InterMat Staff

Braxton Amos has been named InterMat High School Wrestler of the Year (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Link: Final High School Individual Rankings If one has been paying any attention to the news, the novel coronavirus has put global society at a total stalemate for the last week and will do so for the foreseeable future. Prior to this stalemate, all but one of the state championships were conducted for 2019-20. Ohio was the exception. Normally at this point, postseason national tournaments (i.e. NHSCA grade-level and USA Wrestling folkstyle) would be upcoming; however, those events have been postponed until the COVID-19 stalemate comes to an end. Since that is the case, InterMat has decided to conclude the 2019-20 scholastic wrestling season from a national rankings perspective. The below article will acknowledge the Wrestler of the Year along with the other wrestlers ranked No. 1 in the country at their respective weight classes. Wrestler of the Year: Braxton Amos, Parkersburg South (W.Va.), 220 pounds Already a Cadet (now 16U) double national champion before stepping into high school, the University of Wisconsin signee packed more than a full four years' worth of accomplishments into a three-year scholastic wrestling career. Amos missed his freshman season due to injury sustained during September 2016. However, in the next three seasons he amassed an in-season record of 132-0 with many of those matches being first-period pins. Amos is a three-time state high school champion, three-time Super 32 Challenge champion, three-time Walsh Jesuit Ironman champion, and three-time Powerade champion. He is the No. 1-ranked wrestler at 220 pounds for the second straight season. This past summer he was a Junior National finalist in both styles at 220 pounds, winning the title in freestyle and advancing to the Greco-Roman final before having to injury default. Previous Wrestlers of the Year 2019: Carson Kharchla (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) 2018: Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) 2017: Vito Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.) 2016: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) 2015: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) 2014: Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.) 2013: Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.) 2012: Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Ind.) 2011: Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, Calif.) Other top-ranked wrestlers Andre Gonzales after winning a California state title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 106 pounds: Andre Gonzales (Poway, Calif.) After placing third at state in the 106-pond weight class last year as a sophomore, Gonzales would go on to win Junior National titles in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at 106 during the summer. His lone loss as a junior came up at 113 pounds in the Reno TOC final, 3-2 to national No. 3 Joey Cruz (Clovis North, Calif.). Gonzales earned state gold this season with a pair of wins over wrestlers ranked inside the top 15 nationally at the state tournament. 113 pounds: Richard Figueroa (Selma, Calif.) Through three years of high school wrestling, Figueroa remains unblemished except for single loss in the final of the 2017 Walsh Jesuit Ironman. He is a three-time state champion, this year scorching his way through the bracket with two shutout technical falls, a pin, and a pair of victories over nationally ranked opposition (including a fourth win over national No. 3 Joey Cruz in the championship match). Figueroa is also a two-time Cadet World Team member in freestyle, and has finished the season ranked No. 1 nationally in this weight class each of the last two seasons. 120 pounds: Greg Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) After his return from an offseason knee injury in early January, Diakomihalis amassed a 25-0 record on the way to his fifth state championship. The Cornell commit finished his career with a record of 219-2, including a winning streak of more than 175 straight matches going back to his eighth-grade season. 126 pounds: Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) Already a high school state champion in seventh through ninth grade at Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), Bouzakis added a National Prep title during his debut season at Wyoming Seminary as a high school sophomore. Prior to the start of the high school season, Bouzakis was a 16U National freestyle champion and a Super 32 Challenge champion (it was his third placement in the high school division of the Super 32). During 2019-20, Bouzakis was a champion at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman with his lone loss coming in the Powerade final by disqualification due to an illegal slam. 132 pounds: Shayne Van Ness (Blair Academy, N.J.) Despite missing the first month of this scholastic season, Van Ness had established his robust credential and ability level with his success last season and then a pair of wins during Who's Number One in early October against the two wrestlers that ended the season ranked directly behind him. Upon return, Van Ness dominated his way to a National Prep championship with three pins and two technical falls in five bouts, including wins over three of the other four top-five finishers. Wyoming Seminary's Beau Bartlett (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) 138 pounds: Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) The Penn State signee won a fourth National Prep title with four pins in four bouts leading up to an 11-4 victory over nationally ranked Lucas Chittum (Blair Academy, N.J.) in the championship match. During the season, he continued to be in title contention at everything under the sun, including a runner-up finish at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman and earning a second title at the Powerade Tournament in two career attempts. 145 pounds: Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) The North Carolina signee arguably made the most profound leap from the end of last season to the end of this season out of any wrestler in the country. After ending last season as runner-up at National Preps in the 120-pound weight class, McNeil finished third in Junior freestyle and was Super 32 Challenge champion at 138 pounds in the offseason; then during this season he dominated his way to titles at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, Powerade, and National Prep tournaments during an undefeated season. 152 pounds: Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) The Michigan State signee had a superlative senior season, going undefeated on the way to a state championship, including titles at the Reno TOC and Doc Buchanan Invitational; this included a 5-0 mark against four different nationally ranked opponents. Between last year's state runner-up at the start of this season, Saldate placed fourth in Junior freestyle and was champion in the Super 32 Challenge, with both coming at 152 pounds. 160 pounds: Keegan O'Toole (Arrowhead, Wis.) The Missouri signee finishes his career a four-time state champion after going 49-0 during his senior season, which means that O'Toole ends scholastic wrestling on a 100-match win streak going back to the consolation semifinal round of the January 2018 Cheesehead. He is a four-time Fargo freestyle All-American, including a Junior National champion in the summer of 2018. Most notable wins during the scholastic period were beating No. 2 Padraic Gallagher (St. Edward, Ohio) at Who's Number One and beating No. 8 Luke Odom (Edwardsville, Ill.) in the Cheesehead finals. 170 pounds: Alex Facundo (Davison, Mich.) The Penn State verbal commit ends the season ranked No. 1 for a second straight season, and is now a three-time state champion. A two-time Cadet World Team member in freestyle, Facundo won a Brecksville Holiday Tournament title during the season, and is now 109-3 in his high school career. Patrick Kennedy after winning his fourth state championship (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine) 182 pounds: Patrick Kennedy (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) On the way to four state titles in ninth through 12th grade, the Iowa signee amassed a record of 158-2, including 127 consecutive wins after a 5-2 defeat against Brandon Moen (Owatonna, Minn.) on February 3, 2017. If including seasons in junior high where he finished sixth then third at the varsity state tournament, his six-year career record was 223-20. In the most recent offseason, Kennedy absolutely dominated his way to a Junior National freestyle title at 170 pounds, and upended Facundo in Who's Number One preseason showcase. 195 pounds: Rocky Elam (Staley, Mo.) Even managing to mix in some international competition, the Missouri signee managed to amass a 32-0 record during his senior season of competition on the way to a repeat state title. Elam's four-year high school record finishes at 144-4. He also is a three-time Fargo freestyle All-American, including a Cadet National title in 2018; Elam also has a 2019 Junior Folkstyle national title on the resume, along with a title from the Preseason Nationals this past fall. 285 pounds: Nash Hutmacher (Chamberlain, S.D.) In one last season of wrestling before moving on to play on the interior defensive line at the University of Nebraska, Hutmacher went 42-0 with all but two matches being first-period wins by fall; those other two matches were a forfeit victory in a dual meet and a win by fall in the third period. He is now a four-time state champion with a record of 165-0 during those seasons, with his last loss coming in the consolation semifinal round of the state tournament during his eighth grade year. Ranked wrestlers by state 49: Pennsylvania (3 individuals ranked No. 1 nationally) 30: California (3) 27: New Jersey (1) 26: Ohio 21: Illinois 10: New York (1), Oklahoma 9: Florida, Minnesota (1) 8: Georgia, Michigan (1) 7: Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri (1), Nebraska 5: Texas, West Virginia (1), Wisconsin (1) 4: Kansas 3: Maryland, Oregon 2: Arizona, South Dakota (1), Virginia, Washington 1: Hawaii, Connecticut, Kentucky, Tennessee Thirty states in all had a nationally ranked wrestler (i.e. attend a high school in that state).

