InterMat Staff

Robert Howard reached the semifinals before losing to Iran's Mahdi Veisi (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) SOFIA, Bulgaria -- Stevo Poulin and Robert Howard reached the semifinals of the Cadet World Championships on Monday before falling to Iranians. Poulin, the nation's No. 12 overall junior, was defeated in the semifinals at 48 kilograms by returning Cadet world champion Rahman Amouzadkhalili, 12-0. The Iranain used three takedowns and a step out to build a 7-0 lead at the break. In the second period, Amouzadkhalili scored with a step out before shooting a single leg and scoring four points to close out the technical superiority. Earlier in the day Poulin edged Armenia's Harutyun Hovhannisyan, a Cadet European silver medalist, 8-7, in the quarterfinals. He opened his tournament with a 10-0 technical superiority over 2019 Cadet Asian silver medalist Nurdaulet Bazarbayev of Kazakhstan. Howard, the nation's No. 11 senior and a Penn State commit, dropped his semifinal match at 55 kilograms to Iran's Mahdi Veisi, a two-time Cadet Asian bronze medalist, 8-6. Howard got on the scoreboard first with a takedown. Veisi responded with a takedown and added a step out to go up 3-2 at the break. The Iranian went up 8-2 in the second period after scoring with a takedown, gut wrench and step out. Howard, though, made things interesting late. He scored a takedown with 45 seconds left, which made the score 8-4 in favor of Veisi. Then with eight seconds left in the match, Howard used a front headlock roll to score two points and put Veisi in danger, but the American would fall short. Howard reached the semifinals with a pair of 6-3 victories first over Norik Harutyunyan Armenia and then Ruhan Rasim of Bulgaria in the quarterfinals. It's Howard's third straight year competing at the Cadet World Championships. Poulin and Howard will wrestle for bronze medals on Tuesday, with the round scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. ET. Clayton Ulrey will compete in repechage for a chance to wrestle for a bronze medal. Ulrey, the nation's No. 60 senior, reached the quarterfinals at 80 kilograms before falling to Arslan Bagaev of Russia 10-0. He was pulled into repechage after Bagaev reached the finals. Ulrey notched wins over 2019 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Bekzat Amangali of Kazakhstan (4-4) and 2017 U15 European bronze medalist Farid Jabbarov of Azerbaijan (12-0). Ryan Sokol and Hunter Catka were eliminated on the opening day. Sokol, the nation's No. 10 junior and Iowa commit, dominated Moldova's Ionut Vintila 10-0 in his opening match at 65 kilograms. He then lost 12-0 in his next match to 2019 Cadet European Championships bronze winner and European Youth Olympic Festival bronze medalist Davit Patsinahsvili of Georgia. Sokol was eliminated from the tournament when Patsinahsvili lost in the semifinals. Catka, a Virginia Tech commit, lost his first match at 110 kilograms to Turkey's Adil Misirci 7-4. His competition ended when Misirci dropped his next match. Five more U.S. freestyle wrestlers will open their competition on Tuesday at the Cadet World Championships starting at 3:30 a.m. ET. Those wrestlers include Marc-Anthony McGowan (45 kilograms), Richard Figueroa (51 kilograms), Jesse Mendez (60 kilograms), Alex Facundo (71 kilograms) and Kyle Haas (92 kilograms).

Seven individuals have been named to the Class of 2019 by the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Rick Bollenbach, Mitch Brown, Greg Evans, Todd Goolsby, Tony May and Malcolm Wade have been selected for their Lifetime Service to Wrestling, an award presented each year to coaches, officials and contributors who have given at least 20 years of service to wrestling. In addition, Nick Mauldin will receive the Medal of Courage, given to former wrestlers who have been highly successful and have used the disciplines learned in wrestling in their chosen profession. Lifetime Service to Wrestling honorees for 2019: Rick Bollenbach was a four-year letterman and two-year starter at University of Central Oklahoma, winning the 142-pound NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) national championship in 1985. He started his coaching career the following year as head coach at Edmond North Junior High School… then, after six seasons, went to Edmond Memorial High School as an assistant before starting the program at Edmond North High School in 1993. Bollenbach was the Oklahoma Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the year in 2001-02. A number of his wrestlers earned NCAA All-American honors; two -- Teyon Ware and Kyle Evans -- won national titles. Mitch Brown, an Oklahoma high school state champ in 1982, started his coaching career in 1988 as youth coach at Mustang, Okla., guiding his teams to four state titles and claiming 30 individual champions. He was also an assistant coach at Mustang and El Reno high schools, where he coached 10 team state champs and 53 individual champs. Brown earned Oklahoma Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year honors seven times and was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Assistant Coach of the Year in 1998. What's more, Brown also served as a high school and college official. Greg Evans wrestled in high school and college in New Jersey, putting together a 102-12-1 career record at Upsala College and earning All-America honors in 1981. He came to Oklahoma in 1994 as assistant coach at Broken Arrow High School and played a key role in leading the Tigers to nine dual and state tournament titles during an 11-year tenure. Evans then went to Tulsa Union High School and helped the Redskins capture nine district titles and three state championships. He moved to his current role as assistant coach at Bixby High School in 2014. Evans has helped coach 35 individual state champions, including one four-time winner and seven three-time champs. Todd Goolsby wrestled at Del City High School and graduated from Central Oklahoma in 1995 before beginning a 20-year coaching career as assistant coach at Jarman Middle School, then served as head coach at Del Crest Middle School for a decade. Goolsby also was an assistant coach at his high school alma mater 2005-11 then an assistant at Choctaw High School from 2011-15 before moving to the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association. He serves as assistant director of the OSSAA and is in charge of administering wrestling, volleyball and soccer. Goolsby is also on the education committee of the National Federation of State High School Coaches Association. Tony May was a wrestler at Derby (Kan.) High School, then spent a year competing at Kansas State before the Wildcats eliminated wrestling in the early 1970s… forcing him to finish his mat career at University of Central Oklahoma. He returned to Derby to launch his wrestling coaching career as assistant coach in 1987… then, in 1990, took over as head wrestling and golf coach at Southeast High School in Wichita. May spent nine seasons there, earning Kansas Wrestling Coach of the Year honors in 1996, then returned to Derby as assistant coach for two more years before retiring from coaching. In addition, May served as a high school wrestling official in Oklahoma for 16 years before retiring in 2019. Malcolm Wade graduated from University of Oklahoma in 1971 after competing for Midwest City High in the mid-1960s. He coached at Carl Albert High from 1980-98, guiding the Titans to six district championships, four regional titles and back-to-back state crowns in 1991 and '92, earning Class 4A Coach of the Year honors both seasons. Overall, Wade coached 11 state champions and eight All-Staters. Wade, who passed away in 2014, is now honored by having his name on the Carl Albert Malcolm Wade Tournament. In addition, Nick Mauldin will be presented with the Medal of Courage. After winning an Oklahoma state title at Shawnee High in 1986, Mauldin continued his wrestling career at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he was a two-time EIWA champion (automatically qualifying for the NCAA championships) and named Outstanding Wrestler at the 1990 EIWAs. He also compiled a 110-29-5 record for Army. Prior to retiring as an Army colonel in 2017, Mauldin had been presented with a number of honors, including the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the National Defense Service medal, the Iraq Campaign medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service medal. The seven new honorees will be inducted during a banquet set for Sunday, Oct. 13 at what was formerly the Jim Thorpe Museum and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame at 4040 North Lincoln in Oklahoma City. A reception begins at 3 p.m., with dinner at 4 p.m. and the induction ceremony at 5 p.m. Reservations are $55 per person and can be purchased online at www.ok-nwhof.ticketleap.com or by contacting Howard Seay at c4dcowboys@aol.com or (918) 639-8868.

Mount Olive, N.C. -- Mount Olive head wrestling coach Jake Patacsil announced the addition of Luke Welch as an assistant coach on Wednesday afternoon. The announcement comes just months before the Trojans take to the mat for their inaugural wrestling season at Mount Olive. "I am excited to announce that Luke Welch has accepted the opportunity to join the UMO family as the assistant wrestling coach for the 2019-2020 season," said head coach Jake Patacsil. "He brings with him a wealth of knowledge wrestling at the 125lb weight class for Purdue for the last five years while leading the team. Luke is dedicated to athletic excellence with an emphasis on academic achievement. Bringing in a young coach who is eager to learn and succeed is what I was looking for in a candidate and I know Luke will help take UMO to the next level in our upcoming years. It is an exciting time to be starting a program and Luke is the right guy to help bring us into the future." Welch comes to Mount Olive after completing his collegiate wrestling career at Purdue in 2018 with a 32-11 season and a strong performance at the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships. At the 2018 Championships, Welch won his opening bout only to drop in the second round to No. 3 Spencer Lee of Iowa. He continued on in the wrestle backs winning a pair of matches before falling one round shy of the All-American rounds. Welch's overall career record came in at 93-64 between the 125 and 133-pound weight classes. He was the 2017 USA Wrestling University Nationals 57 kg national champion, a two-time USA Wrestling University Nationals All-American (2015, 2017), a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2015, 2018), and ranks 18th on Purdue's career takedowns list (227). Welch's family has a deep history in the sport of wrestling. He joined his older twin brothers, Chad and Doug, on the mat for the Boilermakers while wrestling at Purdue from 2013-2018. Their father Curt and uncles Tim and Bart also wrestled collegiately, competing at the University of Indianapolis through the late 70's, 80's, and early 90's. Recently, Welch was an assistant wrestling coach at Castle High School in Newburgh, Indiana, where he helped the Knights to a fourth consecutive sectional team championship title which also included nine individual champions. The Trojans kick off their season in early November as they travel to the Hokie Open in Blacksburg, Va. Coach Patacsil, Coach Welch, and the team host the inaugural match at Kornegay Arena on November 24 in a tri-meet with UNC Pembroke, St. Andrews, and West Liberty. Fans can are encouraged to check back frequently for updates regarding the Wrestling team and can also follow the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

We should all be lucky enough to have a neighbor like A.J. Grant. The former University of Michigan NCAA All-American wrestler helped Atlanta area police catch a man accused of stealing a neighbor's lawn equipment this week. Grant was washing dishes Monday evening when his dog started barking. Looking out the window, the Wolverine wrestling alum noticed the door of his neighbor's shed was open ... then saw a man come out with a lawnmower and trimmers. "I came through the gate, as I came this way I noticed there was a U-Haul parked over [there]," Grant told the Fox TV affiliate in Atlanta Thursday. "The window was down, so I came in threw it in park and tried to get the keys out." Grant said the driver punched him in the head. Meanwhile, the man who reportedly took the lawn equipment out of the neighbor's shed took off running ... with Grant hot on his heels. The Michigan mat star caught the suspect and pinned him to the ground until police arrived. That suspect has been charged with burglary and criminal trespass. The person driving the U-Haul got away with trimmers. The lawnmower was recovered and returned to its owner. Grant was rather modest about his helping to collar the suspected thief. "I guess it's part of being neighbors really," Grant told the Fox reporter. "I mean, he's in here stealing things from people and I just wanted to make sure he got in trouble for what he did." News of Grant's heroics made it back to his native Michigan, where it was covered by the Detroit News. According to the paper, Grant is a native of Clarkston, Mich., and a 1999 graduate of Clarkston High, where won back-to-back Michigan state titles in 1998 and 1999. While at Michigan, Grant wrestled at 125 pounds, where he earned NCAA All-American honors in 2001 and 2003 by placing fourth at Nationals. The four-time letterman was also a finalist at the 2003 Big Ten conference championships. All those high school and college mat accomplishments aside, wrestling fans have to admire Grant for calling on those athletic skills to take down the alleged thief.

