InterMat Staff

Vito Arujau was edged 3-2 in the finals by Japan's Toshiya Abe (Photo/Gabor Martin, United World Wrestling) TALLINN, Estonia -- For the second time in his wrestling career, Vito Arujau will leave an age group world championship with a silver medal. Arujau, a silver medalist at the 2016 Cadet World Championships, was edged 3-2 in the gold-medal match of the Junior World Championships on Tuesday in Tallinn, Estonia. The Cornell All-American faced Japan's Toshiya Abe in the finals at 57 kilograms. Abe scored the only point of the first period off the activity clock. Arujau came back to take the criteria lead in the second period after scoring off the activity clock. With under 20 seconds left, Abe took a shot and finished for a takedown on the edge of the mat with 13 seconds remaining. Arujau was aggressive in the final 10 seconds as Abe retreated, which resulted in a caution and one point for Arujau before the clock ran out, giving the Japanese wrestler a one-point victory. Arujau became the first medalist for the United States at this year's World Championships. On Monday, he reached the finals by dominating returning world champion Akhmed Idrisov of Russia in the semifinals. Arujau placed fourth at the U.S. Open this year. David Carr advanced to the finals at 74 kilograms (Photo/ Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) Carr, Davison, Parris advance to finals On Tuesday, three more Americans advanced to the finals in freestyle, while two others will wrestle for bronze medals. The United States started Tuesday by winning their first 12 matches and placing five wrestlers in the semifinals. David Carr, Lucas Davison and Mason Parris all won their semifinal matches, while Gabriel Tagg and Trent Hidlay lost in the semifinals and will wrestle for bronze. Carr, a 2016 Cadet world bronze medalist, needed just 43 seconds to earn a 10-0 technical superiority in his semifinal match at 74 kilograms against returning world champion Khadzhimurad Gadzhiyev of Azerbaijan. Earlier in the day, Carr had wins over Russia's Devid Betanov and Iran's Mohammad Nokhodilarimi (16-7). He will meet 2018 U23 World bronze medalist Jintaro Motoyama of Japan in the finals. Davison faced Mongolia's Batmagnai Enkhtusvshin in the semifinals at 92 kilograms. He raced out to an early 8-0 lead after picking up a takedown, which he followed up with three straight gut wrenches. A short time later, the Mongolian picked up a takedown and then hit a gut wrench to make the score 8-4, before Davison stepped over and secured the fall in one minute and 14 seconds. Davison has dominated his competition thus far. In addition to his semifinal fall, he has wins of 10-0 and 7-1. He will battle 2017 Cadet world champion Alan Bagaev of Russia in the gold-medal match. Parris punched his ticket to the finals at 125 kilograms with a 13-2 technical superiority over Turkey's Pasa Ekrem Karabulut in the semifinals. He had technical superiorities in his first two matches and has outscored his opposition 33-2 in three matches. In the finals, Parris will face Amir Zare of Iran, a 2018 Cadet world champion and 2018 Youth Olympic Games silver medalist. Tagg dropped his semifinal match at 61 kilograms to Japan's Kaiki Yamaguchi, 12-2. It was competitive in the first period as Yamaguchi led 3-2 at the break. But the Japanese wrestler blew the match open in the second period and earned the technical superiority. Tagg reached the semifinals with a pair of technical superiorities before edging Iran's Mahdi Shirazi 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Hidlay lost a close semifinal match to Russia's Alik Sebzukhov, 4-3. The American led 1-0 after the opening period. Sebzukhov came back with a takedown in the second period, which was challenged by the U.S. The call stood and Sebzukhov went up 4-1. Hidlay would score a late takedown, but ultimately come up a point short. Hidlay had outscored his opponents 26-1 leading up to the semifinals. Alleida Martinez (50 kilograms), Alex Hedrick (55 kilograms), Michaela Beck (59 kilograms), Jayden Laurent (68 kilograms) and Korinahe Bullock (76 kilograms) open their tournaments on Wednesday in women's wrestling. Wednesday's medal matches in freestyle are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. local time/11 a.m. ET.

Virginia Tech's Mekhi Lewis celebrates after beating Alex Marinelli of Iowa in the NCAA quarterfinals (Photo/Juan Garcia) BLACKSBURG -- Junior world champion and NCAA champion Mekhi Lewis will not compete for Virginia Tech in the upcoming 2019-20 season and will instead use an Olympic redshirt to train and qualify for the 2020 United States Olympic Team Trials on April 4-5, 2020 in State College, Pennsylvania. Lewis' gold medal performance at the 2018 Junior World Championships met one of USA Wrestling's four criteria for an Olympic redshirt. Lewis will retain his year of NCAA eligibility through the athletics activity waiver. The waiver allows student-athletes to train for senior level competition - in this case the Olympic Trials - and retain one year of eligibility from the NCAA. "After speaking with my coaches, mentors and family, I feel like I'm ready to jump into this Olympic year with both feet," Lewis said. "I didn't take this decision lightly. I understand that making the 2020 Olympic team and competing for Team USA in Tokyo will be difficult, but I know that deep down I can get the job done. Thank you to the Hokie Nation for your support. I'm looking forward to doing what I do for the Hokies in 2020-21!" "As the head wrestling coach at Virginia Tech and the director of the Southeast Regional Training Center, I have a strong obligation to put Mekhi in the best position possible to accomplish his goals," Virginia Tech wrestling head coach Robie said. "Mekhi is a special talent and he has the ability to become the best in the world. Taking this year to focus solely on freestyle wrestling, international competition and preparing for the Olympic Trials is ultimately the best thing for his development." Lewis, who will still be training in Blacksburg with the Southeast Regional Training Center, will next travel to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado for a 10-week training camp before his first scheduled competition at the Dmitry Korkin International in Yakutia, Russia on Oct. 10-13. His first Olympic Trials qualifying event will be the Bill Farrell Memorial Open in New York City from Nov. 15-16. "The Olympic games is the pinnacle in the sport of wrestling and as an athlete, you have limited opportunities at it," Robie continued. "Mekhi Lewis is ready, and I think he is among the best in the world. We are excited to support him in his quest to win Olympic gold." In 2018-19, Lewis pieced together one of the more memorable seasons in the history of Virginia Tech athletics. The Bound Brook, New Jersey native began the year by winning a gold medal at the 2018 Junior World Championships in Trnava, Slovakia. He returned to the Hokies and turned in a 20-2 record during the regular season before claiming the ACC championship at 165 pounds. Lewis entered the 2019 NCAA Championships as the No. 8 seed and after advancing to the quarterfinals proceeded to knock the No. 1, No. 4 and No. 2 seeds in succession to win Tech's first individual NCAA title in wrestling. Lewis' 7-1 decision in the finals over two-time defending champion Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State helped him seal NWCA Most Outstanding Wrestler honors. The Hokies return four NCAA qualifiers from last year's squad, including two-time ACC champion and three-time All-American David McFadden and ACC Freshman of the Year Mitch Moore. Robie, the reigning ACC Coach of the Year, signed a consensus top five recruiting class that features four prospects who finished in the top 100 of FloWrestling's Class of 2019 Big Board.

