InterMat Staff

Kyle Snyder takes down Magomed Ibragimov of Uzbekistan at the World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Kyle Snyder posted a note Thursday to followers on Instagram and Twitter stating that he will be living and training in State College. The move to the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club will join him with Olympic champions Cael Sanderson and Jake Varner, as well as 2018 world champion David Taylor. The move is a surprise to many close observers of the sport. Snyder is seen as hyper loyal to Ohio State and his brand Rudis. However, it became evident at the past two World Championships that he was no longer growing his wrestling repertoire. After this year's Worlds there were even some rumors he might move to the Olympic Training Center. Instead, Snyder is headed to Penn State. The move will certainly have a major impact on the RTC landscape, but it's unclear yet what immediate changes we can expect from Snyder's wrestling. Will the improvement in training partners and number of internationally successful coaches translate into better gamesmanship, or will it be a more technique-focused change? I tend to think the latter. Snyder needs more offense. He needs to work the head more, open up better angles, and blow through his shots. The Snyder we saw in 2015 was also a little more flexible -- capable of exerting strength from compromised positions, and finishing his go-to moves, like the first low single against Gadisov. Working with a Gumby-like Taylor is absolutely going to mean an improvement in scrambling and body awareness in general. The 1200-pound Gorilla in the room is Snyder's lifting. Being strong is incredibly important, but its seemed to have a negative impact on his conditioning, flexibility, and strength in those aforementioned compromised positions. A good leaning out might be another adjustment that new coaches and a new surrounding can offer. Regardless, the message will need to be that the changes should be top to bottom -- it can't just be refining a low single. Snyder is an all-time great wrestler, in part because he makes tough decisions to get better in the sport. He forwent his senior year in high school to move to the Olympic Training Center, wrestled for Ohio State in 2016, and he traveled to Krasnoyarsk in January hungry to find any competition he can. This was another difficult, emotional decision that seems to me to be right for the development of his wrestling. The 2020 cycle is about to kick off and the drama is only starting. The next several months will be interesting to see where some top athletes choose to compete, and just how they compete at those new weights. (Also, does this mean Bo Nickal isn't making the move up to 97 kilograms?) I for one am now excited about this reboot and seeing just how potent a Cael-trained Snyder will look in early competition. I think 2.0 is going to surprise a lot of people, or maybe confirm their preexisting thoughts about the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club's impact on top-tier talent. To your questions …. Q: Think about all of Kyle Snyder's new training partners! -- Brian D. Foley: Yeah, it's a great starting point for any top-level athlete to have fellow top-level athletes who are able to train with you directly. While it's vital, also remember that they will fly in athletes to train alongside this roster, which is now even more appealing to upperweights from other countries looking to brush up, like Taha Akgul. Cael Sanderson Jake Varner Anthony Cassar David Taylor Bo Nickal Jaime Espinal Eric Thompson (if he's still on the mats) And you have Cody Sanderson and Casey Cunningham coaching. What a setup! Q: With all the success that Penn State has had the last few years on the mat, has that negatively affected their recruiting, and have they lost their recruiting mojo? -- Rick B. Foley: No. They just recruited Kyle Snyder! I don't follow the high school recruits as much, but always consider that no matter what an athlete is ranked coming in they need to be developed. Penn State remains the best college in the country for developing top-level talent. No mojo needed. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Kyle Snyder vs. Abdusalam Gadisov -- 2015 Kyle Snyder vs. Abdulrashid Sadulaev -- 2017 Kyle Snyder vs. Abdulrashid Sadulaev -- 2018 Kyle Snyder vs. Sharif Sharifov -- 2019 Snyder Level 10 (Movie) Q: Bo Nickal has expressed interest in transitioning to MMA after wrestling. Do you think he will be as successful as other wrestlers that have done it? -- Gregg Y. Foley: Success in MMA is basically a function of how much suffering you are willing to endure. While Bo Nickal is a freak wrestler, he will still need to learn how to strike, HOW TO TAKE A PUNCH, and submission grapple. I think that the grappling will come naturally and that he has the frame to be a massive success on the grappling circuit and give him enough to stay clear of being subbed in the cage. Again everyone's weakest point is the combination of learning how to strike and having to suffer in relative obscurity for a few years before having the talent and marketability to get premier, money-making fights. Best case: Nickal is headlining a Bellator card in 2.5 years, and that's an absolute best case. It'll really depend on where he chooses to train, who he hires as an agent, and what opportunities drop into his lap. And finally, a lot relies on being able to take a punch to the liver or a kick to the head. Pain tolerance and being able to game plan and counter in real time are ultimately what makes fighters bad, average, or great. Q: Do you ever think we will see MMA in the Olympics? -- Gregg Y. Foley: Never. The IOC has zero interest in allowing organizing committees to add a brutal combat sport. They are 194 times more likely to add eGaming to the Olympics than to allow athletes to get bloodied up at their event. To put this in finer perspective, United World Wrestling no longer sanctions amateur MMA (though it does recognize Pankration).

Kyle Snyder with his bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) For Kyle Snyder, it's "Goodbye, Columbus" and "Hello, Happy Valley" as the 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning freestyle wrestler -- and three-time NCAA heavyweight champ for Ohio State -- will be leaving the Ohio Regional Training Center to prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by moving to the Nittany Lions Wrestling Club this month, the wrestler announced Thursday. Here's a Snyder's message posted on Twitter today: "I have a responsibility to my teammates, to my country, and to God, to tell myself the truth and to act upon that truth. The simple truth is I need to get better. In order for me to fulfill my obligations as a member of Team USA and as the defending Olympic champ, I must give full effort and take complete responsibility for this process." "This decision isn't to suggest that one program is better than the next, but this is taking advantage of additional thinking and incorporate that into my wrestling." Here's how the Maryland native concluded his announcement: "I recognize that in order for me to climb to the pinnacle I must improve. I have chosen to take advantage of the learning available at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club." Snyder's new training partners will a number of successful wrestlers with serious college and freestyle mat accomplishments such as Jake Varner (2012 Olympic men's freestyle gold medalist), Anthony Cassar (2019 NCAA heavyweight champ for Penn State), Bo Nickal (a 2019 World championships teammate at 96 kilograms), David Taylor (2018 World champion at 87 kilograms/191 pounds), and Zain Retherford (65 kilograms/143 pounds), among others, according to PennLive.com, not to mention head coach Cael Sanderson, an Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler himself. "Penn State has world-class coaches and world-class competitors in the room," Snyder said in an interview with USA Wrestling. "I just think that change is really important. I'll get a lot of feels there and different perspective of my wrestling," he said. "Having wrestled against Varner and knowing the type of feel he has, I think his style and his pace is something I'm really excited to put myself up against…it'll be really good to work with him." Snyder graduated from Ohio State in 2018, but had remained in Columbus since then to train at the Ohio RTC. At age 19, Snyder became the youngest U.S. men's freestyle wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro at 96 kilograms. Just last month, Snyder earned a bronze medal at 97 kilograms/213 pounds at the 2019 World Championships. Just six months from now, the Olympic wrestling trials for the 2020 Tokyo Games will be held at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center on April 4-5, with Snyder having a bid for the best-of-three finals as a returning World medalist. The Summer Olympics will take place July 24-August 9.

Iowa's Alex Meyer wrestling Ohio State's Bo Jordan in a 2017 dual meet (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) On Episode 38 of The MatBoss Podcast, host Chad Dennis talks with Iowa alum Alex Meyer. Meyer was a 2016 All-American at Iowa. He's currently enrolled in medical school with a career based around medicine. Meyer chronicles his career coming from Southeast Polk and having to ride the pine at Iowa for several years before breaking into the lineup. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Podcasts | RSS