Wyoming Seminary won the Walsh Jesuit Ironman title by 45.5 points (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Link: Final Fab 50 Team Rankings The 2019-20 high school wrestling season was certainly one to remember. Crowning a national champion this year was pretty clear, despite the only undefeated team (Simley, Minn.) being ranked No. 18 in the country. This year's national champion is Wyoming Seminary (Pa.). The Blue Knights were dominant champions at the nation's best in-season tournament, Walsh Jesuit (Ohio) Ironman; dominant champions at a top-five tournament, Powerade; and champions at National Preps over four other ranked teams (two of which are in the top ten). The lone blemish on the season for Wyoming Seminary came in a 31-24 dual meet loss to Blair Academy (N.J.) on Jan. 17. However, the Blue Knights were without the services of Nic Bouzakis (126) on that evening. Five weeks earlier, the Wyoming Seminary won the Walsh Jesuit Ironman by 45.5 points over Blair Academy; then five weeks later, Wyoming Seminary won the National Prep title by 81 points. Anchoring the Blue Knights' roster were three wrestlers who ended the season ranked No. 1 in the country: Nic Bouzakis (126), Beau Bartlett (138), and Lachlan McNeil (145). Four other wrestlers concluded the season ranked: Brennen Cernus (No. 17 at 113 pounds), Drew Munch (No. 8 at 132), Gabriel Arnold (No. 13 at 160), and Kolby Franklin (No. 9 at 220). Rounding out the top five were the following teams: No. 2 Blair Academy (N.J.): Dual meet victory over Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), Walsh Jesuit Ironman runners-up, Beast of the East champions, National Prep runners-up No. 3 Buchanan (Calif.): Doc Buchanan Invitational champions, state tournament champions, dual meet loss to Montini Catholic (Ill.), dual meet victory over No. 6 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) No. 4 Montini Catholic (Ill.): Dual meet victories over No. 3 Buchanan (Calif.), No. 5 Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), and No. 6 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.); Walsh Jesuit Ironman fifth place, Doc Buchanan Invitational runners-up, dual team and (unofficial) individual state champions No. 5 Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.): Dual meet loss to No. 4 Montini Catholic (Ill.), Brecksville (Ohio) Holiday Tournament champions, dual team and (unofficial) individual state champions Now for some interesting trivia associated with this year's Fab 50 … Simley (Minn.) after winning the team title at the Minnesota Christmas Tournament (Photo/David Peterson, Minnesota/USA Wrestling) Only one team within the Fab 50 national high school team rankings finished the season undefeated in dual meets and placing first in all its tournaments, that being Simley (Minn.). The Spartans end the season ranked No. 18 after winning the Cliff Keen Independence (Iowa) Invitational, Minnesota Christmas Tournament, and Cheesehead Invitational; beat No. 45 St. Michael-Albertville (Minn.) in a dual meet; and won both the dual team and (unofficial) individual state tournament titles. Eleven teams started the season ranked, but ended the season not ranked; 11 teams started the season unranked, but ended the season ranked. Those teams are: No. 35 Waynesburg (Pa.), No. 37 Goddard (Kansas), No. 38 Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral, No. 39 Evansville (Ind.) Mater Dei, No. 40 Crown Point (Ind.), No. 42 McDonogh (Md.), No. 45 St. Michael-Albertville (Minn.), No. 46 Don Bosco (Iowa), No. 47 Lisbon (Iowa), No. 48 Notre Dame-Green Pond (Pa.), and No. 49 Baylor School (Tenn.). It should be noted that information about the addition of Wyatt Henson (season-ending No. 4 at 138 pounds) to the Waynesburg lineup was not fully verified at the time of the team rankings being published. Eight teams saw a double-digit improvement in their ranking position from the start of the season to the end of the season. The biggest improvement was Simley (Minn.) going from No. 45 in the preseason to No. 18 at the end of the season, though part of that improvement was due to the addition of Reid Nelson to the lineup at 113 pounds; once that move was confirmed and full lineup information was received, the Spartans were No. 25 in the rankings at the start of December. Malvern Prep (Pa.) had a strong performance at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, finishing third (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The next most significant upward moves came from Malvern Prep (Pa.) and Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.). Both teams improved 19 spots from start to finish. The Friars went from No. 26 to No. 7, while the Hawks went from No. 50 to No. 31. Next in line were the upward shifts from Nazareth (Pa.) and Crescent Valley (Pa.); the Blue Eagles went from No. 42 to No. 24, while Crescent Valley started at No. 48 and ascended to No. 30. Clovis (Calif.) went from No. 32 to No. 16, Broken Arrow (Okla.) went from No. 39 to No. 24, while Dundee (Mich.) went from No. 46 to No. 33. Nineteen different states have a team represented in the InterMat Fab 50 team rankings, as do 19 different governing bodies. (National Prep counts as a separate governing body from any state.) California has the most ranked teams with seven; Pennsylvania has six (though only four are PIAA teams); with four each for Michigan, New Jersey (though only three are NJSIAA), Ohio, Minnesota, and Iowa. Five schools that competed at National Preps this year ended the season ranked. Seventeen teams were ranked at the end of 2018-19 that did not end 2019-20 with a ranking position. Out of that turnover in the rankings, nine schools ended this season ranked for the first time in the now ten years of the Fab 50 being compiled by InterMat: No. 23 Millard South (Neb.), No. 28 Stillwater (Okla.), No. 30 Crescent Valley (Ore.), No. 35 Waynesburg (Pa.), No. 40 Crown Point (Ind.), No. 41 St. Joseph-Montvale (N.J.), No. 47 Lisbon (Iowa), No. 48 Notre Dame-Green Pond (Pa.), and No. 49 Baylor School (Tenn.).

