InterMat Staff

Greg Kerkvliet left, Macey Kilty center, Benji Peak right; photos courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The U.S. Olympic team is set, and there are only 100 days until the Olympics in Tokyo. However, it is never too early to start looking forward to 2024. The following names the favorite in all 18 Olympic weights. Obviously, some wrestlers will move around in weight, others will retire and some might come out of nowhere. With that being said, this is a "way too early" version of the 2024 team. Men's Freestyle 57 kg: Spencer Lee Obviously, this prediction will depend on a lot of variables. The most notable of which will be how Lee returns from yet another knee injury. Following his third NCAA finals victory, the Iowa wrestler revealed that he was competing with "no ACLs." Despite the dominant college season and qualifying as an NCAA champion, Lee chose to not compete at the Olympic Trials. Since joining the Hawkeyes, Lee's primary focus has been on folkstyle. However, he was one of America's best age-group level freestyle wrestlers with multiple World championships. On top of that, during the 2020 season, Lee took a break from folkstyle to enter the 2019 U.S. Nationals, where he defeated all five of his opponents by a combined 52-6 score. In the semifinals, he scored a 14-4 match-termination victory over Vito Arujau, who made the recent Trials' finals. In order to make the team, Lee would need to best former Iowa wrestler Thomas Gilman. Despite spending time in the same room, Gilman has made a point of calling out his successor and advocating for a match. The match has never happened before, and if it ends up happening in the 2024 Trials finals, the entire wrestling World will probably be watching. 65 kg: Yianni Diakomihalis Back in 2019, many thought Diakomihalis was going to end up being the favorite for the 2020 Games. After winning his second NCAA title with wins over Chad Red, Dom Demas, Jaydin Eierman and Joey McKenna, he immediately transitioned to freestyle and won the U.S. Open. In that tournament, he picked up impressive victories over Frank Molinaro, Jordan Oliver and Zain Retherford. Diakomihalis kept up that momentum with a 10-8 win over Bajrang Punia at the 2019 Beat The Streets event. That summer, the Cornell wrestler went on to add titles at both the Yasar Dogu and Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial. However, he came up short in Final X against Zain Retherford and was kept off the 2019 World team. After taking an Olympic redshirt during the 2020 season, the Ivy League chose not to participate during the 2021 collegiate season. Diakomihalis kept busy in various freestyle events where he defeated the likes of James Green, Sammy Sasso, Anthony Ashnault, and Vladimer Khinchegasvhili. Despite the extensive focus on freestyle, Diakomihalis dropped matches against eventual champion Jordan Oliver and Nick Lee at the Trials and ended up finishing fourth. He is expected to return to Cornell and the college mats. By the time 2024 rolls around, Diakomihalis will be only 25 years old. 65 kg is routinely one of the strongest weights domestically. However, he spends a lot of time wrestling against high-quality freestyle opposition and will have plenty of time to adapt his scrambling style to best some of his domestic rivals. 74 kg: Kyle Dake It would be hard to look at the recent Trials final at 74 kg and not see a passing of the torch. Dake won a pair of matches over Jordan Burroughs and qualified for his first Olympics. On top of that, he was thoroughly dominant as he made his way through the challenge tournament. After a pair of World Championships at 79 kg, Dake is widely considered to be one of the favorites for gold at the upcoming games. Dake is not particularly young, as he will be 33 in 2024. However, that is close enough to prime for a wrestler that he should be able to hold down the spot at 74 kg. He will be pushed by some of the rising stars at 74 kg, including Isaiah Martinez. With that being said, Jason Nolf was a three-time NCAA champion, and Dake ran through him at the Trials in less than a minute. Even if the field is able to close the gap on Dake, he may find himself still the clear leader in the division. 86 kg: David Taylor Like Dake, Taylor is a bit older than some might expect since he was kept off World teams by Burroughs' dominance. The former Penn State wrestler will be 33 in 2024, which is certainly not retirement age, but it is hard to believe that he will not be feeling the effects of time. With that being said, Taylor has been utterly dominant domestically since J'den Cox exited the 86 kg weight class. On top of that, since falling against Cox in the finals of the 2017 World Team Trials, Taylor has gone undefeated with victories over the likes of Yurieski Torreblanca, Boris Makojev, and Hassan Yazdani. Some commentators suggested that Taylor had slowed down a bit following his 2019 injury suffered against Drew Foster at the Beat The Streets event. However, he recently made his way through the Trials without surrendering a single point. His opponent in the finals, Bo Nickal, had previously stated that he was prepared to move on from wrestling and start an MMA career following the Trials. That leaves Zahid Valencia as Taylor's toughest remaining challenge at 86 kg. The two have never met before and a bout in the finals of the 2024 Trials would undoubtedly be a marquee match. 97 kg: J'den Cox The expected showdown between Cox and Kyle Snyder never happened at the 2020 Olympic Trials after Cox failed to make weight. However, it could certainly happen at the next Trials. After winning bronze medals at the 2016 Olympics and 2017 World championships at 86 kg, Cox moved up to 92 kg and won a pair of World titles at the non-Olympic weight. He moved up to 97 kg and won nine straight matches prior to the trials, including wins over Reineris Salas, Yonger Bastida, Hayden Zillmer, and Nate Jackson. Obviously, Snyder will be Cox's toughest test at the new weight. If Cox remains at 97 kg, their first meeting will likely occur prior to 2024. The extra time will also probably help Cox become better accustomed to the weight class. Even if Cox was not the favorite in 2021, he likely will be when the 2024 Trials come around. 125 kg: Greg Kerkvliet The wrestler representing the U.S. at the upcoming Olympic Games will be only 21 years old. So it might be odd to imagine a new wrestler holding the spot in a few years. However, Gable Steveson is already showing up at WWE shows and seems intent to move on following the upcoming tournament. If Steveson sticks around, he will and should be the favorite. At this point, that does not seem likely. Steveson leaving competitive wrestling behind will not create a void at heavyweight. There will still be several top contenders, including two-time World medalist Nick Gwiazdowski, Steveson's collegiate rival Mason Parris and Kerkvliet. Among that group, the favorite today has to be Gwiazdowski. However, Parris was able to take matches off him at the RTC Cup. While Parris also had the advantage over Kerkvliet on the college mats this year, Kerkvliet got the best of the Michigan wrestler in the rematch under freestyle rules at the Trials. Not only did Kerkvliet win the match against Parris at the Trials, there is reason to believe that he will continue to improve over the years. He returned very quickly following an injury this year. He is still very young, and pretty much everyone seems to improve in the Penn State room. By the time the 2024 Trials happen, Kerkvliet will probably be the favorite to make the team. Women's Freestyle 50 kg: Sarah Hildebrandt After spending the majority of her international career at 53 and 55 kg, Hildebrandt dropped down to 50 kg for the Olympics. As one might expect, it turned out to be a smart move as the 2018 World silver medalist earned her spot on the Olympic team. Hildebrandt sat in the finals and waited for Victoria Anthony, who she dispatched in two matches with a combined 22-2 score. Hildebrandt is still only 27 years old, so she should be near her prime in 2024. There is some impressive young talent at 50 kg, including Sage Mortimer and Emily Shilson. However, Hildebrandt seems to have more than enough to turn back those types of challenges. It is possible she will move up during the non-Olympic years before dropping back down for the next Trials. 53 kg: Jacarra Winchester Winchester got the opportunity to sit in the finals of the recent Olympic Trials after picking up a gold medal at the 2019 World Championships. In the finals, she bested challenge tournament winner Ronna Heaton in two straight matches, including a dominant 12-2 victory in the deciding bout. After her performance at the Trials, it is hard to see anyone knocking her out of the spot. However, she will turn 29 this October. She will not be old by any means in 2024. However, it could open the door for a younger wrestler to make a push. At this point, the smart money is on Winchester. 57 kg: Xochitl Mota-Pettis Mota-Pettis had her coming-out party at the 2020 Senior Nationals. She made the finals with an upset over Alli Ragan via fall in the quarterfinals. However, Mota-Pettis ultimately came up short in the finals against Lauren Louive. Despite making the finals, Mota-Pettis still needed to qualify for this year's Trials. She entered the Last Chance Qualifier and faced off against Louive in the finals once again. While Louive had won by fall back in October, Mota-Pettis reversed that result with a dominant 14-2 victory. At the Trials, Mota-Pettis was knocked out of the running for a spot on the team by Ragan. The veteran got her revenge with a 9-2 decision. Despite coming up short this year, "XMP" still has plenty of time to grow. On the same weekend where she wrestled in the Senior Nationals tournament, she also entered the Junior Nationals tournament. With a few more years of experience, she could make a run and hold down the spot at 57 kg. It certainly won't be easy since Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis is still only 29 years old. 62 kg: Macey Kilty Kilty turned 20 less than a month before the Olympic Trials. Her youth certainly did not hold her back. She won the challenge tournament with impressive victories over Desiree Zavala, Mallory Velter and Maya Nelson. Kilty then faced off against Kayla Miracle in the best-of-three finals and actually forced a third match with a round-two victory. However, she suffered a shoulder injury in the third match and bowed out. The 20-year-old certainly has time to improve and develop, and she was already only one match away from making the team. Kilty will be training with the Tar Heel Wrestling Club, so she certainly will not be wanting for coaching. Look for her upward trajectory to continue over the next few years. 68 kg: Tamyra Mensah-Stock This year Mensah-Stock made a strong case for herself as the best women's freestyle wrestler in the country. She not only turned back a strong challenge from high schooler Kennedy Blades (more on her later) to make the Olympic team, but also earlier in the year, she picked up a dominant 4-0 victory over fellow Olympian Adeline Gray. The 28-year-old wrestler already has won a pair of World medals, and she looked just as dominant this year. It is hard to imagine anyone challenging her at this weight from now until after the 2024 Olympics. 76 kg: Kennedy Blades Despite still being in high school, Blades went on a memorable run at the Trials at 68 kg. She knocked off Rachel Watters, Alexandria Glaude and Forrest Molinari. She came up short against Mensah-Stock in the finals. However, she scored in those matches and held her own as best she could. If she continues to develop and grow, Blades could easily be the representative at the 2024 Olympics. Adeline Gray has been a fixture of the World team since 2011 and might bring home yet another medal in Tokyo, but she will be 33 for the next Trials. Blades might have given her a tough match this year based on her performance one weight down at the Trials. Greco-Roman 60 kg: Taylor LaMont This summer, Ildar Hafizov will head to his second Olympics, but it will be his first representing the U.S. after attending the event on behalf of Uzbekistan in 2008. Hafizov will be one of U.S. Greco's best chances for a medal at the upcoming Games. However, he is already 33 years old. His opponent in the finals, Ryan Mango, indicated on Twitter that he would be returning in September for "one more dance." So there might be some new blood at 60 kg in 2024. Two of the younger prospects at this weight are Taylor LaMont and Dalton Roberts. LaMont qualified for the Trials in Greco even though he wrestled full time on the collegiate mats for Utah Valley. He did lose on the frontside of the bracket against Roberts. However, once he finishes college and starts focusing solely on Greco, he could be a force to reckon with. 67 kg: Benji Peak Peak had about as great of a performance as possible without winning at the Trials. He dropped only one match, which came in the finals of the challenge tournament against veteran Ellis Coleman. Peak had the lead in the match but ultimately could not hold on for the victory. Coleman would go on to lose to Alejandro Sancho and leave his shoes on the mat. Even though Peak was not victorious at the recent Trials, he has shown some clear aptitude for Greco. By making the National team, he should be able to refine his skills and make some overseas trips over the next few years. If he can improve, he could find himself on the Olympic team in 2024. 77 kg: Kamal Bey Many have expected Bey to take over this weight on the senior level for the last few years. After bypassing college to begin focusing only on Greco, Bey won a Junior World Championship in 2017. The following year, he made his first senior-level World team and won a pair of matches but failed to place at the 2018 World Championships. In 2019, Bey made it to Final X. However, he was unable to make the World team after coming up short against Pat Smith. Bey's quest to make the Olympic team got off to a solid start at the 2019 Senior Nationals. He defeated all five of his opponents, including Jake Fisher, and in the process, he qualified for the Trials. However, in October of 2020, it was announced that USADA had suspended Bey for the year for a whereabouts violation. Due to the suspension, he was eliminated from contention for the Olympics. For the last few years, Bey has been one of the country's most dynamic scorers in Greco. If he can refine his skills and win matches against wrestlers who want to slow down the pace and control, he should be able to make his way onto the next Olympic team. 87 kg: John Stefanowicz This weight was one of the wildest of the Trials and most uncertain going forward. Going into the tournament, it looked like a final between former Cuban competitor Alan Vera and Joe Rau was inevitable. However, John Stefanowicz upset both of those competitors to make the Olympic team. On top of that, both Rau and veteran Jon Anderson left their shoes on the mat to signal their retirement. In theory, this makes Stefanowicz the favorite for 2024. However, if the bracket plays like it did this year, it could be anybody's chance. 97 kg: Tracy Hancock Going into the Olympic Trials, the biggest sure thing on the Greco side was Hancock. He will not turn 24 until July, but he has already cemented himself as the best Greco wrestler in the U.S. at 97 kg. He easily dispatched Braxton Amos in the finals even though Amos had gone on a magical run through both the Last Chance Qualifier and challenge tournament. Hancock clearly represents the country's best chance to bring home a medal in Greco. It is hard to see anyone coming up through the ranks who could challenge Hancock's domestic supremacy. The field's best hope is that his size, length and physicality convince him to make a run at the UFC heavyweight title and move on from wrestling. 130 kg: Cohlton Schultz Since the summer of 2019, Schultz's only domestic losses in Greco have come against Adam Coon. The two have met five times with Coon winning all five of their matches. Schultz came the closest in their first match of the Olympic Trials finals. There Schultz kept it close but ultimately dropped the bout 3-3 on criteria. Despite wrestling collegiately, Schultz seems intent on making improvements to his Greco game. He made a somewhat risky trip to the Matteo Pellicone only a few weeks before the NCAA tournament. Arizona State seems to be onboard with Schultz's plan. He is in a great position to improve, and he is already pushing Coon despite being only 20 years old. At the very least, Schultz will be in position to challenge once again for the Olympic team in 2024.

Jimmy Rollins left, Steve Costanzo center, Dalton Jensen right (Photos/Lindenwood athletics; SCSU athletics; UNK athletics) If you say "Blair wrestling," nearly every fan of our beloved sport will immediately imagine the powerhouse Blair Academy and start listing off its alumni. They do so with good reason; their success on the mat has been well-documented, producing All-Americans and national champions at the collegiate level. I mean, sure, that's good, but I know of an even better wrestling Blair. If you find yourself traveling along Interstate 29, take a westward journey along Hwy 30 at the Missouri Valley exit in Nebraska. Feel free to stop and grab yourself a bite to eat before driving towards the setting sun and your visit to the small town of Blair, Nebraska. A population of roughly 8,000 people and a town spread over six square miles will greet you. What you will not see is the wrestling history that is created. Why? Because Dana College, which operated from 1884 through 2010, no longer exists. Founded by Danish pioneers, Dana was an NAIA powerhouse that won a national championship in 2006. The history of the town of Blair reads like a horror story, complete with the tragic injury of a child at the hands of a dangerous train turntable. An actual plague of locusts. And, of course, a historic Carnegie library being engulfed in flames due to an electrical fire. That train accident spawned a Supreme Court case, Sioux City & Pacific Railroad Company vs. Stout. I mean, come on. How is this town not on every historian's "must visit" list? At the very least, if you want to learn about wrestling history, this is the place for you. Dana College was a Great Plains Athletic Conference powerhouse, winning the conference title from 2007 through its final season in 2010. The program was a mainstay on the national level as well, finishing in the top-10 at the NAIA national championship six times. They were the 2006 NAIA Men's Wrestling National Champions in 2006. This program, much like another Nebraska wrestling program, was one of the best in the nation at the time of its demise. Much of the success, including a national title in his final season at the helm, was under a leader who has gone on to pilot a Division II wrestling program that has stood atop the NCAA for the last four years. Two-time NCAA Division II wrestling All-American Gavin Nelson hails from the area. He found success up I-29 wrestling for Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Nelson put together successful seasons in 2009 and 2010 to stand on the podium as a junior and a senior for the Vikings. A Missouri Valley High School alumni, he hails from the area and was in high school during much of that Dana College wrestling success. Another wrestler from the area, Dalton Jensen, made the journey in high school from Missouri Valley in Iowa to Blair to train at Dana College. He found himself a national champion training partner there as Jensen worked to grow his craft. Jensen graduated as one of the winningest Iowa high school wrestlers of all time and ended his career with two state titles. Why did he make the 10-minute drive over to Dana College? How about for a training partner from New Jersey. Wait, did I say that there was a kid from New Jersey just hanging out in Blair, Nebraska? I did. Jimmy Rollins wrestled for Dana College after a successful high school career that saw him earn entry into the South Jersey Hall of Fame in the same class as Jordan Burroughs. Rollins found himself driving through the farm fields of Nebraska on the way to Dana College with his new head coach Steve Costanzo. There just seems to be something about Nebraska that brings out the best in those South Jersey kids. Steve Costanzo is a man who needs no real introduction in the Division II wrestling world. A coach who has won six NCAA championships, including the last four. In his 15 seasons as the leader of the St. Cloud State Huskies, other than in 2006-2007, he has never finished lower than 12th. What is truly remarkable is that the Huskies have finished first or second nine times since he took over in the 2006-2007 season. Why is this a story though, what made me take the time to find Blair, Nebraska on a map and lookup its odd history? How about this? All three coaches who finished in the top-three in the 2021 NCAA Men's Division II National Championship are connected by that little town. Steve Costanzo coached Jimmy Rollins, who trained with Dalton Jensen. And now all three lead successful Division II wrestling programs. Their programs finished first through third, taking home team trophies. Jimmy Rollins secured his highest finish in Division II as leader of Lindenwood; third. Dalton Jensen earned his highest team finish as leader of the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers; they finished runner-up and were one match away from winning the whole thing. Steve Costanzo kept his Huskies on top, winning their fourth title in a row. Not bad production for a town just five times the size of Central Park. I caught up with all three leaders and asked them about their unique relationship and how it came into being and how it feels to have ties to the small Nebraska community. Bryce Villa: Jimmy, You were the person who pointed out what all three of you had in common with me. What was it like earning your first D2 team trophy with these two, given the shared history? JR: It was great! We are striving as a program to reach the top of the mountain and to be able to share the moment with these guys is tremendous. Costanzo helped change my life and I owe so much to him, the staff, and my teammates from Dana College. Dalton is a great friend who I can't say enough good things about. We actually met when a buddy of mine who was from his hometown stopped by the Ace Hardware (I believe) in Missouri Valley and wanted to introduce me to Dalton. He was stocking shelves at the family store and I told him to come on over whenever he wanted to work out. A friendship that began at a local home improvement store. There is almost nothing more midwest than that. It made me think, though, these two have a history on the mat, so what would happen now? BV: Dalton, How would a match between you and Jimmy go now? DJ: I don't think Jimmy or myself are in a position to wrestle a 7-minute match now, haha. We did have a dual a couple years ago that came down to a tiebreaker and maybe the best solution would have been for him and I to wrestle for the win. I think last time we wrestled, he was coming off a 133 lb national title and I was coming off a state championship at 125 lbs. Needless to say, it wasn't that close. I truly believe that the NCAA rules committee needs to explore this option for future tiebreaker criteria. I say, settle it on the mat. I am thinking of a dual between coaching staff to determine all duals tied after regulation. But what does the man who brought a New Jersey kid out to the cornfields of Nebraska have to say about the program that helped begin his success? BV: Steve, Dana University grew to a powerhouse program that laid the groundwork for your success today. What was it about that opportunity that drew you to such a blip on the map? SC: Dana College gave me my first opportunity to be a head coach at the collegiate level. Growing up in a small town (Bennington, NE), I felt very comfortable coaching in a small college environment. I really owe Dana College a lot. It was a great opportunity for me to develop, learn and adjust while not feeling the pressure of having to win. In addition, I learned that my passion for wrestling and helping kids grow was not just a job for me, but a lifestyle that I wanted to live. If you ever get the chance to speak with Coach Costanzo, I highly encourage you to take that time. There are few men at his level of success that are so willing to answer questions. He has found success at two different programs taking them to the promised land, but he is one of the fastest coaches in the country to answer emails from a lowly "writer" like myself. He is genuine and that is why he has been able to get powerhouse athletes to come to wherever he happens to be. Even Blair, Nebraska. BV: Jimmy, Nebraska is a long way from New Jersey. Why Dana and why Costanzo? What do you remember fondly about that time? JR: For me, I looked at some different schools, but Coach Costanzo and the staff at Dana College kept enforcing that I was going to earn a degree at Dana College. I realized that I had a lot of maturing I needed to do and getting away from New Jersey was something I knew would be good for me. To be honest, at the time, I had no idea what the NAIA even was. Costanzo picking me up from the airport and talking to me about harvest season on the ride from Omaha was different. I quickly realized this was a whole new world to me. The team, community, and staff at Dana College were incredible and our team was a family. I was definitely the Jersey guy on the team, but we had some great talent and teammates that made you feel welcome while holding you accountable. There are a lot of stories and way too many to get into, but Nancy Costanzo and the rest of the family really took me in and I will be forever grateful for that. Costanzo brought Rollins to the midwest and guess what, he is still here. Now Rollins has pushed his team towards the top of the wrestling ranks joining his old takedown partner and leader. BV: Steve, We all want our protégé to succeed, now you have Jimmy trying to knock off the throne. What is that like? SC: I am so proud of the man Jimmy has become! He has such a passion for the sport of wrestling and coaching. He has an enthusiastic and energy-driven coaching style. There is no doubt why kids want to compete for him. He is a motivator and wants to be the best! I talk to my college wrestling coach fairly often and neither of us are even in the coaching ranks. The bonds we make with our leaders stay with us forever. BV: Steve, How often does your phone alert you that one of these two is trying to pick the brain of the master? SC: Dalton and Jimmy are doing such a fantastic job. Their work ethics are second to none. I feel like these young men will do whatever it takes to be the best and run their program ethically and morally. They will be in this business a long time and will have much success. Their Universities are very lucky to have such class act people in Jimmy and Dalton! I am not sure in Division II if you can get a more ringing endorsement than that statement from Coach Steve Costanzo. Dalton Jensen was so close to earning his first national title as head coach of Nebraska-Kearney and the Lopers held the lead going into the final match of the tournament. Incredibly, the young man of this bunch is out here pushing his mentors. BV: Dalton, You trained with Jimmy and Steve, now you're running one of Costanzo's chief rivals. The wrestling community is so small sometimes, did you think you would be coaching against these other two like this? DJ: I grew up in Missouri Valley, Iowa, which is only 10 miles from Blair. I graduated high school in 2007, so during my high school career, Dana was dominating the NAIA scene. That created a great opportunity for me to drive just down the road to find some guys to beat on me and make me better. Jimmy was more than happy to hand out those beatings to me. I believe a great coach translates to any division. So, to see Jimmy and Steve have the success, they are having doesn't surprise me one bit. It is crazy how small the wrestling world! These three universities have selected incredible men to run their wrestling programs and it shows. Dalton Jensen continues to keep Nebraska-Kearney a contender year in and year out. Jimmy Rollins has taken Lindenwood to their greatest success in Division II thus far. And, of course, Steve Costanzo remains the king of Division II wrestling. I cannot wait to see these three run it again next season as they build a rivalry that goes back to their journeys crossing Blair Bridge and entering the small town of Blair, Nebraska.

