InterMat Staff

Quincy Osborn MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Concordia Athletic Director Rachel Bergeson announced that Quincy Osborn has been named the head coach for the Cobber wrestling program. Osborn replaces Phil Moenkedick who resigned to take become of Dean of Students at Perham High School. Osborn steps into the head coach position after serving as the full-time assistant for the team for three seasons. "Quincy's experience with college wrestling and the Cobber program made him a perfect fit for the job," Bergeson stated. "Quincy will make this a smooth transition process and I am excited to have him lead the wrestling team as we go forward. He is an excellent leader and will carry on the tradition of Concordia wrestling." Prior his stint as assistant coach for the Cobbers, Osborn was the head coach at Lakeland College (Wis.) for the 2014-15 season. He has also served as an assistant coach at Division I programs Ohio University and State University of New York at Buffalo. Osborn started his college coaching career at perennial Division III national champion Augsburg. I am thrilled to get this opportunity at Concordia," Osborn said. "I believe in this institution, I have a great connection with the athletes on the roster and the program has excellent support. Concordia wrestling is in an awesome position and there is so much to be excited about." Osborn was a Division I wrestler in college and finished his career as a Division III national champion at Augsburg. He lettered three times for the Gophers and qualified twice for the NCAA national championship meet. Osborn finished fifth at 149 pounds at the Big Ten championship meet in 2005. He then transferred to Augsburg where he won the 2006-07 NCAA Division III national title at 141 pounds with a record of 44-2. Osborn earned his bachelor's degree in history from Augsburg in 2009 and then went on to obtain his master's degree in coaching education from Ohio University in 2011. "My vision for the program is clear, we will continue to emphasize lifestyle and character in order to help our wrestlers accomplish their goals and to develop into great leaders," Osborn added. I believe by continuing to focus on our commitment to the process, and a championship lifestyle, we will be in a position to pursue team and individual success at the national level." Osborn will begin his head coach duties at the start of June.

J'den Cox (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) NEW YORK -- J'den Cox, who won bronze at 86 kilograms the 2016 Olympics in Rio, will take on Princeton's Patrick Brucki at the "Grapple at the Garden" Beat the Streets (BTS) benefit, May 6 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The marquee matchup is part of today's announcement of five new matchups for the 10th annual event, completes the lineup of scheduled matches at 13. Cox, a three-time NCAA champion at Missouri (2014, 2016-17), has competed in two of the past three BTS events: 2018 and 2016, the year in which he burst onto the international wrestling scene and rode that success through the U.S. Olympic Trials and World Qualifier all the way to the bronze in Rio. Since winning his Olympic medal, Cox won a World bronze medal in 2017 and became a World champion in 2018. In his three years on the international scene, Cox has won a World or Olympic medal all three times. Brucki completed his sophomore season last month 33-3 at Princeton, becoming the 11th Tiger to gain All-America status and placing fourth at 197 lbs. in the NCAA Championships. A former Illinois state high school champion, the Orland Park native ranked as high as No. 3 this year and went 10-1 against ranked competition before the NCAA Championships. "We are excited that a great champion like J'den Cox will be returning to Beat the Streets as a featured match on our already amazing card," said Brendan Buckley, Beat the Streets Inc Executive Director. "And we couldn't be more pleased with the rest of the newly announced matches that really make the evening an unbelievable experience for everyone." The other matches announced today include: Nathan Tomasello vs. Jack Mueller, 57 kilograms Jordan Oliver vs. Joseph McKenna, 65 kilograms David Taylor vs. Drew Foster, 86 kilograms Nick Gwiazdowski vs. Derek White, 125 kilograms Taylor, a 2018 world champion, will battle 2019 NCAA champion Foster from Northern Iowa. Gwiazdowski, a two-time World bronze medalist, faces 2019 NCAA runner-up Derek White of Oklahoma State. Oliver and McKenna, top Olympic hopefuls at their weight class, have both won age-group World freestyle medals for Team USA. Tomasello, a past NCAA champion for Ohio State and Mueller, a 2019 NCAA runner-up for Virginia, also have extensive freestyle achievements. The five matchups enhance an already impressive slate that includes previously announced featured bouts between 2012 Gold Medalist Jordan Burroughs and 2008 Olympian Ben Askren; 2016 Gold Medalist Kyle Snyder vs. Canada's Nishan Randhawa; two-time National Champion Yianni Diakomahlis (Rochester, N.Y.) vs. Bajrang Punia (India); a match between current NCAA champion Nick Suriano (Paramus, N.J. / Rutgers Univ.) and 2018 World bronze medalist Joe Colon (Clear Lake, Iowa / Univ. of Northern Iowa); women's bouts between 2018 World Silver Medalist Sarah Hildebrandt (Granger, Ind.) and Canada's Dana Weicker, and 2018 Senior World Championships Bronze Medalist Mallory Velte (Sacramento, Calif.) vs. Linda Morais, also of Canada; an all-New Jersey matchup between James Green (Willingboro) and Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield); and a battle of local State Champions in Jo Jo Aragona (Pope John XXIII HS/New Jersey) vs. Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor HS/New York). The full list of matches and weight classes announced to date is available below; the order is still to be determined. "Grapple at the Garden" supports Beat the Streets (www.btsny.org), the largest grassroots inner city wrestling program in the United States, serving as both a fundraiser for the organization and to celebrate its athletes as they compete on the biggest stage in the center of the world. Tickets for the evening's action are available now via Ticketmaster, priced starting at $30. A variety of donation packages which include "Grapple in the Garden" tickets are also available at https://www.btsny.org/bts-events or by emailing molalde@btsny.org, beginning at $1000. Doors open on May 6 at 5:30 p.m., with the main event starting at 6 p.m. For the fifth straight year, FloSports will provide live and on-demand coverage on FloWrestling.com. Beat the Streets Benefit competitions, which began in 2010, have since become a major showcase of the best of international wrestling. This unique and electrifying annual event has helped Beat the Streets raise millions of dollars to support local youth wrestling programs which empower young people in New York City. The first Beat the Streets Benefit was held on the U.S.S. Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan. Since then, the benefit has taken place at other notable New York City spots like Grand Central Station and Times Square. Team USA has faced off against teams from around the world including Japan, Cuba, Russia and Iran. Last year, the competition was hosted at the new Pier 17 in the Seaport District and included the highly anticipated Burroughs vs. Frank Chamizo match. New York City's Madison Square Garden is one of the most famous sporting and entertainment venues in the world. The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden is an impressive venue with the capacity to seat over 5,000. The theater has hosted notable wrestling events including the 1998 Goodwill Games wrestling competition and the 2017 Grapple at the Garden college wrestling event. About Beat the Streets The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTS works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to bring the life changing sport of wrestling to over 3,000 New York City student-athletes to help them achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTS and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life lessons of grit, personal responsibility and teamwork, physical fitness and nutrition, and life-long learning. The goal of fostering strong, well-rounded student-athletes is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, life skills workshops, and summer camps. More information can be found at www.btsny.org. About USA Wrestling USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. It has over 230,000 members across the nation, boys and girls, men and women of all ages, representing all levels of the sport. Its president is Bruce Baumgartner, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. More information can be found at TheMat.com. Matchups: Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Diana Weicker, 53 kilograms (W) Mallory Velte vs. Linda Morais, 62 kilograms (W) Jo Jo Aragona vs. Adam Busiello, 138 pounds Nathan Tomasello vs. Jack Mueller, 57 kilograms Nick Suriano vs. Joe Colon, 61 kilograms Jordan Oliver vs. Joseph McKenna, 65 kilograms Bajrang Punia (IND) vs. Yianni Diakomihalis, 65 kilograms James Green vs. Anthony Ashnault, 70 kilograms Jordan Burroughs vs Ben Askren, 74 kilograms David Taylor vs. Drew Foster, 86 kilograms J'den Cox vs. Patrick Brucki, 92 kilograms Kyle Snyder vs. Nishan Randhawa (CAN), 97 kilograms Nick Gwiazdowski vs. Derek White, 125 kilograms

