InterMat Staff

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Cornell head coach Rob Koll picked up career win No. 297 With a 23-9 victory over No. 18 Wyoming, but a weather cancellation means the Big Red mentor won't be able to pick up win No. 300. At least, not this weekend. Koll entered the weekend needing to win all four matches at the South Beach Duals at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center this weekend, but will only get a chance to wrestle three. No. 20 North Dakota State having to cancel its 11 a.m. match after flight cancellation didn't get them to the Sunshine State in time for the bouts. Freshman Vitali Arujau and junior Fredy Stroker each picked up a pair of victories on the day as the Big Red got 10 matches in during the morning session despite, as the Big Red to match matched up with a number of wrestlers from other competing schools. Cornell won 8-of-10 matches in the session, including pins by both Stroker at 157 against Kent State's Joe Andrassy and Hunter Richard at 149 vs. Kyler Rea of West Virginia. The Big Red then bounced nationally ranked Wyoming in the afternoon, overcoming a team penalty point thanks in large part to three late third-period wins. Cornell had a narrow 7-3 lead before using late scores to overcome deficits, as Chris Schoenherr used a late escape and a last-second takedown to top Jaron Jensen at 149, followed by Stroker repeating that feat in the final 30 seconds at 157 to edge out Dewey Krueger. Jearmy Sweany topped 20th-ranked Brian Andrews with last-second heroics, reversing the Cowboy with 30 seconds remaining and pushing his riding time over 1:00 in the process to avenge a loss from earlier in the season. The usual suspects also picked up valuable points, as sophomore Max Dean overcame an early takedown to blitz Carless Looney at 184, tilting him three times for eight points in the second and for four more in the third to claim a 17-2 tech fall. Defending national champion Yianni Diakomihalis earned bonus points for the Big Red at 141 with a 14-6 major decision over Sam Turner. The sophomore had the only six takedowns of the match to improve to 6-0 on the year. No. 13 Chas Tucker and 12th-ranked Montorie Bridges of Wyoming wrestled a 2-1 tiebreaker with escapes proving to be the only points of the afternoon, allowing the Cowboys to get on the board and knot the match at 3-3 after Arujau defeated Cole Verner at 125. The lead grew to 21-6 after nationally ranked wrestlers for Wyoming (Branson Ashworth at 165) and Cornell (Brandon Womack at 174) each earned decisive 6-0 triumphs at their weight classes. Cornell will close out the two-day event with matches against Indiana at 11 a.m. and No. 6 Missouri at 1 p.m. Morning Session Individual Matches 125: #13 Vitali Arujau (Cornell) won by decision over Tomas Gutierrez (Kent State), 8-3 133: #13 Chas Tucker (Cornell) won by decision over Allan Hart (Missouri), 9-3 141: Alex Hrisopoulos (Michigan State) won by fall over Michael Russo (Cornell) 149: Jonathan Furnas (Cornell) won by decision over Jaron Jensen (Wyoming), 6-5 149: Hunter Richard (Cornell) won by fall over Kyler Rea (West Virginia) 157: #18 Fredy Stroker (Cornell) won by fall over Joe Andrassy (Kent State) 165: Luke Fortuna (Missouri) won by decision over Milik Dawkins (Cornell), 8-7 174: Andrew Berreyesa (Cornell) won by decision over Casey Randles (Wyoming), 5-0 197: Ben Honis (Cornell) won by decision over Shawn Shadaia (Michigan State), 5-0 285: Brendan Furman (Cornell) won by decision over Jacob Bohlken (Missouri), 3-2 #8 Cornell 23, #18 Wyoming 9 125: #13 Vitali Arujau (Cornell) won by decision over Cole Verner (Wyoming), 7-4 133: #12 Montorie Bridges (Wyoming) won by decision over #13 Chas Tucker (Cornell), 2-1 (tb2) 141: #1 Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) won by major decision over Sam Turner (Wyoming), 14-6 149: Chris Schoenherr (Cornell) won by decision over Jaron Jensen (Wyoming), 8-7 157: #18 Fredy Stroker (Cornell) won by decision over Dewey Krueger (Wyoming), 7-6 165: #9 Branson Ashworth (Wyoming) won by decision over Milik Dawkins (Cornell), 6-0 174: #14 Brandon Womack (Cornell) won by decision over Casey Randles (Wyoming), 6-0 184: #6 Max Dean (Cornell) won by technical fall over Carless Looney (Wyoming), 17-2 197: Cale Davidson (Wyoming) won by decision over Jake Taylor (Cornell), 5-3 285: Jeramy Sweany (Cornell) won by decision over #20 Brian Andrews (Wyoming), 6-5 * - Team penalty point deducted from Cornell

AUSTIN, Texas -- Today, USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, and FloSports, the innovator in live digital sports and original content, announced the two sites for Final X in 2019. Final X: Rutgers will be hosted at the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC) on the campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J., on Saturday, June 8. Final X: Lincoln will be hosted at the Bob Devaney Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on Saturday, June 15. Both of these events will have exclusive live and on-demand coverage on FloWrestling, as well as on the FloSports apps on iOS, Roku and Apple TV 4. The Final X series will determine the 2019 U.S. Senior World Teams in all three of the Olympic disciplines. This is a change from last year, with the addition of Greco-Roman wrestling to the events in 2019 alongside men's and women's freestyle. The Final X Series will have the same basic format as 2018, where the top two wrestlers in each of the 30 World Championship weight classes will compete in a best-of-three series to determine who will wrestle at the 2019 Senior World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, September 14-22, 2019. In 2018, in its first year of existence, Final X was held in three locations over three consecutive weekends, with Lincoln, Neb., State College, Pa. and Bethlehem, Pa. serving as the host cities, on the campuses of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Penn State and Lehigh respectively. The complete World Team qualifying procedures for each style have not yet reached final approval within USA Wrestling. Therefore, information on the weight classes assigned to each Final X and the final event schedule at each Final X location will be announced at a later date. Lincoln will host a major Senior World Championships qualifier for USA Wrestling for third-straight year at the Bob Devaney Center. In 2018, Final X in Lincoln was held there, as well as the 2017 Freestyle World Team Trials. Other USA Wrestling events held in Lincoln were the UWW Junior National Championships in 2000, 2001 and 2004 and the Cadet National Championships in 1995. Many other major wrestling events have been in Lincoln, including the 2000 and 2009 Big 12 Championships and five Big 8 Championships (1960, 1971, 1982, 1990, 1995). Lincoln has also hosted the UWW Junior World Team Trials. The RAC is the home of Rutgers wrestling, as well as its basketball and gymnastics programs, and other major events. The RAC was opened in 1977, and has a seating capacity of approximately 8,000. Rutgers is ranked No. 4 among NCAA Div. I wrestling programs in attendance, with an average of 4,680 fans in the 2017-18 season. Rutgers is also scheduled to host the 2020 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at the RAC, its first time hosting the event since joining the conference. When Rutgers was in the EIWA, it hosted the EIWA Championships in 2013. Information on ordering tickets for the Final X: Rutgers and Final X: Lincoln will be announced shortly. For more information, visit FinalX.tv, FloWrestling.org or TheMat.com. About FloSports FloSports, the innovator in live digital sports and original content, partners with event rights holders and governing bodies to unlock a world of sports coverage that true fans have been waiting for. Through live streaming of premier events, original video programming, and weekly studio shows, FloSports is growing the sports, the events, the athletes and the fans. Current verticals under the FloSports header are Basketball, MMA, Football, Wrestling, Track, Gymnastics and more. About USA Wrestling USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the sport of wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. USA Wrestling has more than 237,000 members, including athletes, coaches, officials, parents, fans and others who are actively involved in the sport. Its president is Bruce Baumgartner, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender.

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HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- The brackets have been released for the Midlands Championships, which take place Saturday and Sunday at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman States, Ill. Link: Brackets

New Jersey wrestler Andrew Johnson made national news this week after referee Alan Maloney directed the wrestler to trim his dreadlocks or face forfeiting his match. The haircut was first sent out by a local reporter who framed the moment as something like self-sacrifice for the good of the team, "Wrestler sacrifices his looks to help team win dual meet." The tune quickly changed when fans who watched the pre-match incident took umbrage with the idea that an athlete would be forced to cut their hair in order to compete in an athletic activity, not to mention a black teen who was being asked to trim a hairstyle predominant in his culture and community. The story grew from there when it was discovered that Maloney had a previous offense where he had used a racial slur during a social gathering of referees. His actions led to a suspension and sanction. However, Maloney was allowed to return to the mats to referee. As the story grew the incident started to feel like a racial litmus test, placing members of our community into buckets of "individual responsibility (aka 'He knew the rules!')" and "cultural reflection (aka "This is racially motivated.')" I fall more into the second bucket but think that I'm also inhabiting a third bucket which is something like, "This was 100 percent preventable" (aka update the grooming rules). More on this further down. What Maloney did was only justifiable by the narrowest interpretation of the rulebook, in which the term "natural" could have been the disqualifying. However, he only made him trim the dreadlocks, which were legal length being that it was above the shirt collar and off Johnson's forehead, but they may have been treated with some type of product or put into an otherwise "unnatural" state. Cutting the hair deemed "unnatural" didn't make it more natural, just shorter. Also, wouldn't it be a slippery slope if high school referees began to more broadly apply the term "natural" to an athlete's hair? Given the predominance and popularity of hair gel among high school boys I'd think half of South Jersey would be declared ineligible to compete if referees began running their fingers through the athlete's hair. This incident is preventable and the rules governing grooming should be modernized immediately. As an article in Vocativ pointed out regarding the monitoring of facial hair, the rules were mostly made in the 1960's as a way to combat the rise of black America's individualism. But in American sports, efforts to control grooming habits have a racist history, used by white sporting bodies and coaching staffs to restrict opportunities and control the identities of black athletes. Sylvester Hodges had a chance at a NCAA wrestling championship in 1969. Wrestling for California State College at Hayward, Hodges won the Far West Conference title without a loss or conceding a point. But when Hodges took to the mat for his first match of the NCAA Championship tournament, the referee stopped him. "Hodges, I can't let you wrestle," the referee told him. "We'll give you two minutes to cut your mustache off." The year prior, the NCAA had added a new rule declaring that wrestlers must be "clean shaven," which they later specified to mean "no hair below the earlobes." The rule was never enforced until Hodges, a black man, threatened to run through his largely white competition at the NCAA championships. Eleven other wrestlers -- eight black, three white -- shaved off their facial hair at the competition. Hodges, sporting a pencil-thin mustache, refused. The solution is clear: Wrestling must revisit their rulebooks and cull any language regarding violations that might be rooted in antiquated thinking. The hair rules should be loosened and there should be significantly more clarity about the options for student-athletes if there is a violation. We are fifty years removed from the first writing of these regulations. Wrestling needs to modernize, adapt, and reach out to all groups of people. What makes our sport wonderful is its universality and adaptability. Rules regarding hair should be as inclusive as those regarding those with physical disabilities, emotional challenges, or lifelong ailments. Despite our best storylines surrounding acceptance, wrestling is still punishing itself with backwards and regressive thinking about sexuality, gender, and the acceptance of minority communities. It's time we demand more from our coaches, administrators and leaders and demand they create an inclusive and inviting sport for all to enjoy. To your questions … J'den Cox defeated Kyle Dake to make the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team at 86 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Better chance to make the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team, Kyle Dake or J'den Cox? -- Mike C. Foley: Kyle Dake and J'den Cox are both 2018 world champions at non-Olympic weight categories. Cox was the Olympic bronze medalist in 2016 and world bronze medalist at 86 kilograms and has gone up. Dake was the 2017 U.S. World Team Trials runner-up at 74 kilograms and has also gone up a weight category. Those are the back stories, but there are some major differences in their trajectory heading into the 2020 qualification process. While things can always change, it is likely that we will see Dake drop to 74 kilograms for the Olympic year and Cox go up to 97 kilograms. I've been told that Dake can make it down and Cox cannot, though the impact of the same day weigh-ins is still unknown. Assuming that both go their expected direction, Cox would have a much tougher time winning his matchup with Kyle Snyder, than Dake would with Burroughs. Except that Dake's conditioning and strength may suffer from the extra five kilos he'd need to lose. Also, Dake would probably need to navigate the Olympic Team Trials, which is additional weight cutting. Cox wouldn't be undersized, but he would be outpowered. That may impact him against Snyder who has taken quite the shine to lifting heavy things, but it also may impact him against the rest of the 97-kilogram field. I'm leaning towards Dake having a better chance, but I don't think that his chances have improved because of his success at 79 kilograms, just that Burroughs is a little older and Dake has shown the ability to compete well against him in this setting. To be clear, I am NOT saying that he will beat Burroughs … Q: What do you think are the ideal number of matches in a high school season? Varsity vs. JV? -- @ShogunofSonoma Foley: I think that it's more about a limit to the number of weigh-ins during a season, and the maximum number of matches allowed to be wrestled in a day. Just spit balling here, but I think that no more than 20 weigh-ins (two weigh-ins for a two-day event) and no more than four matches in a day for varsity athletes. The same would apply for JV athletes. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Jordan Burroughs Reacts to the Andrew Johnson Incident Q: Do you have a prediction on Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson this Saturday night? -- Mike C. Foley: I'm very much pulling for Alexander Gustafsson. The Jones saga is a tired bit of failure without true redemption. Each and every time he does something boneheaded, or gets caught for substance abuse, or pops for a steroid, we are told this is the last straw. Yet, here we are again. The story is lame. Jones is lame. Cormier is the one true double champion! War Gustafsson and let's move forward with some fresh storylines in the sport. Q: I've heard one Division I coach say that he could not publicly discuss recruits until they have signed a National Letter Of Intent. How does that work at Ivy League schools that do not have recruits sign NLOIs? -- Brian G. Foley: If the athlete isn't accepted in the fall, then the coaches have to wait until spring acceptance to comment. There is (typically) no acceptance announcement outside of the school's normal timeline. Therefore, coaches can't discuss the athletes until they have been accepted and agreed to attend the university via a returned letter, which is most often in the spring. Q: What was your favorite Christmas gift this year? -- Mike C. Foley: For me? Luggage. I travel about 80-100 days a year and though I have nice wheeled luggage I needed a duffel to help me manage my personal stuff, instead of throwing it into various Pelican cases as extra padding for camera equipment. How about the readers? Anything unique and/or wrestling related?

