InterMat Staff

Bryce Meredith and Seth Gross face off before meeting at WRTC Underground 1 (Photo/Wisconsin RTC) The Wisconsin RTC hosted its inaugural WRTC Underground event at an undisclosed location in Wisconsin on Tuesday. The event, which was streamed on Rokfin, was comprised of big names and local flavor. NCAA champion Seth Gross topped two-time NCAA finalist Bryce Meredith 10-7 in the main event of an eight-match card that took less than an hour to complete. Below is a breakdown of the eight WRTC Underground 1 matches. Drew Scharenbrock tech. Kevin Meicher, 10-0 Scharenbrock cruised to a 10-0 technical superiority over Meicher in a battle of Badger teammates. The Wisconsin sophomore Scharenbrock scored a takedown to go up 2-0. He built his lead to 6-0 after a four-point exposure. He added two more takedowns to finish the match late in the first period. Jared Krattiger tech. Eddie Smith, 11-0 Krattiger, a starter for Wisconsin last season, was dominant in earning an 11-0 technical superiority over two-time Division III All-American Eddie Smith. The Badger sophomore scored three first-period takedowns to take a 6-0 lead into the break. He extended his lead to 7-0 off a step out. He then added two more takedowns off counters to close out the victory. Alexis Gomez pinned Ginamarie Santiago-Ayala, 1:23 Indian Hills Community College wrestler Santiago-Ayala looked strong in the early going, pushing Gomez out of bounds for a step out. Santiago attempted a lateral drop, but Gomez, who competes for Grand View, countered and scored the fall midway through the first period. Joe Zargo tech. Hunter Lewis, 10-0 Zargo needed less than a minute to score a 10-0 technical superiority on Hunter Lewis. After scoring a takedown, Zargo used a lace to turn Lewis four times and end the match in just 55 seconds. Danny Chaid tech. Peter Christensen, 14-4 Chaid, who trains at the California RTC, overcame a slow start to earn a 14-4 technical superiority over Christensen. The early part of the match belonged to Christensen as he scored a takedown and exposure to build a 4-0 lead. Chaid then stormed back, scoring 14 unanswered points -- 10 in the first period and four in the second period -- to close out the match. Ben Provisor tech. Fritz Schierl, 8-0 In the lone Greco-Roman match on the card, the two-time Olympian Provisor rolled to an 8-0 technical superiority over Schierl in a battle of former Stevens Point (Wis.) wrestlers. Provisor scored used four step outs in the opening period to build a 4-0 lead. He extended that lead to 5-0 off a caution before turning Schierl with a gut wrench to go up 7-0. Provisor then scored his fifth step out to close out the match. Sarah Hildebrandt tech. Alyssa Lampe, 12-1 The co-main event was a battle of world medalists in women's wrestling. Hildebrandt, a 2018 world silver medalist, looked strong in claiming a 12-1 technical superiority over the two-time world bronze medalist Lampe. Hildebrandt used a crotch lift to go up 2-0. Lampe came back with a step out to cut the deficit to one. But it was all Hildebrandt the rest of the way. She scored a takedown and then showcased her strong par terre skills, scoring twice off a lace before ending the match with an exposure. Seth Gross dec. Bryce Meredith, 10-7 The main event between rivals Gross and Meredith lived up to the hype. Gross, an Olympic hopeful at 57 kilograms, came out on top 10-7 over the two-time NCAA finalist Meredith in action-filled match. Gross scored a takedown off a double leg early in the match. He then extended his lead to 4-0 after coming out on top of a scramble. Meredith came back with a takedown to cut the deficit to 4-2. A 2-2 exchange made the score 6-4 in favor of Gross at the break. In the second period, Meredith scored off a step out to get within a point. Gross came back with a takedown to go up 8-5. Meredith, though, responded with takedown to once again cut the deficit to one point. Gross came back with a takedown of his own and held on for the victory. Gross and Meredith are now 2-2 against each other.

David Taylor at the Pan American Qualifier (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The best that the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club have to offer will be back in action for the third NLWC show on Rokfin. This time world champion David Taylor will take on former NCAA champion Gabe Dean, international stars Franklin Gomez and Boris Novachkov face off and Bo Nickal and Nate Jackson continue their rivalry. The following is a match-by-match preview of the event. Max Dean vs. C.J. Brucki Dean took an Olympic redshirt last season after a pair of All-American finishes during his freshman and sophomore years. In his second year, he made a surprising run through the NCAA tournament including an upset over Myles Martin before finishing second. Last year he won both the Edinboro Open and the National Collegiate Open in his only folkstyle action of the year. Through the two events, he won 10 matches with seven by fall. Dean recently entered Senior Nationals at 86 kilograms where he went 3-2 and picked up a key win over Michael Labriola. Brucki was a two-time NCAA qualifier for Central Michigan. He holds the distinction of handing Penn State national champion Mark Hall his first defeat back in the 2016-2017 season. As a senior, he finished second in the MAC and picked up wins over the likes of Sheldon Wright, Devin Skatzka, Hunter Bolen and Johnny Sebastian. At the recent Senior Nationals, Brucki worked his way to an eighth-place finish and scored an impressive victory over Andrew Morgan. These two hit in the consolation bracket of the 2019 edition of Senior Nationals. In that bout, Brucki got extended on a shot attempt. Dean turned it into his own leg attack and finished after shelving the leg. Brucki appeared to try to reverse a gut wrench attempt from Dean and ended up flat on his back. Dean's length should give Brucki trouble in all three phases of this match. It might not end by fall this time, but Dean should have the advantage in this bout. Prediction: Dean VSU1 over Brucki Gabe Dean vs. David Taylor Dean returned this year from an extensive layoff and surprisingly won Senior Nationals. He went on quite a run through the field. In order to take the title, Dean defeated Taylor Lujan, Trent Hidlay and Nate Jackson. With that momentum, he entered Flo's 8-Man Challenge tournament. In his first match, he had an early lead on Lujan before getting caught on his back off an ill-fated gut wrench attempt. During his college days at Cornell, Dean was a four-time NCAA All-American, three-time finalist and two-time champion. Taylor finally broke through in 2018. He not only made his way onto the world team, but he also brought home the gold medal. After adding another gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Championships, Taylor suffered a knee injury at the 2019 edition of Beat The Streets. After an extensive layoff, he returned at the 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualification tournament. Taylor both won and qualified 86 kilograms for the upcoming Olympic Games. Back in July, the former Penn State national champion scored a dominant match-termination victory over Myles Martin on the undercard of Flo's Dake vs. Chamizo event. Dean showed at Senior Nationals that he is still a very strong defensive wrestler. However, there are very few people in the world who have the defense to hold up against Taylor. Even if Dean is successful at stopping Taylor's leg attacks early, the pace will eventually win the day. Look for Taylor to have yet another dominant performance here. Prediction: Taylor VSU over Dean Joe Lee vs. Zach Hartman Lee joined his brother Nick on the Penn State roster this past season. He redshirted his first campaign and put together a 14-2 record. In the first semester, Lee won both the Clarion Open and the Wilkes Open. His biggest challenge came at the Southern Scuffle. Lee managed to pull out a fifth-place finish and picked up victories over the likes of Jake Wentzel, Ebed Jarrell and Connor Flynn. Hartman has already qualified twice for the NCAA tournament, and he still has two years of eligibility left at Bucknell. For his sophomore season, he went 27-8 and picked up signature wins over Phil Conigliaro, Kennedy Monday, Jake Allar and Chase Straw. Following the season, the NWCA awarded Hartman with third-team All-American honors. This match might be a preview of an NCAA contest next season. Both are expected to compete at 165 pounds. After some early season struggles, Hartman seemed to figure it out. While he took some more losses, those really only came against some of the best competitors at the weight. Lee has a good pace and a variety of scoring options. However, Hartman might be a step ahead at this point. Prediction: Hartman VPO1 over Lee Franklin Gomez vs. Boris Novachkov Gomez was a three-time All-American and one-time champion for Michigan State. Since graduating, he has been competing internationally for Puerto Rico. He has won three medals at the Pan American Games, including a gold medal at the 2011 edition of the games. That same year, Gomez had his best finish on the world level as he won a silver medal at the 2011 World Championships. Earlier this year, Gomez qualified 74 kilograms for Puerto Rico through the Pan American Olympic Qualification tournament. Novachkov was a three-time All-American for Cal Poly with his final year of eligibility coming in 2012. Since college, he has competed internationally for his native Bulgaria. Novachkov has won a pair of medals at the European Championships with a bronze coming in 2014 and a silver in 2017. After his silver in 2017, Novachkov took a hiatus from competitive wrestling. During his time away, he tried his hand at MMA. He made his professional debut at Bellator 220 in 2019 and dropped a split decision against Chris Inocencio. Novachkov returned to wrestling earlier this year at the Yasar Dogu and finished ninth. Gomez has been the more consistent performer over the last few seasons. Novachkov can clearly win this one, but look for Gomez to control the pace of the match and score when necessary. Prediction: Gomez VPO1 over Novachkov Carter Starocci vs. Chance Marsteller Starocci had a strong redshirt season last year for Penn State. He went 19-0 and won all four of the tournaments he entered including the Southern Scuffle. At the Scuffle, he picked up key victories over Neal Richards and Gregg Harvey. Starocci returned to action on the second NLWC show. He faced off against Devin Skatzka and pinned the former All-American. After transferring to Lock Haven prior to his junior season, Marsteller went 72-7 and finished as an All-American twice. In his senior season in 2019, he finished third at the NCAAs and along the way he defeated the likes of Evan Wick, Josh Shields, Te'Shan Campbell and Alex Marinelli. Marsteller's last action in freestyle came at the 2019 Senior Nationals. He went 2-2 with wins coming over Jake Sueflohn and Tyler Berger as well as losses coming against Mekhi Lewis and Joey Lavallee. If the Skatzka match was a test, Starocci passed it with flying colors. He takes another step forward here against Marsteller. His wrestling style translates very well to folkstyle, and he does a very good job attacking in spurts. Look for Starocci to show that he belongs, but Marsteller will be able to do just enough to pull out the victory here. Prediction: Marsteller VPO1 over Starocci Thomas Gilman vs. Frank Perrelli Gilman returned to action on the first NLWC card. He faced off against collegiate rival Darian Cruz and took home a 14-4 victory. Cruz had his moments early, but Gilman never stopped coming and scored the victory by superiority. During his collegiate days at Iowa, Gilman was a three-time All-American. Immediately following his school days, he transitioned to the freestyle circuit with a silver medal performance at the 2017 World Championships. Perrelli finished fourth at the 2012 NCAA tournament to become an All-American from Cornell. On the freestyle circuit he has collected bronze medals from the Cerro Pelado and Henri Deglane tournaments. At the recent Senior Nationals, Perrelli finished fifth with wins coming over Sam Latona, Shelton Mack, Brody Teske, Antonio Saldate and Jackson Henson. Gilman and Perrelli wrestled at the 2019 World Team Trials Challenge tournament. Perrelli managed to make it to the second period, but Gilman was in control throughout and scored the 10-0 victory. Look for this match to play out in much the same way. Prediction: Gilman VSU over Perrelli Nick Lee vs. Brandon Wright Lee was set to wrestle on the second NLWC show, but he pulled out of a match against Brock Zacherl due to injury. He is apparently healed up and ready to go here. Lee has already put together three All-American seasons, and he has one year of eligibility left. This past season, he was clearly one of the favorites to bring home an NCAA title as he went 20-1 with his only loss coming at the Big Ten tournament to Luke Pletcher. Lee did not wrestle at Senior Nationals last month, but he did compete at the 2019 edition where he finished third with victories over the likes of Frank Molinaro, Jaydin Eierman and Yianni Diakomihalis. Wright was a two-time NAIA national champion for Grand View with his senior season coming in 2015. His best year on the freestyle circuit came in 2017. That year he finished second at the both the U.S. Open and World Team Trials. His most recent action came at the 2019 U.S. Open where he went 1-2 and failed to place. If Lee is fully recovered from his injury, he should be able to dominate this match. Wright can certainly hang, but Lee has defeated tougher opposition earlier this year. His ability to continually get to legs and finish without allowing counters puts him in the driver's seat for this match. Prediction: Lee VSU over Wright Michael Beard vs. Nate Jackson Beard redshirted and went 13-3 during his first year at Penn State. He won the Mat Town Open and the Wilkes Open, but his biggest challenge came at the Southern Scuffle. Beard ended up finishing fourth at the tournament with impressive wins coming over Jordan Pagano, Nick Reenan and Dakota Geer. He returned to freestyle on the second NLWC show where he scored a 10-9 win over former Clarion wrestler Greg Bulsak. Jackson finished his career at Indiana as a two-time All-American. As a senior in 2017, he finished eighth and picked up victories over the likes of Emery Parker, Mitch Bowman and Nick Gravina. Jackson recently had a very strong performance at 2020 Nationals. He made it all the way to the finals at 86 kilograms before coming up short on criteria against Gabe Dean. Jackson scored wins over Drew Foster, Nick Heflin, Rocky Elam and Peter Keckeisen. The former Indiana wrestler then entered the 8-Man Challenge where he scored wins over Keith Gavin and Sammy Brooks. Beard has shown that he can hang with basically anyone. However, in his last match against Bulsak, his offense was mostly generated off wild leg attacks from his opponent. In this match, he will need to score off his own leg attacks. Jackson's defense has only gotten better since he started focusing solely on freestyle, and he should be the clear favorite here. Prediction: Jackson VPO1 over Beard Zain Retherford vs. Reece Humphrey Retherford was a three-time NCAA champion for Penn State who went undefeated during his last three years of college. He won a spot on the 2019 World team after an extensive rivalry with Yianni Diakomihalis, but he failed to place. Retherford was also the representative sent to the Pan American Olympic Qualification tournament, but he came up short and finished third. He recently got back on track with a victory over Alec Pantaleo on the first NLWC show. Humphrey left Ohio State in 2010 as a two-time All-American. Since then he has won the U.S. open three times and represented the U.S. at both the 2013 and 2015 World Championships. Humphrey returned to action earlier this year at the Cerro Pelado tournament after an extensive layoff and brought home a silver medal. Even though Humphrey is getting up there in age and has not been particularly active, he is still a threat due to his throwing ability. Retherford is clearly the favorite in this one, but a few four-point moves could change the course of the match. Retherford is still improving his freestyle ground work, and this might be a good opportunity to show that against a veteran opponent. Prediction: Retherford VPO1 over Humphrey Nick Nevills vs. Mauro Correnti Nevills was a two-time All-American for Penn State before serving as Anthony Cassar's backup as a senior. 2019 was a strong year for Nevills on the freestyle circuit. He finished fourth at both the Bill Farrell and Senior Nationals. Along the way, he scored victories over the likes of Tanner Hall, Youssif Hemida, and Garrett Ryan. Nevills returned to action on the first NLWC show. He built an early lead against All-American Jordan Wood but ultimately dropped the match by a 6-4 score. Correnti was a three-year starter for Rider. He qualified for the NCAA tournament as a sophomore in 2016. As a senior in 2018, he failed to qualify through the EWL tournament, but he finished with a 13-12 record and defeated Gary Traub. These two met during the 2015 season at the Nittany Lion Open. Nevills had the advantage throughout and scored the fall in the first period. Nevills needs to get back on track after a close loss against Wood, and he should get it here. Prediction: Nevills VSU over Correnti Jen Page vs. Lauren Mason Page returned from injuries in 2019. She finished fifth at the 2019 Senior Nationals before facing off against Desiree Zavala on the first NLWC show. That turned out to be a wild match that Page ended up winning 14-10. She then returned to form at the 2020 Senior Nationals where she won first place. In the finals, she defeated Macey Kilty, who had defeated her at the 2019 edition of the tournament. Mason is a senior at Simon Fraser. Last season she finished third at the 2020 Cliff Keen WCWC Women's National Championship. Mason also recently competed at the U23 Nationals and finished fourth. She dropped a 3-2 match against Alexia Ward in the third-place bout. Page's performance at Senior Nationals shows that she has recovered from her injuries and is making improvements on the job. Mason has been in some high scoring matches, so this might turn into another exciting bout. However, Page is the clear favorite here. Prediction: Page VPO1 over Mason