The 2019 NCAAs were held at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) This past season, the NCAA used seven key criteria for both selection and seeding of the Division I Wrestling Championships. Many of the criteria are familiar to wrestling fans, competitors and coaches such as winning percentage, quality wins and conference tournament placement. However, there is one seeding factor that might be confusing to the average onlooker. RPI, which stands for rating percentage index, is a relatively simple calculation using the following formula. As you can see the formula is based on three key factors: winning percentage, opponents' winning percentage and opponents' opponents' winning percentage. In theory, the formula provides an unbiased assessment of a wrestler since it measures one's success as well as their level of competition. However, there is one glaring omission that stands out to anyone familiar with modern sports statistics. RPI does not take margin of victory into account. While lacking margin of victory is probably statistical mistake when it comes to most sports, it is actually exacerbated in the world of a wrestling. In the eyes of RPI, a one-point victory is worth just as much as a first-period fall. Until recently RPI was also used for selection/seeding of the NCAA Division I basketball tournament. It was never really explicitly said, but the fact that it omits margin of victory was likely an appealing factor since it does not encourage teams to run up the score. The Bowl Championship Series (BCS), which determined the title game for the NCAA Division I football championship from 1998-2013, used statistical rankings as a component of their selection formula. However, after fans and schools complained that the rankings encouraged running up the score, rankings that used margin of victory were banned in 2002. The move sparked backlash in the statistical community and many refused to continue their collaboration with the BCS. Bill James, who is widely considered to be the godfather of modern sports statistics, responded in an article for Slate. "This is very much like a situation in which a surgeon leaves a scalpel in a patient, and the hospital reacts by prohibiting surgeons from using scalpels. I understand that the point of the game is to win, not to score as many points as possible, and I certainly can understand football coaches saying, 'We want a system that emphasizes winning and diminishes the importance of the score.' That's reasonable. But saying, 'We're not going to pay any attention to the score of the game, and, by the way, you can't pay any attention to whether it is a home game or a road game, either' -- that's just stupid." Outside of ignoring margin of victory, there is another big issue with RPI. The measure rewards wrestlers more for competing against a tough schedule than actually winning. Only 25% of the calculation comes from a wrestler's results. The other 75% is based on their level of competition. One of the reasons NCAA basketball moved away from RPI is the fact that the formula favored middling teams in large conferences over teams that dominated in mid majors. The college wrestling landscape is much smaller and more even. Even some of the smallest programs get the opportunity to regularly compete against the traditional powers. However, the issue is still prevalent in wrestling. For example, let's take a look at Rutgers heavyweight Christian Colucci. He had a solid season for the Scarlet Knights after transferring from Lehigh. He went 15-13 on the season, but he went 10-13 against Division I competition and only 4-9 against Big Ten competition. While that is a respectable season, he was never ranked in the InterMat top 20. Even though he did not have the most impressive record, Colucci did wrestle a very tough schedule. He faced off against David Jensen (Nebraska), Gable Steveson (Minnesota), Youssif Hemida (Maryland), Mason Parris (Michigan), Trent Hillger (Wisconsin), Sam Stoll (Iowa) and Derek White (Oklahoma State). He went 0-9 against these wrestlers, but RPI still rewarded him for facing them. In the final RPI rankings released by the NCAA, Colucci was ranked 26th. He was one of six wrestlers ranked in the RPI who were absent from the final coaches ranking at heavyweight. Potential alternatives The NCAA should not be shamed for using an impartial statistical measure as part of the selection/seeding criteria. However, there are a variety of alternatives, which could be used that provide a fuller and more accurate accounting of a wrestler's standing. Pythagorean expectations James came up with Pythagorean expectations as a way to differentiate between baseball teams that squeak past their opponents and teams that dominate their opposition. The formula listed below estimates the percentage of games a team "should" have won based on their run total. If adapted for wrestling, Pythagorean expectations would certainly take margin of victory into account. However, it would be missing an element of strength of schedule. If the NCAA were to implement this metric for selection purposes, it would likely need to be paired with another measure. Adapted NET When NCAA basketball moved away from RPI, they replaced the formula with NET. NET is custom metric composed of six factors. Unlike RPI, it takes into account margin of victory and adds offensive and defensive efficiency. So far the reviews of NET have been positive. Adapting the metric for wrestling might prove difficult at the moment since an efficiency calculation would likely require more robust statistical tracking than is currently available in the wrestling space. PageRank In 2017 researchers at the University of Iowa (of course) published a journal article about the ranking of collegiate wrestling. Kristina Bigsby and Jeffrey Ohlmann propose multiple alternatives or additions to the current selection/seeding process. One of the most interesting suggestions is PageRank. PageRank is an algorithm devised by Google to rank web pages and named after co-founder Larry Page. It seeks to measure the importance of a website based on the quality and quantity of links to a certain page. Bigsby and Ohlmann adapted the algorithm for wrestling via a formula that is a tad technical. They summarize the conversion by saying, "PageRank divides the importance or power in a network proportionally among the nodes according to number of links. In the context of wrestling, an individual accumulates power in the network by having few losses and many wins over wrestlers who also have few losses." Elo In addition to PageRank, Bigsby and Ohlmann also point out the potential value of using the Elo rating system. InterMat recently reached out to Bigsby and asked how a ranking like Elo would be an improvement over RPI. "Most sports rankings focus on win/loss records and strength of schedule, but the magnitude (point differential) of a win is essential to determining victory type in wrestling, and should be a part of the ranking system," Bigsby said. "This is where Elo ratings are very promising. They consider both the quality of an opponent and the dominance of a win when ranking individuals. Elo is a probabilistic system that predicts what proportion of points will be won by each athlete. Something we did not explore in the paper was that this probability could be transformed into an expected point differential, and thus, expected victory type. The Elo system could be extended to predict which athlete will win a match, by how many points, and even how many team points he will earn. So Elo could be helpful not only in building a better individual ranking system, but in building a better team ranking system. I think that's a strong argument for Elo, or at least a strong argument for revising the current wrestling ranking system." Arpad Elo created the rating system as a way to rank chess players. The rating has since been adapted for a variety of competitions including everything from international soccer to Magic the Gathering. If The Social Network movie is to be believed, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg even used an adaption of Elo to rate the attractiveness of classmates. The calculation of Elo is a little bit more complicated than some of the other metrics listed here. If you would like more details on the behind the scenes math, this article provides a nice summary. In its pure form, Elo does not take into account margin of victory. However, the formula is malleable and easily adapted. WrestleStat currently publishes rankings based on a modified version of Elo that uses the different types of wins to represent margin of victory, that is fall, technical fall, major decision and decision. Greg Anderson, the founder of WrestleStat, stresses the importance of continually modifying and improving the algorithm, and he believes that a version of Elo could help the NCAA committee with selection/seeding. "Elo is fairly useful since it was the baseline for the entire rankings process/algorithm. The algorithm has morphed quite a bit the last two-to-three years, dramatically once I started getting help from my 'algorithm guy.' Since he's taken over, there are a lot more math/equations/formulas involved to try and correlate it to wrestling better ... I think it would be beneficial to the NCAA that it is possible to get good rankings when you take out the human component. That's exactly what they're doing with RPI as well, and the more reliable services you use, the greater than changes you have of decreasing your variability." Even though there are positives and negatives for any statistical ranking method, the NCAA should not shy away from their inclusion in the selection/seeding method for wrestling. However, it is time for wrestling to follow the lead of basketball and abandon RPI for a more robust system that includes margin of victory.

Alex Clemsen (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- University of Maryland Director of Athletics Damon Evans announced Tuesday that Alex Clemsen has been named the seventh head coach of the Maryland wrestling program. Clemsen comes to College Park following a successful five-year tenure at Missouri, where he served as the program's associate head coach for the last four seasons. During his time on staff, Clemsen helped Missouri wrestlers earn three NCAA individual titles, 22 All-America honors and five consecutive top-six team finishes at the NCAA Championships. Missouri teams went a combined 84-7 in dual meets during his time on staff there. "We're thrilled to name Alex Clemsen as our next head wrestling coach," Evans said. "Alex is coming to Maryland after spending five years at Missouri, where he was instrumental in producing numerous All-Americans and NCAA Champions. His dedication to developing student-athletes both on and off the mat will serve him well as the leader of our program. It is an exciting time for the Maryland wrestling program." "I'm honored to have been selected as the head coach of the Maryland wrestling program," Clemsen said. "I'd like to thank Director of Athletics Damon Evans, sport supervisor Mark Sherburne and the entire search committee for believing in my vision for this program. I'm excited to compete in the strongest conference in collegiate wrestling and I truly believe this program has what it takes to consistently compete on the national level. I cannot wait to get going with our team and hit the ground running." Clemsen played a pivotal role in developing nine NCAA qualifiers this past season, which included four earning All-American honors. The Tigers also saw six wrestlers win MAC individual titles on the way to their eighth consecutive team title. In 2017-18, Clemsen helped guide Missouri to a seventh straight conference title and fourth straight NCAA top-6 finish. Seven Tigers won individual conference titles at the MAC Championships, which was good for most in program history. The 2016-17 season for Missouri was headlined by the third consecutive NCAA title for J'den Cox, who became the first wrestler in program history to reach the top of the podium three times. In that same season the Tigers tallied five All-Americans, which was tied for the most in program history. In 2015-16, Missouri repeated as MAC Champions and sent nine wrestlers through to the NCAA Championships. The team finished sixth in the country at the national tournament and had a National Champion for the third consecutive season. In his inaugural season at Missouri, Clemsen played a key role in the development of 149-pounder Drake Houdashelt, who went on to win a title at the NCAA Championships. In all, the Tigers sent all 10 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships and claimed a fourth-place overall finish. Known as an elite recruiter, Clemsen helped assemble three top-10 recruiting classes and five top-20 recruiting classes during his career. Clemsen brought with him a tradition of success upon his arrival at Missouri, as he has coached 38 NCAA qualifiers, six All-Americans and eight ACC Champions at Virginia. He helped the program reach No. 11 in the nation during the 2012-13 season, which stands as a program-best ranking. In his first season with the Cavaliers, Clemsen helped lead the team to its first ACC Championship since 1977. The team went on to earn a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships to clinch its second consecutive top-25 finish at the event. Clemsen was also instrumental in developing student-athletes off the mat during his time in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers recorded the fifth-best team GPA in the country during the 2012-13 season, and eight Cavaliers were named to the NWCA All-Academic Team as well. Prior to his time at Virginia, Clemsen served as the director of wrestling operations at Oregon State for two seasons. A 2007 graduate of Edinboro, Clemsen was an All-American wrestler and four-time NCAA qualifier. He finished his career with a 121-35 record, good for ninth in the school's history. He was the 14th wrestler in program history to win four Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships, and he was also named an Eastern Wrestling League Champion. A two-time Academic All-American, Clemsen graduated with the highest GPA of any wrestler in Edinboro history. He continued his career at the international level as a University Nationals All-American and a University World Team Trials runner-up. Clemsen was a standout wrestler at Moberly senior high school, winning three Missouri State Championship titles during his high school career. Clemsen and his wife, Lindsay, have two children: a daughter, Payten and a son, Porter.

