InterMat Staff

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- As part of the Big Ten Conference's annual Super Saturday event, Rutgers wrestling will face Michigan this upcoming season on Feb. 1, 2020 at Madison Square Garden. The showcase, which also features the schools' men's basketball programs, will be a designated home match for the Wolverines, who finished last season No. 4 in the final NWCA Coaches Poll. Additional details on Super Saturday at MSG, including ticket information, will be announced at a later date. Men's basketball and wrestling season ticket holders will have first opportunity to purchase tickets from the Rutgers allotment, with ticket requests fulfilled based upon priority points. The Wolverines are the home team for both Super Saturday competitions. Fans have the opportunity to secure 2019-20 season tickets online or by calling 866-445-GORU (4678). Under the guidance of reigning Dan Gable and NCAA Tournament Coach of the Year Scott Goodale, Rutgers is coming off an historic 2018-19 campaign which was capped by the program's first individual NCAA titles from Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano, as well as its first top-10 finish at the national tournament. Rutgers wrestled to a 12-6 dual record in 2018-19, which included wins over three ranked foes - No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 19 Princeton and No. 20 Purdue. RU returns five national qualifiers this season, including Suriano, who secured a 29-3 record to go along with his Big Ten and NCAA titles. The Scarlet Knights also feature an incoming 2019 freshman class ranked No. 4 in the country by FloWrestling. The group includes four 2019 NJSIAA state champions - Sammy Alvarez, JoJo Aragona, Robert Kanniard and Zach DelVecchio - as well as highly-regarded prospects Gerard Angelo, Devon Britton, Jackson Turley and Ryan Vulakh.

Eric Akin (Photo/Danielle Hobeika) WATERLOO, Iowa -- Ten NCAA All-Americans, three state championship high school coaches, a record-setting high school wrestling team and five world team members will be inducted into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa on Friday, June 19, 2020. Located inside the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, the Glen Brand Hall of Fame was established in 2002 to honor native-born Iowans and those who wrestled or coached for an Iowa school who have made an impact on wrestling on a national level or who have done extraordinary work in Iowa. The Class of 2020 is Jason Kelber, Daryl Weber, Marv Reiland, Eric Akin, Alli Ragan and the 1982 Bettendorf High School wrestling team. The Carr Family will be presented with the Bowlsby Family Legacy Award while Josh Stephens will receive the Bob Siddens High School Coaching Excellence Award and Corky Stuart will be presented with the Russ Smith Community Impact Award. A banquet honoring the Class of 2020 will be held at Prairie Links Golf & Event Center in Waverly on Friday, June 19, 2020. For more information, contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or dgmstaff@nwhof.org. Jason Kelber was undefeated for three years while wrestling for West Marshall High School in State Center, Iowa. After a runner-up finish at 98 pounds as a freshman, he won three consecutive State Championships, finishing first at 105 pounds as a sophomore and junior, and at 118 pounds as a senior. Kelber was a three-time All-American, and a National Champion for the University of Nebraska. In 1991, he was named Outstanding Wrestler at the Big Eight Tournament and a National Wrestling Coaches Association First-Team Academic All-American. Kelber currently resides in Valentine, Nebraska, and has served as a volunteer coach. Daryl Weber wrestled for Dan Mashek, who was inducted into the GBHOF in 2008, at Don Bosco High School in Gilbertville, Iowa. Following a 3rd place finish as a sophomore, he won back-to-back State Titles at 135 pounds in 1990 and at 145 pounds in 1991. He was a three-time All-American, a Big Ten and NCAA Champion for the University of Iowa, and finished second at the U.S. Open and won the Sunkist Open in freestyle. Weber coached wrestling at Christiansburg (Virginia) High School, leading his teams to 14 State High School Championships with 42 individual State Champions and 33 state-placers. Marv Reiland wrestled for Dave Harty, who received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award from the Iowa Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003, at Eagle Grove (Iowa) High School, qualifying for state as a senior. He was a two-time Division II All-American and a Division I All-American at Northern Iowa where he wrestled for Chuck Patten, who was inducted into the GBHOF in 2008. Reiland returned to coach his alma mater and led the Eagles to a 129-62-5 record with 3 State Tournament Team Titles, a dual meet State Championship and 2 runner-up finishes. In 20 seasons he coached 14 State Champions, 14 state runner-ups and 71 state qualifiers. Eric Akin was a three-time Big Eight champion and a four-time NCAA finalist for Iowa State, which named him "Male Athlete of the Year" in 1994. He represented the United States in the World Championships in 1999 and was an eight-time national champion. Akin was a Silver Medalist at the 2000 World Cup and twice was an alternate for the Olympics. He was a three-time state champion for Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park, Kansas, and currently is the head coach for Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kansas. Alli Ragan, who currently trains with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club, is the first female to be inducted into the GBHOF. She wrestled at Carbondale (Illinois) Community High, compiling a 130-29 career record and qualifying for the boys state tournament, while also lettering in soccer and volleyball. Ragan was a bronze medalist at the Junior World Championships in 2011 and 2012 and won a silver medal at the 2013 World University Games. She was a two-time national champion and a four-time Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association finalist for King University. Ragan competed for the U.S. in the World Championships in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and Won Silver medals in 2016 and 2017. Coached by Franc Freeman, who was inducted into the GBHOF in 2009, the 1982 Bettendorf High School wrestling team was 12-0 in dual meets, won every tournament, set the all-time points record and were ranked fourth in the nation. Every team member qualified for state and all 10 placed in the Top 5, led by Brian McCracken's State Championship at 185 pounds. The closest dual for the Bulldogs was a 34-13 win against Clinton High School, which finished third in the state. The Carr Family, which included nine boys and seven girls, will receive the Bowlsby Family Legacy Award. Every boy in the family (Willie, Fletcher, Joe, Jimmy, Jerry, Nate, Solomon, Michael and Mark) wrestled and Fletcher, Joe, Jimmy, Nate and Michael earned All-America honors. A Junior World champion at 15 years old, Jimmy placed sixth at the 1971 Senior World Championships as a 16-year-old and competed in the 1972 Olympics as a 17-year-old high school junior, becoming the youngest American wrestler to compete in the Olympics. Nate, a Distinguished Member inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003, who is also a member of the GBHOF, was a three-time national champion for Iowa State and won a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics. Nate's son, David, is wrestling at Iowa State and was the national winner of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in 2018 and captured the Junior World title in 2019. The Bowlsby Family Legacy Award is named after the Bowlsby Family from Waterloo. John and Bob wrestled for legendary coach Bob Siddens at Waterloo West High School while their parents, Bob and Pat, and sisters, Ann, Sarah and Jane, were instrumental in their careers. Corky Stuart will receive the Russ Smith Community Impact Award, which is presented to individuals who demonstrate exceptional local impact on wrestling in Iowa. Stuart was a three-time state qualifier and a fourth-place finisher for Charlton (Iowa) High School. He was a three-time Midwest Conference champion and three-time NCAA qualifier for Cornell College. Stuart taught and coached wrestling for 45 years at BGM High School in Brooklyn, Iowa. He began the wrestling program at BGM and also coached softball, football and volleyball while serving as leader of the school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Stuart was named Junior High Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2002. Joe Stephens will receive the Bob Siddens High School Excellence Award, which is presented to a current Iowa high school wrestling coach who exemplifies the high standards that Siddens set during his coaching career at Waterloo West. Siddens was inducted into the GBHOF in 2003 and was the inaugural recipient of the coaching award in 2012. Stephens was an assistant coach at the University of Northern Iowa from 1996 to 2000 before becoming an assistant coach at Underwood (Iowa) High School in 2005. He became the head coach in 2010 and has led his team to 8 Top-10 finishes and 5 Top-5 finishes while coaching 7 state champions and 5 state runner-ups. Stephens was a three-time state qualifier, finishing fourth and second, at Centerville (Iowa) High School. He was a 2X national qualifier for the University of Nebraska before transferring to the University of Northern Iowa, where he also qualified for nationals.

Seton Hill head wrestling coach Brian Tucker has recently announced Nick Soto as the team's assistant coach. Nick SotoSoto comes to Seton Hill after a spectacular wrestling career at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Tucker stated, ""Nick was an outstanding competitor during his career. I am thoroughly excited to have him bring that competitiveness to our program and coaching staff. He wants to make the guys on this team better and help continue the growth of this program. We are lucky to have him on board." While at UT-Chattanooga, Soto compiled a career record of 114-38 and currently remains fourth on the list for most wins in school history. As a four year starter, Nick was a four time SoCon Champion and NCAA National Qualifier. He is one of only 16 SoCon wrestlers to accomplish this feat. Competing in the 125 and 133lb weight classes, Soto went undefeated in SoCon competition and was ranked in the top 20 every year of competition. Additionally, Soto was a four time Southern Scuffle place winner, Hokie Open champion in 2012, and holds various wins over top 10 ranked opponents. His most notable victory was a 15-8 victory over No. 1 ranked, Ryan Mango. Academically, Soto earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration with a focus in marketing, earning a spot on the Dean's list or Athletic Director's Honor Roll at least once every year. He was also the recipient of the FCA Endowment Scholarship and the Joyce Litchford Wrestling Scholarship. Soto is currently pursuing an MBA with a focus in Project Management.