Women's wrestling has taken yet another step toward officially becoming an emerging sport in all three NCAA divisions. In separate actions this week, the NCAA Division II and Division III Management Councils each recommended that their divisions add women's wrestling (along with acrobatics/tumbling) to their list of emerging sports for women. These decisions are based on a recommendation from the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics, which oversees the emerging sports program with the goal of increasing participation opportunities for female athletes. The Presidents Council of each division will review the proposal at its meeting next month. If each Council supports the recommendation, Division II and Division III members will vote on whether to add women's wrestling and acrobatics/tumbling to their emerging sports lists at the 2020 NCAA Convention. Both women's wrestling and acrobatics/tumbling are on similar tracks in NCAA Division I. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics pointed to women's wrestling's rapid growth at the high school and college level -- as well as the diversity of its participants, among other factors -- as reasons to add it to the emerging sports list. The purpose of the emerging sports list is to provide a fast track for eligible women's sports to become full-fledged NCAA championship events. The NCAA currently has three emerging sports: equestrian, rugby and triathlon. NCAA rules require that emerging sports must gain championship status within 10 years or show steady progress toward that goal to remain on the list.

Komeil Ghasemi gets a front headlock on Tervel Dlagnev at the Olympics (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland -- The IOC Disciplinary Commission (DC) rendered its decision against Artur Taymazov (UZB) who failed a reanalysis of his anti-doping test at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Taymazov tested positive for the prohibited substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (oral turinabol). The Uzbek wrestler had earned a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at 120 kilograms and his removal will re-shuffle the order of medalists at the 2012 London Games. Komeil Ghasemi (Iran) will become the new gold medalist, Bilyal Makhov (Russia) remains silver, and Tervel Dlagnev (USA) will be the newest bronze medalist. Gold: Komeil Ghasemi (Iran) Silver: Bilyal Makhov (Russia) Bronze: Tervel Dlagnev (USA) Bronze: Daulet Shabanbay (Kazakhstan) Taymazov may opt to appeal the IOC DC decision before CAS within 21 days. United World Wrestling will then determine the sanctions faced by the athlete.

Former Ohio State mat star Lance Palmer stopped Luis Rafael Laurentino in the third round of their 145-pound bout at PFL (Professional Fight League) 5: 2019 Regular Season in Atlantic City Thursday night. Lance Palmer"Lance Palmer once again proved he's the gold standard in PFL's featherweight division," asserted MMAnews.com. "… Palmer had his way in the grappling department, but he wasn't content with riding out another unanimous decision. Instead, Palmer pummeled his opponent on the ground for a TKO victory." Here's how CageSidePress.com set the scene for the fight: "Lance Palmer has long been a PFL mainstay, and a WSOF standout well before that. In the league's opening season, Palmer captured the featherweight title, and the million-dollar prize. For the PFL's 2019 season he was back, looking to repeat as champion. The next step in that quest came at PFL 5 2019, against Luis Rafael Laurentino on Thursday." "Not surprisingly, Palmer landed a takedown early in the fight," CageSidePress continued. "But Laurentino had the BJJ you'd expect from a high-level Brazilian fighter. Palmer had to contend with a number of dangers, including a gogoplata attempt. However, he'd stay in control for the bulk of the round…" "A missed head kick early in round three gave Palmer the window he needed to get a takedown. This time, he passed guard almost immediately to get into side control. Laurentino rolled to all fours, giving Palmer back control, then full mount. The blows started raining down from ‘The Party' and Laurentino had no escape. As Palmer flatted out Laurentino, who had rolled to his stomach, the fight was stopped." Putting it in official terms, Lance "the Party" Palmer scored a TKO over Luis Rafael Laurentino at 2:45 in Round 3. With the win, the former Buckeye is now 19-3 in his pro career launched in May 2011. Perhaps more important, the 31-year-old Palmer will return to the PFL featherweight playoffs again, having won the first two rounds this season. Palmer won the first-season tournament, taking home the $1 million grand prize. Prior to entering MMA, Lance Palmer was a four-time Ohio high school state champion wrestler (and the subject of a documentary titled "Pinned."). At Ohio State, Palmer was a four-time NCAA All-American and Big Ten champion.

Bubba Jenkins, 2011 NCAA wrestling champ for Arizona State, retained his BRAVE featherweight (145-pound) title with a first-round TKO at BRAVE CF 24 in London Thursday night. Bubba JenkinsHere's how the website LowKickMMA.com described Jenkins' title defense: "The main event was a short-lived affair with BRAVE featherweight champion Bubba Jenkins demolishing Brazil's Lucas Martins with less than three minutes gone on the clock. Jenkins started the fight with a flying knee before locking in the take-down. Once the fight hit the ground, Jenkins quickly wore Martins down before unleashing several heavy shots which caused the contest to be brought to a halt." "It was an impressive performance from the American who cemented his position as the featherweight to beat in the BRAVE CF division," according to BloodyElbow.com. BRAVE CF 24 was held at Copper Box Arena in London ... under highly unusual circumstances for a professional mixed martial event, requiring guests to wear formal attire and possess an invitation. "Influencers, celebrities and politicians watched on at the black tie, invite-only show where it was hoped that networking would help elevate MMA on the continent going forward," according to Bloody Elbow. "Only time will tell if that was indeed the case ..." With the win, the 31-year-old Jenkins is now 14-4 in his pro MMA career going back to December 2011, including a multi-year stint in Bellator MMA. Jenkins announced his intention of entering MMA just minutes after winning the 157-pound title by pinning former Penn State teammate David Taylor at the 2011 NCAAAs. Jenkins had wrestled for the Nittany Lions before having a falling out with head coach Cael Sanderson and transferring to Arizona State to complete his college mat career.

According to online sources, the arbitration date for Yianni Diakomihalis' complaint has been set for July 29. The complaint surrounds Yianni's dispute following the video review at the end of his second match against Zain Retherford at Final X in New Jersey. The review, which happened after time had expired, determined that in the final scramble the points were in Retherford's favor. The change of outcome led coach Rob Koll to file grievances with the USOC and trigger the date for an arbitration hearing. There isn't much more to say on the topic that hasn't already been written, except to reiterate that processing competition claims through the courts is extremely disappointing. The wrestling community should be better than to take their grievances off the mats as it establishes a precedent that costs money, time, and the proper focus and preparation of athletes. Also, I think that the complaint being made here is in bad faith, and meant to upend the result by any means necessary rather than accept an unpalatable decision by the refereeing body. I enjoy Yianni's wrestling and know he would enjoy a great chance to medal at the World Championships. But … he lost the match in New Jersey and that outcome should not be revisited by a room full of suits two months after the fact. The focus of USA Wrestling and the starting 10 should be on Nur-Sultan and the impact it will have on the chances for Team USA to win a multitude of medals in Tokyo. As a side note, Yianni's complaint would seem weightier if the USA used Japan's Olympic qualification system. That system states that any returning world medalist is automatically Team Japan's representative at the Summer Games. I don't think it changes my stance, but it would charge up a touch more sympathy. To your questions … Q: Why doesn't international wrestling use a true repechage or wrestleback system where it's double elimination? Many wrestlers travel many miles and spend a lot of money only to be able to wrestle one match if they lose in the first round of a tourney and their opponent doesn't advance to the finals. The current system doesn't necessarily show who the top six wrestlers are in that particular tourney; there's a lot left to chance based on each wrestler's draw. I understand that the current system allows for a greater chance of diversity in the country's medalists and streamlines the tourney but I would still prefer a system where the top six wrestlers on that particular day(s) compete for the medals. -- Craig T. Foley: The regulations were changed last year to force any bracket with fewer than 10 wrestlers to be competed in round-robin (nordic) style in part to ensure that the athletes were getting a large number of matches. Unfortunately, there are still larger tournaments where some of the first wrestlers to lose don't have an opportunity in repechage. However slight of a compensation it might be to some of the wrestlers or concerned fans, there are almost always large camps before these tournaments. Others have camps that follow. Perhaps no country does a better job than India to capitalize on those training opportunities. Their women and men often spend several weeks visiting countries after competition, much like we saw with Bajrang staying in NYC after BTS. For the reasons you stated, I doubt we'll see a big change in the way the tournaments are laid out but know that this has been a concern and that local organizers have done well to answer the call and provide more value for those traveling to events. Also, UWW does support some of the athletes you might be worried are spending extra money, as does Olympic solidarity. It's a big complex system, but there is a lot of financial and educational support for developing nations and athletes. Artur Taymazov Q: Artur Taymazov has long been in the conversation for greatest freestyle wrestlers ever. Now that he has two of his three Olympic gold medals stripped, where do you put him? Top five? Top 10? Outside the top 10? -- Mike C. Foley: Good riddance. In my personal opinion he ranks nowhere. While he may have the gifts to be a top-level competitor, I think that failing the two re-tests for which he was eligible to be re-tested (taken four years apart) all but proves that there were more instances of doping. The most recent test failure is still subject to an appeal, which Taymazov has planned to execute. The decision should be done in about a month. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Erica Wiebe: On the Shoulders of Giants Teaser: Cadet Worlds Q: Prior to the Yasar Dogu, did you think about the possibility of Frank Chamizo forfeiting in the finals? It seemed like a lot of people were upset, but I can't blame him for doing it. -- Mike C. Foley: No, it really hadn't crossed my mind that anyone would forfeit. Once they arrived, Chamizo and Burroughs' rankings for the World Championships were already pretty set as long as they both placed at the event. If for some reason Chamizo hadn't entered or hadn't placed in the top five then Burroughs could have jumped him. Nobody likes seeing a forfeit, but this is a long season and Chamizo competed in several Ranking Series tournaments across the world. The World Championships and ticket to Tokyo 2020 are Chamizo's main goals and I don't really think it was awful that he stayed focused on those goals considering the risk of injury he might face against Burroughs. I can tell you that there was no regulation imagined for this situation, partly because nobody knew (thought plenty had hoped) the Ranking Series would be embraced as it has been. While they may change the regulations in the future please remember that you can hardly make someone wrestle who doesn't want to compete. Are we to estimate and legislate how they feel? Can UWW tell Chamizo he's not hurt, or otherwise incapacitated? No. What can and should happen is the creation of financial incentives for these tournaments. Again, we are in the infant stages for these events, but the hope is that in future years more money will be available. Q: Have you heard anything about USA Wrestling's Olympic Trials Qualifier in December? Any idea where it's going to be held? I have not seen any details beyond that it's in December. -- Mike C. Foley: From what I understand the Olympic Trials Qualifier will be in Las Vegas and the procedures are posted online. A note that although these are technically in 2019 they will serve as the U.S. Open for 2020.

