InterMat Staff

The point cannot be mentioned enough, but in an individualized team sport such as wrestling, talent matters. While there are clearly factors such as attrition, development, and culture that play integral roles in the success of teams and individuals at the college level -- there is a strong tie between ability level and success. When looking at the All-Americans from the last three NCAA tournaments, here is the ratio of All-Americans based on top recruiting rankings: Top 10: (2017) 19/80 (2018) 23/80 (2019) 25/80 Top 20: (2017) 33/80 (2018) 32/80 (2019) 35/80 Top 30: (2107) 40/80 (2018) 38/80 (2019) 45/80 Top 100: (2017) 60/80 (2018) 63/80 (2019) 67/80 The two programs that have finished first and second at the national tournament each of the last three years, Penn State and Ohio State, have also been dominant within the recruiting landscape -- and also have been very successful in turning those recruits into successful starting lineup participants. The nine NCAA qualifiers for Penn State were ranked as follows coming out of high school: 133: Roman Bravo-Young -- 15th in Class of 2018 141: Nick Lee -- 5th in Class of 2017 149: Brady Berge -- 8th in Class of 2017 157: Jason Nolf -- 7th in Class of 2014 165: Vincenzo Joseph -- 7th in Class of 2015 174: Mark Hall -- 1st in Class of 2016 184: Shakur Rasheed -- 56th in Class of 2014 197: Bo Nickal -- 5th in Class of 2014 285: Anthony Cassar -- WC in Class of 2014 The 10 NCAA qualifiers for Ohio State were ranked as follows coming out of high school: 125: Malik Heinselman -- 48th in Class of 2018 133: Luke Pletcher -- 8th in Class of 2016 141: Joey McKenna -- 8th in Class of 2014 149: Micah Jordan -- 6th in Class of 2014 157: Ke-Shawn Hayes -- 13th in Class of 2015 165: Te'shan Campbell -- 65th in Class of 2015 174: Ethan Smith -- 53rd in Class of 2017 184: Myles Martin -- 4th in Class of 2015 197: Kollin Moore -- 32nd in Class of 2015 285: Chase Singletary -- 6th in Class of 2017 Below is a breakdown of this year's top 25 recruiting classes. Ohio State's recruiting class is headlined by Greg Kerkvliet, the nation's No. 1 recruit (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine) 1. Ohio State Top 100 recruits: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet (Simley, Minn.), No. 3 Carson Kharchla (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio), No. 6 Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio), No. 18 Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa, Ohio), No. 66 Isaac Wilcox (Olympus, Utah), and No. 100 Jacob Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) Other notable recruits: Nick Oldham (West Des Moines Valley, Iowa) and Tyler Stein (Canfield, Ohio) Recruiting class rankings (2015-2018): 6th-10th-7th-2nd NCAA finishes: 2nd-2nd-2nd Final dual meet rankings: 6th-2nd-6th Commentary: This is a second straight absolutely loaded class for the Buckeyes, which is needed with the losses to graduation the Buckeyes have taken in 2018 (Tomasello, Bo Jordan, and Snyder) and 2019 (McKenna, Micah Jordan, and Martin). Kerkvliet, Jordan Decatur, and Kharchla ended the 2018-19 season ranked No. 1 nationally in their respective weight classes. The 2018 class started positively -- among that group, Heinselman qualified for the NCAA tournament as a true freshman, while Sasso and Gavin Hoffman had superlative redshirt seasons. Read analysis for all 25 teams. Not an InterMat Platinum subscriber? Subscribe now! 2019 InterMat Recruiting Class Rankings 1. Ohio State 2. Arizona State 3. Cornell 4. Wisconsin 5. Virginia Tech 6. Nebraska 7. Oklahoma 8. Oklahoma State 9. Iowa State 10. Illinois 11. Michigan 12. Rutgers 13. Fresno State 14. Lehigh 15. Minnesota 16. NC State 17. Penn 18. Northern Colorado 19. Northern Iowa 20. Iowa 21. Stanford 22. Penn State 23. Indiana 24. Northwestern 25. Wyoming Honorable mention: Old Dominion, South Dakota State, Missouri, and Michigan State