Bryce Meredith defeated Austin DeSanto at the Hawkeye Showdown Open (Photo/Darren Miller) On Tuesday, the Wisconsin RTC will become the latest regional training center to launch its own in-house event series. The WRTC's first show features an interesting mix of former NCAA standouts, prospects set to hit the college scene and recent world medalists. The following is a match-by-match previous of the card, which airs live on Rokfin Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT. Drew Scharenbrock vs. Kevin Meicher After competing in mostly open tournaments throughout the first semester, Scharenbrock got the starting nod for a variety of Big Ten duals down the stretch for Wisconsin last year. He finished his redshirt freshman season with an 18-10 record. Along the way, he scored signature victories over the likes of Carson Brolsma, Paden Moore and Hunter Ladnier. As a high school senior in 2018, Scharenbrock finished fifth at Fargo with victories over Colton Yapoujian and Victor Voinovich. Meicher will join Scharenbrock on the Wisconsin team this year. He redshirted at Minnesota for his first year in college before transferring. During the redshirt season, he competed exclusively in open tournaments and went 8-8. His best finish came at the Don Parker Open where he finished fifth. Scharenbrock has faced better competition on the college level and produced better results. These two have likely seen each other often in the training room already, so that might introduce some odd factors, but in the end, Scharenbrock should be the one picking up the win. Prediction: Scharenbrock VPO over Meicher Jared Krattiger vs. Eddie Smith Krattiger was pressed into service at 174 pounds for the Badgers last year. He was the starter from the jump and went 9-17 on the season. At the Big Ten tournament, Krattiger went 2-2 with victories over Willie Scott (Rutgers) and Phil Spadafora (Maryland). He recently entered the Junior Nationals and had a strong showing. Krattiger finished third at 79 kilograms with a victory over Nick Incontrera in the third-place match. Smith was a two-time Division III All-American for Loras. He was set to be the fifth seed at 165 pounds at the NCAA tournament before cancellation. For his senior year, he went 15-6 with four falls. Smith will be a coach for Loras for the upcoming season. Even though Krattiger took some lumps as a starter last year, he showed at Junior Nationals that he is clearly making strides. Smith might be able to hang for a bit in this match, but Krattiger should be able to win easily. Prediction: Krattiger VSU1 over Smith Ginamarie Santiago-Ayala vs. Alexis Gomez Santiago-Ayala hails from Puerto Rico and will be wrestling for Indian Hills Community College next season. She first put her name on the map in 2016. She entered the 132-pound cadet bracket at Fargo and finished third. Her only defeat came against current McKendree wrestler Alara Boyd in the second round. The 68-kilogram tournament at Junior Nationals was a round robin, and Gomez made her mark. She won all four of her matches without surrendering a single point. All of the victories came via match termination, and she outscored her opponents by a combined 41-0. Gomez will be a sophomore for Grand View this season. Gomez went from finishing fifth at Junior Nationals in 2019 to winning it decisively this year. She is clearly making improvement in the Grand View room, and she be able to control this one from start to finish. Prediction: Gomez VSU over Santiago-Ayala Joe Zargo vs. Hunter Lewis Zargo signed with Wisconsin out of Bergen Catholic as a highly ranked recruit. Following the 2017-2018 season, he won FloNationals and placed at both Fargo and Cadet Nationals. Zargo recently entered Junior Nationals where he went 4-2 with victories over Pedro Lozano, Hunter Gilmore, Kyle Prewitt and Joey Bianchi. Lewis redshirted his first season at NC State as he recovered from a knee injury. The Wisconsin native was a two-time state champion in high school, and he also has plenty of international experience already as well. At the 2018 Cadet Pan American Championships, he took gold medals in both styles. He returned the following year at the junior level and won gold in Greco. Lewis also represented the U.S. at the 2018 Cadet World Championships, but he failed to place. This should be an interesting match between two wrestlers coming to the collegiate scene. Zargo. Lewis seemed to have the early success, but Zargo is clearly learning on the job. On top of that, Lewis will be returning to action after a lengthy layoff. Look for Zargo to have to edge at the WRTC. Prediction: Zargo VPO1 over Lewis Peter Christensen vs. Danny Chaid Christensen went 8-9 as a true freshman for Wisconsin last season. He represented the squad in three dual matches, but he is expected to start at 197 pounds this year. Christensen's last major freestyle action came when he made the finals of the 2018 Junior Nationals. He won six-straight matches before coming up short against Lucas Davison and finishing second. After stops at Oklahoma and Grand Canyon, Chaid ended up at North Carolina for his last three years of collegiate eligibility. He finished his college career in 2018 as a time-two NCAA qualifier. After spending his time at North Carolina at 197 pounds, he has recently moved up to heavyweight. He also entered the recent Senior Nationals and finished fifth with victories over Christian Lance and Youssif Hemida. This should be an interesting test for Christensen. If he really is going to hold down a 197-pound starting spot in the Big Ten, he will be facing competitors on Chaid's level on the regular. Look for Chaid to have the advantage here. The experience edge plus his size advantage will likely be more than enough to carry him to victory. Prediction: Chaid VPO1 over Christensen Fritz Schierl vs. Ben Provisor Schierl is a reserve wrestler for Ohio State with one season of eligibility remaining. Last season, he went 16-7 at 174 pounds. Towards the end of the season, Schierl received the opportunity to start in a dual against Northwestern and score a third period fall over Ankhaa Enkhmandakh. Schierl's best results have always come in Greco. He has place second at both the 2018 and 2019 U23 Nationals. This year, he placed seventh at Senior Nationals and fifth at U23s. Provisor is currently in the hunt for his third-straight trip to the Olympics after representing the U.S. at both the 2012 and 2016 Games. In 2019, he came in third at the U.S. Open before winning the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. However, Provisor came up short in his bid to make the world team at Final X as he dropped a pair of matches against Joe Rau. Back in August Provisor faced off against rival ReVaughn Perkins on the debut Wrestling Underground show. After a back-and-forth first period filled with throws, Provisor held on for the 10-9 victory. The Ohio State representative certainly has some Greco credentials, but he is facing off against a veteran who has seen it all. He deserves credit for taking this match on late notice, but Provisor should be able to dictate the pace of this match. If he ends up on top, it could be a short night for Schierl. Prediction: Provisor VSU1 over Schierl Alyssa Lampe vs. Sarah Hildebrandt Lampe is a two-time world bronze medalist after bringing back medals from the 2012 and 2013 World Championships. She returned for the 2019 Senior Nationals and won the tournament at 50 kilograms. Along the way she defeated the likes of Amy Fearnside and Victoria Anthony. In October, Lampe wrestled again at the 2020 Senior Nationals. This time she finished third after falling 6-5 against Fearnside in a rematch. Hildebrandt brought home a silver medal from the 2018 World Championships, and she is looking to add an Olympic medal to her collection this year. While Hildebrandt's medal came at 53 kilograms, she has been down at 50 kilograms since March. She qualified the weight through the Pan American Olympic Qualification tournament and then entered the 2020 Senior Nationals. At that event, she defeated her four opponents without surrendering a single point and outscored her opponents 38-0. Hildebrandt seems to have mastered the weight cut down to 50 kilograms. In terms of common opponents, she has a large edge. While Lampe has gone back and forth with Fernside, Hildebrandt dominated on the way to an 8-0 victory. She should be able to score early and often in this one. Prediction: Hildebrandt VSU over Lampe Seth Gross vs. Bryce Meredith Gross won an NCAA title at South Dakota State as a junior in 2018. After a medical redshirt and transfer to Wisconsin, he returned last year. He went 27-2 on the year with his losses coming against Sebastian Rivera and Austin DeSanto. Despite a loss to Rivera at the Big Ten tournament, Gross would have been one of the favorites for an NCAA title at 133 pounds. In his only action since the collegiate season, Gross faced off against Joe Colon at Beat the Streets. The match was a shootout, but Colon ended up taking it 21-15. Meredith was a two-time NCAA finalist and a three-time All-American at Wyoming. He finished his collegiate career in 2018 with a 33-2 record but came up short against Yianni Diakomihalis. In 2019, Meredith won a bronze medal at the Dave Schultz Memorial and finished sixth at the U.S. Open. Prior to shutdowns related to the pandemic, he added a bronze medal from the Cerro Pelado tournament. In recent action, Meredith has turned back challenges from both Beau Bartlett and Austin DeSanto. This should be a real treat for fans who love scrambling. Both wrestlers can score from a variety of positions and refuse to give up on an exchange. I would imagine Gross has the strong defensive ability, but Meredith will have a bit of a size advantage, and he has been more active recently. Look for the former Wyoming representative to have a slight edge, but this should be a close one. Prediction: Meredith VPO1 over Gross

Pitt-Johnstown mourns the loss of former Mountain Cat wrestler Tyler Chesney, who passed away peacefully at his residence in Ocean City, MD, earlier this week. Chesney was 29. Tyler ChesneyChesney, a former PIAA AA State place-winner at Northern Bedford High School, came to Pitt-Johnstown in 2009, where he red-shirted as a true freshman. Chesney was a three-year letterman and a member of four NCAA Super Region I Runner-up teams as a Mountain Cat. Born in Altoona in 1991, Chesney graduated from Pitt-Johnstown with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication and a Minor in Writing. Chesney was a four-time District Champion and placed fourth at the PIAA AA State Wrestling Tournament at Northern Bedford High School. Prior to his death, Chesney worked as a bartender at the Purple Moose and Riptide Pool Bar in Ocean City. Chesney is survived by his parents Richard and Chris Chesney and three sisters. Friends will be received from 3-7 p.m. on Sunday, November 22 and from 1-2 p.m. on Monday, November 23 at the Community Grace Brethren Church at 1216 Raystown Road in Everett. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday.