Marine Gunnery Sgt. Scott A. Koppenhafer -- a former Colorado high school wrestler who went on to compete at Adams State University -- was killed in combat this weekend, the Marine Forces Special Operations Command announced Sunday. He was 35. Koppenhafer, a critical skills operator with 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, suffered fatal wounds after becoming engaged in gunfire while supporting Iraqi Security Forces. The incident is still under investigation. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Scott A. KoppenhaferPrior to joining the Marine Corps, Koppenhafer crafted a successful wrestling career. At Mancos High School in southwest Colorado, Koppenhafer was a three-time Class AA state tournament placer, placing sixth at 125 pounds as a freshman, then second at 130 his sophomore year and at 135 as a junior, according to a November 2001 article from the Cortez Journal. Scott Koppenhafer continued his academic and athletic career at Adams State University, wrestling for the Grizzlies NCAA Division II mat program where he was a teammate of older brother Travis Koppenhafer, who recently had served as a volunteer wrestling coach for the Anamosa, Colo.-based school. Scott Koppenhafer wrestled at Adams State for three seasons; during that time he was able to earn his bachelor's degree with an eye to joining the Marines just that much faster, according to the school. After graduating from Adams State in 2005, Scott Koppenhafer signed on with the Marine Corps. He had spent the past 10 years as a MARSOC (United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command) critical skills operator. Before joining the Marines special operations, he was a machine gunner with 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, and later as a scout sniper, completing deployments with both the 31st and 11th Marine Expeditionary Units. Over the years, Koppenhafer had earned numerous honors, including two Bronze Star medals with Combat Distinguishing Device, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals with Combat Distinguishing Device, one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, one Humanitarian Service Medal, two Combat Action Ribbons, four Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and six Sea Service Deployment Ribbons. Just last year, Koppenhafer had been named MARSOC Operator of the Year for 2018. Scott Koppenhafer is survived by his wife and two children. "Our most sincere thoughts are with the family and teammates of Gunnery Sergeant Koppenhafer during this difficult time," a Marines spokesperson said Sunday. "MARSOC is providing care and support to Gunnery Sergeant Koppenhafer's family; we urge respect for their privacy as they grieve this incredible loss." Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

Oklahoma State head coach John Smith with Nick Piccininni at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) STILLWATER -- Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith was named a finalist for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame class of 2019, USA Wrestling announced on Monday. The two-time Olympic champion and four-time World gold medalist competed at 62 kilograms at the 1988 Seoul Games and the 1992 Games in Barcelona in addition to wrestling at the World Championships from 1987 to 1991. Smith owns more World-level gold medals than any other American wrestler and is one of only three U.S. wrestlers to win two Olympic golds. To this day, he holds the record for consecutive World/Olympic titles with six. The Cowboy head coach was a two time Pan American and Goodwill Games champion as well. In 1990 coach Smith became first wrestler in history to win the James E. Sullivan Award. The honor is presented annually to the country's most outstanding amateur athlete. In the same year, Smith was named the USOC Sportsman of the Year. The Del City, Okla., native served as a coach on multiple World Championship staffs, most recently in 2017 as a women's freestyle World Team coach. He was named USA Wrestling Women's Co-Coach of the Year for his role with that team. Team USA fans can cast their vote at TeamUSA.org/Vote from today through Sept. 3, to help determine the class of 2019. This year's class will mark the first inducted into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame since 2012. The fan vote counts for 10 percent in the weighted total, and 60 percent is made up of Olympians and Paralympians. The remaining 20 percent comes from members of the USOPC family and media. The finalists include 15 Olympians, nine Paralympians and three teams. The class of 2019 will be announced on Monday, Sept. 23, and inducted on Friday, Nov. 1, during a ceremony in conjunction with the all-alumni U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team Reunion in Colorado Springs. Red carpet arrivals, interviews and the induction awards dinner at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center will be open to the media; credential information will be available in October. Opening in early 2020, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado, will become the new permanent home for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame.

Dylan Peters (middle) spent two seasons as an assistant at Central Michigan (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) INDIANOLA, Iowa -- Dylan Peters has been hired to lead the Simpson wrestling program as its next head coach, Director of Athletics Bob Nutgrass announced. Peters arrives after serving as an assistant coach at Central Michigan University over the last two seasons. "The Simpson Athletic Department is excited to have Dylan Peters as our new head wrestling coach," Nutgrass said. "Dylan was outstanding in the interview process and the search committee was very impressed with his philosophy and vision for our wrestling program. With his excitement, work ethic and love of the sport, we are certain he will build our wrestling tradition." Peters becomes the 18th coach in program history and takes over for Nate Hansen, who resigned after seven seasons with the Storm. Hansen guided Simpson to seven wins in 2014-15, the most since the 2005-06 campaign and finished with an overall record of 23-84. "I'm excited for the opportunity to be a part of the Simpson program," Peters said. "I am looking forward to meeting the team and getting to work right away. Simpson has the facilities and location to be one of the best teams in the conference. I have had the honor of working and training under two great coaches, Doug Schwab and Tom Borrelli, and look forward to passing along the knowledge and skills that I have gained from them." During his stint with Central Michigan, Peters has helped coach 10 NCAA qualifiers, while one received All-American recognition in 2019. Peters worked under head coach Tom Borrelli, who owns a 329-151-7 career mark in 28 seasons at the helm for the Chippewas. Peters was recruited by Iowa and Minnesota to join their wrestling programs during high school, but ultimately chose to attend the University of Northern Iowa. Going to Cedar Falls, Iowa paid off for Peters as he earned two All-American honors and was a four-time NCAA qualifier. Peters climbed the record books with the Panthers and graduated in fourth place with 18 pins in a season and ended fifth all-time with 38 career pins. His 38 pins were the third most among active Division I wrestlers when he graduated in 2017. He saw success early in his career with the Panthers and racked up a 20-5 record during his freshman season. The next season in 2013-14, Peters had a career-high 34 victories and had a perfect 13-0 dual record, while sweeping the Mid-American Conference duals at 7-0 as a redshirt freshman. Peters finished the year with 18 pins to garner his first All-American honor with a sixth-place nod and was the team's first freshman to receive the distinction since 1996. He also won a MAC title at 125-pounds. During the season, he improved on his career's fastest pin of 19 seconds. As a sophomore, he tallied his second trip to the NCAA tournament after receiving second-place at the MAC Championships. The following year, Peters garnered his second All-American nod to become the 33rd Panther to do so. He piled up six top-20 victories, including his season's fastest fall against No. 5 Ryan Millhof of Oklahoma in 1:03 at the NCAA Championships. As a senior, he took second at the MAC Championships to cement his place at the NCAA tournament for a fourth time. Aside from the accolades on the mat, Peters shined in the classroom as well, earning National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic recognition three times and Academic All-MAC honors on two different occasions. As a prep wrestler at Denver-Tripoli High School in Denver, Iowa, Peters recorded an impressive career record of 195-1 and won three state titles, while making the state tournament four times. Peters graduated in 2017 from Northern Iowa with a degree in human movement and exercise science. Peters and his fiancé, Haley, reside in Des Moines and plan to marry on Aug. 17, 2019. The Peters File Hometown: Denver, Iowa High School: Denver-Tripoli Education: B.S., Northern Iowa, 2017 Playing Experience: Northern Iowa, 2012-17 Coaching Career 2019: Simpson College, head coach 2017: Central Michigan University, assistant coach