J'den Cox, a three-time NCAA champion, was named to the All-Decade Team at 197 pounds (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Want to start a fight? One sure way to get something started: put together some sort of list of "all-time great" wrestlers. Amateur Wrestling News -- the nation's oldest wrestling publication, covering the sport since the mid-1950s -- has carried on a longstanding tradition with its an All-Decade Team for 2010-2019, put together by the magazine's writers. And what a decade it was! In the nearly 90-year history of NCAA D1 wrestling championships, only four men have earned four national titles ... and two of them did it in this decade: Ohio State's Logan Stieber ... and Cornell's Kyle Dake. The magazine its selections for the top three wrestlers in NCAA Division I each weight class ... along with "honorable mention" choices. In presenting the list, AWN's Jim Kalin provided some of the ground rules: "Many of the decade's best wrestlers competed at multiple weight classes during their college careers. To help sort this dilemma, one of the guidelines for our writers was to place choices at the weight they had wrestled at least two seasons ..." "The main stipulation was that the wrestler had to compete at least two seasons in this second decade (2010-2019). That eliminated greats such as Brent Metcalf/Iowa, Jake Varner/Iowa State, and Angel Escobedo/Indiana, all who were seniors in 2010." Kalin anticipated the discussion/arguing about their choices. "There will be disagreement from our readers regarding this All-Decade Team. There was disagreement amongst AWN writers." As Kalin points out, the top three wrestlers in each weight class are ranked in order as named by AWN writers ... with their placements for each year at the NCAA Division I championships. 125: 1. Spencer Lee, Iowa (1st place/1st place/TBD/TBD) 2. Jesse Delgado, Illinois (7/1/1/0) 3. Matt McDonough, Iowa (1/2/1/0) Honorable mentions: Nico Megaludis, Penn State (3/2/2/1); Nathan Tomasello, Ohio State (1/3/3/3); Darien Cruz, Lehigh (0/7/1/5); Anthony Robles, Arizona State (0/4/7/1). 133: 1. Logan Stieber, Ohio State (1st place x 4) 2. Cory Clark, Iowa (5/2/2/1) 3. Nick Suriano, Rutgers/Penn State (0/2/1/TBD) Honorable mentions: Nashon Garrett, Cornell (3/2/5/1); Cody Brewer, Oklahoma (7/8/1/3); Seth Gross, South Dakota State (0/2/1/TBD); Tony Ramos, Iowa (0/3/2/1). 141: 1. Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell (1st place/1st place/TBD/TBD) 2. Dean Heil, Oklahoma State (4/1/1/0) Honorable mentions: Kendric Maple, Oklahoma (0/4/1/8); Bryce Meredith, Wyoming/North Carolina State (0/2/4/2). 149: 1. Zain Retherford, Penn State (5th place/1st place/1st place/1st place) 2. Jordan Oliver, Oklahoma State (4/1/2/1) 3. Frank Molinaro, Penn State (8/5/2/1) Honorable mentions: Anthony Ashnault, Rutgers (8/4/6/1); Jason Tsirtsis, Northwestern/Arizona State (1/3/0/7); Kyle Dake (won his second NCAA title in 2011) 157: 1. Jason Nolf, Penn State (2d place/1st place/1st place/1st place) 2. Isaiah Martinez, Illinois (1/1/2/2) 3. Derek St. John/Iowa (4/2/1/5) Honorable mentions: James Green, Nebraska (7/7/3/3); Hayden Hidlay, North Carolina (2/4/TBD/TBD); Kyle Dake, Cornell (won his third NCAA title in 2012) 165: 1. Kyle Dake, Cornell (1st place x 4 ... at four different weights) 2. David Taylor, Penn State (2/1/1/2) 3. Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State (3/1/1/1) Honorable mentions: Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State (1st place/1st place/2d place/TBD); Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska (0/3/1/1); Tyler Caldwell, Oklahoma/Oklahoma State (5/2/3/2) 174: 1. Zahid Valencia, Arizona State (3d place/1st place/1st place/TBD) 2. Mark Hall, Penn State (1/2/2/TBD) 3. Andrew Howe, Wisconsin/Oklahoma (2/1/3/2) Honorable mentions: Jonathan Reader, Iowa State (7/4/0/1); Chris Perry, Oklahoma State (0/3/1/1); Bo Jordan, Ohio State (3/3/2/5) 184: 1. Bo Nickal, Penn State (2d place/1st place/1st place/1st place) 2. Ed Ruth, Penn State (3/1/1/1) 3. Gabe Dean, Cornell (3/1/1/2) Honorable mentions: Steve Bosak, Cornell (0/4/1/3); Myles Martin, Ohio State (1/5/2/3) 197: 1. J'den Cox, Missouri (1st place/5th place/1st place/1st place) 2. Quentin Wright, Penn State (6/1/2/1) 3. Cam Simaz, Cornell (7/3/3/1) Honorable mentions: Kyven Gadson, Iowa State (0/4/6/1); Dustin Kilgore, Kent State (0/7/1/2); Kollin Moore, Ohio State (3/4/2/TBD) 285: 1. Kyle Snyder, Ohio State (2d place/1st place/1st place/1st place) 2. Nick Gwiazdowski, North Carolina State (8/1/1/2) 3. Tony Nelson, Minnesota (7/1/1/2) Honorable mentions: Zack Rey, Lehigh (0/3/1/2); Adam Coon, Michigan (0/2/3/2); Mike McMillen, Northwestern (3/2/3/3). Can't get enough all-time college wrestling rankings? Take a look at Craig Sesker's feature Ranking top college wrestlers of all-time and the InterMat Rewind feature listing the wrestlers named to the NCAA 75th Anniversary Team back in 2005 ... and this writer's choices for those who might have been worthy of inclusion.

