InterMat Staff

from left, Ildar Hafizov, Joey McKenna, and Kayla Miracle (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) This weekend the US will send a very strong team to the 2021 Pan-American Championships. The squad will be a mix of young prospects and top wrestlers rounding into form for the Olympics. The US normally dominates this tournament. In 2020, the county claimed 15 of the 27 possible gold medals and finished with 24 total medalists. The field this year might be easier with Cuba apparently sitting out the competition. However, there will still be a scattering of top wrestlers. The following looks at the most formidable opposition that Team USA will face this weekend. FREESTYLE 57 kg Vito Arujau will get the nod here with Thomas Gilman nursing an injury. Mexico is sending Roberto Alejandro Blanco at 57 kg. He enjoyed a great deal of success on the Cadet level, where he won silver at the 2015 Cadet Pan-American Championships and gold at the 2016 Cadet Pan- American Championships. In the finals of the 2016 edition of the tournament, he defeated Ohio State's Dylan D'Emilio. Blanco has not experienced the same level of success on the Senior level yet, but he may soon round into form. 61 kg Juan Rubelin Ramirez of the Dominican Republic has been competing on the senior level since 2010 and picked up a victory over Obe Blanc on his way to a gold medal at the 2011 Pan-American Championships. In 2019, he finished second at the Pan-American Games, with his only defeat coming in the finals against Daton Fix. Ramirez's best results have seemed to come down at 57 kg, but he should be an interesting test for American Shelton Mack. 65 kg Considering the struggles of men's freestyle at this weight (https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24605), it seems fitting that 65 kg would be one of the tougher weights at the event. Argentina's Agustin Destribats is probably one of the best-known wrestlers from Argentina in the US after he blocked Zain Retherford from qualifying the weight at the Pan-American Olympic Qualification Tournament. The victory seemed to inspire a great deal of confidence in Destribats as he went on to take bronze at the 2020 Individual World Cup with a win over World bronze medalist Rahul Aware (India). He kept that momentum going this year with a gold-medal performance at the Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov tournament. There will also be another familiar face at 65 kg as former Northwestern and Rutgers wrestler Sebastian Rivera will represent Puerto Rico. Rivera recently finished fourth at the NCAA tournament for Rutgers. Despite failing to qualify this weight for Puerto Rico, he seems intent to continue to compete internationally. The addition of Rivera adds another hurdle for Joey McKenna on his way to a Pan-American title. 70 kg Sixto Auccapina (Peru) won the 2019 South American Championships and followed that up with a bronze medal performance at the 2020 Pan-American Championships at 65 kg. He has attempted to stay active during the pandemic as he has recently competed at the Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov, International Cup, Takhti Cup and the 2020 Individual World Cup. It should be interesting to see how Alec Pantaleo competes against a fellow wrestler moving up from 65 kg. 74 kg Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico) will clearly be the toughest test for Kyle Dake in the tournament. The former Michigan State won a silver medal at the 2011 World Championships, and he is a four-time Pan-American Championships medalist and a three-time Pan-American Games medalist. 79 kg Jorge Llano (Argentina) finished short of a medal at both the 2020 Pan-American Championships and the 2019 Pan-American Games. However, he finally broke through and brought home a bronze medal at the Pan-American Olympic Qualification Tournament. Llano failed to qualify for Tokyo, but he did pick up wins over Ranico Howard (Barbados) and Anthony Montero (Venezuela) on his way to a medal. Tommy Gantt, a 2019 US Open runner-up, will step in as a replacement, but still should flourish here. 86 kg Canada's Clayton Pye won a bronze medal at the 2020 Pan-American Championships. Earlier this year, he traveled to Italy for the Matteo Pellicone and nearly scored another bronze. Pye made it to the third-place match before ultimately dropping a match against Myles Martin. He might be someone to watch over the next few years, but it is hard to see him challenging David Taylor. 92 kg There are only three entries so far at 92 kg, and it looks like Nate Jackson should be a big favorite over both of his opponents. Jeremy Poirier represented Canada at the 2019 U23 World Championships but failed to place. Gino Avila (Honduras) finishes third at the Pan-American Olympic Qualification tournament. Since then, he has failed to place at both the Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov and Last Chance Olympic qualifier. 97 kg Richard Deschatelets' father represented Canada at the 1976 Olympics, and it looks like he might also qualify for the Games in the future. In 2018, he won the Canada Cup on the Senior level and added a bronze medal at the 2018 Junior Pan-American Championships. Deschatelets then wrestled in the 2018 Junior World Championships and failed to place. In his most recent action, he finished third at the 2020 Henri DeGlane. A young wrestler looking to make their name is a fitting opponent for Kyle Snyder, who still holds the distinction of being the youngest Olympic gold medalist in US history. 125 kg There is potential for an interesting story at 125 kg. Gable Steveson is a three-time age-level World champion, but he failed to place at the 2018 Junior-level event. At the same tournament, Aly Barghout (Canada) made a surprising run to the finals and ended up finishing second. That same year, Barghout also finished second at the Junior Pan-American Championships. The results have not risen to the same level since 2018, but a win here might be a bit of redemption for Steveson. GRECO-ROMAN 60 kg Dicther Toro (Colombia) finished second at the 2019 Pan-American Games after knocking off Ildar Hafizov in the opening match. It was an 8-3 victory for Toro, so Hafizov might have a tough time if these two hit again. Toro also won gold at the 2020 Pan-American Championships with a victory over American Leslie Fuenffinger in the finals. 63 kg Andres Montano (Ecuador) has been on quite a run recently. He has won gold medals at the 2019 Pan-American Games, 2020 Matteo Pellicone and 2021 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov. Montano represents a very tough challenge for Randon Miranda, who moves up to 63 kg after regularly competing at 60 kg. 67 kg Diego Martinez of Mexico returns to the Pan-American Championships looking for his second-straight medal. He finished second at the 2020 edition of the event. Martinez picked up a pair of match-termination victories before dropping a match against Cuba's Ismael Borrero in the finals. 72 kg There were only two competitors at this weight last year, and there are currently only four entries. Jamel Johnson from the US should be the clear favorite, but he will likely need to get past Gerardo Oliva Montes (Peru). After finishing with a bronze medal at the 2018 Junior Pan-American Championships, he moved up to the Senior level in 2019 and won a silver at the South American Championships. 77 kg Brazil's Joilson Junior should be an interesting test at this weight. He is a four-time Pan-American Championships medalist. However, all four of his medals have come between 66 kg and 72 kg. Last year, he benefited greatly from the bracket, as he finished second in a two-person weight at 72 kg. Junior should be solid competition for Peyton Walsh, who was a runner-up at the Olympic Trials. 82 kg Alvis Almendra (Panama) won bronze at the 2019 Pan-American Games, and he has undoubtedly made an effort to stay busy since then. He has wrestled at the 2019 World Championships, 2020 Individual World Cup, 2021 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov and the Last Chance Qualifier. Almendra has not had the best results, but it has been hard to get that much experience during the pandemic. He should be a tough test for Grand View freshman and two-time Olympian Ben Provisor. 87 kg Brazil's Ronisson Brandao won the 2019 South American Championships and followed that up with a bronze-medal performance at the 2020 Pan-American Championships. At the 2020 event, he dropped a 3-1 match against Colombia's Carlos Munoz, who eventually made the finals and lost to Joe Rau. Considering Rau took gold, it seems likely that John Stefanowicz should be able to duplicate that performance. 97 kg Kevin Mejia (Honduras) scored bronze medals at both the 2019 Pan-American Games and the 2020 Pan-American Championships. Since then, he has remained active with another bronze medal at the 2020 Henri Deglane and a fifth-place performance at the 2021 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov. Considering the US is sending Braxton Amos instead of G'Angleo Hancock, it will be interesting to see how the youngster does against international competition. At the recent Olympic Trials, he was able to run through the field before facing off against Hancock. 130 kg Cuba typically dominates heavyweight Greco at the Pan-American Championships. However, with no entries as of Thursday, the title will fall to another nation. The US is sending veteran Donny Longendyke. He will need to get past Leo Santana (Dominican Republic), who enters the field off back-to-back bronze medals at the 2019 Pan-American Games and 2020 Pan-American Championships. WOMEN'S FREESTYLE 50 kg Sarah Hildebrandt should be the clear favorite in this tournament. Her toughest test will probably come from Kamila Barbosa (Brazil), who won bronze at the 2020 Pan-American Championships and gold at the 2019 World Beach games. However, her loss at the 2020 event was a 10-0 defeat against Victoria Anthony. Look for Hildebrant to roll on her way to the title. 53 kg Luisa Valverde (Ecuador) has won medals at the last four Pan-American Championships. In 2020 she broke through and finally brought home a gold medal. Along the way, she defeated American Haley Augello. Valverde will also represent Ecuador in Tokyo and should pose an interesting puzzle for Ronna Heaton. 55 kg The field at 55 kg is not particularly strong and Jacarra Winchester should be in the driver's seat on the way to a medal. An interesting opponent could be Virginia Gascon, who is moving up from the Junior level. In 2019, she won a bronze medal at the Junior Pan-American Championships and represented Canada at Junior Worlds. The Concordia University student is now making the move to the senior level. 57 kg Alexandria Town (Canada) won the 2020 Pan-American Championships and bested Lauren Louive by a 14-4 score on the way to that gold medal. Town also took gold at the 2018 U23 World Championships. Down at 57 kg, she could end up being one of the toughest opponents in the tournament as a match with American Cameron Guerin looms. 59 kg As of today, there are only three entries at 59 kg, but one of them stands out as a very tough test. Canada's Linda Morais won bronze at the 2016 World Championships and gold at the 2019 World Championships. She is probably one of the few international wrestlers in this tournament who should be favored over her American counterpart, Maya Nelson. 62 kg Lais Nunes will represent Brazil at the upcoming Olympics after making the finals of the Pan-American Olympic Qualification Tournament. She was slated to meet Kayla Miracle; however, the pair did not wrestle. They did tangle at the 2019 World Championships, and Miracle won by tech, 15-4. Nunes dropped a match against Mallory Velte in the finals of the 2020 Pan-American Championships, so Kayla Miracle should be the strong favorite here. Since then, she has picked up a bronze medal at the 2021 Matteo Pellicone and gold at the 2021 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov. 65 kg There were zero competitors at this weight in 2020, so any bit of depth would be an improvement. Jennifer Page should be the favorite, but she should receive a bit of a test from Diana Arroyo. The Peruvian picked up silver medals at the 2017 editions of both the South American Championships and the Brazil Cup. 68 kg Yessica Oviedo of the Dominica Republic will bring a veteran presence to this weight. She has been competing on the Senior level since 2010. She is a two-time medalist at the Pan-American Championships and represented her country at the 2017 World Championships. Oviedo should serve as a solid warmup for Tamyra Mensah-Stock as she hunts for an Olympic medal. 72 kg This will be another weight with only three competitors. Despite the low number of entrants, Alexandria Glaude will still have the opportunity against top competition. Peru's Yanet Sovero returns to the Pan-American Championships after picking up gold last year and defeating Victoria Francis. 76 kg Adeline Gray will be looking to bring home her third career Pan-American Championship. In order to achieve that, she will need to get past Aline Ferreira of Brazil Ferreira, a veteran who won a silver medal at the 2014 World Championships.

