a gold medal from the Junior Pan Ams in June. She was fifth at Fargo Juniors last month, dropping a couple matches to wrestlers ranked at 127, butavenging one of them in the fifth place match. Traeh Haynes won back-to-back state championships in Texas, earning falls in six of her seven state tournament matches. Kendra Ryan had a coming out party at Women's Nationals in May, defeating the wrestlers who took third in both the NCWW and NAIA Championships last season before falling to Chavez in the semifinals - in a match where Ryan held a 9-4 lead before being put to her back and pinned in the second period. Jimerson and Nwachukwu both won California state titles as High School juniors in 2020, and Jimerson was fourth at UWW Juniors in November. Reed made the Fargo Junior finals last month at 164 pounds, where she fell to Kylie Welker. Sulejmani also made the finals at 138, earning her third career runner-up finish in Fargo. 3. Grand View University (NAIA) Number of Ranked Recruits: 4 Ranked Recruits: Olivia Brown (#1 at 200), Abby McIntyre (#8 at 144), Adrienna Turner (#9 at 127), Madison Diaz (#22 at 152) A good haul of new Vikings for Coach Crinzi at Grand View. Olivia Brown headlines the class. The Broken Arrow senior did not compete in Fargo this year, but was a Cadet champ in 2018 and third in Juniors the following summer. She also pinned her way to an Oklahoma State Championship in 2020. Diaz and McIntyre both dominated their way to lowa State titles in 2021, the second state championship for McIntyre, who also won a Folkstye National title as a senior. Adrienna Turner has been ranked as high as #1 during her senior season, and just showed out well at Fargo last month, earning All-American honors with a sixth place finish in a loaded bracket. 4. Texas Wesleyan University (NAIA) Number of Ranked Recruits: 4 Ranked Recruits: Brittyn Corbishley (#2 at 180), Hannah Francis (#2 at 200), Devin Patton (#17 at 127), Aalyah Villareal (#20 at 180) The young Texas Wesleyan women's program is off to a hot start, and Head Coach Ray Beford is keeping some of the state's best talent home in 2021 to aid their climb up the NAIA ranks. Brittyn Corbishley pinned her way to back-to-back Texas state titles as a junior and senior, and is fresh off a Fargo Junior National Championship, a run which saw her exact revenge on top-ranked Jaycee Foeller, who had pinned her at Junior Duals in Tulsa just one month prior. Hannah Francis is coming off a third place finish at Fargo and also has a win over Foeller in late 2020. Devin Patton was an undefeated state champ in 2020 and a Fargo 16U All-American in 2019. 5. Life University (NAIA) Number of Ranked Recruits: 5 Ranked Recruits: Salyna Shotwell (#4 at 117), Jaylen Hyman (#7 at 180), Sylvia Pierce (#12 at 138), Emma Burk (#19 at 152), Paige Denke (#23 at 122) Five ranked recruits headline Life U's 2021 class, with Salyna Shotwell leading the way. Shotwell burst onto the scene when she stormed her way to the finals of the 2020 UWW Junior Nationals last fall in Omaha. The run included a win by fall over Samara Chavez and a narrow 4-2 loss to Emily Shilson in the final. She was also third at Fargo Juniors last month. Hyman, Pierce and Denke each won state championships in their respective states and will look to contribute for the Running Eagles. 6. Augsburg University (NCAA DIII) Number of Ranked Recruits: 3 Ranked Recruits: Katerina Lange (#1 at 144), Nina Makem (#15 at 138), Charlotte Kouyoumtjian (#18 at 122) We'll see a new Head Coach at Augsburg in former Minnesota wrestler Jake Short, and he will have some new young talent to work with. Katerina Lange was in and out of the rankings during her senior year, but made a statement at Women's Nationals in May. Lange made the finals and even took a match in the 2-of-3 series against McKendree's NCWW National Champion Alara Boyd. She followed that up with a gold medal at the Junior Pan-Ams in June in a dominating performance. She was upset by #3 Destiny Rodriguez in the semifinals at Fargo last month, but bounced back to finish third. Lange was also the UWW Junior Nationals runner-up at 65kg last fall in Omaha. Nina Makem fell short of the podium at Fargo in 2019, but made sure her name was known at the event in 2021. She wrestled to a third place finish this time around, earning an exciting second period fall in the consolation final. Charlotte Kouyoumtjian was a California state runner-up in 2020 and a Fargo 16U All-American in 2019. 7. Tiffin University (NCAA DII) Number of Ranked Recruits: 3 Ranked Recruits: Olivia Shore (#3 at 106), Solana Mottola (#7 at 127), Taryn Martin (#10 at 164) Three top-10 recruits for the Dragons makes for a very strong class in 2021 and an equally strong argument that this ranking could have been moved up a notch. Olivia Shore is a two-time Cadet World Team member, finishing 5th in 2018. She was also a Super 32 champ, two-time Girls State Champ, and placed in the Boys State Tournament this year in Ohio - an amazing accomplishment for the young star. Solana Mottola was third at the California State Tournament in 2020 and Round of 12 at Women's Nationals in May. Taryn Martin won Ohio state titles in her junior and senior year and is fresh off a Fargo Junior runner-up finish last month. 8. Colorado Mesa University (NCAA DII) Number of Ranked Recruits: 2 Ranked Recruits: Claire Dicugno (#1 at 127), Jayleen Sekona (#8 at 200) Just two ranked recruits for Coach Mercado and Colorado Mesa this year, but if the focus was on landing a star, they certainly did so. Claire Dicugno is the headliner here, and as one of the top overall seniors in the class, she gives the Mavericks the nod at #8. She will represent Team USA at the Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia later this summer after winning the 57kg bracket at Women's Nationals in May. She was an undefeated Washington state champion in 2020, after finishing as the runner-up in 2019. Dicugno was also third at Folkstyle Nationals in 2021 and fourth at Fargo Cadets in 2019. Jayleen Sekona was a Fargo and UWW Cadet All-American in 2018 and was the runner-up at Preseason Nationals in 2020. 9. McKendree University (NCAA DII) Number of Ranked Recruits: 2 Ranked Recruits: Jaycee Foeller (#1 at 180), Hannah Hall (#4 at 112) The returning champs in the NCAA division have a small contingent coming in as far as ranked recruits go, but both have performed well on the national stage. Jaycee Foeller is the nation's top-ranked 180 pounder after pinning Brittyn Corbishley at Junior Duals in June, though Corbishley got revenge in the semis at Fargo just last month. Foeller dropped another match on the back side, but finished strong with a win in the fifth place match to earn her 6th Fargo All-American award. She has also dominated the state of Missouri, winning three straight undefeated state championships, pinning her way through the tournament each time. Hannah Hall is a two-time Florida state champion who has earned two All-American finishes at Fargo and has consistently climbed the rankings in her senior year. 10. Simon Fraser University (NCAA DII) Number of Ranked Recruits: 2 Ranked Recruits: Katja Osteen (#3 at 180), Julia Richey (#4 at 225) Coach Justin Abdou and the Simon Fraser women's wrestling team haven't taken the mat since their runner-up finish at the 2020 NCWW Championships, as they did not compete during the 2020-2021 season due to the pandemic. They have traditionally recruited very well in California and managed to lure two of the state's best north of the border again in 2021. Katja Osteen was sixth at Women's Nationals in the UWW Junior Division in May after not appearing on the national scene for a couple of years. She was a California State Champ and Folkstyle National Champ in 2018, and finished as a runner-up at both Fargo Cadets and Women's Nationals in UWW Cadets that same year. Julia Richey was a California state champ in 2020, pinning her way to the title. Honorable Mention: Sacred Heart University (NCAA DI) Number of Ranked Recruits: 2 Ranked Recruits Ally Fitzgerald (#3 at 122), Madison Sandquist (#8 at 138) Central Methodist University (NAIA) Number of Ranked Recruits: 4 Ranked Recruits: Allison Hynes (#12 at 117), Alexis Miller (#17 at 106), Lillian Gough (#22 at 132), Sabrina King (#23 at 132) lowa Wesleyan University (NAIA) Number of Ranked Recruits: 3 Ranked Recruits: Mia Palumbo (#10 at 112), Nonnie Justice (#15 at 127), Sydney Manos (#15 at 152) Gannon University (NCAA DII) Number of Ranked Recruits: 2 Ranked Recruits: Anya Knappenberger (#4 at 122), Julianne Moccia (#9 at 106) Indiana Tech University (NAIA) Number of Ranked Recruits: 3 Ranked Recruits: Grace Doering (#16 at 164), Alicia Pieper (#25 at 132), Alyssa Pirro (#25 at 138) Teams (# of Ranked Recruits in parenthesis) North Central - 12 King - 7 Life - 5 Central Methodist - 4 Grand View - 4 Texas Wesleyan - 4 Augsburg - 3 Indiana Tech - 3 lowa Wesleyan - 3 Tiffin - 3 Campbellsville - 2 Colorado Mesa - 2 Gannon - 2 Lock Haven - 2 McKendree - 2 Sacred Heart - 2 Simon Fraser - 2 Southern Oregon - 2 Adrian - 1 Brewton Parker - 1 Corban - 1 Dixie State - 1 East Stroudsburg - 1 Elmira - 1 Emory and Henry - 1 Life Pacific - 1 Lindenwood - 1 Lourdes - 1 Menlo - 1 Midland - 1 Northern Michigan - 1 Ottawa - 1 Presbyterian - 1 Saint Mary - 1 St. Andrews - 1 Umpqua - 1 Wayland Baptist - 1 William Jewell - 1

Four-time Minnesota state champion Bennett Berge (Photo courtesy of Mark Beshey; TheGuillotine.com) The South Dakota State Jackrabbits received a huge commitment today as the #36 overall wrestler in the Class of 2022, Bennett Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, MN) verbally committed to the school. Berge, the sixth-ranked 182 lber in the nation, is already a four-time Minnesota AA state champion heading into his senior year. This summer, Berge finished fourth in Fargo's Junior freestyle tournament at 182 lbs. He has placed in the Super 32 on two occasions, taking eighth in 2019 and making the finals in 2020. Also in 2019, Berge captured a stop sign in Fargo at the 16U freestyle tournament. Berge will join his older brother, Brady, who was announced as the team's volunteer assistant in the days following Fargo. Bennett is the third wrestler from the Class of 2022 to give head coach Damion Hahn a verbal commitment. Two other members of the Big Board, Christian Noble (#159 Big Lake, MN) and Luke Rasmussen (#181 Brookings, SD) have already done so. The Jackrabbit staff is looking to build off of last season's recruiting class that was tabbed #12 in the nation and featured four top-100 signees, three of which hailed from Minnesota. Looking over the South Dakota State roster, there are plenty of potential suitors for the 184 lb weight class that appears to be Berge's home. None have established themselves as the team's long-term starter, as of yet, and none have the pre-collegiate pedigree of Berge. For the full list of current recruits check our commitment page.

