InterMat Staff

Stanford head wrestling coach Jason Borrelli (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Stanford University announced Wednesday that it will discontinue its wrestling program, along with 10 other varsity sports, at the end of the 2020-21 academic year. According to Stanford, the discontinued programs will be able to complete their 2020-21 seasons "should the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 allow it." In addition to wrestling, Stanford eliminated men's and women's fencing, field hockey, men's volleyball, lightweight rowing, men's rowing, co-ed and women's sailing, squash and synchronized swimming. "Providing 36 varsity teams with the level of support that they deserve has become a serious and growing financial challenge," Stanford said in a statement. "We now face the reality that significant change is needed to create fiscal stability for Stanford Athletics, and to provide the support we believe is essential for our student-athletes to excel. "This is heartbreaking news to share. These 11 programs consist of more than 240 incredible student-athletes and 22 dedicated coaches. They were built by more than 4,000 alumni whose contributions led to 20 national championships, 27 Olympic medals, and an untold number of academic and professional achievements. Each of the individuals associated with these programs will forever have a place in Stanford's history." Stanford's wrestling program, under the leadership of Jason Borrelli, finished this past season with a dual meet record of 11-4 and runner-up at the Pac-12 Championships. Freshmen Real Woods (141) and Shane Griffith (165) won Pac-12 titles this year. The program has produced several All-Americans in its history, including a national champion, Matt Gentry, in 2004.

April 2017: A dark time for collegiate wrestling in the northwest U.S. -- and beyond -- as Boise State University announced it would eliminate its successful intercollegiate wrestling program ... effective immediately. All to focus its intercollegiate sports resources on its men's baseball program. Now, this past Fourth of July holiday weekend, Boise State got out its hatchet again ... taking its axe to its swimming, diving and baseball programs. All part of a $3 million budget cut to the Broncho athletics programs, effective immediately. "After reviewing the budget and issues based on COVID-19, the department announced the move, to set themselves up better for the long-term," according to the initial report from KMVT/KSVT of Twin Falls, Idaho. Normally, InterMat would not bother mentioning the passing of a college sports program that didn't involve wrestling mats, singlets or headgear. However, because the nation's wrestling community was actively involved in efforts of save BSU Bronchos mat program, we figured the least we could do is provide an update of some of the basics of what happened since the news back in April 2017. The basics of rebuilding Boise State's baseball program Here's how the Idaho Statesman recapped the return of the Boise State baseball program: "This spring, the Broncho baseball team took the field in regular season games for the first time since it was disbanded in 1980. In 2017, the university dropped wrestling to pursue baseball, and the Broncos went 9-5 this year before coronavirus forced the cancellation of the remainder of the season." The article went on to state, "Players on the baseball team said the decision came as a shock, and no matter how the news was delivered, it was tough to hear." "Expenses for the swim and dive team in 2019 totaled $917,283, according to documents obtained by the Statesman through a public records request." "Going off (BSU Athletic Director Curt) Apsey's $2.2 million figure, the baseball team's expenses were somewhere around $1.3 million, and those costs were likely to grow, given the sheer number of games in a season and the plans to build a stadium." What's next? Most of the athletes in the baseball, swimming and diving programs at Boise State were told the bad news in Zoom calls on Thursday, July 3. "To add insult to injury, they were also told to not bother trying to drum up funds to keep the team afloat. So, now as most of the team have reluctantly placed their names in the transfer portal (first baseman Joey Yorke has already found a new home at Cal Poly) the team is throwing a hail Mary (or the baseball equivalent) to try to save the team." "Of course, the swimming and diving team was put on the chopping block as well and have also decided they'd rather not go down without a fight. As of last night, KTVB's Jay Tust reported that they've already rallied over $120k in 24 hours to save both the beloved squads and have almost another $25k in pledges." Sounds all too familiar for too many of us. Wrestling gets the ax in April 2017 Here's the initial news report at InterMat on April 18, 2017, about Boise State dropping the hammer on its Broncho wrestling program: Boise State announced on Tuesday that it will no longer offer wrestling as an intercollegiate sport. According to the school, "The move was made to better align its programs with the Mountain West, and with the intent to add baseball in the future." "This was not an easy decision, but one that needed to be made as we consider the long-term vision for Bronco athletics," said Director of Athletics Curt Apsey. "We will continue to honor the scholarships we provide our student-athletes, and will do all we can to help those who want to continue their collegiate wrestling careers elsewhere. "Additionally, current coaching contracts will be honored." Wrestlers are free to transfer, and the school will help them with that process. Scholarships will be honored for those that wish to remain at Boise State. Boise State has a strong wrestling tradition. The Broncos have won six conference team championships. The program has had 12 top-20 NCAA team finishes and five top-10 NCAA team finishes. Boise State finished 2-9 in dual meets this past season and fifth at the Pac-12 Championships.

Mickey Martin STILLWATER, Okla. -- Mickey Martin, a Distinguished Member inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2014, passed away on Monday, at the age of 78. "We are saddened to learn of Mickey Martin's passing and send our most sincere condolences to his family, friends, teammates and the many student-athletes he taught and coached during his career," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director. "Mickey and his father, Wayne, are both folkstyle wrestling legends and Distinguished Members of the Hall of Fame. They are the only father and son duo in history to win the Outstanding Wrestler award at the NCAA Division I Championships. "Mickey is considered one of the greatest technicians the sport of wrestling has ever known," he added. "There are many champions from the state of Oklahoma and around the country, including myself and my brothers John, Pat and Mark, who were taught the art of riding, turning and pinning opponents thanks to his mastery of teaching and coaching." Watch Mickey Martin's Hall of Fame induction video When he arrived at the University of Oklahoma, Mickey Martin was known as the son of a Sooner wrestling legend. By the time he left, he had created a legacy of his own. As a high school senior, Martin won the 130-pound Oklahoma state wrestling championship in 1959, competing for legendary Tulsa Central High School. Following in his father's footsteps, he attended the University of Oklahoma. Competing in the 130-pound class for the entirety of his collegiate career, Martin turned in an impressive campaign for the Sooners as a sophomore in 1961, placing third at both the Big Eight tournament and the NCAA tournament. As a junior, he won his first Big Eight championship and his first NCAA title. In 1963, Martin wrestled his way into the history books. In December of that year, he broke his collarbone and missed most of the season, but the injury did not prevent the Sooner superstar from winning the Big Eight and NCAA championships for the second year in a row. For his feat, he was voted Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA tournament, joining his father, Wayne Martin, also a Distinguished Member, as the only father - son combination to win the Outstanding Wrestler award. Mickey finished his collegiate career with a 42-6 overall record. Martin's 1963 NCAA title was especially important as it powered Oklahoma to an NCAA team championship over runner-up Iowa State. His victory in the finals was a thrilling 12-8 win over eventual Olympian and Hall of Famer Bobby Douglas of West Liberty State. After college, Martin turned his focus toward instructing young wrestlers in the sport. He spent two seasons as head coach of then NCAA Division II South Dakota State University, finishing ninth in the 1976 NCAA tournament and eighth in 1977. In two years, he compiled a record of 21-6-1 and coached two individual national champions. As a high school coach for more than 25 years, Martin mentored athletes in high schools all over the state of Oklahoma with stints at Norman, McAlester, Lawton Eisenhower, Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City, East Central and Hale in Tulsa, and Del City. He coached three state championship teams and finished as runners-up six times. In all, he coached 31 individual high school state champions. National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation while the Waterloo, Iowa, location reopened in March 2019 after undergoing a $1.4 million renovation. Both museums now feature interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. Stillwater also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

Colton McCrystal gets in on a shot against Justin Oliver at the CKLV Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Morningside College just landed an impressive candidate to join its wrestling coaching staff. Head coach Jake Stevenson announced Monday that Colton McCrystal -- a former University of Nebraska-Lincoln who was a two-time NCAA Division I national qualifier and 2019 Pan American Games gold medalist -- will be joining the Mustangs coaching staff. "This is tremendous news (for our program)," Stevenson said. "To have an individual like Colton (on staff) who is passionate for the sport and has had so much success in competition at the highest levels will help us attract even more of the young men we are wanting to become Mustangs." "I'd like to thank (Coach) Stevenson and the Morningside community for allowing this opportunity," McCrystal said. "Being a native of Sergeant Bluff, it'll be awesome to be close to family and friends and also to help guide a program which is among the best in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics." "This is tremendous news (for our program)," Stevenson said. "To have an individual like Colton (on staff) who is passionate for the sport and has had so much success in competition at the highest levels will help us attract even more of the young men we are wanting to become Mustangs." McCrystal is among the legends of Iowa High School Athletic Association wrestling. As a student-athlete member of the Sergeant Bluff-Luton Warriors, he tallied a remarkable 193-8 all-time record during which he was a two-time Iowa state champion and four-time top two place-winner. McCrystal also forged impressive credentials off the mat, as he was a two-time Nebraska-Lincoln Scholar-Athlete honor roll recipient and was named to the athletic department's Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. Morningside College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1894 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, Morningside has approximately 2,000 students. The men's wrestling program -- the Mustangs -- is affiliated with the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics).

The year 2020 should end on a positive note for the international wrestling community, with the 2020 World Wrestling Championships concluding the last month of the year… should health and safety measures be met regarding the coronavirus pandemic. The event has been scheduled for December 12-20, 2020 in Belgrade, the NBC Olympics website reported Monday. The 2020 World Wrestling Championships must include eight of the 10 best ranked teams and a minimum of 70 percent participating countries, based on 2019 attendance. Specific health regulations have not been announced, according to rules, must be confirmed two months before the event takes place. “Competitions must provide general sanitary conditions, the ability to travel to/from the nation, and robust countermeasures to COVID-19 impacts on competition must be enforced,” according to United World Wrestling. World Wrestling Championships have been held every year dating to 2005 ... and going back decades earlier in non-Olympic years. (Before the pandemic, there were no wrestling worlds scheduled for 2020, which would have ended the streak of holding worlds in the autumn of Olympic years for non-Olympic weight classes.)

