InterMat Staff

With the online athlete pre-registration completed, USA Wrestling has made some important adjustments to the competition schedule for the Senior Nationals, set for the new Xtream Arena & GreenState Family Fieldhouse in Coralville, Iowa, October 9-11. The event will highlight competition in the three Olympic disciplines: men's freestyle, women's freestyle and Greco-Roman. The competition in women's freestyle and Greco-Roman, which was scheduled to be a two-day tournament in those disciplines, has been changed to a one-day event. The men's freestyle tournament will remain held over two days, but the session times have been altered on the final day. The effect of this schedule change means that there will be a gold-medal finals session each of the three days of action. On Friday, October 9, all six Greco-Roman weight classes will be completed, as well the first three women's freestyle weight classes (50 kg, 53 kg, 57 kg). On Saturday, October 10, the three remaining women's freestyle weight classes will be completed (62 kg, 68 kg, 76 kg). The men's freestyle begins Saturday, and all six men's freestyle weight classes will be completed on Sunday, October 11, but at an earlier time for the finals. Three major time changes to note are: 1) Session II on Friday will be extended one hour, scheduled to complete at about 9:00 p.m. 2) There will only be two sessions on Saturday, with the competition expected to end about 30 minutes earlier in the evening at approximately 8:00 p.m.; 3) The second session of Sunday will be held earlier than previously announced, with a start time of 12:30 p.m. and an expected completion at 1:30 p.m. Also of note is the fact that both Greco-Roman and women's freestyle competitors will now have only one weigh-in, due to the schedule change. Among the factors going into the scheduling change was to enhance the health and safety of athletes and participants once the entry levels were determined. In addition, the earlier completion of the men's freestyle competition on Sunday will allow those who drove a long distance to the event (including participants and spectators) an opportunity to depart earlier for their safe return home. The event will be broadcast live on FloWrestling. Below is the complete new schedule, which can also be accessed on the official website. Friday, October 9 Medical and Weigh-in: Scratch + 2KG Greco-Roman - All weights,Women's Freestyle - Lower weights 7:30 AM - 8:00 AM Session I - (4 Mats) Greco-Roman - All weights and Women's Freestyle - Lower weights Preliminaries, Quarterfinals and Consolations 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM Session II - (4 Mats) Greco-Roman - All weights and Women's Freestyle - Lower weights Consolations, Semifinals, Finals and Medals 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM Saturday, October 10 Medical and Weigh-in - Scratch + 2KG Women's Freestyle - Upper weights, Men's Freestyle- All weights 7:30 AM - 8:00 AM Session III - (5 Mats) Women's Freestyle - Upper weights and Men's Freestyle- All weights Preliminaries and Consolations 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Session IV - (5 Mats) Women's Freestyle - Upper weights Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolations, FINALS AND MEDALS 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM Men's Freestyle- All weights Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Consolations 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM Sunday, October 11 Medical and Weigh-in - Scratch + 2KG Men's Freestyle- All weights 7:30 AM - 8:00 AM Session V - (2 Mats) Men's Freestyle- All weights Consolation, Consolation Semifinals, 3rd Place, 5th Place and 7th Place 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM Session VI - (1 Mat)- NEW START TIME Men's Freestyle- All weights Championship Finals 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Olympic champion Kyle Snyder is seeded No. 1 at 97 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The seeds have been released for the 2020 Senior Nationals in freestyle and women's wrestling. The event will take place this weekend in Coralville, Iowa. Freestyle 57 kilograms: 1. Vito Arujau (TMWC) 2. Darian Cruz (NYAC) 3. Zane Richards (TMWC) 4. Frank Perrelli (TMWC) 5. Jack Mueller (NYCRTC) 6. Shelton Mack (TMWC) 7. Sean Russell (Gopher WC RTC) 8. Skylar Petry (Minnesota Storm) 9. Brandon Courtney (Sunkist Kids) 10. Jakob Camacho (TMWC) 11. Matthew Ramos (Gopher WC RTC) 12. Jack Medley (CKWC) 65 kilograms: 1. Joey McKenna (TMWC) 2. Jaydin Eierman (Hawkeye WC) 3. Evan Henderson (TMWC) 4. Andy Simmons (CKWC) 5. Kanen Storr (CKWC) 6. Dean Heil (TMWC) 7. Matthew Kolodzik (NYAC) 8. Mitch McKee (Gopher WC RTC) 9. Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado RTC) 10. Sean Fausz (TMWC) 11. Luke Pletcher (Pittsburgh WC) 12. Yahya Thomas (Wildcat WC) 13. Nick Dardanes (TMWC) 14. Chad Red (Nebraska WTC) 15. Ethan Lizak (NYAC) 16. Austin Gomez (Cyclone RTC) 74 kilograms: 1. Logan Massa (CKWC) 2. Evan Wick (TMWC) 3. Anthony Valencia (Sunkist Kids) 4. Ryan Deakin (TMWC) 5. David Carr (Cyclone RTC) 6. Hayden Hidlay (TMWC) 7. Joey Lavallee (TMWC) 8. C.J. Brucki 9. Dan Vallimont (Pennsylvania RTC) 10. Danny Braunagel (Illinois RTC) 11. Austin Headlee (Sunkist Kids) 12. Rick Durso (Pennsylvania RTC) 86 kilograms: 1. Nate Jackson (NYAC) 2. Gabe Dean (TMWC) 3. Trent Hidlay (TMWC) 4. Brett Pfarr (Gopher WC RTC) 5. Drew Foster (Panther WC RTC) 6. David McFadden Pennsylvania RTC) 7. Taylor Lujan (Panther WC RTC) 8. Max Dean (TMWC) 9. Rocky Elam (Tiger Style WC) 10. Devin Skatzka (Gopher WC RTC) 11. Mikey Labriola (Nebraska WTC) 12. Taylor Venz 97 kilograms: 1. Kyle Snyder (TMWC) 2. Hayden Zillmer (Gopher WC RTC) 3. Kollin Moore (TMWC) 4. Kyven Gadson (Sunkist Kids) 5. Ben Honis (Pennsylvania RTC) 6. Ty Walz (TMWC) 7. T.J. Dudley (Sunkist Kids) 8. Nick Reenan (TMWC) 9. Jakob Woodley (Oklahoma RTC) 10. Scottie Boykin(TMWC) 11. Lucas Davison (Wildcat WC) 12. Eric Schultz (Nebraska WTC) 13. Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh WC) 125 kilograms: 1. Dom Bradley (Sunkist Kids) 2. Mason Parris (CKWC) 3. Youssif Hemida (NYAC) 4. David Tate Orndorff (TMWC) 5. Tanner Hall (Sunkist Kids) 6. Trent Hillger (Badger RTC) 7. Jordan Wood (Lehigh Valley WC) 8. Danny Chaid (California RTC) 9. Derek White (TMWC) 10. Zach Elam (Tiger Style WC) 11. Mauro Correnti (NYAC) 12. AJ Nevills (TMWC) Women's wrestling 50 kilograms: 1. Sarah Hildebrandt (NYAC) 2. Amy Fearnside (TMWC) 3. Emily Shilson (TMWC) 53 kilograms: 1. Katherin Shai (TMWC) 2. Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids) 3. Ronna Heaton (Sunkist Kids) 4. Alisha Howk (Sunkist Kids) 57 kilograms: 1. Alli Ragan (Sunkist Kids) 2. Lauren Louive (NYAC) 62 kilograms: 1. Macey Kilty (Sunkist Kids) 2. Jennifer Page (TMWC) 3. Jackie Cataline (TMWC) 4. Lexie Basham (Spartan Mat Club) 68 kilograms: 1. Forrest Molinari (Sunkist Kids) 2. Alexandria Glaude (TMWC) 3. Rachel Watters (NYAC) 4. Skylar Grote (NYAC) 5. Marilyn Garcia 76 kilograms: 1. Adeline Gray (NYAC) 2. Precious Bell (TMWC) 3. Victoria Francis (TMWC) 4. Dymond Guilford (TMWC) 5. Tristan Kelly (Betterman Elite) 6. Geneva Gray