The college wrestling season is right around the corner! With that in mind, Tony and Todd are ready to talk fantasy wrestling. Today they talk with Kevin Claunch of the world-famous Bloodround podcast. As you may expect, all things Michigan wrestling are discussed as well as a variety of topics.

G'Angelo Hancock at the 2020 Olympic Games (Photo courtesy of Larry Slater; LBSPhoto.smugmug.com) There really isn't anything wrong with Greco-Roman wrestling. However, whenever the World Championships or Olympics roll around, fans flock to Twitter with ideas on how to “fix” the sport. Due to the style, matches with a lot of points scored on the feet are rare. When some of the best competitors in the world face-off, it can be hard to put up any sort of points. UWW has been open to changing the rules before, so InterMat decided to make a few suggestions. The following are some wacky and not-so-wacky potential rule changes for Greco-Roman wrestling. Smaller Circle The current UWW wrestling mat is a 12 meter by 12 meter square with a circular wrestling area measuring 8 meters in diameter. The introduction of the step-out point has added scoring to both freestyle and Greco, and many fans are desperate to see it added to folkstyle as well. While the best Greco wrestlers are incredibly hard to move around the mat at all, step-out points are a viable way to put up points. By making the circle smaller, UWW could make that path to points all the more accessible. The argument against the smaller circle is that Greco could become similar to sumo and end up being a shoving contest. However, wrestlers already fight to hold position in the center of the mat in hopes of a passivity call. Also, sumo is pretty damn exciting. Who would not want to watch Hakuho versus Mijain Lopez? Par Terre Innings Many matches simply turn into stalemates in the neutral position, and both wrestlers wait for their opportunity to get on top in par terre. Since this is already happening with regularity, why not make it part of the rules. Hypothetical a match could take place as follows. The match starts with a three-minute period, much like under the current system. After the end of the period, the wrestler with the lead, or the winner of a coin flip in the case of a tie, gets an entire 30-second period to score as many points as possible from the top position in par terre. If the bottom wrestler escapes or reverses, the match is restarted with the original wrestler on top. After the 30-second period, the other wrestler gets their opportunity to score from the top. This continues for another two rounds. Thus the match is still scheduled for six minutes and consists of one three-minute period and six 30-second periods. Obviously, with an entire 30 seconds allowed on top, the superiority rules would need to be adjusted as well. This match format would maximize scoring opportunities in par terre, which is where most of the scoring in Greco happens without eliminating neutral wrestling entirely. Eliminate Tie-Breaking Criteria While the previous suggestion might be a bit too extreme for purists, the innings idea could easily be adapted to use as a tie-breaker instead of criteria. There is a lot of split among fans about criteria or overtime being superior. However, you would be hard-pressed to find someone satisfied with a 1-1 victory. China's Walihan Sailike won a bronze medal at 60 kg and three of his four matches ended with a 1-1 score. Perhaps criteria can stick around but only apply to matches with a two-point score? It would be an improvement for sure. Ippon Throws In judo, the competitors can win the match at any time with a throw that has “considerable force and speed” and lands “largely on his/her back.” Regardless of the score, a feet-to-back throw can end the bout. At times in Greco, a four or five-point lead can seem almost insurmountable. By instituting the ability for a wrestler to win the match with four or five-point throws could give the bout a bit of excitement and encourage more dynamic offense. On the other hand, anyone who took the opportunity to watch some judo during these Games knows that the sport has its own fair share of plodding defensive contests. Free Activity Clock In freestyle, a wrestler called for passivity is put on a 30-second activity clock. If the competitor fails to score during that 30 seconds, the other wrestler is awarded a point. What if this worked the opposite way in Greco? After a wrestler is called for passivity, the other wrestler is given a 30-second clock where only he/she can score. This would allow that competitor to go for a variety of wild attacks without fear of counters or repercussions. It would still be hard to score against some of the top wrestlers, but it would certainly make for exciting matches. Different Par Terre Starting Positions Currently, the top position wrestler in par terre must have both hands on the opponent's shoulders, but they can be standing or have their knees on the ground. To increase scoring, UWW could allow wrestlers to choose a variety of different starting positions. For example, if a competitor was able to start with a reverse lock, there would almost certainly increase scoring. On the other hand, this might open scoring too much and make it nearly impossible for the defending wrestler. Submissions While many of these rule changes would not cause dramatic changes to the sport, the same can't really be said about this suggestion. Allowing joint locks or choke would drastically change Greco-Roman wrestling. In theory, it would open up a lot of opportunities to finish and scoring. However, it is extremely unlikely to happen since it would pretty much eliminate the essence of the style. For the combat sports nerds, It would certainly be interesting to see the impact of submission in a sort of test event.

Alex Facundo (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Tuesday announced that Alex Facundo of Davison, Michigan, is the 2021 national winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award (DSHSEA). "I am honored to have been chosen as the 2021 national winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award," said Facundo. "I have the deepest respect and admiration for Dave Schultz, who achieved so much, both on and off the mat. To have my name spoken in the same breath as Dave Schultz is truly amazing. "To have my name on the same list as past winners like 2021 Olympic champ David Taylor is incredible," he added. "I will continue to have the same passion and commitment to 'the world's greatest sport' known to mankind - Wrestling. I hope I can inspire youth and give them hope that they too can achieve great things if they put their soul into whatever they choose to do in LIFE. I will continue to chase excellence. Again I am humbled and truly grateful for the recognition." The national winner of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA) will be announced on Wednesday. The TSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. The DSHSEA was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World champion Dave Schultz, whose career was cut short when he was murdered in January 1996. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997 and as a member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016. The DSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. "We are excited to honor Alex Facundo as the national winner of the 2021 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award," said Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. "This award and honor represents the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's pride in a young man who has demonstrated a commitment to balancing his pursuit of excellence in the fields of academics, athletics and community service." The son of Pablo and Julie Facundo, he is a four-time Michigan state champion who helped Davison High School capture the state team title in 2021, its first team title since 2006. The top-ranked wrestler in the country the last three years, Facundo will continue his wrestling career at Penn State University. Facundo won the United World Wrestling Freestyle Championship in 2018 and 2019 and earned bronze medals at the Cadet World Championships in 2018 and 2019. He was the Freestyle Nationals champion in 2017 and won the Super 32 in 2018. His invitation to train with the USA Wrestling Elite Accelerator Program for a full year before the Olympics was cancelled because of the pandemic. An academic all-league and all-state selection, he was a member of the honor roll and selected as the Greater Flint Kiwanis Student Athlete of the Month. Facundo volunteers at Lighthouse Rehabilitation Center, an organization that is very important to him as his mother suffered a traumatic brain injury. He becomes the second national winner from Michigan, joining Taylor Massa from St. John's High School in St. John's, Michigan, who was the 2012 winner. Ohio has had the most national winners with five followed by Pennsylvania with three and California, Michigan, Minnesota and Oklahoma with two winners each. Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin have each had one winner. Regional winners are selected from state winners, and the national winner is chosen from the regional winners. The state winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for its high school excellence awards from state chapters and coaches. The nominations are reviewed by a committee, which selects state and regional winners. The committee then determines the national winners from the regional winners. National winners of the DSHSEA award have combined to win 20 NCAA Division I individual titles led by four-time champion Logan Stieber (2010), three-time winner Zain Retherford (2013) and two-time winners Steven Mocco (2001), David Taylor (2009) and Teyon Ware (2002). The 2018 winner David Carr won a title in 2021 while 2016 winner Mark Hall II won an NCAA title as a freshman in 2017 and 2015 winner Zahid Valencia won back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019. All-Time National Winners of Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award 2020 - Braxton Amos, Parkersburg South High School, Mineral Wells, West Virginia 2019 - Cohlton Schultz, Ponderosa High School, Parker, Colorado (Greco-Roman Cadet World Champion) 2018 - David Carr, Perry High School, Massillon, Ohio (NCAA Champion and Junior World Champion) 2017 - Daton Fix, Charles Page High School, Sand Springs, Oklahoma (Junior World Champion) 2016 - Mark Hall II, Apple Valley High School, Apple Valley, Minnesota (NCAA Champion and 2X Junior World Champion) 2015 - Zahid Valencia, St. John Bosco High School, Bellflower, California (2X NCAA Champion and Junior World Silver Medalist) 2014 - Chance Marsteller, Kennard-Dale High School, Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania 2013 - Zain Retherford, Benton Area High School, Benton, Pennsylvania (3X NCAA Champion) 2012 - Taylor Massa, St. Johns High School, St. Johns, Michigan 2011 - Morgan McIntosh, Calvary Chapel High School, Santa Ana, California 2010 - Logan Stieber, Monroeville High School, Monroeville, Ohio (World Champion and 4X NCAA Champion) 2009 - David Taylor, Graham High School, St. Paris, Ohio (Olympic Champion, World Champion and 2X NCAA Champion) 2008 - Jason Chamberlain, Springville High School, Springville, Utah 2007 - Zachary Sanders, Wabasha-Kellogg High School, Wabasha, Minnesota 2006 - David Craig, Brandon High School, Brandon, Florida 2005 - Troy Nickerson, Chenango Forks High School, Chenango Forks, New York (NCAA Champion) 2004 - Coleman Scott, Waynesburg High School, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania (NCAA Champion and Olympic bronze medalist) 2003 - C.P. Schlatter, St. Paul Graham High School, Urbana, Ohio 2002 - Teyon Ware, Edmond North High School, Edmond, Oklahoma (2X NCAA Champion) 2001 - Steven Mocco, Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey (2X NCAA Champion and Olympian) 2000 - Ben Connell, Lugoff-Elgin High School, Lugoff, South Carolina 1999 - Zach Roberson, Blue Valley North West High School, Overland Park, Kansas (NCAA Champion) 1998 - Garrett Lowney, Freedom High School, Appleton, Wisconsin (2X Olympian) Justin Ruiz, Taylorsville High School, Salt Lake City, Utah (Olympian) 1997 - Jeff Knupp, Walsh Jesuit High School, Akron, Ohio 1996 - David Kjeldgaard, Lewis Central High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa

George Mason head coach Frank Beasley (Photo courtesy of GMU athletics) Oftentimes, the concept of fundraising is an overlooked aspect of Division I athletics. Think about it. Once you buy your ticket, grab some snacks, find your seats, and finally sit down to watch an intense matchup between two rival schools on a Saturday night, do you stop and think to yourself how many hours, days, or even weeks were put into financially providing that program with every means necessary? Probably not. There are 78 Division I wrestling programs in the United States, totaling roughly 2,500 student-athletes. On average, there are 32 athletes on each team, and only 9.9 fully-funded scholarships to be distributed amongst the toughest wrestlers in the country. According to Next College Athlete Sports, men's wrestling is an "equivalency sport." This means that there isn't a strict number of athletes that are required to be on a scholarship. Instead, coaches can decide how to divide up those scholarship funds to best suit their program's needs. For example, full scholarships vs. partial scholarships. Unfortunately, there are still many programs that are not fully funded and receive only 40-50% of the scholarship allotments as compared to a fully-funded Division I program. What does this mean? Wrestling programs that are not fully funded must find an alternative way to supplement their program. With 40-50% fewer funds than the typical Division I program, their ability to travel to tournaments, creating additional coaching positions, providing their student-athletes with wrestling apparel, and endowments are all at stake. Although it is not a requirement for partially funded Division I wrestling programs to be public with this information, there are many schools that choose to utilize social media, alumni, and trustees to bridge the gap in funding. One Division I wrestling program, in particular, raises the bar and provides neighboring schools with a golden standard for how to #BeUncommon, while also bridging the gap in funding. George Mason University is a public university located in Fairfax, Virginia. Since 1972, George Mason University has grown into the largest four-year public university in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Head Coach Frank Beasley and Assistant Coaches Camden Eppert and Mike DePalma spearhead fundraising efforts that are nearly unmatched by any other Division I wrestling program in the country. During the Spring of every year, George Mason University holds a fundraiser, which is referred to as "Giving Day." On this day, donors from around the country provide donations of various amounts; those of which help to supplement the wrestling program. Giving Day occurs during Blitz Week, the final push to obtain any additional donations possible. Prior to Giving Day, Coach Beasley, Coach Eppert, Coach DePalma, and every student-athlete create a plan of attack. The wrestling program utilizes Twitter (@GMUWrestling), Instagram (@GMUWrestling), an alumni newsletter, direct text messages, and direct phone calls to engage potential donors. On average, Coach Beasley stated that returning donors and potential donors are contacted at least two weeks prior to Giving Day. He referred to it as giving the donors enough "prep time." Coaches, athletes, friends, and family work together during Giving Day to claim the top title during the Alumni-Athlete Giving Challenge, a yearlong competition. George Mason University holds an internal battle between the various athletic programs and departments. In 2020, George Mason's wrestling program won the Highest Alumni-Athlete Giving Percentage (35.5) and Highest Young Alumni Giving Percentage (80). Amongst the success, it is evident that George Mason's wrestling program utilizes an all-hands-on-deck approach. When Coach Beasley first joined the George Mason University staff, donations primarily came from alumni. He stated that the previous coaches and additional department personnel put in a tremendous effort to build and maintain relationships amongst donors. Throughout his time at George Mason, Beasley has continued to nourish those relationships, and foster new ones. "We've been lucky enough to cast a bigger net. We are reaching out to people who aren't necessarily alumni or "wrestling people." They've seen the numbers we've been able to reach, and they're buying into what our program stands for," Beasley stated. When asked what the secret to being so successful in fundraising is, Beasley stated, "Simply put, it's time and energy. Coach Eppert, Coach DePalma, and I put a lot of effort into building relationships. We are constantly on the phone, calling and texting previous donors and potential donors. We want everyone to buy into our cause, and #BeUncommon. It can be frustrating at times because you don't see an immediate payoff, but once the dust settles, you realize that those text messages, calls, and lunches have all made an impact." In Beasley's effort to foster relationships amongst new donors, it is imperative that each and every person realizes their weight and the impact they have on the wrestling program at George Mason University. Beasley stated that the fundraising efforts of each year are split into different "buckets." Each bucket is essentially a savings account for the various needs of the program. The wrestling program will utilize its earnings for the following: a renovated and expanded wrestling room, travel expenses (in an effort to give their athletes first-class treatment), elite wrestling apparel, scholarship endowments, coaching position endowments, and the expansion of its Regional Training Center (RTC); the Patriot Wrestling Club. The ultimate goal of Giving Day is to fill each bucket. In doing so, current and future athletes will be given access to the most advantageous resources and opportunities as possible, bridging the gap between neighboring fully-funded Division I wrestling programs. As previously stated, the fundraising efforts of Coach Beasley, Coach Eppert, and Coach DePalma are nearly unmatched by any other Division I wrestling program in the country. #BeUncommon is a term that George Mason University's wrestling program lives through and through. When asked how the phrase #BeUncommon coincides with George Mason's fundraising efforts, Beasley stated, "The phrase #BeUncommon means doing everything right, even the little things. As coaches and athletes, we must treat all of our donors with the utmost respect, regardless of the donation amount. We welcome any size donation, small or large. We want our donors to know that we truly care about and appreciate every individual who gives to our program." Beasley went on to say, "My staff and I participate in a Thank-A-Thon. We write a personal "thank you" note to every single person who provided a donation to our wrestling program. It's a special thing. We always strive to #BeUncommon in every aspect of our program." If you'd like to get involved with George Mason University's wrestling program and become a donor, there are various ways to do so. First, add your name to the emailing list. This will allow you to receive updates about past, present, and future events; Giving Day, Blitz Week, etc. In addition, this will give you access to the alumni newsletter, detailing all of the events you can actively participate in. Second, you can go directly to George Mason University's website to review previous data reports of Giving Day. This will give you an in-depth look at how important your donation is, and the impact it has on the wrestling program. Finally, follow George Mason's wrestling program on the following platforms: Twitter (@GMUWrestling), Instagram (@GMUWrestling), and Facebook (George Mason Wrestling). In addition to Giving Day and Blitz Week updates, each of their social media platforms will provide you with a schedule for home and away wrestling matches. One of the most important events that you can participate in is attending a home match at the Recreation Athletic Complex located on George Mason University's campus. Get ready to be loud, be proud, #BeUncommon, and support the George Mason Patriots.

North Idaho at the 2021 NJCAA National Championships (Photo courtesy of NJCAA.org) Beyond the views of Coeur d'Alene, North Idaho is home to a tradition and expectation of keeping the 14-Time National Champion, North Idaho College Cardinal Wrestling program on the map. "People care about North Idaho College wrestling," Head Coach Mike Sebaaly said. "It's the team that everyone is gunning for." Noting the poster sized-photos of the national championship teams in the North Idaho College gymnasium, Sebaaly looks to add to the already established team history and measure up to expectations. Sebaaly enters his third season with the Cardinals this year, coming off of the 2021 season where the team claimed five All-American spots, one of which was national champion, Sal Silva, at 149-pounds. With intent to add to the 249 All-Americans that have competed in a NIC singlet, Sebaaly announced on July 23rd the addition of former NJCAA and Division II Wrestler Chase Clasen to the Cardinal wrestling staff. Clasen, coming off of a graduate assistant position with the Chadron State Wrestling Program, stresses the importance of building a relationship with his athletes. "It starts in the recruiting process. They've got to trust you right away," Clasen said. "If you're recruiting them and you're putting up a front, I think the [wrestlers] can sniff right through that." Coeur d'Alene is easily adapted to by virtually any lifestyle, which is a focus for the Cardinals recruiting process. The just over two-mile-long Tubbs Hill trail and the lake that campus sits on are highlights to both recruiting trips, and the unique training process for the Cardinal athletes. The relationships that the athletes make both with the NIC coaching staff and Coeur d'Alene are not limited to the time they are a Cardinal, and allow for continued success in the Cardinal wrestling program. "There are so many people who want to keep sending kids to North Idaho College," Sebaaly said. "There is so much pride that the alumni have in this place." The tradition of success for North Idaho College is not only a desire for the athletes, but a standard for the coaches, a standard that both Sebaaly and Clasen intend to take part in continuing.

(Photo courtesy of Gannon University Athletics) Erie, PA - Gannon University has named Breonnah Neal as its new head women's wrestling coach. "I am excited for the opportunity to join a program on the rise," said Neal. "I look forward to working with all those who are a part of the Gannon family. We will build off previous success and continue to create great individuals on and off the mat." Neal joins Gannon University from Ferrum College, where she worked as head women's wrestling coach since 2019. There she built a foundation that produced the highest national finish (13th) in school history and four national qualifiers. In addition, during the 2021 season, the program had its first All-American. She also worked as an assistant coach at the School of Hard Knocks Wrestling Club in High Point, N.C. beginning in 2013. "Breonnah Neal is a tremendous hire for our women's wrestling program," said Gannon Director of Athletics Lisa Goddard McGuirk. "She has been successful as a head coach at the collegiate level and demonstrates a commitment to the student-athlete experience. Breonnah is a decorated wrestler and an experienced coach who will serve the continued growth of our student-athletes and women's wrestling." Neal began her collegiate career at Campbellsville University in Kentucky where she earned a national runner-up finish at the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) national championships. She was also a University Nationals All-American, qualified for the World Team Trials and earned Dean's List accolades during her time at Campbellsville. In 2014, Neal transferred to King University in Bristol, Tenn., where she won a national championship with a perfect 21-0 record in 2017. The run included 16 technical falls and two pins. Neal went on to earn her bachelor's degree in psychology that same year. While at King, she earned three more WCWA All-American finishes and finished third at the U.S. Open. She helped King win four straight duals title and the WCWA National Championship. In addition, Neal was named King University's 2017 Female Athlete of the Year and 2017 Most Valuable Wrestler while earning a spot on the Dean's List. A native of Winston-Salem, Neal attended West Forsyth High School, where she was a three-time varsity wrestler and a three-time all-conference honoree. Neal holds the North Carolina state record for female wins against males (111) and was the first woman to ever qualify for the 4A North Carolina State Tournament, the state's largest division. Neal is currently pursuing her master's degree in kinesiology from East Carolina University.

