InterMat Staff

Bluefield State College announce the addition of a dozen new sports to its athletics department for the 2021-2022 school year, including wrestling. "We're hiring for these new sports now," said Interim Director of Athletics Derrick Price. "I'm prioritizing coaches with proven abilities to recruit. We will target good student athletes with the goal of being competitive immediately." It's expected that these sports will attract more than 250 new students to campus. They will join the nearly 150 student-athletes enrolled currently. Full and partial scholarships will be available. "Expanding our athletics program is integral to the goals we set shortly after coming to Bluefield State," Capehart said. "Our first priority remains attracting more students. As an HBCU, we have an obligation to recruiting more African American students. We have done that. "We changed the name of our Library to honor an African American alumnus who went on to a highly distinguished career in the State Department. "We are returning to a residential campus for the first time in 52 years with the start of construction on our Heritage Village residence halls. "Adding these sports will increase opportunities for more students and add a vibrancy that we've lacked for too long. It also strengthens our relationships in the community as we partner on the use of various facilities." Interim Director Price added, "Making this commitment to these young people also means making a commitment to doing all the things that go with a full-bore athletics program: new and improved facilities, upgraded training, residences and meals. It also means working with the Provost and Deans so that our athletes have a tremendous academic experience as well. "Bluefield State has a proud sports tradition, including two national football championships. I feel blessed to be here now and help write a new chapter to our story."

Stipe Miocic lands a shot against Daniel Cormier at UFC 252 In the world of combat sports, a heavyweight title fight is usually seen as the ultimate in fighting entertainment. Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic, the headlining bout for UFC 252, was most definitely no exception. Toss in the fact that these two gentlemen are arguably the two best heavyweights in MMA history and have taken turns beating the tar out of each other in their two previous fights, and on paper we have what is truly a legendary MMA contest. The actual fight that played out did not disappoint. While not as violent as the first two fights, there was an absolute ton of high-powered offense in this fight and there was no doubt as to the desire of each man to win the fight. UFC 252 was a terrific card, both on paper and in actuality, and there were several former wrestlers in action. Let's take a look at what we learned about each one. Stipe Miocic What we learned: The proud Ohio native is the best heavyweight MMA fighter of all time. You can swap the word "best" with any number of superlatives, perhaps preferring to go with toughest, most skilled, most formidable, or hardest to beat, but the reality is, Miocic sits atop the list of MMA's all-time great heavyweights. Lean and mean, athletic, ideally sized for the division, and armed with terrific wrestling and fundamentally basic but very effective boxing, the undisputed champ defeated Daniel Cormier by being a catch 22 for DC. How do you defeat a guy that has the length, height, and long range weapons (jab, straight right, front kick) to beat you up from afar, while also having miserable clinch skills, a cringe-inducing body attack, and tireless takedown defense in close quarters? The answer is, as Cormier has learned, you don't. Unless of course you land the one-hitter-quitter, and Miocic has too good a beard and too effective a defensive game to suffer that fate twice from the same guy. And this was the story of tonight's fight. Miocic was bigger and better in enough areas to secure the win against a very good version of DC. At this point in MMA's development, Stipe Miocic represents perhaps the ideal MMA archetype, great at nothing but very good at everything. This is likely a product of his background. A successful boxer at a high level but not the highest levels. And look at the highlights of his wrestling resume. Runner-up in Ohio's toughest high school state championship, seventh at NHSCA Senior Nationals, and national qualifier in Division I. The champ has now defended the UFC heavyweight title twice as many times as the previous most successful titlists, and he's defeated some of the sport's all-time greats to do it. All things considered, he is the greatest heavyweight ever. Daniel Cormier What we learned: Daniel Cormier is still very much a championship-level fighter and should take some time to ponder before definitively committing to retirement. The man has been blessed with incredible longevity, is one of the more well-compensated fighters in the UFC, and the package he came in with Saturday was formidable, but missing a few typical DC calling cards that could have won him the fight. Cormier entered the rubber match ready for battle. He was agile, he was hostile, and he came in with a physique that more closely resembled the bruiser that was winning national freestyle titles in the mid-2000's than the more chubby version we've seen in recent fights, especially at heavyweight. Those familiar with the two-time Olympian's recurring weight issues will know why this is an important detail. While Cormier fought extremely well, and he unleashed some new attacks, the wrestling prowess briefly shown at the beginning of the fight, was noticeably absent for the remainder of it. This was a strategic mistake. A DC committed to establishing his wrestling threat is incredibly tough to beat. Not only does it open up more striking opportunities, his takedowns are often powerful and damaging in their own right. He does not wrestle to score points, he wrestles to hurt opponents. Also of note was the signature DC right hand that he uses to whack opponents with in close quarters. This attack was employed heavily, and found its mark most of the time, however, without the accompanying single collar tie from the opposite hand, there just wasn't enough sting on it. These attacks are not always necessary to be deployed together, but Saturday they were. Daniel Cormier is now somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 years spent as a world-class combat athlete of the highest caliber, and somehow, he isn't spent. At least not in the physical sense. His resume is beyond extensive. Two-time Olympian, world bronze medalist, Ivan Yarygin champ, Pan American Games champ, six-time U.S. freestyle national champ, NCAA Division I finalist, two-time NJCAA national champ, bronze medalist at Cadet Worlds, Strikeforce Grand Prix champ, UFC light heavyweight champ, and UFC heavyweight champ. I could go on, but you get the picture. Jim Miller What we learned: Veteran lightweight Miller is still dangerous, but came up just short, a theme that unfortunately may define his career when all is said and done. The former New Jersey high school state placewinner almost finished his foe with submission attacks a number of times Saturday, but was ultimately outgunned in size, strength, and relative youth. Regardless, the man who left behind a Division I wrestling career to pursue fighting will continue to win some and lose some should he continue to fight in the UFC. John Dodson What we learned: Former New Mexico high school state champ Dodson has let his inclination towards passivity and hesitation become too prevalent in his performances. The man who twice challenged for a UFC title in the 125-pound class, also one of the freakiest and most explosive athletes on the roster, should consider moving back down to 125 pounds. For whatever reason, despite having real KO power and being almost impossible to hold or take down, he continues to underperform and put in head-scratching performances. Herbert Burns What we learned: Though highly skilled and a very well-rounded fighter, Burns took a surprising loss from a more experienced fighter. Despite this fact, the Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt who also won a freestyle national title in Singapore while wrestling under U.S. Olympian Heath Sims, still has loads of potential. Look for the UFC newbie to rebound with authority. Kai Kamaka III What we learned: One of the more exciting aspects of UFC 252 was the debut of Hawaii's Kamaka. The 2013 Hawaii high school state champion wrestler who comes from a family with deep roots in both wrestling and MMA, Kamaka is looking like the next Hawaiian phenom after B.J. Penn and Max Holloway. Primarily a boxer and a wrestler with tight, tight, tight technique and a level of comfort rarely seen from a youngster, keep an eye out for this kid to climb high and fast.