More than a quarter-million Americans have now died of COVID-19. With cases increasing every day and deaths right behind, there is a serious chance that another hundred thousand Americans will die before the New Year. Things have gone from trendy poorly, to being hockey-stick horrific. While the loss of life is among the largest mass death events in American history, there is something about the disease and the way it kills that has numbed the populace. Those who die often do so in isolation. No family or friends to hold their hands and no funerals for loved ones to grieve. What keeps us separated from each other (the fear of the virus) is also what keeps it successful because too many Americans aren't able to witness its awfulness up close and avoid it at all costs. We don't see the deaths firsthand and have enough alternative facts in our realm to make us think it's a diminished threat. Previous catastrophic events in American society were widely televised, surprise one-offs and generally accepted as having evil roots. Think about the reaction to 911 and the nationalism it sparked. Now think about the sustained response to that singular event one fall day twenty years ago. In response to 4,000 American deaths the government launched the longest war in American history, costing taxpayers trillions of dollars, and leading to the death of millions internationally. The difference in reactions matters because right now more than EIGHTY times more people have died from COVID and yet the response of the federal government has been impotent at best. Read the internet for 12 minutes and you can see that COVID isn't treated with the same respect as 911 or Pearl Harbor. The nationalism those attacks triggered allowed everyone on the same team, but with COVID there are myriad teams, none of whom seem too concerned with saving lives. The broadcasting of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon was evidence of tragedy that was too overwhelming for 99% of Americans to ignore. With COVID too many individuals simply don't believe the disease is real or that any coordinated response is required, necessary, or within the overarching ideology of the United States. "Freedom" as Jim Jordan tweeted last night is being defined as individual liberty to do as one sees fit. However, real freedom is not being burdened by those in society who prioritize their comfort over your health. Freedom is the idea that everyone can enjoy something after shared sacrifice and response, not that you get to wave a coiled snake flag in the air and regurgitate Alex Jones conspiracy theories. The simple truth is that we are failing. America has been the most vivid example of failed leadership among a self-governed democracy in the last 100 years. COVID is exposing that the idea of individual liberty topping all other needs is incompatible with successfully fighting a pandemic. Unfortunately, the bull-headedness of that ideology will cost the American people hundreds of thousands of lives, and for the wrestling community it will mean two consecutive seasons of our sport lost to the selfishness of a sub-section of society that believes their comfort is worth more than your life. To your questions … Q: With the Ivy League canceling, as well as Lock Haven, from where I sit it seems unlikely there will be NCAA wrestling in 2020-21. What are your thoughts? -- Mike C. Foley: When I sit back and imagine a situation in which the NCAA approves a wrestling season, I'm consistently finding myself frustrated with a lack of options. A vaccine won't be in play for this year. Travel this winter is shaping up to be the most difficult in American history, with travel restrictions and local bans on gathering. Finally, I don't think many schools will be returning students in January. The outbreak of COVID-19 in America has not stopped. It stalled for a while in the summer, but it never went away. Where in March the large metropolitan areas like New York City were taken aback by the power of the virus, today the virus is ravaging rural and suburban communities who seem to be suffering from virus fatigue. Ultimately that will lead to the elimination of the NCAA season. There is no way forward in the winter. I hope that something dramatic happens in the meantime and that I'm proven wrong, but that's not happening. The vaccine is on the other side of the season and unfortunately we haven't done enough as a country to control the virus. Jordan Burroughs came from behind to defeat Zahid Valencia on Nov. 14 (Photo/Justin Hoch, JHoch.com) Q: How would international referees officiate the JB vs. Zahid match? Specifically in regard to all that time spent on their knees? -- Don C. Foley: First, that was a great match for JB. He's the Roy Kent of wrestling. He's here, he's there, he's everywhere. Wrestling from the knees is meant to be a disadvantage if the referee stays vigilant in warning the knees-down wrestler to progress their position. The problem becomes single-knee wrestling with the hand to the face and other defensive-first positions. If the wrestler who gets to their knees is doing so to look for a second attack it's fine. If they are earning Marriot Bonvoy points then it's an issue to be addressed by the referee. I thought Zahid relied too heavily on wrestling from his knees, but you eventually saw that it backfired as his lack of lateral movement cost him two takedowns. The referee should have brought him onto the center in the first period and finger-wagged him to remind him to stand up after that first attack. Zahid is a brilliant wrestler and I think he has a huge future. Everyone makes mistakes, but I think that his recent issues are in the past and he's on his way to a big international career. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Legends vs. Stars on Instagram: Burroughs got close. Official trailer of The Last Champion Q: David Taylor is facing Gabe Dean at Tuesday's NLWC event. Do you think it could be a competitive match? -- Mike C. Foley: No. However, I completely whiffed on last week's match predictions. Evan Henderson looked AWESOME! Q: The Division I council extended the dead period for recruiting through April. 15. Tony Robie tweeted that Division II and Division III have had no restrictions during the pandemic. Any idea why? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't know why they are without restrictions. That's definitely odd. My opinion is that if nobody is doing home visits or face-to-face contact then it shouldn't matter if you aren't able to do so. That it's a level playing field is all that really matters, right? If I had a guess about the dead period it would be that the rule is being transposed from other sports and that the decision is a CYA so that there isn't a case of a famous basketball coach killing his top recruits grandmother. That's a bad look and the NCAA is already taking heat for its labor practices. If they then rubber stamp home visits they aren't leading by example and are opening themselves up for prosecution.

GOLDEN, Colo. -- Colorado School of Mines has announced the hiring of Seth Ecker as assistant coach for the wrestling program. Ecker will join head coach Austin Devoe's staff looking to help carry the momentum of a program returning to national prominence. Over the past three seasons, Mines has gone 30-7 in duals while winning consecutive RMAC championships. The Orediggers have been a fixture in the national rankings peaking at #9 in 2020, and have produced nine NCAA qualifiers and a pair of All-Americans since 2018. Seth EckerEcker arrives at Mines with a diversity of experience at all three divisions of NCAA wrestling. Most recently, Ecker spent the 2019-20 season as a graduate assistant at Kutztown University, where he helped produce a pair of NWCA All-Americans and two NCAA qualifiers last season. Prior to that, Ecker was the first-ever head coach at Alvernia University in Pennsylvania, where he spent the 2018-19 season recruiting and fundraising for the start-up program. Ecker has also had assistant coaching stops at the University of Maryland, where he coached the program's first all-American in four seasons; at Ithaca College, where the program produced six NCAA qualifiers in consecutive seasons with six total all-Americans; and at Ursinus College, where he helped mentor a pair of all-Americans and five Academic All-Americans. Ecker is a graduate of Ithaca, where he earned a degree in business administration finance and corporate accounting in 2012. He was an outstanding wrestler for the Bombers, becoming that program's first two-time NCAA Division III national champion with a 108-20 careeer record. He was a two-time CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-American and as a senior was voted the Men's At-Large Academic All-American of the Year, one of college sports' most prestigious academic honors. He is currently pursuing his MBA from Kutztown University.

Hunter Gamble (Photo/UTC Athletics) University of Tennessee at Chattanooga head wrestling coach Kyle Ruschell announced the hiring of Hunter Gamble as assistant coach today. Gamble takes over for Mike Hatcher, who stepped down in October. Gamble was previously on Ruschell's staff for his first season at UTC in 2018-19. Together, they guided the Mocs to a share of the 2019 Southern Conference regular season title. Gamble first came to Chattanooga as the volunteer assistant for Heath Eslinger's final campaign in 2017-18. "This job attracted some quality candidates," stated Ruschell. "I am glad Hunter was looking to get back into coaching and we know he will be a great fit. He knows the guys and built some strong recruiting ties while working with various clubs over the last year." Prior to joining the staff at UTC in 2017, Gamble was a two-time NCAA qualifier at Gardner-Webb. He won the 2013 SoCon title at 174 pounds and was an All-SoCon pick and two-time finalist in his other three years with the Bulldogs. "I am very excited to get back to work with these young men," said Gamble. "I am passionate about wrestling in the Southeast, focused on building on the work that Coach Ruschell has already done and look forward to building a premier program in the South." Gamble earned his Master's Degree in Business Administration from UTC in 2019. He spent the last year in private business in Atlanta, while also working with local wrestling clubs in the Atlanta metro region.

Joe Colon gets his hand raised after winning a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships (Photo/Larry Slater) AMES, Iowa - The Cyclone Regional Training Center and Director, Kevin Dresser, are excited to announce the addition of an Iowa wrestling legend. Joe Colon has joined up with the C-RTC as a resident athlete in Ames. "It is very exciting for us to add Joe to our program," Dresser said. "He is one of the top lightweights in the entire world right now. He made great improvements these past four years with Coach Steiner at Fresno State, and we are going to try to build off of that moving forward. Joe's got a lot left in his tank, so we will be fortunate to have him in Ames for a good bit." "Joe brings toughness and a professional-athlete attitude with him. It will be great for our younger athletes to experience that on a day to day basis. Joe will relocate to Ames later this month and we are very excited that he is joining the Cyclone RTC." "I'm looking forward to following my Olympic dream in Ames with the Cyclone RTC," Colon said. "I'm excited to be back in my home state! It's where my wrestling journey first began. I want to thank Coach Dresser and the rest of his staff for this opportunity." Colon joins the Cyclone Wrestling program after a four-year coaching stint at Fresno State. He is currently a member of the US National team at 61 kilograms and is ranked No. 20 in the world. In Senior Level competition, Colon is as decorated in accomplishments as they come. In 2018, Colon made the United States World Team and brought home a world bronze medal for the US at 61 kilograms. That year, he also claimed Gold at the Pan-American Championships, the U.S. Open and was a member of the Men's Freestyle World Cup team that brought home the team title. Colon is a Dave Schultz Memorial International and Bill Farrell International Champion, and has won the Pan American Championship on two occasions. Most recently, Colon was the runner-up at Final X (2019) and earned a spot on the U.S. National Team. He took eighth at the 2019 Ivan Yarygin Gran Prix, fifth at the 2019 Dan Kolov International and finished second at the 2020 Matteo Pellicone International. The Clear Lake, Iowa, native compiled a 62-6 overall mark in his two seasons competing for UNI. He went 27-4 as a redshirt sophomore in 2011-12, advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships before falling in the blood round. After sitting out the 2012-13 season, Colon came back as a senior in 2013-14 and went 35-2 overall, finishing his career first in Panther program history in career winning percentage (.911). His senior season winning percentage of .946 ranked third-best for a single-season in UNI history. He finished his career a perfect 24-0 in duals. Colon began his collegiate career at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge. He won the 2010 NJCAA national championship at 125 pounds. He was named the NJCAA Tournament Outstanding Wrestler as the Tritons won the national championship. Colon was an Iowa prep-star out of Clear Lake. Colon was a three-time Iowa High School State Medalist and won titles in 2007 and 2009.

Ed Ruth defeated Cuba's Reineris Salas Perez at the 2015 World Cup (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) RALEIGH, N.C. -- Three-time NCAA National Champion Ed Ruth will be joining the Wolfpack Wrestling Club and the Wolfpack Regional Training Center (RTC) as an athlete developmental coach. "I'm very excited to be coming to Raleigh," said Ruth. "It's a great area, and a great opportunity to be involved with the Wolfpack RTC and NC State's collegiate program. Wolfpack Wrestling has reached very impressive heights recently, and they always have a huge presence at every tournament their guys go to. "I look forward to working with Coach Popolizio and his whole staff in the development of all the athletes involved with Wolfpack Wrestling." Ruth competed for Penn State Wrestling from 2011-14. While there, he was a three-time NCAA national champion (in 2012 at 174 pounds and in 2013 and 2014 at 184 pounds). He also was the third as a redshirt-freshman at 174 pounds in 2011. Penn State won the national title all four years he competed. He currently ranks first in the Penn State record books in career winning percentage, going 136-3 during his Nittany Lion career, only one loss over his final three seasons. He was a four-time Big Ten Champion. "Ed will be a vital asset to all aspects of our program," said NC State head coach Pat Popolizio. "With his background and the levels of success that he has gotten to already, Ed is bringing to Raleigh experiences that will have a huge impact on every guy associated both with our wrestling team and the Wolfpack RTC." In freestyle action, Ruth finished second at the World Team Trials, and was third at the 2015 U.S. Open. In 2014, he won the World Team Trials at 84 kg, and represented the U.S. at the World Championships in Uzbekistan. He was a member of the University World Freestyle Team in 2013, and was a University Nationals champion (84 kg). Ruth has recently competed in the Middleweight division of Bellator MMA, whom he signed with in May 2015 and made his debut in November 2016. He holds a professional record of 8-3, with six wins coming via knockout. He also holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and has a career 9-3 record in submission grappling matches. A native of Harrisburg, Pa., Ruth was a 2009 High School All-American at Blair Academy (N.J.), and the top-ranked recruit in his weight class nationally.

