InterMat Staff

2020 CIF state champion Alex Ramirez (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) NHSCA Senior National Placewinners 113 lbs 1st - Nicholas Curley (MA) 2nd - Evan Kinney (MA) 3rd - James Levy (SC) 4th - Kevin Lopez (NY) 5th - Josh Brault (CT) 6th - Mick Chagnon (MT) 7th - Conner Hueck (FL) 8th - Logan Pugh (UT) 120 lbs 1st - Chris Calderon (CA) 2nd - Daniel Uhorchuk (TN) 3rd - Kaden Ramos (ID) 4th - Quade Smith (UT) 5th - Jace Schafer (NY) 6th - Marlon Yarbrough (OH) 7th - Zachary Soda (MA) 8th - Evan Rawls (VA) 126 lbs 1st - Nico Provo (CT) 2nd - Carter Bailey (CA) 3rd - Josh Kodernadt (IL) 4th - Sebastian Melguizo (FL) 5th - Maximilian Leete (MA) 6th - James Joplin (NC) 7th - Owen Wolcott (PA) 8th - Brice Barton (TN) 132 lbs 1st - Richard Treanor (NC) 2nd - Joel Mylin (IL) 3rd - Christian Colman (PA) 4th - Dylan Chappell (PA) 5th - Kyren Butler (OH) 6th - CJ Shea (CT) 7th - Dayne Dalrymple (TN) 8th - Trenton Grant (DE) 138 lbs 1st - Rudy Lopez (CO) 2nd - Caleb Tyus (IL) 3rd - Jaekus Hines (FL) 4th - Nate Wade (NY) 5th - Joshua Sharron (NH) 6th - Kaleb Sanchez (UT) 7th - Reese Osborne (WY) 8th - Preston Walls (FL) 145 lbs 1st - Caine Tyus (IL) 2nd - Justin Mastroianni (CT) 3rd - Damon McGee Jr (VA) 4th - Nicholas Pallaria (NH) 5th - Jack Haskin (OH) 6th - Analu Benabise (WY) 7th - Cade Lucio (CA) 8th - J'Mari Lowman (CT) 152 lbs 1st - Alex Ramirez (CA) 2nd - William Miller (AL) 3rd - Darian Estevez (FL) 4th - Steven Mitchell (WV) 5th - Kaleb Burgess (NY) 6th - Marek Bush (NY) 7th - Ty Finn (CT) 8th - Connor Eck (PA) 160 lbs 1st - Peyten Kellar (OH) 2nd - Chandler Amaker (SC) 3rd - Aidan Faria (RI) 4th - Kaden Hart (MO) 5th - Cody Rice (FL) 6th - Ulises Varner (NC) 7th - Hayden Crow (WY) 8th - Nicholas Ross (NY) 170 lbs 1st - Nicholas Fine (RI) 2nd - Tylynn Lukens (FL) 3rd - Dylan Kohn (FL) 4th - Max Wilner (CA) 5th - Sean Babitt (AK) 6th - Draygan Colonese (CO) 7th - Wyatt Haynes (MO) 8th - Tyler Joseph (NY) 182 lbs 1st - Lucas Cochran (UT) 2nd - Justin Mayes (OH) 3rd - Gaven Bell (NY) 4th - Aiden Warren (IN) 5th - CJ Glaropoulos (MA) 6th - Isaiah Reinert (PA) 7th - Christian Smoot (UT) 8th - Remington Winmill (ID) 195 lbs 1st - Conor Maslanek (NH) 2nd - Luke Duthie (PA) 3rd - Jack Forbes (CO) 4th - Holden Cypher (NC) 5th - Dan Stradley (DE) 6th - Logan Stafford (WA) 7th - Nasir Dreuitt (DE) 8th - Starr Kelly (OH) 220 lbs 1st - Mason Cover (OH) 2nd - MacIntyre Thacker (UT) 3rd - Tristan Middlebrook (FL) 4th - Joshua Evans (VA) 5th - Jayden Dobson (AZ) 6th - Xavier Stillgess (FL) 7th - Jake Boley (CO) 8th - Bracken Hibbert (VA) 285 lbs 1st - Sebastian Garibaldi (NY) 2nd - Jacob Christensen (CA) 3rd - Triston Norris (NC) 4th - Emilio Franco (CA) 5th - Jake Andrews (CA) 6th - Charles Tamburin (WV) 7th - Chris Esparza (UT) 8th - Nate Miller (PA)

(Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Cadet Freestyle World Team Trials Results 45 kg finals - Bo Bassett (PA) over Mack Mauger (ID) 10-0, Fall 1:49 3rd - Brandon Morvari (MN) 4th - Dru Ayala (IA) 5th - Edwin Sierra (AZ) 6th - Davis Motyka (PA) 7th - Javaan Yarbrough (OH) 8th - Colyn Limbert (OH) 48 kg finals - Luke Lilledahl (MO) over Nathan Desmond (PA) 8-5, 3-0 3rd - Daniel Guanajuato (AZ) 4th - Benjamin Bast (WI) 5th - Noah Nininger (VA) 6th - Benjamin Dunne (IL) 7th - Elias Navida (CA) 8th - Dominic Ducato (IL) 51 kg finals - Nathan Jesuroga (IA) over Aden Valencia (CA) 5-2, 2-0 3rd - Marc-Anthony McGowan (FL) 4th - Dalton Perry (PA) 5th - Alan Koehler (MN) 6th - Logan Swensen (MN) 7th - Marcello Milani (MI) 8th - Gylon Sims (IL) 55 kg finals - Spencer Moore (KY) over Kael Lauridsen (NE) 3-5, 11-4, 2-1 3rd - Mason Gibson (PA) 4th - Cael Hughes (OK) 5th - Kannon Webster (IL) 6th - Clayton Giddens (OK) 7th - Grigor Cholakyan (CA) 8th - Paul Kelly (CA) 60 kg finals - Beau Mantanona (CA) over Brock Bobzien (CA) Fall 2:51, 3-6, 12-10 3rd - Emilio Ysaguirre (AZ) 4th - Dylan Gilcher (MI) 5th - Jace Roller (OK) 6th - Christopher Coates (MO) 7th - Greyson Clark (WI) 8th - Ryder Block (IA) 65 kg finals - Meyer Shapiro (MD) over Jadon Skellenger (ID) 17-6, 10-0 3rd - Angelo Ferrari (OK) 4th - Noah Tolentino (CA) 5th - Jude Swisher (PA) 6th - Kael Voinovich (OH) 7th - Pierson Manville (PA) 8th - Christopher Moore (IL) 71 kg finals - Levi Haines (PA) over Aiden Riggins (IA) 12-2, 6-6, 10-4 3rd - Joshua Barr (MI) 4th - Braeden Scoles (WI) 5th - Antrell Taylor (NE) 6th - Joseph Sealey (NC) 7th - Thor Michaelson (WA) 8th - Grant MacKay (PA) 80 kg finals - James Rowley (OR) over Connor Mirasola (WI) 10-0, 9-4 3rd - Ryder Rogotzke (MN) 4th - Cody Merrill (CA) 5th - Drake Buchanan (IN) 6th - Tate Naaktgeboren (IA) 7th - Gabe Arnold (GA) 8th - Antony Tuttle (MN) 92 kg finals - Gavin Nelson (MN) over PJ Casale (NJ) 10-0, 10-0 3rd - Ben Kueter (IA) 4th - McCrae Hagarty (IA) 5th - Max Ramberg (WI) 6th - Blake Jouret (KS) 7th - Jersey Robb (OK) 8th - Nicholas Pavlechko (PA) 110 kg finals - Jim Mullen (NJ) over Bradley Hill (IA) 18-5, 9-7 3rd - Koy Hopke (WI) 4th - Aden Attao (ID) 5th - Ashton Davis (TN) 6th - Jacob Walker (IA) 7th - Nicholas Sahakian (CA) 8th - Sampson Stillwell (MO) U15 Freestyle World Team Trials Results 38 kg finals - Slater Hicks (CA) over Grey Burnett (OH) 6-4, 12-2 3rd - Ignacio Villasenor (CO) 4th - Nico DeSalvo (PA) 5th - Domenic Munaretto (IL) 6th - Lincoln Sledzianowski (FL) 7th - Caleb Noble (WI) 8th - Cole Welte (NE) 41 kg finals - Haakon Peterson (IA) over Michael Romero (CA) 6-2, 6-0 3rd - Rocco Cassioppi (IL) 4th - Bruno Cassioppi (IL) 5th - Lawson Eller (MN) 6th - Gus Cardinal (AZ) 7th - Griffin Rial (CO) 8th - Moses Mendoza (CA) 44 kg finals - Cooper Hilton (TN) over Seth Mendoza (IL) 1-1, 4-4 3rd - Isaiah Cortez (CA) 4th - Derek Barrows (CO) 5th - Deven Casey (IL) 6th - Aiden Smith (IA) 7th - Kellen Wolbert (WI) 8th - Ryker Graff (IA) 48 kg finals - Marcus Blaze (OH) over Matthew Martino (ID) 5-1, 8-4 3rd - Elijah Cortez (CA) 4th - Isaiah Schaefer (IN) 5th - Johnny Green (OH) 6th - Jacob Herm (WI) 7th - Christian Castillo (AZ) 8th - Gabriel Ramirez (AZ) 52 kg finals - Benjamin Davino (IL) over Anthony Knox (NJ) 4-6, 9-2, 4-4 3rd - Aaron Stewart (IL) 4th - Brock Mantanona (CA) 5th - Jackson Heslin (CA) 6th - Jake Knight (IA) 7th - Joshua Requena (CA) 8th - Angel Serrano (CO) 57 kg finals - Landon Robideau (MN) over Tyson Charmoli (MN) 7-1, 7-2 3rd - Vince Bouzakis (PA) 4th - Gunner Andrick (WV) 5th - Mason Gutenberger (MT) 6th - Alex Braun (MN) 7th - Kyler Knaack (IA) 8th - Garrett Reece (CO) 62 kg finals - Ladarion Lockett (OK) over Coby Merrill (CA) 10-0, 17-8 3rd - Brodie Dominique (OH) 4th - Travis Grace (CA) 5th - Claudio Torres (IL) 6th - Wyatt Krejsa (IN) 7th - Damarion Ross (IA) 8th - Nevin Smith (CO) 68 kg finals - Bas Daiz (FL) over Justin Avila (IA) 6-3, 7-2 3rd - Gor Vardanyan (ISU) 4th - Israel Ibarra (AZ) 5th - Bryce Burkett (MN) 6th - Emil Necula (GA) 7th - Angelo Posado (CA) 8th - Hudson Rogers (ID) 75 kg finals - Aeoden Sinclair (WI) over Terrell McFarland (PA) 3rd - Peyton Westpfahl (MO) 4th - Arvin Khosravy (CA) 5th - Dreshaun Ross (IA) 6th - Tyson Martin (WI) 7th - Luke Hancock (KS) 8th - Sir Friday (AZ) 85 kg placewinners 1st - De'Alcapon Veazy (IN) 2nd - Garett Kawczysnki (WI) 3rd - Espyn Sweers (WI) 4th - Joshua Francis (WI)

(Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Cadet Greco-Roman World Team Trials Results 45 kg finals - Bo Bassett (PA) over Mack Maguer (ID) 7-1, 11-2 3rd - Edwin Sierra (AZ) 4th - Cadyn Coyle (NE) 5th - Davis Motyka (PA) 6th - Javaan Yarbrough (OH) 7th - Andrew Fox (UT) 8th - Brayten Casey (WI) 48 kg finals - Aden Valencia (CA) over Otto Black (CO) 10-2, 9-1 3rd - Luke Lilledahl (MO) 4th - Noah Nininger (VA) 5th - Sam Herring (PA) 6th - Nathan Desmond (PA) 7th - Elias Navida (CA) 8th - Tyler Washburn (FL) 51 kg finals - Kaedyn Williams (PA) over Treygen Morin (ID) 11-9, 11-14, 9-1 3rd - Elyle Francisco (AK) 4th - Alan Koehler (MN) 5th - Miles Anderson (NE) 6th - Logan Swensen (MN) 7th - Reid Spurley (WI) 8th - Turner Campbell (WI) 55 kg finals - Cory Land (AL) over Gable Porter (IA) 8-0, 8-4 3rd - Zan Fugitt (MO) 4th - Joe Fernau (IL) 5th - Kamdyn Williams (PA) 6th - Rhett Peak (OK) 7th - DJ Gillett (OR) 8th - Tanner Frothinger (ID) 60 kg finals - Brock Bobzien (CA) over Ayson Rice (SD) 8-0, 8-0 3rd - Keith Smith (NE) 4th - Jake Hubby (WA) 5th - Cole Rhemrev (IL) 6th - Colton Parduhn (AK) 7th - Jake Hall (WI) 8th - Elijah Paulson (MN) 65 kg finals - Jadon Skellenger (ID) over Joel Adams (NE) 11-8, 8-0 3rd - Pierson Manville (PA) 4th - Jayden Colon (IL) 5th - Tyler Antoniak (NE) 6th - Brett Back (WI) 7th - Gunnar Hamre (WI) 8th - Q'Veli Quintanilla (WA) 71 kg finals - Braden Stauffenberg (IL) over Malachi Rider (KY) 7-3, 9-3 3rd - Jake Jones (PA) 4th - Dylan Elmore (KS) 5th - Nicholas Hall (DE) 6th - Thor Michaelson (WA) 7th - Jed Wester (MN) 8th - Holden Garcia (NJ) 80 kg finals - Ryder Rogotzke (MN) over Antony Tuttle (MN) :48 3rd - Cody Merrill (CA) 4th - Soren Herzog (CO) 5th - Gabe Arnold (GA) 6th - Cole Han-Lindemyer (MN) 7th - Joshua Knudten (IL) 8th - Jacob Hansen (WI) 92 kg finals - Nathan Wemstrom (IL) over Connor Barket (IN) 8-0, 7-2 3rd - Robert Plympton (OR) 4th - Ryder Depies (WI) 5th - PJ Casale (NJ) 6th - Max Ramberg (WI) 7th - Jackson Dewald (IA) 8th - Sean Carroll (KS) 110 kg finals - Jim Mullen (NJ) over Aden Attao (ID) 12-3, 10-0 3rd - Koy Hopke (WI) 4th - Nicholas Sahakian (CA) 5th - Peyton Hahn (MO) 6th - Ashton Davis (TN) 7th - Sampson Stillwell (MO) 8th - Pierce Cunningham (KS) U15 Greco-Roman World Team Trials Results 38 kg finals - Domenic Munaretto (IL) over Slater Hicks (CA) 3-2, 2-0 3rd - Grey Burnett (OH) 4th - Lincoln Sledzianowski (FL) 5th - Ignacio Villasenor (CO) 6th - Nathan Rioux (IN) 7th - Cole Welte (NE) 8th - Allen Woo (IL) 41 kg finals - Haakon Peterson (IA) over Ezekiel Witt (KS) 6-2, 11-0 3rd - Michael Romero (CA) 4th - Griffin Rial (CO) 5th - Gus Cardinal (AZ) 6th - Cooper Stivers (KS) 7th - Revin Dickman (IN) 8th - Czar Quintanilla (WA) 44 kg finals - Cooper Hilton (TN) over Isaiah Cortez (CA) 1-4, 5-1, 6-3 3rd - Ryker Graff (IA) 4th - Jaxton Packer (ID) 5th - Aiden Smith (IA) 6th - Cole Rogers (MT) 7th - Derek Barrows (CO) 8th - Gianni Bottone (CO) 48 kg finals - Matthew Martino (ID) over Thomas Verrette (PA) 6-4, 8-5 3rd - Christian Castillo (AZ) 4th - Marcus Blaze (OH) 5th - Brodie Christmas (AL) 6th - Adam Butler (OH) 7th - Elijah Cortez (CA) 8th - Jeremiah Wachsmuth (OR) 52 kg finals - Jackson Heslin (CA) over Brock Weiss (PA) 8-0, 10-0 3rd - Aaron Stewart (IL) 4th - Brayden Canoyer (NE) 5th - Angel Serrano (CO) 6th - Lane Foard (VA) 7th - Joshua Requena (CA) 8th - Noah Koyama (WA) 57 kg finals - Vince Bouzakis (PA) over Phoenix Contos (OH) 14-5, 8-0 3rd - Landon Robideau (MN) 4th - Garrett Reece (CO) 5th - Hunter Sturgill (TN) 6th - Grady Mittasch (OK) 7th - Cittadino Tuttle (MN) 8th - Marco Dalakishvili (MO) 62 kg finals - Ladarion Lockett (OK) over Brodie Dominique (OH) 4-0, 8-0 3rd - Coby Merrill (CA) 4th - Travis Grace (CA) 5th - Wyatt Krejsa (IN) 6th - Jackson Marr (MN) 7th - Nevin Smith (CO) 8th - Jesse Penchi (WI) 68 kg finals - Hudson Rogers (ID) over Emil Necula (GA) 7-5, 5-4 3rd - Bryce Burkett (MN) 4th - Bas Diaz (FL) 5th - Angelo Posada (CA) 6th - Anthony Gutierrez (IL) 7th - Justin Avila (IA) 8th - Treston Eckstein (WI) 75 kg finals - Aeoden Sinclair (WI) over Brent Slade (IA) 10-0, 9-0 3rd - Terrell McFarland (PA) 4th - Peyton Westpfahl (MO) 5th - Luke Hancock (KS) 6th - Tyson Martin (WI) 7th - Sir Friday (AZ) 85 kg 1st - Garett Kawczysnki (WI) 2nd - De'Alcapon Veazy (IN) 3rd - Kayden Cartee (CA) 4th - Espyn Sweers (WI) 5th - Joshua Francis (WI)