WICHITA, Kan. -- Friends University Director of Athletics, Dr. Rob Ramseyer, has announced the addition of men's and women's wrestling, along with men's golf, to the list of sports the athletic department offers starting in the fall semester of the 2021 season. These additions increase the number of sports that Friends University sponsors up to 23 and will raise the level of the overall effectiveness and competitiveness of the department. "We are excited to announce the addition of these programs," Ramseyer said. "We believe we are positioned to be competitive quickly and are looking forward to getting them started." The local community is already embracing the notion of men's wrestling in the area, as Visit Wichita is the official host of the 2020 and 2021 NAIA Men's Wrestling Championship at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association, women's wrestling is a growing sport that has seen the number of high school women wrestlers increase from 804 in 1994 to 21,124 (as of 2019). The KCAC currently has six schools competing in women's wrestling (Midland University, Missouri Valley Colllege, Ottawa University, York College, the University of Jamestown, University of Saint Mary), with seven schools participating in men's wrestling (Bethany College, Kansas Wesleyan University, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Ottawa University, University of Saint Mary, York College). Search committees are in the process of hiring a head coach for men's and women's wrestling.

Drake Ayala gets his hand raised after beating Richard Figueroa (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The high schoolers took the spotlight this weekend in the wrestling world as some of the top prospects in the country took to the mats at Who's Number One. The event featured several top recruits headed to schools such as Penn State, Iowa, Oklahoma State and Nebraska. The card also featured an upset of No. 1-ranked wrestler in InterMat's top-100 seniors ranking. As always Richard Mann and Clay Sauertieg cover every minute of action. 0:00 - Open and overall impression 3:05 - Jesse Mendez vs. Jordan Williams 6:08 - Kylie Welker vs. Skylar Hattendorf 8:45 - Lenny Pinto vs. Rylan Rogers 12:33 - Dean Peterson vs. Jordan Titus (Match of the Night) 16:50 - Victor Voinovich vs. Jagger Condomitti 19:10 - Chase Horne vs. Kyonte Hamilton 24:12 - Nick Feldman vs. Kyle Haas (Performance of the Night) 27:23 - Cody Chittum vs. Wyatt Henson 30:26 - Tate Picklo vs. Seth Shumate 32:48 - Mia Palumbo vs. Sage Mortimer 35:11 - Paddy Gallagher vs. Travis Mastrogiovanni 37:35 - Jesse Mendez vs. Joel Vandervere 41:02 Drake Ayala vs. Richard Figueroa (Upset of the Night) 45:26 - Alex Facundo vs. Cael Valencia 49:54 - Plugs and closing

Jason Nolf after beating Jordan Oliver at Rumble on the Rooftop in June (Photo/Justin Hoch, jhoch.com) Two former Penn State wrestling standouts will meet on Oct. 20. Three-time NCAA champion Jason Nolf and NCAA champion Bubba Jenkins will face off at the second Nittany Lion Wrestling Club event on Rokfin. Penn State head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson tweeted the announcement Monday. Nolf has been successful on the senior level in freestyle since finishing his college wrestler career at Penn State in 2009. He was a third-place finisher at the U.S. Open in 2019. He reached the World Team Trials challenge tournament finals that same year before losing to Isaiah Martinez. He claimed a gold medal at the Pan American Championships in March. Nolf defeated David McFadden at the first NLWC event on Sept. 19 and defeated Jordan Oliver at Rumble on the Rooftop in June. Jenkins, who started his college wrestling career at Penn State before finishing at Arizona State, has been competing in MMA since concluding his college career in 2011. He has fought in several organizations, including Bellator MMA, Absolute Championship Berkut and Brave Combat Federation, and most recently signed with the Professional Fighters League. In additon to being a two-time NCAA finalist (and NCAA champion), Jenkins won a gold medal at the Junior World Championships in 2007.

Jordan Burroughs gets his hand raised at the Pan Am Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) "JB's back. Tell a friend." That's what Jordan Burroughs, a 2012 Olympic champion and four-time world champion, tweeted Saturday night, announcing via Twitter that he will face Zahid Valencia on Nov. 14 on Flowrestling. The 32-year-old Burroughs last competed at the Pan Am Championships in March, winning gold at 74 kilograms. In July, Burroughs revealed his plans to continue to focus on his freestyle wrestling, moving his training facility from its present location in America's heartland at the University of Nebraska (his collegiate home) ... to head back east to the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center in Philadelphia as a resident athlete in September 2021. Valencia, a two-time NCAA champion and past Junior world silver medalist, has not competed since February. He was suspended late in the NCAA season due to a failed drug test, which forced him to miss the Pac-12 Championships. Valencia won the Senior Nationals title at 86 kilograms in December before earning a gold medal at the Matteo Pellicone in Rome, Italy, in January.

Alec Facundo edged Cael Valencia at 170 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) 138: Jesse Mendez (Indiana) dec. Jordan Williams (Oklahoma), 3-2 145: Kylie Welker (Wisconsin) injury default over Skylar Hattendorf (New Hampshire), 0:56 182: Lenny Pinto (Pennsylvania) dec. Rylan Rogers (Washington), 7-5 126: Dean Peterson (New Jersey) dec. Jordan Titus (New York), 9-8 152: Victor Voinovich (Ohio) dec. Jagger Condomitti (Pennsylvania), 4-3 285: Chase Horne (Georgia) dec. Kyonte Hamilton (Maryland), 10-6 220: Nick Feldman (Pennsylvania) maj. dec. Kyle Haas (Kansas), 13-5 145: Cody Chittum (Tennessee) dec. Wyatt Henson (Pennsylvania), 8-5 195: Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) dec. Seth Shumate (Ohio), 3-1 112: Mia Palumbo (Illinois) dec. Sage Mortimer (Utah), 11-6 160: Paddy Gallagher (Ohio) by default over Travis Mastrogiovanni (New Jersey), 2:58 138: Jesse Mendez (Indiana) dec. Joel Vandervere (Illinois), 6-4 SV 120: Drake Ayala (Iowa) dec. Richard Figueroa (California), 5-3 SV 170: Alex Facundo (Michigan) dec. Cael Valencia (California), 6-5 UTB