At any given time in the MMA world, one needn't look very far to find some high-level amateur wrestlers plying their trades. Whether it be the wrestling coaches behind the fighters or the fighters themselves, an absolute ton of former wrestling stars have moseyed on over to the MMA scene over the years. For crossover fans of both MMA and wrestling (collegiate wrestling in particular), there is a lot of interesting activity currently going on in and around the cage. Just last week NCAA legend Ed Ruth and two-time Division I national qualifier Urijah Faber got back to winning inside the Bellator and UFC cages respectively. Next week, Professional Fighters League hosts an event featuring four-time NCAA Division I All-American Lance Palmer, NJCAA and Division III All-American Chris Wade, NJCAA and Division II All-American Andre Harrison, and Division I wrestlers Alex Gilpin and Ramsey Nijem. Oh, and for a little bonus, the card also features several Russian fighters who hail from the Caucasus region of the greatest wrestling country on Earth. Needless to say, these guys can wrestle. This is not a particularly unique stretch of MMA events in terms of wrestling talent. MMA has drawn all types of top-notch wrestlers over the years. We have seen world-class wrestlers inconspicuously enter MMA, we have seen Olympians go on to become all-time MMA greats, we have seen top wrestlers enter MMA and fall short, and we've seen everything in between. Considering the wrestlers-turned fighters mentioned above all did the bulk of their wrestling in the NCAA, in the upcoming piece we will rank the 10 best NCAA champs-turned MMA fighters. 10A. Mark Munoz Two guys will share the 10 spot on this list, the first is former Oklahoma State Cowboy Mark Munoz. After completing an absolutely fantastic wrestling career and doing a little wrestling coaching, Munoz entered the world of MMA in 2007. A two-time Division I All-American, one-time national champion with a very strong list of freestyle credentials, "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" started strong in his MMA career and he had relationships (see the aforementioned Faber and a few Oklahoma State buddies) that served him well. Munoz climbed the MMA ladder quickly, needing just five fights to go from the California regionals, to the UFC-owned WEC, and ultimately to the UFC where he would finish his career. He had a very solid run in the UFC over seven years and 15 fights. Fighting in the UFC almost entirely at 185 pounds save for his debut where he was KO'd by the same guy he shares this spot on the list with, Munoz would come to be known as a grinding wrestler with great size, violent ground-and-pound, and a stout right hand. Munoz amassed a 9-6 UFC record which included five strong wins over fellow NCAA Division I wrestlers. In addition to opening one of the most popular training centers in MMA with his Reign Training Center, most would agree that the highlight of Munoz' career was coming within one win of a UFC title shot. Munoz retired in May 2015. 10B. Matt Hamill Holding the distinction of being the only three-time NCAA national champion on this list, Matt Hamill is also the only one on the list without the ability to hear, being born completely deaf. Hamill grew up in Ohio where he was a standout wrestler, placing as high as third in the high school state tournament. After high school "The Hammer" received scholarship money to wrestle for Purdue University in the Big Ten, but the lack of accommodations for the deaf made it a tough time. After a year at Purdue, Hamill wound up finishing out his eligibility wrestling in Division III at Rochester Institute of Technology, also home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Free from distractions and undue challenges, he won the NCAAs all three years at the Upstate New York school, going undefeated as a senior. Hamill first popped up on the MMA radar as a participant on the third season of the UFC's reality show/tournament, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). Under the tutelage of fellow wrestler Tito Ortiz, Hamill was pegged as a favorite to win the tournament despite his lack of experience. Although he won his first fight rather impressively, he had to bow out of the tournament due to injury. Regardless, he found his way into the UFC where he became a mainstay for the next six years, fighting a who's who of 205-pound talent while tallying a 10-5 record in the promotion. At his best, he was a dominating wrestler, dangerous on top, with a brutal, bullying clinch game. He used this style to score wins over five Division I wrestlers, including two national champions and a two-time national finalist. He exited the UFC in 2013 and has fought sporadically since. 9. Muhammed Lawal Texas native Muhammed Lawal, aka King Mo, is only one of two on this list who didn't begin wrestling until high school. Despite the late start he managed to win a state title as a high school senior before moving on to wrestle for the University of Central Oklahoma (NCAA Division II) where he was a two-time national finalist, one-time national champ. This impressive underclassman campaign justified moving north to Stillwater where Mo would finish out his collegiate career in Division I at the famous Oklahoma State University. There Lawal secured a third-place finish and All-America honors before graduating and embarking on a very successful senior level freestyle career. Shortly after failing to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Mo hooked up with Dan Henderson's Team Quest to begin MMA training. Less than two months later he was debuting in Japan against former NJCAA All-American and 65-fight MMA veteran, the always-tough Travis Wiuff. The result was impressive, as Mo dispatched the much more experienced foe in the first round with solid boxing. Over the course of his career Mo would use his wrestling to great effect, using it directly to win fights or using the takedown threat to create striking opportunities. His fantastic athleticism and power made him dangerous from everywhere and he was a potent finisher (14 KO's). Before it was all said and done, the recently retired Lawal won 21 of 31 fights, defeated two fellow DI wrestlers (one a national champ), fought for 11 years, and captured three prestigious titles. 8. Kevin Randleman "The Monster" Kevin Randleman is almost universally regarded as the most impressive athletic specimen to ever wrestle or fight. Randleman was born and raised in Ohio where he went 122-11 and won state's as a high school wrestler. He attended Division I powerhouse Ohio State University, where despite completing one of the finest careers in Buckeye history, some might say that Randleman underachieved! Going into his senior season a two-time national champ, three-time finalist, he lost the entire season of eligibility by failing to put up sufficiently good grades. Two years later, coach and mentor Mark Coleman offered a trip to Brazil to take part in what was then known as "no holds barred" fighting, or "Vale Tudo" in Brazil. From the very moment he entered the cage, his massive potential was apparent. He fought his first eight fights in Brazil before signing with the UFC. In the octagon he established himself as a top fighter when he captured and defended the UFC heavyweight title. Randleman also spent many years fighting in Japan where his physique, fighting style, and talent made him a fan favorite and contender. Injuries and time caused Randleman to slow down as he aged but he finished his career fighting in major shows in the USA and Japan and was always a tough out. At his best, Randleman was a dynamic, dominant wrestler with many takedowns in his repertoire and considerable power in his hands. Unfortunately, Randleman passed away of a heart attack in 2016, but his legacy as a supremely talented, gifted, tough, durable, exciting fighter is completely secure. 7. Mark Coleman One of the very first world-class wrestlers to enter MMA, Mark Coleman accomplished much on the mat. On the strength of a strong high school run that saw him win a state title, Coleman wrestled in college in the NCAA's Division I. Attending Miami University (located in Ohio) and eventually Ohio State, he established himself as one of the best 190-pound wrestlers in the country. After two All-American seasons, one of them yielding a national title, Coleman moved on to a very successful run in international freestyle wrestling before moving on to MMA. For the first six fights of his career, Coleman was largely considered unbeatable, and his two UFC tournament wins and capturing of the heavyweight title supported this. His ground-and-pound, size, wrestling, strength, aggression, and the sheer amount of violence he dished out was unprecedented, and he most-definitely pushed the sport to a new level. Opponents eventually figured out "The Hammer's" style and he took his share of losses, but his early UFC dominance and winning of Pride Fighting Championship's open-weight tournament made him a legend. Racking up impressive wins over two fellow DI wrestlers along the way, Coleman finished his career in the UFC with a loss to fellow wrestler and living legend Randy Couture in 2010. Ben Askren warming up before his Beat the Streets matchup against Jordan Burroughs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 6. Ben Askren Two-time Wisconsin high school state champ and blue-chip NCAA recruit, "Funky" Ben Askren could've wrestled anywhere, but ultimately chose to attend the University of Missouri. Though not generally regarded as a wresting powerhouse, it would be tough to criticize Askren's choice with a straight face, considering he accomplished one of the more brilliant careers in NCAA history. A four-time national finalist and two-time national champ, he was a prolific pinner and scrambler who wound up twice receiving collegiate wrestling's highest honor when he was awarded the Dan Hodge Trophy. Askren wrestled freestyle at a very high level during and after college but moved to MMA after competing at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Askren's MMA career thus far has been impressive as its been unique. After a brief and dominant run in the smaller shows, Askren signed with Bellator MMA where he needed just six months to capture their welterweight title. Though dominant, Askren's fights with Bellator were widely regarded as boring. His wrestling and control-oriented style though undeniably effective, even against the three DI wrestlers he defeated, was met with abounding criticism. Even after turning up the intensity and finishing a few very tough opponents, Askren garnered few additional fans and thus, when it was time to leave Bellator, he was snubbed by the UFC and not offered a contract. Undeterred, Askren proceeded to spend 3.5 years in Asia, fighting and winning in One FC, becoming their 185-pound titleholder. It was only after Askren seemingly retired that he was given a shot in the UFC where he's gone 1-1 and established himself as a viable draw for the company. Phil Davis 5. Phil Davis As one of only 4 four-time DI All-Americans on this list, Pennsylvania native and all-state high school wrestler Phil Davis enjoyed a wonderful NCAA wrestling career as a Penn State Nittany Lion. With two of his All-American seasons seeing him land in the national finals, and one of them netting a national title, "Mr. Wonderful" proved that his was a fitting moniker. About six months after wrapping up his collegiate wrestling career, Davis began an MMA career that impressed from the start. Needing just four fights to reach the UFC, Davis started his tenure by impressively defeating several highly regard fighters. His wrestling style blended effortlessly with submission grappling, and his size and athleticism presented many problems for opponents. Seemingly on the fast track to a UFC title shot, Davis eventually stumbled and suffered a tough loss to a more experienced foe in fellow DI wrestler Rashad Evans. He rebounded and resumed his winning ways, ultimately spending the vast majority of his UFC tenure in the top 10 of the rankings. Davis left the UFC in 2015, moving to Bellator MMA where he won (and then lost) their 205-pound title. A fighter who has defeated three fellow DI wrestlers, Davis is still active and never far from the title picture. 4. Josh Koscheck Like the man who appeared on this list before him, Koscheck was also an all-state high school wrestler in Pennsylvania who went on the wrestle for a Division I college in his home state. Also like Mr. Wonderful, Koscheck was a four-time DI All-American, two-time national finalist, one-time national champ. It was a phenomenal collegiate career in which Koscheck sharpened his reputation as a tough, confrontational, controversial fighter; a reputation that would rightfully follow him to MMA. Koscheck fought just two times on the regional MMA scene before appearing on the inaugural season of UFC reality show/tournament, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). What followed his time on TV was a brilliant and exciting UFC career that lasted a decade. He improved rapidly, thanks largely to his new home gym, American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), and his rapid, dramatic improvements from fight to fight made for some very rough nights for opponents. Once he had them scared to death of his wrestling, he revealed a hellacious right hand and nasty chokes that were even more devastating. These strengths are what propelled Koscheck to a UFC title shot and two No. 1 contender fights. It was a stellar career in which he defeated three DI wrestlers and a NJCAA national champ, but eventually father time caught up to Koscheck and he closed out his career in 2017 with six straight losses. 3. Brock Lesnar Before becoming an international pro wresting superstar, Brock Lesnar was among the best amateur wrestlers in his home state of South Dakota. A strong high school career that saw Lesnar place as high as third in the state championships preceded his entry into collegiate wrestling, first in junior college, then in Division I. He was very successful, notching All-America placings all four years, winning an NJCAA title as a sophomore and NCAA DI title as a senior. Lesnar's physique, athletic gifts, and demeanor scored him an offer from the WWE right out of college, so for the time being, his competitive days were over, but he left pro wrestling in 2007 and began shopping his services around to the big MMA shows in the USA and Japan. The first company to bite was Japanese kickboxing and MMA powerhouse, K-1. Initially matched up with the enormous South Korean fighter Hong Man Choi, Lesnar debuted in the K-1 ring June of 2007 in Los Angeles against Olympic judo silver medalist Min-Soo Kim. Though raw and unpolished, Lesnar's potential was on full display. He won impressively, and it was announced just four months later during a pay-per view broadcast that Lesnar had signed with the UFC. Lesnar's UFC run was special. Though he suffered three losses against six wins (one win later changed to a no-contest), Lesnar absolutely left his mark on the MMA world by winning the UFC heavyweight title and becoming the biggest pay-per view draw the sport had ever seen. Retiring from MMA for the third time just a few months ago, Lesnar defeated fellow DI wrestler Randy Couture and fellow NCAA super-heavyweight national champ (D II) Shane Carwin during his UFC career. 2. Kamaru Usman Nigerian born Texan Kamaru Usman began his wresting journey as a sophomore in high school. Improving every year, Usman went from a strong high school run, to qualifying for NAIA Nationals, to becoming a three-time All-American, two-time national finalist, one-time national champion on one of the best teams in the NCAA's Division II. During his time in collegiate wrestling Usman was noted for his immense physical strength, even against Division I opposition he faced at tournaments like the Midlands Championships. Coming to MMA initially as a training partner and wrestling coach, Usman's imposing build, wrestling, and time spent training top fighters meant he entered his fighting career with quite a bit of buzz. He was even named the top welterweight prospect by a major MMA website in 2015. Aside from an early submission loss (almost a rite of passage for converted wrestlers) he didn't disappoint, as he proceeded to rack up dominant wins. He learned from the loss and resumed winning, entering the UFC in summer 2015 by way of winning The Ultimate Fighter tournament. He has been matched up with very tough opposition for the entirety of his ascension through the UFC ranks. Rising to each new challenge, he impressed greatly on his way to winning the welterweight title in impressive fashion from former NCAA DI All-American Tyron Woodley. Still improving, Usman is an outstanding fighter who can do it all. He is a huge welterweight with heavy hands, and his strength, wrestling, and athleticism make him a nightmare matchup for just about any style. Johny Hendricks 1. Johny Hendricks Oklahoma native Johny Hendricks' high school career has been considered by at least one highly respected wrestling news outlet to be among the 20 most impressive in modern history. Winning three high school state titles and becoming a four-time Fargo All-American is extremely impressive. It was a sign of things to come and when Hendricks wrestled for the most successful DI program in history, Oklahoma State, he continued to impress. A four-time All-American, three-time national finalist, two-time national champ, Hendricks was also a notorious instigator in college. His skills and personality landed him a unique opportunity post-college, and USA Wrestling was more than a little bummed to lose such a strong competitor to another sport. Hendricks burst onto the MMA scene in 2007 as a member of the newly formed Team Takedown. Created to offer high-level wrestlers the chance to earn a living and train full-time, in exchange for a substantial salary and access to world-class coaching and facilities, team members would hand a hefty portion of their fight purses over to the team's owners. Hendricks thrived under these circumstances and improved rapidly. Hendricks certainly knew he could wrestle, but a nice surprise was the staggering level of power he naturally possessed in his left hand. He arrived in the UFC after five fights with a combination of world-class wrestling, punching power, and raw strength that was formidable to say the least. From 2011 to 2015 Hendricks was terrifying and surely one of the world's top fighters. On his second try, he captured UFC gold in 2014. Subsequently, in an absolute war, Hendricks would lose his belt to Robbie Lawler before the year was out, but he had solidified his place in UFC history (defeating four DI wrestlers in the process). After a six-fight rough stretch, Hendricks retired in June 2018, recently returning to fight and lose in a bare-knuckle boxing match.