Jason Borrelli (center) coaching in the 2021 NCAA Finals (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) WASHINGTON - Coming off 13 successful seasons as head wrestling coach at Stanford University, Jason Borrelli is switching coasts. American University Director of Athletics & Recreation Dr. Billy Walker has announced Borrelli, the two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year, as the head coach of AU Wrestling. "I'm tremendously excited to announce Coach Jason Borrelli as American University's Head Wrestling Coach," said Walker. "Coach Borrelli has demonstrated excellence in all facets of running a nationally respected program. He takes great pride in cultivating a family atmosphere in his program, and has a laser-like focus on ensuring his student-athletes succeed on and off the mat. Most importantly, Coach Borrelli has proven he does things the right way -- with integrity, respect, and a deep sense of caring for the development of each of his student-athletes. I'm thrilled to welcome Jason, Jenna, Carter, Lincoln and Jackson to the AU Eagles Family!" Borrelli leaves Stanford following a historic season for the program. The Cardinal swept the Pac-12 awards including Borrelli's second Coach of the Year honor, seven of 10 Cardinal starters qualified for the NCAA Championships, and Stanford finished with two All-Americans and its first national champion since 2004 in redshirt sophomore Shane Griffith. "Jenna and I are thrilled to be joining the American University family and look forward to raising our children in the nation's capital," said Borrelli. "I would like to thank Dr. Billy Walker and the entire search committee for their confidence in selecting me as AU's next head wrestling coach. It is a tremendous honor to lead this program. "American Wrestling has a strong tradition and I will work tirelessly to build upon its past success. In 2007, Josh Glenn proved that you can win an NCAA title at American. Now, it is time to set our sights on finding out which student-athletes will follow in his footsteps and help take the program to even greater heights. I am eager to get started and look forward to developing champions on and off the mats. Go Eagles!" Over Borrelli's 13 seasons, the Cardinal sent 35 different wrestlers to the NCAA Championships a total of 64 times. In 2016-17, Stanford set a program record with nine NCAA qualifiers. Borrelli's wrestlers garnered a total of 15 All-America honors and 21 individual Pac-12 championships. His 21 conference champions were the most during any 13-year span in program history. Borrelli led the Cardinal to the program's first Pac-12 Championship in 2019 and was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. The Cardinal posted 122 dual meet victories in Borrelli's 13 years, making him the program's all-time winningest coach. Borrelli's Stanford teams placed in the top 20 at the NCAA Championships four times, with the program achieving the feat just three other times prior to his tenure. The 2020 NCAA Tournament was shaping up to be a record-setting event for the program before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cardinal qualified five wrestlers for the championships, including four freshmen - the most by any school in the nation. Off the mat, Borrelli's teams thrived academically. The Cardinal finished in the top 16 among all Division I programs in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) team GPA standings each season. Borrelli has mentored 23 NWCA Scholar All-Americans (44 total awards) and has had 50 wrestlers earn 98 Pac-12 All-Academic honors. The Cardinal also had five Pac-12 Scholar-Athletes of the Year during Borrelli's tenure. Borrelli has proven to be one of the finest recruiters in the nation. In seven of his 12 recruiting seasons, the Cardinal landed nationally ranked recruiting classes in Intermat's top 25, with six of those classes falling in the top 15. The 2018 class was the highest in program history at No. 7, while the 2014 class was tabbed ninth overall by Intermat. In addition to his coaching duties, Borrelli served on the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee for five years. In 2010, Borrelli graduated from the NWCA's inaugural Leadership Academy; a program designed to equip collegiate coaches with the necessary skills to lead a successful program. A former Central Michigan standout, Borrelli started at Stanford as an assistant coach in 2008 and quickly helped guide the Cardinal to one of its most successful seasons in school history with a 19th-place finish nationally. Prior to coming to Stanford, Borrelli served on the Central Michigan coaching staff. In his first year with the Chippewas, the program won its ninth consecutive Mid-American Conference Championship. A Mt. Pleasant, Michigan native, Borrelli was a two-time Michigan state champion in high school before beginning his career at Central Michigan in 2001. A four-year starter at 125 and 133 pounds, he was part of five consecutive team Mid-American Conference (MAC) championships. As a junior in 2005, he captured the 133-pound MAC title. Borrelli qualified for the NCAA Championships at 133 pounds twice, in 2005 and 2006, and captained the Chippewa team as a senior. A four-year NWCA Scholar All-American, Borrelli graduated from Central Michigan in December 2005 with a degree in business administration. Borrelli and his wife, Jenna, were married in July 2009. They have three sons, Carter, Lincoln and Jackson. What They're Saying about Coach Borrelli "Jason is a tremendous wrestling coach and an even better person. Coach Borrelli cares deeply about each of his team members and works hard to optimize each person's success in the classroom and on the mat. Jason was a young coach when he became the head coach at Stanford, and since that time he has coached champions on the mat, mentored leaders off the mat and guided hundreds of young people to success in life after sports." Bob Bowlsby, Commissioner of the Big 12 Conference and former Stanford Athletics Director "I want to congratulate American University for hiring a terrific wrestling coach! Coach Borrelli is the ultimate transformational coach, and he has a demonstrated history of developing exceptional student-athletes who excel both on and off the wrestling mat." Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) "Jason Borrelli is a bright leader and developer of men. He'll do a fantastic job in his new role at American." Zeke Jones, Three-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year at Arizona State, World Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist

Lucas Byrd after winning the 2021 NCAA fifth-place match (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On Thursday, the wrestling world was shocked by the retirement of Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan. Coach Heffernan had been at the helm of the Fighting Illini program since the 2009-10 season and was an assistant coach at the school for 17 years prior. Needless to say, Heffernan has been synonymous with Illinois wrestling for generations of wrestlers. Heffernan's departure has led to plenty of speculation between wrestling fans as to who the Illini's next head coach will be. Before InterMat plays that guessing game, we've decided to outline precisely what the new leader will have to work with. What does the opening have going for it and what will need to improve going forward? Those questions and many others are answered below. The Conference The Big Ten speaks for itself. Any vacancy in the Big Ten will elicit interest from top-tier coaching candidates. Blue-chip assistants and current head coaches-alike. The name-brand recognition when recruiting, as well as the in-conference schedule, are attractive to big-time recruits. In addition to the schedule, the number of national qualifiers is always intriguing. In other conferences, low-level competition (low RPI numbers) coupled with only one or two automatic qualifying slots, make it challenging to push wrestlers through to nationals. No need to worry about either in the Big Ten. It's relatively rare for Big Ten jobs to open, so whenever one presents itself, most coaching candidates tend to pounch. Since 2015, only seven head coaching hires have been made in the conference. Of those seven, five went to an assistant already on staff (Angel Escobedo - Indiana, Sean Bormet - Michigan, Roger Chandler - Michigan State, Brandon Eggum - Minnesota, Matt Storniolo - Northwestern). Only Maryland (Alex Clemsen) and Wisconsin (Chris Bono) went outside of their existing staff. With highly qualified assistants like Jeremy Hunter and Mike Poeta on staff, there's the possibility that Illinois stays in-house, too. While we'll get into the facilities and salaries later, as a whole, the Big Ten is going to be at minimum competitive with each of these areas, which helps it look attractive to potential coaching candidates. The School Illinois is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois, with over 30,000 undergraduates. US News and World Report's latest rankings had Illinois ranked 47th nationally and 15th among public universities. Only Michigan and Wisconsin were among public Big Ten schools ranked higher. Northwestern ranks higher when factoring in private schools in the league. That bodes well for recruiting, which has trended towards academically strong institutions in recent years. In particular, Illinois' engineering program is well thought of, ranking sixth nationally. The Roster Provided there is no mass exodus after the next head coach is announced, there is plenty of talent returning for the Fighting Illini. Illinois had five national qualifiers in 2021 and four of them were either freshmen or sophomores. The only senior was All-American Dylan Duncan. At this time, there is no news about whether Duncan intends to return for the 2021-22 campaign. The second All-American last season was Lucas Byrd, who was just named to InterMat's All-Freshman team years. While Lucas emerged late in the year this season, he should develop into a consistent national title threat for the Illini. The remaining three qualifiers are all sophomores. Heavyweight Luke Luffman and the Brauangel twins, Danny and Zac. Luffman was a true sophomore, while the Braunagels have used redshirts. After the big five is Justin Cardani, who qualified for nationals in 2020, at 125 lbs, along with Matt Wroblewski. Matt is a junior 197 lber that spent the bulk of the year in the national rankings. This nucleus helped Illinois to a 5-3 dual record in 2021 and should keep the Illini competitive against almost anyone not named Iowa or Penn State. Illinois started the 2021 campaign off with four consecutive wins over Indiana, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Purdue. Their final win came during the last two weeks of the year, against in-state rival Northwestern. Looking past the leading returners for Illinois, the cupboard is far from bare as they have been able to keep some in-state talent at home after the return of Poeta in the summer of 2017. Most likely to take a leap in 2021-22 is Danny Pucino, who could be Duncan's successor. Pucino was 6-0 at 141 lbs last season (0-1 at 149) and logged a win over national qualifier Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio State), 12-7. Luke Odom was a true freshman in 2021 and went 2-3 between 157 and 165 lbs. While all three losses came to legit competition, Odom's closest margin in those defeats was six points. Others like E'lan Heard and Trey Sizemore were highly touted coming out of high school and have lots of potential. The Illini also has a promising class of incoming freshmen. If the current coaching staff is retained, I'd expect most of them to continue to Champaign. It's hard to tell if they will matriculate if an outside crew is hired. Leading the way is Dylan Connell (Marian Central, IL) and Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, CA). Both were not able to get a chance to win their fourth state title this year. With Illinois having a long history of pulling in California kids and Renteria's high school coach an alum (Troy Tirapelle), he may not be swayed by the idea of having a new staff. Another incoming freshman is Joe Braunagel (Althoff Catholic, IL). It's safe to say that he probably comes in, provided the rest of his family is satisfied with the school/staff. The Facilities In a general sense, the facilities available for Illinois are fine. They would compare favorably to most programs in the nation. With 22 All-Americans in the last decade and a pair of two-time national champions (Jesse Delgado and Isaiah Martinez), the pieces are in place for high-caliber wrestlers to thrive in Champaign. The only problem is that many of their rivals have opened shiny, state-of-the-art gigantic facilities over the past couple of years. Others, like Iowa, have one in the pipeline. More than anything, these are a huge recruiting tool, more than a necessity to develop talent. There's also the underlying belief (whether it's true or not), that an administration or alumni support the program enough to build a stand-alone structure that houses six mats (for instance). Since the facilities don't exactly match up with the Penn State's, Ohio State's, and Minnesota's of the conference, someone on the new staff will need to be a master recruiter; one that able to convince top recruits to sign, even without the fancy bells and whistles. The Salary According to the University of Illinois' "Gray Book," Heffernan's salary was just north of $195,000. Provided a similar amount is offered to the next head coach, that amount should be enough to pique the interest of most, if not all, assistant coaches and many current head coaches. Often, when a coaching position opens at a smaller institution, the head coach's salary offer does not approach that of the first assistants at Big Ten programs. The Administration The athletic department is led by AD Josh Whitman who has been with the school since February of 2016. Whitman played football at Illinois before stints with a handful of NFL teams in the early 2000's. Under Whitman's direction, the school has hired a basketball coach (Brad Underwood) that has taken the Illini from 11th in the B1G during the 2017-18 season, to second in 2020-21. This December, Whitman hired Bret Bielema to head their football program. Bielema was previously in the Big Ten at Wisconsin from 2006-12, where he led the Badgers to a pair of Rose Bowl appearances. After spending five years in charge of the Arkansas program, Bielema worked as a position coach for two NFL teams until his hire by Whitman. Whitman also hired Bielema's predecessor, Lovie Smith, who was famous for leading the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl. During searches for wrestling coaches, I like to look at the athletic directors hiring tendencies for other sports (especially high-profile ones) to see if there's any pattern. With Whitman's most scrutinized hires (football/basketball), he has preferred prior head coaching experience. Underwood was Oklahoma State's head coach before he was hired and women's basketball coach, Nancy Fahey, was already in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Women's gymnastics coach Nadalie Walsh also had a long resume as a head coach. Those trends were broken with the hire of women's volleyball head coach Chris Tamas, previously an assistant at Nebraska, and women's tennis coach Evan Clark. Evan had been an assistant coach with the Illini before getting elevated to the head position. Trying to read between the lines, Whitman probably values head coaching experience. And why wouldn't he? The hire of women's tennis coach Evan Clark, leaves open the possibility of selecting either Hunter or Poeta. However, with so many great assistant coaches potentially interested in this job, it wouldn't be surprising to see Whitman break his tendencies and go with a new face rather than experience. The Recruiting Base Aside from the conference, one of the most critical factors Illinois has going for it is the strength of its in-state talent. Any prospective coach would love to hop into a situation with so much DI talent within its borders. While it's possible to win at a high level without being in a wrestling hotbed (Arizona State, Virginia Tech, North Carolina/NC State), most would pick the fertile grounds of Illinois if given the opportunity. In 2021, 29 Illinois natives qualified for the NCAA Championships. Seven of them went on to earn All-American honors. In sort of a weird, fluke occurrence, North Carolina's Austin O'Connor became the first Illinois native to win an NCAA title since his coach, Tony Ramos, did so in 2014. You have to go back to 2003 to find an Illinois native who won a title wrestling for the Illini (Matt Lackey). Though there's a ton of talent in-state, few have managed to win national championships, though, again, it's probably just an odd stat. For years, fans have thought Illinois needed to keep talent at home. Generally, they've been able to keep a large chunk of kids in-state. For instance, all eight of their 2020 national qualifiers were homegrown recruits. That statement should be amended to keeping the elite talent at home. Along with O'Connor going to North Carolina, a pair of blue-chippers that finished in the top-four in St. Louis for Iowa were Jacob Warner and Tony Cassioppi. Both are from Illinois. To entice the top-25 type kids to stay at home, there needs to be a different "aura" surrounding the program. Similar to the feeling that Tom Ryan instilled at Ohio State when he took over in 2006. Before Ryan, did the Buckeyes keep strong talent at home? Sure, but they were also just as likely to leave. That's why, as mentioned before, someone with an inane ability to recruit and bond with the Illinois high schoolers needs to be on staff, whether as the head coach or assistant(s). Poeta had five years of experience on the club level before coming back to the college ranks and it has shown with an uptick in recruiting. They need to continue this and expand on it. The "We Will Win" mantra from Whitman's office, along with the renewed excitement surrounding the football and basketball programs, could trickle into the minds of prospective wrestling recruits down the line.

J'den Cox at the 2019 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Just before the Olympic Trials started in Fort Worth, news began to ripple through the crowd that J'den Cox had missed weight and would not compete in the tournament. As a returning medalist at the non-Olympic weight of 92kg, Cox had a bye into the semifinals at 97kg. Many had anticipated a Saturday night matchup between Cox, a two-time world champion and 86kg Olympic medalist, and Kyle Snyder, the defending Olympic champion at 97kg and a two-time world champion. As more information became public, it emerged that Cox claimed he was told the wrong weigh-in time by his coach, USA Wrestling National Freestyle Developmental Coach Kevin Jackson. Weigh-ins ended at 8:00am, but Cox did not make weight until 8:13am, according to published reports. The tournament committee met and decided that Cox could not enter, since he did not make weight in the time allotted. (Quick aside: international weigh-ins work differently than college. In college, wrestlers must be in the weigh-in area when the weigh-in begins or they cannot weigh in. Internationally, there is a weigh-in window, and wrestlers can come at any time during that window. The window ends two hours before wrestling begins.) Cox was a serious threat to win the trials and medal in Tokyo this summer. Leaving him out of the tournament and depriving fans of the potential Cox vs. Snyder final generated a lot of discussion about whether or not Cox should have been permitted to wrestle even though he missed the weigh-in. At the heart of any discussion is the question of which rules really matter, and which rules are worth disregarding to reach a desired outcome. Is the desire to send the best possible team to Tokyo worth breaking a rule? Which rules are worthy of breaking and are then, by definition, less important than other rules? Would letting Cox wrestle allow him an unfair advantage, and is whether or not breaking a rule gives an advantage the only criteria worth considering when allowing a rule to be broken? These are hard questions to answer. All athletic competitions are a distortion of reality. The rules create an artificial environment where certain regulations and procedures are agreed to by all competitors and enforced by officials. These rules include who is eligible to compete and how a competition takes place. Weight classes sort athletes by size. A takedown is worth two points. You must weigh in at a certain time to be in the tournament. Interlocking fingers is against the rules. Making weight two hours before the event begins is an arbitrary rule, but every wrestling rule is arbitrarily decided, and the competitors are tasked with knowing and understanding these rules so they can effectively compete in this specific version of distorted reality. Applying the rules differently to different competitors may create a result that is desirable to some while others disagree. There is a value judgment that must be made anytime the rules are not applied in the way everyone had previously agreed to. In the case of Cox, is the potential of him winning an Olympic medal worth applying a separate set of rules to one athlete, possibly at the expense of others he may beat along the way? Inherent in the belief that Cox should have been able to compete is the assertion that weighing in 13 minutes late should not disqualify a wrestler, or at least not disqualify a wrestler of Cox's quality. That leads to two more questions. First, how late is too late? If 8:13 is OK, what about 8:14? What about 8:45? Could he weigh-in after his first match? Second, how good does a wrestler need to be in order to merit an exception to the rules? Should only serious medal threats be granted exceptions? Who decides if someone is a serious medal threat? If this grace should only be extended to serious contenders, what happens if a low-seeded wrestler had shown up at 8:13? Would Cox be allowed to wrestle, but the other wrestler removed from the tournament? There is no value judgment in these questions; these are just questions that must be answered before deciding to grant one wrestler an exception to the rules. It is possible to determine that the desired end (getting a medal contender into the tournament) justifies the means (giving exceptional treatment to one competitor) in this case. One level removed from whether or not Cox should have been able to wrestle is how that decision affects the other competitors at 97kg. A spot on the Olympic team was not the only prize last weekend in Fort Worth. Wrestlers competed for spots on the National Team. The top three athletes in each weight class receive financial support, training opportunities, and international competition slots. As of today, Kyle Snyder, Kollin Moore, and Kyven Gadson are 1, 2, and 3 on the national team ladder. Inserting Cox into the 97kg bracket could have resulted in one of those guys losing a national team spot and the others dropping down on the ladder, as well as losing the Olympic spot to a wrestler who did not follow the same rules as everyone else. One can argue that this is a worthwhile tradeoff to get the best team to Tokyo, but it is necessary to consider any potential loss, financial or otherwise, incurred by the other wrestlers in the bracket who followed the rules and weighed in on time. Finally, it is worth considering the argument that Cox gained no benefit by weighing in late. This should not be automatically assumed true. He had less time to recover after the weigh-in than someone who weighed in earlier. On the other hand, he had more time to get his weight down than every other competitor. In the end, it doesn't really matter, which is true in this specific case. What matters more is the idea that breaking a rule should be overlooked if the competitor doing it is good enough and breaking the rule does not result in an unfair advantage to the rule breaker. This will create a hierarchy of rules where some are considered too important to break while others are more flexible. There is not necessarily anything wrong with this, but someone has to decide where the line is drawn. USA Wrestling decided that weighing in on time was important enough a rule to enforce it to the letter. Some may call that arbitrary, but as discussed earlier, all rules are arbitrary, and someone must be charged with making enforcement decisions. Is it more important to treat all competitors fairly or equally, and who is the arbiter of fairness? Furthermore, when giving unequal treatment, how much notification should the other competitors receive? Snyder had a bye into the finals. Cox was to be given a bye to the challenge tournament semifinals. They were not treated equally to the other wrestlers at 97kg. However, USA Wrestling published the procedure for team selection months in advance, and everyone in the weight class knew ahead of time what it would take to make the Olympic team. Allowing Cox to weigh in late and still compete would have been more unequal treatment, but maybe it would not have been unfair to the other competitors. How one views this bit of potential unequal treatment may depend on whom it affects. A fan who wants to see both Cox vs. Snyder and the strongest possible team might be fine with it. Moore and Gadson, their coaches, and their fans might be less so, for reasons previously discussed. What is the right thing to do in a scenario like this? USA Wrestling could bend the rules or stick to the published guidelines. The other 195 wrestlers in the challenge tournament made weight on time. One did not. The fact that the one is a world champion whose coach may have passed along some incorrect info complicates things further, and, no matter what anyone thinks of the situation, 13 minutes is not a long time. USA Wrestling made the call to hold everyone to the same weigh-in timing standard. That is a tough call to make when the result is disqualifying a world champion. There does not appear to be an easy, no-doubt-about-it answer, but the committee can at least say that they voted to uphold the published rules for conducting the tournament. J'den Cox had indicated he will appeal the decision. He might win and get a chance to make the team. He might deserve that chance. Whoever hears his appeal will have to weigh all the evidence, and there are big questions that will be part of the deliberations. Which rules matter? Which rules can be bent or broken without damaging the fairness and integrity of the event, selection process, or sport?