Tyler Berger defeated Sammy Sasso at Flo's Burroughs vs. Zahid event (Photo/Justin Hoch, JHoch.com) After a brief hiatus, Richard Mann (@richardamann) and Clay Sauertieg (@ByCSauertieg) are back on the Matside. This week the duo looks at both the Flo show headlined by Jordan Burroughs vs. Zahid Valencia and the U23 freestyle finals. There was a ton of wrestling this past weekend, and unfortunately Matside could not cover it all. However, there is still a hour of wrestling content ready for consumption. 0:00 - Open 3:03 - Kollin Moore VIN over Kyven Gadson 5:36 - Kayla Miracle VPO over Ana Godinez 7:53 - Tyler Berger VPO1 over Sammy Sasso 11:01 - Alli Ragan VSU over Lauren Louive 14:39 - G'Angelo Hancock VSU over Alan Vera 17:39 - Evan Henderson VPO1 over Anthony Echemendia 22:30 - Jordan Burroughs VPO1 over Zahid Valencia 28:35 - Ramazan Attasuov VFA over Danny Vega 31:30 - Mitch McKee VSU over Michael Colaiocco 34:20 - Brock Mauller VPO1 over Dom Demas 36:25 - Will Lewan VPO1 over Kaleb Young 39:45 - Evan Wick VPO1 over Danny Braunagel 42:00 - David McFadden VPO1 over Nelson Brands 46:42 - Taylor Lujan VSU over Max Lyon 49:35 - Jake Woodley VPO1 over Jacob Warner 53:12 - Tanner Sloan VPO1 over Noah Adams 55:46 - Youssif Hemida VPO1 over Anthony Cassioppi 59:01 - Plugs and Closing

Sarah Hildebrandt and Alyssa Lampe will face off on Nov. 24 (Photos/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) A pair of world medalists in women's wrestling will go head-to-head at WRTC Underground 1. Sarah Hildebrandt, a 2018 world silver medalist, will face two-time world bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe on Nov. 24 in the inaugural event hosted by the Wisconsin RTC. The event will be streamed on Rokfin. Hildebrandt reached the finals of the World Championships in 2018 at 53 kilograms before falling to Japan's Haruna Okuno. In 2019, Hildebrandt won gold medals at several international events, including the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, Pan American Championships and Pan American Games. She earned a gold medal at the Matteo Pellicone last January. She won the Senior Nationals title at 50 kilograms last month. Lampe earned world bronze medals in 2012 and 2013. The 32-year-old Wisconsin native won a Senior Nationals title in 2019 and placed third this year. She has claimed medals at many senior international events. Lampe also won a pair of bronze medals at the Junior World Championships.

Jasmit Phulka at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) AMES, Iowa -- The Cyclone Regional Training Center has picked up a big commitment. Kevin Dresser announced Monday that Canadian Olympic team member Jasmit Phulka will be joining up with the C-RTC as a resident athlete. "We are very excited to add Jasmit to the Cyclone RTC," Dresser said. "He comes to us as the number one guy in his country at 74 kilograms. He brings a reputation as a tireless worker and a guy who is only getting better. I know he will make all of those around him better. He will join us before the first of the year." "The Cyclone Regional Training Center is a perfect fit for me," Phulka said. "I get great training partners and an awesome coaching staff that will get me to the next level. I cannot wait to book my ticket to Tokyo and represent the C-RTC at the 2021 Olympics." Phulka has cemented himself as a true contender on the world stage at 74 kilograms, regarded by many as the toughest weight class in all of wrestling at the moment. Most recently, Phulka took bronze at the 2020 and 2019 Pan American Games. 2018 proved to be a springboard for Phulka's Senior Level career. Already a Canadian cadet and junior world team member, Phulka won the City of Sassari Tournament, took third at the Mongolia Open and then finished runner-up at the Grand Prix of Spain. All three results came within a six-week span. Phulka has represented the Canadian world team over the past three years at 74 and 79 kilograms. He will be looking to secure the Canadians a spot at 74 kilograms in the 2021 Olympics at the World Last Chance Qualifier in April.

Jake Woodley repeated as U23 freestyle national champion (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) OMAHA, Neb. -- Jake Woodley repeated as U23 freestyle national champion, coming from behind to defeat past cadet world medalist Jacob Warner in the finals at 92 kilograms. Warner, an All-American for Iowa, scored an early takedown and followed it up with a gut wrench to go up 4-0. But Woodley battled back, scoring six unanswered points to claim a 6-4 victory. Woodley was the lone repeat national champion in the U23 freestyle competition. Taylor Lujan was named Outstanding Wrestler of the freestyle competition (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Taylor Lujan, a four-time NCAA qualifier at Northern Iowa, was named Outstanding Wrestler in the freestyle competition after cruising to the title at 86 kilograms. In the finals, Lujan defeated Max Lyon by technical superiority, 10-0. He finished the tournament with three technical superiority victories and one fall. Earlier this month, Lujan reached the finals of Flo's 8-Man Challenge at 195 pounds. Past age group world finalists Mitchell McKee (61 kilograms), Will Lewan (70 kilograms) and Youssif Hemida (125 kilograms) captured titles. McKee, a 2017 junior silver medalist, capped off a dominant run to the title with a 10-0 technical superiority over Michael Colaiocco in the finals at 61 kilograms. The Gopher All-American had four technical superiority victories in five matches and did not give up a single point in from the quarterfinals on. Lewan, a 2017 cadet world champion, avenged a loss from the NCAA season by beating Iowa's Kaleb Young 5-4 to earn the title at 70 kilograms. Youssif Hemida throws Tony Cassioppi early in their finals match at 125 kilograms (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Hemida, a 2018 U23 world silver medalist, edged Iowa Hawkeye big man Tony Cassioppi 8-7 to win the title at 125 kilograms. Hemida raced out to a 4-0 lead on the strength of a four-point throw early in the match. Cassioppi, who compiled a 20-3 record and placed third at the Big Ten Championships as a freshman, came back to take a 7-6 lead with just over two minutes remaining. A short time later, Hemida fired off a single leg and scored a takedown. He then held on for the victory. Ramazan Attasauov turns Danny Vega in the finals at 57 kilograms (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The most surprising championship run came at 57 kilograms, where Ramazan Attasauov, a wrestler at Iowa State, won the title. Attasauov, a two-time Massachusetts state champion, came from behind in the finals to earn a fall over South Dakota State's Danny Vega. Vega looked strong early, building a 6-0 lead. Attasauov scored a takedown with 50 seconds remaining in the first period to cut the deficit to 6-2. He then showcased his strong par terre game, turning Vega three times to make the score 6-6 before turning him a fourth time and securing a fall. Earlier in the tournament the Russian native defeated NCAA All-Americans Patrick Glory of Princeton and Rayvon Foley of Michigan State. Missouri All-American Brock Mauller won the title at 65 kilograms with a dominant 8-1 victory over Oklahoma All-American Dom Demas. Evan Wick, a multiple-time NCAA All-American for Wisconsin, won the title at 74 kilograms with a 10-4 victory over Danny Braunagel of Illinois. David McFadden, who trains at the NJRTC, won the title at 79 kilograms (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) At 79 kilograms, three-time NCAA All-American David McFadden topped Iowa's Nelson Brands 12-5 to win the title. South Dakota State's Tanner Sloan, a 2019 junior world team member, edged West Virginia's Noah Adams 10-9 to win the title at 97 kilograms. Placement Matches 57 kilograms: 1st: Ramazan Attasauov pinned Danny Vega, 8-6 2:47 3rd: Paul Bianchi tech. Patrick Glory, 13-2 1:23 5th: Rayvon Foley tech. Joseph Manchio, 14-1 3:47 7th: Patrick McKee dec. Ethan Rotondo, 15-11 61 kilograms: 1st: Mitchell McKee tech. Michael Colaiocco, 10-0 0:59 3rd: Ian Parker dec. Austin DeSanto, 6-1 5th: Josh Kramer dec. Micky Phillippi, 8-7 7th: Drew Mattin dec. Collin Gerardi, 9-2 65 kilograms: 1st: Brock Mauller dec. Dom Demas, 8-1 3rd: Max Murin tech. Kizhan Clarke, 10-0 5:28 5th: Parker Filius dec. Clay Carlson, 7-5 7th: Luke Kemerer dec. Carter Happel, 4-2 70 kilograms: 1st: Will Lewan dec. Kaleb Young, 5-4 3rd: Jake Keating tech. Garrett Model, 12-1 1:12 5th: Cory Crooks tech. Jaron Jensen, 11-0 5:43 7th: Parker Kropman tech. Jonathan Millner, 10-0 0:35 74 kilograms: 1st: Evan Wick dec. Danny Braunagel, 10-4 3rd: Quentin Perez tech. Jeremiah Moody, 10-0 4:37 5th: Evan Barczak tech. Jacori Teemer, 12-2 1:50 7th: Joshua Kim tech. Grant Zamin, 10-0 0:53 79 kilograms: 1st: David McFadden dec. Nelson Brands, 12-5 3rd: Muhamed McBryde dec. Jake Allar, 4-3 5th: Demetrius Romero tech. Myles Wilson, 10-0 2:41 7th: Dakota Howard tech. Michael Battista, 19-9 5:23 86 kilograms: 1st: Taylor Lujan tech. Max Lyon, 10-0 2:44 3rd: Cameron Caffey tech. Cade Belshay, 10-0 3:45 5th: Stanley Smeltzer forfeit Gregg Harvey 7th: Keegan Moore tech. Jacob Raschka, 11-0 4:26 92 kilograms: 1st: Jake Woodley dec. Jacob Warner, 6-4 3rd: Nino Bonaccorsi dec. Thomas Penola, 8-2 5th: Kordell Norfleet tech. Jay Aiello, 10-0 3:08 7th: Nathan Traxler tech. Andrew Davison, 12-2 3:42 97 kilograms: 1st: Tanner Sloan dec. Noah Adams, 10-9 3rd: Jacob Boyd tech. Kobe Woods, 10-0 5:06 5th: Duncan Lee forfeit Brandon Whitman 7th: Jackson Schichel forfeit Michael Loyola 125 kilograms: 1st: Youssif Hemida dec. Tony Cassioppi, 8-7 3rd: Gannon Gremmel inj dft. Jordan Wood, 0:02 5th: Ethan Laird dec. Brian Andrews, 11-6 7th: Luke Luffman dec. Aaron Costello, 5-0

Mitchell McKee won the title at 61 kilograms (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Placement Matches 57 kilograms: 1st: Ramazan Attasauov pinned Danny Vega, 8-6 2:47 3rd: Paul Bianchi tech. Patrick Glory, 13-2 1:23 5th: Rayvon Foley tech. Joseph Manchio, 14-1 3:47 7th: Patrick McKee dec. Ethan Rotondo, 15-11 61 kilograms: 1st: Mitchell McKee tech. Michael Colaiocco, 10-0 0:59 3rd: Ian Parker dec. Austin DeSanto, 6-1 5th: Josh Kramer dec. Micky Phillippi, 8-7 7th: Drew Mattin dec. Collin Gerardi, 9-2 65 kilograms: 1st: Brock Mauller dec. Dom Demas, 8-1 3rd: Max Murin tech. Kizhan Clarke, 10-0 5:28 5th: Parker Filius dec. Clay Carlson, 7-5 7th: Luke Kemerer dec. Carter Happel, 4-2 70 kilograms: 1st: Will Lewan dec. Kaleb Young, 5-4 3rd: Jake Keating tech. Garrett Model, 12-1 1:12 5th: Cory Crooks tech. Jaron Jensen, 11-0 5:43 7th: Parker Kropman tech. Jonathan Millner, 10-0 0:35 74 kilograms: 1st: Evan Wick dec. Danny Braunagel, 10-4 3rd: Quentin Perez tech. Jeremiah Moody, 10-0 4:37 5th: Evan Barczak tech. Jacori Teemer, 12-2 1:50 7th: Joshua Kim tech. Grant Zamin, 10-0 0:53 79 kilograms: 1st: David McFadden dec. Nelson Brands, 12-5 3rd: Muhamed McBryde dec. Jake Allar, 4-3 5th: Demetrius Romero tech. Myles Wilson, 10-0 2:41 7th: Dakota Howard tech. Michael Battista, 19-9 5:23 86 kilograms: 1st: Taylor Lujan tech. Max Lyon, 10-0 2:44 3rd: Cameron Caffey tech. Cade Belshay, 10-0 3:45 5th: Stanley Smeltzer forfeit Gregg Harvey 7th: Keegan Moore tech. Jacob Raschka, 11-0 4:26 92 kilograms: 1st: Jake Woodley dec. Jacob Warner, 6-4 3rd: Nino Bonaccorsi dec. Thomas Penola, 8-2 5th: Kordell Norfleet tech. Jay Aiello, 10-0 3:08 7th: Nathan Traxler tech. Andrew Davison, 12-2 3:42 97 kilograms: 1st: Tanner Sloan dec. Noah Adams, 10-9 3rd: Jacob Boyd tech. Kobe Woods, 10-0 5:06 5th: Duncan Lee forfeit Brandon Whitman 7th: Jackson Schichel forfeit Michael Loyola 125 kilograms: 1st: Youssif Hemida dec. Tony Cassioppi, 8-7 3rd: Gannon Gremmel inj dft. Jordan Wood, 0:02 5th: Ethan Laird dec. Brian Andrews, 11-6 7th: Luke Luffman dec. Aaron Costello, 5-0