Beau Breske MADISON, Wis. -- Former Nebraska wrestler and Wisconsin native Beau Breske has transferred to Wisconsin and is expected to wrestle at 197 pounds. "I'm happy to go out and represent Wisconsin on the mat," Breske said. "I like the way the coaches here run their program and the academics are outstanding! I am looking forward to my future at Wisconsin." Breske will be coming in as a redshirt sophomore and can currently only compete unattached for Wisconsin. In his two seasons at Nebraska, Breske had a 10-14 record, going 1-2 in his redshirt season and then 9-12 as a freshman last year. Prior to Nebraska, Breske was ranked No. 2 at 182 pounds and No. 9 overall (FloWrestling) in the Class of 2016. As a high schooler at Hartford, Breske was dominant. He compiled a 203-3 record over his four years and earned three state titles in his freshman, sophomore and senior seasons, and was a runner-up his junior year. Breske didn't give up a takedown, nearfall point or reversal in 175 straight matches, and wasn't scored upon at all in the state tournament his senior year. Beau Breske will begin his career as a Badger this weekend, competing unattached at the Midlands Championships.

Evan Wick defeated Alex Marinelli at the NCAAs last March (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) In the wrestling world, winter break from college represents the midpoint in the season and the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships. This year is not an exception. Several top teams will compete in the tournament including No. 3 Iowa, No. 10 Arizona State and No. 13 Princeton. The following is a breakdown and predictions for some of the top potential matches. 125: No. 1 Spencer Lee (Iowa) vs. No. 2 Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) Last season, the Midlands was Lee's last big test as a redshirt before he made his official Hawkeye debut and joined the lineup. He was expected to make the finals and face off against No. 3 (at 133) Nick Suriano (Rutgers). However, he was upset in the semifinals by No. 3 Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State). At the time, the upset set up an interesting backside match between Lee and Rivera. However, Lee defaulted out after falling to Bresser. Rivera and Lee went on two wrestler on two other occasions. Lee defeated River 7-4 in the Northwestern-Iowa dual, and he scored as 12-0 major decision at the Big Ten Championship tournament. So far this season, Lee has won all five of his matches via bonus points and outscored his opponents 80-6. Rivera is also undefeated after eight matches on the season. He won the Cliff Keen Invitational where he needed sudden victory to best Bresser 6-4. As shown last year, Lee should be able to handle Rivera. However, familiarity can occasionally lead to close matches, and these two will likely wrestle multiple times this season. Prediction: Lee (Iowa) maj. dec. Rivera (Northwestern) 133: No. 1 Seth Gross (SDSU) vs. Nathan Tomasello (Unattached) Unfortunately, the returning NCAA champion at 133 has wrestled only one match. If he returns for the Midlands, fans could be treated to an interesting new match. Tomasello finished his college eligibility last season as a four-time Big Ten champion and a four-time All-American. Following the year, it was announced that he wrestled the entire season with a torn ACL. He missed the freestyle season while recovering from surgery, and he will be returning to action at the Midlands as a post grad. In his one match this season, Gross pinned Josiah Kline (Arizona State). Last season, he went 29-1 with his only loss coming after he moved up in weight to take on Bryce Meredith (Wyoming). This year, he is looking to make his third straight NCAA final and bring home his second-straight title. Tomasello wrestled collegiately at both 125 and 133, but has not faced Gross in college competition. Post grads often underperform due to a focus on freestyle and a less regular training environment. However, in this case, neither wrestler has been competing regularly at this point. It should be a good gauge to see where both wrestlers are in their return from injury. From a style standpoint, it is a very interesting match. Tomasello has had trouble with riders in the past, but he will likely have the advantage in a takedown battle. If he is recovered, he should be able to slow down the pace and a win a one takedown match. Prediction: Tomasello dec. Gross (SDSU). 141: No. 10 Bryan Lantry (Buffalo) vs. No. 14 Tristan Moran (Wisconsin) These two wrestlers kicked off the season against each other. Back on Nov. 1, Lantry turned back a challenge from Moran and defeated him 7-3 in Madison. Since then, Lantry has continued to win and built an undefeated 5-0 record. In his last match, he scored a 6-1 decision over Andrew Gapas (Clarion). Moran has won both the Cyclone Open and the SIUE Invitational this season. He has also picked up a signature victory over No. 9 Josh Alber (UNI) via fall on his way to putting together a 9-3 record. In his last match, he fell via major decision against No. 2 Joey McKenna (Ohio State). Lantry always seems to be a good job holding position and moving his opponents around the mat. That was certainly the case against Moran in their first match. However, not only does Moran appear to be developing his offense since moving to Wisconsin, but he is also a tricky wrestler who can can catch tough guys on their back. Lantry is the favorite, but Moran is always a live underdog. Prediction: Lantry (Buffalo) dec. Moran (Wisconsin) 149: No. 1 Matt Kolodzik (Princeton) vs. No. 8 Pat Lugo (Iowa) Lugo came into this season looking to replace four-time All-American Brandon Sorensen. Despite having big shoes to fill, the Hawkeye faithful were faithful in Lugo at least partially due to a fall he picked up over Kolodzik in last year's Midlands. However, the two met again this season. In the rematch, Kolodzik claimed a 7-4 victory. The win put him on the right path this season, and he has now built a 6-0 record and looks to be a top contender at this weight. On the other hand, Lugo has now struggled to a 2-3 record. He still clearly has the pedigree to become an All-American, but there is plenty of work to do. In their first match this season, Kolodzik was able to get takedowns when he needed. Lugo's stature and scrambling ability will give a lot of guys problems. However, it will be tough for him to knock off Kolodzik unless he is able to hit a big move. Prediction: Kolodzik (Princeton) dec. Lugo (Iowa) 157: No. 2 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) vs. No. 3 Larry Early (Old Dominion) On the last day of November, Early handed returning finalist No. 5 Hayden Hidlay (NC State) only his second collegiate loss via a 4-2 score. However, his momentum was then halted. He face off against Deakin in a dual meet between the two schools and dropped a one-sided decision. Since then, Early has wrestled only one match and defaulted out of the Reno Tournament of Champions. Deakin seems to have made the right decision to move up to 157. He has looked sharp at the new weight, and he has already defeated the likes of Early, Isaiah Hokit (Fresno State), No. 9 Griffin Parriott (Purdue) and Paul Fox (Stanford). The Wildcat seemed to be a bridge too far for Early when they met earlier this month. Deakin allowed him to score only a single point and took the bout 6-1. It is hard to imagine this result being any different, but the victory over Hidlay showed that Early is always prime for an upset. Prediction: Deakin (Northwestern) dec. Early (Old Dominion) 165: No. 2 Evan Wick (Wisconsin) vs. No. 4 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) Despite being in the same weight and conference for an entire season, Wick and Marinelli did not meet until the NCAA tournament last year. They finally ran into each other in the consolation semifinals, and Wick took a dominant 16-3 major decision victory. Marinelli went undefeated before the Big Ten Championships last year, and he ended up with six losses. This year, he has gotten off to a hot start as he has won all six of his matches with 100 percent bonus rate. He finished with only a 28 percent bonus rate last year. Wick has also been a force. He has won all 13 of his matches and defeated the likes of No. 5 Josh Shields (Arizona State), No. 11 Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley), No. 6 Isaiah White (Nebraska) and No. 12 Bryce Steiert (UNI). If Marinelli is able to physically dominate the standing exchanges, he is usually able to pull out victories. However, he was not able to impose his will against Wick in their last meeting. On top of that, Wick is a powerful wrestler from the top position. If he is able to score an early takedown, this match could get out of reach quickly. Prediction: Wick (Wisconsin) dec. Marinelli (Iowa) 174: No. 8 Taylor Lujan (UNI) vs. No. 11 Ryan Christensen (Wisconsin) Christensen has improved his winning percentage every year as a starter for the Badgers, and he seems well positioned to make a run at All-America honors this year. He has gone 11-3 so far this season and defeated No. 12 Ben Harvey (Army), No. 18 Kimball Bastian (Utah Valley) and No. 9 Michael Labriola (Nebraska). However, he has not been able to defeat Lujan in college. These two met earlier this season, and Lujan took a 9-5 decision. They previously met twice during the 2017 season. The UNI wrestler won 10-3 in a dual match and then knocked off Christensen 6-1 at the NCAA tournament. On the season, Lujan has gone 10-1 on the season with his only defeat coming against Daniel Lewis. In his last match, he scored a major over No. 14 Brandon Womack (Cornell). Clearly Lujan has the edge over Christensen. However, Christensen closed the gap a bit and finished with his highest point total against Lujan. Strange things happen in tournament, so there might be some room for an upset. However, Lujan has been wrestling some of his best matches recently and should be able to take care of business. Prediction: Lujan (UNI) dec. Christensen (Wisconsin) 184: No. 2 Emery Parker (Illinois) vs. No. 7 Drew Foster (UNI) Parker holds a 2-0 record over Foster in college. However, their last match is reason enough to get excited about a rematch. The two met in the consolation bracket at the NCAA tournament last season and had a bit of a shootout. In the end, Parker eliminated Foster from the tournament via a 13-10 decision and ended up wrestling all the way back for third. Parker has wrestled sparingly this season, but he has emerged as one of the favorites to challenge No. 1 Myles Martin (Ohio State) for supremacy at this weight. After winning the Lindenwood Open, he took nearly a month off before returning against Northern Illinois and knocking off Will Feldkamp. Foster has gone 10-2 on the season with both of his losses coming against contenders No. 5 Taylor Venz (Nebraska) and No. 6 Max Dean (Cornell). Despite those defeats, he has defeated the likes of No. 17 Sammy Colbray (Iowa State), No. 10 Louie DePrez (Binghamton) and No. 9 Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech). Parker has shown that he can pull out close matches and put up points. Foster's matches usually seem to turn into high scoring affairs, so regardless of what happens, this will likely be an exciting bout. Prediction: Parker (Illinois) dec. Foster (UNI) 197: No. 3 Patrick Brucki (Princeton) vs. No. 4 Jacob Warner (Iowa) In the preseason, many fans circled the dual meet between Princeton and Iowa on the early season schedule. Brucki defeated Warner last year at the Midlands during his redshirt season, and the rematch would say a lot about the future of both wrestlers. However, Iowa ended up holding Warner out of the match, and Brucki went on to put up a 10-3 decision over Connor Corbin. It will be interesting to see if Warner even competes in this tournament. He has wrestled only one match on the year and defeated All-American No. 5 Willie Miklus (Iowa State). Brucki, on the other hand, has already wrestled 11 matches on the season and won them all. He has defeated the likes of No. 6 Rocco Caywood (Army), No. 8 Nathan Traxler (Stanford) and No. 15 Tom Sleigh (Virginia Tech). Warner should be able to stay aggressive and win this match. However, one has to wonder why he has been sitting out so much this season. If he is injured or not in shape, this match could easily get away from him. It is entirely possible that Warner is simply getting some rest time after competing extensively over the summer and making a junior world team. Prediction: Warner (Iowa) dec. Brucki (Princeton) 285: No. 1 Sam Stoll (Iowa) vs. No. 4 Youssif Hemida (Maryland) Stoll had twice dominated Hemida before they met at the NCAA tournament last year. In their first match back in 2016, Stoll scored a 15-4 major decision at the Big Ten Championships. Last year, he knocked off the Maryland wrestler once against at the conference tournament 8-1. However, their NCAA tournament match was a different story. This time, Hemida won the match 7-2 in the round of 16. Hemida has yet to wrestle an official match this season. He dropped a decision at the NCWA All-Star Classic against No. 3 Derek White (Oklahoma State), and he scored a silver medal at the U23 World Championships. Stoll may have been even more inactive. He wrestled only one match and defeated Gannon Gremmel (Iowa State) via a 5-1 decision. There are plenty of questions going into this match. Both guys have not wrestled a lot this season and seemingly dealt with injuries. Hemida should be the faster and quicker, but size can be a great equalizer. If Hemida can score early, it should be his match. If that does not happen, look for Stoll to win a close one. Prediction: Hemida (Maryland) dec. Stoll (Iowa)