Zahid Valencia at the 2019 NCAA Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Earlier this week, news trickled out of the North Carolina camp that 2021 NCAA champion Austin O'Connor could move up from 149 to 157 lbs for the 2021-22 season. It was a move that was rumored ever since the end of the 2021 tournament, but has more legitimacy now. In addition, there are a handful of 2021 national champions that could move up next winter. Nick Lee (Penn State), David Carr (Iowa State), Shane Griffith (Stanford), all could be in the bulking up phase. Additionally, past champions like Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) and Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) may. That brings us to the question, “What's the precedent for national champions moving up the following season?” We know it has happened. How often do these champions replicate their previous success? Did it work out badly for anyone? To get enough of a sample size, InterMat has looked back since the year 2000 at every NCAA champion (there's 12 of them) that has moved up in weight the following year. We'll mention a bit about their championship-winning season and what happened the next go 'round. Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) - 174 to 184 lbs The 2019 season was Zahid Valencia's “rockiest” from a regular-season standpoint. He dropped a pair of duals to Mark Hall (Penn State) and Daniel Lewis (Missouri), but rebounded in a big way during the postseason. Despite the third seed at nationals, Valencia met and majored Lewis in the semifinals, before avenging the Hall loss, 4-3, for his second title. Following the 2018-19 season, Valencia went up to 184 lbs. Zahid showed no signs of slowing down at the new weight with bonus points in 18 of his 20 bouts. Unfortunately, in February, Valencia was suspended for reportedly failing a drug test. What we didn't know at the time was that the 2020 NCAA Tournament would never occur due to the COVID outbreak. Bo Nickal (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Bo Nickal (Penn State) - 184 to 197 lbs The 2017-18 season saw Bo Nickal claim his second consecutive title at 184 lbs while also going unbeaten for the first time. Nickal earned chip number two in dramatic fashion by miraculously pinning Myles Martin (Ohio State), when he looked ready to surrender a fall himself. The win clinched the school's seventh national title in eight years. It also came in Ohio State's backyard as Cleveland was the host city for the event. Despite a dominant campaign at 184 lbs, some questioned whether Nickal had the horsepower to put up the same type of results at 197 lbs. In retrospect, those same doubts arose after Nickal moved from 174 to 184. His lean build distracted plenty of fans. Not only did Nickal “do well” at 197 lbs, but he also won the Hodge Trophy. In 2018-19, Nickal pinned 18 of his 30 opponents and only failed to register bonus points in three of his 30 contests. Nickal was victorious in his final 68 collegiate bouts. Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) - 157 to 165 lbs In 2014-15, Isaiah Martinez took the college wrestling world by storm, logging the first undefeated season by a freshman since Cael Sanderson did so in 1998-99. He followed it up by winning 32 of 33 bouts as a sophomore and, along the way, gave Jason Nolf (Penn State) the only non-injury-related losses of his collegiate career. After a pair of titles at 157 lbs, Isaiah Martinez moved up to 165 lbs for his junior campaign. Martinez kept a similar bonus rate (68% compared to 68% and 66% as a freshman and sophomore, respectively), and headed into the 2017 NCAA Championships unbeaten. He claimed his third Big Ten title, in as many tries, and dispatched a pair of talented freshmen (Logan Massa - Michigan and Vincenzo Joseph - Penn State) in his final two matches. Martinez would meet Joseph again in the NCAA finals and it was the Nittany Lion who stunned him with a fall just :26 into the third period. Myles Martin (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Myles Martin (Ohio State) - 174 to 184 lbs One of the biggest shockers at the NCAA Tournament in the past decade occurred in 2016 when 11th seeded Myles Martin won the 174 lb weight class as a true freshman. Martin entered the tournament with a 28-6 record and was fresh off a third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. While three of those losses came at the hands of Bo Nickal, he also had setbacks against Mike Ottinger (Central Michigan), Davonte Mahomes (Michigan), and Jacob Morrissey (Purdue). The fourth time was a charm for Martin, who was able to outscore Nickal, 11-9 in the NCAA finals. Martin, along with Nickal, moved up immediately to 184 lbs in 2016-17. That 184 lb weight class was loaded with returning studs. The top four placewinners from 2016 all returned (Gabe Dean, TJ Dudley - Nebraska, Pete Renda - NC State, and Nolan Boyd - Oklahoma State). Martin was able to grab a win over Dudley in dual competition and in the Big Ten semis. In his first Big Ten final, the Buckeye was majored 12-2 by Sam Brooks (Iowa). At Nationals, Martin suffered a slight upset in the second round to Emery Parker (Illinois) and later fell again to Brooks, before settling into fifth place. Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) - 157 to 165 lbs Sophomore Alex Dieringer won the first of his three NCAA titles as 157 lber in 2014. Dieringer's 2-1 loss to defending champion, Derek St. John (Iowa), accounted for the final defeat of his collegiate career. He wouldn't get a shot at redemption for the St. John loss, as Derek was knocked off in the quarters by Brian Realbuto. Dieringer's title came after a one-sided, 13-4 major decision against the dangerous Dylan Ness (Minnesota). Two matches earlier, Ness had shocked the top-seeded James Green (Nebraska) with a pin after his patented, “gator bacon.” As alluded to earlier, Dieringer went undefeated during his first (and second) year at 165 lbs, racking up a 32-0 mark. The Cowboy logged 11 falls and racked up bonus points at an 84% clip, which was actually better than his Hodge Trophy-winning senior season. After grabbing the third of his four Big 12 titles, Dieringer had another lopsided NCAA finals match. He defeated Taylor Walsh (Indiana), 14-7. In the tournament, he added two falls and a major decision, to get with a 6-1 win over Bo Jordan (Ohio State) in the semis. Logan Stieber (Ohio State) - 133 to 141 lbs All three of the four-time NCAA champions that competed in the 2000s won multiple weight classes. Logan Stieber added the second championship to his resume after putting the finishing touches on the first of two undefeated seasons. Stieber went 27-0 and captured bonus points in 23 of those wins. Among those he amassed bonus points on were Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) and AJ Schopp (Edinboro). He teched Brewer in the NCAA quarters, before teching Schopp in the semis. For his title, he had a bit of controversy, but edged Tony Ramos (Iowa), 7-4. Stieber's career at 141 started with bonus points in his first nine bouts before running into true freshman, Zain Retherford (Penn State). Zain would hand Stieber the final loss of his collegiate career, 4-2, in sudden victory. Stieber prevailed over Retherford in the Big Ten finals and the NCAA semifinals, both by the score of 7-4. In winning as a junior, Logan became the program's first three-time national champion. His bonus point rate (90.6%) was actually the highest total of his illustrious career. A year later, he would win the Hodge Trophy and lead Ohio State to their only national title in wrestling. Kendric Maple (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) - 141 to 149 lbs Kendric Maple became a two-time All-American in 2013 when he finished undefeated and won a national crown at 141 lbs. Maple had a remarkable emergence as he was 33-12 as a true freshman in 2009-10 and three years later stood atop the 141 lb weight class. Maple bonused 19 of his 31 opponents and seven of those came via fall. His NCAA title came after a 4-3 win over Mitchell Port (Edinboro). Out of anyone on this list, Maple has the most difficulty in bumping up a weight. Maple went 22-4 during the regular season, but was able to collect his third consecutive Big 12 title. Those four losses made Kendric settle for the number four seed at nationals in Oklahoma City. There he was edged in tiebreakers by upstart freshman Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern). Tsirtsis would go on to win two more bouts in extra time and win a national title. After a bloodround win over Justin Arthur (Clarion), Maple dropped his final two matches against Eric Grajales (Michigan) and James English (Penn State) and had to settle for eighth place. 4x NCAA champion Kyle Dake (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Kyle Dake (Cornell) - Moved up 3 times and won titles The most famous instance of a wrestler moving up after winning a national championship is Kyle Dake, as he did the feat three times. Dake remains the first (and only) wrestler to win titles at four different weight classes. While you can never say never, it's a record that should stand for a LONG time. His career record was 137-4 and he did not taste defeat during a collegiate bout after the EIWA Championships during his sophomore year. He is also the only four-time champion that wrestled in the EIWA and the only that did not redshirt. Dake's collegiate career started at 141 lbs and ended at 165. Ed Ruth (Penn State) - 174 to 184 lbs Penn State's second title-winning season (2011-12) during the Cael Sanderson era featured a trio of undefeated national champions (Frank Molinaro, David Taylor, and Ed Ruth). The final member of the group, Ruth, probably received the least publicity but was just as efficient. Ruth looked effortless as he posted bonus points in 26 of his 31 wins. Although he won by a 13-2 margin in the national finals, his “closest” bout of the tournament came against Nick Heflin (Ohio State) in the national quarterfinals (11-4). Ruth moved up to 184 in 2012-13, which cleared a place for Matt Brown at 174 in the Nittany Lions lineup. Brown was responsible for the closest match against Ruth during his sophomore year (6-3). The move had no effect on Ruth as he was only more dominant. His junior season is one of the best ever for a non-Hodge Trophy winner. Ruth notched bonus points in 26 of his 33 wins and 12 came via fall. At nationals, Ruth had four bonus-point wins, one of which came against the 2011 runner-up, Robert Hamlin (Lehigh), in the finals. His only decision of the tournament was in the semis against 2012 champion, Steve Bosak (Cornell). Gregor Gillespie (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Gregor Gillespie (Edinboro) - 149 to 157 lbs The 149 lb weight class at the 2008 NCAA Championships is generally regarded as the best in recent memory, but the 2007 bracket wasn't too shabby, either. One of the surprises from that tournament took place in the semifinals as Gregor Gillespie upset the returning champion, Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota), and put a halt to his 65-match winning streak. Gillespie's tournament included wins over four past/future NCAA runner's-up (Schlatter, Dan Vallimont - Penn State, Jordan Leen - Cornell, Josh Churella - Michigan). Gillespie was dangerously close to surrendering a takedown in sudden victory to Churella, but quickly secured a winning score of his own. After moving up to 157 lbs, Gillespie racked up a 32-2 record and still was named the top-seed at his weight class. Leen got a bit of revenge on the Fighting Scot junior as the two once again squared off in the NCAA quarterfinals. This time Leen was victorious, 8-6. After defeating Matt Kocher (Pittsburgh) and Cyler Sanderson (Iowa State), Gillespie lost to another opponent he beat at the previous national tournament. Dan Vallimont edged Gillespie 2-1 in the consolation semifinals. He would bounce back to clinch fifth-place. Travis Lee (Cornell) - 125 to 133 lbs One of the catalysts for Cornell's long run of domination in the EIWA and beyond, Travis Lee's 2003 national title at 125 lbs, was the Big Red's first since 1994. The second-seeded Lee claimed his national title with a 6-4 win over Chris Fleeger (Purdue) in a battle of the unbeatens. Even after moving up to 133 lbs, Lee managed to go 35-1 pre-nationals and won the third of his four EIWA Championships. That was enough for the top-seed at the Big Dance. Lee crushed his first three opponents with two falls and a tech, before running into Zach Roberson (Iowa State) in the semis. He suffered a 6-3 loss to the fifth-seeded Roberson and dropped down to face two-time NCAA champion Johnny Thompson (Oklahoma State), an upset victim in the quarters. Lee was on the wrong side of a 10-8 shootout against Thompson, but did end up getting fifth place. When his collegiate career was over, Lee held Cornell's all-time wins record at 143. Cael Sanderson (Iowa State) - 184 to 197 lbs After winning three NCAA titles at 184 lbs and going undefeated in the process, Cael Sanderson decided to move up to 197 for his senior season. Sanderson's third title run saw him defeat eventual two-time Olympian and two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier (Oklahoma State) in the finals, 8-4. During Sanderson's 2001 tournament, he outscored the competition 74-26 and that doesn't include a second-round fall. Cael was just as dominant at 197 lbs in 2002. In Albany, he pinned his first two opponents before putting up 45 points in the quarters and semis. Opposing Sanderson in the finals was Jon Trenge (Lehigh), the only foe to keep Sanderson to a regular season that season. Sanderson managed to get a 12-4 major decision, which marked the third win over Trenge during his record-breaking senior campaign. Cael made history by finishing his collegiate career with a 159-0 mark and four national titles. At the time, he was only the second DI wrestler to win four. Some others won a title and eventually moved up in weight; however, not the following season. Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State), Quentin Wright (Penn State), Jake Rosholt (Oklahoma State), Greg Jones (West Virginia), Andrew Howe (Wisconsin/Oklahoma), and Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) are some that fit that bill. Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) won the 157 lb title in 2009, wrestled in a handful of matches at that weight in 2009-10 before getting injured. He was able to take a medical redshirt for that year. He returned in 2010-11 at 165.

Anthony Ashnault at the 2019 NCAA Finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Today Rutgers announced that the school's most decorated wrestler would assume a role on the Scarlet Knights coaching staff for the 2021-22 season. Four-time All-American and national champion Anthony Ashnault will be formally named a coach at his alma mater. Ashnault rewrote the record book for Rutgers wrestling, becoming the first four-time AA and freshman All-American in school history. He, along with Nick Suriano, won Rutgers' first national championships during the 2018-19 season. After three All-American seasons at 141 lbs, Ashnault moved up to 149 for his final campaign and went a perfect 32-0. His 124 wins represent a school high. Ashnault replaces long-time assistant coach John Leonardis on the Rutgers staff. Earlier this spring, it was announced that Leonardis was stepping down from his post on the coaching staff to run the Scarlet Knights Wrestling Club. Anthony's position will be a full-time spot which allows him to participate in off-campus recruiting. Ashnault's exploits with Rutgers have made him a legendary figure in New Jersey wrestling, so his addition will undoubtedly provide a spark with recruiting. He also has dabbled in wrestling media with his "Mobbin' Media" Rokfin page. His knowledge of youth and high school wrestling, inside and outside of New Jersey, should be useful on the recruiting trail. In addition, Ashnault participated at the 2021 Olympic Trials after winning gold at the 2020 Pan-American Championships. He should be a factor domestically for future world team's at 70 kgs.

Thomas Gilman at the 2017 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) In early April, Thomas Gilman defeated Vito Arujau to lock up a spot on the US Olympic Team at 57 kg. By doing so, Gilman became the latest in a long line of past Iowa Hawkeye lightweights to earn a spot on the Olympic freestyle team. For the purposes of this article, we've defined "lightweight" as 62 kg or under. Not only have former Iowa lightweights made the Olympic team on ten occasions, but they have also had plenty of success at the Games. These Hawks have accounted for three gold medals, a silver, and a bronze. That total doesn't factor in the 1980 boycott, which saw an Iowa medal favorite unable to participate. Since 1980, only three Olympic teams have not featured a former Hawkeye lightweight on their roster. We shall see in August if Gilman can add his name to the list of medalists in Tokyo. 1960 - Terry McCann (57 kg) Gold At the 1960 Games, wrestling used a pool system that tallied "bad points," which gave more points to wrestlers that lost by falls compared to decisions. After two rounds of competition, athletes were whittled away as they accrued more points. Terry McCann's tournament started with a win via decision over Sweden's Edvin Vesterby. Next, he would pin Switzerland's Paul Hanni. With just 14 competitors remaining, McCann tallied another decision over Panama's Eduardo Campbell. McCann would slip in his fourth bout, losing to Finland's Tauno Jaskari. Based on his previous results, McCann just made the cut and advanced to a fifth match against the Soviet Union's Mykhailo Shakov, a bout he'd win via fall. Had he done anything but pin, McCann might have been on the outside looking in. Only three wrestlers remained in the tournament and both faced each other, previously. That meant McCann had to defeat both Tadeusz Trojanowski (Poland) and Nezhdet Zelev (Bulgaria) to capture gold. McCann downed both by decision and became the first Iowa Hawkeye to win the Olympics. 1980 - Randy Lewis (62 kg) Right after his senior year at Iowa, Randy Lewis made the first of his two Olympic teams. Unfortunately, because of the United States boycott, Lewis and his teammates could not compete at the 1980 Games in Moscow. Lewis did not ever wrestle the eventual gold medalist, but had already pinned the wrestlers that would finish second through fourth. 1984 - Randy Lewis (62 kg) Gold Randy Lewis made his second consecutive Olympic team after one of the most controversial situations in the sport's history. After losing to Lee Roy Smith in the Trials, Lewis and Dan Gable took the case to arbitration, which they won. That's an extremely brief account of the situation, but the general details. With the boycott by the Soviet Union, Lewis was left without anyone who could seriously threaten him. During pool competition, Lewis outscored his competitors 50-5. Lewis piled on the points with a 24-11 win over Kosei Akaishi (Japan) during the gold medal match. 1984 - Barry Davis (57 kg) Silver While still an active student-athlete at Iowa, Barry Davis won gold at the 1983 Pan-American Championships and competed at the World Championships later that year. Davis crushed his first three opponents with a 24-10 win in his opening bout, followed by a 21-1 margin in his next two matches. He then edged Zoran Sorov (Yugoslavia) 6-4 to earn a place in the gold medal match. Sorov would go on to make the following two Olympic teams for Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, Davis would fall 3-1 in the gold medal bout against Hideaki Tomiyama (Japan). In 1984-85, Davis would return to Iowa to capture his third NCAA title. 1988 - Barry Davis (57 kg) In between his first and second Olympic team berths, Davis would claim a pair of world medals at 57 kg. He was a bronze medalist in 1986, followed by a silver in 1987. Davis started with a couple of relatively close wins over Jozef Schwendtner (Czechoslovakia) and Ahmet Ak (Turkey) before meeting Hungary's Bela Nagy. The Hungarian got the win via fall, which ended up dooming Davis' medal hopes. He was eliminated from contention after the loss. 1996 - Tom Brands (62 lbs) Gold After a 12-year hiatus, Iowa returned to the top of the Olympic medal stand with Tom Brands' performance at the 1996 Olympics, in Atlanta. Brands had a stiff test off the bat with Iran's Abbas Hajkenari. The following year Hajkenari would win a world title at 63 kg in controversial fashion over Cary Kolat. In this meeting, Brands prevailed 3-1. Next up was 1991 world champion, Sergey Smal (Belarus). The Russian transfer wasn't able to score on Brands during a 5-0 shutout. After a bye, Brands defeated the Russian entry, Magomed Azizov, 4-1. Azizov was able to secure the only takedown of the tournament against Brands, but ultimately came out on the wrong side of a very physical bout. That win propelled the Iowa native to the gold medal match where he would face Jang Jae-Sung (South Korea). The South Korean made the finals after upsetting the returning world champion; however, he was never a serious threat for Brands. Tom scored two takedowns in the opening minute and never looked back during a 7-0 win. 2000 - Terry Brands (58 kg) Bronze A crushing loss to rival Kendall Cross prevented Terry Brands from joining twin brother, Tom, at the 1996 Olympics. After initially retiring, the 1993 world champion returned for another run at Olympic gold. This format has athletes into six pools of three, with the winners of each pool advancing to a bracketed tournament. Brands had little trouble with either of his pool opponents winning via fall and an 8-1 decision, which kept him in gold medal contention. There he would see two-time European champion David Pogosian (Georgia). A 6-4 win over Pogosian sent Brands to the semis opposite Alirez Dabir (Iran), at 1998 world champion and the returning world silver medalist at the weight. Dabir took an early 5-0 lead and survived a Brands onslaught to win, 6-4. 2008 - Mike Zadick (60 kg) A world silver medalist in 2006, Mike Zadick won the 2008 Olympic Trials by beating Shawn Bunch. Unfortunately, the win did not guarantee a place at the Olympics for Zadick or any other 60 kg wrestler for the United States. Zadick was the US representative at the 2007 World Championships but couldn't secure an Olympic berth for the country after taking 27th. In 2008, he was third at the Pan-American Championships and fell in a tough bracket at the first Olympic qualifying event. A coach's decision prevented Zadick from competing at the second qualifying tournament. The US coaching staff had the foresight to take Zadick to the Olympics anyways and his number was called after a Bulgarian was pulled with an injury and his replacement was involved in a car accident on his way to the airport. Once action got underway, Zadick was soundly defeated by Ukraine's Vasyl Fedoryshyn, 5-0 and 6-0. This was in the era of three, separate periods, for one bout. After Fedoryshyn made the finals, Zadick was pulled back into repechage. There he faced Bazar Bazarguruev (Kyrgyzstan). Bazarguruev prevailed 1-0, 3-0. 2016 - Daniel Dennis (57 kg) While Zadick's journey to the Olympic Games was unmatched, the actual improbability of Dan Dennis' run to making the team hasn't been matched in recent memory. The 2010 NCAA runner-up had a two-plus year hiatus from the sport that saw him living out of his pickup truck in California. He returned in 2015 made the finals of the World Team Trials up at 61 kg. Since that weight is not offered in Olympic competition, Dennis dropped to 57 kg for the Olympic year. He would advance to the Trials finals against fellow Iowa alum, Tony Ramos. After a hard-fought 2-1 win in the first match of their series, Dennis needed just over a minute to secure a takedown and lock up his patented gut wrench to turn Ramos four times. The Olympics competition itself was anticlimactic for Dennis as he suffered an 11-0 loss to Vladimir Dubov (Bulgaria) in his only bout of the event. 2020(One) - Thomas Gilman (57 kg) Although he was wrestling at the Trials for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and his departure from Iowa and the Hawkeye Wrestling Club could be labeled as "complicated," Gilman belongs on this list. Though this is Gilman's first Olympic team, he has plenty of international experience and success. Just five months after wrestling his last collegiate bout as a Hawkeye, Gilman made the Senior World finals and came away with a silver medal. He qualified for the world team the following year and fell in the bronze medal match. Furthermore, made three age-group world teams and won a Junior bronze in 2014.