The point cannot be mentioned enough, but in an individualized team sport such as wrestling, talent matters. While there are clearly factors such as attrition, development, and culture that play integral roles in the success of teams and individuals at the college level -- there is a strong tie between ability level and success. When looking at the All-Americans from the last three NCAA tournaments, here is the ratio of All-Americans based on top recruiting rankings: Top 10: (2017) 19/80 (2018) 23/80 (2019) 25/80 Top 20: (2017) 33/80 (2018) 32/80 (2019) 35/80 Top 30: (2107) 40/80 (2018) 38/80 (2019) 45/80 Top 100: (2017) 60/80 (2018) 63/80 (2019) 67/80 The two programs that have finished first and second at the national tournament each of the last three years, Penn State and Ohio State, have also been dominant within the recruiting landscape -- and also have been very successful in turning those recruits into successful starting lineup participants. The nine NCAA qualifiers for Penn State were ranked as follows coming out of high school: 133: Roman Bravo-Young -- 15th in Class of 2018 141: Nick Lee -- 5th in Class of 2017 149: Brady Berge -- 8th in Class of 2017 157: Jason Nolf -- 7th in Class of 2014 165: Vincenzo Joseph -- 7th in Class of 2015 174: Mark Hall -- 1st in Class of 2016 184: Shakur Rasheed -- 56th in Class of 2014 197: Bo Nickal -- 5th in Class of 2014 285: Anthony Cassar -- WC in Class of 2014 The 10 NCAA qualifiers for Ohio State were ranked as follows coming out of high school: 125: Malik Heinselman -- 48th in Class of 2018 133: Luke Pletcher -- 8th in Class of 2016 141: Joey McKenna -- 8th in Class of 2014 149: Micah Jordan -- 6th in Class of 2014 157: Ke-Shawn Hayes -- 13th in Class of 2015 165: Te'shan Campbell -- 65th in Class of 2015 174: Ethan Smith -- 53rd in Class of 2017 184: Myles Martin -- 4th in Class of 2015 197: Kollin Moore -- 32nd in Class of 2015 285: Chase Singletary -- 6th in Class of 2017 Below is a breakdown of this year's top 25 recruiting classes. Ohio State's recruiting class is headlined by Greg Kerkvliet, the nation's No. 1 recruit (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine) 1. Ohio State Top 100 recruits: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet (Simley, Minn.), No. 3 Carson Kharchla (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio), No. 6 Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio), No. 18 Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa, Ohio), No. 66 Isaac Wilcox (Olympus, Utah), and No. 100 Jacob Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) Other notable recruits: Nick Oldham (West Des Moines Valley, Iowa) and Tyler Stein (Canfield, Ohio) Recruiting class rankings (2015-2018): 6th-10th-7th-2nd NCAA finishes: 2nd-2nd-2nd Final dual meet rankings: 6th-2nd-6th Commentary: This is a second straight absolutely loaded class for the Buckeyes, which is needed with the losses to graduation the Buckeyes have taken in 2018 (Tomasello, Bo Jordan, and Snyder) and 2019 (McKenna, Micah Jordan, and Martin). Kerkvliet, Jordan Decatur, and Kharchla ended the 2018-19 season ranked No. 1 nationally in their respective weight classes. The 2018 class started positively -- among that group, Heinselman qualified for the NCAA tournament as a true freshman, while Sasso and Gavin Hoffman had superlative redshirt seasons. 2. Arizona State Top 100 recruits: No. 2 Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.), No. 16 Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.), No. 22 Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.), No. 23 Trent Munoz (Trabucco Hills, Calif.), No. 27 Julian Chlebove (Northampton, Pa.), and No. 59 Zane Coleman (Choctaw, Okla.) Weight class ranked recruit: Jacob Good (Clovis, Calif.) Additional notable recruit: Cleveland Belton (St. John Bosco, Calif.0 Recruiting class rankings (2015-2018): 1st-NR-8th-HM NCAA finishes: 14th-10th-12th Final dual meet rankings: 20th-9th-NR Commentary: The top-ranked Class of 2015 for Arizona State is approaching their redshirt senior season. It's been a group that has launched clear improvement for the Sun Devils' program, even though it has yet to reach the heights those in Tempe would have hoped (It seems that all members of the class haven't hit peak performance at the same time.) Zeke Jones and staff seek for this group to build upon and elevate the standard that the 2015 group has set for the program. Schultz is a high-end projected heavyweight; Munoz is one of the most improved wrestlers during the 2018-19 season; while Busiello, Raimo, and Chlebove are potential lower-half of the lineup anchors. 3. Cornell Top 100 recruits: No. 5 Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 12 Jacob Cardenas (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 32 Mason Reiniche (Baylor School, Tenn.), No. 33 Chris Foca (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 52 Coltan Yapoujian (Pomona, Colo.), No. 61 Phillip Moomey (Kearney, Neb.), and Lewis Fernandes (Voorhees, N.J.) Additional notable recruit: Jonathan Fagen (Fruitland, Idaho) Recruiting class rankings: NR-12th-2nd-20th NCAA finishes: 8th-7th-7th Final dual meet rankings: 7th-11th-9th Commentary: This is another excellent class for Rob Koll and staff, which should enable the Big Red to maintain their status as a top 10 national program, and possible elevate themselves into one of the trophy positions. Ramirez, Foca, Cardenas, and Fernandes have the potential to be an elite "back four" of a lineup in a few years (possibly even in the near term), while Moomey, Yapoujian, and Reiniche are solid middle-weight talents. 4. Wisconsin Top 100 recruits: No. 19 Peter Christensen (Montini Catholic, Ill.), No. 20 Eric Barnett (Hortonville, Wis.), No. 38 Kyle Burwick (Hettinger, N.D.), and No. 76 Joshua Otto (Arrowhead, Wis.) Delayed enrollee: Atilano Escobar (Liberty, Ariz./class of 2018) Recruiting class rankings: 8th-16th-13th-16th NCAA finishes: 13th-17th(tied)-21st Final dual meet rankings: 16th-22nd-16th Commentary: This is the first recruiting class for Chris Bono, and the new staff at Wisconsin. Previous head coach Barry Davis basically did the recruiting for the 2018 group. If the Badgers are going to crack the top four/five in the Big Ten, then recruiting at the level they have this year is going to have to be the standard. Barnett and Otto are two of the three top in-state recruits for this year, while Christensen and Burwick are elite out-of-state recruits. All were multiple-time state champions, while all but Otto finished in the top four in Junior freestyle last summer. Escobar was a top 100 recruit from the 2018 class, but the 2017 Junior freestyle runner-up missed the 2017-18 high school season with an injury and delayed his matriculation to college. 5. Virginia Tech Top 100 recruits: No. 8 Connor Brady (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio), No. 30 Bryce Andonian (St. Edward, Ohio), and No. 53 Sam Latona (Thompson, Ala.) Weight class ranked recruit: Andy Smith (Christiansburg, Va.) Additional notable recruits: Brandon Wittenberg (Battlefield, Va.) and Dan Mancini (Owen J. Roberts, Pa.) Recruiting class rankings: 14th-13th-4th-NR NCAA finishes: 6th-8th-11th Final dual meet rankings: 4th-10th-14th Commentary: Three out-of-state top 100 recruits anchor yet another excellent Hokies' recruiting class. While last year's class outside the top 25 was a clear exception, it did see true freshman Mitch Moore qualify for the NCAA tournament. Latona is a most excellent lower-weight, while Andonian and Brady are dynamic middle-weight talents. 6. Nebraska Top 100 recruits: No. 11 Ridge Lovett (Post Falls, Idaho), No. 25 Kevon Davenport (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), and No. 73 Isaiah Alford (Lincoln High, Neb.) Weight class ranked recruit: John Henrich (Akron Westfield, Iowa) Additional notable recruits: Tyler Deen (Buchanan, Calif.) and Bubba Wilson (Manhattan, Kansas) Recruiting class rankings: HM-6th-9th-5th NCAA finishes: 9th-9th-10th Final dual meet rankings: 5th-12th(tied)-7th Commentary: One of the most consistent programs in the country has produced another recruiting haul that is reflective of their on-the-mat results standard. Lovett is one of the most productive lower-to-middle weight wrestlers in the country, while Davenport is a dynamic middle-weight. Alford is an excellent in-state talent that comes in off an excellent finish to his senior season. 7. Oklahoma Top 100 recruits: No. 31 Jake Stiles (Montini Catholic, Ill.), No. 35 Sam Dover (St. Edward, Ohio), and No. 58 Darrien Roberts (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) Weight class ranked recruits: Talon Borror (Coweta, Okla.), Carson Berryhill (Tuttle, Okla.), and Josh Heindselman (Piedmont, Okla.) Recruiting class rankings: 11th-NR-6th-14th NCAA finishes: N/A-N/A-25th Final dual meet rankings: 18th-NR-NR Commentary: Lou Rosselli has been the head coach in Norman for three seasons now, and the results from the NCAA tournament and final duel meet poll are not what the Sooners would have hoped. However, from a recruiting perspective, there is talent churning through the program. This group is another piece in that right direction. Stiles and Dover are talented middle-weights, while the other four commits project well for the back third of the lineup. 8. Oklahoma State Top 100 recruits: No. 17 Brevin Balmeceda (South Dade, Fla.), No. 24 Reece Witcraft (Broken Arrow, Okla.), and No. 68 Daniel Manibog (Katy, Texas) Additional notable recruits: Chance McLane (Bozeman, Mont.), Triston Wills (Derby, Kansas), and Colt Newton (Choctaw, Okla.) Recruiting class rankings: 2nd-17th-11th-15th NCAA finishes: 3rd-13th(tied)-3rd Final dual meet rankings: 2nd-5th-2nd Commentary: Oklahoma State had loaded classes in 2014 and 2015, which ties well into their recent success. Witcraft is a talented lower-weight, Balmeceda and Manibog represent clear potential in the middle-weights. Four wrestlers that became All-Americans in their career graduated after this past season, and another three wrestlers that have already become All-Americans graduate after next season. The 2019 recruiting group is solid but not loaded; on the other hand, the upcoming 2020 group is going to be absolutely loaded (probably a No. 1 overall group) based on early verbal commitments. 9. Iowa State Top 100 recruits: No. 9 Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) and No. 37 Aden Reeves (Albia, Iowa) Weight class ranked recruit: Julian Broderson (Davenport Assumption, Iowa) Additional notable recruit: Eric Owens (Ankeny Centennial, Iowa) Recruiting class rankings: NR-3rd-15th-11th NCAA finishes: N/A-N/A-16th Final dual meet rankings: NR-NR-11th Commentary: Year 2 of the Kevin Dresser Era in Ames saw clear improvement in terms of on-the-mat performance. The recruiting under Dresser continues to operate in a positive direction, though that also was also something the previous staff did well. Anderson is a talented middle-weight, who continues to grow into his body and ability level, while Reeves is a high-end lower-weight. Broderson has clear potential as an upper-weight wrestler, as he was a multi-sport athlete in high school (also part of a state championship baseball team his junior year), while state runner-up Owens is one of many in-state commits for the Cyclones that were not ranked. 10. Illinois Top 100 recruits: No. 43 Luke Luffman (Urbana, Ill.) and No. 44 Lucas Byrd (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) Delayed enrollee: Emille (D.J.) Shannon (Christian Brothers College, Mo./USOTC EAP) Additional notable recruit: Dominic Zaccone (Stagg, Ill.) Recruiting class rankings: 22nd-18th-NR-NR NCAA finishes: 11th-13th(tied)-N/A Final dual meet rankings: 9th-15th(tied)-24th Commentary: Projected 125 and projected 285 are two of the harder things for college programs to find, and that is something the Illini did successfully in this class. Luffman and Byrd have been productive in all three styles through their high school careers. Shannon was a commit to West Virginia in the 2018 class, but never enrolled on campus, instead spending all of this year at the USOTC in Colorado Springs. 11. Michigan Top 100 recruits: No. 15 Cameron Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) and No. 21 Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.) Additional notable recruits: Noah Comar (Clinton, Mich.) and Cole Mattin (Delta, Ohio) Recruiting class rankings: 10th-NR-3rd-6th NCAA finishes: 10th-4th(tied)-5th Final dual meet rankings: 15th-4th-4th Commentary: While this is a light class in terms of quantity, its two anchors (Amine and McHenry) represent wrestlers that the Wolverines expect to perform at a championship level. McHenry is a multi-time Cadet world champion in freestyle, while Amine has a clear family lineage (father, uncle, cousins) of success for the Maize and Blue. Mattin is the younger brother of Drew, who has qualified for the NCAA tournament at 125 pounds the last two years. 12. Rutgers Top 100 recruits: No. 7 Jojo Aragona (Pope John XXIII, N.J.), No. 46 Jackson Turley (St. Christopher's, Va.), and No. 50 Robert Kanniard (Wall Township, N.J.) Weight Class ranked recruit: Zach Delvecchio (South Plainfield, N.J.) Additional notable recruit: Devon Britton (Northampton, Pa.) Recruiting class rankings: 20th-9th-NR-12th NCAA finishes: 19th-11th-9th Final dual meet rankings: 12th(tied)-19th-18th Commentary: 2019 was a transformational year for the Scarlet Knights program, as Nick Suriano and Anthony Ashnault became the first wrestlers to win national titles for Rutgers wrestling. Head coach Scott Goodale has built something that has the potential to become even more special in Piscataway, and that momentum continues with another positive recruiting haul (three wrestlers that were New Jersey state champions, plus a National Prep champion, and a multiple-time Pennsylvania state placer). 13. Fresno State Top 100 recruits: No. 35 Ryan Reyes (Gilroy, Calif.), No. 41 Matthew Olguin (Buchanan, Calif.), and No. 48 Jace Luchau (Selma, Calif.) Weight class ranked recruit: Kyle Parco (De La Salle, Calif.) Additional notable recruit: Christian Rodriguez (Selma, Calif.) Recruiting class rankings: N/A-N/A-20th-NR NCAA finishes: None-N/A-N/A Final dual meet rankings: None-NR-NR Commentary: The Fresno State program has only been back for two seasons after being shut down for over 10 years. Already the Bulldogs have already had their first All-American in Josh Hokit, who finished fifth at 197 pounds. They also have a vibrant RTC in place, one which is the home base for 61-kilogram world freestyle medalist Joe Colon. If head coach Troy Steiner and his staff can recruit their home base effectively, there is clear potential for success. Olguin and Luchau come from California's central section, while Reyes was at Clovis West before moving two hours to the west for his senior season. Parco is another in-state wrestler, while Rodriguez is also a central section kid. 14. Lehigh Top 100 recruits: No. 34 Connor McGonagle (Timberlane, N.H.), No. 47 Jake Logan (New Rochelle, N.Y.), No. 63 Malyke Hines (Osceola, Fla.), and No. 74 Edmund Ruth (Susquehanna Township, Pa.) Additional notable recruits: Luca Frinzi (Bethlehem Catholic) and Loudon Haga (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) Recruiting class rankings: 13th-5th-HM-25th NCAA finishes: 12th-15th-13th(tied) Final dual meet rankings: 11th-8th-21st Commentary: Four top 100 recruits for the Mountain Hawks in this class represent another very solid group brought in by Pat Santoro and his staff. McGonagle and Hines are talented lower-half of the lineup guys, while Logan and Ruth fit well in the upper-half of the lineup. 15. Minnesota Top 100 recruits: No. 40 Devin Winston (Park Hill, Mo.), No. 55 Matthew Ramos (Lockport, Ill.), and No. 97 Cael Carlson (Willmar, Minn.) Weight class ranked recruit: Martin Wilkie (Havre, Mont.) Additional notable recruits: Marcos Polanco (Bishop Amat, Calif.), Sebas Swiggum (Apple Valley, Minn.), and Baylor Fernandes (Lockport, Minn.) Recruiting class rankings: 7th-8th-HM-4th NCAA finishes: 7th-17th (tied)-8th Final dual meet rankings: 12th (tied)-18th-8th Commentary: This marks the second "true" class for Brandon Eggum, who became the interim head coach at the start of the 2016-17 season. The 2017 recruiting class was sub-standard, while Eggum's first season as the official head coach (17-18) was the Golden Gophers' worst season in a while. However, things seem to be headed in a positive direction. The No. 4 overall 2018 recruiting class has started to show itself. Steveson was third at 285 pounds as a true freshman, Brayton Lee had an excellent redshirt season, This is another solid class. Winston is an upper-weight, Ramos is a projected 125 most notably, while Carlson and Wilkie will be in the middle of the lineup. 16. North Carolina State Top 100 recruits: No. 63 Kai Orine (Seckman, Mo.), No. 71 Owen Trephan (Blair Academy, N.J.), and No. 87 Sammy Alvarez (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) Weight class ranked recruit: Christian Knop (Alexandria, Ala.) Additional notable recruits: Hunter Lewis (Stoughton, Wis.) and Mike Madara (Blair Academy, N.J.) Recruiting class rankings: NR-1st-NR-3rd NCAA finishes: 17th-4th(tied)-17th Final dual meet rankings: 8th-6th-10th Commentary: Two of the three classes immediately preceding this one were extraordinarily loaded. Pat Popolizio and his staff have worked very hard both on the recruiting trail and the wrestling room to create a program that is consistently among the top 10 programs in the country. It's been done through both development and talent procurement. Alvarez and Orine are talented lower-weights, while Trephan and Knop are talented upper-weights. 17. Penn Top 100 recruits: No. 39 Michael Colaiocco (Blair Academy, N.J.) and No. 45 Lucas Revano (Camden Catholic, N.J.) Weight class ranked recruits: Nick Incontera (Blair Academy, N.J.), Cole Urbas (State College, Pa.), and Joey Slackman (Commack, N.Y.) Additional notable recruits: Jake Stefanowicz (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), Cam Connor (Kiski Area, Pa.), and Gabe Miller (Pequea Valley, Pa.) Recruiting class rankings: NR-NR-NR-24th NCAA finishes: N/A-N/A-N/A Final dual meet rankings: NR-NR-NR Commentary: In his second stint as head coach at Penn, Roger Reina continues to create some positive momentum for his program with a second straight ranked recruiting class. Colaiocco and Revano represent talented wrestlers in the lower-half of the lineup, while there are a slew of other wrestlers in the class with the potential to be value-added contributors to the Quakers' lineup. 18. Northern Colorado Top 100 recruits: No. 4 Andrew Alirez (Greeley Central, Colo.) and No. 83 Mosha Schwartz (Ponderosa, Colo.) Weight class ranked recruits: Theorius Robison (Pomona, Colo.) and Drake Engelking (Longmont, Colo.) Additional notable recruit: Nathan Moore (White River, Wash.) Recruiting class rankings: HM-NR-NR-NR NCAA finishes: N/A-N/A-N/A Final dual meet rankings: NR-NR-NR Commentary: The last few years have represented an emergence of talented high school wrestlers from the state of Colorado, with the Class of 2019 being an exceptional group. Four of those elite level wrestlers are headed to the in-state Bears program led by head coach Troy Nickerson. Alirez is the most talented recruit to enroll in the program, while Schwartz should be a key contributor in the lower-half of the lineup. Robison and Engelking are talented middle-weight types. 19. Northern Iowa Top 100 recruits: No. 13 Parker Keckeisen (Nicolet, Wis.), No. 91 Kyle Gollhofer (Woodland, Ga.), No. 93 Lance Runyon (Southeast Polk, Iowa) Additional notable recruit: Dayton Porsch (Hoxie, Kansas) Recruiting class rankings: 4th-22nd-NR-19th NCAA finishes: 18th-24th (tied)-13th (tied) Final dual meet rankings: 14th-15th (tied)-17th Commentary: It's a second straight recruiting class ranked in the 19th overall position, and a fourth ranked recruiting class in the last five years. Head coach Doug Schwab earned his first national champion as Panthers' head coach when Drew Foster earned an unexpected title at 184 pounds. This class features three top 100 recruits. Keckeisen projects as a 184 type in college. Gollhofer is a lightweight from Georgia. Runyon, an in-state recruit, is a middle-weight. 20. Iowa Top 100 recruits: No. 26 Abe Assad (Glenbard North, Ill.) and No. 57 Zach Glazier (Albert Lea, Iowa) Weight class ranked recruit: Cobe Siebrecht (Lisbon, Iowa) Recruiting class rankings: 12th-4th-1st-13th NCAA finishes: 4th-3rd-4th Final dual meet rankings: 3rd-7th-3rd Commentary: The three key components coming to Iowa City for the Hawkeyes are very talented, but it's just a light class in terms of quantity, which is driving this lower recruiting class ranking. Assad (from same high school as Tony Ramos) and Glazier are talented wrestlers with potential to be strong performers in the upper-third of the lineup. Siebrecht will be one of many talented wrestlers in the lower-middle-weight area on the Iowa roster (same high school as Carter Happel). 21. Stanford Top 100 recruit: No. 10 Jaden Abas (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.) Weight class ranked recruit: Jackson Disario (Ola, Ga.) Additional notable recruits: Logan Ashton (Buford, Ga.), Luciano Arroyo (Calvary Chapel, Calif.), Fabian Santillan (Grandview, Colo.), Dawson Sihavong (Bullard, Calif.), Nick Addison (Rumson Fair Haven, N.J.), and Seamus O'Malley (St. Edward, Ohio) Recruiting class rankings: NR-11th-NR-7th NCAA finishes: 24th-N/A-N/A Final dual meet rankings: 21st-NR-NR Commentary: This is a third ranked recruiting class in four years for the Cardinal, and most of the 11 recruiting classes for Jason Borrelli as Stanford head coach have been ranked. There was an 11th-place finish at the NCAA tournament in 2011 with finishes of 19th and 21st in 2016 and 2017, but the last two years have been outside the top 25. Real Woods and Shane Griffith were cogs of the 2018 recruiting, and excellent in redshirt this past season. Abas is the clear anchor of this class, and brings all sort of credentials to Palo Alto. The rest of the class represents a mixture of sizes and should provide meaningful depth. 22. Penn State Top 100 recruit: No. 14 Carter Starocci (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.) Additional notable recruit: Donovan Ball (Cedar Cliff, Pa.) Impact transfer: Matt Parker (Pennridge, Pa./Lehigh) Recruiting class rankings: 16th-2nd-5th-1st NCAA finishes: 1st-1st-1st Final dual meet rankings: 1st-1st-1st Commentary: One thing to keep in mind here with the Nittany Lions is that Aaron Brooks and Michael Beard, who were part of last year's No. 1-ranked recruiting class, both delayed their enrollment to Penn State until the 2019-20 school year. Brooks, Starocci, and Beard represent elite level upper-weight talent that is clearly befitting the Penn State brand. Also keep in mind that Rasheed and/or Cassar might end up being sixth-year eligible, and that 2018 Kent State All-American Kyle Conel is reportedly enrolling at Penn State should he get a sixth year. There's also a ton of talent already on campus, both in the starting lineup and in reserve; plus Parker comes in as a potential immediate starter at 125 pounds with three years of eligibility remaining after missing this past season due to injury. 23. Indiana Top 100 recruit: No. 96 Asa Garcia (Avon, Ind.) Weight class ranked recruits: Cayden Rooks (Columbus East, Ind.), Donnell Washington (Portage, Ind.), and Nick South (Columbus East, Ind.) Additional notable recruits: Matthew Ortiz (Montini Catholic, Ill.), Luke Baughman (Wadsworth, Ohio), and Greg Hagan (Dowling Catholic, Iowa) Impact transfer: Brock Hudkins (Danville, Ind/Northern Illinois) Recruiting class rankings: HM-HM-NR-NR NCAA finishes: N/A-N/A-N/A Final dual meet rankings: NR-NR-NR Commentary: Angel Escobedo became the head coach in April of 2018 after one year as associate head coach at his alma mater. As a result, this recruiting class is the first recruiting class for him and his new staff (which includes associate head coach Mike Dixon and assistant coach Isaac Jordan). The anchors for this class are three-time state champion Garcia and the transfer Hudkins, a two-time NCAA qualifier who has two years of eligibility remaining. The mix of regional talent with meaningful state tournament accomplishments also includes two-time state champions in Rooks and South. 24. Northwestern Top 100 recruits: No. 56 Chris Cannon (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 60 Trevor Chumbley (Marmion Academy, lll.) and No. 72 Troy Fisher (Goddard, Kansas) Additional notable recruit: Justin Benjamin (St. Charles East, Ill.) Recruiting class rankings: 18th-HM-NR-17th NCAA finishes: N/A-24th(tied)-22nd Final dual meet rankings: NR-17th-NR Commentary: It's a second straight ranked recruiting class for the Wildcats, which again has three top 100 recruits in it. Even with the tight roster cap, Matt Storniolo and staff continue to bring in talented wrestlers to campus. Cannon is a lower weight, Chumbley a middle-weight, and Fisher an upper-weight. 25. Wyoming Top 100 recruit: No. 78 Jake Svihel (Totino-Grace, Minn.) Weight class ranked recruits: Brendon Garcia (Pueblo County, Colo.), Stephen Buchanan (Neillsville, Wis.), and Brooks Baker (Brookfield, Mo.) Additional notable recruit: Terren Swartz (Thunder Basin, Wyo.) Recruiting class rankings: NR-NR-NR-NR NCAA finishes: 21st (tied)-17th (tied)-N/A Final dual meet rankings: NR-14th-12th Commentary: The Cowboys have clearly had some roster talent, though it hasn't been recognized in the form of a top 25 recruiting class in recent years. The on-mat performance is a clear feather in the cap for Mark Branch and his coaching staff, and their ability to identify some underrated talent and to develop it into successful collegiate performers. This class is anchored by a pair of light-weights in Svihel and Garcia, and three upper-weights in Buchanan, Swartz, and Baker. Honorable mention: Old Dominion, South Dakota State, Missouri, and Michigan State