The start of the collegiate wrestling season is less than one month away. As always things will get started in a hurry with some very interesting and intriguing early season matches. The following looks at some of the top dual meets in the first semester. Debuts This season there will be three new members competing at the NCAA Division I level. Presbyterian will join the SoCon with former Oklahoma and American coach Mark Cody at the helm. LIU Brooklyn and LIU Post will join forces to compete as the Sharks in the EIWA. In a geographical contradiction, Neil Erisman and Arkansas-Little Rock will join the Pac-12 as an affiliate member. The following are the debut duals for the newest members of the highest level of collegiate wrestling. Nov. 1: Presbyterian vs. Chattanooga The Blue Hose will kick off their schedule with a conference dual against UTC. As a new program, they will likely be up against it this season. However, expect the squad to led by Benny Gomez at 125 pounds. He was a Fargo double All-American in high school. Before transferring to Presbyterian, he was an NJCAA runner-up at Muskegon dropping a close 11-7 match against multiple-time Uzbek world team member Nodir Safarov in the finals. Against Chattanooga, he will face off against Fabian Guiterrez who went 17-4 last year with wins over Elijah Oliver (Indiana), Tommy Cox (NC State), Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) and Shakur Laney (Ohio). Nov. 2: LIU vs. Rutgers Last season LIU Post qualified only one wrestler for the NCAA Division II tournament. The good news is that Joe Calderone became an All-American for the third time. The bad news is that he graduated and left LIU without a returning qualifier. At 149 pounds, Chris Gomez placed fourth at the Super Region tournament and will be their highest returning placer. It will be a tough start to the season as LIU steps up to face a Rutgers squad, which finished last season with a pair of NCAA champions. Nov. 24: Little Rock vs. Ozarks Unlike the other two new Division I teams, Little Rock will get started with a slightly softer touch. Ozarks went 9-7 in duals last year and finished second in their conference tournament, but they qualified only one wrestler for the NCAA Division III tournament. Little Rock might be able to get started with a win as they have stocked their team with several transfers led by former NDSU wrestler Paul Bianchi who went 42-27 for the Bison and qualified for the 2018 NCAA tournament. Alex Marinelli after getting a pin against Iowa State (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Rivalries Two of the most storied rivalries in the history of college wrestling will take place during the first semester this year. Nov. 24: Iowa vs. Iowa State Last year, Iowa State was surprisingly game, but Iowa still pulled out the victory when heavyweight Sam Stoll demanded his spot in the lineup. This year the Cyclones return one of their best lineups in recent memory. Depending on how the lineups shake out, this dual could feature a rematch at 133 pounds between Austin Gomez and Austin DeSanto as well as an early season test for Junior world champion David Carr against returning All-American Kaleb Young. Dec. 15: Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State Bedlam has been a one-sided contest for the last few years, but one could make the case that Oklahoma is moving in the right direction. The spotlight match of the dual will likely come at 141 pounds. Dom Demas unexpectedly dominated Cowboy Kaid Brock last year, but he will square off against Kaden Gfeller if all things play out right this year. This is an important match that could happen again at the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments. Big Ten vs. Field The Big Ten has been a dominant conference over the last decade. Before the conference schedule really gets going there will be several strong matches between Big Ten schools and some of the top schools from other conferences. Nov. 22: Penn State vs. Arizona State Last year, Penn State absolutely ran through the Sun Devils including a huge victory by Mark Hall over Zahid Valencia. This year the national champions will travel to Tempe. Valencia is expected to move up to 184 pounds, which sets up an interesting match with Shakur Rasheed. At 157 pounds, there is a showdown between former top prospects Jacori Teemer and Brady Berge. Nov. 24: Minnesota vs. Oklahoma State Last year's match had a great atmosphere, and this year's edition will almost certainly be the same. The Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup will feature several key bouts including Gfeller against Mitch McKee and Nick Piccininni versus Patrick McKee. Dec. 1: Cornell vs. Ohio State A few of Cornell's wrestlers are taking Olympic redshirts, which has taken some of the star power out of this dual. However, there are still some interesting rematches and battles between prospects. Chas Tucker and Luke Pletcher split matches last season with Tucker taking a late season match in overtime. Ben Darmstadt should return to the lineup this season after sitting out with an injury. He could take on Gavin Hoffman, which could be a good early season indicator for both wrestlers. Nov. 24: Nebraska vs. Northern Iowa Last season, Drew Foster became the first UNI wrestler to claim an NCAA title since 2000. The Panthers will be looking to ride that momentum into another strong season. They will get an early challenge from a tough Nebraska squad. The headlining bout for this dual will likely come at 184 pounds where t hree-time NCAA qualifier Taylor Lujan is expected to take on All-American Taylor Venz. Best of the rest Outside of these first two categories, there are a variety of top duals in the first semester. The following highlights three other matches that require attention in the first half of the season. Nov. 1: Fresno State vs. Wisconsin Fresno State will host a quad-meet against Wisconsin, Army and Navy for the "Battle on the Midway." The matches will take place on the deck of the USS Midway in San Diego. In terms of Fresno State against Wisconsin, the heavyweight match could attract a lot of eyeballs. Trent Hillger broke through in his first year of competition for Wisconsin and became an All-American with an eighth-place finish. Across the mat will be A.J. Nevills who is now a two-time qualifier and still looking to become an All-American for the first time. Nov. 2: Missouri vs. Virginia Tech Missouri routinely has one of the toughest and busiest non-conference schedules. This year is no different as they travel to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech. Both teams will have a fair share of new faces in the lineup, but Brian LaPrade and Jarrett Jacques will be back for a rematch. Last year the bout went to sudden victory before LaPrade walked away with a 9-3 victory for the Hokies. Nov. 15: Old Dominion vs. NC State Only a little over four hours separates the campuses of Old Dominion and NC State. However, the proximity is not the only attention-grabbing factor with this dual. Last year Larry Early walked into this dual and knocked off Hayden Hidlay. This year Hidlay is one of the favorites to win the 157-pound weight class, and he will get an early season test against an old rival.

Kyle Crutchmer Former Oklahoma State All-American wrestler Kyle Crutchmer appears to have a new opponent for his upcoming Bellator MMA debut next month. MMA commentator Ariel Helwani reported on Twitter that Antonio Jones will be facing Crutchmer in a welterweight (170-pound) bout at Bellator 233 at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. on Friday, November 8. In late September, it had been announced that Crutchmer would take on Sean Clements, a 31-year-old with a 3-1 pro MMA record. The 34-year-old Jones is 6-3 in his professional MMA career going back to June 2015. He has tallied three straight losses in his most recent bouts going back nearly two years. Crutchmer, 26, brings a perfect 4-0 in his pro career he launched in June 2018. Until signing with Bellator MMA in July, all of the former Cowboy wrestler's MMA bouts had been with Xtreme Fighting League, with two wins by submission, one by technical knockout, and one unanimous decision. Prior to entering MMA, Crutchmer was a two-time NCAA All-American for Oklahoma State, placing fifth at 174 pounds at the 2015 NCAAs, and seventh in this same weight class at the 2017 NCAAs. In addition, Crutchmer was twice a Big 12 conference champ.

Joey Palmer wrestling in the semifinals of the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) AMES, Iowa -- Today Iowa State wrestling head coach, Kevin Dresser, announced an addition to his coaching staff. Former three-time NCAA Qualifier Joey Palmer will join up with the Cyclones as a volunteer assistant coach. "I am very excited to add this young guy to our staff," Dresser said of Plamer. "I can speak on behalf of Coach St. John and Coach Metcalf in stating that all three of us have been super impressed with the way the Joey Palmer has made an impact in the short time he has been in Ames. Joey plans to train hard for the upcoming Olympic Trials along with coaching our student athletes. He is coming off a very successful 2019 freestyle season and we hope to assist him in further wrestling success. This is a win-win for all of us." The program that Dresser and company are building at Iowa State is ultimately what lured Palmer into making the decision to come to Ames. "You look at everywhere Dresser has been, he's had success," Palmer said. "Now he's in Ames with Metcalf, St. John and all the talent they have in that room, and it's really exciting to see what those guys have done. The state of Iowa and Ames is a great place for me to train and to learn from these coaches." Palmer wrestled collegiately at Oregon State ('17) where he was a three-time NCAA qualifier at 133 pounds. After a brief hiatus from competing on the senior level, Palmer competed at the US Open this past April and finished third place at 61 kg. He defeated current World Team Member Tyler Graff and former World Team member Tony Ramos en route to the podium. Palmer has spent the last two seasons coaching, one year at his alma mater at Oregon State, and one at his high school in Tahoma, Washington.

