InterMat Staff

Ryan Riggs FERRUM, Va. -- Director of Athletics John Sutyak has announced the hiring of Ryan Riggs as head men's wrestling coach at Ferrum College. Riggs has been with the Panther wrestling program the past four seasons and recently completed his second year as associate head coach. "We are extremely pleased that Ryan Riggs has agreed to be the next head men's wrestling coach at Ferrum College," said Sutyak. "Ryan has been instrumental in helping to build Ferrum into a national program and regional power within the NCAA. Having an accomplished coach already on staff allows us to continue the upward trajectory of Ferrum men's wrestling on the national level. In having the opportunity to work with him and observe him as a coach the last few months, I have full confidence in Ryan and how we will work together to keep Ferrum men's wrestling strong." Riggs was promoted to associate head coach at Ferrum in July 2018. In doing so, he took on more day-to-day operations of the program, including recruiting, fundraising, practice development and coordinating Ferrum men's wrestling social media presence. He was instrumental in helping Ferrum host the 2019 NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championships at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia. Riggs also helped the Panthers host the NCAA Southeast Regional tournaments in 2017 and 2018. He has served as tournament director for the Star City Classic, Southeast Duals and Panther Open, all tournaments hosted by Ferrum. Hired as the assistant men's wrestling coach in July 2016, he immediately stepped in and served as the head women's wrestling coach that season as well. The next fall, Ferrum's head cross country coach position was vacant and Riggs once again stepped in to fill the void. In Riggs' first season at Ferrum, the Panther men won the 2017 NCAA Div. III Southeast Regional, with Riggs earning Regional Assistant Coach of the Year honors. Ferrum sent three wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament that season, including Logan Meister, who was a three-time NCAA qualifier, and Zack Beckner, who became the program's first National Finalist and NCAA runner-up. Ferrum won Southeast Wrestling Conference Tournament (SWEC) titles all four years during Riggs' tenure as assistant and associate head coach, and he was named SEWC Assistant Coach of the Year in 2019. The Panthers posted top-10 finishes at a number of prestigious events, most notably the Pete Willson Invitational (2nd in 2017), the NWCA National Duals (8th in 2017) and the Citrus Open (2nd in 2019). "I want to thank our Director of Athletics John Sutyak, Associate Athletic Director Gary Holden and President Dr. David Johns for believing in me as the next head wrestling coach at Ferrum College. I'm truly grateful for the opportunity to lead this program and amazing student athletes. I am ready to build on the success of this last season and have very high expectations for the future of Ferrum wrestling." A native of Perry Township, Ohio, Riggs prepped at Massillon Perry High School, where he was a double All-American at the Asics Greco-Roman and Freestyle Fargo National Championships. Massillon Perry achieved its first top-10 national ranking (#8) by Amateur Wrestling News during Riggs' sophomore year in 2000-01. He qualified three times for the Ohio State Tournament, was a two-time Ironman Tournament place winner and a Beast of the East Tournament finalist. Riggs was ranked nationally by USA Wrestling and Amateur Wrestling News before continuing his career at Cleveland State University as a scholarship wrestler under Coach Jack Effner. He placed 5th at the Eastern Wrestling League Tournament in 2007 and was ranked as high as #3 in the league. Riggs becomes only the second head men's wrestling coach in the seven-year history of the program. He succeeds Nate Yetzer, who stepped down last week to accept the head wrestling coach position at Roanoke College. Riggs takes over a program that finished 6-3 in 2019-20 and sent two wrestlers to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Panthers are expected to graduate three wrestlers this May, with over 30 eligible to return for the 2020-21 season.

With unanimous support of the USA Wrestling COVID-19 Advisory Committee, USA Wrestling has suspended all sanctioned events and national events through May 10. This is an extension of a previous suspension of activities announced on March 16, which discontinued sanctioned events through April 6 and postponed or canceled national events through April 20. For USA Wrestling, our number one priority is always the safety of our athletes and their families, all our members, our national staff and the entire U.S. wrestling community. This decision aligns USA Wrestling with the U.S. Center for Disease Control's guidance from March 16 that no gatherings of 50 or more people take place for the following eight weeks. The USA Wrestling COVID-19 Advisory Committee includes Dr. Tom Price, a physician who is past U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and past member of Congress; Dr. Bernard Feldman, UWW Medical Commission member and Hall of Fame wrestling physician; and John Bardis, past U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, and a longtime USA Wrestling leader who has a successful career in the medical industry. Also included on the COVID-19 Advisory Committee calls are USA Wrestling President Bruce Baumgartner, Executive Director Rich Bender and all of USA Wrestling's staff directors, so they can communicate directly to their constituent groups. In addition to the seven USA Wrestling National and Regional events postponed in March and April, three additional events have been postponed: Northeast Regional Championships, Manalapan, N.J. - May 1-3, 2020 USA Wrestling Women's National Championships, Irving, Texas - May 8-10, 2020 U.S. Beach and Belt National Championships, Carolina Beach, N.C.- May 8-9, 2020 There are many things that USA Wrestling members can do in the short term. USA Wrestling has launched TheMat.tv, an expanded video portal, as well as a COVID-19 section on its website TheMat.com with other resources. Many state associations and clubs are having online practices. Many of USA Wrestling's partner organizations are also providing programs and materials. In-home training, cross training and running are also great ideas as allowed by local government and health authorities. USA Wrestling is monitoring this situation daily. Please understand that this situation is fluid, and there may be further changes to this and other USA Wrestling policies based on national and local government regulations and advice from medical experts, including the Center for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization, and USA Wrestling's COVID-19 Advisory Committee. Additionally, USA Wrestling advises all of its members to refer to their state and local health agencies for guidance about the COVID-19 situation in their area. USA Wrestling has been, and will continue to meet regularly with state leaders, National Team athletes and others to inform and support them, as well as receive their input. USA Wrestling has pledged to increase its direct communication with its members moving forward, including opportunities to receive information directly from members of the COVID-19 Advisory Committee. USA Wrestling is updating a page on its website solely devoted to COVID-19 at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/March/14/COVID-19-Special-Section. This page includes links to resources for the wrestling community, as well as lists of statements, press releases and articles that will update and educate all members about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Frank Molinaro wrestling Bryce Meredith at the U.S. Senior Nationals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Frank Molinaro, U.S. freestyle wrestler at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2013 NCAA champ for Penn State, has symbolically placed his shoes on the mat, so to speak, by announcing that he will be retiring from wrestling competition, days after the International Olympic Committee had postponed the start of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics one year, to begin July 23, 2021. Molinaro made the announcement Tuesday morning during an interview on FloWrestling Radio Live. The 31-year-old said that, in recent days, he had time to think about his future, thanks to the coronavirus COVD-19 pandemic shutdown. "The biggest thing I felt that rest in my soul -- that I was ready to do it," Molinaro, a native of New Jersey, told the Asbury Park Press Tuesday morning. "I waited a few days. It just felt good. I'm excited and relieved today to make the announcement and move on with my life and move on to the next chapter.'' Molinaro went on to say, at age 31, it was a "stretch'' to make the Olympics had the Games taken place in late 2020 as originally scheduled."I was stretching my body, stretching my weight cut,'' Molinaro said. "A whole another year -- it's just not for me. I need to find a good situation for my family. They've sacrificed a lot," the Penn State standout told the Ashbury Park Press. "I've got three kids now (three sons ages 5, 3 and 2). They're getting older and older and they're getting ready to start pre-school and Kindergarten. I just want to get my family settled in. My wife is a huge part of the retirement, too. I've driven her across the country the last 8-10 years. It's just a matter of finding my next obsession.'' Molinaro said that hopes that "obsession'' will involve coaching wrestling ... and make the move to a full-time collegiate coaching, having served . He wants to move into the collegiate coaching ranks full-time. He had previously been an assistant coach, first at Rutgers University, then Virginia Tech. "Right now, I'm entering the job search and applying for some jobs,'' Molinaro said. "I've got to figure out what the next step is for me." Molinaro's on-the-mat career has been impressive at every level. Wrestling at Southern Regional High School, Molinaro was a three-time New Jersey state champion, and placed second at the High School Nationals. He then wrestled at Penn State for head coach Cael Sanderson, where he was a two-time Big Ten conference champ, and a four-time NCAA Division I All-American, completing his collegiate career by winning the 149-pound crown at the 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Molinaro represented the U.S. in men's freestyle competition at 65 kilograms/143 pounds, finishing in fifth place at the conclusion of the 2016 Games.

USA Wrestling, Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics, the Bryce Jordan Center and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee have collectively decided to postpone the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wrestling, scheduled for April 4- 5, 2020 at the Bryce Jordan Center. The International Olympic Committee has set the new dates for the Olympic Games in 2021. At this time, organizers are working closely with local officials and health experts in hopes of rescheduling the event at the Bryce Jordan Center in 2021. Updated event information will be shared as soon as it is available. After a new date is determined, tickets will be updated to reflect the rescheduled dates/time Previously purchased physical tickets will be reissued to the original purchaser. Previously purchased mobile tickets will be automatically updated. For fans who are unable to attend future dates, refunds are available by request to the original purchaser now through June 1, 2020. Deadline to request a refund: June 1, 2020. An email was sent to original purchasers notifying them of the postponement in early March. Stay tuned for additional information via email regarding rescheduling. REFUND DETAILS BY PURCHASE TYPE ONLINE PURCHASERS • To request a refund, the original purchaser must contact the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office by e-mail or phone. • A full refund will be processed on the credit card used for purchase (including processing fees). IN-PERSON CREDIT CARD PURCHASERS • To request a refund, the original purchaser must contact the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office by e-mail or phone. • A full refund will be processed on the credit card used for purchase (including processing fees). IN-PERSON CASH or CHECK PURCHASERS • To request a refund, the original purchaser must contact the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office by e-mail or phone. • A full refund will be issued by mail (including processing fees) to the original purchaser by Penn State check. Please allow up 30 days of notice of the cancellation for checks to be received. IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION E-mail: bjcticketcenter@psu.edu Phone: 814-865-5555 (M-F / 9am - 4:30pm) Please direct all other inquiries related to the event to jordancenter@psu.edu

Hayden Hidlay was selected ACC Wrestler of the Year (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Led by a historic first by brothers Hayden and Trent Hidlay, Atlantic Coast Conference champion NC State has swept the league's season honors for 2019-20. Hayden Hidlay (157 pounds) was selected the ACC Wrestler of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches, while Trent Hidlay (184) earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors. In addition, the Wolfpack's Pat Popolizio was chosen by his peers as the ACC Coach of the Year. Hayden and Trent Hidlay are the first pair of brothers to claim both ACC major season wrestling awards (in the same year or otherwise). It marks the 10th time that an NC State student-athlete has been voted the ACC Wrestler of the Year and the fourth time a Wolfpack wrestler has been named the ACC Freshman of the Year. Three NC State coaches have earned ACC Coach of the Year honors a total of nine times. Popolizio was recognized for the second time after guiding the Wolfpack to its 17th ACC title, tying for the most among current league schools. NC State's unbeaten dual season (15-0) was the first in the 91-year history of the program, and the Wolfpack ended the year ranked No. 3 nationally. Hayden Hidlay, who earned a No. 2 NCAA seeding, finished the year 28-1 overall, including a 12-0 record in dual matches. The redshirt junior from Lewistown, Pennsylvania, claimed his third conference crown at 157 pounds and has never lost to an ACC opponent in a dual or tournament match. He was 10-1 versus fellow ranked opponents in 2019-20. Hidlay became the 11th wrestler in NC State program history to earn three ACC titles and was a three-time ACC Wrestler of the Week in 2019-20. NC State has claimed five of the last seven ACC Wrestler of the Year honors. Wrestling in the competitive 184-pound weight class that featured three conference wrestlers ranked among the nation's top six, Trent Hidlay earned All-ACC honors with a second-place finish at the ACC Championship and was seeded No. 5 nationally by the NCAA. The redshirt freshman, who was ranked among the nation's top three at 184 much of the year, finished 23-4 on the season, including a 14-1 dual record and six wins over fellow ranked opponents. Popolizio's three league titles are the most among active ACC coaches. Hayden and Trent Hidlay were among eight NC State wrestlers that were NCAA qualifiers under his watch in 2019-20, four of which ranked among the top 10 and six of which were top-15 seeds.