Clackamas CC wins their third consecutive NJCAA national championship (Photo/NJCAA.com) Final Team Scores 1. Clackamas 152.5 2. Western Wyoming 147 3. Iowa Central 129 4. Pratt 126.5 5. Northeastern Oklahoma 125 6. North Idaho 92.5 7. Northwest Kansas Tech 81.5 8. Indian Hills 81 9. Iowa Western 80 10. Rochester CTC 79 Championship Finals 125 - Michael Spangler (Pratt) tech Cameron Enriquez (Clackamas) 18-2 133 - Zeth Brower (Clackamas) fall Jason Henschel (Pratt) 3:18 141 - Chinzorig Tsermaa (Northwest Kansas Tech) tech Bret Minor (Iowa Central) 24-9 149 - Sal Silva (North Idaho) dec Jacob Beeson (Pratt) 3-1 157 - Isaiah Crosby (Iowa Western) maj Dayton Porsch (Pratt) 16-4 165 - Christian Minto (North Iowa Area) dec Keaton Geerts (Iowa Central) 13-6 174 - Jose Rodriguez (Iowa Central) fall Mason Christensen (Western Wyoming) 6:17 184 - Jacari Deal (Northwest Kansas Tech) dec Gavin Christofferson (Rochester CTC) 7-4 197 - Zach Ferris (Cloud) dec Jose Valdez (North Iowa Area) 3-2TB 285 - Mitchell Williamson (Iowa Lakes) dec Jorden Pryor (Iowa Central) 3-1SV Third Place 125 - Garrett Ricks (Western Wyoming) dec Aidan Harris (Iowa Central) 9-3 133 - Parker Dobrocky (Rochester CTC) dec Caleb Meekins (Indian Hills) 5-3 141 - Marckis Branford (Clackamas) fall Caleb Nathan (Western Wyoming) 3:51 149 - Deville Dentis (Clackamas) fall Alex Young (Labette) 6:45 157 - Anthony Herrera (Western Wyoming) dec Chinges Tsermaa (Northwest Kansas Tech) 4-2SV 165 - Seth Brossard (Rochester CTC) dec Austin Raby (SW Oregon) 15-13SV 174 - Dax Bennett (Clackamas) dec Navarro Nanpuya (North Idaho) 14-12SV 184 - Deron Pulliam (Indian Hills) dec Jackson White (Northeastern Oklahoma) 5-2 197 - Tarik Sutkoivc (Clackamas) dec Tyler Scheurn (Western Wyoming) 6-3 285 - Dan Baker (Northeastern Oklahoma) fall Cohle Feliciano (North Idaho) 1:21 Fifth Place 125 - Chris Busutil (Indian Hills) fall Aseel Almudhala (Henry Ford) 2:41 133 - James Davis (Cloud) MedFFT Ryan Smith (Cowley) 141 - Creighton Baughman (Iowa Western) fall Blake Gonzalez (Northeastern Oklahoma) 2:01 149 - Dylan Brown (Northeastern Oklahoma) MedFFT Malik Johnson (Cowley) 157 - Trent Silva (Clackamas) dec Brandon Bollinger (North Idaho) 9-8 165 - Fabian Padilla (Iowa Western) dec Collin Smith (Western Wyoming) 4-1 174 - Dayton Fields (Northeastern Oklahoma) dec Jacobi Deal (Northwest Kansas Tech) 7-3 184 - Michael Gasper (Clackamas) MedFFT Jaden Roberts (Rowan) 197 - Josh McFarland (Iowa Western) dec Seth Sarasua (Northeastern Oklahoma) 3-2 285 - Devon Dawson (Pratt) fall Curtis Ruff (Triton) 6:28 Seventh Place 125 - Andres Russi (Joliet) fall Riley Weir (Labette) 1:56 133 - Destin Summers (Western Wyoming) fall Marquis Kemp (Otero) 6:56 141 - Victor Guzman (Indian Hills) dec Jacob Mitchell (Pratt) 11-10 149 - Cameron Metcalf (Western Wyoming) maj Nathan Lendt (Ellsworth) 11-3 157 - Josh Parks (Northeastern Oklahoma) fall Jake Patterson (Cowley) 1:42 165 - Weston Presser (North Idaho) tech Tyson Villalpando (Neosho) 16-1 174 - Massoma Endene (Iowa Lakes) dec Wyatt Simon (Rochester CTC) 7-0 184 - Andrew Nicholson (Western Wyoming) dec Deston Miller (Pratt) 6-4 197 - Khris Walton (Indian Hills) dec Ryan Murphy (Neosho) 4-2 285 - Jared Roehl (Mott) fall Wyatt Kearn (Western Wyoming) 1:29

Jim Dutrow sporting one of his many wresting shirts In our first "Fan Podcast Friday" we talk to Jim Dutrow who started Wrestling Shirt a Day in May last year. We discuss why and how Jim started this movement and how it gained steam throughout May of 2020. He also shares some new wrinkles to this year's edition and recounts some fun stories from last May.

Mike Poeta was named the head coach at the University of Illinois on Wednesday (Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Mike Poeta was announced as the new Head Coach of Illinois on Wednesday. A star prep wrestler from the Chicago area, he was a monster for the Illini when he won two Big Ten titles and reached two NCAA finals. Perhaps most importantly, Poeta was a redshirt freshman in 2005, the year in which Illinois won the Big Ten when they put five in the finals. Iowa was 4th that year. Penn State 7th. Ohio State? Dead last at 11th. Maryland, Nebraska, and Rutgers weren't even in the conference yet. Two things to take away from that: 1) Poeta witnessed firsthand what it took to be a top-level team and 2) the landscape of college wrestling has changed a lot in 16 years. Rather quietly, Jim Heffernan had a fantastic career. In his 29 years on staff, they were Top 10 at NCAA's thirteen times. He coached 73 All Americans and had at least one AA every season for the last 28 years. Poeta keeping that kind of pace should be attainable. But job #1 will be recruiting. Illinois, and Chicago in particular, is one of the nation's hotbeds of high school talent. And yet, not many of those prospects make their way to Champaign. Since 2016, when Poeta began as an Assistant at Illinois, the state has produced 22 Top 50 recruits. Illinois landed just 2 of them. Top 50 Recruits From Illinois Since 2016: Isaiah White, Eric Schultz, Nathan Traxler, Rudy Yates, Travis Piotrowski, Jacob Warner, Austin Gomez, Austin O'Connor, Jason Renteria, Patrick Brucki, Kordell Norfleet, Anthony Cassioppi, Real Woods, Will Lewan, Markus Hartman, Kendall Coleman, Peter Christensen, Abe Assad, Luke Luffman, Dean Hamiti, Joel Vandevere, and Hayden Copass. Those That Went To Illinois: Piotrowski and Luffman How well will Poeta do as Head Coach? I really don't know. Some of the finest college coaches I spoke to say the man can coach. And in my limited experience with him, he came across as an awesome guy. I have to think if he can raise the retention rate of home-state blue-chippers even a little bit, he'll be in a great position to succeed. What I do know, however, is that it was one of the more bizarre job searches I've ever heard of. The position wasn't actually opened up. No one could actually 'apply.' The administration had a shortlist of four candidates: Poeta, Doug Schwab, Mark Branch, and Tony Ramos. Each of them had a 30 to 60-minute Zoom call, and that was that. Branch never heard back. Ramos never heard back. Schwab was offered the job and turned it down. The next day they announced that Poeta got the job. To your questions... What are the most common reasons a top recruit doesn't pan out? - @oldestgreatest Drinking and drugs and it's not close. Sure there is a percentage of clean living top prospects that just don't get it at the next level. But the majority of blue-chippers that don't meet next-level expectations are hittin' the bottle and partying on campus. Will the NCAA ever police the $$ involved with the RTC's? - @FarnhamBrian No. Nor should they. This topic could use a full article, or at least a solid rant by me on a show. But the short answer is: money for our senior athletes is good. The blue bloods having more RTC money is what makes them blue bloods. Jumping levels in this sport (or anything in life) requires hard work, whether that's in recruiting, training, coaching, or, yes, fundraising. Quit whining and get to work. You're limited to three toppings on a burger. Go - @wormbofello Fried onions, Bacon, BBQ sauce. Here's another one - when your burger is just about done cooking, hit it with an obscene amount of Italian season and let it seer in on both sides. Then mayo. Then ketchup. (No cheese needed). Thank me later. A Rewind - From the mailbag last week. What are your top 5 teams for next week's NJCAA Championship?! - @CCCWrestling Clackamas Pratt NE Oklahoma Western Wyoming Iowa Central Reality Clackamas Western Wyoming Iowa Central Pratt NE Oklahoma How Many States will Adopt the new Weight class options that were given? And Does it provide any Benefit to High school athletes with this "Suggestion"? - @OfficialMachuta The NFHS (National Federation of High Schools) released 3 sets of new weight class options for next season. To be honest, I don't know what power they even have. But one thing is for sure - the ability to enforce weight classes is certainly not among them. Michigan, Idaho, Montana, and a handful of other states use different weights than the Federation uses. PA and NY last year just made up their own. I don't know what the point of coming up with three new options really does, when they have been proven impotent on the matter previously. Shrug. I quite like wrestling people in the state making wrestling decisions for their state. It's a non-issue for me. What's your thoughts on New England wrestling? Is it not recruited as heavy as it should be? - @jrc0311 New England keeps getting better. There are numerous kids in my Junior High rankings or on my radar from that region. You're going to see some straight-up hammers for Blair from NH and CT and RI in the future. I don't know that it has been 'under-recruited' to this point, but they are coming. Like almost everything in high school wrestling these days - the credit (or deficiency) in any geographic location goes to the clubs.

Bubba Jenkins (left) and Lance Palmer (right) (Photos; Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On Friday, the Professional Fighters League will launch their 2021 season on ESPN2. One of the marquee fights will feature former Penn State and Arizona State wrestler Bubba Jenkins taking on former Ohio State wrestler Lance Palmer. While this will be their first fight, the then Big Ten rivals had a rather extensive four-match series during the 2007-2008 season. The following looks back at how those matches were covered by Penn State's sports information department. Jenkins and Palmer first faced off in a dual match during the 2008 National Duals event on Jan. 13, 2008. “In another highly anticipated bout, No. 4 Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) took on No. 10 Lance Palmer of Ohio State at 149. After a short break due to a false fire alarm in the UNI-Dome, Jenkins seemed energized and began to force the tempo. With Palmer on defense, the Nittany Lion sophomore was able to pick his spots, getting in on two consecutive high single legs and finishing off the second attempt for a 2-1 lead with :30 left in the period (after the Palmer escape). Down by one, Palmer chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. Jenkins continued to set the tempo, forcing Palmer back towards the edge of the mat. The Buckeye caught Jenkins by the shoulders, however, and took him down for two points and two back points. But Jenkins immediately reversed him and after a furious :30 of wrestling, Palmer held a 7-4 lead. Down by three heading into the final period, Jenkins chose down to start the third. Jenkins escaped to a 7-5 deficit with 1:20 left to wrestle and immediately tied the bout at 7-7 with a quick double ankle pick. Palmer escaped to an 8-7 lead with :52 left. With :10 left, Palmer countered a late Jenkins shot and got a clinching takedown to post a stunning 10-7 upset win and push OSU out to a 12-0 lead.” The rematch came less than two weeks later as Penn State traveled to Columbus for the regularly scheduled Big Ten match. “The bout began at 149, where Penn State's Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 6, took on No. 5 Lance Palmer in one of the dual's marquee match-ups. The duo spent the first part of the bout working for an opening, focusing on the upper body. Jenkins took a quick shot with 1:00 left but was countered by Palmer, who gained control of Jenkins' leg, but the Lion sophomore fought out of the situation to keep the bout scoreless. Jenkins was called for a first stall warning as the first period ended in a scoreless tie. Jenkins chose down to start the middle stanza and, after three resets (and a first Palmer stall warning), escaped to a 1-0 lead at the 1:15 mark. Jenkins shot low on Palmer and gained control of Palmer's shoulders, nearly getting a takedown. After a short scramble, Jenkins completed the takedown to up his lead to 3-0 with :20 left. Palmer worked feverishly for a reversal, but Jenkins maintained control to keep his 3-0 lead after two periods. Palmer chose down to start the final period and escaped to a 3-1 deficit. Jenkins completed another single-leg, gaining control of Palmer's left leg. Working steadily for a second takedown, Jenkins grabbed onto Palmer's left ankle and got the points to lead 5-2 (after a Palmer escape) with :36 left in the bout. Jenkins was able to fight off Palmer's last-second attempts at a takedown and walked off with an impressive 5-2 decision. The victory, which avenged a loss to Palmer at the National Duals, put the Nittany Lions up 3-0 early.” Jenkins moved ahead in the series with a 6-5 decision victory over Palmer in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament. After advancing, Jenkins ran into Brent Metcalf in the next round and dropped into the consolation bracket via a 15-3 major decision. Palmer and Jenkins would meet once again in the fifth-place match. “In the fifth-place bout against Palmer, Palmer came out early and pressured Jenkins, forcing the Nittany Lion to the outside circle. But after a reset with 2:00, Jenkins got in deep on Palmer's left ankle and began working for a go-ahead takedown. After a brief scramble, Jenkins got the two points with 1:30 left, but gave up a point for locking his hands. Palmer then escaped to knot the score at 2-2 with just over a minute left in the period. That score held for the final minute of the opening period. Tied 2-2 after one period, Jenkins chose down to start the second stanza. Jenkins scrambled around underneath Palmer and, after a protracted struggle, gained control of the Buckeye's ankle, pulled him back onto the mat and got a reversal to take a 4-2 lead with a minute left. Palmer re-aggravated an injury during the scramble and, with Nationals just two weeks away, opted to take an injury default. The win gave Jenkins a fifth-place finish and ends his tournament run 2-2. He heads to the NCAA Tournament with a 22-5 record.” Despite the fifth-place finish at the Big Ten tournament, Jenkins would rebound in a big way at the NCAA tournament. He made the finals before falling once again to Brent Metcalf. After transferring to Arizona State in 2011, Jenkins would return to the finals and famously score a fall over David Taylor to become an NCAA champion. He made his MMA debut about nine months later. Palmer would finish the season with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA tournament to become an All-American for the second time. He would exhaust his eligibility during the 2010 season with a runner-up performance against Metcalf. The four-time All-American eventually made the switch to MMA the following year.