The Junior World Championships wrapped up last weekend in Tallinn, Estonia, with the United States capturing a handful of medals in freestyle, women's wrestling, and Greco-Roman. The success of the Junior team was a positive sign for the health of their program. Cohlton Schultz securing silver -- along with Alston Nutter, and Peyton Omania capturing bronze -- led to the best Junior performance for Team USA in Greco-Roman since Washington hosted the Junior World Championships in 1984. While the freestyle team sucks up a lot of the oxygen in the United States, it's important to take note of this accomplishment, last year's silver medal by Adam Coon, and the gold medals from the Pan American Games. The progress has been slow, but it's also been pretty steady. Not every level will win gold and not every year, but it is obvious that the team is picking up steam and that success can very quickly build on itself Congrats to everyone involved in the program. From Matt Lindland to Gary Mayabb and many more of these successes are happening because these leaders are investing their time into the program and making sacrifices to see our nation improve in the classic style. To your questions … Zahid Valencia celebrates after winning the NCAA title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: I saw that Zahid Valencia is not planning on taking an Olympic redshirt. Does that surprise you? Do you think he will move up to 184 pounds if he's going to wrestle at 86 kilograms for the Olympic Team Trials? -- Mike C. Foley: That does surprise me a bit. Having the extra time to prepare for the Olympic Team Trials is something that could benefit a younger wrestler. However, he could keep sharp by competing every week at the NCAA level. Though it's a reach I suspect he may even just treat a majority of his collegiate matches as if they were freestyle, limit his mat wrestling and focus on good finishes. Ultimately, he can still train freestyle, has the former USA National Team coach as his coach, and will travel to compete in overseas events. The only benefit may have been the ability to focus on winning another NCAA title to help secure a legacy, but that ultimately may not matter to him. His focus on the team title is compelling. He has a reputation for being thoughtful and I'm not surprised to hear that their chances of a team title were something he considered. As for the weight, you'd have to assume he wants to go up to 184 pounds. The competition is a little light with only two of the top eight eligible to return for the 2019-2020 season to a weight class that was only moderately competitive. In fact, he really might have to wrestle at the weight for the whole season to help his body learn to oxygenate all the extra muscle. To me it feels like a must, but for him it might be a team decision. Overall, I think I like the decision to not redshirt! Q: After reading your last mailbag where you publicly denounce an arbiter's decision to nullify the last Zain-Yianni match, I'd like to hear your take on Tervel Dlagnev receiving a bronze medal after an arbiter nullified all matches from a wrestler long after the fact. Where I understand that in one case an athlete was cheating, the fact remains that the event happened, the outcome was final and right wrong or indifferent Tervel was bumped from receiving a medal. My contention is that both arbiters got the call correct. Even though no wrestler wants to win a medal this way, justice toward doing what is right for wrestling and the athletes prevailed. If you don't like it, then publicly say no rematch is warranted between Yianni and Zain, that Tervel should never have gotten a medal, and that Team USA shouldn't have been seen as the best team that year. I don't feel you can have it both ways. -- Chris A. Foley: The letter of the law is very clear in the case of the Olympic testing. You sign a document saying that you won't do drugs and that if you do you will forfeit any earned medal. There was not an arbitrator deciding whether or not he failed the test, the only arbitration would come from Artur Taymazov who would appeal that finding. However, it's unclear that the appeal would have any basis other than a Hail Mary to have his medal reinstated. The Yianni-Zain match ended and the U.S. World Team member was announced. The staff didn't like the decision made on the mats and asked that it go to the arbitration process. The two are not parallel cases, unless you concede that appealing a decision you know to be final is "cheating." The rule is incredibly clear: "No protest after the end of a match or any appeal before CAS or any other jurisdiction against a decision made by the refereeing body may be lodged." Unfortunately, the arbitrator twisted himself into a pretzel to undo this VERY clear interpretation of international rules at times: citing minority opinions in other cases, establishing logic arguments based on wrong definitions, and expressly dismissing the weight of common practice. In fact, if you find the case online you can also read that everyone he asked agreed that the score was 2-2 and the right call was made in the match, he just FELT like a neutral position was established on "three occasions" in the final 40 seconds. The arbiter also stated clearly that one of the reasons he allowed it is that he believed these matches are normally not re-wrestled because of geography, the sliver of time that all nations are in the same place, and the undo strain it causes on other competitors. However, since he knew time remained, he used it as a justification to dismiss the parts of the UWW rules he didn't like. Oh well, it's over. I'm just fearful that this type of appeal -- and the manner in which the arbitrator handled the case -- will have negative consequences on the sport. Wrestling really should be figured out on the mat. If there is some good to come of the decision it's that the Technical Commission can go through and tighten up the verbiage to prevent an onslaught of future cases. Best of luck to Yianni and Zain! Both young men would be great representatives for Team USA in Nur-Sultan and will have everyone's full support when they step on the mat. Onward. Q: I know you don't like the idea of matches re-wrestled and decided in the courts. But how do you see Zain vs. Yianni going now that it's set? -- Mike C. Foley: If Zain is healthy, Zain is the favorite. If Zain is hurt, he's the underdog. They are too closely matched for him to cede anything to a very dangerous Yianni. I think that there will be a lot of early action in the first match and if Zain has learned to control the danger of exposure from Yianni's defense (that's complicated) then it could very well be a tough day for Yianni. Likewise, if Yianni opens up a 4-0 lead off an early exchange I think he'll be instructed to take fewer risks and go into clock management since there is NO WAY that a referee is getting close to making a penalty call that could decide the outcome. Q: Any takeaways from the Kyle Dake vs. Alex Dieringer matches? -- Mike C. Foley: In the very rare occurrence that a wrestling match broke out during their time on the mat, Kyle Dake did enjoy the better of the exchanges. However, his walking back to the danger area is concerning on the world stage. International referees will extend him zero credit for those outbursts if he's seen as disengaging from the action. There is emphasis on active wrestling and a few steps back like that will get you put on the clock, called for passivity, and generally disadvantaged in the eyes of the referee. My guess is the strategy will change with the atmosphere, but there is nothing to say that when he starts wrestling that some of those low-scoring tendencies won't rear up. I love watching a hyped-up Kyle Dake launch humans on their head and most of the world does too. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Cool documentary on Odunayo we shot last year and just edited and posted! Yui Susaki is a MONSTER Q: What things can we implement in order to compete with Japan's dominance throughout all age groups in women's wrestling? It seems they are still extending their lead on the rest of the world remarkably. -- @Rhino184 Foley: The Japanese women's team has been dominant at the age group level for the last several years, winning 44 of 76 total gold medals at the junior level since 2011, or approximately 58%. At the same time their senior level women have been comparatively less successful since 2011 with only 30 of 67 gold medals at the World Championships and Olympics, or approximately 45%. That's a significant percentage difference. There are a few reasons for that difference in outcomes. Talent tends to level out a little at the senior level because the good athletes from other countries have a longer time to sit in the age group. Cadets and Juniors are a glimpse at the development of the nations on their way to the senior level. Once there the best women from other countries are able to be more successful since they can sometimes grow over the course of several seasons. The time to catch up is huge for some of the nations who tend to not support their Junior and Cadet teams. Nobody is better supported than the Japanese at the youth level. However, when they get to the senior level they get Petra Olli who started wrestling much later and has only very recently received top-level training and travel The talent of coaches and athletes are isolated to the island of Japan, they just enjoy an incredible support system from a much younger age. So what can the United States do? We need to increase the number of participants, increase their opportunities to compete, include women's wrestling as part of the sport's overall culture, and create positions focused on development of the women's youth program. The bad news is that we are 20 years behind the Japanese. The good news is that everything listed above has started kicking into overdrive the past few years and we can already see some massive improvements in the success of our senior level women. Team USA is going to be a big problem for the world in Nur-Sultan and for years to come. The only caveat I'll offer is that Olympic success might be delayed to 2024 since I have serious reservations about taking on the world's greatest women's wrestling nation on their home turf. (Side note: I think the men's programs should also pay attention to the Japanese contingent. I'm predicting three men's gold medals between Greco-Roman and freestyle) Q: I'm obsessed with wrestling and there is no better time to be a fan than now. I remember being in high school in the late 90's and the only opportunity to watch was the NCAA finals each year and the occasional video ('95 Worlds highlights with Kurt Angle, Satiev and others was a great one). Now with Flo, matches on the Big Ten Network, every session of NCAAs on TV, and Trackwrestling showing Senior, Junior and Cadet Worlds (where I find myself waking up early to catch the action), it's pretty much all access and I love it. What do you think are some of next steps to take fandom to an even higher level and to grow the sport? Two-piece uniform, offense-focused scoring like freestyle, events? -- Andy S. Foley: Agreed. There has never been a better time to be a wrestling fan in America. I agree with two-piece uniforms and taking the best of freestyle and blending it with folkstyle, but I think these next items are the way to push wrestling more into the mainstream. Feature film: Something with the cultural impact of Vision Quest. NCAA powerhouse programs starting women's wrestling: Iowa, Penn State, Ohio State … Beach wrestling: Simple, low-barrier to entry, exceedingly watchable. Cross-promotion: Wrestling featured during other sporting events or cultural moments. Q: Who ya got for preseason Hodge Trophy favorites? Who are your dark horse candidates? -- Ryan P. Foley: With Mekhi Lewis redshirting, I'll go with these as my top three: Spencer Lee Zahid Valencia Anthony Cassar I suppose that Yianni could be in the lineup and Hodge eligible, but I also imagine that if he wins the spot on the team and places at the World Championships that he'll dedicate himself to the freestyle side to hold his position and prepare for the Olympic Games. Likewise, if he doesn't I could also see him getting in a lot of overseas action and training to try to back the spot. Imagine Cornell's legal team is probably brushing up on Olympic qualification regulations as we speak. Wonder if between Dake and Yianni they just decided to keep them on retainer through August 2020? Maybe a few doctors with full notepads? (Oh, calm down. I'm teasing.) Q: Do you suspect Daniel Cormier will retire after his recent loss to Stipe Miocic? Or do you think he will fight again? -- Mike C. Foley: I think he'll retire. Cormier deserves a parade for the way he has improved MMA through his thoughtfulness towards others, excellent commentary (which he'll still do), and dominant fighting style. How wonderful that he was able to have such a long and successful career after a late start in the cage. His legacy as one of the greatest of all-time is secure. And if there ever was a question remember that those only losses are to arguably the greatest UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight of all-time. Cormier is the man. I'm headed on vacation next week and will be back Sept. 6.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa -- Iowa Wesleyan University announces that Robert Watson-Powell will serve as the men's and women's wrestling coach for the Tigers beginning on September 2, 2019. Coach Powell will relaunch the wrestling program and serve as the first NCAA Division III wrestling coach at Iowa Wesleyan, which recently added both men's and women's wrestling teams. The women's program is the first NCAA Division III women's program in the state of Iowa. The IW wrestling teams will begin competition during the 2020-2021 academic year. "We are excited to bring Coach Powell to the Iowa Wesleyan Community,'' said Director of Athletics, Derek Zander. "Coach Powell's vision for this program aligns with the mission and vision of Iowa Wesleyan University. He will bring a wide variety of experience in both freestyle and folkstyle wrestling to assist in recruiting high-quality student-athletes to compete for Iowa Wesleyan." Coach Powell brings a vast amount of knowledge and coaching experience to the newly developed program. He is a 2014 graduate of Muskingum University in New Concord, OH where he received a BA in health and physical education. He went on to earn an MBA in sports and recreational management from New England College in Henniker, NH in 2019. Robert began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Maysville High School in Zanesville, OH. He was also a volunteer assistant at Muskingum University for two years. He went on to become the head coach at Willard High School in Willard, OH from 2014-16. After that, he became a volunteer assistant at the high school he graduated from, Kenston High School, in Chagrin Falls, OH from 2016-17. He also served as a graduate assistant and New England College from 2017-19 where he was highly involved in the recruiting efforts for the program. "I am very blessed to have been given this opportunity to become the first NCAA Division III Head Wrestling Coach at Iowa Wesleyan University. In my short time on campus, the faculty and staff have made me feel right at home, and a part of Tiger Nation. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be part of an athletic department that has grown tremendously over the past few years. The addition of men's and women's wrestling is another step towards their commitment to growth and athletic success. I am extremely eager to arrive on campus to become a part of the Iowa Wesleyan Community and to begin building The Tiger's Wrestling Program." Coach Powell also brings to IW an impressive leadership background from his time at Muskingum University. Robert was the team captain from 2011-13. He facilitated all pre and post-season workouts for his team and led recruitment meetings for prospective students. He was the Recruitment Chair for the Black Student Union and was the President for the Interfraternal Council. He was also the Fundraising and Community Chair for the Ulster Club Fraternity. A press conference will be held with Coach Powell on Tuesday, September 3 at 11:00 a.m. in the Espy-McCurdy Conference Room of the Howe Student Activity Center on the campus of Iowa Wesleyan University. Tiger Athletics: Iowa Wesleyan University strives to provide its student-athletes the opportunity to be successful in life and sports. Engaged in the SLIAC and UMAC Conferences, Tiger athletics is a proud member of NCAA Division III.

Kyle Kiss PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Rutgers wrestling head coach Scott Goodale added four-time NJSIAA placewinner and former University of North Carolina wrestler Kyle Kiss as the program's recruiting coordinator. Kiss, who spent the past four seasons as an assistant at Clarion, replaces Harry Turner, who was named the first-ever head coach at Division III New Jersey City University earlier this summer. "We're excited to bring Kyle on staff," Goodale said. A Jersey guy who has successfully wrestled at the highest level of the sport, Kyle will be a tremendous asset in our recruiting efforts as we continue to look for the best athletes in the country to compete here at Rutgers." Kiss served as an assistant coach at Clarion from 2015-19, where he led the Golden Eagles' recruiting efforts under head coach Keith Ferraro. Clarion produced 10 NCAA qualifiers during Kiss' time with the program, including four during the 2017-18 campaign. With the help of Kiss, the Golden Eagles sent two or more wrestlers to nationals in each of the past four seasons. Prior to his arrival at Clarion, Kiss served as an assistant at North Carolina during the 2014-15 season. While at UNC, Kiss worked closely with the middle weights and coached five national qualifiers, including All-American 165-pounder Ethan Ramos. Kiss enjoyed a successful collegiate career wrestling at North Carolina from 2007-11, where he compiled 70 victories during his time in Chapel Hill. A three-time ACC placewinner, Kiss muscled 22 victories as a junior in 2009-10 and added 19 wins during his senior season in 2010-11. A native of Loch Arbour, New Jersey and a 2007 graduate of Ocean Township, Kiss was a four-time NJSIAA placewinner. He was a two-time Beast of the East finalist and was also a state finalist as a senior. Rutgers is coming off an historic 2018-19 campaign which was capped by the program's first individual NCAA titles from Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano, as well as its first top-10 finish at the national tournament. Rutgers wrestled to a 12-6 dual record, which included wins over three ranked foes - No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 19 Princeton and No. 20 Purdue. RU returns five national qualifiers next season, including Suriano, who secured a 29-3 record to go along with his Big Ten and NCAA titles.

