InterMat Staff

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

Alex Dieringer gets in on a shot against Kyle Dake in the U.S. Open finals in 2018 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The time and location for the Final X Special-Wrestle-off between Kyle Dake and Alex Dieringer have been announced by USA Wrestling. The two wrestlers will meet in a best-of-three series on Aug. 17, with the start time set for 1 p.m. CT. The Special-Wrestle-off will be held at Round Rock High School in Round Rock, Texas, a suburb of the Austin. There will be a 30-minute break between each match. The winner will represent the United States at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. The 79-kilogram weight class in freestyle will be contested Sept. 21-22. It will be broadcast live on FloWrestling. Tickets are available at the door for $10 (adults) and $5 (youth). Dake received an automatic berth in Final X as a returning world medalist. However, an injury prevented him from competing at Final X on June 8 at Rutgers. He requested a delay in his best-of-three matchup against Dieringer, which was granted because he met all the requirements for a special wrestle-off. Dieringer won the U.S. Open in April and then claimed the title at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament.

Dan Bedoy Dan Bedoy -- former Purdue University wrestler, and, most recently, head coach at Calumet College - has been named head wrestling coach at Andrean High School. Bedoy will be taking the helm at Andrean, a 500-student Roman Catholic high school in Merrillville in northwest Indiana, a natural rival to Bishop Noll, a similarly-sized school in nearby Hammond ... and Bedoy's high school alma mater. The Northwest Indiana Times described Bedoy as "the rare four-tool candidate," citing his being an Indiana state wrestling championships runner-up as a senior at Noll in 2002… an NCAA championships qualifier for Purdue in 2006 ... a collegiate coach at Calumet College of St. Joseph for the past two years ... and, before that, head coach at Griffith High School from 2013-16 ... all within the same part of the Hoosier State. "Having gone through it at a pretty high level, kids seem to be more responsive, knowing that their coach has gone through it," Bedoy said. "It's easier to relate to them, because you were once in their position, and you get to draw on your experiences -- both good and bad. I think my own athletic journey really equipped me to help guide my athletes." Kelly Fitzgerald, Andrean's athletic director, said of her school's new wrestling coach Bedoy, "He's bringing knowledge to the sport of wrestling here at Andrean that we weren't necessarily lacking, but we needed just a little bit more knowledge with the sport and dedication. He's the full package."

Daniel Lewis looks for the fall (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue wrestling head coach Tony Ersland made a splashy hire Wednesday, welcoming four-time NCAA All-American Daniel Lewis into the Boilermaker wrestling room as a graduate assistant. The former Missouri Tiger competed at 165 and 174 pounds over the last four NCAA seasons, graduating as one of the top wrestlers in program history. "It's not every day you have the opportunity to bring a four-time All-American into your room, and we're thrilled to welcome Daniel to our team," said Ersland. "His success on the mat speaks for itself, his abilities in the classroom are even more impressive and I can't wait to get him around our guys." The Blue Springs, Missouri native racked up a career record of 118-17 for the Tigers, earning All-America at 165 pounds as a freshman and sophomore and then at 174 pounds in his final two seasons. He's one of only three four-time All-Americans in Missouri wrestling history, joining Ben Askren and J'den Cox. "I feel blessed to be granted such an amazing opportunity to continue my education and start giving back to the sport that gave me so much," said Lewis. "My glory days of college wrestling are over, but I plan to find success in the lessons and experiences I pass on to my new Boilermaker family." Lewis won four straight Mid-American Conference individual titles, leading Missouri to the team championship in every season and was named the MAC Most Outstanding Wrestler in 2018. Fifty-three of his 118 career wins came by fall (44.9%), good for second-most in Missouri history, and he took home the 2019 Gorarrian Award for recording the most falls at the NCAA Championships. He earned MAC Freshman Wrestler of the Year honors and Missouri's Marshall Esteppe Most Outstanding Freshman award in 2016, finishing 29-6 at 165 pounds and finishing fourth at the NCAA Championships. He followed up with a 28-6 mark in 2017, again at 165, and took sixth at the national tournament. After moving up to 174 pounds as a junior in 2017-18, Lewis reeled off 32 straight victories to start the season, including a flawless 26-0 mark in the regular season and his third straight MAC title. His 17 falls were a team and career high, and he went on to finish fourth at the NCAA Championships. Lewis's senior season brought a similar level of success, posting a 28-3 overall mark with 17 falls, earning his fourth straight MAC crown and another fourth-place effort at the national tournament. He went undefeated in duals over his final two years and finished 25-1 in dual competition for his career. He shared Missouri's Most Outstanding Wrestler honors in each of his last two seasons and was named the University of Missouri Male Athlete of the Year in 2019. Lewis earned his Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering in May of 2019 from Missouri with an emphasis in aerospace engineering and will be pursuing his master's degree in Business Administration from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue. He completed a construction/property management internship with The Kroenke Group in Columbia, Missouri in the summer of 2018, and worked at ProCraft Mechanical in Broomfield, Colorado as a project operations intern in 2019.

Marc-Anthony McGowan celebrates after winning his world title (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) SOFIA, Bulgaria -- For the ninth consecutive year, the United States has a Cadet world champion in freestyle. Marc-Anthony McGowan captured a gold medal at the Cadet World Championships on Wednesday in Sofia, Bulgaria, beating Iran's Ali Firouzjaie 3-1 in the finals at 45 kilograms. McGowan, the nation's No. 2 overall freshman, scored the first point off the activity clock and took a 1-0 lead into the break. With just over a minute remaining in the match, McGowan was placed on the activity clock but was unable to score, giving the Iranian a point. Trailing on criteria, McGowan shot a single leg with just under 30 seconds remaining, which Firouzjaie fended off. McGowan then snapped Firouzjaie to the mat and scored a takedown off a go-behind, which turned out to be the winning points. It was McGowan's third straight come-from-behind victory at the Cadet World Championships. McGowan, who turned 15 years old in May, trailed after the opening period in both his semifinal and quarterfinal matches. He becomes the 15th U.S. wrestler to win a Cadet world title in freestyle since 2011. Alex Facundo won a bronze medal for the second straight year (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) Also winning a medal in freestyle for the United States on Wednesday was Alex Facundo, who claimed his second straight bronze medal at the Cadet World Championships. The 17-year-old Michigan native came back to defeat 2019 Cadet European silver medalist Davit Kutchuashvili of Georgia 5-2 in the bronze-medal match. Kutchuashvili scored a takedown in the first period and led 2-0 at the break. But Facundo scored a lightning-quick takedown off a duck under with 50 seconds remaining. The takedown was challenged and upheld, giving Facundo a 3-2 lead. He then added a second takedown in the closing seconds to win by three. Earlier in the day, Facundo picked up wins over Italy's Francesco Masotti (11-0) and India's Vijay in repechage. The United States freestyle team finished fifth in the team competition. Cristelle Rodriguez gets her hand raised after winning in the semifinals (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) Rodriguez, Hattendorf reach finals in women's wrestling Cristelle Rodriguez and Skylar Hattendorf advanced to the finals for the United States on the opening day of the women's wrestling competition at the Cadet World Championships. Both earned falls in the semifinals. Rodriguez needed just 19 seconds to earn a fall over Yung Hsun Lin of Taipei in her semifinal match at 49 kilograms. She shot a single leg and locked up a standing cradle and drove Lin to her back for the fall. She won by scores of 10-5 and 7-2 in her first two matches of the day. Hattendorf faced Birgul Soltanova of Azerbaijan in the semifinals at 57 kilograms. Soltanova scored the match's first point off a step out. Hattendorf responded with a four-point throw on the edge of the mat just over a minute into the match to take a 4-1 lead. A short time later, Hattendorf countered a shot and tossed Soltanova to her back to secure a fall late in the first period. Both Rodriguez and Hattendorf will face Japanese wrestlers in the finals. Rodriguez meets 2018 U15 Asian champion Moe Kiyooka, while Hattendorf will battle 2018 Cadet Asian silver medalist Ruka Natami. Alexandra Szkotnick and Lillian Freitas lost before the semifinals but remain alive in the competition. They will wrestle in repechage on Wednesday. Szkotnick, a U15 world champion, dropped her first match of the day at 43 kilograms to Nagisa Harada of Japan, 2-0. Harada scored off a step out and activity clock. The Japanese wrestler then went on to reach the finals, keeping Szkotnick alive in the competition. Freitas reached the quarterfinals at 65 kilograms before losing 7-1 to multiple-time world medalist Sonam of India, who then went on to advance to the finals. She edged Mexico's Sandra Menchaca 2-1 in her first match. At 72 kilograms, Kennedy Blades, a Fargo champion in both the 16U and Junior division this summer, picked up a quick fall over Daria Klimovich of Belarus in her first match. She was then beaten by 2018 world silver medalist Julia Fridlund of Sweden 9-5 in the quarterfinals. Blades was eliminated from the tournament when Fridlund lost in the semifinals. The final five women's wrestling weight classes will be contested on Thursday. Sterling Dias (40 kilograms), Sage Mortimer (46 kilograms), Adriana Dorado Marin (53 kilograms), Kylie Welker (61 kilograms) and Amit Elor (69 kilograms) will compete for the United States. Thursday's medal matches are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. ET.