The West Liberty team at the 2021 NCAA DII National Championships (Photo/West Liberty athletics) Is it just me, or is it difficult to come up with a great title for an article? Don't get me wrong, sometimes they write themselves, but I just could not come up with something catchy this time. And frankly, this is an important look at the premier dual tournament in the country. The NWCA National Duals tournament is just 262 short days away and it's time to get excited about it. I remember waking up on my wife's birthday last year and wondering why she was not celebrating by bringing me breakfast in bed. Instead, I found her weeping in the kitchen, her entire morning routine in shambles because of a breaking news story. I joined her on our beautiful vinyl plank floor, wailing at an unjust wrestling god as I, too, learned that the NWCA 2021 Multi-Division National Duals Championship had been canceled. I may be embellishing this story a little, but I am sure that I uttered expletives that had my wife yelling “ear muffs” at my five-year-old daughter when I heard the news. The 2021 season was just one “canceled” release after another for wrestling fans and this one hurt. There was a silver lining to the season, though, as the NCAA tournament did take place and the athletes were given a chance to compete. More than that, they were also provided an extra year of eligibility that turned the entire season into a “do-over.” Which is the route that it looks like the coaches committee initially took in regards to selecting the teams for the 2022 Division II dual tournament. In theory, inviting all of the teams that were extended welcomes to the 2021 National Dual tournament seems the fairest route. It was through no fault of their own that the opportunity to participate in this great showcase was taken from them. On the merit of their 2019 seasons, they had earned the right to travel to Louisville and battle for the title. The field was stacked with the return of the national champion St. Cloud State and runner-up McKendree. The University of Central Oklahoma, Nebraska-Kearney, Pitt-Johnstown, Notre Dame College, Upper Iowa, and Tiffin all earned their spot based on how they finished the 2019 season in Cleveland, which earned them automatic entry. The application process to fill the bracket was opened and another eight teams made the cut. Gannon, Lindenwood, Mercyhurst, Newberry, Colorado-Mesa, Kutztown, Indianapolis, and Maryville were all in. The bracket was sure to be loaded and the wrestling was going to be a madhouse of talent. Of those programs, only Kutztown University sat out all of 2020, joining much of the PSAC in not competing. Pitt-Johnstown competed in their Super Regional despite skipping the rest of the season, while the rest of the programs wrestled the abbreviated schedule allowed by the pandemic. The fact is that they were robbed of their chance to wrestle each other in the showcase that is National Duals. To right a wrong, they deserved a chance to compete. Here is where things get a little murky, though. If those are the 16 teams that make the tournament in 2022, it leaves out some excellent programs. You may notice that three squads are missing from that list that just finished in the top-10 of the 2021 NCAA Men's National Wrestling Tournament. Just like those other programs, their athletes have the opportunity to return and compete after the “free” year. Those teams are just as loaded and deserving of a trip to Louisville to battle for a national dual title. If we extend the “missing” list out to the top-16 finishing teams at the 2021 tournament, six teams are missing from the NWCA tournament right now. But thankfully, there is hope on the horizon. It appears that the powers that be have recognized how just weird or ridiculous it would be to have a “national championship” without the best possible teams in attendance. After taking time to reflect and search for solutions, the application process has opened for teams not currently invited. What does that mean for us? MORE WRESTLING! That is correct; the field is going to be expanded. Right now, it is not set in stone how much, but with six top-16 teams still available, the bracket could be as large as 24. Who is out right now and why they could/should be in (in alphabetical order). *spoiler alert they all deserve to be in Ashland University -7th Ashland had an excellent finish in their first season under new head coach Colt Sponseller, returning to the top-10 and finishing 17 team points ahead of, already in, Colorado-Mesa University. The Eagles could return five All-Americans and six total national qualifiers. Not to mention, they will finally add the talented Drew Weichers to the starting roster after his transfer from Mount Olive. He could jump into the lineup next to Chance Esmont, the redshirt junior who just missed out on qualifying for the national tournament in 2021. Their lineup features an All-American in the lead-off spot, Christian Wellman, who finished fourth. He defeated Josh Portillo, Paxton Rosen, and Isaiah DeLaCerda all in the wrestlebacks to battle back to the consolation finals after losing in the first round. At 149, Carson Speelman reached the quarterfinals before falling to Noah Hermosillo. He fought back and was able to avenge that defeat in the 5th place match earning All-American honors. Daniel Beemer made the 174 semifinals before losing to eventual national champion Abner Romero. His third-place finish shows that he is a contender again next year for a national title. The Eagles have an All-American anchoring their lineup, Tristen Weirich, who is now a three-time AA after his sixth-place finish. This is a great lineup and arguably a top-five dual team. There is no possible way to keep them out. Colorado School of Mines - 14th Head coach Austin DeVoe had his Orediggers on the cusp of a top-10 team finish in 2021. They finished just two points shy of breaking through! The Orediggers managed the feat with just two national qualifiers after a tough Super Regional tournament. Big man Weston Hunt fell in the NCAA finals to Kam Teacher, but added falls in two matches along the way. Anderson Salisbury entered the 184 weight class undefeated and after a tough battle through the tournament, managed an eighth-place finish and All-American honors. With their return, much like Findlay, they have a start to a strong dual lineup. Ryan Fidel (174) just missed out on qualifying for the national tournament with the ridiculous changes to the process. He will return and be a force. I also expect 2020 national qualifier, Nolan Funk, to bounce back after a rough 2021. That puts a lot of firepower on the top part of this lineup with studs from 174 through heavyweight. They also have 2019 Round of 12 athlete Skyler Lykins (165) and 2019 qualifier Noah Ottum (149). Sophomore Noah Carter (157) just missed out on his trip to St Louis, and if you look at the athletes they could send out from 149 through heavyweight, this is a team that could do serious damage at a national dual tournament. They have to be in. Fairmont State University - 16th It was a historical year for Fairmont State University and head coach Colin Johnston. In just their second season as a program, they crowned a Super Regional champion, and then the icing on the cake, Lukas Martin, won the 149-pound national championship. The sophomore transfer from West Virginia shocked the weight class after beating three of the best to earn his crown. With his return, the Falcons will still need more help to be ready to compete as a full dual lineup. Last season they finished 2-2 with wins over Glenville State and Wheeling. A close loss to West Liberty and a bit of a drubbing at the hands of Davis & Elkins showed that there is work still to be done. Who else in the lineup can make waves? Keep an eye on freshman Noah Kiszka; he put together a 5-1 season with a loss to Caleb Morris that ended his hopes of a trip to St Louis. Cade Moisey should return at 174, while TJ Boyd earned some quality wins at heavyweight. This lineup needs help down low though, hopefully recruiting went well because they need a strong 125 and 133. Nothing drums up interest in a program like its first national champion. And we all know this region has plenty of quality athletes. Looking at the potential rosters of other teams already invited, I say, “they are in.” Findlay University - 12th We knew that Findlay was going to have a solid wrestling team in 2021. They returned national qualifiers Zach Collins (125) and Branson Proudlock (141). And they were getting back their senior All-American leader James Wimer (157). Proudlock earned himself All-American honors in 2021, finishing eighth, while James Wimer surprised no one by finishing as the 2021 national champion. This lineup will feature the three amigos if Wimer takes advantage of the extra year, and those three athletes are a great building block for a good dual team. Head coach Shawn Nelson has some holes to fill in this Roughneck lineup overall, but the cupboard is far from bare. Much like Fairmont State, they have a core to build around and I say, “in.” Minnesota State University Mankato - 10th The Mavericks finished 10th this season under the leadership of head coach Jim Makovsky. All three athletes who qualified for the NCAA national tournament finished as All-Americans. Trevor Turiff fell in the 174 national finals to Abner Romero, and if the senior returns, it will be a legitimate national title threat. Seniors Trenton McManus (125) and Kyle Rathman (149) both found their way to the podium as well. McManus finished eighth while Rathman came in at seventh. You have to think that all three of these seniors have a tough decision to make, but if they return, this Mavs lineup is going to be fire. There is help for them though, Brock Luthens (133) returns as well as Kolbe O'Brien (141) and Cooper Siebrecht (157). All three were major contributors during the shortened season, notching very good wins. If they can find a solution at 165 and 184, this lineup gets even stronger. They could return senior Matt Blome at 197 and if he can return to freshman form, he is a national qualifier level talent. Not traditionally a team that heads to this national dual tournament lately, I would love to see them in Louisville. I am crossing my fingers and saying, “in.” West Liberty University - 4th Easily the most notable and glaring omission under the original team list, the Hilltoppers are coming off a historic season under second-year head coach Danny Irwin. The highest finish in program history came after the addition of two former Wheeling Jesuit national champions to an already solid young lineup. West Liberty finished fourth, just a half a point behind Lindenwood University in an exciting team race that came down to the 184-pound match finish. West Liberty left the building with four All-Americans, three of them finalists. No school crowned more national champions than the Hilltoppers with two and only St. Cloud State had more athletes reach the finals. This lineup will return all four All-Americans, including national champion Cole Laya (125) and two-time champion Tyler Warner (133). Connor Craig (184) could return after his runner-up finish, and the 2019 national champion remains a title threat. They also bring back All-American big man Francesco Borsellino who finished seventh. National qualifiers Chase Morgan (165) and Logan Kemp (197) are essential parts of the lineup and for the senior Kemp, when healthy, he's one of the best in the country. Ty McGeary (174) showed why he was such a great transfer grab as well; he notched big wins and only a loss to All-American Dan Beemer at the Super Regional kept him from reaching the national tournament. There are a few holes in this lineup that need athletes to step up in 2022 to give them a real shot at ending St. Cloud's win streak, but Irwin always seems to find an athlete or two in the transfer portal. West Liberty is a better tournament than a dual team, but there is no way they are not deserving of a trip to the NWCA tournament in Louisville. If they are not “in,” I am crying foul. This tournament is where St. Cloud State's winning streak could come to an end. It nearly happened in 2020 when Central Oklahoma University pushed them to the limit, but 2022 will present the Huskies with a host of challengers. Their undoing could come at the hands of one of these teams trying to make the tournament, but only if they are given a chance. I look forward to making my way to Kentucky for the first time and watching some great wrestling while there.

Luke Smith (left) was the Roadrunners interim head coach in 2020-21, but was named head coach Wednesday (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Bakersfield, Calif. – CSU Bakersfield Director of Athletics and AVP of Student Affairs Dr. Kenneth 'Ziggy' Siegfried has announced the hiring of Luke Smith as the department's head wrestling coach. Smith served as the program's interim head coach during an abbreviated 2020-21 season and was the Roadrunner's lead assistant for two seasons under Manny Rivera. "Luke did an excellent job guiding our wrestling student-athletes through a tumultuous season," said Siegfried. "In the face of adversity, the team remained engaged academically and within the CSUB community, and competed to a high standard in both the Pac-12 Conference and at the National level. Luke is a tremendous leader and role model for our student-athletes, well respected in the wrestling community and believes deeply in the tradition and character of CSUB Wrestling." Chance Rich, Angelo Martinoni and Dominic Ducharme all reached the 2021 NCAA Championship Tournament under Smith's tutelage, as the `Runners sent a wrestler to the National Event for the 47th-consecutive season. Rich won three times in St. Louis and finished just one win shy of All-American Honors in the 133 lb weight class. Ducharme earned his bid to the tournament by winning the Pac-12 Championship at 184 lbs. Rich was the conference runner-up at 133 lbs, while Martinoni placed third in the 141 lb bracket. "I've been thoroughly impressed by Luke's leadership this season under unimaginable circumstances" said Senior Associate AD for External Affairs & Capital Projects Karen Langston. "He has more than proven himself over three years on our wrestling staff, and in particular this past year as our Interim Head Coach. Luke is highly regarded around the country and will undoubtedly build on the storied culture and success our wrestling program has enjoyed throughout its history. I am thrilled to see the interim tag removed from his title and for him to take the reins of CSUB Wrestling." Prior to CSUB, Smith coached seven seasons at Eastern Michigan, including the last three as the program's top assistant. In his final season at EMU, he mentored a school-record five national qualifiers and the program's first All-American since 1999. Smith also coached two seasons at Old Dominion, after starting his coaching career with a single season on the staff of his alma mater Central Michigan. ­­ "I want to thank Dr. Siegfried, Karen Langston and the entire search committee for believing in my ability to lead the wrestling program at CSUB," Smith said. "I'd also like to thank my family for their support, as well as all the coaches and student-athletes, who have given me opportunities to do what I love over the past 13 seasons. I'm looking forward to continuing the rich tradition and culture of CSUB Wrestling, and work with our student-athletes, day in and day out, to represent a Bakersfield community that means so much to our program." Smith was a four-time NCAA Qualifier as a student-athlete for the Chippewas and ranked as high as #4 in the country during his senior season at 125 lbs, leading CMU to a #2 National Ranking. Smith earned 2005 Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year honors and holds the record for the two fastest pins in CMU history at 0:11 and 0:13 seconds, respectively. He graduated from Central Michigan in 2008, with a degree in Sports Management & Coaching. Smith also boasts a pair of top-five finishes at United States' Team Trial competition in his career and was a two-time Wisconsin State Champion as a prep athlete.

Mike Poeta (center) at the 2020 Big Ten Championships (Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Our Big Ten correspondent Cody Goodwin joined us last night to talk about Mike Poeta's assuming the head coaching role at his alma mater, the University of Illinois. Poeta was a two-time NCAA runner-up and has served on previous head coach Jim Heffernan's coaching staff since the 2017-18 season.

Mike Poeta coaching at the 2020 Big Ten Championships; Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com Champaign, Ill. -- Mike Poeta, who established himself as one of Illinois's all-time greatest wrestlers and top assistant coaches in the nation as a member of the Fighting Illini staff, was named head wrestling coach today by Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman. "We are thrilled to welcome Mike Poeta to our Fighting Illini head coaching family," Whitman said. "Mike is a native of our great state, is a proud University of Illinois alumnus, and is one of the most decorated wrestlers in our program's rich history. From our first conversations about this position, Mike impressed us with his leadership skills, energy, and vision for the future of the Fighting Illini wrestling program. He has unrivaled passion for Illinois Wrestling, and we are confident that enthusiasm will carry forward into his recruiting and coaching. "Mike has first-hand appreciation for, and will build upon, the longstanding tradition of wrestling success built by Mark Johnson and Jim Heffernan over the past three decades. Congratulations and welcome to Mike, Callie, and their four children for joining us on this journey and leading Illinois Wrestling to a bright, successful future." Poeta, 35, is considered one of the top recruiting and development coaches in the nation, and this spring finished his fourth season on recently retired head coach Jim Heffernan's staff. "I'm so happy for Mike, and the program," Heffernan said. "It's been fun watching this process come full circle from Mike's days as an Illini student-athlete, to running a successful club, coming back to campus as an assistant coach and now leading the program. I love the fact that we will have an alum as our new head coach. I've always been a big fan of Mike's coaching and look forward to watching his impact on the Illini wrestling program." "I am honored and excited to be the next head wrestling coach at the University of Illinois," Poeta said. "It was an absolute dream come true to be part of this institution as a wrestler, assistant coach, and now head coach. I have so much love for the wrestlers on the team, this program, this school, and this state. We have a great young team that can do great things. I want to thank coach Heff, who I have learned so much from over the last four years. He's a class act and represented this university how it should be. He left some big shoes to fill but my goal is to lift this program from great to elite. Poeta was a member of Illinois's 2005 Big Ten title team and earned three All-America honors and two Big Ten titles. "Mike Poeta is one of the truly special people and athletes who I've had a chance to work with during my career," said former Illini head coach Mark Johnson. "He is one of the all-time best wrestlers to compete for Illinois. Personally, he is one of the guys I remain in close contact with and I am excited to see this position stay in the Illini family that we started in 1992. I look forward to the continuation of great things from the Fighting Illini wrestling program for many years under Mike." Before joining Heffernan's staff for the 2017-18 season, Poeta spent the previous five years as owner and head coach of the Poeta Training Center in Lake Forest, Illinois. During its inaugural year, Team Poeta grew from 40 wrestlers to 200 wresters. Since then, the training center has produced 19 high school and junior high state champions. As the former owner of the team and training center, Poeta brought both administrative and coaching experience to the Illinois staff. From an administrative side, Poeta managed the club's budget and payroll for its 10 assistant coaches, while also directing fundraising events for non-profit organizations that benefited young wrestlers in the Chicago area. Additionally, Poeta built strong connections with some of the top high school athletes and coaches in the state of Illinois through various recruiting combines and clinics. Prior to creating the Poeta Training Center, Poeta spent three years wrestling professionally. In 2010, Poeta represented the United States at the 2010 World Cup in Moscow, Russia. Two years later, Poeta competed at the 2012 Olympic Trials. A 157-pounder from 2004-08 for the Illini, Poeta became one of the most successful wrestlers in Fighting Illini history and was a member of Illinois's 2005 Big Ten championship team. Individually, Poeta was a three-time All-American, two-time NCAA finalist, two-time Big Ten champion (2008, 2009) and two-time Midlands champion (2007, 2008). After finishing third at the 2007 NCAA Championships, he was a finalist in both 2008 and 2009. Poeta left Illinois with a career collegiate record of 105-14 to rank second all-time in win percentage (.891) and 15th in career wins, and he currently ranks third and 22nd in those categories. Poeta graduated from the College of Applied Health Sciences with a bachelor's degree in community health in 2009. A native of Highwood, Illinois, Poeta was rated the No. 1 pound-for-pound high school recruit in 2004 after winning three High School National Championships and two IHSA state championships. He was a four-time Illinois state placewinner (3rd-3rd-1st-1st) and compiled a career prep record of 175-5. Poeta was the 2004 Junior Freestyle National champion (152 pounds), two-time Cadet Freestyle National champion (2001, 2002) and a member of the Wrestling USA Dream Team (2004). Poeta will receive a four-year contract starting at $160,000 annually, with his appointment subject to University of Illinois Board of Trustees approval.

