InterMat Staff

Pat Lugo before wrestling in the finals of the Midlands Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Pat Lugo's college wrestling career came to an end during practice. The Iowa coaches broke the news to the team that the 2020 NCAA wrestling tournament would not take place due to the pandemic. Months later Lugo still says it is hard to describe his feelings regarding the cancellation. Like all the seniors who had their collegiate careers come to an end in anti-climatic fashion, the only thing Lugo can do is move on. For him that starts with a freestyle match against fellow senior Luke Pletcher at the upcoming Rumble on the Rooftop event on June 28. It will be his first time back in competition since what turned out to be his final collegiate match. It came in the 149-pound final of the Big Ten tournament. Lugo faced off against the only man to defeat him during his senior season, Sammy Sasso of Ohio State. In their first meeting back in January, neither wrestler scored a takedown, and Sasso walked away with an overtime victory. The rematch almost didn't materialize as Sasso struggled in an early round match against Yahya Thomas of Northwestern. However, Sasso prevailed and set up the bout Lugo was craving. In order to reverse the result, he needed a new mindset. "I thought, if I can make it a fight, I can win," Lugo says. "I've always been fighting." Unlike their first meeting, Lugo scored a first period takedown to set the tone. Sasso is known for his leg defense sourcery, so the Hawkeye went with an upper body attack. After securing double underhooks, he was able to transition to a body lock and put the first two points on the board. "Double unders is a place I have always felt comfortable. I wrestled a lot of Greco coming up," Lugo explains. "A lot of coaches may not want guys wrestling Greco, because it might mess up their folkstyle but wrestling is wrestling." With the victory, Lugo locked in the No. 1 seed for the 2020 NCAAs. He held wins over the second, third, fifth, seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th seeds. However, it was not meant to be. His Big Ten championship was a culmination of his college journey that started over 600 miles away from Iowa City. Lugo spent two years at Edinboro before transferring to Iowa and transforming his career. "It is kind of like they are wizards. They tap you, and you turn into gold," Lugo says about the Iowa training situation. "That is how it is, but you have to do your part. You have to put your time in. You have to believe that you are going to be the best. You have to believe that everything they tell you is the truth. I was kind of shying away from it in the beginning, but eventually I was like, 'man, what am i doing? I am missing out. This is going to be history, and I am missing out.' I had to do my part. Once I started doing my part, that is when everything started falling into place." With everything in place, it makes sense that Lugo decided to stick around Iowa City and continue his wrestling career for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. "I have all the things I value here, why would I leave it?" he says. "It would be stupid of me to leave. I've got a lot of people that I care about here. Why would I leave? It would be like leaving a family or something for strangers." As a member of the HWC, Lugo only needed a competition to get back on track. Even during this hectic time, the opportunity to compete was welcome news. "Tom Brands came up to me and asked me if I wanted to do it," Lugo says. "I was like, I am ready. I had a couple of events in my life. I had a bachelor party, a couple of my friends were getting married, I had a couple camps here and there, but I cleared my schedule. I am not doing any of that stuff. I am going to wrestle. I am sorry guys. I am not going to miss this opportunity. I didn't wrestle at nationals, and I haven't wrestled in a long time." Pat Lugo walks out for his Big Ten championship match (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) That opportunity will come on Sunday against Luke Pletcher. Like Lugo, Pletcher was also one of the favorites to win a national title in his final season on the collegiate mats. He was teammates with Sasso last season, but Ligo sees clear differences in the challenges presented. "Pletcher is a little shorter, a little stronger," he explains. "They are both strong in their own ways. I haven't really been thinking about the match too much, like how he wrestles or what he might do or this and that, because that is not the way I like to think of things. I like to think of it as when the day comes. I am just focusing on myself right now, just focusing on myself, getting better in my positions, getting stronger, getting more in shape, trimming the fat. I am building right now, and when the time comes, I will look at him, he will look at me and we will wrestle. That's it." Sports and nostalgia are naturally intertwined. Competitors and fans look back on events and results with sentimental longing or wistful affection. In the words of William Faulkner, "the past is never dead. It's not even past." Perhaps this is what makes moving on difficult for athletes who miss out on the opportunity to build positive memories. For wrestlers in the class of 2020 competition may be the best remedy, and Lugo gets that chance at Rumble on the Rooftop.

Junior college national champ Curtis Blaydes picked up a win, while ACC champ Max Rohskopf lost his UFC debut The UFC was back at it again this past weekend. Plenty of wrestling talent was featured on this most recent event, consisting of a nice mix of seasoned veterans, a few peaking thoroughbreds, a veteran finally getting his big shot, and even a supposed future champion. For the most part, these former wrestlers put in some quality work on Saturday night, with each combatant showing a plethora of skills and athletic attributes sharpened by countless hours spent in wrestling room. Wrestlers went 3-1 in fights against non-wrestlers, with two other bouts being wrestler vs. wrestler. Here's what we learned about each one. Curtis Blaydes What we learned: The big man from Chicago, now riding a four-fight win streak, made the wise choice regarding his approach on Saturday night. Blaydes talked a big game in the weeks leading up to this fight, boldly predicting a dominant "ragdolling" of a very dangerous opponent. What wound up happening was not quite that, but in my eyes was equally impressive. Not so much dominant as it was a calculated, workmanlike, performance from a fighter that knows he's close to a title shot, Blaydes did what he had to do to get the W and keep the momentum going. Blaydes has proven his ability to finish fights in dramatic, violent fashion, but this time had to rely heavily on wrestling, and the superb mental and physical conditioning of a wrestler. Blaydes scored a UFC heavyweight division record 14 takedowns on his Russian foe. He encountered plenty of resistance, weathered a rally or two, and still came out victorious. An Illinois high school state champ who wrestled Division I for a season before transferring to Harper College and winning a junior college national title, Blaydes came to the UFC with a good degree of hype, and thus far has enjoyed a steady climb toward the top. Winning gut-check decisions with much on the line, despite pressure from fans and promoters to put entertainment first, is a hurdle every ascending fighter must clear, Blaydes can now continue his climb. Max Rohskopf What we learned: There are many factors to consider when predicting success in the cage, and MMA is a volatile sport to say the least. Prior to Saturday night, when the name Max Roshskopf came up in MMA circles, it was often paired with terms like prodigy, natural, the future, and the like. The All-State Ohio high school wrestler and ACC conference champ for the NC State Wolfpack has all the physical tools and useful connections a young fighter can hope for. With fantastic coaches from all of MMA's core disciplines enthusiastically vouching for him, when a UFC slot opened up at the last minute, the former Division I standout wrestler got the call. In the early goings of his first UFC fight, under the bright lights of the Octagon, Rohskopf performed as advertised. Confident and bold, we saw the young upstart flashing legit offensive goods, with all requisite skills (especially his insane scrambling ability) apparently sound. Ideally sized for the 155-pound division with both a firm grasp of fundamentals and a penchant for dumping convention on its head (pun intended), things unfolded nicely at the start of his UFC debut. Unfortunately, Rohskopf quit between the second and third round. In the process, his momentum and goodwill took a considerable hit. What went wrong? It would seem that a mix of poor game planning, overconfidence, lactic acid, adrenaline, and a game opponent all played a part. Who knows how the emotional young fighter will rebound from this loss? Hopefully this young talent doesn't harp too much and gets another shot under better circumstances. Justin Jaynes What we learned: Experience means a whole lot in the fight game, and Justin Jaynes' time spent on the regional MMA scene has served him well. The All-State Michigan high school wrestler who spent four years on a Division III wrestling team at Olivet College has been putting in his time, paying his dues, and now seems primed to make an impact in the UFC. In a similar position to Rohskopf, a former wrestler in a short notice fight looking for a quick finish. The difference was experience. Going all out for the kill is a risky proposition in fighting, in that if you don't finish the fight, you're left with an empty tank. Jaynes' additional years of experience and familiarity with the dreaded adrenaline dump, allowed him to execute his punching blitz flawlessly. With obviously powerful hands, experience, solid wrestling, and sound grappling, look for Jaynes to rack up some wins in the lightweight division. Josh Emmett What we learned: Four years into his UFC tenure, after some nasty injuries and a few hard to swallow losses, Josh Emmett is now hitting his stride. Emmett looked great on Saturday night. He fought a super-tough, super-durable, rising talent and he won an absolute dogfight. A wrestling product of the Golden State, the California Junior College state placewinner (fifth) and two-time national qualifier for Menlo College came into MMA via Team Alpha Male, like so many wrestlers before and after him. And while his wrestling resume isn't among the most impressive you will find in the NorCal MMA Mecca, he has always had an ace up his sleeve in his numbing punching power. Emmett's hands are among the most dangerous in the 145-pound division. Along with those hands of stone, Emmett is an extremely powerful individual who has grit and toughness to spare. Now, with experience, skill, and momentum finally converging on the same trajectory, we will see just how far his no-frills, rugged style of wrestle-boxing will take him. Jim Miller What we learned: After many years at or near the top of the UFC lightweight division, if healthy, the Garden State's Jim Miller is still a very dangerous fighter. Always highly active and a model of consistency, the UFC's winningest 155-pounder in history has been plagued by Lyme disease the last five or so years. This has resulted in losses that could have been wins, and an inability to train hard. With this nasty disease and father time always on the offensive, not to mention the young savage he was fighting, the All-State New Jersey high school wrestler who spent a year in the room with the Virginia Tech Hokies, was once more able to fend off the wolves and continue his winning ways. Bravo Mr. Miller. Bobby Green What we learned: The eccentric 12-year MMA veteran is still immensely talented and a ton of fun to watch. Californian Bobby Green has always been a bit unconventional in his approach to fighting. Known to train only when he had a fight lined up, the two-time All-State California high school wrestler fights like a matador. Lightning-fast and flexible, with insane reflexes, he is downright graceful in his execution. Having been slowed down by tough breaks in his personal life and a rather whimsical attitude toward training and fighting, at 33 years old Green showed that if he has the interest, he still has the tools to make a run towards the top end of the division. Clay Guida What we learned: At age 38, with 17 years in the fight game (14 of them inside the UFC), apparently Illinois native Clay Guida is aging in slow motion. Guida and the aforementioned Green stepped into the Octagon on Saturday night and got right after it! Guida was his usual self; nonstop movement, unrelenting wrestling offense, lots of scrambles, enough striking to keep foes honest, and a bottomless gas tank. Once on a national championship winning JUCO team at Harper College before a very brief Division I stint at the University of Northern Colorado, the lifelong wrestler still relies on wrestling and the hard-nosed wrestler style, more than anything. Great showing for Guida despite the close decision loss. Frank Camacho What we learned: The combat athletes from the Pacific Islands are tough as nails with rock-solid resolve. Hailing from both Guam and the Northern Marian Islands, MMA veteran Camacho is no exception. Much like one of his coaches Melchor Manibusan, a five-time senior world team member from Guam, Camacho wrestled at the senior level in addition to fighting MMA, winning 84-kilo gold at the 2006 Micronesian Games in freestyle. Despite being knocked out by the debuting Justin Jaynes on Saturday night, Camacho continues to entertain with his aggressive, well-rounded skills, and by never shying away from a fire fight. Keep doing your thing, Frank.