The main card is set for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open. Hodge Trophy and Sullivan Award winner Spencer Lee will take on four-time All-American Zach Sanders in the Nov. 1 event streamed live on Trackwrestling. Lee hasn't competed since March 8 when he captured a Big Ten title, which turned out to be the final bout of his dominant junior season at Iowa. The two-time NCAA champion went 18-0 and registered bonus points in 16 matches. He outscored his opponents by a combined 234-18 count. In addition to his feats with the Hawkeyes, the three-time age-group World Champion won the 57-kilogram title in December at the U.S. Nationals. Sanders placed fifth in the same bracket, posting wins against Frank Perrelli and Alan Waters and dropping a pair of bouts against Junior World silver medalist Vitali Arujau. Sanders compiled a 134-27-1 career record at Minnesota and placed sixth, fifth, fifth and third in his four trips to the NCAA Championships. The 32-year-old Minnesota native's international resume includes titles at the 2018 Cerro Pelado International and the 2014 Pan Am Championships. HAWKEYE WRESTLING CLUB SHOWDOWN OPEN Date: Nov. 1 Time: 6 p.m. Livestream: Trackwrestling Bout card Jaydin Eierman vs. Vladimer Khinchegashvili Michael Kemerer vs. Tommy Gantt Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Erin Golston Alex Marinelli vs. James Green Tony Cassioppi vs. Nick Gwiazdowski Precious Bell vs. Jordan Nelson Austin DeSanto vs. Bryce Meredith Pat Lugo vs. Matthew Kolodzik Spencer Lee vs. Zach Sanders

OTTAWA -- Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL) has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the Junior World Championships. The decision was made with the safety of athletes, coaches, and team staff as the top priority. Given the uncertainty of the Canadian travel advisories, the ability for athletes to adequately train in preparation for the event, and the risk of furthering the spread of COVID-19, Canada will not send a team to the event. The Junior World Championships are scheduled for December 4 to 10 in Belgrade, Serbia. WCL will be making a decision regarding its attendance at the Senior World Championships, also taking place in Belgrade from December 12 to 20, in the coming weeks. WCL has communicated our questions and concerns to United World Wrestling in relation to the Senior World Championships and is awaiting further information. Last week, WCL postponed all sanctioned events until 2021. WCL wishes to support the return of wrestling as much as possible, but must remain mindful of our responsibilities to the athletes and above all to global health. After consultation with the board of directors, Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL) will not sanction any wrestling competitions in Canada until 2021. The decision follows consultation with the Member PTSOs and was made to protect the safety and wellbeing of athletes, coaches, officials, and the broader wrestling community. WCL sanctioned training activities, participation in international events, or events at the local or provincial level are not affected by this decision. The Senior and Junior World Championships are still currently in United World Wrestling's event calendar, slated to be held in December in Belgrade, Serbia. No decisions have been made yet regarding Canada's participation at those events. For more information about how WCL is dealing with the COVID-19 virus, and tools and guidelines to cope with the risks, please visit the COVID-19 Resource Page here.

FloGrappling's Who's Number One event Friday night in Texas will feature former world team member, NCAA champion, and current University of North Carolina assistant wrestling coach Tony Ramos facing off against teenage-jitsu wunderkind Nicky Ryan. The bout is a submission only bout with no holds being determined off limits. The wrestler vs. jiu-jitsu matchups have happened in the past where leg locks were determined to be off limits due to the potential for long term injury, but Ramos accepted an agreement that allowed all ADCC allowable attacks. Wrestlers who have migrated from wrestling to jiu-jitsu will attest that leg locks are a scary place to be with anyone who has passing knowledge of the "dark arts." The instincts from wrestling don't translate well in leg lock defense and given the number of traps that can be set there is no way someone can crib sheet an exit plan from each position. The consequences come quick and with Nicky Ryan being out muscled I'd expect the attacks to come quick and often. I doubt Ramos is coming into the match with high expectations for a submission, but I'm desperate to find out his game plan. Extreme forward pressure will work to get Nicky to the ground, but once there Ramos will need to keep his shoulders low and elbows tight to avoid arm bars and Nicky trying capture Ramos' free leg from a deep half guard. Once that split happens, Ramos would need to keep a crossface with the inside of his elbow turning Nicky's chin upward to cut off the leverage. If he takes the pressure off he'll enter into the leg attacks and a likely submission. From his butt, Nicky will look to trap an ankle (De La Riva) and try to force Ramos to fight that off, and therefore stabilize him long enough for another entry into the leg locking game. He wants leg entries from a false X-guard and will also try to invert. For new eyes it can be confusing and lock your legs in place. The simplest defense is the one Marcelo most utilizes when he wants to clear out -- jump forward towards your opponent's head and rip your leg out at full force -- almost like clearing a low single by jumping over an opponent's back and kicking the back of their shoulder to clear your ankle. The move won't progress the action, but it'll clear the position and give Ramos a chance to find another entry point with his legs behind him. My secret hope is that Ramos has a super-secret submission preceded by a fairly elaborate setup. For most submissions to work it's the threat of something else (distraction) that gives most attackers the perfect position. Nicky will be expecting an arm-in guillotine and won't present his head so any attacks will need to be new and come from a position where Nicky allows the match to take place. That could be from standing, but in a perfect world Ramos would find and secure the back. Again, that's highly unlikely, but it would present offensive options for Ramos. In the main event it will be Marcelo Garcia black belt (and good friend) Matheus Diniz facing Nicky's brother Gordon Ryan. Both are ADCC champions, but Gordon has a much longer list of no-gi accomplishments and is widely regarded as the best no-gi grappler in the world. Gordon will be the heavy favorite, but I hope that wrestling fans will choose to root for Matheus who spends a tremendous amount of time learning to wrestle and does everything right in his life to ensure he's ready for match day. He doesn't dope. He is kind to everyone around him. And is an absolute savage when he turns it on. No matter who wins I think it will be a fun night of grappling. To your questions … Manny Rivera (Photo/CSU Bakersfield Athletics) Q: Manny Rivera resigned as head wrestling coach at CSU Bakersfield to "pursue opportunities outside of coaching." Luke Smith was named interim coach. Do you think Smith will get the job? Or will they do a national search and look to replace Rivera with someone outside the program? -- Mike C. Foley: The wrestling community focuses a lot of attention on wining programs and teams that are improving each year. For coverage of the college wrestling community, I'd estimate there is chatter about Penn State, Iowa, Oklahoma State, and Ohio State consuming about half of all media. Either their current rosters, who they are recruiting, or how their alumni are doing at the next level. They also have coaches who attract more attention and the resources to ensure they are constantly getting the attention they need to drive interest. Another 35 percent of the attention goes to the next tier of teams (Cornell, Rutgers, Michigan, etc.) who do the same, but not to the same extent. We see contract extension news, salary information, and inside info on all the dramas, just not to the extent we do with the top tier. With 85 percent of our discussions focused on the top programs we often forget that the vast majority of our programs are barely hanging on, operating on shoestring budgets, and with coaches working 80-hour weeks for $60,000 a year. I don't know Manny's personal life, but I do know there are many, many other ways to make more money and spend more time with your family than coaching a Division I wrestling team. The payoff comes in victories and the growth of your program, but if that is being outweighed by the enormous sacrifices of travel, recruiting, and financial hardship then there should be an adjustment. Every time we have a coach leave for new opportunities it should be a reminder that there is not a lot of financial upside in these jobs. Most are steady employment and a good life, but with a pandemic raging, salary cuts, and limited opportunity to compete there just isn't much to be gained for some individuals. While I can't say these are Manny's reasons, I've spoken with plenty of coaches who feel this strain all the time. As a final note, I started coaching in 2005 and my first-year salary was $20,000 and a housing stipend. That's it. No insurance or benefits. While coaches are definitely making more than that, it should serve as a reminder to those who can donate to their programs to still do so. And yes, I think Coach Smith will do a fantastic job. I'm excited to see the Roadrunners back on the mat in good time. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME The world's best MMA photographer has retired after too many trolls and too many personal attacks over too many years. Sad to see a sport lose talent due to a fan base that is horrific to its media. Esther Lin: "Reading all this stuff just makes me so incredibly sad." Nicky Ryan in action More Nicky Q: Who are you taking in Flo's 8-man 195-pound bracket? -- Mike C. Foley: In order … 1. Myles Martin 2. Sammy Brooks 3. Shakur Rasheed 4. Taylor Lujan 5. Gabe Dean 6. Drew Foster 7. Nate Jackson 8. Keith Gavin But I wonder why we aren't seeing David Taylor our there collecting the easy money?