Early this summer, InterMat shared the story of Torivio Gallegos, a 27-year-old who signed a letter of intent to wrestle at Eastern Oregon University. Torivio GallegosInterMat has profiled other wrestlers who have returned to college wrestling beyond the typical age -- to finish up their eligibility, or because they had been serving in the military. Gallegos' story is much different, as he had been battling an opioid addiction ... and sees signing with Eastern Oregon as a key element to overcoming these challenges and put his life back on track. We wanted to check in with Gallegos to see how he's doing as a college student nearly a decade older than most of his classmates and wrestling teammates. We started our conversation by asking Gallegos to describe the school he now calls home. "Eastern Oregon is a major part of Le Grande," Gallegos continued. "It's a college town with lots of theater, music -- and lots of student-athletes. About 2,600 students overall. You see so much energy, confidence." "I think adjusting to a new environment was extremely challenging," Gallegos admitted to InterMat early in our most recent interview. "I wanted to get involved in everything." While Gallegos may not have gotten involved in "everything," he certainly is active in his first year at Eastern Oregon. He has three business classes -- all in the morning -- followed by wrestling practice from 4-6 p.m. If that weren't enough, Gallegos is host of the radio show "Motivational Monday" ... and was elected to Eastern Oregon student government as a senator. More about all that later. Let's start with the issue most of you came for -- wrestling. "My first couple weeks on campus was preseason prep ... My first Sunday was the toughest. I'm getting ready for church. Coach (Dustyn Azure) called -- told me I needed to come to a meeting where he starts talking about expectations. Said we'd be going on a seven-mile mountain run." "I started praying on the run. I was towards the end of the pack. Made it to the top, and felt the mental switch that helped me realize I could achieve anything. I had to take in all the changes. A desire to put myself out there. As I long as I believe I can do something, I'll be OK." "My beliefs and faith are critical to my success here. I have to have a lot of faith in myself." With that said, Gallegos feels he has become a part of the team. "I've become part of a brotherhood with my teammates -- doing the work, getting encouragement." "It's a very diverse team -- different ages, where they wrestled ... It's like 'The Sandlot' with lots of different guys, all having fun, all working hard. So much fire, so much energy." "Mentally, it's tough. Physically, it's tough. But wrestlers are a tough breed. You have go all out every day. But, being here has really amplified my love of the sport." Gallegos gets elected to student government ... How did Torivio Gallegos decide to run for student government? "One of my greatest fears was not being accepted. Concerns that folks might be reluctant to say something because of who I am." "I decided to try to put aside some of those concerns (of fitting in). Running for student government, for instance. Even though I'm 27, I don't want to think I'm that different." Gallegos won election to the student senate, and now participates in weekly meetings. "It's eye-opening to learn the cultural issues on campus," he told InterMat. "The incredible diversity of the students." … and finds his place on the radio As mentioned earlier, Gallegos is the host of the weekly "Motivational Monday" program on the Eastern Oregon radio station ... "a totally new experience for me." "Monday's my busiest day," Gallegos chuckles. "I put on music that makes people feel good, especially on Mondays." "I also plan to do interviews with student-athletes to help them express the multiple dimensions of their lives," Gallegos added. "I love to get to know people." Of course, in addition to wrestling, radio and student government ... there is the academic side of life for Torivio Gallegos at Eastern Oregon. "I really enjoy my classes. It's challenging to learn business fundamentals, yet fun to learn about how to be creative in the business world -- how to recruit the right people, and help motivate them." "I'm so excited to be here," Gallegos added. "I'm definitely focused on doing my best in every aspect of my life here." As if all this weren't enough ... Torivio Gallegos leads a very full life on campus at Eastern Oregon University, what with wrestling, classes, his radio show, and involvement in student government. And he has a full, rich life away from school, as a husband ... and, come spring, as a first-time father. "The due date is April 24." "(My wife) Keri has always hoped to be a mom," Gallegos told InterMat. "I thought I might die before becoming a father. I'll admit; it was hard at first for me to wrap my head around it." "Seeing the first sonogram blew me away. It's really helping propel my life in every way." "I hope to inspire my children with the direction my life is now taking. When I started to do the right thing, my life really started to come together. I can now do things I never thought I could do." "Dreams do indeed come true."

No. 1 Braxton Amos leads No. 29 Parkersburg South at the Powerade (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) With the foundation of the field being arguably the strongest wrestling area in the country, Western Pennsylvania, the Powerade Wrestling Tournament is bound to have a very deep field. This year's edition of the event, its 52nd, is clearly befitting of that assertion. There are six nationally ranked teams present in the field, led by No. 6 St. Edward (Ohio). Joining the Eagles are No. 29 Parkersburg South (W.Va.), No. 31 Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep, No. 32 Howell (N.J.), No. 39 Reynolds (Pa.), No. 43 Oak Park River Forest (Ill.). Additional notable teams include Kiski Area (Pa.), Malvern Prep (Pa.), and Seneca Valley (Pa.). Below is a weight by-weight top wrestlers (from Pennsylvania unless noted). 106: No. 7 Gary Steen (Reynolds), No. 20 Dylan Chappell (Seneca Valley), Kyle Hauserman (Council Rock North), Sean Seefeldt (St. Edward, Ohio), Pacey Nasdusak (Mason, Ohio), Matt Vulakh (Pope John II) 113: No. 1 Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.), No. 4 Jacob Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), No. 6 Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Seneca Valley), Richard Delsanter (St. Edward, Ohio), Kyle Burkholder (Hempfield Area), Gable Strickland (Benton), Dayton Delviscio (Malvern Prep), Nicholas Onea (Pottsville) 120: Ryan Sullivan (Shaler), Beau Bayless (Reynolds), Kurt Phipps (Norwin), Will Guida (St. Paul's, Md.), Cam Enriquez (Stroudsburg), Christian Fisher (Mifflin County), Ian Oswalt (Burrell), Thomas Hartley (St. Alban's, W.Va.) 126: Colton Camacho (Franklin Regional), Angelo Rini (St. Edward, Ohio), Zack Witmer (St. Joseph's Catholic), Nick Cabanillas (DePaul Catholic, N.J.), J.J. Wilson (Cedar Cliff), Josh Ogunsanya (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), Brandon Holt (St. Alban's, W.Va.), Luke Lucerne (Council Rock North), Andrew Ischo (Reynolds) 132: No. 8 Sam Hillegas (North Hills), Eddie Bolivar (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), Darren Miller (Kiski Area), Gabe Willochell (Greater Latrobe), Patrick Noonan (Stroudsburg), Conner Redinger (Quaker Valley), Sam Glassco (Mason, Ohio) 138: Ed Scott (DuBois), Bryce Hepner (St. Edward, Ohio), Darby Diedrich (Howell, N.J.), Dalton Harkins (Malvern Prep), Rocco Bartolo (Reynolds), Ty Linsenbigler (Hempfield Area), Gavin Quiocho (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), Paniro Johnson (Erie Cathedral Prep) 145: No. 3 Bryce Andonian (St. Edward, Ohio), No. 7 Lucas Revano (Camden Catholic, N.J.), No. 8 Ricky Cabanillas (DePaul Catholic, N.J.), No. 10 Chris Donathan (Mason, Ohio), Caleb Dowling (St. Joseph's Catholic), John Martin Best (Parkersburg, W.Va.), Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), Nick Coy (Penn Trafford), Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North) 152: No. 3 Sam Dover (St. Edward, Ohio), No. 10 Ryan Vulakh (Pope John II), Cooper Kropman (Penfield, N.Y.), Joe Chapman (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), Cam Connor (Kiski Area), Henry Hague (Malvern Prep), Paul Jaukub (Howell, N.J.), Trent Schultheis (Freedom), Luca Augustine (Waynesburg) 160: Connor O'Neil (DePaul Catholic, N.J.), Cole Spencer (Pine Richland), Trey Kibe (Mifflin County), Tyler Stoltzfus (St. Joseph's Catholic), Ty McGeary (West Allegheny), Jack Blumer (Kiski Area), Zane Hinzman (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), Nicholas Feldman (Malvern Prep), Jake Cagnina (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) 170: No. 11 (at 182) Jared McGill (Chestnut Ridge), No. 19 Shane Reitsma (Howell, N.J.), Kamal Adewumi (Mason, Ohio), Christian Clutter (McGuffey), Nick Delp (Kiski Area), Michael Garcar (St. Edward, Ohio), Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg) 182: No. 2 Carter Starocci (Erie Cathedral Prep), No. 5 Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan), No. 15 Luke Stout (Mount Lebanon), No. 18 Jack Parr (St. Paul's, Md.), Scott Joll (Belle Vernon Area), Christian Murphy (Howell, N.J.), Nick Florschultz (Malvern Prep) 195: Max Shaw (Thomas Jefferson), Dorian Crosby (Erie Cathedral Prep), Donovan Ball (Cedar Cliff), Kolby Franklin (St. Joseph's Catholic), Bryson Miller (Freedom), Justin Hart (Hampton) 220: No. 1 Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), No. 17 Dominic DeLuca (Derry Area), Seamus O'Malley (St. Edward, Ohio) 285: No. 8 Kawaun DeBoe (Erie Cathedral Prep), Louden Haga (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), Nathan Hoaglund (Mount Lebanon), Ashford Hollis (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), Isaiah Vance (Hempfield Area)