Jody KaramJody Karam has resigned after 26 seasons as head wrestling coach at Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pa. Karam built a record of 362-150-1 at the helm of the Hurricane mat program, making him the winningest head coach of any sport in the Bethlehem Area School District (BASD). While at Liberty, Karam could claim 26 District 11 champions, 18 regional champs, 31 state placers and one state champ: Andrew Gunning, in 2016. For those accomplishments, Karam was named Coach of the Year six times. Here's how Coach Karam announced his plans to leave coaching and concentrate on his real estate career on Twitter: When asked why he was concluding his coaching career, Karam told LehighValleyLive.com, "It's a culmination of things. I have been having thoughts (of resigning) the last three or four years and this was probably the right time to do this." Here's how LehighValleyLive's Brad Wilson described the about-to-retire coach and his wrestlers: "Jody Karam's vision for Liberty High School wrestling never changed -- tough, gritty kids battling ferociously for themselves, their teammates, their school, and their community." "What wrestling teaches is that it can take time to be successful," Karam said. "Kids today are used to immediate gratification; put something on social media and immediately see how many 'likes' it gets. Wrestling's not like that. It takes time and dedication and improvement to become successful, and I enjoy teaching that to kids." Even coaches of competitive programs were impressed. "I really admire what Jody Karam has done at Liberty," said Jon Trenge, newly installed head coach at nearby Parkland High School, his alma mater. "They are tough, they are fighters, they never take injury time. If you let up against a Liberty wrestler for a second, you got beat." BASD superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy said, "Coach Karam built a program that grows young men of character. Sportsmanship, integrity, loyalty and dedication are traits Coach Karam taught and are traits that serve our wrestlers well in their adult lives." A search for Karam's replacement will begin immediately.

Julian Valtierrez Everyone calls him Jules. He moves like water. He's a hardworking and dedicated athlete. But Julian Valtierrez wasn't built for basketball. Or football. Or baseball. He'll be a senior at William Howard Taft High School in Chicago this year where he'll wrestle at 113 pounds. Valtierrez has an impressive resume for someone who only started to wrestle as a freshman; one match away from all-state as a junior and a Fargo qualifier. For all he's accomplished in a short time, imagine what might have been if he'd wrestled sooner. If all of the future Julians in Chicago knew of wrestling at a younger age, had it as an easily accessible opportunity and knew the names of its stars, the sport would have an abundance of riches. While those riches go widely untapped, overall participation numbers for boys in both youth and high school wrestling are down. According to surveys by the National Federation of State High School Associations, participation has dropped in four of the last five years. Based on those same surveys, the sport has lost nearly 24,000 boys in those years for an average of almost 4,800 per year. But it doesn't have to continue that way. The solution to slowing, reversing and then building our youth and high school numbers lies in our most populous areas and that's where Beat the Streets is positioned to spearhead the effort. There are currently eight Beat the Streets programs recognized by our umbrella organization, the newly created Beat the Streets National; Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Cleveland, Boston, Providence and Chicago. The combined population of those eight cities, not including the suburban populations surrounding them, is nearly 18 million people. This is almost as populous as New Mexico, Nebraska, West Virginia, Idaho, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Maine, Montana, Rhode Island, Delaware, South Dakota, North Dakota, Alaska, the District of Columbia, Vermont and Wyoming combined. Historically, wrestling has been dominated by small town heroes and programs. Doug Blubaugh, Dan Gable, John Smith conjure images of small-town kids going on to become global champions. Oklahoma State and Iowa have combined for 57 national team titles. But there are only so many USA memberships that can be sold in Del City, Oklahoma. Chicago has 2.7 million people residing in the city proper. With the help of boosters, coaches, volunteers and contributors, Beat the Streets Chicago is poised to grow by leaps and bounds with the hope that the declining numbers in Illinois rebound beyond the previous high. A tiny glimpse of that success can be seen in the nearly 500 more IL/USAW memberships in Chicago in 2018-2019 than in the previous year. It's not just in Chicago where change is slowly taking shape. Support organization Beat the Streets National added four accredited programs this year throughout the country's most populous cities. That means nearly 115,000 young people now have wrestling opportunities they didn't have before. New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles are leading the way through leadership, arduous work, and significant resources. The goal for BTS National Executive Director Jeffrey Marsh is to reach more kids and to make the organizations in individual cities into difference makers. That difference making is sorely needed, not just for the sport, but for the young people who would benefit from the lessons wrestling teaches, arguably better than any other discipline. A reminder of the need came at the annual Beat the Streets Chicago gala in June. Just blocks from the fundraiser someone shot four people. We heard the gunfire loud and clear. It was an audible, painful and very real call to action. The gunfire underscored the importance wrestling can play in the lives of Chicago's youth. It's why we are doing what we do. Julian Valtierrez But the wrestling community can do more. More to grow resources and organizations in places that are not traditional wrestling strongholds, but where there is wealth of young people who are in desperate need of distraction, direction and discipline. Wrestling needs our cities and our cities need wrestling. Join the movement. Make a difference. Jules and the young men like him are our future. Mike Powell is Executive Director of BTS Chicago. Caryn Ward is a BTS Chicago advisory board member.

Harry Lester walks out on to the mat for a match at the 2012 Olympic Games in London (Photo/Larry Slater) Harry Lester, 2012 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler and two-time world medalist, was indicted by the Summit County Grand Jury on six criminal charges Monday, reported WOIO-TV, the CBS affiliate in Cleveland. Lester was indicted on three charges of sexual battery -- a third-degree felony -- and three charges of failure to comply with underage alcohol laws -- an unclassified misdemeanor -- by a grand jury in the county where he has served as head wrestling coach at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron for three years. He was put on unpaid leave by the school in mid-April 2019, and was fired in early May, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer Monday. Akron police have said Lester, 35, had a sexual relationship with a female student for approximately one year, ending in April 2019. The victim was 18 years old at the start of the relationship. As InterMat reported, Lester turned himself in to the Summit County Jail on July 4 but has been out on bond. Lester is expected to be arraigned on Friday, Aug. 2. An Akron native, Lester had been an eight-time U.S. World Team member. In addition to being a 2012 Olympian and Pan American Games champion, among Lester's other Greco-Roman wrestling career highlights: Two-time world bronze medalist (2006, 2007), six-time U.S. Open champion, 2005 World University Games bronze medalist, and 1999 Cadet world champion.

Marc-Anthony McGowan reached the finals at 45 kilograms (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) SOFIA, Bulgaria -- The United States has its first finalist at the Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. Marc-Anthony McGowan, the nation's No. 2 overall freshman, advanced to the gold-medal match at 45 kilograms on Tuesday with a come-from-behind victory in the semifinals over Cadet European bronze medalist Tolga Ozbek of Turkey. Trailing 2-0 in the second period, McGowan fired off a lightning quick single leg and scored a takedown to take a 2-2 criteria lead with 90 seconds remaining. No points would be scored the rest of the way, giving McGowan the victory. It was McGowan's second consecutive come-from-behind win. In the quarterfinals against Armenia's Edik Harutyunyan, McGowan trailed 3-1 late in the match before getting a takedown and gut wrench to claim a 5-3 victory. He opened his tournament with a 7-2 win over 2019 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Suraj Annikeri of India. He will face Cadet Asian gold medalist Ali Arab Firouzjaei of Iran in the finals. McGowan was the lone wrestler to reach the finals on the second day of freestyle competition. America's two returning world medalists, Richard Figueroa and Alex Facundo, both lost before the semifinals. Figueroa, a world silver medalist last year, dropped his opening match at 51 kilograms to Japan's Ato Maruyama. After Maruyama scored a takedown just over a minute into the match, he used a lace to turn Figueroa four times and claim a 10-0 technical superiority. Maruyama dropped his next match to Russia's Mukhamed Khaniev, eliminating Figueroa from the tournament. Facundo, a 2018 world bronze medalist, went 1-1 at 71 kilograms in Tuesday's opening session, but remains alive in repechage. After opening with a 9-0 win over Shokhrukh Juraev of Uzbekistan, Facundo was edged in his quarterfinal match by Russia's Soslan Tigiev, 5-4. Tigiev led 5-1 with 45 seconds remaining before Facundo mounted late rally -- scoring a takedown and a point off a caution -- but fell short. He earned a chance to wrestle back for a bronze medal after Tigiev reached the finals. Jesse Mendez and Kyle Haas each picked up a win but were eliminated from the tournament in Tuesday's opening session. Mendez, a Cadet Pan American champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, reached the quarterfinals at 60 kilograms before losing to Farhad Karimli of Azerbaijan. Karimli scored the first point off the activity clock and led 1-0 at the break. But Karimli pulled away in the second period, scoring three takedowns to win by seven. Mendez was eliminated when Karimli lost by technical superiority in the semifinals to Iran's Erfan Elahi. Mendez started his tournament by getting a first-period fall over Osama Abdellattif of Egypt. Haas fell in the quarterfinals to Bekzat Tazhi of Kazakhstan 6-5. Tazhi was then shut out in the semifinals by Russia's Zagid Karimov, which eliminated Haas from the tournament. Haas rolled to a 10-0 technical superiority over Er Hurilebate of China in his first match. Stevo Poulin gets a takedown on Japan's Yuto Nishiuchi in the bronze-medal match (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) Poulin, Howard fall drop bronze-medal matches Stevo Poulin and Robert Howard dropped semifinal matches on Monday, which placed them in bronze-medal matches on Tuesday. Both wrestlers lost their bronze-medal matches to Japanese wrestlers after leading early. Poulin faced Japan's Yuto Nishiuchi in the bronze-medal match at 48 kilograms. The two-time New York state champion raced out to a 6-0 lead after scoring two takedowns and a gut wrench in the opening period. Nishiuchi turned the tables in the second period. With 35 seconds left, the Japanese werstler took the lead on criteria with a lace and then added another takedown with 15 seconds remaining to win 8-6. Howard, a Penn State commit, looked strong early in his bronze-medal match at 55 kilograms match against Japan's Riku Sugunama. He picked up two takedowns in the first minute to go up 4-0 before giving up a two-point exposure late in the first period. USA challenged the call, which was confirmed, giving the Japanese wrestler an additional point. With just over a minute remaining, Sugunama scored a point off a step out to make the score 4-4, but Howard still led on criteria. With 50 seconds left, Sugunama picked up another point off a step out to take a 5-4. He then held on for the victory. Earlier on Tuesday, Clayton Ulrey wrestled in repechage at 80 kilograms and lost 13-0 to Rakhim Magomadov of France. Ulrev had two victories on Monday before losing in the quarterfinals to Russia's Arslan Bagaev. He finished the tournament with a 2-2 record. The women's wrestling competition gets underway on Wednesday at 3:30 a.m. ET with five Americans competing. Wednesday's medal matches in freestyle are slated for 11 a.m. ET.

