InterMat Staff

Cael Sanderson has guided Penn State to its fourth straight NCAA title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Add yet another honor to Cael Sanderson's already impressive resume. The Nittany Lions head wrestling coach -- voted 2019 InterMat Coach of the Year -- has been named recipient of the 2019 Honorary Alumni Award from the Penn State Alumni Association, the organization announced Wednesday. The award, now in its 47th year, is presented to individuals who have devoted themselves to doing great things for Penn State, despite not having graduated from the school. Cael Norman Sanderson arrived on the Penn State campus in April 2009 ... and has propelled the Nittany Lions mat program to new heights. Under Sanderson, Penn State have won eight NCAA team titles and six Big Ten team championships ... along with 23 individual national champions and 35 NCAA All-Americans. Prior to taking the helm at Penn State, the 39-year-old Sanderson -- a Utah native -- had made history as a wrestler, compiling a perfect 159-0 record and earning four NCAA titles at Iowa State, where he launched his coaching career first as an assistant, then as head coach. Sanderson is one of five honorees for the Honorary Alumni Award in 2019. He will be presented with his award later this year.

Brandon Jorge LAKELAND, Fla. -- Southeastern University Director of Athletics Drew Watson named Brandon Jorge as the second head wrestling coach in program history. Jorge has spent the last four seasons as the assistant coach with the Fire, helping start the program. As the assistant coach, Jorge saw the program grow in competition having sent seven wrestlers to the NAIA National Championship each of the last two season with six total All-American accolades. "Brandon has played an integral role in building the foundation of Fire wrestling from Day One," said Watson. "His experience with our program uniquely qualifies him to not only continue the unparalleled success we've achieved, but lead the program into an even brighter future." An accomplished prep and collegiate wrestler, Jorge was a three-time state champion at Lakeland's Lake Gibson High School, and was a three-time All-American. He went on to compete at North Carolina State, where he made the All-ACC Academic Honor Roll and was a three-time scholar-athlete. "It's exciting to be a head coach in the town I'm from and at a program I had the chance to help build," said Jorge. "I'm most excited to keep building on what's already there and putting my own stamp on the program. We have a great group of seniors and incoming freshman that are excited to get to work." Jorge takes over for Javier Maldonado, who resigned to accept an NCAA Division I coaching job. Southeastern posted a 12-7 dual meet record last season, and has finished in the Top 25 at nationals each of the past two seasons.

Daniel Cormier, who coaches Gilroy High School, embraces Nick Villarreal (Photo, Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Daniel Cormier -- amateur wrestling champion and 2008 U.S. Olympic team member who now holds UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight titles -- will add yet another honor to his already impressive resume ... as a member of the Class of 2019 for the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, the facility announced this week. Cormier will be receiving the George Tragos Award, "presented to an exceptionally competitive wrestler who adapted his wrestling skills and competitive nature to excel in mixed martial arts" according to the Hall of Fame statement. “You know you're getting old when you start making your way into Hall of Fames,” Cormier wrote on Twitter. “What an honor to be getting inducted into the Tragos/Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. I'm truly honored to receive this award.” Daniel Ryan Cormier, 40, was a three-time Louisiana high school state wrestling champion. He headed north to Colby Community College where he was a two-time NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) national champ at 197 pounds, in 1998 and 1999. Cormier then transferred to Oklahoma State University, where he was a two-time NCAA Division I championships qualifier, making it to the 184-pound finals at the 2000 NCAAs, losing to Iowa State's Cael Sanderson (now head wrestling coach at Penn State). After graduation, Cormier wrestled freestyle. Among his honors: bronze medalist at the 2007 World Championships, a two-time gold medalist at the Pan American Championships, and member of the U.S. men's freestyle team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Cormier launched his pro mixed martial arts career in September 2009, compiling a 22-1-1 record. Among his greatest accomplishments: winning both the heavyweight and light-heavyweight titles in UFC, the premier professional MMA organization. Cormier's award is named in honor of George Tragos, who won many amateur titles in Greece and competed on two Olympic teams for his native land. He moved to the United States in the late 1920s where he combined his love of competing with his desire to teach and coach, including a stint as coach for the University of Missouri wrestling program before focusing on a professional wrestling career. Cormier is one of a number of honorees to be inducted into the Tragos/Thesz Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame July 25-27. Cormier will not be able to attend, as he is in training for an August fight.

Travis Paulson is entering his third season with Virginia (Photo/Matt Riley, UVA Media Relations) CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia wrestling head coach Steve Garland announced on Wednesday (May 22) that Travis Paulson has been elevated to the position of associate head coach. Paulson is entering his third season with the program. "We ae really excited for Travis," Garland said. "He is more than deserving of this title. He and his family have been such a blessing to this program and we hope he will be here with us for a long, long time. With the new master plan for athletics taking shape and the many contributions Travis brings to the other facets of our program combined with the growth of our freestyle program led by Trent Paulson, the future is bright." Paulson joined the Virginia wrestling program prior to the 2017-18 academic year and has helped the Cavaliers achieve success over the last two seasons, including sending 11 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. This past season, Paulson helped coach junior Jack Mueller (Dallas, Texas) on his run to the finals of the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships where he earned All-America honors for the second time by virtue of his runner-up finish at 125 pounds. Mueller also claimed the ACC title at 125 pounds. Virginia also produced the highest seeds ever at 125 and 197 pounds this past season in Mueller and Jay Aiello (Chantilly, Va.), respectively. Both wrestlers received top-10 seeds in the event at their weight classes with Mueller as the five seed and Aiello as the seven seed. Aiello finished as ACC runner-up at 197 pounds and joined Mueller in earning All-ACC honors.

Chris Freije was introduced as the head wrestling coach at Fairmont State University Two months after Fairmont State University announced it was reinstating its men's wrestling program after a 36-year absence, the West Virginia NCAA Division II school introduced Chris Freije as its head coach at a press conference Monday. "It is a privilege to welcome Chris to Fairmont State as our new Head Wrestling Coach," said Chad Fowler, Fairmont State Director of Athletics. "Chris brings over 10 years of experience as a student-athlete and a coach to Fairmont State and will be an outstanding leader for our newly-added wrestling program. "Chris has been successful during each stop in his career, including the NCAA Division II level," Fowler continued. "We look forward to Chris welcoming high quality student-athletes to our program, and we are confident that we will be competing for championships at the conference, regional and national level under his leadership." Chris Freije brings a decade of coaching experience to his new assignment to relaunch wrestling at Fairmont State. During his career as an assistant and head coach, Freije has helped coach three conference championship teams (two NCAA II, one NAIA), and eight individual conference champions (six NCAA II, two NAIA). Freije has also coached a total of 28 national qualifiers, 12 All-Americans and two National Champions between the NCAA Division II and NAIA ranks. In his two most recent positions, Freije built wrestling programs from scratch, most recently at NCAA Division II Kentucky Wesleyan… and, before that, at Cloud County Community College, a two-year school in Kansas. He also coached at Lindsey Wilson University, a NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) school in Kentucky, and at Division II's Colorado Mesa. "I am thrilled to take over as head coach of the re-launched wrestling program at Fairmont State," said Freije. "I truly feel this program can be a sleeping giant. Our goal is going to be to keep successful West Virginia wrestlers in state, and to keep successful regional wrestlers in the region. "West Virginia is a state rich with wrestling talent and is located in a region filled with the best high school talent in the country," Freije added. "After spending time on campus and getting the opportunity to meet everyone at Fairmont State, I felt this opportunity was a great fit for me in terms of goals, expectations, and just the overall vision for the program." The Fairmont State Falcon wrestling program will return to the mat this fall, having last competed during the 1982-1983 season. Founded in 1865, Fairmont State University is a four-year, public school located in Fairmont in northern West Virginia, about a half-hour south of Morgantown, home to West Virginia University. Fairmont State has an enrollment of approximately 4,200 students.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- Lock Haven University has announced plans to add women's wrestling as a varsity sport. The addition of women's wrestling brings LHU's sport-sponsorship to 20 sports and the team will compete next year during the 2019-20 academic year. LHU currently sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs including NCAA Division I field hockey and men's wrestling. All other sports compete at the NCAA DII level and within the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). In August 2018, Lock Haven announced plans to add women's tennis and women's golf. Women's tennis will begin competition next year (2019-20) and women's golf will begin competition in 2020-21. Currently, there are 58 other women's collegiate wrestling programs throughout the United States and since 2004, women's wrestling has been recognized as an Olympic Sport. Fellow PSAC institutions Gannon and East Stroudsburg currently sponsor women's wrestling. The Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) serves as the governing body for women's college wrestling and competes under international freestyle rules. "Interest in competitive women's wrestling is on the rise," said LHU President Robert Pignatello. "With Lock Haven's long history of wrestling success, the expansion of our wrestling program to include women's wrestling makes LHU athletics even more competitive. We're excited to provide additional opportunities for current and future women student-athletes to compete at a high level." Lock Haven's support of women's wrestling follows national trends as over a dozen states now sponsor a state women's wrestling high school championship. "I am thrilled to create additional participation opportunities for women by adding women's wrestling, one of the fastest growing sports in the country, to Lock Haven University's athletic department offerings," said LHU Director of Athletics, Dr. Tom Gioglio. "LHU is the perfect institution to build an elite women's wrestling program. Our men's wrestling team is rich in history and tradition, and is one of the premier programs in Pennsylvania and is nationally recognized. I believe the women that attend LHU and wrestle will also receive an outstanding education, quality coaching and be able to compete at the sport's highest level. I look forward to working alongside of the new coach to help create one of the top women's wrestling programs in the country." The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has been instrumental in the growth of women's college wrestling. "The National Wrestling Coaches Association is pleased to add Lock Haven University to its growing list of universities that will receive a startup grant in support of their new women's intercollegiate wrestling program," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "Lock Haven has a long and storied history in the leadership of collegiate men's wrestling and it comes as no surprise that they are now helping to establish women's intercollegiate wrestling in the Mid-Atlantic region." Lock Haven University's main campus is located on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in the scenic mountains of Pennsylvania. The university offers 49 undergraduate majors and certifications with 47 minors and five graduate programs. LHU is a member of Pennsylvania's State System, the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. Its 14 universities offer more than 2,300 degree and certificate programs in more than 530 academic areas of study. Nearly 520,000 system alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.