Pat Lugo and Matthew Kolodzik are set to stage another edition of their individual rivalry. The multi-time All-Americans will do battle once again on Nov. 1 at the Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open, which will be streamed live on Trackwrestling. Kolodzik won two of their three folkstyle meetings in college, but Lugo won their freestyle encounter at the 2018 U23 Nationals. Lugo is coming off a superb senior season at Iowa. He posted a 21-1 record, won the Big Ten title and claimed the No. 1 seed for the NCAA Championships. Kolodzik went 9-0 during an abbreviated senior season at Princeton. He initially intended to sit out the college season but returned late in the year and won his third EIWA title. HAWKEYE WRESTLING CLUB SHOWDOWN OPEN Date: Nov. 1 Time: 6 p.m. Livestream: Trackwrestling Bout card Jaydin Eierman vs. Vladimer Khinchegashvili Michael Kemerer vs. Tommy Gantt Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Erin Golston Alex Marinelli vs. James Green Tony Cassioppi vs. Nick Gwiazdowski Precious Bell vs. Jordan Nelson Austin DeSanto vs. Bryce Meredith Pat Lugo vs. Matthew Kolodzik

The Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open has added another double-dose of entertainment to its star-studded lineup card. Two-time NCAA finalist Bryce Meredith will face Austin DeSanto in the Nov. 1 event that will be streamed live on Trackwrestling. Meredith, a 25-year-old Wyoming native, claimed a bronze medal earlier this year at the Cerro Pelado in a bracket won by two-time World medalist Alejandro Valdes Tobier of Cuba Meredith became one of the top breakout stars during the 2016 NCAA Championships when he reached the finals as a 14th-seeded sophomore, toppling No. 3 seed Kevin Jack, No. 6 Micah Jordan and No. 2 Joey McKenna along the way. He compiled a 94-15 record during three seasons at Wyoming after transferring from North Carolina State. Meredith will be reunited with two of his former college teammates -- Tommy Gantt and Nick Gwiazdowski -- in the HWC Showdown Open. He'll face DeSanto, one of the most polarizing and fast-paced competitors in college wrestling. The Iowa senior 133-pounder went 40-10 in his first two seasons with the Hawkeyes after transferring from Drexel. DeSanto had a brief stint atop the national rankings last season after downing NCAA champ Seth Gross in December. DeSanto registered bonus points in 12 of his 17 victories as a junior. HAWKEYE WRESTLING CLUB SHOWDOWN OPEN Date: Nov. 1 Time: 6 p.m. Livestream: Trackwrestling Bout card Jaydin Eierman vs. Vladimer Khinchegashvili Michael Kemerer vs. Tommy Gantt Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Erin Golston Alex Marinelli vs. James Green Tony Cassioppi vs. Nick Gwiazdowski Precious Bell vs. Jordan Nelson Austin DeSanto vs. Bryce Meredith

Two young, rising women's freestyle prospects will do battle on Nov. 1 at the Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open when Precious Bell takes on Jordan Nelson. Bell, a 23-year-old California native, currently ranks second behind five-time World champion Adeline Gray on the USA women's freestyle ladder at 76 kilograms. She's coming off a banner 2019 season that included a U.S. Open title, a Final X appearance and a trip to the U23 World Championships. Nelson is a senior at Life University. She placed third at 170 pounds last season at the WCWA Championships. Her resume includes wins over U23 World bronze medalist Kori Bullock, national champion Mariah Harris and two-time National Team member Hannah Gladden. This is the second women's freestyle pairing on the card, which will be streamed live on Trackwrestling. World silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt will wrestle three-time National Team member Erin Golston in the other women's bout. HAWKEYE WRESTLING CLUB SHOWDOWN OPEN Jaydin Eierman vs. Vladimer Khinchegashvili Michael Kemerer vs. Tommy Gantt Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Erin Golston Alex Marinelli vs. James Green Tony Cassioppi vs. Nick Gwiazdowski Precious Bell vs. Jordan Nelson

Tony Cassioppi will get an opportunity to test his hand against the American heavyweight gold standard. The Iowa sophomore will take on two-time World medalist Nick Gwiazdowski at the Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open. Gwiazdowski is the fourth World medalist to be announced for the Nov. 1 event, which will be streamed live on Trackwrestling. The 27-year-old New York native, a two-time NCAA champion from North Carolina State, has been a mainstay on the American men's freestyle squad throughout the current Olympic cycle, capturing bronze medals at the 2017 and 2018 World Championships and qualifying the United States for the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year by winning the Pan Am Olympic Games Qualifier. Cassioppi is coming off a 20-3 freshman season with the Hawkeyes that included a Midlands title and a third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. His three losses came at the hands of Junior World champions Mason Parris and Gable Steveson, the latter of whom lost to Gwiazdowski last summer at Final X with a World Team berth riding on the outcome. HAWKEYE WRESTLING CLUB SHOWDOWN OPEN Jaydin Eierman vs. Vladimer Khinchegashvili Michael Kemerer vs. Tommy Gantt Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Erin Golston Alex Marinelli vs. James Green Tony Cassioppi vs. Nick Gwiazdowski