Vito Arujau gets his hand raised after advancing to the finals at 57 kilograms (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) TALLINN, Estonia -- Twenty-year-old Vito Arujau shined brightly on the opening day of the Junior World Championships, reaching the gold-medal match at 57 kilograms. The Cornell All-American advanced to the finals in freestyle with a dominant 8-1 victory over returning world champion Akhmed Idrisov of Russia. Idrisov scored first off the activity clock just over two minutes into the match to grab the early 1-0 lead. Arujau fired off a single leg a short time later and elevated Idrisov before putting him down for a takedown. Late in the first period, Idrisov got to Arujau's leg and nearly finished for a takedown, but Arujau fended it off and took a 2-1 lead into the break. The opening minute of the second period saw a tremendous amount of action but no scoring. Arujau added to his lead midway through the final period with an exposure to go up 4-1. He added another exposure with just over 40 seconds remaining to go up 6-1. Ten seconds later, Arujau shot a single leg and converted it to a takedown to go up by seven points with under 30 seconds remaining, which would close out the scoring. It was a difficult road for Arujau on the opening day. He opened his tournament by facing three-time Cadet world medalist Giorgi Gegelashvili of Georgia. Arujau hung on to win that match 4-3. He then edged Asian silver medalist Vijay Patil of India, 9-8, in the quarterfinals. Arujau's father Vougar was a two-time world champion and 1996 Olympic bronze medalist in freestyle for the Soviet Union. Arujau will face Japan's Toshiya Abe in the finals on Tuesday. The final round is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time/11 a.m. ET. Four other Americans failed to advance to medal matches in freestyle on Monday. Aaron Brooks, a gold medalist at the 2017 Cadet World Championships, dropped his first match to Abubakr Abakarov of Azerbaijan, 5-3, at 79 kilograms. Both wrestlers won silver medals at last year's Junior World Championships. Brooks led 1-0 at the break after scoring with a step out. Abakarov came back in the second period with a takedown to grab a 2-1 lead. A short time later, Brooks hit a headlock and scored two points before Abakarov rolled through and picked up a reversal to take the lead on criteria. With 45 seconds left, Abakarov scored a takedown and held on for the win. Brooks' medal hopes were dashed when Abakarov lost in the quarterfinals to Russia's Amkhad Tashukhadzhiev. Yahya Thomas went 1-1 at 65 kilograms. He started his day with a 5-2 win over Adilet Zhaparkulov of Kyrgyzstan. In the round of 16, Thomas faced Turan Bayramov of Azerbaijan. Thomas led 1-0 after the first period, but Bayramov came out strong in the second period, scoring two takedowns and a four-point throw to win 9-1. Bayramov then lost on criteria in the quarterfinals, which eliminated Thomas from the competition. Brayton Lee was edged 3-2 in his opening match against Ashraf Ashirov of Azerbaijan at 70 kilograms. Lee led 2-0 at the break after scoring off the activity clock and with a step out. Ashirov battled back in the second period, scoring first off the activity clock and then getting a takedown off a bodylock with just under 20 seconds remaining. Lee was eliminated when Ashirov dropped his next match. Tanner Sloan lost his first match at 97 kilograms to Feyzullah Akturk of Turkey, 12-2. His competition came to a close when Akturk lost in the semifinals. Five more American freestyle wrestlers will open their competitions on Tuesday: Gabriel Tagg (61 kilograms), David Carr (74 kilograms), Trent Hidlay (86 kilograms), Lucas Davison (92 kilograms) and Mason Parris (125 kilograms).

Oklahoma State wrestling can claim the most NCAA team titles (34) and the most individual national champions (134) ... yet still uses one of the oldest wrestling facilities in college wrestling (eight decades old). Mike Holder, Oklahoma State's athletic director, has big dreams for building a completely new facility for the storied Cowboy wrestling program ... a new structure that could be constructed to the east of Gallagher-Iba Arena (present home for the school's wrestling room, weight room and locker facilities), in the greenspace between the iconic arena (dedicated in 1939) and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum. In an interview Thursday with Seth Duckworth of Pistols Firing, Holder made clear that he is not looking to build a new wrestling arena such as those recently constructed at Ohio State and Indiana University ("we have the best wrestling arena in the world") but what Duckworth referred to as a stand-along practice facility. OSU AD Holder is thinking big. "I want to build something that's a clear span, a room with 8 or 10 mats, and you could train not only our team, but a club team, or Olympic team, or World team, and try to draw athletes from all over the world to come to Stillwater to train for wrestling competitions," Holder told Pistols Firing's Duckworth. "Whether it be collegiate or international. Maybe you'll add women's wrestling someday? That's growing." "I want to build for the next 100 years, not the next 20-30," said Holder. What's the possible cost of this kind of structure? Holder provided an estimate of about $40 million for the new wrestling facility. With that kind of potential price tag, this project would need more than crowdfunding, according to Holder. He envisions a significant, multi-million-dollar donation from a single individual (or a handful of individuals) with very deep pockets. Despite that challenge, Holder thinks the time is right. "Since 1938 when we built Gallagher Hall, we haven't done anything for wrestling," Holder told Pistols Firing. "We took it for granted, and it's still been successful. But when you have something that's that valuable, then you should continue to invest in it and we've put it off far too long -- 81 years is long enough." The Stillwater NewsPress -- the local town newspaper -- agrees. "Division I wrestling has become an uphill battle of three teams -- Ohio State, Oklahoma State and Iowa -- trying to track down the behemoth of Penn State," wrote Sports Editor Jason Elmquist right after the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. "Oklahoma State wrestling has found itself in an arms race -- both within the college wrestling landscape and within its own athletic department -- and it is still standing at the starting line. "The Cowboy wrestling program has been treated like the kid brother of the family, being given third-generation hand-me-downs and asked to win at the highest level with it. "Holder admitted last spring that wrestling has been forgotten by the athletic department for generations. And he, the builder of all things new in Oklahoma State Athletics, needs to move now to help get the wrestling program back in title contention from the ground up. "If he wants Oklahoma State Cowboy wrestling to truly be 'King of the Hill' in college wrestling, that commitment needs to be more than a repurposed locker room. The program needs a dedicated wrestling complex that dwarfs that of those being built by wrestling programs that have nowhere near the tradition of Oklahoma State wrestling."

Jordan Burroughs gets his hand raised after winning a gold medal (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) LIMA, Peru -- The United States freestyle wrestling team closed out the Pan American Games with a bang, collecting three gold medals and a bronze on Saturday in Lima, Peru. Olympic champions Jordan Burroughs (74 kilograms) and Kyle Snyder (97 kilograms), along with two-time world medalist Nick Gwiazdowski (125 kilograms), won gold medals. Pat Downey (86 kilograms) earned a bronze. Saturday's medal haul came a day after freestyle wrestlers Daton Fix (57 kilograms) won a gold and Jaydin Eierman (65 kilograms) claimed a bronze. For Burroughs, it was his third Pan American Games gold medal and he accomplished it on the seven-year anniversary of winning gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. In the finals, Burroughs topped 2011 world silver medalist Franklin Gomez of Puerto Rico, 4-1, in the gold-medal match at 74 kilograms. The 31-year-old Burroughs scored the only point in the first period off a step out. In the second period, took the lead on criteria after scoring off a caution on Burroughs for fleeing the hold. Burroughs scored with a step out a short time later to retake the lead. He then added a takedown with 30 seconds left and held on for a three-point victory. Earlier in the day, Burroughs picked up a pair of technical superiorities to reach the finals. Snyder, a 2016 Olympic champion and two-time world champion, found himself in a 3-0 hole at the break in his finals match at 97 kilograms against Jose Diaz Roberti of Venezuela. Diaz scored a takedown and added a step out in the first period. Snyder, though, dominated the second period, scoring nine unanswered points to win comfortably. Snyder's run to the finals included a 3-1 semifinal victory over three-time world medalist Reineris Salas Perez of Cuba and a 10-0 technical superiority over Puerto Rico's Evan Ramos. Gwiazdowski was unchallenged on Saturday, picking up three technical superiorities at 125 kilograms while outscoring his opposition 30-0. In the finals, Gwiazdowski dominated two-time world medalist (Greco-Roman) Oscar Pino Hinds of Cuba, 10-0. Pat Downey finished with a 2-1 record, earning the bronze medal at 86 kilograms. He opened his tournament with a 14-4 technical superiority over Angus Arthur of Jamaica. In the semifinals, Downey was defeated by Cuba's Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta, 7-2. Facing Alexander Moore of Canada in the bronze-medal match, Downey locked up a throw and scored four points before securing the fall. The United States finished the Pan American Games with 15 medals across all three styles of wrestling, which was second to Cuba.

Kayla Miracle with the American flag after winning gold at the Pan American Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) LIMA, Peru -- Four wrestlers took the mat for the United States on Friday at the Pan American Games. All four left with medals, three being gold. Kayla Miracle (62 kilograms) and Tamyra Mensah-Stock (68 kilograms) captured gold medals in women's wrestling. Daton Fix won gold in freestyle, while Jaydin Eierman earned a bronze. Miracle was dominant throughout the tournament. After getting a pair of falls in her first two matches, she cruised to a 12-0 technical superiority in the finals at 62 kilograms over two-time Olympic medalist Jackeline Renteria Castillo of Colombia. Tamyra Mensah gets in on a shot in her finals match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Mensah-Stock, a returning world bronze medalist, claimed her gold medal at 68 kilograms by getting a first-period fall over Olivia DiBacco of Canada. She was unscored upon in her first two matches, getting a 12-0 technical superiority and a fall in the semifinals over Mexico's Ambar Garnica Flores. Pan American Games gold medalist Daton Fix with the other medalists at 57 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Fix was impressive throughout the competition, capping off his gold-medal run at 57 kilograms with an 11-0 technical superiority over Juan Ramirez Beltre of the Dominican Republic. He scored an early takedown and used two gut wrenches to go up 6-0. A short time later, Fix picked up his second takedown of the match, which he followed up with a gut wrench to close out the victory. Earlier in the day, Fix had wins over Brazil's Daniel Alves Do Nascimento (10-0) and Cuba's Reineri Andreu Ortega (4-1). Eierman bounced back from a first-round loss to Cuba's Alejandro Valdes Tobier to win a bronze medal at 65 kilograms. He defeated Argentina's Augustin Destribats 15-4 in the bronze-medal match. After Eierman jumped out to an 8-0 lead, Destribats scored with a four-point throw to make the score 8-4. But the American earned a reversal and then used a leg lace to finish off the technical superiority. Saturday marks the final day of the Pan American Games wrestling competition, with the final four freestyle weight classes being contested.