Ashland University All-American Tristen Weirich (Photo courtesy of Ashland University Athletics) The start of the 2022 NCAA Division II men's wrestling season is just a few short months away, which means it is time to start predicting lineup changes and roster moves. With the changes brought about due to the pandemic, we know that 2022 will be the season of #SuperSeniors (copyright pending). Athletes can hit the "Reset" button now and pretend that 2021 did not happen. You were an All-American as a true freshman? Good for you, now go out and do it again. Sure, you won a national title as a senior, but can you win a national title as a #SuperSenior? Teams that finished in the top ten at the 2021 national tournament may be hard to unseat if they return all of their starters. This is a season where a transfer could be the difference between earning a team trophy and finishing fifth. Can coaches talk athletes who have already been in college for five or six years into returning for one more run? And the thing I am looking forward to, how many athletes stay off the radar until they pop back into the lineup in the second semester, turning my rankings upside down. Those are all questions for the season and this right now is the off-season. That means it is time to get out there and look at what the top 10 teams could be bringing back. Let's start with the four teams who finished within 23 points of each other, 10th through seventh. 10th Place: Minnesota State University-Mankato Head Coach: James Makovsky (28th Season) The Mavs return a lineup that is very well balanced. In fact, I would love to see them at the NWCA Division II National Dual tournament, but I will have to keep waiting for that. Two #SuperSenior All-Americans power this lineup that also returns national finalist Trevor Turiff who is only a junior. Kolbe O'Brien had some big wins his junior run and sophomore stud Cooper Siebrecht both look ready to make the jump to national qualifiers. They will be losing Matt Blome, with his graduation and departure opening a spot at 197-pounds. I can see them moving Darrell Mason (So) into the starting role at 285, which would provide them a stronger anchor to their lineup. The departure of Blome leaves true freshman Josh Piechowski as the only returning 197 on the roster. The two-time Minnesota state placer could find himself as the man if there is no type of weight class shuffle. Keep an eye on Brock Luthens; he wrestled a very good Super Regional tournament and looked to be making strides to end the season. If the Mavs can add another couple of national qualifiers and one more All-American, they can move up the leaderboard. Oh, and you can put an end to any rumors that Ty Eustice is going anywhere, for now. The Iowa Hawkeye All-American has been integral to the development of athletes like Turiff and has had his name linked to many a head coaching position. Look for Brody Nielsen and Dylan Butts to make jumps in their second sophomore seasons, with him helping them again. 125: Trenton McManus (SuperSenior) 133: Brock Luthens (Sophomore) 141: Kolbe O'Brien (Junior) 149: Kyle Rathman (SuperSenior) 157: Cooper Siebrecht (Sophomore) 165: Brody Nielsen (Sophomore) 174: Trevor Turiff (Junior) 184: Dylan Butts (Sophomore) 197: Josh Piechowski (Freshman) 285: Darrell Mason (Sophomore) 9th Place: Gannon University Head Coach: Don Henry (38th Season) Fresh off their first Super Regional title in program history, the Gannon Golden Knights entered the NCAA tournament with more pressure than I am certain they were used to. Things may not have gone exactly according to plan, but they did climb up the leaderboard and posted their best national finish since 2010, ninth. They will return a team to St. Louis that is experienced, talented, and led by one of the nation's best coaches. Don Henry was named the 2021 NWCA Division II National Coach of the Year. The Knights sent eight athletes to the national tournament in St. Louis and it is not crazy to think they could duplicate the feat in 2022. Of the eight wrestlers to step on the mat, three of them reached All-American status, including their national finalist Alex Farenchak (165). Jacob Dunlop (133) finished eighth, while Nick Young (157) advanced to the consolation finals and finished fourth. Overall, Gannon sent seven wrestlers into the quarterfinals, which gives all kinds of optimism for an even better 2022 season. The lightweights should return, with Jacob Dunlop and Charlie Lenox holding down the 133 spots. We may not see Dunlop until semester two, but the SuperSenior duo will be a force to be reckoned with, once again. If you are wondering, what about 2023? Well, the Knights signed 2021 NJCCA All-American Aseel Almudhala (125) of Henry Ford College. If Dunlop takes some time off, expect to see him in the lineup quickly. I expect we could see the return of one more SuperSenior to the lineup, Austin Hertel (141). He is a two-time NCAA national qualifier and is part of one of the best opening salvos to any D2 wrestling lineup. 2020 national qualifier Dom Means (149) will be back and with the qualification process returning to a sense of normalcy, I expect him to make a return trip in 2022. All-Americans Nick Young and Alex Farenchak will lock down the middle of the lineup with a return of 2020 national qualifier Luigi Yates (174). The rest of the upperweights will feature 2021 national qualifiers Cam Page (184), Joel Leise (197), and Freddie Nixon (285). This is one of the best lineups out there and they are going to turn heads at the NWCA National Dual Tournament. They are going to need a better quarterfinals round in St Louis in 2022 to move up the team race, though. 125: Jacob Dunlop (SuperSenior) 133: Aseel Almudhala (So)/Charlie Lenox (SuperSenior) second semester 141: Austin Hertel (SuperSenior) 149: Dom Means (Junior) 157: Nick Young (Junior) 165: Alex Farenchak (Sophomore) 174: Luigi Yakes (Sophomore) 184: Cam Page (Junior) 197: Joel Leise (Junior) 285: Freddie Nixon (Junior) 8th Place: Colorado Mesa University Head Coach: Chuck Pipher (15th Year) The Colorado Mesa University Mavs held off Gannon to finish eighth by just half a point. In one of the best moments of the entire 2021 national tournament, senior journeyman Fred Green won the 165lb national championship and then left his shoes on the mat. The retirement of a young man whose college career began in 2016 at Boise State University, then led to the University of Virginia, then to Oregon State, culminating in a two-year run at Mesa that saw him build a 23-1 record as a Mav. The two-time All-American leaves a big hole in the middle of the lineup. The Mavs may only return one national qualifier in 2022, two-time qualifier Donald Negus. The SuperSenior finished fifth last year and, by returning, would become the de facto leader. Just two Mavericks were enough to build a top-ten team; what might happen when this lineup really performs up to expectations. There is plenty of experience starting off the Mavs; SuperSenior Cian Apple was an NJCCA national qualifier and a two-year starter for Pipher. Ryan Wheeler (149) had a miserable true freshman season, going just 1-5. But there is reason to hope; he is coming off an All-American finish in Greco at UWW Junior Nationals. Seth Latham (174) needs to return to his 2020 attack style and earn a second nationals trip. The same can be said of Nolan Krone (184); the 2020 qualifier was absolutely robbed of a qualifying spot under the laughable 2021 process. A loss to Kearney All-American Austin Eldredge in Super Regional VI kept him out of the tournament in a gross miscarriage of the wildcard process. This is a lineup with potential, but it is hard to imagine them duplicating their 2021 results without some athletes really stepping up. I can see them sending more athletes to the tournament, but do they have another champion to replicate Green's big points? Chuck Pipher was out on the recruiting trail and he has landed big transfers before; I expect the cupboard is far from bare. 125: Cian Apple (SuperSenior) 133: Colin Metzgar (Junior) 141: Daniel Magana (R-Freshman) 149: Ryan Wheeler (Freshman) 157: Nick Gallegos (Freshman) 165: Dylan Ranieri (Sophomore) 174: Seth Latham (Junior) 184: Nolan Krone (Junior) 197: Donald Negus (SuperSenior) Hwt: Gabe Carranza (Freshman) 7th Place: Ashland University Head Coach: Colt Sponseller (2nd Year) A team that went from hiring a head coach in November to finishing seventh at the NCAA national tournament less than four months later, will return a wrecking crew of a lineup. The Ashland University Eagles hired former Division I All-American Colt Sponseller and then crowned three Super Regional champions and five All-Americans. Imagine what the coaching trio of Sponseller, Ryan Kirst, and Bret Romanzak will get done with nine months of preparation. They may just decide to invade another country and start their own Olympic squad with these troops. Five, five All-Americans out of six qualifiers. They could find their Super Regional looking very different in 2022 with the return of PSAC teams and the rumored relocation of Indianapolis to Super Regional IV. But they will certainly be battling against West Liberty for the Super Regional III crown again. The lineup will be bookended by All-Americans in Christian Wellman (125) and Tristen Weirich (285). And in the middle, they have two more SuperSenior All-Americans that could return in Carson Speelman (149) and Aidan Pasiuk (184). Throw in the talented and very real title threat Dan Beamer at 174, and you have one ridiculous core of athletes to build around. This lineup will be even stronger with the addition of 2021 transfer Drew Weichers (157); he will enter the lineup after limited time as an Eagle last year. He was a national qualifier for Mount Olive in their first season and now he will take over as an immediate All-American threat. Peter Abraham was a 2020 national qualifier, but he never seemed to get on track in 2021 at one of the toughest weight classes in Super Regional III. He has all the talent necessary to make it back to 2021. This is an Eagles team that would have been shut out of the NWCA National Duals tournament, but now they will have their chance to show all of Division II that they are not some one-year wonder. The clock is ticking though, this is a mature team, seasoned veterans, tested warriors blessed with "old man" strength. 125: Christian Wellman (SuperSenior) 133: Cael Woods (Freshman) 141: Luke Wymer (Sophomore) 149: Carson Speelman (SuperSenior) 157: Drew Weichers (Sophomore) 165: Chance Esmont (Junior) 174: Daniel Beemer (Sophomore) 184: Aidan Pasiuk (SuperSenior) 197: Peter Abraham (SuperSenior) Hwt: Tristen Weirich (SuperSenior)