MINNEAPOLIS -- After serving on the Augsburg University men's wrestling coaching staff for the past seven seasons, three-time Augsburg All-American Tony Valek '12 will join current head coach Jim Moulsoff as co-head coaches of the Auggie men's wrestling program, the university has announced. Valek served as a graduate assistant coach for the Auggies from 2012-14, and has been the Auggies' associate head coach since 2014. "Tony has worked side by side with me over the past five seasons and is very deserving of this promotion," Moulsoff said. "We are excited to continue working together to provide a great academic and athletic experience for our wrestlers." Tony ValekIn Valek's seven years on the coaching staff -- two years under Mark Matzek '05 (2012-14) and five years under Moulsoff -- the Auggies claimed NCAA Division III national titles in 2015 and 2019, finished second in 2017 and 2018, and fifth in 2014 and 2016, with 32 All-Americans and 10 individual national champions. Augsburg has also won NCAA regional titles each of the seven years, with 31 regional champions and 60 national tournament qualifiers. "Jim and Tony together have shown Augsburg University, the Upper Midwest region and the nation that they are an awesome team and a winning combination," said Augsburg Athletic Director Jeff Swenson. "It is fitting that they are now co-head coaches, as they have filled the trophy cases with several NCAA Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of the Year honors over the last five years. I look forward to the future as they lead the Auggies in continued success in the classroom, on the mat and in life." In 2015, Valek earned National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Assistant Coach of the Year honors, after the Auggies won the national title. He has also earned NWCA regional assistant coach of the year honors four times. "I am very humbled and honored to lead such a historic program alongside Jim. I have learned so much from Jim during my time as a wrestler here at Augsburg, and as a coach on his staff," Valek said. "I am excited to continue working side by side with him to add to the storied history of Augsburg wrestling. We are very blessed to have a supportive administrative staff, committed assistant coaches, involved alumni, and a hungry group of young men on and off the mat. It is very gratifying to help our student-athletes work towards accomplishing their goals during their time at Augsburg." Jim MoulsoffValek joins Moulsoff, who was named the 10th head coach in the 70-year history of Augsburg's wrestling program in the fall of 2014. In his five seasons as the Auggies' mentor, Moulsoff has produced a 59-13 record in dual meets, with two team national titles, two runner-up finishes and a fifth-place finish. Moulsoff spent seven seasons as an assistant coach on the Auggie staff before being named head coach. In his 12 years on the coaching staff, Moulsoff has been a part of three national title squads and five national runner-up squads, with 62 All-Americans, 14 national champions and a 124-36-1 dual-meet record. In 2018-19, Moulsoff earned D3wrestle.com Division III National Coach of the Year honors, and earned NWCA Division III National Tournament Coach of the Year honors in both 2015 and 2019, and Rookie Coach of the Year honors in 2015. He also earned West Region Coach of the Year honors in 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17, and Upper Midwest Region Co-Coach of the Year honors in 2017-18 and 2018-19. In 2013-14, Moulsoff was named West Region Assistant Coach of the Year by his coaching peers. The coaching duo has also been committed to advancing their student-athletes academically, as well as on the mat. Over the past seven years, the Auggies have finished in the top 20 each year in the NWCA's Scholar All-America Division III Team national standings, including a second-place finish in 2017 and a fourth-place finish in 2018, with team award grade-point averages of 3.4 or higher in six of the last seven seasons. Augsburg has had 36 wrestlers earn NWCA Division III Scholar All-America individual honors since 2014, and had two wrestlers earn Google Cloud Division III Academic All-America honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) last season. A two-time first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American and three-time NWCA Scholar All-American, Valek had an outstanding career as an Augsburg middleweight wrestler. A four-time NCAA Division III national tournament qualifier, Valek earned Division III national runner-up honors at 149 pounds in both 2010 and 2011, while finishing third nationally in 2012. Valek finished his career with a 136-25 record, with 87 bonus-point victories (60 pins, six technical falls, 21 major decisions) to his credit. He won NCAA regional titles twice and was part of Auggie teams that won the NCAA Division III national title in 2010, while earning runner-up honors each of his other three seasons. An accounting and general management major at Augsburg, Valek earned the NCAA's Elite 89 Award as the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average at the 2012 NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championships. He earned Augsburg's Honor Athlete award, the highest senior student-athlete award given at Augsburg, in 2012. Valek earned his bachelor's degree in 2012 and his master's degree in leadership from Augsburg in 2014.

The referees gather to review a call during a match between Nick Suriano and Daton Fix (Photo/Juan Garcia) The NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee offered some proposed rule changes Monday to address some hot-button issues that have made headlines -- and rankled some athletes, coaches and fans. Among the sometimes controversial issues these rule-change proposals take on: the matside video review process ... medical forfeits ... and calls for stalling, and for hands-to-the-face. What's more, committee has proposed relaxing current hair requirements ... and offered yet another option to the singlet which has been the standard college wrestling uniform for nearly a half-century. Note: the following are merely proposals, not actual rule changes. NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel is scheduled to discuss all wrestling rules proposals via teleconference June 13. If the proposals are approved in mid-June, the new rules will go into effect for the 2019-20 college wrestling season. Video review challenge could result in a stall penalty The matside video review challenge process has drawn some heat, especially at the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee has proposed a change, which, if approved the Playing Rules Oversight Panel, where a coach's unsuccessful video review challenge would result in a stalling warning for that coach's wrestler. If the wrestler has received a prior stalling warning, the unsuccessful challenge could result in the loss of a point. "Committee members think this will reduce the number of frivolous challenges and improve the flow of individual matches," according to the NCAA announcement. Medical forfeits could mean a loss of match The NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee has proposed that a medical forfeit would result in a loss on the record of the wrestler unable to compete. "Counting medical forfeits as a loss was seen as a better indicator of the wrestler's overall season success," according to the explanation provided by the Committee. "Additionally, this would provide for improved communication between the wrestler, medical personnel and coach as to the wrestler's readiness to enter competition." A newly revised penalty sequence for stalling violations Here's how the Committee described its proposal to "tweak" (their word) to streamline penalties for stalling violations: "The committee recommended a tweak to the penalty sequence for stalling violations. After the initial warning, the proposal calls for a single match point to be deducted for the next two violations. A fourth stalling violation would be a 2-point match deduction, and the last stalling violation would be disqualification." To provide some perspective, the current stalling penalty sequence is a warning, followed by single-point deductions on the second, third and fourth stalling violations, and then disqualification. Hands to the face The NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee has proposed a reclassification of "hands to the face" from an "unnecessary roughness violation" to an "illegal hold." Here's what that could mean: Rules for illegal holds indicate that "whenever possible, illegal holds should be prevented rather than called." This would provide referees more flexibility to use verbal cues, issue formal warnings and/or stop the action as "potentially dangerous" before calling an illegal hold. Referees still have the option to call an illegal hold for hands to the face without warning if they determine it is appropriate. A new proposal governing hair ... and a new uniform option According to the NCAA announcement, the Committee sought to relax rules regarding hair ... and offer a new alternative to present collegiate wrestling uniforms. Hair became a thorny issue in high school wrestling this past season, when a New Jersey wrestler was ordered by a mat official to have his dreadlocks cut or forfeit the match. The incident -- captured on video which was posted online, then shown on TV -- was viewed by millions of individuals within days, and generated considerable discussion within the amateur wrestling community and beyond. The Committee recommended eliminating the rule prohibiting a wrestler's hair from extending below the level of an ordinary shirt collar and the hair on the side of the head from extending below the earlobes. Some existing rules would remain intact: "Hair still will be required to be free of oils and/or greasy substances. Hair coverings still will be allowed and considered special equipment." The Committee also offered a possible third uniform option. In addition to the traditional singlet, and the form-fitting shirt-and-shorts option which was approved a few years ago, the new option would incorporate the form-fitting shirt but paired with "loose-fitting shorts designed for wrestling." "We're opening up to be more progressive in the sport," said Matt Valenti, committee chair and the associate athletics director of student development at the University of Pennsylvania. "This should give everyone more freedom of expression, and hopefully, make the sport more inclusive. We have our eye on the future with the thought that this could help the sport grow."