Photo/Sam Janicki,SJanickiPhoto.com The Pac-12 and Big Ten conferences announced this week that they would not be playing football in the fall semester, or 2020. The decision would push any season to 2021, possibly abutting the NCAA basketball season. Like everything from birthday cakes to the postal service, this decision has been politicized. As a non-football fan I don't care much about the loss of games as it's not part of my weekend tradition. The athletes will suffer from not being able to play, the fans will miss their teams, but the biggest impact will be on the non-revenue sports whose budgets depend on the income from football. As with almost anything in the United States, football has also become big business. Profit drives the motivations for the decisions, which itself is bothersome. Then there is the issue of athletes pay, oversized administrative budgets, Title IX scapegoating, and the list goes on. The pandemic isn't so much causing these larger issues as it's stress testing the systems already in place, and as we've seen clearly they are largely unjust, over levered, and patently ridiculous in their vulnerabilities. Wrestling will be affected by the recent decisions. Several programs will be cut and the future of college sports will change forever. That change got me thinking about the next system and what could become of wrestling were we to move solely to a non-academic setting. What would it look like? What are the positives and negatives? Who stands to gain the most? First, I don't think we should eliminate sports from the academic experience as I think it enriches the lives of so many who would otherwise never have the opportunity to attend a four-year school. There are also those on campus who are inspired by their classmates who show great effort on the field. Sports are representative battles that allows for comradery and community in a way that science competitions can't mimic. But, we need to look to the future and what a club-based system in the United States would look like and how it would operate and under whose direction. The last question is the most straightforward. Rather than create an entirely new governing body to replace the NCAA rules and structure, USA Wrestling could form a subsidiary organization to govern a folkstyle wrestling league in the United States. The benefits would be tremendous in allowing a seasoned organization to lend its expertise to the development of a brand-new league. They can leverage relationships and have an active understanding of what each asset is worth, whether it's negotiating with a bid city for the National Championships, the value of marketing, TV/streaming rights, or even the cost to operate and run a tournament. With USA Wrestling controlling the length of season, eligibility, weight categories, rule changes, and everything else there would be tremendous opportunity for a more reactive governing body -- one that is more in tune with the needs of the athletes and invested in the outcomes. Committees and commissions of wrestlers and their trusted advisors would ensure that the best information and ideas are making their way to the mat. The number of club teams would be dramatically lower than the number of college programs, but there would be year-round competition, more money in the till for each of these programs via rights and advertising and far less overhead on monies to be raised for scholarships. Teams would continue to be regional, but the degree to which they recruit is up to them. If coaches in Western Pennsylvania wanted to make Top Guns into a national powerhouse and the post high school level they could keep their kids home since the incentive to wrestle at Iowa or Nebraska or NC State would lessen. Arguably, the grip on local pride would deepen and the regional aspect of the competitions would come alive. Without school as the main driver the athletes would feel free to pursue their wrestling careers as professionals and could profit from their image in a myriad way. They'd be paid by local car dealerships, Condom Depot, and whomever else feels like sponsoring their action. Individual athletes would also receive stipends from the club, win bonuses, and just about every other financial incentive imaginable. They could freely travel to train overseas. Or they could stay put. Their call. And when Top Gun wants to travel overseas together and take on the top Kazakhstan club? It would be achievable. The total number of competitions could also increase along with two competition seasons; freestyle/Greco-Roman and folkstyle. There could be a relegation system used by the clubs that would help generate sustained interest in each competition. Team scoring could even reflect the ongoing battles in the standings, i.e. knowing that your athletes needed to win by a certain number of technical points to secure a top four placement in their league and thus some financial incentive. We don't HAVE to live inside the NCAA's bubble. They will leave us behind the moment we aren't practical to their bottom line. They force us into archaic rules about eligibility and make athletes follow outdated protocols. What's in it for wrestling? Why not take a chance and break away? Why make the NCAA a priority when they don't care enough about the sport to protect it from elimination? Why give power to a mostly nameless and faceless institution when we can create our own? The pandemic has stressed an antiquated system that's tried to leave wrestling again and again. How we choose to react in this moment will determine the next 50 years of the sport in the United States. Let's look for ways to be independent from the cult of football and the overlord in Indianapolis. We should rely on our diverse and capable community and create a system that can grow and change with our needs, and that we will be proud of for generations to come. To your questions … Q: The moment(s) we've been anticipating around college football are starting to happen. Both the Big Ten and Pac-12 postponed their seasons with the intent of hopefully having a spring season. SEC and ACC are saying they're continuing forward and will make decisions as they get more information. Big 12 is saying they're going forward with the season. Clearly professional sports with all of their resources and the money tied up in it, haven't been able to find a good solution yet and that's with sports like baseball where the person-to-person contact is far lower than most other major sports. To me this has a duel effect on wrestling: first this reduces the likelihood of a season this winter or even spring and second is the beginning of a probable worst case lack of funding in athletic departments countrywide due to lost tuition, football revenue, 2020 March Madness, and likely lost or vastly depressed revenue from 2020/2021 basketball. With all that in mind, how does college athletics proceed as a whole? To me, wrestling should be looking to join forces strategically with other teams/sports to figure out ways to survive as offered sports for the long haul now versus being focused on a 2020/2021 season? We, wrestling, will not be the only potential chopping block sport when budgets tighten. As with many things, COVID-19 has wrenched open the cracks in college athletics. Big existential questions can and should be addressed: Do NCAA athletes finally get paid if indeed seasons proceed and they're essentially working in a hazardous environment? Is now the time that basketball and football rosters get pulled out of the evaluation of Title IX due to their disproportionate impact on those numbers? (The intent only being to then reduce the likelihood that schools chop smaller sports both women's and men's in the short term to retain the viability of their money-making sports.) Do athletes get a players' union so they have a voice and bargaining ability at the NCAA level versus being tied to their scholarships? -- Jon G. Foley: There are very concerning issues everywhere you look. The simple truth remains that without representation and payment you cannot force these kids to go out and compete in a sport where they don't have any say in the health decisions. A players' union could advocate for them, or the ability to strike, but without that the athletes are being held hostage by the whims of the administrators. I covered above how I think wrestling can adapt to the sea of changes, but it won't happen overnight. There will be a culling of programs and what they do to survive will largely determine how wrestling will operate in the United States in 5, 10, and 20 years. I don't think that Title IX should remove football from the equation, but I do think that schools should find creative low-cost solutions to fund sports with bigger head counts while also reducing the overall scholarship amount for the sport of football in general. Q: How do you see the Daniel Cormier-Stipe Miocic fight playing out? Do you think DC will rely more on his wrestling? Seems like that would be his best path to victory. -- Mike C. Foley: I'm pulling for Daniel Cormier, but with another wrestler standing across the cage I feel like even a loss for DC would be somewhat OK. The man is retiring! If history has taught us anything it's that this fight is kill or be killed with a knockout being served in the first and second bouts. They are evenly matched and have punching power that can equate to stunning turns in momentum. DC is getting a little long in the tooth and had a pretty significant weight cut, so if the fight lasts longer than the third round it's more likely that Miocic will find his way to victory. For DC to win he needs to pour pressure on Miocic in the first minute and see if he can get Miocic to create an early mistake. If not, he needs to find the cage and make Miocic fight in close. Uppercuts have a way of working well when your opponent's chin is above your head. As for the wrestling, he'll focus on the upper-body control he can force on Miocic and look for takedowns from the tie-up. Wouldn't expect him to attack from too far away and risk getting his head too far in front of his hips. Miocic is a lot of weight to carry and a legit wrestler himself. I'm excited for the fight. Q: The 2016 Olympics were four years ago. What was your favorite wrestling moment from Rio 2016? -- Mike C. Foley: Maybe just that it happened. There is a lot of disappointment in not being in Tokyo right now providing fans great content from the Games. There are certainly good reasons for not hosting the Games, but it's such a wonderful event that it's OK to mourn their disappearance this year. As for my favorite on-the-mat moment it was probably Helen upsetting Yoshida. The energy was incredible and the moment felt historic in a way I hadn't been a part of since Cael won his fourth NCAA title. Beating a legend like Yoshida to become the Olympic champion is just a one-of-a-kind moment. Kaori Icho after winning gold in Rio (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) My second favorite moment was watching Icho win her fourth and then immediately embrace a photo of her mother who had passed a few months prior. Icho doesn't show a lot of emotion on the mat and to know that she felt secure in recognizing her mother just off the mat was something I'll think about for a long time. A lot going on in one moment. I can definitively tell you that the Mongolians stripping down was my least favorite moment of the Games. Not that funny to me at the time, nor is it now. Just a sad moment for the sport. But hey, 2021 will be wrestling's best Olympic Games to date. I promise. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Helen Icho Q: What do you make of the WUG wrestling event on Aug. 30? -- Mike C. Foley: Any professional event that has controls in place to protect the athletes and officials, and is OK by local laws, seems to be achievable. Look at the NBA! I'm not sure where this is being held or how much COVID testing is in place, but I'm suspect that they will be over-testing the athletes. Also, this very well could be a great opportunity for the wrestler to make money. However, with Chael involved I'd recommend that anyone competing ask for half their money up front.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- The NWCA Division I Leadership Group (LG) sent a letter on Wednesday to all Division I Coaches, Athletic Directors, Senior Women's Administrators and Conference Liaisons to recommend a shift to the 2020-21 season as a result of ongoing complications related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Link: NWCA Division I Leadership Group COVID-19 Letter The Division I wrestling membership had the opportunity to meet (virtually) twice during the NWCA Convention, and participate in a recent meeting with Anthony Holman, Managing Director of Championships and Alliances for the NCAA. In addition, the NWCA sent a survey to all Division I head coaches regarding a self-imposed delayed start to the 2020-21 season. With 92% of the responses in favor of postponing the beginning of the upcoming season, the Division I membership largely supports this model. With this statistical support, the NWCA DI Leadership Group would like to proceed with the following amendments to best prepare wrestling for a truncated season and ensure we have the very best opportunity to host the 2021 NCAA Division I Championships. Most importantly, these seasonal adjustments will best protect our student-athletes' welfare and preserve the longevity of our sport. 1. A sport-imposed delay to the 2020-21 competitive season, starting on, or around January 1, 2021. a. The start of official practice will remain in place, or at the decision of the respective state, institutional, or conference guidelines. 2. If institution(s) decide to compete prior to the self-imposed start date, those matches should not create a competitive advantage over all those who follow the self-imposed start date. It would be the goal to not have matches prior to the self-imposed start date count toward the 2021 NCAA Championships' qualifying criteria. (This would need to be supported by the NCAA DI Wrestling Committee as they address the new qualifying criteria for the 2021 NCAA Championships.) 3. The NWCA Leadership group will reassess the trends, data, and models related to COVID-19 on a bi-weekly basis so that if the environment were to improve and safety restrictions were reduced, the 2020-21 wrestling season could be restored to its traditional format. On behalf of the NWCA DI Leadership Group, we appreciate your support and cooperation. These are perhaps the most challenging times in the history of NCAA Wrestling, and our goal is to ensure wrestling thrives regardless of the challenges we face this season, and beyond. The NWCA DI Leadership Group is comprised of Chair Troy Nickerson (University of Northern Colorado), Todd Beckerman (Brown University), Jason Borrelli (Stanford University), Tony Ersland (Purdue University), Steve Garland (University of Virginia), Joel Greenlee (Ohio University), John Hangey (Rider University), Andy Lausier (Davidson University).