Kamaru Usman (Photo/Getty Images) Kamaru Usman is a UFC champion who hasn't lost a fight in more than seven years. But he is still a man looking for respect. Most of the focus entering Usman's upcoming fight hasn't been on him this week, but more on his opponent. Usman is scheduled to battle Jorge Masvidal in a welterweight title fight on Saturday at UFC 251 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Masvidal stepped in on short notice after Gilbert Burns was forced to withdraw as Usman's opponent. Masvidal caught the attention of the wrestling and mixed martial arts world last year when he scored a stunning five-second knockout over Olympian Ben Askren. Masvidal is an aggressive and dangerous fighter who has become popular with fans. Even though there has been the usual banter and smack talk between fighters, Usman respects his opponent. "I know he's tough," Usman said in an interview after the bout was announced. "And I know it will be a dogfight." Masvidal agreed to travel halfway around the world and fight on short notice for an opportunity to fight in a UFC main event. And cash in with a lucrative payday. Both fighters will earn big money while headlining the UFC card Saturday. Usman also has had to make a quick adjustment while training for a different opponent. "I just did a full training camp preparing for another guy," he said. "I'm the one risking everything here by agreeing to fight Masvidal. If he gets beat, he has a built-in excuse because he took the fight on short notice." The 33-year-old Usman is a tough, hard-nosed fighter whose record speaks for itself. He has a 16-1 record in mixed martial arts since turning pro in 2012. He has won his last 15 fights, including 10 in the UFC. Usman defeated Tyron Woodley in March 2019 to win the UFC welterweight title in 2019 before defeating Colby Covington late in the year to retain his 170-pound belt. Usman is well-known to wrestling fans. He won an NCAA Division II championship for Nebraska-Kearney in 2010 before making a University World Team in freestyle for the U.S. later that year. He wrestled on the Senior level for a couple of years before transitioning to mixed martial arts. Usman has drawn criticism at times for not being flashy enough and not being known for his knockout ability. He's an excellent wrestler who is adept at taking opponents down before punishing them on the ground. He possesses a strong gas tank that comes from his wrestling background. But in his most recent fight, Usman put on a show to win a hard-fought and entertaining slugfest with Covington. He was effective with his striking ability on his feet while relying on a strong right hand. He is a powerful athlete who has developed into an excellent all-around fighter. In the win over Covington, Usman looked very sharp in all phases of his game. He was the superior striker as the fighters chose to slug it out on their feet for much of the bout. He also was effective with front kicks to his opponent's body. Usman floored Covington with a vicious right hand that knocked him down late in the fight. Usman followed by jumping on top of his opponent and firing off a barrage of punches before the referee stepped in to stop it. It was an impressive performance and his bout was chosen as Fight of the Night by the UFC. Usman has never been taken down in his UFC career. That's an incredible stat. He's also dealt with his share of adversity during his career. And his upcoming fight will be another major obstacle for Usman. "This is what champions are made of," he said earlier this week. "You can't always control the circumstances. What I can control is being prepared to go out and do my thing." Usman also had to quickly refocus. After learning the fight with Burns was off Friday night, he said he ate a big dinner in Las Vegas while thinking he no longer needed to make weight. The next day, Usman was about to dive into a Mexican meal and have a beer at the airport in Dallas. But he then received a call that the fight was back on and Masvidal had agreed to step in as a replacement. Usman was scheduled to fly to Abu Dabi early this week with just a few days left before weigh-ins for the fight. "I have always been professional," he said. "and made weight." Almost exactly one year after he scored his quick knockout over Askren, Masvidal will fight Usman for the UFC title. "I'm happy for this opportunity because I get to break his face," Masvidal said. "People see the violence that I bring. Now I get to prove to the world how good I am against Usman. I can't wait to come home with that belt." Masvidal is so confident that he was actually talking in an interview this week about future opponents he would face after he wins the UFC title. One thing is certain. The Usman-Masvidal showdown promises to be an entertaining fight between two guys who don't like each other very much. For Usman, a 3-1 favorite to win the fight, his quest for respect continues. Even though he's never lost in the UFC and his only career setback in mixed martial arts came in 2013. "It's been the story of my career," he said of being disrespected. "But at the end of my career, people will remember who won and who lost. "All I can do is go out there and do my job, which is win. There is always pressure -- it's always there. It's just a matter of how you deal with it. I'm just excited that the fight is finally here." 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.

Noah Gonser (Photo/Campbell Athletics) BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Former All-American Noah Gonser has joined Campbell's wrestling coaching staff as Director of Operations and Recruiting Coordinator. Working under first year head coach Scotti Sentes, Gonser will coordinate the daily operations, administrative functions and recruiting travel for the program. "I'm excited to start this new chapter and join a great coaching staff that builds champions on and off the mat," said Gonser. "I'm going to attack this with the same mindset that I did as a wrestler, but instead of focusing on my own goals, I'm focused on helping others reach their full potential. I'm excited to see these guys become champions." Gonser joins the staff after a tremendous collegiate career on the mat, including two years at Campbell. The Grand Blanc, Mich. native wrapped up one of the most decorated seasons in CU program history in 2019-20, earning NWCA Second Team All-American status, one of five Camels to earn All-America honors last season. The 2020 SoCon Wrestler of the Year, Gonser ended the year with a 14-match winning streak, carrying a 30-5 overall record. A Grand Blanc, Mich. native, Gonser, seeded ninth at 133 pounds, was set for his third NCAA Championships appearance, and second as a Camel, beginning his career at Eastern Michigan. In two seasons at Campbell, Gonser helped lead the Camels to two SoCon tournament and dual championships. The Camels finished the 2019-20 regular season at 11-2 overall and a perfect 7-0 in SoCon duals, winning its final nine matchups that included all seven conference bouts. He was one of five Camels to claim individual SoCon tournament championships, helping secure Campbell's second straight and third SoCon tournament championship in four years (2017, 2019, 2020). CU's six NCAA qualifiers tied a school record (2019). Campbell, ranking as high as No. 12 in the country (InterMat), completed a sweep of the SoCon's regular season with a 35-13 win at Davidson on February 23, claiming its second straight league dual championship.

Two decades after completing a combined wrestling/football career at Baldwin Wallace University, Mike Blackburn, head wrestling coach at Steubenville High School in eastern Ohio, will become one of ten Yellow Jackets for Life as he is welcomed into the Athletics Hall of Fame for the NCAA Division III school located in in Berea, Ohio just south of Cleveland later this year at a date yet to be determined. Mike BlackburnThere are a couple aspects of Mike Blackburn's induction that make this honor even more special. For starters, Blackburn is the only Class of 2020 inductee to welcomed for playing two sports -- wrestling (as a heavyweight), and football (as a right tackle). (Another BW 2020 Hall of Fame inductee coached and played tennis.) In wrestling, he was a two-time NCAA Division III national qualifier as a heavyweight and finished runner-up twice in the OAC Tournament. "Both guys I lost to made the national championships," Blackburn told the Weirton (W.Va.) Daily Times . "We had some good heavyweights in the OAC back then." Adding to his Hall of Fame credentials ... Mike Blackburn's 75-50 career record in wrestling ranks 29th all-time in Baldwin Wallace annals. Perhaps even more in the realm of rarified "what-if stories" for a future BW Hall of Fame inductee ... Blackburn came oh-so-close to never enrolling at Baldwin Wallace in the first place. Here's how Baldwin Wallace's Director of Athletic Communications & Public Relations Kevin Ruple described the situation in Mike Blackburn's Hall of Fame announcement: https://www.bwyellowjackets.com/general/2019-20/releases/blackburn "When Blackburn was looking at colleges and universities, he was strictly looking at schools to wrestle and was all set to attend another school, which sponsored wrestling at that time. But BW Hall of Fame Wrestling Coach Rich Fleming (1988-2011), Hall of Fame Football Coach Bob Packard '65 (1980-2001) and Hall of Fame football player and wrestler Tony Cipollone '93, who was Fleming and Packard's assistant coach at the time, all talked him into coming to Berea to play football and wrestle. "I was all set to go to another school," said Blackburn, "but then Coach Fleming kept calling. And, Coach Packard started calling. And, Cip [Cipollone's nickname] began to call, and we really developed a bond. And, that did it. It made a difference, and I'm glad they did. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. "I got to BW and I met my second family," said Blackburn. "Coach Packard and Coach Demmerle [Hall of Fame Coach Dave Demmerle] were awesome and my Offensive Tackles Coach Mike Kelly '80 was the best-ever football coach. He really made me work hard and taught me how to play tackle in the OAC. He played on BW's National Championship team, so he knew how to win. "And my teammates on the offensive line were unbelievable," said Blackburn. " Tallying up a winning post-collegiate high school mat career ... and life Since graduating from Baldwin Wallace in the spring of 1999, Mike Blackburn played professional football in the arena league and has returned to his roots in the Steubenville area as a teacher and coach. His 15 years of coaching success has culminated with being named as the OHSAA Div. II Wrestling Coach of the Year in both 2012 and 2020. In addition, Blackburn has been named as the OVAC 4A Coach of the Year five times, serves as the Eastern District Coaches Representative, the OHSAA Coaches Committee and the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Representative for the State of Ohio. Blackburn's teams have compiled a 255-58 dual match record and a 268-64 career record. During the last eight seasons, six of his teams have placed in the top 10 at the OHSAA State Tournament in Div. II, including in each of the past five seasons. His teams also have won eight 4A and 5A Ohio Valley Athletic Conference dual meet championships, five 4A OVAC championships, one OVAC overall, seven OHSAA Sectional and two OHSAA district titles. In 2016, he led Steubenville to the Div. II Ohio Dual Regional title and to the OHSAA state semifinals. Individually, Blackburn has coached 23 OVAC champions, 61 OHSAA sectional champions, 21 OHSAA district champions, 30 OHSAA State Tournament placewinners and seven OHSAA State Tournament runners-up. "I have so many great memories of Baldwin Wallace. I made friends with so many people and some that I am still friends with today," he added Other BW Class of 2020 honorees In addition to Mike Blackburn -- now head wrestling coach at Steubenville High -- other inductees include Keith Aufmuth (2006, men's basketball); Randy Edwards (1983, football); Kelsey Hills-Finucan (2008, women's basketball); Joel Nichols (1996, baseball); Brian Rector (1989, men's tennis and coach); Larry Rosati (1983, football); Jeff Schenk (1987, men's soccer); Mike Turchan (2006, baseball); and Michelle White (2007, women's basketball). With these 10 just-announced additions, the Yellow Jackets for Life that have been honored with their inductions now total 356. An announcement will be made later this summer or early fall regarding the timing of the induction ceremony for the Class 2020. Baldwin Wallace University is a four-year private school located in Berea, Ohio south of Cleveland, near Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport. Its varsity sports teams compete in the NCAA Division III. There are approximately 3,500 students enrolled.

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland -- Following the decision to cancel and postpone international wrestling competition until August 31, the Executive Board of United World Wrestling recently convened to develop an action plan for the remaining events in 2020. This plan includes conditions and criteria which would allow events to be delivered if they ensure the health and safety of the athletes and any additional participants. Competitions must provide general sanitary conditions, the ability to travel to/from the nation, and robust countermeasures to COVID-19 impacts on competition must be enforced. The specific countermeasures are still being reviewed by various UWW commissions and experts with the intent to provide the safest possible competition conditions. UWW will also work together and maintain dialogue with the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Medical department to remain up to date on these critical details. Any competition wishing to be held in 2020 must follow the criteria as established by the Executive Board and must be fulfilled for any competitions to go ahead. The competitions must include 8 of the 10 best ranked teams and a minimum of 70% participating countries (based on prior year's athlete attendance). To be valid, the conditions and criteria for competition must be confirmed by UWW and local organizers two months prior to the start of the competition. If the criteria is met, the best-case scenario would allow for the following competitions to take place on these dates: - Cadet European Championships - City to be confirmed, POL - October 5-11, 2020 - Junior European Championships - Skopje, MKD October 19-25, 2020 - U23 World Championships - Tampere, FIN, November 23-29, 2020 To help reduce risk and control the safety of the events the Executive Board also chose to postpone the Junior World Championships until December and combine the Junior and Senior World Championships with the same organizer. Belgrade will be the host for both competitions. - Junior World Championships - Belgrade, SRB, December 4-10, 2020 - Senior World Championships - Belgrade, SRB December 12-22, 2020 Continental Championships will be reviewed by each Continental Council and the feasibility of each competition will be determined, taking into consideration the status of the pandemic within each region. The Board also decided if the conditions do not allow for Junior World Championships then Continental Championships may be considered in its place. For example, if conditions do not permit for U-23 World Championships, U-23 European Championships may be organized during those dates. The Executive Board will reconvene in August and keep the wrestling community up to date with any new decision in accordance with updated information on the pandemic, as well as update the competition programme and competition delivery criteria. "United World Wrestling has the utmost respect and thank all organizers for their dedication and commitment to delivering competitions during these unprecedented times," said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. "We would like to thank the entire wrestling community for their support and flexibility in adapting to the conditions that are changing daily. Together we will achieve success on and off the mat."