Phil Moenkedick MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Concordia wrestling head coach Phil Moenkedick announced that he will resign from his position effective at the end of May to take the job as Dean of Students at Perham High School. Moenkedick said that the decision was very difficult and easy at the same time. "My wife and I are excited about the opportunities this move provides for our family," Moenkedick stated. "This is a great opportunity for me to continue to have a positive impact on young people in the Perham Schools. Perham is home for Tara (wife) and I and we have a lot of family there." Moenkedick just finished his third season as head coach of the Cobber wrestling program. He helped Concordia to a national Top 25 ranking in each of his three seasons at Concordia and guided seven wrestlers to an appearance in the Division III National Championship Meet. He also had seven wrestlers earn All-Region honors and Adam Presler was named the winner of the NCAA Elite 90 award at the 2017 NCAA Meet. Moenkedick was the top assistant coach for the Cobbers for two years prior to being named the head coach in the summer of 2016. "We are sad to see Phil leave Concordia," Athletic Director Rachel Bergeson said. "He has done a tremendous job as a mentor to all the student/athletes and has carried on the successful tradition of the Cobber wrestling program. He made an impact on his athletes and the entire Concordia athletic department. He will be missed." Moenkedick was also one of the most decorated wrestlers in Cobber wrestling history. He won back-to-back national championships in 2010 and 2011. Moenkedick was also a 3-time All-American and is the all-time leader for wins in a career in school history. In the classroom Moenkedick earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors in his junior and senior seasons and was a 3-time NWCA Scholar All-American. "I am so grateful for my experience at Concordia as a whole and more specifically within the athletics department and wrestling program," Moenkedick said. "I have been supported, challenged, and fulfilled in an abundance of ways. The people here are special and I feel very blessed to have been able to contribute to the mission of impacting young people in a very positive way over the past 5 years alongside others who are committed to that mission. I am excited for how the athletics department and wrestling program will continue to grow moving forward."

The Olympic Games are just over a year away. And with the 2019 World Championships being the first qualifier for the Olympics, this is a huge year for Senior-level wrestlers. The first step of qualifying for the 2019 World Team will take place this weekend at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas. Seven returning freestyle medalists have already landed spots in the Final X. In the weights without a world medalist, the U.S. Open champion advances directly to the Final X this summer. In the weights with a world medalist, the U.S. Open champion will be the No. 1 seed in May's World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. Champions at the Final X will wrestle for the U.S. at the 2019 World Championships in Kazakhstan. Here are some of the top storylines to watch at the U.S. Open: Zain, Nolf and Nickal They combined for nine NCAA titles, three Hodge Trophy awards and tons of bonus points during their standout careers at Penn State. Expectations are high on the international level for Zain Retherford, Jason Nolf and Bo Nickal. Retherford already made a Senior world team at 65 kilograms in 2017 and he is a past Cadet world champion. Nolf (70 kilograms) and Nickal (92 kilograms) just finished their college careers, but both wrestlers are capable of landing spots on the 2019 U.S. World Team. Nickal is a past Cadet world team member. They will be three of the most dynamic wrestlers in the field in Las Vegas. Yianni's return to freestyle Before Yianni Diakomihalis won two NCAA titles for Cornell, he was winning championships against the best young wrestlers in the world. Yianni won back-to-back Cadet world titles in freestyle, a style he prefers over college folkstyle. Yianni is a matchup nightmare in freestyle with his ability to scramble and put big points on the board with his unique brand of wrestling. He will definitely be in the mix in a stacked weight class at 65 kilograms. Coon competing in freestyle again Adam Coon won a Greco-Roman silver medal at the 2018 World Championships, but he hasn't given up on competing in freestyle. Coon is among the freestyle entries at heavyweight, where he is the defending U.S. Open champion. Coon fell to world medalist Nick Gwiazdowski in the Final X last year. Coon is a past Cadet world champion and Junior world bronze medalist in freestyle wrestling. Thomas Gilman defeated Daton Fix at Final X last year (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The battle at 57 kilograms This is going to be good -- really good. This weight class is stacked with studs and it will be fun to watch. Thomas Gilman has been the guy here the last two years, placing second and fifth in the world. He will face his share of top challengers, including 2018 Final X runner-up Daton Fix along with past college rival and NCAA champion Nathan Tomasello. Two-time NCAA champion Jesse Delgado and NCAA champion Darian Cruz are also entered as is Cadet world silver medalist Vito Arujau. NCAA All-Americans Zane Richards, Sebastian Rivera and Nick Piccininni are in this class as well. Green looking for gold James Green has won silver and bronze medals at the World Championships. His quest for gold continues this season. He has been No. 1 on the U.S. ladder at 70 kilograms since 2015. Among his top challengers will be three-time NCAA champion Jason Nolf and veteran Jason Chamberlain. Green beat Chamberlain in the Final X last year. Don't count out Ringer Alex Dieringer has had an excellent season in freestyle, placing third at the Yarygin in Russia before winning the Kolov in Bulgaria at 79 kilograms. The past Junior world silver medalist and three-time NCAA champion is a dynamic and powerful wrestler who is already a force on the international level. He continues to make improvement and it will be interesting to see how he faces in Las Vegas. Redemption for Joey Joey McKenna won the U.S. Open last year before falling to past world champion Logan Stieber in the Final X at 65 kilograms. McKenna is an accomplished freestyler, having medaled at the Junior World Championships. After suffering a heartbreaking loss to Yianni Diakomihalis in the NCAA finals. McKenna is eager to get back on the mat in Vegas. He and Yianni could meet again at the U.S. Open. Isaiah Martinez reached Final X last year (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Isaiah looking to break through Isaiah Martinez bounced back from a loss at the 2018 NCAA finals to win the U.S. Open before falling to Olympic and world champion Jordan Burroughs in the Final X. Martinez has continued to make gains this season at 74 kilograms and it will be interesting to see how he fares in the big tournaments coming up. He's an explosive athlete whose style is suited very well for freestyle. Frank the Tank 2016 was a huge year for past NCAA champion Frank Molinaro. He not only made a surprising run to land a spot on the Olympic Team. He nearly won a medal before finishing fifth at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Molinaro is back down to 65 kilograms and he is a tough, physical wrestler who is difficult to match up against. He's definitely someone who can make a big splash as we approach another Olympics. Take a Chance on me Chance Marsteller's comeback story in college wrestling was impressive to watch. Once considered one of the best young prospects in the country, the past Cadet world team member now turns his focus back to freestyle. Keep an eye on Marsteller as he transitions back to a style he excels at. He could open a few eyes at the U.S. Open. Not done yet When you move closer to an Olympic year, you typically see wrestlers return to competition after being away. That group includes 2012 Olympian Jared Frayer, past U.S. Open champion Wynn Michalak and past Cadet world team member Destin McCauley. Frayer was an All-American at Oklahoma, Michalak was an All-American at Central Michigan and McCauley won an NCAA Division II title at Nebraska-Kearney. Veteran presence Two-time world team member Tony Ramos has entered the U.S. Open at 61 kilograms. Ramos is a three-time Open champion who has bumped up a weight class after previously competing at 57 kilograms. Past U.S. National Team member Jordan Oliver is among the entries at 65 kilograms. Jason Chamberlain is back at 70 kilograms and looking to repeat as U.S. Open champion. He lost to two-time world medalist James Green at the Final X. Kyven Gadson will be the favorite at 97 kilograms after advancing to the Final X last year. Among the other returning Open placewinners to watch are Ty Walz, Dom Bradley, Alec Pantaleo, Nico Megaludis, Frank Perrelli and Nick Dardanes. Young gun Carr in the field Prized Iowa State recruit David Carr didn't spend his redshirt season just sitting on the sidelines. The son of past Olympic bronze medalist Nate Carr not only excelled while competing in open college events, but he wrestled in Senior-level events as well. Carr, a past Cadet world bronze medalist, placed third at the Cerro Pelado event in Cuba this year. He will compete at 70 kilograms at the Open.

Bo Nickal and Jason Nolf signed with ScrapLife WHIPPANY, N.J. -- The ScrapLife family is growing! Today, ScrapLife, the company behind the popular Under Armour Wrestling line of apparel, proudly announces that it has signed three-time national champions Bo Nickal and Jason Nolf to long-term endorsement contracts. Nickal and Nolf join fellow Penn State alums David Taylor and Zain Retherford in the ScrapLife stable. "Bo and Jason are two of the sport's best competitors and ambassadors," said ScrapLife partner Don Beshada. "Hard working, bright, talented, and humble - the qualities that any company looks for in strategic partners, and qualities they share with David and Zain. Given where they all come from, that is hardly surprising," continued Beshada. "We're proud that Bo and Jason chose to represent the ScrapLife brand, and we're happy we can assist them with the transition to the next phase of their lives. We like to say that Bo and Jason are additions to the family, but in reality, they are part of the beginning of something that we believe will be special." The agreements are for an undisclosed number of years, but well into the next Olympic cycle. They are full, exclusive head-to-toe agreements, including wrestling-specific accessories and footwear. "To me, the decision on which brand to align with came down to quality of the product, company vision, and feel," said Nickal. "ScrapLife has the best product, so that part was easy from the get-go. But, I also wanted to ensure that ScrapLife's vision for the company, and my vision for me and my career, were 100% aligned. They are, and I think you'll see some unique product and content coming from us at ScrapLife." Nickal concluded: "Finally, the people were very important to me. And, let's face it, these guys are my longtime teammates, and we've enjoyed an incredible amount of success together. Adding that to the ScrapLife business team, we feel very confident in the short and long term direction of the company, and I look forward to having a lot of fun!" Nolf echoed Nickal's sentiments: "I'm a very loyal person, and I viewed this as an agreement that I was signing for the rest of my career. So, I think that speaks volumes about how I feel about ScrapLife as a company, its product line, and the people here." Nolf continued: "I'm used to having fun and competing. I'm used to doing that in my own kind of way. I wanted to represent a brand that reflected those things, and that also had a brand strategy and plan that was unique. ScrapLife has those things, and its long-term brand strategy lines up with my own." Nolf concluded: "I expect to compete for a long time, with the people I've been around for the last 5 years. My teammates at ScrapLife are the same teammates that I've had fun with and competed with for years, and we've been blessed to enjoy some success as a team. I only see that continuing at ScrapLife, and I can't wait to move forward with our plans." Nolf and Nickal are part of a very small handful of wrestlers to make 4 NCAA finals, with each winning the last 3 years. Between them and David Taylor and Zain Retherford, the ScrapLife athlete team has won 5 Hodge trophies (including the last 3) and 11 NCAA championships. Limited first edition Bo Nickal and Jason Nolf apparel is now available at ScrapLife.com. "We're not a big believer in bold and brash statements or predictions," Beshada concluded. "We'll simply say that we feel very lucky to have the team we have, and we're confident in our plans for the future." ABOUT SCRAPLIFE ScrapLife is a lifestyle company focused on Olympic and collegiate style wrestling and combat sports. It is the distributor of the popular "Under Armour Wrestling" line of products, and is the official apparel and footwear company of 2018 World Champion David Taylor, and 3-time NCAA champions Zain Retherford, Bo Nickal and Jason Nolf. ScrapLife is the official teamwear provider of Cornell University and Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, amongst other elite programs and clubs. ScrapLife.com: The best gear for the hardest workers

