InterMat Staff

2018 NCAA All-American Michael Hughes (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is...Hofstra! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell Central Michigan Chattanooga Clarion Cleveland State Columbia Cornell CSU Bakersfield Davidson Drexel Duke Edinboro Franklin & Marshall Gardner-Webb George Mason Harvard NCAA Qualifiers (22) 2022: 285 - Zachary Knighton-Ward (#31st) 2021: 141 - Vinny Vespa (#33); 149 - Greg Gaxiola (#32); 157 - Holden Heller (#19); 165 - Ricky Stamm (#32); 184 - Charles Small (#23); 197 - Trey Rogers (#30); 285 - Zachary Knighton-Ward (#27) 2020: 165 - Ricky Stamm (#27); Zachary Knighton-Ward (#29) 2018: 285 - Michael Hughes (#11) 2016: 141 - Jamel Hudson; 285 - Michael Hughes 2015: 141 - Jamel Hudson (#15); 149: Cody Ruggirello (#14) 2014: 125 - Jamie Franco; 141 - Luke Vaith (#8); 149 - Cody Ruggirello; 165 - Joe Booth (#9) 2013: 125 - Steve Bonanno; 133 - Jamie Franco; 141 - Luke Vaith NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans Michael Hughes (2018 - 6th) NCAA Round of 12 Finishers 2015: Cody Ruggirello (149 lbs) 2014: Luke Vaith (141 lbs) Conference Champions EIWA 2021: Holden Heller (157) 2014: Joe Booth (165) CAA 2013: Stephen Bonnano (125); Jamie Franco (133) Dual Record 2021-22: 4-11 2021: 2-1 2019-20: 11-5 2018-19: 6-14 2017-18: 10-10 2016-17: 6-11 2015-16: 5-13 2014-15: 5-11 2013-14: 6-10 2012-13: 6-15 Conference Tournament Placement EIWA 2021-22: 12th 2021: 4th 2019-20: 10th 2018-19: 15th 2017-18: 13th 2016-17: 14th 2015-16: 13th 2014-15: 13th 2013-14: 4th CAA 2012-13: 1st NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 61st 2021: 44th (5.5 points) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: No Qualifiers 2017-18: 28th (12 points) 2016-17: No Qualifiers 2015-16: 58th (2.5 points) 2014-15: 35th (8 points) 2013-14: 40th (7 points) 2012-13: 46th (3.5 points) Head Coaching History Dennis Papadatos (2014-2021) Rob Anspach (2011-14) Best Lineup (Consisting of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Steve Bonanno: 4x NCAA Qualifier; 2012 NCAA All-American (8th); 4x CAA Finalist, 2x CAA Champion 133 - Jamie Franco: 3x NCAA Qualifier; 2x CAA Finalist, 2013 CAA Champion 141 - Luke Vaith: 3x NCAA Qualifier (8th seed); 2014 NCAA Round of 12 finisher; 2012 CAA Champion 149 - Justin Accordino: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2012 NCAA All-American (6th); 2012 CAA Runner-Up 157 - Holden Heller: 2021 NCAA Qualifier; 2021 EIWA Champion 165 - Joe Booth: 2014 NCAA Qualifier (9th seed); 2014 EIWA Champion; 2014 NCAA Round of 12 finisher; 3x NCAA Qualifier for Drexel 174 - Ricky Stamm: 2x NCAA Qualifier 184 - Charles Small: 2021 NCAA Qualifier; 2021 EIWA 3rd place 197 - Trey Rogers: 2021 NCAA Qualifier 285 - Michael Hughes: 2x NCAA Qualifier (11th seed), 2018 NCAA All-American (6th); 2018 EIWA Runner-Up Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2021: #184 Jacob Moon (OH); #298 Joel Mylin (IL) 2018: #93 Trey Rogers (MN) 2014: #100 Travis Passaro (NY) 2013: #108 Michael Hughes (NY)

Mark Churella embracing his son, Josh, after his final collegiate match in 2008 (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Wrestling is a family sport. Teammates become brothers, the families in the stands become extensions of your own. Some mom adopts the team and becomes the team mom. The long car rides, cramped hotel rooms, early morning workouts, late-night weight cuts, and weekends camping out in the bleachers bond families, blood or otherwise. Some wrestlers get to have their dad as their first coach and you can watch these relationships build and flourish at youth tournaments. One of the best things to witness is a child growing up with the same love of wrestling as their dad, but what about the wrestlers who grew up with legendary wrestlers as fathers? One wrestling household name from the 80s that has come back around is Carr. Nate Carr Sr. spent four years at Iowa State University, where he became the first Cyclone to win 3 NCAA Championships from 1981-1983. His contribution helped them achieve four top-three finishes as a team. With an impressive 117-20-1 career record at Iowa, he decided to keep wrestling and made a transition to freestyle after college. From making the world team in 1983 and being an Olympic alternate in 1984, Nate quickly found success internationally. In 1986, he won a gold medal at the World Cup and the Pan-American Championships. He returned to the Olympics in 1988 where this time he not only competed, but returned from Seoul with a bronze medal. Making the world team again in 1990, he added another gold medal to his collection at the Goodwill Games. Nate Carr Sr. spent 12 years coaching at West Virginia University during the peak of his training into his retirement from 1986-1998. During his time as an assistant coach, he sent 64 wrestlers to NCAAs where ten of them became All Americans and two became National Champions. In 1991, his coaching efforts were honored when he was named the NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year. Nate was inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003 as a distinguished member for his contribution to wrestling as a competitor and a coach. He is back in Ames as the Associate Director and a coach for the Cyclone RTC where he gets to work closely with his son, David. David just finished his redshirt junior year at his dad's Alma Mater, Iowa State University. The young wrestler has already achieved great things in college, one of them being making the Carr name popular among a younger generation. He is a three-time Big 12 Champion, three-time All-American, and won the national tournament in 2021, making him a Hodge Trophy finalist. Following in his dad's footsteps, David has found success through freestyle wrestling as well. Outdoing his 2017 Junior Worlds bronze medal, he won the gold in 2019 in Tallinn, Estonia. David recently made the US Senior National Team at 74 kg, which qualified him for competition in Spain in October on the U23 World Team. Now is when the world waits to see if David is going to outdo his dad on the big stage one day. While David is following in his dad's wrestling footsteps, Nate Carr Jr. is taking a note from his dad on coaching. Nate Jr. has been able to coach with some great coaches during his time with Virginia, Maryland, and the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club where he got to work with the Cornell team frequently. All of this, combined with his college wrestling experience led him to his Assistant Coaching position at Lock Haven University in 2016. Since his time there, the team has had 14 NCAA qualifiers, 3 All Americans, 7 EWL Champions, 2 team EWL Championships, and since their transition to the MAC conference in 2020, 3 Champions and a team Championship this past year. Nate Jr. is also getting his freestyle coaching practice in as Lock Haven just had a wrestler win the U23 World Team Trials. Unfortunately, this was at a different weight so we don't get to see him coach against his dad and brother quite yet, but it is a future possibility. The University of Michigan wrestling team prides itself on tradition. An integral part of this tradition can be attributed to Mark Churella. The four-time All-American was a three-time NCAA Champion for the Wolverines in 1977-1979. In 1978, he won Most Outstanding Wrestler in his third appearance at NCAAs and the following year was awarded the Big 10 Medal of Honor for his proficiency in scholarship, athletics, and community. Going 132-13 during his college career, Mark has the third-highest career winning percentage in Michigan history at .910 along with countless other top ten appearances in other Michigan records. After his graduation from the Big 10 University in 1979, Mark went on to coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas until the school cut the wrestling program in 1984. In the short time Mark was with the program, he left a big legacy in the form of the Las Vegas Collegiate Invitational Tournament, or as we know it today: The Cliff Keen Invitational. Mark started this tournament in 1981 and it is still one of the largest college tournaments and a fan favorite due to the talent it brings in. The tournament could stay in Vegas after UNLV wrestling was no more, but Mark came back to his Alma Mater to be an assistant coach from 1985-1987. He then stepped away from the sport to take care of his family and family business. One thing all wrestlers discover is when they step away from the sport, it's usually temporary. Mark had three sons all follow in his footsteps loving wrestling so the family man didn't stay away long. His oldest, Mark Jr., joined the Wolverine's wrestling team in 1998, earning his varsity letter in 2001. Mark Jr.'s younger brothers, Ryan and Josh, followed suit and became University of Michigan wrestlers in 2001 and 2003, respectively. Ryan, a four-year letter winner, was a three-time Big 10 Champion in 2004-2006 and placed top-four at NCAAs in those same three years. His 117-18 record put him on the record list with his dad with a .867 winning percentage to give him 8th in school history. In 2003, at the end of Ryan's redshirt freshman season, he was awarded the Mark Churella award. This award was first given out in 1984 and is given to the team's most outstanding freshman annually. Josh Churella was a four-time letter winner and a three-time captain for the Wolverines. He was a Big 10 Champion in 2005 and a three-time All-American including making the 2007 NCAA finals. Being the third Churella to join Michigan's 100 wins club, Josh posted a 124-11 career record, putting him 15th in school history between Mark Sr.'s 11th and Ryan's 19th placement. Josh went on from college to wrestle freestyle for a few years, but ultimately came back to his roots to join the coaching staff in 2013. Since his time with the Wolverines, he has coached five Big 10 Champions, 16 All Americans, and one NCAA Champion, as well as a Big 10 team title this past season. Throughout his coaching career, the Churella family has always been a staple in the stands, which begs the question, is there going to be a third generation of Churella wrestlers at the University of Michigan? We have some time before we'll find out the answer to that one. One of the more interesting father-son duos in wrestling, is also one that's not really talked about. This would be Dan Chaid and his son's Danny and Mark. Dan, a four-time All-American for Oklahoma won a National title in 1985 for the Sooners hasn't left his shoes on the mat yet. Dan won a gold medal in freestyle at Veteran Worlds this past October. His son, Danny wrestled for Oklahoma for two years before transferring to the University of North Carolina where he qualified for the NCAA tournament twice and in 2017, he finished one round shy of All-American status. Danny is now in Stanford, California as an athlete with the California RTC. It's not very often we get to see fathers wrestling at the same time as their sons. Danny's young brother, Mark, also wrestled at North Carolina, amassing a 28-34 record in Chapel Hill. Mark is expected to finish his eligibility in 2022-23 at The Citadel. With so many Senior National Team Members starting families of their own, it's easy to look forward to the future and predict who the next big father-son duo will be. Will it be one of Jordan Burroughs's kids since they can never have enough time on the mat with the National Team? Will David Taylor's daughters be lacing up wrestling shoes for a Taylor father-daughter duo? It doesn't really matter who the next big family legacy will be because young wrestlers will always look to their dads who gave them the love of the sport and be able to thank them for passing on the sport and the community. Thank you to all of the wrestling dads for all you do for the athletes and the sport! Happy Father's Day!

New Army West Point volunteer assistant Taylor Venz (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) One of the staples of the college wrestling offseason is the movement on the coaching front. Normally, a few head coaching positions open up, which leads to a game of musical chairs, as new jobs are filled, others come open. The summer of 2022 has been kind of quiet in that respect. This week things picked up a bit as four coaching hires were announced. With that type of movement, it felt like the right time to post all of the new hires since the end of the 2021-22 season. These are only ones that have been made public by the respective schools. There are probably other coaches who have started new jobs, or are in the process of doing so, but they have not been announced. Expect more updates as the summer progresses and even into fall.