Nathan Tomasello (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) DURHAM, N.C. -- Head wrestling coach Glen Lanham announced the addition of decorated collegiate wrestler Nathan Tomasello to his coaching staff Thursday. "Nathan is already known as a great wrestler," Lanham said. "In addition, he brings his great character to our program. We are excited to welcome him into our program." Tomasello wrapped up his storied career at Ohio State a four-time All-American, a four-time Big Ten Champion, a four-time Academic All-American and the 2015 NCAA National Champion at 125 pounds. He became just the 15th wrestler in Big Ten history to cap their career with four individual conference crowns. The national stage became common ground for this Parma, Ohio, native as he also placed third at the NCAA tournament in 2016 (125 lbs.), 2017 (133 lbs.) and 2018 (125 lbs.). To close out his collegiate accolades, Tomasello was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient, a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2015 and 2016), a three-time NWCA All-Academic honoree (2015, 2016, and 2018), and a five-time OSU Scholar-Athlete (2014-18). Tomasello joins the Blue Devil staff after serving one season as an assistant coach at Upper Arlington High School. There, he coached over 30 high school wrestlers at numerous tournaments throughout the state of Ohio. Tomasello also spent time as a camp counselor for the Ohio State wrestling camps where he planned, organized, and facilitated wrestling activities for boys ages 10-17. In his redshirt senior season with the Buckeyes, Tomasello placed third at the NCAA Championships, downing four nationally-ranked opponents along the way. What was even more impressive was that he competed the entire season with a torn ACL suffered while wrestling in the U23 World Champion Team Trials the summer before. During his last four years at OSU, Tomasello compiled a 100-8 overall record with 31 major decisions, 19 technical falls, and 11 falls. In his redshirt season (2013-14), he registered four open tournament championships at 125 pounds and posted a 18-0 record, which included nine major decisions, two technical falls, and three falls. Prior to OSU, Tomasello was a two-time high school First Team All-American. He amassed a 178-5 high school record - 37-5 as a freshman, 42-0 as a sophomore, 47-0 as a junior and 52-0 as a senior. He graduated as Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy's school record holder for most career victories and most victories in a season. Tomasello graduated from Ohio State in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. He also received a Master of Science degree in Sports Management from the school in 2018 as well.

Oakland Tech coach Ashlee Sherman consoles his wrestler, Royal Lawrence, at the state tournament (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) When my mind is filled with doubt that things will not work out, I put my head down and charge ahead. I learned from many years on a wrestling mat, that is all you can do. There will always be someone better or someone who works harder. That is life. A person with a unique talent that whatever you do, he wins. He figures out a way to defend your single leg despite your best efforts to score. The wrestler's credo is that whatever happens, you get up and keep going. Like a wrestling match, life will hit funk rolls, and many times you won't be able to score. Other times, you are paralyzed by fear and indecision and struggle to understand the reason. During those times, it is a constant reminder to get up and keep going. I can't say and will never know if I would have learned this mentality of perseverance, and constant forward movement if I never stepped on a wrestling mat. It has been wrestling's greatest gift to me. A gift wrapped in blood, sweat, tears, and struggle. Inside the wrapping paper is mental fortitude -- the wrestler's credo. The credo is committed and obligated to bring honor to the sport by never quitting and refusing to stay down. It is a sacred trust that is agreed upon in every wrestling room. When all is lost, a voice in our head tells you, "It's OK. You can get up, keep working, keep giving your best, don't give in to the pain." Every person will fail more than they succeed. They will take beatings. Some will be pretty bad, leaving you with black eyes and bruising. It is the severe blows that test our resolve. It will test our willingness to fight. The other voice in your head says, "Stay down, find something easier, no one will even notice if you quit." It is comforting and offers reassurance. It is the voice that gives up an easy go-behind instead of fighting for a stalemate. It is the voice that every wrestler tries to silence to a whisper. Wrestling is a game about life -- attacks and counter-attacks. Working hard, learning, and growing, and failing. Two points life! You escape and look to score. Life is aggressive and hand-fighting hard. Your neck is getting tired. Life attacks with a hard double leg, two more points life! Life is riding tough. You struggle to stay on your base. The pressure is unrelenting. Knee slide, movement, and finally, you get hand control. You escape. One point to the wrestler. You are back in the match. You fake to one leg and attack the other. Two points to the wrestler! There is a lot of time to go. You keep telling yourself to keep moving and working. The match could be your work, a relationship, or a financial challenge. Life will keep the pressure on you. You will struggle to get to your base on the bottom. It will hang on your head with a collar tie and wear you down. But the wrestler keeps fighting. He applies his own pressure. It is in his mentality. It's his credo. John Klessinger has been a high school teacher and wrestling coach for the past 21 years. As a head coach, his teams have won close to 400 matches, and they have won multiple county, region, and tournament championships. Six times he has been named the Baltimore Sun and the Annapolis Capital Gazette Anne Arundel County Coach of the Year. As a competitor, John was twice a Pennsylvania All-State wrestler. He was a four-year starter at the Division I collegiate level and a Division I East Regional champion. John competed in the 1997 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. John wrote an ebook called "Strong Mind Strong Body" that can be found on Amazon.

VILLAS, N.J. -- The Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association is a wrestling only association whose member schools are all affiliated with other conferences. As such, our member teams may be subject to restrictions imposed by their parent conferences and home states with respect to athletic practice and competition during the current Covid-19 pandemic. The Head Coaches are planning an EIWA-centric schedule designed to maximize the number of bouts for our wrestlers. There are currently eight weekends between the new year and the final weekend of the regular season. Dual meets will be the priority although a series of limited tournaments to offer competition may be explored. All activities are subject to the prime concern of ensuring the health and safety of our wrestlers, staffs, and campuses. We intend to proceed with the understanding that: - Practice during the fall semester is permitted - Recommended competition will begin no sooner than 1/1/2021 - Some potential opponents may not be able to compete at times - Current preliminary schedules are not going to be possible - Non-conference matches are permitted but will by necessity be minimal and might be limited to regional opponents - The EIWA Championship tournament will take place as scheduled, at Cornell University on the weekend of March 5-7 - All plans are subject to change The coaches have agreed to meet frequently for the foreseeable future to exchange information and adjust our approach as needed.

Ben Askren before his Beat the Streets match against Jordan Burroughs in 2019 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Ben Askren, past Olympian, Hodge Trophy winner and MMA fighter, resigned as head coach of the Wisconsin Regional Training Center. The announcement comes three months after his contract was extended. The Wisconsin RTC released the following statement: For those who have not heard, Ben Askren has resigned as the Head Coach of the Wisconsin Regional Training Center. Ben has been instrumental in the rejuvenation of our RTC program and will be greatly missed. We respect Ben's decision and wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Visitation and funeral this week will be held a for slain 15-year-old suburban high school wrestler from suburban Chicago this week whose mat coach as well as a high school principal described at charismatic, quiet and hard-working. Elias Valdez Visitation for Elias Valdez, a rising sophomore at Glenbrook South High School in north-suburban Chicago will be from 3 to 5 p.m. this Thursday, with no more than 50 mourners at a time, at Ahlgrim Funeral Home, 201 N. Northwest Hwy. in Palatine. A funeral Mass will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Friday at the funeral home, and burial will take place at St. Michael the Archangel Cemetery, 1185 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine., Ill. The North Regional Major Crimes Task Force was heading the investigation into what police say was the village's first murder since 2004. Valdez, who was stabbed to death Aug. 5, was remembered by Titans assistant wrestling coach Chris Albandia as unassuming yet charismatic. "He had almost like this magnetic personality where people wanted to talk to him; people kind of wanted to sidle up to him," said Albandia, a teacher who saw Valdez not just on the wrestling mat but also in Glenbrook South's structured study period. Albandia said the 2019-20 wrestling season was Valdez's first foray into extracurricular activities at Glenbrook South. "He really showed he had potential there -- he's a hard worker. He's got some ability," Albandia said. After training in the 126-pound division, Valdez went 0-2 in his first competition, Albandia recalled. The coach expected a "woe is me" attitude from the freshman, he said, but Valdez surprised him. Perhaps just as surprising ... Valdez made a favorable impression on Glenbrook South High School's principal. Valdez, who lived in unincorporated Glenview, was a rising sophomore at Glenbrook South High School, according to an email from the school's principal to the school community. The 15-year-old, who was a member of the school's wrestling team, was described by principal Dr. Lauren S. Fagel as "a kind, charismatic young man who exhibited great leadership qualities." "...We're glad we had the time we did have with Elias and know a void has been left," Dr. Fagel added. "...Elias deeply loved his mom and family. The many adults who worked with Elias appreciated his devotion to his family, his kindness to others, and his ability to quickly make friends and make others feel welcome. We will miss Elias and his endearing spirit, and we will always remember him as a true Titan."