One week after the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame had announced its Class of 2020 honorees, the Cresco, Iowa-based facility has announced it is postponing the ceremony one year, to 2021. Here is the statement issued by the Hall on Tuesday, March 17: Due to circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Directors of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in Cresco announce that the 51st annual IWHOF Induction Ceremony and Awards Banquet scheduled for Monday, April 13, 2020 has been postponed until Monday, April 21, 2021. The class of 2020 -- including Tom Hogan, Tom Huff, G. Wyatt Schultz and Chad Zaputil -- are deemed worthy recipients, and were unanimously approved for induction into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. Their day will come." The Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame's sole purpose is the promotion of amateur wrestling in Iowa. The IWHOF has a rich history of honoring native Iowans at our annual awards banquet and induction ceremony.

USA Wrestling has postponed the 2020 U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Open, which was scheduled to take place at the South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 21-26. The U.S. Open includes a number of major national-level competitions, including: • UWW Junior Nationals (April 23-25) • UWW Cadet Nationals (April 21-23) • UWW U15 Nationals (April 21-23) • UWW Futures Nationals (April 23-25) • Masters Nationals (April 23-25): Governor Steve Sisolak of Nevada has asked local governments to enforce the CDC guidance that events with attendance of more than 50 persons be cancelled or postponed for eight weeks. Sisolak has also announced the closure of schools in the state through April 6. MGM Resorts (which includes 13 Las Vegas properties) has shut down its casinos, and numerous other Las Vegas hotels and businesses are either closed completely or have reduced activities. This is consistent with USA Wrestling's procedure to seek guidance from the local health department, as well as its number one priority being the health and safety of its members. USA Wrestling is working on plans to reschedule the U.S. Open at a future date. The UWW Junior Nationals, the UWW Cadet Nationals and the UWW U15 Nationals are all in the qualifying series for U.S. age-group World Teams, and are thus are considered “essential events” by USA Wrestling. According to the USA Wrestling statement of March 12, “events and activities deemed essential will be conducted in a way that puts the health and safety of those involved as the primary focus, while still meeting the responsibilities of the organization.”

The coronavirus (COVID-19) has had an impact on a number of amateur wrestling events. Now it is affecting the National Wrestling Hall of Fame facilitates in Stillwater and Waterloo, as both halls will be closed through at least the end of the month. The Hall of Fame located in Stillwater, Okla. has announced, effective immediately, that it "will be closed until at least April 5 following new emergency declaration for Stillwater requiring the closure of restaurant seating areas, bars, gyms, and entertainment venues." The Oklahoma facility has been closed "as a result of the state of emergency proclaimed by the City of Stillwater." "We apologize for the inconvenience and please understand that these precautions are being taken to help protect the health and welfare of our community by helping limit personal interaction to stem the spread of this virus." Meanwhile, the Dan Gable Museum of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Waterloo, Iowa told InterMat via email Tuesday afternoon: "Just announced that we are closed until March 31."

Dick DiBatista won his third EIWA title in 1943 (Photo/National Wrestling Hall of Fame) When it was announced last week that the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships for Divisions I, II and III had been canceled due to concerns about the coronavirus (COVID-19), the news was so startling, many in the wrestling community figured that this had to be the first time ever. Actually, in nearly a century of NCAA Wrestling Championships going back to the first in 1928, the Nationals were not held from 1943 through 1945 because of World War II. To help the wrestling community of today understand what happened to the NCAAs nearly 80 years ago, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla. recently shared excerpts about this era from "The History of Collegiate Wrestling" by late amateur wrestling historian Jay Hammond, along with numerous contributors respected within the wrestling community. "The United States entered World War II shortly before the start of the 1942 collegiate wrestling season," according to Hammond's book. "While the war would cause major disruptions in collegiate athletics, the full effect would not hit wrestling until the 1943. Some schools, such as Oklahoma, terminated their program for the duration, but most competed in 1942 ..." "Most schools outside of the EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) and Big Ten discontinued their wrestling programs with the 1943 season. Oklahoma State would not field a team again until the 1946 season. Army and Navy were two schools that did not suffer during the war. A number of outstanding high school wrestlers from Oklahoma enrolled at the military academies ..." One aspect that will resonate with fans today: wrestlers in the early 1940s who were denied the opportunity to complete their collegiate careers with another NCAA title in 1943. "Four wrestlers had an opportunity to become a three-time NCAA champ in 1943 and were unable to when the tournament was canceled," according to Hammond's book. "Michigan State continued its program in 1943, and Merle and Burl Jennings completed their careers that season. Merle finished his career with a 37-1-0 record and 22 falls. His only loss, which he avenged at the 1941 NCAA tournament, was by a 4-1 count to Calvin Mehlhorn of Oklahoma State in a dual meet ... Dick DiBatista won a third EIWA title in 1943, and he completed his career undefeated at 37-0-0. David "Buddy" Arndt of Oklahoma State did not compete in 1943 because the Cowboys had discontinued wrestling. Arndt returned after the war and won his third NCAA title in 1946." "History of Collegiate Wrestling" is a great addition to the collection of every college wrestling fan by allowing readers to experience and relive the glory of college wrestling through stunning photographs and timeless stories. Wrestling fans can purchase Jay Hammond's "History of Collegiate Wrestling" -- which includes the 381-page original hardback copy plus a 111-page addendum for 2006 to 2019 -- for only $29.95 with free shipping. To order, click here.