Javier Maldonado LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Southeastern University athletic department announced today that Fire wrestling coach Javier Maldonado has resigned as head coach. He has accepted a position as an NCAA Division I assistant coach. Maldonado was the first head coach in program history, guiding the program to a 41-31 dual meet record over the past four seasons. The Kissimmee native helped bring college wrestling back to his home state for the first time in nearly 30 years. "SEU took a chance on me and it's been one of the best decisions I've ever made and do life with everyone there," said Maldonado. Over the past four seasons, the Fire have had 18 national qualifiers with six All-America honors. The team has also made great strides academically, leading the Mid-South Conference in scholar-athlete honorees, and finished 12th in the 2019 National Wrestling Coaches' Association Scholar All-American rankings, posting a 3.145 GPA among their starting lineup. "Javier took a team that didn't exist and built it into a nationally recognized program in a short amount of time," said Southeastern University Director of Athletics Drew Watson. "His work ethic, adaptability, and relatability with his student-athletes will help make him successful moving forward. We're thankful for his time with the Fire Family and wish him the very best." An announcement will be forthcoming regarding his successor.

Chad Mattox York College Athletics has announced Chad Mattox as the new head coach of the men's wrestling program. "I am extremely excited to have Coach Mattox as a part of York College Athletics," said Matthew Madole, athletic director. "He has been a part of the wrestling landscape throughout the Midwest for a long time, and the quality of wrestlers he has helped produce speaks for itself." Mattox is coming to York College from York Public Schools. He has been the head coach there for nine years and has grown the program there since he started. While at YPS he has coached 56 state qualifiers and 17 state medalists. He holds a 142-45 dual record as a head coach. Before York, he was an assistant coach at Crete, David City, and Winside. "He is going to have a tremendous impact on our campus; he has a fire about him that will spread through his team and across campus. He is a Godly man, and has a passion to pour into young people," stated Madole. "He has connections across the state and within the wrestling community. Those connections will be invaluable to continue building our tradition-rich program. He is the guy that will make our program better from day one." Coach Mattox is well known across the state of Nebraska in the wrestling realm. As a head coach he has had two teams place in the top 10 at the NSAA Class B State Tournament, most recently a fifth-place finish this past March. He has also coached two top-five team finishes at the NSAA Class B State Duals tournament, including a runner-up finish in 2015. He was a Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association board member for three years and the president of the board for one year. He was named Central 10 Conference Boys Coach of the Year in 2014-15 and also NSWCA Class B Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2015. In his time on the NSWCA board he wrote and lobbied for several approved changes to the NSAA wrestling season schedule. He holds a Bronze Certified Wrestling Coach certificate from USA Wrestling. "I'm excited for the chance to be the head men's wrestling coach at York College," said Mattox. "I'm looking forward to the challenge of building a program up and making it competitive each and every year. It's going to be an exciting adventure for me coaching in the college ranks and I'm prepared for the challenge." As far as his expectations for the program he said "Our program will be based on making our men better through hard work, dedication, and faith. The men in our program will be better at the end of their time with us so that they can go off into the real world and be great husbands and fathers, while also excelling in the career path of their choice." Coach Mattox will continue teaching at York Middle School. He resides in York with his wife, Renee and their four children; Kylee, Lauryn, Brody, and Hayley.

The results of a 13-month independent investigation involving allegations against a former Ohio State doctor stretching back decades have been released by the school. According to the 232-page investigative report made public Friday, 177 Ohio State students -- including 48 Buckeye wrestlers, along with male athletes from 15 other intercollegiate sports -- reported that they had been sexually assaulted by Dr. Richard Strauss, Ohio State team doctor from 1978 to 1998. A total of 520 interviews were conducted. In addition the 177 students who had been abused, the law firm conducting the investigation -- Perkins Coie LLP of Seattle -- also interviewed 94 student witnesses, 169 former Ohio State employees and 53 current employees, and 27 others not affiliated with the Columbus-based school. Ohio State president Michael Drake apologized on behalf of the university to the victims. "Our institution's fundamental failure at the time to prevent this abuse was unacceptable -- as were the inadequate efforts to thoroughly investigate complaints raised by students and staff members," Drake said in a statement. "This independent investigation was completed because of the strength and courage of survivors. We thank each of them for their willingness to share their experiences." Drake said the investigation alone has cost the school $6.2 million. Strauss retired from Ohio State on March 1, 1998. He committed suicide in 2005. The university said it has begun the process of revoking Strauss' emeritus status. Allegations against Strauss The report issued Friday shares stories from dozens of individuals, describing behavior on the part of Strauss ranging from inappropriate (seeking to conduct photo shoots of some athletes out in public) … to sexually abusive. One example that is indicative of the latter came from an Ohio State student athletic trainer, who told investigators that Strauss would instruct patients to remove their pants so he could examine lymph nodes in a patient's groin. In one specific example, the patient was seeking treatment of a cauliflower ear. Yet another got that same treatment when he came to Strauss with a sore throat. Other students interviewed by investigators said these exams of their genitalia would last at least five minutes. On page 107 of the report, a team physician confirmed to investigators that he was aware of stories in the 1990s that Strauss was "infatuated" with the Ohio State wrestling team and that Strauss would time his workouts to coincide with the wrestling team's workouts so that he could shower with the team at Larkins Hall, a multipurpose facility built in the 1930s that was home to a number of Buckeye sports teams, including the wrestling program. (Larkins Hall was demolished in 2005. The Ohio State wrestling program had relocated to the Steelwood Athletic Training Center west of campus in 2002, and, as of May 21, will move to the just-completed Covelli Center near Schottenstein Center on campus.) The Perkins Coie report details illicit behavior at Larkins Hall beyond allegations against Strauss, on the part of individuals who were not student-athletes, trainers or coaches. This behavior took place in locker rooms, showers and saunas at Larkins. "A significant number of witnesses reported to us that the environment in Larkins Hall was perceived to be a sexualized and at times predatory environment …" according to a description on page 163. "We received credible statements from over 50 witnesses describing pervasive voyeurism and multiple incidents of public sex acts …" "Our review of OSUPD (Ohio State University Police Department) records yielded approximately 20 potentially relevant incidents occurring at Larkins between 1988 and 1998, including reports of public indecency, assault, disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing and criminal mischief." "One part-time assistant wrestling coach indicated he reported one aggressive voyeur to the head wrestling coach at some point between 1993 and 1998 and shortly after the OSUPD conducted a 'sting operation' at Larkins which resulted in the arrest of several voyeurs." Wrestlers helped launch the investigation In March 2018, Mike DiSabato, a former Ohio State wrestler, met with school officials to discuss the abuse that he and other athletes suffered at the hands of Strauss. InterMat first reported on initial allegations of abuse of Ohio State wrestlers in early April 2018. In July 2018, InterMat wrote that four former Ohio State University wrestlers had filed a class-action federal lawsuit against the Columbus-based school, claiming administrators were aware of alleged sexual abuse by team doctor Richard Strauss and did nothing about it. That lawsuit is one of three federal suits filed thus far against the university. Two of those lawsuits are headed for mediation. A third was filed last week with five plaintiffs. They seek unspecified damages. Reactions to the report At least three individuals who had personal contact with Dr. Richard Strauss have offered their analysis of the investigative report. In a statement to the Associated Press, former Ohio State wrestler Michael DiSabato who first raised the issue of Strauss' behavior with his alma mater more than a year ago said, "Although a weight has been lifted off my back, I am deeply saddened to hear and relive the stories of so many others who suffered similar abuse by Dr. Strauss while Ohio State turned a blind eye." DiSabato added that the final report gave him "courage and strength to keep fighting to ensure Ohio State is held accountable for the damage and trauma they caused me and my family." Nick Nutter, an NCAA All-American wrestler at Ohio State in the mid-1990s, said he hasn't had a chance to read the entire report, but, based on what he has seen, believes that Perkins Coie "did their homework well." "I was glad (Ohio State president) Drake didn't sugarcoat it and took responsibility," Nutter said. "He's bearing the cross for past mistakes and that's admirable." Nutter said Strauss molested him virtually every time he saw him for physical exams and treatment for the various injuries he received during his five years on the wrestling team. The former Buckeye wrestler admitted he was taught to respect authority figures like coaches and doctors, which made him the "perfect victim" for an abuser skilled at using his authority to abuse young men who didn't know any better. By contrast, former nursing student Brian Garrett doesn't have much in the way of positive feelings about the Ohio State/Strauss investigative report. Garrett worked for a short time at an off-campus clinic Strauss opened after he was ousted at Ohio State in the late 1990s. But Garrett quit after witnessing abuse by Strauss and then experiencing it himself. The investigation, he said, left him angrier than before. "We knew that it was systemic and it had been reported," Garrett told Associated Press on Friday. "It's even more widespread than we knew." Garrett compared the abuse carried out by Strauss to that of ex-Michigan State University sports doctor Larry Nassar, who was accused of molesting at least 250 women and girls, many who were gymnasts. In their case, there was a trial … Nassar was found guilty … and he is now serving what is essentially a life sentence in prison. As Garrett points out, there was no police investigation of Dr. Richard Strauss and his crimes. Garrett and other Strauss victims did not have the opportunity to put Strauss on trial. Instead, Strauss took his own life long before any of the developments of the past 13 months. "That's why it's worse than the MSU case," Garrett said. "He took the easy way out." A note about naming/not naming names … The Perkins Coie report goes into some detail as to how it chose to reveal the names of some individuals involved in the Richard Strauss/Ohio State allegations, while the identity of others has been withheld. In essence, victims -- along with their coaches -- are NOT named in the investigative report … while top Ohio State administrators have been identified by name, including Dr. Gordon Gee, whose first stint as school president from 1990-1997 coincides with the end of Strauss' time at the Columbus-based university. Why is this being raised here? Some former Ohio State wrestlers -- including DiSabato -- have said that they had told Jim Jordan -- Republican Congressman who was an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State under head coach Russ Hellickson from 1986 to 1994 -- of Strauss' behavior at the time it was reportedly taking place. Jordan's Washington, D.C. office declared that the report absolves the Congressman because he is not named in the report. "The investigators concluded what we have said from the beginning: Congressman Jordan never knew of any abuse, and if he had he would have dealt with it," Ian Fury, communications director for Rep. Jordan, said in a statement. Fury cited as proof a line in the report which states that investigators "did not identify any other contemporaneous documentary evidence indicating that members of the OSU coaching staff, including head coaches or assistant coaches, received or were aware of complaints regarding Strauss' sexual misconduct." However, the Perkins Coie investigators relied largely on "survivor accounts" which they corroborated as best they could with "contemporaneous records" and interviews with university staffers. "With rare exception, we found the survivor accounts, concerning their experiences with Strauss to be both highly credible and cross-corroborative," the report states. "Many, if not most, of the men who contacted us did so with great hesitation." Jordan's alleged role in the scandal has now attracted the attention of the House Committee on Education and Labor, which has begun looking into it, a committee aide who asked not to be identified told NBC News. A redacted version of the complete, 232-page report issued by Seattle law firm Perkins Coie LLP titled "Report of the Independent Investigation: Sexual Abuse Committed by Dr. Richard Strauss at the Ohio State University" is available online. Note that it contains graphic descriptions of groping and other sexual abuse which some may find disturbing.