Tom Erikson BATESVILLE, Ark. -- Tom Erikson has announced his formal resignation as the head men's wrestling coach at Lyon College after accepting a coaching position at Duke University in Durham, N.C. "I want to thank Coach Erikson for everything he has done for the program," said Director of Athletics Kevin Jenkins. "Tom is a relentless worker and helped elevate the men's wrestling program after taking control of the program during its second season of competition." Erikson took over the men's and women's wrestling programs in 2015-16, which was the second season of competition for both programs. In 2017, Kevin Corbett was hired to take over the women's wrestling program, while Erikson remained the head coach for the men's program. In 2016-17, Erikson coached the program's first ever NAIA All-American (Dustin Miller), along with one individual American Midwest Conference champion (Troy Mercer) In 2017-18, Erikson coached a pair of NAIA National Qualifiers in Jacob Hill and Dustin Miller. Erikson guided the Scots to a fifth-place finish in the AMC Championship during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. A search for a new head coach for men's wrestling will begin immediately. About Lyon College: Lyon College is located in Batesville, Arkansas, a historic town of 10,000 that serves as the commercial, medical, social, and governmental hub for an eight-county area and was named by USA Today as the best city to live in in Arkansas. Named one of the "top American colleges" by Forbes, the College currently enrolls almost 700 undergraduate students from 24 states and 15 countries.

Stipe Miocic as a high school wrestler at Eastlake North High School (left) and UFC champion (right) In the main event of UFC 252, Daniel Cormier will look to regain the UFC heavyweight title when he challenges champion Stipe Miocic in what will be the final bout of their trilogy. During the lead-up to this fight, the Olympian has alluded to using his wrestling more as he told ESPN, "I hope Stipe has his wrestling shoes because with the small cage -- single leg, single leg, single leg, single leg, wrestling. It is what it is. Sorry." In terms of pure wrestling credentials, Cormier has a pretty large advantage over Miocic. However, that does not necessarily guarantee success in the cage. Plus, even though Cormier has the better resume, Miocic always wrestled at a high level before leaving the sport in 2003. The following looks in an in-depth review of Miocic's wrestling career. High school Miocic was a three-sport athlete for Eastlake North High School, which sits about 20 minutes east of Cleveland. His best season came during his senior year. He made the finals of the 2000 OHSAA Division I tournament at 215 pounds before coming up short against Brent Miller of Wapakoneta to finish second. Miller would go on to become an NCAA qualifier for West Virginia. Following the regular season, Miocic entered the NHSCA Senior Nationals and finished seventh. He then moved to the collegiate level to wrestle for coach Jack Effner at Cleveland State. College Freshman season (2000-2001) In his first season for the Vikings, Miocic did not start as he found himself behind Dom Abato on the depth chart. He did compete in a variety of open tournaments including the Cleveland State Open in February. Miocic finished third in the tournament with his only defeat coming against two-time NAIA All-American Brian Scislo of Findlay. Miocic also competed at the annual Midlands tournament where he failed to place. In the same weight class was fellow future UFC contender Chael Sonnen Sophomore season (2001-2002) In his second season at Cleveland State, Miocic secured a spot in the starting lineup with a 5-3 victory over Bert Dobies in the 197-pound wrestle-off. The match was tied late, but Miocic scored a reversal to pull out the decision. After earning the starting spot, he was part of a formidable backend to the lineup for the Vikings. Heavyweight Russ Davie would go on to be a multiple-time NCAA qualifier. At 184 pounds, Gerald Harris would leave Cleveland State as a three-time NCAA qualifier and the winningest wrestler in program history. Harris would also launch an extensive MMA career. He currently holds a 26-8-1 record and has fought for a variety of promotions including Bellator and UFC. In 2018, he spoke with MMAFighting about his lasting relationship with Miocic. "He's exactly the type of person you think he is: Loyal, goofy, you never see him mad, a true friend," Harris said. "I'm sure if I called up Stipe and told him I was in town, he'd let me crash at his place." Miocic got off to a hot start in November, winning the title at the Oklahoma Gold Classic with a 12-3 win over Josh Ferguson and a 9-7 victory over Tom Grossman, both of Oklahoma. He followed that up by making the finals of the Cornell Invitational before falling to Chris Jones of Drexel in the finals via a 7-5 score. By the end of the month, the sophomore was ranked 16th in the nation at 197 pounds. Early in December, Cleveland State faced off against Edinboro in an EWL dual. Miocic dropped a decision (8-4) against No. 7 David Shunamon. In addition to Miocic and Harris, the match also featured future MMA competitors Josh Koscheck and Shawn Bunch. Miocic returned to the Midlands for the second time and had a bit more success. After losing in the first round against Nick Preston (Ohio State), he went on a bit of a run in the consolation bracket. He defeated Sean Barnes (Chicago) and July Vicens (Illinois) before eventually falling to Pat DeGain (Indiana). Following the New Year's Eve holiday, Cleveland State faced off against Big Ten foe Michigan. The match also brought a top-10 ranked opponent in No. 9 Kyle Smith. Miocic fought diligently but ultimately dropped a 7-5 decision. Three days later Miocic faced off against Zeb Miller of Kent State and brought home a 10-2 major decision. Cleveland State also took the dual 22-12 over the Golden Flashes. Miller would go on to become a prominent member of the wrestling community online (https://twitter.com/zzsmiller) and recently reflected on the match. "Stipe is a freak. When I got to his legs I couldn't take him down. When he hit single legs on me, he would disappear and be behind me. For being a massive guy he moved like a 125-pounder. I truly believe Stipe had the ability to play multiple professional sports and excel at most. Also, imagine him at 197 pounds with the frame he has now. He was able to keep all his agility and athleticism with his weight cut to 197." Miocic scored another victory over a ranked opponent when the Vikings faced off against Pittsburgh. He reportedly entered his match against No. 18 David Sandberg with the flu and still took a 3-2 decision. Despite picking up several EWL victories during the season, Miocic surprisingly went 0-2 at the conference tournament. On the front side, he dropped a 6-3 decision against Avery Zerkle (Lock Haven), who had pinned him earlier in the year. Miocic was then eliminated by Canaan Prater of Virginia Tech, who he had defeated one month prior. After coming up short, Miocic failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament and his season came to an end. Junior season (2002-2003) Despite missing out on the NCAA tournament, Miocic found himself ranked by multiple polls heading into his junior season. He easily locked down the starting spot at 197 pounds with an 18-6 decision over teammate Nathan Hunter in the wrestle-offs. Early in the year, he scored an upset over No. 15 David Shunamon of Edinboro. The match was tied 3-3 in the third period until Miocic scored a takedown and held on for the victory. Miocic's upset win was one of the vital elements of Cleveland State's 19-12 victory over No. 23 Edinboro. Fourteen days later, Miocic picked up another ranked victory and avenged a defeat from the previous season. He jumped on No. 8 Kyle Smith (Michigan) early with three first-period takedowns. Smith fought back into the match, but Miocic walked off the mat with an 8-5 decision. For the third straight season Miocic returned to the Midlands. After getting off to a quick start with a pigtail victory over Venroy July (North Carolina), the hardship of his draw quickly became evident. Miocic lost via fall to Emmett Wilson of Montana State Northern. The following season, Wilson would go on to become the only NAIA wrestler to win the Hodge Trophy. In mid-January, Miocic scored another ranked win when he knocked off No. 12 Jon Bush of Purdue. The back-and-forth match turned into a high-scoring affair, but Miocic came away with a 12-10 decision victory. Later in the month, he notched perhaps his biggest win of the year. Not only did Cleveland State dominate EWL rival Lock Haven to a 30-6 dual victory, but also Miocic upset No. 10 Morgan Horner. One month later, the future UFC champion took part in an extremely wild match that possibly portended his wide-open fighting style. On Feb. 23, Miocic defeated West Virginia's Adrian Thompson in a 41-point match. CSUVikings.com recapped the bout. "In one of the wildest matches of the night, Viking Stipe Miocic (Willowick, Ohio/Eastlake North) raced out to an early 12-4 lead in the first period at 197 before WVU's Adrian Thompson scored a takedown and had Miocic on his back nearly recording the fall. Thompson was working on the pin as time expired in the first. Miocic proved to be too much for Thompson the rest of the way, though, notching five takedowns in the second and third periods to register the 27-14 major decision." Miocic entered the EWL tournament in early March match as one of the favorites. However, things went off the rails in the semifinals when he was pinned by rival Horner, who he had previously defeated during the regular season. He fought back in the consolation bracket before ultimately dropping a decision against Eric Mausser of Clarion in the third-place match. With a fourth-place finish, Miocic missed out on an automatic qualifier spot for the NCAA tournament. Despite the EWL tournament finish, Miocic earned a berth for the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately he failed to register a victory. He dropped his first match against the No. 8 seed Anthony Reynolds of Sacred Heart. Miocic then fell to the consolation bracket where he was eliminated by Kevin Kessner of Wyoming. The match would effectively end his collegiate wrestling career. Baseball Miocic played baseball at Cleveland State in addition to his wrestling commitments. After his junior year, he chose to focus on baseball. He transferred to Coker College for a season before ending up at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville for his final year of college athletics. At Trevecca, he hit .344 with seven home runs, which helped the NAIA squad win their conference tournament. MMA debut Miocic made his professional MMA debut on Feb. 20, 2010, nearly seven years after his last collegiate wrestling match. He signed with the UFC in 2011 and won the heavyweight title from Fabricio Werdum in 2016. Miocic does his fair share of striking in the Octagon, but he has not strayed too far from his wrestling base. In the UFC, he has landed 2.20 takedowns per 15 minutes of fight time, which is the third highest rate among ranked heavyweights.

