InterMat Staff

A GoFundMe page has been established for Ashland D. Tate, a former wrestler at Brother Martin High School in New Orleans, who was murdered in suburban St. Louis Friday night. Ashland TateProceeds generated by the fund will help fund the future education of his two young sons. Tate, 35, was found shot while sitting in a car at an apartment complex in Rock Hill, Mo. at about 10 p.m. Friday. He later died in a St. Louis area hospital. Two men have been arrested for the crime. Police report that the accused knew Tate. Born in New Orleans in 1984, Ashland Dennis Tate was a member of the Crusader wrestling team at Brother Martin. "In my opinion, Ashland is easily one of the top five most gifted wrestlers we've ever had," Chuck Stall, Tate's former wrestling teammate at Brother Martin who still works at the all-boys school, told KMOV-TV, the CBS affiliate in St. Louis. Tate grew up in a Boys Hope group home in New Orleans. He later became Executive Director of Boys Hope Girls Hope, an academic boarding house program, at the organization's national headquarters just outside St. Louis. "He just wanted to be on a team. I think he just wanted to be a part of something," Stall continued. "He always did whatever needed to be done, his work, his school, his obligations to his friends and team, but he did it with the biggest smile on his face like that was the greatest thing he could be doing that day and that was infectious." After graduating from Brother Martin, Tate continued his education at University of New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina struck the city in 2005, Boys Hope Girls Hope helped Tate relocate to St. Louis, where he enrolled at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. He graduated from UMSL with a degree in Media Studies. In addition to his work at Boys Hope Girls Hope, Tate was a board member for Youth Bridge Community Foundation and UMSL. What's more, he was involved in supporting the wrestling program at Whitfield School in the St. Louis area, where one of his sons is a team member. Tate is survived by his wife Brenda; their two sons, Rome and Kyi; his mother April; and his sisters, Michelle and Taiche. Visitation for Ashland Tate will take place Thursday, Aug. 8 starting at 1 p.m. Central, with a funeral service at 3 p.m. at the Archway Memorial Chapel, located at 111 Taylor Rd., Hazelwood, Missouri. Immediately following the service there will be a Celebration of Life service at the Boys Hope Girls Hope National office at 12120 Bridgeton Square, Bridgeton, Missouri.

Though the sport of mixed martial arts has always done a fair job of attracting their share of world-class wrestlers to the ring or cage, the recent growth of the sport on a global scale has only served to increase its pull on the world's best takedown artists. Earlier MMA promotions in the USA, Japan, Eastern Europe, Russia, and even Brazil have been prominently featuring some of the world's top wrestlers for years. But now, with the solidification of those existing markets and the proliferation of new, well-funded shows in places like Singapore, Poland, the Nordic countries, and the Caucasus Russian Republics, we are seeing an unprecedented influx of wrestling talent from all over the globe. Excited? Well, you should be. Top-flight wrestlers have always found success in MMA, but one thing that the recent group of converted world-class wrestlers has over its predecessors is this; they've been watching MMA for years by the time they step foot in an MMA gym. This is an invaluable asset. As a result of this early exposure to the sport and the growth of MMA everywhere, we are seeing heavyweight international wrestling champions win fights with spinning wheel kicks. We are seeing Greco-Roman Olympic medalists execute submissions with devastating proficiency. We are seeing rapid rises through the ranks of the world's top MMA promotions. The wrestlers featured herein are/were legitimate champions and medalists at the highest levels of wrestling. They have varying amounts of fights on their record, but all these men are expected to have their best fighting years ahead of them. On to the list ... Boris Novachkov was an Olympian for Bulgaria in 2016 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Boris Novachkov This Bulgarian-American wrestler has brought with him to the cage quite a unique type of experience in that he's been exposed to both the American and Eastern European wrestling styles and systems. Moving to California from his native Bulgaria at age 13, Novachkov experienced a great deal of success wrestling in the Golden State. A high school career that produced two state titles, freestyle and Greco-Roman national titles at Fargo, and a runner-up finish at NHSCA Senior Nationals led Boris to Cal Poly. Finishing as a three-time Division I All-American and national finalist, he then moved on to the senior freestyle scene where he wrestled for Bulgaria. Notching medals at super-tough tournaments like the European Championships, Dave Schultz Memorial, and Kolov-Petrov, Novachkov put in a stellar career that saw him become an Olympian (eighth place) and defeat no less than two world finalists, one of them being 2013 world champ David Safaryan. His wrestling career winding down, back in California, Novachkov was surrounded by a wealth of top MMA coaches and training partners, most of them former wrestlers. In addition to training with his brother Filip, the eccentric Novachkov honed his skills alongside Urijah Faber, Khabib Nurmagomedov, T.J. Dillashaw, Daniel Cormier, and many others. With his peers thoroughly impressed, Novachkov debuted on a major Bellator MMA card in April of 2019. Despite narrowly losing to a foe with much more experience than his record suggested, Novachkov did well. His athleticism, fluidity, and lightning-fast shot were quite impressive. Should he continue in MMA I fully expect him to reach the top five of Bellator's stacked 145-pound division or better. Chris Gonzalez Illinois native Gonzalez is another one of these gifted athletes who despite not wrestling until high school excelled anyway. Initially wrestling just to stay busy after school, Gonzalez's high school coach encouraged him early to try Greco-Roman and he obliged, a move that's paid dividends. Gonzalez twice won the Illinois Greco-Roman state title (he placed third in freestyle), going on to become a two-time Fargo All-American in that style. Gonzalez followed his high school career by coming a junior college All-American at Harper College. Since then it's been all Greco, and he moved on to Northern Michigan University, and eventually the main Olympic Training Center to pursue a world title. Multiple international medals and strong showings followed before Gonzalez would get his chance, as he won the 2016 non-Olympic weight trials (being named Outstanding Wrestler in the process). He'd go 1-1 at Worlds, ultimately placing 10th, and though he would continue to wrestle, a move to MMA came soon thereafter. Not ruling out a return to the mats in 2020, Gonzalez chose to settle in at an MMA camp that could keep his wrestling sharp while also developing his MMA skill set. Enter Urijah Faber's Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California. A gym full of Division I wrestlers and California state placewinners who happen to also be among the best lighter-weight fighters on earth, TAM has been a perfect fit for Gonzalez. After scoring quick submission wins in his lone amateur fight and his pro debut, Gonzalez debuted on the big stage at Bellator 221, winning a unanimous decision. Big things are expected from Gonzalez, and his offensive firepower is off the charts. With his big throws and slams and brutal arm-choke series, it's still early but the sky's the limit for this kid. Damian Janikowski wrestling in the finals of the 2011 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Damian Janikowski While wrestlers with strong Greco-Roman backgrounds have been commonplace in MMA for many years, very few (if any) didn't also have freestyle or American folkstyle skills as well. Polish Greco-Roman superstar Janikowski is interesting in that he is one of the first "pure" Greco guys to enter MMA with little or no background using and defending leg attacks. Though that fact could certainly be a liability, Janikowski did have the advantage of having dabbled in BJJ and amateur MMA (aka Shooto) years before he even stopped wrestling. Janikowski's wrestling career was a fantastically successful endeavor. Coming up on the world scene as a Cadet and a Junior before embarking on a near decade long senior career, he won too many prestigious medals to list here. Included in this haul were gold medals at many grand prix events and the Dave Schultz Memorial, medals at Military Worlds, a silver at the 2011 World Championships, and a bronze at the 2012 Olympics. The winding down of his wrestling career coincided perfectly with the emergence of a global MMA show based right in his backyard. Signing with the Polish MMA show KSW was a no-brainer, and Janikowski was pushed hard from the start. He had such a tough time finding willing opponents that his first 3 foes had a combined total of 77 fights! He rose to the challenge, defeating them all inside of 2 rounds. This absurdly high level of opposition continued, and Janikowski has since hit a bit of a rough patch, losing his last two fights to exceptional talents. I expect him to get back on track, as most fighters are forced to regroup at some point. His skill set is too formidable not to. Simply put, the man is an animal. Highly aggressive, big, strong, and unsurprisingly, a monster in the clinch with strikes, takedowns, and position, a little nuance will go a long way. We will find out in September when he returns to the KSW cage against an opponent to be determined. Tyrell Fortune Blue chip heavyweight prospect Tyrell Fortune is one of a few world-class wrestlers to jump into MMA at the beginning of his athletic prime. He was one of a handful of big-time wrestlers scooped up by Bellator MMA before ever taking a single fight. So far, the strategy is paying off nicely for the promotion and Fortune is looking to be a truly special talent. Fortune's wrestling resume starts with a high school career that netted two state titles and dual national titles at Fargo in 2008. After high school, in addition to winning dual titles at the 2009 Junior World Team Trials and competing in both styles at the World Championships, he won two NJCAA national titles and a NCAA DII national title. Wrestling and winning medals in both styles internationally, Fortune scored a bronze in Greco-Roman at the Dave Schultz Memorial and won University Worlds, NYAC International, and the Dave Schultz Memorial in freestyle while climbing to the No. 2 spot on the USA's heavyweight freestyle ladder. Under the guidance of controversial but effective manager Glenn Robinson (RIP), Fortune was afforded the chance to receive top-level training and coaching from the beginning of his career with renowned South Florida team, the Blackzilians. His training environment would undergo several changes since then, but the quality of Fortune's work inside the cage has remained constant. He is the prototypical, new-school, MMA heavyweight. Big and strong but also somehow fast, agile, and graceful. Sporting clean, powerful punches along with high amplitude takedowns and fierce ground-n-pound, Fortune does it all. Look for him to build on his 6-0 record, slowly but surely rise to the very top of MMA's heavyweight ranks. He fights next at Bellator 225 on Aug. 24. Maikel Perez Gonzalez A member of the small but growing contingent of top Cuban wrestlers to defect and take up MMA, "Super" Maikel has had his eye on UFC gold since well before he even left Havana. Having been inspired by the likes of Hector Lombard and Yoel Romero, he saw what kind of life could be had for a wrestler of his caliber who enters MMA. Like many Cuban athletes before him, he made the gut-wrenching decision to leave his family and homeland behind and he came to the USA in 2015. Perez is a product of the tried and true Cuban/Soviet wrestling system that grooms kids for the Olympics early. He progressed rapidly under this system, earning a spot in the senior level pecking order by 16. By the time his early 20's had rolled around, Perez was Cuba's No. 1 at 55 and 60 kilos. Though he medaled twice at the Pan Am Championships (one gold, one bronze), made a world team, and became an Olympian in 2008, domestic competition in Cuba is fierce and he lost his top spot after failing to medal at the 2009 World Championships. He would still wrestle with the national team but his mind drifted towards becoming an MMA champion. Unlike most Cuban fighters, Perez passed on the training opportunities in the Miami area and headed west to California and King's MMA. Under the tutelage of MMA striking genius Cordeiro, Perez developed a style that plays to his strengths nicely. He couples the clinch skills he sharpened in wrestling with the nasty clinch work found in Cordeiro's Muay Thai. Lightning fast and with a vast arsenal of wrestling techniques, Perez employs attacks not often seen in the cage. He is light on his feet and moves with such ease and grace, even when compared to other flyweights. Currently sporting a 6-2 record, Perez is closing in on a UFC contract. Were he to sign with the UFC, his style, credentials, and relationships should afford him ample opportunity to make a splash. These are just a few of the bona fide, world-class wrestlers currently making moves in MMA. Stay tuned to InterMat for the next installments of this list, as Part 2 will feature an Olympic finalist, protégés of both Daniel Cormier and Brock Lesnar, and perhaps the most compelling prospect in MMA history.