Tony Ramos (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On Friday, two-time freestyle world team member Tony Ramos will return to action and face a different kind of challenge. He is scheduled to meet Nicky Ryan in a submission grappling match at FloGrappling's Who's Number One event. Ryan might be an unknown quantity to wrestling fans, but the 19-year-old competitor has been described as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu prodigy and already holds grappling victories over MMA veterans Hideo Tokoro, Masakazu Imanari, Gesias Cavalcante and Urijah Faber. Wrestling and submission grappling have both found their place in the internet streaming era. Both sports have dedicated fan bases who will gladly plop down $9.99 per month for a subscription streaming service or $40 for a one-time pay-per-view event. Perhaps hoping to capture both audiences, promoters have recently been creating some crossover matches. For example, 2019 world team member Pat Downey wrestled 2019 ADCC silver medalist Nick Rodriguez under modified rules. Three-time NCAA champion Bo Nickal had a grappling match against Gordon Ryan under modified rules. Downey and Ryan also competed in a two-match series with one match under submission only grappling rules followed directly by another under freestyle wrestling rules. In all of those matches, the rules seemed to go a long way towards deciding the winner. Downey easily dispatched Rodriguez and Ryan under wrestling rules, while Ryan submitted both Downey and Nickal under grappling rules. This does bode well for Ramos' prospects for Friday night since the bout against Ryan will be a 15-minute submission-only match. In 2019, Ryan faced off against former WEC champion Urijah Faber in a match under a very similar rule set. Throughout the match, Faber was able to establish top position and pushed Ryan physically, but he was never really able to pass guard. In the end, Ryan took the decision and the victory thanks to his ability to attack from the ground. Due to his wrestling background, Ramos will likely present a style that looks quite similar to Faber's approach. While Faber clearly has more experience training with submissions due to his extensive MMA career, the two-time NCAA qualifier for UC Davis still relies heavily on his wrestling base. While aggression and pressure are generally accepted as a necessity in wrestling, those attributes can actually get a competitor into a lot of trouble in submission grappling. In fact, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Darin Senneff actually highlighted this as one of the toughest transitions for a wrestler moving into competitive grappling. "The more methodical approach in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu often leads to wrestlers putting themselves into bad spots before they know better. A smothering and grinding wrestler might get guillotined or triangled a bunch at first, because BJJ kind of encourages competitors to be comfortable in inferior positions. There's a certain false sense of security a wrestler feels relentlessly diving onto a guy when they're not used to the bottom person being a genuine threat." While crossover matches between wrestlers and grapplers seem to be in vogue these days, it is certainly not a new phenomenon. In 1997 pay-per-view providers began souring on MMA due to political pressure and refusing to broadcast shows. In an attempt to avoid the new sport's suddenly toxic reputation, MMA promoter John Perretti came up with the idea of pitting some of the best American wrestlers against some top submission grapplers. Veteran journalist Dave Meltzer described the event as "probably the greatest collection of athletes ever put together on one American wrestling or NHB PPV event." And it was just about the poorest attended and least exciting shows ever... IWF formed a partnership with USA Wrestling to be an outside sanctioning body to recognize the event. But after the show was over, with several post-show arguments, that partnership was very much threatened because the wrestling side was very disappointed that the wrestlers came out of the show not looking very good. That may be a moot point because the show wasn't expected to do any kind of a buy rate, and thus it's questionable whether they would attempt the second show tentatively scheduled for 1/31." The Contenders event is mostly remembered these days for a match that would have been a dream match in an MMA cage. Former UFC champion Frank Shamrock scored a quick leg lock submission over future Pride FC champion Dan Henderson, but that bout was not the main event. The main event featured a name, which is much more familiar to wrestling fans. In that bout, Olympic gold medalist Kenny Monday was submitted in only 46 seconds against Matt Hume. Monday had the clear edge in wrestling and scored an extremely quick takedown. However, he then initiated a leg lock battle, and Hume trapped him in a toe hold. Following the match, Hume spoke with Steven Allspach of the Sioux City Journal. "I imagine there was a certain amount of martial arts against wrestling incentive, you could tell by that crowd, I'm told, but there probably isn't anyone out there who reveres or respects Kenny Monday's abilities more than me." At the end of the day, the rules set favored Hume. He had much more time and experience in submission grappling, and it paid off in the makeshift cage. Ryan will likely have the same advantage over Ramos on Friday. Despite the seemingly long odds, Ramos should be celebrated for challenging himself in a different discipline, and if fans want to pay for it, more power to them.

James Green is returning to Big Ten country to tangle with The Bull. The two-time World medalist from Nebraska will take on Iowa senior Alex Marinelli as part of the Nov. 1 Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open, which will be streamed live on Trackwrestling. Green represented the United States at the World Championships at 70 kilograms in each of his first five years on the Senior level, capturing a bronze in 2015 and a silver in 2017 when he helped the Americans claim their first men's freestyle team title in 22 years. He transitioned to the Olympic 74-kilogram weight class following last year's World Championships and placed second in December at the Alans Tournament in Russia, where he lost in the finals to 2014 World champ Khetik Tsabolov. In addition to his weight-class change, Green switched training locations earlier this year, as well, leaving the Nebraska Regional Training Center for the Virginia Tech-based Southeast Regional Training Center. Green is the third World finalist to be announced on the HWC Showdown Open card, joining World and Olympic champion Vladimer Khinchegashvili and World silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt. Marinelli is coming off a 20-1 junior season that concluded with his second straight Big Ten title at 165 pounds. Nicknamed 'The Bull', Marinelli led the Hawkeyes in pins each of the past two seasons. Though he doesn't have an extensive freestyle background, Marinelli turned in strong showings at the Junior World Team Trials in 2017 and 2018 before losing to Mark Hall and Mekhi Lewis, both of whom went on to win Junior World titles in those years. HAWKEYE WRESTLING CLUB SHOWDOWN OPEN Jaydin Eierman vs. Vladimer Khinchegashvili Michael Kemerer vs. Tommy Gantt Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Erin Golston Alex Marinelli vs. James Green