Michael McAleavey at the 2021 SoCon Championships (Photo/The Citadel athletics) When the #FantasyCollegeWrestling season comes to an end, it's usual to feel like you need a break. I get it; even WE took a little time for some needed R&R (fear not, though, the FCW Podcast returns later this month!). The amount of work and game planning is exponentially higher than Fantasy Football or other sports. There is not much to do other than research in the off-season. But just like we say in training, it's what you do when others are not looking that separates you from the pack. We are left with a lot of raw data that needs to be filtered and sorted. The off-season is devoted to not only recording and organizing that data, but grouping, interpreting, and utilizing that data to forecast and strategize for the upcoming season. Sometimes the best way to prepare for the future is to look back on the past season and who is returning or names/data to remember come week 12 when you are struggling to find that 174 starter. Usually, you have names like Spencer Lee, Shane Griffith, Aaron Brooks, and Tony Cassioppi that you think of to bring you success. Together this season, they combined for 84 Fantasy Points (Fpts). Well, let me throw a couple other names at you: Codi Russell, Will Formato, Brit Wilson, and Michael McAleavey. This group totaled 185 Fpts this season. As I say every year, that's the beauty and frustration of Fantasy Sports. Sometimes your top performers are not "household names." Now, this year was definitely an "asterisk" type of year as there will be quite a few instances of skewing in one way or another (see the co-Hodge announcement). In past seasons, we have stressed that match count is not always a determining factor in actual or in Fantasy Wrestling success, but this year was different. Some teams were hit with COVID precautions or wrestlers actually got COVID making an imbalance of matches wrestled between wrestlers/teams larger than in years past and causing some big names to not make the Top 20 of their respective weights. To compile these lists, we used WrestleStat Fantasy College Wrestling data. Just a reminder of how points were tallied in WrestleStat Leagues: 1) The scoring used was Standard Team Scoring across all competitions (+3 for a win by decision, -4 for a loss by Major, etc) 2) Scoring only counted against D1 competition 3) Wins via Forfeits (FFT) would count as +6 towards a wrestler's point total 4) Wins or Losses by Medical Forfeit (MFF) did not count as + or - towards a wrestler's point total 5) Points were only accumulated during the regular season Here are the previous #FCW 2021 Season weight class Top-20 Lists: 125: Codi Russell (Appalachian State) 133: Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) 141: Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) 149: Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State) 157: Jacob Wright (Wyoming) 165: Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State) 174: Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley) 184: Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) 197: Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) Notes: If you pin more wrestlers than anyone in the league, chances are you will be among the upper echelon of fantasy wrestlers. Michael McAleavey comes in as the #1 Fantasy Wrestler at 285, by one point over national champ Gable Steveson, due in large part to his six pins during the regular season. Even though Cohlton Schultz finished undefeated, he fell two points behind #3 true freshman Wyatt Hendrickson. Hendrickson finished his last six matches with five pins and one tech, which helped him get over the two losses (-7) he accrued. Last season's #1 Fantasy Wrestler at 285, Mason Parris, fell slightly to #5 in 2021. Not because he wasn't as productive as last season (he was, with having a 100% bonus rate in the regular season), but because Michigan had to cancel three dual meets. At a minimum, 12 extra points (three Majors) would have put him at #3. Three sets of starters/backups make the list, with all the backups placing and scoring more than their starting counterparts. The highest and biggest gap being Cale Davidson (#8 this season) outsourcing the Nebraska starter Christian Lance (Tied for #18) by seven Fpts. Three of the four NC State heavyweights make the Top-20, with Tyrie Houghton getting the better spot at #10 by one Fpt while Owen Trephan and starter Deonte Wilson tied for #11 with 22 Fpts. Finally, Edinboro True Freshman Max Millin beats starter John Spaulding by one Fpt. In the past, when you thought of a Heavyweight pinner, you would think of Matt Stencel. This year, however, was not his year for falls. In the past three seasons (2020, 2019, and 2018), Stencel had a pin rate of 45%, 61%, and 32%, respectively. For the 2021 season, though, despite going undefeated, he did not have a fall against D1 competition. Had he recorded three pins (which would be in line with his average pin rate for the previous three seasons), he would have been this season's #6 fantasy wrestler at 285. Tony Cassioppi caps the Top-20 with only five matches wrestled but made the most of them. He finished the regular season with three pins and a decision in the “win” column and a loss by major to Gable Steveson. Who Missed The Cut: While the top four All American placers made the Top-20, the lower four find themselves just on the outside. Gannon Gremmel wrestled 12 matches this season, but only seven of them were against D1 competition and counted for fantasy wrestling scoring. He fell just short with 15 Fpts and the #29 spot. Greg Kerkvliet wrestled two regular-season matches (against two Maryland Terps) and scored 12 Fpts and was #34, Trent Hillger was #53 with six Fpts, and Tate Orndorff was #103 with -6 Fpts. After finishing as the #12 fantasy wrestler in 2020, Nathan Traxler bumped up to 285 and fell one Fpt short of making the Top-20. Seth Nevills had the starting role for most of the regular season, wrestling 5 matches, and finishes one Fpt more than Kerkvliet with 13 for and tied for the #31 spot. The other wrestler who matched Nevills was also the starter for most of the regular season. He was Virginia Tech's John Borst, though he gave up starting duties for a different set of circumstances. After an impressive season where he took out would be All Americans Trent Hillger and Tate Orndorff, the #49 Fantasy wrestler Luke Luffman would go on to lose twice by pin (understandably to Steveson and Cassioppi in back-to-back weeks), which pushed him down to #49 and seven Fpts. Some other notables to miss the cut include Jordan Wood (#26 with 15 Fpts), Sam Schuyler (#30 with 14 Fpts), Austin Harris (#33 with 13 Fpts), Max Ihry (#39 with 12 Fpts), and Brian Andrews (#45 with 8 Fpts).

Mac Stout (Photo/Eleanor Bailey; TheAlmanac.net) Tonight, the Pittsburgh Panthers received an important commitment from the #43 overall wrestler in the Class of 2022, Mac Stout (Mt. Lebanon, PA). Stout, a 2020 PIAA AAA state runner-up, did not compete in the 2021 postseason after suffering an injury at the Powerade Tournament. Stout will follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Kellan, who was a 2019 national qualifier for the Panthers at 197 lbs. Mac projects at the same weight class, as well. They also have a brother, Luke, that is set to compete at 197 lbs for Princeton. Mac's 2020 state finals appearance came in a 170lb weight class that was likely the deepest of any bracket in any state that year. In the semifinals, Stout scored a win over the returning state champion, Trey Kibe (Mifflin County), a 2021 Virginia Tech signee. On a national scale, Stout was a 16U National freestyle finalist in Fargo during the summer of 2019. He is also a three-time placewinner at the Powerade (7th, 4th, 6th). The sixth-place finish occurred at the 2021 tournament when Stout was injured in the consolation semifinals. Stout is the third member of the Class of 2022 to give a verbal commitment to Keith Gavin's team. #120 Jared Kesler (Connellsville, PA) and Briar Priest (Hempfield, PA) have also pledged to the Panthers. As mentioned in our Class of 2022 recruiting feature, Keslar and Priest, along with Stout, all hail from Western Pennsylvania, a region that Gavin and staff have been able to recruit aggressively during his tenure. The Panthers current starter at 197 lbs, national runner-up Nino Bonaccorsi, has two years of eligibility remaining. That means Stout could take a redshirt and step in immediately upon his departure. The 2021 recruiting class also includes a talented 197 lb prospect in Ethan Finch (Sheffield, PA).

Kyle Parco at the 2021 NCAA Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Transfers as of 5/23/2021 - received by DI schools. (New school listed first) Appalachian State - Diavantae Reddick (Campbell) 165 Appalachian State - Jacob Sartorio (Fresno City College) 285 Arizona State - Kyle Parco (Fresno State) 141/149 Buffalo - Trent Svingala (Columbia) 141 Campbell - Anthony Molton (Fresno State) 125 Clarion - Will Feldkamp (Northern Illinois) 184/197 Clarion - Cameron Pine (Campbell) 165 CSU Bakersfield - Jacob Hansen (Moorpark JC) 165 Edinboro - Jack Kilner (Fresno City College) 197 Hofstra - Michael Leandrou (American) 157 Illinois - Luke Ramussen (North Dakota State) 197 Illinois - Joe Roberts (NC State) 157 Iowa - Drew Bennett (Northern Iowa) 141 Iowa - Brennan Swafford (Graceland) 174 Iowa State - Austin Kraisser (Campbell) 165/174 Iowa State - Sam Schuyler (Buffalo) 285 Kent State - Michael Ferree (Campbell) 174 Kent State - Louis Newell (Pittsburgh) 133 Lock Haven - Jake Beeson (Pratt CC) 149/157 Lock Haven - Michael Spangler (Pratt CC) 125 Lock Haven - Colby Whitehill (Pittsburgh) 285 Maryland - Zach Schrader (Cal Baptist) 285 Michigan - Patrick Brucki (Princeton) 197 Minnesota - Jared Krattiger (Wisconsin) 174 Northern Colorado - Baylor Fernandes (Minnesota) 165 Ohio State - Will Betancourt (Lock Haven) 133 Oklahoma - Joey Prata (Virginia Tech) 125 Oregon State - Cory Crooks (Arizona State) 149 Oregon State - Cameron Enriquez (Clackamas CC) 125 Oregon State - Tanner Harvey (American) 184 Oregon State - Gary Traub (Ohio State) 285 Penn State - Max Dean (Cornell) 184/197 Pittsburgh - Gage Curry (American) 125 Pittsburgh - Elijah Cleary (Ohio State) 157 Rutgers - Greg Bulsak (Clarion) 197 Rutgers - Nick Raimo (Arizona State) 133 South Dakota State - AJ Nevills (Fresno State) 285 Utah Valley - Haiden Drury (Fresno State) 133/141 Virginia - Jarod Verkleeren (Penn State) 149 Wisconsin - Andrew McNally (Kent State) 174

Tanner Sloan (Photo/Cam Kramer; CamKramerPhoto.smugmug.com) When the #FantasyCollegeWrestling season comes to an end, it's usual to feel like you need a break. I get it; even WE took a little time for some needed R&R (fear not, though, the FCW Podcast returns later this month!). The amount of work and game planning is exponentially higher than Fantasy Football or other sports. There is not much to do other than research in the off-season. But just like we say in training, it's what you do when others are not looking that separates you from the pack. We are left with a lot of raw data that needs to be filtered and sorted. The off-season is devoted to not only recording and organizing that data, but grouping, interpreting, and utilizing that data to forecast and strategize for the upcoming season. Sometimes the best way to prepare for the future is to look back on the past season and who is returning or names/data to remember come week 12 when you are struggling to find that 174 starter. Usually, you have names like Spencer Lee, Shane Griffith, Aaron Brooks, and Tony Cassioppi that you think of to bring you success. Together this season, they combined for 84 Fantasy Points (Fpts). Well, let me throw a couple other names at you: Codi Russell, Will Formato, Brit Wilson, and Michael McAleavey. This group totaled 185 Fpts this season. As I say every year, that's the beauty and frustration of Fantasy Sports. Sometimes your top performers are not "household names." Now, this year was definitely an "asterisk" type of year as there will be quite a few instances of skewing in one way or another (see the co-Hodge announcement). In past seasons, we have stressed that match count is not always a determining factor in actual or in Fantasy Wrestling success, but this year was different. Some teams were hit with COVID precautions or wrestlers actually got COVID making an imbalance of matches wrestled between wrestlers/teams larger than in years past and causing some big names to not make the Top 20 of their respective weights. To compile these lists, we used WrestleStat Fantasy College Wrestling data. Just a reminder of how points were tallied in WrestleStat Leagues: 1) The scoring used was Standard Team Scoring across all competitions (+3 for a win by decision, -4 for a loss by Major, etc) 2) Scoring only counted against D1 competition 3) Wins via Forfeits (FFT) would count as +6 towards a wrestler's point total 4) Wins or Losses by Medical Forfeit (MFF) did not count as + or - towards a wrestler's point total 5) Points were only accumulated during the regular season Here are the previous #FCW 2021 Season weight class Top-20 Lists: 125: Codi Russell (Appalachian State) 133: Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) 141: Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) 149: Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State) 157: Jacob Wright (Wyoming) 165: Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State) 174: Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley) 184: Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) Notes: Not only was Tanner Sloan the #1 Fantasy Wrestler at 197 this season, but he was also the #1 OVERALL Fantasy Wrestler across all weights (as you will see later). In 2021, Sloan went undefeated, winning 11 of his 13 matches by bonus, and of those bonus wins had six techs and three fins (that alone would have put him at #3 at 197). Slightly beating out fellow true freshman (Tyler Mousaw) was national champ AJ Ferrari, who started the season with two majors and three techs. Both Ferrari and Mousaw lost one match by decision and who was the wrestler that gave Ferrari his only loss on the season? That would be #4 Noah Adams, who dropped from his 2020 Fantasy Ranking (#1 at 197 and #4 overall), due to his two losses to Stephen Buchanan (the #15 Fantasy Wrestler at 197 this season). Had he won both of those matches, he would have been #2 this season. Speaking of Stephen Buchanan, the Cowboy could have been much higher in this list had it not been for two losses, one by injury and one by fall, which totals -12. Rocky Elam handed Buchanan the injury loss, which helped him climb to the #5 spot, and Kordell Norfleet pinned Buchanan, which was part of his six bonus victories this season. Chris Kober only wrestled four matches but was able to get "the cycle" (Pin, Tech, Major, and Decision) which accounted for 18 Fpts and the #18 spot. Four non-starters make the Top-20, with three of them being part of a Starter/Backup duos make up the list (Missouri, NC State, and Oklahoma State). Luke Surber led them in 27 Fpts and was the #10 Fantasy Wrestler. Issac Trumble also makes this list at #12 powered behind a decision win over national finalist Nino Bonaccorsi (and this year's #13) and five pins. Who Missed The Cut: Four 2021 All Americans missed the Top-20. Of them, Michael Beard was the highest ranked at #29 with 12 Fpts. Jacob Warner was one point off from Beard as the #30 Fantasy Wrestler at 197, and Myles Amine was close behind at #32 and 9 Fpts. At #52, Jake Woodley had five losses which was too much to overcome and finished the 2021 season with 4 Fpts. Moving down to 197, Chase Singletary didn't gain the starting spot but finished as the better Fantasy Wrestler with 13 Fpts and 62 places better than Gavin Hoffman. On the flip side, Cam Caffey moved up to 197 and, while only losing twice to the #1 and #2 ranked wrestlers during the regular season (Eric Schultz and Myles Amine, respectively), it was still too much to overcome and finished with 10 Fpts which was good for the #31 spot. Other notables to miss the Top-20 include Jack Brown (#23 with 15 Fpts), Lucas Davison (#36 with 8 Fpts), Jake Jakobsen (#40 with 7 Fpts), Marcus Coleman (#59 with 2 Fpts), and Kaden Russell (#105 with -11 Fpts).

Two-time World Champion J'den Cox (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The New Jersey Regional Training Center (NJRTC) announced the addition of two-time world champion J'den Cox as a part-time resident athlete. Cox will continue to split his time training between New Jersey and the Olympic/Paralympic Training Center. Previously Cox was supposed to have a similar training arrangement with Ohio State's Ohio RTC; however, due to the pandemic, Cox did not travel away from Colorado Springs often for training. Cox has won the last two world championships at 92 kg, but had to go up to 97 kg (or drop to 86 kg) during the Olympic year. Confusion between J'den's camp at the Olympic Trials saw him weigh-in after the allotted time and he was not allowed to compete at the Trials. The fallout from the Trials saga saw Cox state that he would go 92 kg for the World Team Trials in 2021 and 97 kg in the future (If Kyle Snyder wins an Olympic medal, he has dibs on the 97 kg world team spot). The NJRTC will be even deeper at its upperweights as Nate Jackson has recently established himself as one of the top contenders at this weight domestically. Jackson won Senior Nationals at 92kg and outscored his competition 28-1 along the way. Other news related to the NJRTC is that they have split from Rutgers' Scarlet Knights Wrestling Club. Previously both schools were under the NJRTC name.