The Wrestling Drill Book by Dr. Bill Welker has found its way onto the shelves of thousands of school libraries, wrestling coaches' offices and homes of high school wrestlers. Now this classic instructional has earned a place on a national book awards list. Bill Welker with his books (Photo/Kim North)The second edition of Welker's book has been named winner in the Sports Non-Fiction category by the 2019 Independent Press Awards Program judges which include independent publishers, writers, editors and professional copywriters. "Wrestling has been a major part of my life for over 60 years, and I have been writing about the sport since 1974," Welker told the Wheeling (W.Va.) Intelligencer, the newspaper serving the community he now calls home, where he has coached and served as a mat official. "The first edition of my drill book was published in 2005 and was so well received that my publishing company, Human Kinetics Publishers of Champaign, Ill., commissioned me to write a second edition of the bestseller in 2012." Both editions of The Wrestling Drill Book have sold 31,000 copies nationwide. According to Welker, his book is ranked third in sales of all wrestling books that Human Kinetics has published since 1974, behind two books authorized by Dan Gable. "Not bad company to keep," Welker told the Wheeling paper. Welker -- a native of Pennsylvania -- has authored two other books: The Sparrow's Spirit , his memoir published in 2016 ... and his first novel, A Wrestler's Curse, published just this month.

Henry 'Harry' Turner, Jr., the Director of Recruiting and Player Development at Rutgers University, has been selected as the first-ever head coach of the New Jersey City University men's wrestling program, following a comprehensive national search. Turner, 28, a native of Howell, N.J. and current resident of Belmar, will have the unique opportunity to build the program from scratch. NJCU made the groundbreaking announcement on May 1 that it would introduce the first new men's wrestling program in the state of New Jersey since 1997 and launch the first-ever women's wrestling program in the Garden State and the tri-state area. The head coach of the women's program will be named later this summer. Harry Tuner coached at Buffalo from 2015-2017"I am absolutely thrilled to have the honor of being chosen to lead New Jersey City University's men's wrestling program," said Turner. "Creating another exceptional collegiate opportunity within the thriving New Jersey wrestling ecosystem is a dream come true for me. I'd like to thank Athletic Director Shawn Tucker, search committee head Ira Thor, and the rest of NJCU's leadership for creating this program and entrusting me with the responsibility of preparing student-athletes for lifelong success. I'd also be remiss if I didn't thank Scott Goodale and the Rutgers Wrestling staff for countless lessons that I'll take with me into this new venture. Finally, I'd like to thank my family and support system, without whom I would have never made it this far in my profession. I'm looking forward to starting the journey of building a national power right here in Jersey City." Shawn Tucker, Director of Athletics and Associate Vice President, added: "Today is a great day for NJCU and the wrestling community at-large! Harry comes from a phenomenal coaching tree and has been a part of established programs that know how to build successful and sustainable wrestling programs. NJCU Wrestling is poised for long-term success benefiting from the deep talent pool of wrestlers in the tri-state area and more importantly, excellent leadership from Coach Turner. With Harry's strong ties at the club, high school and collegiate levels, we look forward to taking strides each year until we crown a national champion!" Ira Thor, chair of the men's wrestling search committee and NJCU's Director of Athletic Communications and Marketing said: "We had an extremely deep pool of candidates for this position. New men's wrestling programs in the state of New Jersey are a rare occurrence and as you can imagine there was interest in this position from across the country. Ultimately, Coach Turner's passion for this position, his extensive recruiting ties to New Jersey and the region and his vision for how he would build this program, allowed him to rise to the top of an impressive list of potential coaches. His work at Rutgers helped build the Scarlet Knights into a Top 10 program in Division I and we anticipate Coach Turner will help build the NJCU men's program into an elite program in the years to come." Turner spent two seasons at Rutgers under the leadership of renown head coach Scott Goodale, following stops at Buffalo and Lock Haven, with success at each destination. Goodale noted: "Jersey City is getting a really good one here in Harry Turner to start and lead their program. Harry has paid his dues and worked really hard to earn this position to lead a college wrestling program. For the last two years he has worked side-by-side with our staff in recruiting, fundraising, fan experience, and travel and that experience that will suit him so well going forward. He has Big Ten experience and was a major part of our historic record-setting season of 2019 and our No. 4 recruiting class. The state of New Jersey will have another very successful college wrestling program very shortly and the wrestling community should be very excited about that!" From July 2017 to August 2018, Turner served as an assistant coach with the Scarlet Knight Wrestling Club/NJ Regional Olympic Training Center in New Brunswick, NJ. There he contributed to the planning, oversight, and implementation of the training schedule and participated in regular training sessions with team members. He also played a vital role in recruiting operations for Rutgers Wrestling including the identification of over 500 prospective student-athletes and maintenance of recruiting databases and he gained experience working with the Rutgers Wrestling Director of Operations in gameday and on campus recruiting operations, marketing and working with the compliance office. His success in that role led to his promotion to Director of Recruiting and Player Development in August 2018 where he oversaw all recruiting efforts for the Scarlet Knights, maintaining weekly contact with 15 or more high-priority recruits per season. He oversaw the recruiting efforts for the No. 4 ranked recruiting class in the country this year according to FloWrestling. Turner was responsible for monitoring the academic, athletic and social well-being of Rutgers' 10-man freshman class in 2018 and his focus on academics, including study hall supervision, contributed to the program's first 3.0 team GPA in several seasons. He served as the staff liaison to the Scarlet Knights Wrestling Club Board of Trustees, gaining valuable experience in fundraising, digital marketing and web content development. Turner's first high-profile Division I coaching position came as the assistant wrestling coach at the State University of New York at Buffalo from November 2015 through May 2017, working with head coach John Stutzman. There he planned, oversaw and implemented training and technique sessions for Buffalo's 30-man roster. At Buffalo he also managed the program's social media platforms and promotional efforts and acted as the Development Events Coordinator for all alumni socials, awards banquets, clinics, and camps while facilitating alumni and donor stewardship and cultivation. Turner also was responsible for maintaining all financial, insurance, and member information while operating the Bulls Wrestling Club and Regional Olympic Training Center. His efforts as the team's academic liaison saw the overall team GPA rise from 2.799 to 2.952 in just two years. Turner was heavily involved in the Bulls' recruiting efforts which received a 2016 FloWrestling Top Recruiting Classes Honorable mention distinction. Turner's introduction to collegiate coaching came at his alma mater, Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, Pa. where he served as assistant coach for two seasons (August 2013 to May 2015) under coach Scott Moore, following the conclusion of his athletic career. He served as the Director of Mat-Town USA Wrestling Club in Lock Haven for one year beginning in May, 2014, helping to reactivate five dormant teams. A 2014 graduate of Lock Haven with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education while minoring in Coaching, he was a four-year starter in the 285-pound weight class for the Bald Eagles' Division I program. He concluded his NCAA career with 91 collegiate victories, winning the 2010 PSAC championship. A 2008 graduate of Howell High School in Monmouth County in the powerhouse Shore Conference, he nearly won a state championship on the mat for the Rebels, finishing as the 2008 NJSIAA state runner-up at 285 pounds. He was a National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) All-American at 215 pounds and a FILA All-American in Greco-Roman in the same weight class.

