InterMat Staff

MT. PLEASANT, Iowa -- Shawn Contos will take the reigns of both the men's and women's wrestling programs at Iowa Wesleyan University beginning May 1, 2020. This announcement is made as Coach Robert Powell submits his resignation to pursue other professional opportunities. "I am pleased to announce Coach Contos as our head wrestling coach. His wealth of knowledge in freestyle and folkstyle wrestling, combined with his high energy and professionalism, make him an ideal candidate to lead both men's and wrestling programs", said Director of Athletics Derek Zander. Shawn ContosContos brings with him over 20 years of experience as a wrestling coach. He has coached and competed alongside many notable wrestlers throughout his years. Contos coached at Iowa State with Cael Sanderson and at Penn State with both Cody Sanderson and Casey Cunningham. While at PSU, Contos helped lead the team to four NCAA National Championship Titles. At ISU, he was with the team when they won the Big 12 Conference Championship, were third in the NCAA, and as they produced a USA NCAA National Champion. Contos is also familiar with club wrestling as he founded Mat Rat Wrestling in Ohio. He took a small group of wrestlers and grew the club in numbers every year. The club teaches young wrestlers proper nutrition, weight management, strength training, and conditioning, and allows the young wrestlers to grow in a healthy and competitive nature. In 2012, Contos qualified for the US Olympic Trials. In 2013, he was ranked 9th in the USA. He has titles as the Junior National Champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman and was a four-time USA All-American wrestler. Contos was also honored to be chosen as the Head Coach for the Ohio Junior National Wrestling Team by USA Wrestling, Ohio, in 2008. Tiger Athletics: Iowa Wesleyan University strives to provide its student-athletes the opportunity to be successful in life and sports. Engaged in the SLIAC and UMAC Conferences, Tiger athletics is a proud member of NCAA Division III.

It's a story that spans the decades, bringing together the winner of the 2020 Hodge Trophy ... and the mat legend whose name is on the award known as the "Heisman Trophy of amateur wrestling." Here's the Cliffs Notes version: Dan Hodge, three-time NCAA champ for the University of Oklahoma in the mid-1950s, inscribed the cover of the April 1, 1957 Sports Illustrated (the only issue of SI to ever feature an amateur wrestler on the front), to be presented to University of Iowa superstar Spencer Lee, who was named recipient of the 2020 Hodge Trophy, the annual award for the top college wrestler of the year by WIN Magazine. The story begins on April Fools' Day this year (no joking), with an email from Barb McReynolds to Andrew Hipps, InterMat co-owner and senior editor. "On April 1, I noticed a Facebook post from Mark Palmer about the 1957 Sports Illustrated cover that featured Dan Hodge. "I have a very unusual request that I don't know if you can help me with or not. My husband collected a few of these magazines. Before he died, he had always thought Spencer Lee would one day win the Hodge trophy and of course, now he has. "I am trying to find out if you know an address for Dan Hodge. Ideally, I'd love to mail a copy to him to have him autograph this magazine so that my family could give it to Spencer in honor of this great Dan Hodge legacy award." Spencer Lee won the 2020 Hodge Trophy (Photo/Iowa Athletics) Ask and ye shall receive ... It so happens that one of my Facebook friends is Dan Hodge's granddaughter, Stacy Ewy Wilson. I contacted Stacy, and, in what seemed to be less time than it took for Hodge to pin an opponent (the Sooner fall guy pinned 36 of his 46 opponents, for a 78% pin rate), Stacy said yes ... providing her grandparents' mailing address to share with Barb McReynolds. Fast-forward to this past week. Barb let us know that she had already received the Hodge-autographed copy of her April 1, 1957 Sports Illustrated magazine by return mail, inscribed to the recipient of the 2020 Hodge Trophy with this message on its cover: "To Spencer Lee/God Bless You/Danny Hodge." Barb McReynolds then mailed the signed magazine to Spencer Lee and his family, along with a letter explaining "the rest of the story" that makes this story all the more heartwarming ... and meaningful. Here's a portion of her letter: "Rob and I have been Iowa wrestling fans since our first date in February 1980 when we attended an Iowa versus Iowa State meet. I have so many fond memories of the great Iowa program and the time that we spent together talking about wrestling. "I feel Dan is an absolute legend and I know how hard the Hodge Trophy is to win," Barb said. "Spencer Lee is an incredible individual, on top of his wrestling skills. And, my husband was an amazing man." Barb's late husband also had an amazing career as a high school wrestling coach. At the time of Rob McReynolds' passing, a local newspaper tribute said, "The highlight of Rob's coaching career included a three-year winning streak between 1993 and 1995 where his squad had a combined record of 107 wins with zero losses, and he coached Colorado state's Wrestler of the Year." The tribute also mentions that "He attended 34 NCAA wrestling tournaments, was a member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association for 25 years, and was a University of Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling Club board member." Rob and Barb McReynolds"For several years, Rob collected copies of this Sports Illustrated magazine with Dan Hodge on the cover. Rob was both inspired and in awe of the great Dan Hodge and the elite trophy associated with his name. A few years ago, Dan attended an event at the University of Iowa and Rob had him sign copies for Brent Metcalf and Mark Ironside since they had previously won the Hodge Trophy. "Last year, a few days before Rob died, he told me that he wanted me to still go back to Iowa meets without him. He also said that he honestly believed that Spencer would win this (Hodge) award and he asked me to try to get a copy of the magazine autographed for him if that was ever possible. That probably sounds like a strange conversation for end of life, but it demonstrated Rob's true passion for Iowa and his recognition of Spencer's talents ..." In her letter to Spencer Lee and his family (which accompanied the 1957 Sports Illustrated issue signed by Dan Hodge), Barb McReynolds wrote, "Tom Brands called to thank me for doing this for Spencer. I told him those three men were the important individuals. I was just the 'signature broker' in the deal." Barb continued, "I'm proud to call myself a fan of Iowa wrestling and I'm honored to give you these autographed magazines. Spencer, congratulations on this incredible accomplishment! You truly deserve the accolades. I also know Rob would be happy that I have completed his wish. Thank you for everything you do and the success you bring to the Iowa program." In past years, the Hodge Trophy is usually presented to the wrestler in person at a public event in the fall, such as a home football game at the wrestler's college.

The nomadic UFC 249 mixed martial arts event may have found a place to take place. In Jacksonville, the second-largest city in the state of Florida. In terms of when and where UFC 249 was to be held, the mixed martial arts event's date and location have been something of a moving target, originally to be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on April 9. A week or so ago, there was talk that of UFC 249 might take place at a casino on an Indian reservation in California ... or even on a island just off the coast, with the thought those locations might be legal in this era of "shelter in place" requirements and "safe distancing." VyStar Veterans Memorial ArenaMultiple media reports Thursday indicated that UFC 249 would be held at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, a 15,000-seat facility in downtown Jacksonville. Wrestling Observer Radio reported Thursday that the UFC promotion had found a venue that would be available on May 9. "It looks like it's going to be the [VyStar] Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville," said Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. He went on to say that UFC had actually told fighters that they would be flying into Jacksonville ... but there are people in Jacksonville that have to book a building. "That's where it looks like it's going to be," said Meltzer. Meltzer's analysis doesn't sync with a public statement issued by ASM Global, the company that manages seven venues in the northeast Florida city, including VyStar Arena, and owner of venues that usually (non-COVID-19 virus) host multiple sporting events such as baseball and arena football." So ... how can Jacksonville host UFC 249 in this era of quarantine and strict attendance limits? For starters, just this week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an order declaring sporting events "essential services" as long as the event is closed to the general public. (A prime example: WWE events filmed in empty arenas and WWE-owned training facilities.) Some news stories addressing the possibility of relocating UFC 249 to the Sunshine State also mention a newly-added match to the card. Forbes reported that 2008 Olympic gold-medal-winning freestyle wrestler Henry Cejudo is expected to put his UFC bantamweight title on the line against former two-time UFC 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. The Cejudo-Cruz bout would be in addition to the previously announced match between two former amateur wrestlers: Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje.