A high school wrestler in suburban Cincinnati stepped in to prevent an attempted kidnapping of a classmate on school grounds Monday. Cody Hardin, a junior on the wrestling team at Conner High School in Hebron, Kentucky, was walking from the nearby vocational school to Conner when a female classmate rushed past him ... followed by Benjamin Margitza, an 18-year-old man from Las Vegas who had flown to the nearby Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky International Airport reportedly with the intent of kidnapping her and taking her home with him. The girl had become the target of Margitza's increasingly obsessive, sexually-oriented social media harassment since the beginning of 2019. Even when she blocked him and changed her phone number, Margitza messaged friends, followers and people she followed. Margitza arrived at Conner, knowing the girl he was pursuing was a student there, to try to convince her to come with him to Las Vegas ... when Conner wrestler Cody Hardin stepped in between the two. Hardin said he tried to persuade Margitza to leave the girl alone ... without success. When it became clear Margitza intended to follow her into the school, the member of the Cougar wrestling team stepped between them ... and tried to guide the would-be victim towards the school to get help. Here's how Hardin described the situation to WKRC-TV, the CBS affiliate in Cincinnati: "She walked past us and the guy walked past us and they met up at the sidewalk and she's all, 'Get him away from me!' So I grabbed her by the shoulders and walked her to the front door. And he tried to get in the school, and I said three or four times, 'I wouldn't do that.' And then he finally said, 'Why?' And I grabbed him by the back of the neck and I said, 'I wouldn't do that.' And I made sure the door was closed so he wouldn't get into that school." Once Hardin and the girl were inside, they found the principal and the school resource officer, who quickly arrested Margitza before he could leave school grounds. In an interview with ABC affiliate WCPO-TV, Hardin admitted he was shaking immediately after the incident, saying, "My adrenaline was running." The next day, the school principal and district superintendent both thanked Hardin for his actions. Then, on Wednesday, Conner High Principal Andy Wyckoff issued the following statement: "Conner High School would like to publicly recognize Joseph 'Cody' Hardin for his quick thinking and action in keeping his fellow students safe in the incident on 8/19/19. When it seems so many pull out a cell phone and record a 'wrong' going on in the world, Cody took the correct action and performed a 'right'. He immediately helped avert a threat, and got himself and others to safety. Cody will receive rewards through our PBIS System for helping his fellow students." While Cody Hardin is being hailed as a hero, Benjamin Margitza is now in the Boone County Jail, charged with attempted kidnapping and trespassing. Conner High School is part of a four-school campus which also includes the Boone County Area Technology Center in Hebron, Kentucky, all within sight of the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky International Airport, and across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. Conner High has an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students.

Tyler Graff after beating Joe Colon at Final X (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Six-year-old Tyler Graff walked into a wrestling clinic and all he saw was gold. A wide-eyed Graff listened intently as Kevin Jackson shared his inspirational story with young wrestlers in Fort Collins, Colorado. And then Jackson reached into a bag and pulled out something shiny. His Olympic gold medal and his two gold medals from the World Championships. "If you work hard," Jackson said, "you can achieve your dreams." Graff was paying close attention. "Ever since that day," Graff said, "I've wanted to become a world and Olympic champion." Now nearly a quarter of a century later, Graff finally has his opportunity to achieve one of his goals. He will compete for the United States at his first Senior World Championships next month in Kazakhstan. Graff will wrestle for Team USA at 61 kilograms for the strong American freestyle team. "I've always had the desire to be the best wrestler in the world - that never changed," Graff said. "I just had faith and I believed that I needed to keep working. I kept everything in perspective and it finally happened. It was a very rewarding feeling to take the next step. All the time I put in and all the years I've wrestled, it was well worth it when I made the World Team." Graff just turned 30, but he's no stranger to having success. He made two Junior world teams and a University world team. He was an NCAA finalist at Wisconsin. And he's excelled on the Senior level. He's won championships at nine international tournaments. Graff earned two wins over returning world bronze medalist Joe Colon earlier this summer to make his first U.S. World Team. Colon is ranked No. 2 in the world behind returning world champion Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez of Cuba. Colon knocked off Rodriguez earlier this year before falling to Graff in the Final X event that determined the U.S. World Team. "We've had some battles," Graff said of Colon. "Joe is obviously a good wrestler and we've had some good matches. I just had to execute and wrestle like I was capable." Tyler Graff at the Final X press conference (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Graff also has benefited from a change of scenery. He started working with a new coach, past World Team member Reece Humphrey, at the New Jersey Regional Training Center. "I started working with Reece in April and he's done a lot to help me," Graff said. "He's a great coach. The guy is awesome. He is a huge motivator for everybody he comes across. He can work with all different styles and personalities. He can adapt his coaching to whatever style I wrestle. "I am able to wrestle with him and train with him. If he really wanted to compete, he still could. He pushes us all in the room and it's been great having him to coach me and train with." Graff is coming off a bronze-medal finish earlier this month at the Medved International in Minsk, Belarus. Graff fell to Russia's Artyom Gebekov 7-0 in his first bout before downing Turkey's Emrah Ormanoglu 3-0 and North Macedonia's Vladimir Egorov 5-0. "When I wrestled the Russian, I was in deep on several shots," Graff said. "I had the leg lifted, but I wasn't able to finish for the takedown. I knew there were things I could do to capitalize. I need to make adjustments. I need to be able to convert and finish for takedowns. That tournament is something I can definitely learn from and build off. "I was able to come back and was able to win a couple of matches. I made some adjustments. I feel like I keep making gains and I keep progressing. Both of those guys I beat had close matches with the Russian. They were good opponents." Humphrey came away encouraged by Graff's performance. "Tyler wrestled great," Humphrey said. "The Russian was a good opponent for him. Tyler was in on the guy's leg six times, but he wasn't able to finish. He came back strong and dominated his next two matches on the backside. "I am excited to see what Tyler is capable of doing at the World Championships. He is doing a great job attacking with his offense - he just needs to work on finishing to score the takedown. I know he can correct that." Humphrey said Graff is capable of making a strong run in Kazakhstan. "Tyler beat Joe Colon and Colon was a returning world medalist who beat the Cuban who won Worlds last year," Humphrey said. "We know Tyler is right in there. He's always been a scrapper. He's been improving in so many areas. He needs to finish his shots better. His down blocking and his defense have improved. He has elevated his game. He's always been a grinder and always been really tough. He has that will to win. He absolutely has the capability to win a medal at the World Championships." Graff knows the Olympic Games are right around the corner, but he hasn't given much thought to it. He competes in the non-Olympic weight class of 61 kilograms, and would have to either drop down to 57 kilograms or move up to 65 kilograms in one of those Olympic classes. "My plan is to 100 percent focus on this World Championships," he said. "As soon as the Worlds are complete, I will take that task on. For now, I am completely locked in on getting ready for the Worlds." Humphrey said Graff has been enjoyable to work with. "I think Tyler's in a place where he's comfortable now," Humphrey said. "For whatever reason, we have really clicked and he's made a big jump since he came here. He has a team he trusts. He's made some big jumps mentally. And he's improved technically. It's his time." Graff was a top contender at 57 kilograms at the 2017 U.S. World Team Trials before losing a close match to Thomas Gilman, who went on to earn a silver medal at the World Championships in Paris. Gilman beat Graff on criteria after their quarterfinal match ended in a 1-1 deadlock at the 2017 Trials. Graff is now part of a loaded American World Team led by Olympic and world champions Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder. "It's awesome to be around those guys on the U.S. team," he said. "It's surreal. There are some tremendous wrestlers and great people on this team. Being around those guys and working with them, it's been great and it's been fun. Some of them have done it multiple times and been the best in the world on numerous occasions. I pick their brains and ask them questions. I see the way they train and how they approach it. It's the best room in the world when we're at a camp together." Tyler Graff works to finish a takedown on Earl Hall at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Graff said he was watching from home when Snyder earned a dramatic win over Olympic and world champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev of Russia to give the U.S. the men's freestyle team title in 2017. "It's great to have an opportunity to be on a team that can contend for the title," Graff said. "It was awesome when the U.S. won in 2017 - we want to win it again. Everybody is focused on getting the best out of each other. By approaching it that way, that helps everybody perform their best. "When Snyder beat Sadulaev to give the U.S. the team title, I was really excited for Kyle and for the team. It was awesome to see them do it. I was happy for those guys. I went and worked out right after that because I was so inspired." One of the American freestyle coaches on the U.S. freestyle team is Jackson, the wrestler who inspired Graff 24 years ago at that Colorado clinic. "I am excited to compete at the World Championships," Graff said. "I need to make every day count as I prepare for this tournament. I know what I need to do, I just need to go out there and execute. "Every time I step on the mat, I have high expectations and goals. I've had some setbacks in my career, but I wouldn't be where I am today without all of the lessons that I've learned. I've worked a long time for this opportunity and I'm going to make sure I'm ready." Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

Zain Retherford and Yianni Diakomihalis have a staredown at Final X: Rutgers (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The final spot on the U.S. World Team will be decided on Labor Day. Zain Retherford and Yianni Diakomihalis will wrestle for the World Team spot at 65 kilograms in freestyle on Monday, Sept. 2 at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Wrestling will begin at 3 p.m. ET. Retherford will enter the best-of-three series with a 1-0 lead after winning the first match at Final X: Rutgers. The second match, which Retherford initially won, was nullified due to officials improperly allowing a challenge at the conclusion of the match. The match(es) will be streamed on FloWrestling.com. Ticket information will be released soon.

Professional mixed martial arts fights usually take place in a casino or a basketball arena. Chris Honeycutt's next MMA bout will apparently be held on a cruise ship ... as part of an international economic forum to be held in Russia next month. The former Edinboro University All-American wrestler will face Russian MMA fighter Alexander Shlemenko in what is being described as the main event at the first-ever Roscongress Vladivostok Combat Night tournament on Thursday, Sept. 5 onboard the Costa Venezia cruise ship in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok in eastern Russia, according to the Russian news agency TASS. The Honeycutt-Shlemenko middleweight (185-pound) MMA fight is being organized by Telesport Media and the Roscongress Foundation, which describes itself as an organization "facilitating the development of Russia's economic potential, promoting its national interests, and strengthening the country's image." https://roscongress.org/en/about/ Shlemenko, a 35-year-old Russian native known by the nickname "Storm," claims a pro MMA record of 58 wins and 12 defeats in a career going back 15.5 years. (Note that early in his career, he sometimes had two fights at one event.) Of those victories, 32 are by KO/TKO; 10 by submission and 16 by decision. Shemenko's Wikipedia page describes the Russian as being "an expert in hand-to-hand combat and traditional kickboxing." The bio also says "Storm" did some Greco-Roman wrestling as a teen. Honeycutt, 31, was a two-time state wrestling champion in two different states -- as a sophomore in Massachusetts, then as a senior in Ohio at the storied St. Edward High School in suburban Cleveland. He continued his mat career at Edinboro in Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, making it to the 197-pound finals at the 2012 NCAA championships. Honeycutt launched his pro MMA career in June 2013, crafting an overall record of 11-3, with most of those fights within the Bellator MMA organization, where he was 7-3. Honeycutt's last Bellator bout was a split decision loss to Costello van Steenis at Bellator 210 last November. He was released from his Bellator contract just last week, along with eight other fighters. The Honeycutt-Shlemenko MMA fight is part of the 2019 Eastern Economic Forum, scheduled to be held September 4-6, 2019 in Vladivostok. According to TASS, last year's Eastern Economic Forum resulted in 220 signed agreements, contracts, memorandums and protocols worth over three trillion rubles ($46 billion). Last year's forum in Vladivostok was attended by over 6,000 delegates and 1,350 journalists from 60 countries.