Caleb Hopkins at the 2021 NCAA Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Appalachian State University The Mountaineers, placing second in the Southern Conference this year in the regular season (7-1) and conference tournament, will be seeing NCAA Qualifiers Cody Bond (157), Anthony Brito (141), Sean Carter (133), Thomas Flitz (174), Will Formato (165), All-American Jonathan Millner (149) and Codi Russell (125) again for the 2021-22 season. In 2021, the Mountaineers saw an overall dual record of 7-2, with losses to NC State (ACC) and Campbell University (SoCon). The Mountaineers also served three shutouts to Bellarmine University(45-0), Davidson College (38-0), and Presbyterian College (54-0). This upcoming season is looking promising for the Mountaineers, seeing all National Qualifiers return next year as well as the addition of a couple homegrown hammers Landon Foor (174) and Triston Norris (285), both from North Carolina. Postseason honors awarded were to Jonathan Millner as MVP, Caleb Smith (125) receiving an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award, NWCA DI Scholar All-Americans Will Formato (165), Thomas Flitz (174), Sean Carter (133), and Anthony Brito (141) and a 3.18 team GPA. Bellarmine University In their inaugural year of Division I competition, the Bellarmine Knights had an overall record of 1-9, and a conference record of 1-7, picking up their only victory against Presbyterian College (32-18). Since this is their first year wrestling at the Division I level, the Knights could not compete at the Southern Conference Championships. Senior Eric Beck (165) scooped up the program's first Division I dual meet win (5-2), followed by Sophomore Devan Henricks (174), picking up a close 6-5 decision against SIU Edwardsville. The Knights' first Southern Conference dual meet victory was laid on Presbyterian College, 32-18. Major wins for this match include Hendricks (174), 3:21 fall over Victor Tello, and Alex Rhine (157) winning by technical fall over Bryton Goering. Postseason honors include a 3.43 team GPA. Campbell University The three-time reigning Southern Conference Champions (2019-2021) will see another season of NCAA Qualifiers Josh Heil (141) and Chris Kober (197) returning for another year of eligibility. The Camels will get another year of competition from NCAA Qualifiers Taye Ghadiali (HWT), Caleb Hopkins (184), Austin Murphy (174), and Zurich Storm (125). The overall season record for Campbell was 8-1, picking up a loss to Virginia Tech (ACC), but finishing undefeated in the conference at 7-0. The Fighting Camels pitched two shutout wins against VMI (39-0) and Davidson College (42-0). Postseason awards for Campbell include Amateur Wrestling News' Rookie Head Coach of the Year and SoCon Coach of the Year to Head Coach Scotti Sentes. Heil and Caleb Hopkins (184) received NWCA Scholar All-American honors, with the Camels finishing at No. 15 in the 2020-21 NWCA DI Scholar All-America team rankings after posting a 3.3589 GPA. The University of Tennessee, Chattanooga The Chattanooga Mocs closed out the 2020-2021 season with an overall dual record of 8-4 and 6-2 in Southern Conference action. While only dropping losses to Appalachian State (13-20) and Campbell University (15-17), the Mocs also picked up a shutout win during the season opener against Emmanuel College (48-0). All four NCAA qualifiers are slated to return next season: Logan Andrew (197), Fabian Gutierrez (125), Drew Nicholson (165), and Matthew Waddell (184). Weston Wichman (157) was named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, with strong performances against Oklahoma State's Jalin Harper by fall (4:44), and a 7-3 decision over Benjamin Barton of Campbell. Notable alum, Pez Whatley (1970-1972), was inducted into the 2021 WWE Legacy Hall of Fame in April. The Citadel The Bulldogs closed out their season with an overall record of 4-6 and a conference record of 3-5, with wins against St. Thomas University, Gardner Webb University, Presbyterian College, and Bellarmine University. The Bulldogs picked up a shutout win in the season opener against St. Thomas (54-0). NCAA Qualifier and Southern Conference Champion Michael McAleavey (HWT) will be returning for a final season with the Bulldogs, after being named to the All-Southern Conference team alongside teammate Jake Rotunda (133). Notable performances included McAleavey with a 15-3 overall record this season, Selwyn Porter (149) with a 13-4 overall record, and Jake Rotunda (133) with a 10-3 record for the season. These three Bulldogs will be returning next season to see more Southern Conference action. Postseason honors include Grant Speer receiving the Todd L. Dorney Award, as well as Cole Burke, Kyle Kretzer, Grant Speer, and Cooper Youngblood being inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society. Davidson College The Davidson Wildcats ended the season with an overall and conference record of 3-5, picking up wins to Bellarmine University (27-16), a tiebreaker over The Citadel (22-21), and Presbyterian College (39-9). The season opener against Bellarmine showed some significant wins by fall from Kyle Gorant (133) and Gavin Henry (184). The Wildcats tiebreaker win against The Citadel saw them add wins at 197, 133, 141, 157, and 165. The tiebreaking criteria was Gorant's injury default over Jake Rotunda, and Gavin Damasco's (141) fall over Tyler Seely. The victory over Presbyterian was a strong showing for the Wildcats, picking up wins at eight of the bouts, dropping matches at 125 and 149. The Wildcats had to end their season early and were unable to compete at the Southern Conference Championships. Postseason honors awarded were to freshman Bryce Sandlerlin (157) as part of the Southern Conference All-Freshman Team, Gorant earning an NWCA Scholar-All American honor, and the Wildcats placed 13th in the NWCA Scholar Team list with a GPA of 3.42. Gardner-Webb University The Runnin' Bulldogs ended their conference season with a 4-4 record and an overall dual record of 4-7, adding wins against Bellarmine University (38-6), VMI (29-11), Presbyterian College (38-6), and Davidson (32-6). National qualifiers and redshirt sophomores Jha'Quan Anderson (184) and RJ Mosley (165) will be returning next season. Some notable performances this season can be seen by Anderson, winning a 7-2 decision over App State's Julian Gorring, and Anthony Perrine (HWT) picking up another win over the Mountaineers in the same dual against Michael Burchell, 6-3. Postseason honors were awarded to RJ Mosley, an NWCA DI Scholar All-American, and the Runnin' Bulldogs, who tallied a cumulative GPA of 3.3015, ranking 22nd among all NCAA DI programs. Presbyterian College The Blue Hose ended the dual season with an overall record of 1-6, and a conference record of 0-6. In their lone victory of the season, the Blue Hose defeated the Emmanuel College Lions 27-12, picking up wins at 125, 133, 141, 149, and 165 weight classes. Bernadino Gomez (125) notched some impressive wins against The Citadel (MD 16-6) and Bellarmine (Fall 1:21) this season, along with another win over The Citadel (Dec. 2-1), and over Gardner-Webb (Dec. 7-1) to end the season with a fourth-place Southern Conference finish. Other strong performances at the Southern Conference Championships were from Zachary Phillips (157), scoring a first-round fall (2:26) over Weston Wichman of UTC. Virginia Military Institute The Keydets finished their season with an overall record of 4-5 and a conference record of 3-4. Notable dual wins include, Sacred Heart University (30-9), Davidson College (24-18), and Bellarmine University (37-9). Freshmen Tyler Mousaw (197) and Blake Showers (157) were named to the All-Southern Conference Freshman Team, with Mousaw posting a 12-2 record and Showers receiving eight wins in his freshman season. Mousaw (197) also took third at the Southern Conference Championships, with wins against Mason Fiscella (App State, Fall 3:38), and over Ben Stemmet (The Citadel, Fall 3:53). Post season awards: Freshman of the Year - Mousaw, Lifestyle Achievement Award - Zach Brown, Most Improved Wrestler - Josh Yost, Coach's Award - Ciff Conway, and Most Outstanding Wrestler - Mousaw.

Shane Griffith and the Stanford staff (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Stanford was saved. What a relief. And a surprise. Throughout the campaign to reinstate the program, I watched with a massive appreciation for their efforts but also with very little optimism. There's one reason programs get dropped: poor budget management by today's athletic departments, who themselves have bloated rosters. And to reverse the decision to drop would mean admitting yet another massive mistake for an administration already mired in controversy. Kind of a miracle. But my message this week is to not depend on the whims of increasingly cruel and incompetent athletic departments. Just 165 miles from Stanford, there's another war to win to save Fresno State. And again, I'm pessimistic. The time to endow your wrestling program was 15 years ago. If you haven't started, do so now. The only way to insulate our 78 DI wrestling programs is to remove all administrative second-guessing and fund it ourselves. There's been a proliferation of public, online fundraising campaigns for DI wrestling programs, and thanks to you, the fans, they've been a massive success. Wrestling programs often outpace any other sports in program donations at many schools. The contributions can go to many things - mats, facilities, travel budget, etc. But coaches would be wise to put much of that into an endowment fund or to seek out more prominent donors to get one started. It's unfortunate that our coaches and programs must take on that burden. But if there is any group built to shoulder it, it's us. We'll do it ourselves. To your questions... FANTASTIC news from Stanford this week! Whom do you think they will look at for the head coaching position? - @TopicNext When there is a coaching vacancy, we often come up with lists of viable candidates. However, I've never endorsed a particular guy. I've never wanted to offend any of the contenders and suggest they aren't the right pick. I'll start now, though. Ray Blake should be the pick and I think going in any different direction would only add insult to what has been a mess. Alumni? Longest tenured coach on staff? Fought through the chopping block? Blake checks all those boxes. He's also highly respected in many circles, including but not limited to his native Chicago, which also happens to be hallowed recruiting grounds. He's both the qualified and the sentimental choice. Could you imagine Stanford putting the program on the chopping block, seeing their former Head Coach Jason Borrelli leave for American, reinstating the program, and then choosing someone who wasn't around for the fight? And oh-by-the-way, the staff produced an NCAA champ. This is a lay-up. Why don't you answer your phone? - @NookieBrown22 Everyone yells at me for not answering my phone! Probably for good reason. I hate talking on the phone. It's always on silent. Maybe it's a character flaw or something, but I'm the polar opposite of most people today who are glued to their phones. It's not that I'm any 'better.' I'm glued to a computer screen. Send an email. Immediate response, I promise. Will a team other than Iowa, Penn State, Ohio State, and Oklahoma State win a title in the next 20 years, and if yes, who? - @RichardAMann Frankly, I don't think so. It would probably take a perfect storm and it would have to come in a year when team scoring was historically low - like a team title with sub 100pts. Since 2000, 16 of the 21 team champs scored over 115pts. Ohio State, with 102 to Iowa's 84, was the last to win it with less. Since 2010, the only schools (other than those you listed) to reach runner-up status were Minnesota in '12 and '14 and Cornell in '11 and '10. In recent years your 'Big 4' have been recruiting lights out. It would probably take an odd, down year for one of them and the pinnacle performance from a Michigan, Minnesota, NC State, Cornell, or ASU. Thoughts on 3 sport athletes as it impacts their recruiting. - @christanadeau2 Personally, I love multi-sport athletes as wrestling recruits. You're right, though; it's tricky. The advantages of a multi-sport athlete are many: 1) they haven't maxed out their abilities, 2) they aren't 'overcoached,' 3) they haven't spent years in the same grueling positions that often exacerbate joint damage. This is all to say they offer 'upside.' The tricky part is - when you're a part-time wrestler, it's much tougher to have a good performance at the majors - Super 32, Fargo, Trials. You have to do just enough to catch the attention of coaches and scouts, who then must also recognize your situation. Top 5 or so tournaments kids should go to if they want to wrestle in college and raise their value to recruiters. Is it different based on the grade they are in? - @dmax189 Keep in mind that almost all top recruiters get their guys - and top recruits commit - before their senior year. So we're talking about entering tournaments through the summer after their junior season. Super 32, Fargo, USA PreSeason and Folk Nationals, and NHSCA's. In-season is obviously restrictive based on geography and other factors, but both recruiting evaluators and college coaches are much better than, say, ten years ago, at finding all the video and results from smaller in-season tournaments. You don't have to be from Blair Academy to get noticed. That being said, if you're a DI level recruit (or aspire to be), make sure your high school coach gets your team into a Doc B (California) or Keith Young Invitational (Iowa). A Minnesota Christmas Tournament or Knockout (Florida). For a more thorough list and recommendations based on your location, feel free to email me at Willie@MatScouts.com When do you recommend a kid commit to a college if he is not set from childhood on going to anyone specific. - @dmax189 Only when he/she is 100% sure. There's really very little rush. If you've proven your value, you're not going to be short on options and you probably aren't going to lose scholarship value. There are instances where college coaches say, 'this offer expires on X date.' And that's not a mean thing to do. They need to plan and budget. But with the portal comes a release of funds, so schools will have more options than in the past. Is it ok to record the conversations you have with recruiters? I hear some say one thing to get you then change when you arrive sometimes. @dmax189 Don't do that. Ever. -signed, every college coach in America The parent of a high profile (Cadet World Team Member), recently intimated something similar - about confirming offers. In particular, the parent was wondering if there should be a formal scholarship offer before using one of your official visits. There are some horror stories out there, and these are good questions to ask, but it's paranoia. You handle things on your end - winning, working, continuing to improve and being a good person - and all will be well. Furthermore, I'd be a little skeptical of a coach extending an offer without significant conversations and/or meeting first. A good coach wants to know what type of person and character he's bringing into his family.

Manheim, PA - On Thursday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the 2021 Scholar All-American Team and Individual honorees for NCAA Division I with awards going to 191 individuals representing 59 institutions. LINK: Top 30 Scholar All-American Teams LINK: Individual Scholar All-Americans "It's my honor on behalf of the NWCA and our Board of Directors to recognize this outstanding list of team and individual award winners," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "These athletes had to navigate a season full of unknowns and the fact they were able to continue to excel in the classroom is a testament to the attack mentality that wrestlers bring to every aspect of their lives." In the team race, Long Island University finished atop the field with a 3.5584 GPA followed by #2 North Dakota State University (3.5440) and #3 Cleveland State University (3.5331). The Top Five was rounded out by #4 Stanford University (3.5010) and #5 George Mason University (3.4818). For the individual awards, Drexel University led the list of honorees with 10 Scholar All-Americans while Hofstra University, Stanford University, and Utah Valley University each had eight honorees. The list also included 126 NCAA National Qualifiers, 37 All-Americans, five Finalists, and two National Champions.

Levi Haines at the Cadet World Team Trials finals (Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Just yesterday InterMat went into detail about wrestlers from the Class of 2022 Big Board that have committed to DI schools. A name missing from that list was Penn State. That changed today as Levi Haines (Biglerville, PA), the #12 overall recruit in the Class of 2022, has given a verbal commitment to the Penn State staff. Haines made the announcement this morning on Instagram. It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that Haines selected Penn State, as he's a member of David Taylor's M2 Training Center. Haines is a three-time Pennsylvania AA state finalist that captured his first title this year at 145 lbs. Recently, Levi made the Cadet World team in freestyle at 71 kg as he outlasted Iowa's Aiden Riggins in a three-match series, picking up wins 12-2 and 10-4. Prior to the finals, Haines blew through his first three opponents before getting by Lehigh-commit Enzo Morlacci 8-3 in the quarters and North Carolina's Joseph Sealey 6-6 in the semi's. Levi has been a fast riser nationally after making the Super 32 finals at 138 lbs in the fall. He also was fourth in Fargo, while wrestling in 16U freestyle in 2019. Haines won't be able to attend Fargo this year as he'll be at the Cadet World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. After competing at 71kg last month, it's reasonable to think that Haines could project at 165 lbs for the Nittany Lions. Penn State had freshman Joe Lee at the weight in 2021; however, he went 0-2 at the NCAA Championships.

Northern Illinois' All-American Brit Wilson (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) When the #FantasyCollegeWrestling season comes to an end, it's usual to feel like you need a break. I get it; even WE took a little time for some needed R&R (fear not, though, the FCW Podcast returns later this month!). The amount of work and game planning is exponentially higher than Fantasy Football or other sports. There is not much to do other than research in the off-season. But just like we say in training, it's what you do when others are not looking that separates you from the pack. We are left with a lot of raw data that needs to be filtered and sorted. The off-season is devoted to not only recording and organizing that data, but grouping, interpreting, and utilizing that data to forecast and strategize for the upcoming season. Sometimes the best way to prepare for the future is to look back on the past season and who is returning or names/data to remember come week 12 when you are struggling to find that 174 starter. Usually, you have names like Spencer Lee, Shane Griffith, Aaron Brooks, and Tony Cassioppi that you think of to bring you success. Together this season, they combined for 84 Fantasy Points (Fpts). Well, let me throw a couple other names at you: Codi Russell, Will Formato, Brit Wilson, and Michael McAleavey. This group totaled 185 Fpts this season. As I say every year, that's the beauty and frustration of Fantasy Sports. Sometimes your top performers are not "household names." Now, this year was definitely an "asterisk" type of year as there will be quite a few instances of skewing in one way or another (see the co-Hodge announcement). In past seasons, we have stressed that match count is not always a determining factor in actual or in Fantasy Wrestling success, but this year was different. Some teams were hit with COVID precautions or wrestlers actually got COVID making an imbalance of matches wrestled between wrestlers/teams larger than in years past and causing some big names to not make the Top 20 of their respective weights. To compile these lists, we used WrestleStat Fantasy College Wrestling data. Just a reminder of how points were tallied in WrestleStat Leagues: 1) The scoring used was Standard Team Scoring across all competitions (+3 for a win by decision, -4 for a loss by Major, etc) 2) Scoring only counted against D1 competition 3) Wins via Forfeits (FFT) would count as +6 towards a wrestler's point total 4) Wins or Losses by Medical Forfeit (MFF) did not count as + or - towards a wrestler's point total 5) Points were only accumulated during the regular season Here are the previous #FCW 2021 Season weight class Top-20 Lists: 125: Codi Russell (Appalachian State) 133: Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) 141: Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) 149: Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State) 157: Jacob Wright (Wyoming) 165: Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State) 174: Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley) Notes: Six of the eight All Americans from this year were also Top-20 Fantasy Wrestlers at 184. Had it not been for one loss, Dakota Geer would have been the #1 Fantasy Wrestler at 184 this season. At the same time, Brit Wilson was able to hold on to the top spot despite having one loss. Wilson had a bonus rate of 73%, while Geer was at 69%. Two SoCon wrestlers make the Top 5 this season at 184. Caleb Hopkins claimed the #3 ranking due to winning by pin in five of his last seven matches. Zach Brown (not the band), bookended his season with four total Pins. Both Parker Keckeisen and Hunter Bolen finished the regular season undefeated. Keckeisen used that one extra match he had to his advantage to get the #6 spot over Bolen. For the second year in a row, Matthew Waddell just fell ever so close to making the Top-10, but this time it wasn't by one Fpt; it was a 0.3 difference in PPM. Your national champion at 184 comes in at #12 in Fantasy rankings. With a bonus rate of 83%, his only non-bonus win was against Michigan's Jaden Bullock. Gardner-Webb's only Top Fantasy Wrestler (by the slightest of margins- see 285) this season comes in at #15, despite losing by pin (-6) in the middle of the season. Speaking of "only," Hudson Stewart was the only true freshman to make the list going 6-1 with two bonus wins. Who Missed The Cut: The highest All American placing to miss out on the Top 20 across all weights resides at the 184 class. In 2020, he was the #13 Fantasy Wrestler with a 48% bonus rate during the regular season, but this season Trent Hidlay had zero bonus matches (outside of a forfeit with Duke). He finished with 12 Fpts to be the #25 Fantasy Wrestler. Interestingly enough, had he beaten Hunter Bolen (lost 2-1), he would have been #17. The second All American that missed out on the Top-20 was John Poznanski, who went 3-1 in the regular season (all decisions) with 6 Fpts and claimed the #41. Missing the cut by only one point was true freshman Gopher Isaiah Salazar (who was 4-1 in D1 matches and lost by Decision to Nelson Brands) and Hofstra's Charles Small, both with 14 Fpts. Small went 4-1, with his lone loss being unfortunately due to injury, which accounted for -6 Fpts. Some other notables to not make the Top-20 include Taylor Venz (#28 with 11 Fpts), Owen Webster (#30 with 10 Fpts), Chris Weiler (#47 with 5 Fpts), Nelson Brands (#50 with 4 Fpts), and Max Lyon (#65 with 2 Fpts).