Ryan Crookham wrestling in the finals of the Walsh Jesuit Ironman (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Lehigh has received a verbal commitment from the nation's No. 2 junior (Class of 2022), Ryan Crookham. He announced his commitment over the weekend on Twitter. Crookham is a two-time PIAA state champion with a career record of 100-3. He finished last season with a 51-1 record. He won tournament titles at the Beast of the East, Trojan Wars (Chambersburg) Tournament and Escape the Rock. Crookham was a runner-up at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman. Crookham is also a past Super 32 Challenge champion. He projects at 141/149 pounds in college.

William Jewell College is bringing back men's wrestling after a 27-year-absence -- and introducing a new women's mat program starting in 2021. Both mat programs will be headed up by Keenan Hagerty, who has been named the head men's and women's wrestling coach at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo. outside Kansas City, the Courier-Tribune reported Thursday. Keenan Hagerty"Keenan comes highly recommended by people all over the college wrestling community," William Jewell Director of Athletics Tom Eisenhauer said. "His familiarity with GLVC wrestling will help position us for success in a very competitive league." Hagerty comes to the Cardinals from Maryville University where he has spent four years as the top assistant on the Saints staff. During that time, he has helped Maryville to 19 All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selections, 15 NCAA-II national qualifiers, seven All-Americans and one national champion. Additionally, the Saints excelled in the classroom with Hagerty on staff having won three straight National Wrestling Coaches Association Academic Team National Championships, including setting a new Division II wrestling GPA record with a 3.556 mark in 2020. Hagerty had graduated from Maryville in 2016. Prior to heading Marysville for college, Hagerty attended Blue Springs High School (as with William Jewel College, located in suburban Kansas City, Mo.) where he won a state championship under his father, Mike, a 2016 inductee into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "From early in the search process, I was impressed with Keenan's passion and enthusiasm for the sport," Eisenhauer added. "We're excited to be the only NCAA-II wrestling program in Kansas City and to have someone who is a product of Kansas City wrestling lead the program is a perfect fit." "I am excited to join William Jewell College and bring men's and women's wrestling to the campus," Hagerty said. "I look forward to moving back to the Kansas City area where wrestling is such a high priority. "There is a very bright future for William Jewell wrestling and I am eager to get started." William Jewel College had revealed plans to introduce a new women's wrestling program -- as well as resurrecting a men's program after a 27-year-absence -- back in early June 2020. Founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention, William Jewell College is a private, liberal-arts college located in Liberty, Missouri just east of Kansas City, Mo. William Jewell has approximately 730 students. William Jewell College's varsity programs -- including the new women's wrestling program and resurrected men's program -- compete in NCAA Division II as the Cardinals.

Wrestling means different things to different people. For young athletes it's a social experience with elements of competition and physical output. As wrestlers get older the sport becomes part of their identity a la "Mark from the wrestling team." For parents it's a way to show pride in their children, for coaches a chance to teach life lessons and maybe scratch a few competitive urges. Journalists in wrestling enjoy the stats, the storytelling, and being members of a community they don't want to leave behind. Motivations vary, but ultimately wrestling binds together generations of fans, professionals, and athletes in their shared experience inside the sport. Still, everyone in the wrestling community shares the same values in life. Like any sport or organization there is the full range of personalities in our sport -- those who want to help, those who want to take, and those who simply see it as another job. There are bad influences and there are good. Despite political or social differences, our community has tended to be in sync is regarding the health of the athletes. We spend a lot of money, time, and effort limiting the spread of skin diseases like ringworm, impetigo, and herpes. Athletes shower after practice, apply special soaps, and disinfect their rooms with sprays and lights. Parents, athletes, administrators and businesses all have the goal to keep our young athletes out of harm's way. So, it's confusing and angering that now -- with the deadliest, most transmissible disease in 100 years running rampant across the country -- members of our community would choose to eschew their responsibility to keep each other healthy and hold youth wrestling practices. We are living through a pandemic. More than 1,000 people have been dying per day for more than two weeks and there are more than 50,000 new cases every day. Almost 160,000 Americans have died of the disease since March. And the response to this widespread death and suffering is to … have kids wrestle? We can blame the federal government's absolutely abhorrent response as a driving cause for the lack of clarity on how to proceed, but too many coaches are taking that high-level confusion and using it as an excuse for practicing when they know damn well it endangers the lives of athletes. Professional athletes -- those who are paid to wrestle for a living -- at least have an argument to why they would want to continue wrestling. It feeds their family and they want to be prepared for the next tournament (whenever that is) and many are practicing in pods, getting frequent testing, and following stringent protocols. The professional jiu-jitsu community is similar with one well-known athlete recently returning to the mats but making note that he's doing so with the knowledge he can no longer see his parents and keeping a tight training circle. Maybe not ideal, but as an adult who can weigh the consequences of his actions he's doing his best to maintain a heathy environment. Children don't have that option to self-isolate or create a training pod. They live at home with Mom and Dad and their brothers and sisters. They see grandma and grandad. It's obnoxious that the coaches who are meant to help children make community-based decisions have chosen their pocketbooks over the health and safety of the children they are meant to lead. Stop practicing. Stop competing. Americans do not have this virus under control and risking the lives of the next generation of wrestlers for personal gain is the most selfish act we've seen in our community. We are all paying a financial price for the incompetence of our government and the ravages of this disease. But there is no reason to make our children carry that burden when it is ours to shoulder. To your questions … Q: Who are the most exciting, active pinners in freestyle wrestling? Pick the top men and women who are all about that #PinfallLife -- @NHoughSnee Foley: First, no nation goes for the kill more often than Mongolia. Men and women both are constantly looking to throw from their feet and control for a fall. Watching one of their matches can be incredibly frustrating because they will consistently risk multiple point leads in the hopes of hitting some outrageous foot sweep or lateral drop. But also, its just fun to watch. Freestyle has a few throwers, but I think David Taylor is the one most consistently looking to pin opponents. He has more control on top and transitions out of his defensive positions into cradles. Frank Chamizo is another guy who is always searching for a step over or to create chaos from a scramble position. Basically, in freestyle anyone who is willing to let gut wrench action progress far enough to search for a step over is considered a pinner. The Chinese men, while not altogether impressive, also spend a lot of time searching for cradles, pancakes, and front head roll throughs. Maria Stadnik works for the fall (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On the women's side it's Maria Stadnick. She has zero quit and because she's so strong a lot of her forward pressure isn't properly combatted, and she just steamrolls opponents to their backs. Qian Zhou of China and Feng Zhou of China also wrestle into opponents when they are on their haunches and catch a lot of opponents on their back. Their teammate Yanan Sun is probably the most aggressive big-move athlete in the world and has had success versus younger or less experienced in finding the fall, but less so against quality talent. Vinesh is another uber-athletic talent with eyes on the fall. Lots of step overs, foot sweeps, headlocks, and pancakes from India's wrestling start. She's arguably the most dangerous wrestler in the world. Q: Wonder if you saw this because some of the debates on Twitter. -- @pareyouwithme Foley: Frankie Quintana is an excellent example of a young and healthy individual who is being directly affected by COVID-19. That he is alive is remarkable and a blessing. He needs our support now more than ever so if you can please donate plasma! Again, it speaks to the point that we know what this disease can do and we know how to prevent its spread. There is no mystery in how to defeat this disease, but a lack of self-discipline and a rampant me-first culture among some in the community is making our sport vulnerable. This can't be said or written enough: Wrestling will not cease to exist if we stop practicing for a few months. Young wrestlers won't miss a scholarship opportunity. Coaches will make money again in the future. On the flip side if an infected wrestler comes to practice you are running then you have endangered the life of everyone on your team. If you are sick and you knowingly practice you are endangering everyone in that room. You are also endangering their parents and grandparents. I don't know where Frankie was infected, but I can assure you that he won't be the only wrestler affected by this terrible disease if we still have coaches who are holding practices. Please keep Frankie in your thoughts. Q: I see all this talk about the college wrestling season potentially starting in January. It doesn't seem realistic until there is a vaccine. Could you see college wrestlers opting out, like we are seeing with college football players and pro athletes? -- Mike C. Foley: Even if there is a vaccine I highly doubt that enough Americans will take it and create something like a herd immunity. Unfortunately our information systems in America have been rotted away by Facebook with the uncle of your buddy's post from PatriotEagleOne News Blog getting as much credence as reports from the NYT and the Washington Post. The anti-vaxxers are going to get us all killed because they saw a short video on YouTube and think Bill Gates and Dr. Fauci cooked up COVID in a lab somewhere so they could take over the world. These conspiracy theories would be hysterical if it wasn't so pathetic, self-interested, and deadly. If football makes it through then I think they will try to start a wrestling season, but I just don't think we can last long with the numbers of outbreaks we can expect in teams around the country. Even if we advocate for bubbles these are college kids we are talking about. I'm highly skeptical we are going to keep them out of high-density group environments. Ultimately, there is nothing we can do about the sport launching in January until the whole of America decides to drop the bullcrap and start wearing a mask, socially distance themselves, and implement a robust nationwide testing and tracing program Do you see that happening? I don't. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Just because these are awesome Q: What rule changes could be made to make Greco more fan-friendly? -- @RichardAMann Foley: When it's good, it's great. When it's bad, it's dreadful. Greco-Roman has moments where it's fan friendly -- sky-high five-point throws, over-the-head lifts, and brutal front headlocks. However, over the past five years the balance of matches can seem slow. The hand-fighting and positioning of the feet are high-level techniques that wrestling aficionados tend to enjoy, but to your question that's not entirely fan-friendly. An idea floated in 2013 was to have the Greco-Roman athletes wear compression tops with additional tack on the back to allow for better grip. That way you'd see the difference in freestyle and Greco-Roman, but also allow for better traction when attempting throws. Ultimately the idea didn't make it very far, but the inspiration was on point. There is far too much sweaty skin exposed to allow for great grips and throws, especially after the first minute. I'd be against any clinching, but I don't mind the recent action with referees doing a better job rewarding positive wrestling and dinging negative wrestling. Referee education and oversight will ultimately determine the success of Greco-Roman on the world stage. The best refs can get the athletes to engage and wrestle with intent. Q: How many Division I programs will we have this time in 2022? -- @ZingherPolisci Foley: So much of what will happen with Division I athletics is going to depend on the next four weeks and how the NCAA handles football. There are already COVID outbreaks on teams across the country and some schools have cancelled their seasons, but the health of wrestling will still depend on the Power 5 conferences and how they choose to handle these outbreaks. As of now, I think they are going to disregard the health of the athletes and just go forward as we've seen in baseball. The only caveat to that is some administrators with a backbone might find the courage to end the seasons of teams with sustained outbreaks. If the football season is truncated, or collapses under the weight of the outbreak, we are looking at something like 5-8 at-risk programs being dropped in the fall and winter. If basketball is canceled, then the number will balloon to 10-15. This really might end up being an apocalyptic event for all Division I athletics and the systems that have previously kept them afloat. What if I said I could introduce you to the mysterious Bajrang Bois? -- @Jagger712 Foley: I'd say send the invite. Bajrang.