Tony Ramos at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Tony Ramos, 2014 NCAA champion and Big Ten champion for the University of Iowa who has competed in freestyle since graduation, retired from wrestling during the 2019 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament at North Carolina State University in Raleigh on Saturday. The 28-year-old Ramos had lost in the 61-kilogram/134-pound semifinals to former Penn State national champion Nico Megaludis. Immediately after the match, Ramos walked to the center of the mat, took off his shoes, and placed them in the center of the mat, the longstanding tradition signifying retirement from active wrestling competition. Ramos confirmed his retirement on here Sunday: Ramos also posted a message on his website Monday. When is it time? That is the hardest question. I love this sport. I love competing. I started my competitive wrestling career 25 years ago with my dad as my coach, my brothers as teammates, and my sister and mom as my fans. Being a wrestler and competitor has defined me basically all of my life. It's been the driving force - the baseline -- and it's not easy to let go of…but my body is slow to recover, my mind is tired, and my motivation is shifting outside of myself and onto my family and my athletes. It was time. In those 25 years, my community has grown tremendously as evident by the overwhelming response to my news. My family and I are so grateful. In the end, it's not about the wins and losses, it's about the memories, the experiences, and how you impacted those around you. I can't say thank you enough to all involved: the clubs, coaches, sponsors, Hawkeye faithful, Tar Heel fans, and everyone else who has been a part of the journey. You all have taken me in and molded me to the competitor I am. Thank you to the media -- everyone involved has helped tell my story. It takes an army to help leave behind the legacy I have and I am truly grateful for all involved. Now that it is over, I am not disappointed. I am not upset. I am content. I am content because I know I gave it my all, chased my dream, stayed the course, and was true to myself. So to all the fans, my family, my friends, and everyone else -- don't be sad that it's over. I'm not. I'm thankful and feel blessed that it happened. I could not be more thankful. Farewell to the competition - I can't wait to jump into this new phase of life as Coach Ramos. T-Ram Born in Chicago in February 1991, Tony Ramos first took up wrestling at age 3 so that he could be on the same team as his two brothers for just one year, according to his bio on his official website. He returned to wrestling in sixth grade, later competing at Glenbard North High in west-suburban Chicago, where he was a three-time Illinois state champ. Ramos then headed west to Iowa City, where he wrestled for Tom Brands at the University of Iowa. As a Hawkeye, Ramos was a three-time NCAA All-American, winning the 133-pound crown at the 2014 NCAAs. He claimed the Big Ten title that same year, having been a three-time conference championships finalist. After graduation, Ramos focused his mat career on freestyle. Among the highlights: two-time U.S. World Team member, five-time U.S. National team member, and three-time U.S. Open champ. In 2016 Ramos joined the staff at the University of North Carolina as the volunteer assistant. He spent two years in this position coaching before being promoted to assistant coach in 2018. In an InterMat Platinum subscription feature "Takeaways from WTT Challenge Tournament" posted Monday, senior writer Craig Sesker wrote, "Ramos was a tenacious competitor whose trademark was staring down his opponents before the opening whistle. I was fortunate to get to know Tony off the mat and he's a genuinely good dude who's done a lot for the sport. He has become a top-notch coach and will continue to make big contributions to wrestling. Congrats to Tony on a great wrestling career. Well done."

Case Western Reserve University wrestlers will leave for an international summer trip to Italy on Tuesday, May 21st. The 10-day trip will provide the wrestlers with an opportunity for sightseeing and other once-in-a-lifetime experiences, in addition to having the chance to compete at the prestigious Matteo Pellicone Open. "We have been planning an international trip for two years now and for it to be right around the corner is surreal," said Head Coach Danny Song. "What is unique about this event is that it was recently named a United World Wrestling Championships Ranking event. With that being said, we were required to apply for licenses to compete on behalf of our USA Wrestling national office as Team USA. This is a something that no CWRU program has done before and we are excited to blaze this trail and pave the wave for future Spartan Wrestlers. In addition to competing in Sassari City, we will also be training at the Italian Olympic Training Center." An incredibly unique spin to the trip is that members of Case Western Reserve and John Carroll University will join as one team to represent Cleveland-Ohio-USA. The Spartans are scheduled to begin their trip in Rome, where they will work out at the Olympic Training Center and also have the opportunity to sightsee and discover the cultural experiences. The CWRU wrestlers will also have the opportunity to compete in the Sassari City Matteo Pellicone Memorial Open in Sardinia, Italy from Saturday, May 25th through Sunday, May 26th. Saturday will serve as a freestyle tournament, while Sunday is an international tournament of beach wrestling. Check back at athletics.case.edu throughout the trip for photos from the trip and updated diary entries from the athletes.