Recently, InterMat took a road trip to Boone, North Carolina to check out the Appalachian State wrestling facilities and other areas of interest on and around campus. Head coach John Mark Bentley, NCAA qualifier Will Formato, and Rachel Gallardo were our hosts for the trip. "The Grind" podcast host Jeremy Barnes also joined us for lunch at the Daniel Boone Inn, a Boone, North Carolina institution. Some technical difficulties prevented us from having more footage at the Daniel Boone Inn, as intended. Appalachian State Wrestling Room (Part One) Appalachian State Wrestling Room (Part Two) Appalachian State Team Room The Chancellor's Suite The Daniel Boone Inn (Part One) The Daniel Boone Inn (Part Two)

Rei Higuchi at the 2016 Olympic Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The Uzbekistan freestyle team had a disappointing World Championships back in 2019 at Nur-Sultan when it failed to qualify even a single weight out of the six Olympic categories. A delay in the qualifying tournaments due to the COVID-19 had their wrestlers struggling to maintain weight and had restricted training. But a week back, when the Uzbekistan team left Almaty after the Asian Olympic Qualifiers, they were the most successful freestyle team with four qualified athletes including veterans Bekzod Abdurakhamonov (74kg) and Magomed Ibragimov (97kg). The two others were youngsters Muminjon Abdullaev (57kg) and Javrail Shapiev (86kg). Despite their success, a surprising result at 65kg spoiled their party. Ilyas Bekbulatov arrived in Almaty as the favorite to win the 65kg weight category but he was stunned in the semifinal. In all likelihood, he will now wrestle at the last chance World Olympic Qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria next month. His result was not the only surprising one in Almaty. Japan had a disastrous tournament in freestyle and Greco-Roman. India, which had three qualified wrestlers in Nur-Sultan, failed to qualify even one in Almaty, despite all three reaching the semifinals. The following are some of the biggest names that are yet to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo Freestyle: Ilyas Bekbulatov (Uzbekistan): Two points. That was all Bekbulatov needed to qualify for the Olympics. After dominating the field at 65kg in Almaty, the Russia-transfer to Uzbekistan was up against Ernazar Akmataliev of Kyrgyzstan. After the Uzbek had built a 8-0 lead in the first period, Akmataliev threw him on his back with a head lock and got the pin eight seconds before the end of the first period. Having won the 70kg Asian title in 2020, Bekbulatov went back to his native Dagestan to continue his training. He had completed the transfer in a hope to compete at the Olympic Games, as it became harder and harder from Russia. Now, as only two weeks remain for the Sofia tournament, it becomes a huge challenge for him to qualify given that he has to undergo the whole process of reducing his weight. Not to talk about the opponents he will face in Sofia. Jordan Olivier from the USA, Rio Olympic champion at 57kg Vladimer Khinchegashivili (GEO) and Poland veteran Magomedmurad Gadzhiev are all eyeing the two spots available. Turkey's Selahattin Kilicsallayan will also pose big trouble for him. Niurgun Skriabin of Belarus, Ukraine's Vasyl Shuptar, Vladimir Dubov of Bulgaria and David Habat of Slovenia are the underdogs of the category. Rei Higuchi (Japan): The biggest story from Almaty has to be Rio Olympics silver medalist Higuchi failing to make the weight in the 57kg category. After winning the All-Japan Championships in December 2019 to represent his country at the Asian Olympic qualifiers, a delay of one year did not help his plans. His quest for his second Olympic medal ended when he was disqualified for being overweight by 50 grams. He is unavailable for the last chance as the Japan Wrestling Federation had already decided that Yuki Takahashi will go to Sofia in a bid to win the spot for Japan. The JWF is considering a trial in case Takahashi wins. Sohsuke Takatania (Japan): A former world silver medalist and two-time Olympian, Takatani could have given Japan their quota at 86kg but he flopped in stunning fashion. After leading 6-1 against unheralded Zushen Lin of China, he gave up six points to lose 8-7. Lin scored the final takedown with just 23 seconds left on the clock. Women's Wrestling Seema (India): India's recent success in women's wrestling have made them a strong force in Asia. The lightweight wrestlers have always been more successful than their heavier counterparts. So when Seema was entered for the Almaty tournament, she was expected to qualify for the Tokyo Games, given that she had finished seventh at the World Championships. Unfortunately, she failed to do so after big losses to eventual champion Yui Susaki of Japan and 2019 Ivan Yargyin champion Namuuntsetseg Ochir of Mongolia. Her performance did not replicate the success she had in the lead up to the World Championships, having won two ranking series gold medals and being a top-three wrestler for United World Wrestling throughout the year. It is yet uncertain who will represent India at the last chance qualifiers in Sofia and Seema may have to appear for a second trial back home in India. Tserenchimed Sukhee (Mongolia): Mongolia could not have asked for a better tournament as they qualified four wrestlers out of the five they brought to Almaty. The unlucky one being Tserenchimed Sukhee. Having jumped up a weight category to 62kg from 57kg, Tserenchimed was looking good to qualify as she reached the semifinal despite a 4-4 loss to Ayaulym Kassymova. But Chinese wrestler Jia Long handed her a 10-0 loss in the semifinal to end the Mongolian's dream. Mongolia is likely to send Bolortuya Khurelkhuu to Sofia as she won a silver medal at the following Asian Championships in Almaty. Greco-Roman Meiirzhan Shermakhanbet (Kazakhstan): Wrestling at home could have been enough motivation for Shermakhanbet to win an Olympic quota for Kazakhstan. But Marlen Asikeev of Kyrgyzstan had other ideas. Both met in the qualification round at 67kg weight category and Asikeev controlled the bout to perfection. He not only took the lead but maintained it to win 8-2. The Kazak wrestler will have to go through the tough process of qualifying via the last chance in Sofia. Kim Hyeonwoo (Korea): Korea's 2012 Olympics champion and bronze medalist in Rio had a forgetful tournament as he lost in the quarterfinal of the 77kg category in Almaty. Wrestling against India's Gurpreet Singh, Kim gave up two four-point throws and suffered a 9-0 loss. To add insult to injury, Kim failed to medal at the Asian Championships at 82kg. It will be interesting to see if Korea sends a new entry to Sofia or will stick with 33-year-old Kim. Gurpreet Singh (India): He managed to beat two-time Olympic medalist Kim Hyeonwoo in Almaty but was tossed around by Akzhol Makhmudov of Kyrgyzstan as India's biggest hope to qualify for the Olympics ended in Almaty. A former Asian Championships medalist Gurpreet came to Almaty as one of the favorites to qualify, but Makhmudov handed him a 8-2 defeat to end his chance. It is likely that India may have a trial between Gurpreet and Sajan, a multiple-time age-group world medalist, to decide who goes to Sofia. Hossein Nouri (Iran): The favorite to qualify from Almaty in the 87kg weight category was Hossein Nouri of Iran. A three-time Asian champion and winner of Asian Games, Nouri suffered a 4-4 loss to Fei Peng of China. Leading 4-0 in the second period, Nouri was sent on his back when Peng produced a surprise move to win on criteria. Iran had won three quotes in Nur-Sultan and two more in Almaty. A quota at 87kg would have completed their squad for Tokyo, but now Iran will be racing against time to find a candidate for the Sofia tournament.

Gable Steveson at the Olympic Trials in early April (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) One of the main reasons why the Olympic/World Team Trials falls on the calendar where it does is because the NCAA tournament is a Trials qualifier. The winner of each of the ten weight classes has the option to enter the Trials with the hope of making the World or Olympic team. Some proponents have advocated for moving the Trials since many NCAA champions still need time to develop and convert to freestyle. However, a few college wrestlers have walked right off the folkstyle mats and then represented the U.S. on the international scene. The following looks at the wrestlers who made men's freestyle Olympic/World teams right after winning an NCAA title, and a few who came very close, from the last five NCAA tournaments. NCAA Champions who made the Olympic/World Team in the same year Kyle Snyder (2016, 2017, and 2018) Snyder might be a special case. He accomplished the rare feat of winning his first Senior-level World title before winning an NCAA title. He made the Olympic/World team after each one of his NCAA titles, as a sophomore, junior and senior. In 2016, Snyder sat and waited in the 97 kg finals as the reigning World champion. 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jake Varner earned the right to face him after winning the challenge tournament. Varner defeated Snyder in the first match 4-4 on criteria. However, the Ohio State wrestler won the next two matches by a combined 10-1 score to make the Olympic team. Snyder went on to become the youngest Olympic gold medalist in the history of American wrestling. After yet another NCAA title, Snyder found himself with a bye to the finals, once again. This time, his opponent was a familiar rival. Kyven Gadson had previously shocked Snyder in the finals of the 2015 NCAA tournament. Two years later, they would face off in the best-of-three finals with a trip to the World Championships on the line. This time, Snyder dominated the contest and took 10-0 and 13-2 victories to make the team. He would go on to pick up his second World championship. Snyder finished his collegiate eligibility with another NCAA title. USA Wrestling implemented the Final X concept in 2018, which meant that Snyder waited in the finals due to his previous World title. Once again, he faced off against Gadson in the finals, and once again, Snyder advanced with a two-match sweep. Snyder would go on to finish second at the World championships. Interestingly enough, Snyder's opponent in the NCAA finals, Adam Coon would win Final X on the Greco Roman side to also make the World team. He went on quite a run at 130 kg and brought home a silver medal. J'den Cox (2016 and 2017) It would be wrong to say that Cox came out of nowhere at the 2016 Olympic Trials. However, few thought he would be able to make the run he did. Not only did he make the team, but he also managed to defeat a pair of Hodge Trophy winners along the way. Cox first ran into veteran Jake Herbert and took an 8-1 decision. He then got by with a 3-1 win over Keith Gavin in order to make the best-of-three series against Kyle Dake. Dake was clearly giving up a lot of size. However, he managed to win one of the three matches. In the end, Cox pulled it out and made the team. At the Games, he broke through and brought home a bronze medal. The following year, Cox found himself facing off with yet another Hodge Trophy winner. He sat in the finals before facing off against David Taylor. The former Penn State wrestler got off to a hot start and handed Cox a 9-3 defeat in the first match. However, Cox leaned on his stellar defense and won the next two 4-3 and 5-3 to advance to the World championships. Zain Retherford (2017) The three-time NCAA champion made his first World team while still in college. Following his second NCAA title as a junior, he entered the 2017 World Team Trials. Retherford made the best-of-three finals after winning the challenge tournament with match-termination victories over Jaydin Eierman (14-2), Nick Dardanes (11-0) and BJ Futrell (10-0). He then bested 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro in the finals. The reigning U.S. representative won the first match, but Retherford stormed back with a 6-0 win and a 7-4 victory in the deciding match. The Penn State product failed to medal at the 2017 World championships, but he was part of the country's team title. Gable Steveson (2021) During this past collegiate season, Steveson appeared to be on another level. He won his first NCAA title and shared the Hodge Trophy with Spencer Lee. The Minnesota wrestler carried that momentum into the recent Olympic Trials. He won all four of his matches, including a pair over two-time World medalist Nick Gwiazdowski to make the Olympics. The three-time age-group World champion is expected to make a strong push for a medal at the upcoming Games. Best of the Rest Zahid Valencia (2nd at Final X in 2018) After winning his first NCAA title as a sophomore, Valencia walked into a crowded field at the 2018 World Team Trials. He won the challenge tournament with victories over Josh Apser and Alex Dieringer (twice) by a combined 22-1 score. The Arizona State wrestler then advanced to Final X against Kyle Dake. Valencia remained competitive but he dropped two matches via 4-0 and 4-3 scores. Bo Nickal (2nd at Final X in 2019) Following his senior season that saw him claim his third NCAA title and the Hodge Trophy, Nickal entered the 2019 World Team Trials. He advanced to Final X after a pair of victories over former NCAA champion Michael Macchiavello. However, at Final X, Nickal ran into J'den Cox and dropped both matches in the best-of-three series. Nickal would then challenge for a berth on the U23 World team. He won the spot with a pair of victories over Jake Woodley and went on to claim gold at the World event. Yianni Diakomihalis (2nd at Final X 2019) After winning his second NCAA title as a sophomore, Diakomihalis qualified for the World Team Trials in 2019 by winning the U.S. Open. That victory also allowed him to sit in Final X and wait for an opponent. That opponent ended up being Zain Retherford. The former Penn State wrestler won both of the Final X matches and seemingly won the spot on the World team. However, after a challenge to the result in the deciding match, Diakomihalis was granted a special wrestle-off. Once again, Retherford won and took the spot. From the last five NCAA tournaments, only four wrestlers have gone on to make an Olympic or World team. In some ways, this may support the idea of moving the Trials to a more prime position. However, even when college champions do not win their respective brackets, they can still have a sizable and important impact on the resulting team. The tradition alone will keep many fans in favor of the status quo. On top of that, it is hard to top the excitement of a recent NCAA champion taking on some of the best on the senior level.

Second-ranked 170 lber Gabe Arnold (Photo/SE Wrestle; SEWrestle.com) Friday marks the start of a massive weekend at the high school and even middle school level. The Cadet World Team Trials will take place in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Along with the Cadet Trials, the U15 and Futures division will be conducted. This is the first time the Futures tournament has been held. It will be for wrestlers who are 12 and under. Since the Cadet World Championships were reinstated in 2011, the United States has gained invaluable international experience for wrestlers 17 and under. Having the opportunity to do so in the U15 division will only strengthen wrestlers in that age group as well. Our partners at MatScouts have done an excellent job breaking down all of the Cadet freestyle weight classes earlier today. Please check out their preview for extensive info on their competitors. Here we have targeted five of the most loaded weight classes in the Cadet freestyle event and made our picks for those weights. As always, all rankings courtesy of MatScouts 51 kg Contenders Drew Heethuis - Detroit Central Catholic, MI Nathanael Jesuroga - Southeast Polk, IA Paul Kelly - Poway, CA Vincent Kilkeary - Greater Latrobe, PA Alan Koehler - Prior Lake, MN Marc-Anthony McGowan - Blair Academy, NJ Dalton Perry - Central Mountain, PA Nick Treaster - Newton, KS Kolby Warren - Christian Brothers, MO Kaedyn Williams - Manheim Township, PA This is one of those weights where you'll have some high-quality kids miss out on the top-12, much less an actual placement. First and foremost, you have to start with 2019 Cadet World Champion Marc-Anthony McGowan. McGowan captured his gold medal at 45 kg, but he has shown nothing to indicate he couldn't win this spot at 51 kg. Currently, Marc-Anthony sits atop the national rankings at 113 lbs. After McGowan, three of the top six wrestlers at 113 lbs have entered with #4 Nathanael Jesuroga, #5 Dalton Perry, and #6 Vincent Kilkeary. Jesuroga was the Super 32 third-place finisher in 2020. There he lost in the second round and won eight straight bouts to finish third. 2020 Pennsylvania AAA champion Vincent Kilkeary won that Super 32 weight class, but never met Jesuroga. The eighth-grade sensation, Perry, has a pair of wins over Kilkeary recently. #15 Drew Heethuis, #17 Alan Koehler, and #18 Kaedyn Williams are also ranked 113 lbs that could have an impact. Heethuis was a Michigan D1 champ this year, while Koehler was a Fargo 16U finalist at 88lbs in 2019, and Williams won a PA title this year in the AAA division. Also of note, Paul Kelly is a Fargo freestyle All-American and Kolby Warren was fourth at the U15 World Team Trials in 2019. Picks 1) Marc-Anthony McGowan 2) Nathanael Jesuroga 3) Dalton Perry 4) Vincent Kilkeary 5) Kaedyn Williams 6) Drew Heethuis 7) Kolby Warren 8) Alan Koehler 55 kg Contenders Grigor Cholakyan - St. John Bosco, CA Joe Fernau - Montini Catholic, IL Zan Fugitt - Nixa, MO Mason Gibson - Bishop McCort, PA DJ Gillett - Crescent Valley, OR Cael Hughes - Stillwater, OK Cory Land - Moody, AL Spencer Moore - Walton-Verona, KY Mitchell Neiner - South Kitsap, WA Gable Porter - Underwood, IA Teegan Vasquez - Glacier, MT Kannon Webster - Washington, IL Kamdyn Williams - Manheim Township, PA Daniel Zepeda - Gilroy, CA Even though there's an incredibly deep field here, most observers probably view freshman #4, Mason Gibson, as the odds-on favorite. Though just a freshman, Gibson has made the finals of the Super 32 on two occasions, winning once as an eighth-grader. Gibson advanced to the Pennsylvania AA state finals before falling victim to a slight upset. A pair of experienced competitors from the south may push Gibson the most in Cory Land and Spencer Moore. Land was a 2019 Greco-Roman World Team member and made the 48 kg finals in freestyle. Land has also placed top-three at the Super 32 twice. Moore is a North Carolina signee that reclassified to the Class of 2021 last summer. He doesn't have an extensive freestyle pedigree, has a pair of sixth-place finished at the Super 32 to his credit. This weight includes a pair of wrestlers that finished third at the U15 WTT's in 2019, Grigor Cholakyan and Cael Hughes. Cholakyan did so at 38 kg while Hughes was at 44. Also returning from Hughes' weight class are DJ Gillett and Teegan Vasquez, both of whom finished in the top-eight. Illinois state champion Kannon Webster was third at the Cadet Trials in 2019, competing at 45 kg. There he picked up an 8-5 win over Moore. Iowa's Gable Porter was a state champion in 2020 at 106 lbs, but moved all the way up to 132 to help his team and still made the finals this season. Back at a more normal weight class should suit him well here. Joe Fernau is another Illinois state champ in this bracket. He and Mitch Neiner were top-eight finisher at the U15 WTT's in 2019 at 48 kg. Fernau was fourth and Neiner fifth. One more contender is Kamdyn Williams. Williams was an undefeated freshman at 113 lbs in PA and defeated the returning champion (Kilkeary) and eventual winner (Jacob Van Dee), before failing to make weight at the state tournament. Finally, Zan Fugitt was a Super 32 semifinalist this season. Picks 1) Mason Gibson 2) Cory Land 3) Kannon Webster 4) Gable Porter 5) Kamdyn Williams 6) Cael Hughes 7) Grigor Cholakyan 8) Joe Fernau 65 kg Contenders Tyler Antoniak - Millard South, NE Joey Blaze - Perrysburg, OH Nate Burnett - Elyria, OH Kayd Craig - Gooding, ID Kyle Dutton - Liberty, MO Angelo Ferrari - Stillwater, OK William Henckel - Southbury, CT Brendan Howes - Anoka, MN Daschle Lamer - Crescent Valley, OR Pierson Manville - State College, PA Carter Martinson - Southeast Polk, IA Meyer Shapiro - Bullis School, MD Ethan Stiles - Wyoming Seminary, PA Jude Swisher - Bellefonte, PA Noah Tolentino - Poway, CA Kael Voinovich - Brecksville, OH Now we get to have some fun! The first two weights we mentioned, along with some we didn't, have distinct favorites. The 2019 U15 tournament is well-represented with placewinners from that event. Most notably, Ethan Stiles, who won the 52 kg weight class. Stiles went on to claim gold at the World Championship and also was sixth in 16U freestyle later that summer in Fargo. Pierson Manville and Brendan Howes also finished in the top-eight at Stiles' weight class. Idaho's Kayd Craig was fourth at 57 kg's. Tyler Antoniak was a U15 World Champion in Greco in 2019 at 68 kg. He has since placed first and third at the Nebraska state tournament. #9 Meyer Shapiro is the highest-ranked member of this weight class. Shapiro was a National Prep runner-up in 202 as a freshman. He went 3-2 during his last appearance at Cadet's. One of the veterans of this weight is current junior Kyle Dutton. Kyle is a two-time Missouri state champion who had a strong summer of 2020 on the dual circuit. You can't overlook the latest in the line of Ferrari brothers, freshman Angelo. Ferrari was an Oklahoma state runner-up this season at 152 lbs. Ohio is well represented with undefeated state champion Joey Blaze, super-freshman Kael Voinovich, and two-time placewinner Nate Burnett. Blaze currently sits at #23 in the national rankings. Voinovich and Burnett were in the same DI weight class this season. The freshman downed Burnett in the consolation semis, on his way to a third-place finish. Others to watch include Pennsylvania's Jude Swisher. The Home-Mat Advantage podcast star also has a pair of top-four finishes in PA's AAA division to his credit. William Henckel is one of the top-eighth graders in the nation and should have an impact, even at such a high weight. Picks 1) Meyer Shapiro 2) Joey Blaze 3) Ethan Stiles 4) Jude Swisher 5) Tyler Antoniak 6) Kyle Dutton 7) Noah Tolentino 8) Angelo Ferrari 71 kg Contenders Josh Barr - Davison, MI Levi Haines - Biglerville, PA Jared Keslar - Connellsville, PA Grant MacKay - Laurel, PA Carson Martinson - Southeast Polk, IA Thor Michaelson - Bremerton, WA Enzo Morlacci - Kiski Area, PA Aiden Riggins - Waverly-Shell Rock, IA Braeden Scoles - Kewaskum, WI Joseph Sealey - Highpoint Central, NC Braden Stauffenberg - Montini Catholic, IL Antrell Taylor - Millard South, NE This weight class is set to feature three U15 World Team Trials finalists from 2019. The lone winner from that event was Antrell Taylor, who claimed the silver medal at the World Championships. The Nebraska recruit also made the Fargo 16U finals later that year. The two runner's-up from that tournament are Josh Barr (68 kg) and Aiden Riggins (57 kg). Barr has won Michigan state titles in both of his opportunities, while Riggins dropped Iowa-signee Caleb Rathjen in the 3A state finals to win his first. The highest-ranked wrestler in this bracket is #6 Levi Haines, who is fresh off his first state title in his third trip to the AA finals. Haines was a Super 32 finalist last fall and a fourth-place finisher in the 16U division last year in Fargo. Pennsylvania has a strong contingent at this weight, with Jared Keslar, Grant MacKay, and Enzo Morlacci all projected to be in the mix. MacKay was a AA state champion at 152 lbs and Keslar was fourth at AAA. Morlacci is a former NHSCA freshman national champion that was sixth at the U15 Trials in 2019. Could it be a case of home-field advantage for Braeden Scoles, who is less than 90 miles away from his hometown? Scoles has won Wisconsin state titles in both of his first two years of high school. Two other past U15 WTT placewinners are Thor Michaelson and Braden Stauffenberg. Michaelson was fifth at 62 kg and Stauffenberg was fourth at 62 kg. Picks 1) Antrell Taylor 2) Levi Haines 3) Aiden Riggins 4) Josh Barr 5) Braeden Scoles 6) Braden Stauffenberg 7) Jared Keslar 8) Thor Michaelson 80 kg Contenders Gabe Arnold - Wyoming Seminary, PA Drake Buchanan - Center Grove, IN Noah Mulvaney - Arrowhead, WI Tate Naaktgeboren - Linn-Mar, IA Justin Rademacher - West Linn, OR James Rowley - Crescent Valley, OR Ryder Rogotzke - Stillwater, MN Antony Tuttle - Stillwater, MN Hayden Walters - Crescent Valley, OR This weight doesn't have the depth of some of the smaller ones, but it has some top-line talent. First and foremost is Gabe Arnold, the second-ranked 170 lber in the nation. Arnold is one of the top overall sophomores in the country. He is one that could have challenged for a place on the team in 2020 had the Trials taken place. A pair of teammates from Oregon, James Rowley and Hayden Walters, could present the biggest hurdles for Arnold. Rowley was a runner-up at the Super 32 in October and was a U15 World bronze medalist in 2019. Walters He is ranked fourth in the country. Walters is ranked sixth up at 182 lbs and was fifth at the Super 32. Another Oregon native, Justin Rademacher, figures to be in the mix. Rademacher was a state runner-up in 2020, as a freshman, and was victorious early this season at USAW's Preseason Nationals. Another set of teammates will be in the hunt for the podium in Stillwater, Minnesota's Ryder Rogotzke and Antony Tuttle. Rogotzke was fifth at U15 Nationals in 2019 and later made the top-eight in Fargo's 16U Greco tournament. Tuttle was a U15 runner-up at 75 kg two years ago. Another placewinner from that tournament is Drake Buchanan, who was fourth in that weight class. Coming in on a hot streak is Iowa's Tate Naaktgeboren. Tate ran through a loaded field at Folkstyle Nationals and captured his first state title a few months ago. Picks 1) Gabe Arnold 2) James Rowley 3) Tate Naaktgeboren 4) Ryder Rogotzke 5) Hayden Walters 6) Antony Tuttle 7) Drake Buchanan 8) Noah Mulvaney