NEW BRIGHTON, Minn. -- For the past 12 years, Jason Bryant of Mat Talk Online has been podcasting. The medium, founded in 2004, has gained wide acceptance and consumption and Bryant will host a 14-hour live stream focusing on the medium and its impact on wrestling on September 30, which is International Podcast Day. The stream will go live at 9 a.m. Central on the morning of September 30 via the Mat Talk Podcast Network's Facebook Live page and at mattalkonline.com/ipd2020, which also breaks down each guest and timeslot. The day will feature 26 scheduled guests from 24 different wrestling podcasts with a goal to provide exposure to a number of shows from small, localized wrestling content creators to producers of large, mainstream podcasts. The live stream will be broken up into three periods, plus a post-day "recovery time" session co-hosted by wrestling photographer Tony Rotundo. "The podcast medium's acceptance and growth in wrestling has really mirrored how the sport took to the internet in the 1990s," said Bryant, who is also the President of the National Wrestling Media Association. "Our sport tried fighting for more space in newspapers, but was quick to adapt the online model of media, but with all this on-the-go technology with smartphones and things of the like, podcasts were a natural fit for wrestling fans. It's on-demand and time-shifted content. Listen when you want, where you want. "The goal with the wrestling edition of International Podcast Day is to celebrate that as well as share knowledge on how we can promote our shows better, get a better understanding of the tech behind the medium and answer questions and share information on how we all can grow as a podcasting community within the sport." Since 2008, Bryant has hosted, edited, distributed or produced over 2,700 individual podcast episodes, highlighted by the Short Time Wrestling Podcast, which launched in 2013 and is approaching 700 episodes. Shortly thereafter, Bryant returned to his roots, re-launching his original Mat Talk Online website, which initially started in 1997, to focus on the network of shows he built with the new podcasting venture. Since that start, the Mat Talk Podcast Network has developed 37 different podcasts, with 18 shows still active on the network, anchored by Short Time, Trackwrestling's On The Mat, Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling, the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast and a number of monthly shows from outlets like The Guillotine and Five Point Move. Other clients include the National Wrestling Coaches Association, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation. A full list of shows can be found at mattalkonline.com. "Dave and Steve Lee have created a great annual celebration of the medium and for the past six years and with their global reach continuing to grow, I felt it was time for me to do something to bring the two communities together, too. We've gone from two guys in Western Iowa having the first known wrestling podcast in 2006 (Mat Slammers) to having over 120 shows come and go," said Bryant. "It's not a question now of which wrestling podcasts to listen to, but rather do you have enough time and that's a good thing." Dave Lee believes that podcasting has a particular community-building power: "Podcasts expose us to people, ideas, and parts of the world we never thought we'd meet. It naturally creates international communities. Words have tremendous power to heal, persuade, damage, bring meaning, bridge understanding, mend, and educate. Words have power. Podcasting allows us to use them for good." Schedule of Events, #InternationalPodcastDay - Wrestling Edition MORNING SESSION 9:00 a.m. Sam Eagan - VICE 10:00 a.m. Anthony & Gennaro Bonaventura - D3 Nation 10:30 a.m. Kyle Klingman - On The Mat 11:00 a.m. K.J. Pilcher - Pinning Combination 11:30 a.m. Eric Olanowski - United World Wrestling 12:00 p.m. Patrick Kelly - KWCA podcast & AirTime 12:30 p.m. Jude Swisher - Home Mat Advantage 1:00 p.m. Brian Reinhardt - #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast 1:30 p.m. Jacob Hewgley - Mat Geeks 2:00 p.m. Earl B. Smith - The Open Mat 2:30 p.m. Tommy Baranoski - Bloodround 3:00 p.m. Rob Hill & Jay Zeimet- QCA Wrestle 3:30 p.m. Tony DiMarco & Todd Szewczyk - Fantasy College Wrestling Podcast 4:00 p.m. Tony Hager - Hager's Happy Hour 5:00 p.m. Ryan Warner - Wrestling Changed My Life 5:30 p.m. Jeremy Barnes - The Grind EVENING SESSION 7:00 p.m. Cody Goodwin - In The Room 8:00 p.m. Al Venz & Josh Raymond - The Al and Josh Show 8:30 p.m. Kevin Claunch - Bloodround & Austin Early - Changing Levels 9:00 p.m. Alexis Porter & Arian Carpio - Women Wrestle 2 9:30 p.m. Morgan O'Brien - DiploSport 10:00 p.m. Andrew Spey - Spey's Stupid Podcast & Ben Askren, Flowrestling Radio Live RECOVERY TIME 10:30 p.m. Tony Rotundo - Wrestlers Are Warriors About International Podcast Day International Podcast Dayâ„¢ is September 30th and is an international celebration of the power of podcasts! Founded by the father-son tech podcasting duo of Steve and Dave Lee, the celebration is a great opportunity to connect with fellow podcasters, podcast listeners, podcast enthusiasts, and leaders in the podcasting industry. Help spread the word by telling your friends, sharing the celebration on your podcasts and social media feeds, and using #InternationalPodcastDay. In 2014, National Podcast Day was celebrated with 6 hours of broadcasting. After quickly realizing the power of podcasts internationally, we rebranded into what we are today - International Podcast Day. Between 2015 and 2019, we broadcasted hundreds of hours around the globe inviting podcasters and industry leaders from 70 different countries to share their podcast journeys, personal stories, and expertise. For this year's live stream, IPD is featuring 60 podcasters from 26 countries.

Tom Brands tipped the Hawkeye Wrestling Club's hand a bit last week when the Iowa coach announced one of the premier contestants on the HWC Showdown Open Card during an interview with Trackwrestling's Kyle Klingman. World silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt is indeed headed to Iowa to wrestle in the Nov. 1 event that will be streamed live on Trackwrestling. Hildebrandt will take on three-time U.S. National Team member Erin Golston in one of two women's freestyle matches on the card. This will be Hildebrandt's first competition since March, when she qualified the United States for the Tokyo Olympics at 50 kilograms. The 27-year-old Indiana native's descent to women's freestyle's lightest weight class has occurred in the midst of her rise to American stardom. Hildebrandt made her first Senior-level World Team in 2016 at 55 kilograms. She cut down to 53 kilos in 2018 and claimed a World silver and made another World Team last year at the weight before dropping down to 50 kilos this year. Golston, an Illinois native, captured three World medals at the Junior level before making the Senior National Team in 2013, 2017 and 2018. In 2019, Golston reached the finals of the Dan Kolov, Bill Farrell and Pan Am Championships, and she captured a bronze earlier this year at the Klippan Lady Open. HAWKEYE WRESTLING CLUB SHOWDOWN OPEN CARD Jaydin Eierman vs. Vladimer Khinchegashvili Michael Kemerer vs. Tommy Gantt Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Erin Golston

Michael Kemerer and Tommy Gantt posted victories in previous special showcase wrestling events in Eastern Iowa. This time around they'll be adversaries. Kemerer will take on Gantt on Nov. 1 at the Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open, which will be streamed live on Trackwrestling. Kemerer went 15-1 last season as a junior at Iowa and held the nation's No. 1 ranking for more than a month in his first year at 174 pounds. He placed third at the NCAA Championships as a freshman and fourth as a sophomore at 157 pounds during his first two seasons with the Hawkeyes. Prior to his arrival at Iowa, Kemerer posted a victory in 2015 against three-time Iowa high school state champion Fredy Stroker at the Agon event inside the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids. Gantt's resume includes a win inside the same building. He downed U23 World champion Richie Lewis in 2018 at the American Wrestling League event. The All-American from North Carolina State also won the Bill Farrell International title that same season. More recently, the Illinois native placed third last December at 74 kilograms at the U.S. Senior Nationals, where he posted wins against Josh Shields, Branson Ashworth, Evan Wick and Anthony Valencia. HAWKEYE WRESTLING CLUB SHOWDOWN OPEN Jaydin Eierman vs. Vladimer Khinchegashvili Michael Kemerer vs. Tommy Gantt

The first pairing for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open is out, and it features a pair of dynamic competitors. World and Olympic champion Vladimer Khinchegashvili will tangle with U23 World Teamer and three-time All-American Jaydin Eierman on Nov. 1 in the event streamed live on Trackwrestling. Khinchegashvili, a 29-year-old Georgian, captured an Olympic silver in 2012 before wrapping up the next Olympic quad with a two-year run of supremacy at 57 kilograms. He claimed a World title in 2015 in Las Vegas with a late comeback against Iranian Hassan Rahimi and edged Japan's Rei Higuchi to win gold in Rio. Khinchegashvili's resume also includes three golds -- 2014, 2016 and 2017 -- in his collection of six medals from the European Championships. He's coming off a victory earlier this month against Yianni Diakomihalis at the Beat the Streets benefit. Eierman placed fifth, fourth and third in three trips to the NCAA Championships for Missouri, where he piled up 33 pins in his final two seasons with the Tigers. He announced last November that he was transferring to Iowa. Eierman's international resume already includes a win against a World champ from Georgia. He pinned 2019 World champ Beka Lomtadze at the 2018 Poland Open.