Sebastian Rivera defeated Vito Arujua to place third at the NCAAs (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Northwestern's Sebastian Rivera has wrestling in his genes. Son of a NCAA Division III mat champ, Sebastian Rivera is a New Jersey high school state champion, Big Ten champ, and NCAA All-American who is a student of mixed martial arts, as demonstrated in an analysis of fighting styles of MMA champions ... and in his interest in a potential MMA career for himself. Rivera's analysis of fighting styles Rivera is now an intern for Vivid Seats, which the 125-pounder for the Wildcats described as "the leading independent ticket marketplace." Rivera is now writing content for the VividSeats.com website, with a focus on wrestling and MMA coverage, "all with an eye to driving content to our website," the redshirt sophomore told InterMat. As part of his internship, Rivera recently put together a feature article with animated graphic for VividSeats.com titled "Which Fighting Styles Generate the Most UFC/MMA Champions?" "Fans of mixed martial arts (MMA) have long argued which fighting style is most dominant," wrote Rivera. "The primary fighting styles found in the UFC include wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), kickboxing, boxing, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, and Karate." After analyzing the fighting styles of past and current UFC champs, Rivera tallied the numbers ... and discovered that the largest number of UFC titleholders brought a wrestling background into the Octagon. Rivera considers post-college MMA career Rivera is scheduled to graduate from Northwestern in spring 2020 with a major in learning and organizational change (though he will have an additional year of wrestling eligibility beyond that). "I'm not really sure what I want to do after graduation," Rivera told InterMat. "I think MMA is worth exploring." Armed with the information he gathered in producing the feature article for VividSeats.com that the sport of wrestling has been the leading fighting style of UFC champs over the years, Rivera sees that his strong mat background -- being introduced to the sport at an early age in his father Steve Rivera's wrestling club -- could serve him well in a potential MMA career. "I grew up in Toms River, New Jersey. That's the hometown of Frankie Edgar, who is like a big brother to me." "I've been involved in the MMA lifestyle," Rivera continued. "I actually like getting punched in the face. Fight or flight -- I'd say it's cooler than wrestling." That said, Rivera isn't about to trade in his singlet for fight shorts right away. He looks forward to putting together another successful season at Northwestern again this fall. In the meantime, Rivera is pursuing yet another achievement in his wrestling career, this time in freestyle. "I'm going to plan to make Team Puerto Rico in May, then compete at the Worlds," said Rivera.

Wrestling fans: Want to do your part to introduce the oldest and greatest sport to the next generation? A GoFundMe page has been established to help built a brand-new wrestling program in Maryland from scratch. "The first ever wrestling program with the Loch Raven Recreation Center is seeking funds to set up the team for success in the long term," according to the GoFundMe page created by coach Mike Schafer. "Our team is located just outside of Baltimore. We have kids from 7-14 years old and our goal is to have them learn the sport, love it, and have fun doing it for many years to come."

What a wild, wacky and crazy weekend of wrestling it was in Las Vegas. Two college sophomores and a freshman were among the men's freestyle champions crowned at the U.S. Open. And those recent developments are setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting and entertaining time for the sport with the 2020 Olympic Games just over a year away. Here are my top takeaways from the freestyle portion of the U.S. Open: Yianni's time is now There was no question that two-time Cadet world champion Yianni Diakomihalis was going to contend at 65 kilograms. But what he did in Vegas was nothing short of phenomenal. Yianni won a loaded bracket by knocking off 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro and rolling past No. 1 seed Jordan Oliver before rallying past 2017 world team member Zain Retherford in the finals. Yianni is a two-time NCAA champion who is just a college sophomore, but freestyle is his best style. He can score in a variety of ways and he's always a threat to hit a big move. Yianni is very young and has a huge upside internationally. Bo Nickal cruised to the title at 92 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Bo knows freestyle Hodge Trophy winner Bo Nickal's title at 92 kilograms was not a big surprise. Nickal is an explosive and talented wrestler who steamrolled the competition at the U.S. Open. The question now is how will Nickal fare in a potential Final X showdown against reigning world champion and Olympic medalist J'den Cox. I can't wait to watch these high-level wrestlers battle on the mat. Fan support I've never completely understood why the crowd size is so much smaller for top freestyle events than it is for the NCAA tournament. Obviously, the team component of the NCAAs is a big attraction. But the quality of wrestling at the U.S. Open is off the charts with a significantly higher skill level. Plus, the freestyle rules are excellent now and more entertaining than college folkstyle. This is a golden age of freestyle in the USA with so many outstanding wrestlers competing right now. Fans that aren't watching are missing out. If you have an opportunity, go see the Final X events. You won't be disappointed. The Fix is in Daton Fix opened plenty of eyes last year when he advanced to the Final X after his redshirt season at Oklahoma Stare. The Junior world champion lost to 2017 world silver medalist Thomas Gilman in the Final X last year, but Fix bounced back to beat Gilman in the Open finals Saturday. Fix hasn't made the world team yet, but the redshirt freshman is in a good position after clinching a spot in the Final X. He may have to beat Gilman two more times to make the world team. Deakin's surprise showing Northwestern sophomore Ryan Deakin placed just sixth at the NCAA tournament, but he's more accomplished in freestyle. The 2017 Junior world silver medalist rallied from a late 6-3 deficit to down two-time world medalist James Green in the U.S. Open finals. Deakin is in the Final X where he will likely meet Green or three-time NCAA champion Jason Nolf for the world team spot. Green edged Nolf at the Open, but expect Nolf to come back strong at the world team trials challenge tournament. Alex Dieringer picked up the U.S. Open title at 79 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Putting them through the Ringer Alex Dieringer has had a tremendous season and he destroyed the competition at the Open. Ringer could see 2018 Final X runner-up Zahid Valencia in the world team trials challenge tournament with world champion Kyle Dake awaiting the winner in the Final X at 79 kilograms. Dieringer is a dangerous wrestler who won a Junior world silver medal. Kyven's quest Past NCAA champion Kyven Gadson continues to wrestle at a high level and looked strong in winning the Open. He moved another step closer to another battle with Olympic and two-time world champion Kyle Snyder at 97 kilograms. That will be a tough task against Snyder, a World/Olympic finalist the last four years. Downey not done yet Pat Downey is a past Junior world silver medalist who put together a superb performance in Las Vegas. Downey proved you are never out of a match with his showing at 86 kilograms. He will need to continue to progress in a weight class where world champion David Taylor is waiting in the Final X. Imar's mission Isaiah Martinez looks on track to earn another shot at Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion Jordan Burroughs in the Final X at 74 kilograms. Imar is making good progress, and he's an explosive athlete who is difficult to match up against. But how far he's come will be revealed when he tangles with Burroughs, who is still wrestling at a high level. Cody Brewer celebrates after winning the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Brewer wins battle of NCAA champs Cody Brewer overcame a 3-0 deficit in the second period by scoring a fall over Nico Megaludis in a U.S. Open finals matchup of past NCAA champions at 61 kilograms. Expect to see these guys facing off again at the world team trials challenge tournament next month. Joe Colon is already in the Final X in this class as a returning world medalist. USA system is working The number of American athletes excelling at the Cadet and Junior world level has been impressive in recent years and that has translated to a high level of success on the Senior level. Wrestlers like Diakomihalis, Fix and Adam Coon have excelled on the world stage at a very young age. That experience and exposure of competing internationally as Cadets and Juniors has really paid off in a huge way for them. Coon's commitment to both styles Adam Coon won a silver medal at the 2018 World Championships in Greco-Roman wrestling, but he remains committed to wrestling both international styles. Second to world medalist Nick Gwiazdowski in the freestyle Final X last year, Coon won the U.S. Open freestyle title at heavyweight on Saturday. Coon has shown he can handle wrestling both styles, so why not continue to do it? He's been doing it for years and has been successful at every level. Coon has won world medals on the Cadet, Junior and Senior level with the lone gold coming in Cadet freestyle. Who will make the 2020 Olympic Team? It is unfortunate there are just six weight classes now per style for the Olympic Games in wrestling. There are so many elite and proven wrestlers in the USA right now, and with only six spots available, that there will some really good freestyle wrestlers who won't be representing their country next year in Tokyo. How will it all shake out? It will be a battle, no doubt about it. Will we see Burroughs wrestle Dake again? Will Cox face Taylor or move up to challenge Snyder? Will Nickal cut down a class to take on Taylor? Will Dake bump up to meet Taylor again? There are so many compelling potential storylines. But for now, numerous battles remain to determine the 2019 world team. And those will be fun to watch as well. It will be interesting to see which 10 wrestlers earn a trip to Kazakhstan for the 2019 World Championships. It is an important event because it's the main qualifier for the 2020 Olympic Games. The top six wrestlers in each Olympic weight class at the World Championships qualify their country for the Olympics.

The Board of Directors of the Kansas State High School Activities Association overwhelmingly approved a measure to make girls wrestling a sanctioned sport in the state of Kansas Friday. The proposal to make girls high school wrestling the 23rd interscholastic sport in Kansas was approved by a vote of 63-2. The state will conduct its first girls wrestling state championship in 2020. Right now, it is anticipated that the girls state championship will be held on Thursday, immediately before the start of the boys' state wrestling championships which are slated to run Friday and Saturday of the same week. To ensure a smooth transition, the KSHSAA has amended its rules governing high school wrestling. "The mixed team rule is being waived for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years for the sport of wrestling. A two-year transition period is being granted to permit girls the option of participating in both their school boy's lineup and girl's lineup during the regular season contests only. If a competition only offers a boys' division, then girls will have the option of competing in the boys' division. If the competition offers both a boys and girls division, then girls are required to wrestle in the girls' division. After the two specified years, the mixed team rule will go into effect and girls will only participate against girls. From the start of implementation of Girls Wrestling, the girls must participate in the girls only postseason. No option is given to compete in the boys' postseason." Kansas is the 15th state in the U.S. to adopt a separate girls wrestling division. Earlier this week, the Colorado High School Activities Association approved wrestling competition for high school girls -- separate from boys' competition -- starting in the 2020-21 school year. The state of Kansas has seen explosive growth in terms of the number of girls participating in wrestling, and in the number of exclusively female tournaments. In 2017, there were 112 girls wrestling in Kansas with just four tournaments all season that were female-only, according to the Garden City (Kan.) Telegram. That number nearly doubled the following year, with 215 girls participating and nine tournaments in 2018. This past season saw even more growth, with 376 girls and 15 tournaments in Kansas in 2019.

Cornell wretlers visited the UFC Performance Institute (Photo/UFC.com) The UFC Performance Center is just the ticket for mixed martial arts fighters ... and, it turns out, great for amateur wrestlers, too. Before stepping onto the mat at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas this week, ten Cornell University wrestlers and their coach Rob Koll spent a couple hours at the Vegas-based UFC Performance Institute. At its website, the UFC Performance Institute describes itself as "the global destination in high performance for MMA." This 30,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility features a grappling area, a regulation Octagon, boxing ring ... along with a strength and conditioning facility, a physical therapy suite, hydrotherapy area, even nutrition consultation. That last part -- nutrition consultation -- is where Clint Wattenberg comes in. A Cornell grad who wrestled for the Big Red, Wattenberg is now UFC PI's director of nutrition. He decided to invite the wrestlers and head coach Rob Koll for a training session at the UFC Performance Center. "To be able to support these guys and provide them with the resources of the UFC PI is incredible," Wattenberg told Gavin Porter of UFC.com. "We will continue to build a strong network that is unique to combat sports that develops and enhances performance. The UFC PI really wants to expose the fact that we have unmatched resources and we want to use them to cultivate athletes." Coach Koll saw the value of bringing wrestlers such as four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake and two-time national champ Yianni Diakomihalis to the UFC Performance Institute. "It's just exciting for the guys to be in this building," Koll said. "To be training around Clint and around Forrest Griffin is special to them. The PI takes us out of that old school training mindset and helps us realize there is a science behind what we do. It isn't merely what you see in Rocky. The PI adds a legitimacy and respect to combat sports."

LAS VEGAS -- After two days and a whole lot of matches in the South Point Arena, 10 UWW Junior-aged wrestlers (born 1999-2002) are coming home with UWW Junior Freestyle Nationals titles and have earned an automatic berth to the best-of-three wrestle-off against the challenge tournament champion in Akron, Ohio, May 31-June 2. Malik Heinselman took the first step to securing his second Junior World team by earning a spot in the best-of-the-three finals at World Team Trials. Outside of a tough 12-9 round of 16 match with Kyle Biscoglia, Heinselman ran through the 57-kilogram bracket, outscoring his opponents 46-1. The Ohio State freshman is now a two-time UWW Junior National champion, winning in his first in 2017. Gabe Tagg put together a performance at 61 kg that earned him Outstanding Wrestler. Tagg tech falled his way to semifinals where he pinned Penn State All-American Roman Bravo-Young. Trailing 4-2 in the second period, Tagg used a duck under to put Bravo-Young on his back and then turned him again before securing the fall. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