The U.S. Open is held at South Point Arena in Las Vegas (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Chad Dennis returns with Episode 24 of The MatBoss Podcast with Jason Laflin to preview the upcoming U.S. Open. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Play Music | RSS

James Green earned the No. 1 seed at 70 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The pre-seeds for the U.S. Open were announced for the freestyle competition. The freestyle competition is set to begin Friday in Las Vegas. World medalists James Green and Thomas Gilman are among the No. 1 seeds. Other top seeds include Nico Megaludis (61 kilograms), Jordan Oliver (65 kilograms), Isaiah Martinez (74 kilograms), Alex Dieringer (79 kilograms), Sam Brooks (86 kilograms), Hayden Zillmer (92 kilograms), Kyven Gadson (97 kilograms) and Adam Coon (125 kilograms). 57 kilograms: 1. Thomas Gilman 2. Daton Fix 3. Zach Sanders 4. Nathan Tomasello 5. Frank Perrelli 6. Darian Cruz 7. Vito Arujau 8. Joshua Rodriguez 9. Zane Richards 10. Jesse Delgado 11. Nick Piccinnini 12. Austin Miller 13. Eddie Klimara 14. Austin Assad 61 kilograms: 1. Nico Megaludis 2. Tyler Graff 3. Ben Whitford 4. Cory Clark 5. Anthony Ramos 6. Cody Brewer 7. Daniel Deshazer 8. Johnny Dijulius 9. Sheldon Mack 10. Joey Palmer 65 kilograms: 1. Jordan Oliver 2. Zain Retherford 3. Joey McKenna 4. Frank Molinaro 5. Yianni Diakomihalis 6. Jayden Eierman 7. BJ Futrell 8. Dominick Demas 9. Colton McCrystal 10. Evan Henderson 11. Jayson Ness 12. Bryce Meredith 13. Nick Dardanes 14. Brandon Wright 15. Dean Heil 16. Mitch McKee 70 kilograms: 1. James Green 2. Jason Chamberlain 3. Brandon Sorensen 4. Jason Nolf 5. Nazar Kulchytskyy 6. Alec Pantaleo 7. Lavion Mayes 8. Mario Mason 9. Dylan Ness 10. Anthony Collica 11. Ryan Deakin 74 kilograms: 1. Isaiah Martinez 2. Tommy Gantt 3. Evan Wick 4. Quinton Godley 5. Dan Vallimont 6. Anthony Valencia 7. Joshua Shields 8. Jared Frayer 9. Joey Lavallee 10. Logan Massa 11. Chase Pami 79 kilograms: 1. Alex Dieringer 2. Chance Marsteller 3. Nathan Jackson 86 kilograms: 1. Sam Brooks 2. Myles Martin 3. Pat Downey 4. Nick Heflin 5. Brett Pfarr 6. Kenneth Courts 7. Josh Asper 8. Max Dean 9. Nino Bonaccorsi 92 kilograms: 1. Hayden Zillmer 2. Bo Nickal 3. Michael Macchiavello 4. Kollin Moore 5. Timothy McCall 6. Timothy Dudley 7. Scottie Boykin 8. Riley Lefever 9. Nikko Reyes 97 kilograms: 1. Kyven Gadson 2. Ty Walz 3. Ben Honis 4. Blaize Cabell 5. Kevin Beazley 6. Wynn Michalak 125 kilograms: 1. Adam Coon 2. Dom Bradley 3. Anthony Nelson 4. Tanner Hall 5. Derek White 6. Youssif Hemida 7. Ceron Francisco 8. Garrett Ryan

Kyle Snyder at the 2018 World Championships (Photo/Larry Slater) NEW YORK -- Kyle Snyder, who won gold at 97 kg the 2016 Olympics in Rio, will battle Canada's Nishan Randhawa at the "Grapple at the Garden" Beat the Streets (BTS) benefit, May 6 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The addition of the superstar and longtime BTS supporter plus a matchup between two-time national champion Yianni Diakomahlis (Rochester, N.Y.) and Bajrang Punia (India) increases the current number of scheduled matches to eight. Snyder, of Woodbine, Md., a three-time NCAA champion at Ohio State, will battle Randhawa at 97 kg. The youngest Olympic gold medalist and youngest world champion in U.S. wrestling history (he was 20 at the time of the Rio victory), Snyder also took gold at the 2015 and 2017 World Championships and silver last year in Budapest. Last month he continued his dominance with a clean sweep at the Dave Kolov International to win gold. Randhawa, from Abbotsford, British Columbia, competes for Simon Fraser Univ. in B.C. and is a Canadian junior and senior freestyle champion. Diakomahlis completed his second season at Cornell with his second straight national championship at 141 lbs., and now owns a mark of 66-1 with the Big Red, including 47 straight victories. A four-time N.Y. state high school champion at Hilton H.S., Diakomahlis is a two-time Ivy League and EIWA Wrestler of the Year and a unanimous All-Ivy pick. Bajrang, a frequent medalist in the World Championships, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and other international championships since 2013, last November achieved the No. 1 ranking in the world at 65kg. Bajrang won five medals in all in 2018, including the historic first gold medal for India in the Asian Games, besting Daichi Takatani of Japan in the final. "We're excited to have our most recent Olympic gold medalist and one of our greatest ambassadors back this year," said Brendan Buckley, Beat the Streets Inc Executive Director. "Kyle Snyder adds to a night that fans have buzzing about for weeks. We can't wait until May 6 to showcase all this outstanding wrestling talent on the big stage of the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden." The added matchups boost an already impressive slate that is highlighted by featured bouts between 2012 gold medalist Jordan Burroughs and 2008 Olympian Ben Askren; a match between current NCAA champion Nick Suriano (Paramus, N.J. / Rutgers Univ.) and 2018 World bronze medalist Joe Colon (Clear Lake, Iowa / Univ. of Northern Iowa); women's bouts between 2018 World Silver Medalist Sarah Hildebrandt (Granger, Ind.) and Canada's Dana Weicker, and 2018 Senior World Championships Bronze Medalist Mallory Velte (Sacramento, Calif.) vs. Linda Morais, also of Canada; and several other intriguing bouts. The updated list of matches and weight classes is available below; the order is still to be determined, as are additional matchups. "Grapple at the Garden" supports Beat the Streets (www.btsny.org), the largest grassroots inner city wrestling program in the United States, serving as both a fundraiser for the organization and to celebrate its athletes as they compete on the biggest stage in the center of the world. Tickets for the evening's action are available now via TicketMaster, priced starting at $30 at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/3B005668AA091B69. A variety of donation packages which include "Grapple in the Garden" tickets are also available at https://www.btsny.org/bts-events or by emailing molalde@btsny.org, beginning at $1000. Doors open on May 6 at 5:30 p.m., with the main event starting at 6 p.m. For the fifth straight year, FloSports will provide live and on-demand coverage on FloWrestling.com. Beat the Streets Benefit competitions, which began in 2010, have since become a major showcase of the best of international wrestling. This unique and electrifying annual event has helped Beat the Streets raise millions of dollars to support local youth wrestling programs which empower young people in New York City. The first Beat the Streets Benefit was held on the U.S.S. Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan. Since then, the benefit has taken place at other notable New York City spots like Grand Central Station and Times Square. Team USA has faced off against teams from around the world including Japan, Cuba, Russia and Iran. Last year, the competition was hosted at the new Pier 17 in the Seaport District and included the highly anticipated Burroughs vs. Frank Chamizo match. New York City's Madison Square Garden is one of the most famous sporting and entertainment venues in the world. The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden is an impressive venue with the capacity to seat over 5,000. The theater has hosted notable wrestling events including the 1998 Goodwill Games wrestling competition and the 2017 Grapple at the Garden college wrestling event. About Beat the Streets The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTS works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to bring the life changing sport of wrestling to over 3,000 New York City student-athletes to help them achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTS and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life lessons of grit, personal responsibility and teamwork, physical fitness and nutrition, and life-long learning. The goal of fostering strong, well-rounded student-athletes is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, life skills workshops, and summer camps. More information can be found at www.btsny.org. About USA Wrestling USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. It has over 230,000 members across the nation, boys and girls, men and women of all ages, representing all levels of the sport. Its president is Bruce Baumgartner, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. More information can be found at TheMat.com. Matchups: Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Diana Weicker, 53 kg (W) Mallory Velte vs. Linda Morais, 62 kg (W) Jo Jo Aragona vs. Adam Busiello, 138 lbs. Nick Suriano vs. Joe Colon, 61 kg Bajrang Punia (IND) vs. Yianni Diakomihalis, 65 kg James Green vs. Anthony Ashnault, 70 kg Jordan Burroughs vs Ben Askren, 74 kg Kyle Snyder vs. Nishan Randhawa (CAN), 97 kg