UFC fighter Deron Winn in Fargo in 2021 (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The Wrestling Fan's Guide to MMA is back. This week we focus on Friday's offer from the Professional Fighters League as well as a UFC show that will air live on ESPN. The two shows feature multiple former collegiate wrestlers as well as some international competitors in both freestyle and Greco Roman. Friday: PFL 4 Josh Silveira vs Marthin Hamlet During his collegiate days, Silveira won a Pac 12 title for Arizona State at 197 pounds in 2016 to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Considering his father fought in the UFC in the 90s and is a respected coach, it is no surprise that Silveira made his MMA debut in 2019. He has already built an undefeated 8-0 record and won his last fight on the PFL Challengers Series. Hamlet was regular on the Greco-Roman circuit for Norway from 2011 to 2016. He won multiple Nordic Championships at 98 kg, but his best finish was a bronze medal at the 2014 European Championships. Hamlet finished fifth at the Olympic Qualification Tournament for the 2016 Olympics and then decided to focus on MMA. He made his professional debut the following year and has gone 9-3 in the sport. He signed with the PFL last year and has gone 3-2 with the promotion. The Silveira vs. Hamlet fight will be the second bout in the preliminary card of PFL 4. The event is scheduled to begin at 7:00pm ET on ESPN+. Saturday: UFC Austin Josh Emmett vs. Calvin Kattar In the main event of the UFC's trip to Austin, Calvin Kattar will take on Josh Emmett in a featherweight contest. Both fighters are ranked in the top 10, and a win here could put them in position to challenge for a title shot down the road. During his high school days, Kattar was a wrestler for Methuen High School. As a senior in 2006, he finished fifth in the state of Massachusetts. After graduation, he chose to start training for MMA instead of continuing to wrestle in college. Emmett spent his prep days in Arizona before continuing on the collegiate level. He spent two years at Sacramento City College in the California Community College division, before moving up to the NAIA level to wrestle for Menlo. Despite their wrestling backgrounds, these two will likely slug it out on the feet. Many expect this one to be a fan favorite. You can read more about the fight in this humble writer's stats-based newsletter. Julian Marquez vs. Gregory Rodrigues Marquez came up wrestling in Missouri before continuing his wrestling career at Missouri Valley. However, he reportedly left the team and school after getting into a fight with a teammate. Marquez joined the UFC in 2017 and has gone 3-1 in the promotion. Rodrigues actually started out in capoeira and jiu-jitsu before giving wrestling a shot. In 2014, he entered the Cadet Pan American Championships in both styles. Rodrigues finished fifth in Greco but made the finals on the freestyle side. In the finals, he lost against Kaleb Friedley who went on to be an NCAA qualifier for Northwestern. Rodrigues turned to professional MMA in 2014 and signed with the UFC last year. He won his first two fights in the promotion but is coming off a loss against Armen Petrosyan in February. Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Natalia Silva Jasudavicius was a regular on the Canadian ladder and placed at Nationals multiple times. She turned to professional MMA in 2019 and made it to the UFC in under three years. After earning a contract via Dana White's Contender Series, she has gone 2-0 in the Octagon and is coming off an impressive win over prospect Kay Hansen. Her opponent on Saturday holds a 12-5-1 record as a professional, but will be making her UFC debut. Court McGee vs. Jeremiah Wells McGee was a two-time state placer in Utah. His best finish came in 2003 when he finished third in the state 5A division. McGee won the 11th season of "The Ultimate Fighter" in 2010 and has fought exclusively for the promotion since. From 2017 to 2020, he lost five of six fights. However, he turned things around last year and has picked up back-to-back wins. Wells has gone 10-2-1 overall as a professional and has won a pair of UFC fights since joining the promotion last year. Cody Stamann vs. Eddie Wineland While in college, Stamann was part of the Grand Valley NCWA team that also helped produce fellow MMA fighters Kevin Lee and Tony Ferguson. The Michigan native made the transition to MMA in 2011 and signed with the UFC in 2017. He won five of his first seven fights with the promotion. However, Stamann is currently riding a three-fight losing streak. He will likely need to pick up a victory here to keep his job with the promotion. Wineland held the WEC bantamweight title back in 2006 and is still competing today. Recently the 37-year-old fighter has struggled and gone 1-4 in his last five fights. Phil Hawes vs. Deron Winn This fight is probably the main event as far as wrestling fans are concerned. Hawes won an NJCAA title at Iowa Central in 2010 before transferring to Iowa State. He spent a year with the Cyclones before finishing his career with traditional Division III power Wartburg. After multiple stints on Dana White's Contenders Series, Hawes finally made his UFC debut in 2020. He won his first three fights with the promotion but dropped his last fight against Chris Curtis last November. Winn was also an NJCAA champion during his collegiate days. He won that title for Meramec before continuing his career at Lindenwood. Winn also found success there finishing third at the NAIA tournament to become an All-American. He continued wrestling on the freestyle circuit where he won multiple medals and finished second at the 2018 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. Winn dropped his first two fights in the UFC, but bounced back in 2020 with a victory over Antonio Arroyo. Emmett, Kattar, Marquez and Rodrigues will all be part of the main card, which airs live on ESPN at 7:00pm ET. The rest will be on the under that is scheduled to begin at 4:00pm ET on the same network.

0222 Junior World Team member Alex Facundo (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) I admit I was wrong. I had my doubts about the turnout for FInal X New York. I didn't think timing and location would persuade many fans to travel to the center of Metropolis for something they could watch at home. Then I realized that it was the biggest city in the world. It was on a gorgeous summer day. We did spend a year locked inside our houses not knowing if the world would ever be the same. Not everyone works a nine-to-five day job like me. I doubted my fellow East Coast brothers and sisters. And I messed up. I should've been there with you. I don't have any excuses for it. Sure, I had a busy week last week. Could I have made plans to get there if I really wanted to? Of course, I could. But I didn't and I'll always regret that. I admit I was jealous seeing all the pictures of people I've come to know over the years having a great time and meeting up. The truth is I might have been scared to go. Growing up I never felt like I never fit in with the rest of my wrestling peers. I could hold my own on the mat and had my moments, but I didn't go to clubs, didn't really make friends with guys from other schools, and was mostly shy at tournaments. Before this, none of my real-life friends were wrestling fans at all. My buddies Jeff and Gianfranco, along with my cousin Freddie, do not want to go to Region 1 finals with me. They are not interested in who's coming out on top at 125 and 133 for Rutgers. So going to random events and just sitting there never seemed to be an ideal thing to do. Perhaps a little bit of imposter syndrome has something to do with it. I'm not an expert on the sport. I'm not a professional writer. Not even close to a professional comedian. I'm not even sure how I got here. Perhaps the sum of Jagger is greater than his parts. All I know is you've all graciously welcomed me into your community and I keep trying to convince myself that I'm not a part of it. I need to do better. And I will, but first, let's get to some questions. How good do you think Illinois will be with one of the most loaded coaching staffs? Seth Petarra Interesting question. It's funny that in most sports it's not always the best competitors who make the best coaches. That's not so much in wrestling, as some of the most elite on the mat have become the most elite in the corner. But it's not always the case. There's more to it than just teaching moves. It's the relationship with the athlete. It's being able to communicate and understand what makes each individual tick. That being said, bringing back arguably your school's greatest wrestler ever in Isaiah Martinez is another feather in the cap for head coach Mike Poeta. Aside from his wealth of knowledge, he's a symbol of what can be accomplished by going to school in Champaign. And what about Ed Ruth! The Penn State legend has returned to his roots on the mat and has just started getting his feet wet in the coaching game. Personally, I expect big things out of the Poeta-Hunter-Ruth-Martinez foursome. Been traveling but I assume you got some on the new rules? @LMRMock The redshirt rules? They certainly have their pros and cons. I think we're all happy about redshirts being able to wrestle a few duals without consequences. Now what I'm seeing is that the rule only actually applies to freshmen and that actually makes sense. Not that duals really matter much, but we can't have Iowa putting a redshirt on Spencer Lee, but rolling him out there for two or three of the biggest duals of the year. It just doesn't seem fair to me. But it does let a coach get a chance to see if a true frosh is ready without risking losing a year from him. Last year, we could've got a glimpse at an Alex Facundo or a Paddy Gallagher during the dual season to see where they're at. Especially since the second semester is mostly dormant on the open tournament front. Which leads me to the next big news to come out of this. True freshmen can't wrestle opens unattached in the first semester! That's one of the most enjoyable things about the first two months! Just completely asinine if you ask me. What is an NIL summit? Richard Mann Probably something that wasn't as cool as the Apalachin Summit of 1957. You can google it, it's worth a google. Hypothetically, if you were to wrestle on a card, what would your walk-out music be? Earl "JR" Smith I think about this almost daily and would need about 25 matches to satisfy my urge of having intro music. So many options. Lately, I've been digging Cult of Personality by Living Colour. If You Want Blood (You Got It) by AC/DC has long been a jam I'm dying to walk out to. I could pay homage to my real name Ian and come out to Locomotive Breath by Jethro Tull. I could also pay homage to my fake name and dance my way out to Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones. So many options. One thing I can guarantee is the intro will be longer than the match. I can tell you one song it won't be. Friggin' Baby Shark. This isn't Romper Room out here. You ever woken up in an alley? Pelikan Head Hmm, can't say that I have. I will say that I've slept (passed out) in some strange places. Ended my 21st birthday asleep in the crew cab of my Ford Ranger. I once ended a night in Montana out cold in the back of a Ford Explorer. Maybe it's a Ford thing. My most notorious zonk was having too many adult sodas while watching the 2000 World Series before a Stone Temple Pilots concert. As soon as the lights went down I knew I was done and proceeded to make my way into a phone booth at the rotunda below the arena and made that my bed for the next two hours while Weiland and the boys tore it up above me. Jagger used to party and when he went down he went down hard. Alright, this mailbag was way too personal, see ya next week. Happy Father's Day to all you crazy dads out there and especially to new dad Austin Sommer! Drexel's Class of 2040 just got their first commit. Hammer!

New Army West Point Volunteer Assistant Taylor Venz WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army West Point Wrestling's Head Coach Kevin Ward has announced the addition of Taylor Venz to his staff for the upcoming season. Venz, who is coming off an extremely successful career with Big Ten powerhouse Nebraska, will serve as the Black Knights' volunteer assistant coach. "Taylor Venz is an incredible addition to our staff and will make an immediate impact on our upper-weight wrestlers through his ability to train alongside them and will influence the entire team in a positive way though his passion for excellence, humble-warrior type attitude, and desire to help others reach their potential," Ward said. "As an elite wrestler and NCAA All-American who trained at one of the nation's best programs in Nebraska, he was able to learn from some of the top coaches and athletes in the country. We can't wait for him to bring his experiences to West Point to help grow America's Team." Venz was a highly-decorated Husker as a five-time NCAA qualifier (2018-22) and an NCAA All-American (2018). The Farmington, Minn. native's accolades also include an NWCA First Team All-American selection (2020) and a pair of NWCA Scholar All-American nods (2020-21). The 2018 Most Valuable Wrestler for Nebraska, Venz finished fourth at that season's NCAA Championship as a redshirt freshman, going 6-2 in the tournament. He finished his career with a 14-8 mark at the event to go along with an overall career record of 41-18 in dual action. Nebraska's Lifter of the Year in 2018 turned in 28 career pins, 16 technical falls and 16 major decisions for a total of 60 bonus point victories. In total, he was 101-40 while suiting up for the Huskers and placed within the top-five at the Big Ten Championship in five different campaigns. "I'm thrilled to be joining the wrestling program at West Point," Venz said. "It is an honor to be able to work with an exceptional group of individuals, and I can't wait to help these men achieve their goals on the mat."