One of the long-standing events of the between Christmas and New Year's holiday period is the Brecksville Holiday Tournament, which is in its 58th consecutive year being just held south of Cleveland. This year's event features a strong field anchored by three nationally ranked teams - No. 7 Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), No. 28 Elyria, and No. 40 Brecksville; those three teams have won the event in the three previous seasons, going in order from most recent to least recent. Below is a listing of the notable contenders in each of the weight classes (wrestlers are from Ohio unless noted). 106 pounds: No. 3 Kyle Rowan (Perry), No. 12 Casey Swiderski (Dundee, Mich.); Nic Willingham (Aurora) 113: No. 11 Jacob Decatur (CVCA), No. 18 Jacob Moran (Portage, Ind.)' Casey Barnett (Milan Edison), Nick Kohorn (Lowell, Mich.), Jacob Moon (Oregon Clay) 120: Jake Canitano (Solon), Garrett Lautzenheiser (Louisville), Kysen Montgomery (Brownsburg, Ind.), Gavin Ritter (Wauseon) 126: No. 9 Dylan Shawver (Elyria); Jimmy Carmany (Brecksville), Cole McComas (Beaver Local), Connor McCrone (Lake Catholic), Brock Peele (Portage, Ind.), Davin Rhoads (Louisville), Raymond Rioux (Avon, Ind.) 132: No. 2 Jordan Decatur (CVCA), No. 18 Asa Garcia (Avon, Ind.), No. 19 Mick Burnett (Elyria); Dominick Lomazzo (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) 138: No. 12 Marco Regalbuto (Brecksville), No. 16 (at 132) Josh Edmond (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.); Caden Blust (Tiffin Columbian), Christian Killion (Dundee, Mich.), Drew Kreitzer (Brownsburg, Ind.), Blake Saito (Perrysburg), Matt Zuckerman (Elyria) 145: Stoney Buell (Dundee, Mich.), Brody Conley (Tiffin Columbian), Andrew Garr (Aurora), Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), Avry Mutschler (Lowell, Mich.) 152: No. 2 Cameron Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), No. 7 Austin Boone (Lowell, Mich.), No. 17 Victor Voinovich (Brecksville); Nick Burgard (Ashtabula St. John), Nathan Conley (Avon, Ind.), Walker Heard (Marysville), Jax Leonard (Louisville), Enrique Munguia (Elyria), Micah Norwood (Bishop Hartley) 160: No. 5 (at 145) Kevon Davenport (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), No. 13 Jacob Lagoa (Ashtabula Lakeside), No. 14 Donnell Washington (Portage, Ind.); David Cumberledge (Ashtabula St. John) 170: No. 1 Carson Kharchla (Olentangy Liberty), No. 17 Nevan Snodgrass (Kettering Fairmont); Jake Evans (Elyria), Ethan Hernandez (Norwalk), Manuel Rojas (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), Beau Smith (Beaver Local), Xavier Torres (Wauseon) 182: No. 20 Anthony D'Alesio (Canfield); Evan Anderson (Aurora), Carson Brewer (Avon, Ind.), Cole Hivnor (Lake Catholic) 195: Nick Crawford (Canfield), Jordan Greer (Avon), Ethan Hatcher (Brecksville), Easton Turner (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) 220: Lawson Aiken (Brownsburg, Ind.), Josh Bever (Ashland), Jarin Curtis (Massillon Perry), Tyler Stein (Canfield), Breslin Walker (CVCA), Caleb Wood (Fremont Ross), Brendin Yatooma (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) 285: Tyler Deloof (Lowell, Mich.), Steven Kolcheff (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), Max Millin (Massillon Perry)

With Christmas in the rear-view mirror, and New Year's Day up next, it's another big weekend of holiday tournament wrestling in our midst. Below is the list of competitions for our Fab 50 teams between Dec. 26-Jan. 1. No. 6 St. Edward (Ohio) -- travels to Canon-McMillan (Pa.) for the Powerade Wrestling Tournament on Friday and Saturday No. 7 Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.) -- competes in the Brecksville (Ohio) Holiday Tournament on Friday and Saturday No. 9 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.) -- hosts Arlington (Texas) Martin in a dual meet on Thursday, hosts the Christmas City Classic on Friday and Saturday No. 11 Gilroy (Calif.) -- travels to Aptos (Calif.) for the Pat Lovell Holiday Wrestling Classic on Friday and Saturday No. 19 Allen (Texas) -- hosts the Texas Outlaw tournament on January 1st and 2nd No. 21 Simley (Minn.) -- travels to Fargo (N.D.) for the Rumble on the Red on Friday and Saturday No. 24 Davison (Mich.) -- competes in the Medina (Ohio) Invitational Tournament on Thursday and Friday No. 25 Mount St. Joseph's (Md.) -- hosts Mount Mat Madness on Friday and Saturday No. 27 Delbarton (N.J.) -- travels to Pope John XXIII (N.J.) for a dual meet on Friday No. 28 Elyria (Ohio) -- competes in the Brecksville (Ohio) Holiday Tournament on Friday and Saturday No. 29 Parkersburg South (W.Va.) -- travels to Canon-McMillan (Pa.) for the Powerade Wrestling Tournament on Friday and Saturday No. 30 Wadsworth (Ohio) -- competes in the Medina (Ohio) Invitational Tournament on Thursday and Friday No. 31 Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep -- travels to Canon-McMillan (Pa.) for the Powerade Wrestling Tournament on Friday and Saturday No. 32 Howell (N.J.) -- travels to Canon-McMillan (Pa.) for the Powerade Wrestling Tournament on Friday and Saturday No. 33 Paulsboro (N.J.) -- travels to Brick Memorial (N.J.) for the Mustang Classic on Friday No. 34 Marmion Academy (Ill.) -- travels to Granite City (Ill.) for the Red Schmitt Tournament on Friday and Saturday No. 35 South Plainfield (N.J.) -- travels to Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) for a dual meet on Thursday, hosts Delaware Valley (N.J.) and Pingry (N.J.) in a tri-meet on Saturday No. 36 Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral -- travels to Mishawaka (Ind.) for the Al Smith Invitational on Friday and Saturday No. 37 Selma (Calif.) -- travels to Lemoore (Calif.) for the Dennis DiLiddo Classic on Thursday No. 38 Northampton (Pa.) -- competes in the Bethlehem (Pa.) Liberty Holiday Classic on Friday and Saturday No. 39 Reynolds (Pa.) -- travels to Canon-McMillan (Pa.) for the Powerade Wrestling Tournament on Friday and Saturday No. 40 Brecksville (Ohio) -- hosts the Brecksville (Ohio) Holiday Tournament on Friday and Saturday No. 43 Oak Park River Forest (Ill.) -- travels to Canon-McMillan (Pa.) for the Powerade Wrestling Tournament on Friday and Saturday No. 44 Shakopee (Minn.) -- travels to Fargo (N.D.) for the Rumble on the Red on Friday and Saturday No. 46 Toppenish (Wash.) -- travels to Hanford (Wash.) for the Winter Cup on Saturday No. 48 St. Paris (Ohio) Graham -- travels to Vandalia (Ohio) Butler for the GMVWA Holiday Tournament on Thursday and Friday No. 49 Stoughton (Wis.) -- travels to Fargo (N.D.) for the Rumble on the Red on Friday and Saturday No. 50 Evansville (Ind.) Mater Dei -- hosts the Mater Dei Holiday Classic on Friday and Saturday Off this week: No. 1 Blair Academy (N.J.), No. 2 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), No. 3 Bergen Catholic (N.J.), No. 4 Montini Catholic (Ill.), No. 5 Cincinnati (Ohio) LaSalle, No. 8 Buchanan (Calif.), No. 10 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), No. 12 St. John Bosco (Calif.), No. 13 Tuttle (Okla.), No. 14 Southeast Polk (Iowa), No. 15 Liberty (Mo.), No. 16 Park Hill (Mo.), No. 17 Broken Arrow (Okla.), No. 18 Poway (Calif.), No. 20 Clovis (Calif.), No. 22 Brighton (Mich.), No. 23 Kasson-Mantorville (Minn.), No. 26 Chicago (Ill.) Mt. Carmel, No. 41 Goddard (Kansas), No. 42 Pomona (Colo.), No. 45 Don Bosco (Iowa), No. 47 Waverly-Shell Rock (Iowa)