Keegan O'Toole won the title at 70 kilograms and was named OW (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Placement Matches 57 kilograms: 1st: Dylan Ragusin dec. Angelo Rini, 13-1 3rd Jesse Mendez tech. Brody Teske, 10-0 2:18 5th: Jesse Ybarra pinned Eric Barnett, 2-2 1:18 7th: Chance Lamer dec. Timothy Levine, 6-2 61 kilograms: 1st: Ridge Lovett dec. Cole Matthews, 5-4 3rd: Samuel Hillegas dec. Carter Young, 10-3 5th: Trey Crawford tech. Isaiah Delgado (Brunson UVRTC), 12-1 3:29 7th: Chris Kim tech. Daniel Kimball, 10-0 2:13 65 kilograms: 1st: Joshua Edmond tech. Bryce Andonian (Southeast RTC, Inc), 10-0 1:29 3rd: Anthony Ferrari tech. Legend Lamer, 11-1 2:26 5th: Sammy Alvarez forfeit Cameron Picklo 7th: Victor Voinovich forfeit Cobe Siebrecht 70 kilograms: 1st: Keegan O'Toole pinned Clayton Ulrey, 1:40 3rd: Justin McCoy dec. Fidel Mayora, 8-4 5th: Kasper Mcintosh tech. Lucas Revano, 10-0 3:30 7th: Connor Brady dec. Tyler Badgett, 11-4 74 kilograms: 1st: Bernie Truax dec. Cade Devos, 8-3 3rd: Alex Facundo dec. David Berkovich, 6-4 5th: Isaiah Alford tech. Baylor Fernandes, 15-5 3:23 7th: Cael Valencia tech. Joshua Otto, 10-0 1:12 79 kilograms: 1st: Michael O'Malley pinned Patrick Kennedy, 1:10 3rd: Jared Krattiger dec. Nick Incontrera, 6-0 5th: Sean Harman dec. Cade King, 5-4 7th: Gerrit Nijenhuis tech. Albert Urias, 12-0 1:09 86 kilograms: 1st: Joel Shapiro dec. John Poznanski, 4-2 3rd: Parker Keckeisen tech. Layne Malczewski, 12-1 2:04 5th: Colton Hawks dec. Ethan Hatcher, 15-12 7th: Jack Kilner dec. Jake Hendricks, 4-1 92 kilograms: 1st: A.J. Ferrari dec. Rocky Elam, 6-1 3rd: William Janzer tech. Christopher Smith, 10-0 2:45 5th: Zach Glazier tech. Nicholas Willham, 10-0 5:48 7th: Austin Cooley tech. Gabe Christenson, 10-0 4:44 97 kilograms: 1st: Tyrell Gordon pinned Tyrie Houghton, 4-2 1:34 3rd: Joseph Reimers 4th: Nick Soto Gordon tech. Reimers, 12-2 Houghton tech. Soto, 12-0 Houghton tech. Reimers, 10-0 Gordon tech. Soto, 10-0 Gordon pinned Houghton 1:34 Reimers tech. Soto, 11-0 125 kilograms: 1st: Joshua Heindselman dec. Hunter Catka, 15-6 3rd: Spencer Trenary dec. Matthew Cover, 13-11 5th: Jacob Slinger tech. Josiah Hill, 11-0 3:35 7th: Blake Querio tech. Dakoda Powell, 15-4 5:16

Placement Matches 50 kilograms: 1st: Emily Shilson (TMWC/Twin Cities RTC) tech. Samara Chavez (Spartan Mat Club), 10-0 2:30 3rd: Maria Vidales (Lion Wrestling Club) dec. Aleeah Gould (Team Tornado Wrestling Club), 4-0 5th: Nina Pham (Texas Panhandle Wrestling Club) tech. Ashley Gooman (Warrior Wrestling Club), 14-4 4:20 7th: Kasey Baynon (Lion Wrestling Club) tech. Jaclyn McNichols (Team Tornado Wrestling Club), 10-0 1:51 53 kilograms: 1st: Ronna Heaton (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Cheyenne Sisenstein (Team Tornado Wrestling Club), 6-1 3rd: Tiare Ikei (TMWC) dec. Felicity Taylor (McKendree Bearcat Wrestling Club), 7-0 5th: Alisha Howk (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) tech. Victoria Smith (Unattached), 16-5 4:48 7th: Alleida Martinez (TMWC) pinned Anja Tschohl (Colorado Mesa WC), 2:14 55 kilograms: 1st: Allison Petix (Team Tornado Wrestling Club) dec. Marissa Gallegos (Colorado Mesa WC), 6-2 3rd: Vayle Baker (Twin Cities RTC) tech. Sophia Mirabella (Team Tornado Wrestling Club), 10-0 1:46 5th: Melanie Mendoza (Team Tornado Wrestling Club) pinned Ngao Shoua Whitethorn (Twin Cities RTC), 8-2 4:02 7th: Makayla Welch (Team Tornado Wrestling Club) pinned Rebekah Cordova (Texas Panhandle Wrestling Club), 1:04 57 kilograms: 1st: Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Rise Wrestling) tech. Abigail Nette (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 12-1 2:35 3rd: Alexia Ward (McKendree Bearcat Wrestling Club) dec. Lauren Mason (Unattached), 3-2 5th: Amanda Martinez (Cardinal Wrestling Club) dec. Karoline Ortiz (Missouri Baptist Wrestling Club), 9-0 7th: Mia Macaluso (Unattached) pinned Serena Cervantes (Hill Country Wrestling Club), 2:30 59 kilograms: 1st: Desiree Zavala (Texas Panhandle Wrestling Club) tech. Koral Sugiyama (Unattached), 10-0 1:38 3rd: Emily Se (Lion Wrestling Club) pinned Sophia Smith (Unattached), 4:03 5th: Paige Respicio (Warrior Wrestling Club) forfeit over Gracie Figueroa (TMWC) 7th: Jerzie Estrada (Unattached) pinned Sadie Tackett (Lion Wrestling Club), 1:32 62 kilograms: 1st: Macey Kilty (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Academy) tech. Ana Luciano (Unattached), 10-0 3:22 3rd: Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp (Warrior Wrestling Club) pinned Kendall Bostelman(Wyoming Seminary), 2:23 5th: Emmily Patneaud (McKendree Bearcat Wrestling Club) pinned Phoenix Dubose (Team Tornado Wrestling Club), 2:10 7th: Alyssa Aceval (Team Tornado Wrestling Club) tech. Salome Walker (McKendree Bearcat Wrestling Club), 11-0 5:21 65 kilograms: 1st: Ashlynn Ortega (Team Tornado Wrestling Club) tech. Viktorya Torres (Team Tornado Wrestling Club), 11-0, 5:36 3rd: Amor Tuttle (Twin Cities RTC) tech. Brianna Csontos (TMWC), 11-0 1:51 5th: Skie Rice (Cougar Wrestling Club) forfeit Marisol Nugent (Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club) 7th: Kayla Munoz (Colorado Mesa WC) forfeit Emma Cole MO (Unattached) 68 kilograms: 1st: Skyler Grote (NYAC) 2nd: Samantha Bush (Grand View WC) 3rd: Julia Lhotellier (Lion WC) Bush tech. Lhotellier, 10-0, 3:23 Grote pinned Bush, 0:18 Grote tech. Lhotellier, 10-0, 0:30 72 kilograms: 1st: Kayla Marano (Lion Wrestling Club) tech. Ophelia Lara (Lion Wrestling Club), 11-0, 4:15 3rd: Marlynne Deede (Twin Cities RTC) pinned Caylee Collins (Colorado Mesa WC), 0:47 5th: Destynie Pacheco (Twin Cities RTC) forfeit Gianna Anaya (Lion Wrestling Club) 76 kilograms: 1st: Dymond Guilford (TMWC) pinned Precious Bell (TMWC), 3:25 3rd: Joye Levendusky (McKendree Bearcat Wrestling Club) dec. Nkechinyere Nwankwo (Unattached), 3-1 5th: Tristan Kelly (Unattached) tech. Yelena Makoyed (Cardinal Wrestling Club), 10-0 1:31 7th: Kamilla Montenegro (Choker Wrestling Club) forfeit Myranda Velazquez (Unattached)

Jordan Burroughs powers through a leg attack on Zahid Valencia (Photo/Justin Hoch, jhoch.com) AUSTIN, Texas -- Jordan Burroughs made his much-anticipated return to competition during another entertaining night of wrestling. FloWrestling put on another high-level wrestling card with a number of intriguing matches taking place on Saturday night in Austin, Texas. Burroughs, an Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion, bumped up in weight to battle Junior world medalist Zahid Valencia. Burroughs rallied for an 8-5 win in an action-packed, high-intensity matchup of two-time NCAA champions at 185 pounds. Here is my breakdown from the evening's matches: 97 kilograms: Kyven Gadson vs Kollin Moore This was a rematch of the recent Senior Nationals match that was won by Moore. Gadson came out firing, shooting in on a single and quickly transferring to a double for a 2-0 lead. Gadson followed by locking up with Moore, but the Iowa State alum was injured just 35 seconds into the bout. Gadson was unable to continue and had to default. 62 kilograms: Kayla Miracle vs Ana Godinez Miracle powered in early with a double on a re-attack to strike first and lead 2-0. Godinez fought off a strong attack by Miracle in the closing seconds of the first period. Miracle countered early in the second period to expose Godinez with a four-point move to lead 6-0. Miracle countered another shot and spun behind to build the edge to 8-0. It was an impressive showing by Miracle against a strong international opponent in women's wrestling. 160 pounds: Sammy Sasso vs Tyler Berger Berger was moving well and was the aggressor from the outset. He struck first after powering in on a low-level leg attack to lead 2-0. Berger followed with another strong attack to lead 4-0 late in the period. Berger hit another textbook low double and finished to lead 6-2 in the second period. Berger looked to have a size advantage and Sasso was unable to generate much offense. Berger powered in on another takedown in the final minute en route to an impressive 8-2 win. 59 kilograms: Alli Ragan vs Lauren Louive Ragan, a two-time world silver medalist, started strong with a superb counter to jump ahead 2-0 early. Ragan countered a leg attack and spun around Louive to lead 4-0. Ragan kept the pressure on, powering in on a double and gaining exposure on a four-point move to lead 8-0. Ragan fired in on another double to prevail 10-0, winning on technical superiority in the first period. Ragan looks primed to land a berth on the U.S. Olympic team. 103 kilograms: G'Angelo Hancock vs Alan Vera The lone Greco-Roman match of the evening promised to be entertaining with two wrestlers capable of lighting up the scoreboard. Hancock wrestles at a higher weight class and it showed early. He snapped Vera down and transferred immediately into a gut-wrench to lead 4-0 in the first 45 seconds. Vera followed by going for a throw near the edge of the mat, but Hancock countered to lead 6-0. Hancock followed with another score to prevail 9-0. He's a wrestler who is still relatively young and has the potential to contend for a medal on the world stage. 65 kilograms: Anthony Echemendia vs Evan Henderson This co-main event was one many people were eager to witness. Henderson came out strong with an effective attack, grabbing a 2-0 advantage. Echemendia, a talented young star, didn't back down but had trouble scoring against a more experienced wrestler. Henderson countered a shot and scored a step out to lead 3-0 late in the first period. Echemendia came back in the second period, firing in on a shot that led to a wild scramble near the edge. The sequence went to a video review with Echemendia awarded two points for a turn and adding a challenge point to close within 4-3. Henderson shot in on a single before hitting a four-point move on the finish to lead 8-3 late in the bout. This was an action-packed bout that was entertaining to watch. Echemendia is going to be fun to watch as he continues to gain experience. Jordan Burroughs came from behind to defeat Zahid Valencia (Photo/Justin Hoch, jhoch.com) 185 pounds: Jordan Burroughs vs. Zahid Valencia The main event saw Valencia come out strong with a pair of takedowns off leg attacks to lead 4-0. Valencia had a noticeable edge in size and Burroughs was unable to convert in the first period. Valencia led 4-0 at the break. Burroughs continued to attack and converted on a double to draw within 4-2 early in the second period. Valencia came right back with a single and a step out to lead 5-2. Burroughs then hit a quick counter to spin behind his opponent, cutting the lead to 5-4 with 1:20 left. Burroughs drove in to score a step out to tie the bout 5-5 with just over a minute to go. Burroughs continued to attack, finishing a double to lead 7-5 with 45 seconds left. He added another step out to lead 8-5. Burroughs was relentless and wore Valencia down in a dominant second period. Burroughs scored eight points in the final three minutes to finish an impressive performance. It was a great match with a high level of intensity between two excellent wrestlers. Burroughs is 32, but he's still very much at the top of his game. He competed at a weight 20 pounds higher than he normally does Saturday, but he still powered through to earn a gritty, hard-fought victory. His conditioning looked excellent. And Burroughs called out world champion David Taylor after the win in hopes of setting up a match between the two American stars. Final word It was another great night for fans to be treated to some top-notch wrestling. It was unfortunate the first bout was cut short. Let's hope Gadson's injury isn't serious. And let's hope many more events like these are shown to provide opportunities for the athletes to compete. Any time Burroughs competes it is fun to watch. Let's hope he wrestles another full Olympic cycle. Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games, written 10 books and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