The 2022 NCAA Championships at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Division: I Proposal Number: 2021-25 Title: ACADEMIC AND ATHLETICS ELIGIBILITY -- MEN'S WRESTLING ACADEMIC ENHANCEMENT PACKAGE Status: Adopted by Council Intent: In men's wrestling, to revise legislation related to seasons of competition, progress-toward-degree requirements, financial aid minimums, and outside competition, as specified. Category: Amendment A. Bylaws: Amend 12.8, as follows: (August 1, 2022) 12.8 Seasons of Competition: Five-Year Rule. A student-athlete shall not engage in more than four seasons of intercollegiate competition in any one sport (see Bylaws 12.02.6 and 14.3.3). An institution shall not permit a student-athlete to represent it in intercollegiate competition unless the individual completes all seasons of participation in all sports within the time periods specified below: [12.8.1 through 12.8.2 unchanged.] 12.8.3 Criteria for Determining Season of Competition. 12.8.3.1 Minimum Amount of Competition. Any competition, regardless of time, during a season in an intercollegiate sport shall be counted as a season of competition in that sport, except as provided in Bylaws 12.8.3.1.1, 12.8.3.1.2, 12.8.3.1.3, 12.8.3.1.4, 12.8.3.1.5 and 12.8.3.1.6. This provision is applicable to intercollegiate athletics competition conducted by a two-year or four-year collegiate institution at the varsity or subvarsity level. [12.8.3.1.1 through 12.8.3.1.6 unchanged.] 12.8.3.1.7 Exception -- Men's Wrestling. In men's wrestling, a student-athlete representing a Division I institution may compete in up to five dates of competition during the student-athlete's initial year of collegiate enrollment without using a season of competition. Competition in a conference championship tournament, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, or any other season-ending championship event shall not be exempted from counting as a season of competition. [12.8.3.2 through 12.8.3.7 unchanged.] [12.8.4 through 12.8.6 unchanged.] B. Bylaws: Amend 14.4, as follows: (August 1, 2022) 14.4 Progress-Toward-Degree Requirements. [14.4.1 through 14.4.2 unchanged.] 14.4.3 Eligibility for Competition. [14.4.3.1 through 14.4.3.2 unchanged.] 14.4.3.3 Fulfillment of Minimum Grade-Point Average Requirements. A student-athlete who is entering the second year of collegiate enrollment shall present a cumulative minimum grade-point average (based on a maximum 4.000) that equals at least 90 percent of the institution's overall cumulative grade point average required for graduation. A student-athlete who is entering the third year of collegiate enrollment shall present a cumulative minimum grade-point average (based on a maximum of 4.000) that equals 95 percent of the institution's overall cumulative minimum grade-point average required for graduation. A student-athlete who is entering the fourth or later year of collegiate enrollment shall present a cumulative minimum grade-point average (based on a maximum of 4.000) that equals 100 percent of the institution's overall cumulative grade-point average required for graduation. If the institution does not have an overall grade-point average required for graduation, it is permissible to use the lowest grade-point average required for any of the institution's degree programs in determining the cumulative minimum grade-point average. The minimum grade-point average must be computed pursuant to institutional policies applicable to all students. [14.4.3.3.1 unchanged.] 14.4.3.3.2 Timing of Certification -- Sports Other Than Men's Wrestling. A In sports other than men's wrestling, a student-athlete's eligibility under this provision shall be certified by the first date of competition or contest of each regular term of an academic year beginning with that student's second or later academic year (third semester or fourth quarter) of full-time enrollment (see Bylaw 14.02.12). The certification shall be based on the student-athlete's academic record in existence at the beginning of the applicable term. [14.4.3.3.2.1 unchanged.] 14.4.3.3.3 Exception -- Men's Wrestling. In men's wrestling, a student-athlete who has completed an academic term in residence at the certifying institution shall present either a cumulative minimum grade-point average or a term minimum grade point average of at least 2.000. A student-athlete's eligibility under this provision shall be certified by the first date of competition or contest of each regular term of an academic year beginning with that student-athlete's second term of full-time enrollment. The certification shall be based on the student-athlete's record in existence at the beginning of the applicable term. [14.4.3.4 through 14.4.3.10 unchanged.] C. Bylaws: Amend 15.5, as follows: (August 1, 2023; effective for student-athletes who initially enroll full time at any four-year collegiate institution on or after August 1, 2023.) 15.5 Maximum Institutional Grant-in-Aid Limitations by Sport. [15.5.1 through 15.5.2 unchanged.] 15.5.3 Equivalency Sports. 15.5.3.1 Maximum Equivalency Limits. 15.5.3.1.1 Men's Sports. There shall be a limit on the value (equivalency) of financial aid awards (per Bylaw 15.02.5.2) that an institution may provide in any academic year to counters in the following men's sports: Cross Country/Track and Field 12.6 Swimming and Diving 9.9 Fencing 4.5 Tennis 4.5 Golf 4.5 Volleyball 4.5 Gymnastics 6.3 Water Polo 4.5 Lacrosse 12.6 Wrestling 9.9 Rifle 3.6 Skiing 6.3 Soccer 9.9 15.5.3.1.1.1 Minimum Equivalency Value -- Men's Wrestling. In men's wrestling, an institution shall provide each counter athletically related and other countable financial aid that is equal to or greater than 20 percent of an equivalency. 15.5.3.1.1.1.1 Exception -- Need-Based Athletics Aid Only. In men's wrestling, an institution that awards athletically related financial aid based solely on demonstrated financial need, as determined for all students by the institution's financial aid office using methodologies that conform to federal, state and written institutional guidelines (including institutional financial aid that is considered athletically related financial aid based on the intervention of athletics department staff), is not subject to the 20 percent minimum equivalency value per counter. 15.5.3.1.1.1.2 Exception -- Final Two Years of Eligibility and Not Previously Aided. An institution may provide less than 20 percent of an equivalency to a student-athlete, provided the student-athlete is in the final two years of eligibility and has not previously received athletically related financial aid in men's wrestling at any collegiate institution. [15.5.3.1.2 through 15.5.3.1.4 unchanged.] [15.5.3.2 unchanged.] [15.5.4 through 15.5.11 unchanged.] D. Bylaws: Amend 17.33, as follows: (August 1, 2022) 17.33 Outside Competition, Effects on Eligibility. The eligibility of a student-athlete who engages in outside competition (see Bylaw 17.02.11) is affected as set forth in the following regulations. 17.33.1 Outside Competition -- Sports Other Than Basketball. A student-athlete in any sport other than basketball who participates during the academic year as a member of any outside team in any noncollegiate, amateur competition becomes ineligible for intercollegiate competition unless eligibility is restored by the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement. A student-athlete is permitted to practice on such a team. [17.33.1.1 unchanged.] 17.33.1.2 Exception -- Women's Wrestling. In women's wrestling, a student-athlete may compete outside the institution's declared playing and practice season as a member of an outside team in any noncollegiate, amateur competition during any official vacation period, except a vacation period that occurs between the beginning of the institution's academic year and November 1. The number of student-athletes from any one institution shall not exceed the applicable limits set forth in Bylaw 17.31.2. 17.33.1.3 Exception -- Men's Wrestling. In men's wrestling, a student-athlete may compete outside the institution's declared playing and practice season as a member of an outside team in any noncollegiate, amateur competition during any official vacation period, except a vacation period that occurs between the beginning of the institution's academic year and November 1 and any vacation period that occurs during the student-athlete's first academic term of full-time enrollment. A student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade-point average, as specified in Bylaw 14.3.3.3.3, to participate in outside competition. The number of student-athletes from any one institution shall not exceed the applicable limits set forth in Bylaw 17.31.2. [17.33.1.3 through 17.33.1.7 renumbered as 17.33.1.4 through 17.33.1.8, unchanged.] 17.33.1.89 Competition as Individual/Not Representing Institution. It is permissible for a student-athlete to participate in outside competition as an individual during the academic year in the student-athlete's sport, as long as the student-athlete represents only the student-athlete in the competition and does not engage in such competition as a member of or receive expenses from an outside team. [17.33.1.8.1 renumbered as 17.33.1.9.1, unchanged.] 17.33.1.9.2 Exception -- No Competition During First Term -- Men's Wrestling. In men's wrestling, a student-athlete shall not participate in outside competition as an individual during the student athlete's first full-time term of collegiate enrollment. Thereafter, a student-athlete shall meet the minimum grade-point average requirement specified in Bylaw 14.3.3.3.3 in order to be eligible to compete in outside competition as an individual. [17.33.1.9 through 17.33.1.12 renumbered as 17.33.1.10 through 17.33.1.13, unchanged.] [17.33.2 through 17.33.5 unchanged.] Source: NCAA Division I Council (Committee on Academics) Effective Date: Sections A, B, D: August 1, 2022 Section C: August 1, 2023; effective for student-athletes who initially enroll full time at any four-year collegiate institution on or after August 1, 2023. Topical Area: Academic Eligibility Rationale: Recent review of the Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR) data for men's wrestling prompted a detailed examination of the issues impacting the academic success of Division I men's wrestling student athletes, specifically the trends most commonly seen during the first year of college. That study, led by the Division I Wrestling Academic Enhancement Group, resulted in a comprehensive legislative proposal to support the academic success, retention and well-being of Division I men's wrestling student-athletes. Specifically, the proposal raises and standardizes the cumulative grade-point average progress-toward degree requirement for men's wrestling student-athletes, applicable immediately during the first year of college, to incentivize early academic performance and focus. The proposal further requires all counters in men's wrestling to receive at least a 20% equivalency, to decrease the financial pressures historically experienced by some men's wrestling student-athletes. To better position an institution's ability to directly support the health and overall well-being of men's wrestling student-athletes who are redshirted during their first-year, this proposal would allow student-athletes to compete in up to five dates of regular-season competition without using a season of competition. Lastly, providing access to the proposed five contest date exception warrants prohibiting outside competition during a student-athlete's first term of enrollment, and moving forward, requiring all student-athletes to maintain a 2.000 grade-point average to engage in outside competition during the academic year. Estimated Budget Impact: None. Impact on Student-Athlete's Time (Academic and/or Athletics): None. History: Nov 11, 2021 In Progress Feb 7, 2022 Ready for Vote Apr 13, 2022 Tabled Tabled based on the pending work of the Transformation Committee. Jun 15, 2022 Ready for Vote Jun 15, 2022 Adopted by Council Legislative References Legislative Cite Title 12.8 Seasons of Competition: Five-Year Rule. 12.8.3 Criteria for Determining Season of Competition. 12.8.3.1 Minimum Amount of Competition. 14.4 Progress-Toward-Degree Requirements. 14.4.3 Eligibility for Competition. 14.4.3.3 Fulfillment of Minimum Grade-Point Average Requirements. 14.4.3.3.2 Timing of Certification. Legislative Cite Title 15.5 Maximum Institutional Grant-in-Aid Limitations by Sport. 15.5.3 Equivalency Sports. 15.5.3.1 Maximum Equivalency Limits. 15.5.3.1.1 Men's Sports. 17.33 Outside Competition, Effects on Eligibility. 17.33.1 Outside Competition -- Sports Other Than Basketball. 17.33.1.2 Exception -- Wrestling. 17.33.1.8 Competition as Individual/Not Representing Institution. Student-Athlete Success/Well-Being: Yes. The proposed standards and new provisions are intended to help all men's wrestling student-athletes achieve an academic foundation during their initial year of college, while also helping to provide financial and well-being support. Enforceable and Merits Outweigh Monitoring Burdens: Yes. The merits of implementing standards intended to improve the academic success and overall well-being of men's wrestling student-athletes outweigh the monitoring burdens. Consequential or Nationally Significant: Yes. Legislation applicable to all men's wrestling student-athletes is nationally significant. Division I Commitment: The Commitment to Sound Academic Standards.

2020 EIWA runner-up Yaraslau Slavikouski (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is...Harvard! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell Central Michigan Chattanooga Clarion Cleveland State Columbia Cornell CSU Bakersfield Davidson Drexel Duke Edinboro Franklin & Marshall Gardner-Webb George Mason NCAA Qualifiers (16) 2022 165: Phil Conigliaro (#8) 2020 165: Phil Conigliaro (#17); 285: Yaraslau Slavikouski (#10) 2018 174: Josef Johnson 2017 133: Jeff Ott; 149: Hunter Ladnier; 174: Josef Johnson 2016 141: Todd Preston (#10); 165: Devon Gobbo (#16); 174: Josef Johnson 2015 285: David Ng 2014 141: Todd Preston (#10); 197: James Fox 2013 141: Steven Keith; 157: Walter Peppelman (#11); 197: James Fox NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans None NWCA All-Americans 2020: Yaraslau Slavikouski (285 - 2nd Team) NCAA Round of 12 Finishers 2022: Phil Conigliaro (165 lbs) 2014: Todd Preston (141 lbs) EIWA Champions 2022: Phil Conigliaro (165) 2016: Devon Gobbo (165) 2014: Todd Preston (141) EIWA Runner's Up 2022: Yaraslau Slavikouski (285) 2017: Jeff Ott (133); Hunter Ladnier (149) 2016: Todd Preston (141) 2013: Walter Peppelman (157); James Fox (197) Dual Record 2021-22: 4-5 2021: Season Canceled 2019-20: 3-10 2018-19: 2-9 2017-18: 6-4 2016-17: 3-8 2015-16: 8-4 2014-15: 3-8 2013-14: 4-9 2012-13: 8-5 Conference Tournament Placement 2021-22: 9th 2021: Season Canceled 2019-20: 12th 2018-19: 14th 2017-18: 11th 2016-17: 10th 2015-16: 9th 2014-15: 14th 2013-14: 9th 2012-13: 7th NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 52nd-tie 2021: Season Canceled 2019-20: Tournament Canceled 2017-19: No Point Scorers 2017-18: 56th-tie 2016-17: 60th-tie 2015-16: 45th-tie 2014-15: 65th 2013-14: 58th-tie 2012-13: 41st Head Coaching History Jay Weiss (1994-Present) Best Lineup (Comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Beau Bayless: 2022 EIWA fifth-place finisher 133 - Jeff Ott: 2017 NCAA Qualifier; 2017 EIWA runner-up 141 - Todd Preston: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#10 seed x2); 2014 EIWA Champion, 2x EIWA finalist 149 - Hunter Ladnier: 2017 NCAA Qualifier; 2017 EIWA runner-up 157 - Walter Peppelman: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#4 and #11 x2 seeds); 2012 NCAA 8th Place, 2x EIWA runner-up 165 - Phil Congiliaro: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#8 and #17 seeds); 2022 EIWA Champion; 2022 NCAA Round of 12 finisher 174 - Josef Johnson: 3x NCAA Qualifier 184 - Cameron Croy: 2014 EIWA sixth-place finisher 197 - James Fox: 3x NCAA Qualifier; 2013 NCAA Runner-Up 285 - Yaraslau Slavikouski: 2020 NCAA Qualifier (#10 seed); 2020 EIWA runner-up Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2022: #106 Jack Crook (FL); #121 Joe Cangro (NJ); #149 Jimmy Harrington (MA); #203 Dante Frinzi (PA); #237 Mark Bobola (MA) 2021: #98 Diego Sotelo (IL); #108 Alex Whitworth (GA); #187 Cael Berg (MN) 2020: #51 Kenny Herrmann (PA); #57 Dom Mata (CA) 2018: #76 Leonardo Tarantino (FL) 2016: #39 Hunter Ladnier (OH); #52 Kyle Bierdumpfel (NJ); #119 AJ Jaffe (IL) 2015: #104 Thomas Dutton (NY); #114 Nolan Hellickson (IA) 2013: #15 Eric Morris (PA); #51 Brad Perkins (MO); #85 Tyler Grimaldi (NY)

Mason Gibson at the 2022 Cadet Trials (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On the first day that DI schools were allowed to contact prospective student-athletes from the Class of 2024, Cornell received a huge commitment. #16 overall Mason Gibson (Bishop McCort, PA) announced via social media that he had given the Big Red a verbal. Gibson was a Pennsylvania AA state runner-up as a freshman for Bishop McCort; however, he and his teammates were not able to compete in the postseason in 2022 (and for the next two seasons) because of punishments handed down by the PIAA regarding transfers and recruiting. Even without a state tournament, Gibson and his teammates have managed to shine on the national level. So far in 2022, Gibson has won NHSCA Sophomore Nationals and took seventh at 55 kg at the Cadet World Team Trials in freestyle. Last year, Gibson was third at the Cadet Trials in the same weight class. He later went on to place top-three in both styles in Fargo at the 16U level, winning Greco and taking third in freestyle. Mason announced his presence in 2019 by winning the 106 lb weight class at the Super 32 despite being in eighth grade. A year later, Gibson was third. Getting Gibson shouldn't be considered a huge surprise as his older brother, Erik, was the #56 recruit in the Class of 2022 and is headed to Ithaca. We still have two full years of competition before the younger Gibson enrolls at Cornell so nailing down his projected weight may be difficult. Seeing as he wrestled 55 kg in April and based on his body type, he may be a 133 lber for Mike Grey's team. For all of the recruiting listings, check out InterMat's College Commitment Page.