NCWA championship trophies (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The National Collegiate Wrestling Association held its annual national wrestling championships in Texas this weekend, in contrast to other sports organizations such as the NCAA which had canceled major sports events such as national wrestling championships, because of concerns of the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), according to multiple media reports. The NCWA national championships, held at the Allen Events Center in Allen, Texas, just outside Dallas, welcomed over 600 athletes from 84 colleges. Eleven schools decided not to participate in the event. When asked by the Dallas Morning News on why he didn't cancel the event, Jim Giunta, NCWA founder and executive director, said, "I think a lot of this is driven by fear. "We're going to do everything in our power to create an environment that's more than safe for our athletes. But after we do everything we can do, we're going to operate on faith rather than fear." At least two coaches weighed in publicly with their support of the NCWA national championships. "From a philosophical perspective, do I think it's overhyped? Yes, I do," said Liberty University wrestling coach Jesse Castro about the fear generated by the coronavirus. "You know the talking points. We've dealt with this kind of stuff before … We're vigilant and we use common sense, but I refuse to live in fear. I'm not gonna do that." "I think when we start to cancel these events, the actual athlete and the hard work kind of fades away from them," said University of Texas-Arlington coach Collin Stroner, who noted that his concern about the coronavirus was "on the back burner." "It's the event," Stroner said. "It's just a basketball game. It's just a hockey game. But for a lot of these guys and theirs, it's their last match. … I'm really proud that we're keeping this act on." Launched in 1997 and headquartered in Dallas, the NCWA features approximately 162 wrestling programs from colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Some schools once had intercollegiate programs competing in NCAA until those programs were eliminated by Title IX, and now compete in the NCWA, separate of the NCAA. "Think of it as club wrestling, for teams outside of sanctioned NCAA competition," is how Nate Scott of USA Today described the NCWA. The NCWA National Wrestling Championships appear to be an outlier in terms of sports organizations and how they are handling the growing coronavirus situation. In addition to the NCAA canceling all winter sports championships -- including the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships for Division I, II and III, and "March Madness" NCAA Basketball Tournament -- most professional sports organizations have canceled or postponed their seasons, including the NBA and Major League Baseball. What's more, a number of major individual sports events -- including The Masters golf tournament, and the Kentucky Derby -- have also been postponed.

MINNEAPOLIS -- For the third straight year, Augsburg University men's wrestler Victor Gliva (SR, Farmington, Minn./Farmington HS) was named as the recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 Award as the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average scheduled to compete at the NCAA Division III National Championships, it was announced recently. The award was scheduled to be presented prior to the final round of the championships on Saturday, but the tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Since the competitors were already on-site in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Thursday prior to the championships, the award could be given out, according to the NCAA. Victor GlivaAccording to the NCAA: "The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships. Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling and a designated member of the squad size at the championship. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed." Gliva joins a list of just 13 student-athletes among all three NCAA divisions who have earned the Elite 90 award three straight years. He is one of just three athletes in NCAA Division III history to earn three awards, joining Kelsey Kittleson of Luther (Iowa, softball, 2010-12) and Liz Phillips of Washington University (Mo., indoor track/cross country, 2010-12), and the third men's wrestler in all divisions to be a three-time honoree, joining California Baptist's Nolan Kistler (Division II, 1016-18) and North Dakota State's Clay Ream (Division I, 2016-18). It's the fifth time an Augsburg student-athlete has earned NCAA Elite 90 honors since the program started in the 2009-10 school year. An accounting major with a 4.00 grade-point average, Gliva has earned National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Scholar All-America honors all four years of his career. In 2017-18, Gliva was also named to the Academic All-America (men's at-large first team) and Academic All-District squads by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). A two-time All-American and four-time NCAA Division III national tournament qualifier, Gliva finished third in the 133-pound weight class at the NCAA Division III Upper Midwest Regional on Feb. 28-29 to qualify for the national meet. He finished fifth in the 125-pound weight class at the 2019 NCAA Division III National Championships, while finishing eighth at the 2017 national tournament at 125, after winning the NCAA West Regional qualifying tournament title. In his high school career at Farmington, he was a three-time state tournament qualifier, with a 2016 Minnesota state title and 2015 runner-up finish to his credit. He finished 25-5 in his senior campaign, with 11 pins and a technical fall. He was ranked as high as No. 2 in the NWCA Division III national poll during the 2019-20 campaign, and was to enter the national tournament ranked No. 4 and as the No. 4 seed. He finished 114-27 in his Augsburg career, with 35 pins, 10 technical falls and 19 major decisions. Gliva is the son of Augsburg wrestling alumnus Steve Gliva '85, who was an NCAA Division III national titlist at 118 pounds in 1984, and holds the distinction of being the only Auggie wrestler ever to earn five All-American honors (three NCAA, two NAIA). The Glivas are the second father-son duo to ever earn All-America honors in Augsburg wrestling history, joining the Adams -- father Bob '83 and son Jason '10.

At USA Wrestling, our No. 1 priority is always the safety of our athletes and their families, all our members, our national staff and the entire U.S. wrestling community. With that in mind, USA Wrestling has made the decision to immediately enact the following: • Discontinue all sanctioned events (local, state, regional or national) through April 6, 2020. Any event scheduled through April 6, 2020 will be notified. If any event was previously sanctioned with USA Wrestling, that sanction is now revoked. • Postpone all regional and national events through April 20, 2020. This is to include the following events: Girls Folkstyle Nationals - Colorado Springs, CO - March 26-29, 2020 Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier - Millersville, PA - March 27-28, 2020 Northwest Regionals - Centralia, WA - March 28-29, 2020 Olympic Trials Silver Coaches College - State College, PA - April 1-3, 2020 Folkstyle Nationals - Cedar Falls, IA - April 3-5, 2020 2020 Olympic Team Trials - Wrestling - State College, PA - April 4-5, 2020 • USA Wrestling strongly encourages all chartered clubs and coaches to adhere to local government and/or school district guidelines and recommendations when deciding whether or not to host practice(s). In cases where clubs have wrestlers from multiple states and/or school districts, USA Wrestling strongly encourages club leaders to use the most aggressive action plans as the criteria for making decisions. If a club does host practice, USA Wrestling strongly recommends requiring all participants have their temperature taken and not to allow anyone to participate whose temperature is 100.4 or higher. Additionally, participation is discouraged for anyone who exhibits signs or symptoms of a respiratory illness, even if they do not have an elevated temperature. USA Wrestling is monitoring this situation daily, and will rely on national and local government regulations and advice from medical experts, including the U.S. Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. Please understand that this situation is fluid, and you should expect further updates that may well include extension of event moratoriums and/or additional cancellations. The health and welfare of all involved is our primary concern as we make event and practice-related decisions. USA Wrestling has 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 involve impact from COVID-19.