Illinois -- the Land of Lincoln -- will be the 26th state in the nation to sanction a separate girls state wrestling tournament. Last week, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced it would be hosting a separate state tournament for high school girls in the state, beginning in the 2021-2022 school year. Prior to this just-approved state championship, Illinois girls who wanted to wrestle for a state title had to compete against boys at the state championships at the University of Illinois' State Farm Center (the iconic concrete-dome facility built on the edge of the U of I campus in 1963). This just-announced IHSA state wrestling championship officially sanctioned for girls -- slated to take the mats for the first time in 2021-2022 -- is expected to eventually replace the separate, non-sanctioned girls state tournament that was first conducted by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IWCOA) starting in 2017. "It's about time, I did not think Illinois would lag so behind," Coal City wrestling coach Mark Masters said. "I was really surprised I know our Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association really pushed for the IHSA to get this done ASAP." Girls wrestling has grown tremendously throughout the nation over the past decade or so, and Illinois is no exception. "It's definitely exciting for the opportunity to have something at the end of the season that's sanctioned just like the other sports in the IHSA," Central wrestling coach Travis Williams told the Daily Journal. "I'd say within the last ten years there's been a huge change and shift in the acceptance of girls wrestling. I think its filtered down from the Olympic and International level to the college level and now we are starting to see it as another option for girls and it's not the stigma that it might have been 10 years ago." In terms of girls participation levels in wrestling, the growth is tremendous throughout the entire nation ... and within Illinois. According to the IHSA meeting minutes from last Monday's meeting, the number of girl's participation in wrestling in Illinois has nearly doubled in the past year, going from 424 two years ago to 837 in 2019-2020. That kind of growth is typical throughout the entire nation. In fact, as recently as the beginning of 2018, only a half-dozen states had separate, sanctioned wrestling programs throughout the entire nation. Now, with this latest announcement, states which have officially sanctioned girls wrestling include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington.

Six months ago, University of Iowa first started discussing construction of a new wrestling facility for the famed Hawkeye wrestling program adjacent to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Much progress has been since the initial plans were first presented in late January to build a 37,000-square-foot facility adjacent to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. This past week, Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands said, "We're moving forward, still working to raise money and we've taken a big step forward with the hiring of an architect. People are working hard to make this happen." The project is expected to carry a price tag of around $20 million and will be funded entirely through private donations. According to Brands, at this point, Iowa has raised "just north of $10 million'' to help pay for the project. "We're having some great conversations with people right now as well, so we're encouraged,'' Brands said. Iowa received approval for the project from the state Board of Regents on Feb. 5 to plan a state-of-the-art training facility that will be built south of Carver-Hawkeye Arena and connected to the arena's competition floor by a tunnel. In addition to expanded training space, the facility will feature a "hall of champions'' that will showcase the history of the Hawkeye program, including its 23 NCAA team champions, 36 Big Ten team titles, 84 NCAA individual titles and its 345 All-American wrestlers. The space is being designed to allow Iowa to continue to host top senior level and international wrestling events such as the United States Olympic Trials and the United World Wrestling Cup. "We want to have the best facility in the world in Iowa City,'' Brands said. "If we wanted, we could have spent $7 million, $8 million on something for Hawkeye wrestling out west (near Iowa's soccer, tennis and field hockey facilities) and be in it right now, but with the tradition of this program, Carver-Hawkeye is where we need to be.'' Brands said the facility will be designed mainly with practicality in mind, set up to facilitate the development and growth of the wrestlers who train there. He also hopes to create an environment that will appeal to today's generation of competitors and believes the facility can become a recruiting tool for a program which finished the 2019-20 season ranked first in the nation. "We're after functionality, good workspace for people to train in,'' Brands said. "We're out to put the best facility in the world in Iowa City.''