I'm in Odessa this weekend covering the third stop of the Beach Wrestling World Series, the competitive, prize-bearing circuit for United World Wrestling's burgeoning beach wrestling style. With the Olympic styles in full swing, the Beach Wrestling Odessa stop will have a limited number of competitors, but as with prior events the winners will receive 100, 500, and 250 CHF for taking the top three spots in each of the four men's and women's weight categories. There is always a desire for more competitors and bigger events, but what we are seeing with beach wrestling is something even more unique -- a lot of return competitors. That's powerful for a young sport because it allows us to see familiar faces and follow along in their year-end quest to win the World Championships (Sept. 7-9 in Zagreb) and qualify for the Beach World Games (Oct. 11-13 in Doha). Hopefully the sport can catch fire in untapped wrestling communities as well. Africa has several traditional styles that are very similar. The popularity of those local styles is multigenerational and profound, making wholesale change to freestyle difficult for some. Beach wrestling is a gateway form of international wrestling for many of these nations who would be certain to find success quicker on the beach than the mats, given the lack of ground wrestling. It's all pretty interesting and as we enter the midway point of this first full year of the world series I hope that we can start to find some more fans and build this new and exciting form of the world's oldest and greatest sport. Action starts Friday at 3 p.m. local time and continues with two sessions on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time and 3 p.m. local time. Coverage of the event can be found @uwwbeachwrestling on Instagram and @uwwbeach on Twitter. FloWrestling will be streaming the event live on their platforms. To your questions … Zain Retherford gets in on a shot against Jaydin Eierman in the semifinals of the U.S. Open (Photo/Sandy Slater) Q: What did you make of Jaydin Eierman replacing Zain Retherford for the Pan American Games? -- Mike C. Foley: The most obvious conclusion is that Zain is slightly more injured than previously disclosed/announced/rumored. As for why Team USA didn't bring Yianni, the notification of injury was made after he'd already left for Poland. Interestingly, the event has a strict guideline for who may enter as an injury replacement. Only the names noted in the early forms delivered to the organization are eligible for competition. That rule left the list pretty confined to a few names, hence Eierman getting the nod. Let's hope he crushes! Nestor Taffur wrestling James Green at the World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: What are your thoughts on Nestor Taffur's win over 2012 Olympic champ Toghrul Asgarov at 74 kilograms? Is Asgarov a medal threat at 74 kilograms? -- Mike C. Foley: Taffur has been training regularly at the NYC RTC and has even gone on the road to train some with Team Georgia. He's likely to wrestle for Colombia at the World Championships at either 74 kilograms or 79 kilograms. I'm not shocked by the results both because Taffur is in excellent shape and well-coached, but also that anytime a wrestler "debuts" at a new weight it takes time for them to adjust. Any loss for Asgarov would have felt unacceptable, but the way he lost made it seem as though he has an uphill climb to make the Olympic lineup for Tokyo 2020. A little pudgy, pretty slow, not as dynamic and while 70 kilograms and 65 kilograms are out of the question, the Azerbaijan staff may want to ask themselves if Asgarov isn't better off wrestling a little leaner in order to retain his timing and reactions. Great win for Taffur! MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Great scrambling Watch the Junior World Championships next week on Trackwrestling! Q: Pan Am Games vs. Pan Am Championships: Can you explain the difference? Is one more prestigious? Is one an Olympic qualifier? It looks like we are sending a stacked squad. -- Nick D. Foley: The Pan Am Games are the quadrennial athletic competition for the Americas, hosted by the Pan Am Committee. The Games are like the Olympics in that they are outside of United World Wrestling's event management and they hold high esteem among the Pan Am nations. In almost all sports winning a Pan Am Games one of these events will mean increased funding from your home nation. In that way the event is more prestigious than maybe a Pan Am Championships, but you cannot qualify for the Olympic Games from the Pan Am Games. The qualification (in wrestling) is World Championships (6), Continentals (8 total), and Last Chance (2). Also note that the continental championships in the Olympic year are not the qualifier, only the continental qualifier, which is everyone from the continent who didn't qualify a spot during the World Championships. The Championships accepts everyone and will host non-Olympic weights, too. Q: With the question about Kyle Conel in last week's mailbag, I have another question along the lines of medical redshirt/hardship. Have you or any readers ever heard of a wrestler getting two extra years like Anthony Cassar was granted? I have heard of many getting one year, but two seems to be unheard of, I would think. To me, it reeks of "Cael getting whatever he wants" with the NCAA. And because of the PSU machine and its domination like the Iowa teams of the late 70's and 80's draws in eyeballs/ratings at the end of the year, along with the fact that the broadcast kept raving on about Cassar and how great of a story he had led to an individual title, it seems to be that he is getting much more favorable treatment on "medical hardship" then others around the NCAA. I would understand him getting one year, but two … really? He'll probably be what … 25 if he uses both years? -- Dustin B. Foley: Not an unfair examination, but I don't think this was a Cael or Penn State-specific ruling. In recent weeks I've spoken to several coaches about medical hardships for sixth-year waivers and the response was pretty reliable: The NCAA doesn't want litigation and would rather grant opportunities to athletes rather than limit them unnecessarily. It's the same idea behind the transfer portal and other recent developments. I wish the NCAA had this mindset when I applied for my fifth-year medical hardship waiver in 2003. Instead of an easy grant they chose to find any way possible to block my hardship, eventually forcing me to go to court to have a (very) obvious bad judgement overturned even as they admitted in conversation there was no reason they shouldn't be able to change it internally. Either way, the NCAA is erring on the side of the athletes, I think that is the most notable change, less that they are assisting Cael and Penn State.

Sarah Hildebrandt claimed the gold medal at 53 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) LIMA, Peru -- Whitney Conder and Sarah Hildebrandt added to America's gold-medal count on Thursday at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Conder and Hildebrandt won gold medals at 50 kilograms and 53 kilograms respectively. The pair joins Greco-Roman wrestler Pat Smith as gold medalists for the United States after the second day of wrestling competition. Jenna Burkert earned a silver medal at 57 kilograms. Whitney Conder with the American flag after winning gold (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Conder claimed her gold medal at 50 kilograms with a convincing 10-2 victory over Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, a Pan American Championships gold medalist. It was her second Pan American Games gold medal, after winning in 2015. The 31-year-old American picked up three first-period takedowns to go up 6-0 at the break. Guzman got on the board with a takedown in the second period, before Conder scored an exposure and then added a takedown to win by eight. Conder picked up a pair of technical superiorities en route to reaching the finals. She outscored her opposition 30-2 on Thursday. Hildebrandt, a returning world silver medalist, capped off a dominant performance in Lima with a first-period 10-0 technical superiority over Betzabeth Arguello Villegas of Venezuela in the finals at 53 kilograms. She did not surrender a point through the competition, outscoring her three opponents by a combined score of 28-0. Hildebrandt defeated Carolina Castillo Hidalgo of Colombia (8-0) and Kamila Barbosa of Brazil (10-0) in the first session. Burkert was edged by Ecuador's Lissette Antes Castillo 2-1 in the gold-medal match at 57 kilograms. The three-time World Team member for the United States scored the first point of the match off the activity clock and took a 1-0 lead into the break. But Castillo battled back in the second period, scoring two consecutive steps outs to earn the victory. Burkert reached the finals with two technical superiorities, 10-0 and 11-0. Adam Coon, America's lone Greco-Roman wrestler competing on Thursday, was shut out 8-0 in his first match to Yasmani Acosta Fernandez of Chile, eliminating the returning world silver medalist from the tournament. The United States Greco-Roman team finished the Pan American Games with one gold, one silver and two bronzes.