USA swept the Pan American gold medals in freestyle (Photo/Team V Sports Performance) BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- The United States men's freestyle team won all 10 Pan American Championships gold medals over the last two days, collecting eight titles on Sunday evening in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the first time in the history of the event that a team has gone undefeated, winning every weight. Team USA went 34-0 over the weekend in men's freestyle action and claimed the team title, racking up 250 points. Four-time World champion and 2012 Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs won his third overall Pan Am Championships title (fifth including Pan Am Games) on Sunday night, defeating 2015 Pan Am silver medalist Jevon Balfour of Canada in the 74-kilogram finals. While the score was one-sided, the match featured a lot of action with several exciting scrambles. Burroughs took a 5-0 lead in to the break with a takedown and leg lace and scored one more takedown in the final frame for a 7-0 win. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

Central Methodist University has named head coaches for its two new wrestling programs, with Terrel Wilbourn heading up the men's mat program, while Brieana Delgado will coach the women's program, the central Missouri school announced Friday. The school had announced it would be adding men's and women's wrestling to its roster of intercollegiate sports on Feb. 12. Terrel WilbournWilbourn has wrestling roots in the state of Missouri. Most recently, he was an assistant coach at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., coaching three All-Americans and the NCAA Division II Wrestling National Champion at 125 pounds. Prior to joining Lindenwood's coaching staff, Wilbourn wrestled for the Lions, where he was a four-time All-American, three-time national finalist, and two-time national champion. Before coming to Lindenwood, Wilbourn was a three-time Missouri state wrestling champ for Francis Howell Central just outside St. Louis. Wilbourn was also an NHSCA (National High School Coaches Association national champion, cadet freestyle national champion, and junior freestyle national runner-up. He also claimed the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) National Champion title in the 141-pound weight class as a freshman at Iowa Central Community College. "We are extremely excited to announce Terrel as head coach of the Central Methodist University Eagles," said by Dr. Joe Parisi, Vice President for enrollment management at Central Missouri who was a decorated wrestling coach himself. "Terrel has all the ingredients of a successful head coach: intelligence, innovation, character, organizational and leadership skills, and a commanding presence. He also has a stellar reputation and is one of the most decorated high school and college wrestlers the state of Missouri has seen. I feel extremely fortunate and could not be more excited for Eagle Nation and the future of our program. I truly believe that we have hired the premier young coach in the country and that exciting times lie ahead." Delgado, a graduate of Oklahoma City University, brings a wealth of knowledge about the sport of women's wrestling to Central Methodist. The four-time All-American has competed on some of the biggest stages in the sport to go along with her experience at the national level, winning two Fargo titles as a youth wrestler and earning bronze at the 2014 University World Championships. The South Carolina native comes to Central Methodist after serving as the head coach at Vista Murrieta High School in California. Prior to her time with the Broncos, Delgado served as the assistant women's wrestling coach with her alma mater for two seasons, coaching 12 athletes to All-American status and guiding the team to back-to-back Top-10 finishes at the WCWA (Women's College Wrestling Association) Championships. "Brieana is a rising star in our business," said Parisi. "She has the right skill set to be a great head coach. She is a very good communicator and has worked very hard to hone her craft. Brieana understands recruiting and athletic development and is very adept with all levels of women's wrestling. She has tremendous people skills and there is no question in my mind that she is going to be a successful head coach." Central Methodist's men's and women's intercollegiate wrestling programs will take to the mats in fall 2019. Both programs will compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). While men's wrestling has been an NAIA sport for many years, women's wrestling was just introduced in 2018. Central Methodist University is a four-year, private school located in Fayette, Mo., about 30 minutes northwest of Columbia, home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1854 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church, Central Methodist has a total enrollment of approximately 3,800 students.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- The USA netted five gold medals, including three in women's freestyle and two in men's freestyle, on Saturday evening at the 2019 Senior Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Winning the first gold of the night for the U.S. in women's freestyle was 2018 World silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt at 53 kilograms. For the top spot on the podium, Hildebrandt defeated 2011 Junior World bronze medalist Luisa Valverde Melendres from Ecuador. Leading 3-0 at the break, Hildebrandt kicked it up a notch in the second period, scoring two takedowns and finishing the match with two leg laces for an 11-0 tech fall. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