2021 Olympic champion David Taylor (Photo courtesy of Larry Slater; LBSphoto.smugmug.com) Come back with me, if you will, to Carioca Arena 2 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which housed the wrestling competition at the 2016 Olympics. This was almost five years ago now. The United States won just three medals that week, but two of them were historic. The first: Helen Maroulis, America's first-ever Olympic gold medalist in women's freestyle. She secured her spot in USA Wrestling lore by recording a 4-1 victory over Japan's Saori Yoshida, a 16-time world and Olympic champion. The second: Kyle Snyder, America's youngest Olympic gold medalist, at age 20. Just one year removed from his first world title, Snyder defeated Azerbaijan's Khetag Goziumov, 2-1, in the final match of the wrestling competition in Rio. “The sport of wrestling, it's a fight,” Bruce Burnett, then the U.S. men's freestyle head coach, said afterward. “The gold medal in the last match of the tournament, that's putting us on a plane forward, and I feel really good about it.” Not sure anybody back then could've seen all the good vibes that were on the way. That leads us back to Makuhari Messe Hall in Chiba, Japan. On Saturday morning, USA Wrestling put the cap on a truly special week at the 2020 Olympic Games. Consider these accomplishments: The U.S. won 9 total medals across the men's and women's freestyle competitions, the most by the U.S. in a single Olympic Games since women's freestyle was added in 2004, and the most ever by the U.S. at a non-boycotted Olympic Games (the 1984 team won 13, but the Soviet Union, which won 15 medals in 1988, did not attend). The United States' 9 total medals led all countries across all three styles this week --Russia was second with 8, then Japan with 7 (but with a tournament-best 5 golds) -- and comes after the U.S. won 11 total medals across the last three Olympic Games: 3 in 2016, 5 in 2012, and 3 in 2008. The men's freestyle team batted 1.000, bringing five wrestlers and leaving with five medals. That's the most since the 1996 men's freestyle team also won five in Atlanta -- but that was back when men's freestyle had 10 Olympic weights. The women's freestyle team brought a full squad of six, and left with four medals. Before the week began, USA Wrestling had only ever won five Olympic medals all-time. This year's women's team nearly matched that, as a fifth wrestler, Jacarra Winchester, fell in the bronze-medal match at 53 kilograms. Three wrestlers won gold this week: Tamyra Mensah-Stock, women's freestyle 68-kg; David Taylor, men's freestyle 86-kg; and Gable Steveson, men's freestyle 125-kg. That's the most Olympic golds for the U.S. since, again, 1996, when Kendall Cross (57-kg), Tom Brands (62-kg), and Kurt Angle with his broken freakin' neck (100-kg) all won in men's freestyle. Two more Americans, Kyle Snyder (MFS, 97-kg) and Adeline Gray (WFS, 76-kg), reached the finals, giving the U.S. five total Olympic finalists, the most since, again, 1996, when seven made the finals. Tamyra became America's second-ever women's freestyle Olympic champ, joining Helen. She is also the first Black woman ever to win Olympic gold in women's freestyle. She went 4-0 and outscored her opponents 34-5. Finally: USA Wrestling's 9 total medals is the third-most of any American sport at the 2020 Olympic Games, behind only Swimming and Track and Field, which have both won 25-plus. “It's a special time to be part of USA Wrestling,” Sarah Hildebrandt said afterward. “It's just really cool to be a part of, and I'm so grateful to have these teammates. I really feel like we are out here supporting each other, working to get better. “I think that's something that's been different than before, and you can see it starting to pay off. It's a special team -- we knew that coming in, and I'm so excited to be a part of what we put together.” Again, an absolutely sensational week for USA Wrestling. The vibes were good, and they arrived early and often each day. The men's freestyle and women's freestyle teams combined for a 31-9 overall record. The men went 16-3, the women went 15-6. The only wart all week came from the 4-man Greco-Roman squad, who limped to a 1-5 mark and failed to win a medal for the third-straight Olympics. We will discuss that performance at a later date. In the 31 freestyle wins, 13 technical falls and 17 shutouts. The men's team collectively outscored their opponents by a combined 144-39, and two of their three losses were by four total points, both to eventual gold medal winners from Russia (Thomas Gilman lost 5-4 to Zavur Uguev and Snyder lost 6-3 to Abdulrashid Sadulaev; the other: Kyle Dake's 11-0 loss to Belarus' Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau, who made the final). At one point, the U.S. wrestlers won 11 straight matches, starting with Gable's semifinal win on Thursday morning and running all the way to Kyle Snyder's semifinal win on Friday morning. They won those 11 matches by a combined 90-8, good vibes for an entire 24 hours. In those 11 matches, the U.S. sent two wrestlers to the finals (Gable and Snyder), won three medals (Gilman won bronze, Taylor won gold, Helen won bronze), and three more reached medal matches (Dake and Jacarra both won in the repechage, and Sarah Hildebrandt won in the quarters to guarantee at least a bronze-medal match). That 11-match win streak was really part of a larger run by the United States' freestyle wrestlers. Starting with Tamyra's finals victory on Tuesday morning, U.S. wrestlers rattled off an astounding 25 wins over their final 32 matches in the tournament. There was really only one rough day in the entire competition for the United States, and that was Monday. Adeline lost in the gold-medal match, 7-3 to Germany's Aline Rotter-Focken, early in the morning, then Kayla Miracle, John Stefanowicz, and Alejandro Sancho all lost at night and were eventually eliminated. That proved to be a blip on the radar. Tamyra became an Olympic champion, and the rest of her American teammates followed her lead. Every U.S. wrestler that took the mat after she won gold either won a medal or wrestled for one. “I. Am. A. Champion. I was born for this, I was made to win,” Tamyra sang afterward in her since-viral post-finals interview with NBC Sports. “I love it!” Perhaps the most revealing part of Tamyra's interview -- which was just as incredible as her on-the-mat performance, by the way, and you should totally watch it if you haven't already -- was her answer that came right after her singing. “Did you think you would ever win an Olympic gold medal?” the reporter asked. “Yes,” Tamyra answered immediately. “100 percent yes, I knew I could do it. I knew it would be hard. I prayed that I could do it. In my wildest dreams, I knew.” That was a memorable line in an outstanding interview because of the confidence that was on display with every word. That feeling matriculated through the entire team, and it showed in their performances. On Wednesday, Gable thumped Taha Akgul, the 2016 Olympic heavyweight champion. On Thursday, Gilman and Helen completed their medal runs in dominant fashion, winning their bronze bouts 9-1 and 11-0, respectively. David Taylor's electrifying gold-medal match against Iran's Hassan Yazdanicharati was sandwiched between them, wherein he connected on a blast-double with 10 seconds left to win, 4-3. “I don't really even know if it was technique, but I wanted to win,” Taylor said. “I wanted to win an Olympic gold medal. I wanted that my entire life, and I'm maybe not going to have an opportunity to do this again. “I believe I'll have more opportunities, but you never know. It feels really good.” The next day, more good vibes. Snyder and Sarah stormed into the semifinals, Dake battled back for bronze, and Gable topped Taylor's thrilling gold-medal victory by producing one of his own, scoring two takedowns in 13 seconds to defeat Georgia's Geno Petriashvili, the three-time defending world champion. “I knew I had it in me,” Gable said, before repeating: “I knew I had it in me. Everybody talks about bringing home a gold medal, and I did it.” He did, at just 21 years old, the youngest wrestler on a USA Wrestling squad that isn't all that old, to begin with. Only three of the 11 freestyle wrestlers are currently 30. These guys and gals are still young, very much in the prime of their careers. There's every reason to believe they'll be around for a while longer. Then again, we saw at the U.S. Olympic Trials that a youth movement is afoot. Both Adeline and Tamyra held off high-schoolers in the best-of-three finals. Young stars like Vito Arujau, Daton Fix, and Spencer Lee, all accomplished age-level freestylers, will push Gilman in the years ahead. There are seemingly tons more names at every weight. Those three medals the U.S. won in Rio don't seem like a lot after the haul they earned this week, but Burnett, USA Wrestling executive director Rich Bender, and many others told anybody who listened then that bigger things were coming. Perhaps they were the only ones who could have predicted the 9 medals in Tokyo. None of us will have to wait very long for the next big opportunity. The 2021 world championships in Norway are just two months out, and the 2024 Olympics in Paris will be here before we know it.

2x Olympic gold medalist Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo/UWW) Monday marked the first medals that were handed out in wrestling at the 2020 Olympics. As each weight class has concluded we will have a wrap-up for each, which includes results and some notable facts related to the weight. Past Articles 57 kg Men's Freestyle 65 kg Men's Freestyle 74 kg Men's Freestyle 86 kg Men's Freestyle 125 kg Men's Freestyle 60 kg Men's Greco-Roman 67 kg Men's Greco-Roman 77 kg Men's Greco-Roman 87 kg Men's Greco-Roman 97 kg Men's Greco-Roman 130 kg Men's Greco-Roman 50 kg Women's Freestyle 53 kg Women's Freestyle 57 kg Women's Freestyle 62 kg Women's Freestyle 68 kg Women's Freestyle 76 kg Women's Freestyle Qualification Results Abdulrashid Sadulaev (ROC) over Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan) 5-0 Elizbar Odikadze (Georgia) over Mohammadhossein Mohammadian (Iran) 6-3 Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba) over Aliaksandr Hushtyn (Belarus) 4-3 Magomedgadji Nurov (Macedonia) over Mohamed Saadaoui (Tunisia) 5-0 Alisher Yergali (Kazakhstan) over Mohammed Fardj (Algeria) Forfeit Suleyman Karadeniz (Turkey) over Magomed Ibragimov (Uzbekistan) 3-3 Abraham Conyedo Ruano (Italy) over Albert Saritov (Romania) 6-1 Kyle Snyder (USA) over Jordan Steen (Canada) 12-2 Quarterfinal Results Abdulrashid Sadulaev (ROC) over Elizbar Odikadze (Georgia) 10-0 Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba) over Magomedgadji Nurov (Macedonia) 6-4 Suleyman Karadeniz (Turkey) over Alisher Yergali (Kazakhstan) 8-7 Kyle Snyder (USA) over Abraham Conyedo Ruano (Italy) 6-0 Semifinal Results Abdulrashid Sadulaev (ROC) over Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba) 4-0 Kyle Snyder (USA) over Suleyman Karadeniz (Turkey) 5-0 Repechage Results Abraham Conyedo Ruano (Italy) over Jordan Steen (Canada) 4-2 Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan) over Elizbar Odikadze (Georgia) 7-5 Bronze Medal Matches Abraham Conyedo Ruano (Italy) over Suleyman Karadeniz (Turkey) 6-2 Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba) over Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan) 3-3 Gold Medal Match Abdulrashid Sadulaev (ROC) over Kyle Snyder (USA) 6-3 Notes: Abdulrashid Sadulaev won his second Olympic gold medal. Sadulaev now has six World/Olympic Championships and seven world/Olympic medals. He has made the finals of every World/Olympic Championship since 2014. Sadulaev defeated Kyle Snyder for the second time in a World/Olympic final. Sadualev has taken the lead in the series two-matches-to-one. During Sadulaev's two Olympic Games he has outscored the competition 53-4. Snyder is now a two-time Olympic Medalist (2nd - 2020; 1st - 2016). Snyder has earned World/Olympic medals in every year since 2015. Though he has been a staple on the world scene for over a decade, Reineris Salas Perez earned his first Olympic medal. Salas Perez is now a four-time World/Olympic medalist. Salas Perez defeated a pair of returning world medalists during his bronze medal run (Sharifov and Nurov), plus 2020 Individual World Cup silver medalist Aleksandr Hushtyn. Abraham Conyedo-Ruano is now a two-time World/Olympic medalist. The quadrant at the top of the bracket that includes Sadulaev, Sharif Sharifov, Elizbar Odikadze, and Mohammadhossein Mohammadian was insane. Over the course of their careers, these veterans have combined to amass 14 world medals, 3 Olympic Gold medals, and five world championships. This weight class had the most returning World/Olympic medalist of any men's freestyle bracket. Three first round matches featured past world medalists clashing (Sadulaev/Sharifov, Odikadze/Mohammadian, Conyedo Ruano/Saritov). Six of the world medalists were found in the top half of the bracket. Only the top two seeds made the podium (Sadulaev and Snyder) and in that exact order.