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has announced its plan for the 2020-21 athletic season, making some changes in how it conducts various sports programs. One of the sports most affected is wrestling, which is having its season pushed back later into the 2021 year. For example, here is the specific changes made by the NJCAA: The 2020-21 NJCAA Wrestling season has been altered to protect the best interest for student-athlete health and safety. NJCAA Wrestling programs will be permitted to hold fall practice starting Oct. 1, 2020, and concluding Oct. 31, 2020. Regular season practice will be permitted to begin starting Jan. 1, 2021. Competition will be permitted to begin starting January 20, 2021. The 2021 NJCAA Wrestling Championship will be held April 23-24 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

WASHINGTON -- American University wrestler Elijah Murphy (Hyattsville, Md./Northwestern HS) is one of seven winners of the 2020 Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award, presented for just the second year ever. The Sports Humanitarian Awards, normally separate from the ESPY Awards, were combined as part of one virtual celebration on the night of June 21. It was Murphy's work with The Grassroot Project in D.C. that led to his sports humanitarian honor, won alongside Howard University student-athlete Niah Woods. The pair have been helping to ensure that middle school students in the D.C. area have access to physical activity. The highly competitive nomination process for the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award selects and rewards young people for their leadership and commitment to improve their communities through sport. The selected nominees must: Demonstrate how they are using the power of sport as a catalyst for change within their local school or community. Be passionate and committed to empowering the community in which he/she/they live. Deliver social impact showcasing how his/her/their community has been positively impacted. Embody confidence and enthusiasm as a leader and have strong moral character. Personify exemplary leadership qualities on and off the field/court. Murphy, who just earned his bachelor's degree from AU in psychology while also starting work towards his master's degree, will return in 2020-21 as a redshirt senior wrestler while completing that advanced degree in just one extra year. He's also applying for PhD programs to start in the Fall of 2021, with those deadlines coming in December. Elijah MurphyAccording to a recent article by The Grassroot Project, Murphy has "has been a crucial member to The Grassroot Project's health education programming, and in the wake of movements advocating for racial equity, Elijah has been facilitating crucial conversations. On Instagram, he has been sharing his thoughts on systemic racism and reflecting on his experiences as a Black man and student-athlete alongside wrestler Jahi Jones from the University of Maryland." The article goes on to discuss how Murphy is using his psychology degree to "enhance TGP's mental health promotion programs to think about the mental health effects of systemic racism. He was involved in the mental health pilot and is now taking a closer look at the lens in which TGP educates youth about mental health." Along with the other award winners, Murphy will receive either a one-time $10,000 college scholarship or direct a grant to an eligible nonprofit aligned with their work. He'll participate in experiential learning and development programs over the next year to receive mentoring, leadership coaching, engage with senior leaders in the sport industry and attend sport-for-development workshops. Murphy will hopefully have a chance to meet and learn from tennis legend and social activist, Billie Jean King, and he'll join the award's alumni program -- a powerful network of young leaders using the power of sports to create social good in their communities.

Chris Pendleton coaching at the Pac-12 Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) More often than not, the salary terms for a newly hired college wrestling coach -- including basic annual salary -- often seems to be a closely held secret. Take Chris Pendleton. At the end of the 2020 season, Pendleton was hired as head coach of the Oregon State wrestling program, replacing long-time head coach Jim Zalesky. Now, thanks to a public records request by The Oregonian -- the community newspaper for Portland, Oregon, and the rest of the state -- the college wrestling community around the world now knows the basics of Coach Pendleton's contract, including basic annual salary. Pendleton's contract runs five years -- through 2025 -- for an annual salary of $165,000, for a total value of $825,000. By comparison, Zalesky's annual salary his last year at Oregon State was $155,000. In addition, Pendleton annual salary through 2025 allows for increases at the discretion of athletic director Scott Barnes. What's more, Pendleton also received a $13,750 signing bonus. Pendleton will be in line for some performance bonuses as well. For example, the new head coach receives a $5,000 bonus if five or more wrestlers advance to the NCAA championships. There is a $5,000 bonus if OSU places among the top 20 in the team standings at the NCAAs, an additional $5,000 if the Beavers crack the top 10, and $7,500 for winning the national title. Winning Pac-12 and national coach of the year honors is worth a $3,000 bonus each. There are separate $3,000 academic bonuses for meeting team APR and grade point milestones. In recent weeks, Pendleton has assembled his OSU Beaver wrestling coaching staff. In mid-May, Oregon State announced that Isaiah Martinez and Nate Engel had joined the Oregon State coaching staff. In early June, Mike Kosoy, a former North Carolina State wrestler earlier in this decade, had been named to the new-look Oregon State wrestling program as a volunteer assistant coach.

Gable Steveson gets his hand raised after a victory against Nebraska (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) In terms of overall success in his wrestling career, University of Minnesota heavyweight Gable Steveson is truly a larger-than-life individual. As he has reached the halfway point of his career as the Golden Gopher big man, Steveson -- two-time Big Ten champ, 2019 NCAA heavyweight All-American = shared his views on some significant topics -- including a possible pro wrestling career -- with the Minnesota Daily this past week. Unexpected summer: A year ago, wrestlers -- and fans of the oldest and greatest sport -- would be eagerly anticipating the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo ... with many anticipating that Minnesota's big man Steveson taking to the mat for the Team USA freestyle team. However, thanks to a one-year delay for the 2020 Olympics caused by the coronavirus pandemic pushing the Opening Ceremonies back to summer 2021 ... which leads to ... Weight-y matters: Despite Steveson's change of plans earlier this year (cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Division I Championships, postponement of the 2020 Olympics to this time next year), the big man has maintained his workout schedule. Here's how Paul Hodowanic of the Minnesota Daily described the situation: "After spending most of his heavyweight career around 245 pounds, Steveson has jumped up to 265 this offseason. It's the heaviest Steveson has been in his life." "Steveson attributes the weight gain to increased lifting and better dieting," in the words of Hodowanic. "Gophers' head coach Brandon Eggum has seen Steveson's emphasis on both those areas grow since Steveson arrived at the University." As of now, Steveson plans to continue his current weightlifting routine and see where that takes him, according to Hodowanic. Steveson sets sights on the WWE: While Steveson still has has two more years of eligibility at Minnesota, he's already identified what he wants to do once it's over: become a WWE wrestler. "That's my main goal, and that's my end goal. As years go on it becomes more realistic, and I can set it happening right when I'm done with college," Steveson told the Minnesota Daily. "It's just a matter of me performing and making sure I get to that point." Steveson grew up watching professional wrestling as a huge fan of Brock Lesnar, who started his pro career not long after concluding his collegiate career with a heavyweight title for Minnesota at the 2000 NCAAA Championships. Coach Eggum thinks Steveson has the right mindset for the role, and his accomplishments at Minnesota should only help his chances. "He loves being a showman, which is a big part of the WWE," Eggum said. "Anytime the WWE has something to build off of, like credential-wise, any of those things that are real like Gable has been able to do ... they can really run with." Long before Brock Lesnar, University of Minnesota wrestling has a long, successful tradition of turning out NCAA heavyweight mat champs, some who go on to become pro wrestling champions. Going back to the 1940s, Minnesota could claim Leonard "Butch" Levy and Verne Gagne who found some fame and fortune in the squared circle. In more recent years -- in the same era as Brock Lesnar, there was Shelton Benjamin was an impressive figure the pro wrestling ring. Stay tuned ... Want to know more about Gable Steveson's potential future career ... and where it fits in the history of Minnesota wrestling? Steveson and Brock Lesnar work out together in Minnesota wrestling room in Jan. 2019 Minnesota's legacy for turning out heavyweight mat champs

Chris Feder, an active leader and contributor to wrestling for over a half-century across the nation and around the world, passed away Monday in San Rafael, California. He was 73. Chris FederFeder's life was in touch with significant wrestlers and coaches throughout the U.S. and around the world over the course of a long and well-lived life. “He did a whole lot for a lot of people, asking for nothing in return,” said Mike Kosoy, who recently became assistant wrestling coach at Oregon State who was coached by Feder at the Maccabiah Games. “He should be recognized not only for what he did for the sport, but for what he did for the people around him. He brought a different energy to the room whenever he entered, something I may never see again. He was an extraordinary person.” Feder was one of the best wrestlers to ever come through LIU-Post back when it was known as the C.W. Post campus on Long Island, New York, having twice earned NCAA All-American honors on the mat. Chris Fader placed second at the 1969 NCAA Championships, and went undefeated in dual-meet competition for the Pioneers. Feder won three Metropolitan Wrestling Conference championships, and continued his wrestling career after college by winning two silver medals at the Maccabiah Games (1969, '89). As an international wrestler, Fader won silver in both freestyle and Greco-Roman in 1969 at the 8th Maccabiah. He returned 20 years later for the 13th Games again, winning individual double silver medals along with team silver in Greco-Roman and team gold in freestyle. Chris coached the highly successful team at the 20th Maccabiah in 2017 and was serving as the Wrestling Chair for the 21st Games scheduled for July 2022. Although Fader's wrestling career seemed dually focused in the New York area in college and on the international stage, another focus point of his involvement in wrestling was California. He coached the wrestling program at Terra Linda (Calif.) High School from 1976-1990. Feder's accompliments earned him a place of honor of at the California Wrestling Fall of Fame, as well as a their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. Feder coached Terra Linda (Calif.) High School's wrestling program from 1976-1990. What's more, Chris Fader served as a vice-president for the 24-Hour Fitness company's Team Sports Program. Information on funeral arrangements are currently not available. However, Maccabi USA will be establishing a memorial fund to honor his memory and support the many ongoing wrestling initiatives that are his legacy. Contributions can be made here. Please indicate Chris Feder as recognition name. “His loss will be felt by the countless lives he touched. May his memory be a blessing!,” said Dan Kurtz, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives of Maccabi USA