When should wrestling resume? While the national and international styles aren't being asked to start anytime soon there is an increasing itchiness for individuals to get back on the mats and reconnect with the sport they love. I understand the feeling. For me jiu-jitsu replaced my need to be on the wrestling mat, but many of the benefits I found on the wrestling mats I've since found in jiu-jitsu. My poor wife has just about had enough of my Berimbolo attempts. In the best rooms there is a shared purpose, driven forward by strong leadership. We like to be inspired, and in wrestling we've been able to look across the room and see our teammates pushing harder than normal, or a coach taking extra time to be with an athlete. We recognize it, but hardly appreciate it how we should. If you're like me then you are missing those simple moments we took for granted, not to mention the obvious indulgence of working out until your body cramps up and you have to fight for a deep breath. No matter what else happens in your day, a wrestling room workout can make it feel accomplished. When you've trained hard and the endorphins are pumping through your bloodstream everything else fades away. More stress and less inspiration can cause incredible frustration, not to mention we are all weighed down with cramped living situations, reduced incomes, and some having to home school their children. These are incredibly tough times and the outlet we've always used is simply not available. That's why I was impressed by Cliff Fretwell's recent decision to keep his gym closed even as the Governor of Georgia begins opening the state on Friday. Cliff is a true believer in the power of wrestling, and I know this wasn't an easy decision, but it's the one that protects his athletes and allows for more time to pass before making a very cautious return to the mats. (For an example of how careful some sports are being, look at what Spanish soccer league La Liga is undertaking for their maybe-just-maybe return in June.) Congrats to Cliff and the rest of our wrestling family who is facing this pandemic with a clear head and a deep reserve of patience -- something the wrestling community has rarely been accused of having. To your questions … Q: I know you are a great fan of Cary Kolat. Me too. But Yianni has an insane career as well high school/college/international. Who do you take in the following Yianni vs Kolat battles? High school seniors NCAA seniors Olympic team rivals -- Gabe W. Foley: Cary Kolat placed at Midlands while still wrestling in high school. His development at that age and the strength he showed would probably be a little much for Yianni. I'll take high school Cary. While we will need to see how Yianni's college career finishes, the thought of a senior Yianni is impressive. He's been constantly improving over the past few seasons, and though we missed him in 2019-2020 I think that it's obvious that his style, knack for winning, and match management will only improve as he matures physically. Cary was also a monster in college, but I think that the scrambling in college wrestling would benefit Yianni and allow him to score in positions where Cary might not be as prepared. I'll take Yianni. The senior level question is the toughest. While Yianni has shown the ability to beat top-level opponents and win world titles, he is yet to crack into the starting lineup. In my opinion, he's one of the best 65-kilogram wrestler in the world (best lawyers, too … am I right?!) with massive, massive potential. It might be a little early to judge his ability, but that will all change next April when he will likely be tapped to go to Sofia, Bulgaria, and win the Olympic spot for the United States. If he can do that, under the massive pressure he'll face, then he'll become the USA's long-term solution for 65 kilograms. I think Cary was one of the best to ever compete and was already bronze and silver in two world championships before his controversial exit from the Sydney Games. Should he have won that title he would have stayed around and we might be having a different discussion. So right now, Cary for the senior level, but I really like Yianni's future. Q: In an article, "A Group of Five athletic director said as much as he hates to admit it, he predicts that men's soccer and wrestling programs will soon be on the 'extinct list.' And it could get even worse without a football season." Thoughts? -- Mike C. Foley: I wonder if it's the same AD who was anonymously quoted as saying "There's too much money at stake, it impacts too many people," a Power Five AD said. "If there's no football, we will have bigger issues. This will be worse than the Great Depression and make the 1930s look like a cakewalk." What's he comparing here? The lack of college football will induce a Great Depression? Or that it would indicate economic times were worse than the Great Depression? Overall, a dumb, dumb quote. There were some optimistic quotes, too. "I'm not thinking of eliminating some of my Olympic sports," a Group of Five AD said, "but I'm definitely thinking about suspending seasons. If football revenue is drastically cut, it may be inevitable." I wrote about this last week and in summary the decisions being made need to focus on the overall health of the school and what we want out of sports in general. If a one season hiccup in the payment of television contracts is enough to end the athletic pursuits for many of the nation's Olympic sports athletes, then it is indicative of a much larger problem. What bothers me about this discussion is that nobody has thought to cut the necessary scholarships to from 85 to 70. Everyone could take a haircut in year one and by year two you'd be seeing massive cost savings. If you could bake that into your five-year model it would mean the ability to save the programs at your own school. Still, in the short term the programs will first look for the easy decisions. They can trim salaries, furlough employees, implement their PPP draws, eliminate all non-essential travel, and take on other cost-cutting measures. There are also a number of savings that are part of a school and program shutting down that might help the overall numbers to be somewhere more in line with a budget that can be carried across a football-less year. I hope, pray, wish for there to be a college football season and a college basketball season. At the moment, I'm not able to see how that happens, but agree that without a coherent national policy on testing and our path forward the wrestling community is facing a bleak existence in 2021. Q: With non-revenue sports in possible fatal financial straits at schools throughout the U.S. due to the COVID-19 epidemic, do you think it's time to move wrestling to an exclusively club sport and take it out of colleges, high school and junior high schools, like the model we see in Europe, Russia, and much of the rest of the world? -- Ken B. Foley: So that is the other direction this takes. Wrestling could become disassociated from the schools and moved into privately held clubs and camps, which would allow for better adaptation and independence. There would be drawbacks, like a massive reduction in the number of overall wrestlers and programs, but there would be an increased focus on making better rules and providing real opportunity to wrestlers who couldn't afford school or qualify for entry at their chosen program. Fundamentally it would mean a total and complete shift in thought about how (and why) we run athletics. Essentially, we'd recognize that the schools and their funding aren't enough to keep us afloat as a sport. Right now, I think we have more programs because they are supported by the schools, but with a 20-program cut we'd be getting close to a level of collegiate participation that would be seen as inefficient in supporting the sport in a meaningful way. Would USA Wrestling run that organization? Probably not as it would be for-profit. Also, it's very difficult to wrap my head around the idea that wrestling could be completely independent of the NCAA oversight. Imagine a council being able to decide and change the rules of folkstyle? Or better still, would this change to a club system invite freestyle into our youth levels? I think it's all very forward thinking and worth considering as an adaptation to sever cuts, but at the moment I think it would be unwise to lose the current funding we receive in the academic model, not to mention I think wrestling (and wrestlers) adds to campus life and a positive educational experience. Q: With the NFL holding its draft, it got me thinking about a draft for wrestling. Who would be the top five picks (in order) in a draft for a pro wrestling league? College wrestlers only. Can include 2020 seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. -- Mike C. Foley: 1. Spencer Lee 2. Gable Steveson 3. Mark Hall 4. Ryan Deakin 5. Kollin Moore Q: Are you surprised Alex Dieringer is leaving Stillwater to train in Ann Arbor? What percentage chance do you give him at beating David Taylor and making the U.S. Olympic team? -- Mike C. Foley: Ann Arbor is a great location right now. Sergei Beloglazov is a master technician and the RTC has produced two Olympic qualifiers this year in Myles Amine and Stevan Micic. That's quite the accomplishment. While John Smith is certainly an incredible coach there is some added value in being inside a room with like-minded individuals. The lack of a college wrestling season may also have affected Dieringer's decision. Without that commitment to season-long training, and the lack of international partners, Dieringer would have struggled to find the workouts he needed in Stillwater. In Ann Arbor they are in the room daily and able to help him achieve and improve. While it's certainly possible that Dieringer could beat Taylor in the Olympic Trials, I'd find it tough to believe he has more than a 25% chance. The one HUGE advantage was the delay of one year as it will allow Dieringer more time to grow into the weight. The same was true with Taylor, but once he was able to oxygenate the weight the flashes of Taylor's brilliance came into a full and constant view. The physical growth, training situation, and the extra time to game plan improve Dieringer's chances at a competitive match. However, I just don't' see the matchup working in his favor. 75-25 Taylor.

Next year will likely see the start of SDHSAA-sanctioned girls' wrestling in South Dakota schools according to the the Rapid City Journal. The first reading approving the new sport was taken Tuesday by the South Dakota High School Activities Association's board of directors which governs school extracurricular activities like sports. Last year, without a separate girls' division, nearly 40 females competed in SDHSAA-sanctioned wrestling meets. About another 100 girls competed in club-only events.

