InterMat Staff

Former top-flight amateur wrestlers Deron Winn and Chris Weidman came out on the losing end of their bouts at UFC on ESPN 6 at Boston's TD Garden Friday night. Winn, 30, a two-time NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) wrestling champ for St. Louis Community College, Meramec, suffered his first loss in his young mixed martial arts career with a split decision awarded to Darren Stewart in a catchweight bout (Winn weighed in 2.5 pounds over the 185-pound middleweight limit) ... while the 35-year-old Weidman, who earned All-American honors at Nassau Community College twice, then twice again at nearby Hofstra University was the victim of a first-round KO at the hands of Dominick Reyes in a light-heavyweight (205-pound) fight. Winn's first MMA loss ... Here's how MMAfighting.com opened its coverage of the Deron vs. Darren three-round catchweight bout: https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/10/18/20921773/ufc-on-espn-6-results-darren-stewart-hands-deron-winn-his-first-loss-in-razor-close-split-decision Deron Winn"Darren Stewart has knocked Deron Winn from the ranks of unbeaten fighters. "The British slugger used his boxing to hurt the highly touted prospect in several exchanges on the feet, while constantly making the wrestler work very hard during every second they spent on the ground. Ultimately, two judges sided with the damage done by Stewart with scores of 29-28 with the third official going for Winn with an identical 29-28 so the fight ended in a split decision ..." "After three hard-fought rounds, the judges didn't have an easy job deciding the victor, which was reflected in the scorecards but Stewart did enough to secure the win ..." After the bout, the Stewart said, "I feel great. Big up Deron, he's a warrior." The 30-year-old Stewart -- nicknamed "The Dentist" -- is now 11-4 overall ... while Winn drops to 6-1 in his pro MMA career launched in March 2017, and is now 1-1 in UFC, having signed with that promotion at Christmastime 2018. Dayne Fox of BloodyElbow.com served up this assessment of Deron Winn's first pro MMA loss: "I expected Winn to hit a ceiling sooner rather than later given the limitations his mini-frame presents [the former collegiate mat star stands 5'7"], but this was even sooner than I expected. Though Winn did get his wrestling going this time around -- something he didn't do in his UFC debut -- Winn didn't do much with the takedowns once he got them. Winn gassed pretty hard and the judges preferred Stewart's offense on the feet to Winn's mat control." ... while Weidman suffers loss in light-heavyweight debut Chris Weidman -- a New York high school state wrestling champ who later won an MMA title -- tallied his fifth loss in six fights at UFC Boston Friday night. (By contrast, the Long Island native had launched his pro MMA career a decade ago with a 13-bout win streak.) "Dominick Reyes made quick work of Chris Weidman in the main event of UFC Boston, knocking out the former middleweight champion in the first round," according to BloodyElbow.com. "Weidman begun their fight by shooting in on a double-leg takedown and backing Reyes up against the fence. Briefly taking him to the ground for a moment, Reyes worked well getting back to his feet as Weidman continued to try and get the fight to the mat. "As Weidman backed Reyes up, he was caught by a big left hand that dropped him, Reyes then passed Weidman's guard and followed up with a clubbing right hand and some follow up punches that were enough for referee Herb Dean to stop the fight." BloodyElbow.com offered this assessment of the Reyes-Weidman bout: "It's a disappointing start for Weidman in his debut at light heavyweight, however he was taking a top contender in the undefeated Reyes. Perhaps this fight was too big of a jump for Weidman, and he should fight someone outside the top-ten at 205-pounds next." After the loss, Weidman said he was still confident that his move up to light-heavyweight would pay off in the future. However, UFC president Dana White had another view of things. "What he said tonight didn't sound to me like he is considering retirement," White told reporters at the post-event news conference. "So it's a conversation he and I definitely need to have. This was his move up to light heavyweight, which obviously didn't go well for him. So maybe he goes back down to middleweight or he thinks about maybe retiring." BloodyElbow's Dayne Fox concurred with White's assessment, and then some. "I like Weidman. He's a family man. He's funny. He's charismatic. But he's also delusional if he wants to say he can continue to fight at a high level and he did say in his post-fight interview that he would be back. Much like Chuck Liddell at the end of his career, I have no interest in seeing Weidman continue to fight. Hopefully, Dana White is willing to have that conversation with him." Weidman is now 14-5 in his MMA career going back to 2009 ... while Dominick Reyes improves to 6-0 in UFC, and 12-0 overall.

NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- The St. Olaf College Department of Athletics announced on Friday that it will discontinue the sport of men's wrestling, effective at the end of the 2019-20 academic year. The coaching staff and student-athletes were notified of the decision at a meeting prior to Friday's announcement. "Providing our student-athletes with a quality experience is our top priority," said St. Olaf College Athletic Director Ryan Bowles. "We are committed to ensuring that they have the opportunity to flourish academically, socially, and athletically. For wrestling, the demands of our small program and dwindling roster do not meet our standards or provide a sustainable model of excellence." St. Olaf first offered wrestling as a varsity sport in 1949 and won the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) team championship in 1950-51. The MIAC stopped sponsoring the sport of men's wrestling after the 2002-03 academic year. "This is a decision we did not take lightly," Bowles added. "We recognize and appreciate the efforts our coaches and student-athletes have made and all they have done for Ole wrestling, as well as the entire St. Olaf community. We will rally around the impacted coaches and student-athletes and support them in this time of change." Head coach Sean Ahrar has been offered an opportunity to remain at the College in a different capacity beginning next year.

100: 1st: Landon Robideau (STMA) dec. Alan Koehler (Prior Lake), 5-2 3rd: Nolan Reiter (Big Lake) maj. dec. Matt Randolph (Scott West), 11-1 5th: Robert Flege (Aquinas) by injury default over Austin Laudenbach (Apple Valley) 106: 1st: Shane Corrigan (De Pere) dec. Max Ricks (Rogers), 4-0 3rd: Aaron Lorentz (Perham) dec. Elijah Wald (Wayzata), 6-1 5th: Preston Kratochvil (LAW) dec. Andrew Joedeman (Litchfield), 8-6 113: 1st: Christian Noble (Big Lake) pinnedColton Bornholdt (New Prague), 1:30 3rd: Spencer Johnson (Sartell) dec. Gavin Hilyar (Elk River), 8-4 5th: Alex Joedeman (Litchfield) pinned Jacob Uribe (Edina), 0:58 120: 1st: Julian Valtierrez (Taft) dec. Matthew Hogue (Stillwater), 13-8 SV 3rd: Jed Wester (STMA) dec. Teagan Block (Prior Lake), 3-0 5th: Calvin Lonnquist (Wayzata) dec. Tanner Gerber (Cameron), 6-4 126: 1st: Pierson Manville (Shakopee) dec. Ryan Henningson (Winona), 6-2 3rd: Kyler Wong (Wayzata) dec. Ty Althoff (Watertown), 7-5 5th: Brendan Howes (Anoka) maj. dec. Logan Henningson (Winona), 13-2 132: 1st: Charlie Pickell (Mankato West) tech. fall Charlie Dojan (Irondale), 18-3 3rd: Landon Parent (Princeton) dec. Cody Minor (Ashwaubenon), 4-2 5th: Roman Gilbert (Eastview) pinned Kelby Armstrong (Minot), 0:59 138: 1st: Jerry Simes (Litchfield) dec. Brandt Bombard (North Branch), 3-2 3rd: Sam Fernholz (Sartell) dec. Gabe Bellefeuille (Perham), 8-1 5th: Kade Sammons (Windom Area) dec.Tyler Jensen (Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa), 8-4 145: 1st: Cole Becker (STMA) pinned Canon Swanson (Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa), 8:30 3rd: Jude Link (Dassel Cokato) pinned David Platt (Hibbing), 4:30 5th: Alex Kowalchyk (Coon Rapids) dec. Ryan Cripe (Lakeville South), 2-1 152: 1st: Ben Durocher (Wrightstown) dec. Ryder Rogotzke (Stillwater), 7-6 3rd: Bryce Dagel (Eden Prairie) dec. Royce Hogue (Stillwater), 10-9 5th: Reid Lawrence (Mahtomedi) maj. dec. Logan Heimbruch (New London), 11-3 160: 1st: Bryce FitzPatrick (Mahtomedi) dec. Colby Mennis (Madison Central), 11-10 3rd: Adam Sylvester (Totino Grace) dec. Kail Wynia (Kasson-Mantoville), 8-4 5th: Hunter Mashl (De Pere) maj. dec. Anthony Arens (Totino Grace), 10-2 170: 1st: Jaden Dukes (Lakeville South) maj. dec. Mitchell Nowlan (Andover), 11-3 3rd: Gavin Osterhaus (Burnsville) dec. Hayden LeMonds (STMA), 2-1 5th: Nathan Langer (Eastview) pinned Jaime Ruiz (Kennedy), 1:43 182: 1st: Danny Reynolds (Andover) dec. Roman Rogotzke (Stillwater), 8-6 3rd: Wyatt Lidberg (STMA) dec. Cayden Homme (Wayzata), 3-1 5th: Brian Ramos (Perham) dec. Jagger Greenwood (Hibbing), 11-6 195: 1st: Joey Johnson (Shakopee) pinned Aiden Winter (Andover), 1:11 3rd: Christian Sackett (Stewartville) pinned Carlos Perez (Lane Tech), 4:15 5th: Kaylon King (Washburn) pinned Brennan Hirtz (Eden Prairie), 2:49 220: 1st: Kaleb Haase (Redwood Valley) dec. Ryan Fitz (Mound Westonka), 7-3 3rd: Sawyer Wilson (Somerset) pinned Denis Tokin (Woodbury), 1:40