Nick LeClere is about to take the next step in his wrestling career. The Iowa state champ for his hometown North Linn High School who went to wrestle first for University of Iowa, then at Coe College in Cedar Rapids -- where he became an NCAA Division III national runner-up - has been named new head wrestling coach at John F. Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported Friday. "The interview committee sat down and looked at Nick's experience and his vision for the program through the transition from three to five years ago and that he wants it to look like ..." Cedar Rapids Kennedy Activities Director Aaron Stecker told Cedar Rapids Gazette's K.J. Pilcher. "We've seen what he's built in our Junior Cougar wrestling program and it all just fit." LeClere had served as coach of the Junior Cougar wrestling program for the past seven years. He also worked with former Kennedy head wrestling coach Dennis Hynek, who resigned after last season. . It's now up to the Cedar Rapids Community School District School Board to make it official. LeClere hopes to find himself at the helm of the Kennedy varsity wrestling program. The varsity Cougars were 17th at last season's Class 3A Iowa state traditional tournament and reached the regional dual finals, falling to North Scott and posting a 10-2 record. Kennedy hopes to tally a third straight Mississippi Valley Conference divisional titles. LeClare likes the prospects for the 2020-21 Cougars. As he told Pilcher, "We have five returning state qualifiers from last year and two additional state qualifiers from the previous year. We've got a pretty good group, really." Built in 1967, John F. Kennedy High School is one of the public high schools in Cedar Rapids, the second-largest city in the state of Iowa. Kennedy has a total student enrollment of approximately 1,800.

Kyle Dake and Frank Chamizo (Photos/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) A pair of multiple-time world champions will go head-to-head on July 25. Kyle Dake, a two-time world champion, will face two-time world champion Frank Chamizo in the featured match of an international wrestling event put on by FloWrestling.com. The event will take place in Austin, Texas, at Omni Austin Hotel at Southpark. Chamizo, who has competed at 74 kilograms the past two years, will move up to 79 kilograms to face Dake. Other matchups announced for the event include world champion David Taylor vs. World Team member Pat Downey and NCAA champion Anthony Ashnault vs. multiple-time All-American Luke Pletcher. The event will be streamed on FloWrestling.com.

Aurora University announced the hiring of Justin Pearch as the head coach of the Aurora University men's and women's wrestling programs. He was selected to build both programs with the men's program returning to AU following an over three decade hiatus and the women's program being new as it is among the NCAA's emerging sports. The AU men's and women's wrestling teams will take to the mat and begin competition in the 2021-2022 season, becoming AU's 23rd and 24th collegiate sports. "For the first time we completed a job search remotely and even with this alteration, the best candidate for the position was easily recognized. Justin Pearch is the ideal wrestling coach to start the women's and men's programs," said Director of Athletics Jim Hamad. "His recruiting connections and proven success in developing and instructing wrestlers is going to be beneficial in building the foundation. We expect these programs to meet the standard of excellence that has been established in the department and Justin will build AU Wrestling into a nationally recognized brand." Pearch came to AU after four seasons as the head wrestling coach at Aurora Christian High School. In his time at Aurora Christian, the program produced an Illinois State Championship and two more two three finishes in a program that began in 2016. Additionally, he has served as the Illinois National Dual Meet Head Coach since 2015 and as the Illinois Cadet and Junior National Team Coach since 2013. "I would like to take this moment to thank the entire search committee, especially Dr. Sherrick, Dr. de Lacey and Athletic Director Jim Hamad for their time, consideration and belief in me," said Pearch. "It has been an amazing process, during a time of so much uncertainty, witnessing their commitment to grow men's and women's wrestling. I am honored to take on the roll as Head Coach of wrestling at AU and look forward to uniting with campus leadership in restarting the men's wrestling program and igniting a woman's program." No stranger to the local club wrestling scene, Pearch has been a coach at Izzy Style School of Wrestling for the past eight years, training wrestlers of all levels in various disciplines of wrestling (Folkstyle, Greco-Roman, Freestyle, Grappling, etc). Pearch wrestled collegiately at the University of Oregon where he finished second at the 2007 Pac-10 championships at 141 and earned a place in the NCAA Division I national tournament. He spent two years at North Idaho College where he earned All-American honors in both seasons. He is a 2007 graduate of the University of Oregon with a bachelor's degree in sociology. Aurora University is a member of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), Northern Collegiate Hockey Association and Central Intercollegiate Bowling Conference. The NACC began its first season of competition in the fall of 2006 and consists of 12 colleges and universities from the shared-border states of Illinois and Wisconsin. Member schools include: Alverno College, Aurora University, Benedictine University, Concordia University Chicago, Concordia University Wisconsin, Dominican University, Edgewood College, Lakeland College, Marian University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Rockford University and Wisconsin Lutheran College with St. Norbert College joining for the 2021-2022 year. AU sponsors 24 sports; 19 of the 21 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference sponsored sports as well as men's and women's hockey, men's and women's wreslting and women's bowling. Men's teams in the NACC include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and volleyball. Women's NACC squads are fielded in basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and volleyball.

The Ellsworth Panthers are excited to welcome Tyson Springer as the new head wrestling coach and Dale Howard Family Activity Center Director. Springer comes to ECC from Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska, where he served as the head wrestling coach for three seasons. Tyson Springer (Photo/Cam Kramer, CamKramerPhoto.com)"This was a very different process as it was all done virtually over Zoom, but it was an easy decision to come to Ellsworth. I was sold on the ECC tradition." The tradition of Panther success may be strong, but Springer recognizes the challenges of this unprecedented time. "It's really the challenge of the unknown. I'm going to be recruiting athletes to a place I've never been, but Ellworth's history speaks for itself." Springer says he's going to hit the ground running by making phone calls and sending out emails as soon as he is able. "There are many high school athletes who haven't made their decision yet because of the pandemic. I'm going to tap into my current relationships with high school coaches across the country and ask our returning wrestlers to do the same with their former teammates back home." Springer is no stranger to the junior college circuit. As a graduate of North Idaho Junior College, Springer helped the team win a national title in 2003. After, he attended Dickenson State University in North Dakota where he was a two-time National finalist and won the NAIA National Championship at 165lbs. In addition to a history of success as an athlete, Springer has a winning track record as a coach. Tyson has helped coach 8 All-Americans, 1 NJCAA National Champion, and lead a recruiting class the finished 6th in the NAIA in 2015 while at Doane University. "I'm very excited about the tradition of success at Ellsworth. I am looking forward to recruiting high level athletes and chasing trophies with them," Springer says. The best way for interested athletes to contact Coach Springer is by email at Tyson.Springer@iavalley.edu

After nearly a two decades, The Citadel decided early this past week not to renew the contract of longtime wrestling coach Rob Hjerling, Rob Hjerling"We would like to thank coach Rob Hjerling for his hard work and dedication to The Citadel wrestling program and our college," athletic director Mike Capaccio said. "After joining The Citadel staff for the 1999-00 season, Rob led his cadet-athletes to recognition for numerous athletic and academic achievements. We appreciate all of his contributions to our program and wish him and his family the best." The Citadel will begin a search for a new wrestling coach, a school official said. Hjerling led the Bulldogs to two of their three Southern Conference titles in school history, taking both the SoCon championship and SoCon dual championship in 2014. He was named SoCon coach of the year twice, in 2004 and 2014. He also coached all four of The Citadel's All-Americans: Dan Thompson in 2006, Odie Delaney and Ugi Khishignyam in 2013 and Turtogtokh Luvsandorj in 2014. Under Hierling's direction, the Bulldogs won a pair of SoCon titles and he was named the conference's Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2014. All four of the school's All-Americans (Dan Thompson in 2006; Odie Delaney and Ugi Khishignyam in 2013; and Turtogtokh Luvsandorj in 2014) wrestled for Hjerling. By contrast, The Citadel mat program had struggled some in recent years, having gone 2-10 and 3-6 in dual meets over the last two seasons. For all these reasons, the Citadel had decided not to renew the contract of longtime wrestling coach Rob Hjerling. "We would like to thank coach Rob Hjerling for his hard work and dedication to The Citadel wrestling program and our college," athletic director Mike Capaccio said. "After joining The Citadel staff for the 1999-00 season, Rob led his cadet-athletes to recognition for numerous athletic and academic achievements. We appreciate all of his contributions to our program and wish him and his family the best." The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly or known simply as The Citadel, is a public college in Charleston, S. C. Established in 1842, it is one of six United States senior military colleges. It has 18 academic departments divided into five schools offering 23 majors and 38 minors. The Citadel has an enrollment of approximately 2,800.