CONCORDIA, Kansas -- The Cloud County Community College wrestling program will have a familiar face take over as its new full-time assistant coach as Doug Moore, a volunteer coach the previous two seasons, was approved Tuesday evening by the Cloud County Board of Trustees. Moore has been a staple in Kansas wrestling, especially in Concordia where he coached the Panthers from 1981-2014, leading them to state championship wins in 1988 and 1995. The former junior high English teacher retired in 2019. But he had no plans of remaining idle. "What interested me the most about this job at Cloud County is, first off, I'm retired now and have the flexibility to do something like this," Moore said. "Second was my lifelong love of wrestling. After being involved with wrestling for 38 years, it's one of those things that's hard to completely give up. This was a perfect opportunity for me to stay involved and there's the added plus of getting to work with college student-athletes who are already coming in knowing the basics." Doug MooreMoore is a two-time Class 4A Coach of the Year, winning in 1988 and 1995, while also racking up Kansas Wrestling Coach of the Year, NFICA Region 5 Coach of the Year accolades for the 1995 season. He finished his high school coaching career with an overall dual record of 206-95-3 and has already been named to the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2004) and National Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame (2008). Prior to his coaching career, Moore was a former NJCAA wrestler at McCook Community College before wrestling three years at Fort Hays State University from 1973-76 where he'd go on to earn a bachelor's degree and master's degree in Human Health and Performance. "I thought it was important to find somebody with a wealth of knowledge and who has been around the sport long enough that they can bring value to our program," said Cloud County head coach, Cody Cole. "With Coach Moore, we're bringing in a Hall of Fame coach who has wrestled at our level (NJCAA) and Fort Hays, one of the two Division II programs in Kansas. I also like the academic piece. Coach Moore has been a teacher for many years and I think he'll be able to come in and help mentor these guys academically, as well." Moore has already displayed some of that mentorship and wealth of knowledge in his previous role as a volunteer coach for the T-Birds since the program's inaugural season in 2017-18. Last winter, Cloud County made major strides as it finished 14th overall as a team at the NJCAA Wrestling Championships, qualifying nine wrestlers for nationals and producing the program's first two NJCAA All-Americans in Austin Eldredge and Noah Aziere. "I think the program is in great shape having two All-Americans already in just two years of existence," Moore said. "Quite frankly, that's obviously the way you get your name out there is by having those individual athletes accomplish something like that. I think it's amazing what has been accomplished here so far in two years and I think it'll only continue to grow."