Tyrell Fortune (Photo/Bellator) Former collegiate wrestling champ Tyrell Fortune hopes to build on his flawless pro MMA record as he faces an opponent with the same perfect record at Bellator 225 later this month. Fortune, 6-0, will take on fellow undefeated heavyweight (265-pound) Rudy Schaffroth on the main event portion of the card at Bellator 225 on Saturday, Aug. 24 at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. Since launching his pro MMA career in November 2016, Fortune has six fights under his belt ... with four of those victories by TKO. The 29-year-old Portland, Oregon native has fought exclusively for the Bellator promotion. Schaffroth shares the same home state as Fortune … and the same perfect 6-0 record in his pro career. (Prior to going pro in Oct. 2016, Schaffroth was 5-2 in three-and-a-half years as an amateur.) One difference: none of Schaffroth's pro bouts went past the first round ... while Fortune had two bouts go the distance. Fortune vs. Schaffroth is the fourth heavyweight battle currently scheduled for Bellator 225. The top-of-the-card bout also features big men: Matt Mitrione vs. Sergei Kharitonov. Prior to signing with Bellator four years ago this month, Tyrell Fortune had built a successful amateur wrestling career. Fortune was a three-time finalist -- and two-time state champ -- for Lake Ridge High School. Fortune then launched his collegiate career at Clackamas Community College in Oregon, where he won two NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) heavyweight titles. Back in 2010, Fortune had accepted an offer to wrestle at Ohio State, but instead chose Grand Canyon University in Arizona, where he was crowned heavyweight titlist at the 2013 NCAA Division II championships and was also named Division II Wrestler of the Year. Beyond folkstyle success, Fortune had won six national freestyle and Greco-Roman titles.

Bryce Meredith competing at the Dave Schultz Memorial (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) The Princeton Wrestling Club (PWC) and the New Jersey Regional Training Center (NJRTC) announced that two-time NCAA runner-up Bryce Meredith has joined their organizations. "Sometimes, there are things in our lives that reveal themselves that you can't pass up. With me deciding to move to New Jersey and be a part of the NJRTC, it feels like one of those moments," said Meredith. "We are so excited to have Bryce full time at the NJRTC. He is a phenomenal athlete and a great role model to wrestlers around the country," said NJRTC Head Coach Reece Humphrey. Meredith was a two-time NCAA runner-up and three-time All-American for the University of Wyoming. He was second in the 2016 and 2018 NCAA Championships and fourth in 2017 NCAA Championships. He started his college wrestling career at NC State. This year, Meredith started to focus on his international wrestling career, placing third at the 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International and competing at the U.S. Senior Open and other major freestyle events. Before college, Meredith displayed great abilities in the Olympic styles. Wrestling for Wyoming USA Wrestling, he was third in 2013 Junior Nationals and fifth in 2012 Junior Nationals. Meredith was also seventh in 2010 Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman. Meredith joins a strong stable of top international wrestling talent with the NJRTC.

Austin Marsden FARGO, N.D. -- Former Oklahoma State All-American wrestler Austin Marsden has been named assistant wrestling coach at North Dakota State University. NDSU head wrestling coach Roger Kish made the announcement today. Marsden, a native of Crystal Lake, Ill., served as an assistant coach at the University of Buffalo from 2017 to 2019. He helped to develop Bulls' heavyweight Jake Gunning into a NCAA qualifier during his stay. Marsden was a four-year letterwinner at national powerhouse Oklahoma State where he compiled a career-record of 108-22 as a heavyweight with 40 bonus-point wins (19 major decisions, five tech falls and 16 falls). He went 37-8 in duals matches for the Cowboys over his career and was a three-time Big 12 champion. Marsden was an NCAA qualifier all four seasons and was an All-American in 2014 and 2016. Following graduation, Marsden spent the 2016-17 season as a volunteer assistant at Army West Point. He helped lead the Black Knights to a 7-5 dual meet record - their most dual wins since the 2013-14 season. Army West Point had four wrestlers compete at the 2017 NCAA Championships in St. Louis. North Dakota State compiled a 10-6 record overall in 2018-19 including 5-4 in Big 12 Conference duals. NDSU placed eighth at the 2019 Big 12 Conference tournament. The Bison return NCAA qualifiers 133 Cam Sykora, 165 Andrew Fogarty and 174 Lorenzo De La Riva. Fogarty is a two-time Big 12 runner-up at 165 pounds.

CLARKSVILLE, Ark. -- Jason Schweer is returning to University of the Ozarks as the Associate Head Men's Wrestling Coach, it was announced by Athletic Director Jimmy Clark Monday. Jason SchweerSchweer served as an assistant coach at Ozarks from 2015-2018 and then landed the head coaching job at Kansas Wesleyan University. Kansas Wesleyan would later discontinue its wrestling program after just four years of competition, allowing Schweer to return back to Ozarks. Schweer was part of a strong Ozarks' recruiting class that saw the program qualify one wrestler to Nationals. "I'm really excited about having his experience and his familiarity with the program," said head coach LeRoy Gardner. "He already has relationships with this team and has been a big part of our success. Most of our seniors were part of our first recruiting class together so it is definitely special to have him back. There are many aspects to a program that are difficult to understand until you've experienced it as a head coach, so it is priceless that he's sat in the chair. We're excited and looking forward to working together in what is a pivotal year for our wrestling program." A native of Waverly, Iowa, Schweer guided one wrestler to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Nationals last season at Kansas Wesleyan. At Ozarks, he was part of the staff that posted the program's first winning record. Prior to Ozarks, Schweer served as a volunteer assistant coach for two seasons at Grand View University, helping the program to a pair of national championships. In his time there, the program produced 24 national qualifiers, 20 All-Americans and six individual national champions. Schweer wrestled at North Iowa Area Community College for two seasons and then at Grand View, helping the program to the 2012 NAIA national title. As a collegiate student-athlete, he was a two-time NJCAA Academic All-American and a NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athlete. Schweer received his bachelor's degree in sports management from Grand View in 2012. He attended the National Wrestling Coaches Association Leadership Academy in 2019.

Jake Sinkovics WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. -- In preparation for their 2019-2020 campaign, University of the Cumberlands head men's wrestling coach Jordan Countryman announced several changes to his coaching staff. Countryman promoted former graduate assistant Jake Sinkovics to an assistant coach while adding two new graduate assistants to the crew. "I can't wait to get started with this staff," Countryman said. "They're energetic, positive role models and they know what it takes to win at the highest level." Sinkovics was promoted to a full-time assistant role after a brief stint as a graduate assistant. Last year, he helped the Patriots on their way to an undefeated conference season and second-place finish at the Mid-South Conference Championships. "It feels great knowing that I've got people behind me who put their trust in me to take on this responsibility," Sinkovics said. "I'm excited about this year for our team we have a lot of talent and a lot of work ethic, I think we're going to do some great things." Sinkovics graduated from Cumberlands in 2018, highlighting his resume with an NAIA national title in the 133 lbs. weight class to top his undefeated senior season. The four-time NAIA All-American was also a three-time MSC Champion and Freshman of the Year. "We're really happy to move him into a full-time position with the program," Countryman said. "He really loves this program and the team, he's awesome at building relationships with each guy, and he knows how to get the most out of each individual and help them reach their full potential as an athlete." Bringing fresh eyes to the mats, Kegan Calkins will begin his first year as a graduate assistant for Cumberlands. As a three-year starter, Calkins accumulated 44 wins against Division I opponents during his collegiate career at Oregon State. He also was a two-time Fargo All-American in high school, taking a state championship his senior season. "Calkins comes from a very well-respected background and is going to help make an impact right away," Countryman said. Another former Patriot added to the coaching ranks this season under the name Hayden Lee. He joins the staff after two years with Cumberlands as a student, graduating this past May. During his wrestling career with the Patriots, Lee was an NAIA National Champion in the 125 lbs. weight class in 2018 and undefeated against MSC opponents in both seasons. "Lee has a ton of respect and trust with the team already," Countryman said. "He's going to be a very dynamic recruiter, and he'll be a huge asset to our lightweight guys." Cumberlands begins their 2019-2020 campaign on November 2 with the annual Patriot Open.