FOREST CITY, Iowa -- Warrior men's wrestling coach Ryan Dickinson is answering the call of duty from his country, and Waldorf assistant professor Maurie Tomke is lending his long-time friend a hand. Dickinson, who recently completed his first season as head coach for the Warriors, found out he is being deployed to the Norn of Africa with the Iowa National Guard and leaves today for training for his mission which will last until late spring or early summer of 2021. While Dickinson serves his country, Tomke, the chair of the Sports Management department at Waldorf, has agreed to step in as interim head coach in Dickinson's absence. "I knew it would happen eventually," said Dickinson, who has been in the guard for 12 years. "I deferred a deployment during my college athletic career (at Northern State). "With everything just getting started it's hard to step away, it's never going to be easy, but I've been mentally prepared to step away and do my duty and protect my country," Waldorf's coach added. Fortunately for Dickinson and the Warriors, Tomke was ready to help out, too The two crossed paths as assistant coaches together during the 2008-09 season at East High School in Sioux City, Iowa, starting a friendship that has lasted more than a decade. Tomke even served on the search committee that interview Dickinson for the Warrior head coaching position back in 2019. "We were close enough that when the time came he called and said he was being shipped out and he asked 'how can you help?'" Tomke said. Waldorf Director of Athletics Chad Gassman also reached out to Tomke with the same question, and Tomke accepted the challenge to serve as interim head coach while Dickinson served his country. Tomke said he will cut back his teaching load and cut back on the number of students he advises to help make time for his additional duties as head men's wrestling coach. While admitting it will be a lot to juggle, he's use to a heavy work-load as Tomke put in 80 to 90 hour a week at times during his six seasons as an assistant wrestling coach at Ellsworth Community College, from 2010 to 2016. Prior to his time at Ellsworth, Tomke started his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Bridgewater State in Massachusetts after spending time as a coach at Bishop Heelan High School, and East High School and East Middle School, in Sioux City. "It's always been a dream of mine being a head coach," Tomke said, adding "it'll only be for a year and why not help out." Something Dickinson admits his friend has been doing all along. "He gives me little tips and pointers, or tells me about recruits he's found or knows about," Waldorf's head coach said. "Having someone step in who I've known for the past decade, it helps a bunch, it alleviates some of the stress I have." Dickinson adds that he will stay in contact with Tomke and the Warrior wrestling program while deployed, when time permits while he serves his country.

The NCAA announced this week that women's wrestling would be granted status as an Emerging Sport in Division I for 2020-2021. As most wrestling fans are now aware the push to include women at the Division I level has been going, in earnest, for roughly five years. Once only relegated to the WCWA the sport has quickly become the administrative-favored add at several enrollment-based schools, especially at the Division II and Division III levels. Even smaller Division I schools for whom enrollment is a concern have added programs, including Lock Haven. The growth is dependent on state sanctioning to ensure that more women have the chance to compete when they are girls. This week South Dakota sanctioned girl's wrestling, becoming the 25th state nationwide to do so. That's an extraordinary number and one that helps support that growing number of collegiate programs and provide USA Wrestling with a much larger crop of potential Olympic and world champions on the women's side. The best news nugget in the decision was that the program will all be freestyle, rather than folkstyle. It's a huge boon not only to the pool of American athletes, but also will become a destination for international athletes looking for an education. As always, there is some concern with the rapid growth in the time of COVID-19. The budgets of most programs are being cut due to the economic concerns of limited, or canceled, college football seasons. That would've made the effort to add and retain new Division I programs on the women's side ever-more difficult, but the target of 40 programs to earn championship status is only one away. That's right, with Emerging Sports status officially starting August 1, it's not impossible that women's wrestling could immediately qualify for an NCAA Division I championships. There are other angles to COVID-19 that might prove helpful. Right now there are athletic departments looking to save money, but also remain NCAA viable with 8-plus programs. If they already have a men's program and want to trade up for a low-cost Title IX compliant sport, women's wrestling is now available. Congratulations to all the youth, high school and college coaches who've been toiling for years to get this status approved. An obvious acknowledgement of Sally Roberts, too, who has been the tip of the spear with Wrestle Like a Girl and has orchestrated much of the success we saw last week. Let's keep it up. There is no time to rest. To your questions … Q: What do you think about The Citadel firing Rob Hjerling? Who takes that job? -- Wayne P. Foley: There were some solid years at The Citadel in the early 2010's, but they've since faded from prominence. These things are cyclical and also driven by momentum. I'm certain that Coach Hjerling will do well in his next pursuit and has fond memories of his time as the head wrestling coach at The Citadel. The next hire will be very interesting. The school presents a number of challenges given that it's a military institution in the south without a strong history if winning championships. Maybe Lee Roper would be a good fit, given his familiarity with wrestlers from the Mid-Atlantic and south. He has a strong history of success on the mat, as a club coach, and at Northern Iowa that could see him get the nod for the job. You also have Jordan Leen from Tennessee, who is currently at Pittsburgh but also coached at Virginia. Q: What do you make of the Rumble on the Rooftop event on June 28? -- Mike C. Foley: Same question as always: Why? There is no tangible benefit to a competition of that size for the athletes or the fans. The jiu-jitsu world has been doing some competitions, too, so maybe I'm in the minority, but I see absolutely zero reason to start now. What is the plan if there is an infection? What if a competitor spreads it to someone, who then unknowingly infects someone with a health condition? What if someone dies? The "don't be a pansy" crowd can yell all they want about a return to normal life and masks being for the weak, but I'll remind you that more than 115,000 Americans have died since March and 1000 die EACH DAY. I love wrestling and have spent my life circling the globe to write stories and produce videos for our audience. Like many of you, I feel the deepest of connections. But there is nothing more important to me than the health of my family and community and I can't find a way to justify these types of events that seem to have little oversight and even less at stake. The time will come for a return to mats, but right now -- without contact tracing, testing, and other precautions there is not enough evidence that this will be a safe event. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Powerful story King Vlad Max Rohskopf (Photo/NC State Athletics) Q: Former NC State wrestler Max Rohskopf is making his UFC debut this weekend. What kind of future do you think he has in MMA? -- Mike C. Foley: Rohskopf has shown a lot of promise in his first several fights. Like a number of wrestlers, he seems to have heeded the warning about the necessity of standup game, but unlike other wrestlers he also seems to have focused a lot on his jiu-jitsu. The ability to avoid submissions, while also hunting for your own makes any fighter -- especially a Division I wrestler -- extremely dangerous on the mats.