A.J. Schopp and Tony Ersland coaching at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue wrestling head coach Tony Ersland announced the promotions of a pair of staff members Tuesday, promoting A.J. Schopp to head assistant and Jake Sueflohn to an assistant coaching position. The assistant coaching pair has played a key role in the development of the Boilermakers' lower and middle weights over the past few seasons and aim to increase that influence in their new positions on the staff. Schopp enters his third season with the Boilermakers, making considerable impact on the lower weights and their successes on the mat. Luke Welch blossomed in his senior year under Schopp, placing fourth at the Big Ten Championships at 125 pounds and qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the first time. Welch rolled up 32 victories in his final campaign, including 14 major decisions, earning the No. 14 seed at the national championships and finishing one-win shy of All-America status. Graduating senior Ben Thornton also saw his production increase under Schopp's tutelage, qualifying for two straight NCAA Championships at 133 pounds. He topped the 20-win mark in each season, including 27 as a junior, and made massive gains on the mat, where he exceeded his career-best mark for back points by 60 in his final season, rolling up 86 on the year. Some of Schopp's new duties will include more in-depth involvement with recruiting and practice planning, in addition to wrestling development and fund raising. "We knew we were getting a great wrestler and someone who would help us make huge gains in the room when we brought A.J. to West Lafayette," said Ersland. "What's been even better about A.J.'s presence is what he's brought to our group in their mentality and preparation. Our guys are getting that first-hand experience of a championship-caliber competitor, both on and off the mat." After three seasons as a volunteer assistant with the Boilermakers, Sueflohn was elevated to a full-time assistant in June. After being recruiting by Ersland to Nebraska from Watertown, Wisconsin out of high school, Sueflohn joined his coach again in West Lafayette after a standout career with the Huskers. The four-time NCAA Championship qualifier piled up 109 college wins, placing at the Big Ten Championships in all four seasons, including runner-up finishes at the conference championships in 2013 and 2014. His time in the Boilermaker room has already proved fruitful for Ersland, playing a hand in the development of current Purdue standouts Nate Limmex and Griffin Parriott. Sueflohn has helped Limmex to a pair of NCAA qualifying spots at 141 pounds and saw Parriott reach his first NCAA Championships in 2019 at 157 pounds. Parriott knocked off a pair of higher-seeded opponents in No. 14 seed Zach Hartman of Bucknell and No. 13 seed Jarrett Jacques of Missouri, coming up only two wins short of All-America status. "It's been amazing to watch Jake grow and develop as a coach," said Ersland. "We're looking forward to his increased influence in our program and wrestling room, and his continued advancement as a coach." In addition to his new roles with recruiting and coaching in his new position, Sueflohn will also assist with the Boilermakers' time management plan and practice planning.

Robert Howard reached the semifinals before losing to Iran's Mahdi Veisi (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) SOFIA, Bulgaria -- Stevo Poulin and Robert Howard reached the semifinals of the Cadet World Championships on Monday before falling to Iranians. Poulin, the nation's No. 12 overall junior, was defeated in the semifinals at 48 kilograms by returning Cadet world champion Rahman Amouzadkhalili, 12-0. The Iranain used three takedowns and a step out to build a 7-0 lead at the break. In the second period, Amouzadkhalili scored with a step out before shooting a single leg and scoring four points to close out the technical superiority. Earlier in the day Poulin edged Armenia's Harutyun Hovhannisyan, a Cadet European silver medalist, 8-7, in the quarterfinals. He opened his tournament with a 10-0 technical superiority over 2019 Cadet Asian silver medalist Nurdaulet Bazarbayev of Kazakhstan. Howard, the nation's No. 11 senior and a Penn State commit, dropped his semifinal match at 55 kilograms to Iran's Mahdi Veisi, a two-time Cadet Asian bronze medalist, 8-6. Howard got on the scoreboard first with a takedown. Veisi responded with a takedown and added a step out to go up 3-2 at the break. The Iranian went up 8-2 in the second period after scoring with a takedown, gut wrench and step out. Howard, though, made things interesting late. He scored a takedown with 45 seconds left, which made the score 8-4 in favor of Veisi. Then with eight seconds left in the match, Howard used a front headlock roll to score two points and put Veisi in danger, but the American would fall short. Howard reached the semifinals with a pair of 6-3 victories first over Norik Harutyunyan Armenia and then Ruhan Rasim of Bulgaria in the quarterfinals. It's Howard's third straight year competing at the Cadet World Championships. Poulin and Howard will wrestle for bronze medals on Tuesday, with the round scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. ET. Clayton Ulrey will compete in repechage for a chance to wrestle for a bronze medal. Ulrey, the nation's No. 60 senior, reached the quarterfinals at 80 kilograms before falling to Arslan Bagaev of Russia 10-0. He was pulled into repechage after Bagaev reached the finals. Ulrey notched wins over 2019 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Bekzat Amangali of Kazakhstan (4-4) and 2017 U15 European bronze medalist Farid Jabbarov of Azerbaijan (12-0). Ryan Sokol and Hunter Catka were eliminated on the opening day. Sokol, the nation's No. 10 junior and Iowa commit, dominated Moldova's Ionut Vintila 10-0 in his opening match at 65 kilograms. He then lost 12-0 in his next match to 2019 Cadet European Championships bronze winner and European Youth Olympic Festival bronze medalist Davit Patsinahsvili of Georgia. Sokol was eliminated from the tournament when Patsinahsvili lost in the semifinals. Catka, a Virginia Tech commit, lost his first match at 110 kilograms to Turkey's Adil Misirci 7-4. His competition ended when Misirci dropped his next match. Five more U.S. freestyle wrestlers will open their competition on Tuesday at the Cadet World Championships starting at 3:30 a.m. ET. Those wrestlers include Marc-Anthony McGowan (45 kilograms), Richard Figueroa (51 kilograms), Jesse Mendez (60 kilograms), Alex Facundo (71 kilograms) and Kyle Haas (92 kilograms).

Seven individuals have been named to the Class of 2019 by the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Rick Bollenbach, Mitch Brown, Greg Evans, Todd Goolsby, Tony May and Malcolm Wade have been selected for their Lifetime Service to Wrestling, an award presented each year to coaches, officials and contributors who have given at least 20 years of service to wrestling. In addition, Nick Mauldin will receive the Medal of Courage, given to former wrestlers who have been highly successful and have used the disciplines learned in wrestling in their chosen profession. Lifetime Service to Wrestling honorees for 2019: Rick Bollenbach was a four-year letterman and two-year starter at University of Central Oklahoma, winning the 142-pound NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) national championship in 1985. He started his coaching career the following year as head coach at Edmond North Junior High School… then, after six seasons, went to Edmond Memorial High School as an assistant before starting the program at Edmond North High School in 1993. Bollenbach was the Oklahoma Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the year in 2001-02. A number of his wrestlers earned NCAA All-American honors; two -- Teyon Ware and Kyle Evans -- won national titles. Mitch Brown, an Oklahoma high school state champ in 1982, started his coaching career in 1988 as youth coach at Mustang, Okla., guiding his teams to four state titles and claiming 30 individual champions. He was also an assistant coach at Mustang and El Reno high schools, where he coached 10 team state champs and 53 individual champs. Brown earned Oklahoma Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year honors seven times and was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Assistant Coach of the Year in 1998. What's more, Brown also served as a high school and college official. Greg Evans wrestled in high school and college in New Jersey, putting together a 102-12-1 career record at Upsala College and earning All-America honors in 1981. He came to Oklahoma in 1994 as assistant coach at Broken Arrow High School and played a key role in leading the Tigers to nine dual and state tournament titles during an 11-year tenure. Evans then went to Tulsa Union High School and helped the Redskins capture nine district titles and three state championships. He moved to his current role as assistant coach at Bixby High School in 2014. Evans has helped coach 35 individual state champions, including one four-time winner and seven three-time champs. Todd Goolsby wrestled at Del City High School and graduated from Central Oklahoma in 1995 before beginning a 20-year coaching career as assistant coach at Jarman Middle School, then served as head coach at Del Crest Middle School for a decade. Goolsby also was an assistant coach at his high school alma mater 2005-11 then an assistant at Choctaw High School from 2011-15 before moving to the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association. He serves as assistant director of the OSSAA and is in charge of administering wrestling, volleyball and soccer. Goolsby is also on the education committee of the National Federation of State High School Coaches Association. Tony May was a wrestler at Derby (Kan.) High School, then spent a year competing at Kansas State before the Wildcats eliminated wrestling in the early 1970s… forcing him to finish his mat career at University of Central Oklahoma. He returned to Derby to launch his wrestling coaching career as assistant coach in 1987… then, in 1990, took over as head wrestling and golf coach at Southeast High School in Wichita. May spent nine seasons there, earning Kansas Wrestling Coach of the Year honors in 1996, then returned to Derby as assistant coach for two more years before retiring from coaching. In addition, May served as a high school wrestling official in Oklahoma for 16 years before retiring in 2019. Malcolm Wade graduated from University of Oklahoma in 1971 after competing for Midwest City High in the mid-1960s. He coached at Carl Albert High from 1980-98, guiding the Titans to six district championships, four regional titles and back-to-back state crowns in 1991 and '92, earning Class 4A Coach of the Year honors both seasons. Overall, Wade coached 11 state champions and eight All-Staters. Wade, who passed away in 2014, is now honored by having his name on the Carl Albert Malcolm Wade Tournament. In addition, Nick Mauldin will be presented with the Medal of Courage. After winning an Oklahoma state title at Shawnee High in 1986, Mauldin continued his wrestling career at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he was a two-time EIWA champion (automatically qualifying for the NCAA championships) and named Outstanding Wrestler at the 1990 EIWAs. He also compiled a 110-29-5 record for Army. Prior to retiring as an Army colonel in 2017, Mauldin had been presented with a number of honors, including the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the National Defense Service medal, the Iraq Campaign medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service medal. The seven new honorees will be inducted during a banquet set for Sunday, Oct. 13 at what was formerly the Jim Thorpe Museum and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame at 4040 North Lincoln in Oklahoma City. A reception begins at 3 p.m., with dinner at 4 p.m. and the induction ceremony at 5 p.m. Reservations are $55 per person and can be purchased online at www.ok-nwhof.ticketleap.com or by contacting Howard Seay at c4dcowboys@aol.com or (918) 639-8868.