New Cleveland State assistant coach Devin Schroder (photo courtesy of Cleveland State athletics) CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State Athletic Department and head wrestling coach Josh Moore announced the hiring of Devin Schroder as an assistant coach for the Vikings program. Schroder arrives at Cleveland State after a standout career at Purdue University from 2016-to 2022. He was a four-time NCAA Championships 125-pound qualifier (2019-22), becoming the third wrestler in program history to earn a top 10 national seed at least three times. Schroder was also a four-time Big Ten placer (2019-22). "Devin will make an immediate impact on our program and student-athletes," said Moore. "After a stellar career at Purdue and competing in the Big Ten, he understands what it takes to be successful at this level. His passion for the sport and helping others make him a great fit here at Cleveland State." Schroder earned NWCA First Team All-American honors in 2020 after receiving the fifth seed at the NCAA National Championships, which was canceled due to COVID-19. He was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation via The Open Mat, TrackWrestling, and WIN Magazine. "I can't describe how excited and grateful I am to be a part of this team and community," said Schroder. "Coach Moore has already laid the groundwork for the program, and I look forward to helping guide and develop the young men on the team into leaders that will succeed on and off the mat." Schroder graduated from Purdue tied for No. 16 in win percentage in program history (96-37), with 49 of those victories coming via bonus points. He also led the Boilermakers in technical falls four times (2018, 2020-22) which combined for 23 in those years, and graduated with 27. In addition, Schroder was named Most Dominant (2020-22) and was named Purdue's Most Outstanding Wrestler in 2021. Schroder was a three-time Michigan High School Division 3 State Champion for Grand Rapids Catholic Central. He was ranked No. 10 by WIN Magazine, No. 11 by FloWrestling, and No. 17 by Intermat and was the No. 99 overall recruit by FloWrestling. Schroder graduated with a record of 189-7. Schroder graduated with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering and his master's in technology leadership & innovations from Purdue. In 2022, Schroder was named Purdue's Joe Patacsil Leadership award recipient and was named to the All-BIG Ten All-Academic team.

Alex Madrigal at the 2022 Southern Scuffle (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…George Mason! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell Central Michigan Chattanooga Clarion Cleveland State Columbia Cornell CSU Bakersfield Davidson Drexel Duke Edinboro Franklin & Marshall Gardner-Webb NCAA Qualifiers (13) 2020 149: Colston DiBlasi (#17) 2019 149: Tejon Anthony (#27); 165: Colston DiBlasi (#30); 285: Matt Voss (#13) 2018 125: Ibrahim Bunduka; 141: Tejon Anthony; 285: Matt Voss 2017 125: Ibrahim Bunduka; 149: Sahid Kargbo 2016 157: Greg Flournoy 2015 157: Greg Flournoy; 285: Jake Kettler 2013 285: Jake Kettler NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans None NCAA Round of 12 Finishers None EWL Champions 2019: Tejon Anthony (149) Dual Record 2021-22: 9-8 2021: 0-4 2019-20: 9-9 2018-19: 9-7 2017-18: 4-13 2016-17: 7-12 2015-16: 8-15 2014-15: 10-12 2013-14: 6-12 2012-13: 4-16 Conference Tournament Placement MAC 2021-22: 11th 2021: 11th 2019-20: 13th EWL 2018-19: 3rd 2017-18: 7th 2016-17: 5th 2015-16: 6th 2014-15: 5th 2013-14: 7th CAA 2012-13: 6th Head Coaching History Frank Beasley (2017-Present) Joe Russell (2011-17) Best Lineup (Comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Ibrahim Bunduka: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2018 EWL runner-up 133 - Vince Rodriguez: 2012 NCAA Qualifier 141 - Tejon Anthony: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2019 EWL Champion 149 - Alex Madrigal: Injured at MAC's in 2022 (20-4 record); 2x NCAA Qualifier at Old Dominion 157 - Greg Flournoy: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2015 EWL runner-up 165 - Colston DiBlasi: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#17 seed) 174 - Logan Messer 184 - Ryan Hembury 197 - Eli Spencer 285 - Matt Voss: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#13 seed); 2018 EWL runner-up Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2021: #113 Logan Messer (OH); #141 Avery Bassett (PA); #188 Jon List (OH); #251 Nathan Higley (PA) 2020: #173 Eli Dickens (IN); #177 Kaden Cassidy (PA) 2019: #98 Josh Jones (PA)

Jesse Thielke at Final X Stillwater (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The World Team spots are now filled across men's and women's freestyle and Greco-Roman and a team that quietly makes up a large part of the contingent heading to Serbia in September, is the Army World Class Athlete Program. The Army World Class Athlete Program “Allows top-ranked Soldier-athletes to perform at the international level while also serving their nation in the military.” Each “Soldier-Athlete” is required to complete some form of Army IET which typically consists of Basic Training and AIT, or for officers, some form of OCS, ROTC, Academy schooling, and BOLC. They hold an MOS and rank just the same as any other soldier and are required to maintain their appropriate readiness by completing physical fitness tests, medical requirements, and various other tasks. To get promoted they must go to the appropriate NCOES or OES and pass all the same requirements most regular Army Soldiers must complete. Naturally, there are still some differences in their experience's comparative to other soldiers, their predominant focus is wrestling, but the “Soldier-Athlete” concept is a very real merging of the two. Their dominance in Greco is hard to ignore. They had five wrestlers win their series at Final X, making up half of the lineup heading to Serbia. 55 KG-SSG Max Nowry 60 KG-SGT Ildar Hafizov 63 KG-SPC Jesse Thielke 67 KG-SPC Alejandro Sancho 77 KG-PFC Kamal Bey Two of those finals included fellow WCAP wrestlers as did 82 KG, where SPC Spencer Woods fell to Ben Provisor. Hafizov defeated WCAP wrestler Dalton Roberts and Bey beat teammate Britton Holmes. Jesse Thielke on his WCAP experience: “Basic and our job training was definitely a bit of a culture shock for me. But I was made for this, I was made to be a Soldier-athlete. I was made to be a part of this team. It's been wonderful. Different in ways I never could have told you, predicted or imagined, but wonderful all the same.” “I think the biggest thing is accountability. People like Alejandro Sancho… Ellis Coleman, and Michael Hooker were here with me every step of the way. When I say I want to do something, they hold me to it. And that's from the top down. It starts with our leadership, way at the top, all the way down to our Commander and 1SGT, to us. It's something when I got to Basic and AIT, that was the culture shock, that was the adjustment. Once I made that, everything has gone beautifully. I couldn't be happier.” Bolstered by 2021 World Medalist Jenna Burkert, who unfortunately suffered an injury last week at Final X-Stillwater after winning the first bout in her series with Jacarra Winchester, the women's team has shared a large amount of success as well. Though Burkert was unable to continue competing, her influence and mentorship helped guide Abby Nette to a Final X win over Lexie Basham and the 59 KG spot. When asked about Jenna's leadership in the room Nette stated it's been a big influence on her. “Absolutely! We go together most of the time. She kicks the dog *beep* out of me… But she's also a person who can sit down and talk to me about it. She's basically helping me become the next thing in the Army and I really appreciate that and I really appreciate everything she's done for me.” In just two months in the program, Nette believes it's been great for her. “It's a great program, I think everyone should join… It's a good thing to be in a room full of great energy, to be in a room full of winners. We're not just winners, we're a family… Knowing those people are behind me helps me out there.”