Fans gather to watch Rumble on the Rooftop in Chicago (Photo/Justin Hoch, jhoch.com) Last weekend's Rumble on the Rooftop in Chicago became wrestling's first substantial competition since the conference tournaments in mid-March. The meet was competed on a rooftop with limitations on size of crowd and a myriad interaction that might cause viral spread. The match went down at a time that the United States has seen the single most daily cases since the virus began. In Texas, Arizona, and Florida the virus is almost totally out of control. While the virus hasn't changed to meet these new numbers, the behavior of those in America has. After 12 weeks of trying to social distance and the government enforcing closures and strict measures many of those mechanism had been undone. People have simply lost interest in following government guidelines. According to this week's article on InterMat much of what happened at Rumble on the Rooftop can be seen as a microcosm of the United States' larger failure to organize behind an effective, life-saving response to COVID-19. USA Wrestling sent specific instructions on protocols to follow and yet none were met. According to the nurse at the event the lack of discipline in following protocol could lead to it becoming a super-spreader event. Do we want this for our sport? Wrestling won't be taken from the earth because a pandemic has made it unsafe to practice or compete. In fact, the only way to safely return to practicing and competition is to have wholesale buy-in on wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands, getting tested, and believing scientists. Right now, due to unnecessary politicization of a deadly virus, the United States has the worst outbreak in the world. We are unable to travel to the E.U. and may of the things we might have been able to do by this point in a well-executed quarantine (like wrestling) simply are not available. I miss jiu-jitsu. It's my connection to friends, an outlet for creativity, and a way to destress and decompress. I'm also someone who has had COVID-19 and could maybe even roll safely without fear of getting sick. However, I don't because it's not clear what is going on with this virus and the risk of transmission to friends and family is far too great. On a recent podcast my jiu-jitsu professor (jiu-jitsu athletes call them "professor") Marcelo Garcia said something I hadn't thought about in regard to jiu-jitsu and the outbreak. In short, he said that jiu-jitsu trains its athletes for these moments. Marcelo's outlook on being in a bad position isn't that you fall back on aggression, but instead remain calm and think your way to a solution. Patience is required even when you are suffocating, because there is almost always air to breathe and enough blood to keep you awake. In COVID we can feel desperate and frustrates, but flailing in an unplanned counterattack against an invisible virus is not a solution. Sitting back may not work well for an antsier and aggressive wrestling community. Offense is in our DNA. During the 90's when the outcry over program elimination prompted the wrestling community to fund an attack of Title IX. The community wanted the rules changed and the mechanisms eliminated -- in order to fix a problem most knew was unchangeable. But instead of thinking up a solution (women's wrestling!) we poured millions of dollars into legal fees and corporate-level brain damage. We might be making the same mistakes with COVID-19. It's doubtful that we are going to look back and be thrilled that on some random June evening we were able to host two club teams on the top of a building. We will however look back and ask ourselves if that type of event was worth the risk of exposure, or that it made us look out of touch with those in need around the country. We will wrestle again. But for now, let us all try to re-flatten the curve and get ourselves to place where we can test, contact trace, and travel overseas. To get there will require the discipline of patience, not the insecurity of haste. To your questions … Q: What do you think of some colleges canceling wrestling for first semester? -- Mike C. Foley: Each college and individual education institution will need to make the decision that is best for their local community, teachers, and students. There is no secret that all resources will be allocated to protect the idea of a football season. Without athletes having independent representation there is little chance that the players can stop the season, even if they fear for their safety. That aside, I think that the few schools who have canceled it the first semester are really just actuating the most feasible outcomes for their schools from a financial perspective. The idea of mass nationwide travel to attend college when this week the United States saw the single most cases in a single day does not compute. I feel sad for the wrestlers, but I don't see the sense in complaining. Parts of the country that didn't take this virus seriously -- and individuals who chose their "freedom" to not wear a mask over the needs of the common good -- have left us without the college season in the first semester. Q: Could you see a scenario in which some states have high school wrestling this season and some do not? -- Mike C. Foley: That absolutely will happen. You can be all but certain that California, New York, Texas, and other large states will cancel their high school wrestling season should the outbreak not be under control by September. Currently there is no indication that the outbreak will be contained. I'd be surprised if more than Iowa, Oklahoma, and a few other Midwestern states held seasons. It won't be responsible to do so under these conditions. Q: What do you think of the NJCAA's decision to move the season to one semester? -- Mike C. Foley: Harbinger. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Bekzod! Grace Bullen Q: What do you think of Boise State dropping swimming and baseball? They cut wrestling in part to fund baseball?! -- Joe V. Foley: The Boise State debacle is a test case in the positives (and negatives) of pinning the development of a college athletics' foundation around the success of football. The model has worked for Boise State. Long a regional player, they brought in Houston Nutt in the mid 1990's and moved up to Division I-A and joined a larger conference. Soon, Chris Peterson became their leader and Boise State was playing to packed stadiums and selling enough merchandise to keep the show going. Then in 2018, with their football cash quickly diminishing, the school looked to baseball to be their lifeline to more conference and national money. The West Coast baseball scene is extremely lucrative and their thinking was they could recoup dollars on the diamond. To summon the cas hflow and Title IX compliance they chose to cut wrestling. The story has been well covered by Andrew Spey at FloWrestling and here at InterMat. Today they announced that the baseball experiment was over. Too much money out with very little chance to recoup it in the COVID-19 era of no fans and football on the rocks. The opinion here is that Boise State is the absolute shining example of what terrible leadership and lack of imagination can lead to at a Division I institution. The athletic departments are run by pseudo executives applying quasi-business approaches to their schools du jour as a means to trade their way up the NCAA hierarchy. The politics and relationships that dole out these jobs is as corrupt as any in the international business world, with seemingly no consequence. The best run athletic programs are the ones that have prioritized the welfare of the student-athletes and the students. The worst, like Boise State, prioritize the idea that executives can find addition through subtraction. Their lack of ingenuity and spine have been exposed through COVID-19 and they should feel the shame that they've worked so hard to avoid. Q: Do you think we will see a sportsbook pick up betting on Olympic level and/or college wrestling? Looks like BetDSI does not do it anymore. -- John M. Foley: I do. There have been some awesome odds in the past, but without new events it's impossible to predict their commitment level.

Josh Moore, head coach at Cleveland State University, joins Chad Dennis on the latest episode of The MatBoss Podcast. Coach Moore, who spent time at Kent State before moving over to Cleveland State, talks about the dynamic of building a foundation in Northeast Ohio by recruiting the state and recruiting the region. Moore will also talk about his recruiting philosophy, selling the school, the growth of the team as well as the overall growth of the school. He'll also touch on coaching in the same conference as his twin brother Scott, who coaches at Lock Haven. The MatBoss Podcast is also sponsored by Barbarian Apparel. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Podcasts | RSS