Alvernia University in Reading, Pa. will add a trio of varsity sports -- women's wrestling, men's ice hockey, and Esports -- beginning in the 2021-22 school year, Alvernia University Director of Athletics Bill Stiles announced Monday, for a three new varsity sports that will bring the school's total to 30 extra-curricular activities for male and female students. Alvernia will add Esports beginning in the 2021-22 school year, then add Women's Wrestling and Men's Ice Hockey in the 2022-23 school year. Esports will be varsity sport number 28 for the Golden Wolves and following the addition of Women's Wrestling and Men's Ice Hockey, Alvernia will be at 30 sports. "As always, we are looking to meet the needs of our students and community while also providing additional opportunities to prospective student-athletes," said Stiles. "Like many of our sports, particularly the ones we've added in the past 5-6 years, these offerings will allow us to recruit and retain new students while expanding our geographic recruiting footprint." Esports will join the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE). Men's Ice Hockey will be an NCAA Division III team and join Alvernia's Women's Ice Hockey program in the MAC and has applied to also join the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC). Women's Wrestling will also be NCAA Division III. Alvernia joins Delaware Valley as the only two schools in the MAC to sponsor Women's Wrestling. "The addition of Esports provides Alvernia with an opportunity to offer an experience that students really enjoy and will add to our overall experience at AU," said Alvernia University President John R. Loyack. "Our vision for the program is for Alvernia to become the Esports Hub of Berks County with a dedicated, state of the art esports suite as part of Reading CollegeTowne." "Building upon the successes and momentum of our men's wrestling and women's ice hockey programs, which started last year, the next logical step was to provide additional opportunities for women and men, respectively," said Stiles. "And, the recent addition of women's wrestling to the list of NCAA Emerging Sports for Women allows Alvernia to be at the forefront of a sport that is growing exponentially for girls in high schools and clubs." There are currently 10 universities within a three hour radius of Alvernia that sponsor Women's Wrestling and more to come with the NCAA recently adding it to its list of emerging sports. Alvernia will compete in dual matches and invitationals against those 10 schools in its first season and also look to compete in the Cliff Keen National Collegiate Championship that enters its second season in 2020-21. The search for head coaches for all three sports will take place this fall. Alvernia University - formerly Alvernia College -- is a four-year, private, Roman Catholic school located in east-central Pennsylvania. Originally founded in 1958, Alvernia started welcoming male and female students in 2008. Student-athletes compete in NCAA Division III.

Carlton Haselrig The family of Carlton Haselrig, six-time NCAA wrestling champ and 2016 National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee -- as well as Pittsburgh Steeler football legend who collapsed and died in his home at age 54 on July 22 - is having his brain donated to Boston University for brain injury research, Haselrig's hometown newspaper, the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, reported Wednesday. According to the Haselrig family, Boston University's Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center is among the leading brain injury research institutions, with the largest tissue repository in the world. The Boston University center specializes in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – “a common term used to describe the brain of an individual who repeatedly faced head traumas, specifically those, like Carlton, who played aggressively vigorous sports a majority of their life," the family statement said. “Life starts with family. Carlton was big on family, he respected everyone, inspired his loved ones, and ensured to always support those he encountered. As his family, we have promised to do our part and uphold the values Carlton has built, starting by executing his desire to donate his brain for CTE research." Donations from the families of athletes who played sports that may have caused serious traumatic injuries such as these described here can help Boston University research these injuries and provide help to prevent future such injuries in the future. Haselrig previously participated in CTE research at Boston University. His family believes his earlier involvement in the program potentially will lead to even more significant findings. Bruce Haselrig, Carlton's uncle and a well-known PIAA and NCAA wrestling official, said the Boston University research was important to Carlton Haselrig.

USA Wrestling has named its popular Preseason Nationals tournament after the late Brian Keck, who helped create the event and served as its event director for more than a decade. The 2020 USA Wrestling Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals will return to Hyvee Hall inside the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, October 30 - November 1. Keck worked with USA Wrestling to found the Preseason Nationals in 2008, a major early season national folkstyle wrestling event for athletes of all ages. The first event was held in Des Moines, then spent nine years in Cedar Falls, Iowa, before returning to Des Moines in 2018. During its 12 years with Keck's involvement, the competition grew in size and prestige. Keck tragically passed away at the age 48 during a trip to Mexico in November, 2019. "Brian Keck provided the vision and passion to establish USA Wrestling's Preseason Nationals as a premier competition for talented and motivated wrestlers from across the nation. It is appropriate that as this tournament continues to grow and improve, his contribution to the sport is recognized on an annual basis," said Pete Isais, USA Wrestling Director of National Events. A native of Parma, Ohio, he was an Ohio state champion for Padua Franciscan High School. Keck won a Junior College national title for Cuyuhoga CC and went on to Bloomsburg, where he was a two-time NCAA qualifier for the Huskies. Keck competed for a decade as a Senior-level athlete in both Greco-Roman and freestyle, spending many years as a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. Keck was just one of two athletes to qualify for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, and he wrestled in three Olympic Trials events. Brian Keck competing in Real Pro Wrestling (Photo/Danielle Hobeika) He served as an assistant coach for Cleveland State, and the wrestling coach for Xtreme Couture, an MMA gym owned by wrestling and MMA legend Randy Couture. He was also with Alliance MMA, where he trained MMA fighters. One of Keck's biggest contributions to wrestling was as an event organizer. In addition to the Preseason Nationals, Keck also directed a number of other wrestling competitions. The final schedule for the 2020 USA Wrestling Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals is being completed at this time. A website will soon be posted with complete information on the tournament. It will be conducted using USA Wrestling's Return to Events Guidelines and following the regulations of the state and local health authorities in Iowa. Wrestlers, parents, coaches and clubs are asked to Save the Date of October 30 - November 1 and make plans to attend this year's USA Wrestling Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals. Registration will open on August 20, coinciding with the launch of the new 2020-21 USA Wrestling membership year. The event will be broadcast live on Trackwrestling.

Andre Gonzales after winning a California state championships at 106 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Ohio State secured the verbal commitment of a nationally elite lightweight wrestler in the Class of 2021 on Tuesday evening. Ranked No. 60 overall, Andre Gonzales (Poway, Calif.) is the second top-100 commit for the Buckeyes among rising seniors. Competing at 106 pounds as a junior, Gonzales won a state title and ended the year ranked No. 1 nationally in the weight class. In the summer of 2019, he was a Fargo champion (Junior) in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. He projects as a 125-pound wrestler in college.

Nick Suriano gets is hand raised after winning in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Nick Suriano has re-enrolled at Rutgers. After taking an Olympic redshirt season in 2019-20, the 2019 NCAA champion is now listed in the school's online directory. The news was first reported by Rutgers Sports Insider, NJ Advance Media's subscription text messaging service. A native of Paramus, N.J., Suriano was a four-time New Jersey state wrestling champion at Bergen Catholic, with a perfect 159-0 prep record. He started his collegiate career at Penn State, compiling a 16-3 record as a freshman during the 2016-17 season, but injuries kept him from competing at the Big Ten and NCAA championships. Suriano then transferred to Rutgers, where he was a two-time NCAA national finalist, winning the 133-pound title at the 2019 NCAAs in Pittsburgh, just two weeks after claiming a Big Ten conference crown. Suriano has one season of college wrestling eligibility remaining.