Willie Miklus before a 2021-22 home dual meet (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Kevin Claunch: I am very happy to speak with Willie Miklus, assistant coach at Michigan State University. Willie was a 4x All-American while competing for both Missouri and Iowa State. Willie, I can't begin to tell you how many positive things I've heard from people when I told them that I was going to be doing this interview. You're obviously incredibly well-respected, and I'm pumped to be able to speak with you. Willie Miklus: Yeah, I'm excited to do this. I've been a big fan of yours and, and your work for a while now. I'm super pumped to do this interview. Kevin Claunch: I figure we might as well start with Missouri. You had tremendous success there and I was just looking through some of the rosters of the teams that you were on. I had followed those teams pretty closely, mostly because, as a Central Michigan alumnus, and I hated that you guys just kept beating us, you know, consistently, but I was looking back, you had, J'den (Cox) was on some of those teams. Then you had guys like Daniel Lewis, Joey Lavallee, Lavion Mayes, Grant Leeth, a lot of leaders on those teams throughout the years. Since then, a lot of them have transitioned into coaching now. Was the leadership and the sheer number of leaders, something that was discussed amongst that group? Willie Miklus: It was actually. We had some awareness of the number of real leaders that we had on the team, and we knew that any of us were able to help drive towards the collective goal. Coach (Brian) Smith made sure that was a consistent theme though. To be a leader wherever you were. If it was in the wrestling room, if it was in a wrestling practice, wherever we were we were practicing those leadership skills, so it was something we openly talked about and were aware of. Honestly, a lot of the guys that we had on the team were great dudes and we competed in everything. It didn't matter if it was kickball before practice. And then we had fist fights break out there or, you know, just competing in the room and wrestling or whatever it was. It didn't matter. We were there trying to do our best. Everybody wanted to be a leader. Everybody wanted to be the guy, and I was super blessed to have a lot of those teammates that you mentioned. Kevin Claunch: Did you guys talk about post-competition, and getting into coaching or was that something that just happened? I mentioned Leeth and Daniel Lewis, but you know there are a couple of other guys too who have gotten into coaching, which we'll get to in a minute, but was that also an open discussion or just kind of happened? Willie Miklus: It just kind of happened. I mean, I knew I wanted to be a college coach, or I knew I wanted to be a coach. I shouldn't say college coach, but I knew I wanted to be a coach from the time I was 15. When I got to Mizzou, I was very open about wanting to be a division one coach, and wanting to be a head coach one day. I talked to Brian (Smith) about it several times. I've talked to him since I got this job. So yeah, I was pretty open about wanting to coach. I would always ask questions and always paid attention to what he was doing and saying. I know that Leeth, I'm not sure if he always wanted to be a coach, but he's a pretty darn good one. Kevin Claunch: Yeah, I had the pleasure of talking to him for just a couple of minutes at NCAAs, this last year, and I was like, "This guy's got a lot of charisma and energy." It would be easy to just want to run through a wall for him. I wanted to focus on coach Smith too, because he built that program into what it is. He didn't inherit some set and established program. He built it into what it is today, and has been for the last several years. So as an athlete, I wanted to focus on that first, and this is going to be a theme throughout a lot of this interview. What were some of the biggest lessons you picked up, from coach Smith when you were an athlete? Willie Miklus: Probably just compete, compete, compete, compete, expect to win, like all the Tiger Style pillars. I had to do my diet right. I had a train right. I had to sleep right. I had to eat right. I had to go to school and to take classes seriously. I had to focus like it was my job. My job was being an athlete. You know, I got to really pour as much effort as I wanted into it, but doing the right things at the end of the day, it made it a lot easier to look at yourself in the mirror. I think that was kind of one of the biggest things I got out of it, just the overall mentality towards competition and competing and how we trained and what we focused on. The level and amount of work that was put into each season is a staggering difference (from high school). I shouldn't say a staggering difference from high school because my high school team was very, very mature, and very hardworking as well. A very successful team as well, but yeah, it was just a different level of work. Kevin Claunch: Now that you've transitioned into coaching, what are some of the biggest lessons that you've picked up from him to have sustained coaching success? Willie Miklus: Honestly, Coach Smith, like he coached everybody as an individual, or tried to, as much as he could. You look at J'den Cox and the way he wrestles, versus me, versus Grant Leeth with the neck brace or, you know, Jaydin Eierman or Daniel Lewis, or Lavallee, any single one of those guys. We were all incredibly different people. We all had different things that made us tick, we all had different styles, like different things that we did well, as well as different things we struggled with. As a coach, you know, you work on general things as a team, but then you also tailor it towards the individuals. I think that that's probably one of the biggest things I've taken away from him and just on my own, I noticed as an athlete, I had to do things my own way. I had to do things differently, and try to work to perfect each and every single one of those things. Kevin Claunch: Awesome. Speaking of some of the other coaches there, I remembered that while you were at Missouri, so was Alex Clemsen (current head coach at the University of Maryland). I also remember him being so passionate and exuberant, I knew that given the time and attention at Maryland he would do well. He was just really, really intense while coaching. So now fast forward and you're coaching against him in the Big Ten. What's it like having him now, as someone that you're competing against? I'm sure it was great having him in your corner, but how is it having him on the other side? Willie Miklus: It's really cool. We went to the Maryland dual this year and I got to see his son Porter. When he came to staff (as a Missouri coach), his daughter, Peyton, and his son Porter were, we're really young and Porter is starting to get really big. It was pretty cool. You get to see that, I have gotten to be around Porter as he's grown up and his daughters have grown up. And getting to know his wife. Having him as a coach was like, he texted me yesterday actually. And he's just like, you know, 'You always had fun'. He kind of brought that up like, 'Dude you were just so fun to coach', but just wished me well and happy Memorial Day. He was, he was super fun to have in my corner. A guy that I, I really enjoyed, while I got to be around him. Coaching against him now is kind of fun too, because I told him before our dual meet I said, 'it doesn't matter what you say, I'm just going to yell the opposite.' So he just kinda chuckled because he didn't know what do you say to somebody that said something like that? I'm not even going to worry about coaching my guys, I'm just going to coach opposite of you. Kevin Claunch: (Laughing loudly, and regaining composure) That is… that's unbelievable. I love it. So, from Missouri, you transferred to Iowa State to be closer to home. Clearly, it's a very unique situation for you to be able to come into a new program, at that point you were already a three-time All-American, anybody would have been happy to have you join their team. To be closer to home you got to jump into this program at Iowa State, work with Kevin Dresser, Brent Metcalf, Derek St. John. Obviously under tough circumstances with your father's illness, so not ideal. However, you got to do something really cool, in coming home. I hope that you still really value and appreciate it all these years later. You were happy to have that chance at the time, but has the appreciation grown over the years? Willie Miklus: Yeah, what I got to do was super special. I don't know that I even understand the magnitude of it yet. I know for sure, I didn't understand it then. Yeah, it was, it was such a special thing, such a special opportunity that I had. I'm forever grateful to the Missouri staff for helping me with that and doing whatever they could for me in that time and understanding that that was kind of what I needed. Even when I was doing it, I know they didn't see it all. They didn't understand what was happening with my dad fully. But it would be impossible to, unless you were living in it, and I was living in it, but it was a really cool thing that I got to do, and then the magnitude of it is still lost on me a little bit. Kevin Claunch: I think it was crazy. Like, so not to make this about me or anything, but just as a point of emphasis, I'd had lost my father about a year or so before, the news came out with your transfer and the reasoning behind it and everything. So, I just respected everybody involved. Like you said, Missouri being willing to let you transfer, not that I think most people wouldn't. You like to think that most coaches would help their athletes in that situation, but it doesn't make it any less remarkable that they did, and it worked out that way. So, it was really cool to watch everyone be so human and for you to have the opportunity to be closer to home and to have the experience of being in another wrestling room. Being in the Iowa State room, and having that opportunity, what did you take away from Coach Dresser and that staff as an athlete? Willie Miklus: He liked to coach you old school, that was kind of his thing. He was like, you know, "I need your permission to coach old school". And I was super about it. That's how my dad always was, he was super old school and really blunt to the point. Dresser never pulled any punches with me. He'd always just tell me exactly how it was, and I knew exactly where I stood with him. I may not have agreed or liked it at the time, but I always knew exactly where I stood. So that was something, you know, some guys really thrive out of that and you can be super blunt and super to the point. Some guys not so much, but I really appreciated Dresser for that because he was like, "Hey, you know, I'll just tell it to you straight, how it is, and what I think" I figured "Cool, sounds good. Like it was awesome." We did a lot more like longer live go's, which I kind of enjoyed, especially once I got back into shape. On the first day I did it, I did not have fun. Metcalf and St. John traded in on me. They didn't need to trade, but they did. And then I went a live and extended go with each one of them after that, too. And it was just, it was terrible. All three of those days were just awful days. Kevin Claunch: Those are two guys who have never struggled with conditioning. If college wrestling matches were 30 minutes long, they wouldn't get tired. Willie Miklus: Yeah, no, they both can still wrestle. They can both still do it. And we're a couple of years down the road now, too. But back then, they were still every bit as able to just beat you up as much as they wanted to do. Kevin Claunch: I don't doubt it for a second. Is there anything in particular that you took away from him, now that you're coaching, from the coaching perspective? Willie Miklus: Yeah, like I said, I get to be straightforward with some kids. Other kids, I gotta beat around the bush a little more. Just the way you talk to somebody is super vital. Dresser was always willing to do whatever was best for me, whatever I absolutely needed. Not that Missouri wasn't that way, but that's been a theme with my college coaches. Metcalf and St. John have always had my back and always will. So I mean, I got really blessed, right? Like a lot of people, they leave their college team and don't like their coaches or whatever, but I had two different sets of coaches and I really enjoyed both. But yeah, just doing whatever's best for the person and kind of being a little bit old school at times and a little bit new school at times. That's kind of what I picked out of them. Kevin Claunch: You're at Michigan State now, with Wynn Michalak going down to Campbell to coach with Scotti Sentes. It was funny because right around that time we had Cam Caffey on our podcast, Bloodround, Rayvon was on that episode as well. I think it was right before you were hired, but there must have already been some conversations, he must've known what was coming because he seemed very excited. Like you could almost tell he knew you were being brought in but couldn't say it yet. So the question is, what first intrigued you about the Michigan State job? Willie Miklus: Cam Caffey's haircut. It's flawless. He's such a unique kid. You just don't coach many kids like him ever. He's something else. Honestly, it was just the rise in the program that I've seen. Cam Caffey was the first big name, Rayvon too. I remember watching him AA. But yeah, just the way the team was trending, they had just beat Wisconsin. That was a real eye-opener and a head turner for a lot of people. Everything just seemed like it was clicking and firing in the right ways and trending in a really good direction headed into nationals. So just kind of the direction of the program was headed. I knew that it had a lot to do with Roger and Chris and Wynn, and they all did phenomenal jobs, and Roger and Chris still do. Kevin Claunch: Are there any particular highs or lows that stand out to you, since coming to East Lansing and helping the team develop? Willie Miklus: We beat Rutgers last year. We went on a hot streak in duals, we were ranked top 15, like 14 is where we were the highest we were ranked this past season, maybe 12th. I think it was the 14th though. We had a few different come-from-behind dual wins. Our 184, 197, and heavyweight pulling us out of a hole at Lock Haven during their whiteout… Kevin Claunch: That's right, I was watching that. It was very early in the season. Willie Miklus: Yeah. I told those guys that it was going to be a hostile environment and I don't think they believed me, um, as much as they should have, but, and they figured it out real quick. Like my favorite thing that's the biggest highlight for me is how close the team is. Aside from wrestling, like they're all best friends. Nobody's safe, everybody's going to get picked on. I feel like that's a trademark of a great team. You know, you, you gotta get picked on. Roger gets picked on sometimes. I definitely get picked on a lot. I bring it on myself quite a bit. I'll be honest. But just the comradery of the team. Obviously, we're getting a lot better at wrestling. We're starting to have a lot more success. That's cool. But the environment, the group of guys that we have in the room right now, is what's amazing. All credit to them. And then the coaches for recruiting them. Kevin Claunch: It seemed like a really close team and a lot of great personalities on the team. We talked about Caffey earlier. I was at the CMU versus MSU dual this last year where Layne Malczewski was on his back for a hot minute. Of course, the match ended with him flipping it around and pinning Cushman. Those points were necessary to win the dual, too. So obviously, you have a pretty awesome team that's not going to quit fighting for each other. So as a coach, where do you feel you've had the best impact on the program since getting to East Lansing? Willie Miklus: I feel like I bring up a pretty different dynamic. I'm constantly joking around. I'm constantly having fun. Even when we're getting better, or we're working on something like I'm constantly cracking jokes or like, suggesting "Hey, why don't you try this? Why don't you fit this in and see how you like that?". Just like constantly coming up with different ideas in the room, but like all of our coaches do that, we've all done it. I think one of the best parts of our staff is just that none of us have an ego. A couple of guys need to work on hand fighting. And I was like, "Look, I'm not that guy." I sent him over to Roger. Roger's a better hand fighter than I'll ever be. That goes all the way around. I've sent guys to Chris to work on things. I've picked on guys about things. Justin Oliver, I have sent guys to him to work on things. I think that me jumping in as a coach was kind of like, you know, a puzzle piece fitting in, and I just feel like I'm at home now. I think my biggest contribution is just being me. It's hard to explain. I'm constantly just having fun and I love to be in the room. Kevin Claunch: Do you have a dry sense of humor? I'm kind of picking up a dryness in the jokes. Willie Miklus: Yeah, a real dry sense of humor. Kevin Claunch: It sounds like, from this conversation, that you've been pretty aware of where some coaches have been able to help you and to improve. Is there anything in particular that you want to continue to get better at as a coach, and to have a greater impact on the team? Willie Miklus: I'm trying to become a better recruiter. It's a tricky skill. I'm still working on it. I'm trying to work on recruiting, film breakdowns are pretty good, but I think I can always improve there. Sometimes, you know, and you push a kid when you need to pull back on them, or you pull back on when you need to push them. So just like dialing that in. I know that Roger's level of patience is unparalleled. He's a super patient person and I am not always so patient. So that's a skill I'm definitely working on. I try to improve myself every day in some sort of way. I think all around I can always become a better coach, um, whether it's technique, just having a good relationship with the guys or, you know, whatever they might need. I'm constantly trying to get better. I don't think there's any such thing as a perfect coach, like, but I'm trying to do the best that I can. I have all different kinds of things that I can get better at. I asked my guys all the time, "what do you guys think I need to do?" I guess some interesting answers for sure, but I'm working in a lot of different areas to become a better, but I think recruiting is the number one area I can improve on. Kevin Claunch: That's a great answer because recruiting is obviously a big aspect of it, but I guess I forget to think about how important that is. How valuable a skill that is as a coach in college, so that's an excellent point. Are there any particular Spartans jumping into the lineup next year or is there anything in particular that we should just be paying attention to or watching from Michigan State, as we head through this summer and into next season? Willie Miklus: I think the whole team is honestly pretty hungry right now. They want to do better next year than they did this year. I'm excited to see what Cam Caffey and Layne Malczewski can do next year. You know, losing at nationals was not a good taste in their mouth. I'm excited to see Rayvon Foley back on the mat, I'm excited to see Tristan Lujan back on the mat. The whole team up and down the lineup, I'm really excited for it. I think that we've got a lot of good things trending in a positive direction right now. We've got guys getting better and that are starting to get committed to the process of being great wrestlers. I think as far as our team for next year, the whole team is going to come back better than they were this year, which is exciting for us. Kevin Claunch: For sure. Like you said, the team had a really good year. I was really impressed with Saldate last season and how good he's gotten on top. I mean, he was good on top before, but he was, he was really, really tough last year. The improvements were noticeable. A really good foundation that you guys have built out there and, I'm really pumped to see what the Spartans do next season and truly appreciate your time. Willie Miklus: Anytime, you know that. I'm super pumped for it. It's going to be a really fun season.

Clockwise from top left: Matt Azevedo, Steve Garland, Troy Nickerson, Mike Grey, Jordan Leen, Brian Smith, Jeremy Spates, and Damion Hahn; with Rob Koll (center) (All photos courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On Monday afternoon, Brown University announced that Jordan Leen would be the program's new head coach, a move lauded by many observers in the wrestling community. After looking past Leen and his accomplishments, the hiring also marked another significant occurrence. His hiring extends another branch on the growing coaching tree of current Stanford head coach Rob Koll. Leen is the eighth current DI head coach to have coached under or wrestled for Koll, while at Cornell. That's territory that previously only existed under John Smith/Oklahoma State or Dan Gable/Iowa. Before we get to more about Leen, here are the eight coaches that headline the Koll Coaching Tree. Mike Grey (Cornell) The successor to Rob Koll at Cornell, Mike Grey, is an obvious answer. Grey spent his competitive career at Cornell, where he made the NCAA podium on two occasions and won the EIWA twice, as well. Right after his eligibility was exhausted, Grey found his way onto the Big Red coaching staff as a volunteer assistant. With such a long, distinguished list of alumni available, that speaks volumes about Grey's aptitude for coaching. In year one as Cornell's head coach, the Big Red regained control of the Ivy League and EIWA, as well as placed seventh in the country, behind Yianni Diakomihalis' third NCAA title. Brian Smith (Missouri) Since Brian Smith has been at the helm for Mizzou since 1998 it's easy to forget he got his start coaching collegiately at Cornell, under Rob Koll. Smith was on staff for David Hirsch's 1994 NCAA championship, the first by a Cornell wrestler since 1960. He left following the 1997 season to assume head coaching duties at Syracuse for a year, before moving to Missouri. At Mizzou, Smith has completely revamped the program and put his “TigerStyle” stamp across the state. Under Smith, the team has seen six wrestlers combine to win nine NCAA titles. Prior to his arrival, the school never had a national champion. As a team, Missouri has claimed two NCAA trophies (3rd and 4th place), and finished in the top ten at the last seven NCAA Tournaments. Steve Garland (Virginia) After graduating from Virginia, Steve Garland was on the Cornell staff for six seasons and served as the team's recruiting coordinator. Under his direction, the Big Red landed mega-recruits like Troy Nickerson, which helped change the trajectory and expectations of recruiting at the Ivy League school. On the mat, he assisted two-time NCAA champion Travis Lee, who did the same, elevating the level of results for the team. Garland was hired as UVA's head coach in 2006 and has been with the Cavaliers ever since. His teams have produced 13 All-Americans, including a pair of national finalists. Virginia has captured a pair of conference titles in the ever-improving ACC and notched two top-15 finishes during Garland's tenure. Matt Azevedo (Drexel) Matt Azevedo spent two years on the Cornell bench after coming in from Cal Poly. During Azevedo's two seasons, Cornell finished second in the nation, both years. In 2010, the Big Red were a distant second place to a dominating Iowa squad, while the 2011 bunch was expected to win, yet yielded to Penn State and their first title under Cael Sanderson. After the 2011 season, Azevedo was hired by Drexel to lead their program following the retirement of legendary head coach Jack Childs. Under Azevedo's direction, the Dragons were ranked in the top-25 for the first time ever and have transitioned from the CAA to the EIWA. Since the move, three Drexel wrestlers have claimed EIWA championships. Azevedo has also been instrumental in the development of the Pennsylvania RTC, a shared venture between Drexel and neighboring Penn, which has become a force on the international front. Troy Nickerson (Northern Colorado) The aforementioned Nickerson was the prize of the 2005 recruiting class and delivered on the mat for Cornell with four, top-four finishes at the NCAA tournament, including a national title in 2009. Just four years after his collegiate career at Cornell ended, Nickerson was named head coach at Northern Colorado. This came after a stint on the Iowa State staff. Nickerson's hire has injected life into a Northern Colorado program that was likely overlooked in the WWC/West Regional. While in Greeley, Nickerson has been able to nab a top-ten recruiting class (2019) and has overseen a tremendous improvement for the Bears on-the-mat product. During the NCAA Tournament-less 2019-20 season, three UNC wrestlers earned honorable mention All-American honors. In 2022, Andrew Alirez won the first Big 12 crown in program history, after Northern Colorado put a wrestler in the finals in the two previous years. Damion Hahn (South Dakota State) After winning two NCAA titles and AA'ing four times for Minnesota, New Jersey native Damion Hahn went back to the east coast and spent 12 years on the Cornell staff. With Hahn on staff, Cornell finished in the top-ten 11 times, including their back-to-back runner-up years of 2010 and 2011. Among others, Hahn worked closely with Cam Simaz, Steve Bosak, and Gabe Dean, all upperweights that won national titles for Cornell. In 2018, after Chris Bono left for Wisconsin, Hahn took over the South Dakota State program. Building off the momentum from Bono, Hahn's Jackrabbit team saw three wrestlers earn second-team All-American honors in 2020, followed by Clay Carlson's podium finish in 2021. Under Hahn, SDSU has become a power on the recruiting trail and also has started construction on a brand-new state-of-the-art wrestling facility. Jeremy Spates (SIU Edwardsville) Jeremy Spates spent five years coaching under his father, Jack, at Oklahoma, before coming to Cornell and spending four years on staff in Ithaca. Spates was instrumental to the development of a young Kyle Dake, who won all four of his NCAA titles with Spates on the bench. After Dake's Hodge Trophy-winning 2012-13 campaign, Spates was hired by SIU Edwardsville. Just four years later, the Cougars saw their first DI All-American as Jake Residori got on the podium at 174 lbs, despite being unseeded. That same tournament Freddie Rodriguez narrowly missed out on AA honors, by a match. SIU Edwardsville has since moved into the MAC, which has been more competitive than the SoCon. There are signs of a bright future as SIUE already has verbals from a pair of 2023 Big Boarder's. Jordan Leen (Brown) The newest member of this group, Jordan Leen, wrestled for Koll at Cornell from 2004-09. While at Cornell, Leen earned All-American honors on three occasions and was a national champion in 2008, as the eighth seed at 157 lbs. Leen has gone on to coach at Duke and Virginia, before his most recent role at Pittsburgh. While with the Panthers, Leen has assisted Keith Gavin in resurrecting a Pittsburgh program that previously failed to land top recruits from the fertile, local high schools. The 2021 NCAA Tournament saw Pittsburgh place two wrestlers in the national finals. Leen will now go head-to-head with former teammate, Grey, as he attempts to bring Brown into national prominence in the Ivy League and EIWA.