Conor Knopick scores with a gut wrench on Billy Sullivan in the finals at 55 kilograms (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Placement Matches 55 kilograms: 1st: Conor Knopick (MWC Wrestling Academy) dec. Billy Sullivan (Legends of Gold Las Vegas), 12-5 3rd: Jacob Cochran (Unattached) dec. Andrew Chambal (Unattached), 6-2 5th: Eric Barnett (Wisconsin RTC) tech. Sam Smith (LaCrosse Area Wrestlers), 10-2 4:23 7th: Carter Stephenson (Black Fox Wrestling Academy) pinned Luc Valdez (Unattached), 5:59 60 kilograms: 1st: Chayse LaJoie (Spartan Combat RTC) tech. David Stepanian (NYAC), 10-2, 5:55 3rd: Keegan Slyter (Unattached) dec. Camden Russell (MWC Wrestling Academy), 8-6 5th: Jordan Hamdan (Unattached) tech. Aizayah Yacapinned (Unattached), 8-0 1:04 7th: Caleb Gross (Jackrabbit WC) dec. Christian Colman (Talents WC), 7-4 63 kilograms: 1st: Payton Jacobson (Ringers WC) dec. Logan Hatch (Greco-Roman Development), 5-3 3rd: Tarrell Wallace, Jr. (Garage Boyz Wrestling) tech. Aidan Lenz (Black Fox Wrestling Academy), 9-0 1:37 5th: Jakob Murillo (Unattached) dec. Austin Keal (Arkansas RTC), 3-1 7th: Evan Reid (Ford Dynasty Wrestling Club) inj dft Riley Palm (Dubuque WC) 67 kilograms: 1st: Dayton Porsch (Beaver WC) pinned Benjamin Peak (Sunkist Kids WC), 0:48 3rd: Aaden Valdez (La Gente WC) tech. Bobby Treshock (Curby 3 Style WC), 9-0 2:11 5th: Ian Sandoz (Unattached) pinned John Teed (Rise Wrestling), 2:43 7th: Payne Carr (Union County WC) forfeit Noah Wachsmuth (COBRA ALL-STARS / Cobra Wrestling Systems LLC) 72 kilograms: 1st: Weston Milnes (Greco-Roman Development) tech fall Robert Perez II (Greco-Roman Development), 8-0, 3:30 3rd: Alaa Elkerm (Talents WC) dec. Jacob Stefanowicz (Pennsylvania RTC), 10-6 5th: Brett Mcintosh (Wyoming Wrestling Reg Training Ctr) dec. Matthew Doyle (Burg Training Center), 8-6 7th: John Richardson (Texas Pride WC) pinned Mckay Foy (Mustang WC), 6-4 2:11 77 kilograms: 1st: Justin McCunn (Viking WC/IA) tech. Jack Ervien, Jr. (Unattached), 16-7, 4:26 3rd: Guillermo Escobedo (Wyoming Wrestling Reg Training Ctr) tech. George Moseley (Cougar WC), 13-2 4:50 5th: Tyler Scheurn (Mustang WC) inj dft Desmond Bowers (Choker Wrestling Club), 1:43 7th: Abraham Michel (Dubuque WC) pinned Jacob Inton (Ford Dynasty Wrestling Club), 5:09 82 kilograms: 1st: Jake Hendricks (Pennsylvania RTC) dec. Jacob Anderson (Avalanche Wrestling Association), 7-3 3rd: Josh Mcfarland (Unattached) pinned Kodiak Stephens (Ebbetts Pass Wrestling), 1:37 5th: Dane Harter (Unattached) tech fall Sean Michel (Interior Grappling Academy), 9-0 1:29 7th: William Smith (Unattached) forfeit Floyd Miller (Northwest Iowa WC) 87 kilograms: 1st: Jack Darrah (Xtreme Training) dec. Tyler Hannah (Dubuque WC), 4-3 3rd: Joey Braunagel (Illinois RTC/Illini WC) forfeit Callan Ivy CA (San Leandro Youth: SLY WC) 5th: Zane Davis (Arkansas RTC) dec. Koby Johnson (Unattached), 10-4 7th: Hamzah Alsaudi (Unattached) forfeit Dalton Swayze (Unattached) 97 kilograms: 1st: Isaac Trumble (Wolfpack WC) tech. Denzel Mabry (San Francisco WC), 8-0, 1:31 3rd: Sione Halo (Choker Wrestling Club) dec. Tristen Wilson (Servite High School Wrestling), 12-7 5th: Victor Vargas (Unattached) forfeit Rylan Bonds (Spartan Mat Club) 130 kilograms: 1st: Spencer Trenary (Jackrabbit WC) pinned Josiah Hill (Arkansas RTC), 0:56 3rd: Eli Pannell (Burg Training Center) pinned Justin Ramos (San Francisco WC), 4-0 0:21 5th: Apollo Gothard (Izzy Style Wrestling) dec. James Hustoles (Unattached), 5-2 7th: Caspian Grabowski (Arkansas RTC) pinned Cameron Dubose (Unattached), 8-3 5:48

Macey Kilty claimed the title at 62 kilograms with a win over Kylie Welker (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Placement Matches 50 kilograms: 1st: Emily Shilson (TMWC/Twin Cities RTC) dec. Salyna Shotwell (Ford Dynasty Wrestling Club), 4-2 3rd: Ava Bayless (Wyoming Seminary) pinned Ashley Gooman (Warrior WC), 1:53 5th: Samara Chavez (Spartan Mat Club) pinned Anja Tschohl (Colorado Mesa WC), 2:03 7th: Sydney Petzinger (Unattached) pinned Emma Cochran (Grand View WC), 5:51 53 kilograms: 1st: Tiare Ikei (TMWC) tech. Felicity Taylor (McKendree Bearcat WC), 12-1, 4:02 3rd: Alleida Martinez (TMWC) dec. Marissa Gallegos (Colorado Mesa WC), 3-2 5th: Alisha Howk (Sunkist Kids WC) dec. Sophia Mirabella (Team Tornado WC), 4-2 7th: Melanie Mendoza (Team Tornado WC) pinned Emalie Olson (Greater Heights Wrestling), 0:39 55 kilograms: 1st: Nanea Estrella (American Falls WC) tech. Vayle Baker (Twin Cities RTC), 11-0, 4:48 3rd: Isabella Amaro (All-Phase WC) tech. Asia Nguyen-Smith (Cardinal WC), 10-0 2:42 5th: Claire Dicugno (Takedown Express WC) pinned Ngao Shoua Whitethorn (Twin Cities RTC), 2:08 7th: Grace Pauls (Unattached) pinned Nanen Aguilar CO (Colorado Mesa WC), 1:18 57 kilograms: 1st: Cameron Guerin (TMWC) dec. Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Rise RTC), 8-3 3rd: Emily Se (Lion WC) pinned Mia Macaluso (Unattached), 12-6 3:19 5th: Karoline Ortiz (Missouri Baptist WC) dec.Tatum Pine (Choker Wrestling Club), 6-0 7th: Mea Mohler (Spartan Mat Club) tech. Jamae Barnes (Colorado Mesa WC), 10-0 1:05 59 kilograms: 1st: Gracie Figueroa (TMWC) dec. Michaela Beck (Sunkist Kids), 4-2 3rd: Jordan Suarez (Texas Panhandle WC) dec. Tiera Jimerson (Northview High School Wrestling), 5-0 5th: Phoenix Dubose (Team Tornado WC) dec. Paige Respicio (Warrior WC), 3-0 7th: Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp (Warrior WC) tech. Amor Tuttle MN (Twin Cities RTC), 12-1, 3:22 62 kilograms: 1st: Macey Kilty (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Academy) dec. Kylie Welker (Higher Level Wrestling), 8-2 3rd: Chloe Ogden (Lake Highland Prep) dec. Kendall Bostelman (Wyoming Seminary), 13-4 5th: Emmily Patneaud (McKendree Bearcat WC) dec. Liana Souza (Unattached), 11-4 7th: Sara Schmoker (Lions WC) pinned Julia Padilla (Lion WC), 5:07 65 kilograms: 1st: Marisol Nugent (Lehigh Valley WC) tech. Katerina Lange (Twin Cities RTC), 14-3, 2:09 3rd: Brianna Csontos (TMWC) pinned Viktorya Torres (Team Tornado WC), 2:16 5th: Piper Staniford (Wyoming Seminary) tech fall Ellisa Jimenez (TMWC), 11-0 1:33 7th: Emma Cole (Unattached) pinned Madeline Frick (Colorado Mesa WC), 0:46 68 kilograms: 1st: Alexis Gomez (Grand View WC) 2nd: Leilani Hernandez (Texas Pride WC) 3rd: Aaliyah Fisher (Bronco WC) 4th: Julia Lhotellier (Lion WC) 5th: Jacqueline Carreras (Bronco WC) Round robin results Fisher dec. Lhotellier, 6-6 Gomez tech Carreras, 10-0 0:23 Hernandez pinned Fisher, 2:05 Lhotellier pinned Carreras, 1:16 Hernandez pinned Carreras, 0:14 Gomez tech Lhotellier, 10-0, 0:54 Gomez tech. Hernandez, 11-0, 1:35 Fisher tech. Carreras, 10-0, 0:37 Hernandez tech. Lhotellier, 10-0, 1:08 Gomez tech Fisher, 10-0, 1:20 72 kilograms: 1st: Kennedy Blades (Wyoming Seminary) tech. Joye Levendusky (McKendree Bearcat WC), 11-0, 4:21 3rd: Marlynne Deede (Twin Cities RTC) dec. Gianna Anaya (Lion WC), 7-2 5th: Caylee Collins (Colorado Mesa WC) dec. Destynie Pacheco (Twin Cities RTC), 5-2 7th: Jordan Roberts (Missouri Baptist WC) pinned Kennadee Vaughn (Bronco WC), 2:30 76 kilograms: 1st: Tristan Kelly (Colorado Mesa WC) tech. Yelena Makoyed (Cardinal WC), 10-0, 1:42 3rd: Brittyn Corbishley (Spartan Mat Club) pinned Kaylynn Albrecht (Unattached), 1:51 5th: Anastasia Hardin (Unattached) dec. Kamilla Montenegro (Choker Wrestling Club), 10-8