Stephen V. DeAugustino, pioneering wrestler and coach in Pennsylvania, died Friday, March 27, 2020 after a brief illness. Steve DeAugustino was 95. DeAugustino was born in Pine Twp., Mercer County on Nov. 9, 1924 to Leonard and Mary (Puntureri) DeAugustino DeAugustino was a graduate of Grove City High School in Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state mat champ, winning state titles at 95 pounds in 1940 and 120 pounds in 1942. After high school, DeAugustino headed east to Lock Haven State Teachers College (now Lock Haven University) where he was a four-time PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Association) champ. Stephen DeAugustinoAfter graduating from Lock Haven, Stephen DeAugustino then launched his long, successful teaching coaching career. He taught and coached for forty years at Munhall, Grove City, and West Mifflin School Districts. During that time, his teams tallied over three hundred victories and was the first to coach at 500 dual meets in the state of Pennsylvania. DeAugustino also served as a mat official during his time as a high school teaching and coaching career. Stephen V. DeAugustino also earned numerous honors over the years. He has been inducted into the Pennsylvania Coaches Wrestling Association Hall of Fame, the Lock Haven University Hall of Fame, The Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Mercer County Hall of Fame. What's more, DeAugustino was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Pennsylvania Chapter in 2005. "Steve was not only a fine wrestler but he was also a fine coach and family man," Tom Elling, the dean of wrestling writers and historians, told InterMat. "He also flashed a ready smile. His son George was a wrestler at Lock Haven State. His grandson Michael DeAugustino currently wrestles for Northwestern at 125." A memorial mass with military honors will be held at a later date yet to be released at The Church of The Beloved Disciple, his home church, located in Grove City, Pa. Online condolences may be offered online at the website conducting the funeral.

Trophies from the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) We knew the news was coming. And it didn't come as a huge surprise. But that hardly lessens the impact. The news wrestlers had been waiting nearly three weeks for finally arrived late Monday afternoon. The NCAA decided not to grant winter sports athletes an extra year of eligibility after the national tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. My first thoughts were with studs like Iowa's Spencer Lee, Ohio State's Kollin Moore and Luke Pletcher, and Northern Iowa's Taylor Lujan. The guys that were among the No. 1 seeds who lost out on a chance for milestone achievements. It's so sad to think that an incredible wrestler like Spencer Lee is going to miss out on becoming Iowa's first four-time NCAA champion. Just four wrestlers have been four-timers and now Lee's opportunity is being taken away. Iowa State's David Carr will not have the opportunity to become a four-time NCAA champion (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) It wasn't just Lee. Talented freshmen like Iowa State's David Carr and Ohio State's Sammy Sasso also will miss out on a chance to be four-time champions. Lee could've taken an Olympic redshirt this season, but he chose not to as he tried to lead Iowa to its first national championship since 2010. Cornell's Yianni Diakomihalis, like Lee who was halfway to four titles, took an Olympic redshirt. Yianni still has a chance to win four and now Lee doesn't. That seems grossly unfair. It's not right. Moore and Pletcher were Buckeye seniors who were each favored to cap their careers with their first NCAA titles. Now they won't have that chance. Taylor Lujan was seeded No. 1 heading into the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Lujan's story is just heartbreaking. Here is a senior who had never been an All-American. He fell one win short of the medal podium the last two years. He was having an outstanding season and was the top seed at nationals. But now he won't even be an All-American. There are so many other deserving guys who missed out on golden opportunities. Look at Penn State seniors Vinceno Joseph and Mark Hall. Joseph, a two-time national champion, and Hall, who won it as a freshman, could have finished their career as four-time NCAA finalists. That's a rare and impressive achievement. But Joseph and Hall won't have that opportunity now. The decision on winter sports also included basketball and that likely worked against wrestling. Wrestling's case is much different than basketball's because all of the elite wrestlers compete under one roof at the NCAA wrestling tournament. And that's where the All-American finishers are determined. In competition. And on the mat. The All-Americans in wrestling are not voted on like they are in basketball. The NCAA should consider letting wrestlers who haven't taken a redshirt an opportunity to use one to reclaim the end of the season that was lost. Wrestlers like Lee, Iowa's Abe Assad and Michigan's Mason Parris all fall into that category. And then there is the case of three-time All-American Matt Kolodzik of Princeton. He came out of an Olympic redshirt late in the season to help his team. If he hadn't chosen to do that, Kolodzik would have another season left. Now his college career is over. If this was about money, why not figure out a way to work around it? How about allow these athletes an extra semester without a scholarship so they can compete in the NCAA tournament they missed out on? At least give them the option. I understand all of the issues with logistics, numbers and scholarships. My response to that is the NCAA is granting spring athletes another year, so why can't they do it for the winter athletes who missed out on their championship? This NCAA season was a week from being completed. But that's misleading. Everything these athletes work for -- the national tournament -- was taken away. The rest of the season is important, but the national tournament is what really matters. That's what everyone remembers. Penn State sophomore Roman Bravo-Young, one of the national title contenders at 133, jumped on Twitter shortly after the news broke Monday. "What a joke," Bravo-Young tweeted. "We just gave a free year of labor to the NCAA." The argument that most of the season was already completed rings hollow. The last week of the season carries tremendous value in a sport like wrestling. Everything the athletes do during the season -- all of the training, the sacrifice and the competitions -- are all geared toward the NCAA Championships. "Everyone remembers you for what you did at the national tournament." That was the second tweet that Bravo-Young posted Monday. His words couldn't have been more accurate for a sport than it is for wrestling. There is no doubt that these are unprecedented times. There is a worldwide pandemic going on and people's health is greatly at risk. That far outweighs any athletic competition. It made perfect sense to cancel all of these events. But there is still no reason why those athletes had to have an NCAA tournament taken away from them. The NCAA had an opportunity to make this right and chose not to. It's sad and unfortunate. And, quite frankly, it really stinks. 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.

NCAA wrestlers who had their seasons cut short due to the spread of coronavirus will not be granted additional eligibility, the NCAA announced Monday. The NCAA's Division I Council voted to allow schools to provide student-athletes participating in spring sports an additional season of competition and an extension of their period of eligibility. Athletes in winter sports, like wrestling, were not included in the decision. "Council members declined to extend eligibility for student-athletes in sports where all or much of their regular seasons were completed," the NCAA said in a press release.

Spencer Lee finished the season with a perfect 18-0 record (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) NEWTON, Iowa -- Iowa junior Spencer Lee has won the 2020 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy, presented by ASICS. Known for his ability to turn opponents from the top position and quickly pile up points, the two-time national champion outscored opponents by a whopping 234-18 margin. Lee only gave up four offensive points all season. Fabian Gutierrez of UT-Chattanooga got a takedown against him in the first match of the year and No. 4 Nick Piccininni of Oklahoma State got a late February takedown against the Hawkeye. Lee went on to major decision Gutierrez 16-5 and Piccininni 12-3. Lee's bonus-point percentage for the season was over 94 percent as only one opponent all year kept the three-time Pennsylvania state champ from bonus points. Michigan's Jack Medley lost to Lee 8-1 in their Big Ten dual in Ann Arbor on February 8. Lee then dominated Medley with a 19-3 technical fall at the 3:23 mark at the Big Tens in early March. Of Lee's other 17 wins, he had four pins, all in the first period, nine technical falls, three major decisions and a forfeit. "A lot of times dominant wrestlers play with their opponent like a cat plays with a mouse," Iowa coach Tom Brands said. "Spencer is not that way. He's a ferocious competitor. He wants to get off the mat in as efficient, quick and lopsided of way as possible. The thing that has made him better this year is he is willing to get outside his comfort zone, like finding openings off takedowns into turns to blow matches open." Similar to his domination on the mat, Lee dominated the voting as well. He got 52 of the 57 first-place votes from the Hodge Trophy Voting Committee, the most in the history of the award given to the most dominant college wrestler. Ohio State senior Kollin Moore (197) finished second in the Hodge race with three first-place votes, Northwestern junior Ryan Deakin (157) and Stanford freshman Shane Griffith (165) each had one vote apiece. Deakin officially finished third ahead of Griffith with more points for second- and third-place votes from the Hodge Committee. Each former winner of the Hodge is on the committee with multiple-year winners getting a vote for each award won. There have been four multiple-time recipients of the award: Cael Sanderson, Ben Askren, David Taylor and Zain Retherford. In addition, the committee is made up of a retired college coach from each region of the country, national wrestling media members and the leader of each national wrestling organization. The final two official ballots come from the fan vote conducted on WIN's website. Lee also handily won the fan voting on WIN's website. Of the 26,709 fan votes from March 23 to March 27, Lee got 58 percent of overall votes of the eight undefeated finalists with 15,567 votes. West Virginia sophomore Noah Adams finished second in the fan voting with 3,865 votes, Moore was third with 2,747 votes and Princeton sophomore Pat Glory had 1,503 votes. The other finalists were Cornell senior Chas Tucker (133) and Minnesota sophomore Gable Steveson (285). Three other wrestlers received non-first place votes from the committee: Penn State's two-time champion Vincenzo Joseph (165), three-time finalist and 2017 champ Mark Hall (174) and Arizona State's two-time champ Zahid Valencia (184). Iowa associate head coach Terry Brands, who works with Lee closely, said Lee's ability to honestly self evaluate and to continue to work to get better is what helps him dominate. "He's honest about his mentality and his matches," Terry Brands said. "It makes him the best judge of himself. He's very hard on himself in that realm. A lot of top wrestlers are that way. But, I've never met one like him to this degree. He's always talking about something he can add to get himself more dominant and he wants to learn how to pin more." Primary criteria for the award include a wrestler's record, number of pins, dominance, and quality of competition. Past credentials, sportsmanship/citizenship and heart are secondary criteria used when two finalists have similar stats. The Hodge Trophy is named after legendary University of Oklahoma wrestler Dan Hodge. Still the only wrestler ever to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Hodge won three straight NCAA titles between 1955-1957. He was 46-0 in his three college seasons, pinned 36 opponents and was never taken down collegiately. "When I came up with the idea of a 'Heisman Trophy-type' award for wrestling, the goal was to bring more attention to the sport and to reward the terrific young wrestlers who go all out to excel at the college level," said Culture House's Mike Chapman. "Spencer Lee stands tall in the fine tradition of those who have preceded him and is a superb addition to the list. He has brought a great deal of pride and excitement to the fabled Iowa program." Lee is the third University of Iowa wrestler to win the Hodge, joining Mark Ironside (1998) and Brent Metcalf (2008). The Hodge is typically awarded at the respective team's end-of-the-season wrestling banquet and then in front of the school's the general sports community at a fall football game. Details will be announced in the future on when Lee will be presented the 2020 Hodge. For more information on the Dan Hodge Trophy, go to WIN-magazine.com. First-place Hodge votes: 1) Spencer Lee, 52 2) Kollin Moore, 3 3) Ryan Deakin, 1 4) Shane Griffith, 1