Deron Winn (Photo/Josh Hedges, Getty Images) Deron Winn is expected to face Darren Stewart at UFC Boston in October, according to multiple media reports ... and the former junior college wrestling champ's Instagram post. The middleweight (185 pound) bout will feature Winn facing off against Stewart at UFC on ESPN 6 to be held at TD Garden in Boston on Friday, Oct. 18, according to TheBodyLockMMA.com, one of the first MMA websites to report on the upcoming fight last week. Winn, 30, is coming off his impressive UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 153 in Greenville, S.C. in late June, earning a unanimous decision over Eric Spicely. (Both fighters earned a $50,000 bonus for that fight ... and were singled out for positive comments from UFC president Dana White.) London-based Stewart has built a 10-4 (1 no contest) pro MMA record, which includes a 3-4 record in UFC events. Prior to launching his pro career in June 2014, "The Dentist" had a perfect 5-0 record in amateur bouts. Stewart's most recent fight was a unanimous decision over Bevon Lewis at UFC 238 in June. Winn, who signed with UFC at Christmastime 2018, is now 6-0 in his pro MMA career, and 1-0 in UFC. Prior to launching his pro career in March 2017, Winn made a name for himself in amateur wrestling, both in freestyle competition ... and in folkstyle, winning two NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) wrestling championships for St. Louis Community College, Meramec.

Jesse Delgado after winning a national championship (Photo/Illinois Athletics) AMES, Iowa -- Today Cyclone Regional Training Center Director, Kevin Dresser, announced the addition of Jesse Delgado as a Resident Athlete of the C-RTC. Prior to the C-RTC, Delgado had been training with the Illinois Regional Training Center. "We have the unique opportunity to hire Jesse as a resident athlete in the short term with the hopes to possibly transition him into a coaching position in 2020," Dresser said. "Jesse's wrestling resume speaks for itself. He is a guy who loves to get on the mat and train. He also has a passion to coach in the very near future. I think he will be a great fit for our entire program. "I am super excited to start this chapter of my life," Delgado said. "The entire Cyclone Wrestling program really excites me." Delgado comes to Ames with a long list of wrestling accolades. As a collegiate wrestler, he was one of the nation's top 125-pounders all four years while wrestling for the University of Illinois. He was a two-time NCAA Champion while competing for the Illini, and earned All-America honors on three occasions. He was twice a Big 10 Champion and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2013 Big 10 Championships. Delgado will begin training in Ames in mid-August.

Matt Hill (Photo/Matt Durisko) Episode 33 of The MatBoss Podcast is with second-year Edinboro head coach Matt Hill. Host Chad Dennis visits with Hill to talk about the first year at the helm, the pride of the Edinboro program and what he's looking forward to as he heads into year two and the first year in the expanded Mid-American Conference, which absorbed the Eastern Wrestling League. Hill will also talk about the dynamic of the school, where Edinboro is recruiting and the rebuilding process that's going on in Northwestern Pennsylvania.

Pat Smith with the American flag after winning gold at the Pan American Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) LIMA, Peru -- Pat Smith came through to win gold in Greco-Roman on the opening day of the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Smith, a two-time World Team member, was one of five American Greco-Roman wrestlers to compete on Wednesday. Three others won medals. G'Angelo Hancock (97 kilograms) claimed a silver, while Ildar Hafizov (60 kilograms) and Ellis Coleman (67 kilograms) won bronze. Joe Rau (87 kilograms) lost in the bronze-medal match. Smith faced Olympian Wuilexis Rivas of Venezuela in the gold-medal match at 77 kilograms. Rivas scored first off an arm throw and led 2-0 at the break. But Smith kept the pressure on in the second period. He found a takedown midway through the period and then added a step out for a 3-2 victory. Earlier in the day, Smith picked up victories over Wair Cuero Munoz of Colombia (4-1) and Emanuel Benitez Castro of Mexico (4-1). Hancock, a 2016 Junior world bronze medalist and three-time World Team member, fell in the finals at 97 kilograms to Gabriel Rosillo Kindelan of Cuba 7-2. The two faced off in April in the finals of the Pan Am Championships, with Kindelan winning by 10-2 technical superiority. On Wednesday, Hancock jumped out to a 2-0 lead after scoring with two step outs. Kindelan came back strong in the second period, scoring with a four-point throw to grab the lead before adding two step outs and an additional point off a failed challenge. Hancock did not surrender a point in his two matches leading up to the finals, picking up a pair of technical superiorities in a combined time of one minute and 34 seconds. He opened with a 9-0 victory over Thomas Barreiro of Canada before getting a 10-0 win over Kevin Mejia Castillo of Honduras. Ildar Hafizov gets his hand raised after winning his bronze-medal match at 60 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Hafizov earned his bronze at 60 kilograms with a 7-2 win over 2015 Junior Pan American champion Emilio Perez Alonzo from Mexico. After scoring a point off a passivity, Hafizov used three gut wrenches to go up 7-0. Perez would get on the board with a takedown in the second period, but that was all he would score. Hafizov dropped his first match of the day to two-time Pan Am bronze medalist Ditcher Toro Castenada of Colombia Ellis Coleman captured a bronze medal at 67 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Coleman captured his bronze at 67 kilograms with a second-period fall over 2017 Pan Am silver medalist Luis De Leon of Dominican Republic. De Leon scored the only point in the first period off a step out. In the second period, Coleman countered a duck-under and put De Leon on his back for the fall. Coleman's lone loss came in the semifinals to 2016 Olympic champion Ismael Borrero Molina of Cuba, which came after beating Joilson De Brito Ramos of Brazil by fall. Rau finished the day with a 1-2 record at 87 kilograms, losing in in the bronze-medal match to 2018 U23 World silver medalist Daniel Gregorich of Cuba 8-2. In the first session, Rau notched a win over Ricardo Cardenas Esquen of Peru 5-3 before losing 8-0 to Luis Avendano Rojas of Venezuela. On Thursday, Adam Coon (130 kilograms) will compete in Greco-Roman. Whitney Conder (50 kilograms), Sarah Hildebrandt (53 kilograms) and Jenna Burkert (57 kilograms) will open the women's wrestling competition. Action is set to begin at 10 a.m. CT.

A GoFundMe page has been established for Ashland D. Tate, a former wrestler at Brother Martin High School in New Orleans, who was murdered in suburban St. Louis Friday night. Ashland TateProceeds generated by the fund will help fund the future education of his two young sons. Tate, 35, was found shot while sitting in a car at an apartment complex in Rock Hill, Mo. at about 10 p.m. Friday. He later died in a St. Louis area hospital. Two men have been arrested for the crime. Police report that the accused knew Tate. Born in New Orleans in 1984, Ashland Dennis Tate was a member of the Crusader wrestling team at Brother Martin. "In my opinion, Ashland is easily one of the top five most gifted wrestlers we've ever had," Chuck Stall, Tate's former wrestling teammate at Brother Martin who still works at the all-boys school, told KMOV-TV, the CBS affiliate in St. Louis. Tate grew up in a Boys Hope group home in New Orleans. He later became Executive Director of Boys Hope Girls Hope, an academic boarding house program, at the organization's national headquarters just outside St. Louis. "He just wanted to be on a team. I think he just wanted to be a part of something," Stall continued. "He always did whatever needed to be done, his work, his school, his obligations to his friends and team, but he did it with the biggest smile on his face like that was the greatest thing he could be doing that day and that was infectious." After graduating from Brother Martin, Tate continued his education at University of New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina struck the city in 2005, Boys Hope Girls Hope helped Tate relocate to St. Louis, where he enrolled at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. He graduated from UMSL with a degree in Media Studies. In addition to his work at Boys Hope Girls Hope, Tate was a board member for Youth Bridge Community Foundation and UMSL. What's more, he was involved in supporting the wrestling program at Whitfield School in the St. Louis area, where one of his sons is a team member. Tate is survived by his wife Brenda; their two sons, Rome and Kyi; his mother April; and his sisters, Michelle and Taiche. Visitation for Ashland Tate will take place Thursday, Aug. 8 starting at 1 p.m. Central, with a funeral service at 3 p.m. at the Archway Memorial Chapel, located at 111 Taylor Rd., Hazelwood, Missouri. Immediately following the service there will be a Celebration of Life service at the Boys Hope Girls Hope National office at 12120 Bridgeton Square, Bridgeton, Missouri.