A wrestling camp to honor the memory of late Augsburg University wrestler and coach Donny Wichmann -- and help pay his medical bills -- will take place just outside the Twin Cities next month. The Donny Wichmann Wrestling Camp will take place Tuesday, Aug. 6 through Saturday, Aug. 10 at Shakopee High School, 100 17th Ave. West, in Shakopee, Minn., just off U.S. 169 southwest of Minneapolis, not far from Valleyfair amusement park. This wrestling day/commuter camp is open to wrestlers from kindergarten through grade 12. Instruction is divided into two sections -- grades K-6, and grades 7-12 -- with two options within each age group to accommodate busy summer schedules. Option 1: Grades K-6th: Aug. 6-9 (6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) & Aug. 10 (9 a.m.-11 a.m.) Grades 7th-12th: Aug. 6-9 (7:30 p.m.- p.m.) & Aug. 10 (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) Cost: $100 Option 2: Grades K-6th: Aug. 10 (9-11 a.m.) Grades 7th-12th: Aug. 10 (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) Cost: $50 Note: the Donny Wichmann Wrestling Camp is a day/commuter camp. Out-of-town participants are responsible for their own meals and accommodations. Clinicians have yet to be determined. In addition, all the inventory from DW Wrestling Products -- Donny Wichmann's wrestling gear business -- will be available for purchase at closeout prices. Sale includes over 600 pairs of shoes, 500 singlets, and hundreds of kneepads, headgear, T-shirts, shorts and more. (Note: the sale is open to all. No need to participate in camp to purchase product.) Nick Slack and Donny WichmannThe Donny Wichmann Wrestling Camp is put on by Nick Slack, a national champion for Augsburg when Wichmann was an assistant coach, then went on join the Auggie coaching staff from 2002-08. Slack later went on to coach Scott West, where he has held a wrestling camp since 2000 which has now been renamed to honor his late friend Donny Wichmann who passed away last week at age 53. All proceeds from the camp and sale of wrestling gear will go to help pay Donny Wichmann's medical bills which accumulated in his four-year battle with glioblastoma, a severe form of brain cancer. To learn more -- and to make reservations -- visit the official Donny Wichmann Wrestling Camp website … or contact camp organizer Nick Slack at nick@nickslacksales.com.

Kassie Archambault has been named head wrestling coach at Phillips Academy Andover in Massachusetts, making her the first female to lead a co-ed wrestling program at a New England prep school ... and one of the first women to head up a prep school mat program anywhere in the nation. Kassie ArchambaultArchambault, 31, takes the helm of the Phillips Andover mat program, succeeding Rich Gorham, who has stepped down after 22 years, but will remain on board as an assistant wrestling coach. When Archambault was asked by the Eagle-Tribune about her new position, she replied, "I feel good about it and honored. When I first started coaching, it (becoming a head coach) wasn't something I thought about. But I love the sport and, after a couple of years of getting more established, I started thinking about it. I was just surprised it came about this quickly." Archambault can claim a number of firsts prior to taking the head coaching job at Phillips Andover. As a student at Phillips, she was a four-year wrestler who completed her prep mat career by becoming the first female wrestler to place in the Interscholastic Class A meet as a senior in 2006. In 2012, Archambault returned to Phillips to become the first female assistant wrestling coach at the any prep school. Just this past year, Archambault was named the Assistant Coach of the Year at the New England Independent Schools Wrestling Tournament. At that time, then head coach Gorham described Archambault as "special because she brings an energy and enthusiasm to every practice that keeps the team upbeat." Archambault seeks to build on that experience in her recruitment efforts to bring both male and female wrestlers to the school ... and perhaps attract existing students to the program. "I feel we have a real family atmosphere and I want more of that," said Archambault, who is also teaches Russian at Phillips Andover. "We'll be doing bonding activities in the fall and other things to keep us together, and I think other students will see that. "I really want to get the word out there on campus that wrestling is a sport that we encourage everyone to come out and try." Founded in 1778, Phillips Academy is a co-educational university preparatory school for boarding and day students in grades 9-12. Located in Andover, Mass. just north of Boston, Phillips Academy Andover has a total enrollment of approximately 1,150 students.

Tervel Dlagnev at a press conference prior to the Olympic Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Tervel Dlagnev did it the right way. Dlagnev's remarkable journey as an elite wrestler now has a fitting final chapter. When it was announced this week that Dlagnev is expected to be awarded a bronze medal for the 2012 Olympic Games, the news was met with an abundance of positive responses in the United States and beyond. And with good reason. There is nobody more deserving of an Olympic medal than Dlagnev. He's truly one of the good guys in the sport who relied on a strong work ethic and determined approach in his pursuit to be the best. He didn't cheat. And he didn't take any shortcuts. He did it the right way. Dlagnev likely will move into the bronze-medal spot for the 2012 London Games after Uzbekistan's Artur Taymazov tested positive for a prohibited substance during a re-analysis of his sample. Taymazov had beaten Dlagnev in the semifinals en route to winning Olympic gold in 2012. Taymazov earlier lost his 2008 Olympic gold medal after a 2017 re-analysis of the drug tests from that Olympic Games in Beijing, China. While wrestlers continue to be stripped of medals for failed drug tests, there are guys like Dlagnev who should be celebrated for doing it the right way. Many of you already know his remarkable story. He was born in Bulgaria and moved to the United States with his family when he was 4 years old. Dlagnev didn't start wrestling until he was in high school in Arlington, Texas. He went out for wrestling to lose weight and ended up placing third and fourth in the Texas state tournament. He was recruited to the University of Nebraska at Kearney, an NCAA Division II school. The first time I saw Dlagnev compete, he was a freshman in college. I was covering the 2005 National Duals in Cleveland for the Omaha-World Herald newspaper. UNK coach Marc Bauer told me before the tournament that he was excited about his new heavyweight. He said Dlagnev was a little small for the weight class, but he was athletic and mobile with a big upside. Dlagnev faced a huge challenge the first time I saw him wrestle. He stepped on the mat to face Nebraska-Omaha junior Les Sigman, a two-time national champion. Dlagnev surprised the heavily favored Sigman by taking him down with a duck-under to start the match. But Sigman quickly took control and earned a 9-2 victory. Sigman dominated the series with Dlagnev in college, never losing to his in-state foe. Sigman beat Dlagnev 1-0 in the 2006 NCAA DII finals to win his fourth national title. It was those matches with Sigman that drove Dlagnev in his quest to improve and reach a high level. Dlagnev came back to win two NCAA titles of his own before leading UNK to its first national team title. The best was yet to come. Tervel Dlagnev gets in on a low single at the 2016 Pan American Olympic Qualifier (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Dlagnev flourished internationally. He also become bigger and stronger. He was a tough matchup while standing 6-foot-2 and being explosive for his size. He was lethal shooting in on low single-leg attacks. He also could match up with powerful opponents like Taymazov. Dlagnev made his first U.S. World Team in 2009 and made an immediate splash by winning a world bronze medal in Herning, Denmark. He added a second world bronze medal in 2014 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Dlagnev also made two Olympic teams, falling in the bronze-medal match in 2012 and 2016. He had two more fifth-place finishes at the World Championships, including 2011 when he won an epic battle against Taymazov in Istanbul, Turkey. Tervel Dlagnev wrestling at the 2016 Olympic Games (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Dlagnev was hampered in 2015 and 2016 by back injuries that kept him off the mat for a majority of those seasons. He was very limited in his training before the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He started strong in Rio, but his back gave out again, and he lost in the bronze-medal bout. It was the final match of his competitive career, and it was a frustrating way for him to finish. Dlagnev has gone on to excel as an assistant coach for Ohio State and as the head freestyle coach for the Ohio Regional Training Center. He has been in the corner coaching Kyle Snyder, who now owns an Olympic gold medal, two World titles and a World silver medal. Dlagnev's wrestling resume speaks for itself, but it's the person he is off the mat that is most impressive. Tervel Dlagnev coaching Kyle Snyder at the World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) He's a devoted family man with a strong faith. He's always represented himself in a first-class manner. He was well-liked by his peers and teammates. And he was always known by his coaches as someone who was great to work with. He's one of the nicest guys I've ever worked with in three-plus decades as a sportswriter. He was always gracious with his time, win or lose, and that speaks volumes about his character. Dlagnev thanked his supporters in a tweet sent out Wednesday. He would be the first to tell you that his career wasn't solely defined by medals or awards. There is so much more to his remarkable story. But seeing Dlagnev receive an Olympic bronze medal is a fitting finish to a superb career. He's definitely someone who did it the right way. If anyone deserves an Olympic medal, it's Tervel Dlagnev. 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.

Three-time NCAA All-American and three-time EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) titlist at Lehigh. Two-time Pennsylvania state champ. Assistant coach at his college and high school alma maters. Star of a number of instructional videos, and a 2006 documentary "Veritas." Creator of a program helping inner-city youth and girls to find their way in wrestling. Now Jon Trenge can add "head coach" to his already impressive resume. Jon TrengeThe 38-year-old Trenge has been named head wrestling coach at Parkland High School, the place where he won two PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state titles and compiled a 144-16 record two decades ago. Trenge replaces fellow Parkland state champion Mike Ottinger, who took a full-time teaching position in the Upper Perkiomen School District. In being able to land Trenge for the head coaching position, Parkland athletic director Bill Dreisbach told the Allentown Morning Call, "It's unbelievable. He can interview anywhere in the country and basically get hired." "He is Parkland wrestling," Dreisbach continued. "And, besides wrestling, he is a really good person, a great teacher. Kids love him. It's a win-win for Parkland." "I wouldn't have wanted to coach anywhere else," said Trenge, who, in addition to having served as an assistant coach at Parkland, has been an earth science and astronomy teacher at the high school for over a decade. Just last year, Trenge earned a superintendent teaching award. Prior to being offered the head coaching position at his high school alma mater, Trenge and his fiancée Brooke Zumas started the Allentown Beat the Streets wrestling program, working with inner-city youths. She'll continue that venture while Trenge will focus on his students and wrestlers at Parkland. That experience introducing boys and girls to the sport has helped the former Lehigh mat star known for his on-the-mat intensity -- and protective eye goggles (he wrestled with detached retinas) -- shift his focus as a coach. "It's all about helping kids," according to Trenge. "My strengths are as a technician. I can motivate kids very well."