The podium for All-Americans at the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) What does it mean to be a 2020 NCAA All-American? What should it mean? Those are two of the many questions being asked in college wrestling after the most unprecedented finish to the season in the sport's history. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone and the timing unfortunately couldn't have been much worse for the 2019-20 college wrestling season. As many of you know, the spread of the virus forced the cancellation the NCAA Division I Championships just a week before it was supposed to kick off in Minneapolis. The NCAA Division II and III tournaments were canceled less than 24 hours before they were scheduled to begin. It's been over a month now, but the loss of the national tournaments still stings. A lot. Especially for those coaches and wrestlers who sacrificed and dedicated so much to this season. One of the first questions asked was if these athletes would be permitted another season of eligibility. They missed out on the national tournament and potential accolades that go with it. The NCAA eventually decided to give spring sports athletes another year, but said no to winter athletes. That's still the wrong call, in my eyes. You are denying one of the best college wrestlers we've ever seen, Iowa's Spencer Lee, a chance to become a four-time national champion. And so many other athletes missed out on golden opportunities as well. In the immediate aftermath, coaches like Ohio State's Tom Ryan and Iowa's Tom Brands also were lobbying for athletes and teams to receive some sort of recognition for what they achieved during the season. The National Wrestling Coaches Association really stepped up by naming All-Americans for the NCAA Division I, II and III levels. It was important to recognize these athletes and being named an All-American should carry a great deal of significance. One prime example of that is Northern Iowa senior Taylor Lujan, who was the No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament at 184. Lujan had never been an All-American, twice reaching the round of 12. Lujan still missed out on becoming a national champion, but he does take away some recognition by being named an All-American. It was an honor that he earned and is well-deserved for the outstanding season he had as a senior. Wartburg College seniors Max Forsyth and Martine Sandoval were in a similar situation. Both wrestlers had qualified for DIII nationals for the first time, but were unable to compete. They will end their careers as All-Americans for the first time after having superb senior seasons. The end of the college season was especially tough on those teams favored to win national championships. Iowa won the Big Ten title and had 10 wrestlers earn All-America honors by the NWCA (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The Iowa Hawkeyes were heavily favored to win their first national title in 10 years after winning Big Tens and qualifying a loaded 10-man squad for NCAAs. All 10 Hawkeye wrestlers were awarded All-America honors by the NWCA, including nine on the first team. The honors were well-deserved. Those athletes wrestled a tough schedule and performed at a high level. Iowa coach Tom Brands agreed. He told the Des Moines Register that those 10 wrestlers will have their names added to the All-American wall in the Iowa wrestling room. "We will do it that way, and I'm not even torn about it," Brands said. "I am convinced that is the way to do it. There is no other team that had as many dominant individuals." St. Cloud State coach Steve Costanzo was already in Sioux Falls, S.D., last month as his team made final preparations for DII nationals. Costanzo's team was the favorite to win a national title before the event was canceled. His squad ended up with eight All-Americans. "I think it's a very positive outcome for such a heart-wrenching outcome," Costanzo said. "I appreciate those individuals who stepped up and honored these deserving student-athletes." The cancellation of the NCAA DIII tournament hit the Loras College program hard. Coach T.J. Miller's team had put together a historic season and had ascended to the No. 1 ranking going into nationals. Loras had eight wrestlers earn All-America honors in 2020. "I think the athletes should be recognized in some way -- this wasn't how we expected it to happen but it's the right thing to do under the circumstances," Miller said. "We would have loved the opportunity to compete at the NCAA tournament. In wrestling, competing for an individual championship is the peak experience for any college athlete. That just wasn't in the cards for 2020." Obviously, there was no ideal way to award the All-America honors. The All-American recognition fell in line with where athletes were seeded going into their respective national tournaments. Those seeds were based on their body of work during the season. To me, that's the fairest and best way to determine the All-Americans. One of the beauties of the NCAA tournaments are the upsets that occur and the compelling stories that unfold during these pressure-packed events. It wouldn't be much fun if everyone just wrestled to their seeds. Kudos to the NWCA for what they did. I applaud the way the All-Americans were determined. One tweak I may have had was by just awarding eight All-Americans per weight class in each division. And split those eight into a first team and a second team. But it's over and done with. Hopefully, we never have to worry about picking All-American teams again in college wrestling. It's still difficult to think about all of the compelling storylines that might have played out. It's tough to imagine Spencer Lee missing out on becoming a four-timer, Penn State's Vincenzo Joseph and Mark Hall not becoming four-time finalists, No. 1 seeds Kollin Moore and Luke Pletcher of Ohio State not ending their careers with titles, and Iowa State freshman David Carr not making a run at his first title. Joseph and Hall were able to finish their careers as four-time All-Americans with Lee, Carr and other top athletes still in line to do the same thing. Naming All-Americans doesn't erase the sting of what happened, but as Ryan said, "It wasn't perfect, but it is better than nothing." There are numerous other athletes who were hitting their peak that missed out on a chance to wrestle in the 2020 NCAA Championships. The 2019-20 college wrestling season is one we will always remember, and in some ways it's one we would like to forget. The NCAA should've found a way to give these athletes at least another semester to wrestle in the national tournament they missed out on. The athletes who earned All-America honors certainly deserve to receive recognition for what they accomplished. They should be remembered as the best in their sport for the 2019-20 wrestling season. That means a lot. And it should. 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.

Wynn Michalak served as an assistant coach at Michigan State since 2016 BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Former Central Michigan All-American and U.S. Senior Nationals champion Wynn Michalak has been named associate head wrestling coach by first-year Campbell head coach Scotti Sentes. "Wynn Michalak fits into the Campbell Wrestling culture and embodies what the program is all about," said Sentes. "He is driven by his faith, family, and relentless will to win. He enters the program as a decorated competitor with 10 plus years of coaching experience and has left a lasting impression on every program he has been a part of. I expect Wynn to have an immediate impact on the team, particularly with the upper weights." "I'm excited to join the Campbell family," said Michalak. "We are in a great position to make waves and be force to be reckoned with immediately. I can't wait to get started and contribute to developing our current team and continue to build for the future." Michalak comes to Campbell from Michigan State, where he has served as an assistant coach since 2016, coaching 14 NCAA qualifiers, including 2020 All-American Cameron Caffey and 2019 All-American Rayvon Foley. The Spartans qualified seven for the NCAA Championships in 2020 after placing 33rd in the 2019 team standings. During the 2019-20 campaign, Michigan State also registered dual wins over No. 4 Wisconsin and No. 20 Oklahoma. His coaching experience also includes four seasons as a volunteer assistant at Illinois (2012-16), where he helped train two-time NCAA Champion Isaiah Martinez, and two seasons (2009-10) as a graduate assistant at CMU. One of the most successful wrestlers in Central Michigan history, Michalak was a four-time Mid-American Conference Champion (2005-08), three-time MAC Wrestler of the Year (2006-08), and a three-time NCAA All-American (2005, 2006, 2008), including a runner-up finish at 197 pounds in 2008. He won the 2015 U.S. Senior Nationals title at 97 kg/213 pounds on Dec. 19, 2015, in Las Vegas, and competed in the past two U.S. Olympic wrestling trials. Michalak ranks second all-time at Central Michigan in winning percentage (.842, 128-24 record), third in pins (50) and fourth in victories (128). The two-time team MVP (2006, 2008) was named the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2005 and MAC Wrestler of the Year three times (2006-08). The first Chippewa to win four MAC Championships, all at 197 pounds, Michalak was also a three-time All-American, placing sixth at the NCAA Championships in 2005, eighth in 2006 and second in 2008. He also helped lead the Chippewas to team conference championships all four of his seasons in Mount Pleasant. Michalak owns two of the best seasons (winning percentage) in CMU history, going 30-2 (.938) in 2007-08 and 33-4 (.892) in 2005-06, and also has two of the Top 10 single-season pin totals (15 in 2005-06 is tied for fifth; 13 in 2007-08 is tied for ninth). Not only was Michalak successful on the mat at CMU, he was a four-time Academic All-MAC and NWCA All-Academic team selection and earned Academic All-America honors in 2008. He received both the NCAA post-graduate scholarship and Bob James Memorial Scholarship in 2008. Michalak graduated with a 3.8 grade-point average and earned a bachelor's degree in secondary mathematics education and physical education from Central Michigan in 2008. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in sports administration from CMU. Post collegiately, Michalak was the 2010 Hargobind International champion and was runner-up at the 2011 Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Open and Sunkist Kids International Open. Wrestling for the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, Michalak won the 2015 U.S. Senior Nationals title at 97 kg/213 pounds over Scott Schiller in the finals, 12-4, on Dec. 19 in Las Vegas. Michalak was a two-time state champion, three-time all-state honoree, and four-time conference champion at Caro (Mich.) High School. He helped lead his team to the Division III state title in senior season and finished his career with a 232-8 record. He lettered four times in wrestling and three in football, and received all-state honors twice as a quarterback. Michalak married Jessica Davis on Jan. 1, 2016.

Urbana University, a private school in central Ohio that had announced back in 2018 it had added an intercollegiate wrestling program with the hope of increasing its student enrollment, will close after this semester due to ongoing financial challenges which have worsened because of the current coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, the Columbus Dispatchreported Tuesday, April 21. Based in Columbus, Franklin University purchased Urbana University in 2014. Located in the community of Urbana, Ohio - about one hour northwest of Columbus, and straight west of the nationally-ranked wrestling program Graham High School in St. Paris, Ohio what had been Urbana University had an enrollment of 1,254 students, according to the news release issued by Franklin University. The news of a small college which had recently added an intercollegiate wrestling program only to announce it would be closing because of ongoing financial issues made worse by the coronavirus pandemic comes on the heels of similar news from central Illinois. MacMurray College -- first opened in 1846, and 120 years later, had announced the reinstatement of its wrestling program in 2016 -- revealed it would be closing its doors forever in March.