Charlie Pickell won the title at 132 pounds and was named Outstanding Wrestler (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) EDINA, Minn. -- On Saturday, Charlie Pickell made a statement at the InterMat Classic, dominating a weight class that included three state champions, along with a state finalist. Pickell, a two-time state champion and four-time state finalist, cruised to the title at 132 pounds, picking up a technical fall in the finals over Charlie Dojan (Irondale, Minn.), 18-3. Dojan defeated a pair of state finalists on his run to the finals before losing to Pickell, who finished his tournament with three first-period pins and a technical fall. Pickell was named the event's Outstanding Wrestler. Christian Noble pinned his way to a title for the second straight year (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Christian Noble (Big Lake, Minn.) was the lone repeat champion at the InterMat Classic. Noble pinned every opponent he faced in the tournament for the second straight year. He pinned Colton Bornholdt (New Prague, Minn.) in the first period in the championship match at 113 pounds. Noble, a state third-place finisher last season, jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after a takedown and two-point nearfall. He built his lead to 6-1 before securing the pin. St. Michael-Albertville and Shakopee crowned a pair of champions. Winning titles for St. Michael-Albertville were seventh-grader Landon Robideau (100) and sophomore Cole Becker (145). Seventh-grader Landon Robideau won the title at 100 pounds with a win over Fargo finalist Alan Koehler (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Robideau, a Tulsa Nationals champion, won the title at 100 pounds with a 5-2 victory over Fargo freestyle finalist Alan Koehler (Prior Lake, Minn.). Robideau used two first-period takedowns to go up 4-1 in the first period. The two would trade escapes in each of the next two periods with no more takedowns scored. Cole Becker lifts Canon Swanson in overtime (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Becker, a state placewinner and Fargo All-American, picked up the title at 145 pounds with a pin in overtime against two-time state finalist Canon Swanson (Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, Minn.). Regulation ended with the score tied 4-4. Neither wrestled as able to score in the first minute of overtime. In tiebreaker, Becker escaped to take the lead. When Swanson went down, Becker lifted him and drove him to his back for the fall. In 2018, Becker placed fifth at the InterMat Classic. Shakopee's champions were Pierson Manville (126) and Joey Johnson (195). Pierson Manville claimed the title at 126 pounds (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Manville, the nation's No. 2 junior high wrestler, captured the title at 126 pounds after finishing second in the event a year ago at 106 pounds. He topped state runner-up Ryan Henningson (Winona, Minn.), 6-2. Manville, a state champion as a seventh-grader, scored two first-period takedowns and added a third-period reversal. Joey Johnson had three pins en route to winning the title at 195 pounds (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Johnson, a state placewinner, capped off a dominant run to the title by getting a first-period pin in the finals against Aiden Winter (Andover, Minn.). Johnson pinned all three of his opponents on Saturday. Two Wisconsin wrestlers won titles, Shane Corrigan (De Pere, Wis.) and Ben Durocher (Wrightstown, Wis.). Shane Corrigan shut out Max Ricks in the finals (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Corrigan shut out Max Ricks 4-0 in the finals at 106 pounds. The match was scoreless through the first two periods. In the third period, Corrigan picked up a takedown and added to his lead with a two-point nearfall. A year ago, Corrigan placed sixth at the InterMat Classic. Ben Durocher edged Ryder Rogotzke in the finals at 152 pounds (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Durocher, a two-time state finalist, held on to beat Ryder Rogotzke (Stillwater, Minn.), 7-6, to claim the title at 152 pounds. Rogotzke used a four-point move late in the match to take a 6-5 lead. But Durocher came behind for a reversal with 10 seconds left, which proved to be the difference. Julian Valtierrez defeated Matthew Hogue to win the title at 120 pounds (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Julian Valtierrez (Taft, Ill.) gave Beat the Streets Chicago a champion at the InterMat Classic, winning the title at 120 pounds. He defeated Matthew Hogue (Stillwater, Minn.) 13-8 in sudden victory in the finals. Valtierrez broke open a 2-2 match in the second period with a four-point move. He led 7-2 in the third before Hogue came back with a four-point move of his own to cut the deficit to 7-6. Hogue cut Valtierrez loose and scored a late takedown to send the match to overtime. In overtime, Hogue threw a headlock, but Valtierrez rolled through and scored a takedown and three nearfall points to win by five. Jerry Simes scored a late takedown to defeat Brandt Bombard in the finals at 138 pounds (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Jerry Simes (Litchfield, Minn.), a state placewinner and three-time state qualifier, scored a late takedown to edge Brandt Bombard (North Branch, Minn.) in the finals at 138 pounds. Bombard took a 2-1 lead with 12 seconds left in the match after Simes was penalized for stalling. With short time on the clock, Simes scored a takedown to earn the victory. Bryce Fitzpatrick won a high-scoring affair over Colby Mennis in the finals at 160 pounds (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) State placewinner Bryce FitzPatrick (Mahtomedi, Minn.) won a high-scoring affair over state runner-up Colby Mennis (Madison Central, S.D.), 11-10, to win the title at 160 pounds. Jaden Dukes won by major decision in the finals (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Jaden Dukes (Lakeville South, Minn.) secured the title at 170 pounds with an 11-3 major decision in the finals over Mitchell Nowlan (Andover, Minn.). Danny Reynolds defeated Roman Rogotzke in the finals at 182 pounds (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Danny Reynolds (Andover, Minn.) defeated Roman Rogotzke (Stillwater, Minn.) 8-6 to earn the title at 182 pounds. The 182-pound weight class included two returning InterMat Classic champions, but both wrestlers failed to make the finals. Kaleb Haase, a two-time state placewinner, won the title at heavyweight (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Kaleb Haase (Redwood Valley, Minn.), a two-time state placewinner, won the title at heavyweight with a 7-3 victory over state qualifier Ryan Fitz (Mound Westonka, Minn.). Placement Match Results 100: 1st: Landon Robideau (STMA) dec. Alan Koehler (Prior Lake), 5-2 3rd: Nolan Reiter (Big Lake) maj. dec. Matt Randolph (Scott West), 11-1 5th: Robert Flege (Aquinas) by injury default over Austin Laudenbach (Apple Valley) 106: 1st: Shane Corrigan (De Pere) dec. Max Ricks (Rogers), 4-0 3rd: Aaron Lorentz (Perham) dec. Elijah Wald (Wayzata), 6-1 5th: Preston Kratochvil (LAW) dec. Andrew Joedeman (Litchfield), 8-6 113: 1st: Christian Noble (Big Lake) pinnedColton Bornholdt (New Prague), 1:30 3rd: Spencer Johnson (Sartell) dec. Gavin Hilyar (Elk River), 8-4 5th: Alex Joedeman (Litchfield) pinned Jacob Uribe (Edina), 0:58 120: 1st: Julian Valtierrez (Taft) dec. Matthew Hogue (Stillwater), 13-8 SV 3rd: Jed Wester (STMA) dec. Teagan Block (Prior Lake), 3-0 5th: Calvin Lonnquist (Wayzata) dec. Tanner Gerber (Cameron), 6-4 126: 1st: Pierson Manville (Shakopee) dec. Ryan Henningson (Winona), 6-2 3rd: Kyler Wong (Wayzata) dec. Ty Althoff (Watertown), 7-5 5th: Brendan Howes (Anoka) maj. dec. Logan Henningson (Winona), 13-2 132: 1st: Charlie Pickell (Mankato West) tech. fall Charlie Dojan (Irondale), 18-3 3rd: Landon Parent (Princeton) dec. Cody Minor (Ashwaubenon), 4-2 5th: Roman Gilbert (Eastview) pinned Kelby Armstrong (Minot), 0:59 138: 1st: Jerry Simes (Litchfield) dec. Brandt Bombard (North Branch), 3-2 3rd: Sam Fernholz (Sartell) dec. Gabe Bellefeuille (Perham), 8-1 5th: Kade Sammons (Windom Area) dec.Tyler Jensen (Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa), 8-4 145: 1st: Cole Becker (STMA) pinned Canon Swanson (Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa), 8:30 3rd: Jude Link (Dassel Cokato) pinned David Platt (Hibbing), 4:30 5th: Alex Kowalchyk (Coon Rapids) dec. Ryan Cripe (Lakeville South), 2-1 152: 1st: Ben Durocher (Wrightstown) dec. Ryder Rogotzke (Stillwater), 7-6 3rd: Bryce Dagel (Eden Prairie) dec. Royce Hogue (Stillwater), 10-9 5th: Reid Lawrence (Mahtomedi) maj. dec. Logan Heimbruch (New London), 11-3 160: 1st: Bryce FitzPatrick (Mahtomedi) dec. Colby Mennis (Madison Central), 11-10 3rd: Adam Sylvester (Totino Grace) dec. Kail Wynia (Kasson-Mantoville), 8-4 5th: Hunter Mashl (De Pere) maj. dec. Anthony Arens (Totino Grace), 10-2 170: 1st: Jaden Dukes (Lakeville South) maj. dec. Mitchell Nowlan (Andover), 11-3 3rd: Gavin Osterhaus (Burnsville) dec. Hayden LeMonds (STMA), 2-1 5th: Nathan Langer (Eastview) pinned Jaime Ruiz (Kennedy), 1:43 182: 1st: Danny Reynolds (Andover) dec. Roman Rogotzke (Stillwater), 8-6 3rd: Wyatt Lidberg (STMA) dec. Cayden Homme (Wayzata), 3-1 5th: Brian Ramos (Perham) dec. Jagger Greenwood (Hibbing), 11-6 195: 1st: Joey Johnson (Shakopee) pinned Aiden Winter (Andover), 1:11 3rd: Christian Sackett (Stewartville) pinned Carlos Perez (Lane Tech), 4:15 5th: Kaylon King (Washburn) pinned Brennan Hirtz (Eden Prairie), 2:49 220: 1st: Kaleb Haase (Redwood Valley) dec. Ryan Fitz (Mound Westonka), 7-3 3rd: Sawyer Wilson (Somerset) pinned Denis Tokin (Woodbury), 1:40

Charlie Pickell is one of three state champions entered at 132 pounds (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine) The 10th InterMat Classic takes place on Saturday at Edina High School in Edina, Minn. Wrestlers from eight different states are entered in this year's event. Wrestling is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. CT. Trackwrestling.com will be providing a live stream, archived video and results. Links: InterMat Classic Website | Live Results | Purchase Live & Archived Video Let's examine a few storylines to watch at this year's InterMat Classic. Returning InterMat Classic champions In the nine-year history of the InterMat Classic, only 11 wrestlers have been multiple-time champions. This year, four wrestlers will look to join that exclusive group. Returning InterMat Classic champions entered in this year's event include Christian Noble (Big Lake, Minn.) at 113 pounds, Nolan Craine (Goddard, Kan.) at 170 pounds, as well as Wyatt Lidberg (STMA, Minn.) and Jagger Greenwood (Hibbing, Minn.) at 182 pounds. Christian Noble will look to win his second straight InterMat Classic title (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine) Noble won the 100-pound title at the 2018 InterMat Classic, pinning all four of his opponents. He reached the state semifinals at 106 pounds in Minnesota's Class AA last season as a freshman, losing to the eventual state champion in overtime. Noble battled back to finish third and concluded his freshman season with a 44-2 record. Craine won last year's InterMat Classic title at 160 pounds in dominant fashion, outscoring his opponents 32-1. He was a state runner-up last season and third-place finisher in 2018. Craine made his mark nationally in late March, finishing as a runner-up at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals. Lidberg and Greenwood are both entered at 182 pounds. Lidberg, a multiple-time state placewinner and Fargo All-American, won last year's title at 170 pounds. Greenwood, a multiple-time state qualifier, claimed last year's title at 195 pounds. 132-pound weight class loaded with talent While many of the weight classes are filled with talented wrestlers, the 132-pound weight class might be the strongest, most top-heavy weight class with three state champions, a state finalist and several other notable wrestlers. Charlie Pickell (Mankato West, Minn.), Cody Minor (Ashwaubenon, Wis.) and Kelby Armstrong (Minot, N.D.) have all won state titles. Pickell captured state titles at 106 pounds and 113 pounds in 2016 and 2017 respectively. He has been a state runner-up in each of the past two seasons. Earlier this year, Pickell finished as a runner-up at the NHSCA Junior Nationals in Virginia Beach. Minor claimed a Wisconsin Division 1 state title last season at 113 pounds, becoming his school's first state wrestling champion since 2008. He was a state third-place finisher in 2018. Minor has placed multiple times at the InterMat Classic. Most recently, he placed fifth in a deep 113-pound weight class in 2018. In 2017, Minor placed third at the InterMat Classic at 106 pounds. Armstrong won a state championship as a sophomore at 106 pounds in 2018. Last season, he was a state runner-up at 113 pounds. Armstrong has placed at the InterMat Classic in each of the past two years (fourth in 2018, fifth in 2017). Another wrestler who could challenge for the title at 132 pounds is Landen Parent (Princeton, Minn.). Parent was a state finalist in 2018 and state third-place finisher last season. He was a runner-up at last year's InterMat Classic at 113 pounds. Talented junior high wrestlers Every year, there are talented junior high wrestlers who perform exceptionally well at the InterMat Classic. In 2011, Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) became the first junior high wrestler to win an InterMat Classic title when he accomplished the feat as an eighth-grader. He would go on to become a five-time InterMat Classic champion. Pierson Manville after winning a state championship as a seventh-grader (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) In 2016, two eighth-graders won titles at the InterMat Classic. In 2017, another eighth-grader won a title. Last year, Pierson Manville (Shakopee, Minn.) reached the InterMat Classic finals as a seventh-grader at 106 pounds. Manville, ranked as the nation's No. 2 overall junior high school wrestler by InterMat, is back in the tournament as an eighth-grader and will compete at 126 pounds. St. Michael-Albertville (Minn.) has a couple very accomplished junior high wrestlers that should contend for high finishes, Landon Robideau at 100 pounds and Jed Wester at 120 pounds. Robideau was a 2018 Tulsa Kickoff champion, 2019 Tulsa Nationals champion and 2019 Minnesota/USA Triple Crown winner. Wester was a state high school tournament qualifier as a seventh-grader and a 14U All-American in both freestyle and Greco-Roman this year. Beat the Streets Chicago wrestlers The organization Beat the Streets Chicago is bringing a talented group of wrestlers to the InterMat Classic. The goal of BTS Chicago is "to develop the urban wrestling community into a self-sustaining entity that is based on the core values of wrestling; hard work, dedication, discipline and determination." Several BTS Chicago wrestlers have the potential to make noise at the InterMat Classic. Julian Valtierrez One BTS Chicago wrestler in particular to keep an eye on is Julian Valtierrez (Chicago Taft, Ill.) at 120 pounds. The senior has only been wrestling since his freshman year but has built a strong wrestling resume in just a few years. He has thrived in the Beat the Streets Chicago program. To learn more about Valtierrez and Beat the Streets, read InterMat's story.