Mount Olive, N.C. -- Mount Olive head wrestling coach Jake Patacsil announced the addition of Luke Welch as an assistant coach on Wednesday afternoon. The announcement comes just months before the Trojans take to the mat for their inaugural wrestling season at Mount Olive. "I am excited to announce that Luke Welch has accepted the opportunity to join the UMO family as the assistant wrestling coach for the 2019-2020 season," said head coach Jake Patacsil. "He brings with him a wealth of knowledge wrestling at the 125lb weight class for Purdue for the last five years while leading the team. Luke is dedicated to athletic excellence with an emphasis on academic achievement. Bringing in a young coach who is eager to learn and succeed is what I was looking for in a candidate and I know Luke will help take UMO to the next level in our upcoming years. It is an exciting time to be starting a program and Luke is the right guy to help bring us into the future." Welch comes to Mount Olive after completing his collegiate wrestling career at Purdue in 2018 with a 32-11 season and a strong performance at the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships. At the 2018 Championships, Welch won his opening bout only to drop in the second round to No. 3 Spencer Lee of Iowa. He continued on in the wrestle backs winning a pair of matches before falling one round shy of the All-American rounds. Welch's overall career record came in at 93-64 between the 125 and 133-pound weight classes. He was the 2017 USA Wrestling University Nationals 57 kg national champion, a two-time USA Wrestling University Nationals All-American (2015, 2017), a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2015, 2018), and ranks 18th on Purdue's career takedowns list (227). Welch's family has a deep history in the sport of wrestling. He joined his older twin brothers, Chad and Doug, on the mat for the Boilermakers while wrestling at Purdue from 2013-2018. Their father Curt and uncles Tim and Bart also wrestled collegiately, competing at the University of Indianapolis through the late 70's, 80's, and early 90's. Recently, Welch was an assistant wrestling coach at Castle High School in Newburgh, Indiana, where he helped the Knights to a fourth consecutive sectional team championship title which also included nine individual champions. The Trojans kick off their season in early November as they travel to the Hokie Open in Blacksburg, Va. Coach Patacsil, Coach Welch, and the team host the inaugural match at Kornegay Arena on November 24 in a tri-meet with UNC Pembroke, St. Andrews, and West Liberty. Fans can are encouraged to check back frequently for updates regarding the Wrestling team and can also follow the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

We should all be lucky enough to have a neighbor like A.J. Grant. The former University of Michigan NCAA All-American wrestler helped Atlanta area police catch a man accused of stealing a neighbor's lawn equipment this week. Grant was washing dishes Monday evening when his dog started barking. Looking out the window, the Wolverine wrestling alum noticed the door of his neighbor's shed was open ... then saw a man come out with a lawnmower and trimmers. "I came through the gate, as I came this way I noticed there was a U-Haul parked over [there]," Grant told the Fox TV affiliate in Atlanta Thursday. "The window was down, so I came in threw it in park and tried to get the keys out." Grant said the driver punched him in the head. Meanwhile, the man who reportedly took the lawn equipment out of the neighbor's shed took off running ... with Grant hot on his heels. The Michigan mat star caught the suspect and pinned him to the ground until police arrived. That suspect has been charged with burglary and criminal trespass. The person driving the U-Haul got away with trimmers. The lawnmower was recovered and returned to its owner. Grant was rather modest about his helping to collar the suspected thief. "I guess it's part of being neighbors really," Grant told the Fox reporter. "I mean, he's in here stealing things from people and I just wanted to make sure he got in trouble for what he did." News of Grant's heroics made it back to his native Michigan, where it was covered by the Detroit News. According to the paper, Grant is a native of Clarkston, Mich., and a 1999 graduate of Clarkston High, where won back-to-back Michigan state titles in 1998 and 1999. While at Michigan, Grant wrestled at 125 pounds, where he earned NCAA All-American honors in 2001 and 2003 by placing fourth at Nationals. The four-time letterman was also a finalist at the 2003 Big Ten conference championships. All those high school and college mat accomplishments aside, wrestling fans have to admire Grant for calling on those athletic skills to take down the alleged thief.

Women's wrestling has taken yet another step toward officially becoming an emerging sport in all three NCAA divisions. In separate actions this week, the NCAA Division II and Division III Management Councils each recommended that their divisions add women's wrestling (along with acrobatics/tumbling) to their list of emerging sports for women. These decisions are based on a recommendation from the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics, which oversees the emerging sports program with the goal of increasing participation opportunities for female athletes. The Presidents Council of each division will review the proposal at its meeting next month. If each Council supports the recommendation, Division II and Division III members will vote on whether to add women's wrestling and acrobatics/tumbling to their emerging sports lists at the 2020 NCAA Convention. Both women's wrestling and acrobatics/tumbling are on similar tracks in NCAA Division I. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics pointed to women's wrestling's rapid growth at the high school and college level -- as well as the diversity of its participants, among other factors -- as reasons to add it to the emerging sports list. The purpose of the emerging sports list is to provide a fast track for eligible women's sports to become full-fledged NCAA championship events. The NCAA currently has three emerging sports: equestrian, rugby and triathlon. NCAA rules require that emerging sports must gain championship status within 10 years or show steady progress toward that goal to remain on the list.

Komeil Ghasemi gets a front headlock on Tervel Dlagnev at the Olympics (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland -- The IOC Disciplinary Commission (DC) rendered its decision against Artur Taymazov (UZB) who failed a reanalysis of his anti-doping test at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Taymazov tested positive for the prohibited substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (oral turinabol). The Uzbek wrestler had earned a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at 120 kilograms and his removal will re-shuffle the order of medalists at the 2012 London Games. Komeil Ghasemi (Iran) will become the new gold medalist, Bilyal Makhov (Russia) remains silver, and Tervel Dlagnev (USA) will be the newest bronze medalist. Gold: Komeil Ghasemi (Iran) Silver: Bilyal Makhov (Russia) Bronze: Tervel Dlagnev (USA) Bronze: Daulet Shabanbay (Kazakhstan) Taymazov may opt to appeal the IOC DC decision before CAS within 21 days. United World Wrestling will then determine the sanctions faced by the athlete.

Former Ohio State mat star Lance Palmer stopped Luis Rafael Laurentino in the third round of their 145-pound bout at PFL (Professional Fight League) 5: 2019 Regular Season in Atlantic City Thursday night. Lance Palmer"Lance Palmer once again proved he's the gold standard in PFL's featherweight division," asserted MMAnews.com. "… Palmer had his way in the grappling department, but he wasn't content with riding out another unanimous decision. Instead, Palmer pummeled his opponent on the ground for a TKO victory." Here's how CageSidePress.com set the scene for the fight: "Lance Palmer has long been a PFL mainstay, and a WSOF standout well before that. In the league's opening season, Palmer captured the featherweight title, and the million-dollar prize. For the PFL's 2019 season he was back, looking to repeat as champion. The next step in that quest came at PFL 5 2019, against Luis Rafael Laurentino on Thursday." "Not surprisingly, Palmer landed a takedown early in the fight," CageSidePress continued. "But Laurentino had the BJJ you'd expect from a high-level Brazilian fighter. Palmer had to contend with a number of dangers, including a gogoplata attempt. However, he'd stay in control for the bulk of the round…" "A missed head kick early in round three gave Palmer the window he needed to get a takedown. This time, he passed guard almost immediately to get into side control. Laurentino rolled to all fours, giving Palmer back control, then full mount. The blows started raining down from ‘The Party' and Laurentino had no escape. As Palmer flatted out Laurentino, who had rolled to his stomach, the fight was stopped." Putting it in official terms, Lance "the Party" Palmer scored a TKO over Luis Rafael Laurentino at 2:45 in Round 3. With the win, the former Buckeye is now 19-3 in his pro career launched in May 2011. Perhaps more important, the 31-year-old Palmer will return to the PFL featherweight playoffs again, having won the first two rounds this season. Palmer won the first-season tournament, taking home the $1 million grand prize. Prior to entering MMA, Lance Palmer was a four-time Ohio high school state champion wrestler (and the subject of a documentary titled "Pinned."). At Ohio State, Palmer was a four-time NCAA All-American and Big Ten champion.