The Super 32 Challenge will happen for the 20th time this Saturday and Sunday at the Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum Special Events Center. Starting in 2005, the event has been held at this facility, after being hosted at Morehead High School for the first five years of the event carrying the Super 32 name. In addition, this marks the 10th year the event has been held as a two-day extravaganza for the high school division. The future productivity of athletes that have competed in the high school division of the Super 32 Challenge speaks for itself. At the NCAA Division I Championships, held this year in Pittsburgh, 53 of the 80 All-Americans had competed in the high school division of the Super 32 Challenge at some point of their career. This includes two-time NCAA champions Spencer Lee, Yianni Diakomihalis, and Zahid Valencia; as well as three-time champion Jason Nolf. In all, eight of the 10 NCAA champions and 14 of the 20 finalists competed at the Super 32 Challenge. Looking at the depth of the 2018 Super 32 field, one notes that 350 wrestlers (out of about 350) that appeared on the bracket in the high school division would go on to win a state-level title at the end of their high school season. In addition, 115 members of the field ended the season nationally ranked by InterMat. Six of the wrestlers that ended the season No. 1 nationally in their weight class competed at the Super 32 Challenge: Richard Figueroa, Lucas Byrd, Ryan Anderson, Alex Facundo, Jacob Cardenas, and Braxton Amos. Here are some big picture things to look at in the event this Saturday and Sunday. Entrants are based on information available as of Sunday afternoon. Star power Even if the absolute mega-stars of high school wrestling aren't among those competing in this weekend's field, there is a clear abundance of star power in the 2019 Super 32 field based on entries as of Sunday afternoon. 51 of the wrestlers ranked among the InterMat top-100 for the Class of 2020 are in the field at the present time, even though that only includes three of the top ten: No. 2 Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) at 220 pounds, along with No. 6 Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) and Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.) at 138. The only other top 20 senior wrestlers in the field are No. 16 Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) at 182 pounds and No. 17 Ryan Jack (Danbury, Ct.) at 132. In the Class of 2021, it is 29 of the top-50 slated to compete at the Super 32 Challenge, though No. 9 Carson Manville (Shakopee, Minn.) and No. 10 Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.) are the only top ten ranked wrestlers listed; Manville at 182 pounds and Renteria at 120. Six of the next ten are in the field: No. 11 Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) at 160, No. 13 Wyatt Henson (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) at 126, No. 14 Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge, Iowa) and No. 18 Cooper Flynn (McDonogh, Md.) at 120, No. 16 Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg, Pa.) at 170, and No. 19 Luka Wick (San Marino, Calif.) at 152. The rising sophomore group has 26 of the top-50 wrestlers present in the field, with seven of the top ten wrestlers from the Class of 2022 among that group. It is led by No. 2 Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) at 126 pounds, No. 3 Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Ind.) and No. 7 Daniel Cardenas (Pomona, Colo.) at 132, No. 4 Seth Shumate (Dublin Coffman, Ohio) at 195, No. 6 Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) and No. 9 Troy Spratley (Collinsville, Okla.) at 120, and No. 8 Caleb Henson (Woodland, Ga.) at 138. Among the freshman class, it is a paltry 10 of the top-25 from the Class of 2023 in the field, a group led by No. 5 Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg, Pa.) at 126 pounds and No. 9 Grant MacKay (North Allegheny, Pa.) at 152. Six of the ten ranked freshmen are among the contenders at 106 pounds, a group led by No. 13 Maxximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.), the Outstanding Wrestler of the middle school division in the 2017 Super 32 Challenge. Last year's edition of the Super 32 saw six freshmen earn placement finishes (one at 106, one at 113, two at 120, one at 126, and one at 220). The top two wrestlers in the Junior high rankings, No. 1 Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa.) and No. 2 Pierson Manville (Shakopee, Minn.), are slated to compete in the high school division at 106 and 126 pounds respectively. Last year, an eighth grader did place in the tournament, Nasir Bailey of Illinois was eighth at 106; while in 2017, Ryan Crookham of Pennsylvania won the title at 113 pounds when still in junior high. Repeat glory Only one of nine past Super 32 Challenge champions, seven of whom won titles last year, in the high school division whom are eligible to compete in this year's event will be doing so this weekend. That being University of Wisconsin verbal commit Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.). It would be a significant shock if Amos did not win a third straight title at 220 pounds, as his most direct challenge is likely to come from Dorian Crosby (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.); the No. 72 overall wrestler in the Class of 2020 lost rather handily to Amos in the Junior freestyle final this summer. The other notable contender is Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.), a returning placer in this weight class, who is ranked No. 36 in the Class of 2022. Joshua Saunders gets in on a shot in his state finals match (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Saunders after an elusive title Out of all the things that Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) has accomplished in his high school career, he has yet to win a Super 32 Challenge title in the high school division. The Cornell commit is ranked No. 6 overall in the Class of 2020, has represented the United States in freestyle at both the Cadet and Junior World Championships, won multiple titles in Fargo, earned a title at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman last year, and is a three-time state champion. However, in 2016 and 2017 Saunders lost narrow decisions in the semifinal round at the Super 32 Challenge. In 2016, it was a 3-1 at 120 pounds to Andrew Alirez, while in 2017 it was an overtime loss to Jesse Vasquez at 132. He did not compete last year due to his world championships participation. This year Saunders is slated to compete in the absolute grinder at 138 pounds. The field currently features nine other top-100 Class of 2020 wrestlers: No. 10 Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.); No. 33 Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); No. 43 Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio), a Junior National freestyle runner-up; No. 52 Josh Edmond (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.); No. 57 Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.); No. 66 Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.); No. 80 Drew Eller (Evans, Ga.), No. 93 Nick Stonecheck (Buford, Ga.); and No. 96 Ryan Burgos (Hilton, N.Y.). Hillegas is a two-time Super 32 placer; while Edmond, Herrmann, and Rivera placed in this tournament last year. The insane weight class also features five nationally ranked Class of 2021 wrestlers; No. 27 Caden McCrary (Woodland, Ga.), a Junior National freestyle All-American; No. 31 Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio); No. 36 Henry Porter (Gilroy, Calif.); No. 47 Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio); and No. 49 Teague Travis (Father Tolton Catholic, Mo.). Also in the field are a pair of nationally ranked Class of 2022 wrestlers: No. 8 Caleb Henson Henson (Woodland, Ga.), a semifinalist last year as a freshman at 126 pounds, and No. 24 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Arrowhead, Wis.). Others to watch in this absurd weight class include NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Ethan Basile (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.), returning Super 32 placer Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.), Junior National freestyle All-American Luke Sloan (Austin Vandergrift, Texas), Cadet National freestyle All-American Matthew Bianchi (Two Rivers, Wis.), and Grappler Fall Classic champion Eddie Homrock (Brighton, Mich.). Don't forget the heavyweights With the impact of football, the upperweights tend to have lower participant numbers than even during the season or the post-season national tournaments in the spring and summer. Even with that being the case, there is some talent worth watching at 285 pounds based on the field as of Sunday afternoon. The two anchors are Cadet World freestyle participant Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) and two-time Cadet National double champion Hayden Copass (Westville, Ill.); the Virginia Tech commit Catka is ranked No. 29 in the Class of 2020, while Wisconsin commit Copass is No. 39 in the Class of 2021. Other contenders in this weight class include returning Super 32 runner-up Colby Whitehill (Brookville, Pa.), past Junior National freestyle All-American Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.), NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Alex Coleman (Hamilton Ross, Ohio), along with Pennsylvania state placers Jalen Stephens (Meyersdale) and Isaiah Vance (Hempfield Area). Seeking that elusive ascendant step on the podium In addition to Whitehill, three other wrestlers that lost in the finals at the Super 32 Challenge last year will be in the hunt for championship belts this weekend: Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge, Iowa), Ryan Jack (Danbury, Ct.), and Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.). Of the four wrestlers listed, the one with the most direct path to winning a title is Nijenhius in the 182-pound weight class. Ranked No. 16 overall in the Class of 2020, returning state champion Nijenhius has a relatively not congested weight class with his most direct challenger being John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.). Ranked No. 38 in the Class of 2020, Poznanski was runner-up at his state tournament last year, and is a returning placer in this tournament, though he lost 8-3 to Nijenhius in the round of 16 on Saturday afternoon at this event last year. Two ranked Class of 2021 wrestlers also are present in this weight class: No. 9 Carson Manville (Shakopee, Minn.) and No. 37 Quayin Short (Simley, Minn.). Others to watch include NHSCA Junior National champion Tanner Mendoza (Valiant Prep, Ariz.), UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio), along with state champion and Beast of the East placer J.T. Davis (Smyrna, Del.); while Cadet Greco-Roman national champion Gavin Nelson (Simley, Minn.), ranked No. 11 overall in the Class of 2023, is a name to watch out for once you get past this season. Fargo champions collide Arguably the two anchor figures in the 120-pound weight class were champions this summer in Fargo freestyle, Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) and Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge, Iowa). Williams was champion at Cadet 120, while Ayala won the Junior 113 title. The pair met in Akron four months ago in the 51-kilo semifinal at the UWW Cadet freestyle tournament, a match won 6-4 by Williams. Williams is ranked No. 6 overall in the Class of 2022, while Ayala is No. 14 in the Class of 2021. Williams is joined by eight of ranked Class of 2022 wrestlers in this weight class: No. 9 Troy Spratley (Collinsville, Okla.), No. 14 Zeke Seltzer (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.), No. 15 Nicolar Rivera (Stoughton, Wis.), No. 20 Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.), No. 35 Casey Swiderski (Dundee, Mich.), No. 42 Brennan Van Hoecke (Palmetto Ridge, Fla.), No. 45 Garrett Grice (Bellevue East, Neb.), and No. 49 Levi Haines (Biglerville, Pa.). Spratley and Almeyda both placed at the Super 32 last year, Seltzer was runner-up to Williams in Cadet freestyle this summer. Ayala is joined by six other ranked Class of 2021 wrestlers: No. 10 Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.), a two-time state champion; No. 18 Cooper Flynn (McDonogh, Md.); No. 25 Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.), state champion and two-time state finalist; No. 42 Jordan Titus (Center Morinches, N.Y.), NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion; No. 46 Vincent Santaniello (Brick Memorial, N.J.); and No. 48 Dustin Norris (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio). Also in the field are two top-100 Class of 2020 wrestlers: No. 65 Tristan Lujan (Selma, Calif.), a returning Super 32 placer, and No. 82 Dominic Chavez (Arlington Martin, Texas). Additional notable wrestlers include No. 14 overall Class of 2023 wrestlers Meyer Shapiro (Bullis School, Md.), state champion Colton Drousias (Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.), 2017 Super 32 placer Nick Babin (Emerson-Park Ridge, N.J.), multi-time state placer Nick Kayal (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), 2018 Cadet world freestyle participant Chance Lamer (Crescent Valley, Ore.), along with state champions Paxton Creese (Shakopee, Minn.), and Anthony Noto (Honeoye Falls-Lima, N.Y.). Cadet World Team members at the Super 32 Joining Catka as a member of the 2019 Cadet World Team in freestyle that is in this weekend's field are Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Ind.) and Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.); Mendez is slated to compete at 132 pounds, while Ulrey is registered at 170. Ranked No. 60 in the Class of 2020, the Virginia Tech commit is joined by three other top-100 rising seniors in the 170-pound weight bracket: No. 42 Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.), No. 53 Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.), and No. 69 Connor O'Neill (DePaul Catholic, N.J.); both Ulrey (3rd at 160) and Penner (4th at 170) are returning place-winners in this tournament. Other contenders in the 170-pound weight class include a pair of nationally ranked Class of 2021 wrestlers from Pennsylvania: No. 16 Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg) and No. 38 Trey Kibe (Mifflin County); Pinto was a Cadet National freestyle champion in Fargo, while Kibe upset Ulrey in the Class 3A state final at 160 pounds this past March. Also meriting attention in a relatively deep weight class are state runner-up Shane Reitsma (Howell, N.J.); Bennett Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), who is ranked No. 17 overall in the Class of 2022; previous state champion Duwayne Villalpando (Maize, Kansas); state runner-up Rocco Contino (Buchanan, Calif.); and multi-time state placer Graham Calhoun (Plymouth, Ind.). Can Derek Gilcher clear gauntlets for two straight weekends? This past weekend at the Grappler Fall Classic on the campus of Michigan State University, Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) upended a pair of fellow top-100 Class of 2020 wrestlers to win the 160-pound bracket. Ranked No. 62 overall in the senior class, Gilcher also had an absurd run on the way to his Junior freestyle All-American finish in Fargo. The Indiana commit will be joined by six other top-100 Class of 2020 wrestlers at present in the 152-pound field: No. 31 Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.), whom he beat 9-4 in the Grappler Fall Classic final; No. 34 Matthew Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.), whom he upset in consolation on the way to his Fargo All-American finish; No. 36 Elan Heard (Libertyville, Ill.); No. 58 A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.); returning Super 32 placer Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.); and No. 80 Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North, Pa.). Also in the 152-pound field are a pair of top-50 Class of 2021 wrestlers, No. 19 Luke Wick (San Marino, Calif.) and No. 32 D.J. Hamiti (Joliet Catholic, Ill.); a two-time state champion, Hamiti was runner-up at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle before winning a Cadet National freestyle title this summer. Additional notable rising seniors in this field include Tyler Badgett (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.), Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), Caleb Dowling (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.), Jaxon Garoutte (Pueblo County, Colo.), and Donald Cates (Northern Durham, N.C.). Mendez mania Last year's Super 32 ended a stretch of three major events in a row that Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Ind.) was one match away from earning a podium finish. The now No. 3 overall Class of 2022 wrestler lost 6-4 to Ryan Jack in the quarterfinal before dropping a 3-2 decision to Jackson DiSario (Stanford/Ola, Ga.) in his subsequent consolation bout at 126 pounds. Since then, Mendez was undefeated in his freshman high school season on the way to a dominant state title and added four off-season titles of note: Cadet folkstyle, FloNationals freestyle, UWW Cadet freestyle, and Pan-Am Cadet freestyle. Mendez is a joint favorite in the 132-pound weight class this weekend with Ryan Jack, who is ranked No. 17 overall in the Class of 2020 and was runner-up at 126 last year; he also was champion at the NHSCA Junior Nationals in the spring. Eight other top-100 seniors join Jack in this loaded weight class: No. 28 Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.), No. 41 Frankie Tal-Shahar (American Heritage, Fla.), No. 45 Devin Murphy (Selma, Calif.), No. 64 Chris Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), No. 74 Dylan Cedeno (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 83 Trey Crawford (Park Hill, Mo.), No. 86 Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and No. 87 Kellyn March (Canton, S.D.); Clark is a two-time placer in this event, Cedeno a returning placer, Tal-Shahar a Walsh Ironman runner-up, while Crawford is a Junior freestyle All-American. Mendez is joined by three other top Class of 2022 prospects: No. 7 Daniel Cardenas (Pomona, Colo.), a Cadet National freestyle champion and returning placer in this tournament; No. 26 Chase DeBlaere (Simley, Minn.); and Michael Kilic (Woodard Academy, Ga.). Four top-50 Class of 2021 prospects also populate this field: No. 21 Nathaniel Pulliam (Rolla, Mo.), No. 24 Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.), No. 29 Reid Ballantyne (Stillwater, Minn.), and No. 35 Carter Young (Stillwater, Okla.). Others in an absurdly deep field include state champion Brock McMillen (Glendale, Pa.), Cadet freestyle runner-up Ramon Ramos (Valiant Prep, Fla.), National Prep runner-up Skyler Smith (Liberty Christian, Texas), and state runner-up Danny Pucino (Libertyville, Ill.). The opening weight Always a bastion of future stars is the 106-pound weight class. In many cases, it is an opportunity for an unknown to emerge; while in other cases, it is a known wrestler that becomes a really really known wrestler. 2018 state champion Gary Steen (Reynolds, Pa.), Cadet World Greco-Roman team members Mason Gehloff (Waseca, Minn.) and Cory Land (Moody, Ala.), and Cadet National double champion Jore Volk (Lakeville North, Minn.) are the leading contenders in this weight class that have already completed a season of high school wrestling. Of note, Land is ranked No. 32 overall in the Class of 2022; while Steen joined Land as finishing the 2018-19 season ranked nationally at 106 pounds. As previously noted in the article, six nationally ranked Class of 2023 wrestlers populate this field: No. 13 Maxximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.); No. 15 Mitchell Neiner (South Kitsap, Wash.), a Cadet freestyle runner-up; No. 16 Carter McCallister (Rock Bridge, Mo.) and No. 20 Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.), All-Americans at both the UWW Cadet and Cadet freestyle tournaments; No. 21 Greyson Clark (Kaukauna, Wis.), a Cadet freestyle All-American; and No. 24 Nathan Jesuroga (Southeast Polk, Iowa). Others to watch include state champions Peyton Fenton (Elyria, Ohio), Gabe Giampetro (Smyrna, Del.), and Kai Owen (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.); incoming freshmen Clarence Moore (Gilroy, Calif.), Caden Horwath (Davison, Mich.), Dylan Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), and Beau Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif.); along with Ben Aranda (DeKalb, Ill.), who also was All-American at the UWW Cadet and Cadet Nationals in freestyle.