Rashad Evans EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State wrestling alumnus "Suga" Rashad Evans ('03) was named to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 18, joining Michael Bisping in the class of 2019. The 2019 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Friday, July 5, during the UFC's 8th annual UFC International Fight Week, and will be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS® starting at 10 p.m. ET. Evans enters the UFC Hall of Fame as a member of the Modern Wing, joining Forrest Griffin, BJ Penn, Urijah Faber, Ronda Rousey and Michael Bisping. The UFC deems the "Modern Era" as athletes who turned pro on or after November 17, 2000, are a minimum age of 35, or have been retired for one year or more. A native of Niagara Falls, New York, Evans amassed a 48-34 record on the mat for Michigan State which included two trips to the NCAA Championships at 174 pounds. While in East Lansing, Evans placed fourth at the 2002 Big Ten Championships prior to taking third during his senior campaign. Evans is most notably one of four collegiate wrestlers to ever defeat Greg Jones (126-4), a three-time national champion from West Virginia University. Prior to joining the Spartans, Evans was the 165 pound champion at the 2000 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championships as a member of Niagara County Community College's wrestling program. As a member of the UFC, Evans compiled a record of 14-8-1 (24-8-1 overall), which includes winning season two of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) and becoming the undisputed UFC light heavyweight champion following a third-round knockout of Forrest Griffin at UFC 92. During his UFC career Evans defeated MMA legends such as Chuck Liddell, "Rampage" Jackson, Chael Sonnen, Dan Henderson, Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva, Bisping, and Griffin. Evans' Hall of Fame resume includes being one of eight TUF winners to become a UFC champion, his 20 fight UFC career is tied for first in modern light heavyweight history, his 50 takedowns are second in modern light heavyweight history, and his six wins by KO/TKO ranked third all-time in the light heavyweight division. His retirement from mixed martial arts was announced on June 25, 2018 following the final fight of his career at UFC 225. Evans currently resides in Boca Raton, Florida and works as an analyst for ESPN alongside training MMA athletes at Henri Hooft's Hard Knocks 365 gym.

Pat Downey defeated Nick Heflin to claim the WTT Challenge Tournament title at 86 kilograms (Photo/ Larry Slater) Some of the best wrestling of the year comes in the spring and summer. And this year is no exception. The World Team Trials Challenge Tournament this past weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina offered plenty of excellent wrestling and compelling storylines. The event set the stage for next month's Final X events that will determine the U.S. lineup for the 2019 World Championships Here are my top takeaways from the freestyle competition this past weekend. Gable is for real If anybody had any questions about Gable Steveson at the end of the college season, those doubts were emphatically erased at the World Team Trials. Steveson turned in a stunning and dominant dismantling of a very good wrestler named Adam Coon in the heavyweight finals. Steveson is an age-group world champion with a tremendous skill set. He's strong, powerful, mobile and explosive while also being very good technically. I can't wait to see him match up against two-time world medalist Nick Gwiazdowski in the Final X next month at Rutgers. Bo knows freestyle 2019 Hodge Trophy winner Bo Nickal jumped right into freestyle competition, and as expected, has made an immediate splash on the Senior level. Now comes the big test - battling reigning world champion and Olympic medalist J'den Cox in the Final X at 92 kilograms. Nickal is a tremendous talent who could fare well internationally, but he needs to knock off an excellent wrestler in Cox to make the American squad. Cox is a gamer who knows how to peak when it counts. The Cox-Nickal matches at the Final X will be intriguing and fun to watch. Gilman, Green not done yet Less than two years after winning world silver medals in Paris, Thomas Gilman and James Green were upset in the U.S. Open last month. Both wrestlers came to Raleigh on a mission and took care of business to advance to the Final X. Gilman will look to avenge a U.S. Open loss to Junior world champion Daton Fix, who he swept in last year's Final X at 57 kilograms. Green will look to bounce back against Ryan Deakin, who knocked him off at the Open at 70 kilograms. Gilman and Green obviously know how to perform when the stakes are highest. We will see how it all plays out in a few weeks. Can Ringer challenge Dake? Junior world medalist Alex Dieringer has become a force on the Senior level and he has had an outstanding season. That was evident when he avenged a setback from last season by rolling past two-time NCAA champion Zahid Valencia at the Trials. Dieringer now faces a tough challenge against reigning world champion Kyle Dake in the 79-kilogram finals. But don't count Dieringer out. He dropped a close bout to Dake in the 2018 U.S. Open. The problem is that Dieringer will have to beat Dake twice to make his first Senior world team. Zain Train powers into Final X Zain Retherford will receive another shot at two-time NCAA champion and two-time Cadet world champion Yianni Diakomihalis in the Final X at 65 kilograms. Retherford outlasted a very good wrestler in Jordan Oliver to win the Trials challenge final. Retherford, also a Cadet world champion, lost a close bout to Yianni at the U.S. Open last month. These are two young studs with bright futures ahead on the Senior level. Retherford made the Senior world team two years ago and he may have a slight edge in the best-of-3 series at the Final X. No doubt, these will be great matches to watch. Look for this series to go the full three matches. Can Imar close gap on JB? Isaiah Martinez kept his composure and showed great resolve to outlast young stud Jason Nolf in an entertaining final-round series at 74 kilograms in Raleigh. Now Imar, with a full year of international experience, takes on Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion Jordan Burroughs at the Final X. Burroughs swept Martinez on his home turf in Lincoln last year and he will look to repeat that feat in the same venue this year. Imar has wrestled well, but knocking off JB in his backyard is a tall order. Gadson strong It would be interesting to see Kyven Gadson receive his shot to compete at the World Championships at 97 kilograms. He's an excellent wrestler who could do well in that event. The problem is he's been stuck behind Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion Kyle Snyder. Gadson receives another shot at Snyder after winning at the Trials. Gadson blasted Snyder off the stage with a double leg in their opening match in the Final X last year before Snyder rebounded to sweep the finals series. Gadson will need much more of that in this year's Final X battle. Downey earns shot at Taylor Pat Downey's matches are rarely boring and that was the case again when he prevailed at the Trials at 86 kilograms. The Junior world silver medalist now advances to challenge reigning world champion David Taylor at the Final X. Downey is a gifted, determined and fearless competitor who will be ready to battle, but Taylor is wrestling at an extremely high level right now and will be very difficult to beat just one time. Downey would have to beat Taylor twice to make the world team. Graff still battling Tyler Graff has long been considered a top-level wrestler, but big titles have eluded him at big tournaments. Now Graff earns another shot in an important event after he won the Trials to advance to the Final X against returning world bronze medalist Joe Colon at 61 kilograms. Colon earned a recent win over returning world champion Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez of Cuba before falling to NCAA champion Nick Suriano at the Beat the Streets event. Graff has beaten Colon before, including a win in the NCAA semifinals in 2014. Colon is lethal in the top position so Graff will have to avoid being taken down. Salute to Ramos The Trials event in Raleigh marked the end of the wrestling career of Tony Ramos, who took his shoes off and left them on the mat to signify his retirement after a semifinal loss. Ramos had an excellent career, capturing an NCAA title for Iowa before making two U.S. World Teams. Ramos was a tenacious competitor whose trademark was staring down his opponents before the opening whistle. I was fortunate to get to know Tony off the mat and he's a genuinely good dude who's done a lot for the sport. He has become a top-notch coach and will continue to make big contributions to wrestling. Congrats to Tony on a great wrestling career. Well done.

A view of the Covelli Center (Photo/ ElevenWarriors.com) Wrestling fans can get a good look at Ohio State's new wrestling facilities at the Covelli Center -- a new, intimate 3,700-seat arena, along with the Jennings Family Wrestling Center inside -- even before the Buckeye mat stars do ... thanks to a video and photos posted online this weekend. Next week, Ohio State wrestling will make the much-anticipated move into its new home. However, the public will get an inside look at these new facilities before the wrestlers do, thanks to a video tour courtesy of Trackwrestling.com ... and a photo gallery at ElevenWarriors.com. The half-hour video tour of Covelli Center's arena and wrestling center is conducted by Ohio State head wrestling coach Tom Ryan, and Kyle Klingman, formerly of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum who is now on the TrackWrestling.com staff. "This place screams, 'We care,'" said coach Ryan as the two enter the new facility on the public concourse level, with the interior of the new arena and its playing floor clearly in view. "We're fortunate to have some donors and alumni who love wrestling and love the university and saw where we were, and knew we needed something better. And this is something better." Ohio State wrestlers currently work out at Steelwood Athletic Training Facility, a couple miles west of the main campus ... and wrestle at St. John Arena, a 12,000-seat facility which has been a campus fixture for more than six decades. How is Covelli Center better for the Buckeye wrestling program? For starters, it's more convenient for wrestlers. "The dorms are just over there," according to Ryan. "Where we are now (Steelwood), you got to get a ride from an upperclassman." After a quick overview of the new arena, Ryan and Klingman take viewers into the Jennings Family Wrestling Center, a three-level facility that's an integral part of the Covelli Center. Their video tour starts on the second level -- the same floor as the main concourse of the arena. The focal point of the second level is the wrestling practice room, with five full-size wrestling mats. Arguably the most attention-getting aspect of the room is a rare sight in most other wrestling rooms -- daylight -- thanks to fourteen-foot-tall windows the length of the eastern wall to help brighten early-morning workouts. A look at the Buckeyes' new wrestling room (Photo/ ElevenWarriors.com) The Buckeyes' new wrestling room is not only spacious and bright ... it's also incredibly well-equipped. Cardio workout equipment is located at the south end of the room, while weights are off to the side. One of the coolest features: each mat has two cameras, so that wrestlers and coaches can play back a training session for analysis and review. A 25-foot flat screen and a Wall of Champions display have yet to be installed. Upstairs from the wrestling room are offices, a meeting room and an alumni lounge, all with a view of the wrestling practice facility ... and the 3,700-seat arena. Under it all on the lowest level -- "the nuts and bolts of the place" to quote coach Ryan -- are the locker rooms (one featuring 17 "elite" lockers for top team members, and the other, 50 regular lockers which still seem nicer than what one might expect outside a country club or professional sports team venue), along with showers ... a theater for viewing training sessions, actual matches and scouting opponents, as well as serve as a really nice study hall ... and a team space which Ryan describes as "family-room like" for athletes to relax after workouts and classes. Ohio State wrestlers will get the grand tour of their new wrestling home this Tuesday, May 21. They'll start their offseason training session at Steelwood that morning ... then be transported by bus to Covelli Center for their first look and walkthrough. Beyond the sneak-peak provided by the video and photos mentioned in this article, wrestling fans will have to wait six months ... when the Buckeyes will welcome Stanford for the first-ever dual meet at Covelli Center on November 10.