Bubba Jenkins, 2011 NCAA wrestling champ for Arizona State, retained his BRAVE featherweight (145-pound) title with a first-round TKO at BRAVE CF 24 in London Thursday night. Bubba JenkinsHere's how the website LowKickMMA.com described Jenkins' title defense: "The main event was a short-lived affair with BRAVE featherweight champion Bubba Jenkins demolishing Brazil's Lucas Martins with less than three minutes gone on the clock. Jenkins started the fight with a flying knee before locking in the take-down. Once the fight hit the ground, Jenkins quickly wore Martins down before unleashing several heavy shots which caused the contest to be brought to a halt." "It was an impressive performance from the American who cemented his position as the featherweight to beat in the BRAVE CF division," according to BloodyElbow.com. BRAVE CF 24 was held at Copper Box Arena in London ... under highly unusual circumstances for a professional mixed martial event, requiring guests to wear formal attire and possess an invitation. "Influencers, celebrities and politicians watched on at the black tie, invite-only show where it was hoped that networking would help elevate MMA on the continent going forward," according to Bloody Elbow. "Only time will tell if that was indeed the case ..." With the win, the 31-year-old Jenkins is now 14-4 in his pro MMA career going back to December 2011, including a multi-year stint in Bellator MMA. Jenkins announced his intention of entering MMA just minutes after winning the 157-pound title by pinning former Penn State teammate David Taylor at the 2011 NCAAAs. Jenkins had wrestled for the Nittany Lions before having a falling out with head coach Cael Sanderson and transferring to Arizona State to complete his college mat career.

According to online sources, the arbitration date for Yianni Diakomihalis' complaint has been set for July 29. The complaint surrounds Yianni's dispute following the video review at the end of his second match against Zain Retherford at Final X in New Jersey. The review, which happened after time had expired, determined that in the final scramble the points were in Retherford's favor. The change of outcome led coach Rob Koll to file grievances with the USOC and trigger the date for an arbitration hearing. There isn't much more to say on the topic that hasn't already been written, except to reiterate that processing competition claims through the courts is extremely disappointing. The wrestling community should be better than to take their grievances off the mats as it establishes a precedent that costs money, time, and the proper focus and preparation of athletes. Also, I think that the complaint being made here is in bad faith, and meant to upend the result by any means necessary rather than accept an unpalatable decision by the refereeing body. I enjoy Yianni's wrestling and know he would enjoy a great chance to medal at the World Championships. But … he lost the match in New Jersey and that outcome should not be revisited by a room full of suits two months after the fact. The focus of USA Wrestling and the starting 10 should be on Nur-Sultan and the impact it will have on the chances for Team USA to win a multitude of medals in Tokyo. As a side note, Yianni's complaint would seem weightier if the USA used Japan's Olympic qualification system. That system states that any returning world medalist is automatically Team Japan's representative at the Summer Games. I don't think it changes my stance, but it would charge up a touch more sympathy. To your questions … Q: Why doesn't international wrestling use a true repechage or wrestleback system where it's double elimination? Many wrestlers travel many miles and spend a lot of money only to be able to wrestle one match if they lose in the first round of a tourney and their opponent doesn't advance to the finals. The current system doesn't necessarily show who the top six wrestlers are in that particular tourney; there's a lot left to chance based on each wrestler's draw. I understand that the current system allows for a greater chance of diversity in the country's medalists and streamlines the tourney but I would still prefer a system where the top six wrestlers on that particular day(s) compete for the medals. -- Craig T. Foley: The regulations were changed last year to force any bracket with fewer than 10 wrestlers to be competed in round-robin (nordic) style in part to ensure that the athletes were getting a large number of matches. Unfortunately, there are still larger tournaments where some of the first wrestlers to lose don't have an opportunity in repechage. However slight of a compensation it might be to some of the wrestlers or concerned fans, there are almost always large camps before these tournaments. Others have camps that follow. Perhaps no country does a better job than India to capitalize on those training opportunities. Their women and men often spend several weeks visiting countries after competition, much like we saw with Bajrang staying in NYC after BTS. For the reasons you stated, I doubt we'll see a big change in the way the tournaments are laid out but know that this has been a concern and that local organizers have done well to answer the call and provide more value for those traveling to events. Also, UWW does support some of the athletes you might be worried are spending extra money, as does Olympic solidarity. It's a big complex system, but there is a lot of financial and educational support for developing nations and athletes. Artur Taymazov Q: Artur Taymazov has long been in the conversation for greatest freestyle wrestlers ever. Now that he has two of his three Olympic gold medals stripped, where do you put him? Top five? Top 10? Outside the top 10? -- Mike C. Foley: Good riddance. In my personal opinion he ranks nowhere. While he may have the gifts to be a top-level competitor, I think that failing the two re-tests for which he was eligible to be re-tested (taken four years apart) all but proves that there were more instances of doping. The most recent test failure is still subject to an appeal, which Taymazov has planned to execute. The decision should be done in about a month. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Erica Wiebe: On the Shoulders of Giants Teaser: Cadet Worlds Q: Prior to the Yasar Dogu, did you think about the possibility of Frank Chamizo forfeiting in the finals? It seemed like a lot of people were upset, but I can't blame him for doing it. -- Mike C. Foley: No, it really hadn't crossed my mind that anyone would forfeit. Once they arrived, Chamizo and Burroughs' rankings for the World Championships were already pretty set as long as they both placed at the event. If for some reason Chamizo hadn't entered or hadn't placed in the top five then Burroughs could have jumped him. Nobody likes seeing a forfeit, but this is a long season and Chamizo competed in several Ranking Series tournaments across the world. The World Championships and ticket to Tokyo 2020 are Chamizo's main goals and I don't really think it was awful that he stayed focused on those goals considering the risk of injury he might face against Burroughs. I can tell you that there was no regulation imagined for this situation, partly because nobody knew (thought plenty had hoped) the Ranking Series would be embraced as it has been. While they may change the regulations in the future please remember that you can hardly make someone wrestle who doesn't want to compete. Are we to estimate and legislate how they feel? Can UWW tell Chamizo he's not hurt, or otherwise incapacitated? No. What can and should happen is the creation of financial incentives for these tournaments. Again, we are in the infant stages for these events, but the hope is that in future years more money will be available. Q: Have you heard anything about USA Wrestling's Olympic Trials Qualifier in December? Any idea where it's going to be held? I have not seen any details beyond that it's in December. -- Mike C. Foley: From what I understand the Olympic Trials Qualifier will be in Las Vegas and the procedures are posted online. A note that although these are technically in 2019 they will serve as the U.S. Open for 2020.