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame will host its 44th Honors Weekend event on June 4-5 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Hall of Fame Class that will be inducted includes Distinguished Members Bruce Burnett, Dremiel Byers, Mark Lieberman and Bill Zadick, Meritorious Official Tim Shiels, Order of Merit recipient Gary Abbott, Medal of Courage recipient Gary Chopp and Outstanding American Carl Eschenbach. The pandemic postponed their original induction in 2020, so they will now be honored as the Class of 2021. The Hall of Fame has reached a milestone and will induct its 200th Distinguished Member since it began in 1976. In order to keep honorees and their guests safe and healthy, the Hall of Fame has adjusted its programming. The tribute brunch will now be a virtual event at 6 p.m. CT on Rokfin on May 27. Each of the eight honorees will have two people speak on their behalf. The plaque and memorabilia unveilings are being held as eight separate events on June 4 and 5, limited to the honoree and their invited guests. The ceremonies will be videotaped and later combined into a single video on Rokfin. The induction ceremony on June 5 will be held at the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets can be purchased online. The induction ceremony will be streamed live at 7 p.m. on Rokfin. Byers and Zadick were chosen as Distinguished Members for the Modern Era while Burnett and Lieberman were selected by the Veterans Committee. Distinguished Members can be a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition; a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and who has compiled an outstanding record; or a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport. The Outstanding American award is presented to those individuals who have used the disciplines of wrestling to launch notable careers in other walks of life, such as science and technology, business and industry, government and the military, and the arts and humanities. The Meritorious Official award recognizes outstanding service as a referee, judge, or pairing official. The Medal of Courage recipient is a wrestler or former wrestler who has overcome what appear to be insurmountable challenges, providing inspiration to others. The Order of Merit is presented to an individual that has made a significant contribution to the sport of wrestling, but who is not an athlete or a coach. Friday, June 4, 2021 (Presentation of Plaques at Hall of Fame Museum) 5 p.m. - 5:50 p.m. Tim Shiels, Meritorious Official 6 p.m. - 6:50 p.m. Gary Abbott, Order of Merit 7 p.m. - 7:50 p.m. Gary Chopp, Medal of Courage 8 p.m. - 8:50 p.m. Carl Eschenbach, Outstanding American Saturday, June 5, 2021 (Presentation of Plaques at Hall of Fame Museum) 9 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. Bruce Burnett, Distinguished Member 10 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. Mark Lieberman, Distinguished Member 11 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. Dremiel Byers, Distinguished Member 12 a.m. - 12:50 a.m. Bill Zadick, Distinguished Member Saturday, June 5, 2021 (Induction Ceremony at McKnight Center for the Performing Arts) 7 - 9 p.m. 44th Induction Ceremony in the following order: Tim Shiels, Meritorious Official; Gary Abbott, Order of Merit; Gary Chopp, Medal of Courage; Carl Eschenbach, Outstanding American; Distinguished Members Bruce Burnett, Dremiel Byers, Mark Lieberman and Bill Zadick

Nick Feldman at Who's #1 (Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) The Class of 2021 recruiting is in the rearview mirror. They are "so last week." In fact, the 2021 recruiting class rankings were released by InterMat last Tuesday and detailed the top 25 classes in the nation. As we move forward, it's time to check out the Class of 2022; the current high school juniors. Recruiting verbals have been given earlier and earlier by the year, even in a pandemic situation with no official on-campus visits, to date. Even so, a significant chunk of the top-200 juniors in the nation (as per MatScouts) have pledged to DI schools. We have looked at every team that has received a verbal from a top-200 junior and given some insight about the wrestlers themselves, where they fit, or why their respective commitment is significant. Arizona State Current Verbals: #45 Michael Kilic (Woodward Academy, GA) 149 lbs #66 Kaleb Larkin (Valiant Prep, AZ) 141/149 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #2 Typically, Arizona State has had a light year or two after their big classes. With a pair of top-75 wrestlers already in the fold, the Sun Devils would be in the midst of another highly ranked group. #66 is the son of four-time All-American and 2004 Hodge Trophy winner Eric Larkin. Army West Point Current Verbals: #111 Nick Corday (Baylor School, TN) 125 lbs #129 Gage Cook (Granger, WA) 285 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #24 A strong start for Kevin Ward's team after a massive 2021 class that included nine of the top-300 wrestlers in the nation. The Black Knights lightweight area may be crowded, but another good one is on the way with Corday. Army has a long tradition of pulling in talent from Tennessee. Though he's actually "from" Georgia, Corday could be another one. Campbell Current Verbals: #82 Dom Baker (New Kent, VA) 174 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: NR Assistant coach Daryl Thomas has likely taken advantage of his time spent in Virginia coaching at Old Dominion, as he has nabbed the top junior in the state, Dom Baker. Baker has come on strong in the last year and will be a valuable addition in the 174/184 range. He competed at 182 lbs during the high school season, but has been 160 since. Columbia Current Verbals: #25 Jack Wehmeyer (Malvern Prep, PA) 184 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #25 Provided he maintains or possibly improves upon his current ranking, Jack Wehmeyer could be the highest-ranked Columbia recruit in the last 20 years (Matt Palmer/2002). Wehmeyer had a breakthrough year in 2020-21, culminating in a National Prep Open title at 182 lbs. He also hails from the unofficial team champion, Malvern Prep, which will be fruitful for future recruiting needs. Cornell Current Verbals: #46 Daniel Cardenas (Pomona, CO) 157 lbs #67 Erik Gibson (Bishop McCort, PA) 165 lbs #118 Jack Darrah (Christian Brothers, MO) 197 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #3 It's business as usual for the Big Red, who always tend to recruit well. While last year's class and the prior group leave few holes, they have a trio of highly capable high school juniors in the mix. Jack Darrah is a high school teammate of current Cornell freshman, Joshua Saunders. Erik Gibson is the older brother of freshman phenom Mason Gibson, so Cornell has to have the inside track on Mason. Harvard Current Verbals: #117 Joe Cangro (Bergen Catholic, NJ) 141 lbs Harvard had a solid 2021 class that may have snuck under the radar due to the classes nabbed by their Ivy League rivals. Getting state power, Bergen Catholic's Joe Cangro is a substantial piece for 2022. Cangro has placed three times at the New Jersey state tournament, each time in the top three, and has competed in some brutal weights. 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: NR Indiana Current Verbals: #33 Tyler Lillard (Wyoming Seminary, PA) 165 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: NR It's good to see Indiana get a verbal from a top-50 recruit and one that attends one of the top prep schools in the nation. Undoubtedly there will be more talent in the pipeline at Sem. Lillard is stingy to score on and has a knack for prevailing in tight bouts. Iowa State Current Verbals: #21 Manuel Rojas (Detroit CC, MI) 184 lbs #27 Casey Swiderski (Dundee, MI) 149 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #16 Is it the Brent Metcalf effect? Iowa State has verbals from not one, but the top two juniors from Michigan. Manuel Rojas has been considered one of the gems of the Class of 2022 for his entire career; however, Casey Swiderski really emerged over the last year. Both are projected at weights inhabited by returning seniors, so they will be plugging potential holes in Ames. Lehigh Current Verbals: #4 Ryan Crookham (Saucon Valley, PA) 149 lbs #44 PJ Casale (Delbarton, NJ) 197 lbs #132 Enzo Morlacci (Kiski Area, PA) 165 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: NR Lehigh had a bit of a light recruiting class in 2021, by their lofty standards, but they look ready to be among the elite in 2022. A verbal from Ryan Crookham marked the highest-ranked recruit for Lehigh since #1 overall David Craig signed in 2006. New Jersey champion, PJ Casale, gives Pat Santoro's team a pair of top-50 recruits, early on, and could be a fixture at 197. Maryland Current Verbals: #88 Kal Miller (Park Hill, MO) 149 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #8 What does the Maryland wrestling staff do for an encore after signing their best-recruiting class in recent memory? Go for an encore, as they have already secured a verbal from another top-100 recruit, Kal Miller, younger brother of 2021 signee, Ethen. No question that head coach Alex Clemsen's time spent in Missouri helped land the Park Hill duo. Minnesota Current Verbals: #22 Troy Spratley (Plano West, TX) 125 lbs #63 Hunter Lyden (Stillwater, MN) 165 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #7 Last year saw Minnesota expand its recruiting footprint by signing a top-50 recruit from Texas in Tagen Jamison. Well, this time around, they have his teammate, Troy Spratley. The Gopher staff always does well at keeping their top in-state kids at home, which they've done with Hunter Lyden. The two-time state champion, Lyden, could contribute at 165, a weight where the Gophers have missed out on producing an All-American at since 2014. Missouri Current Verbals: #51 Clayton Whiting (Oconto Falls, WI) 184 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: NR A massive Class of 2020, one that yielded a pair of true freshman All-Americans (Keegan O'Toole and Rocky Elam), eliminated the need for another class of its size in 2021. It remains to be seen how large 2022 will turn out. So far, Clayton Whiting is aboard. Mizzou has had good luck heading north to Wisconsin in the past, so Whiting may be the next Cheesehead state sensation for the Tigers. NC State Current Verbals: #16 Chase Horne (West Laurens, GA) 285 lbs #29 Jackson Arrington (Forest Hills, PA) 149 lbs #32 Dylan Fishback (Aurora, OH) 197 lbs #60 Finn Solomon (Franklin Regional, PA) 149 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #5 The NC State staff has developed into one of the top four or five most consistent at hauling in highly ranked recruiting classes. The headliner is big man Chase Horne, who spent part of his junior year ranked #1 in the nation. Arrington rose up the ranks significantly during the 2020-21 campaign. He and Finn Solomon are both from PA, a state that has been kind to the Wolfpack. Dylan Fishback is a big man that may get overlooked, but he could be a long-term solution at 197 lbs. Navy #110 Nick Vafiadis (New Kent, VA) 157/165 lbs #119 Evan Tallmadge (Brick Memorial, NJ) 125 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #18 Cary Kolat's first full recruiting class with the Naval Academy included nine members of the big board and was very Pennsylvania-heavy. Expect that to continue this year and in the future. Right now, Kolat went south to Virginia and landed Fargo finalist and NHSCA Junior champ, Nick Vafiadis. Also with past Fargo success is 2019 16U freestyle national champion, Evan Tallmadge. Nebraska Current Verbals: #15 Harley Andrews (Tuttle, OK) 285 lbs #26 Antrell Taylor (Millard South, NE) 165 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #13 Nebraska is a mainstay among the top recruiting teams. The 2022 Class will do nothing to change that, possibly even increase their typical ranking. Typically, the Cornhusker staff has to venture outside its borders to sign talent, as they will do with Harley Andrews. But this year, Nebraska has kept one of the state's top product's in quite some time, Antrell Taylor. North Carolina Current Verbals: #48 Noah Pettigrew (Blair Academy, NJ) 197 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #21 The Tar Heels are on the board with a really tough upperweight in Noah Pettigrew. Noah is from Georgia, home of recent two-time AA (Chip Ness) and attends Blair Academy, where 2021 All-American Zach Sherman graduated. Makes a lot of sense. The UNC staff had recruited extremely well under Coleman Scott, so expect this class to grow. North Dakota State Current Verbals: #179 Gavin Drexler (Stratford, WI) 133 lbs #187 Maxwell Petersen (Byron, MN) 141 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #15 Who could have forecasted that North Dakota State would have come out of, seemingly nowhere, to grab the #15 ranking in 2021? The Bison staff has already taken steps to help ensure another place in the recruiting rankings by getting Gavin Drexler and Maxwell Petersen. Minnesota has proven to be a great place for NDSU to nab talent and they did it again with Petersen. Northern Colorado Current Verbals: #50 Quentin Saunders (Wichita West, KS) 184/197 lbs #191 Brady Hankin (Woodland Park, CO) 141 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #19 Northern Colorado got an early verbal commitment from one of the best-kept secrets in the nation, Quentin Saunders. Saunders hasn't done a whole lot of national-level events, so it's not out of the picture to see his ranking rise after a big summer. Brady Hankin is likely the second-best junior in the state. Since Troy Nickerson has been at the helm in Greeley, his staff has done an excellent job at keeping those types of recruits at home. Northern Iowa Current Verbals: #136 Chet Buss (North Butler, IA) 285 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: NR Two-time Iowa 1A state champion, Chet Buss, has all the makings of a Doug Schwab-type recruit. Schwab has done well with small school kids and ones that may be overlooked on a national scale. Northwestern Current Verbals: #200 Sammie Hayes (Carl Sandburg, IL) 125 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #10 It's easy to picture Sammie Hayes being a similar sort of recruit to his older brother Louie. The more senior Hayes just finished his career at Virginia as an All-American, despite not being a super-highly ranked high schooler. Keeping Sammie in-state and away from Virginia is a good win for Matt Storniolo's team. Ohio State Current Verbals: #3 Nick Feldman (Malvern Prep, PA) 285 lbs #24 Seth Shumate (Dublin Coffman, OH) 197 lbs #105 Gavin Brown (Legacy Christian, OH) 149 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #9 The star power from Ohio State's early class would give them a strong case for having the top-ranked Class of 2022. Not only are Nick Feldman and Seth Shumate uber-talented, but they both are also at two of the most challenging weights to recruit. Feldman will likely grow into 285 lbs, despite wrestling like a 160, a weight he wrestled at in 2018-19. The double 16U national champion, Shumate, will give the Buckeyes an imposing one-two punch at the end of their lineup. Gavin Brown will be able to contribute at the middleweights, as well. Oklahoma Current Verbals: #20 John Wiley (Mustang, OK) 165 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Rankings: #11 The Class of 2021 saw Oklahoma keep one of the state's blue-chippers, Tate Picklo, at home with their 11th ranked recruiting class. This time they've got his high school teammate John Wiley. For a team, that can get overshadowed by its in-state rival on the recruiting trail, these are significant wins. Oklahoma State Current Verbals: #8 Anthony Ferrari (Stillwater, OK) 157 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #6 We already mentioned John Wiley, who's heading to Oklahoma, but the wrestler who pinned him in the state finals was Anthony Ferrari. The younger brother of AJ, Anthony, is almost as big of a recruit. He could be the beginning of a third consecutive monster recruiting class for the Cowboys. Oregon State Current Verbals: #54 Chase DeBlaere (Simley, MN) 141 lbs #61 Gabe Whisenhunt (Crescent Valley, OR) 133 lbs #81 Isaiah Anderson (Chiawana, WA) 197 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: NR When Chris Pendleton took over at Oregon State, just over a year ago, the commitments started to roll in for the Class of 2021. While that group missed the recruiting rankings, it signaled a renewed amount of interest in the program. The Class of 2022 looks to be where Pendleton's team really makes its mark. They already have a pair of top-100 recruits from the Pacific Northwest and have raided Minnesota for one of their top juniors. Penn Current Verbals: #23 Martin Cosgrove (Camden Catholic, NJ) 197 lbs #73 Evan Mougalian (Kinnelon, NJ) 125 lbs #75 Andrew Troczynski (Delbarton, NJ) 165 lbs #77 Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph's Regional, NJ) 141 lbs #131 Andrew Connelly (Malvern Prep, PA) 197 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #23 It's no fluke; it's a trend. Penn has been a force to be reckoned with on the recruiting trail, since Roger Reina's return, and there are no signs of slowing down. Through all of their years of strong recruiting, the Quakers may not have a sure-fire, elite 197 lber in the mix...yet. This group could produce a pair with New Jersey champ Martin Cosgrove and National Prep placer Andrew Connelly. Speaking of Jersey, this group is heavy with Garden State talent as Evan Mougalian and Andrew Troczynski are also state champs. Penn State Current Verbals: #12 Levi Haines (Biglerville, PA) 165 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #1 After hauling in the top-ranked recruiting class in the land, the Penn State staff already is off to a strong start in 2022. The Nittany Lions will get the services of local product Levi Haines, a protege of two-time Hodge Trophy winner, David Taylor. The Cadet World Team member continues to grow and should pencil in well at 165 lbs, which could be a need for Penn State in the future. Penn State doesn't have many needs, but sure filled one with Haines' recent commitment. Pittsburgh Current Verbals: #120 Jared Keslar (Connellsville, PA) 157 lbs #137 Briar Priest (Hempfield, PA) 149 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: NR Pittsburgh looks poised to retain a pair of wrestlers from their own backyard with commitments from Jared Keslar and Briar Priest. Keslar is a two-time fourth-place finisher, while Priest won a AAA state crown in 2021. Both project at weights where the Panthers failed to produce a national qualifier last season. Princeton Current Verbals: #18 Ty Whalen (Clearview, NJ) 149 lbs #82 Kole Mulhauser (Central Square, NY) 184 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: NR After a year away from the recruiting class rankings, Princeton is back! The Tigers have used a formula that has proved fruitful in the past, with talent from New Jersey and New York. Ty Whalen went from off-the-radar, nationally to a NJ state champ and a top-20 ranking on the Big Board. Kole Mulhauser also is on an upward trajectory and came into his own in 2020-21. Rutgers Current Verbals: #6 Brian Soldano (High Point, NJ) 184 lbs #39 Brandan Chletsos (Notre Dame, PA) 141 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #17 The top junior in New Jersey is not leaving the state. #6 Brian Soldano currently sits as the top-ranked 182 lber in the nation, a very top-heavy weight in talent. Between Soldano and 2021 true freshman All-American John Poznanski, Rutgers fans have to be excited about the prospect of two back-to-back in the future. Brandan Chletsos is from nearby in Pennsylvania and has placed top-three at the state tournament, twice. South Dakota State Current Verbals: #159 Christian Noble (Big Lake, MN) 125 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Rankings: #12 A recent verbal from Minnesota's Christian Noble got South Dakota State's Class of 2022 kickstarted properly. It's not surprising to see the Jackrabbit staff haul in Minnesota kids, as the state was key to their 2021 recruiting ranking. Virginia #62 Kyle Montaperto (Central Academy, NC) 125 lbs #104 Garrett Grice (Bellevue East, NE) 133 lbs #133 Keyveon Roller (Lakeway Christian, TN) 133 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: NR Virginia just narrowly missed inclusion in our honorable mention portion of the 2021 recruiting rankings. A robust early start says that won't be a problem in 2022. The Cavaliers have gone hard on strengthening their lightweights with their early verbals. Kyle Montaperto and Keyveon Roller are both kids from the South that placed themselves on the map with strong performances at national-level tournaments in 2020-21. Garrett Grice is from an area that continues to grow with DI talent, so Steve Garland's staff may be able to return for help in the future. Virginia Tech Current Verbals: #7 Caleb Henson (Woodland Cartersville, GA) 157 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #22 The Hokies 2021 class was short on names, but long on talent with a pair of top-50 recruits. This year they "only" have one verbal thus far, but it's from #7 overall Caleb Henson. The Hokies won a big recruiting battle against many of their ACC brethren for the services of the 2020 Super 32 champion. Wisconsin Current Verbals: #40 Brock Bobzien (Poway, CA) 133/141 lbs 2021 Recruiting Class Ranking: #14 Though the Wick brothers are from California, it's still relatively rare to see wrestlers from that state travel to Wisconsin for school, so it was surprising to see Brock Bobzien's commitment. With the cancellation of the 2021 California State Tournament, we weren't able to see just how far Bobzien has come in the last year. A season ago, Bobzien was seventh at the CIF tournament, but he's progressed into a #40 ranking on the Big Board.