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Notre Dame College wrestling head coach, Sonny Marchette announced on Monday that his team will be adding Nate Skonieczny as an assistant coach. Nate SkoniecznySkonieczny comes to NDC after spending the past two years coach at the University of Mount Union and Rootstown High School. Last season, as Rootstown High School's co-head coach, his team had a State Champion and five place winners as the team finished as the runner-ups. An assistant coach during the 2017-18 season at Mount Union, Skonieczny helped lead the team finished 10th in the country while boasting an individual National Champion and two All-Americans. "I am very excited to add Nate as a full-time assistant coach," Marchette said. "Nate is going to make a great addition to the NDC wrestling program as he brings in a wealth of knowledge about the sport. He has been part of top pedigree teams, which gives him the ability to coach at a high level. His youth will allow him to practice with our guys and show them techniques up close." Skonieczny was a four-time state placer and two-time state champion for Walsh Jesuit High School. His 186 career wins is the most in Walsh Jesuit history. He went on to wrestle collegiately at Iowa, Kent State and Jamestown Community College. "I've known Nate since he was in youth programs in North Akron," Marchette said. "He competed at Walsh Jesuit High School where I am an alumnus. I have known him and his family for a long time and I am excited to add someone of his caliber to our winning program. It is going to be great for our guys to be exposed to the experience and leadership Nate and [assistant coach] Cory Stainbrook possess. "We are looking forward to a great season."

Elena Pirozhkova at the 2016 Olympic Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Former world champion and two-time United States Olympian Elena Pirozhkova has been selected as the first-ever head coach of the New Jersey City University women's wrestling program. Pirozhkova, 32, one of the most decorated American women in the history of the sport, will have the unique opportunity to develop the first-ever collegiate program in the state of New Jersey or the tri-state area, from the ground floor. Pirozhkova, a 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympian, was crowned the 2012 World Champion. A 2010 and 2014 World silver medalist and a 2013 World bronze medalist, she finished fifth at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. She wrestled for Team USA for 10 years (2007-17), wrapping up her competitive career in 2016-17 ranked No. 1 in the United States at 63 kilograms/138.75 pounds. "Having a women's program at NJCU is very exciting and I'm looking forward to being a part of this momentum in women's wrestling in the NCAA," said Pirozhkova. "NJCU is a great place to build a women's program due to its location and resources. It's exciting to start a new program and be part of history in the making." Shawn Tucker, Director of Athletics and Associate Vice President, added: "This is a great day in the history of New Jersey City University and our athletics program. We have hit a grand slam with the hiring of Elena Pirozhkova as our first-ever women's wrestling coach. Elena is a world champion and an Olympian. She has done it all in the sport of wrestling and is a hero to young women in the sport around the country and the world. Her experience level cannot be understated. Coming on the heels of our historic announcement as the first women's wrestling program in the state of New Jersey, the excitement level is very high. Adding Elena as the leader of this program will only elevate that excitement. NJCU will be a destination for girls from around the country who will want to be coached as a collegian by a true champion, both on the mat and in life." Pirozhkova was a member of Team USA world championship and Olympic teams for nine straight years from 2008-16 and won an eight-time U.S. Open champion (2009-15, 2017). She captured the 2008 and 2010 University World championship, was a four-time Pan American Championships champion and a three-time Golden Grand Prix Finals champion. Pirozhkova was the 2010 USA Wrestling Women's Wrestler of the Year. "Elena Pirozhkova was one of the mainstays on our Senior National Team for a decade," said Terry Steiner, USA Wrestling National Women's Coach. "Elena is a past World champion with five World-level medals to her credit. She earned every bit of those medals. She started as just a normal kid and grew into a great champion for Team USA! There is no doubt in my mind that Elena will have a positive effect on the athletes she is around on a daily basis. I'm excited for Elena and also excited for New Jersey City University and the athletes she is coaching." Kyra Tirana Barry, the Team Leader for USA Wrestling Women's Freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympics noted: "I am thrilled that Elena will be continuing her wrestling career as a collegiate coach in New Jersey. Over the last 10 years, I have watched Elena grow from a young senior team participant into a talented and thoughtful student of all aspects of the sport. She has long supported her peers, mentored up-and-coming athletes and more recently been an active board member guiding Beat the Streets. As women's wrestling moves toward NCAA Emerging Sport status, the sport will be fortunate to have Elena leading a program and contributing to collegiate wrestling's development and success." At NJCU, Pirozhkova will serve as a head coach for the first time. During her competitive career, she has coached for Team New York at the Fargo Junior Nationals and has trained younger girls at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She has also served as an instructor at numerous clinics throughout her competitive years and worked with Beat the Streets as a coach. "Having this program so close to home is an amazing opportunity for me as a coach and for the women on the East Coast," Pirozhkova noted. "I'm excited to build a great, high-level program here in Jersey City." Pirozhkova has been a board member for Beat the Streets New York for nearly two years. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Bridgeport and is currently completing her PhD in Bridgeport's Doctor of Chiropractic program. A native of Greenfield, Massachusetts, she attended Greenfield High School where she was a 2005 ASICS High School All-American Second Team member and the 2005 United States Girls' Wrestling Association (USGWA) national champion. She placed third in the 2003 and 2004 USGWA Nationals. She started wrestling at the age of 13, competing primarily against boys in high school. Born in Russia, she moved to the United States at the age of three. Pirozhkova resides in Jersey City, N.J. with her husband, Alan Vera, an international Greco-Roman wrestling star for Team USA, and formerly the Cuban National Team.

Youssif Hemida battles Amar Dhesi at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club has added former Maryland heavyweight standout Youssif Hemida to its 2019-20 senior-level freestyle roster, the club announced on Monday (Aug. 5). Hemida, a two-time NCAA All-American (2018, '19), will compete internationally in the 125kg/275-pound freestyle weight class. "We look forward to Youssif joining our team and bringing his enthusiasm, motivation and hard work to the mat," said Michigan head coach Sean Bormet. "He is very excited about competing at the international level, and I see a ton of potential in him. He will be a great contributor to our wrestling room. He will add a lot of value to what is already one of the top upperweight rooms in the country." A collegiate standout at Maryland (2016-19), Hemida was a two-time NCAA All-American at heavyweight, claiming eighth place as a junior (2018) and sixth as a senior (2019), and a three-time NCAA qualifier. He was the eighth multi-time All-American in Maryland program history. Hemida was ranked as high as fourth nationally as a senior, posted a 21-9 record and placed third at the Big Ten Championships -- the highest placement for Maryland wrestler at the conference tournament since the Terrapins joined the Big Ten. He was a three-time Terp team captain and compiled an 86-44 career record, including a 51-17 mark over his final two seasons. Hemida also represented the United States at the 2018 U23 World Championships in Bucharest, Romania, where he claimed the freestyle silver medal at 125kg. Originally from Mamaroneck, New York, Hemida will relocate to Ann Arbor this month.

Tyler Berger after a victory over Iowa's Kaleb Young (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Former Huskers Robert Kokesh and Tyler Berger will return to the Nebraska wrestling program in coaching capacities, Nebraska head coach Mark Manning announced Monday. Kokesh will rejoin the wrestling program as an assistant coach, while Berger will be a volunteer assistant. "Robert Kokesh and Tyler Berger are both Huskers through and through," Manning said. "Both had tremendous success as competitors and were successful in the classroom. When I was looking to fill these positions, I sought after guys that were not only natural teachers, but young men that commanded respect and have pride in our Husker program. These guys are part of our culture and will make such a smooth transition for our program to grow and develop." "Robert (Kokesh) will bring his loyalty and work ethic to our program that will have such a positive impact on our athletes," said Manning. "His relentless pursuit of excellence and passion for our Husker program will flow into our team." Most recently, Kokesh spent time as an administrative assistant for the Nebraska wrestling program in 2016. From 2011 to 2015, Kokesh racked up 144 individual wins, which currently ranks second in school history. He earned All-America accolades on three occasions, finishing third at the NCAA Championships in 2013 and 2015, while taking fourth in 2014. Kokesh also won a pair of Big Ten titles in 2014 and 2015. Kokesh was a member of the NWCA All-Academic Team, and he was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. He also spent five semesters on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. A Wagner, South Dakota, native, Kokesh was a three-time South Dakota Class B State Champion (2008-10) and led Wagner High School to team state titles both seasons. He graduated from Nebraska in August of 2015 with a degree in agronomy. "Tyler Berger is a natural coach and will continue to compete on the international level," Manning said. "We're extremely fortunate to have both of these guys joining a strong coaching staff that will seek new heights." Recent graduate and three-time NCAA All-American Tyler Berger will also be rejoining the Husker wrestling program as a volunteer assistant. Berger garnered All-America honors on three occasions, finishing second at the NCAA Championships in 2019, third in 2018 and fifth in 2019. Last season, Berger was a runner-up at both the NCAA Championships and Big Ten Championships. He was voted Nebraska's Best Male Athlete for all sports. Berger wrapped up his collegiate career last season with an overall record of 28-4, bringing his career total to 116-32. Berger earned NWCA All-Academic honors in 2017 and 2018 and was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. He also earned a place on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll on three occasions. The Prineville, Oregon, native was a four-time State Champion at Crook County High School and amassed a career record of 198-3. Berger was the Oregon Athlete of the Year in 2013. He graduated from Nebraska with a degree in psychology last May.