Army West Point head wrestling coach Kevin Ward returns to the MatBoss Podcast to talk about the situation at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, on Episode 54. Host Chad Dennis talks about the ins and outs of what the global pandemic means on college coaching, the recruiting aspects of it as well as the topics in college wrestling. Dennis also talks with Ward about the hiring of Cary Kolat at rival Navy. 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

Mizzou Athletics got some sad news Tuesday as one of its most endeared and longtime supporters, Ed "Doc" Lampitt, passed away at 1:30 a.m. on April 21. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his passing. Lampitt is a Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame (class of 1998) and National Wrestling Hall of Fame member and his contributions to Mizzou and the wrestling program are innumerable. Ed LampittThe program's first-ever placer at a Big Eight Tournament, Lampitt was one of the program's most successful wrestlers during its early years. While his performance on the mat alone was enough to rank him among the program's all-time greats, it is what he did following his graduation from Mizzou that cemented his status as a recipient of the Wrestling Medal of Courage from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges. Lampitt came to Mizzou in the fall of 1965. After growing up in Western Illinois, Lampitt and his family moved to St. Charles, Mo., for his final two years of high school. Lampitt had a scholarship wrestling offer from Illinois, but the draw of Mizzou was too much for him to pass up. So, he walked onto the wrestling team during his first year on campus. It took one year for Coach Hap Whitney to realize how important Lampitt was to the team. As a sophomore, he was put on scholarship, a moment of pride for the St. Charles native. The rest was history for the four-year letterwinner who captained Mizzou's 1968 team that put together the first undefeated season in program history. He set school records that stood for years and was the program's first Big Eight champion and the first ever wrestler to qualify for the NCAA Championships. He chose not to go to the meet - because he didn't want to participate without his teammates. Lampitt graduated from Mizzou with his degree in civil engineering in 1969 and married the love of his life, Katie, on July 4 the following year. But his journey was just getting started. As many men his age did during the 1970s, Lampitt joined the United States Navy and served in the Vietnam War - first in flight training and then in Navy's Civil Engineering Crop after hearing loss forced him out of flight school. He still learned to fly, a skill he carried with him until about five years ago when he stopped flying. Following his time in the service, Lampitt began to practice dentistry, a skill he first started practicing with the Navy before then opening his own practice. Married, out of the war and now running his own dentistry practice, Lampitt seemingly was settling into the next chapter of his life nicely. That was until his life got turned upside down by news that no one expects to hear; he had an acoustic neuroma. A brain tumor. Lampitt was 32 years old with so many years ahead of him. He had three young children, all under the age of seven. He had a life he had always imagined. Then came a life-altering diagnosis - he had a brain tumor growing aggressively, one that would require emergency surgery to remove. The brain tumor was discovered in 1979 while Lampitt was in the Navy as a dentist. The tumor took two 14-hour surgeries to remove and while doctors were able to remove the tumor, the surgery had rendered him completely paralyzed, unable to speak, and blind in one eye. With three young children, a promising dentistry career and years of competing as a high-level athlete, Lampitt's life as he knew it had changed forever. But instead of letting his situation define him and settle for the hand that life dealt him, Lampitt attacked his predicament with some of the same lessons he learned as a student-athlete at Mizzou. At first, progress was slow, but he kept working on his rehabilitation. He refused to accept his circumstances. He began to move and speak. Moving and speaking turned into walking and talking. Walking and talking helped him get back to practicing dentistry. Practicing dentistry led to him learning how to fly again - he even earned his private pilot's license. His hard work and dedication had paid off. Over the course of 24 months he had gone from someone who may never walk again, to living much of his life the way he had prior to the tumor. He still was paralyzed in his left arm, and blind in his left eye, but he did not let the tumor define him. It took two years of recovery before he received a medical discharge from the Navy, returned to Missouri and opened his own dental practice in Piedmont, Mo. In 2003, Lampitt was honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame with the organization's most prestigious award: Wrestling's Medal of Courage. The award is given annually to a wrestler or former wrestler who has overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. For Lampitt - the Total Tiger himself - no challenge was insurmountable. Dr. Lampitt went on to work for a dental pharmaceutical company and as a motivational speaker, dealing with topics such as how to treat the handicapped, to dealing with life crises, to achieving success in athletics. He had his own dental practice in his hometown of Perryville, Mo. He appeared on television talk shows as well as live call-in radio shows. He entertained audiences from coast to coast with his wonderful wit and positive perspective. Truly a Total Tiger. All during his life, Lampitt stayed connected with Mizzou. He helped raise the money for wrestling's new fourth-floor Hearnes training facility. The cardio stations in the facility don his name. Lampitt and his wife Katie are lifelong Mizzou fans, even after moving to California where they played the fight song so their kids could learn the traditions. All three of Ed and Katie's children attended Mizzou -- including their two daughters who participated on the swim team. He was active in the Mizzou Letterwinner's Club as a member of the Board of Directors and was a fixture at so many great events over the years. When Ed and Katie moved back to Missouri, he became very involved with the wrestling program. His Total Tiger Award at the year-end banquet was his way of inspiring those around him, those following in his footsteps in the wrestling program. So every year, when a wrestler walks across the podium to accept the award, it is easy to see why the award is held in such high regard by the recipients. It personifies what made Lampitt so great: determination, perseverance, reverence, and pride. Those are characteristics of a Total Tiger. Those are traits of those who are #MizzouMade. The thoughts and prayers from the entire Mizzou Athletics family are with the Lampitt family today. Below is a statement from head wrestling coach Brian Smith: "During this past summer in mid-June, I was fortunate to have some close friends and impactful people in my life with me at the Don Faurot award ceremony. I remember speaking and reading a quote from a book called The Last Arrow: 'We do not help the world by choosing to be less or do less; we help the world by choosing to be more and give more.' I remember looking at the people who were there for me that day and many times throughout my career and life. One person who I was so grateful to have there was Ed Lampitt. Ed was very sick that May and was sent home to be put in hospice care. Six weeks later he found a way to come be with me at this event. It meant the world to me and most of my talk that day was about living and the people you choose to do it with. When you find your people; the people who lift you up and believe in you, you will never walk alone. Ed Lampitt has been that for me in my time at Mizzou. From breakfast time each month with him and Coach Whitney, to inspiring my team at practice each year. He was at every one of our year-end banquets and loved to get up and present his award. Just yesterday, I sent him the graphic and bio of the young man who would receive his award, not knowing this morning he would pass. It breaks my heart and my prayers go out to all of his amazing family. Ed's spirit and the way he lived his life will always be a part of this great program. Ed chose to be more and give more."

Alex Dieringer at the Pan Am Championships with coaches Bill Zadick and Joe Russell (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Alex Dieringer will chase Olympic gold in a new training environment. After spending almost a decade (2011-2020) in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Dieringer announced Tuesday that he will be leaving Oklahoma State and training at the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club in Ann Arbor, Mich. He cited his girlfriend's schooling and being closer to her family as factors in the decision, along with the training partners and coaches at the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. "It feels right," Dieringer said on Flo Radio Live. "They've got a great RTC program. Pretty much three guys around my weight and they are all studs." Dieringer said it was tough leaving Stillwater and telling John Smith that he was leaving. "I've been here in Stillwater for nine years," said Dieringer. "It feels like home. It literally is like my second home. I love this place more than anything. It was definitely not an easy phone call." In 2019, Dieringer reached Final X before losing to Kyle Dake in a Special Wrestle-off in August. He has built a strong international wrestling resume, winning gold medals at the Yasar Dogu, Dan Kolov International and Bill Farrell Memorial International. This year Dieringer moved up from the non-Olympic weight class of 79 kilograms to the Olympic weight class of 86 kilograms. He earned a silver at the Matteo Pellicone in January, losing to Zahid Valencia in the finals. In March, Dieringer competed at Pan American Championships, winning a bronze medal. Dieringer, a Wisconsin native, was a three-time NCAA champion and 2016 Dan Hodge Trophy winner at Oklahoma State.