2020 Olympic gold medalist Yui Susaki (Photo courtesy of Kadir Calisken/UWW) Monday marked the first medals that were handed out in wrestling at the 2020 Olympics. As each weight class has concluded we will have a wrap-up for each, which includes results and some notable facts related to the weight. Past Articles 57 kg Men's Freestyle 65 kg Men's Freestyle 74 kg Men's Freestyle 86 kg Men's Freestyle 125 kg Men's Freestyle 60 kg Men's Greco-Roman 67 kg Men's Greco-Roman 77 kg Men's Greco-Roman 87 kg Men's Greco-Roman 97 kg Men's Greco-Roman 130 kg Men's Greco-Roman 53 kg Women's Freestyle 57 kg Women's Freestyle 62 kg Women's Freestyle 68 kg Women's Freestyle 76 kg Women's Freestyle Qualification Results Mariya Stadnik (Azerbaijan) over Stalvira Orshush (ROC) 11-7 Sarra Hamdi (Tunisia) over Seema Bisla (India) 3-1 Yui Susaki (Japan) over Namuuntsetseg Tsogt Ochir (Mongolia) 10-0 Lucia Yepez Guzman (Ecuador) over Valentina Islamova (Kazakhstan) 9-6 Oskana Livach (Ukraine) over Adijat Idris (Nigeria) 10-0 Yanan Sun (China) over Yusneylis Guzman Lopez (Cuba) 8-2 Sarah Hildebrandt (USA) over Evin Demirhan (Turkey) 11-0 Miglena Selishka (Bulgaria) over Emilia Vuc (Romania) 6-0 Quarterfinal Results Mariya Stadnik (Azerbaijan) over Sarra Hamdi (Tunisia) 10-0 Yui Susaki (Japan) over Lucia Yepez Guzman (Ecuador) 10-0 Yanan Sun (China) over Oskana Livach (Ukraine) 7-3 Sarah Hildebrandt (USA) over Miglena Selishka (Bulgaria) 12-2 Semifinal Results Yui Susaki (Japan) over Mariya Stadnik (Azerbaijan) 11-0 Yanan Sun (China) over Sarah Hildebrandt (USA) 10-7 Repechage Results Oskana Livach (Ukraine) over Yusneylis Guzman Lopez (Cuba) Fall Namuuntsetseg Tsogt Ochir (Mongolia) over Lucia Yepez Guzman (Ecuador) Bronze Medal Matches Mariya Stadnik (Azerbaijan) over Namuuntsetseg Tsogt Ochir (Mongolia) 10-0 Sarah Hildebrandt (USA) over Oskana Livach (Ukraine) 12-1 Gold Medal Match Yui Susaki (Japan) over Yanan Sun (China) 10-0 Notes: Yui Susaki won her third World/Olympic gold medal. Susaki is still undefeated against opponents outside of Japan. In four matches, Susaki outscored her competition 41-0. Susaki earned wins over the other two past world champions at this weight (Yanan Sun/Mariya Stadnik). Japan has had an Olympic gold medalist at the lightest women's weights in each of the last three Games. Sun is a two-time Olympic medalist. She is also a five-time World/Olympic medalist. Sun picked up two wins over past world medalists (Sarah Hildebrandt/Oksana Livach) on the way to the finals. Stadnik is now a four-time Olympic medalist (Silver x2, Bronze x2). She is also a 10-time World/Olympic medalist. Stadnik has suffered a loss to a Japanese opponent in each of the last three Olympic Games. Stadnik was the only seeded wrestler that made it to the Olympic podium. Hildebrandt is now a two-time World/Olympic medalist. Hildebrandt earned wins over two past world medalists (Evin Demirhan and Livach). With her bronze medal, Hildebrandt became the third American woman to earn a medal at the initial weight class (Patricia Miranda - 2004 and Clarissa Chun - 2012). Both semifinal losers rebounded to earn bronze medals. The opening round saw three past world medalists go down (Demirhan, Islamova, Vuc).

2020 Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson (Photo courtesy of Kadir Calisken/UWW) Monday marked the first medals that were handed out in wrestling at the 2020 Olympics. As each weight class has concluded we will have a wrap-up for each, which includes results and some notable facts related to the weight. Past Articles 57 kg Men's Freestyle 74 kg Men's Freestyle 86 kg Men's Freestyle 125 kg Men's Freestyle 60 kg Men's Greco-Roman 67 kg Men's Greco-Roman 77 kg Men's Greco-Roman 87 kg Men's Greco-Roman 97 kg Men's Greco-Roman 130 kg Men's Greco-Roman 53 kg Women's Freestyle 57 kg Women's Freestyle 62 kg Women's Freestyle 68 kg Women's Freestyle 76 kg Women's Freestyle Qualification Results Gadzhimurad Rashidov (ROC) over Vazgen Tevanyan (Armenia) 6-0 Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (Poland) over Georgios Pilidis (Greece) 11-0 Takuto Otoguro (Japan) over Tulga Tumur Ochir (Mongolia) 6-3 Iszmail Muszukajev (Hungary) over Agustin Destribats (Argentina) 9-6 Daulet Niyazbekov (Kazakhstan) over Alejandro Valdes Tobier (Cuba) 21-11 Haji Aliyev (Azerbaijan) over Adama Diatta (Senegal) 4-0 Morteza Ghiasi Cheka (Iran) over Haithem Dakhlaoui (Tunisia) 5-1 Bajrang Punia (India) over Ernazar Akmataliev (Kyrgyzstan) 3-3 Quarterfinal Results Gadzhimurad Rashidov (ROC) over Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (Poland) 6-2 Takuto Otoguro (Japan) over Iszmail Muszukajev (Hungary) 4-1 Haji Aliyev (Azerbaijan) over Daulet Niyazbekov (Kazakhstan) 9-1 Bajrang Punia (India) over Morteza Ghiasi Cheka (Iran) Fall Semifinal Results Takuto Otoguro (Japan) over Gadzhimurad Rashidov (ROC) 3-2 Haji Aliyev (Azerbaijan) over Bajrang Punia (India) 12-5 Repechage Results Daulet Niyazbekov (Kazakhstan) over Adama Diatta (Senegal) 10-0 Iszmail Muszukajev (Hungary) over Tulga Tumur Ochir (Mongolia) 4-2 Bronze Medal Matches Bajrang Punia (India) over Daulet Niyazbekov (Kazakhstan) 8-0 Gadzhimurad Rashidov (ROC) over Iszmail Muszukajev (Hungary) 5-0 Gold Medal Match Takuto Otoguro (Japan) over Haji Aliyev (Azerbaijan) 5-4 Notes: Takuto Otoguro is now a two-time World/Olympic gold medalist. Otoguro is the first Japanese men's freestyle wrestler to win the Olympics since 2012 when Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu won the 66 kg weight class. Otoguro's last two wins came over wrestlers that have combined to win four world championships (Haji Aliyev - 3, Gadzhimurad Rashidov - 1). These were the only three world champions in the bracket. Aliyev is now a two-time Olympic medalist. He has now earned five World/Olympic medals. Aliyev has now earned World/Olympic medals at three different weights (57, 61, 65). It was the first time that Aliyev earned a World/Olympic medal since 2017. Neither finalist entered the tournament with a seed. For the second consecutive Olympic Games, Azerbaijan had a silver medalist at 65 kg (Toghrul Asgarov - 2016). Rashidov is now a four-time World/Olympic medalist. He has placed at each of the last four events. Rashidov picked up wins over two past Russian transfers Iszmail Muszukajev and Magomedmurad Gadzhiev. Punia is now a four-time World/Olympic medalist. The only qualification bout that featured a pair of past world medalists was with Daulet Niyazbekov (Kazakhstan) and Alejandro Valdes Tobier (Cuba). It was one of the wildest bouts of the entire freestyle tournament. Valdes Tobier was close to earning a tech fall, but ran out of gas and was teched by Niyazbekov. The two put up 32 points combined. Both fifth-place finishers were world medalists in 2019. Both semifinal losers wrestled back for bronze medals.

2020 Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo/UWW) Monday marked the first medals that were handed out in wrestling at the 2020 Olympics. As each weight class has concluded we will have a wrap-up for each, which includes results and some notable facts related to the weight. Past Articles 57 kg Men's Freestyle 74 kg Men's Freestyle 86 kg Men's Freestyle 60 kg Men's Greco-Roman 67 kg Men's Greco-Roman 77 kg Men's Greco-Roman 87 kg Men's Greco-Roman 97 kg Men's Greco-Roman 130 kg Men's Greco-Roman 53 kg Women's Freestyle 57 kg Women's Freestyle 62 kg Women's Freestyle 68 kg Women's Freestyle 76 kg Women's Freestyle Qualification Results Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) over Diaaeldin Abdelmottaleb (Egypt) 11-0 Zhiwei Deng (China) over Sergei Kozyrev (ROC) 4-1 Egzon Shala (Kosovo) over Djahid Berrahal (Algeria) Fall Amir Zare (Iran) over Oleksandr Khotsianivskyi (Ukraine) 7-0 Taha Akgul (Turkey) over Amar Dhesi (Canada) 5-0 Gable Steveson (USA) over Aiaal Lazarev (Kyrgyzstan) 10-0 Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur (Mongolia) over Dzianis Khramiankou (Belarus) 8-4 Gennadij Cudinovic (Germany) over Yusup Batirmurzaev (Kazakhstan) Fall Quarterfinal Results Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) over Zhiwei Deng (China) 5-2 Amir Zare (Iran) over Egzon Shala (Kosovo) 13-2 Gable Steveson (USA) over Taha Akgul (Turkey) 8-0 Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur (Mongolia) over Gennadij Cudinovic (Germany) 6-5 Semifinal Results Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) over Amir Zare (Iran) 6-3 Gable Steveson (USA) over Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur (Mongolia) 5-0 Repechage Results Taha Akgul (Turkey) over Aiaal Lazarev (Kyrgyzstan) 4-0 Zhiwei Deng (China) over Diaaeldin Abdelmottaleb (Egypt) 7-2 Bronze Medal Matches Taha Akgul (Turkey) over Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur (Mongolia) 5-0 Amir Zare (Iran) over Zhiwei Deng (China) 5-0 Gold Medal Match Gable Steveson (USA) over Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) 10-8 Notes: Gable Steveson won his first World/Olympic gold medal at the Senior level. He did win two world titles at the Cadet level and one as a Junior. Steveson is the first American to win an Olympic title at heavyweight since Bruce Baumgartner in 1992. To win his Olympic title, Steveson picked up wins over Geno Petriashvili and Taha Akgul, who accounted for every world/Olympic championship since 2014. Steveson earned a place in the finals by outscoring his first three opponents 23-0. Petriashvili captured his second Olympic medal. It was his seventh World/Olympic medal. Petriashvili has earned medals at the last six World/Olympic championship events. Akgul claimed his second Olympic medal. It was his seventh World/Olympic medal. Amir Zare earned his first World/Olympic medal at the Senior level. Zare was a U23 World Champion in 2019. The four medalists represent two generations of great heavyweights. Petriashvili is 27 and Akgul is 30. Steveson is 21 and Zare is 20. Neither of the young heavyweight stars entered the tournament seeded. Both the second and fourth seeds went down in the qualification round. Iran had an Olympic medalist at 125 kg for the past three Olympic Games (Komeil Ghasemi in 2012 and 2016).