What's the biggest amateur wrestling news story in the U.S. in 2018? Andrew Johnson gets a haircut before competingIn terms of mainstream media coverage and social media buzz, it's not Team USA's incredible performance at the 2018 Worlds. Nor is it Penn State winning yet another national team title at the 2018 NCAA Division I championships. Nor is it that the number of states announcing the creation of a separate state championships for girls has doubled in the past year. And, no, it's not some feel-good story of a wrestler overcoming adversity. Arguably the biggest wrestling story springs from a video of a Dec. 19 New Jersey high school wrestling dual showing a wrestler having his dreadlocks cut off by a team trainer so that he can wrestle the match, per the mat official's instructions that he have his hair cut, or forfeit the match. How big is the story? At last count, the video has been viewed more than 13 million times online. In geographical terms, it's gone way beyond New Jersey. It's been covered by news organizations across the U.S, along with media outlets in New Zealand, the U.K., Germany and Russia. Media organizations that normally don't cover high school wrestling have weighed in, including Sports Illustrated, TMZ, Fox News, CNN and National Public Radio. It was the subject of stories on the Sunday (Dec. 23) morning news shows on ABC and CBS, as well as the Sunday evening newscasts on ABC and NBC. Thousands of individuals and organizations have also shared their opinions, including the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA), the governor of New Jersey, an Olympic gold medalist, and a reality TV star. A number of sportswriters and columnists sided with the wrestler, some seeking punishment for the mat official; for example, a USA Today columnist recommended a lifetime ban for the referee. InterMat contributor Caryn Ward offered her thoughtful perspective on the situation. What happened? At a dual between two New Jersey schools -- Buena Regional High School and Oakcrest High -- on Wednesday, Dec. 19, Andrew Johnson, a 120-pound junior for the Buena Chiefs, was ready to face off against David Flippen of Oakcrest. When Johnson, an African-American, stepped onto the mat with his dreadlocks covered, the primary mat official, Alan Maloney, 62, reportedly told the wrestler he could either have his hair cut, or forfeit the match. According to SJN News Today sports director Mike Frankel -- who was recording the dual on video -- Johnson's coaches argued with Maloney (who is white) for "several minutes" saying that Johnson had wrestled at a tournament the previous weekend with the same head covering he was wearing for the Dec. 19 dual, without any issues. According to Frankel, "the referee started the injury time clock. At this point, the wrestler removed the cap, and agreed to have his hair cut." An athletic trainer for Buena trimmed Johnson's dreadlocks matside with scissors until Maloney said the length of the wrestler's hair was in compliance with the rules. After getting his dreadlocks cut, the match began. Johnson earned a sudden victory, 4-2. Buena went on to win the dual, 41-24. Frankel's video went viral, garnering millions of views online. According to multiple media reports, Alan Maloney had been accused of racism in the past. In 2016, the Courier Post -- a Gannett newspaper in New Jersey -- reported that Maloney was accused of directing a racial slur at another referee during a private gathering among other officials. The newspaper states that Maloney allegedly poked referee Preston Hamilton in the chest and used the "n-word" during an argument. The Post reported that Hamilton, who is black, slammed Maloney to the ground. Maloney told the newspaper at the time he did not remember making the remark but accepted the witnesses' accounts. An administrator for a New Jersey-based online amateur wrestling forum posted the following message early Sunday evening (Dec. 23): "What (the referee) did was follow the rule. This young man and coach were told it's an illegal hair cover in the pre-meet talk. The ref did not make him cut his hair. The ref deducted one team point and started the injury time clock as per the RULES when the young man came out with hair covering he knew was illegal. Coaches and wrestler decided to cut hair..." On Friday (Dec. 21), the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association referred the incident to the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights in correspondence with the state's sportsmanship policy. The Division on Civil Rights, which operates within the New Jersey state Attorney General's office, has opened an inquiry into the matter and will serve as the main investigatory agency moving forward. In a statement Friday night, a spokeswoman for the office of New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said its civil rights division opened an investigation into the incident as part of a 2013 agreement with the NJSIAA "to address potential bias in high school sports." On Monday -- Christmas Eve -- Andrew Johnson's family released a statement through an attorney stating referee Alan Maloney was late to the dual and didn't address the length of Johnson's hair at a customary pre-match meeting, according to NJ.com. Later at that event, Maloney issued an ultimatum for the junior to cut his hair or forfeit his bout against Oakcrest Wednesday just before the bout was set to begin. "Andrew was visibly shaken after he and his coaches made every effort to satisfy the referee short of having his hair cut," the statement reads. "But, as captured on video, the unyielding referee gave Andrew 90 seconds to either forfeit his match or cut his hair. Under duress but without any influence from the coaching staff or the athletic trainer, Andrew decided to have his hair cut rather than forfeit the match." The statement then quotes attorney Dominic A. Speziali: "As the trainer is cutting Andrew's hair in the middle of the gym, the referee is behind them directing her to keep cutting until he was satisfied with the length." According to NJ.com, the statement issued by the Johnson family's lawyer absolves the school's wrestling coaching staff and trainer of any blame. Reactions beyond wrestling The incident generated comment within the wrestling community, and well beyond. Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian posted the following on social media: "This is disgusting! Beyond heartbreaking." The governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, tweeted: "Deeply disturbed that Andrew Johnson, a student at Buena Regional H.S., was forced to choose between keeping his dreadlocks and competing in a wrestling tournament. No student should have to." The wrestler's mom shared her perspective on what happened to her son. "Hardest thing I've ever seen," Rose Santiago-Johnson wrote on Facebook, according to the New York Post. "He is good now … but that was brutal emotionally and physically." School organizations weigh in The school superintendent for Andrew Johnson's school, David Cappuccio, Jr., offered this statement: "The assigned referee indicated that the wrestler's hair length and headgear were not in compliance with regulations. At that time, the compliance rules being enforced by the referee dictated that if the wrestler's hair was not in compliance with the regulations, then the match would be forfeited. The student-athlete made the decision to have his hair cut, at that moment, in order to avoid a forfeiture of the match." On Saturday, Dec. 22, the NJSIAA issued the following statement from its executive director, Larry White: "Following up on yesterday's statement concerning a Buena Regional High School (Buena, NJ) varsity wrestler and a wrestling referee, the NJSIAA can now confirm that the matter will be investigated by state authorities. The NJSIAA will be working with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, providing all requested information. The State investigation will take precedence over the NJSIAA process. "Further, NJSIAA can confirm that those groups that assign high school wrestling referees in New Jersey will not assign the referee in question until this matter has been thoroughly reviewed. This will help to avoid disruption of events for student athletes . "Finally, as an African-American and parent -- as well as a former educator, coach, official and athlete -- I clearly understand the issues at play, and probably better than most. The NJSIAA takes this matter very seriously, and I ask that everyone respect the investigatory process related to all parties involved." The wrestling community comments The incident in New Jersey generated what could be a labeled a firestorm of reaction online, in wrestling forums and on social media, with comments from individuals from the Garden State and beyond. NJ Advance Media -- part of a media empire which includes the Newark Star-Ledger and other New Jersey-based newspapers -- interviewed a number of high school coaches, athletes and officials at wrestling events in New Jersey on Saturday. "What happened in Buena is like a dagger into the heart of the sport," said veteran Long Branch High coach Dan George, who tallied his 400th career win in Jan. 2018. "It seems like some officials don't understand how hard it is to fill 14 weight classes or get 25 kids to come out for wrestling. "This certainly can't help wrestling," he continued. "I've never encountered anything racist as a wrestler or a coach, but this only fuels the idea that there is discrimination." "I do think wrestling coaches and officials need to get one the same page when it comes to issues like this one," coach George said. "It's important to remember why we are all here." Clay Lewis, a freshman wrestler from Pennsylvania's Abington Friends school who has long hair, said he "definitely felt bad for the kid." "It's such a relatable thing for me so I know how hard of a decision that would have been," Lewis said. "Even though he still went out and won after, it must have been humiliating. That's his personality and his identity, and it got cut because some referee said he had to." As the NJ.com article pointed out, a number of individuals interviewed for the story stated that wrestlers usually have their hair, nails, skin and facial hair checked by referees during weigh-ins before taking to the mat. It's at that point potential issues are typically raised, they said. "You want to find out more before you start making judgment calls, but it looks like the ref was wrong for not addressing it at the skin check when it's supposed to be addressed," said Bergen Catholic state champion Robert Howard, who earlier this month committed to wrestle at Penn State. "It was not the right call because it should have been addressed earlier." Let's look at the rulebook The National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) provides governance and guidance regarding high school sports -- including wrestling -- throughout the U.S. Here is the text from page 31 of the official 2018-19 NFHS Wrestling Rules Book, Section 2, Article 1: Wrestlers' Appearance and Health "If an individual has hair longer than allowed by rule, it may be braided or rolled if it is contained in a cover so that the hair rule is satisfied. (Photo 4) The legal hair cover shall be attached to the ear guards. A bandanna is not considered a legal hair cover. The legal hair cover must be of a solid material and be nonabrasive. The wrestler opting to wear a legal hair cover must wear it to the weigh-in procedure and be checked for grooming with it on. The legal hair cover must be removed prior to the wrestler stepping on the scale to be weighed. If a referee is not present at weigh-ins, the hair cover must be checked by the meet referee upon arrival at the site." In December 2014, the Facebook page Illinois Girls Wrestling posted this message regarding proper hair covering: "The NFHS has implemented a rule this year that states that plain skull or swim caps can not be worn under headgear to cover long hair. You now must utilize a hair cover that attaches to your headgear like the 'slicker' from Cliff Keen or the Matman Hair Cap with Eyelets. High School wrestlers with long hair must have one or they will not be able to wrestle. Some have resorted to making holes in their skull cap and run straps through them in an attempt to meet the requirement and it might work but likely will eventually tear and leave you without a hair cover... " For additional perspective beyond the NFHS rule book, InterMat contacted Fred Feeney, 30-year wrestling official from Ohio. "The rules are pretty clear-cut," Feeney told InterMat. "The wrestler had hair that needed to be covered." "In Ohio, two refs are picked to do weigh-ins. First thing they check is hair and skin.... If a kid has hair that needs covering, the kid is told he needs it for weigh-in. Same as a kid who needs a shave, or to have his fingernails trimmed." "If a kid presents himself for a match with the wrong uniform or no head covering, the referee makes sure the wrestler takes appropriate action to be in compliance by a) getting a legal hair cap or b) get a haircut. Otherwise, the wrestler must forfeit the match," according to Feeney, who, in addition to officiating at 26 national championships (including 16 NCAA championships), served as a consultant to the 2014 film "Foxcatcher" about the Jan. 1996 murder of legendary wrestler/coach Dave Schultz at the hands of wrestling benefactor John du Pont. "It's my understanding that the New Jersey wrestler had been wearing something that wasn't approved. In the past, a wrestler could wear a skull cap. Now the hair cap must attach to the wrestler's headgear." "If indeed the referee (Maloney) had been late to weigh-ins, he should have called the other official at the dual. They could have conferred about any issues at that time." "It would appear that the ones to blame are the officials who didn't enforce the rules in an earlier event," Feeney added. "Officials need to follow the rules and be consistent in applying them." New Jersey native Jordan Burroughs tweets message to wrestler New Jersey native Jordan Burroughs, a two-time NCAA champ for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who went on to win five World titles -- including a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics in men's freestyle -- posted an extended message on his @allIseeisgold Twitter account. Here is the portion directed toward Andrew Johnson, the high school wrestler who submitted to the on-the-mat haircut: "I'm sure a lot of you have heard about the young man who was forced to cut his hair during a wrestling match in order to avoid being disqualified. That young man is Andrew Johnson of Buena High School in New Jersey. "Let me start off by saying, I commend Andrew for stepping up, and being selfless, cutting his hair and getting the final takedown in over time to win his match and help his team secure the dual victory. "Now, let me tell you how sickening this is. I've been wrestling for 25 years, at every level, and I have never once seen a person required to cut their hair during a match. This is nonsense. As a referee, you are required to check the hair and nails of all wrestlers BEFORE a match. My opinion is that this was a combination of an abuse of power, racism, and just plain negligence. "As heroic as it was for Andrew to step up in the midst of what was happening, it shouldn't have got that far. The parents and coaches of the Buena wrestling team should have intervened. This young man should have been protected in this moment. I'm sure his hair was a strong part of his identity, and no single victory is worth succumbing to the pressure of unjust oppression and the unwarranted stripping of that identity. Just watch Andrew's emotion after the match clinching takedown --he was somber, knowing that he had just given up so much for so little. "Sometimes taking a stand for something doesn't actually mean standing, but walking away from it. "As for the referee Alan Maloney, he needs to be held accountable. You've been refereeing for far too long to not know better. But more than being reprimanded, I truly hope this event causes you to reflect and make an attempt to truly understand. In an occupation that requires so much interaction with young men, your character should reflect your power. Andrew -- I am wishing the best for you and your family. I'm so sorry you had to go through this. But don't lose hope. Trials like this undoubtedly spark change, and I have no doubt your character will shine through."