Nico Megaludis wrestling at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) All through college, father and son spoke on the phone every night at nine. "The first thing in my mind was, 'How was practice? You didn't get injured?'" Dan Megaludis said. "You just have those worries as a parent." For the younger Megaludis, calling home was his way of "catching up." Some calls were about wrestling, others were not. Sometimes a call was mere minutes while others were hours. In March 2016, after placing second behind Ohio State's Nathan Tomasello at the Big Ten Championships, the nightly communications, predictable like clockwork, ceased without warning. "After that Big Ten final something clicked between him and I. It was the strangest thing in the world. During that whole two-week period between Big Ten's and NCAAs we didn't talk once," Dan said. "It was almost like God's telling me 'OK, look, it's his time to become an adult. He's gotta own this. You can't win the match for him. There's nothing you can do. You gotta separate yourself right now." For Nico, the silence was simple. It was about achieving his goal. "I focused on what I wanted [those two weeks]," Nico said. "The only people I talked to were teammates and coaches." Nico Megaludis gets in on a shot on Thomas Gilman in the NCAA finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The next time Dan had a conversation with his son, it was at Madison Square Garden on March 19, 2016, a little after 8 p.m. Nico had just been crowned the 2016 NCAA Champion at 125 pounds, winning the last match of his Nittany Lion career -- a dominant 6-3 decision over Iowa's Thomas Gilman. "I don't know, it's not even celebration, it's just relief," Nico said to reporters following his match. "I knew I was going to be the champion. It was a done deal a year ago when I had signs everywhere -- my room, Penn State, my room at home, my bathroom at home, my wrestling room at home, my car steering wheel: I am [the] 2016 national champion." For Dan, the post-match emotions mirrored Nico's -- pure relief that Nico "got that monkey off his back" and ended his career on top. Nico Megaludis found his parents in the crowd after winning the NCAA title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) "We didn't see him [or even] talk to him until he came up and he hugged us [in the stands] after he won," Dan said. "He told the ESPN guys, 'I just want to go see my parents. It was the most emotional thing and I was like, 'Wow, he still loves us.'" Often sports can create a close bond between father and son. Wrestling did that for Dan and his only son Nico. Today, though, wrestling isn't the only passion that unites a bond between father and son -- it was just the first. At 5 years old, Nico, went out for the wrestling team -- his first foray into organized wrestling with his dad, a former high school wrestler, as his coach. By his sixth match, one thing became abundantly clear: Nico hated to lose -- a mentality that also carried over into his professional life. Jody Strittmatter, co-founder of Young Guns, a premier Pennsylvania youth wrestling club, who also coached Nico during his youth, says Megaludis hated to lose even more than he enjoyed winning. "Even home Scrabble games or Monopoly, whatever it was, we were playing at the house trying to have fun. He'd lose the game and throw the board, run out of the room and say we were cheating," Dan said with a laugh. Ironically enough, for a wrestler with hundreds of wins on his resume, three individual PIAA championships, one individual NCAA championship and four NCAA team championships, and a smattering of international accolades to his credit, his earliest wrestling memory was a loss -- the first of his career. "When I was 5, I was 6-0 in wrestling, and I thought I could never lose. I lost in overtime. And, it was like the end of the world. My Dad thought he was gonna have to take me to a hospital [I was so upset]," Nico recalled, with a chuckle. By age 7 or 8, it became clear he had a future in the sport as he saw continued success in national tournaments. "I think it's huge to be surrounded by good people in this sport especially growing up," Nico said. "If kids want to be successful in this sport they have to challenge themselves, take themselves to the biggest tournaments and biggest arenas." Knowing Nico had the most important trait any successful wrestler needed: A disdain for losing, Dan strived to be a better steward of the sport himself. "What I learned from wrestling in high school [myself] was nothing compared to what I learned from the people I surrounded myself with: Cary Kolat, Sunny Abe, Jeff Jordan, Brent Metcalf and Jody and John Strittmatter," Dan said. "I just became a sponge and I would take it back and teach Nico and the other kids." With natural talent, elite coaching and a strong support system in place, Nico was poised to begin his prep career at Franklin Regional High School in 2008. Megaludis' prep career started with a bang. The freshman rattled off 35 straight wins, before losing his first high school match to Mark Rappo of Council Rock South. Rappo, one of the nation's top recruits at 112 pounds, dropped down to 103 pounds for the state tournament. He was able to ride Megaludis out for the entire third period, winning by the narrowest of margins, 1-0, en route to the 103-pound crown, while Megaludis fought to a third-place finish. To this day, Megaludis wouldn't change a thing. "[The match] made me the person I am today," Nico said. "There's certain losses that sting more than others. As far as regrets, heck no, I don't believe in that." It's possible the reason that match is still memorable for the former Franklin Regional star is because it was the only loss of his entire high school career. "He was self-disciplined. He took care of everything. It's never like we had to force him to do anything," former Franklin Regional head wrestling coach Eric Mausser said. "The morning of his semifinal match, his only high school loss, he's up at 5 a.m. drilling. That's the level of intensity he has." A self-prescribed Type-A personality, Megaludis would sometimes obsess over what might look insignificant to others, but it's paramount to him. "I remember he [Nico] beat a kid 14-0 but the kid rode him out for two minutes in the third period and Nico was just furious with himself," Mausser said. "For the next week, after practice, that's all he was doing, working on escaping from bottom. He obsessed over the details." Nico Megaludis won three state titles and compiled a career record of 170-1 (Photo/PA Wrestling Newsmagazine) That obsessive nature and intensity paid off. Nico became Pennsylvania's 47th three-time state champion. He finished his career with an overall record of 170-1, including a 135-match winning-streak to close out his career with the Panthers. "If you have pressure, it's a good thing because it means you care," Megaludis said. "But I never let it affect me. I mean, I'd get nervous sometimes before a match -- but I like the big matches. I didn't care what other people thought [about my win streak]. I want them to respect the type of person that I am." For Nico, the fashion in which he won that final state title was more important than the act of winning itself. Megaludis started his prep career with a bang, and he finished that career the same way. A 16-4 trouncing of Boyertown's Jeremy Minich earned Nico his third PIAA gold medal, ending one of the best prep careers the state has ever seen. "Everybody called and everybody wanted information on Nico," Mausser said. "But some people knew he was going to a big school, so a lot of the local schools didn't even try." For Megaludis, it came down to two schools: Iowa and Penn State, just two hours from his hometown. Nico Megaludis after winning claiming a state championship as a sophomore (Photo/PA Wrestling Newsmagazine) Megaludis visited Iowa, and he liked what he saw. He explored Iowa City, met Iowa head coach and associate head coach Tom and Terry Brands and watched Brent Metcalf train. In 2009, though, right in the middle of Megaludis' recruitment, Penn State wrestling sent shockwaves around the college wrestling world when they fired head coach Troy Sunderland in April. Numerous names swirled around the wrestling sphere as to who the heir to the Nittany Lion wrestling thrown would be. One name not in the early discussion was Cael Sanderson, who experienced great success as head coach at his alma mater, Iowa State. Over his three seasons coaching in Ames, Sanderson led the Cyclones squad to NCAA Division I national placements of second, fifth, and third. He also coached his wrestlers to two individual NCAA titles. However, on April 17, 2009, he became the head coach at Penn State, and with that, Megaludis' mind was made up: he'd become a Nittany Lion. The chance to be trained by a four-time NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist was too good to pass up. "It was actually relatively easy," Megaludis said of his commitment decision. "They [the coaching staff] all came the end of my sophomore year. Before my junior season, I took an unofficial visit, practiced up there, and loved it. I went up [for a second unofficial visit] a month later and committed. It just made sense… [they had] some of the best coaches, I was two hours from home, and it's a great school." Just as Megaludis burst on to the scene with an impressive run in the state tournament as a high school freshman, he did the same as a true freshman at Penn State in the national tournament. After placing fifth at the 2009 Big Ten Championships, he put together a stunning run at the NCAAs just two weeks later, losing in the NCAA finals despite being seeded No. 10. Nico Megaludis defeated Cornell's Frank Perrelli in the NCAA semifinals in 2012 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) His 4-1 record at the NCAAs was highlighted by redemptive wins. First, he avenged two regular season losses with 7-4 decision over Zach Sanders of Minnesota in quarterfinals. Then Megaludis followed with a thrilling 3-2 double-overtime win over Frank Perrelli of Cornell in national semifinals, again, avenging two earlier regular season losses to Perrelli. Ultimately, he dropped a tough 4-1 bout to Matt McDonough of Iowa in the NCAA finals, but became Penn State's first true freshman All-American since Quentin Wright was sixth at 174 in 2009. Now it wasn't just Megaludis that expected him to win a national title -- the entirety of the college wrestling world anticipated he'd win one too. As a sophomore and a junior, Megaludis came close, but was unable to get it done. He was once again a runner-up in his second season as a collegiate -- losing to Jesse Delgado at both the Big Ten and NCAA Championships. As a junior he finished third at NCAAs. "I'm not gonna say I took those losses well [at NCAAs]," Megaludis said. "Bu I kinda sulked a little bit, let it soak in and grieved. But there comes a point where you have to say, 'Alright, there's a reason and a purpose for this. Now I have to move forward.'" In 2015, without injury, Megaludis took a redshirt season, a year where he could focus on the technical aspects of his craft in the practice room. "Cael never had a conversation with me [about redshirting]. But he knew I was going to redshirt," Megaludis said. "I needed to take a step back and get out of the rat race [of college wrestling] and get better technically." Nico Megaludis celebrates after winning the NCAA title at 125 pounds as a senior (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) In 2016, Megaludis' last as a Nittany Lion, he left everything he had on the mat, and finished his collegiate career on top in the world's most famous arena -- Madison Square Garden -- as an NCAA champion. "Just finally getting it done, wrestling well and taking a little bit of relief off my shoulders," Megaludis said. "You can't beat going out on top with the type of career that I had, being so close multiple times." With three high school state titles and one NCAA national title to his credit, the only honor left on Megaludis' wrestling bucket list: an Olympic gold medal. Megaludis visualized wrestling and winning on the international circuit when he was 7 or 8 years old. In high school he put pen to paper and wrote that goal of an Olympic medal down on a goal sheet his high school coaches asked him to make. "When I was cleaning out my classroom, I found Nico's goal sheet from probably when he was a freshman," Mausser said. "It said undefeated state champion and NCAA champion and Olympic champion. They were always his goals. [He wrote them down in], the worst chicken-scratch you've ever seen." As a 2016 NCAA champ, Megaludis automatically qualified for the 2016 Olympic Trials in Iowa City, Iowa. When asked post-match he didn't tiptoe around his Olympic aspirations. "Heck yeah, I'll wrestle man," Megaludis said with an ear-to-ear grin. "That was the plan a year ago. This was the first step obviously. I wanted this [title], but Olympic Trials, Olympic champion -- that was what I was thinking about after this." Megaludis failed to qualify in freestyle for the U.S. Olympic team in 2016 -- at the age of 23 -- but wasn't ready to hang up his wrestling shoes. Toyko 2020 would be his year. Off the mat, Megaludis would take his business administration and finance degree to his day job as a financial planner at Megaludis Financial, which specializes in estate planning, financial planning, employee and executive benefit planning, and investment strategies. Nico is a partner alongside his father Dan. Growing up Nico would occasionally go with his dad to a meeting at Megaludis Financial. At the time, he wasn't exactly sure what was occurring in these meetings, but he was intrigued enough to take a deeper dive into the financial sector at Penn State. "In the back of our minds, we'd always talk about how he was going to be in the firm," Dan said. "I think he always assumed he was going to be, but the back of my mind I thought, 'Is he going to like it?'" The short answer: yes, Nico loves being a financial advisor, helping individuals and their families to gain financial security. Their first four years together at Megaludis Financial have been a success, largely because that same dedication and drive to be the best on the mat has carried over into his financial advising efforts. "When I was wrestling, he knew I had to do what I had to do. I was always disciplined. He never pushed me to the extent of a 'crazy wrestling dad.'" Nico said. "The same thing is true with work; he knows I'm just as disciplined in that. If I have to schedule x-number of meetings, I'm going to do it." "He is very good at not letting distractions affect [him]," Dan said of his son. If he's going to get on the phone to call 20 new referrals, he will lock himself in a room and do it. Whenever he puts his mind to it, he is incredibly focused at that time." Nico is also well aware that he still has a lot to learn. As such, just like he turned to his dad to teach him wrestling, he turns to him for financial tutelage too. "Obviously, he teaches me, I ask questions [all the time]. I'm always learning," Nico said. "We work very well together because I'm very good at things in the business that maybe he wasn't taught." Still, just as it did in the wrestling room, that competitive nature has followed Nico to the board room too. Although the transition from collegiate standout to financial services has been a smooth and successful one, balancing work in Pennsylvania, training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and traveling overseas for competition can be a balancing act. "I'm not going to lie, it's not easy and I've had to figure this out," Nico said. "[With my business], there's no ceiling, you can do all these things to get better. If I'm sitting at home, I can call 50 or 100 people or learn financial strategies and efficiencies that make me better. But I also have to realize this is my downtime to not think about wrestling or work and just enjoy." Nico Megaludis, with Cael Sanderson, before wrestling in the NCAA semifinals in 2016 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The pursuit of Olympic gold amidst a blossoming financial career at times feels daunting for the 27-year-old, but the experiences he's had along the way have been priceless. "Just being around some of the best guys in the world, soaking that in, watching their technique and how they train," Megaludis said. "And, also the cultures overseas, just taking bits and pieces of how they live is pretty cool [to experience]." Despite the balancing act of managing an international athletic career and a professional career in finance, Megaludis has done it superbly, earning a spot on the national team twice, inching closer to earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Ask anyone close to him and they'll say it's his unwavering drive to be the best coupled with an unmatchable pace on the mat that has allowed his collegiate success to translate to the international scene. Adversity through injury had been foreign territory for the Olympic hopeful over his wrestling career which now spans over two decades. Nico Megaludis gets in on a shot against Tyler Graff at the 2018 U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) But, seven months ago, in July of 2019 that changed as injury struck. He tore the ACL in his left knee, requiring surgery. The ACL tear didn't end his shot at Olympic gold in Tokyo, but it certainly made it more challenging. In the time since, Nico has rehabbed fiercely. He found his way back to the mat for light drilling in December of 2019. By January 2020, he ramped up the intensity, less than three months away from the Olympic Trials at his alma mater, Penn State. On Feb. 13, injury struck again -- the same left knee, the same left ACL was torn again for the second time in less than eight months. "God has a plan for me and the 2020 Olympics is not in the plan. I accept his plan as it is way bigger than mine. I know there will be good to come out of this for whatever is next," Nico said in an Instagram post five days after sustaining the injury. As for the next steps in his wrestling career, the now 27-year-old Megaludis is still weighing his options, but the COVID-19 pandemic, which has delayed the 2020 Olympic Games nearly a full calendar year, has opened the door for Nico to try to qualify and compete in Tokyo if he chooses. But wrestling aside, Nico has a plan and a purpose far beyond the wrestling mat. "You have to enjoy every single second of your life, because you're there for a purpose, whether it's wrestling or work or family time," Nico said. "Make the most out of everything. At the end of the day, I'm not a wrestler, that's not who I am. But I'll always be competitive even when I'm done wrestling. That's never going to leave."