2021 Olympic champion Gable Steveson (Photo courtesy of Larry Slater; LBSphoto.smugmug.com) On the final day of the wrestling competition at the 2020 Olympic Games, one of the most anticipated bouts in Olympic history took place. 2016 Olympic gold medalists Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev (ROC) squared off. This was the third career meeting between the two. Snyder took the initial clash between the two, in 2017, which helped clinch a world team for the men's freestyle squad. A year later, at the 2018 World Championships, Sadulaev got his revenge with a quick first-period fall. Today's matchup started off as a tactical battle, with neither wrestler making any committed offensive attacks in the first few minutes. Though Snyder was more aggressive, he was put on the shot clock first. After the :30 seconds expired, Sadulaev was awarded a point. He would lead 2-0 at the break after getting another point via step out. After the break, you could sense that Snyder was ready to turn up the heat on his Russian foe. Snyder got in on an early leg attack, but had his momentum stopped by Sadualev. The Russian locked through the crotch and was able to expose Snyder to take a 4-0 lead. That margin jumped to 6-0 as Sadulaev scored off of a similar situation. As the second period progressed, Sadulaev began to wear down and Snyder earned a takedown. The American continued to push the pace and also garnered a point from a step out. Unfortunately, Snyder was in a race against the clock and could not complete the comeback. He would ultimately fall 6-3. By making the final, Snyder earned his second Olympic medal and his sixth consecutive World/Olympic medal. He now had six (two titles) at the age of 25. Sadulaev also is 25 years old and is now among the best ever in the sport. He has a pair of Olympic gold medals to go with four world titles in five tries. The final American to step on the mat at the Olympic Games was Sarah Hildebrandt, who competed for a bronze medal at 50 kg. Standing in the way of her bronze medal with Ukraine's world bronze medalist Oksana Livach. Like Snyder's match, Hildebrandt was placed on the shot clock despite, showing more offensive attacks. Hildebrandt appeared doomed to trail 1-0 after the first period, but continued to attack until the final seconds of the period and secured a takedown as the clock expired. In the second period, it was all Hildebrandt. After her second takedown in the final stanza, Hildebrandt locked in her bread-and-butter, the leg lace. Although she was credited with three turns, she could have done many more. Only three were needed for Hildebrandt to jump to technical superiority status, though. Her 12-1 win locked up a bronze medal for the 50 kg star. With all of the dust settled, the men's freestyle team went 5-for-5 in earning Olympic medals. That is the most since the 1996 Olympics (when ten weights were contested). Two American men came away with gold medals (David Taylor and Gable Steveson), while a third was in the finals (Snyder). Snyder also became the first multi-time American Olympic medalist since Bruce Baumgartner in 1996. The women's freestyle team set numerous records with their performance. Coming into the 2020 Olympics, only five American women had won medals since the sport was offered to women in 2004. Additionally, only once had multiple women earned medals in the same Games. Four will leave Tokyo with hardware. Helen Maroulis again made history by becoming the first American woman with multiple Olympic medals. Tamyra Mensah-Stock became the first black woman to win Olympic gold. Adeline Gray was finally able to add Olympic medalist to her incredible resume. All in all, it was a tournament that will be talked about by American wrestling fans for years and decades to come. American Results 97 kg Men's Freestyle: Gold Medal Match Abdulrashid Sadulaev (ROC) over Kyle Snyder (USA) 6-3 50 kg Women's Freestyle: Bronze Medal Match Sarah Hildebrandt (USA) over Oksana Livach (Ukraine) 12-1

2x Olympic gold medalist Mayu Mukaida (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo/UWW) Monday marked the first medals that were handed out in wrestling at the 2020 Olympics. As each weight class has concluded we will have a wrap-up for each, which includes results and some notable facts related to the weight. Past Articles 57 kg Men's Freestyle 86 kg Men's Freestyle 60 kg Men's Greco-Roman 67 kg Men's Greco-Roman 77 kg Men's Greco-Roman 87 kg Men's Greco-Roman 97 kg Men's Greco-Roman 130 kg Men's Greco-Roman 57 kg Women's Freestyle 62 kg Women's Freestyle 68 kg Women's Freestyle 76 kg Women's Freestyle Qualification Results Vinesh Phogat (India) over Sofia Mattsson (Sweden) 7-1 Vanesa Kaladzinskaya (Belarus) over Andreea Ana (Romania) 10-0 Jacarra Winchester (USA) over Olga Khoroshavtseva (ROC) 7-4 Qianyu Pang (China) over Lauren Herin Avila (Cuba) 2-0 Luisa Valverde Melendres (Ecuador) over Maria Prevolaraki (Greece) 11-4 Bolortuya Bat Ochir (Mongolia) over Rckaela Aquino (Guam) Fall Roksana Zasina (Poland) over Tatyana Akhmetova (Kazakhstan) 3-2 Mayu Mukaida (Japan) over Joseph Essombe Tiako (Cameroon) 10-0 Quarterfinal Results Vanesa Kaladzinskaya (Belarus) over Vinesh Phogat (India) Fall Qianyu Pang (China) over Jacarra Winchester (USA) 6-2 Bolortuya Bat Ochir (Mongolia) over Luisa Valverde Melendres (Ecuador) 15-5 Mayu Mukaida (Japan) over Roksana Zasina (Poland) 12-2 Semifinal Results Qianyu Pang (China) over Vanesa Kaladzinskaya (Belarus) 2-2 Mayu Mukaida (Japan) over Bolortuya Bat Ochir (Mongolia) 6-3 Repechage Results Joseph Essombe Tiako (Cameroon) over Roksana Zasina (Poland) 4-4 Jacarra Winchester (USA) over Lauren Herin Avila (Cuba) 5-0 Bronze Medal Matches Bolortuya Bat Ochir (Mongolia) over Joseph Essombe Tiako (Cameroon) 14-4 Vanesa Kaladzinskaya (Belarus) over Jacarra Winchester (USA) Fall Gold Medal Match Mayu Mukaida (Japan) over Qianyu Pang (China) 5-4 Notes: Mayu Mukaida is now a three-time World/Olympic champion. Mukaida is also a five-time World/Olympic medalist. A Japanese woman won this weight class (53/55kg) for the fourth time in the five Olympic Games that featured women's wrestling. Qianyu Pang is now a three-time World/Olympic medalist. Pang earned her place in the finals by defeating a pair of past world champions, Vanesa Kaladzinskaya and Jacarra Winchester. Vanesa Kaladzinskaya is now a three-time World/Olympic medalist. Kaladzinskaya captured her most recent world title (2017) by downing Mukaida in the finals by the score of 8-6. Kaladzinskaya is the only wrestler at this weight class with multiple falls. Both of Kaladzinskaya's falls came over the one-seed, Vinesh Phogat, and 2019 world champion, Winchester. Kaladzinskaya is only the second woman from Belarus to earn a medal at the Olympic Games. That obviously means that with her and Iryna Kurachkina winning medals, its the first time the country has had multiple Olympic medalists. Bolortuya Bat Ochir is now a two-time World/Olympic medalist. Bat Ochir is the first Mongolian woman to have earned an Olympic medal since Battsetseg Soronzonbold in 2012 (3rd at 63kg). One of the top first round bouts in this bracket saw seven-time world medalist and 2009 world champion Sofia Mattsson meet the top-seed, Vinesh Phogat. Phogat, a 2019 world bronze medalist, was a 7-1 winner. This weight class featured an incredible ten former World/Olympic medalists. Two first-round bouts saw them clash, Phogat/Mattsson and Winchester/Olga Khoroshavtseva.

2x Olympic gold medalist Risako Kawai (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo/UWW) Monday marked the first medals that were handed out in wrestling at the 2020 Olympics. As each weight class has concluded we will have a wrap-up for each, which includes results and some notable facts related to the weight. Past Articles 57 kg Men's Freestyle 86 kg Men's Freestyle 60 kg Men's Greco-Roman 67 kg Men's Greco-Roman 77 kg Men's Greco-Roman 87 kg Men's Greco-Roman 97 kg Men's Greco-Roman 130 kg Men's Greco-Roman 57 kg Women's Freestyle 62 kg Women's Freestyle 68 kg Women's Freestyle 76 kg Women's Freestyle Qualification Results Frank Chamizo (Italy) over Avtandil Kentchadze (Georgia) 5-1 Turan Bayramov (Azerbaijan) over Vasyl Mykhailov (Ukraine) 4-2 Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau (Belarus) over Jeandry Garzon Caballero (Cuba) 12-8 Kyle Dake (USA) over Mostafa Hosseinkhani (Iran) 4-0 Zaurbek Sidakov (ROC) over Augusto Midana (Guinea-Bissau) 12-2 Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Uzbekistan) over Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico) 10-0 Amr Hussen (Egypt) over Kamil Rybicki (Poland) 6-1 Daniyar Kaisanov (Kazakhstan) over Keisuke Otoguro (Japan) Fall Quarterfinal Results Frank Chamizo (Italy) over Turan Bayramov (Azerbaijan) 3-1 Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau (Belarus) over Kyle Dake (USA) 11-0 Zaurbek Sidakov (ROC) over Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Uzbekistan) 13-6 Daniyar Kaisanov (Kazakhstan) over Amr Hussen (Egypt) 8-5 Semifinal Results Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau (Belarus) over Frank Chamizo (Italy) 9-7 Zaurbek Sidakov (ROC) over Daniyar Kaisanov (Kazakhstan) 11-0 Repechage Results Kyle Dake (USA) over Jeandry Garzon Caballero (Cuba) 10-0 Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Uzbekistan) over Augusto Midana (Guinea-Bissau) 13-2 Bronze Medal Matches Kyle Dake (USA) over Frank Chamizo (Italy) 5-0 Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Uzbekistan) over Daniyar Kaisanov (Kazakhstan) 13-2 Gold Medal Match Zaurbek Sidakov (ROC) over Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau (Belarus) 7-0 Notes: Zaurbek Sidakov is now a three-time World/Olympic Champion. Sidakov has won World/Olympic championships in each of the last three years. Sidakov is Russia's first Olympic gold medalist at 74 kg since Buvaisar Saitiev in 2008. Sidakov is the only one of the four seeded wrestlers to earn a medal (1) Sidakov, (2) Kaisanov, (3) Sidakov, (4) Hosseinkhani Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau earned a World/Olympic medal for the first time. He was also a bronze medalist in 2020 at the Individual World Cup. Kadzimahamedau was the first Olympic finalist in men's freestyle in Belarus since Aleksey Medvedev in 1996. Kadzimahamedau defeated a pair of two-time world champions (Kyle Dake and Frank Chamizo) to make the Olympic finals. Kyle Dake earned his third World/Olympic medal. For Dake to get his bronze medal, he also defeated two-time world champion Chamizo. Dake had a 48-match winning streak that dated back to 2018 snapped by Kazimahamedau. Bekzod Abdurakhmonov earned his third World/Olympic medal. Abdurakhmonov started the tournament facing his fellow Nittany Lion Wrestling Club teammate Franklin Gomez. Both of the semifinal losers also fell in the bronze medal matches. Cuba's representative, Jeandry Garzon Caballero, last competed at the Olympic Games in 2008. The American entry at that weight class was Doug Schwab. Iran had a Olympic medalist in each of the last two Olympic Games at this weight class, but failed to do so this time.