Dan Dennis at a team practice a week before competing in the 2016 Olympics (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Dan Dennis walks into Hi Fi Clyde's, an eclectic bar adorned with 1980's and '90's Americana situated on the south side of Chattanooga. It's late January and he's wearing a blue Columbia jacket and hat. Aside from his cauliflower ears you wouldn't recognize him as a wrestler. In fact, aside from the author, not a single person in the bar knows that he was an Olympian. He greets me with a combination of a hand slap followed by a bro' hug. The short exchange is enough to feel his compact strength. His back is broad, and his forearms are like Popeye. We both place our drink orders and begin an exchange that starts with Dennis' short, rapid-fire questions and ends with my even-shorter responses. "Have you been climbing recently?" Dennis asks. Dan introduced me to the sport of rock climbing a few months earlier and is checking on my progress. I report that some things have come up and I haven't been to the rock-climbing gym in a few days. You know? Life. "Where are you at this week?" This is Dennis' way of asking from which office I will be working this week. Being employed by the world's largest candy company spreads my attention across many factories in the southeastern United States. It has also enabled me to become Dan Dennis' de facto Altoids® dealer. He pops them as often as Lincoln McIlravy popped boot scoots. "Did you watch the Iowa-Ohio State dual meet? How good is Spencer Lee!?" he asks. Given Lee's dominance of the 125-pound division over the past two seasons I assume the question is rhetorical. So I don't bother answering it all. Dan Dennis will know soon enough. He's returning to Iowa City to coach Lee and other top-level athletes as the head coach of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. The move comes with mixed emotions for Dennis, who will be leaving Chattanooga after three years in which he spent time running the Southeast Regional Training Center (CERTC) and serving as a volunteer assistant at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). He originally moved to Chattanooga because he liked the area. "I did a camp here [in Chattanooga] three years ago and got my wallet stolen at a sports bar. It was an adventure (laughs). But it is a beautiful area. I like the [rock] climbing scene. I like smaller cities. It just made sense at the time." During his three years in Chattanooga, Dennis became ubiquitous in the broader wrestling community. Besides his tireless work with the Southeast Regional Training Center and UTC, he also served as a mentor and coach to some of the area's top high school wrestling talent. Trae McDaniel, with Dan Dennis, after becoming an All-American in Fargo Trae McDaniel is one local wrestler who benefited from Dennis' presence. He met Dennis in the summer of 2018 while training for Fargo at the "The Barn," a 5,000 square foot training facility in Cleveland, Tennessee, owned by Shane Chittum (father of Cody Chittum of Blair Academy, ranked No. 11 nationally by InterMat at 138 pounds). When asked about his first encounter with Dennis, McDaniel said, "Dan is crazy! But he ran a perfect practice. He knows what he's doing." In Fargo that year, McDaniel lost his opening match at 100 pounds and faced a daunting task: Win eight straight matches to become an All-American. He found a source of inspiration in Dan Dennis, who promised he would compete at next year's U.S. Open if McDaniel became an All-American. The rest, as they say, is history. McDaniel rattled off eight straight wins to earn a seventh-place finish and become an All-American. "Dan was the biggest motivator for me," says McDaniel. "You can see him screaming and clapping. Having someone in your corner like Dan is the biggest motivation." Dennis honored his word and competed in the 2019 U.S. Open in the 132-pound weight class in the Greco Roman division. He went 1-1 before defaulting with an LCL injury but had fun with the whole experience. "I was just hoping not to bust my knee or get thrown on my head!" Dennis says looking back on the event with zero hubris. Dan Dennis defeated Franklin Gomez to reach the NCAA finals in 2010 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) In his return to Iowa City, Dennis has the opportunity to work out in the same wrestling environment where he trained while competing for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2006 to 2010. In 2008, RevWrestling (the parent company of InterMat) interviewed Dennis after he won the 132-pound freestyle title at University Nationals. Asked to reflect on the interview 12 years later, Dennis says about his University Nationals title, "I said I knew I was going to win the tournament. I was full of shit. I was terrified. I was motivated to beat [Franklin] Gomez so I didn't have to wrestle [Alex] Tsirtsis. I was jacked up. I wanted to get off the mat as soon as possible. I looked good, but I just wanted to get off the mat. I was told if I lost in the finals, I had to wrestle a true-second type match against Tsirtsis and there is no way in hell I wanted to have an extra match against Tsirtsis. That was a big motivation. He was a freak in the wrestling room. I scored on him [only] four times. In five years [in the Iowa wrestling room]." Asked about the rest of the interview, Dennis says, "I was just trying to say what I think I should have said. If I was more mature, those comments would have been more sincere. But it was just rhetoric." Much has been made of Dennis' disappearance from competition from 2011 to 2014 while soul searching out west, and his meteoric rise from the figurative ashes to secure a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic freestyle team. This story and Dennis' wild man personality were portrayed in a 2018 documentary by FloWrestling. "I just wish [the FloWrestling documentary] didn't have me swearing so much. It was fun. I just wish they didn't depict me as appearing so reckless," Dennis said recently while reflecting on the film. The RevWrestling article from 2008 and subsequent documentaries following the 2016 Olympics paint very different pictures of Dan Dennis. Will the real Dan Dennis please stand up? The truth about Dan Dennis lies somewhere in the middle. Dennis is dedicated to his craft, but not a mindless Iowa wrestling robot. He is passionate about life, but not reckless. He may curse occasionally, but he is well spoken and well read. He passes out reading assignments like Robin Williams in "Dead Poet Society." "This book summarizes my philosophy on coaching," he says passing along a copy of "Season of Life" by Jeffery Marx. The book tells the true story of a football community in Baltimore characterized by excellence on the field, brotherhood, and love and support from the coaching staff. "You need to read this book," he says of the book "Mindset" by Carol Dweck. "[Future wife] Kirsti gave it to me. I read it during the time leading up to [the Olympics in] Rio." Dweck's book is an academic work of art in her field of psychology and the correlation between a growth-minded attitude, self-improvement and success. The first time I met Dan was through Bruce McDaniel, Trae's father. As our first conversation unfolded, glimpses of Dennis' personality emerged. For example, he struggles with the morality of charging equal rates for private coaching lessons to the son of a local billionaire businessman and the son of a single mom just trying to scrape by each month to make ends meet. "I just can't [charge the same amount of money]" he says, seemingly to himself, about the paradox of being consistent, earning a living, and doing what's morally right in his heart. I tell him I'm part owner of InterMat and would love the opportunity to tell his story. "I don't want it to be about me," he says, clarifying the terms of the potential story. "I would want it to be about the wrestling community in Chattanooga." Over the following two and half years, Dan becomes a bigger part of my personal and professional life. He accepts my invitation to be an inspirational guest speaker at my work and in exchange gets the privilege of taking a tour of a candy factory. As our interactions become more regular, I gain more insight into Dan's personal convictions and personality. Dan Dennis is extremely authentic. He has a warm smile and laughs genuinely deep from his gut. He is at the same time inclusive and intimate, which creates a paradox of feeling like you're just another fan and feeling like you just inadvertently befriended an Olympic wrestler. Dennis's transition from one hotbed for amateur wrestling (Chattanooga) to an even hotter bed (Iowa) can be characterized macroscopically through the first two laws of thermodynamics. The first law relates to the conservation of energy: Energy cannot be created or destroyed. And so it goes with Dan's energy, enthusiasm, and contributions to the respective wrestling communities impacted: what Chattanooga loses, Iowa gains. Shawn Cordell understands this give-and-take. He grew up the product of the Chattanooga wrestling community having won three individual state wrestling titles and five team titles while competing for Bradley Central High School (Cleveland, Tennessee). He would later go on to compete at Division I West Virginia and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before injuries plagued his collegiate career. Today, Cordell remains dialed into to the Chattanooga wrestling community as an assistant coach at his high school alma matter and occasional guest technician at The Barn. That's where he met Dennis in the spring of 2018. "I met Dan because [Coach Josh] Bosken wanted me to come to The Barn. So I show up at The Barn and [Bosken] stops and asks me to show some knee pulls. I asked, 'Why are ya'll asking me to show knee pulls? You have Dan Dennis!' I started laughing. He liked it. And we started chatting. He's just a regular guy. His attitude is phenomenal." Cordell and Dennis developed a friendship rooted in their passion for wrestling and building up the sport in the Chattanooga area. When asked about Dennis' departure from Chattanooga he said, "We lose the buzz about Dan. Being an Olympian. Iowa wrestling. The guy would go anywhere anyone asked him [to run a practice]. I think that's what will be missed the most. The guy never asked for money one time. That's the crazy thing." The Iowa Hawkeye community that fostered Dennis' development in college and enabled his return to competition in 2015 will now benefit from his high-level coaching and passion for his athletes. "Dan Dennis ranks high as a coach," Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands said in a press release. "He ranks high as a Hawkeye. And he ranks high in our locker room. He is the best choice for a lot of reasons starting with his popularity among our HWC athletes. There is always excitement with a new hire and there is a little more pizazz with this one. Dan Dennis is coming back to Iowa and we are fired up." When asked about what excites him about taking the head coaching job with the Hawkeye wrestling program, Dennis says, "Absolutely everything! Looking forward to wrestling with [Spencer] Lee again. [Cory] Clark. [Austin] DeSanto. Wrestling these guys is a breath of fresh air. I'm looking forward to just sparring with the guys. Having fun." Dan Dennis locks up a gut wrench on Tony Ramos at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) This time around, Dennis also faces the challenge of learning a new role within the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. Besides coaching high-level athletes, he wants to grow the Inner Circle, the team's booster club that provides exclusive privileges such as HWC gear and inside access information in exchange for financial support. If the first law of thermodynamics describes the loss of one wrestling community and the gain of another, the second law explains the chaotic nature with which it is happening. Besides the global pandemic that has turned our world upside down, Dennis faces another life-changing event: becoming a father for the first time. Last month his wife, Kirsti, gave birth to their first child, Magnolia. Dan Dennis and Jon HippsIn his return to the Midwest, Dennis gets the opportunity to raise his daughter with the love and support of family. His mother, Jane, lives just three and a half hours away by car in Ingleside, Illinois, while Kirsti's parents and siblings live another 10 minutes away in Antioch, Illinois. Dennis conferred with me on his decision to accept the position with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. He wrestled with the arguments for and against leaving Chattanooga in favor of Iowa City. When he announced the decision he had made, I told him I was happy for him but sad to see a friend leave the Chattanooga area. He thanked me and asked if I would be willing to write a piece for InterMat. I told him it would be my honor. I think I inadvertently befriended an Olympic wrestler.

A lot has happened to the legendary high school wrestling program at Easton Area High School in Pennsylvania ... starting with the firing of JaMarr Billman, wrestling-alma mater-turned-head-coach-of-the-boys-program at the end of May this year ... and now ending the announced hiring of new head coaches for the legendary boys program ... and launch of a brand-new girls varsity program. Early this week, Jody Karam was announced to take the helm of the boys mat program ... while Jordan Kutler was named to be the head coach of the Easton girls wrestling program. (Easton had announced the intended launch of a new girls program but a coach had yet to be hired for that position until this week.) Karam is a 1983 Easton grad who had after moving Liberty's all-time leader in coaching victories. He was 362-150-1 in 26 seasons before stepping down in 2019. He is 409-161-3 overall including three years at Delaware Valley Regional (N.J.). Meet Jody Karam, Easton boys wrestling coach Jody Karam replaces JaMarr Billman, who had been head boys coach at Easton High School, compiling an overall won-loss record of 42-26 in his four seasons of the boys program. Northampton graduate Steve Mytych and Easton product Robbie Rizzolino were the other finalists for boys coaching position at Easton once was Billman had been let go. Karam is a 1983 Easton grad and Liberty's all-time leader in coaching victories. He was 362-150-1 in 26 seasons before stepping down in 2019. He is 409-161-3 overall including three years at Delaware Valley Regional (N.J.). The Hurricanes won their only EPC championship and were third in the District 11 Class 3A team duals in Karam's final season. Jordan Kutler wrestling against Mark Hall (Photo/Lehigh Athletics) Meet Jordan Kutler, Easton girls' coach Jordan Kutler, varsity wrestling graduate at Lehigh University, will be the first girls wrestling head coach in Easton Area High School history. Sources indicated at the start of this week that Kutler was the top choice to head up the new girls' program. Kutler went 87-13 at Lehigh on his career and was a three-time NCAA All-American. He was ranked No. 3 in the nation at 174 pounds in March after winning his third EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) before the collegiate wrestling season was ended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Kutler, a Sparta native, holds a degree from Lehigh in behavioral neuroscience. He is a graduate of Blair Academy, where he was a two-time National Prep champion. This new girls program at Easton is only the fourth girls program in the state of Pennsylvania: J.P. McCaskey in Lancaster, North Allegheny in suburban Pittsburgh and Executive Education Academy, according to the Morning Call. A legendary mat program Easton has one of the strongest wrestling programs in the country. The Red Rovers wrestling program was launched in 1947 by assistant football coach Gust Zamnas, a former All-American offensive lineman at Ohio State and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Dick Rutt was Easton's first state champion, winning the 105-pound weight class in 1949. From 1948 to 2015, Easton crowned at least one champion at the District 11 Tournament in every season, setting a Pennsylvania record known as The Streak Former Easton coaches John Maitland, Dave Crowell, and Steve Powell are all members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Easton is second in Pennsylvania history with 35 state champions, including 1984 Olympic gold medalist Bobby Weaver (1975, 1976, 1977), two-time NCAA champions Jack Cuvo (1983, 1984, 1985) and Jordan Oliver (2006, 2007, 2008), two-time NCAA Finalist and University of Nebraska associate head coach Bryan Snyder (1997), NCAA All-Americans Jamarr Billman (1996, 1997) and Mitchell Minotti (2011), and former NC State football coach Chuck Amato (1965). Easton has produced 185 District 11 champions, 116 Northeast Regional Champions, 127 PIAA state medalists, 55 PIAA state finalists and 35 PIAA state champions. At the collegiate level, Easton wrestlers have earned 21 NCAA Division I All-Americans honors, eight NCAA Finals appearances, and four NCAA Championships. The program was started in 1947 by assistant football coach Gust Zarnas, a former All-American offensive lineman at Ohio State and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Dick Rutt was Easton's first state champion, winning the 105-pound weight class in 1949. From 1948 to 2015, Easton crowned at least one champion at the District 11 Tournament in every season, setting a Pennsylvania record known as The Streak. Former Easton coaches John Maitland, Dave Crowell, and Steve Powell are all members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Powell retired in 2016 after 32 years as the head coach with a career record of 532-126-3, four state championships, and four state duals championships. He coached 19 individual state champions, third most of any coach in Pennsylvania history. His eight combined state titles are the most of any coach in Pennsylvania history. JaMarr Billman was head wrestling coach at Easton until the end of May. He had been the first African-American assistant coach at the high school level. Before assuming the helm, Billman was a two-time Pennsylvania state champ who then became a three-time NCAA All-American at Penn State and Lock Haven. Prior to the recent changeover regarding the Easton head wrestling coach JaMarr Billman, a two-time state champion for the Red Rovers and a three-time NCAA All-American at Penn State and Lock Haven. Billman will debut in the 2016-2017 season. Billman has been an assistant coach at Cornell University, Easton, and Wilson High School. Billman is also the first African-American head coach in Easton history in any boys sport. Since the PIAA began crowning a team champion at the state tournament 1976, Easton has won six state championships (1981, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002) and finished in the top five eighteen times. Pennsylvania added a State Dual tournament in 1999, which Easton won four years in a row from 2001 to 2004. Easton has been to the State Dual Finals eight times, a Pennsylvania record, and their four championships are tied for the most in the state. Since the advent of national rankings by publications such as Amateur Wrestling News and Wrestling USA, Easton has been a consistent presence in the national rankings. In 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2002, Easton was ranked the No. 1 public school wrestling team in the nation.