Zachary Grimes defeated Calvin Germinaro in the finals at 67 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Placement Matches 55 kilograms: 1st: Mason Carzino-Hartshorn (Community Youth Center - Concord) tech. Brendon Garcia (Wyoming Wrestling Reg Training Ctr), 9-0, 1:46 3rd: Samuel Braswell IV (Cougar Wrestling Club) tech. Gabriel Gray (Texas Panhandle Wrestling Club), 12-1 5:50 5th: Michael Spangler (Beaver Wrestling Club) tech. Aria Mazroy (San Francisco Wrestling Club), 10-2 3:28 7th: Andrew Willi (Bobcat WC) 60 kilograms: 1st: Taylor Lamont (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Randon Miranda (New York Athletic Club), 3-1 3rd: Corbin Nirschl (MWC Wrestling Academy) 4th: Thomas Hicks (unattached) 5th: Cordney Chairs (unattached) 63 kilograms: 1st: Dylan Gregerson (Brunson UVRTC) tech. Erik Spence (Battle Born Wrestling Club), 9-0, 0:59 3rd: Rylee Molitor (Jackrabbit Wrestling Club) tech. Jackson Renicker (Unattached), 8-0 0:36 5th: Clay Carlson (Jackrabbit Wrestling Club) tech. Jarod Maes (X-Factor Elite Wrestling), 8-0 2:40 7th: Matt Santos MI (Unattached) forfeit Nicholas Segura TX (Unattached), 67 kilograms: 1st: Peyton Omania (Unattached) won by forfeit over Benjamin Peak (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) 3rd: Lenny Merkin (NYAC/NJRTC) tech. Nolan Baker (New York Athletic Club), 11-0 1:58 5th: Jasiah Williams (CSU Pueblo Wrestling RTC) pinned Thomas Lisher AR (Arkansas Regional Training Center), 1:06 7th: Jake Drexler (CrassTrained: Weigh In Club) dec. Duncan Nelson (Unattached), 7-1 72 kilograms: 1st: Zachary Grimes (Unattached) pinned Calvin Germinaro (Unattached), 4:57 3rd: Dracius Mckee (Spartan Mat Club) tech. Riley Briggs (Community Youth Center - Concord Campus), 14-6 5:55 5th: Seth Vosters (Wisconsin Regional Training Center) dec. Zachary Tolver (Interior Grappling Academy), 8-4 7th: Ryan Ojeda (Unattached) pinned Michael Petersen (Unattached), 4:39 77 kilograms: 1st: Jesse Porter (New York Athletic Club) tech. Tyler Dow (Wisconsin Regional Training Center), 11-1, 3:48 3rd: Eddie Smith (Dubuque Wrestling Club) tech. Augustine Garcia (Unattached), 8-0 1:59 5th: Fritz Schierl (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) forfeit Ryan Epps (Unattached) 7th: Jack Ervien, Jr. (unattached) 82 kilograms: 1st: Tommy Brackett (Unattached) dec. Jake Hendricks (Pennsylvania RTC), 4-0 3rd: Gabriel Rangel (Viking Wrestling Club (IA)) pinned Kacper Piskorz IL (Unattached), 0:25 5th: DM Hallett (Unattached) tech. William Smith (Unattached), 10-1 0:58 87 kilograms: 1st: Cameron Caffey (Unattached) tech. Guy Patron (Dubuque Wrestling Club), 10-2, 2:52 3rd: George Sikes (New York Athletic Club) dec. Bear Hughes (Unattached), 3-2 5th: Joseph Williams(Shenandoah RTC) dec Chase Mccleish (Team Valley Wrestling Club), 5-1 7th: Chris Droege (Compound Wrestling- Great Lakes Regional Training Center) tech. Brodey Beckman (Hill Country Wrestling Club), 11-0 1:42 97 kilograms: 1st- George Hooker (Unattached) dec. Michael Loyola (Unattached), 6-2 3rd: Timothy Eubanks (Unattached) pinned Brady Vogel IA (Dubuque Wrestling Club), 0:57 5th: Dylan Buschow (MWC Wrestling Academy) forfeit Rylan Bonds TX (Spartan Mat Club) 130 kilograms: 1st: Lee Herrington (Nebraska Golden Eagles Wrestling Club) pinned Zach Schrader (Unattached), 1:18 3rd: Trent Ragland (Cougar Wrestling Club) dec. Octavio Alejandre WA (Unattached), 5-2 5th: Cameron Dubose (Unattached) tech. Luke Zaiser MN (Unattached), 10-0 5:05 Semifinals 55 kilograms: Brendon Garcia (Wyoming Wrestling Reg Training Ctr) tech. Michael Spangler (Beaver Wrestling Club), 12-4 4:29 Mason Carzino-Hartshorn (Community Youth Center - Concord) tech. Aria Mazroy (San Francisco Wrestling Club), 8-0 1:02 63 kilograms: Dylan Gregerson (Brunson UVRTC) tech. Jarod Maes (X-Factor Elite Wrestling), 10-0 2:27 Erik Spence (Battle Born Wrestling Club) tech. Rylee Molitor (Jackrabbit Wrestling Club), 8-0 2:03 67 kilograms: Benjamin Peak (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Lenny Merkin (NYAC/NJRTC), 8-5 Peyton Omania (Unattached) tech. Nolan Baker (New York Athletic Club), 9-1 3:36 72 kilograms: Zachary Grimes (Unattached) dec. Riley Briggs (Community Youth Center - Concord Campus), 10-3 Calvin Germinaro (Unattached) dec. Zachary Tolver (Interior Grappling Academy), 13-10 77 kilograms: Tyler Dow (Wisconsin Regional Training Center) pinned Ryan Epps (Unattached), 2:12 Jesse Porter (New York Athletic Club) tech. Fritz Schierl (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 11-0 3:25 82 kilograms: Tommy Brackett (Unattached) pinned Kacper Piskorz (Unattached), 0:48 Jake Hendricks (Pennsylvania RTC) tech. William Smith VA (Unattached), 8-0 0:35 87 kilograms: Guy Patron (Dubuque Wrestling Club) tech. Bear Hughes (Unattached), 9-0 2:02 Cameron Caffey (Unattached) tech. Chase Mccleish (Team Valley Wrestling Club), 13-2 4:08 97 kilograms: Michael Loyola (Unattached) tech. Brady Vogel (Dubuque Wrestling Club), 9-0 1:25 George Hooker (Unattached) pinned Timothy Eubanks (Unattached), 0:40 130 kilograms: Zach Schrader (Unattached) tech. Cameron Dubose (Unattached), 11-1 3:59 Lee Herrington (Nebraska Golden Eagles Wrestling Club) tech. Luke Zaiser(Unattached), 9-0 0:22

The Boxer wrestling program is now in the hands of former Pacific wrestler and former assistant coach Zach Binkerd as he's officially been named interim head men's and women's wrestling coach. Zach BinkerdBinkerd knows first-hand how Pacific and the ability to compete in a sport you love at the college level can make a significant impact in one's life. "I think some of the things that I learned as an athlete helped me in my professional career. The things that I learned in the classroom pushed me above my peers. I truly believe that Pacific University has a great education. I did both my undergrad and graduate work here, and I came out of my graduate program feeling like a professional - like I was ready to attack the world. I owe that a lot to the education that I received at Pacific and the culture that was created through the wrestling program," said Binkerd. Athletic Director Keith Buckley is excited to have Binkerd lead the way for the Boxer wrestling program moving forward. "Coach Binkerd has a tremendous connection to the Boxer wrestling community and is eager to take the necessary steps to move our program positively forward into the future. He is a proud wrestling alum of Pacific University who is excited to lead our current student-athletes through this challenging time," said Buckley. Binkerd's ties to Pacific wrestling run deep. He has served as an assistant coach, competed for four years on the mats for the Boxers, and his father Kevin Binkerd also wrestled for Pacific and was inducted in the Pacific Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000. For the past two seasons, Binkerd has served as an assistant coach for the Boxers. During the 2018-19 season, he helped three Boxer men reach the second round of the consolation round of the NCAA Division III West Regional. While in the same season, he helped coach four women in the WCWA Wrestling Championships, while two earned Top four finishes at the Oregon Women's State Championships. Zach competed for the Boxers for four years (2009-2013) after a strong high school career at Hillsboro high school, where he earned three top-eight finishes at State, including a second-place finish in the Oregon 5A State Championship in the 119 lb. weight class. He hopes to use the strong history of Boxer wrestling, which includes over 60 All-Americans in men's wrestling and over 40 All-Americans in women's wrestling, and 17 National Champions between the men and women to help rebuild the program. "We have a strong presence in the wrestling community in Oregon and beyond. There are a lot of Pacific University alums that are still active. If you walk into our wrestling room, you will see a wall that is littered with names of past champions and All-Americans and people who have found a way to attack life beyond; leaders of the wrestling community, leaders of their own communities. It's always had a strong impact on me since I was a kid; I was fortunate enough that my father was an All-American and knew of many of those folks growing up and had such a big impact on my life. It's awesome to be part of a community that is steeped in so much tradition," said Binkerd. He earned both his bachelor's degree and graduate degree from Pacific and has spent the last five years teaching, currently as a third-grade teacher at Fairview Elementary school in Hillsboro. Binkerd hopes to build the program back up and knows it will take work. "Hoping to bolster our position on campus and try and grow our numbers, and really look to be eventually a threat nationally. We know there's a lot of work to get there, but we're excited and ready to put in the work to make the push," said Binkerd.

The United States saw a record number of coronavirus cases this week, including a single-day high of 144,000 new cases reported Thursday. Deaths, which lag by 10-14 days, are also increasing and have reached an average of 1,400 a day. There is plenty to discuss about the United States' horrendous management of the virus and its outcomes. We've become fatigued. Leadership is non-existent. Conspiracy theories distract and misinform. People are dying in record numbers. But the wrestling community is about to feel the impact in a very real and direct way. The number of cases is terrifying because there is an exponential spread. What is 144K today will be 300K in a few weeks without proper mitigation, and given the exhaustion there is unlikely to be new restrictions put into place until it's far too late. There will be new restrictions and they will impact wrestling. Even in the states where rules have been lax there is an inevitable change coming when hospitals become overrun and constituents demand government action. I don't know for certain, but I'd guess that the first sport to be canned in the winter will be wrestling. Even before this recent spike we were seeing states placing limits on competitions. That is certain to expand as cases and deaths increase. Wrestling won't be a priority for any state administrator. I hope that we can accept this as the cost of the virus and not blame the administrators who are being put in this impossible decision. We will wrestle again, but I don't know if it'll be until the Summer of 2021. To your questions … Q: What are your predictions for this weekend's Burroughs-Zahid event on Flo? Aside from JB vs. Zahid, what match on the card are you most excited about? -- Mike C. Foley: Predictions are below. Match 1: Kyven Gadson df Kollin Moore, 4-2 Match 2: Kayla Miracle df. Ana Godinez, 10-0 Match 3: Sammy Sasso df Tyler Berger, 6-1 Match 4: Alli Ragan df Lauren Louive via Fall Match 5: Alan Vera df. G'angelo Hancock, via TF Match 6: Anthony Echemendia df. Evan Henderson, 8-3 Match 7: Jordan Burroughs df Zahid Valencia, 9-2 Jordan is always must-watch TV. He's a superstar who always delivers an entertaining match. The sock pulls, the double legs, the moments of trash talking and posturing. I love it all and won't be missing him compete this weekend. Anthony Echemendia after winning a Fargo title in freestyle (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) I'm intrigued by Anthony Echemendia. He's being touted as the next superstar from the United States and it'll be interesting to see how he handles a veteran like Evan Henderson. From what I've seen of Echemendia it'll be a good test and allow him to showcase his on-the-mat personality rather than just his online persona. This will be a great event. Very interested in how it all plays out. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Always enjoy watching this match. UWW is going through the Top 100 most-watched videos on its YouTube page. Be sure to subscribe! Q: I read the article about UWW's Individual World Cup. What do you expect the field to be like? Will we see several world champions and world medalists? How large do you expect the brackets to be? -- Mike C. Foley: The Individual World Cup is the first event planned by United World Wrestling since the completion of the Pan Am Qualifier in March. To not have a tournament for nine months is an incredible amount of time for an international federation to be idle. While cases are increasing globally the event is being planned for Serbia in December. There will be a number of protocols in place, which I think will be announced in the coming weeks. As for the field, I think we will see the full lineups from Russia, Turkey, Georgia, India, and Iran. That's just a guess as they haven't opened the new entries up, but those nations had shown original interest. I'm hopeful for 40-plus nations and average brackets of more than 16 wrestlers per category and that will almost certainly include a large number of world champions and medalists. I'm hopeful for a good turnout! Q: Jordan Burroughs has used his social media to speak out about police brutality in the past. He tweeted this past weekend that he's proud to be an American and mentioned how the new president will represent the country with class and dignity. Do you wish more of America's top wrestlers would use their platform to speak out on issues? -- Mike C. Foley: I think that a lot of our top athletes and coaches do express their political opinions online, but the vast majority are on the other side of the issues from Jordan Burroughs. That's why when Jordan mentions something "political" online he is attacked in a broader manner than some of the Division I coaches who have more conservative opinions. Jordan has a platform and he knows there will be blowback but takes his responsibility seriously. He's a leader in our community and has always conducted himself with dignity. Can't imagine there is value in tuning him out or shouting down his ideas.

The Ivy League announced Thursday that it has canceled all winter sports, including wrestling, for the 2020-21 season. Six Ivy League schools sponsor wrestling: Princeton, Cornell, Columbia, Penn, Brown and Harvard. Below is the press release announcement from the Ivy League. PRINCETON, N.J. -- Consistent with its commitment to safeguard the health and wellbeing of student-athletes, the greater campus community and general public, the Ivy League Council of Presidents has decided that league schools will not conduct intercollegiate athletics competition in winter sports during the 2020-21 season. In addition, the Ivy League will not conduct competition for fall sports during the upcoming spring semester. Lastly, intercollegiate athletics competition for spring sports is postponed through at least the end of February 2021. The unanimous decisions by the Ivy League Council of Presidents follow extended consideration of options and strategies to mitigate the transmission of the COVID-19 virus, an analysis of current increasing rates of COVID-19 - locally, regionally and nationally - and the resulting need to continue the campus policies related to travel, group size and visitors to campus that safeguard the campus and community. Athletics training opportunities and practices for enrolled student-athletes will be permitted, provided they are structured in accordance with each institution's procedures and applicable state and local regulations. This approach is consistent with the phased approach implemented by the Ivy League for all sports in the fall 2020 term. The Council will continue to closely monitor and evaluate the public health climate and consider changes to policies when warranted in order to return to more normal campus operations, including potential spring intercollegiate athletics competition. Winter and fall sport student-athletes will not lose a season of Ivy League or NCAA eligibility, whether or not they enroll. Students who wish to pursue competition during a fifth-year of undergraduate education at their home institution, if permitted, or as a graduate student elsewhere will need to work with their institutions in accordance with campus policy to determine their options beyond their current anticipated graduation date. The Ivy League Council of Presidents offered the following joint statement: Throughout the last nine months, we have asked our campus communities to make extraordinary adjustments in order to do our part in combating the global pandemic and to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our students, faculty members, staff and the communities in which they live and work. Regrettably, the current trends regarding transmission of the COVID-19 virus and subsequent protocols that must be put in place are impeding our strong desire to return to intercollegiate athletics competition in a safe manner. Student-athletes, their families and coaches are again being asked to make enormous sacrifices for the good of public health -- and we do not make this decision lightly. While these decisions come with great disappointment and frustration, our commitment to the safety and lasting health of our student-athletes and wider communities must remain our highest priority. We look forward to the day when intercollegiate athletics -- which are such an important part of the fabric of our campus communities -- will safely return in a manner and format we all know and appreciate. Ivy League Council of Presidents Christina Paxson, Brown University Lee Bollinger, Columbia University Martha Pollack, Cornell University Philip Hanlon, Dartmouth College Lawrence Bacow, Harvard University Amy Gutmann, University of Pennsylvania Christopher Eisgruber, Princeton University Peter Salovey, Yale University About the Ivy League The Ivy League stands at the pinnacle of higher education and Division I athletics, rooted in the longstanding, defining principle that intercollegiate athletics competition should be "kept in harmony with the essential educational purposes of the institution." Unrivaled in its legacy, The Ivy League provides the true test of academic and co-curricular rigor - fostering an enduring culture that celebrates a storied-tradition, thrives on shared values and holds paramount the academic and personal growth of students. Consistently ranked as the top academic conference and with more national championships than any other collegiate athletic conference (287 team, 546 individual), The Ivy League showcased 98 nationally-ranked programs in 2018-19 and prides itself on sponsoring 33 sports, the highest number of any NCAA conference, with more than 8,000 student-athletes competing annually. The League's world-renowned schools - Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton and Yale - serve as the standard bearers for inspiring and transforming student-athletes to boldly take on the world's challenges and lead lives of great impact. For more information, please visit IvyLeague.com.