Spencer Lee gets in on a shot in the finals of the 2014 Cadet World Championships (Photo/Gabor Martin, United World Wrestling) Since UWW relaunched the Cadet World Championships as a 17-and-under event in 2011, there was have 14 U.S. representatives to win gold medals. Next week another 10 will compete in Sofia, Bulgaria. In many cases the event represents one of the last international competitions before these wrestlers head off to college. Even though it is a freestyle event, the Cadet event is often thought of a strong predictor of college success. Is this actually the case? The following takes a look at those 14 world champions and how they have done on the NCAA mats. NCAA champions Zain Retherford (63 kilograms in 2012): After winning his gold medal at 63 kilograms in 2012, Retherford went on to have a storied career for Penn State. His run included three NCAA titles and two Hodge Trophies. He recently made his second senior-level world team will represent the U.S. this fall if he remains injury free. Mark Hall (76 kilograms in 2014): Three years after his Cadet world championship, Hall came out of redshirt for Penn State. He dropped his first match out of the gate, but he went on to capture an NCAA title in his true freshman season. Since then he has made back-to-back finals appearance but fell both times against Zahid Valencia (Arizona State). Spencer Lee (50 kilograms in 2014): After an absolutely dominant run through the NCAA tournament in his true freshman season, many believed that Lee would be basically untouchable in his second season. That did not turn out to be the case, but he still got things in order by the time March rolled around. At the tournament he defeated Sean Fausz (NC State), Sean Russell (Minnesota), Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) and Jack Mueller (Virginia). Despite his success on the collegiate mats, Lee has remained entirely absent from the freestyle world where he was quite dominant at multiple age levels. Many anticipate his return to the international style more and more each day. Yianni Diakomihalis (58 kilograms in 2015, 63 kilograms in 2016): Unlike Lee, Diakomihalis has remained active on the freestyle scene while running through the college ranks. This past winter, he picked up his second NCAA title with a sudden victory win over Joey McKenna (Ohio State). Diakomihalis then won the U.S. Open, knocked off world No. 1 Bajrang Punia of India and nearly defeated Retherford at Final X for a spot on the 2019 U.S. World Team. NCAA All-Americans Adam Coon (100 kilograms in 2011):Coon almost certainly would have been an NCAA champion if he had not been in the same weight class as multiple-time world champion Kyle Snyder. During his senior season, Coon knocked off Snyder in the dual meet, but he failed to repeat the feat in either the Big Ten or NCAA tournaments. Since graduating the three-time All-American has continued to compete in both freestyle and Greco, where he was a 2018 world silver medalist. Gable Steveson (100 kilograms in 2015, 100 kilograms in 2016): Heading into his true freshman season, Steveson was the prohibitive favorite in the heavyweight division. However, he developed an unlikely rivalry with Penn State's Anthony Cassar and ended up falling in the finals of both the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. After a solid summer that saw him nearly make the 2019 U.S. World Team, Steveson should be one of the favorites for the NCAA title again this year if he finds his way back to campus. Wildcards Aaron Pico (63 kilograms in 2013): Pico was always going to have an unusual path after he turned professional in high school and forfeited the opportunity to wrestle in college. He made the Olympic Team Trials finals in 2016, but he came up short against Frank Molinaro. Pico then began his MMA career, where he was regarded as perhaps the best prospect in the history of the sport. Unfortunately, things haven't been than easy, and he currently sits at only 4-3 in Bellator. The promotion recently announced a tournament in his weight class, and he was left out after back-to-back losses Mason Manville (69 kilograms in 2014): The former super prep has had trouble cracking the lineup at Penn State. This past season he filled in with some spot duty, and he might not be a starter for another few seasons. However, he has remained active on the Greco circuit where he was a member of the 2017 U.S. World Team and remains a threat to make the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team. Too early to tell Jarod Verkleeren (63 kilograms in 2015): Verkleeren spent some time in the starting lineup for the Nittany Lions last year, but he ended up sitting behind Brady Berge when tournament time came around. He is expected to be a starter this upcoming season since Berge is likely to move up to 157 pounds after the graduation of multiple-time NCAA champion Jason Nolf. Will Lewan (68 kilograms in 2017): This past season the former Cadet world champion redshirted for Michigan. He competed in the Michigan State Open, Ohio Intercollegiate Open and the Midlands. Lewan finished with a 9-2 record, which included a victory over teammate Alec Pantaleo. He is expected to start for the Wolverines next year. Next wave The 2017 U.S. Cadet World Team finished with four gold medalists, three of which are scheduled to begin college in the fall. Kurt McHenry left high school early to enroll at Michigan. Aaron Brooks spent a year at the Olympic Training Center. He will report to Penn State for this year. Greg Kerkvliet is the second highest profile heavyweight prospect over the last few seasons, and he will join Ohio State. Matt Ramos was the lone U.S. champion from the 2018 Cadet World Championships, and he will attend Minnesota in the fall.

Tervel Dlagnev coaching Kyle Snyder at Final X (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Uzbekistan wrestler Artur Taymazov, two-time Olympic gold medalist in men's freestyle at 120 kilograms/264 pounds, has just been stripped of his 2012 London title, two years after giving up his Olympic championship from the 2008 Beijing games. One result: U.S. wrestler Tervel Dlagnev, who placed fifth in Taymazov's bracket at the 2012 London Olympics, is now expected to be awarded an Olympic bronze medal at this weight class, USA Wrestling reported Tuesday afternoon. Dlagnev, a two-time world bronze medalist, lost to Taymazov by a fall in the 2012 Olympic Games semifinals. The American heavyweight then lost to Iran's Komeil Ghasemi in the bronze-medal match. For Taymazov, there may have been a sense of history repeating itself ... as it was the same issue that cost Taymazov his 2008 and 2012 gold medals: a retest of samples originally taken at the time of those past Olympics tested positive for the banned steroid turinabol. (In addition, his sample from the 2008 Games also retested positive for the banned steroid stanozolol.) Artur Taymazov at the 2012 Olympics in London (Photo/Andrew Hipps) Taymazov is only the second athlete to have been stripped of two Olympic gold medals, according to the NBC Sports Olympic website. He now joins Kazakh weightlifter Ilya Ilyin who also lost 2008 and 2012 titles after having original doping samples retested long after the Games. Taymazov was a four-time Olympic medalist. In addition to the 2008 and 2012 Olympic gold medals, the Uzbek superheavyweight wrestler had won silver at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and gold at the 2004 Athens Games. After Taymazov was stripped of his 2008 gold medal in April 2017, the results for the other placers were updated, and the finishers received upgraded medals. For the 2012 Olympics, the situation is more complicated, as now both 120-kilogram men's freestyle finalists have failed drug retests. The silver medalist, Davit Modzmanashvil of Georgia, was stripped of his medal in January after retesting of the original doping sample. The remaining medalists in that division -- Iran's Komeil Ghasemi and Russia's Bilyal Makhov -- both earned bronze medals. As mentioned earlier, USA's Tervel Dlagnev -- who placed fifth in London -- is expected to receive a bronze medal. The International Olympic Committee has asked United World Wrestling to update its official results. The 40-year-old Taymozov becomes the 68th athlete to have either failed a drugs test at London 2012 or been caught at a later date in retests.

Juan StimpsonSPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Spartanburg Methodist College athletic director Megan Aiello is pleased to announce that Juan Stimpson will be the new men's wrestling coach. Stimpson replaces Matt Oliver, who left SMC in June to join the coaching staff at Huntingdon College. Stimpson comes to Spartanburg Methodist College from UNC Pembroke, where he spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach. During his time with the Braves, he assisted in coaching 12 NCAA National Qualifiers and 4 NCAA All Americans. An accomplished college athlete in his own right, Stimpson was a NJCAA All-American for Rend Lake College in 2013 and a NCAA Super Regional Champion and DII National Qualifier for UNC Pembroke in 2015. Stimpson earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Earlier we looked at five 16U wrestlers who raised their stock in Fargo. Now let's turn our attention to the Juniors. Below are five Junior wrestlers who raised their stock in Fargo with strong performances. Andre Gonzales (Poway, Calif.), 106-pound champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman Gonzales was closed out of the lineup as a freshman before placing third in the always tough California state tournament at the opening weight class during his sophomore season. He entered Fargo off a 13-0 run at Junior Duals in contested matches across Greco-Roman and freestyle. Three early technical superiorities placed Gonzales into the quarterfinal round, though two of those victories came against high school state champions in Quade Smith (Layton, Utah) and Ryan Rowland (Hagerty, Fla.), Smith would place eighth in this bracket despite that round of 32 loss. In the quarterfinal, it was yet another technical superiority, 14-1 over state medalist Kelly Dunnigan (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.), a semifinalist this past fall in the Super 32 Challenge. The semifinal match was a 6-4 victory over Eli Griffin (Cascia Hall, Okla.), a two-time state champion who ended the season weight class ranked at 106 pounds; while it was a 19-7 technical superiority win over Junior folkstyle champion Blake West (Owatonna, Minn.) in the championship bout. Nathan Pulliam (Rolla, Mo.), fourth place at 132 pounds in freestyle Though Pulliam has a high school mark of 76-1 with two state titles in two seasons of high school wrestling, he still entered Fargo an unheralded wrestler on the national level, even after an 8-0 performance at the Junior Duals in freestyle last month in Oklahoma City. However, last week in Fargo would serve to change that narrative. The tournament for Pulliam started with a pair of technical superiority victories before a 6-4 win over multi-time state champion Gabe Hixenbaugh (Thompson, Ala.) put people on notice. Next was a pin against Caleb Rathjen (Ankeny, Iowa), a wrestler ranked No. 14 overall in the Class of 2021, to advance him to the quarterfinal round. Pulliam would lose to eventual champion Dominick Serrano (Windsor, Colo.) by fall in that match before earning his podium spot with a 13-2 technical superiority victory over NHSCA Junior All-American Anthony DiBartolo (Hauppauge, N.Y.). Pulliam would reach the consolation final with a 12-6 win over 2018 16U freestyle All-American Drew Roberts (University, Wash.) and a 13-6 win over Mosha Schwartz (Ponderosa, Colo.), who finished as the No. 83 overall wrestler in the Class of 2019. His tournament ended with an 11-1 loss to Cael Happel (Lisbon, Iowa). John Martin Best (Parkersburg, W.Va.), 152-pound runner-up in freestyle Last year's 16U runner-up in freestyle had a very mixed 12-month period preceding last week's Fargo event. Among those notable credentials on the resume were a seventh at the Ironman, fifth at the Powerade, fifth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, and seventh at UWW Cadet freestyle. It saw him positioned outside the top 100 overall in the Class of 2020. Within his first three wins of the Junior freestyle event, a pair came over credential opposition; 8-2 over two-time state runner-up Ben Monroe (Ankeny Centennial, Iowa) in the opening round and then 14-0 over state champion Brant Whitaker (Boonville, Mo.) in the third round. A signature moment came in the round of 16 when he beat Luka Wick (San Marino, Calif.) 4-3, who entered as the No. 24 overall Class of 2021 wrestler. Next was an 11-4 win over state medalist Kaden Reetz (Madison Memorial, Wis.) in the quarterfinal round. Best advanced to the final on the strength of a 7-0 win over Daniel Manibog (Katy, Texas), a returning Junior freestyle All-American who finished as the No. 68 overall wrestler in the Class of 2019. His championship match was an 8-2 loss to Jace Luchau (Selma, Calif.), who finished No. 48 overall in the Class of 2019. Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), seventh place at 152 pounds in freestyle Like Best, Gilcher entered Fargo a two-time state champion ranked outside the top-100 overall in the Class of 2020. His tournament started with a 10-0 technical fall, before having to draw eventual champion Luchau in the round of 64; Gilcher jumped out to a 3-0 lead with two minutes remaining the bout, but lost 7-3. Then, it was onto the marathon of consolation wrestling, where he needed seven wins to merely reach the podium. The first four of those wins came by technical superiority, in which Gilcher gave up just one point along the way; the third of those came against state medalist Brock Ellis (Chesterton, Ind.). Needing three more wins to earn All-American honors, Gilcher ran into Matt Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.), a wrestler ranked No. 33 overall in the Class of 2020, and one that had beaten Gilcher by pin in the Central Regional final. However, on this occasion, it was a 12-1 technical superiority win. Still needing two wins, it was on to a match against No. 41 overall Class of 2020 wrestler Aaron Gandara (Poway, Calif.); Gilcher would win on this occasion by 16-5 technical superiority. In the last of seven consolation wins he needed to get on the podium, Gilcher outlasted state champion Donald Cates (Northern Durham, N.C.) 6-3; Cates was a 16U freestyle All-American last summer and a UWW Cadet freestyle All-American earlier in the spring. Gilcher then lost 12-6 to Legend Lamer (Crescent Valley, Ore.) before beating Cael Carlson (Willmar, Minn.) 17-6 for seventh place; both of those graduated seniors were top 15 at 145 at the end of 2018-19, while Gilcher was not ranked at 138. Patrick Kennedy dominated the field at 170 pounds in Junior freestyle (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Patrick Kennedy (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), 170-pound champion in freestyle To say a wrestler ranked No. 8 overall in the Class of 2020 raised his stock during the Fargo week takes a lot of doing. One can argue that three-time state champion and two-time Super 32 Challenge finalist (2017 champion) Patrick Kennedy did just that during his destruction of the field at 170 pounds on the way to winning the Junior National freestyle title. Six of Kennedy's seven matches were shutout victories by technical superiority in the first period; the lone match to go the distance was a 9-5 semifinal win over Nevan Snodgrass (Kettering Fairmont, Ohio), who entered the event ranked No. 27 in the Class of 2020 (something that might go up in its own right). Within Kennedy's first three matches were wins over two-time state medalist Matthew Rogers (Wantagh, N.Y.) and state medalist Spencer Mooberry (Osage, Iowa). In the round of 16, it was a 10-0 destruction of Grayden Penner (Liberty, Mo.) in 1:45, who entered the tournament ranked No. 53 overall in the Class of 2020. The quarterfinal was a 10-0 technical superiority in 1:34 over state medalist Angel Garcia (Marian Bracetti Academy, Pa.), the Northeast Regional champion in freestyle, who would win Greco-Roman later in the week. In the championship match it was a 10-0 technical superiority in 2:20 over state champion Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), who is ranked No. 16 in the Class of 2020.