2x NCAA Qualifier RJ Mosley (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Gardner-Webb! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell Central Michigan Chattanooga Clarion Cleveland State Columbia Cornell CSU Bakersfield Davidson Drexel Duke Edinboro Franklin & Marshall NCAA Qualifiers (14) 2022 165: RJ Mosley (#22) 2021 165 - RJ Mosley (#28); 184 - Jha'Quan Anderson (#32) 2019 165 - Tyler Marinelli (#20) 2018 157 - Tyler Marinelli 2017 157 - Ryan Mosley; 174 - Austin Trott; 184 - Hunter Gamble 2016 149 - Chris Vassar; 165 - Austin Trott; 285 - Boyce Cornwall 2015 149 - Ryan Mosley 2014 165 - Austin Trott 2013 174 - Hunter Gamble NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans None NCAA Round of 12 None SoCon Champions 2022: RJ Mosley (165) 2019: Tyler Marinelli (165) 2018: Tyler Marinelli (157) 2017: Ryan Mosley (157) 2016: Austin Trott (165) 2013: Hunter Gamble (174) Dual Record 2021-22: 7-7 2021: 4-7 2019-20: 5-9 2018-19: 3-12 2017-18: 3-10 2016-17: 8-8 2015-16: 9-6 2014-15: 7-11 2013-14: 6-16 2012-13: 4-13 SoCon Tournament Placement 2021-22: 4th 2021: 4th 2019-20: 7th 2018-19: 5th 2017-18: 6th 2016-17: 5th 2015-16: 3rd 2014-15: 4th 2013-14: 5th 2012-13: 4th Head Coaching History Daniel Elliott (2012-Present) Best Lineup (Comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Cortez Starks: 2x SoCon 3rd Place 133 - Tyler Ziegler: 2016 SoCon Runner-Up 141 - Trevon Majette: 2021 SoCon 3rd Place 149 - Ryan Mosley: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2017 SoCon Champion 157 - Tyler Marinelli: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2x SoCon Champion 165 - RJ Mosley: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2022 SoCon Champion 174 - Austin Trott: 3x NCAA Qualifier; 2016 SoCon Champion 184 - Hunter Gamble: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2013 SoCon Champion 197 - Anthony Perrine: 2x SoCon 3rd Place 285 - Boyce Cornwell: 2016 NCAA Qualifier Recruiting Number of Big Boarder's Per Year 2017: #72 Denton Spencer (GA) 2013: #163 Chris Vassar (PA); #199 George Weber (MD)

New Brown University head coach Jordan Leen (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Today, Brown University announced Jordan Leen as their next head coach. Leen has spent the last five years as the associate head coach under Keith Gavin at the University of Pittsburgh. He held the same position for the University of Virginia for a season, which happened to be his last stop before Pittsburgh. In total, Leen spent five years with Virginia, as well. Leen is no stranger to the Ivy League; he was a three-time All-American and 2008 NCAA Champion for Cornell at 157 lbs. In each of his final three years in Ithaca, Leen made the podium going eighth as a sophomore, before capturing his national title as a junior, then he was third as a senior. Leen also happened to compete at three different weights at Cornell. He started at 141 and finished at 157 lbs. In conference competition, Leen won the EIWA as a sophomore and senior. He never finished lower than third and was a runner-up during his national title season. That championship came as he was the eighth seed. Leen has developed a reputation as an excellent recruiter. He was instrumental in the Panther's #15 ranked recruiting class for 2022. The Panthers inked a pair of top-50 recruits and three of the top-100. Each of these signees are from Western Pennsylvania, Pitt's backyard. When Gavin and staff took over, improving the Panthers in-state recruiting was deemed necessary for them to compete in the ACC and beyond. Recruiting will play a big factor in Brown's improvement under Leen. Ivy League rivals Penn (#18) Princeton (#20), and Columbia (HM) all were mentioned in InterMat's Class of 2022 Recruiting Rankings. Traditional power, Cornell, was not on the list but returns the bulk of a squad that finished seventh in the nation in Detroit. Additionally, the Big Red already have three of the top-80 recruits from the Class of 2023 aboard. In order, to keep up with the rest of the Ivy, as well as the EIWA (Lehigh #17, Navy #21, Army West Point #23 - recruiting rankings), the Bears will have to up their recruiting results. On the mat, Pitt has made sharp gains over the past few seasons. In 2021, two Panther wrestlers made the NCAA finals (Jake Wentzel - 165 and Nino Bonaccorsi - 197), which led to an 11th-place finish. One would assume, based on size, that Leen was very hands-on with Wentzel's development. Like Leen, Wentzel earned a reputation as one of the best in the country from the top position. This year, while Wentzel and Bonaccorsi missed the podium, 141 lber Cole Matthews finished fifth in the nation and won U23 nationals over the weekend. Leen is only the tenth head coach in Brown wrestling history and the third since 1983.

Eric Thompson (left) and Cohlton Schultz at the 2022 NCAA Championships (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Arizona State's heavyweight Cohlton Schultz took the wrestling world by storm last season, finishing second at NCAAs. Although many factors led to Schultz's success, there is a hidden factor that has allowed him to find his place in Arizona. In August 2021, ASU added Eric Thompson to the coaching staff as the heavyweight coach. However, before he was able to land the job at Arizona State, he had to leap over a few hurdles. First, he dealt with assistant coach Lee Pritts while in Budapest. In addition, he talked to a long-time acquaintance, Frank Molinaro. After bonding with them, Thompson received a call from head coach Zeke Jones. After discussing with Jones, Thompson believed this coaching gig could be the right fit for him. "It's a place that's trending upwards," Thompson said. "I got along with the other coaches and it's a place where I could see my career grow." Although it was a perfect fit, he had to meet with one last person before receiving the job. "When we first met, he was really professional and had to make that good first impression," Schultz said. "But once we get past that, and spent four hours a day or whatever we got to know each other really well, he is really tight." After a handful of days, Thompson and Schultz began to bond closely. According to Thompson, the two bonded well because of their similar mindsets, their enjoyment of the sport, and both being heavyweights. Heading into the season, Schultz was excited to have a coach who can wrestle against him and have his back. "It is nice to have a big heavyweight who understands how wrestling changes when you get up to the upper weights," Schultz said, Plus, he's a guy who I know is looking out for me." Eric Thompson (left) and Cohlton Schultz at Final X Stillwater (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Compared to normal coach and athlete relationships, Schultz also looks out for Thompson and his family. During the season, Thompson would invite his children to Arizona State's practices. Although they are still learning the ropes of the sport, Schultz has become a great role model for Thompson's kids. "Cohlton will watch our kids sometimes," Thompson said. "He's great with our kids and that's important to me. That's why I do what I do. When I treat Cohlton the way I treat him and he treats my son that way, that's a healthy circle of life." Besides helping out off the mat, Thompson has been a big influence on the mat for Schultz. "It's definitely been a blessing," Schultz said. "My wrestling has gone through the roof this year because [Thompson] doesn't mind jumping in with me. He's got a great feel for wrestling too. He understands a lot of positions and just has a good feel." On the other hand, Thompson has been amazed at Schultz's progression after their first year together. "To be there with him and see him get more and more confidence to where he is now, it's cool," Thompson said. "it's really neat to see him do those things." As for the future, the two of them have separate, yet, similar ideas on how their bond will last. "I'm excited to be able to keep building on it," Schultz said. "His two little kids are here. They're funny little fellows that are just adorable, real funny. It'd be pretty fun to be able to see those kids grow and keep working with them. Overall, he's a great friend, a great mentor, and I can't imagine having anyone else." "I'm excited to see how his life goes," Thompson said. "I'm excited to see his wife and his kids. That's why you do this, is to be a part of kids' lives and hopefully be a positive impact."

Cohlton Schultz (right) and Zachary Knighton-Ward (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) WWE unveiled 15 college athletes who will join the company's NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program - "Next In Line™" - that provides a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE. The second "Next In Line" class includes athletes from 14 universities, seven NCAA conferences and seven sports, including the program's first athletes from cheer & dance, gymnastics, volleyball, men's basketball and representation from an HBCU program. The following 15 athletes will be unveiled later this evening at the inaugural NIL Summit at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta: • Ali Mattox of Ole Miss, a 5-foot-7 cheer & dance athlete from Little Rock, Ark. • Case Hatch os Arizona State, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound football player from Gilbert, Ariz. • Chandler Hayden of Tennessee, a 5-foot-11 track & field athlete from Pittsfield, Ill. • Cohlton Schultz of Arizona State, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound wrestler from Parker, Colo. • Derrian Gobourne of Auburn, a 5-foot-4 gymnast from Sarasota, Fla. • Ericka Link of Elon, a 5-foot-6 volleyball player from Hedgesville, W.Va. • Keshaun Moore of Hampton, a 6-foot-3, 270-pound football player from Suffolk, Va. • Luke Ford of Illinois, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound football player from Carterville, Ill. • Maliq Carr of Michigan State, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound football and basketball player from Inkster, Mich. • Mikala Hall of Central Michigan, a 5-foot-5 basketball player from Danville, Ill. • Rachel Glenn of South Carolina, a 6-foot track & field athlete from Long Beach, Calif. • Ruben Banks of Arkansas, a 6-foot-4, 270-pound track & field athlete from Binfield, England • Thunder Keck of Stanford, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound football player from Northfield, N.H. • Tyanna Omazic of Miami, a 6-foot-2 volleyball player from Kansas City, Mo. • Zachary Knighton-Ward of Hofstra, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound wrestler from Rosedale, N.Y. Editor's Note: Schultz, who was NCAA runner-up at 285 for Arizona State this season, recently made his second straight U.S. Senior World Greco-Roman Team. Knighton-Ward is an NCAA qualifier for Hofstra. Ironically, Schultz beat Knighton-Ward in the first round at the 2022 NCAA Championships in Detroit. WWE's comprehensive NIL program launched in December and serves to recruit and develop potential future Superstars, and further enhances WWE's talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds. "Next In Line" has signed 31 full-time college athletes since its inception and currently has 25 active athletes following the graduation of six inaugural members from the program. All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract. All six athletes who graduated from the first class have either signed or are in discussion to join WWE on a full-time basis. Four of the 16 initial members of WWE's "Next In Line" program are nominated for awards at the NIL Summit including Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson (University of Minnesota) for Male Athlete of the Year, Haley & Hanna Cavinder (University of Miami) for Female Athlete of the Year and Jon Seaton (Elon University) for the Hustle Award. Additionally, WWE is a finalist for Brand of the Year. For more information about the inaugural NIL Summit, held June 13-15 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, visit nilsummit.com. Learn more about the "Next In Line" program at wwerecruit.com.