Though the sport of mixed martial arts has always done a fair job of attracting their share of world-class wrestlers 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 USA, 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, the 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. Top-flight wrestlers have always found success in MMA, but one thing that the recent group of converted world-class wrestlers has over its predecessors is this; they've been watching MMA for years by the time they step foot in an MMA gym. This is an invaluable asset. As a result of this early exposure to the sport and the growth of MMA everywhere, we are seeing heavyweight international wrestling champions win fights with spinning wheel kicks. We are seeing Greco-Roman Olympic medalists execute submissions with devastating proficiency. We are seeing rapid rises through the ranks of the world's top MMA promotions. 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 ... Boris Novachkov was an Olympian for Bulgaria in 2016 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Boris Novachkov This Bulgarian-American wrestler has brought with him to the cage quite a unique type of experience in that he's been exposed to both the American and Eastern European wrestling styles and systems. Moving to California from his native Bulgaria at age 13, Novachkov experienced a great deal of success wrestling in the Golden State. A high school career that produced two state titles, freestyle and Greco-Roman national titles at Fargo, and a runner-up finish at NHSCA Senior Nationals led Boris to Cal Poly. Finishing as a three-time Division I All-American and national finalist, he then moved on to the senior freestyle scene where he wrestled for Bulgaria. Notching medals at super-tough tournaments like the European Championships, Dave Schultz Memorial, and Kolov-Petrov, Novachkov put in a stellar career that saw him become an Olympian (eighth place) and defeat no less than two world finalists, one of them being 2013 world champ David Safaryan. His wrestling career winding down, back in California, Novachkov was surrounded by a wealth of top MMA coaches and training partners, most of them former wrestlers. In addition to training with his brother Filip, the eccentric Novachkov honed his skills alongside Urijah Faber, Khabib Nurmagomedov, T.J. Dillashaw, Daniel Cormier, and many others. With his peers thoroughly impressed, Novachkov debuted on a major Bellator MMA card in April of 2019. Despite narrowly losing to a foe with much more experience than his record suggested, Novachkov did well. His athleticism, fluidity, and lightning-fast shot were quite impressive. Should he continue in MMA I fully expect him to reach the top five of Bellator's stacked 145-pound division or better. Chris Gonzalez Illinois native Gonzalez is another one of these gifted athletes who despite not wrestling until high school excelled anyway. Initially wrestling just to stay busy after school, Gonzalez's high school coach encouraged him early to try Greco-Roman and he obliged, a move that's paid dividends. Gonzalez twice won the Illinois Greco-Roman state title (he placed third in freestyle), going on to become a two-time Fargo All-American in that style. Gonzalez followed his high school career by coming a junior college All-American at Harper College. Since then it's been all Greco, and he moved on to Northern Michigan University, and eventually the main Olympic Training Center to pursue a world title. Multiple international medals and strong showings followed before Gonzalez would get his chance, as he won the 2016 non-Olympic weight trials (being named Outstanding Wrestler in the process). He'd go 1-1 at Worlds, ultimately placing 10th, and though he would continue to wrestle, a move to MMA came soon thereafter. Not ruling out a return to the mats in 2020, Gonzalez chose to settle in at an MMA camp that could keep his wrestling sharp while also developing his MMA skill set. Enter Urijah Faber's Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California. A gym full of Division I wrestlers and California state placewinners who happen to also be among the best lighter-weight fighters on earth, TAM has been a perfect fit for Gonzalez. After scoring quick submission wins in his lone amateur fight and his pro debut, Gonzalez debuted on the big stage at Bellator 221, winning a unanimous decision. Big things are expected from Gonzalez, and his offensive firepower is off the charts. With his big throws and slams and brutal arm-choke series, it's still early but the sky's the limit for this kid. Damian Janikowski wrestling in the finals of the 2011 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Damian Janikowski While wrestlers with strong Greco-Roman backgrounds have been commonplace in MMA for many years, very few (if any) didn't also have freestyle or American folkstyle skills as well. Polish Greco-Roman superstar Janikowski is interesting in that he is one of the first "pure" Greco guys to enter MMA with little or no background using and defending leg attacks. Though that fact could certainly be a liability, Janikowski did have the advantage of having dabbled in BJJ and amateur MMA (aka Shooto) years before he even stopped wrestling. Janikowski's wrestling career was a fantastically successful endeavor. Coming up on the world scene as a Cadet and a Junior before embarking on a near decade long senior career, he won too many prestigious medals to list here. Included in this haul were gold medals at many grand prix events and the Dave Schultz Memorial, medals at Military Worlds, a silver at the 2011 World Championships, and a bronze at the 2012 Olympics. The winding down of his wrestling career coincided perfectly with the emergence of a global MMA show based right in his backyard. Signing with the Polish MMA show KSW was a no-brainer, and Janikowski was pushed hard from the start. He had such a tough time finding willing opponents that his first 3 foes had a combined total of 77 fights! He rose to the challenge, defeating them all inside of 2 rounds. This absurdly high level of opposition continued, and Janikowski has since hit a bit of a rough patch, losing his last two fights to exceptional talents. I expect him to get back on track, as most fighters are forced to regroup at some point. His skill set is too formidable not to. Simply put, the man is an animal. Highly aggressive, big, strong, and unsurprisingly, a monster in the clinch with strikes, takedowns, and position, a little nuance will go a long way. We will find out in September when he returns to the KSW cage against an opponent to be determined. Tyrell Fortune Blue chip heavyweight prospect Tyrell Fortune is one of a few world-class wrestlers to jump into MMA at the beginning of his athletic prime. He was one of a handful of big-time wrestlers scooped up by Bellator MMA before ever taking a single fight. So far, the strategy is paying off nicely for the promotion and Fortune is looking to be a truly special talent. Fortune's wrestling resume starts with a high school career that netted two state titles and dual national titles at Fargo in 2008. After high school, in addition to winning dual titles at the 2009 Junior World Team Trials and competing in both styles at the World Championships, he won two NJCAA national titles and a NCAA DII national title. Wrestling and winning medals in both styles internationally, Fortune scored a bronze in Greco-Roman at the Dave Schultz Memorial and won University Worlds, NYAC International, and the Dave Schultz Memorial in freestyle while climbing to the No. 2 spot on the USA's heavyweight freestyle ladder. Under the guidance of controversial but effective manager Glenn Robinson (RIP), Fortune was afforded the chance to receive top-level training and coaching from the beginning of his career with renowned South Florida team, the Blackzilians. His training environment would undergo several changes since then, but the quality of Fortune's work inside the cage has remained constant. He is the prototypical, new-school, MMA heavyweight. Big and strong but also somehow fast, agile, and graceful. Sporting clean, powerful punches along with high amplitude takedowns and fierce ground-n-pound, Fortune does it all. Look for him to build on his 6-0 record, slowly but surely rise to the very top of MMA's heavyweight ranks. He fights next at Bellator 225 on Aug. 24. Maikel Perez Gonzalez A member of the small but growing contingent of top Cuban wrestlers to defect and take up MMA, "Super" Maikel has had his eye on UFC gold since well before he even left Havana. Having been inspired by the likes of Hector Lombard and Yoel Romero, he saw what kind of life could be had for a wrestler of his caliber who enters MMA. Like many Cuban athletes before him, he made the gut-wrenching decision to leave his family and homeland behind and he came to the USA in 2015. Perez is a product of the tried and true Cuban/Soviet wrestling system that grooms kids for the Olympics early. He progressed rapidly under this system, earning a spot in the senior level pecking order by 16. By the time his early 20's had rolled around, Perez was Cuba's No. 1 at 55 and 60 kilos. Though he medaled twice at the Pan Am Championships (one gold, one bronze), made a world team, and became an Olympian in 2008, domestic competition in Cuba is fierce and he lost his top spot after failing to medal at the 2009 World Championships. He would still wrestle with the national team but his mind drifted towards becoming an MMA champion. Unlike most Cuban fighters, Perez passed on the training opportunities in the Miami area and headed west to California and King's MMA. Under the tutelage of MMA striking genius Cordeiro, Perez developed a style that plays to his strengths nicely. He couples the clinch skills he sharpened in wrestling with the nasty clinch work found in Cordeiro's Muay Thai. Lightning fast and with a vast arsenal of wrestling techniques, Perez employs attacks not often seen in the cage. He is light on his feet and moves with such ease and grace, even when compared to other flyweights. Currently sporting a 6-2 record, Perez is closing in on a UFC contract. Were he to sign with the UFC, his style, credentials, and relationships should afford him ample opportunity to make a splash. These are just a few of the bona fide, world-class wrestlers currently making moves in MMA. Stay tuned to InterMat for the next installments of this list, as Part 2 will feature an Olympic finalist, protégés of both Daniel Cormier and Brock Lesnar, and perhaps the most compelling prospect in MMA history.