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland -- The United World Wrestling Bureau has approved new regulations for the 2019 Ranking Series. The recommendations were brought forward by the Technical Commission at a meeting last week in Belgrade. The most important changes to the 2019 Ranking Series centered around allocation of points at world championships, continental championships, and Ranking Series events. The points were rebalanced to emphasize participation, and success, at the world and continental championships. "I'm very pleased with the work of our Sport department and the Technical Commission," said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. "The Ranking Series and seeding process has taken considerable work, but if you look now we are rewarding the best wrestlers for their efforts and their successes." New worldwide rankings will be updated on the United World Wrestling website. The 2018 World Championships results are the basis of the rankings, as each year the world championships results will be the first points for the following year. "The continuity from year-to-year, was important for our national federations," said Lalovic. "We needed to ensure that should they compete; our very best athletes will meet in the semifinals or the finals." The seeding process for the World Championships and Olympic Games will now also include a field of the top four wrestlers in each weight category with lower seeded athletes bumping up should one of the top four not participate in the world championships. The previous version of the world championships did not replace top seeds when they were absent of the competition. World Championships 1st place 50 2nd place 30 3rd place 15 3rd place 15 5th place 10 5th place 10 7th place 08 8th place 06 9th place 04 10th place 02 Continental Championships 1st place 12 2nd place 10 3rd place 08 3rd place 08 5th place 06 5th place 06 7th place 04 8th place 02 Ranking Series Events 1st place 08 2nd place 06 3rd place 04 3rd place 04 5th place 02 5th place 02 The number of points awarded at a competition will also be impacted by the number of wrestlers entered in each bracket. For weight categories with 10 or fewer entries an additional six (6) points will be added. For categories with 11-20 wrestlers entered an additional eight (8) points will be added. Ten (10) points will be added to any weight category with more than 20 entries. Points will be allocated to participating athletes in a weight category and are not transferable to other athletes or weight categories. Points will also reset after the world championships or Olympic Games with the points from the previous year's championships or games used for following year's rankings. For example, the 2019 rankings start with only the results of the 2018 World Championships in Budapest. There will no longer be a +2kg weight allowance granted for Ranking Series, Continental Championships, World Championships, or Olympic Games. The Technical Commission also recommended, and the bureau approved, locations for the 2019 Ranking Series events, with Women's Wrestling and Freestyle traveling together to all four events, while Greco-Roman joins in Sassari but otherwise has additional unique locations. GRECO-ROMAN Wrestling Zagreb Open (Zagreb, CRO) Hungarian Grand Prix (Gyor, HUN) Sassari City (Sassari, ITA) Oleg Karavaev (Minsk, BLR) FREESTYLE and WOMEN'S WRESTLING Ivan Yariguin (Krasnoyarsk, RUS) Dan Kolov (Minsk, BUL) Sassari City (Sassari, ITA) Yasar Dogu (Istanbul, TUR) The Ranking Series will kick off with the Ivan Yariguin in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, a competition long hailed as the "Toughest Wrestling Tournament in the World." The 2019 edition is already creating a response, with top-level wrestlers from around the world committed to the competition, including 97kg rivals Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) and Kyle SNYDER (USA). The Yariguin will begin January 24th with coverage on UnitedWorldWrestling.org The Technical Commission also discussed the location and format for the 2019 World Cups, with more information available in the coming weeks. For additional information and details on the Ranking Series, please review the full circular, HERE.

Barry Clark, who launched the wrestling program at Middletown High School in Rhode Island more than 40 years ago, died Thursday, Dec. 20 after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. He was 72. Barry ClarkClark, a 1963 graduate of Middletown High -- the school's first graduating class -- returned to his alma mater in 1969 to teach and coach. He turned the school's existing wrestling club into a varsity sports program effective for the 1971-72 school year. In his 33 years as wrestling coach at Middletown, Clark guided the Islanders to a 305-102-5 overall record, with his teams earning four runner-up finishes at the Rhode Island state wrestling championships. Clark's teams could claim 15 individual state titles, 22 All-State wrestlers, and six New England championships placewinners. For these accomplishments, Barry Clark was named Rhode Island Coach of the Year in 1980, and was inducted into the Rhode Island Wrestling Hall of Fame as well as the Middletown High School Athletics Hall of Fame. In addition to building the Middletown wrestling program from the ground up, Clark was involved in a number of sports at Middletown, coaching football, track and golf. Barry W. Clark was born on Feb. 17, 1946 to Wilbur and Dorothy Clark. He played football at Middletown High, then headed west to Northwest Missouri State University, a four-year public school in Maryville, where he played football and wrestled. Clark later earned a Masters in Science from University of Rhode Island. In addition to his teaching and coaching career, Clark served in the reserve of the U.S. Marine Corps. Activated in 1991 for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, he was summoned to work at the Pentagon, according to his obituary. Clark's Marine heritage was on display long after he retired in 1995 with the rank of Lt. Col., employing Marine ideals in his coaching, and signing all emails with the Marine motto "Semper Fi" Clark retired from teaching and coaching in 1997. Barry Clark is survived by his wife of 48 years, Mary (Landers) Clark; two daughters -- Lisa (Jim) O'Brien and Megan (Michael) Tyson -- and one son, David (Kendra) Clark, along with five grandchildren. Services for Barry W. Clark have been announced. Visitation will take place Thursday, Dec. 27 from 4-8 p.m. at Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport, R.I. The funeral will be held Friday, Dec. 28 with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. in St. Lucy's Church, 909 West Main Road, Middletown. Burial with military honors will follow at St. Columba Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Middletown Youth Wrestling, c/o Coach Bill Seiple, 27 White Terr. Middletown, RI 02842.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo wrestling team put on a show for the home crowd on Saturday night as the Bulls won the first six matches, en route to a 26-6 win over Clarion. The night was highlighted at 165 where junior Troy Brown scored a technical fall over Evan DeLang, 17-2. He put the match away in the third period with four near fall points on three separate occasions. Kyle Akins began the night at 125 with a 7-2 win, while Derek Span won at 133, 5-2. Bryan Lantry rejoined the Buffalo lineup after missing time due to injury, and he came away with a 6-1 win at 141. UB also picked up a 7-2 win at 149 from Jason Estevez and a 3-2 win at 157 from Alex Smythe. Through the first six matches, UB was shutting out Clarion, 20-0. The Golden Eagles got on the scoreboard with wins at 174 and 184, but Buffalo was able to win the final two matches of the night. Redshirt freshman Sam Schuyler won 6-3 at 197 and senior Jake Gunning ended the night with a 3-2 win at 285. The Bulls will return to action next weekend when they take part at the annual Midlands Championships at Northwestern. Action will begin on Saturday Dec. 29. Results: 125 – Kyle Akins (Buffalo) won by decision over Gavin Park (Clarion), 7-2 133 – Derek Spann (Buffalo) won by decision over Seth Koleno (Clarion), 5-2 141 – Bryan Lantry (Buffalo) won by decision over Andrew Gapas (Clarion), 6-1 149 – Jason Estevez (Buffalo) won by decision over Jalin Hankerson (Clarion), 7-2 157 – Alex Smythe (Buffalo) won by decision over Avery Shay (Buffalo), 3-2 165 – Troy Keller (Buffalo) won by technical fall over Evan DeLang (Clarion), 17-2 174 – Taylor Cahill (Clarion) won by decision over Jake Lanning (Buffalo), 6-4 184 – Shae Bloom (Clarion) won by decision over Logan Rill (Buffalo), 9-4 197 – Sam Schuyler (Buffalo) won by decision over Tyler Bagoly (Clarion), 6-3 285 – Jake Gunning (Buffalo) won by decision over Toby Cahill (Clarion), 3-2

No. 16 Tuttle won its fourth consecutive Kansas City Stampede title (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Champions came from five states and ten schools, but when all was said and done, No. 16 Tuttle (Okla.) stood on top of the 40-team field at this weekend's Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede with 686 points. The Tigers were one of two teams to crown three champions in the tournament. Earning titles were Junior National freestyle All-American Ryder Ramsey (132), No. 2 Dustin Plott (170), and 2017 state champion Carson Berryhill (195). Plott earned Outstanding Wrestler honors with his performance this weekend. He advanced from pool action on Friday with a pair of first period pins in as many matches. Another pair of first period pins early on Saturday propelled him to the semifinal round, where it was a 3-0 victory over No. 10 Grayden Penner (Liberty, Mo.). Then on Saturday night, it was a 3-1 victory over No. 7 Troy Fisher (Goddard, Kansas), who had beaten No. 5 Mason Reiniche (Baylor Schoo, Tenn.) 5-3 in overtime in his semifinal bout. Three additional Tuttle wrestlers finished in the top three, No. 16 Luke Surber (152) was second, while Garrett Steidley (120) and Brody DeArmond (145) finished third. Additional top nine placers for the Tigers were a pair in fifth with single wrestlers taking sixth, seventh, and ninth. Also having three individual champions was Buford (Ga.), which finished seventh with 383 points. Those titles were won in consecutive weight classes by Nick Stonecheck (145), Charlie Darracott (152), and Blaine Bergey (160); Darracott beat No. 16 Surber 4-2 in his championship bout. Runner-up team honors in the tournament went to No. 38 Liberty (Mo.), a fast emerging squad in the first month of the 2018-19 season. The Blue Jays beat two previously ranked teams to win the Council Bluffs (Iowa) Wrestling Classic two weekends ago, and then beat No. 14 Park Hill (Mo.) 31-29 in a Thursday night dual meet though they only won six bouts. The lone champion for Liberty on their way to 619.5 points was No. 17 (at 120) Jeremiah Reno in the 113 pound weight class. Their next highest placer was Easton Hilton (106), who took third, while four wrestlers earned fourth. Four additional wrestlers placed in the top eight, single wrestlers in sixth and seventh, with a pair taking eighth. Third place in the standings went to No. 14 Park Hill (Mo.) with 449.5 points, and the Trojans were led by No. 4 Devin Winston (182), who beat No. 15 Rocky Elam (Staley, Mo.) 2-1 in the tiebreaker in his championship bout. Five other wrestlers placed in the top six for Park Hill, a single wrestler each taking second through sixth. The other nationally ranked team in the field, No. 39 Goddard (Kansas) finished in fourth with 420 points, led by a pair of runners-up in Jason Henschel (113) and No. 7 Troy Fisher (170); Henschel upset No. 20 Logan Ashton (Buford, Ga.) 3-0 in the semifinal round. Goddard added single wrestlers in third, fourth, seventh, and ninth. Additional weight class champions were No. 6 Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) at 106 pounds, Kyler Brewer (Staley, Mo.) at 120, No. 7 Kai Orine (Seckman, Mo.) at 126, Gabe Hixenbaugh (Thompson, Ala.) at 138, Cade Lautt (St. James Academy, Kansas) at 220, and Teaguen Wilson (Perry, Okla.) at 285.