Two months after conducting a first-ever exhibition state wrestling tournament for girls, the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association -- the organization that governs high school sports in the Sooner State -- made it official, approving the addition of a girls wrestling division at the 2021 state championships, the OSSAA announced Monday. Although state champions weren't crowned at that exhibition event held during the last week in February, winners at each weight received medals and were honored on the podium, according to The Oklahoman, the daily newspaper of Oklahoma City. Todd Goolsby, assistant director of the OSSAA, said the response to the exhibition was overwhelming… which made it easy for the organization to officially sanction girls wrestling in Oklahoma, one of the nation's true hotbeds for the sport. With Oklahoma deciding to sanction girls wrestling, nearly half of the states now have official competitions for high-school-age girls. As recently as the beginning of 2018, just six states had separate state wrestling championships for girls: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Tennessee, Texas and Washington State.

Minnesota's Colby Njos throws Joseph Roberts of Illinois in the Greco-Roman Junior National Duals finals (Photo/David Peterson) Due to the nature of what it would entail to host a national or regional USA Wrestling competition, with the first priority being the health and safety of all participants involved, USA Wrestling has extended the postponement of its national and regional events through July 1. In addition to the 10 national and regional events that USA Wrestling previously postponed through May 10, there are 10 additional events which have now been postponed: Western Regional Championships, Farmington, UT, May 14-16 Northern Plains Regional Championships, Rochester, MN, May 15-17 Central Regional Championships, Fort Wayne, IN, May 15-17 Southeast Regional Championships, Wilmington, NC, May 22-24 UWW U23 & Junior World Team Trials, Geneva, OH, May 29-31 Southern Plains Regional Championships, Dodge City, KS, June 5-7 16U National Duals, Loves Park, IL, June 9-13 14U National Duals, Franklin, IN, June 10-14 Junior National Duals, Tulsa, OK, June 16-20 USA Wrestling Kids Nationals, Wisconsin Dells, WI, June 25-27 Working with its COVID-19 Advisory Committee and relying on current advice from health and government agencies, USA Wrestling is currently formulating the specific safety measures that must be put in place in order for the resumption of club practice and local or state competitions. Any such activity will only be possible when held under the guidelines set by local and state health authorities and in compliance with the safety measures being developed for the sport. As this situation regarding this pandemic remains fluid and ever-evolving, USA Wrestling will continue to monitor its policies regarding National and Regional events, sanctioned events and club practices, and additional changes to these policies are possible.

Ben Honis reached the U.S. Open finals in 2019 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The Pennsylvania Regional Training Center (PRTC) has announced the addition of Ben Honis to its freestyle program. A 2019 All-American and First-Team All-Ivy selection, Ben competed with Cornell for four seasons in both the heavyweight and 197-pound classes. He earned All-American status in gritty fashion when he was upset in his first match at the NCAA tournament, but rebounded to win four straight matches to finish in eighth place. Ben also has impressive freestyle credentials having finished as the 97-kilogram runner-up at the 2019 Marine Corps US Open, which earned him a spot in the World Team Trials. After finishing his collegiate wrestling career, Ben joined Syracuse's football team where he played in nine games for the Orangemen. "Ben Honis has made the US Open finals at 97 kilograms in a convincing manner and his freestyle skills are extremely impressive. More importantly, after spending time with Ben and getting to know him personally, it is immediately clear that he is a man of substance and character. Ben is an ideal fit for our PRTC culture, and we are blessed to have him on board," said Brandon Slay, executive director and head coach of the PRTC. Added Ben, "I am thrilled to be a part of the storm that's coming out of the PRTC. After taking a visit and meeting with Coach Slay and the current athletes, I noticed a unique dynamic and felt an immediate connection. At the PRTC, I will have the opportunity to develop my wrestling while also serving those in the community. I will be surrounded by great leaders who will encourage me in my faith journey. I look forward to resuming my training at the PRTC very soon!" At the PRTC, our mission is to enrich lives locally and globally through the sport of wrestling, and we do this by living out our core values of Faith over fear, Full effort, Struggle well, and Serve others.