2021 Olympic champion Gable Steveson (Photo courtesy of Larry Slater; LBSphoto.smugmug.com) There were 13 seconds left. The official called a stalemate. Geno Petriashvili, Georgia's towering heavyweight, stood up and exhaled. He had completed a remarkable comeback, from down 5-2 to up 8-5, and was now on the cusp of an Olympic gold medal. There were 13 seconds left. Across from Petriashvili stood Gable Steveson, Petriashvili's powerful, dynamic, affable American peer. Steveson, the 21-year-old wunderkind from Apple Valley, Minnesota, hurried into a stance with just one thought on his mind. I need a takedown. There were 13 seconds left. We all know what happened next. Petriashvili shot, Steveson posted, faked right, then spun behind for a takedown to make it 8-7. Steveson stood up, as if to restart the match himself. The official, surprisingly, followed. Petriashvili looked confused, saw that 6.5 seconds remained, and stood up. Another whistle. Steveson shot, forced an underhook, another shot, circled right, posted again, spun right again, his arms snaking their way around Petriashvili's frame. He circles more, he gets behind. A takedown? Yes, a takedown. Steveson calls it himself, with two-tenths of a second left. The horn sounds. Steveson jumps up. He runs to his corner and hugs Minnesota coach Brandon Eggum. The American contingent inside Makuhari Messe Hall goes ballistic, and millions around the world collectively drop their jaws in awe. Yes, Gable Steveson became an Olympic champion on Friday morning with a thrilling, come-from-behind, you-had-to-see-it-to-believe-it 10-8 victory over Petriashvili in the finals at 125 kilograms (275 pounds). His improbable comeback capped a week where he went 4-0, beat two world champs, and collectively outscored his opponents 33-8. In doing so, Steveson became the first American freestyle heavyweight to win an Olympic gold medal since Bruce Baumgartner won in 1992 - eight years before Steveson was born. His performance will go down in USA Wrestling history, his spot reserved forever as an Olympic champion. "I don't know how I did it," Steveson said in a TV interview afterward. "Somehow, I did it, but I have no clue how I did that." There were 13 seconds left. How did Gable Steveson do that? … The march toward Gable Steveson's Olympic moment, you could argue, began when he was born. His full name is Gable Dan Steveson, after the famous Iowa State wrestler-turned-Iowa Hawkeye coach Dan Gable, an Olympic champion himself in 1972. But Steveson's ascent from really good wrestler to Olympic gold medalist didn't truly start until 2019. He took four losses in the span of three months that ultimately reset the course of his wrestling career. Gable Steveson was a freshman back then, a highly-touted youngster with grand plans to take over college wrestling after winning four Minnesota state titles and three age-level world championships. Expectations were large. Nobody is perfect, not even mighty Dan Gable, and Gable Dan learned the hard way that March. He lost twice that month, both to Penn State's Anthony Cassar - once at the Big Ten Championships, then again at the NCAA Championships. Rewatching those matches now, Gable Steveson looks like an entirely different person. No facial hair, some baby fat, and his tummy was far more noticeable. He was fast, yes, but not as quick as he is now. He controlled ties, sure, but not as consistently. He scored points, but he just wasn't dynamic, wasn't powerful, wasn't Gable quite yet. Those losses changed things. He hadn't lost a folkstyle match since eighth grade, then lost twice in 12 days. They made him look inward, humbled him, taught him that he wasn't always going to be the biggest, baddest man in the room. He needed to get bigger, faster, stronger. He needed to grow up, to learn more about himself. He needed to get better at wrestling. So Steveson went to work, quietly at first, but then he let us in on the journey. Those of us who follow him on his social channels can see what he does now, the weight room regimens, the sparring sessions. His baby fat was replaced by pure muscle, his grip strength now something fierce, his feet light and quick, like a champion boxer. The new Gable Steveson, the one we've all watched over the last year, first appeared at the 2019 world team trials. He beat Nick Nevills, Dom Bradley, Anthony Nelson and Adam Coon twice by a combined 43-8. He advanced to Final X at Rutgers, where he wrestled Nick Gwiazdowski for a spot on the U.S. men's freestyle world team. Gwiazdowski swept Steveson, winning both bouts on criteria, 4-4, 3-3. But Steveson showed glimpses of the wrestler he was becoming - quicker, stronger, smarter, with faster feet and powerful, explosive motion. He set up shots and wrestled through positions. His persona emerged, applauding Gwiz after he scrambled out of an ankle-pick. "As you get older, and more knowledgeable and more experienced," Gwiazdowski said afterward, "you learn there are different ways to become a master at this sport." He was talking about himself, but he could've just as easily been talking about Gable Steveson. By then, Steveson had fallen in love with the process of hard work. He realized all of his previous accomplishments, while great, were just small peeks into what he could truly become. History reserves a spot only for those willing to chase it, so he made an internal decision to seek the best version of himself, on and off the mat, because he knew those heights meant wrestling success. Fast-forward a year, November 2020, at the RTC Cup. Steveson went for a singular purpose, a rematch with Gwiazdowski. He got his wish and won, 4-1. More than that, it was confirmation to Steveson that his new process worked. Beating a two-time world bronze medalist was a mental hurdle he felt he needed to clear. "You show up to wrestle the best," Steveson said afterward. "I showed that I can compete with him, that he's not on an island by himself. I've been working, man, on my mentality, my strength, the person I've become - I love the game, I love the hustle. "All love for Gwiz, but the young dog is here to step up to the plate, and this was a big stepping stone." Three months later, Steveson won an NCAA championship. Two weeks after, he swept Gwiazdowski in the finals of the U.S. Olympic Trials, 10-0 and 10-4. It was legitimately frightening to watch him up close and in-person because of how quickly he moved and how efficiently he attacked. But one thing became abundantly clear to everybody watching during those two days in Texas. He not only had the talent and necessary tools needed to win an Olympic gold medal, but he had the knowledge and belief that he would, too. "To be the best, you have to beat the best," Steveson said that weekend. "Last time, it was just about getting the win. This time, I wanted to make a statement." … Forty-nine years after Dan Gable won Olympic gold in Munich, Gable Dan did the same in Tokyo. He nearly did it the same way, too. Gable went 6-0 and didn't allow a point. Steveson won his first three matches by a combined 23-0, punctuated by his 8-0 win over Turkey's Taha Akgul, a 2016 Olympic gold medalist, in the quarterfinals. "He's one of the best wrestlers I've seen for someone his size," said David Taylor, himself an Olympic gold medalist this week in dramatic fashion, at 86 kilograms. "We've all thought it, and now the world is seeing it." Against Petriashvili, the three-time reigning world champion, Steveson looked like he might roll again. He led 1-0 after a shot-clock point, then scored a takedown out of a snatch-single. A push-out - that maybe should've probably been a 4-point throw on the edge - made it 4-0 at the break. But Petriashvili is a wily 27-year-old veteran, a 2016 Olympic bronze-medalist and now seven-time total Senior-level world and Olympic medalist. His rally began with a crotch-lift exposure off of Steveson's shot, making it 5-2. Then he scored his own takedown, which led to two gut-wrenches and an 8-5 lead with 49 seconds left. Back they went to the center of the mat. They tied up, Steveson trying to set up a shot on the left side, but Petriashvili hand fought it away. Now 39 seconds left. Steveson lowers his level and pops back up, but Petriashvili stays low and dives at Steveson's left ankle. He had no intention of finishing. The whistle blew. There were 24 seconds left. Restart, and Petriashvili dove in for another shot, again with no intention of finishing. He clamps hard and kills time. Steveson tries to break his grip, but can't. He looks to his corner, where Eggum sits back down and adjusts his mask. There were 13 seconds left. Steveson lined up for the restart. All the growth and maturity from the last two years led him to this moment. The commitment he made to himself reminded him of why he loved wrestling in the first place, why he burned so badly to be here, on the brink of Olympic glory, and how he was determined to do everything to try and win in the time he had left. The whistle blew. Petriashvili shot in, and Steveson ran behind, takedown. Back up, a whistle, a shot, underhook, another shot, circle, circle, circle … two, takedown. Horn. How did Gable Steveson do that? "I gave him a quick outside step," Steveson said, "and he bit it a little bit and after that, he went down, I circled, I kept circling, and the rest is history." History reserves a spot only for those willing to give chase. Gable Steveson chased it, emphatically, dramatically and, ultimately, successfully, taking an 8-5 deficit and turning it into an all-time sports moment in just 13 seconds. His spot is reserved, an Olympic champion, now and forever.

2x Olympic gold medalist Risako Kawai (Photo courtesy of UWW) Monday marked the first medals that were handed out in wrestling at the 2020 Olympics. As each weight class has concluded we will have a wrap-up for each, which includes results and some notable facts related to the weight. Past Articles 57 kg Men's Freestyle 60 kg Men's Greco-Roman 67 kg Men's Greco-Roman 77 kg Men's Greco-Roman 87 kg Men's Greco-Roman 97 kg Men's Greco-Roman 130 kg Men's Greco-Roman 57 kg Women's Freestyle 62 kg Women's Freestyle 68 kg Women's Freestyle 76 kg Women's Freestyle Qualification Results Hassan Yazdani (Iran) over Javrail Shapiev (Uzbekistan) 11-2 Stefan Reichmuth (Switzerland) over Fateh Benferdjallah (Algeria) 6-2 Osman Gocen (Turkey) over Sohsuke Takatani (Japan) 2-2 Artur Naifonov (ROC) over Boris Makoev (Slovakia) 6-0 Myles Amine (San Marino) over Carlos Izquierdo Mendez (Colombia) 12-2 David Taylor (USA) over Ali Shabanau (Belarus) 11-0 Zushen Lin (China) over Pool Ambrocio Greifo (Peru) 11-0 Deepak Punia (India) over Ekerekeme Agiomore (Nigeria) 12-1 Quarterfinal Results Hassan Yazdani (Iran) over Stefan Reichmuth (Switzerland) 12-1 Artur Naifonov (ROC) over Osman Gocen (Turkey) 12-1 David Taylor (USA) over Myles Amine (San Marino) 12-2 Deepak Punia (India) over Zushen Lin (China) 6-3 Semifinal Results Hassan Yazdani (Iran) over Artur Naifonov (ROC) 7-1 David Taylor (USA) over Deepak Punia (India) 10-0 Repechage Results Myles Amine (San Marino) over Ali Shabanau (Belarus) 2-0 Javrail Shapiev (Uzbekistan) over Stefan Reichmuth (Switzerland) 5-2 Bronze Medal Matches Myles Amine (San Marino) over Deepak Punia (India) 4-2 Artur Naifonov (ROC) over Javrail Shapiev (Uzbekistan) 2-0 Gold Medal Match David Taylor (USA) over Hassan Yazdani (Iran) 4-3 Notes: David Taylor became a two-time World/Olympic Champion. Taylor is the third American to medal at the 84/86 kg weight class at the Olympics since 2004. (J'den Cox - 3rd/2016; Cael Sanderson - 1st/2004). Taylor outscored the competition in Tokyo 37-5 during his gold medal run. He is now 3-0 career against Hassan Yazdani. Yazdani has not lost to another opponent since 2016. Yazdani is now a six-time World/Olympic medalist. He is now a two-time Olympic medalist (2nd/2020 and 1st/2016). Yazdani has earned a medal at every World/Olympic event since 2015. Artur Naifonov is a two-time World/Olympic medalist. Myles Amine earned his first World/Olympic medal. Amine's bronze medal was the first ever for San Marino at the Olympics. Earlier this Games, two other athletes earned the first Olympic medals ever for San Marino, in any sport. Amine had to defeat a pair of returning world medalists Ali Shabanau and Deepak Punia to earn his bronze. A pair of past world silver medalists lost in the first round (Boris Makoev and Sohsuke Takatani) and didn't get pulled into repechage.