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (April 20, 2021) States will have a choice of 12, 13 or 14 weight classes for both boys and girls competition in high school wrestling, effective with the 2023-24 season. This will be the first separate weight classes established for girls in high school wrestling, and it marks the first time that state associations will have a choice in the number of weight classes. The landmark change in weight classes was one of several significant revisions recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee at its April 7-9 meeting held virtually this year. All recommendations were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors. States must select one of the three sets (12, 13 or 14) of weight classes for girls and one of the three sets (12, 13 or 14) for boys. States cannot adopt all three sets and cannot switch back and forth during the season. The following weight classes (in pounds) were established for girls competition (girls wrestling girls), effective July 1, 2023: 12 Weight Classes - 100, 107, 114, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 165, 185, 235. 13 Weight Classes - 100, 106, 112, 118, 124, 130, 136, 142, 148, 155, 170, 190, 235. 14 Weight Classes - 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 155, 170, 190, 235 The following weight classes (in pounds) were established for boys competition (boys wrestling boys or girls wrestling boys), effective July 1, 2023: 12 Weight Classes - 108, 116, 124, 131, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 190, 215, 285 13 Weight Classes - 107, 114, 121, 127, 133, 139, 145, 152, 160, 172, 189, 215, 285 14 Weight Classes - 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190, 215, 285 "Previous surveys have indicated a varying number of weight classes that states wanted, so the committee attempted to meet the needs of as many people as possible," said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and student services and liaison to the Wrestling Rules Committee. "We have more and more state associations sponsoring girls wrestling and holding state championships for girls, so the committee believed it was time to establish uniform weight classifications for girls. "The recommended weights were established based upon more than 215,000 assessments from the National Wrestling Coaches Association. We are excited about these changes to weight classes in high school wrestling as we believe it will provide more opportunities for male and female student-athletes to be involved in this great sport." In another major change affecting risk minimization, a separate 5-minute time-out has been established for the onsite health-care professional to evaluate potential head and neck injuries involving the cervical column (HNC) and/or nervous system. "There was a desire to establish a separate injury time-out that concerns the head and neck involving the cervical column and/or nervous system and not connect it with the existing 1½-minute injury time-outs or any other stoppage of the match," Hopkins said. "This separate time-out is supported and covered in existing rules that give the referee the authority to observe the signs, symptoms and behaviors of a concussion and respond appropriately." As a result of the separate HNC time-out, which takes effect next year, a number of other rules in the 2021-22 NFHS Wrestling Rules Book will be altered. The other significant change in high school wrestling rules for 2021-22 addresses the number of matches allowed in one day of competition. Currently, no wrestler shall represent the school in more than one weight class in any meet or wrestle in more than five matches, excluding forfeits, in any one day of competition. A change provides an exception to Rule 1-4-3 as follows: "No wrestler shall wrestle in more than six matches (championship or consolation), excluding forfeits, in any one day of a tournament conducted by the state high school association for qualification to the state high school championships or the specific state championships." This change was enacted as a result of a successful experiment by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. Hopkins said that increasing the number of matches from five to six would allow postseason tournaments with more than eight competitors in a weight class to complete the tournament in one day. He said, in many cases, this change would eliminate the need for schools to stay overnight to participate in respective state qualifying tournaments and state championship events. "Since this exception would only allow six matches per day to be wrestled in the postseason qualifying tournament or state championship event, the impact on the total number of matches that an individual wrestles in an entire season would be minimal," Hopkins said. "We do not want to extend this change to the regular season, and this exception would not come into play for the majority of participants." Two other minor changes were made in the rules for next year. Rule 4-5-7 no longer will require low-cut socks to be worn as a part of the weigh-in procedure, and one change was made in Rule 5-1-1 dealing with choice of position during bad time. A complete listing of the wrestling rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on "Activities & Sports" at the top of the home page and select "Wrestling." According to the most recent NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, wrestling is the seventh-most popular sport for boys with 247,441 participants in 10,843 schools. In addition, a total of 21,124 girls are involved in the sport in 2,890 schools. About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,500 high schools and 12 million participants in high school activity programs, including almost eight million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.

Chris Pendleton (left) sent six wrestlers to nationals in year one at Oregon State (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The abridged 2021 collegiate season saw four new head coaches at the helm at the division one level. Three were first-time head coaches. Taking over a new program is never an easy task, but it had to be remarkably difficult for rookie head coaches and veterans alike during a COVID-interrupted year. These coaches managed to persevere and all put a product on the mat that was equal to or better than years past at their respective institutions. Each new coach has reason to call year one of their regime a success. Even so, we've decided to look at each coach and their current situation to determine what worked and how their program is set up for the future. Scotti Sentes (Campbell) Campbell's first-year head coach, Scotti Sentes, is the only one of the group who was promoted from within his current program. Sentes has been with the team since the 2016-17 season and served as the Camel's associate head coach before the 2019-20 campaign. Under Sentes, Campbell went 8-1, with their only loss coming at the hands of Virginia Tech during the opening weekend of the season. Virginia Tech went on to win the ACC regular-season title and finish unbeaten. Campbell also won their conference, the SoCon, for a third consecutive season and also three-peated at the SoCon Championships. Three of Sentes' wrestlers came away with SoCon titles, while seven made the trip to nationals. Those seven qualifiers set a school record, besting the previous mark of six, set in each of the last two seasons. A pair of Camels, Austin Murphy (11th - 174) and Caleb Hopkins (14th - 184), received top-15 seeds. Of the Campbell wrestlers, only Josh Heil outperformed his pre-tournament seed (20th) as he made it to the Round of 16. Of course, Heil was embroiled in one of the most controversial moments at the NCAA Tournament in years as he was forced to re-wrestle the final seven seconds of a tiebreaker period due to an error with the clock. Murphy had the deepest run of any Campbell wrestler in 2021 as he made it to the Round of 12, where he was shutout by NC State's Daniel Bullard. Campbell developed a strong reputation for recruiting under previous head coach Cary Kolat and that continued with Sentes as the head man. We'll see if that continues as Kolat is farther away from the program. Sentes made some wise decisions by bringing Daryl Thomas and Wynn Michalak to Buies Creeks as assistants. Thomas has developed into an excellent recruiter and the sudden improvements to upperweights like Murphy and Hopkins have to be closely linked to Michalak's influence. The pair entered the NCAA Tournament with just a loss between them. It appears that Campbell will be a force in the SoCon again in 2021-22 as all three of the school's senior national qualifiers have decided to return and use their extra year of eligibility. Cary Kolat (Navy) Sentes had the opportunity to take over at Campbell because Cary Kolat moved on to become the head coach at the Naval Academy. Though the Midshipmen fell in Kolat's dual debut to Pittsburgh, his impact was felt immediately. That was their only loss of the year. Two weeks later, the Midshipmen were able to defeat Lehigh for the first time since 2011. Speaking of snapping losing skids, Navy downed their biggest rival, Army West Point, 20-13, and won the Star Match for the first time since 2016. While Kolat and his staff likely thought an EIWA Championship was in play during year one, Navy dropped four of their five conference final matches and settled for second place behind Lehigh. Even so, that was the school's highest finish at the conference meet since 2013 under Bruce Burnett. The lone EIWA champion for Navy was Cody Trybus, who became the 33rd multiple-time conference champion in program history. Trybus was given the 11th seed in St. Louis, while 165 lber Tanner Skidgel was the only other Navy wrestled seeded in the top-15 (13th). The Midshipman with the deepest NCAA Tournament run was 184 lb freshman David Key, went 2-2. Key picked up wins over 13th seeded Chris Weiler (Wisconsin) and 19th seeded Zac Braunagel (Illinois). Altogether, nine Navy wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships. You have to go all the way back to 1969 to find the last Navy team to have sent at least nine. Almost simultaneous with Kolat's hiring, Navy's recruiting received a considerable surge. While the school will probably never compete with the Iowa, Oklahoma State, and Penn State's of the world for the bluest of the blue-chippers, plenty of quality recruits will flock to Annapolis to wrestle for Kolat along with all the Academy offers. The seniors from the Class of 2021 that have committed to Navy combine to form one of the best-recruiting classes in recent memory for the program. It is also very Pennsylvania-heavy, which is not a surprise considering the proximity to campus and the weight of Kolat's name in his home state. Navy is not a program that will be able to benefit from the extra year of eligibility. Their student-athletes are students first and will have to fulfill their military obligations rather than spending another year competing. That certainly hurts in 2021-22 as four of their nine national qualifiers were seniors. Look for Navy to be extremely strong in the upperweights going forward as they return NQ's at 184-285. Key was a freshman in 2021, while Jake Koser (197) and John Birchmeier (285) are both sophomores. With the Ivy schools returning in 2021-22 combined with the departure of the seniors, Navy may take a step back initially, but overall the program is in great hands and should move back towards the top of the league soon. Chris Pendleton (Oregon State) The only Power-five job that was open during the 2020 summer was Oregon State. The Beavers filled the void with Chris Pendleton, who was a crucial figure in the rise of Arizona State wrestling. Immediately, Pendleton and his staff, consisting of Nate Engel, Isaiah Martinez, and Mike Kosoy, hit the recruiting trail and hit it hard. The result was a handful of Oregon's best juniors and seniors committing to stay at home and rebuild the proud Oregon State program, along with some exports from California and many other states. The heavy California presence (Pendleton, Engel, Martinez) on the staff was considered an excellent move as getting some of the top California talent to stay on the West Coast bodes well for the program's future. As for the on-the-mat product in 2021, Oregon State was about what a fan would've expected. The cupboard was certainly not bare for Pendleton and crew, so they had enough pieces to amass a 4-5 dual record and finish second at the Pac-12 Championships. Due to cancelations attributed to COVID, Oregon State missed out on five potential duals this year. Their most notable wins came against Pac-12 rival Cal Poly and Utah Valley. Six Beaver wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships, two of which were as a result of their winning Pac-12 titles. Devan Turner and Grant Willits both grabbed their second career Pac-12 crowns. That led to a 16th seed for Turner, while the Willits twins, Grant and Hunter, were seeded 12th and 13th, respectively. These three all won a pair of matches in St. Louis and came up two wins shy of All-American status. The other OSU wrestler that outwrestled his seed was Ryan Reyes, who came in at #31 in the 184 lb bracket. Reyes was able to down 15th seeded Layne Malczewski (Michigan State) before his elimination. The only senior of the group of NCAA qualifiers is Turner, who has already announced his intention to return for the 2021-22 season. Six returners with NCAA experience should made for a solid team next season. The Beavers also have a huge incoming class, some of which can contribute in year one. Continued strong recruiting efforts and development could bring Oregon State to be superpower out west. Ryan LeBlanc (The Citadel) Despite the shortened season, The Citadel was able to post four wins for first-year head coach Ryan LeBlanc. That total matched the school's output for the 2019-20 season and they have not won more than four in a year, dating back to 2015-16 (when they were 5-10). While LeBlanc and assistant coach Luke Welch had their work cut out for them, they've put together a strong foundation to build upon. Though it was a loss, the Bulldogs gave traditional SoCon power Chattanooga a scare 17-15 in dual meet action. That marked the closest dual between the schools since the 2012-13 season. On the winning side, LeBlanc's squad put together lopsided victories over Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian, and Bellarmine in conference action. Individually, The Citadel sent one wrestler to St. Louis, their heavyweight Michael McAleavey. McAleavey had been on the cusp of national qualifying contention the previous year with a 22-18 record. He left nothing to chance in 2021, going 15-3 and winning the SoCon title. He was the school's first SoCon champ since 2015 and earned the 23rd seed at nationals. Having this big man at the end of the lineup helped out in duals as he was responsible for falls in 8 of his 15 wins. The good news is that McAleavey has already announced he was returning for the 2021-22 campaign. In addition, their big man, LeBlanc's team will feature 2020 national qualifier (149) Selwyn Porter and 2020 alternate (165) Dazjon Casto. With the development of another couple of wrestlers, the lineup should be solid next season. One place The Citadel has lagged in prior seasons has been in recruiting. Under LeBlanc and Welch, the changes have been noticed. The Bulldog staff has a handful of commitments from wrestlers up and down the East Coast. Like the other schools above, The Citadel will have to continue to maintain and improve on this new level of recruiting status if they intend on competing with the Chattanooga's, Appalachian State's, and Campbell's of the SoCon. Note: CSU Bakersfield's Luke Smith took over the team in October on an interim basis. Nothing has publicly changed about Smith's standing with the Bakersfield team. In extremely limited action, his Roadrunners went 0-2 in dual action but sent three wrestlers to nationals, with #19 Chance Rich advancing to the Round of 12 at 133 lbs.