Cain Velasquez Former amateur wrestling titlewinner. Two-time UFC champ. Now Cain Velasquez can add "potential pro wrestling star" to his resume after a successful lucha libre (Mexican pro wrestling) debut at TripleMania XXVll, arguably the biggest annual event for the top pro wrestling organization in Mexico, on Saturday night. "Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez made his pro wrestling debut Saturday at Mexican wrestling's answer to WrestleMania -- and absolutely KILLED it," according to MMAJunkie.com. MMAfighting.com weighed in, adding, "Cain Velasquez surprised just about everyone, except those who had seen him train, pulling out several acrobatic moves in a very successful pro wrestling debut Saturday night." "Velasquez was one of the most intriguing stars of TripleMania, the annual major show of the year for the AAA promotion, the most popular pro wrestling group on Mexican television," MMAfighting.com continued. "The show was at Arena Ciudad in Mexico City, the same venue where Velasquez lost his UFC heavyweight championship to Fabricio Werdum four years earlier." MMAjunkie.com agreed, saying, "After about a year of training, the former UFC champion shined during his debut, and showed off some of his athleticism as well." The former Arizona State wrestler teamed up with All Elite Wrestling star Cody Rhodes and Mexico's most popular pro wrestler, Psycho Clown ... two individuals from legendary pro wrestling families. "Velasquez's team won, as they should have, but that was a foregone conclusion, and reviews were strong," MMAfighting.com continued. "With the exception of Ronda Rousey and Floyd Mayweather in WWE and former NFL star DeAngelo Williams, Velasquez made probably the most impressive debut of a superstar pro athlete in going into pro wrestling in more than a decade." Velasquez, a fan of lucha libre (Mexican pro wrestling), sought to be an authentic luchador -- complete with a black mask -- but did incorporate some of his MMA background to end the match. Velasquez used a kimura on one of his three opponents -- Texano -- to win the match by submission. MMA websites weren't the only ones to be impressed with the former Sun Devil's pro ring debut. "Cain was a great student, not just because he's a great athlete, but because he as a great mind for lucha libre," said Vinnie Massaro, who helped train Velasquez at the Pro Wrestling Revolution school in San Jose, California. "He wants to learn everything and he isn't afraid to go out of his comfort zone." In addition to working with Massaro, Velasquez also spent several days last year training with WWE at its Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. Does this mean that Velasquez is planning to leave the Octagon for a career in the squared circle? He may want to experience the best of both worlds, as he remains under contract with UFC. The 36-year-old Velasquez has compiled a 14-3 record since launching his pro MMA career in December 2006, and 12-3 in UFC bouts. Prior to entering MMA, Cain Velasquez made a name for himself on the wrestling mat. He was a two-time Arizona high school state wrestling champ who started his collegiate career at Iowa Central Community College, where he won the 2002 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) heavyweight title. Velasquez then transferred to Arizona State where he was a 2005 Pac-10 conference champ, then went on to earn NCAA Division I All-America honors by placing fifth at the 2005 NCAAs. He was welcomed into the Arizona State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.

SOFIA, Bulgaria -- The United States failed to advance a wrestler past the quarterfinals in Greco-Roman at the Cadet World Championships for the second consecutive day. Tyler Hannah, competing at 92 kilograms, is the lone wrestler alive for the United States despite losing his only match on Saturday. He fell 10-0 to Russia's Muhammad Evloev, a 2017 Cadet world silver medalist and 2018 Youth Olympic Games bronze medalist. Hannah earned a spot in repechage after Evloev reached the finals. Parker Decker reached the quarterfinals at 60 kilograms before losing 11-1 to Arman Vardanyan of Armenia. Decker opened his tournament with a 9-0 shutout over Arturs Seskens of Latvia. Also getting a win for the United States on Saturday was Jett Strickenberger, who defeated Ou Deng of China 9-0 in his first match. He then lost in the round of 16 to 2018 U15 European bronze medalist Denis Mihai of Romania 13-4. Mason Gehloff (45 kilograms) and Daniel Segura (71 kilograms) dropped their first match and were eliminated in the opening session.

Nearly one year after a former New Jersey high school mat star was gunned down outside his family's home, a jury has found a suspected heroin dealer guilty of the crime Thursday. As InterMat reported late last August, Davontae Randall, a 2015 Paulsboro High School graduate who was a state championships placer as a senior, was found shot outside his mother's home in Paulsboro. Anthony Kille was convicted of aggravated manslaughter and two separate gun charges in Randall's death. Kille shot and killed the 21-year-old Randall in front of family and friends at a cookout to celebrate the family dog's first birthday at his mother's home on Aug. 25, 2018. Kille showed up at the party and fought with Randall before shooting him. The crime appears to have been the culmination of an earlier road-rage incident. Just a few days before the shooting, Kille and Randall had a verbal altercation when they nearly crashed into each other in a nearby community, according to NJ.com. With the guilty verdict, Kille can be sentenced to up to 40 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled to take place Sept. 20. As a wrestler for the Paulsboro Red Raiders, Randall compiled a 110-52 career record… capped off by a sixth-place finish in the heavyweight bracket at the state championships as a senior. For those accomplishments, NJ.com named Randall the Colonial Conference Wrestler of the Year for 2015.

NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. -- Manchester head wrestling coach Kevin Lake has added Jeff Mucha as an assistant coach. Mucha arrives in North Manchester after two successful campaigns at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia. During his two seasons as the graduate assistant coach with the Cardinals, Mucha coached eight NCAA Division II All-Americans, and three National Champions. The Cardinals placed second nationally this past season, and 13th in 2018. Jeff's duties with the Cardinals included coordination of recruitment; WJU produced the No. 4 ranked non-Division 1 recruiting class in the country. Mucha also took a lead role in coordinating academic services for student athletes, which included managing study tables, and assigning student meetings with the academic resource center. No stranger to the Hoosier State, Mucha wrestled for four years at Wabash College. He earned four varsity letters for the Little Giants, who finished in the top 10 in all of NCAA Division III during his wrestling career. Mucha graduated from Wabash with a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 2017. He earned his MBA from Wheeling Jesuit in 2019.

Kyle Snyder with the Olympic gold medal in Rio (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Not long after I laced up my first pair of wrestling shoes in fourth grade, I set the first significant goal in my life. I wanted to be an Olympic gold medalist. Growing up in Iowa in the 1970s and 1980s, every kid wanted to be like Gable. Gable, of course, was the legendary Dan Gable. The 1972 Olympic champion who went on to coach the University of Iowa to 15 NCAA titles. It was Gable who was head coach of the first Olympic Games I recall watching on television. It was 1984 and the U.S. team was stacked with studs. The team featured four of my favorite wrestlers of all-time -- Randy Lewis, Barry Davis, Ed Banach and Lou Banach. They were Gable proteges that had all starred for the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Russians weren't there for the 1984 Olympic Games, but it didn't matter to me. It was amazing seeing Lewis, my favorite Hawkeye, win an Olympic gold medal before the Banach brothers followed suit by striking gold. It also broke my heart to see Barry Davis, another wrestler I idolized, finish with a silver medal. Seeing brothers Dave and Mark Schultz win gold also was inspiring during the 1984 Olympics. Twenty years later, my favorite wrestler of all-time won an Olympic title when Cael Sanderson struck gold in Athens, Greece. Cael was a tremendous wrestler with an entertaining style. He was amazing to watch. He was the ideal wrestler -- an excellent athlete who was driven to be the best. He was very good technically and tactically. He was constantly moving and attacking, and always looking to score points. He wrestled the way you are supposed to. Rulon Gardner's epic 2000 upset of three-time Olympic champion Alexander Karelin of Russia remains one of the biggest Olympic stories in any sport. Gardner followed by winning a world title before earning an Olympic bronze medal in Greco in 2004. There obviously is something very special about an Olympic Games. And with the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, just a year away, the memories have come flooding back from how special this event is to the sport of wrestling. The Olympics are the pinnacle in international wrestling. Winning a world title is a huge accomplishment, and it's very difficult to do, but winning the Olympics is the ultimate. The U.S. has high hopes for 2020 and with good reason. The American freestyle roster is loaded with superstar wrestlers. That impressive list includes Olympic gold medalists Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder along with world champions Kyle Dake, David Taylor and J'den Cox. The strong women's freestyle roster features Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis and world champion Adeline Gray. I've been to the last three Olympic Games and each one has been magical in its own way. When I worked my first Olympic Games, as the communications manager for USA Wrestling in 2008, I was like a kid in a candy store. It was always a dream of mine to go to the Olympics, and to finally make it there was an amazing and unforgettable experience. Watching these elite athletes perform on the sport's biggest stage was nothing short of remarkable. I had been to the World Championships, but the Olympics was a whole different level. The stakes were higher and the amount of attention focused on the Olympics was much greater. Henry Cejudo after winning Olympic gold at the age of 21 in 2008 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) I was fortunate to be on the floor matside when Henry Cejudo stunned many observers by winning the 2008 Olympic Games. He became the youngest U.S. wrestling champion at an Olympics at age 21. Now in his early 30s, Henry has gone on to win two world titles in the Ultimate Fighting Championships. Henry was totally focused during that special day in China, under the tutelage of coach Terry Brands, and he turned in the performance of his life to win the Olympics. He was a gifted wrestler who was very advanced technically for his age. He also was quick and athletic, and was determined to reach his gold-medal goals. Jordan Burroughs with the American flag after winning a gold medal in London (Photo/Larry Slater) Four years later, in London, I was witness to the incredible gold medal run of Jordan Burroughs. The 2011 world champion won an epic semifinal battle over world champion Denis Tsargush of Russia en route to capturing the 2012 Olympic gold medal. Burroughs is a tremendous athlete with a determination and a resolve to match. Nothing rattled the guy. His confidence level was sky-high and nobody was going to stop him. Not even the Queen of England. Burroughs said after winning gold that he would have double-legged her if she was standing in his way. Jake Varner also won gold in London. It was a surprise performance to many as Jake delivered with the biggest day of his superb career. It was overshadowed by the win by Burroughs, but Varner was the best wrestler on the planet the day he won. And he earned that trip to the top of the medal podium. 2016 was another special Olympics for me. I covered the event as a freelancer writer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and had the opportunity to see Helen Maroulis and Kyle Snyder win gold for the U.S. The Maroulis upset over three-time Olympic champion Saori Yoshida of Japan ranks as one of the most memorable scenes that I have witnessed in 30-plus years as a sportswriter. Helen Marouls and Saori Yoshida drop to the mat after their match at the 2016 Olympics (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The scene after the match, where both Maroulis and Yoshida dropped to the mat with their heads down while overcome with emotion, was one of the most powerful you will ever see. It was an incredible achievement by Maroulis. Yoshida was virtually unbeatable on the women's circuit for more than a decade. And Maroulis found a way to knock her off. Her training was focused primarily on beating Yoshida and it paid off for her on the biggest stage. Snyder followed with his own historic moment, becoming the youngest U.S. wrestler to win the Olympics at age 20. The maturity and composure shown by Snyder is like nothing I've ever seen before. It's impressive to watch. The gold-medal moments obviously stand out most from my experiences at the Olympics, but I've seen some awesome moments by other U.S. medal winners as well. Adam Wheeler and Randi Miller had never made a World or Olympic team before 2008, but both wrestlers earned Olympic bronze medals in Beijing. And did it with excellent performances. Neither wrestler was picked to win a medal, but that didn't matter to them. They took advantage of their opportunities. It was awesome to see the joy on the face of Clarissa Chun when she captured an Olympic bronze medal in 2012. Chun had nearly made the 2008 Olympic finals before just falling short of a medal in Beijing. It was a crushing loss for Chun and to see her come back and medal in London definitely was something to see. The huge smile on her face after winning bronze was priceless. And it was great seeing Coleman Scott battle back to win a bronze medal in 2012. He was another wrestler who took advantage of his opportunity. Coleman wrestled a great tournament and it paid off for him. J'den Cox delivered to win a bronze medal in 2016, a few months before starting his senior season at Missouri. He's carried that over with world bronze and gold medals at the start of this Olympic cycle. The high level that Cox has competed at to start his international career needs to be appreciated and applauded. Those wrestlers obviously were shooting for more at the Olympic Games. Nobody sets a goal to win bronze, but winning an Olympic medal certainly means something. And it definitely is better than going home empty-handed. 2020 is going to be an interesting year, that's for sure. The Olympic Trials are always a compelling event and next year's event may be one of the best ever. With only six weight classes now in each style, you will see Olympic and world champions from Team USA battling each other for Olympic spots. You could see Burroughs facing Dake at 74 kilograms or Dake meeting Taylor at 86 kilograms. You could see Cox facing Taylor or moving up to challenge Snyder at 97 kilograms. It is unfortunate there are just six Olympic weight classes now, but that's the reality. The quality of competition at the Olympic Trials next year will be off the charts. No doubt, the 2020 Olympic Games will be something to see. There is never a shortage of compelling storylines when the best wrestlers on the planet gather every four years. It seems like just yesterday when the 2016 Olympics were contested in Rio. It's hard to believe the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are only a year away now. It promises to be a memorable event. I can't wait to see what happens. Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