Nathan Tomasello at the Olympic Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) This morning, on social media, 2015 NCAA champion and national team member, Nathan Tomasello, announced that he will be moving to Oklahoma to train at the Oklahoma RTC. Tomasello stated that situation appeals to him because of the presence of Sooners head coach Lou Rosselli, who was an assistant coach at Ohio State while Tomasello was in college. He'll also have the opportunity to work with 2012 Olympian Sam Hazewinkel, who currently serves as the head coach of the Oklahoma RTC. Tomasello served as an assistant coach at Duke for the 2020-21, which was his first collegiate coaching post. He came to Durham after earning All-American honors four times for the Buckeyes, placing third three times after winning a national title as a redshirt freshman. As a senior, Tomasello became only the 15th wrestler to win four Big Ten championships. Recently, Tomasello made the national team after finishing third at the Olympic Trials. As the seventh seed, Tomasello shook off a 3-2 loss to runner-up Vito Arujau and posted 13-6 and 12-6 wins over Sean Russell and Zane Richards, respectively, to grab third place at 57 kgs. In 2019, Tomasello was a runner-up at the Bill Farrell, the Cerro Pelado, and Senior Nationals.

2021 ACC champion Sam Latona (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The 2021 collegiate season is in the books, but there's still plenty to talk about in this, the most unusual of all wrestling seasons. One bit of normalcy in this uncertain season was some new freshmen that burst onto the scene. Even as many argue against giving wrestlers sixth and seventh (or eight) years of competition, the college game continues to evolve in favor of younger wrestlers. For the third time in four NCAA Tournaments, and the fifth time in seven, we saw two freshmen ascend to the top of the NCAA podium. Seeing a freshman win a national title used to be a rare occurrence; however, at least one has gotten his hand raised on the big stage on Saturday night for the last seven NCAA Tournaments. Those two national champions weren't the only freshmen that had their share of success at the national championship. 13 other freshmen made their way into the top-eight of their respective weight classes, with two finishing in third place. That made for some difficult choices at a few different weights. After some debate, here's Intermat's All-Freshman team for the 2021 season. Please note that Intermat's Freshman of the Year was already announced on March 24th. 125 - Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) Typically the 125 lb weight class is filled with impact freshman and there are some difficult choices to be made about the top spot. From 2014-19 there was only one season with less than two freshmen who achieved All-American honors at 125 lbs (2016). This year, Sam Latona was the only rookie to make the podium at this weight in St. Louis. While most fans took notice of Sam after a 20-2 redshirt campaign in 2019-20, Latona announced himself to the entire collegiate wrestling community after a dramatic win over reigning ACC champion Jakob Camacho (NC State) in dual meet action. The last-second four-point move propelled the Hokies over their conference rival and helped them earn a regular-season ACC title. Latona would add a second win over Camacho in the finals of the ACC championship, which locked up a perfect regular season for the Alabama-native and a second-seed at the NCAA Tournament. While Latona at nationals, he did pick up a win over the eventual third-place finisher (Patrick McKee - Minnesota) in the championship round. Sam finished his initial season in Blacksburg with a 14-3 record, three major decisions, and three wins over eventual All-Americans. Second Team - Robbie Howard (Penn State) NCAA fifth-place finisher Lucas Byrd (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 133 - Lucas Byrd (Illinois) Interestingly enough, the Big Ten was responsible for all four of the All-Americans that won their final match of the year, national champion Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State), third-place finisher, Austin DeSanto (Iowa), along with freshmen Lucas Byrd (fifth) and Chris Cannon (seventh). Byrd finished his freshman year with a 17-4 record and three of those losses came to wrestlers that placed in the top-four at nationals. The freshman from Cincinnati, Ohio, may have gone overlooked for the bulk of his freshman year, but made the country take notice as he pushed DeSanto to the brink in the Big Ten semifinals. Lucas clinched his place on the podium by downing two-time ACC champion Micky Phillipi (Pittsburgh) in the bloodround 6-2 in tiebreakers. Philippi came into the tournament as the fifth seed, while Byrd was seeded seventh. Byrd clearly claimed the spot on the first team with a pair of victories over second-teamer Cannon. He downed the Wildcat 7-1 for third-place in the Big Ten and again, by a 4-1 margin, in the consolation quarters at nationals. Second Team - Chris Cannon (Northwestern) Dylan D'Emilio (Photo/Sam Janicki; SamJanickiPhoto.com) 141 - Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio State) Perhaps the most difficult choices for this team took place at 141 lbs, as there were only four freshman national qualifiers at the weight. What separated Dylan D'Emilio from the pack is that he was the only one from the quartet to earn a win at nationals. He picked up three, in fact. At the beginning of the season, many would not be surprised to see a Buckeye freshman get first-team honors, as Anthony Echemendia was penciled in as Ohio State's starter. D'Emilio ended up getting the nod down the stretch and responded with wins over national qualifiers Drew Mattin (Michigan) and Parker Filius (Purdue) in February. A 3-2 showing at the Big Ten Championships left D'Emilio without an automatic bid, but he was selected as an at-large and seeded 30th. After dropping his first match, Dylan bounced back with three straight wins, including downing the 19th (Lane Peters - Army West Point) and 20th (Brian Courtney - Virginia) seeds. D'Emilo finished the year with a 10-8 record for the Buckeyes. Second Team - McKenzie Bell (Rider) Kyle Parco during his consolation run (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 149 - Kyle Parco (Fresno State) It's unreal that 149 lbs saw a pair of wrestlers made the podium, both from California schools that have vowed to cut their programs after the 2021 season. While most fans expected Jaden Abas to contend for All-American status this season, not many could have projected that Kyle Parco would have done so, as well. Parco competed at 141 lbs during the regular season, but bumped up after losing a wrestle-off heading into the postseason. That proved to be a good move for the Bulldog, who finished third in the conference and headed into nationals with the 17th seed. The loss at the conference tournament was the only blemish on the resume for Parco prior to St. Louis. Kyle's first NCAA tournament started with a win over EIWA champion PJ Ogunsanya (Army West Point). He then met the top-seed, Sammy Sasso (Ohio State), and gave the Buckeye all he could handle before falling, 11-10. In back-to-back-to-back matches, Parco took out the #9 Legend Lamer (Cal Poly), #6 Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech), and #7 Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State) seeds, ensuring a place in the top-six. Parco has already signed to continue his collegiate career at Utah Valley University. Second Team - Jaden Abas (Stanford) Cade DeVos in regular season action (Photo/SDSU athletics) 157 - Cade DeVos (South Dakota State) This was the most difficult decision of the entire team. There were four or five 157 lbers that could have warranted discussion for one of the top two spots. Ultimately, it was a first-round win by Cade DeVos over fellow freshman, #15 Chase Saldate (Michigan State), that cemented his place on the first team. DeVos' two remaining bouts at the national tournament came against eventual All-Americans. As a whole, DeVos' record this year does not look impressive; however, he squared off with some high-caliber competition. Eight of his 11 losses came at the hands of opponents who earned top-ten seeds at nationals. Aside from the win over the Big Ten's fourth-place finisher, Saldate, DeVos also notched a pair of wins over Jacob Wright (Wyoming), who had only lost twice heading into the Big 12 Championships. Second Team - Andrew Cerniglia (Navy) Keegan O'Toole in his NCAA 3rd place bout (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 165 - Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) One of the top recruits in the high school Class of 2020, Keegan O'Toole did not disappoint during his true freshman season. O'Toole lost to eventual NCAA runner-up Jake Wentzel (Pittsburgh) in the NCAA quarterfinals for his only setback of the year. The young Tiger bounced back with wins over four top-ten seeds to grab third place. O'Toole finished the year with an astounding 65% bonus-point rate after racking up six falls and five technical falls. He also faced a solid schedule pre-NCAA's. Six of his 13 wins before St. Louis came against wrestlers that would ultimately compete at the national tournament. The Mizzou freshman also staked his claim to the top spot among freshmen at 165 lbs as he picked up a head-to-head win over the second team's Cameron Amine in the Round of 16 at the NCAA Championships. Second Team - Cameron Amine (Michigan) 2021 NCAA Champion Carter Starocci (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 174 - Carter Starocci (Penn State) A 19-0 redshirt season set the bar extremely high for Carter Starocci as he took over the 174 lb weight class for Penn State. While replacing a national champion and three-time finalist like Mark Hall is a difficult proposition for any wrestler, Starocci matched his predecessor by winning a title as a freshman. After losing his debut to Donnell Washington, Starocci won nine consecutive bouts to roll into the Big Ten finals. There he fell to Iowa's three-time All-American, Michael Kemerer. The PSU 174 lber was able to avenge that loss in the national finals with a 3-1 win in sudden victory. Starocci finished the year with four wins over eventual All-Americans, an impressive figure for a COVID-shortened season that saw him only wrestle 16 matches. Throughout the year, Starocci showed maturity beyond his years by four wins in extra time, all coming against veteran competitors. Second Team - Donnell Washington (Indiana) Parker Keckeisen's NCAA 3rd place bout (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 184 - Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) 184 lbs saw a pair of freshmen square off in the national third-place bout and it was Parker Keckeisen who prevailed 5-4 over John Poznanski to take home the honors. Keckeisen's 6-4 loss in the NCAA semis, to eventual champion Aaron Brooks (Penn State), was the first, and only, setback of the year for the Panther. Though he didn't see action in dual competition until late January, Keckeisen made his presence known quickly by upsetting All-American Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) in his second career dual. A week later, he downed eventual All-American Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois). With his win over Tate Samuelson (Wyoming) in the Big 12 finals, Parker became the third consecutive (all-different) Panther 184 lber to win a conference title. Keckeisen earned his place in the NCAA quarterfinals when he locked up a takedown in the sudden victory period to drop fifth-seeded Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech), 4-2. At Nationals, Parker was victorious over the fifth, sixth (Poznanski), and seventh (Wilson) seeds. Second Team - John Poznanski (Rutgers) 2021 NCAA champion AJ Ferrari (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 197 - AJ Ferrari (Oklahoma State) Who would have guessed that after the NCAA Championships, one of the new darlings of the wrestling world would be AJ Ferrari? Celebrations, quotable interviews, and social media dances aside, Ferrari showed his mettle on the mat by controlling the top-seeded Myles Amine (Michigan) in the NCAA semis, before neutralizing, high-scoring Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) for the title. Ferrari was thought to be one of the top recruits in the Class of 2020, evidenced by a Cadet World bronze medal in 2018 and did not disappoint on the college mat. Ferrari's first five collegiate bouts resulted in bonus points, with three coming via tech fall. He lost only once during 21 collegiate matches and finished the year on a nine-match winning streak. Ferarri's larger-than-life personality sometimes obscured the fact that he demonstrated extraordinary grit on the mat and a high wrestling IQ. AJ was already named Intermat's Freshman of the Year in late March. Second Team - Rocky Elam (Missouri) Arizona State's Cohlton Schultz (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 285 - Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) For the second consecutive NCAA Tournament, we saw two freshmen climb the NCAA podium at 285 lbs, a feat that previously had not been accomplished since 2012. A head-to-head win in the consolation quarters ensured that Cohlton Schultz got the nod over Greg Kerkvliet. The win represented Schultz's highest-scoring contest of the year. He put up 14 points against Kerkvliet's eight. Interestingly enough, both were Cadet World Champions in 2017, Kerkvliet in freestyle, Schultz in Greco. The Sun Devil big man cruised into the NCAA Championships with a 10-0 record and a Pac-12 title under his belt. Schultz's breakout came during the regular season when he defeated veteran's Carter Isley (Northern Iowa) and Gannon Gremmel (Iowa State) on the same day. He would later earn a second win against Gremmel during the consolation semis at nationals. Cohlton finished the year in fourth place in St. Louis, with both of his defeats coming against Iowa's Tony Cassioppi. Second Team - Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State)

Richard Perry in the 2018 US Open semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Today, while driving to yet another doctor's appointment in Philadelphia, I noticed a man, probably in his mid-thirties, attempting to cross a busy intersection while in a wheelchair. What caught my eye wasn't the wheelchair itself, but this man had a young girl, probably two or three years old, sitting on his lap. Immediately I was overcome with emotion as tears filled my eyes. I looked over towards my husband and said out loud, "that could be you, that could have very well been you with our Zeke!" A look of bewilderment came upon his face, one that neglected to recall all he's overcome these past two and a half years as he has battled his way back on the mat. My husband, Richard Perry, Senior-level and world-class wrestler, 2018 National Team Member at 86kgs, my best friend, Pennsylvania Regional Training Center athlete and father of our three beautiful children, was injured in a horrific incident on August 27th, 2018, while training with US Marines at a National Team Training Camp. The injuries he sustained left him completely paralyzed for months, unable to speak, to move, to eat on his own, left with permanent brain damage, and lasting effects that would bring most men to their knees. He often forgets the prognosis given to us time and time again, one that seemed more like a promise than a probability, that he would be bedridden and, at best, in a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. Richard Perry shortly after the incident in 2018 (Photo/Perry family) While almost three years ago, it seems like just yesterday, our entire world was turned upside down in the blink of an eye. I would be lying if I didn't tell you the drama and details of the actual incident would make for a riveting read. However, I want to tell of an untold story, a piece of the puzzle that is truly remarkable. It was August 30th, 2018, just a few days after my husband's initial injury in California. I was sitting in the waiting room in the ICU while the National Team members and coaches visited with an unconscious Richard Perry; I'm certain some of which, thought it would be the last time they ever saw him alive. At this point, the doctors were trying to convince me Richard wasn't going to make it, and if he did survive, he would have to live out his days in a hospital bed. They warned me to prepare for the worst and asked me to come to grips with reality. My husband always had an unshakable faith, so while he was unable to speak life into this grim situation, in an attempt to make him proud, I clung to that very faith, praying for a miracle. Instead, every day upon my return to the hospital, I was met with more bad news; infections, fevers, lack of response, inability to swallow, seizures, meningitis. My reality was quickly becoming my worst nightmare as all of our dreams and plans we once looked forward to, were crumbling all around us. Yet there I sat, with a smile on my face and hope in my heart, praying that these men visiting, these brothers of his, his teammates, would say something, do something that would somehow help him, that would wake him up, would fix him. I just needed to know he was still in there; I needed to know our children would be able to see their father again, that I would be able to hear, "I love you," once more. I looked up and saw a familiar face, one Rich had introduced me to several times over the past year at various Senior level tournaments; a man Richard greatly admired and always had incredible things to say when he spoke of him, Assistant Coach and Manager of Freestyle Programs, Coach Joe Russell. He sat beside me and asked if he could share something with me.I had no idea how his words, his story, would forever change our lives. Richard Perry with Joe Russell (Photo/Perry family) "Gina, I don't know if Richard ever told you about me, but when I was in high school, I was in a very serious motorcycle accident. I've never quite understood why I was chosen for this position at USA Wrestling, but I know now God has put me here for this specific purpose," he was so sincere and you could tell by the expression on his face and the tone in his voice, the words he would speak next would bring hope, the very hope I would cling to for weeks, months and even years to come. Coach Russell went on to tell me of his own brain injury that left a portion of his brain on the concrete floor of his high school parking lot. He told me of the grim prognosis the doctors gave his parents and his brother, fellow wrestler, Dan Russell. He shared with me the pain and the fears of his family, that this once prominent, successful high school wrestler would never again talk or walk, would never again leave his hospital bed. Coach told me of his brother Dan, who, with a fighting spirit, would not accept this news or the possibility that Joe wasn't going to be around to grow up with him. Instead, he fought and he prayed and he pushed his brother. Joe warned me that it would first be worse before it got any better. He shared with me the pain, the disappointment and the trials he had to face during his recovery. Then, he shared with me the victories: the first eye movements, the first words he uttered to his brother. He shared the moments of his first steps, the pain but success of his first run, and he shared his first few attempts at wrestling again. Coach explained while he was in the hospital, he would only respond to one person, his brother Dan. He shared that while in the hospital, he heard Dan speaking to him; he was just unable to respond. Most importantly, he told me Richard was still in there, that wrestlers are built differently, that Richard was made differently, that he knew whatever God had planned, He would see it through, and He would see our family through. For the first time in almost a week since Richard's injuries, I was given actual hope. I had something I could cling to, something I could look forward to. I finally had the option to hold an expectation other than death. For me, that was enough. In the weeks and months to follow, the details Coach Russell shared of his own experience unfolded in our story as Richard began to respond but only to Zeke, our 5-month-old son. Richard would start by tracking us with his eyes and then slowly, he began to move his fingers on his right hand. He uttered an "I love you," and ignited a deep fire of hope and faith once more. What seemed like the entire wrestling community from all over the world, rallied behind our family, behind Richard. They shared similar stories filled with trials and tribulations, but when met with faith and support, became stories of overcoming and perseverance. These very stories continued to give our own family hope, and served as great inspiration. As time passed, we rode the unexpected roller coaster of recovery until Richard was able to have the brain surgery necessary to remove the portion of his skull that penetrated into his brain. When we headed back to Philadelphia, Richard spent nearly three more months in an inpatient facility learning how to talk, learning to move his left hand, use his fingers and control his arms. He had to learn how to walk, write, read, chew, shower, cook, climb stairs, hold a conversation, etc. It was in this hospital that Coach Joe Russell drove from DC to visit Richard and spend time with him. I was unable to be present during his visit, but I'm sure Joe discovered that he was right all along; Richard was built differently, as most wrestlers are, he knew Richard would meet head-on and overcome every obstacle placed before him, just as he did himself. Believe me, my husband did just that; he accepted every challenge given to him by doctors, therapists and nursing staff. This husband, father of three, and once-rising wrestler was told he would most likely never walk again, and upon hearing his fate, he challenged himself to overcome, and was determined to walk out of the hospital. On November 16th, 2018, around 11am, Richard Perry, unassisted, walked out of his hospital room, into an elevator, down the hallway and into our car! His determination and perseverance met with faith and hope, led to what we believe, are modern-day miracles. After countless doctors appointments, cognitive, speech and physical therapies, and specialized strength and mobility sessions, in December of 2020, Richard Perry returned to the mat and began to train once again with his Coach Brandon Slay and the rest of the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center in Philadelphia. We aren't certain what comes next, no one truly is, but we are aware it takes just one pivotal moment, one incredible conversation to change circumstances, to inspire belief and create hope. Today, I wanted to share our story with you in the hope that it inspires you to keep fighting, keep pushing forward and to never limit yourself. Soon, I will share the untold stories of many wrestlers at every level, from across the nation. You see, Coach Russell was absolutely correct, wrestlers are built differently, they overcome on and off the mat.