Justin Gaethje wrestling Harvard's at the 2010 NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Justin Gaethje will be inducted into the University of Northern Colorado Athletics Hall of Fame's 2020 class, the school announced. Gaethje is one of six new inductees. The ceremony for the inductees will take place in early 2021 with further details to be announced at a later date. Gaethje became the program's first NCAA All-American in 2010 since the program rejoined the Division I ranks. He was a three-time NCAA qualifier. Gaethje is currently the UFC interim lightweight champion.

Zane Richards gets interviewed by Jordan Blanton at Rumble on the Rooftop (Photo/Justin Hoch, jhoch.com) By almost all accounts Rumble on the Rooftop, a series of matches held on a Chicago rooftop and wrestling's first public event since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in March, was a success with regard to the matches and the sport. But that's not the full story. The event was also being watched closely as an example of how wrestling could return while keeping athletes, coaches, fans and staff safe from coronavirus transmission. In that regard, even Bryan Medlin, the head coach of the Illinois Regional Training Center and a key player in organizing the wrestling component of the event, admitted there were problems. "There might have been some failures, but this is something to build on," said Medlin. "The organization made a noble effort to make sure the event was as safe as possible." FITE TV secured an outdoor venue in Chicago (Photo/FITE TV) That effort from FITE TV, the company that produced and streamed the event, included several precautions, according to Medlin. FITE TV secured an outdoor venue rather than an enclosed space such as a gym or arena. It limited the number of people at the location so the total number involved was capped at 50, as required by Chicago and Illinois under its phase four reopening rules. Prior to the event it placed seats and tables at a socially-distanced six feet apart. Mats were cleaned between each match. And staff asked everyone as they arrived to sign a waiver and to wear a mask. Wearing a face covering in public is also a requirement of the city and state's reopening. While some spectators and coaches wore masks, the vast majority did not (Photo/Justin Hoch, jhoch.com) But many of the planned precautions fell apart or were ignored once people arrived at the event. Coaches, announcers, referees and the vast majority of fans did not wear masks. Fans moved chairs and tables to be next to each other. And the plan for a handshake-free event except between the wrestlers fell victim to old habits for athletes, coaches, announcers and once or twice for the referees. Laurie Ouding, a registered nurse at Chicago's Rush Hospital where COVID-19 patients have been treated since the outbreak began, said good intentions aren't enough to keep people safe. Ouding watched part of the event and didn't mince words. "This could be an outbreak waiting to happen if one person is positive and doesn't know it," said Ouding. She noted the announce team specifically as a place where safety was compromised unnecessarily. Ouding said the three announcers, Ryan Warner, Mike Powell and Jordan Blanton, should have been socially distanced and should have worn masks to keep each other safe. She added that Blanton was at the highest risk because of his mat-side interviews where there were handshakes, no distancing and a microphone being held close to their mouths and going back and forth between Blanton and the winning wrestler. Powell, the executive director of Beat the Streets Chicago, which was a recipient of some of the proceeds from the event, described his role on the announce team as, "chiming in." Powell, who suffers from a muscle wasting disease called polymyositis, said he brought a mask for himself and many extras for those people who didn't have one. In regard to the safety of the announce team, he said he did have regrets, "I didn't speak up and probably should have." The wrestlers interviewed didn't have the same concerns. As Zane Richards of the ILRTC put it, "We're all adults and all taking care of ourselves." Nick Dardanes, who also wrestles at the ILRTC, echoed that. "I feel good, healthy and I'm trusting they're (his opponent) healthy too." But Ouding noted that it's not always the case that younger, healthier and even athletic people don't get the disease or only get a mild case. Even if they do carry the virus without symptoms, they put higher risk groups such as parents or grandparents in danger. Right now, cases of the virus are surging in many states such as Arizona, Texas and Florida. The U.S. has reported 2,496,628 cases and 125,318 deaths as of June 29, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because of that Ouding suggests testing for all athletes before any event. And she made other suggestions for wrestling going forward. They include: Strictly enforcing face coverings and social distancing among fans, coaches and referees. Having hand sanitizer readily available and prominently placed. Bryan Medlin coaching Joe Rau at Rumble on the Rooftop (Photo/Justin Hoch, jhoch.com) Medlin cited the difficulty of this, especially in regard to fans, but agreed more security and a stricter policy that is emphasized as soon as someone buys a ticket could help. Social distancing and mask wearing should also be mandatory for the announce team, as well as for the person doing mat-side interviews. Broadcasters use boom mics or long poles with their microphones attached to do socially-distanced interviews. Ouding said anyone conducting after-match interviews should do so as well. She also said mandatory meetings with athletes, coaches and refs to reiterate the precautions, to emphasize their strict enforcement and to make sure everyone involved is aware of the local and state requirements are necessary. Gary Abbott, Director of Communications for USA Wrestling, points to local COVID guidelines as the road map for all future wrestling events. He said that's been the consistent message from USA Wrestling -- to follow the guidelines. But Abbott also noted that wrestling is like no other sport when it comes to dealing with such challenges. "Wrestling is uniquely positioned to tackle this. We have medical checks, we've changed regarding weight management, science and medicine are already part of the sport." Now more than ever the wrestling community will have to follow the science and medicine to make sure the sport moves forward. If it doesn't there's much more at stake than the viability of wrestling. As Ouding said, "It's lives that are at risk."

Jason Nolf gets in on a shot against Jordan Oliver (Photo/Justin Hoch, jhoch.com) CHICAGO -- Wrestling is back. The sport made its triumphant return for the first time in over three months with the Rumble on the Rooftop being held Sunday night. The card featured a number of compelling bouts between some of the nation's top wrestlers. It was awesome to see actual live matches again. It marked the first time Senior-level American wrestlers had competed since March's Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Canada. Wrestling has joined sports in the U.S. and around the world who are starting to return to competition after having been shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Olympic champion Kenny Monday coaching Jordan Oliver (Photo/Justin Hoch, jhoch.com) The Rumble on the Rooftop was streamed live as a pay-per-view via Fite.tv. The event featured a cool setup with the Chicago skyline in the background during the bouts. Top young women's prospect Mia Palumbo looked impressive in rolling to a win in her match Sunday night. She looked strong physically and technically. Palumbo is a wrestler to keep an eye on in the coming years on the Senior level. Here is a look at how the Senior-level bouts unfolded on Sunday night in Chicago: Nick Dardanes vs. Mitch McKee Wrestling returned with a competitive battle in the first match of the event. McKee, a past Junior World silver medalist, started quickly with a takedown and turn to lead 4-0 after the first period. Dardanes came back with a takedown in the second period, but McKee used a late counter to score a takedown. McKee prevailed 6-2 in a hard-fought opening bout between Minnesota Golden Gopher alumni. McKee is an impressive freestyle wrestler and it will be interesting to see how he fares as he transitions to the Senior level. Brett Pfarr vs. Zac Braunagel Braunagel, who wrestles for the University of Illinois, came out strong by hitting a slick single-leg attack and finished with a dump to take an early lead. The more experienced Pfarr finished a leg attack for a takedown to draw within 3-2 midway through the second period. Pfarr added another single-leg shot for a takedown to take a 4-3 edge with under a minute to go. The hard-charging Braunagel responded by converting on a leg attack in the closing seconds for the winning takedown to win 5-4. It was an action-packed and entertaining match with both guys firing in on numerous shots. Nazar Kulchytskyy vs. Danny Braunagel Kulchytskyy, a past NCAA DIII champion who became a force on the Senior level, came out strong with a textbook fireman's carry before hitting a series of turns. He earned a quick 10-0 win by technical superiority and executed a beautiful flip after his victory. It also was the final match of his superb career. Kulchytskyy took his shoes off to signify his retirement after having his hand raised. He also kissed the center of the mat after his win. He's been a great representative of the sport as an athlete and plans to continue his involvement in the sport as a coach. Nazar is one of the truly outstanding people in wrestling. Dylan Ness vs. Nestor Taffur Taffur came out on the attack against the dangerous Ness, scoring on a single-leg shot and following with a quick turn to grab an early 4-1 lead. Ness came back early in the second period, hitting a spectacular lift to strike for five points in a highlight-reel sequence. Ness continued to roll and earned an impressive 10-4 victory. It's rarely boring when Dylan Ness wrestlers and he put on another show after a slow start. It was a treat to watch him compete. Zane Richards vs. Zach Sanders Richards scored an early turn and followed with a takedown to build a 4-0 lead in a battle of veteran lightweight wrestlers. Sanders came back to win a scramble for a takedown to draw within 4-2. Richards led 7-4 after an entertaining, action-packed first period. Sanders trailed 9-5 before hitting back-to-back takedowns to tied the bout 9-9 midway through the second period. Richards regrouped with a takedown to lead 11-9 with under a minute left. Sanders answered with a takedown to tie it again, 11-11, with 30 seconds left. Richards then scored the winning takedown in the final seconds to prevail 13-11. The wrestlers hugged after putting on a great show. That was an entertaining bout to watch with non-stop action between two former Big Ten standouts. Pat Downey vs. Joe Rau This match featured an interesting format with Greco-Roman being contested in the first period and freestyle in the second period. Rau, a Chicago native, took command from the top position in his style of Greco. The powerful Rau built a 9-0 lead after the first period. Downey came back in his style of freestyle, with a quick takedown in the second period. Downey followed with another takedown to draw within 9-4 with a minute left, but his comeback bid fell short. Rau prevailed 9-4 in the battle of World Teamers in their respective styles. Pat Lugo shut out Luke Pletcher, 5-0 (Photo/Justin Hoch, jhoch.com) Luke Pletcher vs. Pat Lugo This was another bout many people were looking forward to. Both guys were seeded No. 1 for the NCAA tournament at their respective weight classes before the event was canceled. The co-main event between them Sunday featured a hard-fought battle between 2020 Big Ten champions. Lugo opened with two leg attacks and a pair of pushouts to take an early 2-0 edge. The bigger Lugo scored on another pushout and countered for a takedown to build a 5-0 lead early in the second period. Lugo looks like he could have a bright future on the Senior level. He looked strong offensively and defensively in an impressive 5-0 triumph over a tough competitor in Pletcher. Jason Nolf talks to his Nittany Lion WC coaches Cael Sanderson and Cody Sanderson (Photo/Justin Hoch, jhoch.com) Jordan Oliver vs. Jason Nolf The main event wasn't much of a match as neither wrestler committed to much offensively in a lackluster bout. The match was tied 1-1 as the wrestlers each scored shot clock points. Nolf was awarded a late point on a passivity call to win 2-1. It was unfortunate that these guys chose not to open it up in what promised to be an entertaining match. Too bad Richards and Sanders couldn't have wrestled in the last match. Final thoughts From a fan's perspective, it was great to finally have a chance to watch live wrestling competition again. It was an entertaining and compelling event with a good lineup of matches in an awesome setting on a rooftop in Chicago. Kudos to the guys who chose to compete even though they haven't been able to train and prepare like they normally do because of the pandemic. The main event was disappointing with virtually no action between Nolf and Oliver, but it obviously was still great to see live wrestling again. A big thank you goes to the folks in Chicago and to Fite.tv for putting on a solid event. 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.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) to cancel a total of eight sports seasons for the fall semester -- including wrestling -- the NCAA Division III public university located in Ewing, NJ announced Friday. Other sports which will not be competing this fall include football, men's soccer, women's soccer, field hockey, men's basketball, women's basketball, and rugby. "Regrettably but necessarily, and in alignment with our rationale and actions in instruction, residential education, and other operations, I have decided that for health and safety reasons, we will restrict the menu of in-person student activities this fall to low human-density and low in-person contact or proximity activities only," TCNJ President Kathryn A. Foster revealed in a community letter issued Friday. In addition to TCNJ, other NCAA Division III colleges which have canceled fall 2020 sports this past week include Bowdoin, Pratt Institute (N.Y.) and UMass-Boston.