Chris Pendleton coaching at the Pac-12 Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Corvallis -- Chris Pendleton, one of the most successful collegiate wrestlers in the history of the sport, has been selected to lead the Oregon State program, Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Barnes announced Monday. His appointment is contingent on the completion of all university hiring processes. Coach Pendleton arrives at Oregon State after spending the last six seasons as an assistant coach at Arizona State. The Sun Devils have won three of the last four Pac-12 titles, including scoring 141.5 points (most by ASU since 1993) on its way to the conference crown earlier this month. ASU finished the shortened season ranked No. 6 in the country and defeated seven top 20 teams, including snapping No. 1 Penn State's 60-match win streak. "The interest in this position was incredibly high, but as the process moved forward Coach Pendleton quickly rose to the top," Barnes said. "Coach Pendleton's focus on the development of student-athletes on and off the mat aligns with the Oregon State culture. "He is an exceptional leader, teacher, and tactician. His pedigree as a high-level recruiter will benefit this storied program going forward, and we are excited to welcome him to the Oregon State community." During Coach Pendleton's tenure at Arizona State, Sun Devil wrestlers accounted for two national championships, seven All-America honors, and 25 league titles. The 2019-20 team was one of three in the country to have six wrestlers nationally seeded for the canceled NCAA Tournament. ASU also won 15 dual meets last season, the most for the Sun Devils in 31 years, and set a program record for attendance averaging 2,862 fans per meet. "When I started on my path in wrestling I had no idea where this journey would take me; I am beyond grateful that it has led me to become the head coach at Oregon State University," Pendleton said. "This program and the state of Oregon has a rich wrestling history that I'm excited to a part of. "I would like to thank Scott Barnes, Dan Bartholomae, and the rest of the search committee for giving me this incredible opportunity to mentor and develop student-athletes' lives. I'm looking forward to helping build The Dam!" InterMat Magazine named Pendleton one of the top 10 wrestlers of the 2000s after compiling a record of 118-12 in his four years (2001-05) at Oklahoma State. He was a two-time NCAA champion and earned three All-American honors at 174 pounds. The Cowboys won three NCAA Championships during his competitive career. "Coach Pendleton's experience goes beyond the college scene as he is an impactful presence with Team USA," Barnes said. "He is a three-time Team USA member as a competitor and has served as a coach with the men's and women's wrestling teams. His wealth of experience will be extremely beneficial to the aspirations of the student-athletes in our program." He began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Oklahoma State following his senior year. Wrestlers accounted for 19 All-America honors in his five seasons and the 2006 NCAA title. He left Oklahoma State for an assistant coach position at Wyoming, where he helped the program win multiple league titles and wrestlers earned six All-America titles between 2011-15. Coach Pendleton was the California prep champion at 145 pounds at Lemoore High School. He is a 2006 graduate of Oklahoma State with a bachelor's degree in sociology. "I want to thank chairperson Senior Associate Athletic Director Jacque Bruns, Executive Deputy Athletic Director Dan Bartholomae, and the entire search committee for their professionalism in making this outstanding hire," Barnes added. ABOUT OREGON STATE WRESTLING First Season: 1909 Head Coaches: 17 NCAA All-American Honors: 93 NCAA Top-10 Finishes: 19 Dual Meet Record: 1,053-359-28 Conference Team Championships: 51 What They Are Saying About Chris Pendleton "It's exciting to see Chris move forward in his career to become a head coach. OSU has hired one of the best young coaches in the country, and in doing so has made all of our jobs tougher on the West Coast." Oklahoma State five-time NCAA Championship Head Coach John Smith "I would like to wish Chris good luck as the new head wrestling coach at OSU. I'm personally going to miss his passion and knowledge for the sport of wrestling. OSU is getting a great coach, but a better young man." Scottie Graham, Arizona State University Associate Athletic Director "I'm extremely happy for the opportunities that lie ahead for Chris. I had the privilege of being his teammate at Oklahoma State. There is no doubt in my mind, after following his successes since then, that he can make Oregon State into a national contender. He has all of the attributes needed to make a great coach. He has a proven track record that speaks for itself while coaching at Arizona State. I look forward to seeing his success in the future." Pat Popolizio, North Carolina State head coach and National Wrestling Coaches Association President "I was really impressed with his interview and background. I think Chris is going to be a great coach at Oregon State. He had been a winner every place he has been and I have no doubts he will be a winner at OSU. I'm looking forward to coming back to Corvallis and watching a competitive team bringing a lot of excitement to the matches." Greg Strobel, a two-time Oregon State NCAA champion and National Wrestling Hall of Fame member

Mark your calendars: the next Summer Olympics have been rescheduled to begin July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, the International Olympic Committee and Japan announced Monday morning. With the new schedule, the Tokyo Olympics will have its Opening Ceremonies on July 23, 2021 ... with the Closing Ceremonies taking place on August 8, 2021. (Despite being held in 2021, the event will maintain the original name of 2020 Tokyo Olympics.) Just last week, the International Olympic Committee had announced it was postponing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics until 2021 because of concerns about the coronavirus COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee president, told sports federations on a conference call a short while before the announcement that "the date was picked to give organizers the maximum time to deal with the fallout from the coronavirus. When he called for a show of support on the call, it was unanimous," the New York Times reported Monday morning. "The postponement has set off an array of complex planning decisions for the I.O.C. and the Tokyo organizers," the Times continued. "The changes must take into account an array of stakeholders who needs differ wildly, including athletes desperate to know how and when to resume training, and broadcast and commercial partners who will recast their own campaigns." Holding the Summer Olympics at pretty much the same dates as originally planned - almost exactly one year later - satisfy at least two major challenges. For starters, the new Olympic schedule will avoid clashing with most major sporting events and sports leagues in the United States and Europe year in, year out. What's more, the new dates most likely will be appealing to U.S. Olympics broadcaster NBCUniversal, whose rights fees make up more of the IOC's income than any other single entity. In a statement issued Monday by the International Olympic Committee, the IOC listed these reasons for delaying the 2020 Tokyo Olympics: 1. To protect the health of the athletes and everyone involved, and to support the containment of the COVID-19 virus. 2. To safeguard the interests of the athletes and of Olympic sport. 3. The global international sports calendar.

Iowa's Spencer Lee rides PSU's Brandon Meredith in a dual meet on Jan. 31 (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Spencer Lee -- University of Iowa junior who was crowned 2020 Big Ten champion at 125 pounds (and named 2020 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year at the conference championships) -- has been named the 2020 InterMat Wrestler of the Year, the amateur wrestling website announced Monday. Presented each year since 2006 to the best collegiate wrestler in all divisions, the award is based exclusively on the balloting of writers at InterMat. Each writer is asked to select five wrestlers and rank them from first to fifth. Point values are assigned to each placement, ranging from one point to a wrestler listed fifth on a voter's ballot, up to nine points for a first-place vote. Spencer Lee received all ten first-place votes from InterMat writers, to garner a total of 90 points to run away with 2020 InterMat Wrestler of the Year honors. Lee just completed his third season wrestling for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he tallied a perfect 18-0 record. As impressive as that statistic is, it doesn't reveal all its dimensions behind it. Lee outscored his 18 opponents by a mind-blowing 234-18, putting an NCAA best 5.0 average team points in each match. He earned bonus points in all but two of his matches, racking up four pins (all in the first period) … nine technical falls (four of those in the first period)… and a team-high 58 dual points for the season. For all these accomplishments, Spencer Lee found himself ranked as the No. 1 wrestler in the 125-pound weight class the entire season. In his first two seasons at Iowa, Spencer Lee managed to make his presence felt in collegiate wrestling. He won back-to-back 125-pound titles at the 2018 and 2019 NCAAs ... and, at the Big Ten Championships, placed second in 2019, and third in 2018. Prior to arriving in Iowa City, Lee, a product of Franklin Regional High School in Pennsylvania, was a three-time state champ, and four-time state finalist. He was the nation's No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2017 by InterMat. Spencer Lee is the second University of Iowa wrestler to be named InterMat Wrestler of the Year in the 15-year history of the award. Brent Metcalf earned the honor at the end of the 2008 season. What's more, Lee is the second individual from the Hawkeyes to earn an InterMat award this year. Last week, head coach Tom Brands was named 2020 InterMat Coach of the Year. 2020 InterMat Wrestler of the Year Voting Results 1st-5th Place Votes: 9, 7, 5, 3, 1 Total Votes/(First-Place Votes) 1. Spencer Lee, Iowa 90 (10) 2. Kollin Moore, Ohio State 40 3. Mark Hall, Penn State 26 4. Gable Steveson, Minnesota 25 5. Zahid Valencia, Arizona State 22 6. Ryan Deakin, Northwestern 20 7. Luke Pletcher, Ohio State 8 T8. Patrick Glory, Princeton 5 T8. Nick Lee, Penn State 5 10. Alex Marinelli, Iowa 4 11. Noah Adams, West Virginia 3 12. Sebastian Rivera, Northwestern 2 InterMat Wrestler of the Year Past Winners 2019: Bo Nickal, Penn State 2018: Zain Retherford, Penn State 2017: Zain Retherford, Penn State 2016: Zain Retherford, Penn State 2015: Logan Stieber, Ohio State 2014: David Taylor, Penn State 2013: Kyle Dake, Cornell 2012: Ed Ruth, Penn State 2011: Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska 2010: Jayson Ness, Minnesota 2009: Jake Herbert, Northwestern 2008: Brent Metcalf, Iowa 2007: Ben Askren, Missouri 2006: Ben Askren, Missouri

The Board of Trustees of MacMurray College in Illinois has announced the small private college will be closing down after 174 years ... along with its men's and women's intercollegiate wrestling programs, which were added to their sports roster less than four years ago. As InterMat reported in January of 2016, the school had announced it was bringing back its men's wrestling program which had been eliminated decades earlier, and was introducing a new women's intercollegiate program. Both took to the mats in fall 2017. The men's roster listed ten team members, about evenly split between wrestlers from Illinois and Missouri, and the rest from as far away as Maryland and Texas. By contrast, the 14-member women's wrestling roster had only one Illinois native; Texas and California each can claim five women wrestlers. MacMurray wrestling has three coaches: head coach Graham Karwath, and assistant coaches Jeff Haley and Conner Linehan. MacMurray College sports programs competed in NCAA Division III. 3More on the MacMurray College closing Here's how the State Journal News of nearby Springfield opened its news story on the closure: "After years of financial struggles, MacMurray College will close its doors at the end of the spring semester, the college announced Friday." The newspaper went on to say that MacMurray had battled financial challenges for a number of years. In a statement posted at the official MacMurray College website, "Board of Trustees Chair Charles O'Connell '69 said that despite the generosity of alumni giving and after extensive analysis and consideration, the Board determined MacMurray had no viable financial path forward amid declining enrollments, rising competitive costs and a small endowment. Mr. O'Connell expressed deep thanks and the full support of the Board to MacMurray President Dr. Beverly Rodgers for her stewardship since being appointed to the position in 2019." The statement went on to state that the school has gone "the extra mile' in transferring all classes to online and remote-learning formats, and has signed transfer agreements with seven other colleges in the region so that MacMurray students can complete their degrees. The school made clear that the recent coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption it has caused were not the specific reason for the school's closure, but were factors in the decision. MacMurray College is located in Jacksonville, in west-central Illinois, approximately halfway between the state capital of Springfield, and Hannibal, Missouri. Founded in 1846 as a women's college (becoming co-ed in 1969), MacMurray College currently has 527 full-time students and 101 faculty and staff, according to the State Journal News.