Georgia's Vladimir Khinchegashvili after winning an Olympic gold medal in 2016 (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) With the European, African, and Asian Olympic Games qualifiers completed, we now have a better understanding of what to expect the field will look like for the world Olympic qualifier where the US will be sending Jordan Oliver to qualify 65 KG. To qualify their country for the Olympics, athletes must make the finals of the last chance qualifier. The Big Four #3 (70) Ilyas Bekbulatov (UZB)- 2015 Russian Nationals champion, 2017 European champion, 2018 European runner-up, 4x Yarygin champion ('13,'15,'17,'18), 2021 Russian Pro League champion. Key Wins: Soslan Ramonov (2015 Russian Nationals finals), #7 (74) Magomed Kurbanaliev (2015 Russian Nationals), #8 David Baev (2021 70 KG Russian Pro League finals), #10 Akhmed Chakaev (2018 Yarygin finals), #11 Naachyn Kuular (2018 Yarygin). Key Losses: #7 (74) Magomed Kurbanaliev (2014 Intercontinental Cup), Toghrul Asgarov (2015 European Games), #4 Haji Aliyev (2018 European Championships finals), Soslan Ramonov (2018 Indian Pro League), Julian Gergenov (2019 Russian Nationals), Ernazar Akhmataliev (2021 Asian OG qualifier) #13 Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (POL)- 2016 70 KG European champion, 2017 65 KG world runner-up, 2017 70 KG European runner-up, 2018 70 KG European runner-up, 2019 70 KG European bronze, 2020 70 KG European champion 2019 70 KG world bronze, 2020 70 KG Individual world cup champion. Key Wins: #1 (70) Israil Kasumov (2017 70 KG European championships), #4 Haji Aliyev (2018 International Ukrainian tournament), Vladimir Khinchegashvili (2018 International Ukrainian tournament) #5 Heydar Yavuz (2020 70 KG Individual World Cup finals) #14 (70) Zurab Iakobishvili (2019 70 KG world bronze medal match), #1 (74) Zaurbek Sidakov (2016 70 KG European championships). Key Losses: #4 (74) Frank Chamizo (2015 world championships, 2017 70 KG European championships finals), #7 (74) Magomed Kurbanaliev (2018 70 KG European finals), Frank Molinaro (2016 Olympics), #14 (70) Zurab Iakobishvili (2017 65 KG world finals), #8 David Baev (2019 70 KG world championships), #2 Vazgen Tevanyan (2021 European OG Qualifier) Jordan Oliver (USA)- 2019 U.S. Open champion, 2019 Bill Farrell Memorial champion, 2021 Olympic Trials champion, 2020 Matteo Pellicone runner-up. Key Wins: #14 Yianni Diakomihalis (2021 Olympic Trials), Joey McKenna (2019 U.S. Open finals, 2021 Olympic trials finals), Toghrul Asgarov (2018 Beat the Streets). Key Losses: #15 Bajrang Punia (2019 Dan Kolov finals, 2020 Matteo Pellicone finals), #14 Yianni Diakomihalis (2019 U.S. Open), #10 Akhmed Chakaev (2018 Ziolkowski). Vladimir Khinchegashvili (GEO)- 2015 57 KG world champion, 2016 57 KG Olympic champion, 2017 61 KG European champion, 2017 61 KG world bronze medalist, 2019 European Games runner-up. Key Wins: #1 Gadzhimurad Rashidov (2016 57 KG world cup), Hassan Rahimi (2015 57 KG world finals), #7 (57) Rei Higuchi ( #4 Haji Aliyev (2016 61 KG European championships, 2016 Olympics), #10 Akhmed Chakaev (2017 European championships finals, 2019 European Games), Logan Stieber (2017 61 KG world championships). Key Losses: #3 (70) Ilyas Bekbulatov (2018 European championships), #10 Akhmed Chakaev (2018 world championships), #1 Gadzhimurad Rashidov (2017 61 KG world championships), #3 Ismail Musukaev (2019 world championships), #4 Haji Aliyev (2019 European Games finals), #2 Vazgen Tevanyan (2021 European OG Qualifier). The Breakdown A very credentialed trio of wrestlers will be standing opposite of Oliver in the form of #3 (70) Ilyas Bekbulatov (UZB), #13 Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (POL), and 2016 57 KG Olympic champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili (GEO). Bekbulatov, a 2017 European champion for Russia and 2020 European champion, was the heavy favorite to qualify Uzbekistan at the Asian qualifier, but was chin whipped and pinned by eventual champion Ernazar Akhmataliev of Kyrgyzstan. Two-time world medalist #13 Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (POL) and 2x World/Olympic champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili (GEO) have prestigious resumes with multiple wins over world and Olympic medalists, but failed to qualify at the European Olympic qualifier due to losses to 2020 Individual World Cup champion #2 Vazgen Tevanyan (ARM). Now that we know the big three that Jordan Oliver will be dealing with, how does he stack up against the field? While there is no easy match at all against the trio of Gadzhiev, Bekbulatov, and Khinchegashvili, each one has a specific path to victory that Oliver can realistically pull off. Khinchegashvili would test Oliver's ability to chain wrestle through his leg attacks and having the gas tank to keep pressure on opponents late into a match which, based on Oliver's showing at the Olympic Trials, he should be fine. Gadzhiev will test Oliver's patience and reattacks as Gadzhiev is notoriously defensively stingy and a master at winning low-scoring matches. Bekbulatov will be the most well rounded of the three against Oliver, but if Oliver can control his ties and not get behind off an early score to Bekbulatov's chest wrap, arm throw, or uchi mata and take advantage of Bekbulatov's suspect gas tank late, like Haji Aliyev in the 2018 European finals, then Oliver can definitely take come out on top of this field. There is a possibility that Turkey could be sending #5 (70) Heydar Yavuz or 2019 European champion Mustafa Kaya, but even with them having the greater pedigree than Selehattin Killicsallyan, who was the European qualifier rep, both men have notorious hard cuts down to weight so it's still up in the air who Turkey would send. Both Yavuz and Kaya are clear title contenders and I am interested to see what choice Turkey makes moving forward.

Jordan Oliver in match two of the Olympic Trials finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Intermat hit the road over the weekend and traveled to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to film content for an upcoming segment on the site. We were also able to catch up with Jordan Oliver, just about a week after winning the 65 kg Olympic Trials in freestyle. Oliver was fresh off a workout with national team member Nathan Tomasello as he prepares for the Last Chance Qualifier in a few short weeks in Bulgaria. In our talk, Oliver discusses the differences in his mindset between this Trials and past events and much more.

Mark Manning (right) has led Nebraska since the 2000-01 season (Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) With the retirement of longtime Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan on Thursday, a marquee vacancy opened up in the nation's toughest wrestling conference. While we and the rest of the wrestling world can speculate on potential replacements for Heffernan at a later date, Intermat has went through the hiring history for head coaches in the conference since 2000. They are listed below, by school. Indiana Angel Escobedo (2018-19) replaced Duane Goldman (1992-2018) Illinois ??? Jim Heffernan (2009-10) replaced Mark Johnson (1992-2009) Iowa Tom Brands (2006-07) replaced Jim Zalesky (1997-2006) Maryland (Joined the Big Ten in (2014-15) Alex Clemsen (2019-20) replaced Kerry McCoy (2008-2019) Kerry McCoy (2008-19) replaced Pat Santoro (2003-08) Pat Santoro (2003-08) replaced John McHugh (1978-03) Michigan Sean Bormet (2018-19) replaced Joe McFarland (1999-2018) Michigan State Roger Chandler (2015-16) replaced Tom Minkel (1991-2015) Minnesota Brandon Eggum (2016-17) replaced J Robinson (1986-2016) Nebraska (Joined the Big Ten in (2011-12) Mark Manning (2000-01) replaced Tim Neumann (1985-2000) Northwestern Matt Storniolo (2015-16) replaced Drew Pariano (2010-15) Drew Pariano (2010-15) replaced Tim Cysewski (1989-2010) Ohio State Tom Ryan (2006-07) replaced Russ Hellickson (1986-2006) Penn State Cael Sanderson (2009-10) replaced Troy Sunderland (1999-2009) Purdue Tony Ersland (2014-15) replaced Scott Hinkel (2007-14) Scott Hinkel (2007-14) replaced Jessie Reyes (1992-07) Rutgers (Joined the Big Ten in (2014-15) Scott Goodale (2007-08) replaced John Sacchi (1989-2007) Wisconsin Chris Bono (2018-19) replaced Barry Davis (1993-2018)

Daton Fix and the Oklahoma State staff (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) College wrestling's crown jewel is indisputably the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Prior to COVID, each year thousands of fans would make a pilgrimage to the host city, spending three days of bliss watching the best college folkstylers compete for the title of national champion. There is no doubt this custom will come back with a vengeance in March of 2022. While the event itself is remarkable and one of the few NCAA championships across all sports that makes money, it does have its downside. Coaches and athletes have come to understand that, while the regular season has its uses, those three days in March are of the utmost importance. This means more stars sitting out matches to rest. This means fewer big events during the season as some programs shift away from grueling schedules. This means the regular season could use a boost. Despite the many symptoms that suggest the regular season may be of dwindling importance, dual meet attendance was growing before the spring of 2020 shutdown. Per the figures compiled by Jason Bryant, Iowa led the nation in average attendance once again and had more than 10,000 fans for every dual for the first time since records have been kept. 24 schools reported an average of at least 1000 fans per home meet, tying the record set in 2018-19. 38 schools had average support of at least 700 patrons which far exceeded the previous high. The dual meet is thriving, despite the growing "perform in March at all costs" mentality. What if there were a way to add an event that features both the prestige of an NCAA championship and the casual fan allure of the dual meet? Ever since the Division I National Duals was canceled for the 2017-18 season, there has been discussion of how an NCAA Dual Meet Championship might look. Remember that the National Duals was an NWCA event. The NWCA Multi Divisional National Duals continues to be held in regular years, it simply does not include Division I and there is an appetite among many to fill that hole. Having an additional NCAA championship event on the schedule is appealing for many reasons, not least of which is the potential to have ESPN, who has broadcast every match of the DI national tournament for years now, expand their coverage of college wrestling. Figuring out how to make such an event work is a daunting task. The normal college season that lasts from November 1st past mid-March is a grind. Trying to fit tournaments in alongside duals both conference and non-conference alike while making sure your program is peaking for the postseason keeps coaches up at night. Adding in another marquee event is difficult. This is why having the NCAA attached is crucial. The National Duals rarely, if ever, had all the top teams participating with almost all the power schools skipping it at times during its run. Ideally, an NCAA Dual Championship would have its own national title attached. Whether that means taking the team aspect from the individual tournament, a controversial topic to be sure, or having a split season, the NCAA crown would ensure the highest level of participation. One of the toughest issues to tackle in making such an event is to figure out who would qualify. As I sat down to do this article, I had two main goals for that process in mind: 1) Ensure every team started the season with a chance to win if they performed on the mat. 2) Create as many meaningful events as possible throughout the season. As I worked through that, I found myself gravitating to a model that already exists in sports. Now, before I tell you where I got the inspiration I want you to promise to hear me out. You've made it this far. Some of you are going to have a knee-jerk reaction due to your distaste for the sport involved, but I'm telling you, the model fits well even if the sports are very different. Deal? The model that I based much of the qualifying on is taken from soccer's men's World Cup qualifying. What most Americans know as the men's World Cup, the 32 team tournament held every four years, is actually the World Cup finals. The qualifying matches are also a part of the World Cup, creating a chance for tiny countries all over the globe to play meaningful matches in a quest to advance. This model meets my two criteria above and fits well into college wrestling's current structure. While the soccer model is divided on geographic lines, I'm going to use the conferences instead to minimize the disruption to the existing schedule. The first aspect of any dual championship that must be decided is the number of teams. There are arguments to be made for anything from 4 to 16 qualifying for the main event. We have seen a final four setup at the NWCA event in years past, but with the NCAA attached, I feel we should go bigger. 8 is reasonable as well, and better than 4, but when you start talking about qualifying, it is a bit too limiting with 7 conferences involved. 16 seems to be the right number. It allows most, if not all, conferences to have an automatic bid into the final stage, and can be wrestled in a weekend with 4 duals for those that reach the finals. I would suggest limiting the consolation bracket as dual tournaments can be brutal and with this event adding to the schedule, it would be best to minimize the number of duals contested where prudent. A single-elimination tournament with the semi-final losers wrestling for third seems to be a good fit here. So, 16 teams, and I mentioned previously every team would have a chance to make it at the start of the season. However, not all conferences are created equal. The World Cup model accounts for this as UEFA, which encompasses Europe, the Big 10 equivalent, gets more qualifying spots than any 2 other federations combined. While that is likely going to be the case most years, I believe we should use a modified version of the previous year's NCAA team scoring to allocate the qualifying spots. This would allow the conferences to know, as they build their schedules, how many bids they have in a given year while also allowing conferences to earn more as they perform better. I did mention a modified scoring aspect. This is to account for the fact that dual strength is not the same as tournament strength. I would do two things to adjust the final scoring from the NCAA tournament. One is I would take out any wrestler that is not eligible to wrestle next season. This is simple. We are trying to allocate the spots for the next season so those who can't compete should not have an impact. The second adjustment is to give teams 15 points per NCAA qualifier. An example to illustrate why. Let's say you have Spencer Lee on your team and no one else that can qualify for the NCAA tournament. You get Spencer's 24.5 plus 15 for your one qualifier for a total of 39.5. Now, I have Cam Amine and Kanen Storr with no other qualifiers. Combined, they scored 12 points. If we just use tournament scoring, you win easily. However, in a dual, while Spencer likely scores bonus against whoever I throw out, Amine and Storr are probably going to beat whoever you throw out. So, the worst case for those three matches is a 6-6 tie. Storr and Amine need one bonus point or my 125 needs to not get pinned for me to come out ahead. So, with the qualifier points, my Amine/Storr combination now sits at 42 (their 12 points scored plus 15 qualifier points for each), just in front of Lee. This is a closer approximation of dual strength. Since all seniors are eligible to return next season none were removed from the formula this time. The following list shows the top 20 scores using this formula. One note, I counted any NCAA qualifier whether they withdrew before the tournament or were added late because of a withdrawal. I wouldn't want to put a team in a position where making the right call for an athlete's health could potentially harm the team/conference in this calculation. 1. Iowa; 10 qualifiers; Points: 129; Qualifier Points 150; Total: 279 (Big Ten) 2. Penn State; 9 qualifiers; Points: 113.5; Qualifier Points 135; Total: 248.5 (Big Ten) 3. Oklahoma State; 10 qualifiers; Points: 99.5; Qualifier Points 135; Total: 234.5 (Big 12) 4. Missouri; 10 qualifiers; Points: 64; Qualifier Points 150; Total: 214 (MAC) 5. NC State; 9 qualifiers; Points: 68; Qualifier Points 135: Total: 203 (ACC) 6. Minnesota; 9 qualifiers; Points 64; Qualifier Points 135; Total: 199 (Big Ten) 7. Arizona State; 8 qualifiers; Points 74; Qualifiers Points 120; Total: 194 (Pac-12) 8. Michigan; 8 qualifiers; Points 69; Qualifier Points 120; Total: 189 (Big Ten) 9. Nebraska; 9 qualifiers; Points: 38; Qualifier Points 135; Total: 173 (Big Ten) 10. Lehigh; 10 qualifiers; Points: 11.5; Qualifier Points 150; Total: 161.5 (EIWA) 11. Iowa State; 8 qualifiers; Points 37.5; Qualifier Points 120; Total: 157.5 (Big 12) 12. Virginia Tech; 8 qualifiers; Points 36.5; Qualifier Points 120; Total: 156.5 (ACC) 13. North Carolina; 8 qualifiers; Points 36; Qualifier Points 120; Total: 156 (ACC) 14. Northwestern; 7 qualifiers; Points 45; Qualifier Points 105; Total: 150 (BigTen) 15. Navy; 9 qualifiers; Points 7.5; Qualifier Points 135; Total: 142.5 (EIWA) 16. Stanford; 7 qualifiers; Points 35.5; Qualifier Points 105; Total: 140.5 (Pac-12) 17. Purdue; 8 qualifiers; Points 15.5; Qualifier Points 120; Total: 135.5 (Big Ten) 18. Michigan State; 8 qualifiers; Points 13; Qualifier Point 120; Total: 133 (Big Ten) 19. Virginia; 8 qualifiers; Points 11.5; Qualifier Points 120; Total 131.5 (ACC) 20. Oklahoma; 7 qualifiers; Points 17; Qualifier Points 105; Total 122 (Big 12) The most glaring examples of this formula straying from the final NCAA tournament standings are Lehigh and Navy. They both likely benefited from the Ivy League not competing this season, which gave the EIWA teams who did wrestle more qualifiers than they otherwise would have had. This is a one-off situation that is not likely to repeat itself. Given that Cornell and Princeton probably would have finished in the top 20 had they competed, I don't think this will skew too much. The two teams most harmed by the qualifier points were Pitt (40.5 NCAA points) and Rutgers (37.5 points). They finished 22nd and 24th respectively. However, half their lineup missed the NCAA tournament. In a dual format, that makes a difference as we saw above. Could they beat Michigan State or Virginia head-to-head? Of course, it is possible. The good news for them is that they can "steal" a bid by performing on the mat. These standings are only for determining the allocations. Much like the individual qualification system, the teams who make use of the allocated spot will be determined on the mat. You may have noticed that the SoCon is the only conference that did not have a team in the top 20. To ensure that all teams have a path to the championship, we must adjust. In the event a conference has no teams that would otherwise earn a bid, they will receive one allocation, just as they do in individual qualifications. For these purposes, we'll give Oklahoma's allocation to the SoCon. I am also referencing the top 20 instead of the top 16. One aspect of World Cup qualifying I find particularly interesting is that certain bubble spots playoff against bubble finishers from another area. Stealing that concept, if we were allocating for next season based on the above, those teams who finished in the top 12 would qualify for the final 16 directly. Each spot ranked 13-16 would be paired with the corresponding spot 17-20 in a dual to see who qualified for the final 16. For example, the ACC has four teams in the top 20. Two are in the top 12 so the top two qualifiers out of the ACC are guaranteed to wrestle in the final 16. The third ACC spot is 13th. That is the highest-ranking non-automatic spot so the third ACC qualifier would take on the SoCon champion as they are in the #20 allocation. The fourth ACC qualifier would (#19) would battle #14 which is the sixth Big Ten qualifier. It would look like this: ACC #3 vs SoCon #1 Big Ten #6 vs ACC #4 EIWA #2 vs Big Ten #8 Pac 12 #2 vs Big Ten 7 The final allocations would look like the table below, though if the Stanford decision holds, that allocation would go away and everyone below would shift up one. Teams moving conferences or discontinuing their programs should always be accounted for when determining allocation spots. Big Ten: 5 Automatic; 3 Wrestle-in; 8 Total ACC: 2 Automatic; 2 Wrestle-in; 4 Total Big 12: 2 Automatic; 0 Wrestle-in; 2 Total EIWA: 1 Automatic; 1 Wrestle-in; 2 Total Pac-12: 1 Automatic; 1 Wrestle-in; 2 Total MAC: 1 Automatic; 0 Wrestle-in; 1 Total SoCon: 0 Automatic; 1 Wrestle-in; 1 Total The initial bracket would look something like this: #1 Big Ten(1) vs. #16 Pac-12(2)/Big Ten(7) winner #9 Big Ten(5) vs. #8Big Ten(4) #5 ACC(1) vs. #12 ACC(2) #13 ACC(3)/SoCon(1) winner vs. #4 MAC(1) #3 Big 12(1) vs. #14 Big Ten (6)/ACC(4) winner #11 Big 12(2) vs. #6 Big Ten(3) #7 Pac-12(1) vs. #10 EIWA (1) #15 EIWA(2)/Big Ten(8) winner vs. #2 Big Ten(2) Immediately, we notice some issues with the first-round match-ups. The top two teams from the ACC square off in round one while the Big Ten also has an intra-conference dual right off the bat. This is easy to fix. We'll add the stipulation that the lower seed in any given round of 16 dual can be shifted up or down a line to avoid such issues. Since the 13 line could also be an ACC team, we'll bump ACC #2 to the 11, putting Big 12 #2 on the 12. The Big Ten's #5 can only move down since moving them up would keep them in the same dual. So, switch Big Ten #5 and EIWA #1. Now, we have this: #1 Big Ten(1) vs. #16 Pac-12(2)/Big Ten(7) winner #9 EIWA(1) vs. #8 Big Ten(4) #5 ACC(1) vs. #12 Big 12(2) #13 ACC(3)/SoCon(1) winner vs. #4 MAC(1) #3 Big 12 (1) vs. #14 Big Ten(6)/ACC(4) #11 ACC(2) vs. #6 Big Ten (3) #7 Pac-12(1) vs. #10 Big Ten(5) #15 EIWA(2)/Big Ten(8) vs. #2 Big Ten(2) One note, we'd need to do the same with the wrestle-in matches in some years as it doesn't make sense to have two teams from the same conference battling for a spot having already wrestled through conference qualifying. Conference qualifying would, ideally, feature as many single duals events as possible to maximize the number of meaningful events on the schedule. In a perfect world, a full round-robin would occur within the conference, allowing for a useful ranking of the teams. However, with the understanding that the qualification spots would need to be determined by a certain time, depending on when the dual meet championships would be held, and conferences varying drastically in size, I would leave the details up to each conference to determine. This, again, is borrowed from the World Cup model. The various federations do different things to determine their qualifiers and the conferences should have the flexibility to do the same. Giving the conferences control over their qualifying will also allow them to maintain rivalry duals if they so choose and factor in what happens to those schools that don't qualify. This gives conferences the most autonomy to make a schedule that works for their member schools while also giving them a chance for glory. What I would like to see, when a full round-robin isn't possible, is either smaller pools within the conference doing round-robins with the potential for additional duals based on where teams finish. It might also make sense to have a conference dual tournament, though to maximize the number of dates with NCAA qualification attached, I'd prefer to see each individual dual hosted by one of the participating schools rather than all the schools gathering in one location. We have seen that schools can draw a crowd by hosting dual meets that, largely, don't have much meaning in the grand scheme of things. Imagine what they might be able to do with one or more NCAA qualification matches each season? In the end, this is all speculation and fantasy for now. However, this is a legitimate path to a more substantive regular season that would be easier to sell to broadcast companies and casual fans alike. We know that the NCAA tournament is thriving and we've seen evidence that duals can draw crowds as well. If we can find a way to add an NCAA Dual Championship and, in addition, use it to improve the DI college wrestling regular season, we would be fools not to try.