Hosting the Zinkin Classic this weekend, No. 9 Buchanan (Calif.) ran through a field that featured five other nationally ranked teams without real challenge. The Bears sprinted out on day one advancing nine wrestlers to the semifinals. Then on day two, four of those wrestlers won weight classes, and they put ten total onto the medal stand (top eight finishes). Winning titles for Buchanan were freshmen Jack Gioffre (106) and Joseph Martin (145), No. 10 Maximo Renteria (120), and No. 3 Matthew Olguin (160). Renteria and Olguin beat nationally ranked wrestlers from Selma in their championship bouts, Renteria 5-2 over No. 19 Tristan Lujan and Olguin 6-0 over No. 5 Jace Luchau. Additional placers for the Bears were a trio in third, a pair in fourth, another pair in fifth, and one in eighth. Second place in the tournament standings went to No. 10 Gilroy (Calif.) with 209.5 points and eight placers, despite No. 9 Chase Saldate (138) having to default out of the tournament in the quarters and two-time state placer Joseph Barnes (170) being absent from the lineup. Leading the way were a pair of weight class champions, No. 4 Ryan Reyes (195) and Nicholas Villarreal (285); Reyes beat No. 14 Jacob Good (Clovis) 4-2 in his finals bout. Other placers included tournament runner-up John Fox (145), a wrestler placing third, two in fifth, and two in seventh. Finishing third was No. 18 Clovis (Calif.) with 197 points, and seven placers from the starting lineup. Three Cougars wrestlers finished as runners-up, Giano Petrucelli (132), Tyler Gianakopolous (182), and No. 14 Jacob Good (195). Other placers were an individual in third, two in fourth, and one in seventh. Clovis also had two non-starters place, the pair placed eighth at 132 and 152 pounds respectively; while they were also without returning state medalist Justin Mourtinsen (113). Fourth in the standings went to No. 35 Selma (Calif.) with 194.5, and the Bears were led by No. 2 Richard Figueroa, who steamrolled through the 113 pound weight class with four pins and a 16-1 technical fall in five tournament matches. Three other wrestlers advanced to the finals, all losing to nationally ranked opposition - Lujan, Luchau, and Christian Rodriguez (170). Rodriguez upended No. 14 Mark Cardwell (Monache, Calif.) 2-1 in the semifinal before losing 5-3 to No. 9 Trent Munoz (Trabucco Hills, Calif.) in the championship bout. Also placing for Selma were a pair of wrestlers in fifth. Finishing an impressive fifth with eight placers was Toppenish (Wash.). They were led by tournament runner-up Haiden Drury (126). Other placers were two each in third, sixth, and seventh along with a single wrestler in fourth. No. 12 in the country St. John Bosco (Calif.) finished eighth with 94 points, but wrestled with a skeletal lineup. They had a pair of weight class champions in No. 12 (at 145) Cael Valencia and Nathan Haas at 152 and 182 respecitvely. However, they were without at least four significant starters, two of whom are nationally ranked in No. 13 Timothy Levine (113) and No. 9 Sonny Santiago (152). The remaining nationally ranked team in the field was No. 46 Clovis North (Calif.), who finished sixth with 163.5 points, led by weight class champions in No. 17 Devin Murphy (126) and No. 11 Ryan Franco (132). Their other placers were freshmen, who finished third at 120 and fifth at 113. Rounding out the weight class champions were Marcos Polanco (Bishop Amat, Calif.) at 138 pounds, No. 9 Trent Munoz (Trabucco Hills, Calif.) at 170, and Mike Ruiz (Villa Park, Calif.) at 220.

Deron Winn shoots a fireman's carry on Hayden Zillmer at the World Team Trials (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Deron Winn, two-time national junior college wrestling champ who has been fighting in mixed martial arts since May 2017, has signed a contract to compete for UFC. Winn, who revealed his retirement from amateur wrestling by placing his shoes on the mat after competing at the first-ever American Wrestling League event in Cedar Rapids late last month, posted this message on his Facebook account Thursday afternoon, along with a photo of him about to sign papers: "Hello UFC middleweights. My name is Deron Winn. Happy to announce I'm finally in the big leagues!" In Ultimate Fighting Championships and other professional MMA organizations, middleweight has a top weight limit of 185 pounds. Winn won his two NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) titles for St. Louis Community College, Meramec at 184 pounds. However, at the AWL event in November, the 29-year-old Winn wrestled at 92 kilograms/202 pounds ... and has competed as a light-heavyweight at 205 pounds in his pro MMA career. No word yet as to when Winn will make his debut in the UFC Octagon. Since launching his pro MMA career 18 months ago, Winn has compiled a perfect 5-0 record ... winning his first four bouts with a TKO in the first round. However, in his most recent match in November, Winn earned a unanimous decision over veteran Tom Lawlor in a co-main event at Golden Boy Promotions' inaugural MMA event. Winn brings impressive wrestling credentials to UFC. The Liberty, Mo. native was a three-time Missouri high school state champ who later went on to national success at St. Louis/Meramec. Winn was in contention for a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic men's freestyle wrestling squad. "A guy like me, with my wrestling credentials, at first I was just getting opponents off 'Oh maybe he just only knows how to wrestle and he can't fight yet,'" Winn told MMAfighting.com. "But I'm 4-0 with four first-round finishes. So, now it's even harder for me to get fights. The last guy I fought, I knocked out on the feet. Now they're scared of multiple things." Winn, a member of the American Kickboxing Academy, has been guided to success in his pro MMA career by two giants in wrestling and UFC: trainer Kevin Jackson, former UFC champ and Olympic gold medalist, and, as mentor, Daniel Cormier, dual UFC champ and 2008 Olympic wrestler.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- A pillar of coach Tom Borrelli's philosophy with his wrestlers is aggression and bonus points. That made the difference on Friday at McGuirk Arena. CMU's Matt Stencel recorded a first-period pin in the 285-pound match and those six team points proved to be the difference as the Chippewas topped Northern Illinois, 18-15, in CMU's first Mid-American Conference dual of the season. The teams split the 10 matches, but Stencel was the lone wrestler on either side to record bonus points. "We knew this was going to be a real close match and we figured it would come down to bonus points," Borrelli said. "We actually had it going five and five and bonus points would win it. And that's what happened." It was the second straight dual victory for the Chippewas, who are 2-2. NIU is 2-5. PIN TO WIN It was the eighth pin of the season for Stencel, who improved to 9-3 and is ranked 16th nationally. It came in 42 seconds, his second fastest of the season. Seven of his pins have come in the first period. Stencel's victory put the Chippewas ahead, 15-9, with three matches remaining (the meet began at 149). KEY MATCH CMU sophomore Landon Pelham (197) preceded Stencel's match with a 3-2 victory, his second consecutive and the first of his career on his home mat. He improved to 3-6 and his victory evened the meet score at 9-9. "That was probably the match of the dual meet for us," Borrelli said. "Pelham's going in 2-6. That's a big win for him and the team. That was a tossup match, a really big tossup match." OTHER VICTORIES The Chippewas also got victories from Drew Hildebrandt (125), Logan Parks (157) and Jordan Atienza (184). It was the fourth straight win for Hildebrandt, who improved to 8-4; Parks has won five of his last six matches and is 8-5; Atienza is also 8-5. MAKING STRIDES The Chippewas' Brock Bergelin (133), Drew Marten (141) and Collin Lieber (174) -- all three of whom are redshirt freshman -- lost close matches in battles that went down to the wire. None of the three surrendered bonus points, a critical factor in a tight dual, and both Bergelin and Lieber were facing opponents they had lost to earlier this season. Bergelin dropped a 7-4 decision to senior Alijah Jeffery, while Lieber fell, 4-2, to Brit Wilson, who entered the meet 8-1 and ranked second in the MAC at 174. Bergelin had lost to Jeffery, 9-2, earlier this season at the Michigan State Open; Lieber had dropped a 9-3 decision to Wilson at the same tournament. "Wilson's the best kid on their team," Borrelli said. "He beat Lieber pretty good at Michigan State. Collin closed the gap really well. Bergelin really closed the gap on (Jeffery). He took the kid down and it was 5-4 (late in the third period) and he was thinking, 'Hey I can win this thing.' He's thinking right. That's what you want. "We wrestled (NIU) a good bit at the Michigan State Open. When we walked away from that tournament we were like, we probably can't beat them in the dual meet. We saw a lot of improvement." Results: 125: Drew Hildebrandt (C) def. Bryce West, 8-4 133: Alijah Jeffery (N) def. Brock Bergelin, 7-4 141: Anthony Cheloni (N) def. Drew Marten, 3-0 149: McCoy Kent (N) def. Dresden Simon, 5-3 157: Logan Parks (C) def. Mason Kauffman, 3-1 165: Kenny Moore (N) def. Bret Fedewa, 7-2 174: Brit Wilson (N) def. Collin Lieber, 4-2 184: Jordan Atienza (C) def. Will Feldkamp, 5-3 197: Landon Pelham (C) def. Max Ihry, 3-2 285: Matt Stencel (C) pinned Caleb Gossett, 42 seconds

CLARION, Pa. -- The 24th-ranked University of Pittsburgh wrestling team continued its winning way Friday night as the Panthers downed Clarion, 39-3. With the win, the Pitt improves to 5-0 as Clarion slides to 2-3 on the year. For the fourth time this season, Pitt allowed just one win by its opponent, todays coming at 165 pounds. Three Panthers pinned their opponents in the win, including seniors LJ Bentley (141) and Robert Lee (149), and junior Demetrius Thomas (285). "I think we wrestled aggressively tonight," said head coach Keith Gavin. "We competed hard and continued to try to score points. This has been a good first semester for us and we have a lot to build off of when we get back from this holiday break." Pitt won the first five bouts, which featured a technical fall by sixth-ranked Micky Phillippi at 133 pounds and back-to-back pins by Bentley at 141 pounds and Lee at 149 pounds. Clarion's lone win came at 165 pounds as redshirt sophomore Jake Wentzel dropped a 7-4 decision to Evan Delong. Redshirt junior Gregg Harvey got the Panthers back on track with a 7-3 decision over Taylor Cahill at 174, bringing the team score to 23-3. Pitt collected with at 184 and 197 pounds, thanks to a major decision by 13th-ranked Nino Bonaccorsi and a decision by redshirt junior Kellan Stout. Thomas capped off the night with his sixth pin of the season and improves to 17-2, as the Panthers cruised to the 39-3 victory. Pitt resumes action in the New Year at Oklahoma Sunday, Jan. 6 before traveling to North Dakota State Jan. 12 and South Dakota State Jan. 13. Results: 125: Brendon Fenton (UP) def. Gavin Park (CU), SV-1, 6-4 - Pitt leads 3-0 133: #6 Micky Phillippi (UP) tech. fall Seth Koleno (CU), 20-5, 6:40 - Pitt leads 8-0 141: LJ Bentley (UP) pins Andrew Gapas (CU), 2:44 - Pitt leads 14-0 149: Robert Lee (UP) pins Jalin Hankerson (CU), 2:40 - Pitt leads 20-0 157: #10 Taleb Rahmani (UP) dec. Avery Shay (CU), 9-4 - Pitt leads 23-0 165: Evan Delong (CU) dec. Jake Wentzel (UP), 7-4 - Pitt leads 23-3 174: Gregg Harvey (UP) dec. Taylor Cahill (CU), 7-3 - Pitt leads 26-3 184: #13 Nino Bonaccorsi (UP) maj. dec. Tyler Bagoly (UP), 14-4 - Pitt leads 30-3 197: Kellan Stout (UP) dec. Shae Bloom (CU), 5-0 - Pitt leads 33-3 285: #13 Demetrius Thomas (UP) pins Toby Cahill (CU), 6:18 - Pitt wins 39-3