INDIANA, Penn. -- With the conclusion of FloNationals day three, 11 wrestlers have been crowned Junior Freestyle champions, 10 wrestlers have been crowned Cadet Freestyle champions, and 10 wrestlers have been determined as the 2019 Cadet Pan American Championships Team that will represent the U.S. at the 2019 Cadet Pan American Championships in Morelia, Mexico, June 28-30. Because Team USA will only be bringing one representative per weight to the Cadet Pan American Championships, a point system was put in place to determine the representative at each weight. Points were allocated by placement in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. The higher the placement, the more points a wrestler received. The wrestler with the most points at the conclusion of both tournaments, wins the Cadet Pan American Team spot. Read complete story on TheMat.com ... Results Cadet freestyle 45 kg 1st Marc-Anthony Mcgowan Tampa, FL (BB Trained) tech. fall Daniel Sheen St. Charles, IL (Izzy Style), 10-0 3:56 3rd Christian Forbes Tulsa, OK (Oklahoma RTC) tech. fall Justin Wells Clovis, CA (Clovis North), 10-0 1:33 5th Troy Hohman Irwin, PA (Young Guns) for. Jaden Pepe Exeter, PA (XCalibur) 7th Hunter Robison Edinboro, PA (Bad Karma) dec. Cameron Morgan NJ (Seagull Wrestling Club), 4-3 48 kg 1st Joseph Fischer Johnstown, PA (Young Guns) dec. Kelly Dunnigan Waldwick, NJ (EDGE WRESTLING), 12-11 3rd Benjamin Aranda DeKalb, IL (Hurricane WC) tech. fall Sefton Douglass Lyman, WY (Sons Of Thunder Academy), 10-0 1:18 5th Matthew Ellis Waynesville, OH (Legacy Christian Academy) tech. fall Alex Randell Buffalo Grove, IL (The Wrestling Academy), 12-2 3:31 7th Kaden Chinavare Dundee, MI (Simmons Academy of Wrestling) dec. Kane Kettering Transfer, PA (Bad Karma), 21-20 51 kg 1st Joey Cruz Clovis, CA (Clovis North) dec. Richard Figueroa ll Sanger, CA (Sunkist Kids Monster Garage), 5-2 3rd Nico Provo Stratford, CT (Southside) tech. fall Levi Haines Arendtsville, PA (M2 Training Center), 10-0 1:10 5th Chance Lamer Corvallis, OR (Orange Crush Wrestling Club) tech. fall Nicholas Babin Emerson, NJ (Bitetto Trained Wrestling), 11-0 1:32 7th Nick Fea Kingston, PA (Wyoming Seminary) dec. Gary Steen Hermitage, PA (Bad Karma), 10-5 55 kg 1st Jacob Rundell Oak Park, IL (The Wrestling Academy) tech. fall Nicolar Rivera Stoughton, WI (Team Wisconsin), 12-0 1:33 3rd Jesse Ybarra Tucson, AZ (Sunnyside Wrestling Club) dec. Sheldon Seymour Troy, PA (XCalibur), 10-1 5th Rocco Welsh Fredericktown, PA (Young Guns) dec. Garett Lautzenheiser Louisville, OH (Parkview Wrestling Club), 8-3 7th Zeke Seltzer Indianapolis, IN (CIA) for. Vince Cornella Lafayette, CO (Mile High Wrestling Club) 60 kg 1st Jesse Mendez Crown Point, IN (Bulldog Premier WC) dec. Benjamin Alanis Chandler, AZ (Valiant College Preparatory), 5-1 3rd Mitchell Mesenbrink Hartland, WI (Askren Wrestling Academy) pin Ryan Franco Fresno, CA (Clovis North), 6-2 2:28 5th Ramon Ramos Phoenix, AZ (Valiant College Preperatory) for. Joel Vandervere Gurnee, IL (Team Henslee) 7th Michael Kilic Marietta, GA (Woodward Academy) tech. fall Blake Boarman Evansville, IN (mcwc), 10-0 1:49 65 kg 1st Joseph Zargo South River, NJ (Rhino wrestling) dec. Matthew Singleton Moreland, GA (Woodward Academy), 13-6 3rd Robert Perez 111 Long Beach, CA (Sunkist Kids Monster Garage) dec. Vincent Zerban IL (Xtreme Training), 7-6 5th Caleb Henson Cartersville, GA (Cartersville High School) dec. Paniro Johnson Erie, PA (Bad Karma), 5-2 7th Jackson Dean Hartly, DE (Pennsylvania RTC) dec. Chase Warden Dripping Springs, TX (3F Wrestling), 10-10 4:00 71 kg 1st Aj Kovacs Danbury, CT (Empire Wrestling Academy) tech. fall Cael Valencia Pico Rivera, CA (Sunkist Kids Monster Garage), 12-2 2:28 3rd John martin Best Vienna, WV (Team West Virginia) tech. fall Manuel Rojas Bay City, MI (Simmons Academy of Wrestling), 13-2 3:54 5th Luca Augustine Waynesburg, PA (Quest) tech. fall Stoney Buell Temperance, MI (Simmons Academy of Wrestling), 10-0 3:02 7th Erik Gibson South Fork, PA (Young Guns) tech. fall Daniel Patten Stow, OH (Stow Wrestling Club), 11-1 2:44 80 kg 1st Clayton Ulrey Grantville, PA (Team Nauman Wrestling Club) dec. Walker Stephenson Simpsonville, SC (Hillcrest), 11-3 3rd Darwin Hull Schertz, TX (Wyoming Seminary) tech. fall Jack Darrah Foristell, MO (Xtreme Training), 13-2 2:58 5th Jake Evans Elyria, OH (USA-Ohio Wrestling) tech. fall Dayton Pitzer Acme, PA (All american wrestling club), 13-0 2:40 7th Jake Richardson Mars, PA (Young Guns) dec. Macartney Parkinson Mount Vernon, IN (mcwc), 8-6 92 kg 1st Silas Allred Muncie, IN (CIA Wrestling Academy) tech. fall Nathan Haas Norwalk, CA (Sunkist Kids Monster Garage), 10-0 0:35 3rd Samuel Fisher Marshall, VA (Birds of Prey Wrestling Club) dec. Kolby Franklin DuBois, PA (Lab Trained Wrestling Club), 5-3 5th Dorian Crosby Erie, PA (Bad Karma) for. John Poznanski Woodbridge Township, NJ (Yale Street) 7th Michael Misita NJ (Seagull Wrestling Club) for. Brent Paulus Louisville, OH (Parkview Wrestling Club) 110 kg 1st Hunter Catka Brookhaven, PA (Lab Trained Wrestling Club) dec. Kyonte Hamilton District Heights, MD (Unattached), 3-0 3rd Braxton Mikesell Spokane, WA (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center) tech. fall Braydon Erb Russiaville, IN (CIA), 10-0 0:30 5th Nathaniel Deasey Chandler, AZ (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) tech. fall Zachary Figart Vinton, VA (Unattached), 10-0 1:12 Junior freestyle 54 kg Round 1 - Kase Mauger Wendell, ID (Delchev Trained Academy) tech. fall Jamal Chakkour Dearborn Heights, MI (Crestwood Chargers), 11-0 1:27 Round 2 - Daniel Rehfeldt Brighton, MI (Unattached) tech. fall Jamal Chakkour Dearborn Heights, MI (Crestwood Chargers), 10-0 1:51 Round 3 - Kase Mauger Wendell, ID (Delchev Trained Academy) VSU Daniel Rehfeldt Brighton, MI (Unattached), 10-0 1:04 57 kg Round 1 - Nigel Freeman NC (J-town Flight Boys) tech. fall Dainon Kappes Berlin, NJ (Eastern), 10-0 1:57 Round 1 - Josh Kyle Saint Charles, MO (Xtreme Training) dec. William Burgess Union City, PA (Bad Karma), 6-6 2:26 Round 2 - Josh Kyle Saint Charles, MO (Xtreme Training) tech. fall Nigel Freeman NC (J-town Flight Boys), 14-4 5:41 Round 2 - Dainon Kappes Berlin, NJ (Eastern) pin William Burgess Union City, PA (Bad Karma), 3-2 2:01 Round 3 - Nigel Freeman NC (J-town Flight Boys) pin William Burgess Union City, PA (Bad Karma), 7-4 3:50 Round 3 - Dainon Kappes Berlin, NJ (Eastern) dec. Josh Kyle Saint Charles, MO (Xtreme Training), 10-5 61 kg 1st Frankie Tal-shahar Boca Raton, FL (Sheldon Wrestling Academy Training) tech. fall Devin Murphy Selma, CA (Selma), 10-0 4:34 3rd Eddie Homrock Fowlerville, MI (Simmons Academy of Wrestling) dec. Drew Munch PA (Wyoming Seminary), 17-10 5th Evan Buchanan Mechanicsville, VA (HHWC) tech. fall Christopher Cook NY (Empire Wrestling Academy), 10-0 2:51 7th Benjamin Tirpak Erie, PA (Bad Karma) tech. fall Ethan Kauffman Milroy, PA (Unattached), 10-0 1:10 65 kg 1st Bryce Nickel Gilbert, AZ (Valiant College Preparatory) tech. fall Gabe Onorato NJ (Pennsylvania RTC), 13-2 5:18 3rd Garrett Bowers Arlington, TN (Wave Wrestling Club (TN)) tech. fall Jacob Perez-eli Paulsboro, NJ (Rhino wrestling), 18-7 5:17 5th Lincoln Heck Wyoming, PA (XCalibur) for. Justin Hoyle Maple Valley, WA (XCalibur) 7th Christian Killion Monroe, MI (Simmons Academy of Wrestling) tech. fall Beau Curtis Sudley Springs, VA (Unattached), 17-7 4:07 70 kg 1st Jace Luchau Selma, CA (Sons Of Thunder Academy) dec. Matt Lee Evansville, IN (mcwc), 2-1 3rd Weston Milnes Chandler, AZ (Valiant College Preparatory) tech. fall Austin Boone Ada, MI (Simmons Academy of Wrestling), 12-1 1:05 5th Liam Lusher Lewisburg, WV (Team West Virginia) for. Patrik Leder Greece, NY (Canada) 7th Rocco Bartolo Greenville, PA (Bad Karma) tech. fall Johnrocco Kazalas Pittsburgh, PA (Gladiators), 18-7 4:48 74 kg 1st Kyle Mosher Rockville Centre, NY (Unattached) tech. fall Eli Dickens Evansville, IN (mcwc), 12-2 2:53 3rd Hayden Lohrey Middletown, IN (CIA) dec. Dajun Johnson Whitefish Bay, WI (Askren Wrestling Academy), 11-6 5th Sean Mondello Oxford, OH (Unattached) tech. fall Jax Leonard Louisville, OH (Parkview Wrestling Club), 18-6 2:55 7th Josh Epperly Ashland, VA (Hanover Hawkeye) dec. Justice Smith Youngstown, OH (Poland Mat Club), 19-13 79 kg 1st Sage Serbenta Cedar Springs, MI (Simmons Academy of Wrestling) dec. Joseph Walker Mishawaka, IN (Mishawaka), 13-7 3rd Luke Nichter Chambersburg, PA (Young Guns) tech. fall Bentley Schwanebeck-ostermann Loyal, WI (Team Wisconsin), 10-0 1:02 5th Tanner Mendoza Chandler, AZ (Valiant College Preparatory) tech. fall Nathan Warden Christiansburg, VA (VA Elite), 10-0 1:26 7th Maximus Hale Downingtown, PA (Lab Trained Wrestling Club) tech. fall Dane Csencsits Hellertown, PA (Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club), 12-0 1:30 86 kg 1st Ryan Ringler Cedar Springs, MI (Simmons Academy of Wrestling) dec. Mike Doggett Harveys Lake, PA (Pennsylvania), 3-1 3rd Julian Gorring Erie, PA (Bad Karma) tech. fall Carson Licastri Easton, CT (Empire Wrestling Academy), 12-0 1:51 5th Mason Mccready Hollidaysburg, PA (Young Guns) dec. Noah Montanari East China, MI (Richmond), 10-3 92 kg Round 1 - Samuel Mitchell Marshfield, WI (Team Wisconsin) tech. fall Seth Yarger Erie, PA (Bad Karma), 11-0 1:16 Round 2 - Samuel Mitchell Marshfield, WI (Team Wisconsin) tech. fall Seth Yarger Erie, PA (Bad Karma), 10-0 1:21 97 kg Round 1 - Wyatt Hendrickson Newton, KS (Newton) tech. fall Dante Garcia Pueblo, CO (Steel City Elite), 10-0 1:04 Round 1 - Luke Davis Port Huron, MI (Richmond) dec. Bradley Smith Dayton, OH (Beavercreek), 6-3 Round 2 - Wyatt Hendrickson Newton, KS (Newton) pin Luke Davis Port Huron, MI (Richmond), 4-0 0:27 Round 2 - Dante Garcia Pueblo, CO (Steel City Elite) tech. fall Bradley Smith Dayton, OH (Beavercreek), 10-0 0:27 Round 3 - Dante Garcia Pueblo, CO (Steel City Elite) tech. fall Luke Davis Port Huron, MI (Richmond), 10-0 1:02 Round 3 - Wyatt Hendrickson Newton, KS (Newton) tech. fall Bradley Smith Dayton, OH (Beavercreek), 10-0 0:26 125 kg Round 1 - Victor Jaquez jr. San Jose, CA (Palomino Academy) tech. fall William Crider West Lafayette, IN (Unattached), 10-0 0:28 Round 1 - Max Darrah Foristell, MO (Xtreme Training) tech. fall Justin Knipper Beavercreek, OH (Beavercreek), 11-0 1:54 Round 2 - Victor Jaquez jr. San Jose, CA (Palomino Academy) tech. fall Justin Knipper Beavercreek, OH (Beavercreek), 10-0 0:44 Round 2 - Max Darrah Foristell, MO (Xtreme Training) tech. fall William Crider West Lafayette, IN (Unattached), 10-0 3:34 Round 3 - William Crider West Lafayette, IN (Unattached) pin Justin Knipper Beavercreek, OH (Beavercreek), 11-6 2:40 Round 3 - Victor Jaquez jr. San Jose, CA (Palomino Academy) dec. Max Darrah Foristell, MO (Xtreme Training), 5-0

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- In addition to this morning's two gold medal performances from the women's freestyle team, Cheney Haight added another gold medal for Team USA, winning the 82-kilogram division in Greco-Roman at the 2019 Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In his finals bout, Haight took on 2018 Senior Pan American bronze medalist Carlos Espinoza Castro from Peru. Haight led 3-0 at the break, scoring on passivity and exposure. Espinoza went on to score the only point in the second period, but it was not enough. Haight took a 3-1 to claim his third overall Pan Am title. He also won golds in 2016 and 2017. Securing gold medals earlier in the day were Alex Hedrick at 55 kg and Julia Salata at 65 kg. The U.S. notched two silver medals in the finals session. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- The USA has already clinched two women's freestyle gold medals on day two of the 2019 Pan American Championships. USA Greco-Roman also as three athletes wrestling for gold tonight. Alex Hedrick and Julia Salata, both competing in three-person round robins, went a perfect 2-0 in the morning session to secure spots on top of the podium at 55 kilograms and 65 kilograms, respectively. Hedrick, who was originally slated to wrestle at 57 kilograms this weekend, went down a weight to compete at 55 kilograms. In her first bout, Hedrick stuck Elis Azerrad Parodi of Argentina in the first minute. The American wrapped up her tournament with a 6-4 shootout against 2018 Junior Pan Am champion Jayd Davis of Canada. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