Fargo is one of the pinnacle events for scholastic-aged wrestlers on the calendar. There are four tournaments for males during the seven-day wrestling extravaganza, though the freestyle events that take place during the first four days are the ones of greater import from the scholastic wrestling perspective. The freestyle tournaments in both the 16U (formerly Cadet) and Junior divisions provide arguably the most robust fields that wrestlers will see during the calendar year. Given such robust fields, there are wrestlers that inherently perform above prior conceived notions about their ability level. Below are five such wrestlers who thrived in the freestyle (and in some cases Greco-Roman) tournaments in the 16U division. Evan Tallmadge (Brick Memorial, N.J.), 106-pound champion in freestyle As a freshman in high school competing at 106 pounds, Tallmadge advanced to the state tournament with a 31-3 record. However, that state tournament run ended with a 2-2 record, finishing two matches short of the podium after a 9-6 loss to eventual state medalist Kelly Dunnigan (Don Bosco Prep) in the round of 16 before getting eliminated by the score of 7-4 against Nicholas Diaz (St. John Vianney). In Fargo, Tallmadge started his tournament with a pair of technical superiority victories to set up a showdown with state champion Trevor Anderson (Ankeny, Iowa) in the round of 16; the 6-2 victory put Tallmadge on notice to all. His quarterfinal match was a win by fall in 28 seconds over No. 21 overall Class of 2023 wrestlers Greyson Clark (Kaukauna, Wis.). This set up a semifinal clash against a returning 16U freestyle All-American in Sean Seefeldt (St. Edward, Ohio), who was a state runner-up during his high school season; an 8-6-win propelled Tallmadge to a championship match against incoming freshman Mitchell Neiner from Washington, a match that he won 10-8. In the title run for Tallmadge the last four wins came over All-Americans. Kyren Butler (Copley, Ohio), third place at 126 pounds in freestyle In each of his two high school seasons to date, Butler won his opening round match at the state tournament before losing both matches on Friday morning (quarterfinal and consolation round of 12) to finish at 1-2 for the weekend, one match short of placement. However, just over one week ago in Fargo, Butler was locked in and had a most excellent tournament. It started with three decisive wins - 10-2 and 10-1 decisions, then a 10-0 technical superiority - before a round of 16 bout raised eyebrows. In that match, Butler trailed 4-3 late before a pair of late scores gave him a 6-4 victory over two-time state champion Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Seneca Valley, Pa.); admittedly Herrera-Rondon is much stronger in folkstyle, but one is still talking about a wrestler ranked No. 13 overall in the Class of 2021. In the following match, Butler advanced to the semifinal with a 7-2 win over state medalist Eli Rocha (Platte County, Mo.); both Herrera-Rondon and Rocha would bounce back to earn All-American honors. After a 12-2 loss in the semifinal to eventual runner-up Ramon Ramos (Valiant Prep, Ariz.), Butler bounced back with two more wins in consolation to earn third place. Those wins came 4-4 by criteria over two-time state champion Derrick Cardinal (Forest Lake, Minn.) and then 8-4 over Ismael Ayoub (Dublin Coffman, Ohio). John Wiley scores with a big throw in the in the round of 16 in Greco-Roman (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) John Wiley (Mustang, Okla.), 138-pound champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman Wiley entered Fargo ranked No. 29 overall in the Class of 2022, coming off a state championship high school season plus going 11-0 across freestyle and Greco-Roman at the 16U Duals in Spokane last month. It should be noted that he bounced back from a fourth-place regional finish to win state at 126 pounds with a 5-1 finals victory over Carter Young one week after he lost 8-5 to Young in the regional semifinal. In Fargo freestyle, Wiley's tournament started with three technical superiority shutout victories. The round of 16 yielded a fourth consecutive such victory, 10-0 over state champion Justin Bartee (Point Pleasant, W.Va.). Wiley gave up his first points of the tournament in a 12-2 technical superiority over two-time state placer Preston Owens (Kuna, Idaho), who would bounce back with a win in his next bout to earn All-American honors. Next up was his toughest match of the tournament, a 10-6 victory over Joshua Barr (Davison, Mich.), the 16U folkstyle champion who is ranked No. 6 overall in the Class of 2023. Wiley capped off freestyle with a 10-4 win over Nicholas Vafiadis (New Kent, Va.), who is ranked No. 50 overall in the Class of 2022. Then, he would double up with gold in Greco to end the week, which was a one position improvement from a runner-up finish last year in that tournament. Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg, Pa.), 170-pound champion in freestyle, third in Greco-Roman Pinto was already known as a clear talent entering the Fargo week, coming in off a third-place finish at state as a high school sophomore competing in Pennsylvania Class 3A at 170 pounds. He would follow that up with a NHSCA Sophomore Nationals title, and then a Northeast Regional 16U title that included a win over UWW Cadet Nationals runner-up Rylan Rogers (Blair Academy, N.J.). Ranked No. 23 overall in the Class of 2021, Pinto was a clear contender entering the freestyle tournament. Three shutout technical superiority victories put him into a quarterfinal match against 16U folkstyle national champion Andrew Wenzel (Dakota, Ill.), a match that ended in another 10-0 technical superiority win. Then it was an anticipated semifinal clash with returning 16U freestyle champion Tate Picklo (Mustang, Okla.); however the match with Picklo, ranked No. 18 overall in the Class of 2021, was yet another 10-0 technical superiority victory. The championship match was a 7-1 win over Rogers, who is ranked No. 15 in the Class of 2022. Picklo followed that up with a third place finish in Greco-Roman. Evan Bates (Chesterton, Ind.), 195-pound runner-up in freestyle, third in Greco-Roman Though Bates went 48-3 as a sophomore, placing third at the state tournament, and went 7-0 in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at last month's 16U Duals he was a relative unknown nationally. However, that scenario would vanish after the first match of his Fargo freestyle tournament in the form of a 4-1 win over Noah Pettigrew (Valdosta, Ga./Blair Academy, N.J.). Pettigrew won a 16U freestyle national title in this weight class in 2018, and was a UWW Cadet freestyle All-American this year, entering the tournament ranked No. 12 in the Class of 2022. Two subsequent technical superiority victories would propel Bates to the quarterfinal round, where he would pick up two more wins by technical superiority over eventual All-Americans to reach the final. Those wins came 14-2 over state medalist Bennett Tabor (Simley, Minn.) and 11-0 over state medalist Wyatt Voelker (West Delaware, Iowa). The championship match was an 11-0 technical superiority defeat to Seth Shumate (Dublin Coffman), ranked No. 4 overall in the Class of 2022. Bates subsequently finished third in Greco-Roman.

Anthony Echemendia was a double champion in Fargo Anthony Echemendia, a Junior National double champion in Fargo last week, took to Twitter to chronicle his journey from Cuba to the United States.