Pioneering wrestler and coach Bobby Douglas will be the guest of honor at a celebration at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum next month. Bobby DouglasThe Gable Museum will host an open house to honor the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member and Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa inductee on Saturday, November 2 from 4-7 p.m. at the facility at 303 Jefferson Street in Waterloo, Iowa. Those planning to attend should RSVP to the Gable Museum online: http://weblink.donorperfect.com/BobbyDouglas An impressive list of wrestling dignitaries have already indicated they will participate in the event, according to the Gable Museum. Among those who have indicated they will attend in person: Dan Gable, whose name graces the museum; Bruce Baumgartner, President of USA Wrestling, and one of our most decorated International and Olympic wrestlers; Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and an NCAA champion; Zeke Jones, former USA Wrestling Freestyle coach and now head coach at Arizona State University; Carl Adams, long time head coach at Boston University and 2 time NCAA champion for Iowa State University; and Barry Weldon 1997 NCAA champion for Iowa State University. In addition, Chris Bono and Tadaaki Hatta will not be able to attend but are sending video messages to Bobby Douglas that the Gable Museum will play during the open house. During the celebration, Douglas will launch a new tradition for the Gable Museum by autographing his picture wall at the museum at 5 p.m. This inaugural event will be followed by a brief program. Douglas being the first to sign his own picture wall is totally appropriate, given his history as a pioneer in wrestling. As his National Wrestling Hall of Fame biography states, Bobby Douglas was the first African-American to wrestle in the Olympics (in 1964 and 1968), and the first to captain the U.S. Olympic team (1968). In addition, Douglas wrestled on six World Championship teams, winning a silver medal in 1966 and a bronze medal in 1970. He was an assistant coach for 10 World and Olympic teams, was World Cup coach in 1987 and Olympic coach in 1992. Douglas also made history as a collegiate wrestling coach. In 1988 Douglas led Arizona State to the national championship, the only wrestling team title won by a western school. He later led Iowa State to three NCAA runner-up finishes. Earlier in his mat career, Douglas was a two-time Ohio state high school wrestling champion. He then crossed the Ohio River for his collegiate career at West Virginia's West Liberty State, where he was a NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) national champion in 1962. In 1963, wrestling for West Liberty, he reached the NCAA Division I 130-pound finals and finished second to defending national champion Mickey Martin of the University of Oklahoma. Douglas later transferred to Oklahoma State, where he competed at the 1965 NCAAs at 147 pounds but had to exit the tournament because of injury. For all these accomplishments, Douglas was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1987. Want to know more about Bobby Eddie Douglas? Check out "Bobby Douglas: Life and Legacy of an American Wrestling Legend" by Craig Sesker.

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland -- Two-time All-American and former U.S. National Team member B.J. Futrell has joined the Navy wrestling staff as an assistant coach it was announced by head coach Joel Sharratt on Monday. Futrell arrives in Annapolis after spending the last seven years training and competing on the Olympic ladder. B.J. Futrell"I am very excited that we have been able to bring B.J. Futrell on board with the program with the support of Mr. Gladchuk and the NAAA," said Sharratt "B.J. is one of the top young coaches who has competed at the highest levels of the NCAA and National Team competition, and will make an immediate impact with his on-the-mat skills and motivational style of coaching. Off the mat, he is a man of impeccable character who will serve as an outstanding mentor and role model for our midshipmen on living the championship lifestyle on the mat, in the classroom and as young men of character. He is laser focused on the relentless pursuit of team and individual goals. He has been on the podium multiple times at the largest NCAA DI events and understands our focus on winning the N-Star and producing All-Americans who will go on to serve our country with honor." "I first want to thank Navy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk and head coach Joel Sharratt for presenting me with this amazing opportunity to be a part of such an elite institution and program," said Futrell. "I am excited to be able to serve these student-athletes after competing at the collegiate and Olympic level for the last 11 years. These are young men who will soon be the leaders of our nation and I am looking forward to being able to lead them with excellence on the mat and in life." A three-time All-Big Ten performer at the University of Illinois, Futrell twice earned All-America honors by placing eighth at the 2011 NCAA Championship and sixth in 2012. He was also a two-time selection for the NWCA All-Star Classic. His senior season, however, was cut short after sustaining an injury that would eliminate him from postseason competition. He was ranked No. 3 in the country by W.I.N. Magazine prior to the injury. He left his mark in the Illini record books as the program's leader with 38 career pins. A member of the Illini Leadership Academy, Futrell served as team captain for three years where he led team meetings, mediated conversation between the team and coaching staff, mentored underclassmen and led the team's community engagement. Futrell was also a standout in the classroom where he was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, while also garnering NWCA All-Academic recognition twice. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology in May of 2012 and went on to earn his Master of Education degree in educational policy studies from Illinois in December of 2013. Futrell continued his wrestling career by training at the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center, as well as the Michigan Regional Training Center. He earned more than 20 domestic and international medals in Olympic-level competitions while representing Team USA in competitions that spanned 12 different countries including Romania where he claimed a gold medal. Among his career highlights, he placed third at the 2017 U.S. World Team Trials and earned a top-10 world ranking in freestyle wrestling at 65 kg. Additionally, he was a silver medalist at the 2014 University World Championships and was a three-time US Open medalist including earning the bronze in 2014. He was a two-time University Nationals freestyle and Greco-Roman champion, a two-time NYAC International finalist and champion, a three-time Dave Schultz International finalist and champion and a 2016 Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier Champion. Futrell was also and influential member of the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club when it won the World Clubs Cup World Championship in 2016. He has been active an active mentor and coach with Beat the Streets Philadelphia, a program committed to helping establish youth wrestling programs in the Philadelphia metropolitan region. The organization fosters the holistic development of student-athletes by providing the resources to support wrestling and an academic tutoring programs throughout the greater Philadelphia region. Additionally, Futrell has coached at numerous college and high school clinics across the country where he has created and led high-intensity and level-specific wrestling camps that focused on improving wrestling technique, physical development, sports psychology and personal development.