Afsoon Roshanzamir Johnston with Haley Augello and Terry Steiner at the Rio Olympics (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Imagine growing up in Iran, taking a huge risk to flee the country with your family and eventually becoming an American success story. Afsoon Roshanzamir Johnston can. She lived it and now her remarkable story is chronicled in her new book "AFSOON" that is receiving excellent reviews in the U.S. and beyond. Afsoon grew up during a dangerous and tumultuous time in Iran in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The country had experienced a revolution, the Iran-Iraq war was taking place and Americans were taken hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Iran. She was forced to chant "Marg Bar Amrika" while stomping on American flags each morning at her school. That translated to "Death to America." She and her fellow students had to watch as USA flags were often burned in front of them. Afsoon spent many terrifying nights huddled in the family's basement in Iran while Iraqi war planes dropped bombs in Tehran. A girl she had sat next to in class was killed by a bomb in the classmate's home. Her parents, who didn't support the Islamic rule in Iran, made the bold and risky decision to leave Iran in the early 1980s when Afsoon was 11 years old. They eventually made it to the Untied States, but had to start over in a country where they didn't speak the language and didn't have any money. Afsoon struggled in her early years while being taunted by classmates for her Iranian heritage. She eventually found wrestling, a sport her father had competed in. She eventually joined an all-boys wrestling team at her high school in California, failing to win a match her first season. Afsoon stuck with it and eventually became successful in the sport. Five years after leaving Iran for the U.S., she became the first American woman to medal at the World Championships in 1989. Afsoon Roshanzamir JohnstonAfsoon followed by capturing another world medal for Team USA a year later. She made five U.S. world teams and competed on the Senior level for more than a decade before retiring to start a family. She became much more involved in the sport again during the 2013 fight to keep wrestling in the Olympics. A year later, she served as the U.S. World Team Coach in Uzbekistan. Afsoon realized a lifelong dream of making it to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016. The girl who grew up in a country where she wasn't allowed to wrestle became a U.S. Olympic Team Coach for women's wrestling in 2016. Afsoon's book is available now and you can check out her remarkable story at afsoonwrestling.com.

Tony Robie coaching against Ohio State (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) BLACKSBURG -- Virginia Tech Director of Athletics Whit Babcock announced Friday that head wrestling coach Tony Robie has agreed to a three-year contract extension which will keep him in Blacksburg through the 2025 season. "We are fortunate to have Tony Robie and his talented staff leading our wrestling program at Virginia Tech," Babcock said. "We were very pleased to keep Coach Robie in Blacksburg and we are very optimistic about the continued trajectory of Virginia Tech wrestling under his leadership." Since taking over the reins of Hokies wrestling in February of 2017, Robie is responsible for two ACC tournament titles, an ACC dual meet title, the program's first national champion, 13 All-Americans and 14 ACC Champions. Robie is 34-11 in dual meets and has won the ACC Coach of the Year twice in that span. Under Robie's guidance, Mekhi Lewis won Tech's first individual title in the 165-pound bracket as a redshirt freshman at the 2019 NCAA Championships. "Speaking on behalf of my entire family, I want to sincerely thank Whit Babcock, Chris Helms and Virginia Tech for once again extending my contract," Robie said. "Knowing that we will continue to call Christiansburg/Blacksburg home for the foreseeable future brings us great peace of mind, especially in these uncertain times. Being a part of this program and this community for the past 14 years has truly been an amazing experience. I love what we have going on and am very optimistic about the future." During the 2019-20 season, Robie's third year as head coach, the program tied its highest ever ranking in the National Wrestling Coaches of America Coaches Poll at No. 3 in the country. The ranking came after the Hokies took down five consecutive ranked opponents and started the season 8-0. Robie came to Virginia Tech in 2006 and served as the associate head coach for 11 seasons. During that time, Robie helped the program to its best ever NCAA finish when the Hokies earned fourth place at the tournament in 2016. With Robie on staff, Virginia Tech has placed in the top-11 at NCAAs in eight straight seasons.

Luke Smith and Manny Rivera (Photo/CSU Bakersfield Athletics) BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- The CSU Bakersfield Athletics Department has announced that Manny Rivera, Head Coach of the Roadrunner Wrestling team, will step down to pursue opportunities outside of coaching. Current assistant coach Luke Smith will take over as interim head coach, immediately, and Rivera will stay on through the end of October. "We are very thankful to Coach Rivera for his four years of service to the `Runner wrestling program," said Dr. Kenneth "Ziggy" Siegfried, CSUB's Director of Athletics. "We wish Manny and Katie great success and happiness in their future endeavors." Rivera mentored four Pac-12 Conference champions an 15 NCAA Qualifiers during his tenure on campus, while winning 25 dual meets and leading the `Runners to three third-place finishes at the conference meet in four seasons. "I am extremely excited about the future of the CSUB wrestling program," Siegfried said. "Additionally, I have full confidence in the leadership of our Interim Head Coach, Luke Smith." Smith enters his third year on the coaching staff of the Bakersfield wrestling program, and his 13th-overall at the DI level. The former National Tournament qualifier's familiarity with CSUB, `Runner student-athletes and current recruits will provide stability and consistency through this transition. Smith served as an assistant for six seasons at Eastern Michigan University, before coming to Bakersfield for the 2018-19 season. Prior to his work with the Eagles, he spent two years each as the volunteer assistant with Old Dominion and Central Michigan. A four-time NCAA qualifier at CMU, Smith ranked as high as fourth in the country at 125 pounds. During his senior season, he led the Chippewas to a No. 2 national ranking, the highest in program history. He was named the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year after his first season in Mount Pleasant. In 2004, Smith finished fourth at the USA Greco-Roman Olympic Trials. He placed fourth again at the 2006 Senior Freestyle World Team Trials and was eighth at the University Freestyle World Championships. Another advantage Smith and CSUB Wrestling have is the experience of Senior Associate Athletics Director Karen Langston, who has been a member of the NCAA Wrestling Championship Committee since 2017 and is entering her third year as the Committee Chair. A strong combination of experience and support will ensure the success CSUB's program has developed over nearly 50 years of competition continues under new leadership. "Manny has been such an asset for our program," Langston said of Rivera, "and he has continued the upward trajectory of the CSUB Wrestling program. He left our program in a better state than he found it and I want to thank him for that." Information on an upcoming search process will be announced at a later date.