Michael Kemerer after the 2021 NCAA Semifinals (Photo/Illinois Sports Information) In a spoof of a classic Tommy Boy scene, Michael Kemerer announced on Wednesday that he would be returning to the Hawkeye lineup next year. What it means for Iowa and the rest of the wrestling landscape is that the Hawkeyes will have all ten starters back from a team that won the national title even though they probably left some points on the table. But the undercurrent - on message boards and social media - was one of snide commentary. "That's gonna make him how old!?" The topic had started long before, actually. Every year after the NCAA Championships end, rabid fans discuss the prospects for their teams the following year, thus starting a bickering parade. And this year, it largely centered around how long some of these 'kids' were gonna stay in college. It all, of course, has been exacerbated by COVID and the 'free year.' And because Iowa's lineup is filled with upperclassmen (and because, well, they're Iowa), they took the brunt of the heat. Eight of ten Iowa starters will be in a season of at least one 'bonus' year. 125 - Sr. Spencer Lee (5th) 133 - Sr. Austin DeSanto (5th) 141 - Sr. Jaydin Eierman (7th) 149 - Jr. Max Murin (5th) 157 - Sr. Kaleb Young (6th) 165 - Sr. Alex Marinelli (6th) 174 - Sr. Michael Kemerer (7th) 184 - Jr. Nelson Brands (4th) or So. Abe Assad (3) 197 - Jr. Jacob Warner (5th) 285 - So. Anthony Cassioppi (4th) Hawkeye fans, of course, counter that Penn State fans should shut up because it's only a matter of time before the Nittany Lion lineup looks like a Hall of Fame reunion pic. "Michael Beard has been out of high school for four years and is still gonna be a freshman!" they retort. And everybody comments on Stevan Micic, who will be, should he return, eight years removed from high school graduation. Look, I was against the free year. I thought there were too many loose strings that would actually make college coaches' lives even more difficult. But that argument isn't the same as complaining about the ages. The free year was given - that's the rule - and everyone is playing under the same circumstances. The NCAA could have put in a stipulation that athletes affected by COVID can compete but only appear in four NCAA Championships. That would have changed things for, say, Jaydin Eierman, and AJ Ferrari, and Carter Starocci. But they didn't, and this is what we have. So you old, righteous geezers need to accept it and stop shouting at the clouds, 'When are you gonna be done with college and move on with your life? Don't you want to start a career? A family?' Uh. Pal. Just because you're miserable doesn't mean we all have to be. This is a personal choice and the wrestlers opting to stay in school are saying - no, screaming - 'this is fun'. It's odd that, in a sport like wrestling where axioms are ubiquitous, the community would fail to have the perspective to enjoy life and live it to the fullest. College is more halcyon than it is hellish. You do understand that, right? While you're punching a clock, Michael Kemerer is gonna be at the diner with his buds. When you're wasting your company's time deciding what to get for lunch, ol' Kemdawg is gonna be throwing a frisbee in the quad. About the time you get home from soccer practice, Kemerer's gonna hit up a house party. He'll then wake up, about the time you go to Home Depot, and get ready to go to Kinnick for a football game. When it's all said and done, Kemerer will have another degree and can go on to do all the glorious things that you do on a day-to-day basis. But right now, he's gonna compete for a National Title with the Iowa Hawkeyes. To your questions… Break down the candidates for the Illinois job - everybody I will always try to answer questions that I can and not put out hypotheticals. But this one has been asked by so many. My only answer is that it's too soon to tell. There hasn't been a shortlist discussed and there really isn't a surprise or 'wow' candidate that wouldn't be mentioned with any other school opening - Donny Pritzlaff, Bryan Snyder, Zach Esposito, etc. To be honest, Coach Heff's retirement caught me off guard a bit. Why now? Sure, he's long in the tooth; he's been with the program for 29 years. But the Illini have a pretty strong team returning and frankly, if he was going to step down, I would have thought it would have been a few short years ago when Mark Perry was there. Anyway - what is probably more fitting to discuss is how good of a job it is. At Illinois and in the Big Ten, you're on solid footing. And the state not only loves their wrestling (they are 3rd nationally in high school participation) but also produces some of the best prospects in the country. We'll hear more in the coming days. But for now, I'll say that I think Jeremy Hunter and Mike Poeta should either be considered for the Head position or retained. Think of the great lightweights that Illinois has had under Hunter. Another guy would be Tony Ramos, who has Illinois ties, is a terrific and relentless recruiter, and has a big-ish brand. A Throwback Name Khetag Pliev, Lakota East, Ohio Pliev was a 3x state champ and won SR Nationals. He moved to Canada and represented them at worlds a few times, including the 2012 Olympics. I have no idea why someone his age would want to be fighting on lowly MMA cards, but his finger fell off in the middle of a fight last week. HIS FINGER FELL OFF. They couldn't find it. The Public Address announcer in the arena literally asked spectators to help look for it. It was eventually found lodged in his glove. Can 174 2022 rival or even surpass the 2008 149 bracket or are we not ready for this conversation yet? - @TheGoatFollower The 2008 149 NCAA bracket is the gold standard in terms of depth and what the guys in the field had done or would do. Six of the eight placers would win titles, the other two would make a final. Jordan Burroughs was 3rd. You get the point. In March, 174 was won by Freshman Carter Starocci over veterans Michael Kemerer and Mikey Labriola. Kemerer is already a four-time All-American and Labriola is on that pace, as well. It sounds like that trio could be joined by Shane Griffith, Mekhi Lewis and Hayden Hidlay - two titlists and a finalist. Perhaps Evan Wick as well. While it's approaching all-time status, you still have to give a clear edge to 2008 149. 149 NCAA Placings - 2008 vs. 174 NCAA Projections - 2022 Don't forget to cancel your Peacock subscription. The wrestling community will love you for reminding them. - @schuyler23 Yes. Cancel your Peacock. Now love me, wrestling community. If the Olympic Trials were actually held in 2020, how different would our Men's Freestyle team look? - @codyocho5 Great question. I'm of the opinion that our team is our team. For instance, I'm not going to rewrite history and say that if the trials were re-wrestled that Yianni, who most people picked, would have won instead of J.O. There isn't a factor you can point to there that suggests timing had anything to do with it. You could make a case that freaky stuff wouldn't have emerged - Spencer, Suriano, or J'den. But your picks would probably remain the same. In other words, if you thought Spencer was going to win in 2021, you probably would have picked Spencer in 2020. Taking strictly the 2021 field (that means no Spencer, Nick, or J'den), there is only one weight I see that might have gone differently one year ago: 125kg. At Final X 2019, Gable was nipping on the heels of Gwiz. The action on the mat was close and the scores were as close as mathematically possible: 4-4 and 3-3. In 2020 Gable might have won, but I promise you it wouldn't have the shellacking that we saw last weekend. Gable has improved dramatically over the previous year. It's incredible, really.

Jim Heffernan (Photo/Illinois Sports Information) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Jim Heffernan, who helped lead the University of Illinois wrestling program to 13 Top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, announced his retirement today after 12 years as head coach and 29 years overall with the Illini wrestling program. Considered one of the most prominent collegiate wrestling coaches in the nation, Heffernan coached 73 All-Americans, 215 NCAA qualifiers, 11 individual NCAA champions and 20 Big Ten Conference champions during his time at Illinois. He helped lead the Illini to Top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships 13 times, and during his coaching career in Champaign, the Illini have had at least one All-American on the roster in 28-consecutive seasons. "For nearly three decades, Jim Heffernan has dedicated his life to Illinois Wrestling," said Director of Athletics Josh Whitman. "He represents our athletic program's most closely held values: he cares deeply about his student-athletes and his colleagues, and he embodies toughness, competitiveness, and hard work. Through his actions and his words, he has been a leader, mentor, and friend to many. Our program will miss him. On behalf of Fighting Illini Athletics and the University of Illinois, I want to thank Jim and Rebecca for their long service to our university, and I wish them much happiness in retirement." Heffernan guided the Orange and Blue to numerous record-setting performances. In 2015, Heffernan coached Isaiah Martinez to the first undefeated season (35-0) by a freshman since Cael Sanderson did so in 1999 at Iowa State, and to a second NCAA title in 2016. Martinez was a four-time Big Ten champion. In 2014, Tony Dallago became the Illinois' all-time leader in career pins (40), while Alex Tirapelle set the school record for career wins (128). He helped Jesse Delgado to consecutive NCAA titles in 2013 and 2014. As a team, the Illini set the school record for dual victories in a season with 16 in 2011. "I am grateful to the University of Illinois, Josh Whitman and the entire Division of Intercollegiate Athletics for the opportunity to be a part of the Illini community for more than half my life," Heffernan said. "For the past 29 years, Rebecca and I have lived, worked, and raised our children here, and it has truly become home. I am most appreciative of our current and former student-athletes who have been loyal, committed and dedicated to the Illinois program while giving us four or five years of their lives. The Illinois program has afforded me life changing memories, experiences and relationships. The decision to retire has been challenging to say the least, but I feel great about the current group and the future of the program. Forever grateful, appreciative and proud to have been a part of Illini Athletics. I-L-L!" Heffernan began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Iowa before becoming an assistant coach at Lehigh University in 1988. He remained at Lehigh until moving to Oregon State in 1990, and he followed former Illini head coach Mark Johnson to Champaign-Urbana in 1992. As an assistant coach with the Illini, Heffernan earned NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 1995, 2001, and 2003, before taking over as head coach in 2009. In 2005, Heffernan helped lead Illinois to its first Big Ten Championship since 1952, as Alex Tirapelle (157-pounds) and Pete Friedl (174) took home individual Big Ten titles out of five total finalists for the Illini. The team finished sixth at the NCAA championships in 2005 after qualifying nine wrestlers, while 125-pounder Kyle Ott made a repeat appearance in the finals. The team had five grapplers earn All-America honors for the second consecutive season. Heffernan also has an international coaching background, as he led the Cadet Wrestling Team at the world championships in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1992, and the USA World Espoir Team in 1989. Prior to entering the collegiate coaching ranks, Heffernan was an exceptional athlete and competitor on the mat. A 1987 graduate of the University of Iowa, Heffernan was a four-time All-American, compiling a career record of 131-18-2. As a member of the Iowa wrestling program from 1983-1987, Heffernan helped lead the Hawkeyes to three NCAA and four Big Ten championship titles. He was also a four-time Big Ten Conference individual champion while winning an NCAA title at 150-pounds in 1986. Heffernan was captain of the Hawkeyes as a senior, and earned Iowa's Male Athlete-of-the-Year honor in 1987. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 and the National Iowa Varsity Club Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015. The Heffernan File Coaching Experience University of Illinois, head coach (2010-2021) University of Illinois, assistant coach (1993-2009) Oregon State University, assistant coach (1991-1992) Lehigh University, assistant coach (1989-1990) University of Iowa, graduate assistant (1988) Career Honors NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year (1995, 2001, 2003) AFLAC Assistant Coach of the Year (2003) Four-time All-American, University of Iowa (1984-1987) Four-time Big Ten Champion at 150-pounds (1984-87) Iowa's Male Athlete of the Year (1987) NCAA Champion at 150-pounds (1986) National Wrestling Hall of Fame (2006) International Coaching Experience Cadet Wrestling Team, Istanbul, Turkey (1992) USA World Espoir Team (1989) Illinois By the Numbers During Heffernan Era -13 Top-10 finishes at NCAA Championships -11 individual NCAA titles and 12 NCAA second-place finishers -73 All-Americans -20 individual Big Ten titles -28 straight seasons with at least one All-American -215 NCAA qualifiers -138 Academic All-Big Ten -2005 Big Ten Championship, program's first since 1952 -10 NCAA Championship qualifiers in one season (1995, 2000, 2006) -5 All-Americans in one season (2004, 2005) -4 Midlands team titles

Vito Arujau (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The Olympic Trials typically feature top Senior level postgraduate athletes who have starred in college and now have made focusing on an Olympic berth as their full-time job. In the men's freestyle tournament, five of the six winners were out of college, with the most recent grad being Kyle Snyder, who finished up in 2018. Even so, there were plenty of current collegiate stars who had varying degrees of success at the Trials. Here are ten active college wrestlers who were in action and the Trials and what we can make of their future based on the tournament results. Vito Arujau (Cornell) Vito's had an impressive Trials and landed on the national team due to his runner-up finish at 57 kg. His most significant win was over past world team member Daton Fix in the semifinals of the challenge tournament. There have been two distinct camps when it comes to Vito's weight. Most close to the Cornell program have insisted that he doesn't cut much weight and would have no problem going 125 again. With the glut of 125 lb talent in Ithaca already, and down the pipeline, a move up to 133 could help the team. Defeating a two-time NCAA runner-up fix could help everyone associated with the possible move believe Vito can win a title at 133. Nick Lee (Penn State) It sounds strange to say this about a four-time All-American and 2021 NCAA champion, but Nick Lee's stock rose as much as anyone's currently in college after the weekend's results. Lee knocked off Nahshon Garrett, Yianni Diakomihalis and Zain Retherford in succession, none of which were particularly close bouts. Looking ahead to the next collegiate season, Penn State will be in need of a 149 lber as they entered true freshman Beau Bartlett into the 2021 Big Ten tournament. He was undersized and did not qualify for nationals, the only weight in which Penn State failed to qualify. With his wins, particularly over Diakomihalis, maybe the Nittany Lion staff feels better about flip-flopping Bartlett and Lee in the lineup next season. Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) Nothing really changes for Yianni, although he did not make the national team as most would have bet pre-tournament. He still is on pace to win four national titles if he chooses to do so; however, with a loss to Lee, a 2022 title isn't necessarily a guarantee. The way in which Lee defeated Diakomihalis would translate to folkstyle; in other words, there weren't a bunch of exposure points that would not score in the collegiate world. David Carr (Iowa State) The Iowa State sophomore, David Carr, won a national title in late March at 157 lbs and was forced to enter the 74 kg weight class due to the limited opportunities in an Olympic year. Carr won his opening bout 8-0 over Michigan's two-time All-American Logan Massa. Massa got onto the podium this year at 174 lbs. With Carr's ability to compete at a high level at approximately 163 lbs, that begs the question, “Does Carr move up for the Cyclones in 2021-22”? Seems like a logical move and one that he would be prepared for. Carr wouldn't have to cut to 157 anymore and can handle top-flight competition at the Trials. Evan Wick (Wisconsin) Evan Wick always seems to do well at freestyle and he has a boatload of solid wins throughout the Trials. He picked up a pair of victories over Tommy Gantt, pinned Chance Marsteller, and won a shootout over Logan Massa. What we can glean from this is Wick will be a major player in the NCAA title hunt next year. 165 lbs was a fun weight this year with plenty of contenders from a couple different conferences, now throw Wick back into the mix; it gets so much deeper. Aaron Brooks (Penn State) There wasn't much “new” we learned about Brooks based on his 2-2 performance at the Trials. At least in respect to his collegiate career. The two-time Big Ten champion claimed his first national title this year and went unbeaten in the process. Maybe what we can decipher from his wins over freestyle staples like Nate Jackson and Sam Brooks is that Aaron can distance himself from the rest of a crowded 184 lb weight class in 2021-22. With some more time in the Nittany Lion wrestling room and a more “normal” offseason, he could elevate himself to someone who could push Gable Steveson and Spencer Lee for the Hodge Trophy in 2022. Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) The only wrestler in the field to compete in both Greco-Roman and freestyle was Braxton Amos. Braxton even made it to the best-of-three finals in Greco, where he fell to G'Angelo Hancock. Amos just reiterated the fact that he'll wrestle anyone, anywhere. He has the grit and toughness needed to succeed at the collegiate level. Provided he is able to compete at 197 lbs, he'll elevate himself to title contender status very quickly. Gable Steveson (Minnesota) Gable's situation is very unique, which is fitting as he is a one-of-a-kind talent. My takeaway is that Gable will be able to contend for a gold medal, this year. No one in the world has been able to defeat an opponent like Nick Gwiazdowski with such ease. Even the Taha Akgul and Geno Petriashavili's of the world. How this impacts the Minnesota team in 2021-22? If Steveson could do the previously unthinkable and win an Olympic gold medal in 2021 (possibly medal at all), does he feel like he has anything left to accomplish on the wrestling mats? Steveson hasn't been shy about his desire to eventually land in the WWE and even WWE personalities such as Paul Heyman (who is close to former Gopher and Steveson training partner Brock Lesnar) have shown him love through social media. Earlier in the season, Steveson implied he would be back in college next year; however, before the Trials, he was more cryptic about his future. Steveson's dominance and post-match flips have spread quickly around social media and many people have speculated that he could fare well in MMA or even football. Needless to say, Steveson will have a lot of options post-Olympics and I'm not sure that college wrestling will win out of the other possibilities. Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) In his first season competing for Penn State, Greg Kerkvliet finished seventh in the nation, which is excellent for a freshman at 285 lbs. Expectations for the big man from Minnesota were sky-high, so some figured he'd play a more prominent role in the title hunt. After going 2-2 at the Trials, with a win over NCAA runner-up Mason Parris, Kerkvliet showed he can challenge for a title in 2021-22, especially if Gable is out of the picture. What slowed the Nittany Lion at the Big Ten and NCAA Championships was a lack of mat time after suffering an injury; it wasn't him being outclassed by the competition. If he can stay healthy during the spring and summer, I suspect we'll see an even better version of Kerkvliet next year. Mason Parris (Michigan) We mentioned above that Mason Parris fell to Kerkvliet in the quarterfinals of the Trials, but didn't note how Parris battled back to finish third and lock up a spot on the national team. Along the way, Parris racked up wins over longtime veterans Dom Bradley and Tony Nelson, along with Tanner Hall. Both Bradley and Nelson are the kind of big heavyweights that have given Parris problems in the past. While Michigan's Cliff Keen Wrestling Club is an excellent place to train, Parris will also have more opportunities available to him with his presence on the national team. Parris is still relatively young, in the sense that he'd only been a full-time wrestler for a few years, so expect him to continue to fine-tune his skills and possibility separate himself from the rest of the 285 lb class if Steveson doesn't return.