Zain Retherford edged Yianni Diakomihalis in a Special Wrestle-Off (Photo/Juan Garcia) One of the things that attracted me to wrestling early on was the wrestle-off. If I wanted to be the varsity wrestler, then I had to beat the varsity wrestler. What could be fairer than that? When my high school wrestling team conducted wrestle-offs each week, my assistant coach would referee the match, the manager would keep time, and the rest of the team would stretch quietly off to the side. The room was silent except for the squeaky sounds of shoes on the mat, the occasional whistle, and the hurried breaths of kids desperate to make the lineup. We didn't cheer when one wrestler won because it was more important to hold up our teammate who was going to be spending Saturday watching from the bleachers. The wrestle-off was sacred. The United States freestyle team recently returned from a somewhat disappointing performance in Kazakhstan. Let me put this in perspective: The United States still finished third in the world as a team, earned two individual gold medals, and Kyle Snyder and Jordan Burroughs both bounced back from semifinal heartbreakers to claim bronze; those are all things worth celebrating. But when you compare it to two years ago when the United States won the whole darn thing, it feels as if the Americans took a step backwards this year. In addition, only two of the six weight classes are qualified for the Olympics. Looking ahead to Tokyo 2020, I find myself questioning how we select World and Olympic teams. Even though I've always loved the fairness and transparency associated with the Final X wrestle-off series, I wonder if we are actually selecting the best team. Allow me to pose a fundamental question: What does winning a wrestle-off actually mean? In the college wrestling room, I came to learn that the wrestle-off wasn't quite as hallowed as it was in high school. I remember watching an experienced senior defeat a highly touted freshman in a wrestle-off for the 149-pound spot. Even though he'd been beaten fair and square, my coach started the freshman anyway, and shuffled the senior up a weight class to 157 pounds. In the end, both wrestlers ended up qualifying for the NCAA tournament that year, and that freshman ended up being a two-time All-American. Although at the time I thought it seemed wildly unfair, I realize now that the word, "fair," wasn't in my coach's vocabulary. Most college coaches still conduct wrestle-offs to inform their lineup decisions, but unlike a lot of high school coaches, they'll also consider other data as well. For instance, that freshman had outplaced that senior at a preseason open tournament. That freshman also had a win over a common opponent who'd beaten the senior. After all, these two were training partners and practiced with each other every day. My coach took their wrestle-off with a grain of salt, and ultimately decided that there was more information to indicate that the freshman was his better option. The United States' Trials wrestle-off series is fair, but it does not allow the coaches to consider any other information. I have some serious questions about two weight classes in particular: 65 kilograms and 86 kilograms. At 65 kilograms, Zain Retherford went 0-1 in Kazakhstan. In this calendar year alone, Yianni Diakomihalis took gold at the renowned Yasar Dogu international tournament, beat Retherford twice, and defeated not one, but two wrestlers who won world medals in Kazakhstan. Now if we want to argue about fairness, then there is no question that it should have been Retherford's spot. He won the right to represent Team USA. No question. But let's not talk about fairness. Instead, let's discuss the point of a team selection process. Should the objective be to ensure we have a fair process? Or should the goal be that we send the best team possible? At the highest levels, matchups matter more, and while Zain has proven that he matches up well against Yianni, Yianni has proven that he matches up better against the rest of the world. At 86 kilograms, David Taylor, the 2018 world champion, announced he was out with an injury right before Final X was set to happen. It was too late in the process for 92-kilogram wrestlers to drop down to 86 kilograms, or for 79-kilogram wrestlers to bump up to wrestle off for that spot. If the process was actually about selecting the best team, the United States would have figured out a way to move wrestlers around (like when my college coach moved that senior up a weight class). We became prisoner to our own system, and as a result we were not as strong as we could've been. Pat Downey after winning the U.S. Open title (Photo/Larry Slater) Pat Downey III earned the spot fair and square, and he wrestled awesome in Kazakhstan and did his country proud, but I am still not convinced he was the best option for the United States. The world's No. 2 79-kilogram wrestler, Alex Dieringer, was waiting in the wings. Now let's look at Russia. Russia's team selection process is anything but transparent. It has grown more ambiguous and convoluted over the past two years. Their federation all but handpicks who gets to wear the Russian singlet. Many American wrestling pundits have criticized how Russia selected its team. In fact, three of their wrestle-offs this year were held in secret, behind closed doors, with just the wrestlers, coaches, and referees present in the room. Some of the weights didn't even have wrestle-offs. Whereas the United States selects its team by honoring the results of a contest, which is what is best for the individual wrestlers involved, Russia operates more like an American Division I college wrestling program, which is what is best for the overall team. There was no way that they were going to keep Zaur Uguev, Gadzhimurad Rashidov, Abdulrashid Sadulaev, or Zaurbek Sidakov off the team based on the results of a wrestle-off, and all four won gold medals. Dzhambulat Tedeev, the Russian coach, was never concerned with, "fair," and I'd be willing to bet that the world "spravedlivost," the Russian word for "fair," probably isn't in his vocabulary, either. Russia medaled in nine of the ten weight classes, and they won gold in five. They were 96 points ahead of the United States. Should we still be criticizing their process? Perhaps the Russian coaches are wondering why the heck the United States left some of its best talent at home. Instead of honoring the results of the wrestle-off blindly, let's empower coaches to tap into their vast experience to allow the results of the wrestle-offs to inform rather than dictate the process for selecting the team. So what does winning a wrestle-off actually mean? Well, it means a lot, but it shouldn't mean everything.

Joey Davis gets his hand raised after a victory (Photo/Bellator) Joey Davis was the picture of perfection as a college wrestler, going 133-0 and becoming a four-time NCAA Division II wrestling champ at Notre Dame College of Ohio. Now the former collegiate mat champ continues to successfully pursue perfection in his professional MMA career, notching his sixth victory Friday night at Bellator 229 at Pechanga Casino Resort in Temecula, Calif. Davis scored a first-round KO vs. Jeff Peterson in a preliminary-card welterweight (170-pound) bout that ended at 1:00 of the first round. Here's how JackWannan.com described the bout: "Early in the fight, Peterson tripped after getting hit by a leg kick. A minute into the fight, Davis scored a flying knee to drop Peterson and win the fight. Joey Davis extended his undefeated record with a chilling KO." With the win, the 29-year-old Davis -- known as "Black Ice" -- is now 6-0 in his pro MMA career which he launched with Bellator in August 2016. Four of those wins were first-round knockouts (including this most recent victory). As MMAJunkie.com reported in its analysis of Bellator 229, Davis is now 4-0 since he dropped down to welterweight ... a streak among active fighters in that weight class at Bellator that's second only to fellow former collegiate wrestling star Logan Storley, an NCAA Division I All-American at University of Minnesota, who has five consecutive wins at welterweight. Meanwhile, Jeff Peterson, also 29, drops to 10-8 in his pro MMA career going back to March 2008. His appearance at Bellator 229 was his debut with the promotion.

Eric Akin competing in Real Pro Wrestling (Photo/Danielle Hobeika) Four-time All-American Eric Akin joins The MatBoss Podcast with Chad Dennis to talk about his career, how the battles shaped him as a competitor, what it was like competing in an era of stellar U.S. lightweights as well as what it was like to go through his college career as a father and where his focus lives today with coaching kids. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Podcasts | RSS

The Test Event for Tokyo 2020 is underway and while the action on the mat can be compelling, it's the broader understanding of next year's events which might be of better use to readers. The competition hall is Makuhari Messe, a very large convention hall similar to the ones used for USA Wrestling events held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The test event isn't meant to simulate the look of the Olympic Games, but it does help staff run through the specifics of the operation. It's a debugging process. The catch with Makuhari Messe is that its 18 miles (read: very, very far) from downtown Tokyo. A train this week from downtown to the event space took me two hours. The outbound was a little better at 90 minutes, but overall its far away from the postcard images of Tokyo many fans might be used to seeing. That's OK, but it also means that housing is extremely limited. The hotels and Airbnb's within walking distance are already booked, with those directly adjacent taken by the local organizing committee (no chance of opening up). The train station is close to the arena, so if you plan to attend I'd suggest looking for an Airbnb or hotel along the Kieyo Line in the direction of downtown Tokyo. However, be aware that those hotels are also close to Tokyo Disneyland and it'll be August. Need a bed? Availability is already looking grim and/or expensive. Overall, if you are planning a trip to Tokyo then the clock is ticking on finding a place to stay! Get busy booking or else be prepares to suffer extensive subway rides sweating in the hot conditions. To your questions … Kyle Dake coaching at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: It seems like Kyle Dake is passionate about coaching and will probably be a coveted coach after he's done competing. Do you think Dake is done competing at 2020? Or do you think he will go through another cycle and compete until the age of 33? Maybe he has already discussed it, but I guess I hadn't heard. -- Mike C. Foley: Dake is going to be 33 in 2024? Which means he's 28 now? Good gravy, I'm getting long in the tooth. Jordan Burroughs is a good example of what might be possible later in the career. He's won world championships, Olympic gold and still has horsepower at 31. But, he's Jordan. Will that be the same for Kyle? He was very injury prone earlier in his international career and while he seems to have reversed course a bit (minus heavyweights falling on his leg) there must be some concern that he'd lose a step with age. The real question is what will happen in 2020?! Will Burroughs and Dake both stay healthy? Will Dake be more injury prone after long weight cuts? Will Dake compete at 74 kilograms prior to the Trials? Will Burroughs go to a Ranking Series tournament? As for coaching, yes Dake is smart, tactical and will be a successful coach. Q: I was watching the World Track & Field Championships and saw the 4x400 mixed relay. It was exciting race and I noticed it's going to be an Olympic event in 2020. With the proper adjustments do you think wrestling could do an alternating dual meet format in freestyle where the men and women could alternate matches (men's match, women's match) and compete as one nation? Note: For reader those who might get triggered and think this is "liberal propaganda" this is not a proposal of men and women wrestling against each other competition. It's an idea to see men & women represent their countries in a dual format and compete in partnership for their respective countries. -- Marcus R. Foley: Judo does this too! There are a number of positives to a mixed gender dual meet team (NYC Public Schools does this too) but at the moment there are still some significant hurdles for wrestling. The most pressing is that the best men's wrestling nations don't consistently have top women's programs. Japan, USA, Ukraine and Russia would all field teams, but they would be a little challenged. Then there is the issue of packaging the matches. I'd guess that 12 weights would be a little much for fans. If not, it would also bring A LOT of attention to there not being a women's equivalent to Greco-Roman. United World Wrestling mostly treats the styles as three independent styles rather than draw attention to the issue of Greco-Roman equivalency. With Agenda 2020 focused on creating a total 50/50 gender equal Olympic Games it might be tough to do a mixed gender team without a solution for Greco-Roman. But yes, this is a wonderful idea and one that I hope to see in international wrestling very soon! Wrestling already has a number of new events coming to fans in the next few years and the addition of a mixed gender team should absolutely be considered. Q: Do you think Mark Hall will make a run at the 2020 Olympics? Great freestyle wrestler. If so, what weight class? Seems like he's kind of in between the Olympic weight classes. -- Mike C. Foley: Why not try out for the 2020 Olympic Team? I'm sure that he will have modest expectations, especially if he is struggling in the room against wrestlers on the ladder, but as you note he's a very good freestyle wrestler with a room full of trophies. The other option is to compete at the U23 World Championships or to look at a non-Olympic weight category should the World Championships for those categories find a host in 2020. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Behind the scenes look at 53 kilograms at the World Championships Q: You think the NWCA All-Star Classic is officially dead? Or is a one-year hiatus real? Usually not a good sign when these things happen. -- Don C. Foley: Bad sign, for sure. The issue the NWCA faced was creating a viable product using college athletes who had nothing real to gain but some notoriety but who could lose a mental edge on an opponent. Oddly, I think this is a combination of coaches eschewing the risk and the athletes recognizing that their participation has actual value and not wanting to hand it over to the NWCA. Kids today are smart. I'd be interested to hear what ideas they have for future events. Maybe they could continue to make it a blended event with women. However, it should be noted that the NWCA is looking to make women's wrestlers compete in folkstyle, which absolutely nobody wants and helps absolutely nobody. More on this in a future mailbag. Again, I'm skeptical that the event has enough of a tradition to drive a lot of investment in a similar but reimagined event. Would like to be proven wrong because they had a nice platform to reach a variety of fans, and I like the idea of a kickoff event for the sport of wrestling. Q: I see Pat Downey is taking on grappler Nick Rodriguez at Who's Number One in a match with revised freestyle rules. What do you make of this? Waste a of time? Interesting? Somewhere in between? -- Mike C. Foley: The success of the Askren-Burroughs match and the high visibility and marketability of Nicky-Downey a pretty easy sell inside FloSports. The goal is to get more eyeballs and this matchup will accomplish that goal. As for the competitiveness, I imagine Nicky can score a point or two, but I'm more concerned that the match will be professionalized -- as in WWE-comes-to-wrestling. In some ways this matchup is a digital media version of what happened in the early 20th century when promoters wanted to guarantee fans a good show. To do so they took the ethnicities and intricacies of wrestlers and put them in the marquee as nicknames. The next step was outfits and choreographed outcomes. The familiarity of the two and the desire to create a fan-friendly product leaves me somewhat cynical about what we will see on the mats. Maybe there won't be nicknames and capes, but with them being teammates and competing in an altered rule set sends off my alarm bells. By the way, Nicky is a good wrestler and is about 20 pounds heavier than Pat. Maybe that matters, maybe it's part of the schtick, but it at least evens out what would otherwise be a lopsided contest. I was going to even offer that they could add some submissions, but I realize now that I would be taking part in a history-repeats-itself moment and would essentially be proposing Catch-as-Catch-Can as an alternative to the more WWE stylings I'm worried we'll see. History always repeats itself.

Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena averaged 8,526 fans for dual meets this past season (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) College wrestling fans are passionate about the sport ... the athletes who step onto the mat ... and even the facilities where the action takes place. What's more, fans are more than willing to share their opinions about these issues online. Last week, NCAA.com asked fans to weigh in with their choices for best places to watch college wrestling. "Nearly 300 fans let us know their favorite places to watch the sport via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook last week," according to NCAA.com. "We read them all, tallied the votes and came to a conclusion. Based on voting through 10 p.m. on Sept. 29, here are the best places to watch college wrestling, according to the fans ..." It was a close, hard-fought battle for the top spot ... with just ten points separating the top vote-getter and the runner-up. The list includes five wrestling venues at schools that are well-known and well-respected across the nation. And there's a sixth facility that one program uses from time-to-time that really puts the oldest-and-greatest sport in the spotlight, so to speak. Then again, there's an emerging trend among many college programs hosting dual meets in seemingly unexpected places. As NCAA.com's Shannon Scovel wrote, "Duals have also occurred in Yankee Stadium, on football fields, on college quads and in theaters. Last year, North Carolina State and Oklahoma State competed in the first college wrestling dual in Italy when they battled at U.S. Navy base in Naples." To see the list of the five best places to watch college wrestling (according to wrestling fans) -- and read about these storied homes for collegiate wrestling programs -- be sure to visit NCAA.com.

Alexis Porter gets her hand raised after picking up a win at the NWCA All-Star Classic (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) The Wyoming Wrestling Regional Training Center (WWRTC) made history this week after adding Alexis Porter to its roster. Porter will become the first female resident of the WWRTC in its 11-year history. She is a 2020 Olympic hopeful. "I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the WWRTC and work alongside (University of Wyoming Coach and WWRTC Director) Mark Branch and all of the UW wrestling staff," says Porter, who hails from Clifton Park, N.Y. "It's a special thing to have the support from people whose vision aligns with your own. I think this move is going to help me jump levels, and I can't wait to continue working towards my goal of becoming a world and Olympic champion." Prior to the WWRTC, she attended McKendree University in Lebanon, Ill., and was a member of the women's wrestling team from 2014-19. She was a team captain, a university national champion and a four-time Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association All-America honoree. Porter comes to Laramie with a robust list of accolades in the freestyle discipline. Porter is a Junior World bronze medalist, two-time Junior World Team member, Junior Pan Am Champion and four-time Fargo High School national champion. She finished fifth in the 2016 Olympic Team Trials. Porter's father Jesse trained her from the age of 9, and Alexis grew up wrestling males as part of her regular training regimen. Her brother Jesse trains in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Northern Michigan University Olympic Training Site. She will train in freestyle against current Cowboy wrestlers, all of whom are members of the WWRTC. Branch jumped at the chance to add Porter to the WWRTC ranks. "This is such an exciting opportunity for the WWRTC. Women's wrestling is an emerging sport across the nation, and we are fortunate to be able to get a young, energetic contender here in Laramie," Branch says. "I am looking forward to seeing what this partnership means for wrestling in general, but more specifically, the WWRTC." Porter joins former Wyoming Wrestling standout Branson Ashworth on the WWRTC senior freestyle roster.

A.J. Ferrari with Oklahoma State coach John Smith A.J. Ferrari (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 overall in the Class of 2020, committed to Oklahoma State on Wednesday evening. His commitment gives the Cowboys six top-100 recruits in the senior class, including an astounding four of the top 20. Ferrari joins No. 3 Dustin Plott (Tuttle, Okla.), No. 12 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 20 Luke Surber (Tuttle, Okla.), No. 37 Jameson Burks (Omaha Burke, Neb.), and No. 55 Conner Doucet (Comanche, Okla.) in this Oklahoma State class. He was a Cadet world bronze medalist in the summer of 2018. He also considered Ohio State, Penn State, Nebraska and Rutgers. Ferrari's final official visit was to Oklahoma State this past weekend. He wrote the following on his Instagram account after the visit. "Had a fantastic final official visit this past weekend in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma State University has a lot of history when it comes to Cowboy Wrestling. A huge thanks to the Oklahoma State University Wrestling Coaching Staff - John Smith, Chris Perry, Zack Esposito and Tyler Caldwell and to active Cowboy wrestlers Nick Piccininni, Wyatt Sheets and Mike Magaldo for showing me around, making this visit exceptional and giving me a great feel as to what it would be like to go to Oklahoma State University. Lastly, a huge thanks to all of the Oklahoma State University Athletics and to everyone who supports Cowboy Wrestling for the opportunity to compete in the Big 12." Ferrari is twice a Texas state high school (UIL) state champion, twice a Walsh Jesuit Ironman champion, and has titles at the Reno Tournament of Champions as well as the Beast of the East. He projects as a 197-pounder and/or heavyweight in college.

SALEM, Ore. -- Corban University director of athletics Twiggs Reed announced on Monday that Stryder Davis has been named the inaugural head coach of the Warrior women's wrestling program. Corban becomes just the fourth full-time member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) to add the sport, with the squad's first season of competition slated for 2020-21. "We are thrilled to introduce Stryder as the first-ever head coach of our women's wrestling team," said Reed. "Davis' knowledge of the sport and passion to mentor and train student-athletes is second to none, and he will be an outstanding person to kick-start this exciting new program at Corban University." Wrestling became the conference's eighth official women's sport back in May, with the Warriors on the frontline of the rapidly-growing intercollegiate offering. Full-time CCC members Eastern Oregon, Southern Oregon, and Warner Pacific currently possess women's wrestling squads, while associate members such as Menlo, Simpson, Life Pacific, and Providence compete in the sport, as well. Davis -- who also serves as an assistant men's wrestling coach alongside his brother Keegan Davis -- brings a wealth of experience to his new role at the helm of the women's program. A two-time NAIA National Champion (2004, 2005) as a wrestler at Montana State University-Northern, he was awarded Outstanding Wrestler honors at the 2005 national tournament. One of many awards from his own wrestling career, Davis was also a two-time National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American, and a second-place finisher at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. He spent time as a professional mixed martial artist, and possesses a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. As a coach, Davis spent 10 years instructing at the high school level, serving as the head wrestling coach at Silverton High School, South Salem High School, and assisting at Sprague High School. He also has experience coaching among the NCAA Division I ranks, coaching at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. "I'm excited to lead young wrestlers to athletic and academic honors at Corban University," said Davis. "Through the sport of wrestling, I hope to make a difference by producing strong women who can be an example of Christ in their communities and families." A proud husband and a father of five, Davis is a personal trainer and owner of Grit Fitness, a local gym in Salem. He will begin his duties as head women's wrestling coach immediately.