Last week, Deron Winn learned that his original opponent for his UFC debut - Markus Perez -- had been forced to withdraw because of injury. This week, UFC officials have found a new opponent for Winn. The former wrestler turned emerging MMA star will now face Bruno Silva in a middleweight (185-pound) bout at UFC Fight Night 153 on Saturday, June 22 in Greenville, South Carolina. Here's what Winn posted on his Facebook page: "New opponent; same result. "Hey guys unfortunately my last opponent had to withdraw due to injury but thankfully the @ufc and @mickmaynard2 worked fast to find a replacement. I'll be fighting Bruno Silva now on June 22nd, in Greenville, South Carolina. Lets gooooooo!" Silva became the M-1 Global middleweight champion last fall. The 29-year-old Brazilian brings a 19-6 record in a pro career going back nine years. Sixteen of those wins are by KO or TKO, including the last four straight fights. Winn, also 29, is now 5-0 in his professional MMA career which he launched in March 2017. His first four fights ended in the first round. Winn's most recent victory was over veteran Tom Lawlor at Golden Boy MMA in Los Angeles in November 2018. Winn signed with UFC just days before Christmas in 2018. Prior to entering MMA competition, Winn was a three-time Missouri high school state wrestling champ, and twice a NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) titlewinner for St. Louis Community College, Meramec.

Kayla Miracle earned a spot in Final X at 62 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) RALEIGH, N.C. -- Victoria Anthony, Jenna Burkert and Kayla Miracle fell short at Final X last year. On Sunday, all three earned a chance to right last year's wrong. Anthony, Burkert and Miracle were among the 10 women's champions crowned at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament on Sunday in Raleigh, N.C. Anthony, a two-time World Team member and three-time U.S. Open champion, is making a return trip to Final X after beating U.S. Open runner-up Erin Golston in two straight matches at 50 kilograms. Anthony won the first match 8-2 before closing out the series with a 4-3 victory. She will now face Whitney Conder at Final X. Conder defeated Anthony at last year's Final X as well as this year's U.S. Open. Burkert, who filled in for the injured Alli Ragan at last year's World Championships, was dominant in picking up two victories over Arian Carpio at 57 kilograms. She won 11-2 and 10-0. Burkers faces Becka Leathers at Final X, a rematch from this year's U.S. Open won by Leathers. Miracle, a three-time U.S. Open champion and four-time WCWA national champion, also dominated in the best-of-three finals. Facing Desiree Zavala, Miracle earned a first-period fall in the first match and closed out the series with a 10-0 technical fall. She will now face Mallory Velte in a rematch of last year's Final X. Velte defeated Miracle last year and then went on to capture a bronze medal at the World Championships. Maya Nelson, a 2017 junior world champion, secured her spot in Final X by defeating Macey Kilty, a Cadet world champion and Junior world silver medalist last year. Nelson blanked Kilty 5-0 in the first match before closing out the series with an 11-3 victory. Other World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champions crowned in women's wrestling included Katherine Shai (53 kilograms), Dominique Parrish (55 kilograms), Lauren Louive (59 kilograms), Alex Glaude (68 kilograms), Victoria Francis (72 kilograms) and Precious Bell (76 kilograms). Women's wrestling best-of-three finals results 50 kilograms: Victoria Anthony over Erin Golston, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Anthony dec. Golston, 8-2 Match 2: Anthony dec. Golston, 4-3 53 kilograms: Katherine Shai over Tiare Ikei, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Shai tech. fall Ikei, 10-0 Match 2: Shai pinned Ikei, 1:53 55 kilograms: Dominique Parrish over Areana Villaescusa, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Parrish dec. Areana Villaescusa, 6-0 Match 2: Parrish dec. Areana Villaescusa, 4-1 57 kilograms: Jenna Burkert over Arian Carpio, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Burkert dec. Carpio, 11-2 Match 2: Burkert tech. fall Carpio, 10-0 59 kilograms: Lauren Louive over Michaela Beck, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Beck dec. Louive, 8-3 Match 2: Louive dec. Beck, 4-4 Match 2: Louive dec. Beck, 5-4 62 kilograms: Kayla Miracle over Desiree Zavala, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Miracle pinned Zavala, 1:15 Match 2: Miracle tech. fall Zavala, 10-0 65 kilograms: Maya Nelson over Macey Kilty, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Nelson dec. Kilty, 5-0 Match 2: Nelson dec. Kilty, 11-3 68 kilograms: Alex Glaude over Randi Beltz, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Beltz pinned Glaude, 2:59 Match 2: Glaude dec. Beltz, 6-2 Match 3: Glaude dec. Beltz, 6-1 72 kilograms: Victoria Francis over Iman Kazem, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Francis tech. fall Kazem, 14-3 Match 2: Francis pinned Kazem, 1:47 76 kilograms: Precious Bell over Hannah Gladden, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Bell pinned Gladden, 2:53 Match 2: Bell dec. Gladden, 9-0

Isaiah Martinez defeated Jason Nolf to earn a spot in Final X (Photo/Larry Slater) RALEIGH, N.C. -- Four of the 10 champions crowned on Sunday in the freestyle competition at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament will be making return trips to Final X. 2018 Final X participants Thomas Gilman (57 kilograms), James Green (70 kilograms), Isaiah Martinez (74 kilograms) and Kyven Gadson (97 kilograms) claimed titles on Sunday in Raleigh, N.C. Three 2019 U.S. Open champions advanced to Final X: Alex Dieringer (79 kilograms), Pat Downey (86 kilograms) and Bo Nickal (92 kilograms). The other champions crowned on Sunday included Tyler Graff (61 kilograms), Zain Retherford (65 kilograms) and Gable Steveson (125 kilograms). Gilman, a 2017 world silver medalist, earned his spot in Final X by controlling Darian Cruz in two matches. Gilman blanked Cruz 4-0 in the first match and took the second match 5-2. He will face U.S. Open champion Daton Fix at Final X. Gilman defeated Fix at last year's Final X, but Fix came back to defeat Gilman at this year's U.S. Open. "I think I just need to keep doing the things I'm doing and read the referee and wrestle just a little bit smarter," said Gilman. "I gave up a couple points that I really just didn't need to give up. I need to read the referee a little bit better. If I do that, then I'm doing pretty good." Green, a two-time world medalist, picked up a 10-0 technical fall over 2019 NCAA champion Anthony Ashnault in their opening match at 70 kilograms. Ashnault sustained an injury in the match and was forced to forfeit the second match, giving Green the victory and berth in Final X. He will meet U.S. Open champion Ryan Deakin. Martinez needed three matches to top three-time NCAA champion Jason Nolf at 74 kilograms. The first match went to Martinez, 7-4. Nolf, who recently moved up from 70 kilograms, battled back to win the second match, scoring with a four-point move as time expired for a come-from-behind 7-5 victory. Martinez closed it out the series by winning the third and deciding match by technical fall, 12-2. He will now face Olympic champion and multiple-time world champion Jordan Burroughs at Final X. "I feel good," said Martinez. "I'm in a good place. I'm so excited to see where I'm at and try to win this and be the best in the world because that's ultimately what I want." Dieringer exacted revenge on Zahid Valencia from last year's World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. A year ago, Valencia dominated Dieringer, outscoring him 12-1 to earn a spot in Final X. This year it was all Dieringer as he claimed two straight technical falls over Valencia, outscoring him 24-3. Dieringer will meet returning world champion Kyle Dake at Final X. Downey, who won his first U.S. Open title in April, added a World Team Trials Challenge Tournament title to his resume by defeating Nick Heflin in two straight matches at 86 kilograms. Downey used a late takedown to win the first match 6-2 before closing out the series with a 4-0 victory. He will face world champion David Taylor at Final X. Nickal, a Dan Hodge Trophy winner and U.S. Open champion this year, was dominant in picking up two straight shutout victories over Michael Macchiavello. After claiming a 10-0 technical fall in the first match, Nickal closed out the series with a 5-0 win. Next up for Nickal: a meeting with world champion J'den Cox at Final X. Three-time age group world champion Gable Steveson advanced to Final X with a dominant victory over U.S. Open champion Adam Coon. Steveson, who placed third at the NCAAs this past season, claimed a technical fall in the first match and won 8-1 in the second match. He will meet Nick Gwiazdowski at Final X. Tyler Graff secured his spot in Final X at 61 kilograms by defeating U.S. Open champion Cody Brewer in two straight matches. The first match saw 38 points scored, with Graff coming out on top 22-16. Graff then earned a fall over Brewer to close out the series. Graff will take on returning world medalist Joe Colon at Final X. At 65 kilograms, Zain Retherford, a 2017 World Team member, advanced to Final X against Yianni Diakomihalis by edging Jordan Oliver in two matches. Oliver led 6-1 in the opening match before Retherford came back to win 7-6. Retherford then closed out the series with another 7-6 win. Freestyle best-of-three finals results 57 kilograms: Thomas Gilman over Darian Cruz, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Gilman dec. Cruz, 4-0 Match 2: Gilman dec. Cruz, 5-2 61 kilograms: Tyler Graff over Cody Brewer, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Graff dec. Brewer, 22-16 Match 2: Graff pinned Brewer 65 kilograms: Zain Retherford over Jordan Oliver, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Retherford dec. Oliver, 7-6 Match 2: Retherford dec. Oliver, 7-6 70 kilograms: James Green over Anthony Ashnault, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Green tech fall Ashnault, 10-0 Match 2: Green by forfeit over Ashnault 74 kilograms: Isaiah Martinez over Jason Nolf, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Martinez dec. Nolf, 9-4 Match 2: Nolf dec. Martinez, 7-5 Match 3: Martinez tech. fall Nolf, 12-2 79 kilograms: Alex Dieringer over Zahid Valencia, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Dieringer tech. fall Valencia, 12-1 Match 2: Dieringer tech. fall Valencia, 12-2 86 kilograms: Pat Downey over Nick Heflin, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Downey dec. Heflin, 6-2 Match 2: Downey dec. Heflin, 4-0 92 kilograms: Bo Nickal over Michael Macchiavello, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Nickal tech. fall Macchiavello, 10-0 Match 2: Nickal dec. Macchiavello, 5-0 97 kilograms: Kyven Gadson over Ty Walz, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Gadson dec. Walz, 3-2 Match 2: Gadson dec. Walz, 3-0 125 kilograms: Gable Steveson vs. Adam Coon Match 1: Steveson tech. fall Coon, 13-3 Match 2: Steveson dec. Coon, 8-1