Want to get a conversation going -- or start a fight -- among wrestlers, coaches and fans? Cael SandersonPut together any kind of ranking of wrestlers or wrestling programs. Some examples: InterMat's feature on top college wrestlers of all time or feature providing details of late historian Jay Hammond's three biggest upsets in NCAA Division I finals ... and, 2005, InterMat's analysis of the NCAA 75th Anniversary Team of the fifteen top college wrestlers of all time, commemorating the first NCAA wrestling championships seventy-five years earlier, in 1928. NCAA Wrestling recently shared a brief video on its Twitter page, titled "The Best of the Best! These are the top 5 NCAA wrestlers of all time." Weighing in at just over 90 seconds, the video shows action footage (with narration) of NCAA Wrestling's choices for the five greatest college wrestlers in history, starting with their No. 5 selection, Cornell's Kyle Dake ... and concluding with Iowa State's Cael Sanderson as their choice for top wrestler of all time. Here, presented as on the video in descending order, are the wrestlers selected by NCAA Wrestling: 5. Kyle Dake, Cornell A native of Ithaca, N.Y., Dake joined an elite group of NCAA Division I wrestlers to have won four national titles ... but earned a one-of-a-kind place in history by becoming the first to win four national titles in four different weight classes: 141 pounds in 2010 ... 149 in 2011 ... 157 in 2012 ... and 165 pounds in 2013. Dake also tallied three EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) titles in 2010, 2012 and 2013, earning the conference's Wrestler of the Year award those same years. He capped his collegiate career by winning the 2013 Hodge Trophy as the Wrestler of the Year. 4. Dan Gable, Iowa State Dan Mack Gable was a three-time, undefeated Iowa high school state champ who then continued his mat career with similar success at Iowa State, where he was a three-time Big Eight champ ((1968-1970) and was a two-time NCAA champ as a sophomore and junior (1968, 1969). As a Cyclone, Gable pinned 83 of 118 opponents, for a 70.3% pin rate. He suffered one loss -- his final match in college, falling to University of Washington sophomore Larry Owings in the 142-pound title match at the 1970 NCAAs, 13-11 ... considered to be the greatest upset in college wrestling. 3. Yojiro Uetake, Oklahoma State A native of Japan, Yojiro Uetake Obata was a three-time NCAA champion and won a like number of Big Eight titlewinner for the Cowboys at 130 pounds in 1964-1966. He earned Outstanding Wrestler honors at the NCAAs twice, in his junior and senior seaons. Uetake completed his collegiate career with a perfect 57-0 record. 2. Dan Hodge, Oklahoma Dan Allen Hodge was born in May 1932 on a farm outside Perry, Oklahoma. He wrestled at Perry High School, where he won an Oklahoma state title in 1951. Hodge continued his mat career with the Oklahoma Sooners as the 177-pound starter in the mid-1950s, compiling a perfect 46-0 record; 36 of those wins were by 36 were by fall, for a pinning percentage of 78%. He tallied three Big Seven conference crowns in 1955-1957, and three NCAA titles those same years. Hodge also earned Outstanding Wrestler honors at the '56 and '57 Nationals. The Hodge Trophy, presented each year to the nation's best college wrestler, is named in his honor. 1. Cael Sanderson, Iowa State A four-time state champ from Utah, Cael Norman Sanderson came to the Midwest to continue his wrestling career at Iowa State, crafting a flawless 159-0 record. In addition, Sanderson racked up four Big Eight conference titles, four NCAA crowns, and four NCAA Outstanding Wrestler Awards in 1999-2002. Sanderson became the first freshman to earn Outstanding Wrestler honors at the NCAAs ... then was presented with the Hodge Trophy, college wrestling's version of the Heisman Trophy, in each of his final three seasons. Now that you've seen NCAA Wrestling's choices for the five best NCAA wrestlers of all time, let the arguing begin!

Kyle Dake defeated David Taylor in the 2013 NCAA finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Do you want to re-live Kyle Dake making history by becoming the first wrestler to win four NCAA titles in four different weight classes? Now you can. ESPN will be re-airing the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships finals on Sunday at noon ET as part of an 11-hour marathon of wrestling content. 2013 NCAA finals results: 125: Jesse Delgado (Illinois) dec. Nico Megaludis (Penn State), 7-4 133: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) dec. Tony Ramos (Iowa), 7-4 141: Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) dec. Mitchell Port (Edinboro), 4-3 149: Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) dec. Jason Chamberlain (Boise State), 3-2 157: Derek St. John (Iowa) dec. Jason Welch (Northwestern), 3-2 165: Kyle Dake (Cornell) dec. David Taylor (Penn State), 5-4 174: Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) dec. Matt Brown (Penn State), 2-1 TB 184: Ed Ruth (Penn State) maj. dec. Robert Hamlin (Lehigh), 12-4 197: Quentin Wright (Penn State) dec. Dustin Kilgore (Kent State), 8-6 285: Tony Nelson (Minnesota) dec. Mike McMullan (Northwestern), 6-2

Aurora University, an NCAA Division III institution, announced the return men's wrestling and addition of women's wrestling to the varsity sport offerings at AU. The Spartan wrestling program's will begin in the 2021-2022 season and become AU's 23rd and 24th collegiate sport. "We are thrilled that women's and men's wrestling will be the newest programs at AU," said Assistant Vice President / Director of Athletics Jim Hamad. "It is exciting to be a part of both the rapid growth of women's wrestling and the steady resurgence of men's wrestling. We have been able to start new programs that quickly find success in recent years and we are confident that our wrestling programs will follow a similar timeline. Our goal is to become successful in the competitive national wrestling landscape." AU will see men's wrestling return to campus after a 35 year hiatus, becoming an official NCAA Division III program and according to the NCAA, in the 2020-2021 season a total of 116 men's wrestling programs will compete in NCAA Division III. Men's and women's wrestling is currently classified as a winter sport, with competition beginning in October and running through February with the men having a NCAA Division III Championship in March. The Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) governs women's wrestling and has overseen the national championships since 2008. A total of 59 collegiate institutions will field varsity women's wrestling teams in 2019-2020. Women's wrestling was recently approved as an emerging sport by the NCAA committee on women's athletics and will be added to the NCAA emerging sports lineup on August 1, 2020, a huge step toward evolving into an NCAA Championship-Level sport in the future. Currently, intercollegiate women's programs compete in National Collegiate Championship in March. 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. Aurora University currently sponsors 22 sports; 19 of the 21 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference sponsored sports as well as men's and women's hockey 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. AU will begin the process of hiring a head coach for each the men's and women's wrestling program in the coming weeks with information on the highly competitive position to be made available on the Aurora University website. Aurora University is located in Aurora, Illinois -- the second largest city in the state -- about 40 miles west of downtown Chicago.

Iowa coach Tom Brands guided Iowa to a No. 1 ranking heading into the NCAAs (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands has been named 2020 InterMat Coach of the Year, the amateur wrestling website announced Friday. This award, presented each year since 2006 to the best college wrestling coach in all divisions for his/her college wrestling coaching performance during the 2019-2020 season, is based exclusively on the balloting of writers at InterMat. Each staff member is asked to select five coaches and rank them from first to fifth. Point values are assigned to each placement, ranging from one point to a wrestling coach listed fifth on a voter's ballot, up to nine points for a first-place vote. Iowa's Tom Brands received a total of 84 points -- including eight out of ten first-place votes from the InterMat staff -- to propel him to the top of the balloting for the 2019-20 season. The only other college wrestling coach to get any first-place votes was Chris Ayres, head coach of the Princeton University mat program. Two InterMat writers voted Ayres as their choice for the nation's top collegiate coach, for a total of 39 points, placing him second in the rankings for this season. Tom Brands has long been associated with the Iowa Hawkeye mat program, first as a wrestler who was three-time national champion (1989-92) and four-time NCAA All-American, earning Outstanding Wrestler honors at the 1992 NCAA Championships. He was also a three-time Big Ten champion, and won 95 percent of his matches at Iowa, compiling an overall mark of 158-7-2 as a Hawkeye wrestler. Tom Brands later became a coach at his college alma mater; he just completed his 14th season as Iowa's head coach. In his time at the helm, Brands has guided the Hawkeyes to three NCAA team titles, four Big Ten championships, and a dual meet record of 229-23-1 (.908). What's more, during that time frame, Iowa has crowned 12 NCAA individual champions and earned 72 All-America honors since 2007. This season, Tom Brands and his mat stars built a perfect 14-0 dual-meet record ... capped off with a successful performance earlier this month at the 2020 Big Ten Championships. Brands led his Hawkeyes to the conference crown with three individual champions -- Spencer Lee at 125 pounds, Pat Lugo at 149, and Alex Marinelli at 165 -- along with runner-up Michael Kemerer at 174 pounds. For that successful performance at the conference championships, Tom Brands was named Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career (having also been so honored in 2008, 2009 and 2010) ... while Spencer Lee was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year. Prior to the NCAAs being canceled because of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, many college wrestling analysts and fans considered Tom Brands' Hawkeyes to be the favorites to claim the team title at the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. It's been quite a year for Tom Brands. One more bit of good news: Tom Brands -- along with assistant coaches Terry Brands and Ryan Morningstar -- were granted contract extensions through 2026 by the University of Iowa. InterMat's 2020 Coach of the Year award is the latest good news for the Iowa coach. 2020 InterMat Coach of the Year Voting Results 1st-5th-Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1 Total Votes/(First-Place Votes) 1. Tom Brands, Iowa 84 (8) 2. Chris Ayres, Princeton 39 (2) 3. Mark Manning, Nebraska 29 4. Pat Popolizio, NC State 21 5. Tony Ersland, Purdue 17 6. Coleman Scott, North Carolina 11 7. Cary Kolat, Campbell 8 T8. Nick Mitchell, Grand View 7 T8. Cael Sanderson, Penn State 7 T8. Kevin Ward, Army West Point 7 T11. T.J. Miller, Loras 5 T11. Matt Storniolo, Northwestern 5 T13. Keith Gavin, Pitt 3 T13. Pat Santoro, Lehigh 3 T15. Steve Costanzo, St. Cloud State 1 T15. Kevin Dresser, Iowa State 1 T15. Zeke Jones, Arizona State 1 T15. Sam Schmitz, McKendree 1 InterMat Coach of the Year Past Winners 2019: Cael Sanderson, Penn State 2018: Cael Sanderson, Penn State 2017: Cael Sanderson, Penn State 2016: Cael Sanderson, Penn State 2015: Tom Ryan, Ohio State 2014: Tim Flynn, Edinboro and J Robinson, Minnesota 2013: John Smith, Oklahoma State 2012: Cael Sanderson, Penn State 2011: Mike Denney, Nebraska-Omaha 2010: Rob Koll, Cornell 2009: Tom Ryan, Ohio State 2008: Tom Ryan, Ohio State 2007: Cael Sanderson, Iowa State 2006: John Smith, Oklahoma State