The 2019-2020 NCAA wrestling season is here! After a summer filled with keg parties, 3 a.m. pizza slices, and a general lack of regard for cross training, the nation's wrestling elite are once again bound to their sunless Resilite prisons to atone for their spats of heathenry and trim themselves to an acceptable preseason weight. The young men are also meeting freshman teammates and getting a sense of where they fall in the lineup. These first few weeks are filled with plenty of hope, but also an equal measure of realization that boozing and eating snacks is a more pleasure-filled life (though not as satisfying). Coaches too are back in the rooms. They are setting up meetings with athletes and learning about their team's new social dynamic. The chemistry of a team will always change from year-to-year, but the head coaches will spend the better part of these first few weeks establishing firm expectations for work ethic and output. How they deal with those who don't meet their goals on and off the mat will impact that team dynamic for the next several months, so for many this grooming period is vital. Team captains begin to emerge and anointing those can create extra pitfalls. The coaches also have the stress of setting expectations with the administration across their columns of responsibility: recruiting, results, and fundraising. Fans are also working their way back into folkstyle shape, readying their eyeballs for 14-minute matches of rodeo-like rides and four-point nearfalls! Hands to the face penalties have been reviewed and lessened by the NCAA Rules Committee, but will that lead to more concussion and bouts filled with brutality remains to be seen. What will the sport offer everyone in 2020? With a slew of top names taking redshirts it could be a quiet season, but for some fans with programs in need of wins it could be a chance to see wrestlers work their way onto the podium and generate attention, which translates to donations and recruits. Good luck to the athlete, coaches, and fans who love this sport so much. I'm sure there will be many disagreements, but for now we can look excitedly towards the first semester of action! To your questions … Chris Bono and Jon Reader celebrate with Evan Wick after a win (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarrriors.com) Q: What NCAA team do you expect to surprise (exceed expectations) this season? -- Mike C. Foley: Maybe it'll surprise some casual fans, but I like what Wisconsin can do this season. They finished 21st in 2019, but with Seth Gross in the lineup, Evan Wick looking to make a run to the finals and All-American Trent Hillger back, there is top ten potential for the Badgers. Chris Bono gets a lot out of his athletes and I'd expect another few names to make their way into the top ten by the time of the NCAA tournament. How high can the Badgers go? With new talent getting team points and the old guard delivering they could sneak into the top five. Q: All-American Kyle Conel transferred to Penn State. Do you think he's a safe bet to make the lineup at 197 pounds? Or could you see talented freshman Michael Beard taking the spot? -- Mike C. Foley: There are some health question marks with Conel. He sat out last season with an injury, which could still be an issue if rehab was split between locations or if he wasn't able to access the proper athletic training facilities. We all know about the upperweight talent in State College so it would be surprising to me if Conel or Michael Beard are not able to find their way onto the podium in 2020. Both will have the support and coaching necessary to become the very best version of themselves and considering their past successes (albeit on different levels) one should expect them to perform. Between the two I'd give the hat tip to Conel early in the season, but would be interested to see if Beard can do something to challenge for the starting spot by January. Also, it's worth considering that Beard was 12-0 last season with 11 wins coming with bonus points. That could equate to the type of fire power the Penn State coaching staff wants to see on the mat in a year where they will be challenged to win the team race. Q: Should Olympic redshirts be banned? They ruin a perfectly good college wrestling season just so youngsters can chase silly pipe dreams. -- @jammenjammenz Foley: No. Daton Fix is currently No. 1 on the Olympic ladder at 57 kilograms, Kyle Snyder won his Olympic title during college, and it hurts absolutely nothing for these select individuals to go after their dream of winning an Olympic title. I have a feeling that one of these Olympic redshirts (not including Fix) will be on a world team in the next three years. Q: When will InterMat's preseason NCAA Division I rankings be released? -- Aaron H. Foley: While I'm not on InterMat's rankings committee, I have been told InterMat's preseason NCAA Division I wrestling rankings will be released next week. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Michael Beard is good, but Kyle Conel did place third at NCAAs Link: Relive Kent State's Kyle Conel surprising third place run at 197 Good inclusion of wrestling regarding sportsmanship starring Robert Howard Q: Can countries send more than one competitor in each weight class to the Ranking Series? It stands to reason that Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder would like to build on their points they already have from the 2019 World Championships and would participate. Do you think Kyle Dake and J'den Cox will also be looking to gain some points to try to earn a seed as well to maybe get on the opposite sides of Zaurbek Sidakov and Abdulrashid Sadulaev? Is it possible we see some Americans wrestling each other in these anticipated matches before the Olympic Team Trials? -- Tom B. Foley: Yes, countries may enter up to three wrestlers in any Ranking Series event. In 2020, that will be Rome in January and Poland in June. The issue with Dake and Cox is that they won their titles at non-Olympic weights and those points don't transfer (if they even make the team). There isn't much incentive for wrestlers who haven't made the team to go out hunting for points unless they were testing their weight and already had the January week as a point in that weight loss progression. Although if they somehow knew they would also be the representative at the Pan Am Championships (highly unlikely for Dake) then they might want to make a run at getting enough points to slide into a seed. That said, there probably wouldn't be enough entries at the events to allow them to slide into the top four. To accomplish that they'd also need finishers 2-8 to sit out and/or not accumulate a lot of points. Also, I think Cox is more likely to go down that to go up given the spot isn't qualified and his opponent (Taylor) won't have the advantage of sitting out until the semifinals. Q: Did Kyle Snyder sign a contract with Nittany Lion Wrestling Club? What if after a year it is determined that it's not a great fit for him? Obviously, Snyder could leave whenever he wants, but was curious about the terms. -- Mike C. Foley: A contract between the NLWC and one of the most successful wrestlers in American history is just not something many of us would be able to guess. The terms would probably be a trade of paid residence fee and coaching against working with college athletes and fellow NLWC residents. Maybe some local promotional stuff, but again it's all pretty much unknowable at the moment. The chance Snyder moves (again) before the 2020 season is very, very thin. Conditions in State College would have to be bad and be bad right away. Given the Olympic year and genial personalities involved there just isn't a high likelihood that Snyder's bolting after only a few months. However, if he DOES want to leave, I recommend Charlottesville! Q: What international stars might retire after 2020? Some I've thought about are Abdulrashid Sadulaev, Ismael Borrero Molina and Adeline Gray. -- @oldestgreatest Foley: I don't know about Adeline. In a way she's kind of timeless in that she's done an exceptional job of protecting her body as she's gotten older. Still, if I had to guess I think she would join the ranks of the retirees and wait for the Hall of Fame dinner to be requested by USA Wrestling and UWW. (On a related note, we need her to stay involved in the sport. Need more female leaders!) Frank Staebler will retire. Mijain Lopez will retire. Haji Aliev, Vlad Khinchegashvili, Sharif Sharifov, and Taha Akgul will also almost certainly retire. Roman Vlasov is 1000 percent going to retire. Tough to think Borrero will retire since he's a heavy favorite to win the Olympics in 2020. That said, he may just settle into a fun-loving island existence. Sadulaev isn't going anywhere.

Justin Oliver BUFFALO, NY -- Justin Oliver, a former All-American and four-time national qualifier, has been named an assistant coach for the University at Buffalo wrestling program head coach John Stutzman announced on Thursday. Oliver comes to Buffalo following a decorated career at both Central Michigan and North Carolina State. Oliver is entering the coaching ranks after most recently wrestling at NC State during the 2018-19 campaign. In his only season with the Wolfpack, Oliver went 20-7, finished third at the ACC Championships and was a NCAA qualifier at 149 lbs. Prior to wrestling at NC State, Oliver spent four years at Mid-American Conference-rival Central Michigan. With the Chippewas, the Michigan native was a three-time national qualifier and earned All-American honors in 2016. "I'm extremely happy to get Justin on board," Stutzman said. "Coming from a perennial MAC power in CMU and an ACC power in NC State, he has been coached and mentored by some of the best minds in wrestling. In a short time, he has already made a huge impact with our guys and I'm excited to watch him grow and develop as a coach." Oliver earned his undergraduate degree in organizational administration from Central Michigan. "With the addition of Coach Ramos, Coach McBryde and now Coach Oliver, our student-athletes have clear cut examples in the room on what it will take to become All-Americans and make world teams," Stutzman added.

CHICAGO, Ill. -- With the Big Ten seeking its 14th consecutive wrestling national championship, BTN will bring fans along for the ride with the most wrestling coverage in network history -- a 40% increase from last season. BTN's schedule begins with a non-conference matchup as No. 17 Virginia Tech heads to Columbus on Nov. 17 at noon ET to face the No. 4 Buckeyes and includes the Big Ten Championships, a Super Saturday dual between Rutgers and No. 7 Michigan from Madison Square Garden, a battle of last year's top-two team finishers at the NCAA tournament in No. 1 Penn State and Ohio State and a primetime matchup between the top-ranked Nittany Lions and No. 2 Iowa on Friday, Jan. 31 at 9 p.m. ET. Jim Gibbons, Tim Johnson and Shane Sparks will once again anchor BTN's coverage. "The Big Ten is home to the most dominant wrestling programs in the country and that distinction has made wrestling the fourth most-watched sport on BTN," said BTN President François McGillicuddy. "Our goal is to continue to showcase and amplify Big Ten Wrestling, including an increase in our live event broadcasts, a commitment to original storytelling and an investment in on-campus digital content." BTN will debut a new wrestling-centric episode of The B1G Story, a documentary-style program produced by the Emmy-nominated BTN Originals team. At 10 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 1, The B1G Story: Alex & Eli will explore the friendship and bond of Iowa wrestler Alex Marinelli and former Wisconsin wrestler, Eli Stickley. According to FloWrestling's rankings, the Big Ten has nine teams ranked in the top 25. Four-time defending national champion and No. 1 Penn State is looking for its ninth title in the past 10 seasons, but will face stiff competition from No. 2 Iowa, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 7 Michigan, No. 9 Nebraska, No. 11 Minnesota, No. 16 Northwestern and No. 24 Illinois. Additionally, BTN+ will carry nearly 100 matches, also a new record-high. A portion of those streamed events will be televised on delay on BTN as part of the Student U initiative. All televised matches and The B1G Story can be streamed exclusively on the FOX Sports app. BTN's wrestling schedule is below and is also subject to change.