Jimmy Kennedy coaching at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) EVANSTON, Ill. -- Three-time All-American Jimmy Kennedy has been promoted to assistant coach of the Northwestern wrestling program, it was announced Friday. Kennedy spent the 2018-19 season as the Wildcats' volunteer assistant coach. "Jimmy has proven to be a tremendous asset to Northwestern Wrestling and I am excited to announce his promotion," said head coach Matt Storniolo. "His knowledge of the sport is unparalleled as is his worth ethic. I look forward to working with Jimmy and Andrew as we continue to build Wildcat Wrestling into a powerhouse." Kennedy has already helped lift the Wildcats in his year on the coaching staff, helping qualify five wrestlers for the NCAA Championships and mentoring a pair of All-Americans in Sebastian Rivera and Ryan Deakin. NU had its best finish at the Big Ten Championships since the Conference expanded to 14 teams in 2014. "Coaching has been a truly rewarding experience. I'm not sure there's much else quite as fulfilling," said Kennedy, an Illinois native. "Every day I wake up excited to go to work and help these guys become good wrestlers and even better men. Each and every one of them has bought into our philosophy and the beautiful thing is that our team is young. They are hungry for success and I'm just excited to be a part of their journey." Kennedy joins the assistant coaching staff after Cody Brewer became the assistant coach at Virginia Tech. Before joining NU, Kennedy wrestled for the New York Athletic Club, where he placed second at the World Team Trials in 2017. He was a U.S. World Team member in 2014 and, in 2016, was a U.S. Open champion.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- The USA picked up six medals, including three gold and three silver, on the first day of Greco-Roman competition at the 2019 Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. One of the highlights of the day came at 130 kilograms, where 2018 world silver medalist Adam Coon pinned his way to his first Senior Pan Am title. Coming off two falls in the morning session, Coon faced Luciano Del Rio from Argentina in the 130 kg final. Trailing 1-0 after getting hit with passivity, Coon forced Del Rio to his back and was awarded the pin at the 1:59-mark for his third pin of the day. (Strong candidate for OW, but that will be decided tomorrow after the entire Greco tournament is complete.) Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

After two years a redacted version of the Mueller Report was released Thursday … Nah, I wouldn't do that to you guys before the Easter weekend! While the comment section would have been lively, the real topic this week was Logan Stieber's announcement that he was retiring from the sport of wrestling. Though it can sometimes feel that Stieber has been around since the early 90's, he's actually only 28 years old. That's incredible considering how often he's been at the center of the wrestling world's attention, whether winning four NCAA titles, a world championship or locking down the starting 65-kilogram spot in 2017 and 2018. To say nothing of his four Ohio state championships. Logan Stieber was a special competitor. He often looked like he was behind in the action, or in some inescapable hole, but would always find the extra points, or hold off a determined opponent. His shots didn't look especially slick, the physique didn't intimidate opponents, and yet he won, and then won some more. There was a charm to the whole show. The undersized, mouthpiece chewing Stieber always coming up big when necessary. It'll be sad to not see him competing at the U.S. Open, World Team Trials, or in the Olympic Games, but he has earned the right to retire from competition and turn his focus to coaching and whatever other interest he chooses. In a sport filled with great competitors, Stieber will be remembered as one of the best to ever step on the mat. To your questions. Q: Are you surprised that Kyle Dake is competing at 79 kilograms again this year and not wrestling an Olympic weight? -- Mike C. Foley: Surprised? Not really. No matter which way he goes it'll take time to adjust to the weight, but the smart money has him going down to 74 kilograms. If that's the case, I think that shedding 11-plus pounds for a same-day weigh-in will take considerable time to manage. In the meantime, Dake can start that process and get top-level competition at 79 kilograms without harming his chances at making weight in 2020, or losing this year at the World Championships. Jared Frayer coaching the Virginia Tech Hokies at the NCAAs (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Q: Jared Frayer is registered for the U.S. Open at 74 kilograms. Do you think this indicates that he's serious about making another Olympic run in 2020? Or is he just competing to have some fun and see where he stacks up against some of the nation's best wrestlers? -- Mike C. Foley: I think you know this answer. Haha. My wish is that Jared stays healthy, dorks up at least one younger wrestler and stays healthy throughout the tournament. Good luck to him on both accounts. Inshallah, he leaves Vegas in tip-top shape! Q: As a casual wrestling fan I really enjoy your perspective on wrestling. I wanted to write with a question on film study/opposition research in today's collegiate wrestling. In January of this year, Leeds United in England, and their Argentinian manager Marcelo Bielsa, were accused of spying on rival Derby County's training session prior to their dominant 2-0 victory. Derby County's manager Frank Lampard was furious when he found out, and for all intents and purposes, called out Bielsa and Leeds for cheating. In response, Bielsa scheduled a press-conference and essentially doubled-down. I haven't watched the full press-conference, but he basically gave a 70-minute PowerPoint presentation where he detailed the full extent of the opposition research that he compiles and completes for each game. According to an article, it was "masterclass" and a "compelling insight into his approach and the fastidious attention to detail now employed in opposition research." Turning back to wrestling, how much opposition research is done at the collegiate level? It seems like, to a certain extent, a lot of these elite wrestlers have competed against one another in national tournaments prior to college at some point and are at least somewhat familiar with one another. How much can one glean from film study on one's opponent? Furthermore, if there is some type of opposition research, how does it work as a wrestler prepares for a fast-paced tournament where the matches are back-to-back-to-back like the NCAAs? Do the coaches sit down with each wrestler and watch film? Do they map things out before tournaments? Sorry for all the questions. I'm just really curious about how this all plays out. Thanks! Again, I really enjoy your insight into wrestling here and abroad. -- Evan B. Foley: Thanks for the kind words. The college and international coaches I know are fanatical about watching film to both scout opponents as well as improve on the techniques of their wrestlers. In Japan, every minute of every practice is filmed and there is a rumor that there are pressure sensors under the mats so that further analysis can be made regarding the athletes' stances and how hard they are hitting the mat in certain situations. The other benefit for the Japanese is that so many nations travel to train with them that they can get good film on opponents using just practice footage! The Japanese are the most intense, but the United States isn't far behind using the video of matches to scout opponents at the same tournament, they'll even bring a staff member who is mostly dedicated to video analysis at large tournaments. As for higher level espionage I don't think much of that goes on, simply because it wouldn't assist a coach of one program to know what is happening in the wrestling room of their rivals. The only exception might be that the Japanese and the Russians do try and keep some of their training habits less exposed so that their system isn't stolen. (They believe theirs is the best … and rightly so.) I was actually discussing this yesterday at jiu-jitsu. One of the jokes in the room is that the Brazilians save all the best techniques and concepts for the mat chats after class, which inevitably are in Portuguese. This basically means you can learn the language and get involved (some do this) or go to the locker room and make light of the fact that you'll never know the real secret of the sport! Overall, all high-level competitors and teams will look for an edge, whether it's keeping a secret training technique, or analyzing the film of their opponents. However, I don't think it's as nefarious as the English soccer leagues. Q: In comparing Penn State's four-year streak of NCAA championships against other dynasties of the past, what seems to stand out the most is that in each of the last four years Penn State has had five finalists at the NCAA Championships. Half of Penn State's team has been the best or second best in their weight class in Division I for each of the last four years. Has there been any other team in NCAA history that has had 20 finalists in a four-year span? Or 14 first-place finishers in that same four-year span? -- Steve S. Foley: Not in the modern era, though admittedly I might have missed something in scanning the results. Next closest comparison would be Iowa crowning five national champions in 1986 and 1997. Q: I don't see how Ben Askren will avoid being tech falled by Jordan Burroughs at Beat the Streets. Burroughs is a returning world medalist, while Askren never came close to that level in freestyle. Askren is not focused on freestyle, nor should he be. Do you see this match going any way besides a technical fall win for Burroughs? -- Mike C. Foley: I think that Askren can tie up anyone in the world with his funk and has an incredible ability to mind-meld opponents into competing in his style no matter the sport. Burroughs won't be in danger of losing, but he'll need to stay frosty when finishing those double legs. Outside singles or ankle picks could end up in a stalemate position. Yes, technical fall. Q: Augsburg added women's wrestling! Do you think women's wrestling will eventually be NCAA official? If so, how long? What's the holdup? -- @ShogunofSonoma Foley: Yes. Women's wrestling will be designated as a full NCAA Division I sport by 2023. The holdup is really the NCAA's hesitance to endorse women competing in contact sports. It's called the "skirt bias" -- the belief that women should only play sports that are complimentary to traditional norms of femininity. On that note, did you see that wrestling at the Olympic Games is being closed out each day by one women's finals? Six days of finals, one women's weight each day. Huge for attendance.

Deron Winn coaching with Daniel Cormier at California's state tournament (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Deron Winn will be making his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 153 on Saturday, June 22. The 29-year-old former wrestler will be facing Markus Perez at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., the mixed martial arts website Sherdog.com reported Thursday. It will be the first Ultimate Fighting Championships event to be held in the state of South Carolina. Winn shared the news on social media Thursday afternoon. On his Twitter account @DeronWinn, the UFC signee wrote, "Cats out of the bag! June 22 it's going down my @ufc debut!" while this was the message on his personal Facebook page: "The time has come! June 22nd I will be fighting Markus Perez in my @ufc debut in Greenville, SC. I can't wait!" Winn is now 5-0 in his professional MMA career which he launched in March 2017. His first four fights ended in the first round. Winn's most recent victory was over veteran Tom Lawlor at Golden Boy MMA in Los Angeles in November 2018. He signed with UFC just days before Christmas in 2018. Winn's first UFC opponent, Markus Perez, brings a 11-2 pro MMA record to UFC Fight Night 153. Prior to making his Octagon debut in November 2017, Perez was 9-0, having held the Legacy Fighting Alliance middleweight (185-pound) title. Winn, a member of the American Kickboxing Academy, has been guided to success in his pro MMA career by two giants in wrestling and UFC: trainer Kevin Jackson, former UFC champ and Olympic gold medalist, and, as mentor, Daniel Cormier, dual UFC champ and 2008 Olympic wrestler. Prior to launching his pro MMA career, Winn was a three-time Missouri state wrestling champ for Liberty High School outside Kansas City. Winn then enrolled at St. Louis Community College, Meramec where he was a two-time NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) champ. At the 2008 NJCAA Nationals, Winn was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the championships. Want to know more? Check out "Deron Winn: Combat Sports Renaissance Man" by InterMat's Richard Mann.