Gable Steveson in Match One of the Olympic Trials Finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) This past weekend, the U.S. selected their wrestling representatives for the upcoming Olympics. There are a few weights that still have some work to do in order to qualify, but for all intents and purposes, the team has been decided. There were several standout performances across the three styles, but perhaps with a deeper dive into the match statistics, it will be even clearer how outstanding some of these performances actually were. The following looks at some of the top statistical performances in terms of match points. The result, points and time for all matches were pulled directly from the official brackets. Forfeits and bye were excluded from the data set. Official times were not recorded for VSU and VSU1 results (technical falls), so the time is calculated using the timestamp of the final score. Point differential is defined as the number of points score per minute minus the points allowed per minute. Men's Freestyle Heavyweight Gable Steveson was clearly one of the biggest stories coming out of the tournament. Just weeks after winning both an NCAA title and the Hodge Trophy, Steveson ran through the field. He allowed zero points until the second match of the finals against Nick Gwiazdowski. On a per-minute basis, he allowed only 0.26 points per minute while scoring 2.72 for a point differential of 2.46. Both his point differential and points per minute rates were far and above anyone else in the men's freestyle tournament. The next four wrestlers with the highest point differentials will join Steveson on the Olympic team: Kyle Dake (+1.77), Thomas Gilman (+1.38), Kyle Snyder (+1.30) and David Taylor (+1.15). Jordan Oliver, who won the Trials but still needs to qualify the weight, finished with a +0.46 differential, which ranked 15th in the men's freestyle tournament. While Taylor only had the fifth-highest point differential, he was the only wrestler to go through the men's freestyle tournament without allowing a single point. Bo Nickal, who Taylor defeated and shutout in the two-match finals series, had scored 25 points in his first two matches before running into the former Hodge Trophy winner. Among wrestlers who did not win the tournament, Nick Lee had the highest point differential at +1.10. After dropping an 8-3 match against Oliver on the front side, Lee went on quite the run in the consolation bracket. He defeated Nahshon Garrett, Zain Retherford and Yianni Diakomihalis by a combined 38-14 score. Women's Freestyle Adeline Gray will be returning to the Olympics following a dominating performance at the Trials. She sat in the finals and waited for the challenge tournament to unfold. Once it became clear she would be taking on high school competitor Kylie Welker, Gray became a big favorite. She swept the two-match series in the finals with match-termination victories in both matches via 10-0 and 11-0 scores. In the process, she finished with a +5.43 point differential, which was the highest not only in women's freestyle but also across all three styles at the Trials. Sarah Hildebrant also had a bye to the finals series. She surrendered the first takedown against Victoria Anthony before storming back with 22-straight points across two matches. Hildebrandt finished with the second-highest point differential at +1.76. Jacarra Winchester had the third-highest differential at +1.33. Tamyra Mensah-Stock was fourth with +1.25. Both Kayla Miracle and Helen Maroulis needed three matches in the finals to best their opponents and finished with +0.88 and +0.40 point differentials, respectively. Even though she came up short in the finals against Helen Maroulis, Jenna Burkert's strong run through the challenge tournament helped her finish with the fifth-highest point differential in women's freestyle, +1.22. In the challenge bracket, Burkert outscored her three opponents by a combined 25-0 score and picked up a fall over Alli Ragan in the finals. Greco Roman Braxton Amos went from The Last Chance qualifier to the finals of the Olympic Trials in Greco. While it was an impressive run, waiting for him in the finals was the proverbial brick wall, Tracy Hancock. During the best-of-three series, Hancock won both matches via 8-0 score, and he became one of only two wrestlers in Greco to make it through the tournament without surrendering a single point. His +2.75 point differential was also the highest in the style. One of the best performances of the Trials that did not result in joining the Olympic Team came from Benji Peak. Despite losing in the challenge tournament finals, Peak finished with the second-highest point differential at +2.37. He won his first three matches via a combined 26-0 score and knocked off Xavier Johnson with a 9-1 finish in the true second match. The other wrestler to make the team without surrendering a point was Ildar Hafizov. The 2008 Olympian sat in the finals and waited for Ryan Mango. There he won both matches by 7-0 and 8-0 score respectively. His +2.01 was the third highest in the style. Match Termination Women's freestyle had some of the biggest brackets at the Trials. From that standpoint, it makes sense that the style would have the highest percentage of bouts that ended in match termination. 55.95 of all matches in women's freestyle ended before the full six minutes. The rate was significantly lower in Greco Roman (44.65) and men's freestyle (34.8%). As you might expect with his high point differential, Peak had the most match terminations across all three styles as he ended four of his matches early. In men's freestyle, Gilman and Steveson both ended the tournament with three finishes. In women's freestyle, a staggering seven wrestlers had three finishes. The list includes Burkert, Yelena Makoyed, Victoria Anthony, Ronna Heaton, Erin Golston, Emily Shilson and Alyssa Lampe.

Michael Kemerer (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) This evening, Iowa's NCAA runner-up Michael Kemerer announced, in a well-crafted Twitter video, that he would be suiting up for the Hawkeyes in the 2021-22 season. With Kemerer on board, Tom Brands' squad 2021 NCAA Championship squad will return in tact and ready to defend their team title. Kemerer has placed at the NCAA Championships on three occasions and was named an All-American following the 2020 season, as well. Despite having a highly decorated career, Kemerer was able to bring home his first Big Ten championship in 2021 and did not lose until the NCAA finals. After five years of competition, Kemerer has amassed an 86-8 record for the Hawkeyes and has never finished lower than fourth at the NCAA Championships.

Nick Lee (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The Olympic Trials are one of the most pressure-packed, reward-or-bust events on American soil. Everyone here is good. And lifelong dreams are on the line. With the qualifications just to get in the tournament being so stringent, every last one of the competitors deserves our praise. But the following is a list of the performances that awed us the most. A little bit of surprise, a pinch of 'wow,' and a good bit of wrestling over expectations, here are our top exploits from this year's Olympic Trials. Victoria Anthony - 50kg WFS Vicki twice represented the US at the World Championships and wrestled for bronze both times. She was also 2nd at the 2016 Olympic Trials. So it's really not a shock she made the finals. But I'd argue that she wrestled at a higher level than I've ever seen her. She was a vortex, teching in three of her four bouts without yielding a point and beating #2-seed Alyssa Lampe in the other. She lost to 2018 World Silver Medalist Sarah Hildebrandt in the finals, but man, 'Vicki Vortex,' 'Vicki the Vet,' 'Vicki Mouse,' whatever you want to call her, she looked as good as ever. Macey Kilty - 62kg WFS Ok, so Kilty has medaled five different times at Worlds in three different age levels. Four of those five she made a final. But they weren't Seniors. So while we all knew she was talented, most of us probably thought she was still a little too young. Only no one told Macey that. She damn near did the damn thing. Her biggest win was over Maya Nelson, the #1 seed and Junior World Champion, in the challenge tournament's finals, 5-0. But then she had veteran Kayla Miracle, who has a similar resume to Kilty, but is a tad more experienced and certainly the odds-on favorite. Kilty took match #2 to the surprise of the crowd to set up a showdown for all the marbles. But it was a brief match #3 where Kayla scored early and Macey was clearly injured. In a tear-jerking moment, Macey tried to continue to wrestle, almost as if she refused to believe that her limbs could be in tatters. Thankfully she would acknowledge the situation for what it was and default before any more damage could be done. Part' youthful optimism for the future' and part' best version we've ever seen of her,' Macey's performance was awesome. Kylie Welker - 76kg WFS Three amazing things make Welker's story at Trials crazy. First, she's just a Junior. In high school! She, like Peak, was the last qualifier to get into the trials. She lost to Kennedy Blades at Last Chance at 68kg but then moved up to 76. You pickin' up what I'm layin' down here? A Junior in high school that was the last seed in the tournament moved up a weight and made Olympic Trials finals! Unreal. Jesse Porter - 77kg Greco Under normal circumstances, Porter probably wouldn't make this list. He's been a proven commodity having spent years high on the ladder. However, he, too, had to go through the Last Chance tournament just to get into the field. His total resume gave him the #10 though and he went on and beat two guys (RaVaughn Perkins and Pat Smith) that made previous World Teams, to make the finals. He then beat Peyton Walsh in two straight bouts to become the Trials Champion. He still has to qualify the weight for Tokyo, but what a run. Ronna Heaton - 53kg WFS Ronna became a fan favorite in 2015 with her ever-present smile and unconventional style that led her to the Cadet World gold medal. In 2016, she finished with a silver at Cadet Worlds, but her results have been up-and-down since. She entered the Trials as the #5 seed. First, she blanked the 4-seed (Alex Hedrick) 4-0 before pinning both the #1 seed (Dominique Parrish) and #3 seed (Katherine Shai) to make the finals. There she fell to World Champion Jacarra Winchester. But it was a fantastic performance and a reminder that Ronna is still a contender at any event. Jenna Burkert - 57kg WFS By now, most of the wrestling world knows that Jenna lost her mother a few weeks back. Making the Olympic Trials finals in conjunction with that would be 'impressive' and inspiring on the surface alone. But Jenna didn't just sneak her way into the finals; she was on fire and pushed the only American woman to ever win Olympic Gold to the brink. Burkert posted consecutive 11-0 techs before unleashing a headlock from hell on Alli Ragan, the six-time World Team Member, to get the fall in the first period. In the best-of-three finals, Burkert scored a takedown on Helen Maroulis with :30 left in the second match to force a third and decisive bout. And though Maroulis would get the fall to end Jenna's run, Burkert's run was sensational. Braxton Amos - 97kg Greco There was a lot to consider with Braxton. His story checked a lot of boxes. Youth? Late qualifier? Remarkable performance? Yep. All of those. And not to mention he was the only human being in both the Greco and Freestyle brackets. Braxton hasn't yet wrestled a single college match and yet wrestled his way into both tournaments and, in Greco, into the finals. He beat the #1, #2, and #3 seeds by fall, 8-6, and 8-2, respectively. He fell to G'Angelo Hancock in the best-of-three finals, who might be just the best pound-for-pound Greco talent in America. Benji Peak - 67kg Greco This is one of just two picks on this list to not make the best-of-three finals. But it was sensational. Let's start with the fact that Peak was the last qualifier to get into the trials. He lost in the Last Chance finals to Lenny Merkin, who, you guessed it, would be his first-round opponent a week later. Benji teched him, starting a wave of dominance. In his next two bouts, he blanked the 3-seed (Jamel Johnson) and 2-seed (Ray Bunker). He reached the finals with a cumulative score of 26-0. In the challenge tournament finals, he fell to Ellis Coleman, 7-3, but rebounded to take true 2nd and make the National Team. Kennedy Blades - 68kg WFS Where do you start? Perhaps with the fact she's just 17? Maybe that she won Last Chance? Maybe you throw in that the person she beat - nay - teched, at Last Chance (Kylie Welker) also made the finals (at 76kg). Kennedy Blades destroyed the bracket 26-1, going through Final X competitor Alex Glaude and teching World Team Member Forrest Molinari. Blades would fall in the finals to World Champ Tamyra Mensah-Stock but not without a fight. The contention that she is the best high school prospect ever bears resemblance to… Gable Steveson - 125kg MFS Saying Gable Steveson is the US Olympian for Tokyo probably surprises you very little. I picked Gable to win the Trials and probably a decent size percentage of the American fan base did as well. Frankly, it was a two-horse race with him and Nick Gwiazdowski. But this isn't entirely a 'surprises' article. It's also an 'impressive' article. And there wasn't much in Fort Worth more impressive than Gable, who not only won the Trials at the age of 20, but dispatched Gwiz, a man who has been our guy for three years and medaled twice at the World Championships. And he did it with relative ease, taking match #1, 10-0, before seemingly being on auto-pilot in match #2 for a 10-4 win. Frankly, in a tournament that is crowning America's best, Gable did more than that; he put the world on notice. Nick Lee - 65kg MFS Now Willie, how can you say Nick Lee's performance was more impressive than Gable's? Well, I'm not saying Nick Lee is better than Gable. But his blitz of the field (aside from his one loss to champ Jordan Oliver) was wholly more surprising and revelatory. Just two weeks after winning NCAA's in an upset over a top-seeded undefeated Jaydin Eierman, Lee lost to Oliver in the quarters before ripping through the backside in a run that had all of the wrestling world gasping. Lee teched Nahshon Garrett, who made a World Team at 61kg, before beating the two pre-tournament Olympian favorites at the weight - Zain Retherford and Yianni Diakomihalis. And he didn't just win; he ripped through those three by a cumulative score of 38-14. Lee was wide open - constantly on the attack and apparently unafraid of the dangers taking a shot on Yianni typically presents. Can he replicate it going forward? Who knows. But two things are for sure - there's another player at 65kg for the foreseeable future and he's a treat to watch.

Alex Sancho takes on Ellis Coleman in the Olympic Trials finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The 2021 US Olympic Team Trials was a very exciting event, bringing all three wrestling styles together in Texas to determine who will compete for the US in Tokyo. Many of us were excited to see the highly anticipated battle between Kyle Dake and Jordan Burroughs, and J'Den Cox clash Kyle Snyder in a meeting of 2016 Olympic medalists. 2021 also brought the return of Helen Maroulis to top form. However, how many fans looked forward to the Alejandro Sancho/Ellis Coleman final or G'Angelo Hancock taking on young upstart Braxton Amos in Greco? Before the US Olympic Trials, how many casual wrestling fans even knew who these Greco guys were? For me, a high school wrestling coach for the past twenty-three years and a diehard Greco-Roman coach, the Olympic Trials were truly exciting; a change of the guard at some weights and the culmination of a few careers. I rejoiced with 87 kg winner John Stefanowicz, the guy who never made it to the Regional tournament in high school, and shed a tear watching Joe Rau and Jon Anderson leave their shoes on the mat, symbolizing their retirement from the sport. While some fans were intrigued by Stefanowicz's story or hung on Hancock's every point, most clamored for the freestyle guys to take the mat. John Stefanowicz (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) This has been the story of Greco-Roman wrestling in the US: the often forgotten, middle child between Men's freestyle and Women's freestyle. As the middle child, we know Greco-Roman wrestling is there, but it is often overlooked. Wrestling people know Greco exists, but not many are interested in learning about it because it is different from what is traditional in the US. Greco Roman does not get the same media attention as the two freestyle forms in the US. If it was not for Timmy Hands and his Five Point Move website, the only information most of about Greco would come from press releases from USA Wrestling. But if you watched the way younger wrestlers in the stands at the Olympic Trials hung on every takedown, every gutwrench, Greco-Roman wrestling may grow. My major take on the recent Olympic Trials is to tell you that Greco matters. I have been part of an exciting program called US GRIT: Greco Roman Innovation Team for the last twelve months. Inspired and created by Gary Mayabb, the Manager of Greco-Roman Programs for USA Wrestling, US-GRIT hopes to increase opportunities in Greco-Roman wrestling for athletes and coaches, as well as show the relevance of the style to the overall sport of wrestling. With the best and brightest Greco-Roman minds in the US involved, the US-GRIT program is taking off in just about every state. In my home state of Virginia, we are working with club coaches to help implement Greco-Roman technique into practices, offer clinics across the state, and have recently opened three regional training locations that have dedicated Greco-Roman practices for whomever can attend. We are also partnering with our Virginia Women's National Team by integrating Greco techniques into their repertoire. My comrades in US-GRIT are doing much of the same in their states. In other words, we want to show the wrestling community that Greco does, in fact, matter. The big throws look awesome and are even more thrilling when you are the one doing the big throws, but there is so much more to Greco-Roman wrestling than "just" throws. Adding Greco skills to folkstyle or freestyle wrestling will add an incredible amount of depth to wrestling. As a coach, two of the biggest fundamental weaknesses I see in many of the wrestlers I work with are poor hand-fighting skills and staying in good position/stance. Hand-fighting skills are essential to create openings for offense and to quickly transition to defense. A wrestler who remains in good position is difficult to attack because they do not break their stance or get lazy with their movement. This was definitely illustrated in many of the Greco-Roman matches at the Olympic Trials. What many people thought looked like pushing and shoving without scoring, was actually patient hand-fighting that created openings for takedown attempts. It is physical and brutal; Greco is like a street fight without throwing punches. High-level Greco wrestlers who still compete in folkstyle often control the center of the mat and can shut down their opponent's offense with their hand-fight and positioning. Ildar Hafizov faces Ryan Mango (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Greco-Roman par terre wrestling teaches the wrestler how to get a quality lock and use the correct biomechanics to score a gutwrench or lift and throw. Returning to the coaching illustration, having a Greco-Roman-focused coach teach athletes how to set up and execute a correct gutwrench will help the wrestler use their hips and legs on the turn, instead of arms and chest. And in the defensive position, wrestling Greco teaches the wrestler to not depend on their legs to defend against a gut and focus on creating the correct pressure away from the gutwrench and to keep moving in the defensive position. But why does Greco matter? It's not relevant to wrestling in the US. It's boring. They don't score points. The same can be said for freestyle, but it's not, simply because freestyle resembles folkstyle wrestling, and in our country, folkstyle is everything. If you look to other countries like Russia or any of the other former Soviet republics or to Iran, Greco is the style of wrestling. Unfortunately, if it doesn't resemble the type of wrestling we grew up with, so it can't be relevant. This is a big mission of US-GRIT: to increase the relevancy of Greco-Roman wrestling. And the Olympic Trials did just that for the wrestling community. The country finally got to see the best of the best, slugging it out for one of those six spots on the Olympic team. I appreciated how NBCSN rotated a Greco match between freestyle matches throughout its broadcast. The average wrestling fan needed to see that Greco can be just as entertaining and high scoring as freestyle. It's going to take a bit of an open mind to learn to appreciate the battle for position in neutral in the same way we appreciate how two high-level freestylers stalking and feinting for the first minute of a match. Olympic Trials runner-up Peyton Walsh (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Despite not having the plethora of resources and training opportunities as freestyle, Greco is growing in the US. Perhaps the success of guys like Adam Coon, Ryan Mango and Braxton Amos will convince RTC coaches that they should add Greco to their programs? Coaches like Nate Engel in Oregon, Zac Dominguez in Nebraska, and Brandon Paulson in Minnesota are cementing the foundation of Greco. Athletes like Peyton Walsh, a finalist at 77 kg, are growing the sport. I coached against Walsh when he was in high school at Deep Run High School in suburban Richmond, VA. Had you asked the high school version of Peyton Walsh about wrestling Greco, he would have rolled his eyes at you. But after graduating from the Naval Academy and joining the Marines, he had to learn Greco because Greco is all they do in the Marines. Wrestling is wrestling, regardless of style. The more wrestling we learn, the better we will be as athletes, coaches, and fans. Rather than avoid a style simply because we have never bothered to try to understand, doesn't it make sense to give it a shot? Look how much fun the Greco guys had out there in the Olympic Trials. Look at the little kids who watched the Greco guys with wide eyes, asking for Jesse Porter's autograph after winning the 77 kg spot on the Olympic team. I hope over the next few months, we see an increase of kids wanting to learn Greco based on what they saw at the Olympic Trials. If we begin learning Greco earlier, we will improve on the international level. The one thing I tell kids at the beginning of their first Greco practice is to take a deep breath, relax, and keep an open mind. They may find that what I teach can help them in folkstyle and begin a relationship with an enjoyable style of wrestling. I do the same with coaches looking to expand their knowledge who want to learn how to teach the specifics of Greco Roman. I challenge you to seek out the US-GRIT representative for your state or a club or coach who is interested in Greco Roman and ask them how Greco can benefit wrestling. The more you learn about this fantastic style of wrestling will help reduce your anxiety or fear of Greco. The Olympic Trials inspired me to further break down the skills of Greco Roman for the athletes I work with, to integrate them into our practices to make them better wrestlers. Feel free to email me your comments, questions, or concerns, I'd love to chat about Greco with you.

Brady Berge in the NCAA Round of 16 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Today, Penn State's Brady Berge announced via social media that he was stepping away from competition due to concussions and other health concerns. Berge advanced to the 2021 NCAA quarterfinals after a close win over fifth-seeded Kaleb Young (Iowa) in the Round of 16. Unfortunately, Berge was not able to finish his match in the quarters against Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider) due to an apparent knee injury. That injury prevented him from competing for a spot on the podium in the NCAA Round of 12, as he had to medically forfeit. The 157 lber finished the 2021 season at 10-3 and came into nationals with the #12 seed after taking sixth in the Big Ten. Brady only saw action in two matches during the 2019-20 season due to symptoms associated with his concussion. As a redshirt freshman, Berge was also sixth in the Big Ten and the 12th seed at nationals. That season he finished at 20-5 after going 2-2 at the NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh. Berge also had plenty of success on the freestyle circuit, winning a bronze medal at Junior Worlds in 2018. He also made a Cadet and U23 World Team. Prior to enrolling at Penn State, Berge captured three Minnesota state championships.

Jenna Burkert with young fans after the challenge tournament finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) I walked down as close to the floor as possible Saturday night to get one last picture of Dickies Arena before the finals began. Before leaving, I took a few brief moments to soak it in and appreciate the human moments that this event brought us over two days. So many of our top athletes had their dreams shattered this weekend, some for the first time and some for the last. But through the tears and agony that showed on their faces, a light shined through. This light provided many moments where we could see who these athletes really are. Sometimes we as fans get caught up in the competition and the tribal-like mentality of rooting for teams or clubs and we miss these moments because they don't align with our fandom. One of the many examples of this is wrestlers who just took tough, heartbreaking losses who were happy to give out pictures and autographs to any young fan that was brave enough to walk to the edge of the aisle and ask. Others took countless pictures, shook hands, and signed shirts and programs while in the stands with their families. Those lucky enough to score pictures and other prizes were smiling big enough to light up the 14,000-seat arena on their own. One family sat right in front of me during the consolations and encouraged their young son and daughter to go down and get as many autographs as possible. During the many trips up and down the stairs to get signatures, the young man forgot his shirt and marker. Not to miss an opportunity, the young man asked for Jason Nolf's singlet. Jason didn't even bat an eye and quickly came back with the uniform for the youngster. Once the singlet was in hand, he sprinted up the stairs to high fives from his family and smiles all around. We saw strong embraces between fierce rivals after dreams were realized. We were witness to thunderous standing ovations for retiring athletes who had given it their all for the final time. And we were lucky enough to see the appreciation of generational talents being pushed by the next wave of American greats. After this weekend, we will talk about wins and losses. We will talk about the big moves, incredible runs by underdogs, and countless other unforgettable moments. We will also talk about controversy and rules until we are blue in the face. After all that, I just hope we don't forget these human moments that make our sport so special and unique.