Six days have passed since Saturday night's FloWrestling event featuring headliners Kyle Dake and Frank Chamizo. While a week can be a long time for most event postmortems, I think that the distance has provided some clarity to what went right, and what didn't in wrestling's biggest event of the summer. The obvious failure was the feed going dead by the start of the first match. That stuff happens to FloWrestling, Trackwrestling, United World Wrestling and other internet broadcasters. Sometimes when too many people are online, or there isn't enough oomph (layman terminology) to get the signal out to viewers. Both are preventable, but failures are common. The delayed start ate away at the event's energy. Heading into the event there was significant stumbling about women's matches, Pat Downey, and last-minute changes, but with 24 hours to go much of the wrestling world had resigned itself to enjoying a much-needed night of sports entertainment. The commentary was knowledgeable and entertaining, and the creative packages were well done. There was FAR too much time between the cards. While I agree that some hype helps, it's better done in the days leading up to the event than in the first minutes. Some footage had leaked out, but a 24/7 or Embedded type program would have helped fans gain new perspective into the lives of the athletes. It's a huge task and with everything else happening in the world it would have been a big ask. The packages felt like a Fight Night from UFC 2013 with a swinging lightbulb bringing the wrestlers faces into and out of focus. Meh. It's much better than nothing, but it only really reminded me of the UFC and there is plenty of room for wrestling to have its own look for big events. And again, watching them three to four times before each match got to be a repetitive and annoying. I was probably not alone in having other screens on and just keeping one eye on the promotion. (Side note: This seems better suited to an actual PPV card where people are buying it as a one-off.) A faster card would have made for a better card, though I don't think the matches needed to roll back-to-back-to-back. A 12-minute delay with one airing of the promotional reel and then listening to the hype from the commentators (like all sporting events) would have been an improvement for the fan experience. Keep us interested but stay focused on the content we want to consume. The wrestling was OK. The referee allowed far too much time for Dake to work at the edge of the mat. He earned the turn, but the wrestlers should have been back to their feet a few moments before the turn was attempted. The scrambles were complex and compelling with both grapplers showcasing some of their defensive skill, but the overall number of exchanges left me wanting more. If an organizer is paying $75-100K for a main event I'd hope that the athletes feel compelled to pull the trigger a little more often. Getting shooters is important because this event is part spectacle and part sport, whereas a world championship event is run for a sporting outcome. Something to consider. What's next? Tough to say what matchups may come through in the next few weeks. Much will depend on FloWrestling and what they are willing to pay and the preparation and timeline of the biggest athletes. The matches will be limited to foreign wrestlers from only one country or else it becomes a United World Wrestling level event, which currently aren't allowed to occur. Though that doesn't matter much since America isn't open to foreign business quite like it was six months ago. Overall, I enjoyed the evening if it was delayed and suffered from too many pauses. We all wanted something sporting and entertaining and I think that's what we received. Good job by FloWrestling to get it together and to follow the strict COVID protocols. To your questions … David Taylor takes down Myles Martin at FloWrestling's event this past Saturday (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: David Taylor called out Abdulrashid Sadulaev. If they faced off at a catchweight, how do you see that match going? -- Mike C. Foley: I really don't have any idea who would win, but that's also due in part to not knowing if a catchweight would be possible. While Sadulaev did only weigh in the mid 90's for much of the 2017 season, he was trimming some kilos in 2019 and he's even larger in the COVID-era of less working out and more dining. Would "The Tank" have to cut down to 92 kilograms for a match with someone who can eat up to 92 kilograms? Meh. Seems like a lot to consider for Sadulaev who both doesn't need the money and doesn't care about the attention. OK, but what if he did decide to workout, cut a bunch of weight, and fly to Texas … When attacking, David Taylor is arguably the best freestyle wrestler in the world. When defending he's creative and opportunistic, but he does give up points when opponents make it past his hands and elbows and connect to good shots. Sadulaev is beefy, but he's also outrageously athletic -- would a scoot to the corner and ankle grab work against him? I'm doubtful. This sets up an interesting dynamic of giving the aggressor the upper hand. Pacing would determine the winner. If Taylor opened up and found solid attacks with clean finishes I think he can snatch a few early takedowns from Sadualev. He'd then need to stay on the offense because as the match would progress Sadulaev would tire Taylor and open up more attacks. If Sadualev attacks, especially late, I think Taylor is not in a good position to defend. While Taylor is the better wrestler from neutral there is the issue of par terre. If Sadulaev ends up on top of Taylor there is a rib-cracking gut wrench coming that is very difficult to stop. Maybe we will be fortunate enough to see the matchup, but probably not. What is nice to know is that we have the wrestling IQ among fans to start fantasizing about this type of international matchup. I don't think we had that group knowledge as recently as five years ago, much less ten or twenty. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Sadulaev responds: Eat and train and maybe I'll see you in the fall Q: If the Senior Nationals event goes off as planned in October, what type of field do you expect? -- Mike C. Foley: Big if … There should be a number of top-tier athletes competing at the Olympic weights because the tournament would be a good opportunity to warm up before the Olympic Trials in April. I wouldn't expect Kyle Snyder, Jordan Burroughs, David Taylor, J'den Cox, Nick Gwiazdowski or Thomas Gilman but I think it's plausible we'll see athletes a little further down the ladder. Again, I'm guessing the tournament is a BIG 'if' in that it relies heavily on the outcome of United World Wrestling's upcoming bureau meetings this August. Should it be decided that something is to change with the 2020 World Championships it would almost certainly mean the elimination of the trials. However, if not, it's important that the athletes start the process by having national tournaments to train and prepare for. Q: I saw the NCAA announced that student-athletes may wear social justice patches and statements on their uniforms. Do you think we will see any on wrestling singlets? -- Mike C. Foley: Yes. The NCAA allowing freedom of expression is comical. They've allowed sponsors to buy the field of play and the bodies of the athletes, through no direct compensation to those same athletes. That's farcical, but it's happening. That they then say it's "allowable" to make a statement for equal treatment is antithetical to the very idea of self-determination and dominion over one's self. Pay the athletes. End this sham.

Khalil Taha, Lebanese bronze medalist in Greco Roman wrestling at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland, died July 27, 2020, from kidney disease. Khalil Taha Taha was married to Whede Walker-Taha who preceded him in death. They had four children and raised them in Allen Park, Michigan. He had been a resident of Venice, Florida since 1981. Born in Beirut, Taha was 14 years old when he started to wrestle. At 19, he was the first Olympian for the country of Lebanon to take a medal, winning the bronze medal for Greco Roman wrestling at the 1952 Olympics. Lebanon sent nine athletes to the 1952 Summer Ganes to participate in four sports: wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and shooting. The Lebanese flag flew twice during those games, first when Taha won the bronze medal in the Greco Roman welterweight division. And, then later that same day for the silver medal won by his dear friend, Zakaria Chihab for the Greco Roman bantamweight division. One of the nine athletes included Khalil's older brother, Safi Taha. Safi represented Lebanon, as well in the 1948 Summer Olympics where he finished joint-sixth in the Featherweight division. Two brothers from such a small country in the same Olympics, most certainly was remarkable at the time. Khalil represented Lebanon and the Arab world taking first place seven consecutive times at the Greco Roman Wrestling Lebanese National Championships from 1949 to 1955 all in the 160.5-pound weight class. In 1951, he was runner-up at the Mediterranean Nationals in Alexandria, Egypt. Then in 1953, Taha returned to Alexandria to compete in the Arab World Games, where he won first place bringing back another win for Lebanon. His further accomplishments included earning a gold medal win for Lebanon at the 1954 World Games in Budapest, Hungary, again in the welterweight division. Khalil moved to the United States in 1955 joining his brother, Safi Taha in Dearborn, Michigan. He was proud to represent the United States and kept his Greco Roman career going in 1957, placing first at the AAU Nationals in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. That was his second consecutive AAU Nationals gold medal after winning his first in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Taha joined the Ford Motor Wrestling Center that later became the Michigan Wrestling Club. He remained a part of that organization from 1958 to 1982 not only as a wrestler, but also as a coach. Taha was quite the popular coach. Because of his immense talent, American Greco-Roman coach Joe Scalzo asked him to be his top assistant in the pre-Olympic training camp for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Fast forward to 1962, and Khalil would be asked to be an assistant coach on the U.S. World Greco-Roman Team by coach Dean Rockwell. Two years later, he became coach of the Olympic Greco-Roman Team. Khalil would again coach in 1979 the Senior World Greco-Roman team in San Diego, California. In 1987, he turned to younger wrestlers after Jerry Wagner, who had wrestled under Khalil, asked him to coach the cadet age division of the U.S. Greco-Roman Wrestling Team. Taha and Wagner became the first American coaches to win a world championship with a U.S. Greco-Roman Team. The event took place in Collingwood Ontario, Canada. In 2005, Taha was recognized for his contributions to the sport of wrestling and was inducted into the AAU Hall of Fame. And, in 2016 he was given the Lifetime Devotion to Wrestling Award at the Michigan Chapter National Wrestling Hall of Fame ceremony. Khalil was a fireman in Beirut, who followed his dream and became a renowned wrestling icon throughout the world. He was honored to represent Lebanon his birth country and honored to give back to the United States of America. He never forgot his beginnings, no matter how successful his achievements and always striving to be better. Keeping the Olympic motto close to his heart. CITIUS - ALTIUS -FORTIUS. Faster, Stronger, Higher. Throughout his career, he won a total of 45 medals.