Two unique Celebration of Life services have been scheduled to honor the memory of Joe Seay... one next month in Oklahoma, the other, in California in October. Seay, a legendary wrestler who went on to success as a high school, college and freestyle coach, passed away on July 11 at age 80. Celebration at National Wrestling Hall of Fame in August The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Oklahoma State Wrestling will host Cheryl Seay and family of Joe Seay for a celebration of the life and legacy of Joe Van Seay on Wednesday, August 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. Central at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Seay has strong connections to Oklahoma, as a 1998 inductee of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member... and as head coach of the Oklahoma State wrestling team from 1985 to 1992, leading the Cowboys to back-to-back NCAA Division I championships in 1989 and 1990. Individuals wishing to join in the Hall of Fame's Celebration of Life are asked to RSVP at http://weblink.donorperfect.com/JoeSeayCelebration or by telephone at (405) 377-5243 by Friday, August 9. Scattering of ashes and celebration in California in October Joe SeayThis fall, Joe Seay's memory will be celebrated first by a scattering of ashes, immediately followed by a Celebration of Life service on Saturday, October 5. Both events are open to friends, family and the wrestling community, according to the invitation from Cheryl Seay posted on Sunday on The California Wrestler. First, the aerial scattering of Joe Seay's ashes will take place at 1:00 p.m. Pacific time on October 5 over Morro Bay Rock in Morro Bay, Calif. To participate, head north of San Luis Obispo on California Route 1 (the Pacific Coast Highway), turn left on San Jacinto, then continue until reaching the dead end of the road. Turn left on Sandalwood Ave., then turn right into parking area. Immediately following the scattering of ashes is a Celebration of Life at Moonstone Cellars at 812 Cornwall Street in Cambria, Calif., north of Morro Bay Rock. The celebration will take place from 2:30 - 6:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring a favorite photo and/or story about Joe Seay to share. In addition, those wishing participate in person should RSVP to Cheryl Seay at clcroneis@gmail.com or Mike Stricker at mikesticker@sbcglobal.net by Monday, Sept. 9. Those who are unable to attend are invited to send a favorite Joe Seay memory to be shared at the Celebration of Life service to either email address.

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. -- Joe Jamison has been named head coach of the Ursinus College wrestling program, announced Monday by Director of Athletics Laura Moliken. "Joe stood out to us in this search for his enthusiasm as an educator and his achievements at a leading Division I institution," Moliken said. "His technical knowledge and ability to implement a successful training regimen are second to none, and we firmly believe those qualities make him an ideal leader here at Ursinus as we move into a new era for the program." A longtime assistant at Princeton University, Jamison is the successor to legendary coach Bill Racich, who passed away last September after a 38-year tenure in Collegeville. "I am honored and excited to join Ursinus College as its next head wrestling coach," Jamison said. "Ursinus is a very special place and I look forward to moving the wrestling program forward while upholding the tradition and legacy that Coach Racich created. My goal is to help our student-athletes reach their goals athletically, academically, and ultimately in life. The entire athletic department at Ursinus shares these same ideals, which make this the perfect place for my family and me. I'd to thank Laura Moliken, Kevin Small, and the entire search committee for putting their faith in me and believing that I am person to lead Ursinus wrestling as this new era for the program begins. I'd also like to thank my wife, Brooke, and my entire family for their constant support throughout my coaching career. Coming to Ursinus is an ideal move for us, and without their support this would not be possible. Finally, I'd like to thank the entire staff at Princeton University and Princeton Wrestling Club, especially Chris Ayres. We've worked together for almost 15 years and I've been fortunate to call them friends, colleagues, and mentors." Jamison brings with him an extensive resume of high-level collegiate coaching experience. He spent a decade as an assistant at Princeton, where he also served as head coach of the Princeton Wrestling Club and executive director of the Princeton Olympic Regional Training Center. During his tenure, which began as an assistant in 2005, Jamison worked primarily with wrestlers in the 125, 133, and 141-pound weight classes. Thirty-six of his charges qualified for the NCAA Championships, with three going on to become All-Americans, and Jamison's impressive list of trainees includes the 2016 university national champion in freestyle wrestling. Jamison was heavily involved in all aspects of the wrestling program at Princeton, coordinating team community service projects and assisting with the organization and execution of numerous alumni events and helping to raise endowment funds. He was also the assistant director of the team's wrestling camp for almost ten years (2005-2014). In his role as director of the Olympic Regional Training Center, Jamison assisted with training regimens and oversaw all living and travel arrangement for the athletes, who ranged in age from elementary school to college. Jamison has spent the last two years as head coach of the wrestling program at the Cranbury School, where he also worked as a first-grade teacher. During his time at the Cranbury School, he increased middle-school wrestling participation to over a quarter of the male student population. A longtime educator, Jamison was a teacher in the Lawrence Township Public School system from 2001 to 2015. For the past three years he has worked as a pedagogy innovation specialist with Pencils of Promise, a New York-based organization that has built more than 400 schools worldwide since its founding in 2008. Jamison helped to develop a literacy program for public schools in Ghana and Guatemala, training staff in order to implement a professional development workshop for teachers in those countries. He was a 2014 recipient of a New Jersey Governor's Teacher Recognition Award. Jamison graduated from Wilkes University in 2001 before earning a master's of science from Saint Joseph's University in 2008 and completing post-master's graduate credits at North Dakota State University. He lives in Langhorne with his wife, Brooke, and children Henry (6) and Ella (4).

Kevin Jackson coaching J'den Cox at Final X (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Kevin Jackson, 1992 Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler who went on to use those skills as a coach and in mixed martial arts, has been named to the Class of 2019 of the Louisiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame, the school announced this week. Jackson, along with six other former LSU athletes, will be welcomed at an induction ceremony to be held on Friday, October 11, at the Capitol Park Museum in downtown Baton Rouge. Jackson posted this message on Twitter: As a wrestler for the LSU Tigers, Kevin Andre Jackson was a three-time NCAA Division I All-American, placing second at 150 pounds in 1983, third at 158 in 1984, and seventh in the 167-pound bracket at the 1985 NCAAs. After the Baton Rogue-based school eliminated its wrestling program, Jackson headed north to Iowa State, where, at the 1987 NCAAs, he was runner-up at 167 pounds. Beyond his collegiate wrestling success, Jackson made a name for himself in international freestyle competition. He won the gold medal at 82 kilograms/180.5 pounds at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, becoming only the second African-American wrestler to claim Olympic gold. Jackson also was a two-time World champion, earning gold in 1991 and 1995, and, in those same years, won gold at the Pan American Games. Jackson shared his wrestling expertise as a coach, first as national freestyle coach at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs ... then, later, as head coach at Iowa State from 2010-2017. If that weren't enough, Jackson fought in MMA in the mid-1990s - including a handful of bouts in UFC -- compiling a 4-2 record as a light-heavyweight. In addition to Kevin Jackson, other athletes who will be welcomed into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame this fall include NCAA track and field champion Walter Davis, Olympic wrestling gold medalist Kevin Jackson, All-American linebacker Bradie James, All-American baseball infielder Jason Williams, NCAA gymnastics champion Susan Jackson, All-American softball infielder Ashlee Ducote and All-American women's golfer Meredith Duncan. All were selected by the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame Election Board. "There is no greater honor for a former student-athlete at LSU than to be selected to this venerable hall of fame," said LSU Director of Athletics Scott Woodward. "It's a very difficult hall of fame in which to be inducted. Those in the hall represent the very best of LSU Athletics as students, as athletes and as all-around contributors to this university and its great history. We are so proud to welcome this new class." In addition to being welcomed into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame, Jackson has earned a number of honors, including the 1995 John Smith Award as National Freestyle Wrestler of the Year, 1992 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year and 1991 USA Wrestling and USOC Wrestler of the Year. Jackson is a member of the International Wrestling Hall of Fame, the United States National Wrestling Hall of Fame (as a distinguished member) and the Iowa State University Athletics Hall of Fame.

READING, Pa. -- Alvernia University Director of Athletics Bill Stiles announced on Friday the hiring of Kriss Bellanca as the Head Wrestling Coach of the Golden Wolves. Bellanca joins the Alvernia staff following 12 seasons with Division II Kutztown University. "Coach Bellanca is a lifelong educator, and shared our vision of what a successful Division III wrestling program looks like," said Stiles. "He is committed to the development of the whole-student athlete - academically, athletically, spiritually, and socially. His familiarity with our primary recruiting markets and his extensive network of wrestling contacts in those areas will serve Alvernia." At Kutztown, Bellanca was the primary recruiter and was responsible for bringing in five NCAA Division II National Champions, 19 NCAA Division II All-Americans, and 40 NCAA Qualifiers. He also coached 56 wrestlers to podium finishes in the PSAC, and 62 NCAA Region One place winners. Kutztown also finished in the Top 20 in the NCAA on nine occasions, and in the top five in the region on eight occasions, during Bellanca's time with the program. Bellanca, a Berks County native, was a PIAA place-winner at Reading High School, and was a Team PA member. Bellanca wrestled for Bucknell University, but transferred to Kutztown University when Bucknell was preparing to drop Division I wrestling. With Kutztown, Bellanca finished his career in the top-15 in all-time wins. He finished third on two occasions in NCAA Regionals, and also had a second place finish in the regional tournament. Bellanca graduated with honors in 2001 from Kutztown University with a degree in Elementary Education. He worked in the Muhlenberg school district for 19 years as a teacher and behavior specialist. He also has seven years of experience coaching at the high school level with Wyomissing. With the Spartans, Bellanca coached nine PIAA State qualifiers and four PIAA State medalists, including a PIAA State Finalist in 2007. Bellanca is the founder and director of the nationally-recognized Steel Mat Club, where he trained a number of Pennsylvania State Champions, All-Americans, and National Tournament qualifiers. "I am grateful for all those who participated in the search and interview process," said Bellanca. "I want to thank Bill Stiles and the Athletic Department for trusting me to lead the Golden Wolves Wrestling program. It was amazing to learn about Alvernia University through this process and exciting to hear of the vision, support, and resources Alvernia has in providing its student-athletes a quality and holistic education." "I am committed to guiding student-athletes toward becoming champions in the classroom, on the wrestling mat, as well as socially and spiritually" added Bellanca. "It will be an honor to be part of this new journey full of many 'firsts' for Alvernia University Wrestling." Bellanca begins his work with Alvernia immediately. The Golden Wolves inaugural season gets underway on Sunday, November 3rd at the Lycoming Tournament. The full 2019-20 schedule will be released later this summer.