Though the sport of mixed martial arts has always done a fair job of attracting their share of world-class wresters to the ring or cage, the recent growth of the sport on a global scale has only served to increase its pull on the world's best takedown artists. Earlier MMA promotions in the United States, Japan, Eastern Europe, Russia, and even Brazil have been prominently featuring some of the world's top wrestlers for years. But now, with the solidification of those existing markets and the proliferation of new, well-funded shows in places like Singapore, Poland, Nordic countries, and the Caucasus Russian Republics, we are seeing an unprecedented influx of wrestling talent from all over the globe. Excited? Well, you should be. If you're a fan of wrestling you should really give these guys a watch inside the cage. They are so used to plying their trade against the very best wrestlers in the world, and because of this, seized advantages are often minute. Watching top wrestlers unleashed in the less-restrictive arena that is MMA, against opponents who aren't nearly as good at wrestling is a ton of fun. Plus, nowadays, with MMA shows the world over, and a lot of crossover amongst the wrestler and fighter populations, we get to see Olympic-level wrestlers unveil new skills with every fight. The days of the plodding, one-dimensional wrestlers are over. The wrestlers featured herein are/were legitimate champions and medalists at the highest levels of wrestling. They have varying amounts of fights on their record, but all these men are expected to have their best fighting years ahead of them. On to the list ... Logan Storley Undefeated (10-0) South Dakota native Logan Storley has been afforded privileges in his athletic development that few others can boast. Having very early access to fellow Webster High wrestler and eventual mentor Brock Lesnar, Storley had designs on fighting early on. A superb high school wrestler, he won a state title every year from seventh to 12th grade. He also won a Fargo freestyle title, NHSCA Junior Nationals, and in 2011, won both the Junior Hodge and the Dave Schultz Excellence Award. The former presented to him by none other than his buddy Lesnar. Like Lesnar, Storley attended the University of Minnesota where in addition to becoming a four-time Division I All-American, he was successful in freestyle. Taking second at UWW Junior Nationals (2012) and University Nationals (2013), he also qualified for the 2013 World Team trials at 84 kilograms by winning the Northern Plains Regional. Storley forged useful relationships with more wrestlers-turned fighters while still in college. UFC champs Robbie Lawler and Benson Henderson, and top MMA coaches Duke Roufus and Greg Nelson have proven valuable allies as Storley's pugilistic progression has been seamless. Since the beginning, Storley fought like a true MMA veteran. His measured aggression and well-roundedness are major forces to reckon with. He shifts effortlessly between punching in close, dumping foes on their heads, and ground-and-pounding them into a TKO. He is incredibly strong and near-impossible to reverse once on top. Currently climbing the Bellator MMA ranks and fighting out the Hard Knocks 365 camp with Robbie Lawler, Kamaru Usman, and others, Storley's future is as bright as they come. Deron Winn Missouri native Deron Winn was about as decorated a high schooler could hope to be. Four-time all-state with three titles, his lone loss at the state tournament came as a freshman to fighter Michael Chandler. He won five national titles, three in Greco and one freestyle at Fargo, and one at NHSCA Senior Nationals. Despite interest from most major Division I programs, poor grades and some fighting forced Winn to take another route. In doing so he became a two-time NJCAA national champ and an NAIA All-American (third place). After college, Winn got to prove himself against Division I competition. Wrestling for the Cyclone Wrestling Club at Iowa State, and spending time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, he defeated many top Division I wrestlers, including national champs Chris Pendleton, Jon Reader, Max Askren, J' den Cox, and others. Internationally he won an array of medals at the Dave Schultz and NYAC International/Bill Farrell Memorial, also taking home hardware in Ukraine and Cuba. Initially having "little to no interest" in MMA, a 2015 trip to American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose to train with Daniel Cormier changed things. His original plan being to wrestle and fight simultaneously, Winn turned his focus to MMA after a 2018 World Team spot eluded him. Taking full advantage of his wrestling contacts, he's trained with the likes of Josh Koscheck in Fresno, Antonio McKee in Long Beach, and Cormier (and a host of others) in San Jose. His God-given punching power now coupled with some technique and tact, and with a build that creates many challenges for opponents, thus far his fights have largely been short, violent affairs. However, in his last two outings he has proven his ability to win tough, three-round fights against UFC-caliber foes. His last fight, also his UFC debut, earned him a big win and $50,000 performance bonus. Migran Arutyunyan (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Migran Arutyunyan Until recently, you'd be hard-pressed to find even one legit world-class wrestler from the Caucasus region who's entered MMA. We've had fighters from this region who could wrestle their rear ends off in the cage, but none were near the top of the ladder in their country. Luckily, that is changing, and Armenian-Russian Greco-Roman superstar, Migran "Maestro" Arutyunyan is proof of that. Representing Russia and then Armenia, Arutyunyan enjoyed a fantastic career. He medaled at Worlds and Europeans in the Junior division before taking second and first at Russian Nationals in 2011 and 2012 respectively. He then picked up several prestigious medals for Armenia on his way to the 2016 Games. He beat two world champs heading to the finals where he was denied a gold medal due to passivity calls. Furious, and close to quitting, he decided to pursue MMA and will take another crack at gold in 2020. Thus far Arutyunyan's MMA career has great support and his credentials afford him a plethora of resources and options. He's enlisted Russian boxers Ilez Yandiev and Svetlana Andreeva and has Sambo world champ Ayvazyan Zhora for grappling. Also spending time in the USA, he's trained with UFC vets and fellow Armenians Gegard Mousasi and Manny Gamburyan at Hayastan MMA and SK Golden Boys Wrestling Club in California. As for his actual skills, Arutyunyan has shined in 2 pro fights. Unsurprisingly his wrestling is amazing, but he has a grasp on the finer points of cage-fighting that belies his inexperience. Setting up takedowns with punches, using the cage to help control an opponent, and clever baiting tactics while grappling are hallmarks of a seasoned fighter. Skilled and exceptionally strong, he should be lots of fun to watch, and being with the same management as many UFC fighters, he can fight where he chooses. It also means he may be fast-tracked to the top. Only time will tell. Aaron Pico Aaron Pico Never in the history of MMA have we seen a prospect so thoroughly prepared for the sport as Aaron Pico. Making his fighting intentions known at a very young age, the buzz he generated in the combat sports world has been rather remarkable. A phenomenal wrestler growing up, Pico was also active and successful in both boxing and pankration, a form of grappling-heavy, watered down MMA. In high school he won pretty much everything. He won a California state title as a freshman, five Fargo titles (three in freestyle, two in Greco), USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals, and Cadet Worlds. Successful on the senior circuit as well, Pico came painfully close to making the 2016 Olympic Team, narrowly losing to Frank Molinaro on criteria before moving to MMA. Leading up to his debut in Bellator MMA, people were lining up to train Pico. He spent time at AKA with Daniel Cormier and company, Team Bodyshop with Antonio McKee, he boxed with Freddy Roach, and still trained wrestling with the best in the game. Rumors of him destroying top fighters in training were coming from everywhere and his coaches raved about him. After a disastrous debut against a bigger, older, much more experienced fighter, expectations simmered a bit. Showing great resolve and maturity, Pico handled defeat like a champ. Then, in his next four fights, we saw his incredible talent on full display when he scored four dazzling first-round knock outs. He was indeed for real. But MMA is a cruel game, and despite every aspect of Pico's skill being top-notch, he lost his last two fights in devastating fashion. Pico is at a bit of a crossroads, and there is much speculation as to where his future lay. His immense skill set will always make him dangerous, but perseverance and maybe even some lucky breaks may be in order if he is to reach the top of the MMA world. Bekzod Abdurakhmanov In 2013, I had been serving as a strength and conditioning coach for a fighter who took a fight at Sherman Cage Rage, a small but solid Pennsylvania MMA show. Watching the fight before his from backstage, he noticed a certain confidence of one of the fighters as they made their walk to the cage. The fight began and inside of a round the noted fighter had violently TKO'd his opponent. Everyone in attendance knew they had just witnessed an extremely high-level athlete. That athlete was Bekzod Abdurakhmanov. A star young wrestler coming up in Uzbekistan, Abdurakhmanov had his entire career mapped out until an incident involving him knocking out an opponent on the mat caused a diversion. Luckily his older brother Muzaffar had previously relocated to the USA and assisted Abdurakhmanov in doing the same. A very interesting story, the next few years were a whirlwind that saw Abdurakhmanov become a three-time college wrestling All-American (two NJCAA, one Division I), join his brother on the coaching staff at Harvard, return to Uzbekistan to wrestle, and start an MMA career. He performed well on the senior scene, placing in the top eight at most tournaments, all while winning five amateur and six pro fights inside of 18 months. He was looking like one of the most promising MMA prospects in history until in 2014 he broke through in wrestling, taking second at the Dave Schultz and winning bronze at the World Championships. This changed things. All of a sudden an Olympic gold medal seemed possible. Abdurakhmanov put fighting on hold, spending the next few years collecting wrestling medals. He won the Asian Games and Asian Championships several times, he tech falled Jordan Burroughs in Rio, and won another bronze at the 2018 Worlds. What lands him on this list is the fact that he quietly took another fight late in 2017. He's also been seen in famed MMA coach Mark DellaGrotte's MMA and Muay Thai gym in Boston again. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Abdurakhmanov stops wrestling after the Tokyo Games to focus of MMA. Tune in to future installments where we will cover a Russian/Azeri Olympian who is winning fights with spinning wheel kicks, a possible future UFC heavyweight champion, and one of the best NCAA wrestlers in history.

OSKALOOSA -- William Penn Athletics Director Nik Rule is excited to announce the addition of women's wrestling to the list of intercollegiate sports the University offers. The sport will begin competition in the 2020-2021 school year. It is the sixth sport to be added recently, joining men's and women's lacrosse, men's volleyball, and men's and women's shotgun sports. Men's and women's shotgun sports, which were announced last week, will also begin competition next year. The NAIA, which has the largest number of women's wrestling teams of any intercollegiate association, had 25 schools participate in the fast-growing sport a year ago. Menlo (Calif.) claimed the inaugural NAIA National Invitational title this past March. The sport will be eligible for Championship status in the NAIA after it spends two years as an invitational sport and if it grows to 40 institutions. "Women's wrestling is on the rise across the country with more and more high school girls competing each year," Rule said. "Its current status as an intercollegiate sport fits perfectly with William Penn as we continue to develop an athletic department that is ready for the future. I am excited for us to start the process to find our first head coach and work throughout the next year to develop the sport on our campus." A total of 48 women's wrestling squads exist throughout the country (all divisions). WPU will become the fifth school in the Heart of America Athletic Conference to add it as Baker, Central Methodist, Grand View, and Missouri Valley are already competing or will begin competing this year. A national search for a head coach will begin immediately.