At any given time in the MMA world, one needn't look very far to find some high-level amateur wrestlers plying their trades. Whether it be the wrestling coaches behind the fighters or the fighters themselves, an absolute ton of former wrestling stars have moseyed on over to the MMA scene over the years. For crossover fans of both MMA and wrestling (collegiate wrestling in particular), there is a lot of interesting activity currently going on in and around the cage. Just last week NCAA legend Ed Ruth and two-time Division I national qualifier Urijah Faber got back to winning inside the Bellator and UFC cages respectively. Next week, Professional Fighters League hosts an event featuring four-time NCAA Division I All-American Lance Palmer, NJCAA and Division III All-American Chris Wade, NJCAA and Division II All-American Andre Harrison, and Division I wrestlers Alex Gilpin and Ramsey Nijem. Oh, and for a little bonus, the card also features several Russian fighters who hail from the Caucasus region of the greatest wrestling country on Earth. Needless to say, these guys can wrestle. This is not a particularly unique stretch of MMA events in terms of wrestling talent. MMA has drawn all types of top-notch wrestlers over the years. We have seen world-class wrestlers inconspicuously enter MMA, we have seen Olympians go on to become all-time MMA greats, we have seen top wrestlers enter MMA and fall short, and we've seen everything in between. Considering the wrestlers-turned fighters mentioned above all did the bulk of their wrestling in the NCAA, in the upcoming piece we will rank the 10 best NCAA champs-turned MMA fighters. 10A. Mark Munoz Two guys will share the 10 spot on this list, the first is former Oklahoma State Cowboy Mark Munoz. After completing an absolutely fantastic wrestling career and doing a little wrestling coaching, Munoz entered the world of MMA in 2007. A two-time Division I All-American, one-time national champion with a very strong list of freestyle credentials, "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" started strong in his MMA career and he had relationships (see the aforementioned Faber and a few Oklahoma State buddies) that served him well. Munoz climbed the MMA ladder quickly, needing just five fights to go from the California regionals, to the UFC-owned WEC, and ultimately to the UFC where he would finish his career. He had a very solid run in the UFC over seven years and 15 fights. Fighting in the UFC almost entirely at 185 pounds save for his debut where he was KO'd by the same guy he shares this spot on the list with, Munoz would come to be known as a grinding wrestler with great size, violent ground-and-pound, and a stout right hand. Munoz amassed a 9-6 UFC record which included five strong wins over fellow NCAA Division I wrestlers. In addition to opening one of the most popular training centers in MMA with his Reign Training Center, most would agree that the highlight of Munoz' career was coming within one win of a UFC title shot. Munoz retired in May 2015. 10B. Matt Hamill Holding the distinction of being the only three-time NCAA national champion on this list, Matt Hamill is also the only one on the list without the ability to hear, being born completely deaf. Hamill grew up in Ohio where he was a standout wrestler, placing as high as third in the high school state tournament. After high school "The Hammer" received scholarship money to wrestle for Purdue University in the Big Ten, but the lack of accommodations for the deaf made it a tough time. After a year at Purdue, Hamill wound up finishing out his eligibility wrestling in Division III at Rochester Institute of Technology, also home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Free from distractions and undue challenges, he won the NCAAs all three years at the Upstate New York school, going undefeated as a senior. Hamill first popped up on the MMA radar as a participant on the third season of the UFC's reality show/tournament, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). Under the tutelage of fellow wrestler Tito Ortiz, Hamill was pegged as a favorite to win the tournament despite his lack of experience. Although he won his first fight rather impressively, he had to bow out of the tournament due to injury. Regardless, he found his way into the UFC where he became a mainstay for the next six years, fighting a who's who of 205-pound talent while tallying a 10-5 record in the promotion. At his best, he was a dominating wrestler, dangerous on top, with a brutal, bullying clinch game. He used this style to score wins over five Division I wrestlers, including two national champions and a two-time national finalist. He exited the UFC in 2013 and has fought sporadically since. 9. Muhammed Lawal Texas native Muhammed Lawal, aka King Mo, is only one of two on this list who didn't begin wrestling until high school. Despite the late start he managed to win a state title as a high school senior before moving on to wrestle for the University of Central Oklahoma (NCAA Division II) where he was a two-time national finalist, one-time national champ. This impressive underclassman campaign justified moving north to Stillwater where Mo would finish out his collegiate career in Division I at the famous Oklahoma State University. There Lawal secured a third-place finish and All-America honors before graduating and embarking on a very successful senior level freestyle career. Shortly after failing to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Mo hooked up with Dan Henderson's Team Quest to begin MMA training. Less than two months later he was debuting in Japan against former NJCAA All-American and 65-fight MMA veteran, the always-tough Travis Wiuff. The result was impressive, as Mo dispatched the much more experienced foe in the first round with solid boxing. Over the course of his career Mo would use his wrestling to great effect, using it directly to win fights or using the takedown threat to create striking opportunities. His fantastic athleticism and power made him dangerous from everywhere and he was a potent finisher (14 KO's). Before it was all said and done, the recently retired Lawal won 21 of 31 fights, defeated two fellow DI wrestlers (one a national champ), fought for 11 years, and captured three prestigious titles. 8. Kevin Randleman "The Monster" Kevin Randleman is almost universally regarded as the most impressive athletic specimen to ever wrestle or fight. Randleman was born and raised in Ohio where he went 122-11 and won state's as a high school wrestler. He attended Division I powerhouse Ohio State University, where despite completing one of the finest careers in Buckeye history, some might say that Randleman underachieved! Going into his senior season a two-time national champ, three-time finalist, he lost the entire season of eligibility by failing to put up sufficiently good grades. Two years later, coach and mentor Mark Coleman offered a trip to Brazil to take part in what was then known as "no holds barred" fighting, or "Vale Tudo" in Brazil. From the very moment he entered the cage, his massive potential was apparent. He fought his first eight fights in Brazil before signing with the UFC. In the octagon he established himself as a top fighter when he captured and defended the UFC heavyweight title. Randleman also spent many years fighting in Japan where his physique, fighting style, and talent made him a fan favorite and contender. Injuries and time caused Randleman to slow down as he aged but he finished his career fighting in major shows in the USA and Japan and was always a tough out. At his best, Randleman was a dynamic, dominant wrestler with many takedowns in his repertoire and considerable power in his hands. Unfortunately, Randleman passed away of a heart attack in 2016, but his legacy as a supremely talented, gifted, tough, durable, exciting fighter is completely secure. 7. Mark Coleman One of the very first world-class wrestlers to enter MMA, Mark Coleman accomplished much on the mat. On the strength of a strong high school run that saw him win a state title, Coleman wrestled in college in the NCAA's Division I. Attending Miami University (located in Ohio) and eventually Ohio State, he established himself as one of the best 190-pound wrestlers in the country. After two All-American seasons, one of them yielding a national title, Coleman moved on to a very successful run in international freestyle wrestling before moving on to MMA. For the first six fights of his career, Coleman was largely considered unbeatable, and his two UFC tournament wins and capturing of the heavyweight title supported this. His ground-and-pound, size, wrestling, strength, aggression, and the sheer amount of violence he dished out was unprecedented, and he most-definitely pushed the sport to a new level. Opponents eventually figured out "The Hammer's" style and he took his share of losses, but his early UFC dominance and winning of Pride Fighting Championship's open-weight tournament made him a legend. Racking up impressive wins over two fellow DI wrestlers along the way, Coleman finished his career in the UFC with a loss to fellow wrestler and living legend Randy Couture in 2010. Ben Askren warming up before his Beat the Streets matchup against Jordan Burroughs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 6. Ben Askren Two-time Wisconsin high school state champ and blue-chip NCAA recruit, "Funky" Ben Askren could've wrestled anywhere, but ultimately chose to attend the University of Missouri. Though not generally regarded as a wresting powerhouse, it would be tough to criticize Askren's choice with a straight face, considering he accomplished one of the more brilliant careers in NCAA history. A four-time national finalist and two-time national champ, he was a prolific pinner and scrambler who wound up twice receiving collegiate wrestling's highest honor when he was awarded the Dan Hodge Trophy. Askren wrestled freestyle at a very high level during and after college but moved to MMA after competing at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Askren's MMA career thus far has been impressive as its been unique. After a brief and dominant run in the smaller shows, Askren signed with Bellator MMA where he needed just six months to capture their welterweight title. Though dominant, Askren's fights with Bellator were widely regarded as boring. His wrestling and control-oriented style though undeniably effective, even against the three DI wrestlers he defeated, was met with abounding criticism. Even after turning up the intensity and finishing a few very tough opponents, Askren garnered few additional fans and thus, when it was time to leave Bellator, he was snubbed by the UFC and not offered a contract. Undeterred, Askren proceeded to spend 3.5 years in Asia, fighting and winning in One FC, becoming their 185-pound titleholder. It was only after Askren seemingly retired that he was given a shot in the UFC where he's gone 1-1 and established himself as a viable draw for the company. Phil Davis 5. Phil Davis As one of only 4 four-time DI All-Americans on this list, Pennsylvania native and all-state high school wrestler Phil Davis enjoyed a wonderful NCAA wrestling career as a Penn State Nittany Lion. With two of his All-American seasons seeing him land in the national finals, and one of them netting a national title, "Mr. Wonderful" proved that his was a fitting moniker. About six months after wrapping up his collegiate wrestling career, Davis began an MMA career that impressed from the start. Needing just four fights to reach the UFC, Davis started his tenure by impressively defeating several highly regard fighters. His wrestling style blended effortlessly with submission grappling, and his size and athleticism presented many problems for opponents. Seemingly on the fast track to a UFC title shot, Davis eventually stumbled and suffered a tough loss to a more experienced foe in fellow DI wrestler Rashad Evans. He rebounded and resumed his winning ways, ultimately spending the vast majority of his UFC tenure in the top 10 of the rankings. Davis left the UFC in 2015, moving to Bellator MMA where he won (and then lost) their 205-pound title. A fighter who has defeated three fellow DI wrestlers, Davis is still active and never far from the title picture. 4. Josh Koscheck Like the man who appeared on this list before him, Koscheck was also an all-state high school wrestler in Pennsylvania who went on the wrestle for a Division I college in his home state. Also like Mr. Wonderful, Koscheck was a four-time DI All-American, two-time national finalist, one-time national champ. It was a phenomenal collegiate career in which Koscheck sharpened his reputation as a tough, confrontational, controversial fighter; a reputation that would rightfully follow him to MMA. Koscheck fought just two times on the regional MMA scene before appearing on the inaugural season of UFC reality show/tournament, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). What followed his time on TV was a brilliant and exciting UFC career that lasted a decade. He improved rapidly, thanks largely to his new home gym, American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), and his rapid, dramatic improvements from fight to fight made for some very rough nights for opponents. Once he had them scared to death of his wrestling, he revealed a hellacious right hand and nasty chokes that were even more devastating. These strengths are what propelled Koscheck to a UFC title shot and two No. 1 contender fights. It was a stellar career in which he defeated three DI wrestlers and a NJCAA national champ, but eventually father time caught up to Koscheck and he closed out his career in 2017 with six straight losses. 3. Brock Lesnar Before becoming an international pro wresting superstar, Brock Lesnar was among the best amateur wrestlers in his home state of South Dakota. A strong high school career that saw Lesnar place as high as third in the state championships preceded his entry into collegiate wrestling, first in junior college, then in Division I. He was very successful, notching All-America placings all four years, winning an NJCAA title as a sophomore and NCAA DI title as a senior. Lesnar's physique, athletic gifts, and demeanor scored him an offer from the WWE right out of college, so for the time being, his competitive days were over, but he left pro wrestling in 2007 and began shopping his services around to the big MMA shows in the USA and Japan. The first company to bite was Japanese kickboxing and MMA powerhouse, K-1. Initially matched up with the enormous South Korean fighter Hong Man Choi, Lesnar debuted in the K-1 ring June of 2007 in Los Angeles against Olympic judo silver medalist Min-Soo Kim. Though raw and unpolished, Lesnar's potential was on full display. He won impressively, and it was announced just four months later during a pay-per view broadcast that Lesnar had signed with the UFC. Lesnar's UFC run was special. Though he suffered three losses against six wins (one win later changed to a no-contest), Lesnar absolutely left his mark on the MMA world by winning the UFC heavyweight title and becoming the biggest pay-per view draw the sport had ever seen. Retiring from MMA for the third time just a few months ago, Lesnar defeated fellow DI wrestler Randy Couture and fellow NCAA super-heavyweight national champ (D II) Shane Carwin during his UFC career. 2. Kamaru Usman Nigerian born Texan Kamaru Usman began his wresting journey as a sophomore in high school. Improving every year, Usman went from a strong high school run, to qualifying for NAIA Nationals, to becoming a three-time All-American, two-time national finalist, one-time national champion on one of the best teams in the NCAA's Division II. During his time in collegiate wrestling Usman was noted for his immense physical strength, even against Division I opposition he faced at tournaments like the Midlands Championships. Coming to MMA initially as a training partner and wrestling coach, Usman's imposing build, wrestling, and time spent training top fighters meant he entered his fighting career with quite a bit of buzz. He was even named the top welterweight prospect by a major MMA website in 2015. Aside from an early submission loss (almost a rite of passage for converted wrestlers) he didn't disappoint, as he proceeded to rack up dominant wins. He learned from the loss and resumed winning, entering the UFC in summer 2015 by way of winning The Ultimate Fighter tournament. He has been matched up with very tough opposition for the entirety of his ascension through the UFC ranks. Rising to each new challenge, he impressed greatly on his way to winning the welterweight title in impressive fashion from former NCAA DI All-American Tyron Woodley. Still improving, Usman is an outstanding fighter who can do it all. He is a huge welterweight with heavy hands, and his strength, wrestling, and athleticism make him a nightmare matchup for just about any style. Johny Hendricks 1. Johny Hendricks Oklahoma native Johny Hendricks' high school career has been considered by at least one highly respected wrestling news outlet to be among the 20 most impressive in modern history. Winning three high school state titles and becoming a four-time Fargo All-American is extremely impressive. It was a sign of things to come and when Hendricks wrestled for the most successful DI program in history, Oklahoma State, he continued to impress. A four-time All-American, three-time national finalist, two-time national champ, Hendricks was also a notorious instigator in college. His skills and personality landed him a unique opportunity post-college, and USA Wrestling was more than a little bummed to lose such a strong competitor to another sport. Hendricks burst onto the MMA scene in 2007 as a member of the newly formed Team Takedown. Created to offer high-level wrestlers the chance to earn a living and train full-time, in exchange for a substantial salary and access to world-class coaching and facilities, team members would hand a hefty portion of their fight purses over to the team's owners. Hendricks thrived under these circumstances and improved rapidly. Hendricks certainly knew he could wrestle, but a nice surprise was the staggering level of power he naturally possessed in his left hand. He arrived in the UFC after five fights with a combination of world-class wrestling, punching power, and raw strength that was formidable to say the least. From 2011 to 2015 Hendricks was terrifying and surely one of the world's top fighters. On his second try, he captured UFC gold in 2014. Subsequently, in an absolute war, Hendricks would lose his belt to Robbie Lawler before the year was out, but he had solidified his place in UFC history (defeating four DI wrestlers in the process). After a six-fight rough stretch, Hendricks retired in June 2018, recently returning to fight and lose in a bare-knuckle boxing match.