Larry Nelson Wisconsin high school state champ. Big Ten titlewinner for the University of Michigan. Founding coach of the successful Vacaville High wrestling program for a third of century. Inductee into a half-dozen Halls of Fame. All these accomplishments describe Larry Nelson, legendary high school wrestling coach at Vacaville, who passed away at home Friday morning, April 17, of natural causes at age 90. A major force in California wrestling, Lawrence Nelson was born in Wisconsin, where he won the 125-pound state title for Milwaukee South High School in 1947. He then headed to University of Michigan, wrestling for long-time head coach Cliff Keen as a two-year starter. During the 1949-50 season, Nelson wrestled at 128 pounds, compiling an 8-3 record. The following year, Nelson tallied a perfect 12-0 record, earning the 1951 Big Ten title at 123 pounds. It was as a high school coach in California where Nelson really made a name for himself. In 1961, Nelson launched the wrestling program at Vacaville, located between the San Francisco Bay area and Sacramento. Here's how Joe Davidson, sportswriter for the Sacramento Bee, described the incredible growth of the program under Nelson's leadership: "Nelsom's first Vacaville team in 1961 included one athlete. By the time Nelson was done as the Bulldogs head coach in 1994, the roster filled a school bus." Over 35 seasons as head coach, Nelson's teams compiled a 533-73 dual-meet record, second-highest in state history. With Nelson at the helm, the Bulldogs won six Sac-Joaquin Section, 15 SJS Divisional and 26 league championships. After 1994, Nelson continued his coaching career at Vacaville, working as an assistant to the Bulldogs wrestling program up until he was 86 years old. Nelson once said, "This is what I do. I coach." Actually, Nelson was more than a coach. He recorded sports events at Vacaville as a photographer/videographer, and taught English classes. In multiple interviews with students and instructors, more than one person mentioned that John Irving's classic wrestling novel "The World According to Garp" was Nelson's favorite book to teach. Larry Nelson was a multi-dimensional individual with a singular focus on giving his best in all endeavors. "He was just an iconic guy, very quiet, singled-minded," former football coach and Nelson assistant Fred Jones told the Daily Republic. "He started a great wrestling program, he developed the program. Larry brought a toughness to a whole generation of kids, his style of wrestling, what he believed in, the discipline of it all. His wrestlers all loved him. They worked extra hard for him."

Iowa's Michael Kemerer was ranked No. 2 prior to the NCAAs (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Michael Kemerer has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. The University of Iowa 174-pounder announced the news on social media Sunday night. He included the hashtag #GrandpaMike. The NCAA granted another year of eligibility for Kemerer after he had missed out on the entire 2018-19 season because of shoulder and knee injuries. Kemerer returned to action this past season, compiling a 15-1 record in 2019-20. The one lone loss was at the 2020 Big Ten Championships at Rutgers University in New Jersey, falling to Penn State's Mark Hall, 8-5, in the finals. Kemerer had been announced as the No. 2 seed for the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships until the Nationals were canceled because of the coronavirus COVID-19. Kemerer's return for the 2020-21 season means Iowa will have nine of its starters from last season.

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. -- Delaware Valley University Director of Athletics David Duda announced on Monday that, after a national search, Andrew Taylor has been named the full-time head men's wrestling coach. Taylor comes to DelVal by way of Division III affiliate Baldwin Wallace University where he served as assistant coach for his alma mater for six seasons under head coach Jamie Gibbs. "We are thrilled to have Andrew take the reins of our storied wrestling program. Andrew comes from a great stock, working with Coach Gibbs and a wonderful staff at national D-III powerhouse Baldwin Wallace," said Duda. "Andrew had his fingerprints on the growth and development of the program at Baldwin Wallace and we look for him to position Delaware Valley atop the conference, regional, and national ranks." Andrew TaylorSince joining the Yellow Jackets staff, the squad has compiled a 104-23 record over the last five seasons and captured four-straight Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) titles, two Central Regional championships, and two regional runner-up finishes while being nationally ranked each year. Over the five-year span, Baldwin Wallace had 38 individual national qualifiers, including a Division-III best nine individual qualifiers in 2018, and six All-Americans. This season, BW was ranked number six in the country heading into the 2020 Division III National Championships. Taylor played a key role in the Yellow Jackets' success off the mat and in the classroom as well. His team finished with the second-highest team GPA in all of Division-III last season, and this year they ranked 10th overall with a 3.55 team GPA. As a Division-III student-athlete, Taylor compiled a 92-70 career record with three 20-plus win seasons, including one trip to the national championships and a nod to the NWCA Scholar All-American team. "First and foremost, I want to thank Director of Athletics Dave Duda and Delaware Valley for their time and effort during this search. I am elated to have been the candidate chosen to lead this historic program," Taylor commented. "There is a tremendous sense of commitment to the success of the wrestling program as a whole, including the women's team, and I am excited to collaborate with Coach Leigh Jaynes. I am looking forward to building on the success of this storied program." Taylor becomes the 10th head coach in DelVal wrestling history and takes over a squad that had one national qualifier last year in senior Kordell Rush. The storied Aggie wrestling program has captured 15 Middle Atlantic Conference Championships, seven regional team championships, and one national runner-up title, with 11 individual National Champions, 83 All-Americans, and 31 Academic All-Americans.

Four-time state champion Jesse Vasquez is ranked No. 9 among all seniors (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Jesse Vasquez (Excelsior Charter, Calif.), the No. 9 overall wrestler in the Class of 2020, made his decision to attend Arizona State this weekend. Vasquez wrote the following when announcing his commitment on Instagram Saturday night: Enough time has passed, and I have finally made a decision that you all have been waiting patiently for! I am proud to announce that I will be officially continuing my academic and athletic career at ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY!!! I am looking forward to becoming a part of the Sun Devils, one of the best college wrestling teams on the West Coast. I truly believe that Coach Zeke Jones wrestling program will align with the goals that I have in the college wrestling world, as well as academic and professional. I am humble to be staying in the West Coast, representing the side of the country I love the most, and the people that have supported me throughout my high school wrestling career. I want to give a huge shoutout to my family, all of the coaches, friends, and most importantly the Lord, for bringing me to this point in my life! Just under two months ago, Vasquez became just the fourth wrestler to win four state titles in the single-class California state wrestling tournament. He also ended the 2019-20 season ranked second nationally at 145 pounds. He projects as a 149/157-pounder in college.

Shae Bloom, 184-pound redshirt sophomore wrestler for Clarion University, passed away on Thursday, April 16, the Pennsylvania-based school announced Friday. He was 22 years old. Members of the Clarion wrestling team were informed of Bloom's death on the evening of April 16. Counseling services have been made available to students, faculty and staff. "The Clarion University family is deeply saddened to learn of the death of junior Shae Bloom," said Clarion President Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson. "The coaches, faculty, staff and students are supporting one another during this sad time. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time." "Shae was a talented and hard-working young man who embodied the exceptional spirit of being a student-athlete at Clarion," said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Wendy Snodgrass. "This is a heartbreaking loss for our community. Our sincere condolences go out to his family, teammates, coaches and fellow student-athletes." Shae BloomKeith Ferraro, head wrestling coach of the Golden Eagles, described Shae Bloom as "absolutely one of the toughest kids I've ever had the privilege to coach. He set an example for all of his teammates by being ready to stand up to any challenge that came his way. Shae was a part of our family and we are devastated by his loss." At time of his death, Bloom, a junior business major, was a redshirt sophomore for the Clarion Golden Eagles, having just finished his second year with the wrestling program. In 2018-19, he recorded a 15-6 overall record and a 2-1 record in dual matches before suffering a season-ending injury midway through the year. This past season, still struggling with the previous year's injury, Bloom was 0-3. Prior to enrolling at Clarion, Shae Bloom compiled a combined 140-21 record at Curwensville High and DuBois High Schools. He was a four-time PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state championships qualifier, placing fifth in his junior and senior years. He was also a four-time district champion and two-time regional champion. Information regarding memorial services are not available at this time.

Michael McGee wrestling UNI's Jay Schwarm at the 2019 NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Two weeks after Old Dominion discontinued its wrestling program, two of the program's top lightweights announced where they will be finishing their college careers. Michael McGee announced his plans to transfer to Arizona State, while Killian Cardinale announced his plans to wrestle at West Virginia. McGee won MAC titles in each of his first two seasons to qualify for the NCAAs at 125 pounds before redshirting this past season. He reached the round of 12 as a sophomore, finishing the season with a 31-6 record. In 2019-20, McGee compiled a perfect 11-0 record as a redshirt, claiming titles at the National Collegiate Open and the Appalachian State Open competing at 133 pounds. Old Dominion wrestlers are eligible to immediately transfer to another school. They also have the option of holding on to their scholarships through the end of their fourth academic year if they remain at ODU.