Two-time Iowa state champion Ben Kueter (Photo/Cam Kramer; CamKramerPhoto.smugmug.com) State College, Pennsylvania, was the place to be this weekend on the high school circuit as some of the best clubs in the nation converged to compete in the Ultimate Club Duals. Teams came from all over the country, including California and Iowa, to test their skills against many of the best from Pennsylvania. This was truly a club event as the first weight contested was 34 kg (74lbs), so you could conceivably have elementary school kids competing on the same team as high schoolers. It's a cool concept that could be even better going forward. As with any high school event of this magnitude, some unexpected upsets took place. Here are ten notable ones and how they occurred. All rankings courtesy of MatScouts 54 kg - Jacob Silka (JK Squad) over #7 Kael Lauridsen (Team Shutt) 17-13 Two-time Georgia state champion Jacob Silka registered the biggest win of his career when he downed seventh-ranked Kael Lauridsen in an absolute shootout, 17-13. The entire match was one of runs and Lauridsen got it started with four pairs of scores which gave him an 8-0 advantage. Despite trailing 9-2 at the halfway point, Silka came out aggressive with a takedown and two sets of scores from leg laces. A four-point counter from Lauridsen broke up the Silka scoring party, but that didn't crush his spirits. Silka responded with a four of his own, then held off a charge from Lauridsen to win, 17-13. 60 kg - Brock Herman (Team Shutt) over #20 Hunter Mason (JK Squad) 10-0 and #14 Tyler Kasak (MS Magicians) 4-1 What a tournament for Ohio state runner-up Brock Herman. The Brecksville sophomore was a finalist in Ohio's DI class and knocked off undefeated Ismael Ayoub to make the championship match. There he fell by a 3-1 margin to Purdue signee Dustin Norris. Over the weekend, Herman dominated Super 32 sixth-place finisher Hunter Mason, 10-0, before grinding out a 4-1 win over Pennsylvania state champion Tyler Kasak in the finals of the gold pool. By the next time the Matscouts rankings are released, expect to see Herman among them. 60 kg Gregor McNeil (Wyoming Valley RTC) over #14 Tyler Kasak (M2 Magicians) 7-4 Like many of his teammates, Gregor McNeil hasn't shown much lately because Wyoming Seminary hasn't officially competed in their high school season. They have a National Prep tournament in less than two weeks, so McNeil may be able to garner some more big wins there. McNeil did most of his damage off of counters and got two sets of points to go ahead late in the second period after exposing Kasak twice in a scramble. 63 kg - #8 Ben Alanis (Team Shutt) over #1 Shayne Van Ness (Blairstown Wrestling Club) 16-5 This was the big one, seeing the top-ranked 138 lber in the nation going down and in dominant fashion. Ben Alanis was busy off the opening whistle and hustled into a double leg at the edge of the mat with less than 30 seconds elapsed in the match. From there, he only gained more confidence and continued to attack. The icing on the cake came in the second period when he was clamping down with a whizzer and tossed Van Ness to his back for four points, right in front of the Team Shutt bench. The Northern Colorado signee may have flown under the radar for some as he hails from Arizona, but suffice it to say that won't be an issue going forward. 63 kg - #5 Chance Lamer (Poway Elite) over #1 Shayne Van Ness (Blairstown Wrestling Club) 12-6 Top-ranked Van Ness suffered a pair of losses on Sunday as he fell to Chance Lamer in the fifth-place match in the Gold pool. The turning point of the match was a questionable sequence late in the first period. With Van Ness leading 3-2, Lamer was finishing a low attack out the back door and was taken backward by Van Ness. The flurry could have been ruled two in Van Ness' favor; however, four was given to Lamer. In this particular match, and for most of the tournament, there was only one official per mat. That momentum carried over to the second period as Lamer stymied a Van Ness attack and grabbed a takedown to lead, 8-3. While it appeared that Van Ness might mount a comeback late in the match, Lamer used a pair of laces to extend his lead to 12-6. 73 kg - #15 RJ Weston (Team Shutt) over #10 (152) Erik Gibson (M2 Magicians) 6-3 Another upset in the championship bout saw RJ Weston knock off Erik Gibson. Gibson could not compete at the PIAA state tournament due to transfer rules, but was able to compete this weekend and took the early lead with a takedown less than 20 seconds into the match. From there, the man with the mullet (Weston) took control after gaining four points from a gut wrench while in a quadpod. The two were in the position again, after a restart, but Gibson wisely went down rather than give up four more points. 77 kg - #21 (170) Logan Messer (Team Shutt) over #9 (152) Tyler Lillard (JK Squad) 8-1 This upset isn't quite as significant as others since Tyler Lillard is ranked at 152 lbs and Logan Messer is at 170 and the match took place at 169 lbs. Right from the get-go, Messer asserted himself physically and took the early lead after trying to go upper body. As one may expect from the larger wrestler, Messer was able to control ties, the center of the mat, and dictate the pace for the majority of the bout. Messer is an Ohio DI state champion that will attend George Mason in the fall. 83 kg - Griffin Gammell (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) over #6 (170) Trey Kibe (M2 Magicians) 7-6 Iowa state runner-up Griffin Gammell overcame a six-point deficit to knock off top-ten ranked Trey Kibe in another pivotal bout from this gold pool semifinal. Doing all of his work in the second period, Gammell slowly chipped away at the Kibe lead until he was down by a point with approximately 25 seconds remaining. Kibe held onto Gammell's leg, hoping to burn some precious clock. Gammell kept moving and spun to finish a takedown with :15 seconds remaining in the contest. Kibe appeared to be spent and was unable to challenge Gammell on the ensuing restart. 83 kg - #11 TJ Stewart (Blairstown Wrestling Club) over #6 Hayden Walters (Poway Elite) 5-3 This bout between a pair of elite upperweights was more tactical than some of the other matches we've detailed. TJ Stewart got on the board twice in the early going as he collected single legs on Hayden Walters and walked him out of bounds. Walters took the lead late in the first with a takedown. But it wasn't for long as Stewart started the second period with a big double leg for two points. Some fancy footwork at the edge of the mat gave Stewart another point and helped ice the match. It wouldn't be enough, from a team standpoint, as Poway Elite edged Blairstown, 43-41 for fifth place. 89 kg - #15 Ben Kueter (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) over #2 Christian Carroll (M2 Magicians) Fall 1:46 Not only did we have a number one go down, but also a number two in 195 lber Christian Carroll of Indiana. Carroll met up with 15th ranked Ben Kueter in a clash that featured two of the top sophomore big men in the nation. Kueter held an early lead due to a shot clock violation on Carroll, which made the Super 32 champion aggressive. Carroll's leg attack was stuffed by Kueter, who then proceeded to lock up a cradle secure a fall. Despite the fall from the two-time Iowa state champion, Kueter's Sebolt Wrestling Academy teammates fell to M2 on criteria.

Ben Askren at the Beat the Streets NYC "Grapple at the Garden" event in 2019 (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) This isn't the article I intended on writing Sunday morning. That uncertain sentiment seems to be appropriate because I'm not sure exactly what transpired late Saturday night as 2008 Olympian and two-time Hodge Trophy winner Ben Askren took on YouTube star Jake Paul in an unsanctioned pay-per-view boxing match. I'll admit as soon as I heard that this fight was signed, I vowed I wouldn't pay to see this circus. I really didn't even want to watch it. The “highlights” and clips would be all over Twitter Sunday morning and that would be more than sufficient. But, as the event grew closer, my curiosity overtook the sensible part of my brain. Now I kept my promise to myself and did not order the pay-per-view; rather, I went out to Buffalo Wild Wings for a late-night dinner and drinks with my wife. In the last couple of days preceding the fight, my wife asked how I thought it all would turn out on a couple of occasions. She was even slightly intrigued by this spectacle. We agreed that watching it at a bar would be a decent enough proposition. Well, we bailed. At 10:30 eastern, with no end in sight, we went home and called it a night. All of the other concerts, skits, and preliminary fights were too much. My original plan to check ESPN and Twitter when I woke up seemed like the best solution. So Sunday morning came calling, and there it was, in all its glory, the knockdown. Jake Paul stopped Askren via TKO in under two minutes. While I was shocked, I wasn't THAT shocked. My first inclination was to write about the fight and take Askren to task. On Saturday, my Twitter feed was lined with current and former wrestlers imploring Askren to shut this guy up and represent for wrestlers everywhere. Askren showed up looking even less threatening than usual and was beaten by a guy that's famous for….well, truthfully, I don't know exactly what he's famous for. Paul has tons of followers, a substantial social media presence, and is generally unlikeable. And not in the Askren, pro wrestling heel, tongue-in-cheek, way, either. The whole escapade almost made me go into a sanctimonious rant about Askren embarrassing himself, his actual sport, and destroying his credibility. Luckily, I stepped back and reevaluated for a bit. What made me have a change of heart was seeing the clips of Askren and his wife leaving the Georgia Dome, seemingly in great spirits. And why not? They are at least $500,000 (maybe more) richer. I can't say whether this was a fixed fight or just beautifully orchestrated by Paul and his team. Perhaps the fix wasn't exactly in, but they picked a prominent ex-MMA fighter who was never known for his stand-up prowess, only a few months removed from hip surgery, who is past his athletic peak, and challenged him to a boxing match. However, it was engineered, the cards were stacked in Paul's favor. Las Vegas oddsmakers agreed. But, at the end of the day, Askren left with at least half a million dollars in his account for less than two minutes of work. Of course, Askren has a big smile on his face! I'm sure we've all played the hypothetical game with friends or family members before. “How much money would it take for you to get punched in the face by Mike Tyson.” $10,000, $100,000, $1,000,000? What amount of money would you need to do something embarrassing or gross, or test your greatest fears, or even put your life in danger? I know I've had those fun discussions. Well, Ben got to do it for real. A huge sum of money to lose (or have the possibility to lose) to a YouTube fighter who will certainly gloat about it for years and there's video evidence that will never go away. Many in the wrestling community either would not have put themselves in that predicament in the first place. In contrast, others may have taken a crash course in boxing to possibly avoid humiliation. But not Ben Askren. Ben's always been built differently than most wrestlers. He can compartmentalize these seemingly humiliating circumstances and laugh them off like no other. After losing via a brutal flying knee to Jorge Masvidal in the UFC octagon, Askren poked fun at himself and didn't seem to take it too seriously. I witnessed it up close and personal in Fargo, less than a week after the Masvidal fight. While some champions like Ronda Rousey went into hiding after a humiliating defeat, Askren was at 16U and Junior Nationals coaching his kids. Plenty of people gave him little digs about the Masvidal loss and if they were funny, Ben laughed. While Askren can be a polarizing figure in the wrestling and MMA community, those that follow him know about his work with his Askren Wrestling Academy in his home state of Wisconsin. Ben and his brother Max have had great success with AWA and put in the time and effort needed to build a club that can compete on the national level. Three of the four DI All-Americans from Wisconsin in 2021 (Eric Barnett, Keegan O'Toole, and Parker Keckeisen) trained with the Askren's. They have helped revitalize the state on the national level. Before this March, the last time the state produced a DI AA was Alex Dieringer in 2016! You have to go back two more years to 2014 when multiple Wisconsin natives got onto the podium. So if Askren now has a half-million dollars extra at his disposal, I'd imagine a portion of it will go into his wrestling academy and end up benefiting the kids in Wisconsin. I can't argue with that. This isn't the first time that Askren has been a part of a glorified exhibition that was generally set up for him to lose. In 2019, just two months after a controversial win over Robbie Lawler and two months before the Masvidal fight, Askren faced Jordan Burroughs in the main event at the Beat the Streets NYC's Grapple at the Garden. After the event, I praised Askren for essentially sacrificing himself to Burroughs so that his sport could get more exposure and raise a ton of money, in the process. Ben's MMA hype was at an all-time high, and sports media, outside of the wrestling world, was actually interested in this wrestling match. It ended up being a squash in Burroughs' favor, but Askren didn't care, and I left with a new sense of respect for him. So, I guess the question is, why can't this boxing match be viewed in the same light as the Burroughs Grapple at the Garden bout? If Ben is okay with being the subject of another handful of embarrassing GIFs, who am I to judge? Many of us would like to think that we have the high moral ground and self-respect that would allow us to turn down half a million dollars for public embarrassment and ridicule. But would we? I'd like to say I would, but I have a wife and kids, as does Askren. Ben's an intelligent guy; I think he probably realizes that the wrestling/MMA/boxing train has left the station after Saturday night. I'd be shocked if he gets another call for one of these types of events again. I can't speak for Askren, but I'm guessing that's okay. He's laughing all the way to the bank and he doesn't care what you or I think.

Cary Kolat (right) was hired by Navy following the 2019-20 season (Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com)Last week, American University announced the hiring of Jason Borrelli as their new head coach for the 2021-22 campaign. With the EIWA head coaching carousel finished spinning (for new), we at InterMat have decided to look at all of the coaching hires by conference schools since 2000. American, like a handful of others, has not been in the EIWA for that entire time period, but for intents and purposes of this article, we will document all the schools currently in the league. American (Joined EIWA in 2002-03; previously in CAA) Jason Borrelli (2021-22) replaced Interim HC Jason Grimes (2021) Jason Grimes (2021) replaced Teague Moore (2011-21) Teague Moore (2011-21) replaced Mark Cody (2002-03) Mark Cody (2002-03) replaced Rob Puzio (2000-02) Army West Point Kevin Ward (2014-15) replaced Joe Heskett (2010-14) Joe Heskett (2010-14) replaced Chuck Barbee (2000-10) Binghamton (Joined EIWA in 2013-14; previously in CAA) Kyle Borshoff (2017-18) replaced Matt Dernlan (2012-17) Matt Dernlan (2012-17) replaced Pat Popolizio (2007-12) Pat Popolizio (2007-12) replaced Tony Robie (2005-06) Tony Robie (2005-06) hired as program was reinstated Brown Todd Beckerman (2013-14) replaced Dave Amato (1983-2013) Bucknell Dan Wirnsberger (2005-06) hired as program was reinstated Tim Wittman (2000-02) replaced John Hangey (1997-2000) Columbia Zach Tanelli (2016-17) replaced Carl Fronhofer (2011-16) Carl Fronhofer (2011-16) replaced Brendan Buckley (2000-11) Cornell Rob Koll (1993-2021) Drexel (Joined EIWA in 2013-14; previously in CAA) Matt Azevedo (2011-21) replaced Jack Childs (1976-2011) Franklin & Marshall Mike Rogers (2010-21) replaced Pete Schuyler (1998-2010) Harvard Jay Weiss (1995-2021) Hofstra (Joined EIWA in 2013-14; previously in CAA) Dennis Papadatos (2014-21) replaced Rob Anspach (2011-14) Rob Anspach (2011-14) replaced Tom Shifflett (2006-11) Tom Shifflett (2006-11) replaced Tom Ryan (1997-06) Lehigh Pat Santoro (2008-21) replaced Greg Strobel (1996-08) Long Island (Joined EIWA in 2019-20; previously known as LIU Post in Division II) Joe Patrovich (2014-21) hired as program was reinstated Navy Cary Kolat (2020-21) replaced Joel Sharratt (2014-20) Joel Sharratt (2014-20) replaced Brian Antonelli (2013-14) Brian Antonelli (2013-14) replace Bruce Burnett (2000-13) Penn Roger Reina (2017-21) replaced Alex Tirapelle (2014-17) Alex Tirapelle (2014-17) replaced Rob Eiter (2008-14) Zeke Jones (2005-08) replaced Roger Reina (1986-2005) Princeton Chris Ayres (2006-21) replaced Michael New (1998-2006) Sacred Heart (Joined EIWA in 2011-12; previously in East Region 2010-11; previously in CAA) John Clark (2017-21) replaced Andy Lausier (2011-17) Andy Lausier (2011-17) replaced Casey Brewster (2007-11) Casey Brewster (2007-11) replace Andy Seras (2002-07) Andy Seras (2002-07) replaced Brian Reardon (1999-02)