Now fully half the states in the nation now have officially sanctioned girls wrestling, thanks to South Dakota. Last week, the Board of Directors of the SDHSAA (South Dakota High School Activities Association voted to approve a girls' wrestling division within the state for the 2020-21 school year. SDHSAA Executive Director Dr. Daniel Swartos was pleased with the board decision, which had been discussed by staff and the SDHSAA Wrestling Advisory Committee for two years, stating "I am very proud of our member schools for embracing this concept, and I am excited to provide this opportunity to student-athletes in South Dakota." Effective in 2020-21, the Girls Wrestling division within the state of South Dakota will begin with one classification and four weight classes, divided up evenly based upon certification weights of the competitors. The top 8 participants in each weight class, determined by TrackWrestling criteria, will qualify for the State Wrestling Tournament, with the Girls Division occurring alongside the boys division at the same event. Expansion of weight classes for the future will be determined by participation numbers. Wrestling may be referred to as "the oldest and greatest sport"… but it can also be in the running as "fastest-growing sport too." According to SDHSAA Assistant Executive Director Dr. John Krogstrand, "In every other state that has implemented Girls Wrestling, they've seen tremendous growth in participation numbers over the first several years. We anticipate the same in South Dakota and will adjust weight classes according to growth as we move into future years." The Girls Division had been building momentum in recent years, with around 40 girls competing this past season and athletic directors favoring the proposal by a 91-10 vote at their annual meeting. A full agenda and list of items from the June 11, 2020 Board of Directors meeting can be found of the SDHSAA website, www.sdhsaa.com. "We are just excited for it and really looking forward to seeing it happen," South Dakota High School Activities Association Assistant Executive Director John Krogstrand said. "I think a lot of our coaches and certainly the girls themselves are very excited for the opportunity as well." Girls' wrestling has been enjoying tremendous growth in recent years throughout the U.S. As recently as 2018, only a half-dozen states throughout the nation had sanctioned girls wrestling programs. (Those first six states: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington State.) Now South Dakota finds itself in the part of the upper Midwest where girls wrestling has taken root quickly.

Acrobatics and tumbling and women's wrestling will be added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program in Division I, the Division I Council decided Wednesday. The Council met virtually. Members noted that some schools already have committed to adding these sports as part of their strategic plans for athletics, and having these sports part of the emerging sports program could convince others to do the same. "The Council acknowledged the need to give maximum flexibility to schools as they make decisions surrounding sport sponsorship," said Council chair M. Grace Calhoun, athletics director at Penn. "Acrobatics and tumbling and women's wrestling have both done everything required to be named to the emerging sports for women list, and some schools may choose to augment their programs with these new sports." The sports were recommended for the emerging sports program by the Committee on Women's Athletics. The program is a pipeline supporting the advancement of women's sports to NCAA championship status. The program also provides athletics opportunities for women and sport-sponsorship options for colleges and universities. Schools also may use an emerging sport to help meet minimum sports-sponsorship and financial aid requirements. A sport must have a minimum of 20 varsity teams and/or competitive club teams that have competed in a minimum of five contests to be considered for the emerging sports program. The sport must reach 40 varsity programs to move forward to the NCAA governance structure for championship consideration. The National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association currently has 30 NCAA colleges and universities sponsoring the sport, which is a discipline of gymnastics involving tumbling, tosses, acrobatic lifts and pyramids. The Wrestle Like a Girl organization, in conjunction with USA Wrestling, indicated there are 35 NCAA schools currently sponsoring the sport. The Emerging Sports for Women program has been in existence since 1994. In the past 21 years, several sports have reached championship status, including beach volleyball, rowing, ice hockey, water polo and bowling. Before the latest additions, the program had three sports: equestrian, rugby and triathlon. Sports have 10 years to gain championship status or make meaningful progress toward that goal in order to remain on the list.

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY -- The United World Wrestling bureau voted Tuesday on a large number of changes to the 2020 and 2021 competition calendars, including a blanket delay on all competitions until no earlier than September 1, 2020. The changes are an optimistic outlook to the return of competition and will be reviewed again in August. The recommendations reviewed by the bureau were first considered and drafted by the Technical Commission. “I thank the Technical Commission for their hard work and consideration in this difficult time,” said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. “We will only return to the mat when it is safe for our athletes, coaches, referees, and spectators.” The Cadet, Junior, and U23 Continental Championships will be the first to potentially return to competition, with a window of September 1 to October 30 to organize a competition. A continent may also choose to cancel their championships depending on the pandemic status of each region. Due to the athletes' schooling requirements there will be no Cadet World Championships in 2020, nor will there be U15 championships organized in 2020. The Junior World Championships are being proposed for the end of November in Belgrade SRB or beginning of December, while the U23 will remain in Tampere, FIN and be competed on the same dates in November. Due to the increased risk of travel and transmission for the age group, the Veterans World Championships will be postponed to 2021 where Greece will be the host of the competition. Two Beach Wrestling World Series events in 2020 will remain on the calendar for Romania and Greece, with one of the nations to also host Cadet & Junior World Beach Wrestling Championships. The Beach Wrestling Commission is currently reviewing all dates and details. The “Best Wrestler of 2020” awards will only be handed out if there is a Senior World Championships in 2020. A bid process will take place immediately for all new competitions including the Senior World Championships and postponed events where the organizer can no longer host. All competitions are conditional based on the ongoing situation of the global pandemic. If the World Championships do not take place, the money for Best Wrestler will be shifted to the 2021 season. The 2021 calendar has also been impacted by COVID-19 and the delay of the 2020 Olympic Games. It's been proposed to change the current 2021 schedule to reflect what occurred in 2020, with the Senior Continental Championships scheduled before the Continental Olympic Qualifiers. The seeding system for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games will consist of results from the following tournaments: 2019 Senior World Championships, 2020 Ranking Series in Roma (ITA), 2020 Senior Continental Championships. Ranking Series Events 2021 will not be included into the seedings of the Olympic Games due to IOC qualification criteria already fixed. Members also approved to adjoin the ranking of the 2021 Senior Asian Championships for wrestlers from China, North Korea and Turkmenistan because they were not able to participate in the 2020 Senior Asian Championships. The Ranking Series will consist of two events in 2021, both will provide points to be factored into the “Best Wrestler of 2021” awards but again will not be factored into seeding at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The 2021 Senior World Championships are scheduled for October 2-10 in Oslo. There will be no World Cups in 2020 or 2021.