Rico Hill has just been named new head wrestling coach at La Salle High School in Cincinnati, having coached at a number of respected wrestling programs in the area over the years. Rico HillMost recently, Hill had served as an assistant coach at La Salle High School. He also had previous coaching experiences at other schools in the southwest Ohio area, having also served at Lakota East High School and Liberty Junior High School. Coach Hill also served as an interim head wrestling coach at Mount Saint Joseph University. In the past couple years, Cincinnati La Salle had been a top-ranked wrestling program in this region. The school had been ranked No. 8 nationally by InterMat in 2019, and No. 16 in 2018. “I am very excited to lead the La Salle wrestling program and the future generation of Lancers,” Hill said. “The opportunity to grow and maintain the Lancer wrestling program as one of the elite programs in the state of Ohio and the nation is the ultimate goal.” “I am very excited to bring Rico back to our La Salle community as the new head wrestling coach,” Athletic Director Brian Meyer shared. “Coach Hill has valuable knowledge and experience that he can't wait to pass along to our current group of wrestlers, the large group of incoming freshmen and all future Lancer wrestlers. He has a great plan to continue the strong tradition of Lancer wrestling.” “Given the opportunity to be a part of a great learning environment and to continue the mission of having all students in the program reach their full potential in body, mind and spirit is a great intrinsic feeling,” Hill added. “I hope that my services as the head wrestling coach of La Salle High School can do just that.” “He has established himself as a great relationship builder with young men and families in the greater Cincinnati wrestling community,” Meyer continued. “I look forward to seeing him grow the program and building on the storied success of the Lancer wrestling.” Professionally, Coach Hill is a Physical Education and Health teacher at Liberty Junior High School in the Lakota Local School District. He currently resides on the west side of Cincinnati. La Salle High School is a Catholic, all-male, archdiocesan high school in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. The school was opened September 6, 1960 and named in honor of Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, a French priest and educational reformer. The school was officially dedicated May 14, 1961.

Sebastian Rivera after defeating Seth Gross of Wisconsin (Photo/Juan Garcia) PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Two-time All-American, two-time Big Ten champion and New Jersey native Sebastian Rivera has enrolled at Rutgers University as a graduate transfer student. Rivera, who previously competed at Northwestern from 2016-20, is immediately eligible to participate in 2020-21 for Rutgers wrestling and will have one season of eligibility remaining. "We're excited to welcome Sebastian back home to Jersey and cannot wait to get him in our wrestling room with the rest of the guys," said head coach Scott Goodale. "Sebastian is an instant threat to win both a Big Ten and national title and it is awesome he will have an opportunity to do so in his home state with a Rutgers singlet on." Regarded as one of the top lightweights in the country, Rivera is a two-time All-American who produced 73 varsity victories during his time with the Wildcats. As a senior this past season, Rivera battled injury to finish with a 12-2 record, which included a win over Penn State's Roman Bravo-Young in the 133-pound Big Ten Championship bout at the RAC this past March. Rivera was named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships, as voted on by the coaches of all competing teams. Rivera also defeated two-time NCAA champion Spencer Lee of Iowa to claim the 125-pound conference title in 2019. Rivera placed third at the NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh, his highest-career finish at the national tournament after he placed sixth in 2018 at 125 pounds. Rivera earned the No. 1 overall seed in his weight class at this year's NCAA Championships in Minneapolis before the season was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A former New Jersey high school standout, Rivera was a two-time state placewinner and captured a NJSIAA state title in 2016 while wrestling at Christian Brothers Academy. Rivera went 31-1 en route to his state title as a senior, as he also claimed regional and district titles along with a gold medal at Super 32. Rivera finished his high school career as a three-time district and two-time region champion and became CBA's first individual state title winner since 1968. A native of Toms River, New Jersey, Rivera is the son of Melissa and Steve Rivera. Steve Rivera was a Division III national champion at The College of New Jersey and was inducted into the NWCA Division III Hall of Fame in 2018. Rivera joins a program that wrapped up another successful dual season, as its 10-7 record in 2019-20 marked the 14th consecutive winning campaign for the Scarlet Knights and the 13th since Goodale took over the program in 2007. RU also finished ranked in the NWCA Coaches Poll for the ninth time under Goodale's leadership. Home attendance for wrestling at the RAC remained one of the highest in the country, as Rutgers was fourth nationally with 4,292 fans per home event.

Kevin Emily is a man of many talents ... all related to amateur wrestling. He's been an incredibly successful high school coach in Iowa and in South Carolina ... and as an author of respected historical books about the world's oldest and greatest sport. Now Kevin Emily will be putting that experience and knowledge from those phases of his career as an assistant wrestling coach, announced Thursday as the newest member of the staff at the NCAA Division II wrestling program at Lander University in Greenwood, S.C. Kevin EmilyBorn in Georgetown, S.C., Emily grew up and wrestled during the 1970s and 80s in a true hotbed of wrestling: Waterloo, Iowa. Emily wrestled at Waterloo Central High School He then went on to wrestle collegiately at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In the past decade-and-a-half, Kevin Emily had served as head wrestling coach as well as special education teacher, most recently at Midland Valley High School in South Carolina. While coaching in Tennessee, South Carolina and Iowa, Emily's wrestling programs have generated 13 state placers, five state champions, four NHSCA All-Americans, one USA Wrestling champion, one All-American and one NHSCA National Champion. In addition to these accomplishments as wrestler and coach, Kevin Emily has also generated accolades as an author of compelling historical books, sharing the true stories of all-time great wrestlers and coaches, including "Pathfinder" and "Pathfinder: Vol. II" and, most recently, he completed "The Giant Killer," a biography on Carlton Haselrig, wrestler at University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown who won three NCAA Division II heavyweight titles, then three Division I championships (back when Div. II and III champs could compete for titles at the Division I championships) ... then went on to a career with the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers. Right now, Kevin Emily is finishing work on "King of the Mat" which will tell the stories of a number of legendary high school wrestling coaches. Located in Greenwood, South Carolina between Greenville, SC and Augusta, Ga., Lander University is a four-year, public university founded in with just over 3,300 students. Lander's men's NCAA Division II men's intercollegiate wrestling program -- the Bearcats -- has completed its first season of competition. "We are fired up to add Kevin Emily to our staff as an assistant coach here at Lander!" according to Lander head wrestling coach R.C. LaHaye. "Kevin has been an ultra successful HS coach both in South Carolina and in Iowa. Kevin has coached numerous state placers, state champions , and All Americans. We can't wait to have him join us this fall in Greenwood !"