Yianni Diakomihalis won his first U.S. Open title at the age of 20 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) LAS VEGAS -- Yianni Diakomihalis has won at every level. After winning two Cadet world titles, four state titles and two NCAA championships in two tries, the 20-year-old Cornell sophomore can now add a U.S. Open title to his growing list of wrestling accomplishments. On Saturday, Diakomihalis came through to win the U.S. Open title at 65 kilograms, beating 2017 World Team member Zain Retherford 6-4 in the finals. On Friday, he topped Olympic fifth-place finisher Frank Molinaro in the quarterfinals and returning U.S. Open champion Jordan Oliver in the semifinals. By winning the U.S. Open title, Diakomihalis now advances to Final X in June where he will await the winner of next month's U.S. World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. In the finals, Retherford, a three-time NCAA champion for Penn State, went up 4-2 in the second period, but Diakomihalis came back with a takedown in the final minute to grab a criteria lead. He would add a late takedown to win by two. Diakomihalis was not the only 2019 NCAA champion to win a U.S. Open title on Saturday. Bo Nickal, this year's Hodge Trophy winner and InterMat Wrestler of the Year, was dominant en route to claiming the title at 92 kilograms. In the finals, Nickal cruised to a 13-3 technical fall over Hayden Zillmer. Zillmer scored first off an exposure to grab a 2-0 lead, but it was all Nickal the rest of the way as he showcased his skills in both neutral and par terre on his way to the technical fall. Isaiah Martinez and Adam Coon repeated as U.S. Open champions in freestyle, while Kyven Gadson won his second U.S. Open title in three years. Isaiah Martinez defeated Tommy Gantt to win his second straight U.S. Open title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Martinez, a four-time NCAA finalist and two-time NCAA champion, defeated Tommy Gantt 6-4 in the finals at 74 kilograms. The former University of Illinois star led 3-0 at the break after a takedown and step out. Martinez built his lead to 6-0 in the second period after an exposure and step out. In the closing seconds, Gantt threw Martinez to his back for four points before time ran out. Adam Coon repeated as U.S. Open champion at 125 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Coon, a returning world silver medalist in Greco-Roman, repeated as U.S. Open champion at 125 kilograms with a 5-2 win over Tony Nelson in the finals. Nelson led at the break, but Coon battled back, scoring a go-ahead with just under a minute remaining before adding a late exposure to win by three. Gadson registered a 5-0 shutout victory in the 97-kilogram finals over Ben Honis. The former Cyclone NCAA champion scored a takedown and added a point off the shot clock to take a 3-0 lead at the break. He added another takedown in the second period. Pat Downey celebrates after beating Nick Heflin to win the U.S. Open title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Past Junior world silver medalist Pat Downey controlled Nick Heflin from start to finish to claim his first U.S. Open title at 86 kilograms. Downey led 2-0 and extended his lead to 6-3 before breaking open the match with a four-point throw. He took the victory 10-4. Alex Dieringer rolled to the title at 79 kilograms with a first-period 11-0 technical fall over Chance Marsteller in the finals. Dieringer scored his first two points off a head pinch and then added another takedown before transitioning to a gut wrench, which he used to rack up six more points and claim a technical fall in just over a minute. He did not a surrender a point in the tournament. Two past world medalists, Thomas Gilman and James Green, fell short in the U.S. Open finals. Both lost to 2017 Junior world medalists. Daton Fix won a hard-fought battle over Gilman to claim the title at 57 kilograms. It was a rematch of last year's Final X matchup won by Gilman. Fix, a 2017 Junior world champion, led 2-0 at the break after scoring with two step outs, but Gilman battled back and eventually took a 4-4 criteria lead with under a minute remaining. Fix scored a takedown in the final 30 seconds to retake the lead and added another takedown in the closing seconds to win 8-4. Ryan Deakin, a 2017 Junior world silver medalist, punched his ticket to Final X with a come-from-behind victory over two-time world medalist James Green at 70 kilograms. Green grabbed a 6-3 lead midway through the third period. But Deakin continued to battle and cut the deficit to 6-5 late before scoring a takedown with two seconds remaining to steal the match late. Cody Brewer came from behind to earn a fall over top-seeded Nico Megaludis in the finals at 61 kilograms. Megaludis seemed to be in control after building a 3-0 lead early in the second period. But Brewer was able to throw Megalduis to his back and secure a fall 32 seconds into the second period. Finals results: 57 kilograms: Daton Fix dec. Thomas Gilman, 8-4 61 kilograms: Cody Brewer pinned Nico Megaludis, 3:32 65 kilograms: Yianni Diakomihalis dec. Zain Retherford, 6-4 70 kilograms: Ryan Deakin dec. James Green, 8-6 74 kilograms: Isaiah Martinez dec. Tommy Gantt, 6-4 79 kilograms: Alex Dieringer tech. fall Chance Marsteller, 11-0 86 kilograms: Pat Downey dec. Nick Heflin, 10-4 92 kilograms: Bo Nickal tech. fall Hayden Zilmer, 13-3 97 kilograms: Kyven Gadson dec. Ben Honis, 5-0 125 kilograms: Adam Coon dec. Tony Nelson, 5-2

Ryan Mango with his U.S. Army WCAP coaches (Photo/Larry Slater) LAS VEGAS -- Ryan Mango, Max Nowry, Ellis Coleman and Kamal Bey repeated as U.S. Open champions in Greco-Roman on Friday at South Point Arena in Las Vegas. Mango became the first wrestler to punch a ticket to Final X. He repeated as U.S. Open champion, defeating Sam Jones by 9-1 technical fall in the finals at 63 kilograms. The match was competitive until the final two minutes. After the two wrestlers traded passivity points, Mango blew the match open with a series of turn to earn a technical fall. Nowry topped Dalton Duffield 5-3 in the finals at 55 kilograms. Duffield scored first to take a 2-0, but Nowry controlled the rest of the match to claim the victory. Coleman, a 2012 Olympian, earned a 12-3 technical fall over Hayden Tuma in the finals at 67 kilograms. Bey, a 2017 Junior world champion, held on to defeat Pat Smith 7-5 in the finals at 77 kilograms. Bey raced out to a 5-0 lead and appeared to be in firm control of the match. But Smith battled back in the final 90 seconds, scoring five unanswered points to make the score 5-5, but still trailed on criteria. Bey was able to extend his lead late and hold on for the victory. The U.S. Army WCAP program crowned five of the 10 champions in Greco-Roman. In addition to Mango, Nowry and Coleman, Army wrestlers Leslie Fuenffinger and Jacob Mitchell won titles. Fuenffinger overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat Army WCAP teammate Ildar Hafizov 6-4 in the 60-kilogram finals. Hafizov won the previous meeting at the Schultz finals in January. Mitchell scored a 7-0 shutout over Tate Orndorff in the finals at 130 kilograms. He used a takedown and two gut wrenches on help pace him to the victory. Mitchell is the lone U.S. Open Greco-Roman champion who did not earn an automatic berth in Final X. Adam Coon, a returning world silver medalist, will face the winner of the World Team Trials. G'Angelo Hancock rolled to a U.S. Open title at 97 kilograms with a 7-0 win over Lucas Sheridan. He was named Outstanding Wrestler of the event. Kendrick Sanders picked up a 10-0 technical fall victory over Spencer Woods to take the title at 82 kilograms. Sanders led 2-0 with two minutes remaining before scoring off a lift and multiple exposures to secure the technical fall. At 87 kilograms, Joe Rau picked up a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Patrick Martinez in a battle of past World Team members. Raymond Bunker found himself in an early 3-0 hole in his 72-kilogram finals match against RaVaughn Perkins, but methodically battled his way back and ultimately picked up a 4-3 win. Finals results: 55 kilograms: Max Nowry dec. Dalton Duffield, 5-3 60 kilograms: Leslie Fuenffinger dec. Ildar Hafizov, 6-4 63 kilograms: Ryan Mango tech. fall Sam Jones, 9-1 4:16 67 kilograms: Ellis Coleman tech. fall Hayden Tuma, 12-3 3:33 72 kilograms: Raymond Bunker dec. Ravaughn Perkins, 4-3 77 kilograms: Kamal Bey dec. Pat Smith, 7-5 82 kilograms: Kendrick Sanders tech. fall Spencer Woods, 10-0 4:19 87 kilograms: Joe Rau dec. Patrick Martinez, 3-1 97 kilograms: G'Angelo Hancock tech. fall Lucas Sheridan, 9-0 1:05 130 kilograms: Jacob Mitchell dec. Tate Orndorff, 7-0

Whitney Conder claimed the U.S. Open title at 50 kilograms (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) LAS VEGAS -- Three returning U.S. World Team members in women's wrestling, Whitney Conder, Jacarra Winchester and Forrest Molinari, punched their tickets to Final X by winning U.S. Open titles on Friday at South Point Arena in Las Vegas. Conder, a four-time World Team member, shut out Erin Golston 7-0 in the finals at 50 kilograms, avenging a loss from earlier this season. Conder used a four-point takedown in the first period to open up the scoring. She would add another takedown with just over a minute and half remaining. Winchester, a world fifth-place finisher last year, cruised to a 10-0 technical fall in the finals over Areana Villaescusa at 55 kilograms. Molinari trailed 1-0 at the break in the 65-kilogram finals against 2017 Junior world champion Maya Nelson before scoring five unanswered points in the second period to claim a 5-1 victory. Alli Ragan, a two-time world silver medalist, capped a dominant tournament with a 10-0 technical fall over Abigail Nette in the finals at 59 kilograms. Becka Leathers, a 2017 world bronze medalist, came back late to defeat Jenna Burkert to win the title at 57 kilograms. Leathers scored a takedown with 30 seconds left to grab a 4-3 lead. She would extend her lead with a gut wrench turn and hold on to win by two. Another 2018 Final X participant, Kayla Miracle, won her third U.S. Open title in dominant fashion, beating Desiree Zavala 10-0 in the finals at 62 kilograms. Two-time WCWA All-American Precious Bell picked up the lone fall in the finals. Bell built an 8-2 lead on Hannah Gladden in the finals at 76 kilograms before locking up a cradle and getting a fall with just over a minute thirty remaining in the match. Tiare Ikei opened the finals in women's wrestling with a 14-4 technical fall over Katherine Shai at 53 kilograms. Ikea trailed 4-2 after the opening period, but broke the match open in the second period on the strength of a four-point move, which she followed up with a trapped-arm gut wrench. Randi Beltz rolled to a 10-1 victory in the finals over Jayden Laurent at 68 kilograms. Beltz led 6-0 at the break and extended her lead in the second period to win by nine. Alyvia Fiske earned a spot in Final X at 72 kilograms by narrowly defeating Victoria Francis 5-4. Finals results: 50 kilograms: Whitney Conder dec. Erin Golston, 7-0 53 kilograms: Tiare Ikei tech. fall Katherine Shai, 14-4 3:57 55 kilograms: Jacarra Winchester tech. fall Areana Villaescusa, 10-0 2:50 57 kilograms: Becka Leathers dec. Jenna Burkert, 7-5 59 kilograms: Alli Ragan tech. fall Abby Nette, 10-0 4:32 62 kilograms: Kayla Miracle tech. fall Desiree Zavala, 10-0 2:14 65 kilograms: Forrest Molinari dec. Maya Nelson, 5-1 68 kilograms: Randi Beltz dec. Jayden Laurent, 10-1 72 kilograms: Alyvia Fiske dec. Victoria Francis, 5-4

Yianni Diakomihalis advanced to the finals at 65 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) LAS VEGAS -- 2019 NCAA champions Yianni Diakomihalis and Bo Nickal have arrived on the senior level. The 20-year-old Diakomihalis, a two-time Cadet world champion and two-time NCAA champion, put together an incredible run to the finals of the U.S. Open in freestyle at 65 kilograms on Friday at South Point Arena in Las Vegas. Hours after dominating Olympic fifth-place finisher Frank Molinaro 10-3 in the quarterfinals, the Cornell sophomore claimed a 16-5 technical fall over returning U.S. Open champion Jordan Oliver in the semifinals. He now faces 2017 World Team member Zain Retherford in the finals. Retherford has been untested, claiming three technical falls and a 11-3 victory in the semifinals over Jaydin Eierman. Nickal, who recently captured his third NCAA title, picked up two falls and two technical falls to reach the finals at 92 kilograms. In the semifinals, Nickal secured a 14-4 technical fall over 2018 NCAA champion Michael Macchiavello. His finals opponent will be Hayden Zillmer, who reached Final X last year. At 70 kilograms, two-time world medalist James Green scored a late takedown to edge three-time NCAA champion Jason Nolf 6-6 on criteria. Nolf led by two with 10 seconds remaining before Green scored a takedown on the edge of the mat and held on for the criteria victory. Green faces surprise finalist Ryan Deakin in the finals. Deakin, a 2017 Junior world silver medalist, came through as the No. 10 seed. He topped No. 2 seed Jason Chamberlain 12-3 in the quarterfinals before defeating sixth-seeded Alec Pantaleo 8-4 in the semifinals. At 57 kilograms, Thomas Gilman, a 2017 world silver medalist, dominated Nathan Tomasello in the semifinals, claiming a victory by disqualification. Gilman built a 9-0 lead before Tomasello was cautioned for the third time, which ended the match. On the other side of the 57-kilogram bracket, Daton Fix reached the finals by defeating Darian Cruz 2-0, setting up a rematch from last year's Final X at 57 kilograms. Nico Megaludis reached the finals at 61 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Top-seeded Nico Megaludis advanced to the finals at 61 kilograms after a dominant 10-1 victory over Cory Clark in the semifinals. He will face sixth-seeded Cody Brewer in the finals. The top two seeds advanced to the finals at 74 kilograms, Isaiah Martinez and Thomas Gantt. Martinez, who fell to Jordan Burroughs at Final X last year, claimed a 13-0 technical fall over Brian Murphy in the semifinals. Gantt topped Anthony Valencia 10-6 in the semifinals. At 79 kilograms, Alex Dieringer and Chance Marsteller reached the finals. Both claimed 10-0 technical falls in the semifinals. The two were teammates for one year at Oklahoma State. Pat Downey, a 2012 Junior world silver medalist, stormed back to beat four-time All-American Myles Martin in the semifinals at 86 kilograms. Martin led 7-0 with 90 seconds remaining before Downey scored nine unanswered points to take the victory. He will meet fourth-seeded Nick Heflin in the finals. Top-seeded Kyven Gadson, who reached Final X last year, advanced to the finals at 97 kilograms with a 10-0 technical fall in the semifinals. Gadson has picked up three technical falls and outscored his opponents 30-0. He will face third-seeded Ben Honis in the finals. Honis rolled into the championship match with a convincing 11-3 win over Ty Walz. At 125 kilograms, Adam Coon, a world silver medalist in Greco-Roman last year, blanked NCAA runner-up Derek White 6-0 in the semifinals. In the bottom side of the 125-kilogram bracket, two-time NCAA champion Tony Nelson defeated 2009 Junior world champion Dom Bradley 3-1. Semifinal results 57 kilograms: Thomas Gilman def. Nathan Tomasello by DQ Daton Fix dec. Darian Cruz, 2-0 61 kilograms: Nico Megaludis dec. Cory Clark, 10-1 Cody Brewer tech. fall Joey Palmer, 11-0 3:52 65 kilograms: Yianni Diakomihalis tech. fall Jordan Oliver, 16-5 5:27 Zain Retherford dec. Jaydin Eierman, 11-3 70 kilograms: James Green dec. Jason Nolf, 6-6 Ryan Deakin dec. Alec Pantaleo, 8-4 74 kilograms: Isaiah Martinez tech. fall Brian Murphy, 13-0 3:34 Thomas Gantt dec. Anthony Valencia, 11-5 79 kilograms: Alex Dieringer tech. fall Geno Morelli, 10-0 1:09 Chance Marsteller tech. fall Stacey Davis, 10-0 4:41 86 kilograms: Nick Heflin dec. Sam Brooks, 5-3 Pat Downey dec. Myles Martin, 9-7 92 kilograms: Hayden Zillmer dec. Kollin Moore, 12-7 Bo Nickal tech. fall Michael Macchiavello, 14-4 4:13 97 kilograms: Kyven Gadson tech. fall Michael Boykin, 10-0 4:50 Ben Honis dec. Ty Walz, 11-3 125 kilograms: Adam Coon dec. Derek White, 6-0 Tony Nelson dec. Dom Bradley, 3-1