Thomas Gilman advanced to the best-of-three finals at 57 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) RALEIGH, N.C. -- On Saturday, 2017 world silver medalist Thomas Gilman moved one step closer to a return trip to Final X. Gilman was among the 20 freestyle wrestlers to earn a spot in Sunday's best-of-three finals in freestyle. Gilman claimed a 10-0 technical fall in the Challenge Tournament semifinals to earn a spot in the finals at 57 kilograms. He will face Darian Cruz in the finals on Sunday. At 79 kilograms, Zahid Valencia defeated longtime rival Mark Hall 5-0 to secure his spot in Sunday's best-of-three finals. He will face Alex Dieringer in a rematch from last year, won by Valencia. Jason Nolf moved up a weight class from the U.S. Open and reached the best-of-three finals at 74 kilograms. He topped Logan Massa 7-2 in the Challenge Tournament to set up a meeting in the best-of-three finals against U.S. Open champion Isaiah Martinez. The winner of the Martinez-Nolf match will face Olympic champion and multiple-time world champion Jordan Burroughs at Final X. At 65 kilograms, Zain Retherford and Jordan Oliver reached the best-of-three finals. Retherford earned his spot with a victory over 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro, while Oliver defeated Dom Demas. 2019 NCAA champion Anthony Ashnault put together an impressive run to the finals at 70 kilograms. He edged Jason Chamberlain 2-1 in the semifinals to set up a meeting on Sunday with two-time world medalist James Green. The two met at Beat the Streets earlier this year, with Green coming out on top 8-4. Gable Steveson, a multiple-time age group world champion, advanced to Sunday's best-of-three finals at 125 kilograms by beating Tony Nelson. Steveson will now face Adam Coon on Sunday for a chance to wrestle Nick Gwiazdowski at Final X. Freestyle best-of-three Finals matchups 57 kilograms: Thomas Gilman vs. Darian Cruz 61 kilograms: Tyler Graff vs. Cody Brewer 65 kilograms: Zain Retherford vs. Jordan Oliver 70 kilograms: James Green vs. Anthony Ashnault 74 kilograms: Jason Nolf vs. Isaiah Martinez 79 kilograms: Zahid Valencia vs. Alex Dieringer 86 kilograms: Nick Heflin vs. Pat Downey 92 kilograms: Michael Macchiavello vs. Bo Nickal 97 kilograms: Ty Walz vs. Kyven Gadson 125 kilograms: Gable Steveson vs. Adam Coon Freestyle Challenge Tournament finals results 61 kilograms: Tyler Graff dec. Nico Megaludis, 6-4 74 kilograms: Jason Nolf dec. Logan Massa, 7-2 79 kilograms: Zahid Valencia dec. Mark Hall, 5-0 86 kilograms: Nick Heflin dec. Sammy Brooks, 9-6 92 kilograms: Michael Macchiavello dec. Hayden Zilmer, 3-0 97 kilograms: Ty Walz dec. Kevin Beazley, 11-4 125 kilograms: Gable Steveson dec. Tony Nelson, 5-1 Freestyle semifinal results 57 kilograms: Thomas Gilman tech. fall Frank Perrelli, 10-0 Darian Cruz dec. Jack Mueller, 7-5 61 kilograms: Nico Megaludis tech. fall Tony Ramos, 11-1 Tyler Graff dec. Joey Palmer, 4-0 65 kilograms: Zain Retherford dec. Frank Molinaro, 6-1 Jordan Oliver dec. Dom Demas, 6-2 70 kilograms: James Green tech. fall Brandon Sorensen, 10-0 Anthony Ashnault dec. Jason Chamberlain, 2-1 74 kilograms: Logan Massa dec. Tommy Gantt, 5-4 Jason Nolf dec. Anthony Valencia, 7-0 79 kilograms: Zahid Valencia tech. fall Geno Morelli, 10-0 Mark Hall dec. Nick Becker, 6-4 86 kilograms: Nick Heflin dec. Myles Martin, 4-1 Sammy Brooks dec. Brett Pfarr, 5-3 92 kilograms: Hayden Zilmer dec. Kollin Moore, 12-10 Michael Macchiavello dec. Tim Dudley, 5-3 97 kilograms: Kevin Beazley dec. Ben Honis, 8-8 Ty Walz dec. Daniel Chaid, 12-8 125 kilograms: Tony Nelson dec. Derek White, 3-0 Gable Steveson dec. Dom Bradley, 7-3 Women's wrestling best-of-three finals matchups 50 kilograms: Erin Golston vs. Victoria Anthony 53 kilograms: Tiare Ikei vs. Katherine Shai 55 kilograms: Dominique Parrish vs. Areana Villaescusa 57 kilograms: Jenna Burkert vs. Arian Carpio 59 kilograms: Lauren Louive vs. Michaela Beck 62 kilograms: Kayla Miracle vs. Desiree Zavala 65 kilograms: Maya Nelson vs. Macey Kilty 68 kilograms: Randi Beltz vs. Alex Glaude 72 kilograms: Victoria Francis vs. Iman Kazem 76 kilograms: Precious Bell vs. Hannah Gladden Women's Wrestling Challenge Tournament finals results 53 kilograms: Katherine Shai dec. Haley Augello, 7-3 62 kilograms: Desiree Zavala dec. Alex Liles, 9-5 68 kilograms: Alex Glaude dec. Jayden Laurent, 5-2 76 kilograms: Hannah Gladden dec. Kenya-Lee Sloan, 10-2 Women's Wrestling semifinal results 50 kilograms: Erin Golston dec. Alleida Martinez, 8-1 Victoria Anthony tech. fall Amy Fearnside, 10-0 53 kilograms: Haley Augello dec. Shauna Kemp, 10-8 Katherine Shai tech. fall Gracie Figueroa, 14-3 55 kilograms: Dominique Parrish received a bye Areana Villaescusa dec. Alisha Howk, 5-0 57 kilograms: Jenna Burkert dec. Kelsey Campbell, 8-1 Arian Carpio tech. fall Cameron Guerin, 11-1 59 kilograms: Lauren Louive dec. Abigail Nette, 8-6 Michaela Beck dec. Lauren Mason, 5-2 62 kilograms: Desiree Zavala tech. fall Bri Csontos, 10-0 Alex Liles pinned Alexis Porter, 1:27 65 kilograms: Maya Nelson received a bye Macey Kilty dec. Julia Salata, 7-2 68 kilograms: Alex Glaude pinned Skylar Grote, 2:41 Jayden Laurent dec. Ashlynn Ortega, 4-1 72 kilograms: Victoria Francis tech. fall Nahiela Magee, 16-5 Iman Kazem tech. fall Rachel Watters, 10-0 76 kilograms: Hannah Gladden (Lion WC) received a bye Kenya-Lee Sloan (Campbellsville) dec. Destane Garrick, 4-4