Craig Sesker interviews Daniel Cormier at the 2007 World Championships (Photo/Larry Slater) Daniel Cormier fell to Stipe Miocic at UFC 252 on Saturday night in their trilogy fight. He announced his retirement from MMA following the fight. Read Craig Sesker's tribute to Cormier from August of 2019. Daniel Cormier is an athlete I've seen at his very best. And very worst. I witnessed first-hand the struggles he had during an up-and-down wrestling career during my time at USA Wrestling. I saw him running sprints in the middle of the night down a hotel hallway in Guangzhou, China, to make weight in 2006. I saw him shed nearly 30 pounds in less than two weeks at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing before the tough weight cut cost him a chance to compete. I also saw him battle back with a courageous effort to win a bronze medal at the 2007 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. He was the lone U.S. freestyle medalist that year and he also qualified the weight class for the Olympics. I interviewed him after he won his first and only world medal and he was as articulate, well-spoken and engaging as ever. He's always been an excellent interview and that has translated to him becoming an outstanding broadcaster. I also watched Cormier's ascent to becoming one of the best mixed martial artists of all-time. He made history by holding two belts from the Ultimate Fighting Championships at the same time. He turned his life and his fortunes around when he embarked on his post-wrestling career in the sport of MMA. I'm not sure many people in 2008 could have envisioned Cormier going on to this type of career in mixed martial arts. Even though he dropped a hard-fought battle to Stipe Miocic in their UFC heavyweight championship bout Saturday night, Cormier's career feats are still impressive. He has compiled a 22-2 record in his MMA career with his only losses coming to Miocic and Jon Jones. Miocic owns the longest title run in the UFC heavyweight class and Jones owns the longest title run in the UFC light heavyweight division. The only fighters to beat Cormier are two of the best, in any weight class, in UFC history. Cormier has had his share of critics and detractors, but you can't question how competitive this guy is. He has excelled in MMA with his wrestling skills, but he's also become a great striker and boxer. He came out strong Saturday night, winning the first three rounds and taking control of the fight. The 5-foot-10 Cormier lifted the much bigger, 6-foot-5 Miocic off the mat and planted him on his back. He also backed Miocic into the cage with a number of effective punches on his feet. Cormier's corner urged him to do more wrestling and less boxing during the bout. He continued to stay on his feet and box, and that may have led to his eventual downfall. You can't fault the effort he gave. Cormier never stopped battling and competing. He gave it his all before the powerful Miocic overwhelmed him to win by knockout in the fourth round. It was a hell of a fight between two top-shelf competitors. There was non-stop action, a rarity sometimes in a heavyweight bout, and it was an entertaining bout for the fans. Being able to excel at heavyweight despite being much shorter than many of his opponents is no easy feat. But Cormier has excelled against a number of guys who are much bigger than he is. Cormier is 40 years old and he's still fighting at an elite level. That is a credit to him and the career that he has had. It was interesting to see Jon Jones taking to Twitter to take a few shots at Cormier after his loss Saturday night. Jones is a tremendously talented fighter, but he also has a history of failed drug tests and brushes with the law. Say what you want about Cormier, but he never failed a drug test. And was never in trouble with the law. Cormier has stayed clean -- he doesn't cheat. Cormier can talk his share of trash and antagonize opponents like Jones to sell a fight, but the guy I know is one of the most down-to-earth and genuinely good guys I've ever worked with. He is someone I have great respect for as a person. I remember attending a UFC mega press conference in 2015 in Las Vegas just before the World Championships for wrestling were held in the same city. As I took my seat among the media, Daniel spotted me and he smiled and waved to me. It was impressive to me to see how a guy that is such a bad-ass in the cage can be such a nice guy. I did a one-on-one interview with Daniel following the press conference and posted a story on him on USA Wrestling's website later that afternoon. A few hours later, Daniel called me and thanked me for the article. He also asked me if I wanted tickets to the next night's UFC fight card that featured lightweight star Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson. I already had tickets to the fight at MGM Grand Arena, but Daniel said he would leave me a handful of tickets to give to any of the wrestling people, friends or media I wanted to bring with me. When I arrived at the will call window, he had left me 10 tickets. It was a heck of a gesture by Daniel and we were able to fill all 10 seats for the fight. That's just the kind of person that Daniel Cormier is. He's a kind and giving man who truly cares about people. He's personable, engaging and charismatic. He's one of my favorite athletes that I've ever worked with. Daniel Cormier serves as the head wrestling coach at Gilroy High School (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) He's also been a great ambassador for the sport of wrestling. He's always promoting the sport and he's giving back as a successful wrestling coach on the high school level. There was a touching moment late Saturday night when Cormier walked out of the octagon after his setback. His son was standing there, sad and with tears in his eyes. Daniel placed his hand on his son's head and told him "don't cry" before kissing him on the forehead. Cormier obviously was disappointed with his performance, but he also knew what happened in that fight wasn't the end of the world. He has a young family that he cherishes and adores. They are his priority. There was talk that Cormier would retire if he beat Miocic again, but now what will he do? Knowing the competitor Cormier is, we may see him fight again. He is 1-1 against Miocic and a third bout would certainly attract interest and be intriguing for UFC fans. In my eyes, Cormier has nothing left to prove in the octagon. His impressive resume and his accomplishments speak for itself. No matter what happens, Cormier should be remembered as one of the best mixed martial artists in the sport's history. Winning UFC title belts in two different divisions certainly is proof of that. He also should be remembered for being a great human being and a truly good person. He may have lost his UFC championship belt Saturday night, but Daniel Cormier is still a champion in my book. Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

Stipe Miocic defeated Daniel Cormier at UFC 241 (Photo/Getty Images) Former amateur wrestling stars went two-for-two at UFC 241 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Saturday night, with a pair of former Olympians coming out on the losing end. In the main event featuring two ex-wrestlers, Cleveland State mat alum Stipe Miocic earned the UFC heavyweight title with a fourth-round TKO of 2008 Olympian Daniel Cormier ... while two-time Olympian Yoel Romero lost on a decision to Paulo Costa, and three-time NCAA Division II All-American Derek Brunson came out on top in a unanimous decision over Ian Heinisch. Miocic reclaims UFC heavyweight title belt from Cormier Cleveland area native Stipe Miocic reclaimed the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight (265-pound) title with a technical knockout of Daniel Cormier -- an NCAA finalist for Oklahoma State -- at 4:09 of the fourth round of the bout slated for five rounds. Here's how CBS Sports opened its write-up of the top-of-the-card title bout: Stipe Miocic was looking for revenge against heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier, and he got just that. "It was anything but easy in the main event of UFC 241, but thanks to one of the great adjustments in UFC championship fight history, Miocic brought the belt back home by stopping Cormier in the fourth round." "'DC was in control for a majority of the fight," according to Sherdog.com. "He executed a slam takedown in the first round, advanced to half guard and poured on the punishment with ground-and-pound. The 40-year-old Lafayette, Louisiana, native spent the second, third and parts of the fourth rounds flexing his hand speed with crippling jabs and powerful right hands. Midway through the fourth, Miocic tweaked his approach and focused on the champion's midsection with a series of left hooks, the last of which set up a right cross that began Cormier's downward spiral. Miocic pushed him to the fence and swarmed him with punches until referee Herb Dean intervened." After the bout, Miocic talked about his decision to start punching at Cormier's body. "I knew I was hurting him," Miocic said. "Just keep working, keep working. He was going to leave something open." Meanwhile, Cormier -- who is now head wrestling coach at Gilroy High School in California -- addressed his lack of wrestling during the bout, having scored just one takedown... and that was in the first round. "That [wrestling] was the strategy," Cormier said at Saturday's post-fight press conference. "That's probably the biggest letdown is how I let my coaches down. They were begging me to wrestle. "That's probably the most disappointing thing is that I didn't do what I was trained to do. I feel like I let my coaches down." The former Cowboy wrestler also mentioned the possibility of saying goodbye to his MMA career. "You don't make decisions based on emotions, but this is a tough pill to swallow," Cormier said. "At 40 years old, you know, with so many other opportunities, I need to speak to my wife, and we need to make an educated decision on what we're going to do. "Losing any type of fight for me is terrible, but getting stopped is just insane. That's twice I've been stopped. That's not good. I'm smart enough to understand that." With the win, Miocic regains the UFC big-man belt (which he had lost to Cormier at UFC 226 in July 2018), and improves to 19-3 overall, and 13-3 in UFC competition ... while Cormier drops to 22-3 in a career going back a decade. Costa earns win over Romero in 'absolutely wild brawl' "The middleweight (185-pound) showdown between Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa had a sense of 'blink and you'll miss it' ahead of UFC 241," is how CBS Sports opened its recap of this bout it described as "an absolutely wild brawl." "The knockout may not have come, but it wasn't for lack of trying on the part of either man." "In the end, Costa took a close (and controversial) decision in a fight that will enter into many Fight of the Year lists." "Both men were credited with knockdowns in a back-and-forth first round that seemed to tilt Costa's way," according to Sherdog.com which described the fight as a "crackling middleweight barnburner." "The undefeated Brazilian dropped Romero to all fours with a clean left hook and managed to weather a flying knee from the 2000 Olympic silver medalist. The middle stanza saw Costa attack the body with kicks and hooks from both hands, only to concede a takedown in the closing seconds. "Perhaps sensing the need for a finish, Romero found another gear in Round 3, where he continued to absorb body blows without so much as a deep breath and responded with a savage right uppercut, straight lefts, heavy combinations and an inside trip takedown. His efforts fell short." All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Costa, who is now 13-0 overall, and 5-0 in UFC ... while Romero drops to 13-4 in his MMA career, and 9-3 in UFC, having lost his last four bouts. Brunson survives 'early scare' to defeat Heinisch In a battle of top 10 middleweights, eighth-ranked Derek Brunson scored a unanimous decision over No. 10 ranked Ian Heinisch in the first match of the pay-per-view portion of the card at UFC 241. "The UFC veteran of 16 fights survived a scary opening moment of the fight to edge out a decision over Heinisch ..." according to CBS. "It took Heinisch (13-2) less than 10 seconds to land a smacking kick to the side of Brunson's head. More impressive than the kick may have been the balance Heinisch displayed in avoiding Brunson's follow-up takedown attempt." All three judges scored the bout 29-28 for Brunson, who was a three-time NCAA Division II All-American wrestler for University of North Carolina-Pembroke. With the win, Brunson improves to 20-7 overall and 10-6 in UFC ... while Heinisch suffered his first loss in nearly two years, dropping to 13-2 in his career and 3-1 in UFC.