Major event, big bracket tournaments provide the opportunities for wrestlers to test their mettle against broadly talented fields. Nowhere in high school folkstyle competition is this more clearly the case than each year during the Super 32 Challenge. This past weekend's tournament served as no exception. With over 1,400 athletes in the field, and many weights having more than 100 wrestlers present, the brackets were robust and the chances for quality wins abundant. Many wrestlers in the tournament had results for which they should be proud, and results that can be viewed as transformational for their wrestling careers. Below is a listing of five wrestlers that saw their "stock" rise based on the happenings in Greensboro, N.C. this past weekend (listed in weight class order). Carter Dibert (Franklin Regional, Pa.), 113 pounds The Arizona State verbal commit finished his sophomore season as a state champion when he reversed a tiebreaker loss in the WPIAL final by securing a 7-2 victory over Dylan Chappell (Seneca Valley, Pa.) in the big-school state final at the GIANT Center. However, Dibert entered last weekend's Super 32 as a relatively unheralded competitor, having not been ranked at 106 to end the 2018-19 high school season. In the round of 32 on Saturday afternoon, Dibert upended state champion and Cadet freestyle All-American Brady Hankin (Woodland Park, Colo.) 13-6; Hankin would end up placing eighth in the event. The next round saw Dibert lose his lone match of the two-day tournament, 4-3 to eventual champion Jacob Rivera (Selma, Calif.), a state placer last year at 120 pounds. Two subsequent wins would put him in the match to place, where he secured an 8-3 victory over state champion Diego Sotelo (Marmion Academy, Ill.), who ended 2018-19 ranked in the top 10 nationally at 106 and was a 2018 placer in the Super 32. Dibert's next win came 3-2 over Joziah Fry (Coventry, R.I.), a New England champion and Junior freestyle All-American this summer; then it was a 5-3 consolation semifinal victory over Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.), who had placed third at this tournament the previous two years and is ranked top 50 overall in the Class of 2021. To cap his tournament, it was a 3-2 win for Dibert over Braxton Brown (Allen, Texas), a two-time state champion who had finished 2018-19 ranked No. 5 nationally at 106 pounds. Patrick Noonan (Stroudsburg, Pa.), 132 pounds A wrestler who clearly is not lacking in talent, as shown by the high-quality wins and credentials that he has had over his career, Noonan will enter his senior year of high school with zero state tournament victories. He went 0-2 as both a freshman and junior in Hershey, while his sophomore season was derailed by injury before the post-season. Finishing fourth in a very deep 132-pound weight class serves as further demonstration of his ability level. The run of notable wins started in the round of 64 with a pin over two-time state placer Sam Freeman (Brighton, Mich.) before hitting a real notable outcome in the round of 32, a 1-0 win over No. 64 overall senior Chris Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.). Noonan lost by fall in the round of 16 to eventual champion Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.). Then on Sunday morning, Noonan needed a pair of high-quality wins just to earn a podium position, 6-1 over No. 87 overall senior Kellyn March (Canton, S.D.) and 1-0 over No. 36 overall junior Henry Porter (Gilroy, Calif.). Having earned a placement, Noonan continued his tournament run with an 8-3 win over National Prep runner-up Skyler Smith (Liberty Christian, Texas) and a 5-1 consolation semifinal victory over No. 28 overall senior Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.). His tournament concluded with an 8-4 loss to Wyatt Henson (Francis Howell, Mo.), the No. 13 overall junior nationally. Bretli Reyna with his belt after winning the Super 32 Challenge at 145 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.), 145 pounds While Reyna placed fourth at 132 pounds in the Super 32 Challenge last year, he entered the fall outside the top 100 in the Class of 2020. Subsequent to last year's tournament, he failed to place at the Walsh Ironman and in Junior freestyle, losing to two other wrestlers that also fell short of placement position in each tournament. On the other hand, Reyna showed clear ability in finishing 56-3 with a third state title during his junior season of high school and then winning the Grappler Fall Classic the weekend before the Super 32. This past Saturday, Reyna was completely dominant through four bouts on the way to the quarterfinals, winning each by a major decision. In that quarterfinal match, it was a 9-6 victory over No. 71 overall senior Joseph Zargo (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), followed up by a 9-7 overtime victory over No. 76 overall senior Ed Scott (DuBois, Pa.) in the semifinal. All that to set up a finals clash with No. 6 overall senior Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.); Reyna would score two takedowns in the first period to jump out to a 4-1 advantage, before Saunders rallied to tie the bout 7-7 before the end of regulation; Reyna would win 8-7 in the tiebraker (ultimate) when Saunders was called for locking hands. The two-day performance earned him Outstanding Wrestler honors for the Super 32 Challenge among lower weights. Brian Soldano (High Point, N.J.), 160 pounds As a freshman, Soldano was one match from placing in the single-class New Jersey state tournament at 160 pounds, losing matches to wrestlers that would finish in fifth and eighth place. During the off-season he was runner-up at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals and placed seventh in 16U freestyle at 170. The opening match of his tournament came against two-time state placer Cayleb Atkins (Goodard, Kans.), a match that Soldano won by the score of 7-2. In the round of 64, he came through with a significant 11-10 victory over the very talented Jaxon Smith (Woodland, Ga.). The next match was an 11-4 defeat to state runner-up Enrique Munguia (Elyria, Ohio). Soldano would need three wins to get out of Saturday, the last two of which came against state champion Elliott Rodgers (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.) and New England regional third place finisher Brevin Cassella (Nashoba, Mass.); he prevailed 5-0 and by pin in 1:01 respectively. Earning a placement finish would take two more wins, those came in the form of a pin over state runner-up Cooper Noehre (Greenfield Central, Ind.) and avenging his earlier loss to Munguia with a 7-6 decision victory. Advancement to the consolation final would come through pins against No. 12 overall sophomore Joseph Martin (Buchanan, Calif.) and No. 62 overall senior Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.). Soldano would earn third with a 4-2 victory over Jackson Smith. Joseph Walker (Mishawaka, Ind.), 182 pounds Walker entered the fall preseason coming off a sixth-place finish in the 170 pound weight class as a junior. In two preceding preseason competitions, he had split matches against his teammate Jacob LaPlace, a 2018 state placer and 2019 state qualifier; Walker won the IHPO before finishing third at the Grappler Fall Classic. In order to reach the quarterfinal at the Super 32 Challenge, he pinned three opponents including Sampson Wilkins (Mt. Anthony, Vt.), a New England regional champion and NHSCA Junior Nationals placer. In that quarterfinal on Sunday morning, Walker rallied to take eventual champion Gerrit Nijenhius (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) -- the No. 16 overall senior nationally -- to the brink in a 7-6 defeat. He would earn the podium with a 7-3 win over two-time state placer Cole Hinvor (Lake Catholic, Ohio) before closing out his third place run with wins over state placers Giuseppe Milano (Spring Ford, Pa.) and Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio) and a final victory over state champion Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.).

Brent Fleetwood (Photo/Xavier Bonner) COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland wrestling head coach Alex Clemsen has announced the addition of Brent Fleetwood, who will serve as the program's volunteer assistant. "When I was at Mizzou I got to prepare for and compete against Brent, and he was just flat out tough," said Clemsen. "I am excited to add him to our staff and have him bring an edge and grit to our room that can impact not only our lightweights, but our entire roster. Brent is originally from Delaware, so it is great having a guy from the immediate region join us in College Park. I know the guys are pumped to have him and I look forward to working with him and watching the mark he makes on our program." Fleetwood, who competed for both North Dakota State and Central Michigan, had a decorated collegiate career, qualifying for the NCAA Championships on three occasions. As a senior, Fleetwood was the runner-up at 125 pounds in the Big 12 Championships and missed the medal round at NCAA's by one match after capturing three wins at the championships. A winner of 86 career collegiate matches, Fleetwood spent his first three seasons at Central Michigan, where he qualified for the NCAA Championships twice. A native of Smyrna, Delaware, Fleetwood was a four-time state champion at Smyrna High School, becoming just the 10th wrestler in history to capture four Delaware state titles. Fleetwood has also competed in freestyle, going 5-3 at the 2018 US Open to place sixth at 57K. He then went 1-2 at the 2018 World Team Trials. Fleetwood had been training at the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center. Maryland begins its first season under the helm of Clemsen with its intersquad Red-Black Wrestle-Offs on Oct. 26 before traveling to the Cavalier Duals on Nov. 2 in Charlottesville, Va.

In recent weeks, InterMat has shared the links to the Takedown Report blog's analysis of the NCAA Division I wrestling coaches who have tallied the most team titles ... followed by a similar study of the most successful championship coaches in NCAA II. Now, TDR has performed its insightful analysis of NCAA Division III championship coaches. The first D3 National Championships took place in 1974, joining the existing NCAA Division I and II wrestling championships. Augsburg coach Jeff Swenson led the Auggies to 10 national championship in a 17-year span (Photo/Augsburg University)"Ten different schools have won at least one championship," according to TDR's Martin Fleming's analysis of the Division III titleholders. "Recent fans of the D-III teams may find this hard to imagine as it for the last 25 years only two teams have traded off championships. It has been a relatively safe bet that a 'burg' would win as Augsburg University or Wartburg College has been the champion each year. In 17 of those years the other school was the runner up or tied for that honor." As one might expect, Wartburg and Augsburg rank at the very top in terms of number of Division III team titles. Iowa-based Wartburg has won 14 team championships to earn the top spot in the rankings. Augsburg, located in Minneapolis, won their 13th championship in March to rank second just behind Wartburg. The College of New Jersey and the State University of New York-Brockport are tied for third place with five team titles each. Ithaca College came in fifth with three titles. As for the D3 coaches who can claim the most team titles under their direction ... that's a bit more complicated. For the rankings, check out the TakeDown Report's Division III analysis. Want to know about the coaches and colleges beyond NCAA Division III? TakeDown Report already shared its analysis of Division I championship coaches as well as Division II championship coaches. In the near future, TDR plans to also provide similar analysis of coaches who head up NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) wrestling programs that have won national titles. Questions? Comments? Contact TDR editor Martin Fleming directly at martinkfleming@gmail.com.