Union County College will be adding an intercollegiate men's wrestling program for the 2019-2020 school year, the New Jersey school announced Friday. With the addition of men's wrestling program, Union County College now offers a total of 14 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) sports. "We are excited to announce the addition of wrestling to our intercollegiate sports lineup," said Union County College Dean of College Life Tammy Smith. "Having a wrestling team will allow us to attract more students to Union. We know that New Jersey is a hotbed for wrestling, and we look forward to offering the opportunity to student-athletes to compete at the collegiate level right here in New Jersey." Ron Mazzola, New Jersey Region 5 ranking chairman and director of the Greater Middlesex Conference Coaches Association, is eager to see Union County College add wrestling to its sports roster. "I'm excited," Mazzola told Greg Tufaro of the Bridgewater Courier News. "Wrestling is so popular in New Jersey and the state is such a hotbed for the sport. This is giving more kids an opportunity to wrestle at the next level." Union County College has already launched a national search for a head coach and coaching staff. In addition, UCC will be building a new wrestling practice facility to be located near the school's state-of-the-art fitness center. Union County College is a two-year, public community college with four campuses in Union County, New Jersey. UCC's Cranford campus -- located near the interchange of the Garden State Parkway and I-87 -- will be home to the new men's wrestling program. Founded in 1933, Union is the first and oldest of New Jersey's 19 community colleges. UCC has approximately 11,000 students.

57 kilograms: Thomas Gilman tech. fall Zane Richards, 12-2 5:52 Nathan Tomasello tech. fall Frank Perrelli, 11-0 2:30 Darian Cruz dec. Zach Sanders, 5-0 Daton Fix tech. fall Vito Arujau, 18-8 6:00 61 kilograms: Nico Megaludis tech. fall Shelton Mack, 10-0 3:39 Cory Clark dec. Tony Ramos, 6-3 Cody Brewer tech. fall Earl Hall, 10-0 0:42 Joey Palmer dec. Tyler Graff, 6-6 65 kilograms: Jordan Oliver dec. Evan Henderson, 8-0 Yianni Diakomihalis dec. Frank Molinaro, 10-3 Jaydin Eierman pinned Dean Heil, 5:25 Zain Retherford tech. fall Jayson Ness, 10-0 2:31 70 kilograms: James Green dec. Anthony Collica, 9-2 Jason Nolf tech. fall Nazar Kulchytskyy, 13-2 5:22 Alec Pantaleo dec. Brandon Sorensen, 5-3 Ryan Deakin dec. Jason Chamberlain, 12-3 74 kilograms: Isaiah Martinez tech. fall Joey LaVallee, 13-2 3:37 Brian Murphy dec. Quinton Godley, 7-6 Anthony Valencia dec. Evan Wick, 9-8 Thomas Gantt tech. fall Logan Massa, 10-0 2:55 79 kilograms: Alex Dieringer Stillwater tech. fall Matthew Finesilver, 12-0 0:48 Geno Morelli dec. Muhamed McBryde, 4-1 Stacey Davis by injury default over Joshua Llopez Chance Marsteller dec. Nick Becker, 5-2 86 kilograms: Sam Brooks tech. fall Max Dean, 10-0 Nick Heflin dec. Brett Pfarr, 12-9 Pat Downey dec. Kenny Courts, 9-4 Myles Martin dec. Kevin Radford, 8-1 92 kilograms: Hayden Zillmer dec. Riley Lefever, 4-0 Kollin Moore tech. fall Timmy McCall, 10-0 3:26 Michael Macchiavello dec. T.J. Dudley, 9-2 Bo Nickal tech. fall Scottie Boykin, 10-0 0:59 97 kilograms: Kyven Gadson tech. fall Jeremiah Imonode, 10-0 0:18 Michael Boykin dec. Kevin Beazley, 7-2 Benjamin Honis dec. Wynn Michalak, 8-5 Ty Walz dec. Danny Chaid, 2-1 125 kilograms: Adam Coon tech. fall Tate Orndorff, 10-0 1:44 Derek White dec. Tanner Hall, 6-2 Tony Nelson dec. Youssif Hemida, 3-2 Dom Bradley tech. fall Ceron Francisco, 11-0 1:38

Kaori Icho is a four-time Olympic champion (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The greatest wrestler in Olympic history returned to the mats today at the 2019 Senior Asian Championships in Xi'an. Kaori Icho, the four-time Olympic champion from Japan, had not competed outside of Japan since winning gold at Rio 2016. But Friday morning the 34-year-old stepped on the mat in the start of what she hopes will be a comeback that concludes in 2020 with a fifth Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. Icho reached the semifinals of the Asian Championships on Friday before falling to Jong Myong Suk of North Korea, 7-4. There is plenty to write about Icho and her accomplishments. She overcame an abusive Japanese system and coaching structure to win four Olympic gold medals and suffered the loss of her mother just before the 2016 Olympic Games. She keeps to herself, avoids media as she can, and generally loves wrestling. Entertain for a moment what her addition will mean for the sport of women's wrestling. Not only would she be the single biggest Olympic story for wrestling in 2020, she will likely be the biggest story for the entire country, and among the top five for the entire Olympic Games. But that might pale in comparison to what her entry in the Olympic Games would mean to the competitiveness of the 57-kilogram weight category. First, let's assume (hope, pray, beg) that Helen Maroulis is back at 57 kilograms and wrestling at top form in 2020. We know Helen can beat a legend, we know she competes her best on the big stage, we know she is well-tracked in the media. Then, add in Indian superstar Pooja Dhanda, who would become the second-ever Olympic medalist for India in women's wrestling. Not enough? What about NingNing Rong, who is the reigning world champion from China. The most-watched wrestling match from the 2016 Olympic Games was the bronze medal match at 72 kilograms featuring a women's wrestler from China. More than 9 million viewers tuned in inside China alone. Want more? Grace Bullen -- inarguably the most powerful of the bunch -- will represent Norway, a nation looking for its first-ever medal in women's wrestling. Bullen is also a refugee from South Sudan, whose media appeal is already well-known and speaks to a lot of larger stories about displaced people and their opportunity to make their adoptive countries proud. Done? Nah. Chimdee Sukhee of Mongolia is a world champion with a megawatt smile and the chance to medal in nearby Tokyo. And yet there is more! World silver medalist Odunayo Adekuoroye of Nigeria could become the first wrestler from sub-Sahara Africa to win a medal at the Olympic Games. Marwa Amri of Tunisia accomplished the feat for all of Africa in 2016 and will likely be in the lineup come Tokyo 2020. While we watch Icho compete, it's worth keeping in mind that this is only an appetizer to what will be one of the most competitive and entertaining weight categories at Tokyo 2020. Follow along for the next 15 months and you won't be disappointed! To your questions … Q: Big fan of your work. I have a long-winded, two-part question for your mailbag. I've been watching the back-and-forth discussion between Jordan Burroughs and Chael Sonnen, and I don't know what to make of the situation. As you probably know, Chael is a former wrestler and has been a long-time proponent of the sport. I actually am (was?) a big fan of his because of his wrestling background. As I understand things, Chael has successfully utilized trash talking and controversy to propel himself into the spotlight throughout his MMA career. I've always thought of him as business-savvy, and also very thoughtful when he's not in "marketing mode." My questions on this situation are: 1. Do you believe that Chael's comments throughout this situation have been genuine? Or was he just talking trash to draw attention to himself and promote his brand/persona? 2. Do you think he crossed a line in this situation? I understand that JB's appearance on Ariel Helwani's show, coupled with his response to Chael's tweet, may have instigated some of this, but it rubbed me the wrong way to see Chael insult the sport of wrestling on ESPN. I guess I assumed that former wrestlers are always looking out for the sport of wrestling, but maybe nothing is out-of-bounds for Chael when he's in front of the camera? Very eager to hear your take on the situation. -- John G. Foley: There is one thing that you should never, never forget: Chael Sonnen is a hack. He has no inside information, he doesn't study situations, he rarely enjoys an original perspective worth valuing (this in contrast to Ben Askren who might have a take to disagree with, but is often original and well thought out). Sonnen is just a court jester looking to grab laughs with bad takes and in this circumstance he's helped drive the conversation. But again -- and I can't overstate this -- please, please never take a word Sonnen says to be true or connected to some insider's knowledge. He nothing more than an antique pinwheel spinning color for the changing winds. Here is a good fact for you. The average fighter pay for a first-time UFC fighter is roughly $10K. There are win bonuses as well. However, the fighters have to pay taxes, have limited sponsorship capabilities and are responsible for paying a number of people in their orbit (coaches, agents, trainers, dietitians). That will reduce their profit significantly. Run that back a few times a year (if you're lucky) and a fighter is making minimum wage to get kicked in the liver by a yoked-up Brazilian. The average entry level pay for a second assistant wrestling coach at a Division I school is between $35K-$55K depending on location, strength of program, and support. That's a wide average, but it's not uncommon for the second assistant (and "volunteer" assistant) to make multiples of that low-end number. In the 15 years since I stopped competing I've met plenty of second assistants making well more than $100K. They all have insurance, make additional money from camps, and none are being punched in the jaw. Then you have the top-level athletes like Jordan Burroughs, David Taylor, and Kyle Snyder. I don't see their tax returns, but they are making WELL more than $150K per year to wrestle, with some higher-end estimates to be as much as $400K depending on their individual situations. The college coaching landscape and international appeal of wrestling was much different back when Chael was paying off legal debts for money laundering and failing doping tests. Maybe MMA was the best and only path forward for most wrestlers looking to earn big money in 2011, but that is simply no longer the case. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Kamal Bey is dreamy. Pretty telling that Icho is old hat at both winning late, but also commanding the medal ceremony situation. Q: Thoughts on college wrestling power Augsburg adding women's wrestling? -- Mike C. Foley: The press release was very clear about the addition and its initial motivations "Adding women's wrestling will add to Augsburg's seven-decade reputation as one of the elite small-college wrestling programs in the nation. Augsburg has won 13 NCAA Division III national championships in men's wrestling, including the most recent title in March. Augsburg has earned 56 individual national champions (52 NCAA, 4 NAIA) and 251 All-Americans (213 NCAA, 38 NAIA) in its intercollegiate men's wrestling history." That's a lot of titles and for a program of Ausburg's stature to add a women's program is welcome ammunition in the fight to get the sport approved at the Division I level. However, I'm somewhat cautious in lauding the move as altruistic, as this fits into the larger model utilized by smaller enrollment regional schools to boost attendance through offering a specific niche activity, a la women's and men's wrestling. As most readers know college students are guaranteed the ability to attend any college that they like, as they are automatically approved for federal student loans to meet those needs. So Augsburg (like all colleges) doesn't have to worry about the students not paying tuition so much as they have to worry about not enough students attending in order to fund the school. The only risk -- that they won't fill the roster with enough athletes -- is pretty quickly hedged in that they don't take on that long-term risk of payment, and they have the name ID to all but ensure a full women's team in short order. As for the women's programs, Colorado this week passed legislation that will allow for a women's state season starting in 2020! Q: Would love to hear your champion predictions for the U.S. Open in freestyle. -- Mike C. Foley: Blargh. Don't like making predictions! 57: Daton Fix 61: Nico Megaludis 65: Yianni Diakomihalis 70: James Green 74: Isaiah Martinez 79: Alex Dieringer 86: Myles Martin 92: Bo Nickal 97: Ty Walz 125: Adam Coon Q: Personally, I think Alex Clemsen is a terrific hire for Maryland. Curious to hear your thoughts on Maryland's decision to hire Clemsen. -- Mike C. Foley: Clemsen has been grinding as a coach for almost 15 years! He's been successful everywhere he's been and is a great example of an assistant with the experience and composure to be the head of a program. I think that he's learned a lot from his coaching influences: Tim Flynn, Steve Garland, and Brian Smith -- and with that educational background as a coach I believe his wrestlers will have good habits and that he'll attract top athletes. There is nothing to be but excited for Maryland and Clemsen. But hey, in two years if the Terps aren't winning fans can start digging in on him, but for now it's just great to see someone as well-respected as Clemsen get the career opportunity of a lifetime. Q: Who are the best Greco-Roman prospects from this year's NCAA class? Corollary: Why is the U.S. so comparatively poor at Greco? -- @halfagain Foley: Chandler Rogers has some fans excited, but overall there has been a pretty big divide between the Greco program and the NCAA schools. Most recognize there is a pretty big gap between the two in terms of style and training needs. For underclassmen there is Tate Orndorff, Mason Manville and a few others. But overall, I think that the majority are separated -- and I think that's pretty OK moving forward. Q: Currently, 106 pounds is the lightest weight class for high school wrestlers. There has been some discussion of raising that weight to reduce forfeits. In your opinion, what should the lightest weight class be at the high school level? -- MC Foley: There is likely extensive math on this problem, but I feel like there aren't a lot of 106-pound high school kids anymore. When I was in school (my single least favorite qualifier, but hey …) there were three guys in four years who could make 103 pounds and that was a pretty deep cut for one of the guys. I started at 103 pounds, quickly migrated up to 112 pounds as a freshman and then jumped 20 pounds. My sense is that 106 pounds is more populated by pre-pubescent high school freshmen than it is undersized seniors. My unscientific take? I'd make the lowest weight class 120 pounds, limit it to 10 weight classes, and work on strengthening the number of teams. I'd also recommend having schools with two or thee teams if that's what they can fill in a 10-wrestler lineup. Forfeits are a terrible look. Q: How am I supposed to handle my non-wrestling fan girlfriend's birthday falling on Final X weekend every year now? -- @jagger712 Foley: Ha. You were planning to travel to the event? Depends on where you live, but I'd recommend that if she is simply restricting your watching online, I'd book a trip to some such place and then schedule your downtime from a day of activities to coincide with the finals. In-person would be tricky-tricky. Maybe see if there is something to visit in Lincoln that matches up to your girlfriend's interests? Rutgers is a little easier as you can promise her a night in Atlantic City or New York City on the other night of the weekend. Alternatively, you show your girlfriend photos of some uber-jacked wrestler and she might find it more compelling. Little short term hit to the ego to ensure that you can sit matside for Final X seems like a good trade off to me.