Ed Ruth scored a TKO victory at Bellator 224 (Photo/Bellator) Bellator MMA has announced that it has extended the contracts of a handful of its fighters, including former Penn State wrestling champs Ed Ruth and Phil Davis ... while failing to renew the contracts of a number of others, including a trio of former collegiate wrestlers. Davis and Ruth have each signed an "exclusive, multi-fight, multi-year extension," according to MMAjunkie.com. The 34-year-old Davis was a 2008 NCAA Division I champ, four-time NCAA All-American, and two-time Big Ten titlewinner - all at 197 pounds -- for Penn State. He launched his pro mixed martial arts career not long after graduating in 2008, fighting for UFC for nearly five years before signing with Bellator in 2015. Four fights later, Davis won the organization's light-heavyweight (205-pound) championship (though lost it to former Arizona State wrestling champ Ryan Bader in June 2017.) In his most recent bout - Bellator 220 in April - Davis scored a third-round TKO over Liam McGeary, improving his overall record to 20-5, and 7-2 in Bellator. Ruth, 28, launched his pro MMA career right off the bat with Bellator in November 2016 after crafting a brilliant mat career with the Nittany Lions which included three NCAA titles and four Big Ten individual championships. One of the eight participants in Bellator's recent welterweight (170-pound) grand prix, Ruth is now 7-1 in his pro career ... with the one loss in the grand prix quarterfinals against Neiman Gracie. Just last month, Ruth defeated UFC veteran Kiichi Kunimoto by second-round TKO at Bellator 224. In addition to the two former Nittany Lion mat stars Davis and Ruth, other Bellator fighters who have had their contracts extended according to a Bellator official include flyweight (125-pound) Kate Jackson (who is 11-3-1 overall, and 3-1 in Bellator bouts), middleweight (185-pound) Charlie Ward (7-3 overall, 4-0 in Bellator), and featherweight (145-pound) Pedro Carvalho (10-3 overall, 3-0 Bellator). A trio of former college wrestlers let go by Bellator Sadly, the news was not good for three former mat stars with Bellator contracts. Chris Honeycutt, Jarod Trice and Carrington Banks were among nine Bellator fighters let go by the organization this week, according to multiple media reports, including an MMAjunkie.com report Friday. A 2012 NCAA finalist for Edinboro University at 197 pounds, Honeycutt, 31, launched his pro MMA career in June 2013 ... and came on board with Bellator in September 2014. The former Fighting Scot wrestler fought primarily at 185, compiling an overall record of 11-3, and 7-3 in Bellator. Honeycutt's last Bellator bout was a split decision loss to Costello van Steenis at Bellator 210 last November. The 30-year-old Trice, a three-time NCAA All-American wrestler for Central Michigan University, signed with Bellator in May 2016 ... and crafted a perfect 4-0 record with the organization as a light-heavyweight. His most recent bout was a split-decision victory over Sean Powers at Bellator 205 in September. Banks had been an NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) champ at Iowa Central Community College who later went on to earn All-American honors at 157 pounds for NCAA Division III mat power Wartburg College of Iowa. The 30-year-old Banks started his pro MMA career seven years ago; during that time, he was featured on the MMA reality show The Ultimate Fighter. He was 8-2 overall, and 4-2 in Bellator, having suffered back-to-back losses within that promotion in 2018, but more recently scoring a second-round TKO in a fight within another organization in March 2019 as a lightweight (155 pounds).

Peyton Omania gets his hand raised at the Junior World Championships (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) TALLINN, Estonia -- The United States added a third medal in Greco-Roman on the final day of the Junior World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. Peyton Omania defeated China's Xin Huang 6-5 to win the bronze medal at 67 kilograms. He joins Cohlton Schultz (gold) and Alston Nutter (bronze) as medalists for the U.S. Greco-Roman team at this year's Junior World Championships. It marks the first time American has captured more than two medals in Greco-Roman at the Junior World Championships. Omania, who wrestles at Michigan State, hit a headlock just over a minute into his bronze-medal match to score four points and take a 4-0 lead, which he took to the break. In the second period, Omania hit another headlock, scoring two points this time, to go up 6-0. Huang, though, was able to get a reversal and four-point exposure to make the score 6-5 with just over two minutes remaining. Omania held off Huang the rest of the way and claimed the one-point victory. The 19-year-old California native finished the tournament with a 5-1 record. His only loss came in the semifinals to Georgia's Giorgi Shotadze, the eventual champion.

Kyle Dake (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) ROUND ROCK, Texas -- On Saturday, Kyle Dake earned the right to wrestle for a second consecutive world title in September. The 28-year old Dake won in two straight matches over Alex Dieringer at Round Rock High School outside Austin, Texas, to claim a spot on the 2019 U.S. World Team at 79 kilograms. The best-of-three series was originally slated for June 8 at Final X: Rutgers. However, Dake requested a delay due to injury, which was granted. Dake picked up a 3-2 victory over Dieringer in the first match on Saturday, before closing out the series with a 4-2 win in the second match. In the first match, Dieringer scored the match's first point off the activity clock, and moments after the activity clock expired, Dake picked up a point off a step out to take a 1-1 criteria lead. Dake added another step out with three seconds left in the period to take a 2-1 lead into the break. In the second period, Dieringer was put on the activity clock with just under two minutes remaining, but was unable to score, giving Dake another point and a 3-1 lead. Trailing by two late, Dieringer fired off multiple shots in final 30 seconds before Dake was called for a caution one with eight seconds left, making the score 3-2. But the returning world champion would hold on to win. The second match took place after a 30-minute intermission. Dake came out quickly, getting to his single leg and forcing Dieringer out of bounds for a step out to go up 1-0 in the first 10 seconds. He added another step out with just over minutes remaining in the period. Dake took a 2-0 lead into the break. Just under 30 seconds into the second period, Dake got to his body lock on the edge of the mat and lifted Dieringer before getting thrown in a headlock, which he rolled through. The mat official initially awarded Dieringer four points and Dake two. But after the call was reviewed, it was determined that Dieringer stepped out of bounds prior to the exchange, giving Dake a 4-0 lead. Dieringer scored a point off a step out with just under 20 seconds left and added another point off a step out with two seconds left, but it wouldn't be enough and Dake punched his ticket to the World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

Cohlton Schultz fell to Iran's Aliakbar Yousofiahmadchaliin in the finals (Photo/Gabor Martin, United World Wrestling) TALLINN, Estonia -- Cohlton Schultz didn't get what he wanted at the 2019 Junior World Championships in Tallin, Estonia, but completed his collection of medals from age-group world championships. The 18-year-old from Colorado was edged 2-1 by Iran's Aliakbar Yousofiahmadchaliin the Greco-Roman finals at 130 kilograms on Saturday. Schultz, who signed with Arizona State, scored the first point of the match in the first period off a passivity and took a 1-0 lead into the break. In the second period, Schultz was hit for passivity, giving the Iranian a point and the criteria lead. With 45 seconds left, Schultz was called again for passivity, which made the score 2-1 in favor of Yousofiahmadchaliin, which is how the match would end. He adds a silver to a collection that includes a gold at the 2017 Cadet World Championships and a bronze from the Junior World Championships in 2018. Alston Nutter claimed the bronze medal in Greco-Roman at 63 kilograms with a fall over Kamil Czarnecki of Poland. Nutter found himself in a 6-0 hole after giving up an exposure after Czarnecki attempted an arm throw. Czarnecki then used a trap-arm gut wrench to turn Nutter twice. A short time later, Nutter lifted Czarnecki and threw him to his back for the fall. Peyton Omania will wrestle for a bronze medal at 67 kilograms after posting a 4-1 record on Saturday. Omania opened with three consecutive technical superiorities before beating 2016 Cadet world silver medalist Mohammed Reza Mokhtari of Iran 7-3 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Omania was shut out 9-0 by Giorgi Shotadze of Georgia, a 2016 Cadet world champion and 2019 European Junior champion. The United States Greco-Roman team sits in fifth place in the standings. The Junior World Championships conclude on Sunday.

Mike Duroe was an honorary coach for USA at the Freestyle World Cup (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) A celebration of the life and legacy of late wrestling coach Mike Duroe will be held at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Gable Museum next month. The event will take place from 6-9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Gable Museum, 303 Jefferson Street in Waterloo, Iowa. In announcing the event, the Gable Museum said, "Please join us in celebrating the life of this kind, extraordinary man whose legacy will live on through all those lives he touched, on and off the mat." The announcement also asked those who knew Duroe to share stories, memories, experiences and photos of a time or event with the coach – or how he had a positive impact on your life -- with the Gable Museum via email (dgmstaff@nwhof.org), regular mail or in person. Mike Duroe's life partner Lisa plans to incorporate these memories and mementos into keepsake books for his children. Those wishing to participate in the celebration of life may RSVP here. Duroe passed away in July 2018 after a nearly year-long battle with brain cancer at age 63. Duroe's coaching career spanned nearly four decades, and incorporated high school, collegiate, national, and world levels. He had served as an assistant to the U.S. Men's Freestyle coaching staff in six Olympics (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016) as well as head coach of Guam's freestyle wrestling team in 2008. Duroe was also a member of the U.S. coaching staff for the Pan American Games in 2003 and 2007, and was named Volunteer Coach of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) in 2006 and 2007. Most recently, Duroe had been head wrestling coach at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa for 13 seasons.