Mo Lawal (Photo/Bellator) Reports of Muhammed Lawal's retirement from MMA appear to have been premature. The former amateur mat star known as "King Mo" in his eleven-year pro MMA career had announced his retirement earlier this spring after losing his third straight bout ... but is now coming back for one last fight, at Bellator 233 next month. Lawal told ESPN's Ariel Helwani Thursday that he has signed to face Andrew Kapel in a 195-pound catchweight fight at Bellator 233 on Nov. 8 at the WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The Bellator organization later confirmed the fight had been signed. Helwani described the just-announced Lawal-Kapel fight as serving as King Mo's official retirement bout. "My last one," Lawal said. "My final one." "I wanted to end in Bellator," he added. It all appears to be a major reversal of decision for the former Oklahoma State All-American wrestler turned successful MMA star, who transitioned into a coaching role at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, one of the top MMA gyms in the world. At the time of his retirement announcement a few months ago, Lawal had told MMAfighting.com, "I was like I'm getting old, I'm 38, I've got kids. I can't even run right now. I can't even jog really. I'm that bad. It's to the point where if I can't jog or sprint or be explosive, then I've got to stop." Muhammed Lawal built a 21-9 record (with one no contest) in a pro MMA career going back to Sept. 2008. The former Oklahoma State wrestler built an impressive resume in MMA as former Strikeforce light-heavyweight (205-pound) champ, 2013 Bellator light-heavyweight tournament winner, and 2015 RIZIN heavyweight Grand Prix champion. Now coming off three straight losses, Lawal will have one last appearance in the cage. He will face Kapel, 34, who has compiled a 14-6 overall record in a pro MMA career going back eleven years. Kapel, who has won his past four fights in a row, will be making his Bellator debut vs. Lawal at Bellator 233. The Lawal-Kapel match will take place at the same event where Kyle Crutchmer will be making his debut in the Bellator promotion. The 26-year-old Crutchmer -- like Lawal, an NCAA All-American for Oklahoma State -- will bring a 4-0 pro MMA record to Bellator 233 in a welterweight (170-pound) bout vs. Antonio Jones.

Larry Sciacchetano, who received the Order of Merit from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006, passed away on Tuesday, at the age of 77. Information about funeral arrangements will be posted when received. Larry Sciacchetano"Larry Sciacchetano left a large footprint upon the sport of wrestling, and he was one of the best spokespeople the sport has ever had," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "He was instrumental in the formation of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame, while also serving on the Board of Governors for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame board which helped create a collaborative partnership. "I know from experience that he cared about the athlete's needs and aspirations, both on and off the mat, as a coach and as a visionary leader," he added. "Family meant everything to Larry and I want to share our most sincere sympathies with his wife Kathy and their family members." Sciacchetano served as president of USA Wrestling and as a member of the United World Wrestling Bureau while also enjoying success as a coach and wrestler. Well-liked and respected around the world, he made a huge difference in the sport in many different ways throughout his life. "Larry Sciacchetano was one of our sport's great contributors, making an impact at every level of wrestling, as an athlete, coach and an administrator at the highest levels," said Rich Bender, Executive Director of USA Wrestling. " USA Wrestling owes much to Larry Sciacchetano, serving as our president and then with the United World Wrestling Bureau. Our heart goes out to his wife Kathy and his entire family, as well as all of his friends around the world." Sciacchetano served two terms as president of USA Wrestling, from 1994-98. During his tenure, the USA won the 1995 World Championship team title in freestyle wrestling and captured the most freestyle medals of any nation at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Under his leadership, USA Wrestling experienced growth in its membership at all levels as well as an expansion of its programs and services to the membership. He also served on a number of USA Wrestling committees. He was also elected to the United World Wrestling (then FILA) Bureau, the governing council of the international wrestling federation, serving a number of terms. He was a driving force for the development of a Hall of Fame for international wrestling, which is located in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. FILA Commissions that Sciacchetano served on included the Hall of Fame Commission (which he chaired), the Promotions Commission, the TV and Marketing Commission, the Coaches Commission and the Internet Hall of Fame Commission. He was also a Secretary of the Pan American Amateur Wrestling Committee (CPLA). In 1998, he led the U.S. wrestling delegation to the Takhti Cup in Tehran, Iran -- the first time in the nearly 20 years since the Iranian Revolution that a U.S. sports team traveled to that country to compete. Sciacchetano was also a tremendous wrestling coach on the college level, as well as within international freestyle wrestling circles. He served as assistant coach of the 1993 World Team, which won the first World Championship team title for the United States. He guided U.S. teams on tours of international competition and served as team leader of the 1994 U.S. Freestyle World Team in Istanbul. On the collegiate level, Sciacchetano coached nine years at Louisiana State, leading the Tigers to seven Southeast Conference titles and two eighth-place finishes at the NCAA tournament. He was also head wrestling coach at Montclair State and New York Maritime College. Sciacchetana was named the NCAA National Coach of the Year in 1970 and 1975 and was the NCAA Rookie Coach of the Year in 1965. While at LSU, Sciacchetano coached Kevin Jackson, a Distinguished Member inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003. Jackson won a gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games and is also a two-time World Champion. He is currently the National Freestyle Developmental Coach for USA Wrestling, and previously served as USA Wrestling's National Freestyle Coach. At LSU, Sciacchetano also coached Joseph Atiyeh, who won an Olympic silver medal for Syria at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles with Sciacchetano in his corner. "I was so blessed to have the opportunity to spend last Friday with him at the LSU Hall of Fame induction," said Jackson, who was inducted into the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame on October 11. "He presented me with my award. He was the best coach I ever had. "He cared more about my personal life than any athletic accomplishments," he said. "I had an opportunity to tell him how much I love him and care about him, how great a coach he was and a better man. He will be truly missed. My heart and prayers go out to his family." Sciacchetano coached the Syrian wrestling team at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games and assisted the U.S. staff at the 1992 Olympics. He coached many New York Athletic Club champions and served five years as the State Chairman of New Jersey. He wrote three books on wrestling. Undefeated as a high school wrestler in New Jersey, he was a three-time NCAA All-American for Montclair State and was also a finalist in both styles at the 1964 Olympic Trials. Sciacchetano was twice awarded the FILA Gold Star, the top honor in international wrestling, and also earned the FILA Merit of Honor Award. Originally from Teaneck, New Jersey, Sciacchetano became a successful businessman, serving as CEO of Pentagon Petroleum Inc., an international oil exploration company.

BLACKSBURG -- Virginia Tech wrestling announces that for the first time in its history the Hokies will hold a meet outside on English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park. The Hokies welcome Northwestern Nov. 10 for the first Mat on the Mound at 1 p.m. "As a program we are always looking for new ways to improve the experience for both our student-athletes and our fans," said Tech wrestling head coach Tony Robie. "Much like wrestling at the Moss Arts Center, I think that English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park offers a very unique opportunity for us to do something different and continue to be creative in how to showcase wrestling at Virginia Tech. "I want to thank Coach John Szefc [Tech baseball head coach] for his willingness to work with us on this. I think that Atlantic Union Bank Park is the ideal outdoor venue for this type of event. We need the Hokie Nation to come out and pack the park on Nov. 10." The wrestling mat will be placed in the infield between the pitching mound and the backstop. Admission will be free for the historic event. This won't be the first time Hokies wrestling holds a match in a unique venue. The team has made a tradition of wrestling at Tech's Moss Arts Center once a year since 2015. This season's Moss match is on Feb. 8 vs. Duke. In the case of inclement weather, changes to the time or location will be communicated if necessary.

Wrestlers from New Zealand visited Carmel, Ind. No doubt about it: wrestling is very much a global sport. Some wrestlers get to participate in international tournaments, see the world, and make friends well beyond their hometowns. The cool thing is, these opportunities aren't limited to uber-talented mat superstars. Any wrestler can expand his or her horizons on and off the mat, thanks to wrestler exchange programs. InterMat recently talked to Ed Pendoski, wrestling coach in suburban Indianapolis who is actively involved in wrestler exchange programs that make it possible for local wrestlers to compete with fellow athletes -- and experience new cultures -- well beyond what they would normally experience on a typical road trip on a school bus to a local dual meet or tournament here in the U.S. Ed PendoskiCoach Pendoski: Your guide to exchange programs Ed Pendoski is an Indiana native, through and through. He first took up wrestling as a youngster in northwest Indiana, then continued his academic and athletic career in his home state at Purdue University. Pendoski launched his coaching career at Purdue, then remained in Indiana to coach at Portage High School, where, in eleven seasons, his teams compiled an overall record of 327-27, with eight individual state champs and eight wrestlers who went on to Division I programs. Seven years ago, Pendoski took on two new assignments at once: becoming wrestling coach at Carmel High School, a 5,500-student school located in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis ... and launching Carmel USA Wrestling Club, which can claim 11 Indiana state championships medalists, and numerous athletes that have gone on to compete at the collegiate level. One of the hallmarks of Pendoski's Carmel USA Wrestling Club is its participation in international wrestler exchange programs, offering opportunities for local wrestlers to travel to other countries ... as well as hosting athletes from outside the U.S. All with the idea of experiencing new competitive opportunities, expand their personal knowledge of the world, and make new friends well beyond the Midwest. "I've participated in exchanges with three different nations," Pendoski told InterMat. "We've hosted Turkey and Japan twice in the past. And just this summer, we welcomed wrestlers from New Zealand for the very first time." (True to the definition of "exchange", Pendoski took nearly half of his club's wrestlers to New Zealand prior to this summer's exchange where they hosted the New Zealanders.) The three New Zealanders, who range in age from 20 to 31, stayed at Pendoski's home. "We're all on a first-name basis," said Pendoski. "They have guys who are very talented but some of their training partners aren't quite as good, and don't provide as much of a quality workout/training session as they can get here." "The business model is so simple" How does the wrestler exchange program work? "The business model is so simple," according to Pendoski. "The host is responsible for providing accommodations for their guests as well as their meals. The visiting wrestlers pay for their airfare." "It's normal to be a bit hesitant about participating if you haven't done it before. However, hosting is the easiest thing to do. After all, the wrestling family is truly international." Pendoski pointed out that the Indiana State Wrestling Association has a state cultural director (Lou Silverman) who sets up cultural exchange trips. (Your state association may have similar resources, or be able to put you in touch with coaches who have participated in international exchange programs.) Pendoski also said cultural exchanges work well, no matter how many wrestlers participate. "We've had success with setting up what I'd call 'mini-trips' with fewer athletes -- say, two or three wrestlers." "Our club's long-term goal is to connect with and make friends with other clubs in other countries, especially when the numbers are small." "Our community understands the value of international travel," Pendoski added. Coach Pendoski is not only a believer, but also a long-time participant. In fact, Pendoski was introduced to the idea of wrestler exchange programs as a young coach. "I got to go to Turkey in the 1990s," said Pendoski. "I read at least three books before getting on the plane." Since that first overseas exchange trip nearly three decades ago, Pendoski is still a strong believer in the value of wrestlers experiencing the world. Not just to gain new opportunities to compete on the world stage ... but also to experience new cultures and make new friends. To learn more about the Carmel USA Wrestling Club, check out their official website ... and, to learn more about international wrestling exchange opportunities, contact coach Don Pendoski directly at ed.pendoski@carmelusawrestling.org.