Tyrell Fortune (Photo/Bellator) Former collegiate wrestling champ Tyrell Fortune hopes to build on his flawless pro MMA record as he faces an opponent with the same perfect record at Bellator 225 later this month. Fortune, 6-0, will take on fellow undefeated heavyweight (265-pound) Rudy Schaffroth on the main event portion of the card at Bellator 225 on Saturday, Aug. 24 at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. Since launching his pro MMA career in November 2016, Fortune has six fights under his belt ... with four of those victories by TKO. The 29-year-old Portland, Oregon native has fought exclusively for the Bellator promotion. Schaffroth shares the same home state as Fortune … and the same perfect 6-0 record in his pro career. (Prior to going pro in Oct. 2016, Schaffroth was 5-2 in three-and-a-half years as an amateur.) One difference: none of Schaffroth's pro bouts went past the first round ... while Fortune had two bouts go the distance. Fortune vs. Schaffroth is the fourth heavyweight battle currently scheduled for Bellator 225. The top-of-the-card bout also features big men: Matt Mitrione vs. Sergei Kharitonov. Prior to signing with Bellator four years ago this month, Tyrell Fortune had built a successful amateur wrestling career. Fortune was a three-time finalist -- and two-time state champ -- for Lake Ridge High School. Fortune then launched his collegiate career at Clackamas Community College in Oregon, where he won two NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) heavyweight titles. Back in 2010, Fortune had accepted an offer to wrestle at Ohio State, but instead chose Grand Canyon University in Arizona, where he was crowned heavyweight titlist at the 2013 NCAA Division II championships and was also named Division II Wrestler of the Year. Beyond folkstyle success, Fortune had won six national freestyle and Greco-Roman titles.

Bryce Meredith competing at the Dave Schultz Memorial (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) The Princeton Wrestling Club (PWC) and the New Jersey Regional Training Center (NJRTC) announced that two-time NCAA runner-up Bryce Meredith has joined their organizations. "Sometimes, there are things in our lives that reveal themselves that you can't pass up. With me deciding to move to New Jersey and be a part of the NJRTC, it feels like one of those moments," said Meredith. "We are so excited to have Bryce full time at the NJRTC. He is a phenomenal athlete and a great role model to wrestlers around the country," said NJRTC Head Coach Reece Humphrey. Meredith was a two-time NCAA runner-up and three-time All-American for the University of Wyoming. He was second in the 2016 and 2018 NCAA Championships and fourth in 2017 NCAA Championships. He started his college wrestling career at NC State. This year, Meredith started to focus on his international wrestling career, placing third at the 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International and competing at the U.S. Senior Open and other major freestyle events. Before college, Meredith displayed great abilities in the Olympic styles. Wrestling for Wyoming USA Wrestling, he was third in 2013 Junior Nationals and fifth in 2012 Junior Nationals. Meredith was also seventh in 2010 Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman. Meredith joins a strong stable of top international wrestling talent with the NJRTC.

Austin Marsden FARGO, N.D. -- Former Oklahoma State All-American wrestler Austin Marsden has been named assistant wrestling coach at North Dakota State University. NDSU head wrestling coach Roger Kish made the announcement today. Marsden, a native of Crystal Lake, Ill., served as an assistant coach at the University of Buffalo from 2017 to 2019. He helped to develop Bulls' heavyweight Jake Gunning into a NCAA qualifier during his stay. Marsden was a four-year letterwinner at national powerhouse Oklahoma State where he compiled a career-record of 108-22 as a heavyweight with 40 bonus-point wins (19 major decisions, five tech falls and 16 falls). He went 37-8 in duals matches for the Cowboys over his career and was a three-time Big 12 champion. Marsden was an NCAA qualifier all four seasons and was an All-American in 2014 and 2016. Following graduation, Marsden spent the 2016-17 season as a volunteer assistant at Army West Point. He helped lead the Black Knights to a 7-5 dual meet record - their most dual wins since the 2013-14 season. Army West Point had four wrestlers compete at the 2017 NCAA Championships in St. Louis. 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.

CLARKSVILLE, Ark. -- Jason Schweer is returning to University of the Ozarks as the Associate Head Men's Wrestling Coach, it was announced by Athletic Director Jimmy Clark Monday. Jason SchweerSchweer served as an assistant coach at Ozarks from 2015-2018 and then landed the head coaching job at Kansas Wesleyan University. Kansas Wesleyan would later discontinue its wrestling program after just four years of competition, allowing Schweer to return back to Ozarks. Schweer was part of a strong Ozarks' recruiting class that saw the program qualify one wrestler to Nationals. "I'm really excited about having his experience and his familiarity with the program," said head coach LeRoy Gardner. "He already has relationships with this team and has been a big part of our success. Most of our seniors were part of our first recruiting class together so it is definitely special to have him back. There are many aspects to a program that are difficult to understand until you've experienced it as a head coach, so it is priceless that he's sat in the chair. We're excited and looking forward to working together in what is a pivotal year for our wrestling program." A native of Waverly, Iowa, Schweer guided one wrestler to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Nationals last season at Kansas Wesleyan. At Ozarks, he was part of the staff that posted the program's first winning record. Prior to Ozarks, Schweer served as a volunteer assistant coach for two seasons at Grand View University, helping the program to a pair of national championships. In his time there, the program produced 24 national qualifiers, 20 All-Americans and six individual national champions. Schweer wrestled at North Iowa Area Community College for two seasons and then at Grand View, helping the program to the 2012 NAIA national title. As a collegiate student-athlete, he was a two-time NJCAA Academic All-American and a NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athlete. Schweer received his bachelor's degree in sports management from Grand View in 2012. He attended the National Wrestling Coaches Association Leadership Academy in 2019.