Ryan LeBlanc (Photo/Applachian State Athletics) CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Ryan LeBlanc has been named the new head wrestling coach at The Citadel, it was announced by director of athletics Mike Capaccio on Thursday. "I would like to thank Mike Capaccio, Geoff Von Dollen and the rest of the search committee for entrusting me with the opportunity to serve as the next head wrestling coach at The Citadel," said LeBlanc. "It is an honor and privilege to join an institution with such a rich tradition of developing cadet-athletes on and off the wrestling mat. I will always be grateful to JohnMark Bentley for preparing me for this opportunity, and I look forward to connecting with the Bulldog fans, alumni and the South Carolina wrestling community to continue to build on this tradition. My wife, Morgan, and I could not be more excited to join The Citadel family." "We are very excited to have Ryan join our Citadel family as our next head wrestling coach," said Capaccio. "Ryan has competed at the highest level, both athletically and academically. He will bring a new energy to the wrestling program and he is very familiar with The Citadel and its mission. We had a strong candidate pool and I want to thank the search committee for doing an outstanding job. In the end, Ryan separated himself from the group and we look forward to his arrival and future success at The Citadel." LeBlanc comes to the Lowcountry after spending the previous four years as the assistant wrestling coach at Appalachian State. He was promoted to co-head wrestling assistant for the final two years. In his four seasons at App State, the Mountaineers finished in the top two in the Southern Conference each year, including three regular season championships. LeBlanc helped to mentor 13 individual conference finalists, seven conference champions and 10 NCAA qualifiers. The 2019-20 season saw the Mountaineers go 9-3 overall and establish a new school record with six NCAA qualifiers. App State ranked 14th nationally in win percentage, while leading the country with four dual-meet shutouts. The Mountaineers were also just one of three Division I schools with four conference champions, and one of six teams that had all 10 starters finish the season with a winning record. Off the mat, LeBlanc led fundraising efforts that helped to renovate the wrestling practice facility and team locker room, as well as increase the scholarship endowment. LeBlanc joined the Mountaineers after spending two years working for the State University of New York at Cortland. He started as a graduate assistant before transitioning to a dual position in coaching and alumni engagement. LeBlanc helped guide the team to a seventh- and 13th-place finish in the NCAA Championships, totaling seven national qualifiers, four NWCA Scholar All-Americans, four NCAA All-Americans and two separate individual national champions. He also helped create the periodization plan for wrestling, strength and cardiovascular training throughout his seasons. Prior to SUNY-Cortland, LeBlanc amassed a career wrestling record of 103-51 at Indiana University. During his collegiate career, he was a three-time NCAA qualifier (with a finish in the round of 12 as a senior), a three-time academic all-American, a two-year captain and a Big Ten Academic all-Conference team member for four straight seasons. LeBlanc was also selected as the Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient, one of the most prestigious conference awards in college athletics. First awarded in 1915, the Medal of Honor is given to one student-athlete from the graduating class of each university who attains "the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work." He graduated from Indiana in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science before receiving his master's in sports management from SUNY-Cortland in 2016. For more information on The Citadel wrestling team, please visit CitadelSports.com or follow @CitadelWrestle on Twitter and Instagram, and @CitadelWrestling on Facebook. "I'm extremely happy for Ryan. He is extremely deserving of this opportunity. I believe he is well prepared and The Citadel is getting a good man. I consider Ryan a close friend, and I am thankful for all his contributions to App State wrestling." -- JohnMark Bentley, Appalachian State Head Wrestling Coach

New York state high school wrestling teams will have a leaner look for the next two seasons. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association's central committee on Wednesday approved a two-year trial run of the reduction of NYSPHSAA scholastic weight classes from 15 to 13. The 15-weight-class structure has been in use since 2012. The just-approved 13-weight-class plan, passed on a 28-13 vote, had already been given a thumbs up by the state's wrestling committee, would be implemented for the 2020-21 school year, and would be similar to one approved earlier this summer by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), reducing the number of weight classes for men from 14 down to 13.) The new NYS plan, by the numbers With the just-approved NYSPHSAA weight-class structure, "the committee lopped off the previous lowest weight class -- 99 pounds -- and reshaped a few others," the Syracuse Post-Standard reported Wednesday. "Previously, the classifications were 99, 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220, 285. "The new ones are 102, 110, 118,126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 172, 189, 215, 285." The previous weight-class structure had been in place for over a decade. The just-approved 13-weight-class structure will now be in effect for two seasons: 2020-21, and 2021-22. What's the thinking behind the new plan? In a nutshell, with the previous weight-class structure, some smaller schools found it challenging to be able to field an entire team of at least one wrestler per weight class… especially at the lower weights. Those squads were forced to start meets already down six points per forfeited weight class. The issue was sparked by the difficulty some smaller schools were having fielding full teams, especially at the lower weights. Those squads were forced to start meets already down six points per forfeited weight class. Here's a specific example cited in a number of newspaper articles this week as the new weight-class plan as been discussed throughout New York State. Phoenix coach Gene Mills said his team had regularly forfeited at least two weight classes per dual meet last season, putting his team in a 12-point deficit right from the start. "If there 10 weight classes, almost every single one of those schools could fill a roster," Mills said. "Now, you have to find 15 kids who have a work ethic, pride. It (stinks) for the big schools that really have those numbers, but for a lot of the other schools it's tough (to field a complete lineup)."

Sam Hazewinkel (Photo/Oklahoma City University) OKLAHOMA CITY -- After guiding Oklahoma City University to its first conference men's wrestling championship, Sam Hazewinkel has left his position as head coach to pursue other coaching opportunities. In two years under Hazewinkel, the Stars went 11-5 in duals with two top-10 national finishes, nine all-Americans, 16 NAIA Championships qualifiers, eight Sooner Athletic Conference individual champions and 20 all-conference wrestlers. A national search will be conducted to find the next OCU head coach. In 2019-20, Oklahoma City matched its program high with five all-Americans in the 2020 NAIA Championships. The Stars finished eighth in the team standings with the No. 8 slot in the postseason national ratings. Hazewinkel, a 2012 Olympian, shared SAC coach of the year honors as OCU (8-3 in duals) took its first conference championship after winning the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference-SAC Championships on Feb. 21-22 in Bartlesville, Okla.

Mark your calendars: The much-anticipated mixed-martial arts bout between UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and (former college wrestler) Justin Gaethje is now set. UFC president Dana White told CNN on Tuesday that the fight will take place Saturday, Oct. 24. The site is yet to be announced. "That fight's going to happen," White said during an appearance on CNN. "Khabib vs. Gaethje, Oct. 24." A native of Dagestan, the 31-year-old Nurmagomedow brings a 28-0 12-0 UFC record to his match with Gaethje. He previous match was Sept. 7, when he submitted Dustin Poirier in the third round. Gaethje, also 31, fights out of Colorado and sports a 22-2 , 5-2 UFC record. He earned the interim belt and title shot vs. Nurmagomedow with a fifth-round TKO of Tony Ferguson on May 9. Nurmagomedow has faced challenges in recent months which have been complicating factors in scheduling this upcoming match vs. Gaethje, as Dana White pointed out in his announcement this week of the just-announced late-October lightweight title bout. For starters, the sports world -- including MMA -- has pretty much been on shutdown for the past few months because of the coronavirus pandemic. When the UFC did return, Nurmagomedov, a Muslim, was still observing Ramadan, which meant fasting and little MMA training. Ramadan ended May 23. That same month, Nurmagomedov's father, Abdulmanap, was hospitalized in Moscow after heart surgery for a preexisting condition further complicated by COVID-19. He died July 3. "It's been very rough on him," White said of Nurmagomedov. "Everybody is close to their parents and everything, but his father was a hero to him. He loved his father. They had a very close relationship, and it was very hard on him." Gaethje's amateur wrestling background Justin Gaethje first took up wrestling at the age of 4 ... and participated in wrestling in at Safford High School where he was a four-time Arizona state finalist and twice a state champ, compiling an impressive 191-1 overall record). After high school, Gaethje enrolled at the University of Northern Colorado, a NCAA Division I program. As a freshman, he built a 18-9 overall record. As a sophomore, he qualified for the 2009 NCAA 157-pound championship, with a record of 0-2. As a junior, Gaethje went 5-2 at the 2010 NCAA Division I 157-pound championship to earn seventh place and All-American status. Just this summer -- years after concluding his collegiate mat career -- Gaethje was announced as an inductee into the University of Northern Colorado Athletics Hall of Fame for his achievements in wrestling.