OTTUMWA -- Indian Hills Community College has a coach to lead its men's and women's wrestling programs when the sport debuts on the IHCC Centerville Campus. Cole Spree, the head wrestling coach at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls for the past eight years, has been tapped to be the first coach of the fledgling programs at Indian Hills. Spree, a very successful coach and an accomplished wrestler in high school and college, will come to Indian Hills immediately to get the programs for men and women ready to compete in the 2020-21 academic year. "To be able to help grow wrestling, and especially women's wrestling, has always been a goal of mine," Spree said. "Women's wrestling is one of the fastest emerging sports at all levels and it's exciting to be a part of it. The chance to work for an institution and community that puts a priority on success made this a 'can't miss' opportunity. My family and I can't wait to get to Centerville and begin establishing Indian Hills' first wrestling program." Cole SpreeA Parkersburg, Iowa native, Spree became the head wrestling coach at Ellsworth before the 2011-12 season and helped develop 29 All-Americans and 11 national tournament finalists. The Panthers finished in the top 10 at the national tournament in each of the past six seasons, with a third-place showing in 2016 and a fifth-place last spring. They were also runners-up at the 2016 NWCA duals tourney and in the top four in four consecutive years. Spree was named the ICCAC coach of the year in 2013 and 2019. Prior to his head coaching experience at Ellsworth, Spree was an assistant for one year at Minot State University in Minot, North Dakota, and for a year at Ellsworth. At Minot State he worked with a team that produced 10 national qualifiers and ranked as high as 15th in the nation as the program was restarted after being dormant for nearly 20 years. "I'm excited to add Cole to our athletic department," said IHCC athletic director Dr. Brett Monaghan. "During the search process Cole quickly became our top target. His success at the NJCAA level speaks for itself, but his commitment to the college he works for, his student-athletes and the community he lives in really stood out to me. I believe Cole and his family will be an outstanding addition to the Centerville community and I look forward to getting to work with him right away to begin building both our men's and women's wrestling program." On the mat, Spree was a three-time state placewinner for Aplington-Parkersburg High School before enrolling at Ellsworth, where he became an All-American. He was a two-time national qualifier for Northwestern College before beginning his coaching career. The new IHCC coach earned his associate degree from Ellsworth, a bachelor's degree at Northwestern and a master's in business management from Minot State.

Pat Whitcomb lifts Taylor Kornoely after winning the NCAA title at heavyweight (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Pat Whitcomb, former wrestler and long-time head wrestling coach at North Idaho College who was fired in January, has filed a lawsuit against his alma mater and employer. Whitcomb's lawsuit claims discrimination, reputation harm, retaliation and misconduct. The former coach is seeking a jury trial, but has not asked for a monetary settlement. Last summer, Whitcomb filed a tort claim with estimated damages of between $50,000 and $100,000. Whitcomb said he was fired on January 7 for what he believes are his efforts to upgrade facilities to accommodate double-amputee wrestler Hassan Hawthorne, 2016 Alabama 145-pound state champ, for speaking up for a co-worker who was assaulted on campus, and because school leaders want to drop wrestling -- arguably NIC's most successful varsity sport (the program was ranked fourth in the nation at the time of his firing) -- in favor of launching a baseball program. The college claims Whitcomb was fired for academic integrity violations. Whitcomb served as the NIC head wrestling coach from 1997 to early 2019, leading the program to four team national championships and 18 individual national championships before being let go mid-season. He was honored as National Coach of the Year twice and Region 18 Coach of the Year eight times. Prior to heading up the program, Whitcomb earned back-to-back NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) titles as a NIC wrestler in 1986 and 1987. Founded in 1933, North Idaho College is a public, two-year community college located in Coeur d'Alene. It has a total enrollment of approximately 7,800 students.

Braxton Amos won his third straight Super 32 Challenge title (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The 20th anniversary edition of the Super 32 Challenge came to its conclusion on Sunday afternoon in Greensboro, N.C. It was also the 10th year of it being held as a two-day event on Saturday and Sunday. Milestone events throughout the finals program from the beginning to the end. Nine wrestlers still competing in high school came into 2019-20 having already won a title at this prestigious tournament. However, just one was entered in the tournament. Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), the No. 2 overall wrestler in the Class of 2020, entered the weekend as the clear anchor figure in the 220-pound weight class. He would also leave the weekend in such position, after winning a third consecutive Super 32 title at this weight. The University of Wisconsin commit did not give up an offensive point over five bouts, which included an 8-2 finals victory over No. 36 overall Class of 2022 wrestler Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.). Amos used two first-period takedowns and one second-period takedown to spark that finals victory. Eighth-grader Mason Gibson won the title at 106 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Right at the beginning of the finals program, Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa.) won the 106-pound weight class. He is currently ranked No. 1 overall among junior high wrestlers. Two years ago Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.), who is currently ranked No. 1 overall in the Class of 2022, won this tournament at 113 pounds. Gibson joined him as an eighth grader to win the high school division at the Super 32. In the finals, Gibson would jump out to a 5-0 lead midway through the second period via a pair of takedowns; however, Cory Land (Moody, Ala.) did surge in the second half of the bout, but the No. 32 overall Class of 2022 fell by the score of 5-4. The depth of this tournament was clear and obvious, as demonstrated by the Sunday journey of 145-pound weight class champion Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.). The senior, a three-time state champion, made it to the quarterfinal round on the strength of four major decision victories. In the quarterfinal round, it was a 9-6 victory over No. 71 overall Class of 2020 wrestler Joseph Zargo (Bergen Catholic, N.J.). The semifinal round saw Reyna earn a 9-7 overtime decision over Ed Scott (DuBois, Pa.), who is No. 75 overall in the senior class. Reyna then outlasted No. 6 overall senior Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) in the finals. Bretli Reyna knocked off Joshua Saunders to win the title at 145 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Two first-period takedowns for Reyna, followed by a Saunders reversal, and then Reyna escape made it 5-3 Reyna after a period. A third-period takedown for Saunders with just over one minute remaining tied the proceedings at 6-6, but Reyna escaped with 28 seconds remaining. A second stalling call against Reyna with one second remaining created sudden victory, which went scoreless. Then in the tiebreaker period, Saunders was called for locking hands to cement the 8-7 Reyna victory. Four other weight class champions ran through very strong Sunday gauntlets: Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.) at 132 pounds, Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) at 138, Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) at 152, and Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.) at 170. Joel Vandervere came through to win the title at 132 pounds with a victory in the finals over Kenny Herrmann (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Vandervere beat No. 3 overall sophomore Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Ind.) 2-1 in the tiebreaker during the quarterfinal round, and then beat No. 28 overall senior Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.) 6-2 in the semifinal bout. Ranked No. 24 in the Class of 2021, Vandervere used a double-leg takedown with 23 seconds remaining and subsequent near fall points to break open a tied bout into a 6-2 finals victory over No. 66 overall senior Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.). Ranked No. 33 in the senior class, Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) beat Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), who is No. 47 overall in the junior class, 2-1 in the tiebreakers during the quarterfinal round. The 138-pound lower bracket semifinal was a battle of Junior National freestyle All-Americans, with McNeil using a first-period takedown and second-period escape to counter the late third period takedown of No. 43 overall senior Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio) in a 3-2 victory. The championship bout saw McNeil score a scramble takedown with just under 30 seconds remaining to counter the shot attempt of No. 57 overall senior Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) in a 3-1 victory. Saldate, who is the No. 31 overall wrestler of the senior class, started Sunday with a narrow 3-2 decision over No. 90 overall senior Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North, Pa.). The 7-1 win over No. 58 senior A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.) represented the most decisive of his three wins on the second day; while the Michigan State commit upended No. 79 senior Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.) 3-2 in the championship bout. A takedown during the first period made the difference. Saldate had two subsequent chances to get a margin-extending takedown, while he had to fend off a late leg attack from Hall to seal the belt. Oklahoma University verbal commit Penner entered the tournament ranked No. 53 in the senior class. Third-period takedowns were the difference in 3-2 victories over Trey Kibe (Mifflin County, Pa.) and Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.) during the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. Kibe is ranked No. 38 in the junior class, while Ulrey is No. 60 in the senior class. (The wrestlers finished third and fourth respectively.) It should be noted that Ulrey beat Penner in the semifinals of the UWW Cadet Nationals in Akron on the way to qualifying for the World Team in freestyle at 69 kilograms. Takedowns in the first and second period of the championship match yielded Penner a decisive 5-3 finals victory over No. 42 overall senior Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.). Two other elite seniors won Super 32 titles on Sunday afternoon: No. 16 overall Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) at 182 and No. 29 Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) at 285. Gerrit Nijenhuis gets his hand raised after winning the title at 182 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) In the 182-pound championship bout, Nijenhuis scored a takedown with just over 30 seconds remaining in the first period to take a 2-0 lead after that stanza. No. 38 overall senior John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.) escaped to start the second and scored a takedown right after, while Nijenhius escaped within 20 seconds to level the bout at 3-3. A third-period escape for Nijenhuis yielded the final point in a 4-3 victory that enabled him to elevate from last year's runner-up finish in this tournament, though Poznanski was in very deep on a leg attack for the last thirty seconds of the bout. Cadet World Team member in freestyle Catka, a Virginia Tech verbal commit, entered the championship bout with four bonus point wins from four bouts. The championship match came against No. 39 overall junior Hayden Copass (Westville, Ill.), a two-time 16U freestyle champion. The first period of the final was scoreless, while Catka scored a second period takedown sandwiched by two Copass escapes. Catka got an escape, takedown, and three-point near fall in the third to confirm the 8-2 championship victory. Last among the seniors to win weight classes were Jacob Rivera (Selma, Calif.) at 113 pounds and Santos Cantu (Crescent Valley, Ore.) at 195. Rivera was untested but for a 4-3 round of 16 victory over state champion Carter Dibert (Franklin Regional, Pa.). Rivera needed a pair of third-period near falls to rally for that victory over the eventual third-place finisher. Most notable of those dominant wins for him was the 13-6 result over No. 49 overall senior Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.) in the semifinal round. The championship bout started with a five-point move for Rivera off a shin whizzer before a second period takedown would help cement his 9-3 victory over Nico Provo (Green Farms, Ct.). Three-time state champion Cantu used a takedown midway through the third period to outlast two-time state champion Brandon Hoselton (Prairie Central, Ill.) 3-2 in his championship bout. Rounding out the weight class champions were a pair of elite sophomores in No. 2 Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) and No. 6 Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) at 126 and 120 respectively, while No. 11 overall junior Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) won at 160. Placement Match Results 106: 1st: Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa./8th grade) dec. Cory Land (Moody, Ala.), 5-4 3rd: Maxximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. Dylan Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), 3-0 5th: Charlie Farmer (Moline, Ill.) dec. Spencer Moore (Walton Verona, Ky.), 8-4 7th: Carter McCallister (Rock Bridge, Mo.) dec. Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.), 8-6 113: 1st: Jacob Rivera (Selma, Calif.) dec. Nico Provo (Green Farms, Ct.), 9-3 3rd: Carter Dibert (Franklin Regional, Pa.) dec. Braxton Brown (Allen, Texas), 3-2 5th: Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.) major dec. Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.), 10-2 7th: Joziah Fry (Coventry, R.I.) dec. Brady Hankin (Woodland Park, Colo.), 8-6 OT 120: 1st: Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.), 5-3 3rd: Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Regional, N.J.) dec. Jordan Titus (Center Morinches, N.Y.), 1-1 TB 5th: Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.) dec. Dominic Chavez (Arlington Martin, Texas), 6-3 7th: Troy Spratley (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Nicholas Babin (Emerson-Park Ridge, N.J.), 3-1 126: 1st: Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Nico Nardone (Delbarton, N.J.), 7-3 3rd: Jacob Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) dec. Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.), 5-1 5th: Conor Knopick (Millard South, Neb.) dec. Antoine Allen (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio), 1-0 7th: Zach Redding (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) dec. Ethan Oakley (Wheatmore, N.C.), 8-6 132: 1st: Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.) dec. Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), 6-2 3rd: Wyatt Henson (Francis Howell, Mo.) dec. Patrick Noonan (Stroudsburg, Pa.), 8-4 5th: Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Ind.) dec. Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.), 3-1 7th: Skylar Smith (Liberty Christian, Texas) dec. Julian Farber (Veterans, Ga.), 5-3 138: 1st: Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), 3-1 3rd: Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) dec. Josh Edmond (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), 5-4 5th: Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio) dec. Caden McCrary (Woodland, Ga.), 4-0 7th: Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) by forfeit over Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.) 145: 1st: Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.) dec. Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), 8-7 TB 3rd: Austin Boone (Lowell, Mich.) dec. Ed Scott (DuBois, Pa.), 4-3 5th: Manzona Bryant (Hudson WRA, Ohio) dec. Francis Morrissey (Veterans, Ga.), 4-3 7th: Jagger Condomitti (Northampton, Pa.) dec. Avery Bassett (Midd-West, Pa.), 8-6 152: 1st: Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) dec. Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.), 3-2 3rd: Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) dec. Luke Odom (Edwardsville, Ill.), 4-2, OT 5th: A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.) dec. Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North, Pa.), 7-6 7th: Jaxon Garoutte (Pueblo County, Colo.) dec. Dominic Isola (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), 6-1 160: 1st: Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. Thayne Lawrence (Frazier, Pa.), 7-5 3rd: Brian Soldano (High Point, N.J.) dec. Jaxon Smith (Woodland, Ga.) 5th: Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) by forfeit over John Martin Best (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) 7th: Joseph Martin (Buchanan, Calif.) dec. Caleb Fish (Eaton Rapids, Mich.), 4-1 170: 1st: Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.) dec. Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.), 5-3 3rd: Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.) dec. Trey Kibe (Mifflin County, Pa.), 3-1 5th: Leonard Pinnedto (Stroudsburg, Pa.) dec. Tyler Stoltzfus (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.), 5-1 7th: Graham Calhoun (Plymouth, Ind.) dec. Bennett Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), 3-0 182: 1st: Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) dec. John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.), 4-3 3rd: Joseph Walker (Mishawaka, Ind.) dec. Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.), 7-5 5th: Gavin Bell (Beavercreek, Ohio) dec. Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio), 4-2 7th: Giuseppe Milano (Spring-Ford, Pa.) dec. Quayin Short (Simley, Minn.), 12-7 195: 1st: Santos Cantu (Crescent Valley, Ore.) dec. Brandon Hoselton (Prairie Central, Ill.), 3-2 3rd: Isaac Trumble (Millard South, Neb.) pinned Bennett Tabor (Simley, Minn.), 4:43 5th: Evan Bates (Chesterton, Ind.) dec. Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.), 1-0 7th: Michael Misita (St. Augustine Prep, N.J.) dec. Austin Walley (Ellwood City, Pa.), 7-2 220: 1st: Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) dec. Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.), 8-2 3rd: Chad Nix (Jensen Beach, Fla.) dec. Dorian Crosby (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.), 3-1 5th: Cody Goodman (Deerfield, Ill.) pinned John Meyers (Greensburg-Salem, Pa.), 4:00 7th: K.J. Miley (Whitfield, Mo.) dec. Charles Swiggett (Western Guilford, N.C.), 12-8 285: 1st: Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) dec. Hayden Copass (Westville, Ill.), 8-2 3rd: Isaiah Vance (Hempfield Area, Pa.) pinned Skylar Coffey (Brentwood, Tenn.), 1:53 5th: Colby Whitehill (Brookville, Pa.) by forfeit over Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.) 7th: Alex Coleman (Hamilton Ross, Ohio) dec. Tyler Delooff (Lowell, Mich.), 9-4

Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez fought at UFC 121 on Oct. 23, 2010 (Photo/Getty Images) Two former big men of college wrestling who fought in the UFC Octagon and in a pro wrestling ring -- Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar -- will meet each other at a WWE event in Saudi Arabia this Halloween. Velasquez, who has participated in two lucha libre Mexican pro wrestling events in recent months, signed with WWE in Las Vegas Friday to face Lesnar at WWE Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Thursday, Oct. 31 -- Halloween, according to ESPN.com. ESPN reported that the former Velasquez had signed a lucrative, multiyear contract with WWE. He also notified the UFC of his retirement, which led to Velasquez being removed from the UFC's United States Anti-Doping Agency drug-testing pool and the UFC heavyweight rankings. "I am so excited to be joining the WWE," said Velasquez -- a former junior college national wrestling champion -- at the press event held in Las Vegas Friday. "Brock Lesnar crossed the wrong familia, and for that, he needs to pay. ' "I know Brock is big. He's the biggest. But he ain't the baddest. I've beat him once before the UFC, and I'm ready to do it again." At the same press conference, Lesnar -- 2000 NCAA heavyweight champ for University of Minnesota -- said, "Words can't describe the feelings that I have in the ring when Cain Velasquez comes walking down this ramp. Cain, this is my world. This is my house. This is my kingdom, and I am the conquerer." Velasquez and Lesnar met in the UFC's octagon nine years ago at UFC 121, with Velasquez scoring a first-round knockout of Lesnar to claim the UFC heavyweight title. Velasquez lost the belt in a subsequent fight against Junior Dos Santos, but won it back in 2012 in a rematch. He defended the title twice before a submission loss to Fabricio Werdum. Fast-forward to a week ago Friday night. Velasquez made his WWE on-screen debut on SmackDown last Friday, confronting Lesnar ... setting the stage for the two former college big men -- and UFC rivals -- to meet again, not in the UFC Octagon, but a WWE ring. Prior to entering the worlds of professional wrestling and MMA, Velasquez and Lesnar made names for themselves in amateur wrestling. The 36-year-old Velasquez, who compiled a 14-3 record (12-3 in UFC) in a pro MMA career launched in December 2006, was a two-time Arizona high school state wrestling champ who started his collegiate career at Iowa Central Community College, where he won the 2002 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) heavyweight title. Velasquez then transferred to Arizona State where he was a 2005 Pac-10 conference champ, then went on to earn NCAA Division I All-America honors by placing fifth in the heavyweight (285-pound) bracket at the 2005 NCAAs. He was welcomed into the Arizona State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018. Lesnar, 42, was a football and wrestling star at Webster High in South Dakota. He continued his mat career at Bismarck Community College in North Dakota, where in two years he built a 56-3 record, culminating in the 1998 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) heavyweight title. J Robinson, then head coach at University of Minnesota, saw Lesnar in action at a tournament, and signed him to complete his collegiate career with the Gophers, where Lesnar became a two-time Big Ten champ and two-time NCAA finalist, winning the national heavyweight title at the 2000 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

OWENSBORO, Ky. -- The Kentucky Wesleyan College wrestling program has added Evansville native, Chad Cook to its staff, as announced by Head Coach Rob McCabe on Friday. Cook will primarily work with the upper weight classes. Chad CookCook comes to Wesleyan after three years at Wayland Baptist in Plainview, Texas. The Pioneers compiled a 18-16 record in duals in that span as well as posting two top-40 finishes in the NAIA National Tournament. The highest was 29th during the 2016-17 season. He was a collegiate wrestler at the University of Dubuque where he was a two-time NCWA national qualifier, earning 2008 NCWA All-American (sixth place) at 165 pounds. He was a member of the University of Dubuque coaching staff when the wrestling program set the school record for most national qualifiers (5) in 2013. He coached 12 national qualifiers and two all-Americans in 2012-14 and from 2005-11 as an assistant at Evansville Reitz High School coached 20 state qualifiers and 10 state place winners. Cook graduated from F.J. Reitz High School in Evansville before attending the University of Southern Indiana and the University of Dubuque (Iowa), having earned a degree in physical education with a special education minor in 2013.

DEKALB, Ill. -- Northern Illinois University wrestling head coach Ryan Ludwig announced the addition of Kyle Springer to his coaching staff Friday. "We are excited to welcome Kyle to the pack," Ludwig said. "He's a great example of high character and work ethic. Those are values we preach to the team. He was a fine competitor in the MAC and brings a wealth of experience as a successful student-athlete that will translate well to the squad." Kyle SpringerA graduate of Eastern Michigan where he earned a bachelor of science in exercise science, Springer was a member of the Eagles' wrestling team from 2014-18. While at EMU, Springer posted an 84-57 record and was a three-time Academic All-MAC honoree. "I worked for a former NIU assistant at Lake Erie, so being here is kind of like coming full circle," Springer said. "I've known coach Ludwig for quite awhile with my own recruiting process. I'm just excited to be here and see what the season brings." Springer comes NIU after spending the last two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Lake Erie College under former NIU assistant coach Jeff Breese. During his tenure with the Storm, Springer assisted in all areas of program management including designing and administering strength and conditioning programs, competition scheduling and donor relations. The NIU wrestling team will hold its annual season kickoff event on Saturday, October 12, 2018. The event will be held at Hobnobbers Food & Spirits at 2030 Baron Dr. in Sycamore, Ill., from 12-3 p.m. and will feature food, a silent auction and an autograph session with the Huskies. Cost is $15 per adult and $8 per child (12 and under) with all proceeds going directly to the Huskie wrestling program. The Huskies begin their season with the annual Red/Black Dual on Oct. 24 in Victor E. Court before traveling to East Lansing, Mich. for season opener at Michigan State Open Nov. 2. NIU will play host to Bucknell Nov. 15 as part of an eight-match home slate, which includes the always competitive conference schedule.