Mark Perry coaching Forrest Molinari (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State wrestling added another impressive hire to its coaching staff on Friday, with head coach Zeke Jones announcing the addition of four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion Mark Perry. "We just hit another home run coaching hire with Mark Perry," Coach Jones said. "He comes with a tremendous amount of elite coaching experience as an associate head coach at the college level. He's a natural-born leader, with a rich family wrestling tradition and just adds another head coach to our room. Not only has he won national championships, but he's also coached at the world and Olympic level and will be a great addition to our staff." Most recently, Perry has spent his time as a head coach at the Hawkeye Wrestling Club developing post-graduate wrestlers for national and international competition, training most notably 2017 World Silver medalist Thomas Gilman. He returned to Iowa City in 2017, where he has spent the last three seasons before taking the position with the Sun Devils. The hire comes just over a week after ASU named Frank Molinaro as an assistant coach last Thursday. The Barnegat, N.J. native and Perry know each other far too well, as Perry coached Molinaro at Penn State in his freshman season in 2008-09. "I was basically in charge of the freshman and I was lucky they had two amazing freshman at the time in Frank Molinaro and Quentin Wright," Coach Perry stated. "Those were the two guys that I had the chance to coach and they went on to do amazing things throughout their career." "Franky is a lot like the whole staff there that Zeke has put together," Perry said. "A lot of high energy guys. When I first met Franky, we hit it off very well in a lot of ways - personality, energy, and enthusiasm. I can't tell you how excited I am that he is out there. We have kept our relationship for almost 12 years since I have coached him. We have always had a great relationship and we will continue to have a great relationship. Arizona State is lucky to have Frank on board." Perry ended his collegiate wrestling career at Iowa as a two-time NCAA champion after winning back-to-back titles at 165 pounds in 2007 and 2008. He was a four-time All-American from 2005-08 while capturing a Big Ten championship in 2007. The Stillwater, Okla. native became Iowa's 14th two-time national champion and 17th four-time All-American, helping lead the Hawkeyes to their 21st NCAA team title in 2008. Perry made his longest tenure as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois under former Hawkeye Jim Heffernan for six seasons from 2011-2017. Perry showed his ability to recruit the state of California in his time at Illinois, landing two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez and Justin Mejia, Illinois top recruit in 2017. Before coaching for the Fighting Illini, he spent two seasons at Cal Poly as an assistant in 2009-10 and later being promoted associate head coach the next season. His California recruiting success began in San Luis Obispo, where he recruited two-time national champion, Jesse Delgado, who would later follow Perry to Illinois. He made the immediate jump to coaching at the college level following his senior season at Iowa with a brief stint in College Station, PA with Penn State in 2008-09. He was in charge of the freshman class in that lone season, helping develop Quentin Wright and Molinaro into All-Americans in their first seasons. Perry graduated with a B.A. in Art from the University of Iowa in 2008. Before entering the college ranks, he was a two-time high school national champion at one of the most successful high school wrestling programs in Blair Academy, where he ended with a career record of 169-7 and was selected as a three-time Asics All-American. He will serve as the voluntary assistant coach in Tempe while also taking over as the head coach for Sunkist Wrestling Club. The Sun Devils return four top-10 seeded wrestlers from last season's canceled championships and the second-ranked recruiting class from 2019. "I'm super excited to join Zeke's (Jones) staff," Perry said. "I have followed Zeke's career since he was an assistant and the head coach of USA Wrestling. It has been impressive what Arizona State has done since he's taken over from the outside looking in. I had the opportunity to talk with Zeke about his vision and the staff that he was putting together. I am very excited." The hire is pending background paperwork by Human Resources.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced the 2020 Division I All-American teams. Each year the NWCA recognizes the outstanding work of the DI Student-Athletes by naming the All-Americans based on their achievements in the national championship, however, this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic the championships were canceled. All-American honors were based on each wrestler's overall body of work through the conference tournaments and up to the national championships. First Team All-Americans Second Team All-Americans Honorable Mention All-Americans "During difficult times there are always people who rise to the occasion and I'm proud of the action that the NWCA Division I Leadership Group in providing direction for honoring the 2020 Division I All-American team. It's important that these athletes' efforts and successes during the season are recognized. Congratulations to each of this year's honorees and National Qualifiers." -- Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director ABOUT THE NWCA The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: Coaching Development, Student-Athlete Welfare, and the Promotion of Wrestling.

David McFadden was a three-time All-American for Virginia Tech (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The Pennsylvania Regional Training Center (PRTC) has announced the addition of three-time All-American David McFadden to its freestyle program. David joins Joey McKenna and Ethan Lizak as new PRTC athletes over the last year. David, who wrestled for Virginia Tech, was vying to become the program's first four-time All-American this year, but the season was cut short when the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. A native of New Jersey and a two-time state high school champion, David's NCAA finishes include sixth in 2016, fifth in 2018, and sixth in 2019. He is also a two-time ACC champion and three-time finalist. He has a career college record of 122-25. On the freestyle circuit, David was a 2018 U23 World Team Member at 79 kilograms. "We are very excited to add David McFadden to our PRTC family. David embodies all of our organization's core values and will fit extremely well into our Philadelphia wrestling ecosystem. I have watched him compete with grit for many years, and it's an honor to have him aboard. We look forward to being part of his future growth as a leader on and off the mat," said Brandon Slay, executive director and head coach of the PRTC. David added, "After analyzing other RTC opportunities, the PRTC was clearly different, and I'm thrilled to be joining the PRTC family. They deeply want to win, but they also value character, serving others, and making lives better through wrestling, which is very important to me. I couldn't be happier!" At the PRTC, our mission is to enrich lives locally and globally through the sport of wrestling, and we do this by living out our core values of Faith over fear, Full effort, Struggle well, and Serve others.

Born and raised in Iowa. Served in the U.S. Army. College-educated in Colorado then remained in the state as a high school teacher and wrestling coach. Headed back to the Midwest to teach and coach wrestling at Huron College in South Dakota. Those forty-two words encapsulate some of the high points of the 90-year life and career of Vernon A. Tate, who spent nearly a half-century of his life as a wrestling coach at both the high school and collegiate level. Vern Tate passed away at age 90 in his home in Huron, S.D. on April 9, 2020. Vernon Aubrey Tate was born on December 11, 1929, in Independence, Iowa. He grew up at Waterloo, Iowa and graduated from West Waterloo High School in 1948. After graduation in 1948, Tate enlisted in the United States Army and was honorably discharged in 1950. Eager to get a college education, Tate enrolled at Western State at Gunnison, Colo., graduating with a Bachelor's degree in 1954. He stayed in-state to earn his Masters' at Adams State at Alamosa, Colo. In subsequent years, Tate received additional education from Colorado State College, Ball State University in Indiana, and South Dakota State University. Tate launched his high school teaching and coaching career at Ordway, Colo ... then remained in state to continue as a history teacher and wrestling and football coach in Holly and Alamosa, Colorado. In 1967, Tate moved to South Dakota after being hired by Huron College's then athletic director, Gil Peterson, hired him as head wrestling coach. For 31 years, Vern taught physical education and history. He was chairman of the history department for many years. He also served as athletic director, was assistant football coach and head wrestling coach. Vern Tate guided Huron to a national runner-up finish in 1980In his three decades at Huron College, Vern Tate built a successful wrestling program year after year. Among his accomplishments: 12 SDIC (South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference) team titles, seven national Top 20 finishes, three individual NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) national champions, and 31 All-American honorees. What's more, Tate was voted Wrestling Coach of the Year for District 12 (1971, '73, '75); South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year (1980-1986); South Dakota Sportswriters Coach of the Year (1973), and NAIA Wrestling Coach of the Year (1973 and 1980). He was inducted into the National (NAIA) Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999, the S.D.I.C. Hall of Fame in 1991 and into the Huron College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. He received recognition for his 100th dual win in 1977, and for the 200th dual win in 1991. Vern was also voted Huron University Teacher of the Year (1990, 1993, 1994). Arguably just as important as these impressive statistics and honors, his obituary stated, "Vern Tate was passionate about the career he had chosen and it was evident because of the lifelong friendships and admiration he acquired from his students, athletes, coaches and colleagues. Many of his student athletes would have taken a wrong path in life without the guidance of Coach Tate." Echoing those sentiments were comments made to InterMat from two of Vern Tate's wrestlers. "Coach Tate was a father figure to so many athletes up in Huron," said Merrick Wills who wrestled at the South Dakota college in the mid-1980s. "Don't really know how to describe in words how he brought out the best in all of us. I do know, he somehow made everyone click in the work out room, and that carried over to our showings at the national tournament the years I was there from 1983-1985. He really was a great mentor to so many of us that lacked something when we got there, but by the time we left he had us standing on the podium receiving All-American or National Championship Honors." Jim Morkel and Vern Tate in Scottsdale (Ariz.) in 2017"Vern as all great coaches touch their athletes beyond just their sport but also as mentors in life," Jim Morkel told InterMat. "I was fortunate to have been a Waterloo, Iowa boy raised to wrestle, I guess. My high school coach was Bob Siddens at Waterloo West High. Definitely been lucky with the men that influenced me." "He was a heck of a man and coach. Pretty amazing in what he did at little Huron College." A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials to honor Vernon Tate may be sent to the Beadle County Humane Society or Huron Regional Medical Center Hospice.