Sterling Dias with her silver medal from the Cadet World Championships (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) SOFIA, Bulgaria -- A year after winning a bronze medal at the Cadet World Championships, Sterling Dias upgraded her medal. The 15-year-old Dias reached the gold-medal match at 40 kilograms before losing 4-4 on criteria to India's Komal on Friday at the Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. She becomes the third silver medalist for the United States in this year's women's wrestling competition. Cristelle Rodriguez and Skylar Hattendorf finished with silver medals on Thursday. Two other Americans, Kylie Welker and Amit Elor, won bronze medals on Friday. The United States finished third in the women's wrestling team standings with 106 points. Japan won the team title with 195 points and had six champions. China finished second with 127 points. Dias, a Las Vegas native, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the finals after scoring a takedown just over a minute into the match. Komal came back with a takedown in the second period to grab a 2-2 lead on criteria. A short time later, Dias snapped Komal to the mat and scored a takedown to go up 4-2. With 15 seconds left, Komal hit an arm spin and scored a takedown to go ahead on criteria and then held on for the narrow victory. Welker earned a bronze medal at 61 kilograms with a fall in 59 seconds over Cadet Asian silver medalist Laylokhon Sobirova of Uzbekistan. The 15-year-old Wisconsin native fought off a leg attack from Sobirova and scored a takedown. She then used a gut wrench to go up 4-0 before putting Sobirova on her back and securing a fall. Welker's only loss came in the semifinals to eventual champion Nonoka Ozaki of Japan, who did not surrender a point throughout the entire tournament. Amit Elor gets her hand raised after winning a bronze medal (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) Elor cruised to a 10-0 first-period technical superiority in her bronze-medal match against Zaineb Sghaier of Tunisia. Her points came from two four-point throws and a takedown. Like Welker, Elor suffered her only loss of the tournament in the semifinals to the eventual champion. She fell to Japan's Honoka Nakai 3-1 on Thursday. USA posts 3-5 record on opening day of Greco-Roman, Perez remains alive The United States failed to advance a wrestler to the semifinals on the first day of the Greco-Roman competition, but one wrestler, Robert Perez III, remains alive in the competition. He will compete in repechage at 65 kilograms on Saturday. Perez, the nation's No. 1 freshman, opened his tournament by defeating Kristjian Bosnjak of Croatia 8-0. He was then blanked 6-0 in the quarterfinals by Cadet Asian bronze medalist Sheraz Ochilov of Tajikistan. Perez earned a spot in repechage after Ochilov reached the gold-medal match. Cory Land and Tate Picklo also picked up victories but were eliminated in the opening session. Land, competing at 48 kilograms, defeated Berat Keskin of Turkey. He then lost his next match to India's Rupin Rupin 6-1. Tate Picklo went 1-1 at 80 kilograms (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) Picklo, the nation's No. 18 overall junior, dominated Estonia's Robyn Paulberg 8-0 in his first match at 80 kilograms. He was then defeated by Jonni Sarkkinen of Finland 8-4 in his next match. Conor Knopick (55 kilograms) and Braxton Mikesell (110 kilograms) both dropped their first matches and were eliminated in the opening session. Five more Greco-Roman wrestlers will compete for USA on Saturday: Mason Gehloff (45 kilograms), Jett Strickenberger (51 kilograms), Parker Decker (61 kilograms), Daniel Segura (71 kilograms) and Tyler Hannah (92 kilograms).