The list of 21 things I've learned could be 51 or 101. I have learned so much over the years about coaching and working with people that it easily could consume an entire book (which I am working on). Below are 11 of the 21 most impactful concepts, ideas, and practices I have learned in my 23-year coaching career, the last 21 being as a head high school coach. 1. Actions speak louder than words My dad would say this to me often. In the context of coaching, it means your actions will make more of an impact than what you say. If you want your team disciplined, you have to be the first to demonstrate discipline. Your actions have to reflect your words. Young men and women respond well to visual models. If you talk too often without a concrete backing, eventually your team will not listen. I want my wrestlers to be at every practice on time and ready. Therefore, I am at every practice on time and prepared. It is a simple philosophy that has paid significant dividends over the years. 2. Rapport is a better motivator than yelling I learned this from some of my high school and college coaches. Later the idea was cemented by a fellow coach and teacher I had the opportunity to talk at length about coaching, athletes, and teaching. Your team "will run through brick walls for you" (her comment) if you develop a relationship with them and show them that you care about them. Building rapport is not a difficult task but does require conscious effort. Sometimes we "live" in our agendas and practice plans, and we neglect to talk to our athletes about their life, school, and family. By the time they are juniors and seniors, I usually know much about their hobbies, interests, family, and goals. It takes time for you and them to open up about matters, not about wrestling. Each of us has our "story" and background unique to us. The more you learn about each of them, the more you will be able to push them later on. 3. Lead from the front Set the example for your team. Be the first to get "in the fight." Like actions speak louder than words, your team will come to expect from what you consistently demonstrate to them. If you routinely model what you want from your athletes, your team will fall in line. Setting the examples entails doing first what you want from others and then helping them do the same. 4. Focus on developing people first This concept has changed my belief and love for coaching. For too long, early in my career, I focused on winning. More accurately, not losing. Admittedly, I probably dislike losing more than I like winning. As a competitor, the exhilaration from winning fades more rapidly than the feelings you have when you lose. Losing kind of haunts you and leaves you with the dialogue of "what if, why didn't I, or I should have." Once I changed my belief or focus, it became much easier to try to make "Jimmy" better than winning or losing a wrestling match. I can control making Jimmy or Sally better. I cannot always control the outcome of a wrestling match. More interesting though, once I changed my goal of coaching from winning to developing young men and women, it became much more fun, and ironically we won more. Go figure. 5. Enthusiasm is contagious, and so is negativity You can practically change the perspective of any situation (wrestling or non-wrestling) with having an enthusiastic attitude. Your view of every situation is dependent on your perspective. I make it a point on Saturday morning practices to be upbeat, play some loud music, and be a little "hyped." I know if I went into it with negativity, the practice would not be effective. Your team will feed off of the attitude you have, good and bad. 6. Mental toughness is more important in skill Don't get me wrong. Athletic ability and talent are good traits to be successful. However, when working with athletes with varying abilities and skills, mental toughness will take an athlete to a higher level than an athlete who is more gifted without the mindset of determination, grit, and perseverance. Each day, incorporate lessons to learn mental toughness- challenges, activities, or literature. 7. You can teach people to be tough I believe there are varying degrees of toughness. With that, you can take a person to a higher degree with training. Each of your athletes comes from different backgrounds and different degrees of toughness. Some have become hardened and calloused at a young age from adversity or struggle. Others may not have had to deal with challenging situations. Regardless, with training, you can affect their toughness. Consistently putting them in situations that are difficult for them will grow their "toughness muscle." I have seen kids come into our room with little toughness and resiliency, leave badasses. There is a mind-body effect on training toughness. As they become physically tough, they become mentally tough, and they want to challenge themselves more and more. 8. Teaching positions are more important than technique Granted, if they do not know a double leg takedown, teaching them how to scramble out of a bad shot is pointless. As they learn the prerequisite technique, showing them where to be at certain times becomes more important than the technique. Teaching positions create a "feel" in their body that something is not right and needs to be adjusted. Newer wrestlers do not have that "feel." Therefore, you have to teach it to them. If wrestler A does this, then wrestlers B does this. Drilling and repeating positioning in practice lead to chain wrestling and the ability to scramble and counter-attack. One drill we do regularly is closing our eyes on our feet, and in a tie-up, a wrestler shoots on their legs. With repeated practice, the wrestlers will "feel" when their opponent lowers their level and attacks. 9. Kids are kids They do not see life the same as adults. How many times have you heard, "The kids don't care about it as much as the coach?" They do care, but some kids are more committed than others. Others play multiple sports or are in various activities. Kids haven't experienced life as a coach has. They can't relate to "regret, hindsight, and consequences" like adults. Their experience is limited. Some kids will not get your message until long after they leave your program. It can be personally frustrating trying to get your athletes to devote the time needed to be a successful wrestler. You still push and focus on making them better, but you keep it in your mind that they are kids and have a lot of "growing up to do." 10. Accountability is the secret to achievement I wished I learned this earlier in my career. To be honest, it probably wasn't until ten years into coaching that I learned the significance of accountability when coaching an athletic program. My "epiphany" spawned out of anger. I assigned my team of nearly 40 wrestlers to take a paper home and get signed by their parents. The following day when only four of forty returned the signed paper, I was livid. Immediately, without any thought, I told them to get against the "short" wall to do Strittmatters (an exercise involving a knee run, bear crawl, and a sprint). We did one for each person who did not turn in the paper and a few more to emphasize my disgust. The next day everyone returned their paper. Since then, I have learned not to make idle threats. If I say it, I need to do it. The athletes quickly understand the meaning of accountability. I incorporate some form of accountability practice into almost every drill, conditioning activity, assignment, or off-season workout. I believe the level of our program changed when we become more accountable. 11. Teach to the top 1/3 I stole this from Coach John Fritz. Coach Fritz is an NCAA champion and former head wrestling coach at Penn State. For many years, we went to his Keystone Wrestling Camp. While listening to a meeting with his counselors and instructors, I overhead him tell them that during camp, "Teach to the top 1/3." Some fifteen years later, his words still stick in my mind each season when teaching technique. Teaching to your highest performing athletes raises the level of all your athletes. You can always go back and review and revisit techniques later if needed or work with some individuals to catch them up.

Jordan Oliver before his Senior Nationals finals match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) NEW YORK -- FITE will showcase the world's best freestyle wrestlers in a once-in-a-lifetime event at an undisclosed location to be streamed live on pay-per-view. The unparalleled matchups include 10 matches featuring the main event, two-time national champ Jordan Oliver wrestling three-time national champ Jason Nolf. Other matches include two wrestlers who finished the year ranked No. 1 in the nation, Pat Lugo and Luke Pletcher, and current world team member Pat Downey versus World Greco team member Joe Rau. This event will be streamed live on FITE, the global digital platform known for its combat sport expertise. We encourage the wrestling community to get behind these guys as they continue to chase down their dreams of Olympic Gold. With all proceeds going to the athletes, the RTCs, and Chicago Beat the Streets, this won't just be a great night of wrestling but also a great cause. "I am starved," said Dan Gable, the world and Olympic gold medalist who coached the University of Iowa to 15 NCAA national championships. "I missed a couple of tournaments that I love. I have heard a lot about this event, and I think it could be huge. There is a lot of talk going on, but I think we need to make it a reality and get wrestling. This will be a great start to get us going again." FITE will provide these athletes a platform to not only support themselves but the Regional Training Centers that have become the lifeblood of USA Wrestling. This is the first of many events that will help the wrestling community build on what is an already strong, loyal foundation. The event will be live streamed on FITE.TV on June 28 at 6 p.m. CT. Matchups: Jordan Oliver (Tarheel WC) vs. Jason Nolf (Nittany Lion WC) Luke Pletcher (Pitt WC) vs. Pat Lugo (Hawkeye WC) Pat Downey (New Jersey RTC) vs. Joe Rau (Illinois RTC) Dylan Palacio vs. Dylan Ness (Minnesota TCS) Zane Richards (Illinois RTC) vs. Zac Sanders (Minnesota TCS) Brett Pfarr (Minnesota TCS) vs. Zach Braunagel (Illinois RTC) Nazar Kulchytskyy (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Danny Braunagel (Illinois RTC) Nick Dardanes (Illinois RTC) vs. Mitch McKee (MTCS) Beat the Streets Chicago Matchups: TBA vs. TBA TBA vs. TBA About FITE FITE is the premium global platform for sports and entertainment. FITE is available worldwide through its iOS and Android mobile apps, Apple TV, Android TV, ROKU, Amazon Fire TV. In addition, FITE supports Chromecast, PS4, Xbox, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex as well as 7,000 models of TVs. Available online at www.FITE.tv. Follow us @FITETV on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. If it Happens, it's on FITE.

Tommy Castle, credited with taking the Scott County High School wrestling program from the ground up a decade ago -- turning it into a major force within the state of Kentucky -- died last week after a long illness. He was 59. Tommy CastleA native of Lexington, Ky., Castle began crafting a successful mat career in the heart of Bluegrass, having wrestled on the 1977 KHSAA team and as a 1978 individual state champ at Woodford County High School. Although he spent much of his time as a wrestler and coach in Kentucky, Castle wrestled his collegiate career at Indiana University, under legendary Hoosier head coach (and 1960 Olympic gold-medal-winning wrestler) Doug Blubaugh, who prior to wrestling at the Rome Games, had earned NCAA honors at Oklahoma State. When hired as head coach at Scott County High in 2011, Scott told the News-Graphic -- the local newspaper serving that region -- that his own character was a reflection of his coach at Indiana U., Blubaugh. That same newspaper included powerful quotes from some of Scott's own wrestlers. "One of the greatest honors of my life has been the opportunity to have been coached by this man," wrote Nick Lolli. "The lessons he taught transcend the wrestling mat and have truly made an impact on everyone he's ever coached. Not only was he a good coach, he was an even better man." Another accomplished Cardinal grappler, Lucas Harrison, wrote, "God gained one of the greatest men I've ever known." Tommy Castle is survived by his wife Ellie, their four children, and one granddaughter. Funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests Memorial Contributions be made to Scott County Wrestling Boosters C/O Allan Bryan, 143 Anne Jennings Way, Georgetown, KY 40324. A 501c3 charitable organization.