Hunter Catka defeated Hayden Copass to claim the title at heavyweight (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) 106: 1st: Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa./8th grade) dec. Cory Land (Moody, Ala.), 5-4 3rd: Maxximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. Dylan Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), 3-0 5th: Charlie Farmer (Moline, Ill.) dec. Spencer Moore (Walton Verona, Ky.), 8-4 7th: Carter McCallister (Rock Bridge, Mo.) dec. Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.), 8-6 113: 1st: Jacob Rivera (Selma, Calif.) dec. Nico Provo (Green Farms, Ct.), 9-3 3rd: Carter Dibert (Franklin Regional, Pa.) dec. Braxton Brown (Allen, Texas), 3-2 5th: Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.) major dec. Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.), 10-2 7th: Joziah Fry (Coventry, R.I.) dec. Brady Hankin (Woodland Park, Colo.), 8-6 OT 120: 1st: Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.), 5-3 3rd: Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Regional, N.J.) dec. Jordan Titus (Center Morinches, N.Y.), 1-1 TB 5th: Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.) dec. Dominic Chavez (Arlington Martin, Texas), 6-3 7th: Troy Spratley (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Nicholas Babin (Emerson-Park Ridge, N.J.), 3-1 126: 1st: Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Nico Nardone (Delbarton, N.J.), 7-3 3rd: Jacob Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) dec. Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.), 5-1 5th: Conor Knopick (Millard South, Neb.) dec. Antoine Allen (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio), 1-0 7th: Zach Redding (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) dec. Ethan Oakley (Wheatmore, N.C.), 8-6 132: 1st: Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.) dec. Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), 6-2 3rd: Wyatt Henson (Francis Howell, Mo.) dec. Patrick Noonan (Stroudsburg, Pa.), 8-4 5th: Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Ind.) dec. Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.), 3-1 7th: Skylar Smith (Liberty Christian, Texas) dec. Julian Farber (Veterans, Ga.), 5-3 138: 1st: Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), 3-1 3rd: Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) dec. Josh Edmond (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), 5-4 5th: Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio) dec. Caden McCrary (Woodland, Ga.), 4-0 7th: Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) by forfeit over Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.) 145: 1st: Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.) dec. Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), 8-7 TB 3rd: Austin Boone (Lowell, Mich.) dec. Ed Scott (DuBois, Pa.), 4-3 5th: Manzona Bryant (Hudson WRA, Ohio) dec. Francis Morrissey (Veterans, Ga.), 4-3 7th: Jagger Condomitti (Northampton, Pa.) dec. Avery Bassett (Midd-West, Pa.), 8-6 152: 1st: Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) dec. Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.), 3-2 3rd: Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) dec. Luke Odom (Edwardsville, Ill.), 4-2, OT 5th: A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.) dec. Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North, Pa.), 7-6 7th: Jaxon Garoutte (Pueblo County, Colo.) dec. Dominic Isola (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), 6-1 160: 1st: Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. Thayne Lawrence (Frazier, Pa.), 7-5 3rd: Brian Soldano (High Point, N.J.) dec. Jaxon Smith (Woodland, Ga.) 5th: Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) by forfeit over John Martin Best (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) 7th: Joseph Martin (Buchanan, Calif.) dec. Caleb Fish (Eaton Rapids, Mich.), 4-1 170: 1st: Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.) dec. Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.), 5-3 3rd: Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.) dec. Trey Kibe (Mifflin County, Pa.), 3-1 5th: Leonard Pinnedto (Stroudsburg, Pa.) dec. Tyler Stoltzfus (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.), 5-1 7th: Graham Calhoun (Plymouth, Ind.) dec. Bennett Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), 3-0 182: 1st: Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) dec. John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.), 4-3 3rd: Joseph Walker (Mishawaka, Ind.) dec. Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.), 7-5 5th: Gavin Bell (Beavercreek, Ohio) dec. Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio), 4-2 7th: Giuseppe Milano (Spring-Ford, Pa.) dec. Quayin Short (Simley, Minn.), 12-7 195: 1st: Santos Cantu (Crescent Valley, Ore.) dec. Brandon Hoselton (Prairie Central, Ill.), 3-2 3rd: Isaac Trumble (Millard South, Neb.) pinned Bennett Tabor (Simley, Minn.), 4:43 5th: Evan Bates (Chesterton, Ind.) dec. Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.), 1-0 7th: Michael Misita (St. Augustine Prep, N.J.) dec. Austin Walley (Ellwood City, Pa.), 7-2 220: 1st: Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) dec. Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.), 8-2 3rd: Chad Nix (Jensen Beach, Fla.) dec. Dorian Crosby (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.), 3-1 5th: Cody Goodman (Deerfield, Ill.) pinned John Meyers (Greensburg-Salem, Pa.), 4:00 7th: K.J. Miley (Whitfield, Mo.) dec. Charles Swiggett (Western Guilford, N.C.), 12-8 285: 1st: Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) dec. Hayden Copass (Westville, Ill.), 8-2 3rd: Isaiah Vance (Hempfield Area, Pa.) pinned Skylar Coffey (Brentwood, Tenn.), 1:53 5th: Colby Whitehill (Brookville, Pa.) by forfeit over Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.) 7th: Alex Coleman (Hamilton Ross, Ohio) dec. Tyler Delooff (Lowell, Mich.), 9-4

Semifinal matches have started at the 2019 edition of the Super 32 Challenge here late in the morning. Below are the results. 106 pounds Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa./8th grade) dec. Maximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 4-3 TB (ult) Cory Land (Moody, Ala.) dec. Charlie Farmer (Moline, Ill.) 6-3 113 pounds Jacob Rivera (Selma, Calif.) dec. Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.) 13-6 Nico Provo (Green Farms, Ct.) dec. Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.) 7-1 120 pounds Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.) 4-3 Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.) dec. Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) 7-1 126 pounds Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Antonio Allen (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) 6-4 Nick Nardone (Delbarton, N.J.) dec. Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.) 2-1 132 pounds Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.) dec. Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.) 4-2 Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) dec. Wyatt Henson (Francis Howell, Mo.) 6-6 TB-ULT RO 138 pounds Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) dec. Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) 6-5 Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio) 3-2 145 pounds Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) dec. Francis Morrissey (Veterans, Ga.) 1-0 TB-ULT Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.) dec. Ed Scott (DuBois, Fla.) 9-7 OT 152 pounds Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) dec. A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.) 7-1 Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.) dec. Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) 7-4 160 pounds Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) over John Martin Best (Parkersburg, W.Va.) by injury forfeit Thayne Lawrence (Frazier, Pa.) dec. Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) 1-1 TB-ULT RO 170 pounds Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.) pin Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 5:48 Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.) dec. Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.) 3-2 182 pounds Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) dec. Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.) 8-3 John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.) major dec. Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio) 17-5 195 pounds Santos Cantu (Sprague, Ore.) dec. Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.) 3-1 Brandon Hoselton (Prairie Central, Ill.) pin Evan Bates (Chesterton, Ind.) 1:25 220 pounds Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) major dec. Cody Goodman (Deerfield, Ill.) 17-6 Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.) dec. Chad Nix (Jensen Beach, Fla.) 2-0 285 pounds Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) over Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.) by injury forfeit Hayden Copass (Westville, Ill.) dec. Colby Whitehill (Brookville, Pa.) 9-6

Quarterfinal matches started at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday morning in Greensboro, N.C. Below are the semifinal pairings. 106 pounds Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa./8th grade) vs. Maxximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.) Charlie Farmer (Moline, Ill.) vs. Cory Land (Moody, Ala.) 113 pounds Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.) vs. Jacob Rivera (Selma, Calif.) Nico Provo (Green Farms, Ct.) vs. Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.) 120 pounds Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) vs. Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.) Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Regional, N.J.) vs. Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.) 126 pounds Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Antoine Allen (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.) vs. Nick Nardone (Delbarton, N.J.) 132 pounds Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, N.J.) vs. Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.) Wyatt Henson (Francis Howell, Mo.) vs. Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) 138 pounds Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) vs. Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio) vs. Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 145 pounds Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) vs. Francis Morrissey (Veterans, Ga.) Ed Scott (DuBois, Pa.) vs. Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.) 152 pounds Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) vs. A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.) Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) vs. Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.) 160 pounds Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) vs. John Martin Best (Parkersburg, W.Va.) Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) vs. Thayne Lawrence (Frazier, Pa.) 170 pounds Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.) vs. Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg, Pa.) Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.) vs. Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.) 182 pounds Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) vs. Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.) Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio) vs. John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.) 195 pounds Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.) vs. Santos Cantu (Sprague, Ore.) Evan Bates (Chesterton, Ind.) vs. Brandon Hoselton (Prairie Central, Ill.) 220 pounds Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) vs. Cody Goodman (Deerfield, Ill.) Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.) vs. Chad Nix (Jensen Beach, Fla.) 285 pounds Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) vs. Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.) Colby Whitehill (Brookville, Pa.) vs. Hayden Copass (Westville, Ill.)

During Saturday's competition in Greensboro, N.C. the championship bracket took the competition down to the quarterfinal round. While consolation wrestling will yield eight additional remaining wrestlers. Competition is still in progress on Saturday, and will continue Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. 106 pounds Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa./8th grade) vs. Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.) Maxximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.) vs. Dylan Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) Charlie Farmer (Moline, Ill.) vs. Evan Mougalian (Kinnelon, N.J.) Carter McCallister (Rock Bridge, Mo.) vs. Cory Land (Moody, Ala.) 113 pounds Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.) vs. Jett Strickenberger (Lewis Palmer, Colo.) Jacob Moon (Oregon Clay, Ohio) vs. Jacob Rivera (Selma, Calif.) Diego Sotelo (Marmion Academy, Ill.) vs. Nico Provo (Green Farms, Ct.) Joziah Fry (Coventry, R.I.) vs. Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.) 120 pounds Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) vs. Andrew Chambal (Davison, Mich.) Dustin Norris (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) vs. Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.) Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) vs. Jordan Titus (Center Morinches, N.Y.) Nick Babin (Emerson-Park Ridge, N.J.) vs. Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.) 126 pounds Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Conor Knopick (Millard South, Neb.) Ethan Oakley (Wheatmore, N.C.) vs. Antoine Allen (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) Ethen Miller (Park Hill, Mo.) vs. Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.) Nick Nardone (Delbarton, N.J.) vs. Jacob Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) 132 pounds Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Ind.) vs. Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.) Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.) vs. Julian Farber (Veterans, Ga.) Wyatt Henson (Francis Howell, Mo.) vs. Daniel Cardenas (Pomona, Colo.) Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) vs. Henry Porter (Gilroy, Calif.) 138 pounds Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.) vs. Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) vs. Josh Edmond (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio) vs. Caden McCrary (Woodland, Ga.) Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) vs. Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 145 pounds Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) vs. Manzona Bryant (Hudson WRA, Ohio) Francis Morrissey (Veterans, Ga.) vs. Matthew Singleton (Woodward Academy, Ga.) Ed Scott (Dubois, Pa.) vs. Noah Castillo (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.) vs. Joseph Zargo (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) 152 pounds Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) vs. Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North, Pa.) Luka Wick (San Marino, Calif.) vs. A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.) Matt Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind./NLWC) vs. Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) Dominic Isola (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) vs. Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.) 160 pounds Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) vs. Lucas DeSilva (Collins Hill, Ga.) John Martin Best (Parkersburg, W.Va.) vs. Enrique Munguia (Elyria, Ohio) Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) vs. Dylan Reinert (Gettysburg, Pa.) Jack Blumer (Kiski Area, Pa.) vs. Thayne Lawrence (Frazier, Pa.) 170 pounds Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.) vs. Shane Reitsma (Howell, N.J.) Connor O'Neill (DePaul Catholic, N.J.) vs. Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg, Pa.) Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.) vs. Trey Kibe (Mifflin County, Pa.) Graham Calhoun (Plymouth, Ind.) vs. Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.) 182 pounds Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) vs. Joseph Walker (Mishawaka, Ind.) Tanner Mendoza (Valiant Prep, Ariz.) vs. Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.) Simeone Holmes (Cosby, Va.) vs. Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio) J.T. Davis (Smyrna, Del.) vs. John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.) 195 pounds Luke Montgomery (Bethel Park, Pa.) vs. Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.) Austin Walley (Ellwood City, Pa.) vs. Santos Cantu (Sprague, Ore.) Jack Darrah (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) vs. Evan Bates (Chesterton, Ind.) Brandon Hoselton (Prairie Central, Ill.) vs. Isaac Trumble (Millard South, Neb.) 220 pounds Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) vs. Matthew Kaplan (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) Nick Benton (Somerset Academy, Fla.) vs. Cody Goodman (Deerfield, Ill.) Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.) vs. Bryan Canedo (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) Chad Nix (Jensen Beach, Fla.) vs. Dorian Crosby (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.) 285 pounds Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) vs. Skylar Coffey (Brentwood, Tenn.) Alex Coleman (Hamilton Ross, Ohio) vs. Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.) Colby Whitehill (Brookville, Pa.) vs. Tyler Delooff (Lowell, Mich.) Isaiah Vance (Hempfield Area, Pa.) vs. Hayden Copass (Westville, Ill.)