WICHITA, Kan. -- Friends University Director of Athletics Dr. Rob Ramseyer has announced the hiring of Aaron Meister as the head coach of the newly added men's and wrestling programs. Aaron Meister"We feel lucky to attract a coach with the experience of starting and running a successful wrestling program," Ramseyer said. "Aaron brings a great deal of experience to the role and Christian higher education. We are confident he will build a quality program that will be successful in being competitive but also producing students who are engaged and will graduate. We are excited to welcome him and his wife Jill back to Kansas." Meister is indeed familiar with Kansas after attending Holton High School, Labette County Community College and then graduating from Fort Hays State University. He comes to Friends after helping to jumpstart the men's and women's wrestling programs as an assistant coach for four seasons at Wayland Baptist University (WBU) in Plainview, Texas. He then took the reins of the program after head coach legendary head coach Johnny Cobb retired prior to the 2014-15 season. Meister's decorated coaching career includes coaching a World Champion, Tamyra Mensah-Stock, four World medalists, 13 National Champions, 96 All-Americans, and the 2019 NAIA Women's Dual Champions. Among those All-Americans is an Olympic Trials champion, two World Team Trials champions, three U.S. Open champions, a University World runner-up, and 25 of those individuals are either World or Olympic Trials qualifiers. While at WBU, Meister has initiated and endowed two scholarships (Johnny Cobb and& Tamyra Mensah-Stock Wrestling Scholarships). He also created the Panhandle Wrestling Association of which he currently serves as President while also starting the Panhandle Wrestling Club. "I'm honored and grateful to be selected by Dr. Ramseyer and all of the people that were part of the hiring process," Meister said. "Starting a new program is a massive undertaking. A task that requires optimism, wisdom, and patience. Ultimately, I decided to accept the responsibility of building a program because of the long term potential that Wichita offers in wrestling experience, and community support. I have some ideas of how to utilize these resources to move the wrestling program forward, and am excited to share this vision with the community of Wichita. I'm excited to "Build the #Tower,", so Interested prospects are encouraged to complete the Friends University Athletic Questionnaire, so we may learn more about them and share our vision for the program to those who want to make history!" During his standout collegiate career, Meister captured three national championships (2019, 2018, 2014) in the Veterans Division of the U.S. Open. At Fort Hays State University, Meister finished fourth at the 2004 NCAA D-II National Championships, won two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championships, and capped his collegiate career in 2006 with a fifth-place finish and First-Team Academic All-American honors. In 2003, he was NJCAA national champion, Academic All-American, and student-athlete of year at Labette Community College (Kan.). In 2017, Meister was inducted to the NJCAA Wrestling Hall of Fame. "This is a huge first step in creating a solid wrestling program at Friends University," said Mike Church, Wichita Heights High School Athletic Director who helped with the search. "Coach Meister is 100% the right man to lead this program. He has the pedigree of a champion and a great ability to get the most out of college student-athletes. He will instill everything needed to build a championship, faith-based program. I'm looking forward to watching this program being built into a championship caliber program.". Meister earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training in 2006 and also a Master of Science in Health and Human Performance with an emphasis in Sports Administration in 2009, both from Fort Hays State University.

Jordan Burroughs and Zahid Valencia will face off Saturday night (Photos/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) FloWrestling will host another event this Saturday. In the main event, multiple time world champion Jordan Burroughs will take on a challenge from multiple-time NCAA champion Zahid Valencia. The rest of the card features bouts between top contenders and a few rare interweight matches. The following is a bout-by-bout preview of the card. 97 kilograms: Kyven Gadson vs. Kollin Moore These two recently met in the 97-kilogram final of the 2020 Senior Nationals. In that match, Gadson scored the first takedown of the match as he spun behind off a Moore shot. However, Moore turned it on late to take the victory. He scored eight of the last nine points of the bout and took home a 12-5 victory and the tournament title. On the way to the finals, Moore also defeated Nathan Traxler, Ty Walz and Hayden Zillmer. Earlier in the year, the former Ohio State competitor wrestled for the first time since college on the debut show for Wrestling Underground and scored a 7-0 victory over Deron Winn. Back at Ohio State, Moore was a four-time All-American. During his junior season, he made the NCAA finals before coming up short against Bo Nickal. This past season, he put together an undefeated 27-0 record and appeared to be the clear favorite heading into the NCAA tournament before it was canceled. Gadson also wrestled on the Wrestling Underground show. He had a tough time after moving up in weight against Nick Gwiazdowski and dropped a 10-0 match. However, Gadson got back into form quickly and had a solid showing at Senior Nationals. He knocked off Nino Bonaccorsi and Eric Schultz to make the semifinals. There, he matched up with rival Kyle Snyder. Snyder ultimately bowed out of the match with an injury, but Gadson was leading 5-0 at the time of the stoppage. Gadson showed he can score against Moore in their last meeting. However, in that match, Moore had the staying power and the more diverse ways of scoring. This one might turn into a shootout, but Moore should be the on top of the scoreboard at the end of the night. Prediction: Moore VPO1 over Gadson 62 kilograms: Kayla Miracle vs. Ana Godinez Earlier this year, Miracle secured the U.S. a spot at 62 kilograms in the upcoming Olympics. She bested four opponents to make the finals of the Pan American Olympic Qualifier and earn the berth. Miracle had a busy 2019 as she represented the U.S. at both the Senior World championships as well as the U23 World Championships. While she failed to place on the senior level, Miracle brought home a silver medal from the U23 World Championships. Godinez, who represents Canada on the international scene, also pulled double duty in 2019. She failed to place at the Senior World Championships, but she did break through with a bronze medal performance at the junior level. Earlier this year, Godinez won a WCWC championship for Simon Fraser at 143 pounds. Along the way, she scored three tech falls in four matches. Miracle is one of the brighter young stars on the domestic scene. She should get the opportunity to look good here. It will be a challenge to make the Olympic team, but Miracle will be a regular on the national team ladder going forward. Prediction: Miracle VSU1 over Godinez 160 pounds: Sammy Sasso vs. Tyler Berger As a freshman this past season at Ohio State, Sasso went 24-3 with victories over Pat Lugo, Brayton Lee and Kanen Storr. After his victory over Lugo during the regular season, he entered the Big Ten tournament as the favorite. However, the Iowa wrestler reversed that result in the tournament final setting up a rematch for the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, the event never materialized. During the year, Sasso took a break from folkstyle to enter the 2019 Dave Schultz where he finished fourth at 70 kilograms and defeated David Carr and Anthony Collica. Berger defeated Joey McKenna on the debut Wrestling Underground show. Despite often competing at a higher weight, Berger's ability to continually score on the way to an 8-2 victory was considered somewhat surprising. In 2019, the former Nebraska wrestler entered both the Bill Farrell Memorial and Senior Nationals. Even though he failed to place in either event, Berger did score wins over Carson Kharchla, Dylan Ness and Nick Becker. As a collegiate competitor, he was a three-time NCAA All-American. Berger made the NCAA finals as a senior in 2019 and dropped a major decision against Jason Nolf. Weight might play a factor in this match. Sasso wrestled at 149 pounds this past collegiate season, so this will be quite a move up for him. On top of that, Berger seemed able to apply his weight advantage when he faced off against McKenna this past August. Ignoring those factors, Sasso should be the favorite due to his defense. If he can overcome the physical challenges presented in this match, he should be able to take the victory. Prediction: Sasso VPO1 over Berger 59 kilograms: Alli Ragan vs. Lauren Louive Ragan and Louive were expected to meet in the finals of this past Senior Nationals. However, Ragan, the No. 1 seed, was upset in the semifinals by Xochitl Mota-Pettis and went on to finish third. Louive, on the other hand, took care of business on her side of the bracket and ended up defeating Mota-Pettis in the finals. On her way to the tournament title, Louive also defeated Isabella Gonzalez, Jasmine Davis and Ngao Shoua Whitehorn. In addition to the 2020 Senior Nationals title, Louive also won bronze medals at the 2020 Pan American Championships, 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial and 2019 Klippan Lady Open. Despite the upset at Senior Nationals, Ragan remains one of the top contenders at this weight class domestically. She defeated Louive at Final X last year to make yet another world team. She holds a pair of world silver medals from both the 2016 and 2017. In their two-match series at Final X, Ragan won both matches via 10-0 shutouts. The longer of the two matches was still under two minutes. It will be interesting to see if Louive has made strides and perhaps closes the gap. However, Ragan should be a big favorite heading into this contest. Prediction: Ragan VSU over Louive 103 kilograms: G'Angelo Hancock vs. Alan Vera For the past few cycles, Hancock has been perhaps the strongest competitor for the U.S. on the Greco side of the sport. So far this year, he has medaled at the Matteo Pellicone, Pan American Championships and the Pan American Olympic Qualifier. Hancock has represented the U.S. at multiple world championships and holds an impressive victory over seven-time world/Olympic medalist Artur Aleksanyan. Vera defected from Cuba in 2016, and he has shown himself to be an extremely tough challenge. He recently dominated his way through Senior Nationals on the way to the tournament title. In the finals, he scored a 7-1 victory over Joe Rau in a bout that showed his dominance in all phases of the sport. In 2019, he won both the Dave Schultz Memorial and the Bill Farrell Memorial. In those two events, Vera outscored his opponents by a combined 60-4 score. Vera has appeared to be a polished Greco competitor since coming over from Cuba. However, he may be biting off a bit more than he can chew in this one. Hancock regularly competes at 97 kilograms, while Vera's recent success has come down at 87 kilograms. For those not familiar with the metric system, that is a difference of about 22 pounds. Vera might be able to make a different par terre in this match, but it is hard to see him scoring against such a larger opponent on the feet. Prediction: Hancock VPO1 over Vera 67 kilograms: Anthony Echemendia vs. Evan Henderson After an extensive recruitment process, Echemendia appears to have finally found a home at Ohio State. He arrived from his native Cuba in 2018 and wrestled at the high school level for a single season where he won an Arizona state title. He entered the 2019 USAW Junior Nationals (Fargo) in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Echemendia won both tournaments and defeated all of his opponents by a combined 139-10 score. This will be Echemendia's first competitive match since defeating Josh Saunders at the 2019 Who's Number One event. Henderson has been competing full time on the freestyle circuit since exhausting his collegiate eligibility in 2016. At North Carolina, he was a two-time All-American after finishing sixth as a sophomore and fourth as a junior. On the freestyle scene, Henderson had a very strong 2019 that saw him pick up medals at the Dave Schultz Memorial, Cerro Pelado-Granma, Continental Cup and Bill Farrell Memorial. He has continued that momentum so far this year as he recently placed second at Senior Nationals. In the tournament, he defeated the likes of Ian Parker and Jaydin Eierman before coming up short against Andrew Alirez in the finals. At this point, the wrestling world has really only seen what Echemendia can do at the high school level. He has appeared to be far and above the competition there. He is taking a big step up here against a wrestler who just finished second at Senior Nationals. With that being said, Alirez really laid out a game plan to beat Henderson in that finals match. Echemendia's ability to score from the outside could easily mimic Alirez's style and drive him to a victory here. With that being said, the experience edge might be too vast here. Prediction: Henderson VPO1 over Echemendia 185 pounds: Jordan Burroughs vs. Zahid Valencia Burroughs is now an eight-time world/Olympic medalist after picking up a bronze medal in 2019. After failing to capture an Olympic medal in 2016, Burroughs was expecting 2020 to be about peaking for the Olympic Trials and eventually the Games. Due to the pandemic that has since been postponed. Burroughs last competed at the 2020 Pan American Championships where he easily won the title. He surrendered only one point in the bracket and scored an 8-1 victory over Franklin Gomez in the finals. Valencia recently exhausted his eligibility at Arizona State. He went 129-5 and won a pair of NCAA titles. Along the way, he scored victories over the likes of Mark Hall, Daniel Lewis, Myles Amine and Bo Jordan. In freestyle, Valencia is a junior world silver medalist from 2017 and has nearly made a pair of world teams. In 2018, he made Final X before coming up short against Kyle Dake. Last year, he made the finals of the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament before falling against Alex Dieringer. This is another match on this card where size could play a factor. Valencia has competed on the senior level in freestyle at both 79 and 86 kilograms. On the other hand, Burroughs has been at 74 kilograms for years. With that being said, Burroughs' style has helped him defeat larger opponents in the past. Valencia's length might be the biggest issue for Burroughs, but if he can get through the hands, he should be able to score. Prediction: Burroughs VPO1 over Valencia