The International Olympic Committee and the government of Japan agreed Tuesday to delay the start of the 2020 Tokyo Games until no later than the Summer of 2021. The announcement comes after a massive worldwide lockdown in response to the global spread of COVID-19. Athletes, National Olympic Committees, and international federations had all expressed concern about the Tokyo Games scheduled July start and most believed that their athletes would be ill-prepared for the Games, and/or they'd be unable to qualify athletes in a fair manner. With the outcome clear the IOC made the historic decision to delay the Games. Ultimately, the decision means the Olympics will take place sometime in 2021, but it's unclear the effect that it will have on the qualification process for wrestling and other sports. Guidance on the process should come out this week, or early next week, though it could be delayed given the range and scope of concerns from stakeholders. For wrestling the process is hopefully/probably/maybe straightforward. If the IOC doesn't create an overarching stipulation that all sports must start from scratch, then wrestling is just in an extended qualification pause. The remaining continental qualifiers would be rescheduled for later in 2020, or early 2021, and the "Last Chance" World qualifier would be a few weeks later. Come spring/summer 2021 all the wrestlers would have been qualified normally and Bob's your uncle. There would still be the issue of when to schedule final Ranking Series event, the manner in which the tournaments would be operated regarding the health of the athletes, finding suitable locations, adjusting costs to local organizers in addition to about a million other concerns. If you wonder why there are delays, think about the organizational effort it will take for wrestling to reorganize these events and then multiply it by 30 -- that's what the international sports community is facing over the next 18 months. The construction of the international qualification calendar is also important for the national federations, like the United States, who have yet to complete their national trials. The USA could technically finish those trials until just before United World Wrestling is required to send the names of the athletes to the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee. However, USA has yet to qualify two weight classes in Greco-Roman and one in freestyle, a tournament for which I'm assuming they'd prefer to send their top athletes. They would also need to reschedule and rebook the facilities, line up sponsors, and do in only a few weeks what initially required months. This is all to say that the next 12 months will be incredibly fluid in the world of wrestling. The moratorium on competitions is likely to last several more months and even as athletes find their ways into more credible training situations the time for high level competition will be even further down the road. The real goal remains the same. It's time to stay inside, to keep distance from those vulnerable to the disease, and to help each other as we can. Sport is an amazing gift and wrestling is its premier offering, but it is vital that for the foreseeable future that we each do our part to get past this plague. To your questions … Cary Kolat coaching at the Midlands Championships (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Q: Were you surprised Cary Kolat took the Navy head coaching position? Other than his ties to Maryland, what do you think attracted him to the job? -- Mike C. Foley: The Navy job has typically gone to men who either have a service background, understand service, or look like they could be in Special ops. The only reason that Cary Kolat seemed like a surprise hire was that he is known to be a bit of a contrarian -- to think outside the normal parameters and push the boundaries. Those aren't military-first instincts. However, I think that he was unquestionably the best available coach in the nation and Navy did an incredible job to attract him to campus. It will be interesting to see how long it will take for him to be successful, but Navy has every opportunity to be a big-time program. Huge numbers of disciplined, easy-to-coach athletes can always lend itself to positive outcomes. Q: Maybe use rankings, coaches polls and NCAA seeds to award All-Americans to the top 12 wrestlers (top 12 allows for error/upsets)? No great way to solve this but All-Americans should be awarded. -- Rich H. Foley: I agree. There should be a vote. These are unprecedented times and some type of acknowledgment of these athletes and their seasons is overdue. Though there would be intense controversy over any number of factors, I think that it will reward those athletes who had long productive seasons and were lining up for All-American honors. I think the makeup should be media (30%), coaches (30%), seeds (30%), and fan vote (10%). Q: Every year since 2014, at least one freshman has won an NCAA title. An unprecedented streak. 2014: Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern), J'Den Cox (Missouri) 2015: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois), Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) 2016: Myles Martin (Ohio State) 2017: Mark Hall, Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 2018: Spencer Lee (Iowa), Yiani Diakomihalis (Cornell) 2019: Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech). Who do predict (if any) would have been the freshman champ in 2020? Real Woods (Stanford), Sammy Sasso (Ohio State), David Carr (Iowa State), Shane Griffith (Stanford), Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State), Trent Hidlay (NC State), Aaron Brooks (Penn State), Tony Cassioppi (Iowa), or someone I missed? -- D.B. Foley: Good list. Foley: Off the top I think Tony Cassioppi, Real Woods, David Carr, Travis Wittlake, and Trent Hidlay are longer shots at winning the whole thing. I'm guessing the smart money is on Sammy Sasso, but how do you overlook an undefeated 165-pound wrestler with several wins against top ten opponents? Alex While Marinelli and Vincenzo Joseph have an ever-entertaining rivalry, they aren't leaps better than the rest of the 165-pound class. Assuming Griffith got Joseph in the semifinals I'd have him favored. With Marinelli in the finals it would depend on how both were wrestling. A lot of the reason he doesn't get more respect is that Stanford is on the West Coast and sometimes overlooked in both hype and accurate assessments. It's too bad he wasn't able to show what he could do at the NCAAs. Q: What do you suspect will happen with the Olympic Team Trials? Could you see a scenario in which they were held with no fans or at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs? -- Mike C. Foley: I discussed this a bit at the top, but I'm guessing they attempt to go with the Bryce Jordan Center at a time later in the year when public gatherings are once again allowable. If that isn't available, or the timeline is too crunched or filled with conflicts, then the OTC is always an option. Ultimately, it would be an unlikely scenario that USA Wrestling would voluntarily push for something closed off since the event draws a lot of funding for the federation's operating costs. Yet, that might be the necessary pivot if there is a lack of available options, or those willing to pay to host because they'd fear not recouping their money. One benefit to a closed-off event would be the ability to create a dynamic and clean broadcast while also limiting the exposure of the athletes to anyone who might have COVID-19. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Parental post game Q: Do you think the NCAA will give winter athletes additional eligibility? Just seems like it would be too messy and difficult. -- Mike C. Foley: Given the NCAAs more recent player-first approach there is a fair chance that some athletes would be granted an additional year. I don't think that every athlete would receive additional eligibility, but just those who qualified for the NCAAs. Also, I'm not certain that the NCAA's decision on the start time of the 2020 season will come in time to keep the best wrestlers "on-campus" for another several months. Not to mention that there are certain to be several seniors who see this as a good time to get out and leave school. Imagine that most haven't worked out at all in the past several weeks and they won't again for several more. Q: Any thoughts about the UFC trying to hold events? -- Ben W. Foley: Yeah, Dana White is a stone-cold nincompoop who puts the profits of the company above the safety of any individual. He's a total suck-up to certain powerful people and will do anything to "show" the world that the COVID-19 outbreak is an overblown media circus. While I don't disagree that in a bubble the idea of a closed event would be pretty cool, there are several factors that he's ignoring -- primarily how will any of his athletes prepare for the fight with limited or no access to their gym? Let's say he gets a few to sign up for the fight (they are underpaid and probably struggling) then there is no guarantee that a fight commission would allow the fights to take place. Also, no matter how small a card you'll need so much support staff that it'll be impossible to successfully screen each individual for COVID-19, especially since getting tested with accurate results is exceedingly difficult. White is a blowhard who puts his interests and the monied concern of his bosses above all else. Q: Jon Jones can't seem to get out of his own way. Do you even include him in the conversation for greatest fighter ever? He has tested positive for steroids and has had other outside-the-cage incidents. -- Mike C. Foley: I never have. He's a proven drug cheat and repeat offender with an incredible lack of imagination. Look at Daniel Cormier. He's trailblazing as a fighter and high school wrestling coach who is also arguably one of the best commentators in the sport. Beloved by all. That's an original man with an original story to tell and something to give back to the world around him. Jones is a bad, tired cliché of the gifted fighter who contributed nothing to the world and only complains about how he's been wronged. He deserves to be behind bars. No more second chances, no more of the MMA community heaping praises on him because he hit a few spinning back elbows in fights seven years ago Bye, Jon.

Joe Heskett (Photo/Mark Aikman) A GoFundMe page has been set up Thursday, March 26 for former wrestler/coach Joe Heskett who suffered a stroke earlier this month. Here's how the GoFundMe page, sponsored by Evelyn Heskett, described Joe Heskett's present situation: "On Thursday, March 12, 2020 Joe had a massive stroke. "He is currently in Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus Ohio which specializes in neurological medical conditions. Fortunately, he is resting and in stable condition at this time and the staff is working on helping him to understand what has happened. "The next phase is to transfer him to a rehabilitation facility for extensive therapy. Unfortunately, the insurance that he has will not cover the rehabilitation facility for his therapy and any financial assistance will be much appreciated. "I am remarkably blessed to be alive," Heskett said. "This situation, although unfortunate, is the will of our great Lord and I turn over every fiber of faith to his plan. I don't have time to ask why and ponder. I will get healthy and I look forward to the next chapter of my life. I do not hang up my shoes easily, but the reality of the situation leaves me with one option and that is to stay optimistic and begin to excel in other areas of my life that I have been extremely blessed to possess." As the write-up states, Joe Heskett's stroke earlier this month isn't the first medical challenge Heskett has faced. "Five days after placing 5th at the 2007 World Championships Joe went into sudden cardiac arrest and his wrestling career unexpectedly ended due to a rare congenital heart condition." However, Joe's story of survival in 2007 is just a part of his awe-inspiring journey. Prior to his retirement from competitive wrestling in 2007, Heskett was training as a 2008 U.S. Olympic Team hopeful. In June 2007, he earned a spot on the U.S. World Team roster and won a silver medal at 163 pounds at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the World Wrestling championships in 2007, Heskett was one of five wrestlers to qualify his weight class for the 2008 Olympics after winning a silver medal." Joe Heskett has long been an inspiring individual in wrestling in so many ways. A native of northeast Ohio, Heskett was a three-time state champion wrestler at Walsh-Jesuit High School who, after graduation, headed west to Iowa State, where he was a three-time Big 8 champ, four-time NCAA All-American, and NCAA 165-pound champ for the Cyclones in 2002. (And a teammate of future Olympic gold medalist and eventual Penn State head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson.) Heskett then directed his attention on freestyle wrestling, becoming a Cadet World Championships bronze medalist, Pan Am Games silver medalist, and fifth-place finisher at the World Championships before going into sudden cardiac arrest five days after the Worlds. Heskett focused on coaching ... first, as an assistant coach and chief recruiter at Cal Poly, then Ohio State, then taking the helm of the wrestling program at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for four years before accepting the position as Associate Athletics Director for Sports Performance at West Virginia University July 2014. Three years later, Heskett left WVU to focus on his h Leadership consultancy to help young athletes develop their leadership skills and make smart choices regarding their educational and athletic goals… and find success beyond school and their sporting careers. To contribute to the GoFundMe for Joe Heskett, click here.