Jake Sinkovics WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. -- In preparation for their 2019-2020 campaign, University of the Cumberlands head men's wrestling coach Jordan Countryman announced several changes to his coaching staff. Countryman promoted former graduate assistant Jake Sinkovics to an assistant coach while adding two new graduate assistants to the crew. "I can't wait to get started with this staff," Countryman said. "They're energetic, positive role models and they know what it takes to win at the highest level." Sinkovics was promoted to a full-time assistant role after a brief stint as a graduate assistant. Last year, he helped the Patriots on their way to an undefeated conference season and second-place finish at the Mid-South Conference Championships. "It feels great knowing that I've got people behind me who put their trust in me to take on this responsibility," Sinkovics said. "I'm excited about this year for our team we have a lot of talent and a lot of work ethic, I think we're going to do some great things." Sinkovics graduated from Cumberlands in 2018, highlighting his resume with an NAIA national title in the 133 lbs. weight class to top his undefeated senior season. The four-time NAIA All-American was also a three-time MSC Champion and Freshman of the Year. "We're really happy to move him into a full-time position with the program," Countryman said. "He really loves this program and the team, he's awesome at building relationships with each guy, and he knows how to get the most out of each individual and help them reach their full potential as an athlete." Bringing fresh eyes to the mats, Kegan Calkins will begin his first year as a graduate assistant for Cumberlands. As a three-year starter, Calkins accumulated 44 wins against Division I opponents during his collegiate career at Oregon State. He also was a two-time Fargo All-American in high school, taking a state championship his senior season. "Calkins comes from a very well-respected background and is going to help make an impact right away," Countryman said. Another former Patriot added to the coaching ranks this season under the name Hayden Lee. He joins the staff after two years with Cumberlands as a student, graduating this past May. During his wrestling career with the Patriots, Lee was an NAIA National Champion in the 125 lbs. weight class in 2018 and undefeated against MSC opponents in both seasons. "Lee has a ton of respect and trust with the team already," Countryman said. "He's going to be a very dynamic recruiter, and he'll be a huge asset to our lightweight guys." Cumberlands begins their 2019-2020 campaign on November 2 with the annual Patriot Open.

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Notre Dame College wrestling head coach, Sonny Marchette announced on Monday that his team will be adding Nate Skonieczny as an assistant coach. Nate SkoniecznySkonieczny comes to NDC after spending the past two years coach at the University of Mount Union and Rootstown High School. Last season, as Rootstown High School's co-head coach, his team had a State Champion and five place winners as the team finished as the runner-ups. An assistant coach during the 2017-18 season at Mount Union, Skonieczny helped lead the team finished 10th in the country while boasting an individual National Champion and two All-Americans. "I am very excited to add Nate as a full-time assistant coach," Marchette said. "Nate is going to make a great addition to the NDC wrestling program as he brings in a wealth of knowledge about the sport. He has been part of top pedigree teams, which gives him the ability to coach at a high level. His youth will allow him to practice with our guys and show them techniques up close." Skonieczny was a four-time state placer and two-time state champion for Walsh Jesuit High School. His 186 career wins is the most in Walsh Jesuit history. He went on to wrestle collegiately at Iowa, Kent State and Jamestown Community College. "I've known Nate since he was in youth programs in North Akron," Marchette said. "He competed at Walsh Jesuit High School where I am an alumnus. I have known him and his family for a long time and I am excited to add someone of his caliber to our winning program. It is going to be great for our guys to be exposed to the experience and leadership Nate and [assistant coach] Cory Stainbrook possess. "We are looking forward to a great season."

Elena Pirozhkova at the 2016 Olympic Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Former world champion and two-time United States Olympian Elena Pirozhkova has been selected as the first-ever head coach of the New Jersey City University women's wrestling program. Pirozhkova, 32, one of the most decorated American women in the history of the sport, will have the unique opportunity to develop the first-ever collegiate program in the state of New Jersey or the tri-state area, from the ground floor. Pirozhkova, a 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympian, was crowned the 2012 World Champion. A 2010 and 2014 World silver medalist and a 2013 World bronze medalist, she finished fifth at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. She wrestled for Team USA for 10 years (2007-17), wrapping up her competitive career in 2016-17 ranked No. 1 in the United States at 63 kilograms/138.75 pounds. "Having a women's program at NJCU is very exciting and I'm looking forward to being a part of this momentum in women's wrestling in the NCAA," said Pirozhkova. "NJCU is a great place to build a women's program due to its location and resources. It's exciting to start a new program and be part of history in the making." Shawn Tucker, Director of Athletics and Associate Vice President, added: "This is a great day in the history of New Jersey City University and our athletics program. We have hit a grand slam with the hiring of Elena Pirozhkova as our first-ever women's wrestling coach. Elena is a world champion and an Olympian. She has done it all in the sport of wrestling and is a hero to young women in the sport around the country and the world. Her experience level cannot be understated. Coming on the heels of our historic announcement as the first women's wrestling program in the state of New Jersey, the excitement level is very high. Adding Elena as the leader of this program will only elevate that excitement. NJCU will be a destination for girls from around the country who will want to be coached as a collegian by a true champion, both on the mat and in life." Pirozhkova was a member of Team USA world championship and Olympic teams for nine straight years from 2008-16 and won an eight-time U.S. Open champion (2009-15, 2017). She captured the 2008 and 2010 University World championship, was a four-time Pan American Championships champion and a three-time Golden Grand Prix Finals champion. Pirozhkova was the 2010 USA Wrestling Women's Wrestler of the Year. "Elena Pirozhkova was one of the mainstays on our Senior National Team for a decade," said Terry Steiner, USA Wrestling National Women's Coach. "Elena is a past World champion with five World-level medals to her credit. She earned every bit of those medals. She started as just a normal kid and grew into a great champion for Team USA! There is no doubt in my mind that Elena will have a positive effect on the athletes she is around on a daily basis. I'm excited for Elena and also excited for New Jersey City University and the athletes she is coaching." Kyra Tirana Barry, the Team Leader for USA Wrestling Women's Freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympics noted: "I am thrilled that Elena will be continuing her wrestling career as a collegiate coach in New Jersey. Over the last 10 years, I have watched Elena grow from a young senior team participant into a talented and thoughtful student of all aspects of the sport. She has long supported her peers, mentored up-and-coming athletes and more recently been an active board member guiding Beat the Streets. As women's wrestling moves toward NCAA Emerging Sport status, the sport will be fortunate to have Elena leading a program and contributing to collegiate wrestling's development and success." At NJCU, Pirozhkova will serve as a head coach for the first time. During her competitive career, she has coached for Team New York at the Fargo Junior Nationals and has trained younger girls at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She has also served as an instructor at numerous clinics throughout her competitive years and worked with Beat the Streets as a coach. "Having this program so close to home is an amazing opportunity for me as a coach and for the women on the East Coast," Pirozhkova noted. "I'm excited to build a great, high-level program here in Jersey City." Pirozhkova has been a board member for Beat the Streets New York for nearly two years. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Bridgeport and is currently completing her PhD in Bridgeport's Doctor of Chiropractic program. A native of Greenfield, Massachusetts, she attended Greenfield High School where she was a 2005 ASICS High School All-American Second Team member and the 2005 United States Girls' Wrestling Association (USGWA) national champion. She placed third in the 2003 and 2004 USGWA Nationals. She started wrestling at the age of 13, competing primarily against boys in high school. Born in Russia, she moved to the United States at the age of three. Pirozhkova resides in Jersey City, N.J. with her husband, Alan Vera, an international Greco-Roman wrestling star for Team USA, and formerly the Cuban National Team.

Youssif Hemida battles Amar Dhesi at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club has added former Maryland heavyweight standout Youssif Hemida to its 2019-20 senior-level freestyle roster, the club announced on Monday (Aug. 5). Hemida, a two-time NCAA All-American (2018, '19), will compete internationally in the 125kg/275-pound freestyle weight class. "We look forward to Youssif joining our team and bringing his enthusiasm, motivation and hard work to the mat," said Michigan head coach Sean Bormet. "He is very excited about competing at the international level, and I see a ton of potential in him. He will be a great contributor to our wrestling room. He will add a lot of value to what is already one of the top upperweight rooms in the country." A collegiate standout at Maryland (2016-19), Hemida was a two-time NCAA All-American at heavyweight, claiming eighth place as a junior (2018) and sixth as a senior (2019), and a three-time NCAA qualifier. He was the eighth multi-time All-American in Maryland program history. Hemida was ranked as high as fourth nationally as a senior, posted a 21-9 record and placed third at the Big Ten Championships -- the highest placement for Maryland wrestler at the conference tournament since the Terrapins joined the Big Ten. He was a three-time Terp team captain and compiled an 86-44 career record, including a 51-17 mark over his final two seasons. Hemida also represented the United States at the 2018 U23 World Championships in Bucharest, Romania, where he claimed the freestyle silver medal at 125kg. Originally from Mamaroneck, New York, Hemida will relocate to Ann Arbor this month.