RALEIGH, N.C. -- High school senior Cohlton Schultz did what few thought possible: Beat Olympian Robby Smith to earn a spot in Final X. Cohlton Schultz (Photo/Larry Slater)Schultz, a Cadet world champion and Junior world bronze medalist, was one of 10 Greco-Roman champions crowned at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament on Saturday in Raleigh, N.C. The 18-year-old Colorado native dropped the first match to Smith in the best-of-three finals, but rebounded to win the final two matches -- 2-1 and 5-1 -- to punch his ticket to Final X. Schultz previously trained with Smith. "He definitely had an impact on my journey so far," said Schultz. "To be able to beat him here was incredible. It's a crazy feeling. I've trained with him forever. I remember my first day at the OTC and him showing me body locks. It's crazy coming full circle." Schultz will now face returning world silver medalist Adam Coon on June 15 at Final X for a spot on the 2019 U.S. World Team. "The game plan doesn't change," Schultz said of facing Coon. "I'm just going to stay in my good position and make sure at the end of the day that I have more points than he does." U.S. Marines wrestlers Xavier Johnson (63 kilograms), Jamel Johnson (67 kilograms) and John Stefanowicz at (82 kilograms) won Challenge Touranment titles on Saturday. Xavier Johnson won in two consecutive matches over two-time U.S. Open finalist Sammy Jones. Johnson claimed a technical fall (8-0) in the first match before closing out the series with a 7-4 victory. Jamel Johnson topped 2016 U.S. Open champion Hayden Tuma in two straight matches. He will now face Ellis Coleman at Final X. Coleman was a 2012 Olympian and won the U.S. Open in April. Stefanowicz, a runner-up at the 2017 World Team Trials, cruised to a two-match victory over two-time World Team member Cheney Haight. The U.S. Marine picked up both victories by the identical score of 5-1. Pat Smith earned a spot in Final X at 77 kilograms by beating Mason Manville in two consecutive matches. Smith and Manville were teammates on the 2017 U.S. World Team. Smith blanked Manville 3-0 in the first match and closed out the series with a 3-2 win. Other World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champions crowned in Greco-Roman included Brady Koontz (55 kilograms), Ildar Hafizov (60 kilograms), Alex Mossing (72 kilograms), Ben Provisor (87 kilograms) and Lucas Sheridan (97 kilograms). Best-of-three finals results 55 kilograms: Brady Koontz over Dalton Duffield, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Koontz dec. Duffield, 6-4 Match 2: Koontz dec. Duffield, 5-0 60 kilograms: Ildar Hafizov over Randon Miranda, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Hafizov dec. Miranda, 7-0 Match 2: Hafizov dec. Miranda, 6-1 63 kilograms: Xavier Johnson over Sam Jones, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Johnson tech. fall Jones, 8-0 Match 2: Johnson dec. Jones, 7-4 67 kilograms: Jamel Johnson over Hayden Tuma, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Johnson dec. Tuma, 4-1 Match 2: Johnson dec. Tuma, 5-1 72 kilograms: Alex Mossing over Michael Hooker, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Hooker tech. fall Mossing, 9-0 Match 2: Mossing dec. Hooker, 7-4 Match 3: Mossing over Hooker, fall 3:56 77 kilograms: Pat Smith over Mason Manville, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Smith dec. Manville, 3-0 Match 2: Smith dec. Manville, 3-2 82 kilograms: John Stefanowicz over Cheney Haight, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Stefanowicz dec. Haight, 5-1 Match 2: Stefanowicz dec. Haight, 5-1 87 kilograms: Ben Provisor over Patrick Martinez, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Provisor dec. Martinez, 1-1 Match 2: Provisor dec. Martinez, 3-1 97 kilograms: Lucas Sheridan over Daniel Miller, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Miller dec. Sheridan, 7-5 Match 2: Sheridan dec. Miller, 5-0 Match 3: Sheridan dec. Miller, 4-3 130 kilograms: Cohlton Schultz over Robby Smith, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Smith dec. Schultz, 2-1 Match 2: Schultz dec. Smith, 2-1 Match 3: Schultz dec. Smith, 5-1

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Men's Freestyle Junior World team is a mix of new faces and seasoned veterans with international experience. At 57 kilograms, Vito Arujau made his third World Team by defeating Malik Heinselman two-matches-to-none. Arujau made last year's U23 Team, but did not compete. He took silver at the 2016 Cadet World Championships. Elite Accelerator Program athlete Gabe Tagg, defeated his future Tar Heel teammate, Jaime Hernandez two matches to none. This is his first World Team. Northwestern's Yahya Thomas shut out Keegan O'Toole in two straight matches at 65 kilograms, 7-0, and 2-0 to make his first World Team. Brayton Lee avenged his 2019 UWW Junior Nationals loss to Sammy Sasso by beating him twice in a row, 11-8, and 8-1 in the 70-kilogram finals to make his first world team. Sasso won by a 10-0 technical fall in the Junior Nationals Finals. Read complete story on TheMat.com ... Finals Results 57 kilograms: Vito Arujau over Malik Heinselman, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Arujau dec. Heinselman, 13-5 Match 2: Arujau tech. fall Heinselman, 11-1 61 kilograms: Gabe Tagg over Jaime Hernandez, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Tagg tech. fall Hernandez, 10-0 Match 2: Tagg dec. Hernandez, 12-3 65 kilograms: Yahya Thomas over Keegan O'Toole, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Thomas dec. O'Toole, 7-0 Match 2: Thomas dec. O' Toole 7-0 70 kilograms: Brayton Lee over Sammy Sasso, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Lee dec. Sasso 11-8 Match 2: Lee dec. Sasso 8-1 74 kilograms: David Carr over Shane Griffith, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Carr dec. Griffith 6-3 Match 2: Carr dec. Griffith 6-4 79 kilograms: Aaron Brooks over Parker Keckeisen, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Brooks tech. fall Keckeisen 10-0 Match 2: Brooks dec. Keckeisen 9-1 86 kilograms: Trent Hidlay over Vincent Marcelli, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Hidlay dec. Marcelli, 12-7 Match 2: Hidlay dec. Marcelli, 11-4 92 kilograms: Lucas Davison over Brandon Whitman, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Davison dec. Whitman, 9-0 Match 2: Davison dec. Whitman, 5-0 97 kilograms: Tanner Sloan over Sam Schuyler, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Sloan dec. Schuyler, 7-6 Match 2: Sloan dec. Schuyler, 6-4 125 kilograms: Mason Parris over Trent Hillger, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Hillger dec. Parris, 7-6 Match 2: Parris tech. fall Hillger, 10-0 Match 3: Parris pinned Hillger, 0:39

50 kilograms: Erin Golston bye Alleida Martinez dec. Emily Shilson, 8-0 Amy Fearnside tech. fall Arelys Valles, 10-0 3:50 Victoria Anthony bye 53 kilograms: Haley Augello bye Shauna Kemp tech. fall Cody Pfau, 11-0 4:54 Gracie Figueroa bye Katherine Shai bye 55 kilograms: Dominique Parrish bye Alisha Howk bye Areana Villaescusa bye 57 kilograms: Jenna Burkert bye Kelsey Campbell dec. Alexandra Hedrick, 2-1 Cameron Guerin dec. Allison Petix, 8-2 Arian Carpio bye 59 kilograms: Abigail Nette bye Lauren Louive tech. fall Megan Black, 10-0 3:10 Lauren Mason pinned Maya Porter, 5-0 0:58 Michaela Beck bye 62 kilograms: Desiree Zavala bye Brianna Csontos bye Alexandria Liles bye Alexis Porter bye 65 kilograms: Maya Nelson bye Julia Salata bye Macey Kilty bye 68 kilograms: Alexandria Glaude bye Skylar Grote dec. Kayla Marano, 4-4 Ashlynn Ortega bye Jayden Laurent bye 72 kilograms: Victoria Francis bye Nahiela Magee dec. Stephanie Simon (Marines), 7-6 Rachel Watters bye Iman Kazem bye 76 kilograms: Hannah Gladden bye Destane Garrick bye Kenya Sloan bye