Emily Shilson with the American flag after becoming a Cadet world champion (Photo/Martin Gabor, UWW) A day after Augsburg announced the addition of a women's wrestling program, the Auggies received a verbal commitment from one of the nation's most successful high school wrestlers. Emily Shilson, a senior at Mounds View High School in Minnesota, gave a verbal commitment to the Auggies. She made the announcement on Instagram. Shilson won a Cadet world title in 2018 at 43 kilograms and was a world runner-up in 2017. She also won a gold medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, becoming the first American wrestler to accomplish the feat. Shilson has won several age group national titles, including Junior titles from 2016 to 2018. She qualified for Minnesota's state high school wrestling tournament three straight years.

Hayden Halter was initially suspended before a judge overruled the referee and WIAA (Photo/Amber Arnold, The Journal Times) Hayden Halter has managed to hold onto his 2019 Wisconsin state wrestling title, despite the appeals of the state organization governing high school sports. The Wisconsin District 2 Court of Appeals has denied the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association's appeal of a ruling that allowed Halter, a Waterford Union High School sophomore, to wrestle in the postseason, culminating in his second straight WIAA state title in Madison, the Racine Journal Times reported. As InterMat reported in early February, a Wisconsin judge ruled that Halter could continue his quest for a second state title, overturning a suspension issued by the WIAA regarding alleged incidents which the mat official considered to be unsportsmanlike during a wrestling match a week earlier. In late February, Halter won the 120-pound state championship. Now the Court of Appeals has ruled, the case will go back to the Racine County Circuit Court, which heard the case and made the original decision, according to the Halter family's attorney Jeremy Levinson. "Given that the season is over, it's not clear what (the court) will do," Levinson said. "I have been attempting to draw their attention to shaking hands and calling it a day and moving on. We shall see."

MARYSVILLE, Ohio -- RUDIS is proud to announce its newest sponsored athlete, Myles Martin. Martin is the latest addition to a growing roster of elite senior level athletes that includes two-time world and Olympic champion Kyle Snyder, world silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt, four-time NCAA finalist, and two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martínez, NCAA champion and four-time Big Ten champion Nathan Tomasello, and two-time NCAA champion Dean Heil. RUDIS Co-Founder and President Jesse Leng speaks about Martin and the alignment with RUDIS. "Myles Martin is very special. He is obviously an incredible athlete and competitor with enormous skills, but this is only a small portion of what makes him a perfect fit for our brand. Myles has a magnetic personality and electrifying quality about him that is seldom seen from someone who also has a high level of humility and servants' heart. He embodies all the RUDIS brand standards and strengthens our message in a very meaningful way." RUDIS Director of Senior Athlete Acquisition Matt Dernlan talks about the addition of Martin to the RUDIS Team, "We are thrilled to announce the addition of Myles to our Sponsored Athlete Program. He embodies all the personal and physical attributes that are unique to the sport of wrestling. He competes like a warrior poet, fierce and relentless, on the mat but constantly strives to elevate those around him to be the best versions of themselves. These unique attributes led to a natural partnership with RUDIS and what has made our brand the industry leader in design and authenticity." Myles Martin reflects on his journey in wrestling and comments on his decision to join the RUDIS team, "My purpose is to inspire not expire. There is nothing guaranteed in this sport, and I have had a lot of self-assessing moments. But the love that I have for this sport is what keeps me lacing it up every day. RUDIS stands for everything I believe in and we will continue to take over the sport of wrestling and make history." Born and raised in Penns Grove, New Jersey, Martin was a stand out high school athlete. After championing a 171-15 high school record, Myles entered college as the No 3. nationally ranked recruit by FloWrestling. Myles Martin joins RUDIS upon finishing his collegiate career at the Ohio State University. In the past four years, he has achieved a number of career honors including NCAA champion, two-time NCAA finalist, four-time All-American, Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational champion, and UWW University Nationals champion.

Cody Brewer coaching at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) BLACKSBURG -- Virginia Tech head wrestling coach Tony Robie announced Wednesday that Cody Brewer has joined his coaching staff as an assistant coach. Brewer has spent the last three seasons on staff at Northwestern following a standout career at Oklahoma. With the Sooners, Brewer was a two-time Big 12 champion, a four-time All-American and an NCAA champion in 2015. "We are incredibly excited to welcome Cody and his fiancée, Rachel, to Blacksburg," said Robie. "Cody's accolades speak for themselves. As a coach, he has already proven that he can develop wrestlers and put them in a position to win national titles. We have many talented lower weights that will benefit from Cody's presence over the next several years. I know that he is excited to come to Blacksburg and start helping us on our quest to become the very best." At Northwestern, Brewer worked with the Wildcats' lightweights and mentored two-time All-American Sebastian Rivera. Brewer's work with Rivera this past season helped Rivera win a Big 10 championship and earn the No. 1 seed at 125 pounds at the 2019 NCAA Championships. He spent his first two seasons in Evanston as a volunteer assistant coach before being promoted to assistant coach this past season. Brewer went 95-22 and 48-10 in duals in his career at Oklahoma. He was a Big 12 finalist in each of his four seasons and placed seventh, eighth, first and third at nationals from 2013-16. Tech assistant coach Jared Frayer was on staff at Oklahoma, his alma mater, from Brewer's true freshman campaign in 2011-12 through his redshirt sophomore season in 2013-14. A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Brewer graduated from Oklahoma with a degree in sociology and is engaged to his fiancée, Rachel, who wrestled at Oklahoma City University.

Augsburg University will be launching a new women's intercollegiate wrestling program taking to the mats for the 2019-20 academic year and has named Max Mejia as its first head coach, the Minneapolis-based school announced Wednesday. With this announcement, Augsburg will become the first college in Minnesota to sponsor a women's varsity wrestling program. The new women's program will be the 22nd varsity program to join the roster at the NCAA Division III school, and the 12th sport for women, joining the pioneering tradition at Augsburg as the first school in the Midwest to introduce a women's ice hockey team (in 1995), and home to Minnesota's first women's varsity lacrosse team (in 2014). Max Mejia brings impressive experience in coaching girls' and women's wrestling to the new Augsburg women's mat program. A 2015 graduate of Harvard University, Mejia most recently has served as Women's and Developmental Coach at the Sunkist Kids Regional Training Center in Tempe, Ariz. for the past three years. He also serves as head coach and women's coach for the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Academy. In recent years at the Sunkist Kids RTC and Sunkist Kids Wrestling Academy, Mejia has helped coach a World Team Trials champion and another finalist, two senior national team members, a U.S. Open champion, finalist and placewinner, and four Arizona high school state champions. In addition to his work with Sunkist Kids, Mejia also serves as head coach for the Chandler High School girls' wrestling team in his hometown of Chandler, Ariz., which placed third in the inaugural Arizona state tournament this year with three qualifiers and one state titlist. He also serves as women's director for Arizona USA Wrestling and as a volunteer coach for USA Wrestling, serving as the U15 Pan American Games women's team coach that won the title in Villahermosa, Mexico in 2018. While at Harvard, Mejia earned three varsity letters as a member of the Crimson wrestling program. As a high school wrestler, he was an Arizona state champion and three-time state finalist, while also earning Fargo All-American and FILA Cadet All-American honors. "I am excited and honored to be selected as the first women's wrestling coach," said Mejia. "Augsburg is an ideal place to begin a women's wrestling program. First and foremost, the women will receive a quality education. The administration and I look forward to building a program with women of great character that serve as leaders in the Augsburg and wrestling communities. The tradition of excellence in wrestling has been set by the men's team winning 13 national titles. We will strive for excellence on and off the mat. Go Auggies!" In announcing the new women's wrestling program, Augsburg President Dr. Paul Pribbenow said, "I am proud that our outstanding intercollegiate athletics program will once again set a new standard for offering competition opportunities for women. Women's wrestling is one of the fastest growing sports in the country, and it is especially fitting that Augsburg -- with its nationally recognized men's wresting program -- will join this movement. I look forward to our women's wrestling program recruiting top-notch student-athletes from across the country and competing at the highest level." Currently, 46 colleges and universities in the United States sponsor women's wrestling on the varsity level, with another 14, including Augsburg, planning to add the sport within the next two years, according to the Augsburg announcement. Most are members of the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association, which administers the sport while it awaits official status by national collegiate organizations. Teams compete in freestyle formats in 10 weight classes, ranging from 101 to 191 pounds. Seven NCAA Division III schools -- Adrian (Mich.), Ferrum (Va.), Lakeland (Wis.), MacMurray (Ill.), Pacific (Ore.), Schreiner (Texas) and Westminster (Mo.) -- currently offer women's wrestling on the varsity level, with Delaware Valley (Pa.), Fontbonne (Mo.), North Central (Ill.), Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Augsburg adding the sport in 2019. Since Augsburg launched its men's wrestling program in 1949, the school has been synonymous with excellence on the mat. Just last month, Augsburg won its 13th team title at the 2019 NCAA Division III national wrestling championships. Augsburg has earned 56 individual national champions (52 NCAA, 4 NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and 251 All-Americans (213 NCAA, 38 NAIA) in its intercollegiate men's wrestling history. Augsburg University is a private, four-year university located in Minneapolis. Founded in 1869, Augsburg has an enrollment of approximately 3,800 students.