David Taylor was dominant in his return to competition (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The United States wrestling team arrived at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier with plenty of work to do in a pressure-packed environment. And the Americans turned in a strong performance in all three styles. The U.S. entered the weekend with only four weight classes -- two in men's freestyle and two in women's freestyle -- qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Those spots were secured with top-six finishes at the 2019 World Championships. The number has now jumped to 15 weight classes overall after the American squad's showing at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier this past weekend in Ottawa, Canada. The Americans have now qualified in 5-of-6 weight classes in men's freestyle, all six classes in women's freestyle and 4-of-6 weights in Greco-Roman. With limited seeding and no true-second place matches, the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier format is not an easy one for U.S. athletes to navigate. The best two wrestlers in a weight class don't always earn the Olympic qualifying berths. The U.S. will have one more shot to qualify the remaining three weight classes at the Last Chance Olympic Qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria. That event is being rescheduled at a later date with events worldwide being postponed because of the coronavirus. Here are the grades I handed out for each American style from the qualifier in Canada: Freestyle The U.S. entered the Pan American event with two weight classes -- 74 kilograms and 97 kilograms -- already qualified for Tokyo after Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder won world medals in 2019. The U.S. qualified 3-of-4 remaining weights Sunday in Ottawa, but suffered a huge setback when Zain Retherford suffered a stunning upset loss in the semifinals. Retherford (65 kilograms), a past Cadet world champion and Senior world team member, was pinned in the semifinals by Argentina's Agustin Alejandro Destribats. Retherford scored a takedown and was trying to turn his opponent before the wrestler from Argentina countered to gain the fall. Retherford came back to win his bronze-medal bout. The U.S. freestyle team had three champions Sunday. 2018 world champion David Taylor (86 kilograms) looked superb in his return as he qualified his weight class for Tokyo. Taylor powered past a tough semifinal opponent in Cuba's Yuri Torreblanca 8-0 to qualify. Taylor had been sidelined since suffering an injury in May 2019. Taylor won by forfeit default over Peru's Pool Ambrocio Greifo in the finals. 2017 world silver medalist Thomas Gilman (57 kilograms) delivered to qualify the lightest weight class for a trip to Japan. Gilman rallied for a clutch 4-3 win over two-time U23 world champion Reineri Andreu Ortega of Cuba in the quarterfinals. Down 3-1 at the break, Gilman kept the pressure on and scored a huge second-period takedown to prevail. Gilman followed by teching Juan Ramirez Beltre of the Dominican Republic 11-0 in the semifinals to qualify his weight class for the Olympics. He won by forfeit over Colombia's Oscar Tigreros Urbano in the finals. Two-time world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski (125 kilograms) powered his way into the finals to qualify the U.S. for a fifth weight class in freestyle. Gwiazdowski won by forfeit over Canada's Amar Dhesi, a three-time All-American for Oregon State, in the finals. None of the seven finals bouts in freestyle were wrestled Sunday after athletes already clinched Olympic berths for their countries with semifinal victories. Grade: B- Kayla Miracle, Helen Maroulis, Jacarra Winchester and Sarah Hildebrandt (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Women's wrestling The U.S. entered the Pan Am event with two weight classes -- 68 kilograms and 76 kilograms -- already qualified for Tokyo after Tamyra Mensah-Stock and Adeline Gray won world titles in 2019. Four more Americans followed suit in a near-flawless performance Saturday. The U.S. women will be represented in all six weight classes at the Olympics. The biggest news was the return of 2016 Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion Helen Maroulis (57 kilograms), who turned in a dominant performance against some strong competition. Maroulis opened with a 12-2 win over 2019 world champion Linda Morais of Canada. She later earned a hard-fought 6-2 win over Ecuador's Lissette Antes Castillo, a past world fifth-place finisher. Maroulis looked impressive. She has been slowed by injuries since winning the 2017 world title, but she wrestled superbly during a high-stakes event Saturday. Three other Americans -- reigning world champion Jacarra Winchester (53 kilograms), world silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt (50 kilograms) and past world team member Kayla Miracle (62 kilograms) -- also turned in impressive performances Saturday. Winchester looks like an Olympic gold medal contender. Her combination of speed, power and skill is going to be tough for her opponents to overcome. Hildebrandt delivered in a huge semifinal bout Saturday, defeating past world champion Jessica MacDonald of Canada 11-0. Winchester and Hildebrandt have dropped down a weight class, and both wrestlers looked outstanding in their new divisions. Miracle continues to progress and defeated two proven veterans Saturday. She rolled past two-time Olympic bronze medalist Jacqueline Renteria of Colombia 11-0 before earning a 12-3 win over 2017 world bronze medalist Michelle Fazzari of Canada. This is shaping up to be the best Olympic Team the U.S. has ever had in women's freestyle wrestling. The Olympic Trials will still determine who makes the team, but the American women look extremely strong right now. They have legitimate medal contenders in every weight class. Grade: A+ Four U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers qualified their weight classes for the Olympics (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Greco-Roman It is no secret that the American Greco-Roman program has struggled since winning the team title at the 2007 World Championships. The last U.S. Olympic medalist in Greco is Adam Wheeler, who captured a bronze medal in 2008 in Beijing, China. Coach Matt Lindland's U.S. Greco team is looking to bounce back in 2020 and his group turned a solid performance in Canada. The U.S. came into the event with no weight classes qualified for Tokyo and left with four classes landing Olympic berths on Friday. The draws are hugely important in this event with no true second-place matches. And the United States took advantage of those. Americans Joe Rau (gold 87 kilograms), Ildar Hafizov (silver at 60 kilograms), Alejandro Sancho (silver at 67 kilograms) and G'Angelo Hancock (silver at 97 kilograms) qualified their weight classes for the Olympics. Americans Pat Smith (77 kilograms) and Adam Coon (130 kilograms) had tough early draws before the finals and both came back to earn bronze medals. The U.S. will have one last chance to qualify for the Olympics at 77 kilograms and 130 kilograms in Bulgaria. With the smaller Olympic field, and just 16 qualifiers per weight class, the U.S. Greco team will certainly have its opportunities to win medals in Tokyo. Grade: B 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.