This morning Nebraska joined 32 other states by sanctioning girls high school wrestling. A year ago, the Nebraska School Athletic Association (NSAA) voted to add girls wrestling as an emerging sport and it was on the state calendar as a winter sport. With sanctioning, the NSAA will host an official girls state tournament for the first time in 2021-22. For the past four years, a girls state tournament was held, but it was not officially sanctioned by the NSAA. Wednesday's vote tally turned out to be 8-0 in favor of sanctioning girls high school wrestling. Nebraska is the second state in less than 10 days to approve the sport. Minnesota jumped aboard on May 11th. While high school sanctioning just occurred, Nebraska already has a presence at the women's collegiate level. In 2020-21, Hastings became the state's third college to offer the sport, joining Midland and York. All three of these institutions should reap the benefits of having the girls wrestling sanctioned at the high school level.

Brent Metcalf at the 2015 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) At the 2006 World Wrestling Championships in Guangzhou, China, Bill Zadick won a gold medal at 66 kg. Along the way, he scored victories over four-time World medalist Genadry Garzon (Cuba) and four-time World/Olympic medalist Otar Tushishvili (Georgia). Not only did the current U.S. senior freestyle coach pick up the biggest medal of his career, but he also became the last American to bring home a medal at either 66 or 65 kg. Since 2006, the U.S. has sent eight different wrestlers to the World Championships and the Olympic Games at the weight classes. The eight wrestlers have combined for a 9-16 record and failed to bring home a medal. The upcoming Olympics will continue the streak for the country. Jordan Oliver had an electric performance at the Olympic Trials where he bested Nick Lee, Yianni Diakomihalis and Joey McKenna. However, the former Oklahoma State wrestler still needed to qualify the weight for the Games. Oliver ultimately finished one match short of qualification as he dropped a 3-2 decision against two-time World medalist Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (Poland) in the semifinals of the World Qualification Tournament. The U.S. has certainly been sending quality wrestlers to these tournaments. The eight representatives combined for 14 national titles and 27 All-American seasons on the collegiate level. The competition has also been tough at the Trials. During this stretch, a variety of quality wrestlers failed to make teams, including names like Cary Kolat, Kendall Cross, Zack Esposito, Darrion Caldwell, James Green, Aaron Pico, Jayson Ness and Kellen Russell. A Pair of Fifths While the U.S. has not brought home any medals at the weights, two wrestlers came within one victory. At the 2007 World Championships, Doug Schwab went 3-2 and finished fifth. After being knocked out of the championship bracket by former Zadick opponent Garzon, Schwab qualified for the repechage. Schwab downed Mongolia's Buyanjavyn Batzorig to set up a match with yet another wrestler Zadick defeated on the way to his medal, Tushishvili. He dropped the best-of-three period bout by scores of 4-1 and 1-0. The current coach at Northern Iowa would return to the World stage at the 2008 Olympics, but he dropped both of his matches and finished in 14th place. Eight years later, Frank Molinaro somewhat surprisingly won the Olympic Trials with victories over Kellen Russell, Brent Metcalf, Logan Stieber and Aaron Pico. Like Oliver, the former Penn State wrestler still needed to qualify the weight through the World Qualification Tournament. He came up short against former Cal Poly wrestler Boris Noavchkov who was wrestling for Bulgaria. Despite that loss, Molinaro still earned a spot in the Games after qualified wrestlers were pulled. Molinaro nearly completed the storybook ending as he finished one match short of a medal at the 2016 Olympics. In his opening match, he ousted Oliver's recent rival Gadzhiev before falling against Olympic champion Toghrul Asgarov (Azerbaijan). Once in the repechage, Molinaro defeated Andriy Kvyatkovsky (Ukraine) to earn a spot in the bronze medal match against Frank Chamizo (Italy). It was a dynamic match that ultimately went to Chamizo by a 5-3 score. Domestic Dominance Of the 13 World/Olympic tournaments between 2007-2019, Brent Metcalf was the American representative at four events. No other wrestlers made more than two teams. Metcalf finished his run with a 3-4 record on the World's highest level. His best shot came at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas. At that tournament, Metcalf defeated Norbert Lukacs (Hungary) and Yeerlanieke Katai (China) before dropping a 5-4 match against Ahmad Mohammadi (Iran) in the round of 16. Mohammadi then lost to the eventual champion Chamizo and thus eliminated Metcalf from the tournament. The former Hodge Trophy winner would retire from the sport after losing to Molinaro during the 2016 Olympic Trials. Active Wrestlers The only active wrestler to have made a World team at 65 kg is Zain Retherford. He was part of the 2017 squad that won the team title and returned to the World Championships in 2019. Retherford had a shot to qualify the weight for the upcoming Olympics at the Pan American Qualification Tournament. However, he suffered an upset against Argentina's Agustin Destribats in the semifinals via fall. Retherford entered the most recent Olympic Trials as the top seed. He won his first match over former Rutgers national champion Anthony Ashanult via a 5-1 score. Retherford was then knocked out of the championship bracket by Joey McKenna. The former Penn State wrestler tried to get back on track in the consolation bracket, but he was upset once again by teammate Nick Lee. 65 kg remains one of the most challenging weights domestically, but the success has not been there for the U.S. in World-level competitions. Many expected Diakomihalis to take over the spot after a dominant start to the 2019 freestyle season. After winning his second NCAA title, he won the 2019 U.S. Open with victories over Molinaro, Oliver and Retherford. He followed that up with a victory over World medalist Bajrang Punia. However, he could not beat out Retherford for the spot on the World team. Diakomihalis has continued to defeat high-level international opposition, including Gor Ogannesyan (Ukraine), World bronze medalist Ismail Musukaev (Hungary), and Olympic gold medalist Vladimer Khinchegasvhili (Georgia). It is hard to tell if the struggles at 66 and 65 kg over the years are due to the high level of international competition or a bit of strange luck. In reality, it is likely a bit of both. The U.S. has had a solid core of talent at the weight, but the results have not come. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues. The next shot at a medal will come at the 2021 World Championships this October in Oslo, Norway.

Courtesy of SW Michigan athletics In keeping with its ongoing mission of providing affordable, high-quality education, including the total college life experience, the Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees, during its regular meeting on May 12, unanimously authorized the SMC administration to revive four additional intercollegiate sports for Fall 2022: Men's and Women's Basketball, Women's Volleyball and Men's Wrestling. In the summer of 2020, SMC announced that after a 25-year hiatus, it had revived its men's and women's cross country programs. The College has been signing runners, momentum is building and excitement is in the air for the return of competition this fall. SMC's performance in cross country is legendary, with five team national championships, three individual national champions, and 41 All-Americans, but the College also has a rich legacy in other sports, including 11 volleyball All-Americans, four basketball All-Americans, a two-time wrestling All-American and a Women's Basketball Division II team national championship. The College will immediately apply to expand its participation in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), plus apply for reinstatement to the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA), and renew rivalries with the five other nearby colleges that all currently provide athletics. “Building a robust athletics program will help SMC and the College district in so many ways,” said Dr. Joe Odenwald in his President's Report. “First, we will boost enrollment by attracting high school graduates who in the past have looked beyond SMC since we lacked intercollegiate athletics. This move will improve occupancy rates in our modern residence halls, create more evening and weekend activities for the campus community and provide opportunities to involve other students beyond the athletes by showcasing a dance team, a pep band, and vocalists singing the National Anthem. Athletics will energize our Sports Management major by providing numerous immersive experiences for students right here on campus and develop a platform to potentially launch Physical Therapy, Sports Medicine or other health degrees at SMC. “More broadly,” Odenwald continued, “athletics will draw visitors to games, meets, tournaments and summer camps to patronize local businesses throughout the year and to welcome back hundreds of alumni who participated in these activities years ago. It just creates so many connections back to the current community and from our past to our future. Lastly, everyone should appreciate that it is due to the hard work, dedication and stewardship by this board and my predecessors, including Dr. David Mathews most recently, that this is now possible for all of us.” Director of Bands Mark Hollandsworth expressed his support in person at the meeting, saying “Having athletics can only be a good thing for all of SMC's music programs. In my experience, most music students love to play in a pep band, and I envision some of them potentially taking over conducting duties at games to help run the show.” Professor Ritch Reynolds also weighed in, reminding the board that “SMC's Sports Management degree is one of few offered in the area, and it is built on the requirement of 250 hours of experiential learning outside the classroom. Working in intercollegiate athletics carries prestige on a resume and hosting dozens of games and meets per year on campus is an ideal way to support our academics, while academics in turn will help to run those athletic events.” Dr. Trevor Kubatzke, President of Lake Michigan College, generously took time to attend the board meeting via Zoom to share his perspective on the benefits of athletics and to endorse the plan. “It will reduce travel time and expenses for our teams and we welcome having another spirited rival against whom LMC student athletes can compete. Athletics is a positive thing on our campus, and I support this move at the highest level.” Legendary Coach Ron Gunn, who served in many capacities on campus from 1967 to 2006, is totally on board. “It's incredible what we're doing. It's going to be the best stimulus ever in terms of getting the school fired up again,” Gunn said. “I'm ecstatic. It was very emotional for me to hear. I was involved in [athletics] from the very beginning. I just love this place, and it has so much potential, more than when I was here, with the halls and the gym. It's got to pay dividends and they picked the right sports.“ Brent Nate, Athletic Director at Dowagiac Union High School, added, “We're excited for the opportunities that will arise for our students and community with SMC bringing back athletics full time. Southwestern is a hub of the community and many of our students attend SMC as their college of choice. This will provide student-athletes with another local option to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level.” Dowagiac Mayor Don Lyons offered, “This is entrepreneurial thinking. It is about bringing in spectators and teams to our community, for single games and hopefully tourneys. They will need to eat coming or going, maybe fuel up. Plus, the potential for summer camps and large groups being here for several days in a stretch. This has the potential to be a win for the College, our community, and the entire county." Chad Gardner, Athletic Director for Cassopolis Public Schools, agreed. “I feel investing in our community and bringing sports back to SMC is one of the best things that has happened to our area in quite some time. This will encourage more students to stay in our community to seek further education and continue their athletic careers. This is a very exciting time to live in Southwest Michigan,” he said. Dan Applegate, Superintendent of Niles Community Schools, said, “Seeing the impact that athletics has on the development and lives of our students at Niles Community Schools, I commend Southwestern Michigan College for adding more sports. Our students have benefited greatly from learning the importance of teamwork and competition through sports – critical lessons for their success after graduation. We look forward to seeing our students continue to showcase their talents while achieving academic excellence.” Dean Huppert, Director of Athletics for Mishawaka Schools, said, “Mishawaka High School can't wait to see the excitement coming to Southwestern Michigan College. Bringing back volleyball, wrestling, men's and women's basketball, and building facilities will be a win for student athletes and the community. We wish the Roadrunners good luck in building the foundation for future success." To meet one of its core values of high quality in all that the College does, SMC will need to enhance and expand gymnasium facilities to better accommodate team sports. “At SMC, we understand that maintaining the College facilities at a high level is the best value for taxpayers while doing so without requesting additional millages,” Board Chairman Tom Jerdon said. “For example, after updating almost all of our academic buildings since 2015, we are investing another $500,000 this summer to modernize and expand the Niles Campus chemistry labs. As we expand intercollegiate athletics, we are first going to make responsible use of the existing Charles O. Zollar Building for indoor sports with some strategic refurbishment.” Major elements of the Zollar project will include: Replacement of the original gymnasium floor - which was installed in the 1970s and has reached the end of its useful life - with a new high-grade basketball and volleyball floor Replacement of the original bleachers with a new system that will meet current Americans with Disability Act requirements and provide better comfort and accessibility for fans of all ages Cleaning and painting of the gymnasium ceiling and walls Installation of energy-efficient LED overhead lights Installation of protective padding on both ends of the court to help prevent impact injuries Installation of a new video scoreboard and audio system Construction of new state-of-the-art men's and women's locker rooms for the home teams Reconfiguration of the existing men's and women's locker rooms for visiting teams Addition of two Officials' Rooms Addition of a family-friendly restroom for fans Construction of “The Nest,” a second-floor suite of coaches' offices and gathering area, with a glass wall overlooking the court, suitable for receptions, recruiting or donor events and premium viewing experiences Upon seeing the initial design, Edwardsburg Public Schools Superintendent Jim Knoll enthused, “Wow! This is a quality facility that can be used for not only athletics, but other presentations or activities. The gathering area above the playing floor is a very flexible space for small meetings or cozy conversations. The team rooms both represent SMC well and are attractive to athletes and officials. Well done.” The project is expected to cost from $1.8 to $2.0 million, with the majority coming from the College's existing Building and Site Fund. Administration plans to raise the balance from naming rights and private donations. Construction will begin in December 2021 and is expected to be completed by July 2022. A sample of architectural renderings of the project, created by Abonmarche's South Bend office, are available to view at swmich.edu, and details of a capital fundraising campaign for athletics facilities will be forthcoming. Students interested in competing at SMC starting in Fall 2022 should watch the college's athletics social media channels and web site for coaching announcements and recruiting information.