(Photo/American University athletics) On January 21st, American University made a sudden announcement that Teague Moore was no longer the school's head coach after spending the last nine-plus years at the helm for the Washington, DC school. Ex-Eagle wrestler Jason Grimes assumed interim head coaching duties for the duration of the 2021 season. Since the school parted ways with Moore during the season (at least for most schools. American did not wrestle until day one of the EIWA Championships), they have a leg up on any jobs that may open up later this spring or perhaps into the summer. Intermat has learned that the school is deep into the process and some early candidates have been eliminated from consideration. With that being the case, we have targeted five credible candidates that could be choices by the AU administration. Remember, all coaching searches are different. The assistant coaches with the biggest names may not be a perfect match for the vacancy based on a variety of factors on both ends. This is not a list of the biggest names available; instead, it's some of the best fits based on what we know about the position. So, what do we know about American? It is a private institution with less than 9000 undergraduate students, located in beautiful, affluent northeast Washington, DC. The wrestling program came into prominence in the mid-2000's under the leadership of Mark Cody. The school crowned their first national champion (Josh Glenn) in 2007 and later finished fifth at the 2011 NCAA Championships. After Cody left for Oklahoma, he was replaced by Moore. Most may not know it, but American does feature the full 9.9 allotment of scholarships, which is helpful as they do have a rather large tuition. American competes in the EIWA, which continues to get tougher by the year with the emergence of Ivy League powers and Cary Kolat's arrival at the Naval Academy, just over the bridge in Maryland. While some outside observers were concerned about the state of the American program (and who shouldn't be in this climate), they are, in fact, very stable. In addition to the scholarship total, there are several local donors that are very influential in the decision-making process in the athletic department. We'll get to that later. Additionally, the athletic director, Dr. Billy Walker, was a collegiate wrestler at the Air Force Academy under coach Wayne Baughman. He also led the formation of the old Western Wrestling Conference in 2005 and was the conference commissioner until 2013. Having someone in the athletic director's role with wrestling ties is invaluable. Now that you know a little bit about the school, here are five candidates we thought may be good fits for American University. Jason Borrelli (center) in the 2021 NCAA finals (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Jason Borrelli (Stanford - Head Coach) Why he's a fit: Who doesn't want a storybook ending? Stanford's 165 lber Shane Griffith defied the odds and captured a national title, only the second in school history, despite an athletic department that vowed to eliminate wrestling and ten other sports at the end of the season. The wrestling community has pledged over 12 million dollars to keep Stanford wrestling alive, while adding a women's program, as well. With Griffith and fellow sophomore Real Woods available for multiple years down the road and a solid cast already in Palo Alto, the Cardinal could make a run at the top ten. Unfortunately, the Stanford administration has not been receptive to the money raised by the team and other sports and barely acknowledged Griffith's performance. So the harsh reality is that with most of the team in the transfer portal and an athletic department hellbent on eliminating the wrestling program, Jason Borrelli has to keep his options open. Borrelli is coming off an excellent 2021 season which netted him Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors and had a second All-American, in addition to Griffith. He has led the Cardinal to their only Pac-12 title in wrestling history and saw 15 wrestlers garner All-American honors under his watch. Getting a coach with a track record of success inside and outside of the classroom will undoubtedly be a priority for American. The school has finished in the top ten in team GPA in 14 of the last 15 years (2021 not included) and was second overall in 2020. Borrelli checked those boxes as he saw six wrestlers named Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year while at Stanford. He also deserves praise for persevering and leading his group during the uncertain 2021 season. California was one of the most stringent states in the country, with regards to COVID-regulations, so his squad had to practice outdoors frequently and in unenviable training conditions. That's on top of the fact that his school was ready to shutter his program. Kyle Borshoff (right) in the 2021 EIWA Championships (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Kyle Borshoff (Binghamton - Head Coach) Why he's a fit: Kyle Borshoff is a familiar name for American University on a couple different fronts. He was a three-time national qualifier and two-time All-American for the Eagles between 2007-10. Borshoff is one of only nine wrestlers to notch over 100 wins in an American singlet and as a senior, he was a key cog in a group that finished 14th in the nation at the NCAA Championships in Omaha. Borshoff would return as an assistant coach for five seasons, four of which were as the program's head assistant. He was a part of the coaching staff that oversaw the Eagle's incredible run of high GPAs. Since 2015, Borshoff has been a member of the Binghamton staff. First as an assistant coach, before getting elevated to head coach in December of 2017. Since that point, four Bearcat wrestlers have qualified for the NCAA Championships on two occasions. Before his arrival, the team only sent two wrestlers per year for the previous four seasons. This year, Borshoff oversaw the program's first NCAA placewinner (Louie DePrez) since the 2012 campaign, when both Donnie Vinson and Nick Gwiazdowski got on the podium. DePrez was also named an NWCA All-American in 2020. Without much fanfare, Borshoff and staff have done a good job at bringing in talent to Binghamton. The team will have all four of their 2021 national qualifiers returning next season (all are non-seniors). Whenever there is a vacancy, you have to consider notable alumni as potential candidates. Borshoff and current athletic director Dr. Walker did overlap at AU for about a year and a half, so there is some familiarity on both ends. Again, it helps when both parties understand what situation they're walking into. During AU's heyday, they did it with a lot of talent from New York. The Borshoff's, NCAA champ Josh Glenn, Matt Mariacher, and others. Getting someone who can get talent from that area could be a good start. Obe Blanc with the UNC Staff (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Obe Blanc (North Dakota State - Head Assistant Coach) Why he's a fit: One trait I think is valuable in potential coaching candidates is experience with different "types" of programs. Obe Blanc is certainly someone who can make that claim. Blanc started his collegiate career at Lock Haven, where he earned All-American honors at a program that is DII for all other sports and tends to "do more with less." He finished out at a blue-blood school in Oklahoma State wrestling for the legendary John Smith. After a few years competing on the Senior level and making the world team in 2010, Blanc began coaching at NC State and was heavily involved with the Wolfpack Wrestling Club. So at this stop, he was an essential part of a program that developed into a consistent national power. In the summer of 2019, Blanc headed out west to North Dakota State to assume the role of head assistant coach. North Dakota State could be classified as a mix of a few previous stops. They are an up-and-coming team, though in a non-Power Five conference (for all other sports). During his first year in Fargo, Blanc helped six wrestlers qualify for nationals, one of which was named a second-team All-American and two others were tabbed as honorable mention's. Four Bison wrestlers qualified for St. Louis this year and two (Jared Franek and Luke Weber) advanced to the Round of 12. Additionally, in each of the last two seasons, the Bison have crowned a Big 12 champion, a feat that had previously never been done at NDSU. One of Blanc's previous mentors, Pat Popolizio, got his big break as an assistant at American University. While it's been about 15 years since Popolizio was coaching in DC, he can help prepare Blanc for what to expect at the school. Blanc's international experience as an athlete and while coaching at the WWC probably outweighs anyone on this list, if that's on the mind of the decision-makers at AU. Sean Gray (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Sean Gray (Princeton - Associate Head Coach) Why he's a fit: Sean Gray has the most coaching experience of anyone on this list. After leaving Virginia Tech as a two-time All-American and the school's leader in most statistical categories in 2002, Gray spent seven years as an assistant for the legendary Carl Adams at Boston University. After leaving BU, Gray went back to his native New Jersey to join the Princeton staff. Under the tutelage of Chris Ayres, Gray and crew helped bring the Tigers from the basement of the EIWA to a 2019-20 season that saw the team go unbeaten in-conference and defeat Cornell for the first time since 1986. While the school went 13 years (2003-16) between All-Americans at the beginning of Ayres/Gray's tenure, they have had at least one per year since 2016 and multiple in 2019 and 2020. If anyone knows about building from the ground up, it's the Princeton staff, and believe me, there is a lot of growth that will need to occur at American. One way Gray can help AU is with his connections in recruiting. Gray is a Blair Academy grad and has plenty of connections in New Jersey. Blair is also the alma mater of 2007 Harvard All-American Max Meltzer. Max's father, Alan, is a prominent donor who is on the AU Board of Trustees. In late 2019, he committed 5 million dollars towards the school's Center for Athletic Performance. I don't know if there's any previous relationship between Gray and the Meltzers, but with these coaching vacancies, sometimes you have to try and connect the dots. Also of importance, Gray's wife is from the Northern Virginia area, not far from the AU campus. That can always be an enticing factor when considering new positions. Jordan Leen (right) with two-time ACC champion Micky Phillipi (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Jordan Leen (Pittsburgh - Associate Head Coach) Why he's a fit: As we eluded to with Jason Borrelli, Jordan Leen has the ability to strike while the iron is hot. Leen is part of a Pittsburgh staff that just put a pair of wrestlers into the NCAA finals in St. Louis and finished 11th in the nation, the school's best finish since 1970. If you look at 165 lb NCAA runner-up Jake Wentzel, he has to have Leen's fingerprints all over him. Like Wentzel, Leen was a brutal technician on the mat. As a competitor, Leen sticks out head and shoulders above anyone on this list collegiately. A three-time All-American for Cornell, Leen won the NCAA title in 2008 by taking out the top-two seeds in the tournament, Gregor Gillespie (Edinboro) and Mike Poeta (Illinois). We've mentioned earlier that American will undoubtedly stress academics with their hire and the Cornell grad fits the bill. Not only did he compete in the Ivy League, but Leen has also had previous coaching stops at Duke and Virginia. Those are both academic institutes that American would love to be mentioned among. During his tenure at Virginia, Leen developed a reputation as a strong recruiter and was partially responsible for the team's success recruiting in Pennsylvania. That reach in Western PA has definitely increased during his tenure at Pittsburgh. It doesn't matter where your school is located; having in's with the Pennsylvania wrestling community is also a plus. While he grew up in Tennessee, Leen's entire collegiate and professional career has kept him in the East/Mid-Atlantic, so he should have some general familiarity with the area.

Kennedy Blades (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) We all knew she was good, but 17-year-old Kennedy Blades made a statement as to just how good she is over the course of the last two weeks. The postponement of the Summer Olympics impacted the athletes of our community in a multitude of ways, but for Blades, it opened up an opportunity for her to begin her Senior-level career with a bang. Blades was three months too young to wrestle at the Olympic Team Trials in 2020; however, the Trials were postponed due to COVID-19. Once Blades learned that the Trials had been pushed back an entire year and that she would be eligible to compete, she knew she would have to win the Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifying Event, to pursue her goal of being the youngest Olympic wrestler ever for the United States. Blades raised eyebrows at the Last Chance Qualifier with dominant wins over veteran Hannah Gladden, Skylar Grote, and another young star, Kylie Welker. This set the stage for her Olympic Team Trials run. Leading up to the event, questions circulated among wrestling Twitter who tried to determine if Blades had made a significant jump and could be a contender at 68kgs. She quickly answered this question for all of us with a 10-0 victory over Rachel Watters, a 5-0 shutout over U23 World bronze medalist Alexandria Glaude, and a dominant 11-1 win over past Senior world team member, Forrest Molinari. After winning the Challenge Tournament bracket, Blades only fell in the best-of-three series to World Champion Tamyra Mensah-Stock. Prior to the Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier, Blades had an impressive list of domestic and international accolades, including three Fargo titles, two Pan American championships, two Klippan Open Championships, and a spot on the 2019 Cadet World team. Although these are achievements few accomplish, the jump from Cadet World team member to Senior Olympic Team Trials finals in two years is nearly incomprehensible. Here's what the young superstar, Kennedy Blades, had to say about her Senior level debut, training, and mindset leading up to the two crucial events: Blades began the interview by saying that this process showed her that, "God's timing is perfect". In addition to the Trials postponement, even making the competition available to her, Kennedy Blades also tested positive for COVID-19 in February. Once she got over her sickness, she felt relieved that she did not have to worry about testing positive leading up to the Last Chance Qualifier or Olympic Trials. Blades said, "Just having that extra pressure off of me, that I could lose the chance to compete at the last minute, helped me to be able to focus on other things". The last two months, the Illinois native completed her training at home with her long-time coach Israel (Izzy) Martinez. She said, "It was a really tough decision whether to stay at Wyoming Seminary to prepare for the tournament or to go home, but in the end, I decided because of the Covid restrictions at my high school, I would be able to have more freedom with my training at home". She went on to explain that Izzy put her through two workouts a day. One would focus on technique, while the other was mostly conditioning. Blades elaborated by saying, "Izzy wanted to push me past my limits. No Senior level athlete wants to lose to a high schooler, so he knew they wouldn't be holding back against me. He only put me with boys who would also go all out, because they didn't want to lose to me, so that I would be prepared for the pressure the Senior level women put on and I was". I asked Blades the question we have all been wondering, "What took you to the next level?" Now, if you know Kennedy, you know that the two things she does not lack are modesty and height. With a big grin, she explained that after making the move from Illinois to Wyoming Seminary, she had to learn how to manage her time and hold herself accountable. "I had to remove all of my distractions, stay on top of my diet, and manage my time on my own. It really helped me mature a lot and I think that maturity is what prepared me to compete against the older competition." She went on to explain in further detail, "I have made some changes, but I've known I was as good as the best Senior level girls since the beginning of my sophomore year of high school, I just wasn't old enough to be allowed to compete against them yet." We jumped forward to discussing the Olympic Team Trials. Blades explained that she had to be mentally tough in every situation and remind herself that she belonged there, "Everytime I stepped on the mat I told myself 'I'm a Champ. I'm supposed to be here.'" She said that it's important to remember, "When it comes to competition, age is just a number and it doesn't matter once you step on the mat. There were people who were shocked I scored on Tamyra, but I knew not to be timid because I was there for a reason." Blades and 2019 World Champion Tamyra Mensah-Stock embrace after their Trials series (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) I proceeded to ask, "How did it feel when your second match with Tamyra was over?" Blades replied, "You know, I immediately felt so disappointed and sad, but when I looked up and saw Tamyra crying, I couldn't help but hug her. I know what it feels like to have all of your hard work pay off and I saw that she was getting to feel that and was happy for her. Once I got away from everyone, it hit me again, but I knew I put on a show for these people." At just 17, Blades has years for her career to expand and develop, So what's next for her? She said, "I have a huge target on my back now, so I'm just going to keep trying to make world teams. I guess since I only lost to Tamyra, I'm on the Senior national team and that's pretty cool." She concluded our discussion by saying, "If I can, I just want to say thank you to my coaches, partners, and family. They were right by my side the entire time." On behalf of the wrestling community, I think it is safe to say that we all look forward to having Kennedy's Junior (Because she still has three years of Junior eligibility), U23, and Senior careers unfold.