A look at the medals for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo One year from now -- Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020 -- wrestlers will take to the mat for the first day of competition at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. For seven days -- through Saturday, Aug. 7, 2020 -- wrestlers from around the world will be vying for medals ... and glory. Tokyo will be the host city for the Summer Olympics for the second time in the history of the Modern Olympics (going back to 1896). Back in 1964, Japan's largest city welcomed the world's best amateur athletes for the Olympics 55 years ago. (More about that later.) Looking forward: The 2020 Tokyo Olympics Competition, by the numbers At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, there will be a total of 288 slots for wrestlers in 18 competitions -- six weight-class competitions in men's freestyle, six weight classes in women's freestyle, and six in Greco-Roman. This translates to 16 wrestlers per weight class. The six Olympic men's freestyle weight classes are 57 kilograms/125.4 pounds; 65 kilograms/143 pounds; 74 kilograms/163 pounds; 86 kilograms/183 pounds; 97 kilograms/213 pounds; and 125 kilograms/275 pounds. The six weight classes for women's freestyle wrestling are 50 kilograms/110 pounds; 53 kilograms/116.5 pounds; 57 kilograms/125 pounds; 62 kilograms/136 pounds; 68 kilograms/149.5 pounds; and 75 kilograms/167 pounds. The six Olympic Greco-Roman weight classes: 60 kilograms/132 pounds; 67 kilograms/147 pounds; 76 kilograms/167 pounds; 87 kilograms/191 pounds; 97 kilograms/213 pounds; and 130 kilograms/286 pounds. Fewer wrestlers next year in Tokyo: Why? When you hear that 288 wrestlers will be competing at the 2020 Olympics, that number sounds impressive. But it's significantly fewer than in recent Games. Take the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. There was a total of 344 wrestlers at the Rio Games three years ago. That's a loss of 56 available slots for wrestlers in Tokyo next summer ... which translates to approximately one-fifth fewer wrestlers compared to the last Olympics. What gives? Since the 2016 Rio Games, the International Olympic Committee has revealed a number of new sports for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, including karate, 3-on-3 basketball, BMX freestyle cycling, skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing ... along with the return of baseball/softball, which had been banished from the Olympics a few years ago, only to make a return appearance at the next Summer Olympics. In addition, there will additional competitions added to some existing sports, such as swimming and track ... including some mixed-gender competitions. All that said, it's not as if there will be hundreds of more athletes descending on Tokyo next summer compared to Rio in 2016. In the past decade or so, the IOC has had a goal of approximately 10,500 athletes at each Summer Olympics, with an attempt to have equal numbers of male/female competitors. (The IOC expects women to make up 48.8 per cent of all athletes at the 2020 Olympics.) Why all these changes? It's all an attempt to make the Summer Games more appealing to a wider segment of the population by adding sports designed to attract young, urban athletes and fans ... while offering more competitive opportunities for women. "I am delighted that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will be more youthful, more urban and will include more women," IOC President Thomas Bach said back in June 2017 when some of these new sports were first announced. The 2020 Olympic wrestling competition will be held at Makuhari Messe Wrestling venue and location Wrestlers, coaches and fans at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be spending many hours at Hall A of Makuhari Messe, a huge convention center located in the Mihama-ku ward of Chiba city outside of Tokyo. Built in 1989, the venue is easily accessible by Tokyo's commuter rail system. Makuhari Messe is approximately 25 kilometers east of Olympic Village, and 30 kilometers east of the Olympic Stadium, site of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 2020 Games. Got some downtime? The wrestling venue is conveniently located not far from the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, and to Chiba prefecture's black sand beaches. And, for those who remember the "issues" with some 2016 Olympic venues still being under construction as participants and guests were arriving for the Rio Games ... no such worries for Tokyo, as construction on Olympic Stadium and Olympic Village have long been completed. Day-by-day schedule Back in April of this year, United World Wrestling -- the international governing body for the sport -- revealed the competition schedule for wrestling at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics ... incorporating the two-day format for each weight-class. Greco-Roman competition will take place for the first four days, with men's freestyle starting on Wednesday, Aug. 5 ... and women's freestyle events spread throughout the seven days of wrestling competition. Day 1: Sunday, August 2, 2020 Greco-Roman competition at 60 kilograms/132 pounds and 130 kilograms/286 pounds -- opening rounds through semifinals Women's wrestling at 76 kilograms/167 pounds -- opening rounds through semifinals Day 2: Monday, August 3, 2020 Greco-Roman at 60 kilograms/132 pounds and 130 kilograms/286 pounds -- Repechage; gold and bronze medal matches Women's wrestling at 76 kilograms/167 pounds -- Repechage; gold and bronze medal matches Greco-Roman at 77 kilograms/169 pounds and 97 kilograms/213 pounds -- opening rounds through semifinals Women's wrestling at 68 kilograms/149.5 pounds -- opening rounds through semifinals Day 3: Tuesday, August 4, 2020 Greco-Roman at 77 kilograms/169 pounds and 97 kilograms/213 pounds -- Repechage; gold and bronze medal matches Women's wrestling at 68 kilograms/149.5 pounds -- Repechage; gold and bronze medal matches Greco-Roman at 67 kilograms/147 pounds and 87 kilograms/191 pounds -- opening rounds, quarterfinals and semifinals Women's wrestling at 62 kilograms/136 pounds -- opening rounds through semifinals Day 4: Wednesday, August 5, 2020 Greco-Roman at 67 kilograms/147 pounds and 87 kilograms/191 pounds -- Repechage, gold and bronze medal matches Women's wrestling at 68 kilograms/149.5 pounds -- Repechage; gold and bronze medal matches Freestyle at 57 kilograms/125 pounds and 86 kilograms/189 pounds -- opening rounds through semifinals Women's wrestling at 57 kilograms/135 pounds -- opening rounds through semifinals Day 5: Thursday, August 6, 2020 Freestyle at 57 kilograms/125 pounds and 86 kilograms/189 pounds -- Repechage, gold and bronze medal matches Women's wrestling at 57 kilograms/125 pounds -- Repechage, gold and bronze medal matches Freestyle at 74 kilograms/163 pounds and 125 kilograms/275 pounds -- opening rounds through semifinals Women's wrestling at 53 kilograms/116.5 pounds -- opening rounds through semifinals Day 6: Friday, August 7, 2020 Freestyle at 74 kilograms/163 pounds and 125 kilograms/275 pounds -- Repechage, gold and bronze medal matches Women's wrestling at 53 kilograms/116.5 pounds -- Repechage, gold and bronze medal matches Freestyle at 65 kilograms/143 pounds and 97 kilograms/213 pounds -- opening rounds through semifinals Women's wrestling at 50 kilograms/110 pounds -- opening rounds through semifinals Day 7: Saturday, August 8, 2020 Freestyle at 65 kilograms/143 pounds and 97 kilograms/213 pounds -- Repechage, gold and bronze medal matches Women's wrestling at 50 kilograms/110 pounds -- Repechage, gold and bronze medal matches Here's what United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic had to say about the 2020 Olympic schedule when it was released this past April: "The schedule announced by Tokyo 2020 will help wrestling ensure high attendance for each day of the competition. We saw nice crowds in Brazil and expect that this schedule will help us reach even more fans and create a positive and energetic environment for all our competitors. The stars of women's wrestling will guarantee that interest-level." Watching the clock: a difference in time One challenge for wrestling fans unable to make the trip to the 2020 Olympics who want to keep up with on-the-mat developments as they happen in Japan: the significant time difference between the U.S. and Tokyo. Realize that there is a 13-hour time difference between the Eastern Time Zone and Japan. That means that when it's 4:12 p.m. Thursday in New York, it will be 5:12 a.m. Friday in Tokyo. Looking back: The 1964 Tokyo Olympics Half a century ago, Tokyo played host to the world's top athletes ... as host of the 1964 Summer Olympics. Unlike the 2020 Tokyo Games which are scheduled for August, the 1964 Games took place a bit later on the calendar, with wrestling taking place October 11-19 at Komazawa Gymnasium, a 3,875-seat facility completed in 1962. Wrestling competition at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics featured 275 athletes from 42 countries. All of the wrestlers were men. (Women's wrestling competition did not arrive at the Olympics until the 2004 Athens Games.) There were competitions in men's freestyle and Greco-Roman in eight weight classes each. The U.S. sent sixteen wrestlers to Tokyo -- a full complement of athletes, one per weight class. (Only the Soviet Union had the same number wrestlers.) It was the first time African Americans were on the U.S. Olympic wrestling roster: Bobby Douglas, Charlie Tribble, and Bob Pickens. Here were the results for Team USA at the '64 Games: Freestyle: Gray Simons, 114.5 pounds (fourth place) Dan Auble, 125.5 pounds (fourth place) Bobby Douglas, 138.5 pounds (fourth place) Greg Ruth, 154 pounds (sixth place) Charles Tribble, 171.5 pounds Dan Brand, 191.5 pounds (third place -- bronze medal) Gerry Conine, 213.5 pounds (sixth place) Larry Kristoff, heavyweight Greco-Roman: Dick Wilson, 114.5 pounds Andy Fitch, 125.5 pounds Ron Finley, 138.5 pounds James Burke, 154 pounds Russ Camilleri, 171.5 pounds Wayne Baughman, 191.5 pounds Pat Lovell, 213 pounds Bob Pickens, heavyweight Just one U.S. wrestler earned a medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics: Dan Brand won bronze in freestyle at 191.5 pounds. That was a disappointing difference compared to the 1960 Rome Games, where three freestyle wrestlers on Team USA brought home gold medals: University of Iowa alum Terry McCann, and Oklahoma State wrestlers Shelby Wilson and Doug Blubaugh. One 1964 Olympic gold medalist wrestler with U.S. ties was Yojiro Uetake, who was the champion at 143 pounds for his native Japan at the Tokyo Games ... while he was on roster at Oklahoma State. Uetake was a three-time NCAA and Big 8 champ at 130 pounds for the Cowboys from 1964-1966, with a perfect 57-0 record.

BISMARK, N.D. -- The University of Mary wrestling staff has announced the addition of Colin Ayers and CJ Bostwick to the staff. Ayers will serve as an assistant coach and Bostwick will be an assistant coach and the director of wrestling operations. Colin Ayers"I am very excited to have Colin and CJ joining the coaching staff." stated Head Coach Adam Aho "These two will bring a different dynamic to the program and I am excited to learn from them for the next couple of years." Colin Ayers joins the University of Mary Wrestling Coaching staff fresh off an All-American campaign and a national runner up finish. Ayers, a 2019 graduate of Augustana will join the Marauders coaching staff as a graduate assistant. Ayers brings a tremendous work ethic to the University of Mary, winning the hardest worker award all four years he started at Augie. Additionally he won the most intensity award three times. While wrestling for the Vikings, he attained a 101-51 record, was NSIC all-academic team, and a Myles Brand Distinction Award Winner. A graduate of Watertown-Elysian-Morristown High school, Ayers set school records for wins, technical falls, and takedowns his senior season. "Colin is no stranger to the NSIC and with his wrestling credentials and wrestling experience, Colin's main role will be wrestling development and recruiting." said Head Coach Adam Aho "He is a mat rat and loves working out so I am excited to have Colin in the room pushing the team on a daily basis." CJ Bostwick comes to us from Fort Wayne, IN where he was coaching with the Warrior Elite Wrestling Club this summer. During the 2018-2019 season, CJ was the Head Wrestling Coach at North Side High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. During his time with the Legends he guided them to 11 dual wins, produced one conference champion, and four regional qualifiers. Prior to North Side, he was an Assistant Coach at his alma mater, Bishop Dwenger High School for the 2016-2017 season. During his stint with the Saints, he helped coach and mentor one state qualifier. CJ wrestled at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio from 2013-2016 where he was a two year letter winner and part of the 2014 Ohio Athletic Conference Championship Team. CJ graduated from the University of St. Francis with a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education. He plans to pursue Secondary Administration at UMary. "CJ's role will be an assistant coach with an emphasis on handling all of the wrestling operations of our program." stated Head Coach Adam Aho "He brings some great experience from coaching at the high school level for the past couple of years along with coaching at an elite wrestling club in Indiana. He is very organized and punctual with his work. I am excited to get him on campus." Ayers, Bostwick, and the Marauders will be in action for the first time on November 2 at the Jamestown Open. The Marauders host their home opener against Concordia College on November 7 in the MAC.

Jay Albis with head coach Lonnie Morris (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) PROVIDENCE, RI -- While Jay Albis '19 may have wrapped up his wrestling career on the mat with a second national championship, he will still be a part of the Johnson & Wales University wrestling program. Head coach Lonnie Morris has announced that Albis will join the coaching staff this fall as an assistant. This March, Albis solidified his place in school history when he won his second-straight NCAA title at 125 pounds. A year early he became the school's first NCAA National Champion in any sport. In addition to his two trophies, Albis is JWU's first three-time All-American. Named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2019 NCAA Championships, Albis finished his career as the Wildcats' all-time leader with 152 wins and a 92.12 winning percentage. As a junior he set the single-season record with 48 victories while leading the country in tech falls. The back-to-back NEWA Wrestler of the Year and the most decorated wrestler in NEWA history, Albis collected a trio of regional championships as well as three-straight All-NEWA selections. A native of Fishkill, NY, Albis graduated from Johnson & Wales this spring with a 3.02 grade point average in criminal justice. He earned the NWCA Scholar-Athlete award in 2016.