Scott Sentes (Photo/Bennett Scarborough) BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- After helping Campbell's wrestling program to unprecedented heights, Scotti Sentes has been named head coach, announced today by director of athletics Omar Banks. Since arriving at Campbell, Sentes has helped the Camels to three Southern Conference tournament championships, as well as back to back dual titles over the last four seasons, the program's first NCAA Division I championships. "I am thankful to Omar Banks, Wanda Watkins, and Hannah Bazemore and the entire CU athletic department for affording me this incredible opportunity," said Sentes. "I would also like to thank Cary Kolat and the CU alumni who encouraged and recommended me for this position. Campbell is a special place and I will do everything I can to continue making this program proud." "The Campbell community is very pleased to have Coach Sentes as our next head wrestling coach," Banks said. "As interest began to escalate, we knew we wanted someone who could fit the culture that was developed within the program and continue the upward trajectory that has been established. Having served under one of the best coaches in the sport of wrestling for the last four years, he presented and articulated a vision for the future of the program, which let us know that we had our coach. We are very excited for the future of Campbell wrestling under Coach Sentes' leadership." Sentes replaces former head coach Cary Kolat, who took the same position at Navy after six seasons at Campbell. The Ft. Myers, Fla. native has coached 19 total NCAA qualifiers, 13 All-SoCon performers and 12 conference champions over the last four seasons in Buies Creek, in addition to the 2020 SoCon Wrestler of the Year, Noah Gonser, and the program's first All-American in 2017, Nathan Kraisser. Sentes has also coached two SoCon Freshman of the Year honorees, with Austin Kraisser in 2017 and Korbin Meink in 2018. The Camels enjoyed their best season in program history in 2019-20, taking their second straight SoCon tournament and dual titles behind six NCAA qualifiers, matching a school record. Five Camels earned SoCon championships, another school record, while five were named All-SoCon. Going 11-2 overall and a perfect 7-0 in SoCon competition, Campbell was ranked as high as No. 12 (InterMat) in the national rankings. Sentes was elevated to associate head coach following the 2018-19 season that saw the Camels sweep the SoCon's tournament and regular season championships for the first time in program history, going 5-1 in the league and 7-1 overall. CU also sent six to the NCAA Championships, earning its first ever top-25 national ranking. The Camels also fashioned a 10th place finish at the prestigious Midlands Championships, an all-time best for the program. Additionally, Campbell took National Wresting Coaches Association Division I Academic Team honors for the third-straight year in 2019. The Camels finished 13th nationally in the standings with an outstanding 3.28 team GPA, posting a top-25 academic finish for the fifth time in program history. Campbell took ninth in 2017-18 after finishing No. 21 in 2016-17. In 2017-18, CU sent two more qualifiers to the NCAA Championships, also earning four spots on the All-SoCon team. Campbell finished third at the SoCon Championships, going 8-8 overall and 5-2 in the regular season. In his first season at Campbell, Sentes helped guide the Camels to their first conference championship, with seven medalists and a pair of individual champions at the 2017 SoCon tournament. A then-school record five Camels traveled to the NCAA Championships, including All-American Nathan Kraisser. Sentes came to Campbell after spending three years as the head assistant coach at Cal Poly under Coach Brendan Buckley. He helped push the team to raise its GPA from a 2.39 in 2012 to a 2.77 cumulative average in 2015-16 as well as sending three grapplers to the NCAA Championships. Sentes initiated Cal Poly's first outdoor wrestling match in 2013 which started a nationwide trend for programs to hold their own outdoor wrestling matches. He bolstered the Mustangs' social media footprint, increasing the program's likes by 330 percent on Facebook, doubling the followers on Twitter and gained nearly 1,750 followers on Instagram after only a year after the page's establishment. A two-time All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier as a wrestler at Central Michigan, Sentes placed fourth in the NCAA finals at 133 pounds as a junior in 2011 and seventh at 125 as a freshman in 2009. He won Mid-American conference titles in 2009 and 2011 while claiming third in 2010 and 2013. Sentes amassed a 108-33 career record at Central Michigan, going 55-12 in duals and 17-1 against MAC competition. While wrestling at Central Michigan, Sentes was active in helping as a clinician for wrestling clinics and camps. He founded and was the head coach of Team Anaconda Blood and was a coach for National Team Florida, which prepared wrestlers for national competition during the high school offseason. He was also an instructor for the Riverdale Wrestling Club while still wrestling in high school. Sentes was a four-time Florida state high school champion while attending Riverdale High School, compiling a 213-3 career prep record and winning his last 140 matches. He also finished runner-up in the state finals at 103 pounds while competing with the varsity as an eight-grader in 2004. He was 51-0 with 36 falls as a senior. Sentes also won a senior nationals title in 2008. Sentes joined the Cal Poly coaching ranks after graduating from Central Michigan in 2013, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in English.

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. -- Dan Willis has been named the new Head Coach of the University of Mount Olive Wrestling team, it was announced by Vice President for Athletics Jeff Eisen. "Dan brings a wealth of coaching experience and is a fixture in North Carolina wrestling, which combined with his energy and passion will help move our program forward," said Eisen. Willis joins Mount Olive after spending the last 17 years as the founder and head coach of the Port City Pirates Wrestling Organization as well as the last 11 years as the owner and operator of Port City Sports Performance LLC, both located in Wilmington, N.C. While at PCPW Willis helped coached the Pirates to two North Carolina Youth State Championships and one third-place finish. On the individual side, Willis saw over 20 athletes become high-school state champions and over 50 become state-placers. Prior to his time at Port City Willis spent time as the head coach at E.A. Laney High School (2006-09/2014-17) and John T. Hoggard High School (1995-2004). At E.A Laney Willis claimed five Mid-Eastern Conference Championships along with being the NCHSAA 4A State runner-up. Willis coached John T. Hoggard to six Mid-Eastern Conference Championships, a 4A Region championship, and three regional runner-ups. Academically, Willis' teams have earned Scholar-Athlete Team awards four times throughout his high school coaching career. Willis wrestled collegiately at UNC Pembroke and was a two-time team captain for the Braves. He was an NCAA Division II All-American for the Braves posting a 102-31 career record at the 142 weight class. He also was a two-time South Region Champion and named the Braves Most Outstanding Wrestler his senior year. Willis received his Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Health & Physical Education with a teaching certification from UNC Pembroke. He also holds a USA Wrestling Bronze Coaching Certification. Willis was also an assistant coach on the North Carolina National Team.

Dick DiBatista, legendary wrestler, coach and referee, passed away at Riddle Memorial Hospital in Pennsylvania on Feb. 29, 2020 ... though his death was not widely reported until Wednesday, March 25, 2020. He was 99 years old. Born in Palombaro, Italy in October 1920, Richard "Dick" DiBatista and his family moved to Ardmore, Pa. when he was a young boy. DiBatista graduated from Lower Merion High School in 1938, then attended Franklin & Marshall Academy before arriving at University of Pennsylvania, where he received a B.S. in Education in 1943 and an M.S. in Education in 1946. Dick DiBatista"Dick was a distinguished athlete in football, track and wrestling," according to Tom Elling, Pennsylvania wrestling writer and historian, who shared his tribute to DiBatista on his Tom's Wrestling Page on Facebook . "Certainly, wrestling was his best sport, as he never lost a wrestling match, posting a remarkable undefeated 137-0 career record that included high school, prep school, college and amateur competition. He became the first Pennsylvania State Wrestling Champion in 1938 and National Prep School Champion in 1939. As a Penn wrestler, Dick or "DiBi", as he was known, was arguably the most accomplished wrestler in Quaker history. With an undefeated record, he won the EIWA Championship in 1941, 1942, and 1943 and captured the NCAA Championship in 1941 and 1942. Dick was on the 1940 and 1944 Olympic teams, although the Games were not held because of World War II. During the War, Dick served as 2nd Lieutenant in the Marines and was stationed in the South Pacific." In his adult life, DiBatista enjoyed a 37-year career as a teacher and coach at Lower Merion High School. He continued to officiate wrestling events at the collegiate level and also served as the Director of Lower Merion summer recreation programs. DiBatista earned a number of honors over the course of his long life and career, including creating the Dick DiBatista Wrestling Facility at Lower Merion School District which was named in his honor in 2005. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1974, the District One Hall of Fame in 1990, the National Officials Hall of Fame in 1996, and the Delaware County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the EIWA (Easter Intercollegiate Wrestling Assocation) Officials organization. DiBatista was also welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995. "On behalf of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, I want to extend our condolences to the family and friends of a beloved man who graced the sport of wrestling for many decades," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla., in a statement issued on Wednesday, March 25. "It's hard to find the words that could even compare to what Dick DiBatista actually achieved in his lifetime as a student, wrestler, football player, teacher, wrestling coach and official, and Marine Veteran. He is one of the greatest upper-weight wrestlers in United States history and is considered a pillar in the great wrestling heritage in Pennsylvania, as a state high school, national prep and NCAA champion for the University of Pennsylvania." Penn wrestling greats Dick DiBatista and Brandon SlayThe Philadelphia-based school paid tribute to its legendary mat alum in a statement issued March 25. legendary alum. "A member of the Inaugural Class inducted into the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996, DiBatista remains arguably the greatest wrestler in program history," according to its statement. "He ended his Penn career as a two-time NCAA champion -- only Matt Valenti shares that honor among Quaker grapplers -- and likely it was only World War II that kept DiBatista from becoming a three-time NCAA champion. He also won three Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) championship in his weight class, from 1941-43. (The NCAA canceled its Championships from 1943-45.) "Dick DiBatista was one of the greatest wrestlers of all time," said Penn's current head wrestling coach and fellow Penn Athletics Hall of Famer Roger Reina. "Dick was a champion, an educator, a veteran, a loyal Penn alumnus, and a revered community member. He was a stalwart of Coach Austin Bishop's incredible, undefeated Penn teams. Dick will be missed by our community, and his legacy will always be honored at Penn." Funeral services for DiBatista have already taken place.