Last week, InterMat shared the link to the Takedown Report blog's analysis of the NCAA Division I wrestling coaches who have tallied the most team titles. This week, Takedown Report shared the results of its research into the most successful coaches in NCAA Division II. As TDR's Martin Fleming points out, the D2 National Championships were first held in 1963 ... joining the existing NCAA Division I mat championships. Since that debut, 57 championship teams have been crowned ... with 15 different schools claiming at least one national team title. Vaughan Hitchcock with his 1969 championship teamWhich school and coach is the top of the Division II heap? Vaughan Hitchcock took California State Polytechnic University -- better known as Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo -- to eight championships. "Hitchcock first won at the fourth National Championship in 1966," Fleming wrote. "In 1968 Hitchcock coached his team to another championship which became the first of seven consecutive titles. This has been the longest streak of consecutive titles in Division II." (Note: Cal Poly wrestling now competes in NCAA Division I.) Three coaches are tied for second place in the rankings, with seven titles each: Joe Seay at California State University Bakersfield, David James at Central Oklahoma, and Mike Denney at Nebraska-Omaha. Of the top four coaches, only Denney is still active, now at Maryville University after UNO eliminated its wrestling program. Two other active coaches have led their programs to more than one Division II team championship: Steve Costanzo at St. Cloud State in Minnesota (with a string of four consecutive titles, 2015-19) ... and Pat Pecora at University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, with two D2 team titles. You'll find a more complete analysis of the coaches who have earned at least one NCAA Division II team crown -- and their schools -- at the Takedown Report website. Want to know about the coaches and colleges beyond NCAA Division II? Takedown Report already shared its analysis of Division I championship coaches. Down the road, TDR promises to also provide similar analysis of NCAA Div. III championship coaches, as well as those 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.

Cade Lautt is the top senior wrestler in Kansas Kansas has become a destination state for college coaches to find their gems. The Sunflower State landed seven wrestlers on Division I rosters last year after having 11 in 2018.This class is special, with 17 returning All-Americans across all grades and nine in this senior class. Let's examine the top senior wrestlers in Kansas ... 1. Cade Lautt (St. James Academy) Projected high school weight class: 220 Projected college weight class: 197/285 Analysis: Cade Lautt has paid the price. His dedication to training and love for the sport have thrust him into the national rankings and landed him on the podium in Fargo. With a high school record of 124-29, he has grown meteorically from seeking out tough competition through a tough schedule. Much of that competition has come from one of our state's toughest weight classes. Lautt is a three-time state placer and recently finished third and fourth in Fargo in each style. He has verbally committed to the University of North Carolina to join his older brother Clay. It is also no surprise that he is an All-State linebacker. Words from the corner: "It's been a blessing to be able to watch Cade grow as a wrestler and a person during his high school career. Like his brother Clay, Cade believes you have to wrestle the best to be the best and has never run from competition. He's dedicated himself to wrestling during the offseason to prepare himself for his ultimate goal of continuing his career and education at a Division I school and I can't wait to watch Cade compete at UNC. Over the last three years he's grown into the leader of our program and has done a great job showing our underclassmen what it takes to have success in and out of the room." -- Coach Mike Medina 2. Duwayne Villalpando (Maize) Projected high school weight class: 170/182 Projected college weight class: 174 Analysis: Villalpando has a 92-7 career record, placing third as a freshman and winning the state title as a sophomore. An injury in the Fargo semifinals kept him out his entire junior year. He is a Cadet folkstyle national champion and recently finished third at the UWW Cadet Greco Nationals. He has verbally committed to wrestle at the University of Nebraska. Look out NCAA. Words from the corner: "Duwayne is one of the most gifted wrestlers I've ever coached. He has a great feel and is rarely out of position. Devin hurt his knee wrestling in the semifinal round of the national freestyle tournament ultimately losing by one point. Unable to continue he was still an All-American. That knee injury cost Duwayne his junior year of wrestling but he is nationally ranked and looking to repeat as champion this year. Look for him to make a mark in Division I wrestling." -- Coach Mike Schauer 3. Jason Henschel (Goddard) Projected high school weight class: 120/126 Projected college weight class: 125/133 Analysis: Henschel has a career record of 108-21 and two state titles. He was a 2017 USAW cadet Folkstyle All-American and a 2018 Junior folkstyle national champion! He has been dominating with his attack mentality and has been an elite member of many of our national dual teams. Any college coach would love having this kid on their roster. Words from the corner: "Jason Henschel is one of the quickest and toughest guys I have had the opportunity to coach. He wrestled the second half of the season last year with torn ligaments which required surgery that would have ended his season. Jason never considered not wrestling and finished the season with his second state title. He is chomping at the bit to get back after it this year." -- Coach Brett Means 4. Keegan Slyter (Olathe North) Projected high school weight class: 126/132 Projected college weight class: 133 Analysis: Where do I start with Keegan Slyter? He is a true warrior, technician, teammate and student. Coming from an awesome wrestling family, everyone knew that this kid was going to be special. Boy has he been. His career record is 126-13. With two state titles, he was one match away from winning all three years. He is a folkstyle All-American and a Fargo All-American. Slyter will look you straight in the eye, is a coaches' dream and keeps great position on the mat. College coaches, here is your next phenom. Words from the corner: "Keegan Slyter exemplifies all the traits you want to see in a young man. He works hard in the classroom and earns high grades. He leads by example in everything that he does. Keegan continues training year-round in the sport that he loves. However, once winter hits Keegan kicks into another gear. His work ethic in the wrestling room is second to none. Every drill and every live wrestling match is 110%. You cannot tell if he's ahead or behind in any match because he goes full speed all the time. Keegan is a kid that I will want my own kids to learn from and be like." -- Coach Josh Carroll 5. Grant Treaster (Newton) Projected high school weight class: 120 Projected college weight class: 125 Analysis: Treaster is 99-13 for his career, placing third his freshman year before going 65-6 on his way to two straight state titles. His hard work paid off this year with an All-America finish at Folkstyle Nationals and ultimately landing on the Fargo podium in July. As senior class president with a 4.21 GPA, Treaster is looking at the service academies while his brother Logan wrestles at the U.S. Naval Academy. How is that for a great American. Words from the corner: "Grant is a dedicated and determined student-athlete. He is a leader both on the mat and in the classroom. Grant is looking at competing at 120 pounds his senior year and to capture his third state title. After high school, Grant looks to continue wrestling at the next level. I'm excited to see what the year brings for Grant." -- Coach Tommy Edgmon 6. Devin Gomez (Maize) Projected high school weight class: 152 Projected college weight class: 149 Analysis: Gomez has a 138-12 career record, placing third as a freshman, second as a sophomore and ran the table last year with a 50-0 state title season. He is a Cadet folkstyle national champion. I remember having him on my middle school team and thinking this kid is going to make history. His intensity and athleticism have made him a crowd favorite. My advice would be to stay out of his way in his senior finish. Words from the corner: "Devin Gomez is an incredible wrestler who studies the sport and is a very hard worker. We have counted on him as a great team leader. Devin wants to wrestle in college and would like to become an athletic trainer and has a 3.7 GPA in high school." -- Coach Mike Schauer 7. Gavin Carter (Washburn Rural) Projected high school weight class: 182 Projected college weight class: 184 Analysis: This kid is a DOER! Gavin has an 87-16 record and is on pace to finish with school records in wins and takedowns, currently at 313. He is a three-time state placer, winning the title as a sophomore. On the national scene, Gavin has made a huge splash, finishing as a three-time Fargo All-American. A three-time USA Wrestling All-American and a three-time UWW All-American! He has a 3.38 GPA and has committed to wrestle at Division I Arkansas-Little Rock. Words from the corner: "Gavin has quite simply taken over our mat room. Like I told him at camp this summer, I'm in trouble when he graduates because I'm going to have to remember how to coach again. He's the most diverse wrestler I've ever had and can score a dozen ways from every position. Most importantly, he's mature beyond his years and is the greatest leader I've ever seen at this level. He's embracing the role and has put this team on his back." -- Coach Damon Parker 8. Zach Keal (Mill Valley) Projected high school weight class: 126/132 Projected college weight class: 133 Analysis: On the surface, Keal's 87-24 record goes unnoticed. Anyone familiar with him on the mat knows that he is an elite competitor. His last two years he has a second and third place state finish. On the national scene, Keal has shined as a two-time UWW All-American, folkstyle All-American and landing on the Fargo podium in July. Most importantly, his classroom dedication has him headed to West Point to wrestle for the Army. His future is so bright, he needs to wear shades! Words from the corner: "Zach is a student-athlete that works daily to improve in the classroom and on the mat. His hard work along with a positive attitude has allowed him to be successful at the state and national level. He leads by example, raises the bar for himself and others to make Mill Valley Jaguar Wrestling the best it can be." -- Coach Travis Keal T9. Preston Martin (Paola) Projected high school weight class: 132 Projected college weight class: 133 Analysis: Preston is a three-time state champion with a career 119-8 record. He capped off a stellar junior season with a Fargo Junior Greco placement. This kid is a warrior. He had huge wins for our national dual team and is an absolute crowd pleaser. His senior season is sure to resemble a freight train! Words from the corner: "Preston will be trying to become the only four-tijme state champ in Paola High School history. He has put more work into wrestling this summer than he has ever done in his life. The work has paid off so far by becoming a Greco All-American at Fargo this past summer. He is a very unique wrestler with a unique style. Preston is a true definition of a student-athlete, earning good grades and showing up to school every day. He has volunteered and helped with all wrestling fundraisers over the past three years to help the team. Preston is hoping to go to college and wrestle or pole vault and wouldn't mind doing both if he can." -- Coach Darvin Willard T9. Tony Caldwell (Valley Center) Projected high school weight class: 285 Projected college weight class: 285 Analysis: Every once in a while you have a wrestler on your traveling teams that has a rare character that seems immune to adversity. I will always remember Caldwell as one of those guys. He loves and lives the sport. With a 93-38 record, he is a two-time state finalist and a two-time Fargo All-American. As a teammate, you will not find a better one. Words from the corner: "Tony has worked very hard all offseason to get back to the finals again this year and end his high school career with a state title. Tony is a phenomenal leader in the wrestling room and outside the wrestling room. He plans to wrestle at the next level in college and wants to major in sports medicine." -- Coach Justin Schwartz 10. Jacob Holt (Garden City) Projected high school weight class: 138 Projected college weight class: 133/141 Analysis: Holt is a two-time state champion and three-time finalist with a career record of 113-25. His pure athleticism is a blast to watch and I've always appreciated his focused and respectful attitude. Holt has been a valuable team member on our national dual teams with many wins over ranked wrestlers. Words from the corner: "Jacob is a hard-nosed, in-your-face wrestler and is very hard to score on, keeping in great position on the mat. He is a tireless worker in the gym as well as the classroom. He plans on becoming an orthopedic surgeon." -- Coach Carlos Prieto Honorable Mention Brandon Madden (OP-Blue Valley Southwest) Wyatt Pedigo (Hoisington) Silas Pineda (Garden City)