Stanford Associate head coach Ray Blake (left) (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The best-case scenario actually became a reality! Less than three hours ago, news trickled out of San Francisco that Stanford University was reversing a decision from July 2020 to cut 11 sports. Wrestling was included. In the months that ensued, millions of dollars were pledged by the wrestling community (and other sports), and the Stanford coaching staff, alums, worked tirelessly to save the team. As someone who has watched this situation too often to count, it's a relief to see our side win one and a program saved. So along with all of the jubilation surrounding the second life for Stanford Wrestling, the next question is, “Who will lead the Cardinal in 2021-22”. Previous head coach Jason Borrelli took the head coach position at American University on April 13th. I'm sure that plenty of candidates will come out of the woodwork as head coaching jobs at DI programs in Power Five conferences don't come along every day. In the coming days, InterMat will outline what comes along with the job itself, as it will be a massive uphill battle. 2021 NCAA champion Shane Griffith, 2020 All-American Real Woods, and plenty of other talented Cardinal grapplers are currently in the transfer portal. Their status is still uncertain. Before we get to the job itself, we'll take a crack at putting together a preliminary list of head coaching candidates. The seven coaches we've mentioned below have excellent qualifications and have plenty of reasons why they would work out in Palo Alto. Ray Blake (Associate Head Coach - Stanford) Why He's a Fit - Out of this list, he may be THE fit. Blake just finished his 14th year on staff at Stanford and fourth in his current rule. In addition, Blake is a Stanford alum who was a national qualifier in 2005-06. Blake has worked under the previous two head coaches for the Cardinal and has been instrumental in the school's recruiting process. An Illinois native, he is largely responsible for the influx of Illinois natives who have recently competed in Palo Alto (Nick Stemmet, Nathan Traxler, Real Woods (HS), Gabe Townsell, Josh Marchok are some recent national qualifiers). Blake was a crucial figure in the fight to save the program and stability will be critical in the upcoming weeks/months/season. Alex Tirapelle (Assistant Coach - Stanford) Why he's a Fit - Alex Tirapelle is one of two coaches on staff with previous head coaching experience. He spent three years as the head man at Penn, which were sandwiched between eight years on the Stanford staff. While prior experience leading a team is not essential, it's always helpful. Tirapelle's family name in-state is also key. His brothers are head coaches at two of the top programs in the state. Young brother Troy was named the USA Today National Coach of the Year in 2018-19, while older brother Adam has led Clovis to six state titles. Their father, Steve, was also a legendary coach in the state. An Illinois grad, Alex also has ties to the midwest, which are necessary in recruiting. Kerry McCoy (Volunteer Assistant - Stanford/Head Coach California RTC) Why he's a Fit - The other coach on staff with previous head coaching experience is Kerry McCoy. McCoy actually has experience as the head coach at Stanford. He held that post from 2005-08. McCoy left Stanford to assume the head coaching position at the University of Maryland, one he held from 2008-19. While the wrestling community celebrates saving Stanford wrestling, behind the scenes, there's a lot of work to be done. With a boatload of wrestlers in the transfer portal, uncertain of their status, no incoming recruiting class, and other hurdles, having a steady leader with McCoy's professionalism would be critical. The two-time Olympian and World silver medalist also has the prerequisite chops on the mat, which led to his current role as head coach of the California RTC. Jamil Kelly (Assistant Coach - North Carolina) Why he's a Fit - Another familiar face for Cardinal fans is Jamill Kelly. The California native was on staff at Stanford from 2014-18 as the associate head coach, before leaving for Arizona State. Though he's currently at North Carolina, Kelly is well-versed in the Pac-12, having also coached at Cal Poly, as well. Kelly has worked for an excellent array of experienced, respected head coaches. Coleman Scott, Zeke Jones, Pat Popolizio, and former Cardinal head man Jason Borrelli are among those that Kelly has coached under. The first three have all recently produced DI head coaches (Neil Erisman, Chris Pendleton, and Frank Beasley). Like McCoy, Kelly is top-notch when it comes to freestyle. The Olympic silver medalist has coached on multiple Cadet World Teams, along with a Junior World squad in 2016. Troy Steiner (Head Coach - Fresno State) Why he's a Fit - Technically, Troy Steiner is no longer the head coach at Fresno State as that school has vowed to drop its team this offseason. However, it is his most recent title. Steiner was aboard for the reboot of the Fresno State team in 2017-18. While not exactly the same situation, Stanford will be more in rebuilding mode, than reloading, if even a fraction of the wrestlers in the transfer portal leave. Steiner has plenty of experience in California (five years) and the Pac-12 (10 years as an Oregon State assistant coach). He also assembled an impressive coaching staff while at Fresno State, including Izzy Silva, Jason Chamberlain, and Joe Colon. Steiner's name and freestyle background could attract coaches/wrestlers of that ilk to come on staff or train at the RTC. While Steiner is older than anyone on this list and not the “latest and greatest” name, he is thought of very highly by his peers and wrestlers and would make for an excellent hire. Jason Welch (Head Coach - San Francisco State) Why he's a Fit - Let's look outside the box, at bit, for a guy who's frankly a little “outside the box” in Jason Welch. An English major and creator of “Surf and Wrestle” Camps is not your typical wrestling coach and that may play well at Stanford. The Cardinal administration wouldn't have to look very far for the three-time All-American who's coaching less than 40 miles away at San Francisco State. Welch spent his collegiate days at Northwestern and later was on the Wildcat staff. Northwestern is a school with a similar academic reputation as Stanford; therefore, Welch is familiar with “who” to recruit and how to get them on campus. Welch is also a legendary California high school wrestler who was a four-time state finalist and three-time champion at Los Lomas High School. As a senior, he was Junior Dan Hodge Trophy winner and deemed the top recruit in the Class of 2008. Mike Grey (Associate Head Coach - Cornell) All of the previous candidates on this list have some sort of current or past ties to California. And why not? It makes sense for most collegiate jobs. However, McCoy had no previous links to the state. Borrelli was an assistant under McCoy, but went to college at Central Michigan. Getting a job in your home state isn't a prerequisite. That's where we turn to Mike Grey, a two-time All-American for Cornell. Grey immediately moved from the wrestling mat to the coach's corner upon graduation in 2011 and hasn't left Ithaca since. As a coach, he has been a part of eight Big Red teams that finished top ten in the nation. Grey has also worked very closely with Yianni Diakomihalis and other stars from the Cornell program. Coaching at an Ivy League school and coming from a collegiate prep high school, Grey is familiar with a school that stresses academics like Stanford. Additionally, Cornell must recruit on a national basis, so that isn't a foreign concept for Grey. Stanford does so as well; even their most prominent wrestler (athlete), Shane Griffith, is from New Jersey, Grey's home state. Instead of going to the Ivy League, these New Jersey prep stars may be more apt to head out west.

2021 NCAA champion Shane Griffith (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Breaking News courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle's Ann Killion: Stanford will not cut any of the 11 programs (including wrestling) as was previously announced in July of 2020. More information to come. For full story: San Francisco Chronicle

From left (Jake Woodley; Oklahoma, Rocky Elam; Missouri, David Carr; Iowa State, AJ Ferrari; Oklahoma State) (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The 2022 Big 12 team race may be one of the most intriguing ones we've seen in years. Perennial champs Oklahoma State are coming off a third-place finish at the NCAA tournament, but tied their in-state rival Oklahoma for the Big 12 title last season. Then enters Missouri, coming back to the conference after years in the MAC, with a load of young talent and a real chance to reenter the league and win a team title in their first year back. Let's dig in and look at a few of the contenders. Oklahoma State The Cowboys have won nine straight conference titles and bring back two NCAA finalists, along with All-Americans at 157 and 165. They didn't have quite their best showing of their season at the Big 12 tournament last year, and after a streak of bonus points from OU in the consolation rounds, they found themselves in a dog fight that resulted in a co-champion finish between the Bedlam rivals. The three big questions with Oklahoma State next season are this. 1. Can they get healthy? This team was beat up last year. Kaid Brock, Dusty Hone, Wyatt Sheets, Dustin Plott, and AJ Ferrari have all had injuries; some have since had surgeries and wrestled parts of the season hurt. Kaid Brock has chosen to close out his career, but the rest of these guys will all be back and could be starters. Their health will play a significant role in OSU's success and if 100%, all will be substantial point scorers for OSU at the conference tournament. If unhealthy, it could change things up a lot. 2. Do they redshirt everyone? With recruiting like OSU has had in recent years, they may end up playing the long game in trying to plan to win NCAA team titles down the road. Three of their starters last season were true freshmen, who all have the option to redshirt this season and two of those have had some recent injury issues with Dustin Plott and AJ Ferrari. If they decide to redshirt them for health reasons or to set up the team long term, then it's going to be a lot tougher for OSU to win. 3. Does the Big 12 tournament team or NCAA tournament team show up? IF OSU wrestles like they did at the Big 12 tournament, it's going to be tough for them to win again. If they wrestle like they did at the NCAA tournament, make some room in the trophy case. Missouri Mizzou reenters the Big 12 after a long hiatus spent wrestling in the MAC, while the rest of the schools' sports went to the SEC, which does not sponsor wrestling. They immediately enter as arguably the favorite team to win the Big 12 Conference title. They're young, deep, well-coached, and should create a formidable opponent and challenge for Oklahoma State who has owned the conference in recent years. When you look at the team scores at the NCAA tournament, Oklahoma State comfortably outdistanced Missouri, but two factors widened that gap more than it probably would in a Big 12 tournament format. 1. Oklahoma State had two NCAA finalists. 2. Oklahoma State wrestled a little over their heads at the NCAA tournament. AJ Ferrari and Daton Fix will very likely win the Big 12 again next year, but the team points they score at the Big 12 won't create as much of a gap as we saw at the NCAA's, as it's likely that Missouri will be closer to them in their finishes at those weights. With that, it sets up a situation where OSU probably should best them at the NCAA tournament while the Big 12 will be much closer. Oklahoma The Sooners tied their Bedlam rivals for the conference crown last year and should bring everyone back next season. That, along with a big addition at 125, in 2020 national qualifier Joey Prata out of Virginia Tech, should have OU in the conversation again next year. Northern Iowa UNI fell pretty far out of contention for a team title by the end of last year's Big 12 tournament, but they return two champs in Parker Keckeisen and Brody Teske, who combined to score 42.5 of their 79 team points. Northern Iowa can contend for the Big 12 title next year, but they'll need to solidify some help for Teske and Keckeisen. Their highest finish outside of their two champs was fifth place, which just isn't going to win a tournament like this. But if they can develop some depth in other spots in the offseason, they may have a shot.

Minnesota signee Bennett Tabor. Bennett is one of four Big Board members from Simley High School (Photo/Richard Immel; RImmelPics.com) Last week, InterMat released our 2021 recruiting class rankings and a big ingredient used to tabulate those rankings were MatScouts' Senior Big Board. A factor we used when weighing a certain team's recruiting class against another was how many ‘Big Boarders” each respective team signed. Then we broke it down to, top-50, top100, etc. Once the recruiting class rankings were finished we decided to have some fun with the Big Board and look at other factors. How many did each state have? How many high schools had multiple Big Board members? Did anyone from the Big Board sign at a non-DI school? What about conferences, surely the Big Ten had to sign the most Big Boarder's...right? We have all of those answers and more below: Big Boarder's By School: Air Force: 6 Top 300's. 3 Top 200's. American: 2 Top 200's. Appalachian State: 4 Top 300's. 2 Top 200's Arizona State: 5 Top 200's. 4 Top 100's. 2 Top 50's. Army West Point: 6 Top 300's. 5 Top 200's. Bellarmine: 1 Top 300. Binghamton: 1 Top 200 Brown: 6 Top 300's. 3 Top 200's. Bucknell: 4 Top 300's. 1 Top 200. Cal Baptist: 1 Top 200 Cal Poly: 1 Top 50 Campbell: 5 Top 200. 1 Top 100 Chattanooga: 4 Top 300's. 3 Top 200's. Clarion: 1 Top 100 Cleveland State: 2 Top 200 Columbia: 6 Top 300's. 4 Top 200's. 2 Top 100's. Cornell: 10 Top 300's. 8 Top 200's. 5 Top 100's. 3 Top 50's. CSU Bakersfield: 1 Top 200 Drexel: 1 Top 300 Duke: 1 Top 300 Edinboro: 2 Top 200's George Mason: 4 Top 300's. 3 Top 200's. Harvard: 3 Top 200's. 1 Top 100 Hofstra: 2 Top 300's. 1 Top 200 Illinois: 4 Top 300's. 2 Top 200's. 1 Top 50 Indiana: 4 Top 300's. 2 Top 200's. 1 Top 50 Iowa: 3 Top 50's. Iowa State: 6 Top 300's. 4 Top 200's. 3 Top 100's. 2 Top 50's. Kent State: 3 Top 300's. 1 Top 50. Lehigh: 2 Top 200's. 1 Top 100 Little Rock: 6 Top 300's. 4 Top 200's. 1 Top 50. Lock Haven: 2 Top 300's. Maryland: 5 Top 300's. 4 Top 100's. 2 Top 50's. Michigan: 2 Top 200's. 1 Top 50. Minnesota: 8 Top 300's. 7 Top 200's. 5 Top 100's. 2 Top 50's. Missouri: 2 Top 100's. 1 Top 50. Navy: 9 Top 300's. 7 Top 200's. 2 Top 100's. NC State: 8 Top 300's. 6 Top 200's. 5 Top 100's. 4 Top 50's. Nebraska: 3 Top 200's. 2 Top 50's. North Carolina: 4 Top 300's. 3 Top 200's. 2 Top 100's. 1 Top 50. North Dakota State: 8 Top 300's. 6 Top 200's. 5 Top 100's. Northern Colorado: 6 Top 300's. 3 Top 200's. 2 Top 100's. 1 Top 50. Northern Illinois: 3 Top 300's. 1 Top 100. Northern Iowa: 5 Top 200's. 1 Top 100 Northwestern: 3 Top 200's. 2 Top 50's. Ohio: 5 Top 300's. 4 Top 200's Ohio State: 4 Top 300's. 2 Top 50's. Oklahoma: 4 Top 300's. 3 Top 200's. 2 Top 50's. Oklahoma State: 7 Top 300's. 5 Top 200's. 3 Top 50's. Oregon State: 5 Top 300's. 3 Top 200's. 1 Top 100. Penn: 5 Top 300's. 4 Top 200's. 3 Top 100's. Penn State: 4 Top 100's. 2 Top 50's. Pittsburgh: 4 Top 300's. 3 Top 200's. 2 Top 100's. 1 Top 50. Presbyterian: 1 Top 300 Princeton: 3 Top 300's. 2 Top 200's. 1 Top 50. Purdue: 5 Top 200's. 3 Top 100's. Rider: 2 Top 200's. 1 Top 50. Rutgers: 6 Top 300's. 4 Top 200's. 3 Top 100's. 1 Top 50. SIU Edwardsville: 2 Top 300's. 1 Top 200. South Dakota State: 6 Top 300's. 4 Top 100's. 1 Top 50. The Citadel: 1 Top 300 Utah Valley: 1 Top 300 Virginia: 5 Top 300's. 2 Top 200's. 1 Top 100 Virginia Tech: 2 Top 50's. West Virginia: 3 Top 200's. 1 Top 50. Wisconsin: 3 Top 100's. 1 Top 50. Wyoming: 4 Top 300's. 3 Top 200's. 2 Top 100's. Big Border's to Non-DI Schools 10 to Non-DI Schools Clackamas CC (Victor Jacinto), Lake Erie (Tyler Swiderski), Lander (Randy Myers), Mercyhurst (Dillon Walker), New York (Cooper Pontelandolfo), Southeastern (Dom Lomazzo), St. Cloud State (Nick Novak), Triton (Elon Rodriguez), Warburg (Luke Walker), UW-LaCross (Ben Kawczynski) Big Border's by Home State Pennsylvania: 42 (19 Top 100) Ohio: 31 (7 Top 100) Illinois: 25 (7 Top 100) California: 24 (13 Top 100) New Jersey: 23 (10 Top 100) Minnesota: 14 (7 Top 100) Missouri: 13 (4 Top 100) Oklahoma: 13 (3 Top 100) Wisconsin: 11 (3 Top 100) Indiana: 10 (0 Top 100) Iowa: 10 (2 Top 100) New York: 10 (3 Top 100) Colorado: 8 (2 Top 100) Florida: 8 (0 Top 100) Georgia: 7 (4 Top 100) Texas: 7 (3 Top 100) Michigan 5 (2 Top 100) Kansas 4 (1 Top 100) Nebraska 4 (1 Top 100) North Carolina 4 (0 Top 100) Oregon 4 (1 Top 100) Arizona 3 (2 Top 100) Tennessee 3 (1 Top 100) Connecticut: 2 (1 Top 100) Montana: 2 (0 Top 100) Rhode Island: 2 (0 Top 100) Utah 2 (1 Top 100) Idaho: 1 (1 Top 100) Kentucky: 1 (1 Top 100) Maryland 1 (1 Top 100) Massachusetts 1 (0 Top 100) New Hampshire 1 (0 Top 100) South Dakota 1 (0 Top 100) Virginia 1 (0 Top 100) Washington 1 (0 Top 100) Big Boarder's Per Conference Big 12: 59 (25 Top 100) Big Ten: 54 (34 Top 100) EIWA: 54 (15 Top 100) MAC: 26 (4 Top 100) ACC: 24 (12 Top 100) Pac-12: 18 (7 Top 100) SoCon: 16 (2 Top 100) Big Boarder's Per High School Buchanan, CA: 5 (Maximo Renteria, Carlos Negrete, Rocco Contino, Ray Lopez, George Ruiz) Simley, MN: 4 (Bennett Tabor, Ryan Sokol, Quayin Short, Cael Berg) Dundee, MI: 3 (Stoney Buell, Tyler Swiderski, Dom Lomazzo) Gilroy, CA: 3 (Henry Porter, Jayden Gomez, Victor Jacinto) LaSalle, OH: 3 (Dustin Norris, Dillon Walker, Casey Wiles) Wyoming Seminary, PA: 3 (Cole Rees, Gregor McNeil, Luke Duthie) Arrowhead, WI: 2 (Jack Ganos, Mason Diel) Bethalto, IL: 2 (Caine Tyus, Caleb Tyus) Blair Academy, NJ: 2 (Shayne Van Ness, Travis Mastrogiovanni) Brecksville, OH: 2 (Victor Voinovich, Ben Vanadia) Brick Memorial, NJ: 2 (David Szuba, Vince Santaniello) Broken Arrow, OK: 2 (Jared Hill, Emmanuel Skillings) Burrell, PA: 2 (AJ Corrado, Ian Oswalt) Chesterton, IN: 2 (Evan Bates, Brock Ellis) Christian Brothers College, MO: 2 (Vince Zerban, William White) Cold Spring Harbor, NY: 2 (Christian Hansen, Gaven Bell) Elyria, OH: 2 (Enrique Munguia, Jake Evans) Graham, OH: 2 (Alek Martin, Nick Moore) Hempfield, PA: 2 (Isaiah Vance, Ethan Berginc) Louisville, OH: 2 (Davin Rhoads, Garett Lautzenhesier) Marian Central Catholic, IL: 2 (Dylan Connell, Elon Rodriguez) McCallie School, TN: 2 (Alex Whitworth, Gavin Cagle) Millard South, NE: 2 (Conor Knopick, Caleb Coyle) Mt. Carmel, IL: 2 (Connor Gaynor, Noah Mis) Mustang, OK: 2 (Tate Picklo, Tucker Owens) Perry Meridian, IN: 2 (Alex Cottey, Aiden Warren) Seneca Valley, PA: 2 (Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, Dylan Chappell) Skiatook, OK: 2 (Josh Taylor, Cougar Andersen) Spring-Ford, PA: 2 (Joey Milano, Jack McGill) St. Edward, OH: 2 (Paddy Gallagher, Hudson Hightower) St. John Bosco, CA: 2 (Cael Valencia, Isaac Salas) Stillwater, OK: 2 (Carter Young, Teague Travis) Stoughton, WI: 2 (Brooks Empey, Luke Mechler) Wadsworth, OH: 2 (Logan Messer, Jon List) Waynesburg, PA: 2 (Wyatt Henson, Luca Augustine) Woodland Cartersville, GA: 2 (Caden McCrary, Jaxon Smith)