Pat Smith defeated Mason Manville in a battle of 2017 World Team members (Photo/Sandy Slater) LAS VEGAS -- Pat Smith defeated Mason Manville 5-2 in a battle of 2017 Greco-Roman World Team members to earn a spot in the U.S. Open Greco-Roman finals at 77 kilograms. Smith now faces 2017 Junior world champion Kamal Bey in the finals. Bey, a U.S. Open champion in each of the past two years, cruised to the finals with a 10-1 technical fall over Peyton Walsh. One of the premier matchups of the Greco-Roman semifinals came at 87 kilograms where 2014 World Team member Joe Rau edged two-time Olympian Ben Provisor 1-1. Both points scored in the match came off passivity. Rau will now face three-time World Team member Patrick Martinez in the championship match. At 82 kilograms, Spencer Woods stunned two-time World Team member Chaney Haight 4-3 to reach the finals. Woods' finals opponent is Kendrick Sanders, who advanced with a 7-3 win over John Stefanowicz. Leslie Fuenffinger advanced to the finals at 60 kilograms with a technical fall over returning World Team member Dalton Roberts. Fuenffinger will meet Army teammate Ildar Hafizov in the finals. The Greco-Roman finals are set for 7 p.m. PT on Friday. Semifinal results 55 kilograms: Max Nowry tech. fall Jabari Moody, 11-0 2:41 Dalton Duffield tech. fall Jemone Carter, 11-0 1:29 60 kilograms: Leslie Fuenffinger tech. fall Dalton Roberts, 8-0 Ildar Hafizov tech. fall Randon Miranda, 9-1 63 kilograms: Ryan Mango dec. Travis Rice, 3-3 Sam Jones by injury default over Xavier Johnson 67 kilograms: Ellis Coleman tech. fall Austin Morrow, 8-0 1:48 Hayden Tuma tech. fall Jamel Johnson, 8-0 1:23 72 kilograms: Ravaughn Perkins pinned Colin Schubert, 0:37 Raymond Bunker dec. Michael Hooker, 4-2 77 kilograms: Kamal Bey tech. fall Peyton Walsh, 10-1 4:22 Pat Smith dec. Mason Manville, 5-2 82 kilograms: Spencer Woods dec. Cheney Haight, 4-3 Kendrick Sanders dec. John Stefanowicz, 7-3 87 kilograms: Patrick Martinez dec. James Souza, 2-1 Josef Rau dec. Ben Provisor, 1-1 97 kilograms: Tracy Hancock tech. fall Eric Twohey, 0:39 Lucas Sheridan tech. fall Daniel Miller, 9-1 3:44 130 kilograms: Tate Orndorff pinned West Cathcart, 3:30 Jacob Mitchell tech. fall Toby Erickson, 10-1 3:52

Erin Golston advanced to the finals with a win over Olympian Haley Augello (Photo/Sandy Slater) LAS VEGAS -- Less than a week after earning a silver medal at the Pan American Championships, Erin Golston claimed a spot in the U.S. Open finals at 50 kilograms. Golston scored a late takedown to knock off 2016 Olympian Haley Augello 4-4 on criteria in the U.S. Open semifinals on Thursday night at South Point Arena in Las Vegas. With the victory, Golston will meet Whitney Conder, a returning World Team member and U.S. Open champion. Conder advanced with a 4-4 criteria victory over Victoria Anthony. In addition to Conder, three other returning World Team members reached the U.S. Open finals: Jacarra Winchester, Jenna Burkert and Forrest Molinari. Winchester, who placed fifth at last year's World Championships, was dominant in the semifinals, earning a 10-0 technical fall over Alisha Howk at 55 kilograms. Her finals opponent will be Areana Villaescusa. Burkert, competing at 57 kilograms, rolled to a 13-0 technical fall in the semifinals over Koral Sugiyama, setting up a finals meeting against 2017 world bronze medalist Becka Leathers. Leathers also won by technical fall in the semifinals. Molinari topped 2018 Cadet world champion and Junior world silver medalist Macey Kilty 7-3 in the semifinals at 65 kilograms. She now meets 2017 Junior world champion Maya Nelson, who knocked off returning U.S. Open champion Julia Salata. Two-time world silver medalist Alli Ragan will look to capture her third U.S. Open title after picking up a dominant 12-2 technical fall over Lauren Mason in the semifinals at 59 kilograms. She will face 2018 U23 World Team member Abigail Nette in the championship. The women's wrestling finals are slated for Friday at 7 p.m. PT. Semifinal results 50 kilograms: Erin Golston dec. Haley Augello, 4-4 Whitney Conder dec. Victoria Anthony, 4-4 53 kilograms: Tiare Ikei pinned Cody Pfau, 5:16 Katherine Shai dec. Gracie Figueroa, 9-6 55 kilograms: Jacarra Winchester tech. fall Alisha Howk, 10-0 2:46 Areana Villaescusa pinned Shauna Isbell-Kemp, 5:32 57 kilograms: Jenna Burkert tech. fall Koral Sugiyama 13-0 1:50 Becka Leathers tech. fall Cameron Guerin, 14-4 5:33 59 kilograms: Alli Ragan tech. fall Lauren Mason, 12-2 1:43 Abby Nette tech. fall Lauren Louive, 10-0 2:35 62 kilograms: Kayla Miracle tech. fall Alexandria Liles, 10-0 2:00 Desiree Zavala pinned Brenda Reyna, 0:53 65 kilograms: Forrest Molinari dec. Macey Kilty, 7-3 Maya Nelson dec. Julia Salata, 8-0 68 kilograms: Randi Beltz dec. Kayla Marano, 10-9 Jayden Laurent dec. Ashlynn Ortega, 4-2 72 kilograms: Alyvia Fiske dec. Alexis Gomez, 14-6 Victoria Francis dec. Rachel Watters, 5-4 76 kilograms: Precious Bell tech. fall Paige Baynes, 12-2 3:38 Hannah Gladden pinned Kenya-Lee Sloan, 5:13

It's official: girls wrestling has been named a sanctioned sport in the state of Colorado, the Colorado High School Activities Association announced Wednesday. That means a full season of wrestling competition for high school girls -- separate from boys' competition -- will take place starting in the 2020-21 school year, concluding with its own official state championships. In addition to girls wrestling, unified bowling and boys' volleyball were also approved in a vote by the CHSAA Legislative Council, a board comprised of athletic directors from throughout Colorado, during its annual meeting. "What an exciting chance for our Association to provide participation opportunities that speak to inclusion and our mission," said CHSAA commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green. "We are looking forward to the first official seasons for these three sports in two years." Each sport went through a rigorous process which required an establishment of a pilot season, according to the statement issued by the CHSAA. Now that the organization that governs high school sports in Colorado has officially sanctioned girls wrestling, committees will need to be established to create a postseason structure. The expectation is that girls wrestling will have a similar structure to that already established for boys wrestling. The first Colorado Girls High School Wrestling Championships was held on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019 at Thornton High School. Colorado was one of nine states which held its first state championships for girl wrestlers in 2019. A total of fourteen states now have separate state wrestling championship events for high school-age girls.

50 kilograms: Erin Golston dec. Maria Vidales, 14-5 Haley Augello dec. Amy Fearnside, 2-1 Victoria Anthony tech. fall Alleida Martinez, 10-0 2:42 Whitney Conder tech. fall Emily Shilson, 10-0 2:22 53 kilograms: Cody Pfau pinned Marissa Ritchie, 0:47 Tiare Ikei tech. fall Kierstien Bush, 10-0 1:01 Katherine Shai tech. fall Madison Angelito, 11-0 1:44 Gracie Figueroa tech. fall Peyton Prussin, 11-0 3:31 55 kilograms: Jacarra Winchester tech. fall Kailyn Ramos, 10-0 0:45 Alisha Howk dec. Samantha Klingel, 8-4 Shauna Isbell-Kemp dec. Alexandra Hedrick, 7-5 Areana Villaescusa dec. Ronna Heaton, 8-2 57 kilograms: Jenna Burkert tech. fall Sierra Brown ton, 11-0 1:47 Koral Sugiyama dec. Allison Petix, 6-6 Becka Leathers tech. fall Dajan Treder, 10-0 2:15 Cameron Guerin dec. Kelsey Campbell, 6-4 59 kilograms: Alli Ragan tech. fall Daishea Jaime, 10-0 0:42 Lauren Mason pinned Megan Black, 0:50 Abby Nette tech. fall Kairah Cantillo, 10-0 0:45 Lauren Louive tech. fall Jen Pitassi, 10-0 1:28 62 kilograms: Kayla Miracle tech. fall Amber Strong, 10-0 1:01 Alexandria Liles dec. Brianna Csontos, 9-3 Desiree Zavala dec. Alexis Porter, 7-0 Brenda Reyna tech. fall Natalia Hinojo, 12-0 2:17 65 kilograms: Forrest Molinari pinned Melissa Jacobs, 1:47 Macey Kilty dec. Nicole Joseph, 7-0 Maya Nelson tech. fall Destiny Lyng, 10-0 3:37 Julia Salata pinned Gabrielle Garcia, 1:56 68 kilograms: Randi Beltz tech. fall Anna Naylor, 10-0 1:24 Kayla Marano pinned Marilyn Garcia, 3:28 Ashlynn Ortega dec. Skylar Grote, 7-3 Jayden Laurent tech. fall Ophelia Lara, 10-0 1:33 72 kilograms: Alexis Gomez dec. Dymond Guilford, 10-9 Alyvia Fiske dec. Iman Kazem, 4-0 Victoria Francis tech. fall Myranda Velazquez, 12-2 2:43 Rachel Watters dec. Chloe Rogers, 4-1 76 kilograms: Paige Baynes tech. fall Payton Rigert, 10-0 3:16 Precious Bell tech. fall Nahiela Magee, 10-0 4:12 Hannah Gladden dec. Korinahe Bullock, 2-2 Kenya-Lee Sloan pinned Leilani Camargo-Naone, 3:33