57 kilograms: Thomas Gilman bye Frank Perrelli tech. fall Zach Sanders, 14-3 4:58 Darian Cruz dec. Joshua Rodriguez, 3-2 Jack Mueller dec. Zane Richards, 7-5 61 kilograms: Nico Megaludis tech. fall Sean Fausz, 10-0 4:23 Tony Ramos dec. Cory Clark, 6-1 Tyler Graff dec. Earl Hall, 7-4 Joey Palmer dec. Shelton Mack, 7-1 65 kilograms: Zain Retherford tech. fall Dean Heil, 10-0 2:42 Frank Molinaro dec. Jaydin Eierman, 11-7 Dom Demas tech. fall Jayson Ness, 12-0 3:27 Jordan Oliver dec. Kanen Storr, 6-2 70 kilograms: James Green dec. Mario Mason, 5-3 Brandon Sorensen dec. Nazar Kulchytskyy, 5-1 Jason Chamberlain dec. Alec Pantaleo, 3-2 Anthony Ashnault dec. Hayden Hidlay, 5-4 74 kilograms: Thomas Gantt dec. Joey LaVallee, 9-3 Logan Massa dec. Richie Lewis, 5-0 Jason Nolf tech. fall Brian Murphy, 12-2 3:22 Anthony Valencia dec. Dan Vallimont, 6-0 79 kilograms: Zahid Valencia bye Geno Morelli dec. Matthew Finesilver, 7-1 Nick Becker dec. Stacey Davis, 8-0 Mark Hall tech. fall Ben Harvey, 10-0 3:22 86 kilograms: Nick Heflin tech. fall Nino Bonaccorsi, 10-0 2:37 Myles Martin dec. Nathan Jackson, 5-0 Brett Pfarr dec. Kenneth Courts, 6-0 Sam Brooks tech. fall Drew Foster, 14-4 4:11 92 kilograms: Hayden Zillmer bye Kollin Moore tech. fall Riley Lefever, 11-0 3:35 T.J. Dudley dec. Timmy McCall, 10-6 Michael Macchiavello dec. Scottie Boykin, 10-6 97 kilograms: Ben Honis bye Kevin Beazley dec. Michael Boykin, 3-2 Daniel Chaid tech. fall Jeremiah Imonode, 12-2 2:09 Ty Walz bye 125 kilograms: Tony Nelson dec. Garrett Ryan, 4-1 Derek White dec. Michael Kosoy, 4-0 Dom Bradley tech. fall Youssif Hemida, 10-0 2:25 Gable Steveson tech. fall Nick Nevills, 10-0 4:12

Thomas Gilman is the top seed at 57 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The freestyle seeds have been released for the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, which takes place Saturday and Sunday in Raleigh, N.C. Wrestling is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday. 57 kilograms: 1. Thomas Gilman 2. Zane Richards 3. Darian Cruz 4. Frank Perrelli 5. Zach Sanders 6. Josh Rodriguez 7. Jack Mueller 61 kilograms: *Sitting out to best-of-three finals: Cody Brewer 1. Nico Megaludis 2. Joey Palmer 3. Tyler Graff 4. Cory Clark 5. Tony Ramos 6. Earl Hall 7. Shelton Mack 8. Sean Fausz 65 kilograms: 1. Zain Retherford 2. Jordan Oliver 3. Jayson Ness 4. Frank Molinaro 5. Jaydin Eierman 6. Dom Demas 7. Kanen Storr 8. Dean Heil 9. Colton McCrystal 70 kilograms: 1. James Green 2. Hayden Hidlay 3. Alec Pantaleo 4. Brandon Sorensen 5. Nazar Kulchytskyy 6. Jason Chamberlain 7. Anthony Ashnault 8. Mario Mason 74 kilograms: *Sitting out to best-of-three finals: Isaiah Martinez 1. Tommy Gantt 2. Anthony Valencia 3. Jason Nolf 4. Logan Massa 5. Richie Lewis 6. Brian Murphy 7. Dan Vallimont 8. Joey LaVallee 79 kilograms: *Sitting out to best-of-three finals: Alex Dieringer 1. Zahid Valencia 2. Mark Hall 3. Nick Becker 4. Matt Finesilver 5. Geno Morelli 6. Stacey Davis 7. Ben Harvey 86 kilograms: *Sitting out to best-of-three finals: Pat Downey 1. Nick Heflin 2. Sam Brooks 3. Brett Pfarr 4. Myles Martin 5. Nathan Jackson 6. Kenny Courts 7. Drew Foster 8. Nino Bonaccorsi 92 kilograms: *Sitting out to best-of-three finals: Bo Nickal 1. Hayden Zillmer 2. Michael Macchiavello 3. Timothy Dudley 4. Kollin Moore 5. Riley Lefever 6. Timmy McCall 7. Scottie Boykin 97 kilograms: *Sitting out to best-of-three finals: Kyven Gadson 1. Ben Honis 2. Ty Walz 3. Daniel Chaid 4. Michael Boykin 5. Kevin Beazley 6. Jeremiah Imonode 125 kilograms: *Sitting out to best-of-three finals: Adam Coon 1. Tony Nelson 2. Gable Steveson 3. Dom Bradley 4. Michael Kosoy 5. Derek White 6. Youssif Hemida 7. Nick Nevills 8. Tate Orndorff 9. Garrett Ryan

After more than four decades as a wrestling official, Bruce Haselrig will be welcomed into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame for his officiating this Sunday, May 19 at State College. "I was at UPJ when I started officiating," the 74-year-old Haselrig told Mike Mastovich of the Johnstown (Pa.) Tribune-Democrat . "When we started the wrestling program at UPJ, I figured if I became an official, I could see some of the best wrestlers for recruiting." Bruce HaselrigBy any measure, Bruce Haselrig's wrestling referee resume is impressive. He's been a certified NCAA and PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) wrestling official for 47 years and has served as a District 6 Wrestling Rules Interpreter for more than 30 years. At the college level, Haselrig has worked the NCAA Division II Championships six times and officiated championship events in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference nine times, NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) championships three times, Eastern Wrestling League (10), Atlantic Coast Conference (one), Colonial Athletic Conference (two), NCAA Division I Eastern Regional Championships (five), and NCAA Division II Eastern Regional (17 times, 10 as head official). As for high school wrestling within the Keystone State, Haselrig has officiated 18 PIAA individual wrestling championships, three PIAA team championships, and has served as assistant supervisor of officials at the PIAA Wrestling Championship event for eight years. If that weren't enough, Bruce Haselrig served his community beyond wrestling, as a now-retired educator at Pitt-Johnstown and a former assistant city manager/city clerk for the City of Johnstown. And he's the uncle of Carlton Haselrig, Pitt-Johnstown's six-time national champion wrestler and former Pittsburgh Steelers lineman who, with Kevin Emily, has penned the new book, "Giant Killer: The Carlton Haselrig Story." This weekend's Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame is Bruce Haselrig's latest honor. He previously was inducted into the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame; Cambria County Sports Hall of Fame; Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame; and the District 6 Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame. "It's a very deserving honor," Pat Pecora, Pitt-Johnstown wrestling coach, said of Haselrig's latest award. "I don't know of anybody who's been more involved in the sport of wrestling than Bruce Haselrig in so many facets - first from wrestling to coaching to refereeing. No matter where you go to watch a wrestling match, there is Bruce."

57 kilograms: Vito Arujau tech. fall Wyatt Henson, 14-4 Michael Colaiocco tech. fall Eric Barnett, 12-2 Challenge Tournament finals (57 kilograms): Vito Arujau tech. fall Michael Colaiocco, 12-0 61 kilograms: Roman Bravo-Young tech. fall Teague Travis, 10-0 Jaime Hernandez dec. Frankie Tal-Shahar, 9-6 Challenge Tournament finals (61 kilograms): Jaime Hernandez dec. Roman Bravo-Young, 10-5 65 kilograms: Keegan O'Toole dec. Andrew Alirez, 11-6 Lucas Revano dec. P.J. Ogunsanya Challenge Tournament finals (65 kilograms): Keegan O'Toole tech. fall Lucas Revano, 11-0 70 kilograms: Brayton Lee dec. Jacori Teemer, 12-9 Peyton Robb tech. fall Brock Mauller, 12-2 Challenge Tournament finals (70 kilograms): Brayton Lee dec. Peyton Robb, 17-8 74 kilograms: Danny Braunagel dec. D.J. Shannon, 8-4 Shane Griffin tech. fall Philip Conigliaro, 10-0 Challenge Tournament finals (74 kilograms): Shane Griffith tech. fall Danny Braunagel, 13-2 79 kilograms: Jake Allar dec. Dustin Plott, 13-6 Parker Keckeisen dec. Jake Hendricks, 7-6 Challenge Tournament finals (79 kilograms): Parker Keckeisen dec. Jake Allar, 7-6 86 kilograms: Victor Marcelli dec. Zachary Braunagel, 6-6 Jack Jessen dec. Christopher Foca, 20-13 Challenge Tournament finals (86 kilograms): Victor Marcelli dec. Jack Jessen, 9-6 92 kilograms: Jake Woodley tech. fall Dakota Howard, 11-1 Brandon Whitman tech. fall Kordell Norfleet, 10-0 Challenge Tournament finals (92 kilograms): Brandon Whitman dec. Jake Woodley, 5-3 97 kilograms: Tanner Sloan tech. fall Jake Boyd, 13-2 Kyle Lightner tech. fall Aric Bohn, 16-5 Challenge Tournament finals (97 kilograms): Tanner Sloan tech. fall Kyle Lightner, 11-0 125 kilograms: Trent Hillger tech. fall Zachary Knighton-Ward, 10-0 Mason Parris dec. John Borst, 7-4