John Klessinger Disclaimer: I am not an expert coach and I struggle at times getting my teams to perform at the level I expect from them. But I have been more successful the past ten or eleven years than the first ten or eleven because I've recognized that I needed to keep learning more and get better. There is so much we can take from coaches like Cael Sanderson, Tom Ryan, and Cary Kolat and many others. If you are a coach, watch and learn from those guys. If you are a wrestler, watch and learn from Spencer Lee, Yianni Diakomihalis, or Daton Fix. We can absorb so much by merely observing them. Listen to interviews of coaches and wrestlers. What are they saying that you can use to up your game? Peoples' words reflect their thoughts. Everything we do starts with our thinking. Being successful begins first in our minds with an idea, followed by an action. Modeling the behaviors and thinking of the best is a quick way to improve performance. Related: Part 1 | "Strong Mind Strong Body" ebook 12. Be consistent in your communication and behavior Consistency in your actions, what you say, and your day to day interactions with your team builds trust. From trust, your team will respond more effectively. Loose cannon outbursts and erratic behavior puts people on edge and can be counterproductive when working with your team. However, I believe there are moments when we should deviate from our regular routines. A good "rant" every so often can light a fire in your kids. 13. Be loving, kind, and grateful I know there is a belief that our society is getting "soft." Being kind and caring to your kids may perpetuate the development of lack of toughness if we mistake love and kindness as taking it easy on them. I look at being loving and kind as holding your team accountable. People that genuinely love us want us to be successful. They go the extra mile to help us. They are also the ones who let us know when we aren't giving our best effort. Gratitude is an extension of love. It is recognizing and appreciating that we become better through challenges and hard work. 14. Be hard on them when they win and love them harder when they lose I stole this from a book years ago. Ironically, a book by a basketball coach. I think most people do the opposite -- be tougher on them when they lose. However, when you are winning, your attitude is in the right place, and you are more motivated. When you lose, a flood of negative emotions can surface -- doubt, fear, insecurity, and questioning of commitment. No one likes to lose. The natural defense mechanism is to downplay a loss and say, "It is not a big deal." But losing hurts. After a team or individual loss, it is always good to step back and evaluate your team's mindset. It may be a good time for a light practice, a team meeting, or a general morale boost. The statement does not reflect my belief about poor effort. A poor effort is not the same as giving your best and losing. 15. The more I've learned, the more success we've had There is so much to learn about wrestling and coaching. As I said in the opening paragraph, we can learn from watching the greats. When I was a younger coach, I was hard-headed and thought I knew a lot about wrestling. I admit I had a very good youth league, high school, and college coaches. I learned a lot from them, but when I opened my eyes to other methods and practices, my knowledge expanded, and we began to win more. I continue to learn from great coaches and leaders in wrestling and outside of wrestling about leadership, culture, technique, communication, and more. 16. Parents will support you if you challenge their children to be better Better said, the majority will be on your side if they know you are looking out for their child's best interests. Dealing with parents can be a juggling act at times. Parents want fairness and open communication. Being a parent myself has allowed me to understand and be empathetic towards sometimes irrational behavior. A parent loves their child and wants to see them succeed. I have learned if you "practice what you preach" and are clear in your expectations for each wrestler more often than not, they will not only cooperate with you; they will be helpful, kind, and generous. 17. Recognize the foot soldiers in your program Everyone wants to be recognized and given a "pat on the back." It is human nature to want to be accepted and acknowledged for our efforts. I do, as well. I have learned it is important to highlight and give attention to all the members of your program, whether varsity or JV. Your better kids will get the validation from their performance. But it is the ones that grind through the season each day without attention from the media, their peers, or even family that may need it the most. 18. Awareness (some guilt) is more effective than fear As I have already stated, rapport is more effective than yelling, and day-to-day consistency in your behavior is more effective than flying all over the map with your emotions. I have learned (from an opposing coach) that instead of scolding or yelling at your team for poor performance or attitude, questioning their effort is more productive. By this, ask, "Did you do your best?" "Did you do all you could?" "If you gave your best effort, you should be able to sleep well at night." This type of communication hits people more directly. 19. Kids will rise to the level of expectation you set for them I guess this is common sense, and I believe any good coach follows a similar philosophy. However, I think it needs stating. If you expect a strong work ethic day in practice or good citizenship amongst your team, it needs to be said, set in stone, and have accountability. Most will rise to the level you set for them. 20. Be human and vulnerable at times If you make a mistake, tell your kids. Hold yourself accountable as well. If you could have done something better, own up to it. Admitting that you "dropped the ball" shows honesty and transparency. It goes a long way in building trust and rapport with your team when they know you will accept responsibility for things you could have done better. 21. Be a teacher first, coach second Teach them wrestling. Teach them about life. Wrestling is great because it is a school for life. Be a teacher of the sport, not just a wrestling coach. John Klessinger has been a high school teacher and wrestling coach for the past 21 years. As a head coach, his teams have won close to 400 matches, and they have won multiple county, region, and tournament championships. Six times he has been named the Baltimore Sun and the Annapolis Capital Gazette Anne Arundel County Coach of the Year. As a competitor, John was twice a Pennsylvania All-State wrestler. He was a four-year starter at the Division I collegiate level and a Division I East Regional champion. John competed in the 1997 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. John wrote an ebook called "Strong Mind Strong Body" that can be found on Amazon.

Girls high school wrestling continues to grow at a rapid clip this summer. Days after Illinois had announced it would be hosting a separate state tournament for high school girls in that state beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, that state's immediate neighbor to-the-north, Wisconsin, has expanded wrestling opportunities for girls with a similar decision. The WIAA Board of Control -- the organization that governs competitive sports events within Wisconsin, voted by a unanimous 10-0 decision Wednesday to have a separate state wrestling tournament for girl wrestlers in 2020-21. The approved proposal will have girls wrestle on mixed teams during the regular season, but go into their own tournament once they get to the postseason. "This does allow more girls to become interested and more schools to become involved," WIAA deputy director Wade Labecki told WSAW-TV in Wausau, Wis. "We have a bylaw that says that we have to have so many schools, 5% to recognize a sport, 10% percent to have a championship, so we want to make sure we have those numbers in two years to make sure we have that tournament." The vote ends years of lobbying by Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association and marks the first addition of a girls sports since 2001 when girls hockey was added. The WIAA plans to let girls wrestle boys during the regular season. The plan is to eventually split the two into their own seasons completely down the line. Currently, girls wrestle on boys teams and that would be the same in 2021-22. Once the regular season is completed, girls wrestlers will break off into their own postseason, with the final destination being the state tournament. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported that the decision came after an hour-long discussion during the three-hour meeting and an amendment to the original proposal. Initially the proposal was for the addition of girls wrestling as a WIAA sanctioned sport for next season. The Journal-Sentinel went to report that there are key details to be ironed out, including how many weight classes will be set up. That said, there will be girls state champions crowned in 2022. Wisconsin becomes the fourth state in June to approve of new, state-sanctioned competitive wrestling opportunities for girls this month. Other than in addition to Wisconsin and Illinois, other states which have made this move to expand wrestling opportunities for girls in June include Florida and South Dakota.

Jordan Oliver gets in on a shot against Joey McKenna at Senior Nationals (Photos/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Peak, when used as an intransitive verb, means to reach a maximum as of capacity, value or activity. In athletics, the word is often used as part of the phrase "peaking at the right time." The theory is that you need to be at your very best when it matters the most. Competition on the international level is so intense that any variation in an athlete's form or condition could have a great impact on the result. One could make a credible case that Jordan Oliver was nearing his peak before the global pandemic forced a halt to virtually all athletic competition. Last November he won four matches at the Bill Farrell tournament to qualify for the Olympic Team Trials. Despite already winning a spot, he returned the following month and ran through the Senior Nationals. He outscored his five opponents by a combined 50-0 score. Oliver then traveled to Rome where he took silver in the Matteo Pellicone, only dropping a close match against multiple-time world medalist Bajrang Punia. The quest to return to peak form begins on Sunday in the main event of Rumble on the Rooftop. Oliver will take on three-time NCAA champion Jason Nolf in an open-weight match. When you ask him about returning to peak form after being halting during perhaps one of the best runs of his freestyle career, he answers without any hesitation. "One thing I always say to people, and I learned it from Coach [John] Smith, and I've held it with me this whole time, peaking is a mind state," he explains. "It is a state of mind. It is when you feel your best. Maybe it is because you are cooling off in your training or competition is getting close. You're feeling that excitement, and then all the sudden, you want to turn it into peaking. Yes, you feel great. You're doing the right things, but I think if you are consistently doing the right things and executing and making every right decision on an everyday basis, I think you can be constantly improving. What we saw before is that I put myself in a position down here at UNC with Coleman Scott, Tony Ramos and obviously my coach Kenny Monday, I put myself in a position to go make this team and not just make the team but to go win the Olympic gold." Winning the Trials will not be enough for Oliver to make the Olympic Games. The U.S. as a country still needs to qualify the 65-kilogram weight class. One of Oliver's rivals, Zain Retherford, came up short in the Pan American Qualifier back in March. The U.S. will likely send the winner of the Trials to the final World Qualifier tentatively scheduled for next April. "It is always tough," Oliver says about watching Retherford attempt to qualify the weight. "At the end of the day, you have to sit back and look at it from an outside perspective. I did not get the job done for me to go and qualify the weight. Zain earned the right as he beat me, Yianni and all the guys to earn that spot to go qualify the weight. It is wrestling. People get caught. Things happen with this sport. Any given day anything can happen. With that being said, I think Zain was more than prepared to qualify it and he was qualified to qualify it. He just got caught in a position that did not turn out the best. It is hard sitting back, because you always want to put the responsibility in your hands. It goes to the old saying, if you want something done, do it yourself. In that aspect, I should have made the team last year if I wanted the chance to qualify the weight so in a sense, it is a little bit my fault as well." The process of qualifying the weight class following the Trials adds an element of difficulty that most other members of the team will not have to face. However, Oliver will be able to rely on the experience of one of his coaches. In 2012, 60 kilograms was not qualified and the schedule of the Trials resulted in an odd process that involved Coleman Scott wrestling at the Trials and Shawn Bunch qualifying the weight at a qualifier tournament. Scott eventually defeated Reece Humphrey and Bunch to earn the right to travel to London and eventually bring home a bronze medal. That journey could act as a guide to Oliver. "We took an approach of going back and looking when Coleman was successful on his bronze-medal run," Oliver says. "If you look at the scenarios, they are very similar to what I am going through right now. His weight wasn't qualified, and he had a very tough weight class. He had to go qualify the weight at the last chance qualifier, and Coleman had a crazy wrestle-off situation. Then he went and got the bronze. Looking at the scenario, I think we just keep getting better. I think the more time shows what we are doing is working. So for us, it is really let's improve and let's go compete to see where we need to improve. Competition, as everyone knows, is different from the training room. When you get out there, there is nothing like it. You gotta make weight, you are coming off the mat, you have fans around you, you have refs, you have a bunch of chaos going on all around with the noise and the crowd." Even if 65 kilograms remains unqualified for the Olympics, it is quickly becoming one of the most competitive weight classes domestically. Retherford won the spot of the 2019 World Team, but Yianni Diakomihalis has also stood out at this weight. If Oliver wants to make the team, he will likely have to get past one, if not both, of these competitors. Despite this, he sees someone else as his biggest rival. "I think it is me versus me to be honest," he says succinctly. "Don't get me wrong, Zain, Yianni, McKenna, even going down the list, Meredith, Henderson, all those guys are great. I believe all those guys are incredible talents. They are all very good at what they do. I think for me to be successful I have to be the best version of Jordan Oliver and not worry about what my competition is doing or who is across the line. I have to wrestle my style better than anybody else wrestles their style, and I believe that is going to get the job done for me. I don't like to read into what these guys are doing as much as what I am doing and what I do best. Biggest competition for me domestically, obviously you've got Zain and you've got Yianni. Those guys bring two different games to the mat. Yianni is very, very different, he scrambles, creates scrambles. Zain is very much pressure and hands in your face. Those two are obviously the front runners, but 65 is a loaded weight class so you can't ever count anybody out, but there is too much time to work on myself in training to not be focused on what I need to do better and where I need to improve, so like I said, it is me versus me." Before he turns his focus entirely to the Olympic Team Trials, Oliver will face off against Nolf this weekend. Due to the weight difference it certainly qualifies as a dream match, but it is actually going to happen. On top of that, the differences in styles will likely result in an exciting and intriguing bout. "You might not ever get a chance to see Jason Nolf and Jordan Oliver get to wrestle in a tournament just because of the weight classes." Oliver says. " I am a 65-kilogram wrestler and Nolf was wrestling 79 kilograms last year. I think we came to a gentleman's agreement that it is for the fans, but it is for us too. We are competitors, and we want to put ourselves against the best guys to test ourselves and also have fun doing what we love. Me and Nolf agreed that we are around the same weight, so we don't need to weigh in. People want to see the match, we both love to compete against another high-level competitor, and we are both very very offensive. It should be a very fun and entertaining match with attacks and scoring. It interested me, because again I never got to wrestle Jason Nolf but I have always watched him and he is awesome. He is a very creative and crafty wrestler and I have always had respect for him. He was one of my favorites to watch when he was in college. It will be fun to mix it up with him and dance with him all around the mat."