The Nittany Lion Wrestling Club held its first RTC-based dual meet last week in State College, with the matches streamed on Rokfin, a content platform monetized through a company-created virtual currency. On a card with an Olympic champion, the main event was actually two-time NCAA champion Bo Nickal facing off against Oklahoma State alumnus and three-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer. Both wrestlers have created dazzling performances in recent past and the matchup had the hallmark of an instant classic. However, the back-and-forth affair was short on offensive exchanges, but instead a handing off of passive behavior. The match ended in a highly unusual 1-1 tie. According to Jon Kozak, who compiles stats on freestyle wrestling online, the 1-1 match happens roughly 1/1000 matches, or roughly four world championships in the one style. The 1-1 match is an extremely rare occurrence because the vast majority of referees will force a third activity period if there has been zero action. This will push the match towards better short-term action. Despite the non-call the match showcased that neither Nickal or Dieringer had a game plan to win the match, but rather not to lose. If the two had wrestled each other for years we could expect a familiarity that might slow down their offensive attacks. As that wasn't the case, the sluggish performance was likely borne from the "Don't lose" mentality that has sometimes plagued our top international wrestlers. After the match Nickal announced he'd be cutting to 86 kilograms to face David Taylor for the Olympic spot -- a matchup, as previously mentioned, of two wrestlers with incredible familiarity with each other. However, if Nickal does make it into the semifinals or finals to face Taylor he'll need to bring a far more offensive mindset to the match. There had been a number of whispers that when Taylor was injured last year that Nickal was upset Taylor hadn't mentioned the severity, the premise being that Nickal would have gone down and beat up Pat Downey. The stinky tail end of the rumor was often something about Nickal having the upper hand in practice. I can't say if that's true, but even if it were, there is something very different about wrestling under practice lights and competing for a spot on the Olympic team. That Nickal sees his best chance for Olympic glory at 86 kilograms is fairly apparent when balanced against the tall task of going up to take on J'den Cox -- who defeated him last year in the 92-kilogram finals of the World Team Trials -- and defending Olympic champion Kyle Snyder. The United States can benefit from Nickal and Dieringer competing at 86 kilograms, but they'll need t bring more energy and offense to their next competition, whether that's at the Olympic Team Trials, or sometime before. Gable Steveson battling Wisconsin's Trent Hillger (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Q: Gable Steveson looks much bigger and stronger. Do you think he has a real shot to knock off Nick Gwiazdowski and make the Olympic team? -- Mike C. Foley: Yes. 100x yes. He's much, much bigger and stronger than he was last year and has improved his mat awareness. With Gable there is no limit to his potential based on his physical talents. His biggest failure to date was his underwhelming performance at the 2019 Junior World Championships. He was outwardly confident but was out of sorts on the mats. There is no room for a hiccup in 2021. The schedule is narrower than years past and will provide limited opportunities for Gable to grab extra matches (part of the reason he's been active now) and any adjustments will need to be in real time. I hope we see him take an overseas tournament prior to the Trials. I really believe he can hang with the second tier of international heavyweight talent. Geno and Taha are at a different level right now, but the rest of the field is beatable, including Zheng of China who has beaten Gwiz in the past. No predictions, but excited to see the rest of Gable's development. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Dan Gable winning the 1969 NCAA Championship Video Link: Mitch Finesilver and King Vlad getting in some down blocks Q: Sacred Heart became the second Division I school to add a women's wrestling program. Which Division I school do you think will be the next to add a women's wrestling program? -- Mike C. Foley: Stanford. It will all come down to whether or not they are able to secure the funding, but if they can get the checks and have the administration agree to reinstatement I feel confident that women's wrestling will be a vital component to that formula. I'd like to see some of the Ivy League schools move to form a league, but can also understand that for a limited pool of talent it can be extra difficult to apply obscenely high academic requirements to the growing sport. The ACC is also a great candidate conference with schools who could benefit from the Title IX offsets.

Lincoln Memorial University announced the addition of men's and women's wrestling programs, along with a field hockey program. The men's wrestling program will compete in the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas, while the women's wrestling program will compete as an NCAA emerging sport Below is the release from the school. HARROGATE, Tenn. -- Lincoln Memorial University announced Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, that it will be adding field hockey and men's and women's wrestling to its athletics portfolio beginning in 2021-22. The 23rd, 24th and 25th intercollegiate sports sponsored by the university will become the first athletics programs added since men's and women's bowling and men's volleyball started at LMU in 2016-17. "We are extremely excited to establish women's field hockey to our programs here at Lincoln Memorial University," Director of Athletics Jasher Cox said. "Institutionally, we have recognized that this is a very competitive sport within our region of the country and one that will provide more opportunities for female student-athletes to benefit from competing in intercollegiate athletics." "The addition of men's and women's wrestling comes at a particularly exciting time for our university," stated Cox. "This is the perfect opportunity to provide a unique experience for a new wave of student-athletes, while adding to our already robust athletics programs and the pulsating culture within our current student body." Field hockey and men's and women's wrestling will become the ninth, 10th and 11th sports LMU has added since 2014 with men's and women's lacrosse and men's and women's track and field beginning in 2014-15 and beach volleyball starting the following year in 2015-16. "Lincoln Memorial University is proud and excited to offer additional athletic and cocurricular opportunities for students at LMU," added Vice President and Dean, Enrollment and Student Affairs Dr. Jody Goins. "Adding field hockey and wrestling to our athletics portfolio aligns with our institutional goals and provides prospective students additional avenues to compete at the NCAA Division II level while receiving a high-quality education." The Lady Railsplitter field hockey and Railsplitter men's wrestling programs will both compete in the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas, a joint league made up of South Atlantic Conference and Conference Carolinas member schools. South Atlantic Conference Carolinas field hockey currently features seven teams, including SAC institutions Coker College, Limestone University, Newberry College and Queens University of Charlotte. LMU will become the conference's eighth member for field hockey. The co-branded South Atlantic Conference Carolinas currently has nine teams for men's wrestling with the Railsplitters bringing the league's total to 10. Fellow SAC members include Coker, Limestone, Newberry and Queens. The Lady Railsplitter women's wrestling program will compete as an NCAA emerging sport. An emerging sport is a women's sport recognized by the NCAA that is intended to help schools provide more athletics opportunities for women and more sport-sponsorship options for the institutions, and also help that sport achieve NCAA championship status. The Women's Collegiate Wrestling Coalition was created to bring the sport of women's wrestling through the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program. During the Division II Business Session at the NCAA Convention in Anaheim, California, held in January 2020, women's freestyle wrestling was added to the emerging sports for women list. There are currently 42 NCAA women's wrestling programs, 15 of which are at Division II schools, LMU will be the 43rd. Field hockey's championship season takes place during the fall semester, while men's and women's wrestling are winter sports competing from November through March. A national search for LMU's field hockey head coach and director of wrestling will commence immediately. About the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas In January of 2018, the South Atlantic Conference and Conference Carolinas partnered to sponsor joint champions in field hockey and men's wrestling. Entering the league's third season in 2020-21, the 2021-22 season will be the fourth year of the partnership. Member institutions are eligible to compete for co-branded South Atlantic Conference Carolinas championships. The field hockey championship is coordinated by the SAC, while Conference Carolinas crowns a men's wrestling regular season champion. SAC schools that sponsor men's wrestling become associate members of Conference Carolinas as Conference Carolinas schools who sponsor field hockey become associate members of the SAC. South Atlantic Conference Carolinas Field Hockey Members Belmont Abbey Coker Converse Limestone LMU (2021) Mount Olive (2019) Newberry Queens South Atlantic Conference Carolinas Men's Wrestling Members Belmont Abbey Coker Emmanuel King Lander (2020-21) Limestone LMU (2021-22) Mount Olive (2019-20) Newberry Queens NCAA Division II Women's Wrestling Programs Alderson Broaddus Colorado Mesa Davenport (2020-21) East Stroudsburg Emmanuel Gannon King Limestone Lindenwood (Mo.) LMU (2021-22) Lock Haven McKendree Northern Michigan (2021-22) Simon Fraser (Canada) Tiffin William Jewell (2021-22) To learn more about NCAA Division II field hockey and men's wrestling, visit NCAA.org - Field Hockey | Men's Wrestling. To learn more about collegiate women's wrestling, visit the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Coalition.