(Photo/Richard Immel; RImmelPics.com) In late 2005, InterMat published an incredible article entitled 20 best high school wrestlers over the past 20 years. In that article, Justin Kerr whittled down an impressive list of high school superstars from 1986-2005 into a top-20. This article became a go-to for fans ever since they have argued about which of these wrestlers were, in fact, the best. Topics like these are generally fun, as there are generally no correct answers. In Justin's article, the number selection (Cary Kolat) is a pretty unanimous pick for the best wrestler during that time period and perhaps, ever. Likewise, our number one is pretty straightforward, but there are plenty of arguments to be made along the way. One key factor to consider when consuming an article like this is, we are judging these competitors based on their bodies of work during their high school years. Collegiate and Senior-level accomplishments are not considered. As you'll see, a large handful of these wrestlers we've tabbed went on to have plenty of success in college and afterward. A few did not. With 15 recruiting classes having passed since InterMat's “20 for 20”, we decided to make another list that will encompass 2006-2020. Below are the five honorable mentions, followed by 25 of the top recruits from that time period. 21-25 have a brief explanation of their high school accolades, while 1-20 has more details, along with their post-high school achievements. After number one, we have other notables that were not included. Honorable Mentions Bryce Brill: Class of 2014 (Illinois) - Three-time Illinois champion and top 152 lber in the country. Was ranked higher than Jason Nolf/Bo Nickal coming out of college. Never got on track at Northwestern due to injuries. Henry Cejudo: Class of 2006 (Arizona/Colorado) - Supreme talent. Was known early in the process he probably wasn't going to college, which hurt recruiting rankings. Won Olympic gold only two years later, in 2008. David Craig: Class of 2006 (Florida) - Top recruit in 2006. Undefeated in high school and Junior National champ. Qualified for NCAA's three times and made the Round of 12 as a true freshman. Jason Nolf: Class of 2014 (Pennsylvania) - Three-time Pennsylvania state champion in high school with only one loss. Experienced similar success at Penn State with three national titles and only three losses (one via injury default). Ben Whitford: Class of 2013 (Illinois/Michigan) - Incredible Fargo performances. Late in the game, there were questions about his status in college. Ultimately, he never wrestled at the DI level. Jumped into the Senior level in 2019 and showed why he was so highly regarded. 25) Scott Winston (Rutgers) Jackson Memorial High School, Jackson, New Jersey Class of 2008 High School Stats: Three-time New Jersey Champ, Undefeated (Injured as a freshman) 24) Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) Arrowhead High School, Hartland, Wisconsin Class of 2020 High School Stats: Four-time Wisconsin Champ, 2019 Junior National Freestyle 3rd, 2019 Who's #1 winner, 2018 Junior National Freestyle Champ, 2018 Super 32 Champ 23) J'den Cox (Missouri) Hickman High School, Columbia, Missouri Class of 2013 High School Stats: Four-time Missouri Champ, 2012 Junior National Freestyle Champ, 2011 Cadet Greco-Roman National Champ, 2011 Cadet freestyle 3rd 22) Alex Marinelli (Iowa) Graham High School, Miamisburg, Ohio Class of 2016 High School Stats: Four-time Ohio Champ, Four-time Walsh Ironman finalist (two-time champ), 2014 Super 32 runner-up 21) Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) Ponderosa High School, Parker, Colorado Class of 2019 High School Stats: Four-time Colorado Champ, 2017 Cadet World Champion (Greco), 2018 Junior World bronze medalist (Greco), 2018 U23 World Team member (Greco) 2019 Junior World silver medalist (Greco) 20) Greg Kerkvliet (Ohio State/Penn State) Simley High School, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota Class of 2019 High School Record: 222-36 While the numbers in the loss column far outnumber anyone else on this list, Greg Kerkvliet was able to compete in Minnesota as a middle schooler at the upperweights. As a senior, Kerkvliet was unbeaten and earned the Junior Schalles Award after pinning 21 of 22 opponents. It was his fourth Minnesota state title. Greg's only loss as a junior came when he bumped up a weight class to take on the top recruit in the nation, Gable Steveson (who we'll get to later). On the international front, Kerkvliet made the world finals at the Cadet level, on two occasions, winning in 2017 and taking the silver in 2018. Kerkvliet originally signed with Ohio State and spent the first semester of the 2019-20 season in Columbus before transferring to Penn State. Initially, news broke that Kerkvliet would not be able to compete in 2021 due to injury, but he was able to make his way back and broke into the starting lineup for the Nittany Lions. Despite being physically limited, Kerkvliet was able to take fourth in the Big Ten and seventh at his first NCAA Championship event. Recently, Kerkvliet went 1-2 at the Olympic Trials. 19) Zain Retherford (Penn State) Benton High School, Benton, Pennsylvania Class of 2013 High School Record: 131-3 Zain Retherford's 131-3 record in high school seems impressive on the surface, but unreal once you consider that Zain could not compete as a junior due to the PIAA's transfer rules. Even so, Retherford bookended his high school career with state titles, one at Line Mountain while at 103 lbs and the second at Benton, while competing at 138 lbs. Retherford set the tone for an undefeated senior season by claiming a Cadet World Championship in 2012. Later that year, he would win the Super 32 and the Walsh Ironman before finishing 47-0 as a senior. Simply put, Retherford has been one of the best collegiate wrestlers of the past decade. Zain got the call as a true freshman and handed junior Logan Stieber his final collegiate loss, during dual meet competition. After a loss in the NCAA consolations later that year, Retherford would never be beaten again in college. He amassed a 126-3 record, winning his last 94 matches in a row. Retherford also was awarded the Hodge Trophy as both a junior and senior. During his last three seasons, Retherford's lowest bonus point rate came as a senior when he “only” did so 83.8% of the time. Zain also made the 2019 Senior World Team. 18) Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) Calvary Chapel High School, Santa Ana, California Class of 2011 High School Record: 189-5 Morgan McIntosh suffered all five of his high school losses as a 160 lb freshman competing in single-class California. From that point, he did not lose again. McIntosh moved up to 171 as a sophomore, before winning his final two titles at 189 lbs. Nationally, McIntosh won FloNationals twice, along with the Walsh Ironman. Before moving on to Penn State, Morgan moved up to 215 lbs for Fargo and cleaned house with a national title in freestyle. The 2011 recruiting class was huge for Penn State in establishing themselves as a potential dynasty. The three-time All-American McIntosh was a big part of that puzzle. He took the mat as a true freshman and missed the podium, but came back and AA'ed the remaining three seasons. McIntosh finished as a two-time Big Ten champion and was the top seed at the 2016 NCAA Championships. His lone loss during his senior year came in the NCAA finals to J'den Cox. 17) Andrew Alton (Penn State) Central Mountain High School; Mill Hall, Pennsylvania Class of 2010 High School Record: 178-8 While most on this list are three and four-time (or more) state champions, Andrew Alton checks in with “only” two. Alton, along with twin brother Dylan, established themselves as two of the most dominating high school wrestlers during this time. During his two state title seasons, Alton pinned 63 of 91 opponents while competing in deep Pennsylvania brackets. Seven of those eight losses for Andrew came as a freshman, when he went on to take third in the state. On the freestyle scene, Alton won a pair of Junior National titles and was third at FILA Junior Nationals in 2009. The Alton brothers were cornerstones of Cael Sanderson's first full recruiting class while at Penn State. Andrew competed right away for Penn State and advanced to the NCAA Round of 12 after earning the sixth seed. He only qualified for the national tournament on one more occasion and did not make it to the podium. During his first two years with Penn State, Alton racked up 30 falls. After that, his collegiate career was derailed by multiple injuries. 16) Nick Suriano (Penn State/Rutgers) Bergen Catholic High School, Paramus, New Jersey Class of 2016 High School Record: 159-0 One of the all-time greats in New Jersey high school wrestling history, Nick Suriano was just the fourth wrestler to claim four NJSIAA titles and the second four-time to finish undefeated (joining future college teammate Anthony Ashnault). Suriano is the only New Jersey wrestler to win four titles individually and add four team titles. Another piece of history for Suriano is his involvement in the longest match in high school wrestling history. At “Who's #1”, Suriano outlasted Daton Fix in a 33-minute bout that featured no time limits in sudden victory. Nick also was a two-time winner at the Super 32. He defeated an eighth-grade Spencer Lee to win the title in 2012. Nick started his collegiate journey at Penn State and won 16 of his first 17 matches before getting injured in the final dual of the year. He was unable to wrestle in the postseason and later transferred to Rutgers. Suriano made history for the Scarlet Knights by becoming their first national finalist in 2018 and champion a year later. Though he hasn't competed collegiately during the last two years, Suriano does have another year of eligibility remaining. 15) AJ Ferrari (Oklahoma State) Allen High School, Allen, Texas Class of 2020 High School Record: 96-1 AJ Ferrari spent his first two years of high school in Allen, Texas, where he captured a pair of state titles and won the first of two Walsh Ironman titles. Ferrari spent time at Blair Academy and Bergen Catholic, both in New Jersey, but could never compete in the postseason for either school. On the freestyle side, Ferrari won a Cadet National title at 170 lbs in Fargo before his sophomore year in high school. In 2018, Ferrari earned a spot on the Cadet World Team and returned from Croatia with a bronze medal. An injury prevented Ferrari from competing at the high school level as a senior. Ferrari took the collegiate scene by storm in 2021 by winning a national title at 197 lbs as a true freshman for Oklahoma State. AJ went 20-1 on the season and finished the year on a ten-match winning streak. Because of NCAA eligibility relief, Ferrari will have four more years of college eligibility in the future. 14) Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) Hilton High School, Rochester, New York Class of 2017 High School Record: 243-3 The high school Class of 2017 was loaded at the top! Yianni Diakomihalis was regarded as the third-best recruit in that group, one that included Spencer Lee and Daton Fix. Diakomihalis was a four-time New York state champion and closed his high school career with 210 consecutive wins. That put Diakomihalis in select company as one of only seven four-timers from New York. Yianni also joined an elite club by being one of only two US wrestlers to win multiple Cadet world championships. He was the world champion at 58 kg in 2015 and 63 kg in 2016. Yianni has become one of the biggest stars in college wrestling after winning NCAA titles in each of his first two seasons. Over those two years, Diakomihalis has tallied a 66-1 record. In recording a national championship as a freshman, Diakomihalis was just the second Cornell wrestler (Kyle Dake) to win one in his first year. Diakomihalis has been at the top of the Senior freestyle ladder, as well. He won the 2019 US Open and competed in Final X later that summer. 13) Cody Gardner (Virginia Tech/Ohio State) Christiansburg High School, Christiansburg, Virginia Class of 2007 High School Record: 182-6 The top recruit in the high school Class of 2007, Cody Gardner, was head and shoulders above his competition in Virginia, cruising to four state championships with 135 falls. Gardner was the victor at the Beast of the East on three occasions and earned a stop sign with a Fargo Junior freestyle title in 2006. He also won a pair of Walsh Ironman crowns. Many of those accolades were won by defeating the late Jared Platt, a Blair Academy star ranked right behind Gardner. The two frequently met in large tournaments. Gardner stayed local and attended Virginia Tech for a semester. He left the program and later competed at Ohio State, before briefly competing for DIII Delaware Valley in 2010-11. Gardner's college career was disrupted by off-the-mat issues and he passed away in 2016 at 28 years old. 12) Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) St. John Bosco High School; Bellflower, California Class of 2015 High School Record: For most of their high school years, Anthony Valencia was the most decorated wrestler than brother Zahid. Anthony was a four-time California state finalist and came away with three titles. Before his senior year, Anthony made the Junior World Team at 74 kg and finished ninth. One of the most notable wins for Valencia came in the finals when he dominated Isaiah Martinez. Anthony was able to take an Olympic redshirt as a freshman at Arizona State based on his success on the Senior level. He was third at the US Open, defeating NCAA runner-up Tyler Caldwell for that placement and followed with a top-eight showing at the World Team Trials. On the high school mats, Valencia was able to win the Walsh Ironman as a junior and senior. Anthony, along with Zahid, were cornerstones of Zeke Jones' first recruiting class at Arizona State. In 2021, the Sun Devils were able to finish four at the NCAA Championships and earn a team trophy for the first time since the 1990's. Anthony helped the cause by getting onto the NCAA podium for the first time when he finished eighth. That placement could have been higher, but Valencia was slowed by an injury in the quarterfinals. Anthony captured Pac-12 titles in all four seasons he competed for ASU. 11) Jason Welch (Northwestern) Las Lomas High School; Walnut Creek, California Class of 2008 High School Record: 194-7 Jason Welch was a three-time California state champion and a four-time finalist. He became just the 13th wrestler (at the time) to win three times in California. During his junior campaign, Welch made the trek to Ohio and announced himself as the best 160 lber in the nation with a title at the Walsh Ironman. That same year, he also won the Reno Tournament of Champions. Welch was known for his funk before it became more commonplace at the high school level. In addition to his wrestling prowess, Jason was a star on the football and soccer fields for Las Lomas. Welch started right away for Northwestern and made the Big Ten finals though he came up two matches shy of the NCAA podium. After a redshirt, Welch finished top-six in the nation the following three years. After winning a Big Ten title in 2013, Welch was the top-seed at the NCAA Championships, but ended up finishing second. 10) Bo Jordan (Ohio State) Graham High School; St. Paris, Ohio Class of 2013 High School Record: 182-1 Looking back at the high school Class of 2013, it was an extremely talented group, with four wrestlers who won multiple NCAA titles; however, most concluded that Bo Jordan was the top recruit. Jordan was a four-time Ohio state champion and a two-time Ironman champ. In each of those wins, Bo downed the eventual two-time NCAA champion, Isaiah Martinez. While Jordan didn't have the credentials in the international styles, like others on this list, he was excellent against a challenging field in Ohio. Jordan's only high school loss came early in his freshman season, during a tiebreaker situation. Bo stayed in-state to wrestle for Ohio State and was a four-time All-American. For his first three years, Jordan never finished lower than third place. During his lone NCAA finals appearance, he fell on the strength of a controversial point for a headgear pull. While Jordan was slowed by injuries at the end of his career, he still managed to finish fifth as a senior and was a three-time Big Ten finalist and one-time champ. 9) Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) St. John Bosco High School; Bellflower, California Class of 2015 High School Record: 158-1 No wrestler on this list had the weight jump like Valencia experienced during his high school career. Zahid was a 106 lber as a freshman and finished at 182 lbs. Between his junior and senior seasons, Valencia jumped from 132 to 182. All the while, Valencia maintained his dominance. His only high school loss came in the state semifinals, his junior year, while wrestling with a broken foot. Valencia became only the second wrestler to win the Walsh Ironman all four years of high school. Zahid took part in the second “Who's #1” Dual and earned a win over eventual NCAA champion, Myles Martin, in sudden victory. In the summer before he arrived at Arizona State, Valencia made the finals of the Grand Prix of Spain and competed at the Junior World Championships. Valencia immediately had success at Arizona State, going 38-1 as a freshman, suffering his only loss of the year in the national finals. He would win NCAA titles in each of the next two years. As a sophomore, Valencia went unbeaten and avenged his prior loss to Mark Hall. While at ASU, Valencia made two more Junior World Team's and was able to come home with a silver medal in 2017. 8) Chance Marsteller (Oklahoma State/Lock Haven) Kennard-Dale High School; New Park, Pennsylvania Class of 2014 High School Record: 166-0 For most of their high school careers, Chance Marsteller was viewed as the top wrestler in the Class of 2014, not Kyle Snyder. Impressive international credentials, ended up giving Snyder the nod. That isn't to take anything away from Marsteller, who went undefeated in Pennsylvania and won four state titles. Marsteller's dominance at a young age drew comparisons to one of his childhood coaches, Cary Kolat, which is the highest compliment possible for Pennsylvanians of a certain age. Marsteller became only the fifth wrestler to finish his career in PA unbeaten. On three occasions, Marsteller was tabbed as the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Pennsylvania state tournament. He also was a two-time Super 32 winner and earned a place on the Cadet World Team in 2012. Marsteller signed with Oklahoma State and spent two years wrestling for the Cowboys before transferring back to Pennsylvania and enrolling at Lock Haven. Chance rebounded from some off-the-mat legal issues to finish as a two-time All-American for Lock Haven, taking fourth as a junior and third as a senior. While competing for the Bald Eagles, Marsteller went 72-7. 7) Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) Charles Page High School; Sand Springs, Oklahoma Class of 2017 High School Record: 168-0 Four state titles and an unblemished mark in high school helped make Daton Fix the most sought-after Oklahoma high schooler in over a decade. Before getting to Stillwater, Fix had a pair of Junior World medals to his name, including gold in 2017. He also earned a bronze at the Cadet level and claimed silver at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. Also, as a Cadet, Fix won gold medals in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the Pan-American Championships in 2013 and 2014. Fix's trapped-arm gut wrench made him a match-up nightmare in freestyle at the age-group level. Due to redshirts and Olympic redshirts, Fix has only seen action in two collegiate seasons since enrolling at Oklahoma State. In both years, Fix has finished as an NCAA runner-up. Daton also added another Junior World bronze to his collection and, in 2019, he unseated World Silver medalist, Thomas Gilman, for his place on the Senior World Team. 6) Mark Hall (Penn State) Apple Valley High School; Apple Valley, Minnesota Class of 2016 High School Record: 277-4 The unquestioned top wrestler in the Class of 2016, Mark Hall cemented his name in high school wrestling lore by becoming the first wrestler to win six Minnesota state championships. Hall finished his high school career with 171 straight wins and racked up 189 falls. On the freestyle scene, Mark was a Cadet World Champion in 2014 and took third at the Grand Prix of Spain after his junior year of high school. That same year, Hall made the first of his three appearances on the Junior World Team. After graduation and before starting at Penn State, Hall won the first of his two gold medals at Junior Worlds. Hall really solidified his standing at that high school level when he majored Anthony Valencia at Who's #1 in the fall of 2014. Hall went on to Penn State and was pulled from redshirt during his first year at State College and proceeded to win a national championship. Over the next two year, Hall would lose in the national finals to Zahid Valencia. In 2020, after capturing his third Big Ten title, Hall was the top seed heading into the ill-fated NCAA Championships. 5) Logan Stieber (Ohio State) Monroeville High School; Monroeville, Ohio Class of 2010 High School Record: 184-1 The lynchpin of a quartet called the “Monroeville Four,” Logan Stieber led a group of four, four-time Ohio state champions at a tiny school that never previously produced a state champion. As a freshman, Stieber squared off with David Taylor in the finals of the Walsh Ironman at 103 lbs. It was one of the most anticipated matches of the year nationally, and one of the biggest in many years in Ohio. Stieber fell to Taylor, but never lost again versus high school competition, winning his last 179 matches. He also had plenty of success pre-college in freestyle, placing fourth at the Senior World Team Trials in 2009 after taking third at the US Open. That same year, Stieber was a runner-up at the Junior World Team Trials. In 2008, Stieber was a double Junior National champion in Fargo. Logan Stieber led Ohio State to its only team title in their long, storied wrestling history. Stieber also became the first Big Ten wrestler to win four NCAA titles and only the fourth wrestler to accomplish the feat at the DI level. Up until 2019, Stieber was a fixture on the international scene, making three World Championship team, highlighted by a gold medal at World's in 2016. 4) David Taylor (Penn State) Graham High School; St. Paris, Ohio Class of 2009 High School Record: 180-2 The “Baby-Faced Assassin” David Taylor won a pair of Ohio state titles at 103 lbs, then 112, before hitting a big growth spurt and finishing at 135 lbs. No worries, though. Taylor still claimed his fourth state title and also became the first high schooler to win the Walsh Ironman four times. Before his junior year, Taylor was double Junior National champion in Fargo. He also had a title in both styles as a Cadet to his credit. Also, in the summer of 2007, Taylor won FILA Juniors and competed at the Junior World Championships. Taylor was named the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award for the 2008-09 season. David lived up to his top billing in college, making four national finals, winning two titles, and amassing a 143-3 record. In each of his NCAA championship-winning seasons, Taylor earned the Hodge Trophy. Taylor dominated at the 2018 World Championships, which marked the first appearance at the Senior world level for the former Nittany Lion. David just earned a place on the Olympic Team this summer by blanking his competition during the entire Trials process. 3) Spencer Lee (Iowa) Franklin Regional High School; Murrysville, Pennsylvania Class of 2017 High School Record: 144-1 Spencer Lee was on the verge of becoming only the sixth wrestler to navigate through four years of high school competition in Pennsylvania without a loss. That was until his final match when he wrestled on a damaged knee and fell to future Iowa teammate Austin DeSanto. Even so, Lee finished as a three-time PA state champion. Before that season, Lee claimed a 2014 Cadet World championship and added two more at the Junior level in the following years. Lee was a three-time Walsh Ironman champion and a three-time finalist at the Super 32 (winning twice). Lee went to Iowa, where he immediately won a national title as a true freshman. He added two more since and also has a pair of Hodge Trophy's to his name. With another year of eligibility remaining, Lee currently sports a 75-5 record and is 30-0 over the past two years. He was also an integral part of Iowa's first team title since 2010. 2) Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) Good Counsel High School; Woodbine, Maryland Class of 2014 High School Record: 179-0 Junior World Champion (before SR year), Junior World bronze Snyder put together a 179-0 record despite only wrestling three years in high school. After winning a Junior World title in the summer of 2013, Snyder spent his senior year at the Olympic Training Center. While at Good Counsel, Snyder won three National Prep championships and surrendered only a single takedown during three years of competition. Snyder's battles in Fargo with J'den Cox were legendary. He came away with stop signs in Cadet freestyle and Junior Greco in weight classes that featured the future two-time world champion. Snyder went to Ohio State and became the first heavyweight to capture three NCAA titles since Carlton Haselrig did so in 1987-89. After his freshman year, Snyder etched his name into USA Wrestling history books by becoming the youngest wrestler to win a world title. A year later, he was the youngest American to win an Olympic gold medal. 1) Gable Steveson (Minnesota) Apple Valley High School; Apple Valley, Minnesota Class of 2018 High School Record: 210-3 There were discussions when Steveson was a senior in high school that he may, in fact, be the best recruit….EVER! I may not be ready to cosign on that opinion, but Steveson is undoubtedly the top recruit since heavyweight Steve Mocco came out of Blair Academy in 2001. Gable won two Cadet World championships and a Junior World title, before his senior year of high school! He joins Diakomihalis as the only two American's to win multiple Cadet World Championships. Steveson's last “high school” loss came in varsity competition as an eighth-grader in the Minnesota state finals. From there, he reeled off 171 straight wins and captured four state titles. The only time that Steveson went to Fargo, he came away with a Cadet freestyle national title. Through three years of collegiate competition, Steveson has amassed a 68-2 record with undefeated seasons in 2020 and 2021. Steveson is a two-time Big Ten champion and a three-time All-American. He won a national title in 2021 and was the top seed at the canceled 2020 tournament. Earlier this month, Steveson clinched a spot on the Olympic team by dominating two-time world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski. Other notable top recruits from 2006-20: 2006: Mike Grey (NJ), Lance Palmer (OH) 2008: Mario Mason (NJ), Jordan Oliver (PA), Tyler Graff (CO) 2009: Eric Grajales (FL), Chris Perry (OK), Kyle Dake (NY), Ed Ruth (PA) 2010: Chris Villalonga (NJ) 2011: Destin McCauley (MN), Nico Megaludis (PA) 2012: Taylor Massa (MI) 2013: Adam Coon (MI), Isaiah Martinez (CA), Joey Dance (VA), Anthony Ashnault (NJ) 2014: Bo Nickal (TX), Nick Nevills (CA) 2015: Logan Massa (MI), Vincenzo Joseph (PA), Myles Martin (NJ), Fox Baldwin (FL) 2016: Nick Reenan (TX) 2017: Vito Arujau (NY) 2018: Aaron Brooks (MD), Mason Parris (IN), David Carr (OH) 2019: Carson Kharchla (OH), Andrew Alirez (CO) 2020: Patrick Kennedy (MN), Dustin Plott (OK), Braxton Amos (WV)

(Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) It's a very difficult time to be a high school coach. This week a story ran in the New Jersey Herald outlining a lawsuit filed against Blair Academy. One of their former wrestlers claims he was a victim of bullying and hazing and that Brian Antonelli, who was Head Coach at the time, turned a blind eye to it. Last month, Antonelli stepped down as Head Coach but maintains his position at the school as Assistant Athletic Director. How much of it is true? Who knows. Bullying is a serious matter and 'rites of passage' and hazing is an antiquated excuse that's rightfully no longer accepted. What is clear, though, is that coaches at the top high school wrestling programs have been increasingly under fire. Last summer, at emerging PA program Forest Hills, Head Coach Jake Strayer was accused of not handling a racial situation within the program. He remains as Head Coach, but Junior High Head Coach Bill Bassett was relieved of his duties. It led to the fracturing of a homegrown program. A few months before that, amid turmoil and allegations of misconduct, Izzy Martinez, who had Montini Catholic situated among the Top 10 nationally ranked high school teams annually, resigned. In 2018, Dave Bell of Bergen Catholic, a staple in the Top 10 team rankings, was accused by a wrestler of making inappropriate comments and advances. Notice a trend? While we must be vigilant - we have to ensure that the environment our youth are in is a safe and fostering place - we know, too, that there are often ulterior motives. If a kid doesn't crack the starting line-up, if a kid didn't have the performance he (or the parent) expected him to, if a program gets a promising transfer… These can, and do, lead to charges of misconduct. It's always difficult to ascertain the veracity of the claims, one way or another. The guilty coaches, of course, should be gone. But to be sure, there are also filers of frivolous suits because a high school athletic situation didn't quite play out the way they had hoped. I spoke to another high school coach yesterday, one who routinely has his team among the nation's best. He told me, 'We spend a lot of time fearing someone will run to the papers about this or that. We always have to make sure things are buttoned up and not misconstrued.' To Your Questions… How long do you think it will take for Coach Borrelli to bring in elite talent, and put American on the map? - @jsk1631 Remember when Madison Square Garden went nuts for David Terao? It only takes one run to let high schoolers know they can win at a given program. I've always viewed American as a good gig. No one is expecting them to win team titles. The threshold is to put some guys in contention and get someone on the podium once in a while and build from there. I think Borrelli accomplishes that rather quickly. What are your top 5 teams for next week's NJCAA Championship?! - @CCCWrestling It's been difficult to get a feel for the national pecking order this year with NJCAA being so regional. Clack is a lock for the title. Pratt is great through the lightweights but almost needs to be perfect. And I like Iowa Central to overperform. Clackamas Pratt NE Oklahoma Western Wyoming Iowa Central If you can make one wrestling rule change to what would it be? - @PSUWRfan Although I say 'that's the dumbest thing in sports' about three things everyday, the slip headlock is truly stupid. Get rid of it. Also, get rid of riding time. It not only makes the sport boring as hell, it somehow manages to get the refs to leave them off the hook for what is nothing more than stalling. Give me takedowns worth three points and a pushout rule in folk, too. How many D1 coaches did not reach All-American status? @CubHorner I walk to the mound. I look out at the bullpen, motion to my right wrist. I'm calling in The Almanac. Jason Bryant's got this. With 79 active Division I wrestling programs, two are currently without head coaches. Illinois' Jim Heffernan retired last week and Jason Borrelli left to take the vacant post at American University. We're going to consider #KeepStanfordWrestling as an active team for the purposes of the research. There's also more than one answer to the question, depending on the intended answer. Of the 77 remaining schools, 28 are led by wrestlers who weren't Division I All-Americans. Of those, 23 are led by wrestlers who were not All-Americans at any collegiate level, which leaves 49 as Division I All-Americans. Presbyterian's Mark Cody holds the distinction of being the only Division I coach who was an All-American in two divisions - placing twice at SUNY-Delhi in the NJCAA and fifth in Division I at Missouri in 1985. The non-Division I All-Americans: Nebraska's Mark Manning was a three-time Division II All-American and a two-time champion at Nebraska-Omaha. He reached the Division I bloodround in 1985. Davidson's Andy Lausier was a Division III All-American at Lycoming, while Bellarmine's Spencer Adams and Northern Illinois' Ryan Ludwig were both NAIA All-Americans. Adams placed three times at Campbellsville from 2009-2012, while Ludwig was a three-time All-American from 1997-1999 at Findlay, which was an NAIA school at the time, but is currently Division II. George Mason's Frank Beasley finished seventh at Lincoln College in the NJCAA before continuing his college career at Bloomsburg. What's the latest on the Illinois coaching hire. - No one. I just have an update. The search committee had a shortlist of four candidates, all of whom did Zoom interviews: Doug Schwab, Mark Branch, Mike Poeta, and Tony Ramos. They are moving extremely fast. It sounds as if the decision will come soon, perhaps (early) next week. Who are three 2022 true freshmen who can AA next year? - @jagger712 Gimme Paddy Gallagher. He's gonna start at 157 and though it will be relatively deep and perhaps contain two NCAA Champs (Carr / O'Connor), I think he can get on the podium. In my Crystal Ball rankings, I had Shayne Van Ness AA'ing at 149. But there is talk that Nick Lee goes 149 and any suggestion that SVN goes 157 is foolish. I see Bartlett or SVN at 141 if Lee goes up. The only other guy I could see AAing out the gate from 2021 is Dean Hamiti (157), who's going to Wisconsin. I don't think any of the other heavy hitters in the class start. Maybe Alex Facundo, but that's a big if.

(Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Rachel Gallardo is a Dietetic Intern at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Rachel will be graduating with her Master's in Nutrition in August and will sit for the Registered Dietitian exam following graduation. She has a background in sports and performance nutrition from working with Appalachian State's Performance Nutrition program and completing her Master's research project, NUTRITION AND BODY COMPOSITION CHANGES ACROSS A COMPETITIVE SEASON IN COLLEGIATE WRESTLERS. Weight management out-of-season may seem difficult, but with the right combination of physical activity and eating habits, it's easier than you think! Many wrestlers experience significant weight gain post-season due to changes in eating habits and frequency of training. Here are some tips for better managing your weight in the off-season: HYDRATE: Drink plenty of water! Our bodies are around 60% water, which aids in body temperature regulation, digestion, and oxygen delivery to different parts of the body. Drinking water also helps with feeling full! Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces and adjust for activity levels and the temperature for the day. EAT THE RAINBOW: Non-starchy vegetables have fewer calories than starchier vegetables and more processed foods. For example, 100 calories of carrots are about 25 baby carrots, while 100 calories of potato chips are around 9 potato chips. Non-starchy vegetables provide a higher quantity of food with higher quality nutrients compared to more processed or fast foods. Some examples of non-starchy vegetables include: tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, onions, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, and spinach. INCORPORATE LEAN PROTEIN: Consuming lean protein helps to preserve lean body mass, aka muscle mass. Lean protein sources include skinless white meat poultry, ground turkey (97-99% fat-free), lean cuts of beef (eye of round, top round, sirloin, flank steaks), pork loin, white fish, eggs, low-fat cottage cheese, and non-fat Greek yogurt. PRACTICE: Keeping up with strength and conditioning in the off-season aids in gaining strength and keeping weight managed. Cardio training - exercise that increases your heart rate - is most effective for burning fat and keeping weight down. Weight training aids in increasing lean body mass (muscle mass), strength, and bone mineral density which helps in injury prevention. Live wrestling is another great way to get your heart rate up and keep your technique in the off-season! If your school has a Registered Dietitian (RD/LDN) who is a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics (CSSD), please consult with them to find an eating plan that works best for you.

2021 NCAA All-American Louie Hayes (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The University of Virginia has earned the reputation of being one of the top academic institutions in the country and head coach Steve Garland wants his athletes to make the most of their time on Grounds. Coach Garland has designed the program around six pillars: Mind, Body, Relationships, Compete in Such a Way, Servanthood and Academics. However, at a school like UVA, academics are always at the forefront and Garland has high expectations in the classroom and on the mat. "As a program, we want our wrestlers to have the opportunity to not just graduate from the University of Virginia with one degree, but also to finish their Master's degree at some of the top grad schools in the nation." As a UVA grad, Garland has a unique perspective of the requirements of his wrestlers. Because UVA requires that students complete their degree in four years, those that choose to wrestle their fifth year have the opportunity to complete a graduate program. Garland credits his experience as a student-athlete with his focus as a coach. "When I was in my fifth year, I was in the continuing education program and didn't complete my masters--it is one of my biggest regrets from my time competing. I don't want them to make that same mistake". That focus has led to multiple wrestlers leaving Grounds with a Master's Degree since Garland took over in 2006. Louie Hayes, a redshirt senior from Illinois, earned All-American honors this season, finishing in eighth place in St. Louis. Louie will be the first to tell you that he wasn't the best student before coming to Charlottesville. Coach Garland took a chance because he saw both the academic and athletic potential in Hayes. "During the recruiting process, Coach worked with me to lay out a five-year plan; I knew when I got to Charlottesville that I would be leaving with my master's." Hayes finished his Bachelor's last year and is now completing his master's in Commerce with a track in Marketing and Management from the McIntire School of Commerce, one of the top-rated business schools in the country. Hayes credits the coaching staff with helping him work around a demanding academic schedule. "The coaches have been very supportive of my academic goals. They were always willing to come in early or squeeze in a practice during their lunch breaks to accommodate my schedule". After graduation, he plans to return to the Chicago area and is in the process of interviewing with different firms to find the best fit. Hayes followed a similar educational path as former Hoo, Nick Nelson. Nick Nelson was a member of Coach Garland's first recruiting class after taking the helm at UVA; he finished as an ACC champion and a 3x NCAA qualifier. "From day one, Coach pushed the importance of excellence in everything we do on the mat and in the classroom," Nelson stated. The academic support both within the program and the athletic department was incredible, and that he wouldn't have been able to complete his grad program without the tools they have in place. "I knew I wasn't going to be the smartest guy to attend UVA, but I knew if I worked hard enough and used the tools they gave me, I would finish with my grad degree in five years." Nelson said it was a big recruiting boost for him that there was an expectation that he would finish both an undergrad and graduate degree from a top-ranked school in the five years he would be wrestling. Though Nelson wasn't initially accepted into the undergrad business program, he earned an invitation to complete the fifth year program at the McIntire School of Commerce. He said initially that the Dean didn't think he would be successful in the program if he was an active student-athlete, but Nelson was determined to show him that wrestlers have the self-determination and grit to be elite athletically and academically. "Coach Garland was incredibly proud and supportive….he was willing to work with me to balance the demands of school, wrestling, and cutting weight and I wouldn't have been successful without that support". Nelson is now a successful trader in Chicago working on the CBOE and is serving as an assistant coach for Oak Park and River Forest High School. Nick Sulzer is one of the most accomplished wrestlers in UVA history. Sulzer was a three-time All-American at 165 pounds for the Cavaliers. He was also named to the NWCA All-Academic Team twice and was named UVA's Top Athletic Scholar Award. Sulzer completed his Bachelor's in Psychology and finished his master's in Higher Education Administration at the Curry School of Education--one of the top-rated education schools in the country. Sulzer stated that during his recruiting, they laid out a five-year plan for him to finish with a master's, even though he wasn't sure what path he wanted to pursue at the time. "Thinking back on my time at UVA, Coach really prioritized academics. When we came in as a freshman, our expectations were pretty clear - strive to get over a 3.0, attend study hall and academic meetings, and go to all of your classes. But it wasn't just talk. He held you to those standards and you didn't want to let him down". Sulzer reiterated that the support and flexibility in scheduling workouts around a difficult academic schedule was a major factor in his success. He also credits Coach Garland and his high school coach, Greg Urbas at St. Eds, with emphasizing the importance of education and using athletics as a tool to help advance your education. "They made sure we knew our effort in school was more important than wrestling, and someday wrestling would end. When you have coaches you look up to prioritizing academics, you can't help but follow suit". Sulzer is currently employed by a prominent government agency. Garland estimates that nearly 75% of wrestlers who compete through five years have left the program with a master's degree. Of the returning wrestlers who will be back for their 5th year (Brian Courtney, Michael Battista, Quinn Miller and Denton Spencer), three have already been accepted to a grad program and the fourth is awaiting notification. Jay Aiello will also be completing his program at the McIntire School of Commerce next season. Garland recognizes that their time wrestling at UVA may be short, but it is a major step on the path to success. "I really want them to get the most out of their time here and be set up for the rest of their lives".