2019 World Champion Zavur Uguev (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 57 KG #1 Zavur Uguev won his fourth Russian national title in thrilling fashion with a 9-5 win over surprise finalist Nachyn Mongush. Mongush, a 2019 Junior Russian National and European champion, made the finals off a stunning upset win over returning national runner-up #2 Azamat Tuskaev 2-1 in the semifinals. Taking bronze was 2019 Intercontinental Cup champion #6 Abubakar Mutaliev by 11-4 decision over Kuzhuget Belek-ool and returning national runner-up #2 Tuskaev by 11-0 tech fall over Uygulaan Ivanov. Kuzhuget Belek-ool takes the #5 spot in the rankings off his strong 5th place finish at nationals marked by wins over past Russian nationals bronze medalists #3 Akhmed Idrisov and #7 Khasanhussein Badrudinov. Tuskaev falls one spot to #2 for his loss to Nachyn Mongush. #9 Musa Mekhtikhanov is out of the rankings after a loss to then-seventh ranked Khasanhussein Badrudinov in the round of 16, 2018 national runner-up Khuresh-Ool Donduk-Ool is in at #10 after losses to #1 Zavur Uguev and #4 Abubakar Mutaliev. 2021 Russian Nationals Results GOLD: #1 Zavur Uguev over Nachyn Mongush 9-5 BRONZE: #2 Azamat Tuskaev over Uygulaan Ivanov 11-0 BRONZE: #6 Abubakr Mutaliev over Khuzuget Belek-ool 11-4 Rank Name Country Past Ranking 1 Zavur Uguev RUS 1 2 Nachyn Mongush RUS UR 3 Azamat Tuskaev RUS 2 4 Abubakar Mutaliev RUS 6 5 Kuzhuget Belek-Ool RUS UR 6 Akhmed Idrisov RUS 3 7 Ramiz Gamzatov RUS 4 8 Muslim Sadulaev RUS 5 9 Khasanhussein Badrudinov RUS 7 10 Khuresh-Ool Donduk-Ool RUS 9 61 KG #1 Abasgadzhi Magomedov won his second consecutive national title with a controlling 4-1 win over surging Muslim Mekhtikhanov. Mekhtikhanov posted a strong runner-up finish at the North Caucasus Federal District tournament to 2019 national bronze medalist Dinislam Takhtarov where he upset two-time Russian nationals bronze medalist Zelimkhan Abakarov to make the finals. Mektikhanov defeated Nodar Arabidze and Cherman Tavitov here to make the gold medal match, with Arabidze stopping the momentum of red hot 2020 Junior Russian national champion Fedor Baltuev in the quarters. Baltuev had upset 2019 Russian Nationals bronze medalist Dinislam Takhtarov 6-2 in the round of 32 and Abakarov in the round of 16. Taking bronze at the weight were Cherman Tavitov by 2-0 decision over Nodar Arabidze and Aldar Balzhinimaev with a 5-4 win over 2019 Intercontinental Cup runner-up Rustam Karakhanov. Previous #2 Ramazan Ferzaliev moved up to 65 KG where he took 5th at nationals. #3 Alexander Bogomoev is removed due to inactivity as he hasn't competed since February 2020 when he won Euros, #4 Ibragim Abdurakhamanov and #6 Magomed Magomedov were removed because they moved up to 65 KG for nationals. Cherman Tavitov and Nodar Arabidze take the #3 and #4 spot respectively while Baltuev moves up four spots to #5 with Takhtarov and Abakarov at #6 and #7. Aldar Balzhinimaev claims #7 by taking bronze 5-4 over #10 Rustam Karakhanov who earns his rankings after tech falling 2019 57 KG Alans bronze medalist #10 Alexander Sabanov 12-0 in their second round consolation match. 2021 Russian Nationals Results GOLD: #1 Abasgadzi Magomedov over Muslim Mektikhanov 4-1 BRONZE: Aldar Balzhinimaev over Rustam Karakhanov 5-4 BRONZE: Cherman Tavitov over Nodar Arabidze 2-0 Rank Name Country Past Ranking 1 Abasgadzhi Magomedov RUS 1 2 Muslim Mekhtikhanov RUS UR 3 Cherman Tavitov RUS UR 4 Nodar Arabidze RUS UR 5 Fedor Baltuev RUS 8 6 Zelimkhan Abakarov RUS UR 7 Dinislam Takhtarov RUS UR 8 Aldar Balzhinimaev RUS UR 9 Zhargal Damdinov RUS 9 10 Rustam Karakhanov RUS UR 2019 World Champion Gadzhimurad Rashidov(Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 65 KG #1 Gadzhimurad Rashidov won his fourth national title with a 5-3 victory over returning bronze medalist #4 Zagir Shakhiev in the finals. Rashidov's path to the finals saw him beat 2020 U-23 Russian Nationals runner-up #10 Abdulmazhid Kudiev in the round of 16, 2017 national runner-up #6 Murshid Mutalimov 11-0 in the quarters, and returning 61 KG national runner-up #2 (61) Ramazan Ferzaliev 2-2 in the semis. Ferzaliev had a strong semifinal run that saw him beat past Russian Nationals medalists #7 Dasha Sharastepanov and Islam Dudaev. The much anticipated quarterfinal match between 2019 world champions Rashidov and #2 (70) David Baev failed to materialize as Baev was upset in the round of 16 by #6 Murshid Mutalimov 8-2. The repechage of Rashidov's bracket saw #10 Abdulmazhid Kudiev beat #6 Murshid Mutalimov 3-3 in the second round and tech fall Ferzaliev 10-0 for bronze. #4 Zagir Shakhiev's path to the finals came by way of wins over 2019 Russian Nationals bronze medalist Julian Gergenov, Gadjimurad Omarov, returning 61 KG bronze medalist #4 (61) Ibragim Abdurakhmanov and returning 70 KG bronze medalist #3 (70) Kurban Shiraev. Shiraev made the semis opposite of Shakhiev by beating #3 Akhmed Chakaev in the quarters after Chakaev had beaten #2 Naachyn Kuular 5-1. Shiraev also downed 2019 Alans bronze medalist Sayin Kazyryk and 2018 Alans champion Muslim Saidulaev. Other important results were Gergenov beating #6 (61) Magomed Magomedov and #6 (70) Alan Gogaev to make the quarters opposite of Shakhiev who he lost to 2-11. #3 Kurban Shiraev beat Gadjimurad Omarov 3-0 for bronze after Omarov had beaten Abdurakhmanov and Gergenov to make the bronze medal match. Let's break down what the aforementioned results mean in this absolute logjam of a weight. So Shakhiev moves up to #2 for his wins over Shiraev, Abdurakhmanov, Gergenov, and Omarov. Shiraev takes #3 after finishing bronze and beating Chakaev and Omarov. Chakaev is at #4 for beating returning runner-up #2 Naachyn Kuular in the round of 16. #4 (61) Ibragim Abdurakhmanov, #6 (61) Magomed Magomedov, and #6 (70) Alan Gogaev are all unranked and have been removed from their former weight class rankings. #2 (70) David Baev falls down to #8 after his round of 16 loss to #7 Murshid Mutalimov. #10 Abdulmazhid Kudiev moves up four spots to #6 for beating #7 Murshid Mutalimov and #2 (61) Ramazan Ferzaliev. Ferzaliev takes the #9 spot for beating past Russian Nationals bronze medalists #7 Dasha Sharastepanov and Islam Dudaev and taking 5th with losses to Rashidov and Kudiev. Omarov is in at #10 for beating Abdurakhmanov and Gergenov. 2021 Russian Nationals Results GOLD: #1 Gadzhimurad Rashidov over #4 Zagir Shakhiev 5-3 BRONZE: #3 (70) Kurban Shiraev over Gadzhimurad Omarov 3-0 BRONZE: Abdulmazhid Kudiev over #2 (61) Ramazan Ferzaliev 10-0 Rank Name Country Past Ranking 1 Gadzhimurad Rashidov RUS 1 2 Zagir Shakhiev RUS 4 3 Kurban Shiraev RUS 3(70) 4 Akhmed Chakaev RUS 3 5 Naachyn Kuular RUS 2 6 Abdulmazhid Kudiev RUS 10 7 Murshid Mutalimov RUS 6 8 David Baev RUS 2(70) 9 Ramazan Ferzaliev RUS 2(61) 10 Gadzhimurad Omarov RUS UR 70 KG Three time national finalist #6 (74) Israel Kasumov was finally able to make his fourth trip to the finals be the one that won him gold as the Chechen stalwart won 6-3 over two-time Russian Nationals bronze medalist Evgheni Zherbaev. He avenged two past losses to Zherbaev at the 2016 Korkin and the 2019 Russian Nationals bronze medal match. Zherbaev, coming off a disappointing performance up at 74 KG at the Oleg Dukanov Memorial where he failed to place after being tech falled by Magomed Dibirgadzhiev, looked absolutely spectacular on his way to the finals beating the likes of #1 Cherman Valiev, #10 Viktor Rassadin, and #10 (74) Aznaur Tavaev. Kasumov's path to the finals saw him beat 2017 60 KG Junior world champion Abdulla Akhmedov and 2019 Ali Aliyev bronze medalist #8 Anzor Zakuev. #2 David Baev, #3 Kurban Shiraev, and #6 Alan Gogaev all cut down to 65 KG with Baev losing in the round of 16 to #7 (65) Murshid Mutalimov, Shiraev taking bronze, and Gogaev losing to Julian Gergenov in the round of 16. #10 Viktor Rassadin moves up six spots for his win over Aznaur Tavaev in the repechage bracket. Tavaev takes the #5 spot for his 2019 wins over Zherbaev, Artur Badtiev, and Islam Dudaev. Abdulla Akhmedov takes the #8 spot for finishing bronze with a 12-1 win over #9 Anzor Zakuev. 2021 Russian Nationals Results GOLD: #10 (74) Israil Kasumov over Evgheni Zherbaev 6-3 BRONZE: #1 Cherman Valiev over #10 Viktor Rassadin 7-6 BRONZE: Abdulla Akhmedov over #9 Anzor Zakuev Rank Name Country Past Ranking 1 Israil Kasumov RUS 6(74) 2 Evgheni Zherbaev RUS UR 3 Cherman Valiev RUS 1 4 Viktor Rassadin RUS 10 5 Aznaur Tavaev RUS 10(74) 6 Inalbek Sheriev RUS 4 7 Ayatulla Barkakadiev RUS 5 8 Abdulla Akhmedov RUS UR 9 Anzor Zakuev RUS 8 10 Bulat Batoev RUS 9 74 KG In the biggest match of Russian Nationals, it was two time world champion #2 Zaurbek Sidakov that would emerge victorious against reigning national champion #1 Razambek Zhamalov off the strength of two dramatic last second pushouts to secure a 2-2 win. Taking bronze in the bracket was #4 Magomed Kurbanaliev over #3 Timur Bizhoev and #5 Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov over Magomed Dibirgadzhiev. Notable results from the bracket were #1 Zhamalov notching his first win over Gazimagomedov 2-1 after three past losses. Sidakov's path to the finals was not without controversy as he was the benefactor of questionable officiating for exposure against Kurbanaliev and Bizhoev. Other important results were #3 Bizhoev beating #8 Magomed Abdulkadyrov 4-0 in the opening round and #5 Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov beating #6 Nikita Suchkov 4-2 in his round of 16 match. The aftermath of Russian Nationals sees Sidakov retake the top spot, Zhamalov fall to #2, Kurbanaliev go up to #3 for his head to head win over Bizhoev who falls to #4 and the addition of Magomed Dibirgadzhiev and Darsam Dzhaparov at #9 and #10 with the departure of #6 Israil Kasumov and #10 Aznaur Tavaev. 2021 Russian Nationals Results GOLD: #2 Zaurbek Sidakov over #1 Razambek Zhamalov 2-2 BRONZE: #4 Magomed Kurbanaliev over #3 Timur Bizhoev 1-1 BRONZE: #5 Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov over Magomed Dibirgadzhiev 4-2 Rank Name Country Past Ranking 1 Zaurbek Sidakov RUS 2 2 Razambek Zhamalov RUS 1 3 Magomed Kurbanaliev RUS 4 4 Timur Bizhoev RUS 3 5 Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov RUS 5 6 Nikita Suchkov RUS 7 7 Magomed Abdulkadyrov RUS 8 8 Kakhaber Khubezhty RUS 9 9 Magomed Dibirgadzhiev RUS UR 10 Darsam Dzhaparov RUS UR 79 KG Malik Shavaev was able to put together a spectacular run that saw him beat two-time U-23 European champion Radik Valiev, returning national runner-up #2 Gadzhimurad Alikhmaev, Ernak Kardanov, and returning national champion #1 Akhmed Usmanov to take gold. Shavaev occupies the top spot in the rankings for his spectacular run. Returning national champion Usmanov was in top form on his way to the finals posting wins over 2019 Junior world champion #9 Amkhad Tashukhadzhiev and 2019 world bronze medalist #10 (86) Gadzhi Nabiev. Finishing as bronze medalists were Nabiev over #9 Amkhad Tashukhadzhiev 6-1 and Valiev over Alikhmaev 6-5. As has been the case for every year of its inception, 79 KG nationals saw a slew of top notch upsets and changing of the guard. Alikhamev beat two time national runner-up #4 Atsamaz Sanakoev 6-2 in the round of 16, Khalil Aminov avenged his quarterfinals loss from last year to #3 Evgheni Lapshov with an 8-0 win in the round of 16. Nabiev beat returning bronze medalist Amanulla Gadzhimagomedov 6-3 in the quarterfinals, Abdulla Tsatsaev upset #5 Dmitry Zainiidinov 6-3 in the round of 32 and Valiev put together a spectacular bronze medal run with wins over Alikhmaev, Khalid Yakhiev, Khalil Aminov, and Khabib Magomedov. From the aftermath of Russian Nationals, Malik Shavaev goes from unranked to #1, Usmanov falls one spot to #2, Valiev takes the #3 spot, five time Russian Nationals medalist Nabiev takes the #5 spot, Khalil Aminov returns to the rankings at #6, Sanakoev and Lapshov both fell four spots respectively to #8 and #7 after losses to #4 Alikhmaev and #6 Khalil Aminov. Ernak Kardanov is in the rankings at #9 for beating 2020 Junior national champion #10 Magomed Magomaev. Zainiidinov, #6 Tazhidin Akaev and #9 Amkhad Tashukhadzhiev have been removed from the rankings due to losses, Zainiidinov's to Abdulla Tsatsaev and Tashukhadzhiev's to Usmanov and Nabiev, and Akaev for moving up to 86 KG where he lost to #4 (86) Vladislav Valiev. 2021 Russian Nationals Results GOLD: Malik Shavaev over #1 Akhmed Usmanov 6-4 BRONZE: Radik Valiev over #2 Gadzhimurad Alikhmaev 6-5 BRONZE: #10 (86) Gadzhi Nabiev over #9 Amkhad Tashukhadzhiev 6-1 Rank Name Country Past Ranking 1 Malik Shavaev RUS UR 2 Akhmed Usmanov RUS 1 3 Radik Valiev RUS UR 4 Gadzhimurad Alikhmaev RUS 2 5 Gadzhi Nabiev RUS 10(86) 6 Khalil Aminov RUS UR 7 Atsamaz Sanakoev RUS 4 8 Evgheni Lapshov RUS 3 9 Ernak Kardanov RUS UR 10 Magomed Magomaev RUS UR 86 KG #2 Artur Naifonov was as clutch as ever in securing his second national title over #1 Dauren Kurugliev with a 2-1 win. Naifonov was nearly deprived of his fourth straight Russian Nationals finals as he was down 8-1 early in his semifinal match against #3 Magomed Ramazanov before mounting a furious comeback to win 9-8. Finishing bronze was Ramazanov by 4-1 win over Khabi Khashpakov and #6 Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov by 5-1 win over #8 Zaur Makiev. Some relevant wins for the rest of the field were #9(92) Magomedsharif Biyakaev notching a strong run to the quarterfinals with wins over #4 Arsenali Musalaliev and #8 Khabib Gadzhiev and #4 Vladislav Valiev beating #6 (79) Tazhidin Akaev 4-3 in the round of 16 and then falling 6-2 to #Ramazanov in the quarterfinals. Only changes in the top five are Valiev and Gadzhimagomedov both moving up to #4 and #5 after Musalaliev's loss to Magomedsharif Biyakaev who sits at #6 for his wins over Musalaliev and Gadzhiev who now resides at #8. #6 Tazhidin Akaev debuts in the 86 KG rankings at #9. 2021 Russian Nationals Results GOLD: #2 Artur Naifonov over #1 Dauren Kurugliev 2-1 BRONZE: #6 Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov over #8 Zaur Makiev 5-1 BRONZE: #3 Magomed Ramazanov over Khabi Khashpakov 4-1 Rank Name Country Past Ranking 1 Artur Naifonov RUS 2 2 Dauren Kurugliev RUS 1 3 Magomed Ramazanov RUS 3 4 Vladislav Valiev RUS 5 5 Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov RUS 6 6 Magomedsharif Biyakaev RUS 9(92) 7 Arsenali Musalaliev RUS 4 8 Khabib Gadzhiev RUS 7 9 Tazhidin Akaev RUS 6(79) 10 Zaur Makiev RUS 8 92 KG #1 Alikhan Zhabrailov moved up to 97 KG where the 2019 world bronze medalist won nationals over returning runner-up #3 (97) Aslanbek Sotiev. In his absence, returning two-time national runner-up #2 Magomed Kurbanov finally won his first national title with a forfeit over #4 Anzor Urishev. #3 Batyrbek Tsakulov forfeited out of the first round so he was lowered one spot for inactivity. Bronze medalists were North Caucasus Federal District champion #9 (86) Soslan Ktsoev by 11-1 tech fall over #6 Guram Chertkoev and #6 Azamat Zakuev 1-1 over 2018 86 KG bronze medalist Zelimkhan Minkailov. Changes in the rankings were Kurbanov taking the #1 spot with his national title, Urishev moving up to #2, Soslan Ktsoev slotting in at #4 after being ranked ninth at 86 KG and 2019 Junior world champion Alan Bagaev taking the #8 spot. 2020 Yarygin bronze medalist #5 Radik Nartikoev dropped two spots due to inactivity. 2021 Russian Nationals Results GOLD: #2 Magomed Kurbanov over #4 Anzor Urishev by forfeit BRONZE: #9 (86) Soslan Ktsoev over #6 Guram Chertkoev 11-1 BRONZE: #7 Azamat Zakuev over Zelimkhan Minkailov 1-1 Rank Name Country Past Ranking 1 Magomed Kurbanov RUS 2 2 Anzor Urishev RUS 4 3 Batyrbek Tsakulov RUS 3 4 Soslan Ktsoev RUS 9(86) 5 Guram Chertkoev RUS 6 6 Azamat Zakuev RUS 7 7 Radik Nartikoev RUS 5 8 Alan Bagaev RUS UR 9 Zagir Karimov RUS 8 10 Magomed Baibekov RUS 10 5x World Champion AbdulrashidSadulaev (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 97 KG In the absence of #1 Abdulrashid Sadulaev, #1 (92) Alikhan Zhabrailov made the move up and won the Russian National title at 97 KG with a 5-0 victory over #2 Aslanbek Sotiev. Taking bronze was Khokh Khugaev by pin over 2019 bronze medalist Georgi Gogaev and Znaur Kotsiev winning 3-0 over Tazhudin Mukhtarov. Someone who made a lot of noise in this bracket was Khugaev who upset #5 Maxim Tolmachev 12-2 in the round of 16 and beat 2019 national runner-up #3 Igor Ovsyannikov 2-1 in the quarterfinals. For his efforts, Khugaev takes the #4 spot in the rankings while #3 Igor Ovsyannikov drops two spots to #5 and Tolmachev to #6. Debuting in the rankings at #10 is Znaur Kotsiev for his win over Tazhudin Mukhtarov in the bronze medal match. 2021 Russian Nationals Results GOLD: #1 (92) Alikhan Zhabrailov over #2 Aslanbek Sotiev 5-0 BRONZE: Khokh Khugaev over Georgi Gogaev by pin BRONZE: Znaur Kotsiev over Tazhudin Mukhtarov 3-0 Rank Name Country Past Ranking 1 Abdulrashid Sadulaev RUS 1 2 Alikhan Zhabrailov RUS 1(92) 3 Aslanbek Sotiev RUS 2 4 Khokh Khugaev RUS UR 5 Igor Ovsyannikov RUS 3 6 Maxim Tolmachev RUS 5 7 Aslanbek Gazzaev RUS 6 8 Shamil Musaev RUS 7 9 Tazhudin Mukhtarov RUS 9 10 Znaur Kotsiev RUS UR 125 KG 125 kilograms was a weight that absolutely defied expectations and showed that Russia was finally capable of developing a strong lineup of young senior ready talent. This was especially evident in the form of 2018 110 KG Cadet world bronze medalist Sergey Kozyrev's 3-3 title winning performance over two-time national semifinalist #9 Atsamaz Tebloev. Taking bronze in what was a stacked bracket top to bottom was #3 Anzor Khizriev by forfeit over #7 Zelimkhan Khizriev and #5 Baldan Tsyzhipov by pin over 2019 Junior European champion Saypudin Magomedov. There was a lot of chaos in this bracket and the biggest case right out of the gate was Sergey Kozyrev's string of upset victories in quarterfinals and semifinals against #3 Anzor Khizriev and #7 Zelimkhan Khizriev beating the senior Khizriev 5-4 and the younger Zelimkhan 5-1. There was a hellish four-man quadrant on the top half of the bottom bracket with 2019 national runner-up beating 2019 97 KG national champion Vladislav Baitsaev 7-0 in the qualification round and falling to Anzor Khizriev who beat #4 (97) Magomedkhan Magomedov 3-2 in his qualifying match. As was the case last year, #4 Batraz Gazzaev fell at nationals after regular season success, this time losing to 2016 Junior world champion Kazbek Khubulov 5-4 in the qualification round. Khubulov lost 4-1 to Zelimkhan Khizriev in the round of 16. The top half saw its fair share of upsets as well as 2019 Junior European champion Saypudin Magomedov upsetting returning bronze medalist #8 Vitali Goloev 15-10 in the round of 16 falling to eventual national runner-up Tebloev 4-0 in the quarterfinals. Tebloev notched the biggest win of his career with a pin in the semis over 2020 European bronze medalist #5 Baldan Tsyzhipov. The aftermath of Russian Nationals sees Sergey Kozyrev take the #1 spot, #9 Atsamaz Tebloev jump up four spots to #5 for his runner-up finish and semifinal pin over #5 Baldan Tsyzhipov. #4 Batraz Gazzaev and #5 Baldan Tsyzhipov both fell five spots each to #9 and #10 respectively for their losses to #8 Kazbek Khubulov and #5 Atsamaz Tebloev respectively. Kazbek Khubulov is in at #8 for beating #4 Batraz Gazzaev 6-5 in the qualification round. 2021 Russian Nationals Results GOLD: Sergey Kozyrev over #9 Atsamaz Tebloev 3-3 BRONZE: #3 Anzor Khizriev over #7 Zelimkhan Khizriev by forfeit BRONZE: #5 Baldan Tsyzhipov over Saypudin Magomedov by pin Rank Name Country Past Ranking 1 Sergey Kozyrev RUS UR 2 Shamil Sharipov RUS 1 3 Alan Khugaev RUS 2 4 Anzor Khizriev RUS 3 5 Atsamaz Tebloev RUS 9 6 Zelimkhan Khizriev RUS 7 7 Tamerlan Rasuev RUS 6 8 Kazbek Khubulov RUS UR 9 Batraz Gazzaev RUS 4 10 Baldan Tsyzhipov RUS 5 Two-time World Champion Zaurbek Sidakov (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Pound for Pound #3 Zaurbek Sidakov retakes the top spot after his title-winning performance at 74 KG. #6 Cherman Valiev and #7 David Baev took major drops in the ranking after taking bronze at 70 KG and failing to place at 65 KG with Valiev dropping to #18 and Baev falling to #22. With their fall, the remainder of the elite of 74 KG takes up the bottom half of the top ten with the only change between them being #9 Magomed Kurbanaliev going ahead to #6 to #7 Timur Bizhoev for his win in their bronze medal match at 74 KG nationals. #12 Israil Kasumov moved up three spots to #9 for his national title over Evgheni Zherbaev who takes the #17 spot for his win over #6 Cherman Valiev in the semifinals. Zagir Shakhiev enters the rankings at #13 for his runner-up finish at Russian Nationals that saw him beat #22 Kurban Shiraev 6-3 in the semis after Shiraev had beaten #16 Akhmed Chakaev who beat #11 Naachyn Kuular. #13 Alexander Bogomoev has been removed from the rankings due to inactivity as he hasn't wrestled since February 2020 where he won the European championships. Abdulmazhid Kudiev debuts in the rankings at #20 for his wins over #20 Ramazan Ferzaliev and Murshid Mutalimov at 65 KG nationals. Murshid Mutalimov takes the #21 spot for his 8-2 upset win in the round of 16 over Baev who now sits at #22 in the rankings. 79 KG national champion Malik Shavaev debuts in the rankings at #24 and 125 KG national champion Sergey Kozyrev takes the #25 spot. Rank Name Country Past Ranking 1 Zaurbek Sidakov RUS 3 2 Abdulrashid Sadulaev RUS 1 3 Razambek Zhamalov RUS 2 4 Gadzhimurad Rashidov RUS 4 5 Zavur Uguev RUS 5 6 Magomed Kurbanaliev RUS 9 7 Timur Bizhoev RUS 8 8 Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov RUS 10 9 Israil Kasumov RUS 12 10 Artur Naifonov RUS 15 11 Dauren Kurugliev RUS 14 12 Magomed Ramazanov RUS 18 13 Zagir Shakhiev RUS UR 14 Kurban Shiraev RUS 22 15 Akhmed Chakaev RUS 16 16 Naachyn Kuular RUS 11 17 Evgheni Zherbaev RUS UR 18 Cherman Valiev RUS 6 19 Abasgadzhi Magomedov RUS 19 20 Abdulmazhid Kudiev RUS UR 21 Murshid Mutalimov RUS UR 22 David Baev RUS 7 23 Alikhan Zhabrailov RUS 23 24 Malik Shavaev RUS UR 25 Sergey Kozyrev RUS UR

2021 NCAA DII Wrestler of the year Kameron Teacher (Photo/Kylie Macziewski; SCSU athletics) Manheim, PA - On Monday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the winners of both the Division II Wrestler of the Year and Rookie Wrestler of the Year awards. "It is an honor on behalf of the NWCA and our Board of Directors to recognize these two wonderful student-athletes. Under difficult conditions as a result of COVID-19, these young men demonstrated a tremendous amount of grit and not only persevered but excelled" said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. NWCA DIVISION II WRESTLER OF THE YEAR The NWCA is proud to announce the NWCA Division II Wrestler of the Year is Kameron Teacher from St. Cloud State University. Teacher, a Redshirt Senior from Grove City, Ohio, who competes at 285 pounds, completed his season with a perfect 13-0 record and was named one of six NWCA Division II Super Regional Wrestlers of the Year. Teacher's impressive 2021 season was highlighted by winning the 285 Division II National Title and in doing so secured St. Cloud State's third consecutive NCAA Division II Team Championship. Teacher is now a four-time All-American with national finishes of 1st, 3rd, 2nd, & 2nd. SUPER REGION WRESTLER OF THE YEAR WINNERS Super Region 1 - Luke Martin, Fairmont State University Super Region 2 - Isiah Royal, Newberry College Super Region 3 - James Wimer, University of Findlay Super Region 4 - Ryan Vasbinder, McKendree University Super Region 5 - Kameron Teacher, St. Cloud State University Super Region 6 - Fred Green, Colorado Mesa University NWCA DIVISION II ROOKIE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR This year's NWCA Division II Rookie Wrestler of the year is Zach Ryg of Upper Iowa University. The Plymouth, IA native, finished his redshirt freshman campaign with a 12-1 record and was named one of six NWCA Division II Super Regional Rookie Wrestlers of the Year. The 2021 season saw Ryg, a 197-pound wrestler, win the Super Regional Title and capture NWCA All-American honors with his third-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships. SUPER REGION ROOKIE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR WINNERS Super Region 1 - Roland Mills, Mercyhurst University Super Region 2 - Christian Small, King University Super Region 3 - Logan Bailey, University of Indianapolis Super Region 4 - Cory Peterson, McKendree University Super Region 5 - Zach Ryg, Upper Iowa University Super Region 6 - Joseph Reimers, University of Nebraska, Kearney ABOUT THE NWCA The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with a primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: Coaching Development, Student-Athlete Welfare, and the Promotion of Wrestling.