Stevan Micic wrestling at the 2019 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Graduate student Stevan Micic, fifth-year seniors Myles Amine and Logan Massa and senior/junior Kanen Storr of the University of Michigan wrestling team will take Olympic redshirts during the 2019-20 season, head coach Sean Bormet announced Tuesday (Oct. 1). Micic and Amine have already qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo after they earned fifth-place finishes at 57kg/125 pounds and 86kg/189 pounds, respectively, at the UWW World Championships last month in Kazakhstan. Massa and Storr will look to qualify for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, scheduled for April 4-5, 2020, in State College, Pennsylvania. None of the four are currently enrolled in classes this semester and will retain the year of NCAA eligibility through the athletics activity waiver. Micic, Massa and Amine will return in 2020-21 with one year of eligibility, while Storr has two years remaining. "Olympic gold is the pinnacle of our sport," said Bormet. "We already have two student-athletes qualified for the Olympic Games and believe we have others capable to doing the same. As a staff, we are committed to both the individual and the team component of our sport. We want to give our guys their best opportunity to train and prepare for success in Tokyo. I want to thank the administration at Michigan for valuing and supporting our philosophy in regards to these Olympic pursuits of our student-athletes." Micic and Amine are three-time NCAA All-Americans at 133 and 174 pounds, respectively, and have never finished below fourth. Micic was an NCAA finalist in 2018 -- the same year he captured a Big Ten title at 133 pounds -- while Amine has placed third each of the last two seasons. Both boast 93 wins in their collegiate careers; Micic owns a 93-14 career record, while Amine is 93-20. Massa also is an NCAA All-American, placing third in 2017, and a three-time NCAA qualifier at 165 pounds. Also a Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational champion and a Big Ten runner-up, he owns an 85-19 collegiate record. Storr posted a 26-8 record in his first season at Michigan last year and is 66-20 in his career. He qualified for the 2019 NCAA Championships with a fifth-place Big Ten finish. Michigan returns four additional starters, including two NCAA qualifiers, from last year's team that posted a 13-1 dual record and claimed fifth place at the NCAA Championships. Among the returners, sophomore heavyweight Mason Parris reached the NCAA Round of 12 and, more recently, captured a junior world gold medal in just the third major freestyle tournament of his career last August in Estonia. "We have a room full of young, talented wrestlers who have been working hard since they arrived in Ann Arbor," said Bormet. "They have a significant opportunity in front of them this season. I am confident they will embrace it and rise to meet the challenge. I'm excited for the season to get underway." The 2019-20 season kicks off with the annual Michigan State Open on Saturday, Nov. 2. The Wolverines will host North Carolina in its dual debut a week later, on Friday, Nov. 8, at Cliff Keen Arena. Season tickets are still available through the U-M Ticket Office.

Penn State coach Cael Sanderson lifts Bo Nickal at the NCAA Division I Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Imagine choosing the two top college wrestlers in each weight class to face off against each other, even if they competed in different eras. NCAA.com did just that ... by putting together a list of ten all-time dream matchups at each weight in a 4,000-word feature article posted at its website. "Picking ten dream matchups at each of the modern weight classes is a nearly impossible challenge given the enormous amount of talent that has passed through the NCAA tournament in the last eight decades," according to author Shannon Scovel. "But we decided to take on that challenge anyway." Scovel started with the four wrestlers who won four NCAA Division I individual titles: Cael Sanderson, Logan Stieber, Pat Smith and Kyle Dake ... then cast a wider net by also looking at three-time collegiate champs. Scovel set some basic ground rules, starting with not pitting actual teammates against each other ... and not setting up matches between wrestlers who've already faced each other on the mat. All that said, there are no rules against putting a coach against one of his former wrestlers. In fact, NCAA.com created at least two such matchups: former University of Iowa head coach Dan Gable vs. current Hawkeye coach (and Gable wrestler) Tom Brands at 133 pounds ... and current Penn State coach Cael Sanderson vs. one of his top wrestlers, Bo Nickal, at 184. There's one additional element of the NCAA.com Division I collegiate dream matchup article that this amateur wrestling historian appreciates: at least two of the wrestlers featured would be considered "old-school" mat greats. At 149 pounds, Zain Retherford -- recent three-time national champ for Penn State -- is put up against Bill Koll, thrice an NCAA champ for Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa) in the late 1940s (who later became head coach at Penn State). And, at 174 pounds, Ed Banach -- early 1980s Iowa star -- is matched with Dan Hodge, undefeated three-time champ for the Oklahoma Sooners in the mid-1950s. Bill KollA lot of thought went into creating -- and presenting -- these dream college matchups ... though, note, that Scovel did not pick any winners. It's up to you the reader to do that. With that in mind, NCAA.com welcomes your picks for dream matchups by email to NCAASupport@turner.com ... with the statement "we might feature your response in a future article." And, while you're at it, why not check out a couple other articles featuring compilations of great college wrestlers. In August, Amateur Wrestling News put together its All-Decade Team, 2010-2019. And, about 15 years ago, the NCAA asked wrestling fans to put together a 75th anniversary team with fifteen all-time great college wrestlers.

A GoFundMe page has been created for a Virginia youth wrestling coach to help him get surgery to deal with a dangerous, debilitating brain disease he describes as "a ticking time bomb." The parents of Richard Harrell, 24, are seeking $25,000 to fund surgery and travel expenses to the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix where he is scheduled to have surgery in mid-October. "A little over two years ago I was diagnosed with Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)," Harrell told WAVY-TV, the NBC affiliate in Portsmouth, Va. "The vessels in my brain that control blood are supposed to look like they're laced together. Mine looks like spaghetti or knots like knotted up rope." In October 2018, Harrell -- who is a coach at Raider Nation Wrestling Club, a youth wrestling club in Yorktown, Va. -- had emergency brain surgery to try to repair two ruptured brain aneurysms. However, it was a temporary solution. "So we're switching to cutting my head open now and actually removing the AVM, the mass from my head," Harrell explained. "We have to fly out and get hotel rooms and all that. We're already $5,000 into the surgery and we haven't even had it yet." When he's not coaching 50 kids at the wrestling club, Harrell is a full-time engineering student at Old Dominion University working towards his bachelor's degree ... and has a full-time job working for a contractor at NASA's Langley Research Center. "His wrestling family has been there for each hospital stay providing love, support, encouragement and food," wrote Harrell's mother Minda on the GoFundMe page she created. "A big thank you to them and to all his friends, co-workers and family that have been so supportive throughout."

How do you honor the memory of a wrestling coach who was murdered outside his home a dozen years ago? One winning way: a fundraising event to generate funds for a suburban Cincinnati high school wrestling program where he wrestled and coached. The John Harris "No Excuses" Memorial Fundraiser will take place Saturday, Oct. 19 from 6-10 p.m. at the Sharonville Convention Center, 11355 Chester Road, Sharonville, Ohio in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati. The convention center -- conveniently located just off I-75, a major north-south interstate linking Michigan and Florida -- is just up the street from Princeton High School where Harris wrestled for the Vikings, then later returned to the school to help coach the mat program. The event will feature music, motivational speakers and other activities. Admission is $10 per person; however, donations of any amount are welcome. All proceeds going to benefit the Princeton Viking wrestling program. The fundraiser is the product of efforts of Peggy Harris, John's mother. "My son, John Harris was murdered June 7, 2007 in Northside (a Cincinnati neighborhood)," Peggy Harris told InterMat. "His case remains unsolved." "My family and I wanted to focus on how Johnny lived. His life was full of positivity and promise. He is the father of three beautiful children. After graduating, he did an apprenticeship and became a licensed plumber. While attending Princeton High School his passion was wrestling. He would continue that by going back to the school to help coach the young wrestlers, even after a long day's work." To learn more about the Princeton High wrestling program and its John Harris "No Excuses" fundraiser, visit the Cincinnati Princeton Wrestling Facebook page.

The 2018 NWCA All-Star Classic was held in Denver (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) MANHEIM, Pa -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has announced that the 2019 All-Star Classic will not take place. Fans might have to wait until 2020 for the 53rd classic. Typically serving as the kick-off to the collegiate season, The All-Star Classic has matched up numerous national champions and All-Americans through the years, including many No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups. Late last week, NWCA Executive Director, Mike Moyer sent the following email to Division I and women's intercollegiate head coaches: On behalf of the NWCA Board of Directors, I wanted to let you know that we have decided to suspend the NWCA All-Star Classic for the 2019/20 year. Over the past 6 months, we have received some terrific ideas and concepts from our constituents on how we can "revitalize" the All-Star Classic to meet the unique needs of our college wrestlers, coaches, and fans. Some of the proposed ideas and concepts required some extensive vetting which has made it impractical to still host the All-Star Classic this Fall. We will be sure to keep everyone informed with any progress we make over the next 6 months. In the meantime, we hope everyone has a terrific wrestling season. Sincerely, Mike

The InterMat Classic will take place at Edina High School in Edina, Minn., on Oct. 19 The 2019 InterMat Classic is less than three weeks away! The 10th edition of this premier preseason wrestling event will take place on Saturday, October 19, at Edina High School, 6754 Valley View Road, in Edina, Minnesota. The InterMat Classic is open to wrestlers in grades 7 through 12. Don't miss out on the money-saving, early-bird registration special. Register today (September 30) before midnight and save $10 on the entry fee! The price will increase on October 1. For more information and to register, visit the InterMat Classic website.