Thomas Gilman was one of three gold medalists for the U.S. in Ottawa (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) OTTAWA, Canada -- It was a day of mixed emotions for the American freestyle wrestling program. The U.S. freestyle team entered Sunday's Pan American Olympic Qualifier with two of the six Olympic freestyle weight classes already qualified for Tokyo, 74 kilograms and 97 kilograms, and four not yet qualified. When the dust settled on Sunday, the U.S. qualified five of the six weight classes for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Only one freestyle weight class remains not qualified: 65 kilograms. Thomas Gilman (57 kilograms), David Taylor (86 kilograms) and Nick Gwiazdowski (125), all past world medalists, qualified their respective weight classes for the Olympics by reaching the finals. All three won gold medals. Zain Retherford (65 kilograms) fell in the semifinals, which prevented the U.S. from qualifying the 65-kilogram weight class for the Olympics. He battled back to earn a bronze medal. Gilman, a 2017 world silver medalist, opened his tournament with a 10-0 tech over Canada's Ligrit Sadiku. He faced his toughest challenge in the quarterfinals against two-time U23 world champion Reineri Andreu Ortega of Cuba. Ortega scored a takedown thirty seconds into the match to go up 2-0 early. The two traded step outs and the Cuban took a 3-1 lead into the break. In the second period, Gilman inched closer with a step out, and then scored a takedown midway through the period to take a 4-3 lead. Gilman then held off Ortega the rest of the way to earn a 4-3 victory. Gilman cruised to a 10-0 semifinal victory over Juan Rubelin Ramirez Beltre of the Dominican Republic to qualify the 57-kilogram weight class for the United States in the Olympics. He won by forfeit in the finals over Oscar Eduardo Tigreros Urbano of Columbia. Taylor, a 2018 world champion, returned to competition for the first time in over 10 months after recovering from a knee injury. He started his day with a 10-0 victory over Pedro Francisco Ceballos Fuentes of Venezuela. In the semifinals, Taylor faced three-time Pan Am Championships gold medalist Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta of Cuba. Taylor dominated from start to finish, rolling to an 8-0 shutout victory. He then won by forfeit in the finals over Peru's Pool Edinson Ambrocio Greifo. Gwiazdowski, a two-time world bronze medalist, was dominant all day. He outscored his opposition 20-0 in contested matches. In the semifinals, Gwiazdowski won by technical superiority over Luis Felipe Vivenes Urbaenja of Venezuela. He won his gold by forfeit over Canada's Amarveer Dhesi, a former collegiate wrestling star at Oregon State. Retherford looked strong in his first two matches, picking up two 10-0 techs to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals, he faced Argentina's Agustin Alejandro Destribats. The 24-year-old Retherford jumped out early, scoring a takedown off a double leg thirty seconds into the match. He then transitioned to a lace when the Argentinian wrestler caught him and secured a fall just over a minute into the match. Retherford's semifinal loss prevented the U.S. from qualifying the weight class for the Olympics. Retherford came back to win a bronze with a fall over Albaro Rudesindo Camacho of the Dominican Republic. The United States will have one more opportunity to qualify 57 kilograms in freestyle -- along with women's wrestling weight classes at the Last Chance Olympic Qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria, which was recently postponed and will be rescheduled.

Sarah Hildebrandt celebrates after beating Canada's Jessica MacDonald (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) OTTAWA, Canada -- The United States will be represented in all six women's wrestling weight classes at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. On Saturday, the American women dominated at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier in Ottawa, Canada, going a perfect 13-0 in contested matches to qualify four more weight classes for the Olympics to go along with the two previously qualified. Sarah Hildebrandt (50 kilograms), Jacarra Winchester (53 kilograms), Helen Maroulis (57 kilograms) and Kayla Miracle (62 kilograms) advanced to the finals to qualify their weight classes for the Olympics. All four wrestlers forfeited in the finals, giving the Americans four silver medals on Saturday. The top two wrestlers in each weight class qualified their weight classes for their country at the Olympics. Hildebrandt, a 2018 world silver medalist, was unscored upon in her two contested matches. She opened with a 10-0 win over Rita Rojas Chavez of Mexico before beating past world champion Jessica MacDonald of Canada, 11-0. Hildebrandt forfeited in the finals against Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba. Winchester, a returning world champion at 55 kilograms, won her three contested matches at 53 kilograms and outscored her opposition 24-6. She started her day with a 6-2 win over 2018 world bronze medalist Lianna de la Caridad Montero Herrera of Cuba. In the quarterfinals, Winchester rolled to a 10-0 technical superiority over Zeltzin Hernandez Guerra of Mexico. She then qualified the 53-kilogram weight class for the United States with an 8-4 win over Canada's Samantha Stewart. Winchester forfeited in the finals to Lianna de la Caridad Montero Herrera (Cuba) The 2016 Olympic champion Maroulis started her day with a 12-2 technical superiority over 2019 world champion Linda Morais of Canada. She then cruised in her next two matches to advance to the semifinals, where she defeated Puerto Rico's Nes Marie Rodriguez Tirado, 11-0. She defaulted in the finals against Mexico's Alma Valencia. Miracle went 4-0 in the opening session at 62 kilograms. Her semifinal victory came over Canada's Michelle Fazzari, a 2017 world bronze medalist, 12-3. She forfeited to Lais Nunes de Oliveira of Brazil in the finals.

While the wrestling community remains disappointed that the NCAA was forced to cancel the Championships on all three divisional levels, fans will still get a chance to be part of the voting process in determining the 2020 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy winner. Between March 23-27, fans will be invited to go to WIN-Magazine to vote for, among several finalists yet to be determined, this year's award that has been presented annually to the nation's most dominant collegiate wrestler. The winner of the fan vote will earn two first-place votes among the total ballots from a group of formal voters, which includes each former Hodge Trophy winner, national media, representatives of national wrestling organizations and retired former college coaches from different regions. The Dan Hodge Trophy, presented by ASICS, is named after Dan Hodge, the former three-time Oklahoma University national champion (1955-57) who never allowed a takedown in his career and pinned 36 of 48 victims. WIN Magazine will announce finalists (including the wrestlers' statistics) on Friday, March 18. Criteria: 1. A wrestler's record 2. Number of pins 3. Dominance on the mat 4. Quality of competition 5. Past credentials 6. Sportsmanship/citizenship 7. Heart

In the wake of the cancellation of all NCAA sports for the winter and spring seasons, Chad Dennis gets on the horn for Episode 49 of The MatBoss Podcast to talk with Wyoming head wrestling coach Mark Branch about the situation and the feelings going around his wrestling room and others around the country. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Podcasts | RSS

For college wrestling fans, the decision to cancel the 2020 Wrestling Championships for NCAA Division I, II and III because of the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) is understandable ... but understandably disappointing. However, here's a bit of good news: If you ordered tickets from an official NCAA Championship vendor online or over the phone, you will receive a refund. No additional action is needed, according to the official NCAA.com website this week. Did you order your tickets from an official NCAA Championship vendor? Your refund will be automatically delivered (except applicable fees) to the same card used for purchase. You should expect to receive your refund within 30 days after the date of cancellation. In the meantime, you'll receive additional information via email. Need to know more? Customers with specific questions about the refund process may contact the respective event venue(s) or send inquires to the NCAA via email to tickets@ncaa.org. Note: the website cautions, "Please understand that we will be receiving a large volume of calls and emails regarding this decision, and we ask that you allow us five business days to respond to your specific questions."