Oklahoma State's Dustin Plott at the U23 World Team Trials (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Several World Teams have been decided in the last few weeks, and a host of Big 12 wrestlers made those teams. We're going to look at who from the Big 12 grabbed some of those spots along with some of the close calls that just missed the cut or placed at some of the tournaments. Senior World Team At Final X Stillwater, the Big 12 can sort of lay claim to two World Team spots. Missouri's J'Den Cox, who never actually wrestled in the Big 12, took the 92 KG FS spot and Seth Gross, a former South Dakota State wrestler who finished out his career at Wisconsin, beat out Oklahoma State's Daton Fix for the 61 KG spot. Former Oklahoma State wrestler and 4-time Big 12 Champion Jordan Oliver also competed here, falling to Zain Retherford at 70 KG. Final X New York saw Hayden Zillmer, who wrestled collegiately at North Dakota State, win the 125 KG spot over Nick Gwiazdowski. Zillmer was the Big 12 runner-up at 184 in 2016. U23 Trials Tournament The Big 12 had some flavor at the U23 Trials tournament. Trevor Mastrogiovanni from Oklahoma State was the runner-up at 57 KG. At 61 KG Julian Farber(Northern Iowa) and Jace Koelzer(Northern Colorado) finished seventh and eighth. South Dakota State became the fourth Big 12 school to medal here with Clay Carlson finishing eight at 65 KG. Some Bedlam at 70 KG as OU's Jacob Butler finished fifth and Oklahoma State's Daniel Manibog finished seventh. West Virginia joined the party with Peyton Hall finishing as the runner-up at 74 KG. They've got a really solid young star coming up in Hall. Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State then gave the conference their first championship by winning at 79 KG. Evan Bockman gave Utah Valley their first placer by taking second at 92 KG and West Virginia got a second placer when Austin Cooley took fifth. Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State was the conference's only wrestler to make the U23 World Team by winning the tournament. Sloan was the 97 KG tournament champion. Iowa State's David Carr also grabbed a spot at 74 KG, but it was done by winning a spot on the Senior team. He beat Joey Lavallee at Final X to do so. To close things out, the conference had two placers at 125 KG with Zach Elam (Missouri) finishing second and Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma) finishing fifth. On the Greco side, Wyoming's Job Greenwood took the title at 67 kg and earned a spot on the World Team. He dropped his first bout to Cayden Henschel, before rallying in the last two. Juniors (U20) The Big 12 did well in the Junior Tournament. Four Big 12 commits/signees won here. Wyoming commit Jore Volk kicked things off by winning the 57 KG title. The newest entrant into the Big 12, Cal Baptist had a champion with Mitchell Mesenbrink, who won 70 KG. Then Oklahoma State verbal Brayden Thompson won 79 KG, and South Dakota State's Bennett Berge won 86 KG, giving the Big 12 four world team members. Oklahoma State's Carter Young finished second at 65 KG as did South Dakota State's Jack Thomsen (74 KG). Oklahoma's Tate Picklo returned to wrestle in one of his first tournaments after a long recovery from knee surgery to finish second in the trials tournament at 86 KG. All told there were wrestlers from every Big 12 school except Air Force that medaled in Ohio.

New Michigan Wolverine Matt Finesilver (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) It's only been two weeks since our last transfer tracker update, but some big names have been on the move. Most notable is three-time NCAA qualifier Matt Finesilver, who moved from Duke to Michigan. Finesilver was an ACC runner-up in 2019 and twice been seeded in the top-13 at the NCAA Championships. With the departure of Logan Massa, the Wolverines had a possible hole at the 174 lb weight class, so his addition is very welcome. Another multiple-time time NCAA qualifier on the move is Tate Samuelson, who has transferred from Wyoming to Lehigh. Samuelson has gone 1-2 three times at the NCAA Championships. He was a Big 12 runner-up in 2021 and later earned the tenth seed in St. Louis. He'll solidify a strong set of upperweights for the Mountain Hawks. The other wrestler in this group with prior NCAA experience is Logan Ashton, who moves closer to home after qualifying for nationals at Stanford last year. Ashton will wrestle for a resurgent Chattanooga team that has received a trio of strong transfers (Rocky Jordan and Jake Boyd). Other new additions include a pair heading to Binghamton (Conner Decker and Tyler Kellison) and Cleveland State (Anthony Perrine and Caleb Rea). Nolan Miller-Johnston, Clayton Fielden, and Zack Zeamer are the other new names on this list.

F&M All-American Richard Durso (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Franklin & Marshall! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell Central Michigan Chattanooga Clarion Cleveland State Columbia Cornell CSU Bakersfield Davidson Drexel Duke Edinboro NCAA Qualifiers (7) 2022 141: Wil Gil (#31) 2019 285: Antonio Pelusi (#31) 2018 285: Antonio Pelusi 2016 141: Richard Durso (#9); 285: Antonio Pelusi 2014 141: Richard Durso (#12) 2013 141: Richard Durso (#9) NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans Richard Durso (2014 - 8th) NCAA Round of 12 Finishers Richard Durso (2014 - 141) EIWA Champions 2016: Richard Durso (141) 2013: Richard Durso (141) Dual Record 2021-22: 8-2 2021: Did Not Compete 2019-20: 5-7 2018-19: 3-10 2017-18: 4-11 2016-17: 4-9 2015-16: 6-12 2014-15: 3-8 2013-14: 7-6 2012-13: 7-9 Conference Tournament Placement 2021-22: 13th 2021: Did Not Compete 2019-20: 16th 2018-19: 12th 2017-18: 15th 2016-17: 15th 2015-16: 12th 2014-15: 16th 2013-14: 17th 2012-13: 13th NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: No Team Score 2021: Did Not Compete 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: No Team Score 2017-18: 56th-tie (1 point) 2016-17: No Qualifiers 2015-16: 50th-tie (3 points) 2014-15: No Qualifiers 2013-14: 44th (6.5 points) 2012-13: 55th-tie (2 points) Head Coaching History Mike Rogers (2010-present) Best Lineup (comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Gio Diaz 133 - Robert Ruiz 141 - Richard Durso: 4x NCAA Qualifier; 2014 NCAA 8th Place; 2013 NCAA Round of 12; 2x EIWA Champion 149 - Paddy Quinlan: 2019 EIWA 7th Place 157 - Anthony Murano 165 - Noah Fox 174 - Colin Gironda 184 - Anthony Mancini 197 - Phillip Robilotto 285 - Antonio Pelusi: 3x NCAA Qualifier; 2019 EIWA 4th Place Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2022: #171 Mason Leiphart (PA)

Top-ranked Russian 79kg wrestler Radik Valiev (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 57KG 2020 Russian Nationals runner-up #4 Azamat Tuskaev avenged two past losses to #5 Abubakar Mutaliev in the semis and #6 Nachyn Mongush in the finals to win gold at the Poddubny tournament. 2021 Russian Nationals runner-up Mongush had an impressive run to the finals to reclaim his status as a contender at 57 KG, beating Yarygin champion #2 Ramiz Gamzatov and 2021 Yarygin runner-up #10 Musa Mekhtikhanov. Bronze medalists at the Poddubny tournament were Gamzatov and #5 Abubakar Mutaliev. After the results of the Poddubny tournament, Tuskaev moves up two spots to #2, Mongush moves up three spots to #3 for beating Gamzatov and Mekhtikhanov while Gamzatov and Mutaliev fall to #4 and #6 respectively. #9 Zhargal Damdinov moved up to 61 KG so Mekhtikhanov got bumped up one spot to #9 and 2021 Umakhanov tournament runner-up Magomed Abdurakhmanov gets in at #10. Khalid Magomedov won the Dagestan U23 Championships over Gadzhimagomed Akhmedov with Yunus Yavbatyrov and Khabib Mekhtikhanov taking bronze. Ananda Dashiev won Russian University Nationals over Kharyskhal Grigoriev with Amir Chamzyn and Dmitry Ilarionov taking bronze. 61KG #1 Abasgadzhi Magomedov secured gold at the Poddubny tournament with a hard-fought 8-3 win over Junior Russian National champion #7 Bashir Magomedov. Bronze medalists at the Poddubny were Magomed Baitukaev and Zhargal Damdinov. 2021 Cadet world champion Magomed Baitukaev was a major breakthrough from the Poddubny as he upset 2021 Russian Nationals runner-up #2 Muslim Mekhtikhanov in the quarterfinals. Baitukaev was stopped dead in his tracks by #1 Abasgadzhi Magomedov by tech fall in the semifinals, but Baitukaev's tournament means he debuts in the rankings at #3. #7 Bashir Magomedov moves up five spots to #2 for beating Baitukaev in the Junior national finals in March. Kezhik Seden won Russian University Nationals over Alexander Avelov with Bilal Kazimagomedov and Gadzhimurad Gadzhiev taking bronze. Magomedrasul Dagirov won the U23 Dagestan Championships over Akhmed Abdulaev with Magomed Darzhania and Ramazan Shamilov taking bronze. 65KG 2021 Yarygin champion Alik Khadartsev made his return to the rankings in a big way, winning the Poddubny over 2021 world bronze medalist Tulga Tumur Ochir (MGL) in the finals. Khadartsev notched impressive wins as well over 2020 61 KG Russian nationals bronze medalist #10 (70) Ibragim Abdurakhmanov and Yarygin bronze medalist #5 Ibragim Ibragimov on his way to the finals. Taking bronze at the Poddubny was Abdurakhmanov and Arip Abdullaev. Khadartsev is back in the rankings at #4 for his wins over #4 Ramazan Ferzaliev from the 2021 Yarygin, #5 Ibragim Ibragimov and Abdurakhmanov. Abdurakhmanov is back in the 65 KG rankings at #6 for beating Ibragimov for bronze at the Poddubny. Artur Badtiev beat 2021 Yarygin bronze medalist Chayan Mongush to win Russian University Nationals with Abdurakhman Dalgatov and Kilyab Khanipaev taking bronze. Dalgat Abdulkadyrov won the Dagestan U23 Championships over #8 (61) Akhmed Zubairov by forfeit with Ramazan Chankaev and Abdurakhman Dalgatov taking bronze. 70KG #3 Viktor Rassadin won the Poddubny tournament by injury default over #6 Ruslan Zhendaev. Bronze medalists at the Poddubny were Ruslan Bogatyrev and #4 Kurban Shiraev. Zhendaev moves up three spots in the rankings to #3 after upsetting #2 Israil Kasumov and Shiraev on his way to the finals. Rassadin moves up one spot to #2. Kasumov falls two spots to #4 while Shiraev falls one spot to #5. Bogatyrev slots in at #6 for beating Yarygin runner-up #5 Anzor Zakuev for bronze. #10 Ibragim Abdurakhmanov cut back down to 65 KG where he is currently ranked 6th. Mukhamed Dadaev won the Dagestan U23 National over Magomed Zharulaev with Ali Makhachev and Naib Gaziev taking bronze. Sayin Kazyryk won Russian University Nationals over Konstantin Kaprynov with Mukhammed Beshtoev and Magomed Magomedov taking bronze. 74KG In a battle of North Ossetian senior world champs, top-ranked Zaurbek Sidakov would edge past #6 David Baev 3-1 for gold at the Poddubny. Taking bronze at the Poddubny was #2 Razambek Zhamalov and #3 Cherman Valiev. Baev moves up four spots to #2 for his semifinal win over Zhamalov while Sidakov keeps the top spot locked down for his wins over Baev and #3 Cherman Valiev. Zhamalov and Valiev both drop one spot each to #3 and #4 respectively. On the bottom half of the rankings, I removed Magomedrasul Asluev and Mohamad Nasirkhaev for more Saipula Alibulatov (2021 Ali Aliyev runner-up with a win over 2019 national champion Magomed Kurbanaliev) and Magomed Abulkadyrov (2021 Oleg Dukanov runner-up with wins over past Russian Nationals medalists Kakhaber Khubezhty and Magomed Dibirgadzhiev) at #7 and #8 respectively. Anton Suchkov won Russian University Nationals over Asludin Bagamaev with Aslan Gagaev and Aisen Potapov taking bronze. Imam Ganishov won the Dagestan U23 Championships over Biysoltan Arslanov with Abdulkadyr Abdulkadyrov and Gadzhimurad Hasanov taking bronze. 79KG #2 (INT) Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (BLR) won the Poddubny in impressive fashion, using a second-period comeback to take the gold over #1 Radik Valiev in the finals. Finishing with bronze at the Poddubny was #2 Malik Shavaev and #7 Amanulla Gadzhimagomedov. Radik Valiev returns at #1 after having a foray up at 86KG, where he won the North Ossetia wrestling championships. #6 Atsamaz Sanakoev got moved up three spots to #3 because his resume from winning the Umakhanov over Shavaev and #4 Akhmed Usmanov gives him better footing to take the loss he had to #5 Dmitri Kuprin at the Yarygin and keep his spot then Usmanov did for losing to #2 Shavaev and #3 Alikhmaev plus his loss in December to Sanakoev at the Umakhanov. So from this shuffling, #2 Zainidinov, #3 Alikhmaev and #4 Usmanov all drop down two spots to #4, #5 and #6 while #5 Dmitri Kuprin falls four spots to #9 for his loss to #7 Amanulla Gadzhimagomedov for bronze at the Poddubny. Rasul Asluev won the Dagestan U23 Championships over Ali Nurov with Nabi Aputaev and Akhmed Manilov taking bronze. #8 Magomed Magomaev won Russian University Nationals over Ali Tsokaev with Roman Petrenko and Alik Badtiev taking bronze. 86KG #1 Artur Naifonov beat #2 Dauren Kurugliev in the finals of the Poddubny tournament. Bronze medalists were #3 Ada Bagomedov and #6 Amanulla Rasulov. Important head-to-head results were Naifonov over Bagomedov, Kurugliev over Rasulov, Kurugliev over #9 Arsenali Musalaliev, Rasulov over Musalaliev for bronze, and #3 Ada Bagomedov over 2019 79 KG world bronze medalist Gadzhi Nabiev in the qualification round. Aslan Bagaev won Russian University Nationals over Shamil Magomedov with Alexander Kondratov and Akhmed Bagavudinov taking bronze. Magomednabi Magomedov won the U23 Dagestan Championships over Ramazan Abuzagidov by forfeit while Akhmed Bagavudinov and Rashid Satykhadzhiev took bronze. 92KG 2021 world runner-up #1 Magomed Kurbanov won the Poddubny tournament over Junior Russian Nationals champion Magomed Sharipov. Bronze medalists at the Poddubny were #3 Guram Chertkoev and #7 Azamat Zakuev. Sharipov debuts in the rankings at #3 for upsetting Chertkoev and #6 Tazhudin Mukhtarov. Kurbanov keeps his top spot with wins over #3 Sharipov, #4 Tapsiev, and #7 Zakuev. Zakuev moves up three spots to #4 for avenging his loss from the Yarygin to #4 Tamerlan Tapsiev in the bronze medal match. Chertkoev and Tapsiev both drop two spots to #5 and #6 respectively after their losses. Gadzhimurad Kadilov won the Dagestan U23 Championships over Sagrab Isaev with Kamil Abdulkadyrov and Shakhban Surkhaev taking bronze. Nikita Safronov won Russian University Nationals over Berd Kusov with Farid Kazimov and Salikhan Imeev taking bronze. 97KG Junior Russian Nationals runner-up Akhmed Tazhudinov came out of absolutely nowhere to wrestle a career-best tournament and win gold at the Poddubny. Tazhudinov's tournament started off with a quarterfinal upset of 125 KG Tokyo Olympian #4 Sergey Kozyrev, avenged his Junior Nationals finals loss to #9 Abulla Kurbanov in the semifinals and capping it off with an impressive victory over 2021 Russian Nationals champion #2 Alikhan Zhabrailov. With the results of his incredibly impressive run, Akhmed Tazhudinov is able to make his debut in the rankings at #2 behind seven-time World/Olympic champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Finishing with bronze at the Poddubny was #7 Abdulla Kurbanov and Aleksandr Hushtyn. Tamil Dzhikaev beat Maxim Tolmachev to win the Dagestan U23 Championships with Dagir Iskakov and Gadzhimagomedo Tazhudinov taking bronze. Shamil Umarov won Russian University Nationals over Magomedarip Abdulkhalikov with Akhmed Mutalimov taking bronze. 125KG #1 Zelimkhan Khizriev won the Poddubny over 2021 world bronze medalist #9 Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur. Bronze medalists at the Poddubny were Erik Dzhioev and #3 Anzor Khizriev. Erik Dzhioev returns to the heavyweight rankings at #3 for beating #4 Atsamaz Tebloev, #5 Vitali Goloev, and #6 Alen Khubulov. #10 Ostap Pasenok moves up six spots to #4 for upsetting #2 Baldan Tszyhipov. Tsyzhipov is now ranked at #5. Magomed Alichuev won the Dagestan U23 Championships over Gamzat Alizhudinov with Mansur Ilyasov taking bronze. Gamzat Alizhudinov won Russian University Nationals over Andrey Aronov with Nikita Khabarov and Abdulkhalil Dzhavatkhanov taking bronze. Pound for Pound 2019 70 KG world champion David Baev makes a ten-spot jump in the rankings up to #6 for his win over #5 Razambek Zhamalov in the semifinals of the 74 KG Poddubny tournament. Baev also holds wins over the likes of #8 Cherman Valiev, #18 Evgheni Zherbaev and #21 Israil Kasumov. I've been bullish about pushing Abasgadzhi Magomedov into the upper echelon of the domestic and international pound-for-pound, but having been unbeaten for two years now and showing absolute dominance over the 61 KG weight class, it's now time to acknowledge him as a true pound-for-pound elite as the 2021 61 KG world champ moves up four spots to #5 in the pound for pound rankings. There was an extensive shakeup from the 15-25 spots for this month. With #11 Israil Kasumov and #18 Kurban Shiraev both losing to Ruslan Zhendaev at the 70 KG Poddubny, the revolving door of 70 KG has made it to where necessary adjustments had to be made. Both 2021 79 KG world bronze medalist #19 Radik Valiev and 2021 125 KG national champ #20 Zelimkhan Khizriev moved up four spots to #15 and #16 respectively based on their domestic resumes and Kasumov and Shiraev's losses. 2020 57 KG Russian Nationals runner-up Azamat Tuskaev fills in at #17 after winning the Poddubny over 2021 Russian Nationals runner-up #23 Nachyn Mongush along with his wins over #3 Zavur Uguev, #24 Ramiz Gamzatov and #25 Akhmed Idrisov. #10 Evgheni Zherbaev falls eight spots to #18 due to his resume not holding up to the turbulence of the 70 KG weight up against the elite of the top 10 and inactivity since the 2021 world championships. 70 KG Poddubny runner-up Ruslan Zhendaev debuts in the rankings at #20 for his wins over #11 Israil Kasumov and #18 Kurban Shiraev and Kasumov and Shiraev fall to #21 and #22 respectively. 2021 57 KG Russian Nationals runner-up Nachyn Mongush returns to the rankings at #23 for beating #21 Ramiz Gamzatov at the 57 KG Poddubny.