Sammy Sasso compiled a record of 24-3 as a freshman (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Sammy Sasso, Ohio State redshirt freshman originally from Pennsylvania, has been named 2020 InterMat Freshman of the Year, the amateur wrestling website announced on Thursday. This award, presented each year since 2006 to the best college freshman wrestler in all divisions for his/her college wrestling performance during the 2019-2020 season, is based exclusively on the balloting of writers at InterMat. Each writer is asked to select five freshman wrestlers and rank them from first to fifth. Point values are assigned to each placement, ranging from one point to a wrestler listed fifth on a voter's ballot, up to nine points for a first-place vote. Sasso received four first-place votes (out of ten) from the InterMat staff, for a total of 60 points to put him No. 1 in this year's InterMat Freshman of the Year voting. In second place was Shane Griffith of Stanford, who was the top choice among three InterMat staffers, earning a total of 53 points. Two other freshmen who earned at least one first-place vote: David Carr of Iowa State, taking fourth place with 45 points, including two first-place votes ... while Stanford's Real Woods received one first-place vote, for a total of 25 points. During his shortened 2019-20 season, Sasso built an impressive overall record of 24-3. In the win category, Sasso notched 13 regular-season victories and a 9-0 record in Big Ten competition. The Buckeye 149-pounder scored five pins, four wins by major decision, and four technical fall victories. He defeated Iowa's Pat Lugo on Jan. 24 in a dual meet, giving the Hawkeye All-American his only loss of the season. .As for Sasso's losses ... two were during the regular season (to Minnesota's Brayton Lee by decision and Virginia Tech's Brent Moore by fall) with the third loss coming in the 2020 Big Ten finals to Lugo, 2-1. Thanks to his performance as a redshirt freshman during 2019-20 season, Sasso found himself in the upper reaches of the InterMat college rankings at 149 pounds for much of the season, most recently residing in the top spot for a number of weeks, then concluding the shortened season ranked No. 3 immediately after the 2020 Big Ten Championships. Prior to coming to Ohio State, the native of Nazareth, Pa was a two-time Pennsylvania AAA state champion for the Nazareth Blue Eagles, placing within the top three all four seasons. Sasso compiled an overall prep record of 180-11. In the 15-year history of InterMat Freshman of the Year balloting, Sammy Sasso is the second Ohio State wrestler to have earned the honor, joining Buckeye mat great Logan Stieber, who received the award in 2012. 2020 InterMat Freshman of the Year Voting Results 1st-5th Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1 Total Votes/(First-Place Votes) 1. Sammy Sasso, Ohio State 60 (4) 2. Shane Griffith, Stanford 53 (3) 3. Aaron Brooks, Penn State 48 4. David Carr, Iowa State 45 (2) 5. Real Woods, Stanford 25 (1) 6. Tony Cassioppi, Iowa 14 7. Travis Wittlake, Oklahoma State 3 8. Brayton Lee, Minnesota 2 InterMat Freshman of the Year Past Winners 2019: Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech 2018: Spencer Lee, Iowa 2017: Mark Hall, Penn State 2016: Jason Nolf, Penn State 2015: Isaiah Martinez, Illinois 2014: Jason Tsirtsis, Northwestern 2013: Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State 2012: Logan Stieber, Ohio State 2011: David Taylor, Penn State 2010: Kyle Dake, Cornell 2009: Andrew Howe, Wisconsin 2008: Mike Grey, Cornell 2007: Jake Varner, Iowa State 2006: Dustin Schlatter, Minnesota

Larry Owings stunned Dan Gable in the 1970 NCAA finals Wrestling fans love a great upset -- unless it's their wrestler who is the one who comes out on the losing end. Fifty years ago this week, arguably the biggest upset in NCAA Wrestling Championships finals history took place at the 1970 NCAAs when Larry Owings handed Dan Gable his first loss in his combined high school/college career. The late wrestling historian Jairus "Jay" Hammond -- author of "The History of Collegiate Wrestling" book -- once shared with this writer his choices for the three greatest upsets in NCAA finals. At the top of his list was Gable-Owings ... followed by 2009's Darrion Caldwell vs. Brent Metcalf in second place ... and 1962's Jack Flasche vs. Phil Kinyon ranked third. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of that great collegiate mat upset, InterMat thought the time was right to take a look back at Hammond's trio of top NCAA finals upsets. No. 3: Jack Flasche upsets Phil Kinyon, 1962 NCAAs Before the start of the 1962 NCAA Wrestling Championships at Oklahoma State's Gallagher Hall on March 23-24, few would have guessed that the 157-pound title match would have seemed to be mismatch. There was Jack Flasche, unseeded wrestler from what was then called Colorado State College (now University of Northern Colorado), a sophomore making his first appearance at the NCAAs. Flasche was to face off against Phil Kinyon, the top seed and defending champ at 157, who had yet to lose a match as an Oklahoma State Cowboy. Kinyon was the prohibitive favorite. A two-time Oklahoma state champ at Stillwater High, after graduation Kinyon entered the U.S. Navy where he served for nearly a decade, continuing his wrestling career in freestyle. After a brief time on the wrestling roster at UCLA, Kinyon returned to his hometown to wrestle for the Cowboys, winning the 157-pound crown at the 1961 NCAAs, and compiling an overall record of 26-1-3 right up to the '62 NCAA finals. There were two other factors that made Kinyon "the sure bet" to win a second NCAA title in his home gym. He had just missed making the U.S. freestyle wrestling team for the 1960 Rome Olympics, losing the final match in a bruising series of a dozen bouts to former Oklahoma State champ Doug Blubaugh, eventual gold medal winner. He was also known for his physical strength and intimidating musculature. Even in high school, Kinyon was voted "Best Physique" twice. A fellow college wrestler of the early 1960s described Kinyon as "hairy as a bear and built like a brick sh**house." As for Flasche ... Colorado wrestling historian Ray Coca wrote, "Pound-for-pound, Jack Flasche was considered one of the greatest amateur wrestlers to come out of the Western Slope." While at Fruita High, Flasche won back-to-back Colorado state titles. After his senior year, he placed second in the National AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) tournament. Here's what Hammond wrote in his recap about the Flasche-Kinyon bout of the 1962 NCAA finals for his "History of Collegiate Wrestling" book: "The 157-pound final followed a similar script [to Army's Mike Natvig's upset of Kirk Pendleton of Lehigh at 147] -- an unseeded wrestler Jack Flasche of Northern Colorado, shocked the number one seed, Phil Kinyon of Oklahoma State, with strong mat wrestling. "Flasche stunned the OSU fans by riding the powerful Cowboy for the entire third period on the way to a 5-2 victory." Looking back at the 1962 NCAAs, Ray Coca wrote, "When Flasche beat the number-one seed Kinyon 5-2, it was considered one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history. Flasche, who was unseeded and unknown, beat the number two and six-seeded wrestlers before upending the heavily favored Kinyon at OSU's Gallagher Hall." "Jim Rogers, a member of both the 1962 Colorado/Oklahoma International Wrestling Team and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, said (in 2010), 'I could not believe Jack Flasche came down here to Oklahoma and proceeded to take our national champion (Kinyon) apart." Coca went to write, "Many young wrestlers attempted to emulate Flasche's style of wrestling 'from his knees' instead of the more conventional style of 'on both feet.' However, fans outside wrestling circles were unaware of the fact that Flasche had a permanent injury to his knee. The injury caused him so much pain it forced him to wrestle from his knees." Sadly, Jack Flasche, his wife Lois, and a family friend -- along with two occupants of another vehicle -- were killed in a head-on crash in Montana a decade ago this week. It was only after I wrote a tribute to Flasche for a now-defunct online news website ten years ago that Jay Hammond shared with me his assessment that Flasche's seemingly out-of-the-blue title win at the 1962 NCAAs ranked as the No. 3 upset in NCAA finals history, behind Owings-Gable and Caldwell-Metcalf. No. 2: Darrion Caldwell defeats Brent Metcalf, 2009 NCAAs Just over a decade ago -- March 21, 2009, within the memory of most in the amateur wrestling community today -- a North Carolina State Wolfpack wrestler toppled the defending 149-pound champ from the storied Iowa Hawkeye mat program. Here's how the N.C. State sports information office described what now ranks as the No. 2 upset in NCAA finals history immediately after conclusion of the 2009 NCAA Division I finals: "The consensus heading into the championship round of the NCAA Wrestling Championships was that Iowa's Brent Metcalf was just plain unbeatable, that no one could stop him in his quest to repeat as champion at 149 pounds. "N.C. State's Darrion Caldwell apparently didn't get the memo." Meet Metcalf: Brent Metcalf, a native of Michigan who won four consecutive state titles, had a flawless prep career record of 228-0. He originally committed to Virginia Tech to wrestle for then head coach Tom Brands. However, when Brands took the helm at University of Iowa, Metcalf sought to follow him ... but Virginia Tech refused to release him, forcing Metcalf to sit out the entire 2006-07 season. In his first season at Iowa in 2007-08, Metcalf -- now officially a sophomore -- claimed both the 2008 Big Ten and NCAA championships at 149 pounds. Caldwell the challenger: Darrion Caldwell was a three-time state wrestling champ in his native New Jersey, compiling an impressive 146-4 mat record in high school. (He also competed in football and baseball.) Heading south to North Carolina State, Caldwell got a 20-6 record as a true freshman, just missing earning NCAA All-American honors by one match. The following season -- 2007-08 -- Caldwell went 36-5, placing fifth at the 2008 NCAAs to become an All-American. Setting the stage for the 2009 Nationals: The 2009 NCAAs were held in St. Louis March 19-21 in the downtown arena then called Scottrade Center (which is now Enterprise Center.) Brent Metcalf was the top seed at 149 pounds. The Iowa Hawkeye pinned his first two opponents in the bracket; in the quarterfinals, Metcalf defeated No. 9 seed Terry Kyle of Oklahoma State, 14-5 ... then, in the semifinals, beat Ohio State's Lance Palmer (seeded fourth), 6-2, to propel Metcalf to the finals to defend his 2008 title. No. 3 seed Darrion Caldwell also won his first-round bout by fall ... then, in the second round, beat SUNY-Buffalo's unseeded Desmond Green, 10-2. In the quarterfinals, Caldwell topped No. 6 seed Jake Patacsil of Purdue, 10-1 ... while, in the semis, Caldwell defeated Navy's No. 7 seed Bryce Saddoris, 13-2, to put the Wolfpack wrestler in the title bout. The 2009 NCAA finals recap in "The History of Collegiate Wrestling" hinted at a bit of history between the two wrestlers. "The 149-pound final was one of the most entertaining and controversial in many years. Top seeded Brent Metcalf of Iowa was a heavy favorite against Darrion Caldwell of North Carolina State who had lost by technical fall to Metcalf in the All-Star Classic. Tonight was a different story as Caldwell was on the attack from the start and used two takedowns from scrambles to lead 4-2. As the match came to an end, Caldwell began a premature celebration that included a full back flip. Metcalf pushed Caldwell mid-flip and after a review by the officials, Iowa was penalized a team point. Caldwell won the match 11-6, snapped Metcalf's 69-match winning streak, and was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament." Immediately after the 2009 Nationals, the NCAA Wrestling Committee reprimanded Metcalf, publicly issuing a news release that it "strongly believes the championships should not be tarnished by such acts." The Iowa wrestler soon issued an apology: "I would like to extend an apology to Darrion Caldwell, his family, the NCAA and the wrestling community for my actions in the NCAA title match. I certainly had no malicious intent. With five seconds left in the match, I was attempting to finish to the end, as I've always been trained to do. In a split second after the whistle, my momentum carried me into Darrion's celebratory back flip. My reaction was a result of self-defense and partly, frustration. I want to extend my congratulations to Darrion for his championship." One year later, Metcalf won his second NCAA title, beating Lance Palmer 3-2 in the 149 finals ... and finishing his collegiate career with a record of 108-3. After winning the 2009 NCAA championship, Caldwell wrestled in freestyle events ... but suffered a series of shoulder injuries, which required surgery and forced him to redshirt the 2009-2010 season. Caldwell returned to action midway through his senior season (2010-2011) and was undefeated in 15 matches. Caldwell was the number one seed for the 2011 NCAAs, but suffered yet another shoulder injury in his second-round match, which ended his college career with a 109-13 record. In 2012, Caldwell launched his pro MMA career, where he has compiled a 15-3 record, and was once a Bellator MMA bantamweight champion. No. 1: Larry Owings upsets Dan Gable, 1970 NCAAs Fifty years ago this week -- Saturday, March 28, 1970 -- the most momentous upset in college wrestling took place. Now known as Owings-Gable -- or Gable-Owings -- the 142-pound finals featuring Iowa State's Dan Gable vs. Larry Owings of the University of Washington has been named "Best Match" by wrestling historians and fans in online balloting for the 75th anniversary of NCAA wrestling championships in 2005. A half-century after the two met on the mat at the 1970 NCAA finals at what was then called McGaw Hall at Northwestern University outside Chicago is still a topic of discussion among wrestling fans a half-century ago. Get to know Dan Gable: Born in Waterloo, Iowa in Oct. 1948, Dan Mack Gable was a multi-sport athlete as a kid, competing in swimming and baseball before eventually focusing on wrestling. At Waterloo West High -- within sight of his family home -- Gable wrestled for the legendary head coach Bob Siddens. At West, Gable compiled a perfect 64-0 record and three state titles (95 pounds in 1964, 103 lbs. in 1965, and 112 lbs. in 1966; note: freshman were not allowed to wrestle varsity). With all this on-the-mat success in Waterloo, Gable faced tragedy. On Memorial Day holiday weekend 1964, 15-year-old Dan and his parents had traveled to a cabin on the Mississippi River, to be joined later by his 19-year-old sister Diane. When Diane failed to show up to join the rest of her family, her father Mack called a neighbor to check on his daughter. The neighbor found Diane dead on the living room floor in a pool of blood; a neighbor boy was later found guilty of her murder. After graduating from Waterloo West, Dan Gable headed west to Ames to Iowa State, to wrestle for yet another legendary Iowa-born coach, Harold Nichols. As a Cyclone, Gable scored three Big Eight titles (1968-1970) and was a two-time NCAA champ as a sophomore and junior. (Again, freshmen could not compete varsity per NCAA rules at the time.) During his college career, Gable pinned 83 of 118 opponents, for an impressive 70.3% pinning percentage. Meet Larry Owings: Born in Oregon City, Ore. in June 1950 and raised on a farm, Owings was introduced to wrestling by brothers already involved in the sport. Owings had a not-so-successful start; nicknamed Porky, Owings lost all eight of his matches in his first year in junior varsity competition at Canby High, wrestling for coach Larry Wright. However, Owings turned things around, becoming a two-time Oregon high school state champ, winning the 136-pound crown as a junior in 1967, and the 138 title in 1968 (pinning all his opponents at state). As a senior, he earned a place on Wrestling USA magazine's 1967-68 High School All-American team. Larry Owings' high school mat accomplishments -- including more than 200 victories -- got the attention of a number of college wrestling programs, including Oklahoma State, and, reportedly, Iowa State. However, Owings' love of the Pacific Northwest -- and desire to go to a school with a good architecture program, his intended major -- Owings chose the University of Washington (which has since eliminated its Husky wrestling program). Owings meets Gable for the first time, 1968: Just after graduating from high school, Larry Owings traveled to Ames, Iowa to compete in the 1968 U.S. Olympic Trials. While there, he faced off against Iowa State sophomore Dan Gable, and lost to the Iowa State mat star, 13-5. Owings vs. Gable, 1970 NCAAs: Dan Gable was the top seed in the 142-pound bracket, while Larry Owings was seeded second in the same weight class, having cut weight ... all with the expressed purpose to avenging his 1968 Olympic Trials loss to Gable, as the Washington wrestler told anyone in the media covering the Nationals at Northwestern. Both wrestlers had pinned their way to the finals. Senior Dan Gable scored falls (in order) in his pigtail match, vs. Central Michigan's Larry Hulbert at 3:11 ... then in the first round vs. Indiana State's unseeded Steve Welter at 5:28 ... then unseeded Gary Pelei of Minnesota at 4:29 of Round 2. The Cyclone kept up the pin parade into the quarterfinals by putting the shoulders of Bill Beakley, Oklahoma's No. 6 seed, at 2:27 ... followed by a 6:33 fall vs. No. 4 seed Wayne Bright at Old Dominion in the semifinals. Meanwhile, second-seeded sophomore Larry Owings pinned (in order) three unseeded wrestlers: Virginia Tech's Russell Reid at 5:12, Michigan's Mark King at 1:30, then Dan Silbaugh of Wyoming at 6:02. In the semifinals, Owings faced No. 3 seed Keith Lowrance of Michigan State, securing the fall at 3:29 to set up a Gable-Owings title match. Here's how Jay Hammond described the epic upset in his recap of the title matches in his "History of Collegiate Wrestling" book: "The next final bout saw the greatest upset in the history of the NCAA tournament. Larry Owings did the impossible -- he beat Dan Gable in the last match of his collegiate career, thus spoiling his 96-0 perfect record. Owings, who was probably the only person in the building who thought he could win, surrendered an early takedown before scoring seven straight points to lead 7-2. However, Gable rallied and knotted the score at 8-8 with a reversal early in the third period. Owings escaped then took Gable down, briefly exposing his shoulders. Referee Pascal Perri awarded two back points to give Owings a 13-8 lead. Gable escaped and had two points for time advantage, but Owings, the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler, was a 13-11 victor." At the 1970 NCAAs, Gable earned the Gorriaran Award for scoring the most falls in the least amount of time for the second year in a row. However, he left McGaw Hall with his first loss in his combined high school and college mat career, which added up to a record of 182-1. In the team title race, Iowa State had little trouble in winning its second straight NCAA championship by piling up 99 points (despite Gable's defeat). Michigan State scored 84 points to place second in the 1970 team title race. Aftermath: Larry Owings made it to the finals of the next two NCAAs. As a junior, Owings lost Oklahoma State's Darrell Keller, 16-12, at the 1971 NCAAs ... then, the following year, Owings fell to Michigan State's Tom Milkovich, 8-4, as a senior. Owings completed his college career with an 87-4 overall record and a 52-1 mark in dual meets. For Dan Gable, the 1970 NCAA finals was the conclusion of his college mat career. However, after graduating from Iowa State, Gable focused on his freestyle career, ultimately winning the gold medal at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Even before he competed at the Summer Games, Gable was recruited by University of Iowa head wrestling coach Gary Kurdelmeier to join his coaching staff. A few years after Gable came to Iowa City, Kurdelmeier moved up within the Hawkeye organization to become an assistant athletic director ... promoting Gable from assistant coach to head coach. In four years as an assistant coach and 21 as head coach, Gable made the Hawkeyes THE collegiate wrestling program of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s (record) Owings and Gable meet again ... and again: Larry Owings and Dan Gable crossed paths more than once in the years after their epic meeting on the mat 1970 NCAA finals. The two had yet another match, at the 1972 Olympic Trials in Minnesota, in the 149.5-pound weight class. Gable defeated Owings,7-1, to represent the U.S. at the Munich Olympics ... and bring home a gold medal. Gable and Owings did not meet again in person in more than 30 years, until 2006. According to Mike Finn's 2007 story for WIN magazine, the two talked in person in the stands of Ford Center (now Chesapeake Energy Center) in Oklahoma City at the 2006 NCAA Division I Championships. "I saw Dan Gable sitting in the same section that we were," Owings told Finn. "I went down and said hi to him. It was a little bit later in the tournament that he actually came up with his daughter and introduced her to me. He sat down and talked to me for a while. We just sat down and talked like two old wrestlers. I don't hate Dan Gable. I never have. I think he is a tremendous coach and a tremendous competitor. He's deserved everything that he's earned." More recently, Larry Owings and Dan Gable met again in person, taking the stage at a discussion of the 1970 NCAAs at NCAA Fan Fest in 2018. Hungry to learn more about the Owings-Gable 1970 NCAAs? Check out this in-depth (8,000-word) analysis of that epic upset -- including more detailed coverage of the actual match, along with comments from Dan Gable and Larry Owings -- posted at InterMat in 2010.