Like most wrestlers who were on the mats in the 1990's and 2000's I have an outsized, irrational, and deeply personal affection for the band Tool. While I can't guarantee that EVERY other wrestler from the 1990's had the same CD's in their wrestling room, I'm willing to bet a Krispy Kreme that the majority of collegiate wrestlers during that time ripped through an extra minute on the Aerodyne while rocking to 46 & 2. Tool has everything a wrestler would need: power chords, well-articulated angry prose, and some epic cover art. For the fellow fans I'm happy to relay some very good news. Today, after keeping their catalog off any and all digital platforms, Tool will now be on all streaming and download sites. So now instead of assuaging your workplace angst with Kenny G, you can slap in the AirPods and crank up 'Sober' before power doubling Dave in accounting. Ahh, but there is even more great news. After 13 years Tool will also be releasing their newest album on Aug. 30. "Fear Inoculum" will be their first album wince 10,000 Days in 2006. Want to talk about staying power? Tool released their first album "72826" in December 1991. I feel like I've been involved in wrestling for two lifetimes and I only started wrestling in 1995. Anyway, for those that needed this little piece of good news, rock on. To your questions … Adeline Gray raises her arms in triumph after winning at Final X (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: The United States women's freestyle team looks great year after year under Terry Steiner et al., with Helen Maroulis winning world/Olympic titles at three different weights and Adeline Gray's dominance for the 2010s era. The U.S. women's freestylers definitely had some great squads in the '90s (Saunders, Marano, Bacher) and '00s (Chun, Montgomery, Smith) as well. So, who are your all-time women's freestyle greats at today's weight classes? To my knowledge the United States women have only won Worlds once (1999). Are we on track for a 20th anniversary run at the title in Nur-Sultan? Who has to outperform to keep up the United States close with the ever-dominant Japanese? -- Nate H. Foley: All-time team and using today's weight classes is very difficult. I'll just slide people into weights that seem best fitting and make a lineup of who I think are the best. 50: Eri Tosaka (Japan) 53: Helen Maroulis (USA) 55: Saori Yoshida (Japan) 57: Ningning Rong (China) 59: Risako Kawai (Japan) 62: Kaori Icho (Japan) 65: Battsetseg Soronzonbold (Mongolia) 68: Sara Dosho (Japan) 72: Adeline Gray (USA) 76: Erica Wiebe (Canada) The USA women's team is improving faster now than it had been in previous years. There were gains that would plateau for a bit before the next upswing. I think right now the plateau is that we expect at least two world champions and five medalists from the 2019 World Championships. That's a big expectation, but one that seems supported by this year's results. Given that growth I think it's entirely possible that the American women can win a team title before the 2024 Games in Paris. The young girls coming through are winning big matches early in their career and developing new go-to techniques. If they are already challenging during these formative years of their competition imagine what they could accomplish at the peak of their careers? Let us also not discount the huge impact that NCAA wrestling could have on that trajectory. When you factor in those additional people, hours, and the competitions these women could be on an accelerated schedule. Q: Man, I need you to explain freestyle a little bit. I didn't see the match, but I just saw Richard Figueroa lost at the Cadet World Championships after a takedown and couple laces. I think ankle laces and exposure are the dumbest things in freestyle, but that may just be because I don't understand it. I don't see how getting the lace and then rolling around the mat a few times proves any kind of superiority. I could understand if they got two for exposure and then restarted, but a guy doing four rolls and the match ending just seems ridiculous. -- Matt W. Foley: First, I'd ask that you go try to leg lace a top-flight international wrestler and let me know if it is as simple as "rolling round the mat a few times." Freestyle wrestling draws heavily from a variety of traditional styles of wrestling from around the world. The most common examples are like those seen in the USA, Vietnam, India, Turkey, or really anywhere ground wrestling is popular. In each of those styles showing your stomach, or as the Turkish phrase it "exposing umbilicus to the Gods" is cause for losing the bout. Makes sense that if your opponent had a weapon you'd be most vulnerable on your back. Anyway, the idea that exposing your belly would be a cause for points has been around for a long time. As recently as 2012 you couldn't do a move more than one time in a row, but when the sport went through the overhaul in 2013 the recommendation was to simplify the rules and allow for continuous laces and guts. The thinking was that scoring is tough enough and even if someone gets laced out it's actually exciting for fans -- like a knockout punch in boxing. I have to say that I agree with those consultants. When someone gets a gut going, or a leg lace tight I get excited to see if they can close out the match. Also, it is a VERY rare occurrence for them to get the immediate technical superiority. More common is to see two scores back-to-back. Overall, the rule has added to the action since it encourages athletes to wrestle from position to position rather than just get one move and then lay flat on their opponent's back. Also, if leg laces bother you I think you'd have an aneurysm watching someone giving up four points for getting tilted! Q: It seemed like USA had a somewhat disappointing performance in freestyle at the Cadet World Championships based on expectations. One gold medalist, one bronze and fifth place as a team. Did you expect more? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't tend to expect much from the Cadets! I know it can seem otherwise, but the real objective is (or should be) to learn how to compete on this stage and how to have a good time on the mats. And while I would have liked to see a few more medals I've seen some of the monsters these other countries are sending over to these tournaments. It can be a bit much. Team USA does a great job preparing its athletes for success at the senior level and while that training starts in high school the athletes aren't being prepared and peaked for top performance. I'll take the long game and the Olympic titles over the Cadet world championships. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Cover of 46 & 2 Q: In regards of Artur Taymazov being stripped of his medal (and Tervel being rightfully awarded his), I read and understand that samples can be re-tested for 10 years following the event. However, what I don't understand is what causes, if any, does the IOC (or whatever body does the testing) need to have to re-test samples? Can they just do it for any reason, or does there have to be either probable cause, new testing methodology, or some other defined event in order to re-test? -- Vincent M. Foley: The IOC has the prerogative to re-test the samples of suspected athletes if they have new technology to determine new outcomes. The new tests could test for Turnibol in a new way and they chose to review all the athletes in the sports where that was most common, such as wrestling and weightlifting. Q: There's a lot of talk about a potential Ben Askren vs. Demian Maia fight. If that goes down, how do you see it playing out? -- Mike C. Foley: The good news for Ben is that he'll be awake for more than five seconds of the fight! The bad news is that Demian Maia is a land shark who lives for fights that want to end up on the ground. Let's be clear: this matchup kind of sucks for Ben. Best case scenario is that he takes Maia down. Right? That's THE best case for the two-time NCAA champion, right? No. When he gets on the ground Maia is going to take his arm, tear an ACL, or simply choke Askren unconscious. Askren would need to take down Maia and somehow keep him down with strikes without getting close enough for Maia to find a grip. I don't like the chances of Askren being able to maintain that position and distance for 15 minutes. I've had the chance to roll with Maia in the Gi and in NoGi and the man is an absolute terror on the mats. And while Askren's wrestling is superior to mine, my jiu-jitsu is better. We don't strike when we roll, but I can't neutralize Maia with my wrestling. He's smart with his defense and is next-level at finding submissions when he does end up on his back. The man is always hunting for a submission, but he does it maintaining good position. Let's also not forget that for all the talk of ground superiority Maia is also a far better striker that Askren. His standup isn't devastating, but he can cause damage and control the pace and location of the fight with his low leg kicks and straight jabs. Best of luck to Askren. I like what he's been doing for the sport of wrestling, but Maia is not an ideal matchup Q: Is there any update on the transfer status of Kyle Conel? The school year is close to starting and I have not seen any news. -- David B. Foley: Penn State. Or did I miss something? Q: Yianni Diakomihalis is competing in Poland this weekend at the Ziolkowski Memorial. What's the competition like? Do you see him as a medal contender this weekend? -- Mike C. Foley: Usually pretty great competition! Russia is figuring out their situation at 86 kilograms and several other nations are sending top guys for a tune-up before the training camps start for Nur-Sultan. Yianni will get great looks and barring injury, yes, he should medal.

Army Paratrooper Pfc. Brandon Kreischer, a former wrestler at Bryan High School in northwest Ohio, was killed in an ambush in Afghanistan on Monday, one year after his graduation. He was 20. Army Paratrooper Pfc. Brandon KreischerA native of nearby Stryker, Ohio, Private Kreischer was shot and killed in an insider attack at a base in the Shah Wali Kot district, 100 miles north of Kandahar. U.S. officials told the Associated Press that an Afghan soldier had shot and killed two American service members. The other one was 24-year-old Spec. Michael Isaiah Nance of Chicago. "There was never any fear that I detected from him. It was always like, 'I get to do this. I don't have to do this. I get to do this,'" Amy Johnson, Kreischer's former high school social studies teacher told WTVG-TV, the ABC affiliate in Toledo about 50 miles away, who described him as "a patriotic teenager" who was in wrestling, football, track, and choir. In his Bryan High School senior Memory Book, Kreischer wrote: "Throughout my life, I have had one huge goal. That one was to enlist in the Army as an infantryman, and I achieved that goal on April 25, 2017. It was without a doubt the proudest day of my life, ..." " ... I am very proud to be an American. I believe that whatever cause America believes in, I have an obligation to believe in, because I am a patriot. If I die in the combat zone for America, I do not call it a tragedy, I call it a glory." A rifleman, Kreischer had been in the Army since June 2018. His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Basic Parachutist Badge. Kreischer's body was returned Wednesday to the United States, according to the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, N.C. He was stationed there before deploying to Afghanistan less than a month ago. Kreischer leaves behind a wife who is expecting their first son in December 2019. Here is a statement issued by the family: "We would like to thank the entire community for the incredible outpouring of love and support that has been shown for Brandon and for all of us, thus far. This is an extremely difficult time for us as we begin this unfathomable journey of loss. As you can imagine, we are quite overwhelmed and therefore, we would appreciate you respecting our privacy at this time. "Brandon was a remarkable young man, who believed in his Country and had dreams of becoming a soldier for as long as we can remember. We are grateful that he was able to realize that dream if only for a short while, but we will forever mourn the loss of our courageous American soldier. "Our hearts go out to the family of his fellow fallen comrade, Spc Michael Isaiah Nance, for we know that they too, share our pain and grief." What you can do to help WTOL-TV, Toledo's CBS affiliate, shared two ways that others can help support the Kreischers: 1. A Memorial Fund has been opened at Farmers & Merchants State Bank for Brandon Kreischer's wife Grace and their unborn son, Callum. Brandon paid the ultimate sacrifice and will forever be in our hearts. Deposits can be made at any F&M location or mailed to F&M, PO Box 216, Archbold OH 43502- Brandon Kreischer Memorial Fund. 2. Monetary donations can be made through the nonprofit organization Inspired By Grace (Grace Kreischer is a founding member ) PayPal account at https://www.PayPal.Me/WeAreInspiredByGrace indicating that funds are to be directed to Kreischer Family Fund. UPDATE 8/7/19: Funeral arrangements announced Services for Pfc. Kreischer will be held on Friday, Aug. 9 and Saturday, Aug. 10 in the gymnasium at Bryan High School, 1000 W Fountain Grove Drive in Bryan in northwest Ohio. The visitation will be held on Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern with the funeral being held on Saturday at 11 a.m. Doors open at 10 a.m. Graveside services will be private. "The Community of Bryan and Williams County will be mourning our soldier, said Bryan mayor Carrie Schlade in a statement. "The family has graciously allowed communities from within and outside of Williams County to join us in honoring Pfc. Brandon Kreischer, but we all must respect their privacy and give them space during this devastating time."