55 kilograms: Max Nowry dec. Ibrahim Bunduka, 5-0 Jabari Moody tech. fall Joe Deangelo, 13-2 4:21 Jemone Carter dec. Sean Sesnan, 2-1 Dalton Duffield tech. fall Bernardino Gomez, 15-6 5:26 60 kilograms: Dalton Roberts tech. fall Austin Wallace-Lister, 11-2 2:20 Leslie Fuenffinger dec. Taylor Lamont, 7-2 Randon Miranda dec. Lilshawn Coleman, 7-4 Ildar Hafizov tech. fall Matthew Schmitt, 9-0 1:33 63 kilograms: Ryan Mango tech. fall Jarod Maes, 10-0 1:23 Travis Rice tech. fall Kyle Evans, 11-3 6:00 Sam Jones tech. fall Nathan Cervantez, 9-0 2:44 Xavier Johnson tech. fall Dylan Gregerson, 11-1 4:23 67 kilograms: Ellis Coleman tech. fall Jarod Verkleeren, 8-0 Austin Morrow tech. fall Jessy Williams, 10-2 4:21 Jamel Johnson dec. Taylor Zippe, 8-2 Hayden Tuma tech. fall Chase Farr, 9-0 0:32 72 kilograms: Ravaughn Perkins tech. fall Nick Tarpley, 11-0 2:59 Colin Schubert dec. Isaac Dukes, 11-8 Michael Hooker tech. fall Alex Mossing, 11-0 5:16 Raymond Bunker tech. fall Lenny Merkin, 8-0 6:00 77 kilograms: Kamal Bey tech. fall Fritz Schierl, 12-0 0:27 Peyton Walsh dec. Jesse Porter, 5-3 Mason Manville dec. Brandon Mueller, 7-0 Pat Smith dec. Corey Hope, 2-1 82 kilograms: Cheney Haight tech. fall Andrew Berreyesa, 8-0 2:37 Spencer Woods tech. fall Vladslav Dombrovskiy, 10-1 4:44 Kendrick Sanders tech. fall Jon Jay Chavez, 9-0 2:34 John Stefanowicz tech. fall Jake Fisher, 9-0 5:24 87 kilograms: Patrick Martinez tech. fall Nick Africano, 8-0 1:48 James Souza dec. Barrett Stanghill, 1-1 Josef Rau tech. fall Vaughn Monreal-Berner, 8-0 0:45 Ben Provisor tech. fall George Sikes, 9-0 3:14 97 kilograms: Tracy Hancock tech. fall Roy Nash, 8-0 0:15 Eric Twohey dec. Khymba Johnson, 6-0 Lucas Sheridan pinned Easton Hargrave, 0:38 Daniel Miller tech. fall Blake Smith, 10-2 1:59 130 kilograms: Tate Orndorff tech. fall Ike Okoli, 8-0 1:25 West Cathcart pinned James Braxton, 0:39 Jacob Mitchell tech. fall Conor Karwath, 8-0 1:28 Toby Erickson pinned Haydn Maley, 2:08

INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- In an ongoing effort to minimize the risk of injury in high school wrestling, additional time will be given to evaluate head and neck injuries when an appropriate health-care professional is present at a match. In addition to the 1.5 minutes of injury time allotted for each wrestler, an appropriate health-care professional will have a maximum of five minutes to evaluate injuries to the head and neck involving the cervical column and/or nervous systems. At that point, the wrestler would have to continue or default the match. This revision in injury time in Rule 8-2-4 is one of 17 rules changes recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee at its April 3-5 meeting in Indianapolis. All recommendations were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors. A second injury to the head and neck involving cervical column and/or central nervous system in the same match shall require the wrestler to default the match. If an appropriate health-care professional is not present, all injuries to the head and neck would be covered by the same timeframe as other injuries. In the case of a wrestler exhibiting signs of a concussion, the individual would be removed from the match and could not return to competition in the absence of an appropriate health-care professional. In another change geared to increase the level of offensive wrestling, stalling has been removed from the progressive penalty chart and will be penalized separately. In Rule 8-1-4, the first penalty for stalling will be a warning. The opponent will be awarded one match point on the second and third offenses, two match points and choice of position on the next restart for the fourth offense. A fifth offense for stalling will result in disqualification. “By removing stalling from the progressive penalty sequence, officials will be able to penalize wrestlers more freely without complicating the matter when it is combined with other penalties,” said Elliot Hopkins, director of sports and student services and liaison to the Wrestling Rules Committee. “Removing the stalling call from the penalty progression will allow officials more freedom to call stalling earlier, more consistently and without hesitation when they feel it is warranted.” Changes were made in several rules dealing with uniform requirements in an effort to ensure that male and female wrestlers are properly attired on the mat during competition. All contestants wearing a one-piece singlet shall wear a suitable undergarment that completely covers the buttocks and groin area. Female wrestlers wearing a one-piece singlet shall wear a form-fitted compression undergarment that completely covers their breasts. In other uniform and equipment changes, if shoelaces come undone, the penalty is an automatic stalling call. In Rule 4-2-1, hair-treatment items that are hard and/or abrasive, such as beads, bobby pins, barrettes, pins and hair clips, shall not be permitted. A legal hair-controlled device such as a rubber band shall be secured so as not to come out readily during wrestling. “Hair that is manipulated poses no threat to either wrestler,” Hopkins said. “It is neither abrasive nor cumbersome. However, physical hair treatments do present a risk to either wrestler due to the hardness, texture or abrasiveness, and should not be allowed.” In other changes, Rule 7-3-1 now states that “when the referee feels that either wrestler has failed to make every effort to stay inbounds during an imminent scoring situation, the offending wrestler shall be penalized for fleeing the mat. . .” “This change allows the referee to only apply the technical violation call of fleeing when the action is related specifically to a scoring situation,” Hopkins said. “All other types of leaving the wrestling area as a means of avoiding wrestling would fall under the rule of stalling.” According to the 2017-18 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, wrestling is the seventh-most popular sport for boys with 245,564 participants in 10,775 schools. In addition, there were 16,562 girls who participated in wrestling in 2,351 schools. About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,500 high schools and 12 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.9 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.

Brock Hudkins was a two-time NCAA qualifier for NIU (Photo/NIU Athletics) BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana wrestling program and IU head coach Angel Escobedo have announced the addition of Brock Hudkins. Hudkins, a native of Danville, Ind., started his collegiate career at Northern Illinois where he twice qualified for the NCAA Championships at 125 pounds. At Danville Community High School, Hudkins posted a perfect 83-0 record as a junior and a senior. Hudkins was a four-time state qualifier and two-time State Champion. "We are excited to bring Brock Hudkins back to Indiana," IU head coach Angel Escobedo said. "A two-time NCAA qualifier, Brock will add national level experience to our team." Brock Hudkins Danville, Ind. | Danville Community High School Weight Class: 125 Intended major at IU: Pre-Physical Therpay Two-time NCAA qualifier Four-time state qualifier in high school Three-time state placer Two-time state champion Won Sagamore Conference, Hendricks County, Sectional, Regional and Semi-States titles all four years. Team captain from 2013-16, MVP three years in a row "I think what Angel is doing at Indiana is special," Hudkins said. "I believe in what he is trying to accomplish and I think he's the guy to do it. He can get me to the next level I'm looking for. Angel has been to the highest level and knows what it takes. A big thing that stands out is the culture change he is trying to make. Not many people realize what he had to do as far as isolating himself from the culture he was surrounded by, to accomplish his dreams and how much time and effort he had to put in by himself. I can relate to that on many levels and believe he's making this place better for all the guys who are tired of dreaming and ready to be something greater than their thoughts. "I really connected with the coaching staff and believe it's the best fit for me," Hudkins added. "When I think about IU I see myself not only accomplishing my degree and graduating, I see myself not pursuing my dream of a national champion, but accomplishing it. I believe with this team, these coaches, the academic staff I will have, I will be put in a situation where I'll have no other choice but to win and be successful in all aspects of life."

Joe Colon dominated Vladimir Dubov of Bulgaria at the World Championships (Photo/Larry Slater) Joe Colon stayed in shape. And stayed prepared. When the call came just a few weeks before the competition, Colon was ready. Nahshon Garrett had been injured in training and Colon would have to replace him on the U.S. roster for the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Colon responded with an unexpected and clutch performance for the American squad, capturing a world bronze medal in men's freestyle wrestling at 61 kilograms. "It was new life for me and an amazing opportunity -- I had to try and take advantage of it," he said. "My hopes and dreams were still there. It was unfortunate Nahshon got hurt, but I was the next man up. I needed to step up and perform for our team and for our country." Colon's lone loss at the 2018 World Championships came in a 9-4 semifinal setback to eventual world champion Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez of Cuba. Colon and Rodriguez met again in the first round of the Pan American Championships this past weekend in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Colon won 9-3 en route to capturing the gold medal for the United States. The match with Rodriguez was tied 1-1 midway through the second period when Colon took control. Colon scored a takedown then followed by turning Rodriguez with a succession of three gut-wrenches to build a 9-1 lead. Rodriguez scored a late takedown, but could draw no closer. "That was a big confidence-booster for me," Colon said. "It lets me know I'm doing the right things and I made some good adjustments against him. It was a good win to show how much I've grown and that I'm on the right path toward my goal of winning a world championship." Joe Colon topped Brandon Wright in the semifinals of the 2018 U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Colon, an All-American at Northern Iowa and a national junior-college champion for Iowa Central, has the inside track on making the U.S. World Team again this year. As a returning world medalist, he has clinched a berth in the Final X this summer. He will face the winner of the World Team Trials challenge tournament for a trip to the 2019 World Championships in Kazakhstan. "Being in the Final X, it's a big advantage," he said. "I don't have to wrestle at the U.S. Open or go through any of the qualifiers. I know guys are still coming for me. I have to stay ready and stay hungry and keep working. I need to build off the success I have had." Before the Final X, Colon will face NCAA champion Nick Suriano in a match at the Beat the Streets dual on May 6 in New York City. Joe Colon with Troy Steiner at the World Championships (Photo/Larry Slater) Colon now trains at Fresno State University, where he serves as a volunteer assistant coach under head coach Troy Steiner. After his Pan American Championships win over Rodriguez, Colon followed by rolling past Juan Rodriguez Jovel of El Salvador and Scott Schiller of Canada by 10-0 technical falls to earn the gold medal for the U.S. at 61 kg. Colon has made a significant contribution to Fresno State as a coach and he also has brought attention to the recently reinstated program with the success he's had while competing internationally. Colon lost a tough battle to Garrett in a wild, best-of-3 series in the 2018 Final X that determined the world team spot. Colon won the first bout against Garrett before dropping the next two. "It was a big letdown," Colon said. "I learned a lot about myself and I learned a few hard lessons from that. I worked on recovering better and staying stronger. It hurt for a long time and it still hurts, but I couldn't stay down forever. That is still a big motivator for me. I want to make the team on my own this year." Steiner credits the resiliency Colon showed. "It was tough for Joe after he lost in the Final X," Steiner said. "He was hurting, no doubt about it, but he bounced back and he got back on the mat. He kept training and he competed well in a couple of tournaments after the Final X. When Joe got the call after Nahshon was injured, he was ready to go." Colon wrestled in back-to-back tournaments last September in Poland and Belarus, earning bronze and silver medals. Shortly after that, the call came from U.S. National Coach Bill Zadick that Colon would be replacing Garrett on the world team. "Going on that tour and wrestling in those two tournaments helped me a lot going into the World Championships," Colon said. "I had been training and competing. I was mentally, physically and emotionally prepared for worlds. I felt ready to go and I wanted to help the U.S. team win another world title." Joe Colon gets his hand raised after winning a bronze medal at the World Championships (Photo/Larry Slater) Colon outlasted Ukraine's Ivan Bileichuk 9-6 in his opening bout at the 2018 World Championships before rolling past Bulgaria's Vladimir Dubov by a 10-0 technical fall. Following the semifinal setback to Rodriguez, Colon overpowered Mohammedbagher Yakhkeshi of Iran 13-2 in the bronze medal bout. "My goal was to win gold, but it was exciting to come back and win a bronze medal," Colon said. "I knew I had to battle back and be ready to scrap. It was a matter of who wanted it more. It was an incredible feeling to win a medal -- something I will never forget." Colon has continued to progress on the Senior level. That was evident in last weekend's win over Rodriguez. "Joe made some good adjustments against the Cuban," Steiner said. "He was real patient and real disciplined. If Joe gets on top of anyone, he's going to turn them." Steiner believes Colon's gold-medal goal certainly is attainable if he makes the world team this year. "I think Joe would have a very good shot," Steiner said. "He knows he can compete with anybody at this level. He needs to stay disciplined and he needs to continue to progress and improve. He is wrestling with a lot of confidence right now." When Colon was awarded his world bronze medal last year, he immediately began thinking about something bigger. "I was extremely happy until I saw the belt that they gave the Cuban for winning the world title," Colon said. "My demeanor changed when I saw that. I knew how close I was. Now I want to go get that belt and win a world title."