2x NCAA Runner-Up Mitchell Port (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Edinboro! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell Central Michigan Chattanooga Clarion Cleveland State Columbia Cornell CSU Bakersfield Davidson Drexel Duke NCAA Qualifiers (43) 2022 141: Gabe Willochell (#23) 2021 174: Jacob Oliver (#21); 285: Jon Spaulding (#28) 2020 174: Jacob Oliver (#24); 285 Jon Spaulding (#25) 2019 174: Jacob Oliver (#28) 2018 125: Sean Russell (#11); 133: Korbin Myers (#14); 157: Andrew Shomers; 174: Ty Schoffstall; 285: Billy Miller (#13) 2017 125: Sean Russell (#7); 133: Korbin Myers; 149: Pat Lugo (#8); 157: Chase Delande; 165: Austin Matthews (#12); 174: Ty Schoffstall; 184: Dakota Geer (#14); 285: Billy Miller (#12) 2016 125: Sean Russell; 149: Pat Lugo (#16); 157: Austin Matthews (#14); 165: Casey Fuller; 184: Vic Avery (#3); 285: Billy Miller 2015 125: Kory Mines (#12); 133: AJ Schopp (#9); 141: Mitchell Port (#2); 149: David Habat (#3); 184: Vic Avery (#13); 197: Vince Pickett 2014 125: Kory Mines; 133: AJ Schopp (#2); 141: Mitchell Port (#1); 149: David Habat (#8); 157: John Greisheimer; 184: Vic Avery; 285: Ernest James (#13) 2013 133: AJ Schopp (#4); 141: Mitchell Port (#4); 149: David Habat; 165: John Greisheimer; 285: Ernest James NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans Sean Russell (2017 - 7th) AJ Schopp (2015 - 3rd, 2014 - 4th, 2013 - 4th) Mitchell Port (2015 - 2nd, 2014 - 3rd, 2013 - 2nd) David Habat (2015 - 2nd, 2014 - 4th) Vic Avery (2015 - 3rd) NCAA Round of 12 Finishers Pat Lugo (2016 - 149) Kory Mines (2015 - 125) EWL Champions 2018: Sean Russell (125); Korbin Myers (133); Billy Miller (285) 2017: Sean Russell (125); Korbin Myers (133); Pat Lugo (149); Ty Schoffstall (174); Dakota Geer (184); Billy Miller (285) 2016: Sean Russell (125); Austin Matthews (157); Vic Avery (184) 2015: Kory Mines (125); Mitchell Port (141); Vic Avery (184); Vince Pickett (197) 2014: AJ Schopp (133); Mitchell Port (141); David Habat (149); Vic Avery (184); Ernest James (285) 2013: AJ Schopp (133); Mitchell Port (141); David Habat (149) Dual Record 2021-22: 2-11 2021: 2-1 2019-20: 10-10 2018-19: 2-9 2017-18: 8-5 2016-17: 9-6 2015-16: 8-11 2014-15: 14-5 2013-14: 11-3 2012-13: 10-6 Conference Tournament Placement MAC 2021-22: 13th 2021: 5th 2019-20: 11th EWL 2018-19: 4th 2017-18: 3rd 2016-17: 1st 2015-16: 1st 2014-15: 1st 2013-14: 1st 2012-13: 2nd NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 61st-tie (No Points) 2021: 58th-tie (0.5 points) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: 63rd-tie (No Points) 2017-18: 36th-tie (7 points) 2016-17: 20th (20.5 points) 2015-16: 32nd-tie (10 points) 2014-15: 3rd (75.5 points) 2013-14: 5th (62 points) 2012-13:14th (37.5 points) Head Coaching History Matt Hill (2018-present) Tim Flynn (1997-2018) Best Lineup (comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Sean Russell: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#6, #7, and #11 seeds), 2017 NCAA 7th Place, 3x EWL Champion 133 - AJ Schopp: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#2, #4, #7, and #9 seeds), 3x NCAA All-American (3rd, 4th x2), 3x EWL Champion 141 - Mitchell Port: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#1, #2, and #4 seeds), 3x NCAA All-American (2nd x2, 3rd), 3x EWL Champion 149 - David Habat: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#3, #8, and #9 seeds), 2x NCAA All-American (2nd, 4th), 2x EWL Champion 157 - John Greisheimer: 3x NCAA Qualifier, 2014 EWL Runner-Up, 2011 NCAA Round of 12 finisher 165 - Austin Matthews: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#12 and #14 seeds), 2x EWL finalist, 2016 EWL Champion 174 - Ty Schoffstall: 2x NCAA Qualifier, 2017 EWL Champion 184 - Vic Avery: 4x NCAA Qualifier, 2015 NCAA 3rd Place, 3x EWL Champion 197 - Vince Pickett: 2015 NCAA Qualifier; 2015 EWL Champion 285 - Billy Miller: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#12 and #13 seed), 2x EWL Champion Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2021: #168 Trent Schultheis (PA); #169 Dylan Kohn (FL) 2020: #82 Gabe Willochell (PA); #98 Max Millin (OH); #165 Ryan Burgos (NY); #167 Jacob Lagoa (OH) 2018: #78 Cody Mulligan (PA) 2017: #36 Jacob Oliver (PA) 2016: #33 Dakota Geer (PA) 2015: #53 Dylan Reynolds (PA); #64 Pat Lugo (FL); #87 Korbin Myers (PA); #110 Nate Hagan (OH) 2014: #39 Sean Russell (GA); #119 Billy Miller (OH) 2013: #76 Jake Hart (PA)

125 kg men's freestyle Final X winner Hayden Zillmer (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Below are full Final X results from this year in Stillwater and New York City, along with the previous two versions of the event from 2018 and 2019. 2022 2019 2018

2x NCAA Champion Isaiah Martinez (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) CHAMPAIGN, IL - University of Illinois wrestling coach Mike Poeta has added one of the most-storied wrestlers in Fighting Illini history to his coaching staff with today's announcement that Isaiah Martinez is joining the staff as an assistant coach. "The Illinois wrestling program got a lot stronger today with the addition of Isaiah Martinez," Poeta said. "No other coach could match his familiarity with the Illinois program and success in not only the Big Ten, but the country. It didn't take very long for Isaiah to become the most decorated wrestler in Illinois history en route to winning two NCAA titles and four Big Ten titles. "He's since moved on to a very successful senior level wrestler and coaching career. Isaiah has a special way of teaching and developing student-athletes, having a proven track record as an assistant coach both here at Illinois and the last two seasons at Oregon State. Since joining the OSU staff in 2020, he has helped lead the program's resurgence into a national powerhouse. With the addition of Isaiah, I'm proud to have the most accomplished staff in the country, including Ed Ruth and Jeremy Hunter. I know Isaiah will fit right in and we'll hit the ground running. It's been great seeing his enthusiasm to be back home and our current wrestlers couldn't be more excited to start working with him. It's great news for the Illinois wrestling family, but we know there's no time to waste. It's time to get to work." Martinez won NCAA titles at 157 pounds in both 2015 and 2016, while finishing second at the national tournament at 165 pounds in 2017 and 2018. He joined the elite club of four-time Big Ten champions with titles at 157 pounds in 2015 and 2016, and at 165 pounds in 2017 and 2018. Only 16 Big Ten wrestlers have won four Big Ten titles in 110 years of wrestling in the conference, and two are on the Illini staff when Martinez joins with assistant coach Ed Ruth, who won four at Penn State from 2011-14. "I would like to thank Mike Poeta, as well as University of Illinois Athletics Director Josh Whitman, for this opportunity," Martinez said. "I look forward to working alongside Mike and the rest of the staff in developing successful student-athletes. The Fighting Illini have a rich tradition in wrestling, one of which I am proud to have contributed to as an athlete. I'm excited to have the opportunity to help further contribute to that tradition now as a coach. I-L-L!" A native of Lemoore, California, Martinez was the 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and the 2016 and 2018 Wrestler of the Big Ten Championship. He was named the Illinois Big Ten Medal of Honor winner in 2018 for excellence in both academics and athletics, and twice was named the Dike Eddleman Male Athlete of the Year. Martinez concluded his Illini wrestling career with the highest winning percentage in school history, winning 97.5 percent of his matches with a record of 116-3. The 116 victories by Martinez is tied for 10th all-time in Illinois history, and had a 54-match winning streak that stretched over two seasons. In freestyle wrestling, Martinez is a two-time U.S. Open National champion (three-time finalist) and was a 2017 U.S. U23 World Team Member. Martinez graduated from Illinois in 2018 with a degree in sociology.