CONCORDIA, Kansas -- The Cloud County Community College wrestling program will have a familiar face take over as its new full-time assistant coach as Doug Moore, a volunteer coach the previous two seasons, was approved Tuesday evening by the Cloud County Board of Trustees. Moore has been a staple in Kansas wrestling, especially in Concordia where he coached the Panthers from 1981-2014, leading them to state championship wins in 1988 and 1995. The former junior high English teacher retired in 2019. But he had no plans of remaining idle. "What interested me the most about this job at Cloud County is, first off, I'm retired now and have the flexibility to do something like this," Moore said. "Second was my lifelong love of wrestling. After being involved with wrestling for 38 years, it's one of those things that's hard to completely give up. This was a perfect opportunity for me to stay involved and there's the added plus of getting to work with college student-athletes who are already coming in knowing the basics." Doug MooreMoore is a two-time Class 4A Coach of the Year, winning in 1988 and 1995, while also racking up Kansas Wrestling Coach of the Year, NFICA Region 5 Coach of the Year accolades for the 1995 season. He finished his high school coaching career with an overall dual record of 206-95-3 and has already been named to the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2004) and National Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame (2008). Prior to his coaching career, Moore was a former NJCAA wrestler at McCook Community College before wrestling three years at Fort Hays State University from 1973-76 where he'd go on to earn a bachelor's degree and master's degree in Human Health and Performance. "I thought it was important to find somebody with a wealth of knowledge and who has been around the sport long enough that they can bring value to our program," said Cloud County head coach, Cody Cole. "With Coach Moore, we're bringing in a Hall of Fame coach who has wrestled at our level (NJCAA) and Fort Hays, one of the two Division II programs in Kansas. I also like the academic piece. Coach Moore has been a teacher for many years and I think he'll be able to come in and help mentor these guys academically, as well." Moore has already displayed some of that mentorship and wealth of knowledge in his previous role as a volunteer coach for the T-Birds since the program's inaugural season in 2017-18. Last winter, Cloud County made major strides as it finished 14th overall as a team at the NJCAA Wrestling Championships, qualifying nine wrestlers for nationals and producing the program's first two NJCAA All-Americans in Austin Eldredge and Noah Aziere. "I think the program is in great shape having two All-Americans already in just two years of existence," Moore said. "Quite frankly, that's obviously the way you get your name out there is by having those individual athletes accomplish something like that. I think it's amazing what has been accomplished here so far in two years and I think it'll only continue to grow."

A wrestling camp to honor the memory of late Augsburg University wrestler and coach Donny Wichmann -- and help pay his medical bills -- will take place just outside the Twin Cities next month. The Donny Wichmann Wrestling Camp will take place Tuesday, Aug. 6 through Saturday, Aug. 10 at Shakopee High School, 100 17th Ave. West, in Shakopee, Minn., just off U.S. 169 southwest of Minneapolis, not far from Valleyfair amusement park. This wrestling day/commuter camp is open to wrestlers from kindergarten through grade 12. Instruction is divided into two sections -- grades K-6, and grades 7-12 -- with two options within each age group to accommodate busy summer schedules. Option 1: Grades K-6th: Aug. 6-9 (6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) & Aug. 10 (9 a.m.-11 a.m.) Grades 7th-12th: Aug. 6-9 (7:30 p.m.- p.m.) & Aug. 10 (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) Cost: $100 Option 2: Grades K-6th: Aug. 10 (9-11 a.m.) Grades 7th-12th: Aug. 10 (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) Cost: $50 Note: the Donny Wichmann Wrestling Camp is a day/commuter camp. Out-of-town participants are responsible for their own meals and accommodations. Clinicians have yet to be determined. In addition, all the inventory from DW Wrestling Products -- Donny Wichmann's wrestling gear business -- will be available for purchase at closeout prices. Sale includes over 600 pairs of shoes, 500 singlets, and hundreds of kneepads, headgear, T-shirts, shorts and more. (Note: the sale is open to all. No need to participate in camp to purchase product.) Nick Slack and Donny WichmannThe Donny Wichmann Wrestling Camp is put on by Nick Slack, a national champion for Augsburg when Wichmann was an assistant coach, then went on join the Auggie coaching staff from 2002-08. Slack later went on to coach Scott West, where he has held a wrestling camp since 2000 which has now been renamed to honor his late friend Donny Wichmann who passed away last week at age 53. All proceeds from the camp and sale of wrestling gear will go to help pay Donny Wichmann's medical bills which accumulated in his four-year battle with glioblastoma, a severe form of brain cancer. To learn more -- and to make reservations -- visit the official Donny Wichmann Wrestling Camp website … or contact camp organizer Nick Slack at nick@nickslacksales.com.

Kassie Archambault has been named head wrestling coach at Phillips Academy Andover in Massachusetts, making her the first female to lead a co-ed wrestling program at a New England prep school ... and one of the first women to head up a prep school mat program anywhere in the nation. Kassie ArchambaultArchambault, 31, takes the helm of the Phillips Andover mat program, succeeding Rich Gorham, who has stepped down after 22 years, but will remain on board as an assistant wrestling coach. When Archambault was asked by the Eagle-Tribune about her new position, she replied, "I feel good about it and honored. When I first started coaching, it (becoming a head coach) wasn't something I thought about. But I love the sport and, after a couple of years of getting more established, I started thinking about it. I was just surprised it came about this quickly." Archambault can claim a number of firsts prior to taking the head coaching job at Phillips Andover. As a student at Phillips, she was a four-year wrestler who completed her prep mat career by becoming the first female wrestler to place in the Interscholastic Class A meet as a senior in 2006. In 2012, Archambault returned to Phillips to become the first female assistant wrestling coach at the any prep school. Just this past year, Archambault was named the Assistant Coach of the Year at the New England Independent Schools Wrestling Tournament. At that time, then head coach Gorham described Archambault as "special because she brings an energy and enthusiasm to every practice that keeps the team upbeat." Archambault seeks to build on that experience in her recruitment efforts to bring both male and female wrestlers to the school ... and perhaps attract existing students to the program. "I feel we have a real family atmosphere and I want more of that," said Archambault, who is also teaches Russian at Phillips Andover. "We'll be doing bonding activities in the fall and other things to keep us together, and I think other students will see that. "I really want to get the word out there on campus that wrestling is a sport that we encourage everyone to come out and try." Founded in 1778, Phillips Academy is a co-educational university preparatory school for boarding and day students in grades 9-12. Located in Andover, Mass. just north of Boston, Phillips Academy Andover has a total enrollment of approximately 1,150 students.