Utah Valley's Demetrius Romero (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) When the #FantasyCollegeWrestling season comes to an end, it's usual to feel like you need a break. I get it; even WE took a little time for some needed R&R (fear not, though, the FCW Podcast returns later this month!). The amount of work and game planning is exponentially higher than Fantasy Football or other sports. There is not much to do other than research in the off-season. But just like we say in training, it's what you do when others are not looking that separates you from the pack. We are left with a lot of raw data that needs to be filtered and sorted. The off-season is devoted to not only recording and organizing that data, but grouping, interpreting, and utilizing that data to forecast and strategize for the upcoming season. Sometimes the best way to prepare for the future is to look back on the past season and who is returning or names/data to remember come week 12 when you are struggling to find that 174 starter. Usually, you have names like Spencer Lee, Shane Griffith, Aaron Brooks, and Tony Cassioppi that you think of to bring you success. Together this season, they combined for 84 Fantasy Points (Fpts). Well, let me throw a couple other names at you: Codi Russell, Will Formato, Brit Wilson, and Michael McAleavey. This group totaled 185 Fpts this season. As I say every year, that's the beauty and frustration of Fantasy Sports. Sometimes your top performers are not "household names." Now, this year was definitely an "asterisk" type of year as there will be quite a few instances of skewing in one way or another (see the co-Hodge announcement). In past seasons, we have stressed that match count is not always a determining factor in actual or in Fantasy Wrestling success, but this year was different. Some teams were hit with COVID precautions or wrestlers actually got COVID making an imbalance of matches wrestled between wrestlers/teams larger than in years past and causing some big names to not make the Top 20 of their respective weights. To compile these lists, we used WrestleStat Fantasy College Wrestling data. Just a reminder of how points were tallied in WrestleStat Leagues: 1) The scoring used was Standard Team Scoring across all competitions (+3 for a win by decision, -4 for a loss by Major, etc) 2) Scoring only counted against D1 competition 3) Wins via Forfeits (FFT) would count as +6 towards a wrestler's point total 4) Wins or Losses by Medical Forfeit (MFF) did not count as + or - towards a wrestler's point total 5) Points were only accumulated during the regular season Here are the previous #FCW 2021 Season weight class Top-20 Lists: 125: Codi Russell (Appalachian State) 133: Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) 141: Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) 149: Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State) 157: Jacob Wright (Wyoming) 165: Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State)) Notes: The 174 Top 20 tied the 165 weight class with seven All-Americans. Seeding controversy aside, Demetrius Romero takes the #1 spot with 50 Fpts, beating the second place wrestler Austin Murphy by 14 Fpt and (yet ANOTHER Appalachian State Mountaineer) Thomas Flitz by 15 Fpts. For the second year in a row, Mr. Sicknasty (Twitter handle) Hayden Hastings, makes the Top 20 at 174, with only two bonus-point wins of his 12 matches wrestled (albeit those two were both pins). Flip that with surprise All American Bernie Truax, where six of his eight bouts were won by either tech or pin. The only true freshman to make this weights Top 20 was Dustin Plott, who unfortunately ran into some injury issues late in the season, which accounted for his 2-2 record in the last week of the season (net 1 Fpt). Logan Massa won five of his six regular-season matches, all by bonus. His lone loss to Carter Starocci in Tie-Breaker solidified him in the #16 spot, but had he eeked out that won, he would have been #11 this season. Your 2021 National Tournament Finalists hold down the #17 and #18 spots, but despite Carter Starocci having almost double the number of regular-season matches, he only beat Michael Kemerer by 1 Fpt. Three backups make the cut with Michael Ferree being the highest. Three majors and a pin helped propel him to the #11 spot, while Alex Faison had just as many matches but fell 2 Fpts behind (dropping him down to #15). Who Missed The Cut: The lone All American to not make the Top 20 at 174 was Jackson Turley, who finished as the #36 Fantasy Wrestler with 11 Fpts in only four matches. With maybe one of the most surprising wins this season in the Big Ten, Donnell Washington fell just one point short of making the Top 20. Because of his loss, by fall, to Logan Massa, he finished the 2021 season with 16 Fpts. Had he of "only" lost by tech, he would have been #20. Tyler Eischens started off hot and jumped between 165 and 174, but going 2-3 in his last five matches of the season (net -4) put him below the Top 20 at #26. Two Top 20 Fantasy Wrestlers from 2020 did not make the list this year. They were Jacob Oliver and Anthony Mantanona. It wasn't for lack of competition, as both wrestlers had double-digit matches. Jacob Oliver was #7 last season, comes in at #31 this season with 13 Fpts and Anthony Mantanona was #12 last season and finished as #72 with -1 Fpt this season. Some other notables who did not make the cut include Trey Munoz (#32), Kaleb Romero (#33) and #33 Clay Lautt, all with 12 Fpts, and Anthony Montalvo (#44 with 6 Fpts).

Gable Steveson after winning gold at the 2014 Cadet World Championships (Photo/Richard Immel; RImmelPics.com) The UWW Cadet World Championships will take place July 19th through 25th in Budapest, Hungary. This will be the 10th edition since the event went uncontested from 2000-2010. As the youngest age group with an official UWW World Championship, this tournament is often our first look at the stars of tomorrow. Just since the 2011 restart, we've seen Cadet golds earned by Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS), David Baev (RUS), Gadzhimurad Rashidov (RUS), Zaur Uguev (RUS), Takuto Otoguro (JPN), and Risako Kawai (JPN). Each of those athletes has since won a world title at the Senior level. Oddly enough, it has yet to happen on the Greco side, but it's only a matter of time. With so many future stars on display, we got to wondering. Would it be possible to predict the future success of a country, at the Junior and Senior levels, by watching their performance at the Cadet World Championships? To find out, we gathered all wrestlers placing in the top 6 at Cadet, Junior, and Senior world championships and Olympic Games since Cadets returned in 2011. We used these results to give each nation a score in each style for each year. I could have simply used the UWW scoring system, but given the randomness that often influences who gets seventh through 10th place, I wanted to exclude that. With unbalanced brackets and mostly random draw, there is enough random chance to account for already. So, I settled on 10 points for a gold medal, 6 for silver, 3 for bronze, and 1 for a fifth-place finish. There are plenty of different scoring systems that would have worked but, in general, we wanted to give heavy rewards to the champions as they seem most likely to continue their success as they move up in level. After scoring everything, we looked at each country's three-year rolling average of points in each style. This method prevents any one year from having too big of an impact. What we're looking for here are nations where the performances move to a new level, good or bad, for a sustained period, not just those that had one big tournament. Remember that wrestlers are eligible for the Cadet tournament for two years, but eligible as Juniors for as many as four years if they opt for the older age category in their last year of Cadet eligibility or do both. So, countries that see a rise in scores at the Cadet level that persists have a better chance of converting that success to the Junior level, where more years of wrestlers can be on the same team, and at the Senior level, where that is even more pronounced. Here are the 10 largest gains in three-year average across all three styles through 2017. We wanted to limit this list to those who have had at least two years since so we can see if their impact has been felt at the Junior level. The Cadets have had 10 weights every year since 2011 so all years have equal potential for scoring. Japan's women's freestyle team leads the way with their absurd 2016 performance when they put nine in the finals and claimed eight gold medals. Even for possibly the most dominant single-style entity in international wrestling, that tournament was incredible. You'll notice their 2017 team also makes the list because, while their overall performance was just short of 2016, their three-year average continued to rise. This is the sustained performance level change we're looking for. I'm sure many readers also spotted the United States' three entries in the top 10, all in men's freestyle, and each coming in consecutive years. From 2011 through 2013, just before this run, Team USA won just four medals in MFS, though three of those were gold. From 2014 through 2016, they won at least that many every year, peaking with a seven medal performance in 2016. Members of those teams included Mark Hall, Spencer Lee, Yianni Diakomihalis, and Gable Steveson. So, how did these 10 squads do as they got older? This chart tells us what the three-year average change was at the Junior level one, two, and three years on in addition to the Senior level three, four, and five years on. As you can see Japan's WFS hammers started to push their Junior performances to another level, especially after both the 2016 and 2017 teams became Junior eligible. The same happened for Team USA in MFS as the Junior performances have consistently improved as these excellent Cadet teams have moved up. Sometimes this is due to the same wrestlers continuing their success. Mark Hall and Gable Steveson won Junior crowns in 2017, for example, after being part of the Cadet rise. However, sometimes others step in to compete with the Cadet stars and overtake them when they can or the elevated success is due to a more competitive program in general which will eventually show its depth. It is clear from this chart that sustained success at the Cadet level almost always translates to better results at the Junior level. We need more data to say the same about the Senior level, though. Team USA has certainly seen a rise in success as the 2014 Cadet crew move towards those ranks. However, we just don't have enough years of Cadet data to make any real determination just yet. We looked at the good, but what about the bad? Azerbaijan sticks out here not only for having far and away the biggest negative change, but for making the list in both Greco and MFS. Their federation has struggled financially at times which may play into it. The Greco team had won 22 medals in the first four Cadet championships after the hiatus, only to fall to just three, all bronze in 2015. Kazakhstan also makes the list in two styles, men's and women's freestyle. Azerbaijan hosted the tournament in 2012 which may help explain why 2015, when the 2012 performances roll off the three-year average, was such a bad-looking year for them. Kazakhstan has not hosted the Cadet World Championships during this time. One note before we dig in, the Junior World Championships moved from 8 weights in 2017 to 10 in 2018. So, there were more points available for some of the teams on this list two or three years down the road. Still, we see some correlation between poor performances at the Cadet and Junior levels as the competitors age. Azerbaijan cratered at the Junior level after their disastrous 2015 and the majority saw their average decrease. Russia's 2016 MFS team is a notable exception. After good performances from 2011-2013, Russia had their best performance by our metric in 2015, but it was surrounded by their two worst in those six years so their average dropped noticeably. It appears the group that did so well in 2015 was able to carry the load at the Junior level or Russia's development work got the job done because they improved considerably at the Junior level from 2017-2019. It will be interesting to track this data over the next several years as Russia's MFS had by far their worst performance in this data set in 2018. It was sandwiched by far superior performances so it will be interesting to see if it has an impact at the Junior level. The Senior level data continues to be a bit too incomplete to draw conclusions from. It seems clear that the Cadet results when viewed in this manner give us a decent idea of how a nation will do at the Junior level over the next few years. So, perhaps we should look at the Junior level data in a similar manner to see if it shows something similar with the top level of international wrestling. While we could go back further on the Junior side, I thought it would be useful to use the same period that we just looked at on the Cadet side so that the data has a similarity to it. Interestingly, we see Azerbaijan all over this chart. Perhaps part of the reason that they fell off so hard at the Junior level after their difficulties on the Cadet side is that their Junior teams had set a high standard. This is always something we must watch out for when using a relative measure like average points. An outstanding performance for one country may be an abysmal one for another. Having a lot of success is a good thing, but it also means that the standard has been raised going forward. The 2014 MFS Team USA making this list while the Cadets made their side from 2014-2016 suggest what most fans have felt, that the age group level MFS performances have been on the rise is backed up by the numbers. Because the Juniors are closer to the Senior level, most are eligible to compete at the Senior level as they are wrestling Juniors, we were able to expand out the Senior level years we could look at. We did limit this chart to those in 2016 and before so we could get at least three years at the Senior level to investigate. Oddly, among the largest average gains at the Junior level, only half saw an overall rise in their Senior level results over the next five years or the data we have so far. Senior-level wrestling also moved from eight to 10 weights in 2018 and we included both Olympic Games and World Championship data from the years where both were held. So, we would have expected a more pronounced impact. Let's look at the biggest average drops and see if it looks similar. The biggest average losses are even more confounding as eight of them saw their Senior level performance improve after falling off at the Junior level. This is certainly a far cry from what we saw from the Cadet to the Junior level. However, there are some explanations. As mentioned previously, the points available at the Senior level have gone up so, overall when you're comparing rolling averages that include 2017 and before with those including 2018 and after, they should go up by 25%. That may help explain some of this chart, but then we would have expected to see positive numbers all over the largest gainers and that wasn't the case. Likely a better explanation is that the Senior level sees longer careers, especially amongst its stars who have the greatest impact on the scores as calculated here. A country that has a dip in performance at the Junior level can survive and even thrive at the Senior level as long as their previous generations continue to develop. If those lesser Junior teams happen to provide one or two contributors each year, so much the better. To score well at the Junior level, you now need 10 weights over three to four years. On the Senior level, you can use 10+ years of wrestlers in some cases to piece together a quality line-up. As the Cadet World Championship continues, we'll have more data points to examine, but it already appears clear that what many would naturally assume is true, success at the Cadet level translates to the Junior level in short order. We may eventually be able to see an impact at the Senior level, but we'll need longer time frames at a minimum. It may also be that having success at the age group levels as a country isn't as closely tied to team success at the Senior level as we'd expect. We'll certainly circle back to this topic down the line to see if what we've found so far continues or if the data reveals something new as there is more of it to analyze.