Albion College President-Elect Mathew Johnson has announced the Albion College Athletic Department will bring back men's wrestling after a more than 40-year absence as well as add women's wrestling and esports. All three are expected to begin competition for the 2021-2022 academic year. "Albion College is always striving to provide a great educational experience, and athletics is part of that experience," said Dr. Johnson, who was a high school and college athlete. "With men's and women's wrestling as well as the rapidly growing esports, Albion will provide more opportunities for all those students who wish to participate." The additions will bring to 24 the number of varsity sports sponsored by Albion -- 12 for men and 12 for women. Albion last added a varsity sport in 2017 when the Western-style discipline was added in equestrian. In 2014, Albion added men's and women's indoor track and field. "We are fortunate to have a rich athletic tradition that serves as a foundation in this next chapter as we bring back men's wrestling and welcome women's wrestling and esports," said Erik Braun, Albion's assistant athletic director. Mike Moyer, president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, was also thrilled with Albion's return to collegiate wrestling "It's a real big deal," he said. "And it's an even bigger deal to do something bold like this during COVID-19. At the end of the day, we've seen this trend before COVID as many schools are experiencing declines in enrollment. What better way to turn it around than to offer activities that are important to students." Men's wrestling, which was disbanded at Albion in the late 1970s, will compete in the NCAA Division III Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association along with Adrian, Alma, Olivet and Trine.

Jordan Oliver and Jason Nolf face off Sunday in Chicago (Photos/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Wrestling is back. After a long hiatus, the sport returns with a series of freestyle matches at an event dubbed The Rumble on the Rooftop. The event, which will stream live as a pay-per-view via Fite.tv, will take place in Chicago on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. Jordan Oliver vs. Jason Nolf The U.S. still needs to qualify 65 kilograms for the Olympics. If that eventually happens, Oliver should be one of the favorites to secure the spot. The lockdown could not have come at a worse time for Oliver, as he was putting together some of his best performances of his freestyle career. His run started at the 2019 Bill Farrell Memorial International last November. On the day, he defeated Nick Dardances, Bryce Meredith, Joey McKenna and Frank Molinaro by a combined 34 to 9 score. Oliver was perhaps even more dominant at the 2019 Senior Nationals. He won all five of his matches without surrendering a single point. In the finals, he rolled up McKenna in less than three minutes. Oliver then traveled to Rome for the Matteo Pellicone tournament, which was dubbed a ranking series event by UWW. He outscored his first three opponents by a combined 21-0 score to set up a finals match with three-time world medalist Bajrang Punia. Against Bajrang, Oliver got out to an early lead with a quick takedown. However, his opponent was able to score with a head pinch late and escaped with a 4-3 victory. Nolf made the finals of the Bill Farrell tournament at 74 kilograms before falling against former collegiate rival Isaiah Martinez. In the semifinals, he scored a 6-0 victory over former teammate Vincenzo Joseph. Nolf was clearly dealing with injuries, and he did not compete at the 2019 Senior Nationals. He did return to the mat at the Pan American Championships at 79 kilograms and easily won the three-person bracket. The former Hodge winner still has work to do in order to qualify for the Olympic Team Trials. This should be an interesting style match. Nolf's ability to scramble and work from odd positions is basically uncanny. However, before the shutdowns Oliver was doing a great job of getting to his single and finishing. If Nolf has recovered from his injuries, he certainly has a chance in this match. However, Oliver has the experience and has looked to be on a mission recently. Prediction: Oliver over Nolf Luke Pletcher vs. Pat Lugo Before the cancellations hit, Pletcher was set to be the No. 1 seed at 141 pounds at the NCAA tournament. In the Big Ten final, he avenged his only loss of the season against Nick Lee (Penn State), and in the process became the favorite for a national title at the weight. Unfortunately, the tournament never happened, and he finished his career as a three-time All-American. Like Pletcher, Lugo also overcame the only loss of his senior season in the finals of the Big Ten tournament. Going into the tournament, he dropped only one match against Pletcher's teammate Sammy Sasso. Lugo reversed that decision and would have entered the NCAA tournament as the top seed at 149 pounds. The first few minutes will probably say a lot about the outcome of this match. If Lugo is able to get his hands on Pletcher and control him with underhooks, he should be able to control the pace and space. However, if Pletcher is able to maintain distance and create motion, he will likely overwhelm Lugo with his volume leg attack style. Prediction: Pletcher over Lugo Pat Downey vs. Joe Rau After an injury to David Taylor, Downey took the spot on the U.S. World Team at the 2019 World Championships. He won his first two matches in the tournament but ultimately fell against Ahmed Ruslanovic Dudarov of Germany. This year he entered both the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix as well as the Matteo Pellicone. He failed to place at the Yarygin, but at the Pellicone, he secured a bronze medal finish after falling against Alex Dieringer. Downey has also recently engaged in a somewhat odd rivalry with world-class submission grapplers. He faced off against 2019 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist Nick Rodriguez in a modified rules match at Who's Number One and won easily. He then had an unusual two-match series against multiple-time world champion submission grappler Gordon Ryan. Downey lost a no-time limit submission match, but he won the rematch under freestyle rules in less than a minute. Rau is a multiple-time member of the U.S. Greco-Roman World team, but he will take this in freestyle. He has been known to compete in both freestyle and even semi-recently wrestled in the Midlands Championships. Rau entered the 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International in both Greco and freestyle. He finished with a bronze in Greco and fell in the bronze-medal match on the freestyle side. Earlier this year, he won both the Pan American Championships and the Pan American Qualification Tournament to qualify the weight for the Olympics. Downey has been able to defeat a bobsledder and multiple submission grapplers, will his cross-style dominance continue against a Greco guy? It probably will. You could make the case that Downey does a lot of his work from the clinch with throws and that plays into Rau's style. However. Downey should still be able to get to his attacks and score consistently. Prediction: Downey over Rau Dylan Palacio vs. Dylan Ness Palacio was a four-time NCAA qualifier and a two-time All-American for Cornell. His best finish came during his junior year in 2016 when he finished fourth and picked up victories over Joe Smith and Cody Pack. Palacio competes internationally for Uruguay, and in his last international tournament, he entered the 2018 South American Games and failed to place. Ness was a four-time All-American and two-time finalist for Minnesota. After college he transitioned to freestyle and had some solid results out of the gate. He won the 2017 U.S. Senior Last Chance World Team Trials qualifier and picked up a bronze medal at the Dave Schultz Memorial. He competed in the 2019 Bill Farrell and the 2019 Senior Nationals going a combined 3-3 with his best victory coming over Dan Vallimont. Since college Ness has been the much more consistent competitor, and he should have the size advantage in this match. Palacio will be game, but Ness will be the one taking the elevator down from the roof with the victory. Prediction: Ness over Palacio Zane Richards vs. Zach Sanders Richards finished his career at Illinois in 2017. He was a four-time NCAA qualifier and a two-time All-American. He had a very active 2019 on the freestyle circuit that saw him compete in a variety of tournaments including representing the U.S. at the World Cup. Last November, he made the semifinals at the Bill Farrell before dropping an 8-6 match against Nathan Tomasello. Richards then went 3-2 at the 2019 Senior Nationals with wins over Austin Miller, Jacob Moran and Eddie Kilmara. Sanders finished third at the 2012 NCAA tournament to become an All-American for the fourth time. Since wrestling at Minnesota, he has been a member of the coaching staff for the Gophers and competing on the freestyle circuit. In 2018 he won a gold medal at the Cerro Pelado International and he also represented the U.S. at the 2019 World Cup. He recently wrestled his way to a fifth-place finish at the 2019 Senior Nationals with signature victories over Alan Waters and Frank Perrelli. This might turn out to be one of the closer matches of the event. Richards has had the better results recently, but Sanders is a veteran. Look for Richards to try to push the pace early in the match, and if he is successful it should go a long way towards securing the victory. Prediction: Richards over Sanders Brett Pfarr vs. Zach Braunagel During his senior year at Minnesota, Pfarr was probably the second best wrestler in the county at 197 pounds. Unfortunately, that was also the weight class that contained multiple-time world medalist J'den Cox. Pfarr ended up dropping an 8-2 decision in the NCAA finals, but he finished 31-3 on the year. Since then he has transitioned into freestyle and picked up a pair of bronze medals at the 2019 and 2020 Cerro Pelado tournaments. He recently finished fourth at the 2019 Senior Nationals with both of his losses coming against Alex Dieringer. Along the way, he picked up wins over Drew Foster, Max Dean and Aaron Brooks. Braunagel just finished his redshirt freshman season at Illinois. He finished 21-10, qualified for the NCAA tournament that never happened and was named an honorable mention All-American by the NWCA. Last summer he was a member of the U.S. Greco-Roman Junior World team, but he failed to place in the tournament. Pfarr has had surprisingly solid results since making the transition to full-time freestyle. We have seen wrestlers who are still competing collegiately perform well against freestylers, but Pfarr has already proven he can turn back those sort of challengers. Prediction: Pfarr over Braunagel Nazar Kulchytskyy vs. Danny Braunagel Kulchytskyy had a strong showing at the Bill Farrell. He finished third with his only loss coming against Isaiah Martinez in the quarterfinals. At the Senior Nationals tournament, he made his way to the fifth-place match before falling against Anthony Valencia. However, in the tournament field, he also defeated Alec Pantaleo, Joey Lavallee and Chad Walsh. Braunagel went 23-9 during his redshirt freshman season for Illinois. He qualified for the NCAA tournament and received honorable mention All-American honors following the season. Braunagel scored key wins over Peyton Mocco, Kennedy Monday and Zach Hartman. Last summer he came very close to securing a spot on the Junior World team. He finished second at both the Open and the World Team Trials. In those events, he defeated the likes of Philip Conigliaro, Julian Ramirez and Travis Wittlake. Kulchytskyy does not really get the respect he deserves, because 74 kilograms is a very stacked weight domestically. He is getting up there a bit in age, but he should have than enough to control this match and take the victory. Prediction: Kulchytskyy over Braunagel Nick Dardanes vs. Mitch McKee Dardanes has wrestled sparingly over the last few seasons. In 2018 he finished fourth at both the U.S. Open and the World Team Trials. Last April he relocated to the Illini RTC after spending time at the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. Dardanes wrestled collegiatelly at Minnesota where he was a four-time national qualifier and an All-American. McKee recently finished his collegiate career at Minnesota. He was a two-time All-American and finished with a 92-43 career record. Despite the folkstyle success, McKee's best style might actually be freestyle. He has won multiple national tournaments and World Team Trials. In 2017, McKee won a silver medal at the Junior World Championships. It will be interesting to see if McKee makes a jump now that he is focusing on freestyle. His skill and style always seemed to match up with the Olympic version of the sport. Dardanes will represent a tough senior level challenge, but McKee has the more dynamic scoring ability in this match. He should be able to look impressive here. Prediction: McKee over Dardanes