Joe Rau won a gold medal at 87 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) OTTAWA, Canada -- On Friday, the United States qualified four of the six Olympic Greco-Roman weight classes for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Ildar Hafizov (60 kilograms), Alejandro Sancho (67 kilograms), Joe Rau (87 kilograms) and G'Angelo Hancock (97 kilograms) all finished in the top two in their respective weight classes at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Ottawa, Canada, to qualify their weight classes for the United States at the 2020 Olympic Games. Rau was the lone gold medalist of the group, while Hafizov, Sancho and Hancock finished with silver medals. Pat Smith (77 kilograms) and Adam Coon (130 kilograms) rebounded from losses to win bronze medals. Rau won his gold medal in anticlimactic fashion, earning a forfeit in the finals at 87 kilograms against Cuba's Daniel Gregorich Hechavarria. He opened his tournament by edging Venezuela's Luis Eduardo Avendano Rojas on criteria (4-4) before defeating Jamaica's Lesyan Osvaldo Cousin Otomuro in the semifinals, 9-1. Hafizov was blanked 7-0 in the finals at 60 kilograms by Cuba's Luis Alberto Orta Sanchez, a two-time Pan American Championships gold medalist. He opened his day by edging Andres Roberto Montano Arroyo of Ecquador, 4-3. Hafizov then cruised to wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals over Brazil's Marat Garipov, 9-0, and Mexico's Samuel Gurria Vigueras, 7-2, respectively. Sancho, like Hafizov, struggled to find any offense in his gold-medal match, losing 7-0 to Julian Stiven Horta Acevedo of Colombia at 67 kilograms. He reached the finals by outscoring his first two opponents 15-2 before losing to the Colombian. Hancock, a three-time senior world team member and past junior world medalist, won his first four matches without surrendering a point to advance to the finals at 97 kilograms. In the finals, Hancock was defeated by Cuba's Gabriel Alejandro Rosillo Kindelan, 11-8. Smith captured a bronze medal at 77 kilograms with a 3-2 win over Jair Alexis Cuero Munoz of Columbia. Coon took a bronze at 130 kilograms by defeating Leo Dalis Santana Heredia of the Dominican Republic. The 25-year-old Coon, a past world silver medalist, raced out to a big lead before Santana suffered a rib injury and was forced to default. The U.S. Greco-Roman team will have one more opportunity to qualify 77 kilograms and 130 kilograms for the 2020 Olympic Games. That opportunity will come at the Last Chance Qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria, which was recently postponed and will be rescheduled.

The Olympic Team Trials will be held at Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State Due to the ever-changing impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19), and out of concern for the health and well being of athletes, fans, staff and the community, 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 at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa. Organizers are working closely with local officials and health experts in hopes of rescheduling the event at the Bryce Jordan Center. Updated event information will be shared as soon as possible. In the meantime, ticket holders are asked to hold on to their tickets until future event details can be finalized.

On Friday, the National High School Coaches Association announced that the 31st High School Nationals will take place May 19-21 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The event was originally scheduled for March 27-29, but has been rescheduled due to the spread of coronavirus. The NHSCA released the following: The NHSCA is pleased to announce that the 31st Annual High School Nationals will be hosted May 19-21, 2020 in the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Weigh-Ins will take place on May 19 and competition will run May 20-21. Full event schedule will be made available soon. Registration for High School Nationals will be extended until May 12, 2020 and participants who have already registered will be honored for the postponed date. Members who have purchased an all-event pass will be honored for High School Nationals. This pass will provide you coaching access for both High School Nationals and the National Duals. All-event passes will remain open for purchase until May 18, 2020. The NHSCA is working with the City of Virginia Beach, the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Virginia Beach housing authority to identify hotel availability.

Joel Sharratt ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced Friday that Joel Sharratt will not return as head coach of the Navy wrestling program. A national search will begin immediately for the program's next head coach. "My gratitude to Joel for his efforts and the many contributions he has made to the Naval Academy over his tenure," said Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk. "We have realized some very successful moments that will be remembered for many years to come. On behalf of those within the NAAA and wrestling community, our sincerest appreciation and very best wishes as he moves forward with new opportunities." Sharratt, who guided the Midshipmen to an 8-6 mark in 2020, closed out his Navy career with a 43-24 record. Under his leadership, Navy sent five or more wrestlers to the NCAA Championship in four of his six seasons, including two four-time NCAA qualifiers and one All-American. Four wrestlers completed their careers ranked on Navy's all-time top 20 individual wins list, while student-athletes won four EIWA individual titles under his tutelage. Navy won three All-Academy Championship crowns and placed fifth or better four times. Navy's best finish at the NCAA Championship during Sharratt's tenure was in 2016 when it sent five Midshipmen to the championship and placed 22nd.

Photo/Sam Janicki DES MOINES -- The wild, crazy and chaotic day was finally coming to an end. I glanced around an empty Wells Fargo Arena late Thursday night as I packed up my computer bag and prepared to head back to my hotel. It was the most bizarre and surreal day of my 32-year career as a professional sportswriter. My day began as I put the finishing touches on a feature story nobody will read. It was a piece scheduled for next week on Northern Iowa senior Taylor Lujan, the No. 1 seed at 184 pounds for an NCAA wrestling tournament that isn't going to happen. My day ended covering an Iowa boys' state tournament basketball game that actually did happen. The remarkable run of two-time defending state champion Cedar Falls finally ended in a semifinal loss to a talented Ankeny squad. It was a game, under the circumstances, that maybe shouldn't have even been played. March 12, 2020, was a day many of us will never forget. For those of us who love sports, it was a day packed with an avalanche of emotions. And a day filled with shock, anger, frustration, sadness and reflection. An unprecedented day many of us are still trying to put into perspective. The deadly coronavirus has become so widespread that professional sports leagues started suspending play Wednesday night. The biggest bombshells, as many of us expected, happened the following day. My phone started blowing up early Thursday afternoon on my drive to Des Moines when the NCAA canceled the upcoming basketball and wrestling tournaments. My initial thought was disbelief. How could this be happening? How could they do this to all of the young men and women who have worked so hard for one of the most memorable moments of their lives? It all seems so cruel. And unfair. It's heartbreaking. And gut-wrenching. Listening to how the news impacted passionate wrestling coaches like UNI's Doug Schwab and Wartburg's Eric Keller just tears your heart out. Coaches like those devote so much time, energy and commitment into their athletes and their programs. And they are such positive role models. NCAA Division II and III wrestlers were less than 24 hours from competing in their most important event of the year when their seasons were canceled. The timing of this is so unfortunate. It's just awful. The NCAA was about to stage one of the most memorable wrestling events in history with record-setting crowds expected next week in Minneapolis. I was looking forward to attending my 20th NCAA DI tourney and my first one in person in five years. And looking forward to seeing so many old friends. But now it won't happen. I spent a sleepless Thursday night thinking about the impact this has had and how it has affected so many. I tossed and turned as the same SportsCenter kept replaying on my television. And the same sad stories were continually told. It almost didn't seem real. It was difficult to see when Gonzaga basketball coach Mark Few was informed in the middle of an interview on ESPN that the NCAA tournament had just been canceled. And then be immediately asked for his reaction before having time to process the magnitude of what had just transpired. It's still hard to believe this is happening. It really is. Obviously, steps needed to be taken to ensure everyone's safety. That's the No. 1 priority. And I completely agree with what was done. The health concerns clearly far outweigh any sporting event. But that doesn't make it any easier. My hope is that the NCAA gives athletes like Lujan one final chance to achieve their goals. It would be really unfortunate if it didn't happen. It would also be a shame if a dominant and dynamic wrestler like Spencer Lee was denied an opportunity to ultimately become Iowa's first four-time NCAA champion. The third weekend in March is one of my favorites every year with the NCAA Wrestling Championships taking place. The three-day, six-session extravaganza is as compelling and entertaining as any event in any sport. I have no idea what it's going to be like next week without an NCAA tournament. And how empty it is going to feel. It's difficult to imagine. Or even think about. I just hope and pray we never have to experience it again.

Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com Fallout from the spread of coronavirus, or COVID-19, has reached the global sports world. All major professional sports organizations have canceled or suspended their seasons and the NCAA, no doubt feeling immense pressure, has canceled the NCAA Wrestling Championships. For the wrestlers and coaches who have worked so hard this season and who have sacrificed so much over their career, today is day of loss and grieving. The cancellation of the NCAA wrestling tournament is not comparable to the NBA season, because for our athletes the focus of their entire lives has been on winning an NCAA title. The stair-running, weight-cutting and months of sacrifice were all in a pursuit of a single three-day period at the end of a five-month season. The coronavirus has taken away that opportunity. We are accustomed to stability in the United States. For those that travel often planes are generally on time, hotels keep reservations, and planned events go on without many cancellations. The free movement of people here is something most of us don't consider. We've been largely inoculated from the pain and suffering that conflict outside of our control can bring to our families and friends. As we feel this pain of lost sporting events and lives interrupted, it's important to also take lessons forward about how we can be better stewards to those less fortunate. We are lucky and we need to do more coming out of this to take care of those who are less fortunate. Perspective is hard in a time of personal loss, but the wrestling community needs to be reminded that doctors, epidemiologists, virologists, and world leaders are calling for the immediate and widespread containment of coronavirus in order to SAVE LIVES. The number of cases is growing by the hour and that number could see exponential growth once testing kits in the United States are made in large order and calculated by a central source. Those numbers will further sink the stock market, drive many of us into a fearful state, and all but shut down the economy of the United States. It's terrifying, but by limiting these events there will be less spread and a quicker return to normalcy. Don't panic, but also don't make light of the serious life-altering effect this disease is poised to have on the United States. Limit your risks, and maybe more importantly treat others (online and off) with compassion and patience. Everyone will handle this differently. Also, by God's grace, it seems the virus doesn't attack our children, but it does affect the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. Be mindful and stay vigilant of their needs. Good luck and stay safe.

Missouri head wrestling coach Brian Smith (Photos/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)

The 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships were scheduled to be held at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis The NCAA Wrestling Championships in all three divisions -- along with all the remaining winter and spring championships -- have been canceled due to the spread of coronavirus. The NCAA released a statement late Thursday afternoon. "Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men's and women's 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities." The news came after several professional sports leagues, including the NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS -- along with conference tournaments and schools -- suspended competition. The NCAA Division II and Division III Wrestling Championships were scheduled to take place Friday and Saturday, with Division I set for March 19-21 in Minneapolis. On Wednesday, the NCAA announced that the championship events would take place without fans before making the move to cancel the events on Thursday. Earlier in the day, it was announced that other wrestling events like the NAIA Women's Wrestling Invitational and Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic were canceled. The decision to cancel the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships is not totally unprecedented. Since the very first NCAAs in 1928, the Nationals were cancelled in 1942 through 1945 during World War II when most male college athletes were serving in the U.S. military or at factories producing aircraft, tanks and other equipment, as well as weaponry and munitions. The NCAAs returned to the college wrestling schedule in March 1946, and were held at Gallagher Hall at Oklahoma State University at the invitation of then head wrestling coach Art Griffin. The Cowboys won the 1946 NCAA team title by just one team point, edging out what was then called Iowa State Teachers College, now University of Northern Iowa, 25-24.

T.J. Miller (Photo/Loras College Athletics) CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- On Thursday, prior to the NCAA Division III Championships, the National Wrestling Coaches Association honored the six finalists for the NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year and announced the winner as selected by his peers. This award is presented to the coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The awards are presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. "In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA, to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene." Guy Sako, Founder and CEO of Defense Soap. The recipient of this year's NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year is TJ Miller of Loras College. Coach Miller is in his fourth year as head coach his team is coming off the school's best season in history having captured the NCAA Division III National-Runner up Trophy in 2019. This year saw the Duhawks knock off perennial power Wartburg and end their 27-year streak of conference titles and in doing so secured Loras' first conference title in school history. "Coach Miller has done a great job at Loras College and has continued in his father's footsteps as a championship program builder." Said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. "It's no surprise that in his short time at the helm he has been able compete at the national level." 2020 NCAA DIVISION III COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALISTS Central Region Charles Mason - College of Mt. St. Josephs Northeast Region Mike Sugermeyer - Western New England University Southeast Region Joe Favia - Stevens Institute of Technology Mideast Region Joe Galante - The College of New Jersey Lower Midwest Region - TJ Miller - Loras College Upper Midwest Region Dave Malecek - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

The 2020 NAIA Women's Wrestling Invitational was scheduled to be held at Harold Newman Arena The NAIA Women's Wrestling Invitational has been canceled. The NAIA announced Thursday that it will cancel the remainder of its winter championship events due to the spread of coronavirus, including the NAIA Women's Wrestling Invitational, which was scheduled to take place Friday and Saturday in Jamestown, N.D. The NAIA released the following statement: "Effective immediately, all remaining NAIA winter championship events will be canceled, including those that are currently underway. "The health and safety of our student-athletes, as well as all involved in our championship events, is the NAIA's highest priority. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments and NAIA leadership will work closely with our member institutions to determine the best path forward for future NAIA events, including all spring 2020 championships."