The state of Oklahoma -- arguably one of the nation's hotbeds for amateur wrestling at all levels -- is about to expand opportunities for girls in the oldest and greatest sport. For the first time in state history, the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association -- the organization that governs high school sports in the Sooner State -- will award individual state championships for girl wrestlers. This event -- described as an exhibition state tournament -- will be held in conjunction with the annual boys' wrestling championships, Feb. 28-29, 2020, at State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City. "We feel like the girls sport is really taking off," Todd Goolsby, assistant director of the OSSAA who's responsible for wrestling, told the Tulsa World. "Oklahoma high school wrestling is considered to be a leader nationally, and with that being said, we need to be right there moving forward with a plan." Girls participating in this new exhibition state tournament will be eligible for individual state titles -- and medals -- for their on-the-mat achievements. However, there won't be team state titles for girls until more programs are launched, which according to The Oklahoman -- the Oklahoma City newspaper -- said "is happening rapidly." Oklahoma had approximately 90 girls involved in wrestling at the high school level this past school year. "The wrestling community, as a whole, is quite excited about this opportunity," Goolsby said. In an April 2019 memo, Goolsby wrote, "During the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, girls wrestling in Oklahoma is being piloted as we take the steps necessary for it to become a sanctioned sport." As InterMat reported in April, Broken Arrow became the first Oklahoma high school to start a girls' program, hiring Cassidy Jasperson, a former standout for the women's program at Oklahoma City University, as the program's head coach.

Macey Kilty shoots on Japan's Miwa Morikawa in the finals (Photo/Gabor Martin, United World Wrestling) TALLINN, Estonia -- For the second straight year, Macey Kilty is leaving the Junior World Championships with a silver medal. On Friday, the 18-year-old four-time world medalist from Wisconsin was edged in the finals at 65 kilograms by Japan's Miwa Morikawa, 3-2. Kilty scored first off the activity clock and led 1-0 at the break. In the second period, Morikawa came out quickly, shooting a double leg and converting it to a step out, which gave her the criteria lead. With two minutes left, Kilty took a shot and eventually the Japanese wrestler got behind and ended up scoring a point off a caution with just over a minute remaining. Morikawa then held on for the win. In addition to Kilty's two silver medals from the Junior World Championships, she has a gold (2018) and bronze (2016) from the Cadet World Championships. Alyvia Fiske, a U.S. Open champion, wrestled for a bronze medal at 72 kilograms. Fiske held a 3-1 lead against Ukraine's Anastasiya Alpyeyeva until giving up a two-point exposure in the final 10 seconds to lose 3-3 on criteria. Cameron Guerin was pinned in repechage at 57 kilograms by 2019 Asian Junior bronze medalist Youmei Wu of China. Cohlton Schultz won by fall over China's Lu Zhang in the semifinals (Photo/Gabor Martin, United World Wrestling) Schultz cruises to finals in Greco-Roman, Nutter to wrestle for bronze Cohlton Schultz, a 2017 Cadet world champion and 2018 Junior world bronze medalist, cruised to the finals in Greco-Roman at 130 kilograms. In the semifinals, Schultz earned a first-period fall over China's Lu Zhang. Just over a minute into the match, Zhang was called for passivity, and Schultz took advantage. He scored with a turn and nearly picked up the fall. He then readjusted and sunk in a half nelson to secure the fall. Schultz has been unchallenged thus far. In addition to his semifinal fall, he has two technical superiorities and a 5-0 shutout. He will face Aliakbar Yousofiahmadchali of Iran in the finals on Saturday. Yousofiahmadchali was a 2018 U23 World bronze medalist. Alston Nutter, a Northern Michigan University Olympic Training Site athlete, will compete for a bronze medal at 63 kilograms. After opening his tournament with wins over Zaur Nuriyev of Azerbaijan (fall) and Assaukhat Mukhamadiyev of Kazakhstan (5-2), Nutter lost 9-0 in the semifinals to 2015 Cadet world silver medalist Abu Amaev The other three American Greco-Roman wrestlers competing, Dylan Ragusin (55 kilograms), Jack Ervien (77 kilograms) and Cameron Caffey (87 kilograms), all lost their first matches by technical superiority. Caffey earned a spot in repechage after the wrestler who defeated him, Russia's Ilia Ermolenko, advanced to the finals. Five more Greco-Roman wrestlers begin their tournaments on Saturday: Mason Hartshorn (60 kilograms), Peyton Omania (67 kilograms), Tyler Eischens (72 kilograms), Zachary Braunagel (82 kilograms) and Nicholas Boykin (97 kilograms).

Jordan Oliver at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Two-time NCAA champion and multiple-time national team member Jordan Oliver will join the Tar Heel Wrestling Club as a resident athlete, the club announced on Friday. Oliver, a former standout at Oklahoma State, joins the THWC after training with the NYRTC. He has been competing on the national level since wrapping up his career in Stillwater in 2013. "I'm very excited to be here. This is going to be a chance for me to continue my training and be where I want to be," Oliver said. "Working with some great wrestling minds in Chapel Hill is exactly what I feel like I need to be ready to accomplish some big goals. It's time to get to work and get the job done in Carolina Blue." Oliver plans to train in Chapel Hill beginning immediately, working with Kenny Monday, Coleman Scott, Tony Ramos, and Bryce Hasseman ahead of the 2020 Olympic cycle.

The United States Junior freestyle team finished second this week at the Junior World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. While short of its goal to capture team gold, the team walked away with an array of hardware, including top finishes by David Carr and Mason Parris. The results confirm that the developmental program in America has succeeded in curating talent for freestyle success, with sustained year-to-year results on display at the World Championships. Victory has 1000 fathers and in this case USA Wrestling deserves praise for both supporting young athletes for international competitions and lifting up the RTC system which has connected post-graduate freestyle wrestlers with developing athletes. As the gold medals pile up it's important to note just how unique the American system as compared to other nations. Funding aside, the hallmark of the American wrestling srtyle is that there is no one style defining the nation's top performers. They do share good conditioning and strength, but from Jordan Burroughs to Kyle Snyder to J'den Cox to Alex Dieringer the variation in offensive attacks, defensive strategy, and general gamesmanship varies wildly among our nation's best. At the root of their success is what makes America successful in a variety of professional industries. There is a variety of backgrounds, experiences, skills, and motivations working together for a single goal. Strength through diversity. Diversity of race, religion, socioeconomic status, LGBTQ status, and a million other variables incumbent to a uniquely American lifestyle. That diversity and sharing of experiences has meant that as Team USA ascends the world ranks it's doing so with unpredictable assets in place. A nation may well be prepared for Jake Varner, but were they ready for Kyle Snyder? If a nation focused on Snyder's style, would they be ready for James Green? No one person gives a full insight into the other, which is in contrast to nations like Japan, Iran, and Russia which wrestle in a single predictable manner. They too have success, but ours has much more potential for growth. A wrestling tournament can be one of the most diverse places in American sports and much of that has to do with wide acceptance of individuals as they are in size or gender. We are the original melting pot of the sporting world and it's something we should continue to elevate and celebrate. We are a wildly diverse meritocracy. Everyone is aiming to achieve the same outcome no matter where, or how, they started their journey. Ours is a winning formula it's something we should continue to celebrate and never fail to protect. To your questions … Yianni Diakomihalis and Zain Retherford after their second match at Final X (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: I can't be on your side given I'm Section V, but what's your take on the Yianni decision? -- Don C. Foley: According to a release by USA Wrestling, the arbitrator in the Yianni-Zain case has nullified the match due to irregularities in the timing of the final challenge and asked that the second match be re-wrestled. The date and time of the match are as-of-yet unknown, but will require the input of USA Wrestling and possibly the freestyle commission. My opinion on the matter hasn't changed. The ruling was awkward for many fans, but no rules were broken and the match followed a known pattern of challenges used at the international level. Furthermore, matches at international events are no longer re-wrestled for any reason and given that the national federation abides by the international federation's general guidelines there should have been heavy deference paid to that standard. Finally, this is Pandora's Box for litigation up-and-down the wrestling community. Yianni has proven himself to be a great wrestler and what is somewhat saddening is that his reputation is somewhat affected by this challenge. I have nothing but respect for him and his wrestling style and believe he is a surefire medalist at the World Championships. But are we OK with this? Are we OK with a non-wrestling arbitrator misinterpreting rules to defy the common functioning norms of international wrestling? Now to the details. When will this wrestle-off take place? The national federations are meant to have their entries in by Aug. 14 with exceptions given to Russia and the United States for some ongoing wrestle-offs. If Zain is hurt and is only able to wrestle right before the World Championships, is it OK to make him wrestle injured based on the timeline? Taking a step back, is Zain able to injunct the decision? When this happens, or is able to happen, it will be an incredibly difficult dustup to manage. What rights does Zain have in this process? Overall, this is a sad day for wrestling. The arbitrator is a smart man, Yianni is a good wrestler, but wrestling suffered under the suspicion of corruption for decades partly due to re-wrestled matches. United World Wrestling put a firm end to that process, but now it's sneaking back in and the only consequence is more corruption, more suspicion, and ultimately a less fair outcome for the majority of athletes. The reintroduction of the legal process into a competed match will lead to negative outcomes. Good luck to these wrestlers the rest of the way. This is not their fault. I guess we can only hope for the best outcome for them in their professional and personal lives. MULTIMEDIA FINALE Upset? Watch this woman get dropped on her back. Yowza.

FARGO, N.D. -- Former South Dakota State University 157-pounder Cody Pack has been named volunteer assistant wrestling coach at North Dakota State University. NDSU head coach Roger Kish made the announcement today. Pack, a native of Quincy, Calif., comes from Legends of Gold RTC in Beresford, S.D. He has been an assistant coach and residential life counselor for the IDA residential program. His responsibilities have ranged from teaching freestyle, Greco-Roman and folkstyle skills on the mat to developing diets and motivational techniques to helping young athletes gain balance between competition and daily life. Currently, Pack is training for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics in the Greco-Roman discipline. He has placed 4th and 5th at the U.S. World Trials and was a residential athlete at the Olympic Training Center in 2016-17. Pack rolled up 196 wins at Quincy (Calif.) High School, and was a three-time finalist and six-time All-American at the USA Wrestling tournament in Fargo. Pack, a 2016 graduate of SDSU, was a four-time NCAA qualifier for the Jackrabbits during his career and the program's climb up the national ladder. He posted a 116-36 career record for SDSU including 55-12 in duals. Pack was a two-time NCAA West Region/Western Wrestling Conference champion in 2014 and 2015, and a Big 12 Conference runner-up in 2016. He was selected to wrestle at the 50th Annual National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic in October 2015. North Dakota State compiled a 10-6 record overall in 2018-19 including 5-4 in Big 12 Conference duals. NDSU placed eighth at the 2019 Big 12 Conference tournament. The Bison return NCAA qualifiers 133 Cam Sykora, 165 Andrew Fogarty and 174 Lorenzo De La Riva. Fogarty is a two-time Big 12 runner-up at 165 pounds.