Lizette Rodriguez rides Brianna Gonzalez in a girls state championship match in California (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) When Afsoon Roshanzamir joined her high school wrestling team in the late 1980s, more than 100 people showed up for the first practice. But she was the only girl. The days of girls having to wrestle boys are finally starting to come to an end. Florida and South Dakota recently joined the growing list of states to sanction girls' wrestling. And that's music to the ears of Joan Fulp and Andrea Yamamoto. They serve as co-chairs for USA Wrestling's Girls High School Development Committee. Joan Fulp with daughters Sara Fulp-Allen and Katherine Shai (Photo/Larry Slater) "We're up to 25 states now," Fulp said. "We're halfway there, but we still have work to do. We're not going to stop until girls have an opportunity to wrestle in every state." After decades of struggling for acceptance and equality in the sport, girls are starting to receive the same types of opportunities to compete in the spotlight as the boys. Sixteen states, not yet sanctioned, held girls-only state tournaments in 2020. Those are still prestigious events as they are sponsored by officials and coaches' associations in their respective states. The decision to add female state wrestling tournaments have contributed to the number of female participants skyrocketing in recent years at the prep level. In the 2018-19 school year, participation for female wrestling increased 27.5 percent at the high school level. There were 21,124 girls who wrestled for high school teams last season. Two states that are on the verge of sanctioning girls' wrestling at the prep level are Iowa and Nebraska. The number of participants at the Iowa girls' state tournament increased from 87 in 2019 to 350 this year. The first two state tournaments were organized by the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association. Charlotte Bailey, Iowa's women's director for USA Wrestling, said the girls' state meet is scheduled to move to a bigger venue in 2021. The first two state meets were held at Waverly-Shell Rock High School. "Our numbers are really growing, and we've experienced a big jump in the interest level for girls," Bailey said. "We are definitely moving closer to gaining sanctioning from the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. We have gained momentum and we have over 500 high school girls wrestling in Iowa right now. We still have a way to go, and we need to keep building." Nebraska looked to be on the verge of sanctioning girls' wrestling after falling short by just one vote in 2019. Female wrestling was recently approved as an emerging sport, but it fell three votes short of sanctioning in Nebraska in 2020. Tahner Thiem, who has coached David City High School's boys to three Class C state titles in Nebraska, is a big proponent of girls' wrestling. "I think eventually we will have it as a sanctioned sport in Nebraska," he said. "I think there will be a mat or two down at the state tournament right alongside the boys. We tell people to get your tickets early now. But I'll tell you what, if you put a couple of mats and have a girls state championship going on at the same time, I think that event center will sell out even more than it does now." Thiem said adding female wrestling makes perfect sense to him. "I think it's going to happen in our state," he said. "At some point, 15 or 20 years from now, people are going to think it was foolish it was this hard to pass. The reason I'm behind it, sports are good for kids, extracurricular activities are good for kids and being a part of a team is awesome. Why are we not giving these girls an opportunity to compete?" Fulp and Yamamoto have traveled around the country while encouraging states to sanction girls' wrestling. Yamamoto was a member of five U.S. World Teams in women's freestyle wrestling in the 1990s. Fulp's husband, Lee Allen, was a two-time Olympian and their daughters, Sara and Katherine, wrestled on the U.S. National Team. Fulp said just six states sanctioned girls' wrestling when she and Yamamoto started the USA Wrestling committee in 2016. That number has now more than quadrupled. "We educate people on female wrestling - and we give them data and information," Fulp said. "We've reached out to someone in every state. We talk to administrators, athletic directors, coaches and anyone who will listen." Afsoon RoshanzamirYamamota said once states sanction girls' wrestling, the numbers of participants typically jumps. And leads to girls having opportunities to win championships at the state level. "It's incredible when we hear success stories like that - it's so gratifying to hear," Yamamoto said. "There has been a shift in the narrative where girls' wrestlers are being taken more seriously now. It was a long process of changing people's minds about female wrestling. We eventually opened their eyes to the idea that not only can girls do this, but they should do this. The girls deserve their own state championship, just like the boys have." And for pioneers of the sport like Afsoon Roshanzamir, the first U.S. women's world medalist who was an Olympic coach in 2016, that is great to see. "Women's wrestling has come so far and I'm proud to be part of it," she said. "I'm honored to have helped pave the way for women to have these kinds of opportunities. They deserve it." Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

JaMarr Billman Less than two weeks ago -- May 29 -- JaMarr Billman learned he would no longer serve as head wrestling coach at Easton Area School District. Now Billman, who was once a successful wrestler for the Easton Rovers who later served as head coach for the storied prep program for four seasons, has filed a lawsuit against his high school alma mater which, until early this month, had been his employer. Billman, who resides in nearby Allentown also in northeast Pennsylvania, says he "was subjected to a barrage of racist and discriminatory conduct," during his four-year tenure as a coach, according to LehighValleyLive.com. Billman seeks back pay, front pay, punitive damages, compensatory damages and attorney fees in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of the United States. District Superintendent David Piperato said the district hasn't been served with the lawsuit yet. "We look forward to reviewing the claim with our counsel and vigorously defending the district against any and all accusations of racism," he said Wednesday. Piperato issued a statement Tuesday after Billman's rally saying Billman wasn't technically fired. He wasn't invited back when his contract lapsed but can apply for the vacant position if he wants to. Billman's last day at work was May 29, the lawsuit says. Piperato blamed the coaching decision on "numerous problems including rules compliance, overall management of the program and general leadership," not racial animus against Billman. By contrast, Billman claimed that he had an adversarial relationship with athletic director James Pokrivsak who "proudly identified himself as a racist," according to the lawsuit. Billman blamed Pokrivsak for blocking a raise and preventing him from getting equipment he requested. As the York Dispatch reported June 7, this is not the first time "the controversy has found the Easton Area School District for a second time in two years regarding wrestling coach JaMarr Billman." A number of individuals came to a protest last Friday to consider action concerning Billman's firing...including some members of the Easton wrestling program who are supportive of Billman. "We're all lost dogs now," rising junior Braxton Appello, one of three Easton state medalists in 2020 under Billman, said. "We don't have our leader anymore. In every aspect I'm better now than I was two years ago thanks to [Billman]. The girls love him. Many of us love him." JaMarr Billman offered his unique perspective on the situation in an exclusive interview with The Morning Call, the Allentown community newspaper: "As a minority coach, I experienced pains and hurdles by the athletic department and administration that no other coach faced," Billman said. "I thought in 2018 that Easton could not discriminate against me, as I was an alumni and former student-athlete. "In 2020, I truly believe that I was discriminated [against] due to the color of my skin." Easton wrestling has a long legacy of success. The Rovers rank second all-time in Pennsylvania with 968 victories ... while, in his four years as coach at his alma mater, compiled a 42-26 record.

Johnny Sebastian takes a shot on Minnesota's Owen Webster (Photo/David Peterson) Johnny Sebastian has been added to the Wisconsin RTC staff. He will be joining the WRTC in the roll of assistant coach, where he will help the RTC in many ways. "Johnny brings so many assets to the table in terms of wrestling, education and leadership," said Wisconsin head wrestling coach Chris Bono. After finishing his sixth year of NCAA eligibility, Sebastian knew that he still had the passion and drive to stay involved with wrestling in Wisconsin. "It's an exciting time to be affiliated with wrestling in Wisconsin and I am grateful for the opportunity to be joining the Wisconsin RTC staff in effort to continue building the program," said Sebastian. Sean Smalley, Executive Director of the WRTC, said, "It is perfect timing. Johnny is finishing up his third Master's degree this July and will be able to immediately apply his education towards the goals of growing the RTC." Before transferring for his sixth year of eligibility, Sebastian finished his Bachelor's degree in Business and Organizational Policy in 2018 and followed that up with a Master's degree in Business in 2019 from Northwestern. In addition to assisting Ben Askren, with the day to day workouts, Sebastian will focus on helping fundraise for the RTC. Sebastian said, "I look forward to utilizing my experiences within education and athletics to generate and raise money for the Regional Training Center. I also look forward to maintaining and creating new relationships with donors, recruiting post-grad athletes to come train and growing the RTC!"