Alex Clemsen (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Two former Fighting Scot wrestling teammates - Alex Clemsen and Deonte Penn -- are among nine honorees to be named to the Edinboro Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2019, the Pennsylvania-based university announced Wednesday. Edinboro's 38th Annual Hall of Fame Ceremony will take place on Friday, September 27 at 7 p.m. The ceremony moves to the Pogue Center after previously being held in McComb Fieldhouse or Van Houten Dining Hall. "We have decided it would be in the best interests of everyone who wants to partake in the many festivities associated with Homecoming Weekend to split up the dates," said Bruce Baumgartner, former Edinboro Athletic Director and legendary wrestler who is now the school's Hall of Fame chairman. "We like the move to the fall, but now the Hall of Fame will have its own entity. This is another outstanding class of inductees and we look forward to a great day to celebrate their inductions." Two top wrestlers of the 21st century who happened to be teammates are among the 2019 Edinboro Athletics Hall of Fame honorees: Alex Clemsen was a standout on the Edinboro wrestling team from 2002-07 while competing at 184 pounds. Despite battling injuries, he was a four-time national qualifier who earned All-American honors as a senior. He also won one Eastern Wrestling League title and became just the 14th wrestler at the time to win four PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) championships. He was also a three-time place winner at the Southern Scuffle. Clemsen concluded his career with a 121-35 record, currently ranking 14th in career victories. Clemsen earned his bachelor's degree in Finance and Marketing in 2007, graduating with the highest GPA ever by an Edinboro wrestler. Since that time he has embarked on a rising coaching career, serving as an assistant coach at Oregon State, Virginia, and Missouri before being named the head coach at University of Maryland in April 2019. He and his wife Lindsay have two children, Payten and Porter. https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/21844 Deonte Penn also wrestled for Edinboro from 2002-07. He began his career at 149 pounds before eventually moving up to 165 pounds. He was a three-time national qualifier who earned NCAA All-American honors as a junior and senior. In addition, Penn won two Eastern Wrestling League and two PSAC titles. He finished his career with a 114-43 record and set school records for pins in a career with 53, now ranking second. Penn currently resides in Las Vegas, Nev. Along with his wife, Vanessa, and daughters Mariah and Makayla and son Deonte. He completed work on his Bachelor of Arts degree in 2017. He is the Human Resource Director of the family-run business, Visiting Angels Senior Homecare. In addition to Clemsen and Penn, other former Edinboro athletes to be welcomed into the Edinboro Athletics Hall of Fame this fall include former football standouts Chris Amico and Chris Avery; former cross country and track & field standout Gabriela Hnilkova; former volleyball standout Jenna Newman; former swimming standout Gregg Sarbak; and former softball standout Dana Webb. In addition, Ed Mailliard will be inducted as the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

Cristelle Rodriguez claimed a silver medal at the Cadet World Championships (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) SOFIA, Bulgaria -- A pair of American women fell in the finals of the Cadet World Championships on Thursday in Sofia, Bulgaria. Cristelle Rodriguez and Skylar Hattendorf will leave with silver medals after both lost to Japanese wrestlers in the finals. Rodriguez fell 5-2 in the finals at 49 kilograms to Japan's Moe Kiyooka. The 15-year-old Californian trailed 1-0 at the break but came back with a takedown early in the second period to grab a 2-1 lead. Kivooka quickly responded with a takedown of her own to retake the lead. She then added another takedown with 40 seconds remaining. Skylar Hattendorf lost 4-0 in the finals to Japan's Ruka Natami (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) Hattendorf, a 14-year-old from New Hampshire, was blanked 4-0 by Japan's Ruka Natami in the gold-medal match at 57 kilograms. Natami scored a takedown in each of the two periods, the final one coming with 15 seconds left in the match. Sterling Dias gets her hand raised after a semifinal win (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) Dias reaches finals Sterling Dias, a returning world bronze medalist, secured her second straight world medal by reaching the finals at 40 kilograms. She topped Mushtariy Tolipbekova of Uzbekistan 4-1 in the semifinals. Dias scored the first point of the match off the activity clock and led 1-0 at the break. In the second period, Dias scored off a step out to go up 2-0 before Tolipbekova scored a point off a caution for fleeing the hold. Dias came back with another step out to go up 3-1. With short time on the clock, Tolipbekova came close to scoring a takedown, but Dias fought it off and claimed the victory to earn a spot in the finals. Dias opened her day with two straight technical superiorities before her semifinal match against Tolipbekova. She will face 2019 Cadet Asian silver medalist Komal Komal of India for the gold medal. Kylie Welker and Amit Elor reached the semifinals before losing. They will both wrestle for bronze medals on Friday. Welker was dominated by returning world champion Nonoka Ozaki of Japan 10-0 in the semifinals. Ozaki scored eight of her 10 points off four takedowns en route to a first-period technical superiority. Welker had not surrendered a point prior to her semifinal match. She won by fall in 33 seconds in the quarterfinals over Russia's Tatyana Kabanova after opening with an 11-0 technical superiority over Yu Lin Lo of Taipei. Elor dropped her semifinal match to Japan's Honoka Nakai 3-1. The 15-year-old Californian led 1-1 on criteria in the second period before giving up a takedown with 20 seconds left in the match, which proved to be the difference. Elor had a pair of technical superiorities earlier in the day over Ukraine's Karolina Povk and Hungary's Lili Ujfalvi. Sage Mortimer and Adriana Dorado Marin dropped their opening matches. Both were eliminated when the wrestlers who defeated them failed to make the finals. Mortimer, who became the first female to become a Fargo Greco-Roman All-American, fell 10-6 to Canada's Serena DiBenedetto. Dorado Marin lost 12-1 to Alessia Hetmanava of Belarus. Greco-Roman competition gets underway on Friday at the Cadet World Championships with five weight classes being contested. Friday's medal matches are scheduled for 11 a.m. ET.

The InterMat Classic will take place at Edina High School in Edina, Minn., on Oct. 19 Registration is now open for the 2019 InterMat Classic high school wrestling tournament. Links: Register | InterMat Classic Website The 10th edition of this premier preseason event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 19, at Edina High School, 6754 Valley View Road, in Edina, Minn. The InterMat Classic is open to wrestlers in grades 7-12. It offers competition in 15 weight classes -- the 14 standard NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations) weight classes, plus an additional 100-pound weight class. Mark Hall, now a three-time NCAA finalist, was a five-time InterMat Classic champ (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) A history of great competition The InterMat Classic has provided junior and senior high wrestlers with an unbeatable opportunity to test themselves against the best wrestlers from the Midwest ... and beyond, with past champions from all over the United States. Only one wrestler can claim five InterMat Classic titles: Mark Hall, 2017 NCAA champ for Penn State, tallied five straight InterMat Classic crowns as a wrestler at Minnesota's Apple Valley High School from 2011 through 2015. In 2017, Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.) became a four-time InterMat Classic champion. Other notable wrestlers who have participated in the InterMat Classic in the past include: Gable Steveson, Junior/Cadet world champ in freestyle, NCAA All-American Seth Gross, NCAA Division I champion Michael Kroells, NCAA Division I All-American Tommy Thorn, NCAA Division I All-American Mitchell McKee, NCAA Division I All-American Sam Stoll, NCAA Division I All-American Taylor Venz, NCAA Division I All-American Luke Zilverberg, NCAA Division I All-American Jacob Holschlag, NCAA Division I All-American Jake Waste, NCAA Division II champion Lucas Jeske, NCAA Division III champion Mason Manville, U.S. World Team member in Greco-Roman Great wrestling ... for a great cause As in the past, proceeds from the InterMat Classic will go to the Justin Kukowski Foundation, a foundation whose mission is to fund research, development, to provide complementary alternative therapies and psychological support for cancer patients. In addition, it provides scholarships to cancer patients in need. The foundation is named in honor of Justin "JJ" Kukowski, an avid sports fan who passed away from cancer in 2007. Register early and save Registration for the 2019 InterMat Classic opened on Thursday, Aug. 1 ... and extends right up until weigh-ins. However, there is a money-saving, early-bird registration special. The cost is $40 if you register during the month of August, $45 in September and $50 if you register in October. For more information and to register, visit the InterMat Classic Website