SALEM, Va.-- Roanoke College Director of Athletics Scott Allison has announced the hiring of Nate Yetzer to serve as the college's first head wrestling coach. Allison announced in January the addition of wrestling as the College's 22nd NCAA Division III sponsored athletic program. The Maroons will begin competition in the Fall of 2021. "We're fortunate to have Nate Yetzer lead our wrestling program," said Allison. "His ability to build a program is proven. The energy he brings to the table is off the charts. We know he'll fit in well with his colleagues on our hallway!" Yetzer joined the Ferrum coaching staff in July 2012 as Head Wrestling Coach. In the last eight years at the helm of the new Panther mat program, Yetzer has sent 13 individuals to the NCAA Div. III Wrestling National Championships. Four wrestlers have earned All-America honors under Yetzer, Logan Meister in 2016 and Zach Beckner in 2017, with Beckner being the College's first-ever NCAA finalist in any sport. Levi Englman and Mario Vasquez became the third and fourth All-Americans in 2019. Yetzer's 2017 team won the NCAA East Regional and he was named NCAA East Region Coach of the Year. Yetzer came to Ferrum from Blacksburg, Virginia, where he served six years as an assistant coach for the Virginia Tech wrestling program. Yetzer worked under Head Coach Kevin Dresser, helping to coordinate daily training sessions and assisting with office administration. He helped the Hokies to a #11 finish at the 2012 NCAA Division I Tournament. The Hokies had two All-Americans, six NCAA qualifiers and three ACC champions in 2012. Yetzer also assisted with recruitment and visitations of potential Virginia Tech student-athletes, fundraising activities, travel coordination and monitoring academic progress of student-athletes. "I'm very excited about the opportunity to start another program here at Roanoke College," said Yetzer. "It is easy to see why RC is consistently among the top teams in the ODAC across all sports. It is great to see Roanoke is going to be invested in this program with expectations to be successful in the classroom and on the mat. I want to thank Mr. Scott Allison, Mr. Aaron Fetrow and President Maxey for their confidence in me to fulfill those expectations." Prior to joining the Hokies' staff, Yetzer served as assistant coach one year at Binghamton University in Vestal, New York. In that role, he helped with all facets of the Bearcats' NCAA Division I wrestling program. Yetzer served four years (2000-04) as a clinician at the Bruce Baumgartner World-Class Wrestling Camps in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. He also served as an assistant wrestling coach four years (2002-04, 2006) for the Ohio Junior National Team. Yetzer wrestled for NCAA Division I Edinboro University from 2001-05. He won Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference titles in 2004 and 2005, and earned the Eastern Wrestling League title in 2004. Yetzer was a four-time NCAA Division I Tournament qualifier, and capped his 2004 season with an All-American finish when he placed 8th in the 174-pound weight class. A Madison High School graduate, Yetzer was an Ohio High School Athletic Association state finalist in 1999 and 2000, winning a state title in 2000. He went on to a National High School Coaches Association (NHCAA) national runner-up finish in 2000, and earned five Freestyle and Greco-Roman All-America finishes. Yetzer earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Edinboro in 2005. He earned his Master of Arts degree in Health Promotions from Virginia Tech in 2012. Yetzer and his wife, the former Leah Scott, have four boys. 10 year old twins Jack and Nick, six year old Ethan and four year old Harrison. While wrestling is not currently a sponsored sport by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, Roanoke joins Emory & Henry (2020), Ferrum, Shenandoah (2020) and Washington and Lee as ODAC schools that sponsor the sport.