If you're on Twitter you've probably seen it, the video, that as of Friday night had been viewed nearly six million times, of a black high school wrestler who had to cut off his dreadlocks in order to compete in a match. The rules call for anyone who has hair longer than a certain length to wear a hair net. In this case the referee, who is white, said the hair net wasn't enough and a trainer or coach cut Andrew Johnson's dreads moments before he took the mat. Johnson competed, won the match, was cheered by the crowd and supported by his teammates. Andrew Johnson gets his hair cutBut look closely at the video. Johnson, a wrestler at Buena Regional High School in New Jersey, is not happy he "took one for the team." Instead he looks mortified, embarrassed and upset. Now of course it's only hair. It will grow back, but look at it from the point of view of a teenager. As a teen, identity is everything and identity is wrapped up in appearance. Johnson's dreadlocks might be a point of particular pride in his look and more importantly in his cultural affinity. The social media outrage for what happened and specifically for referee Alan Maloney, who enforced what's being called an "antiquated and racist" rule was swift and came from all corners. Chance the Rapper weighed in, so did NCAA champion wrestler Seth Gross, as well as InterMat writer and All-American wrestler T.R. Foley. All of them agree on one thing -- this is racially motivated. In answering to those who say rules are rules and the ref was just enforcing them, Gross responded with the following observations: that those things should be dealt with at the pre-match weigh-ins, that this particular referee was suspended two years ago for racist slurs and that he wouldn't allow Johnson to wrestle even with a hair net. Wrestling is a niche sport struggling to grow its audience and its participation level. Much has been debated about the singlet as a deterrent to recruiting teens who see them as not cool. That might be problematic, but this is on another level. This is the kind of public perception that puts wrestling on its back. And it comes at a time when the numbers for female wrestlers are taking off both in college and high school. Girls high school wrestling participation numbers have grown for 29 consecutive years. Last season, 16,562 girls participated in wrestling, which was an increase of 1,975 athletes from the year before. But there are positives here. Everyone in the gym cheered that wrestler on and rallied around him. His coach and his teammates were clearly 100 percent behind him, supporting him and celebrating him as he came off the mat. This is the picture of wrestling that participants and fans know. This is what needs to go viral rather than the view of the sport as backward and racist, one where a ref can pick a rule to enforce arbitrarily to humiliate a young man of color. Inquiring minds want to know if that same referee enforced the rule calling for all wrestlers who wear braces to wear both a top and bottom mouth guard? Did he enforce the rule about shoe laces being covered? The incident should be investigated and if it's found this referee did not enforce all rules equally, but instead focused on this as a chance to single out a black wrestler for shame and punishment, then of course, Maloney has to go. He should be banned from the sport. To its credit the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association recommended that Maloney be sidelined until a review is conducted, according to a NJ.com article. According to that same article the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights has opened an investigation. But the bigger picture is that high school wrestling needs to look at the rules, especially this one, and ask if the original purpose is still served and if the rule helps or hurts the sport. The rule says a wrestler's hair can't exceed the length of a normal shirt collar in the back, it can't extend below the earlobes on the sides and in the front cannot extend below the eyebrows. If it does it must be put in a covering or hair net. According to Anthony Clarke, the head clinician for the Illinois High School Association and member of the National Federation of High Schools rules committee, the original purpose of this was to shield opponents from diseases such as lice. Later in the '60's and '70's it was for aesthetics. Wrestling wanted its athletes to have a clean-cut look, but the rule hasn't kept up with the times. Clarke, who is black, said it was "overkill" what happened to Johnson. Now wrestling needs to let its hair down and there's optimism that is exactly what might happen. Changes to this particular rule had already been in the works. Clarke said a change was submitted last year, but was too gender specific to female wrestlers. It will be revised and resubmitted so no other young person will have to endure what Johnson did under the guise of a rule. Clarke noted that student-athletes wrestle with their hair uncovered in practice for two hours a day. He said it no longer makes sense that they would need to cover it for a six-minute match. The more difficult problem and much more difficult fix for the sport is the insidiousness of racism. Unfortunately, that is not unique to wrestling and will not go away with a rule change.

Michael Colaiocco seeks to become just the third wrestler to win four Beast of the East titles (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) In its 26th edition, the Beast of the East is going to truly live up to its name. The nation's top three ranked teams are present in the field, as are seven wrestlers currently ranked No. 1 nationally in their weight class. Even so, national No. 1 Blair Academy (N.J.) enters the tournament as strong favorites to win this event for the 23rd time over the course of its existence. Directly challenging the Buccaneers will be No. 2 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) and No. 3 Bergen Catholic (N.J.), along with seven other nationally ranked teams: No. 8 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), No. 11 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.), No. 25 Elyria (Ohio), No. 30 Mt. St. Joseph's (Md.), No. 37 Brecksville (Ohio), No. 40 Northampton (Pa.), and No. 43 Delbarton (N.J.) Though he is not ranked No. 1, Michael Colaiocco of Blair Academy (N.J.) seeks to become just the third wrestler to win four titles at this tournament; he would join Buccaneer alum Mark Grey and Bergen Catholic alum Nick Suriano, who is currently ranked third nationally at 133 for Rutgers. Standing in the way of No. 4 Colaiocco at 126 pounds could be six additional nationally ranked wrestlers, including national No. 1 Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) Howard beat Colaiocco last season when the teams met in a mid-January dual meet, one in which Bergen Catholic emerged with the upset at home. At the Beast of the East, Howard lost 4-3 to Sammy Alvarez (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) in the quarterfinal round; Alvarez enters the tournament ranked No. 5 overall in this weight class. Additional ranked wrestlers slated to compete are No. 9 Ryan Jack (Danbury, Ct.), No. 11 Dylan Shawver (Elyria, Ohio), No. 14 Sean Pierson (Nazareth, Pa.), and No. 16 Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) Six others join Colaiocco in hunt of a repeat Beast of the East crown come Saturday and Sunday. One of those would be Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.), who is ranked No. 1 nationally at 113 pounds, and won this weight class last year at the tournament. Among the challengers to McHenry will be last year's 106-pound champion Nick Kayal (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), along with five additional ranked wrestlers -- all within the top twelve of the country. They include No. 4 Anthony Ferrari (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 5 Troy Spratley (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 8 Cooper Flynn (McDonogh, Md.), No. 9 Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.), and No. 12 Nico Nardone (Delbarton, N.J.) Another of the top ranked wrestlers is Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.), who competes at 120 pounds, and is after his first title at the Beast of the East despite having won titles this season and last season at the Walsh Ironman. Last year, Mastrogiovanni lost 4-3 in the Beast of the East final to McHenry, a loss that was avenged in the National Prep final. Six other nationally ranked wrestlers are in the hunt at 120: No. 4 Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame - Green Pond, Pa.), No. 5 Nic Bouzakis (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), No. 7 Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.), No. 9 Dylan Cedeno (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 11 Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and No. 15 Eddie Ventresca (Pope John XXIII, N.J.). It should be noted that Cedeno may be ineligible for this tournament due to NJSIAA regulations related to transfer. Yet another Blair Academy wrestler ranked first nationally is Shayne Van Ness, winner of the Walsh Ironman two weeks ago at 132 pounds. Among the six other nationally ranked wrestlers in this weight class is returning tournament champion No. 5 Nick Raimo (Camden Catholic, N.J.). Also present are No. 4 Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 6 Julian Chlebove (Northampton, Pa.), No. 15 Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), No. 16 Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), and No. 18 Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio). Unranked wrestlers to watch include sophomore Justin Mastroianni (New Canaan, Ct.) and freshman Nick Vafiadis (New Kent, Va.) Also ranked first nationally is Jojo Aragona (Pope John XXIII, N.J.), who is slated to compete at 138 pounds. The Rutgers signee is featured in a weight class that could have six other nationally ranked competitors. That group is headlined by a pair of Junior National freestyle All-Americans, No. 3 Connor McGonagle (Timberlane, N.H.) and No. 5 Lucas Revano (Camden Catholic, N.J.); others include No. 7 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 8 Chris Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), No. 10 Jonathon Miers (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and No. 18 Matt Lackman (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) It should be noted that Miers has yet to compete for the Blue Knights this season. Additional contenders include home state star Jackson Dean (Caesar Rodney, Del.), a Cadet freestyle All-American this summer; along with state medalist Devon Britton (Northampton, Pa.), who beat Lackman 8-2 in dual meet action on Thursday night. An additional No. 1 is Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), 2017 champion of the Super 32 Challenge and winner of the Walsh Ironman two weeks ago. Anderson leads a field at 145 pounds that also includes returning tournament champion Ricky Cabanillas (DePaul Catholic, N.J.), who is ranked No. 8 nationally. Another pair of ranked wrestlers are possible to be present, No. 4 Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) and No. 7 Ryan Vulakh (Pope John II, Pa.). A pair of Lehigh Valley underclassmen merit mention as well, junior Andrew Cerniglia (Notre Dame - Green Pond, Pa.) and sophomore Jager Condomiti (Northampton, Pa.) Rounding out the top-ranked wrestlers nationally in the field is A.J. Ferrari (Blair Academy, N.J.), who headlines a 195 pound weight class that also features national No. 2 Jacob Cardenas (Bergen Catholic, N.J.); Ferrari was at a different school last year, so he was not at the Beast, while Cardenas was runner-up at 182 pounds losing 4-3 to Blair Academy's Leonardo Tarantino. An additional contender at this weight class could be Zac Brown (Eastern View, Va.) The last two defending champions not already mentioned are Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy, N.J.) and John Birchmeier (Broad Run, Va.). Ramirez is ranked No. 3 nationally at 170 pounds, and is joined by just one other nationally ranked wrestler in his weight class, No. 15 Luke Nichter (Chambersburg, Pa.). An additional contenders to watch are Junior National double All-American Jake Stefanowicz (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) and Junior National freestyle All-American Luca Pontone (Belmont Hill, Mass.) Birchmeier, ranked No. 8 nationally, is the lone ranked wrestler in this field at 285 pounds. Below are the additional nationally ranked wrestlers expected to compete at the Beast of the East this weekend. 106: No. 2 Alex Almeyda (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 11 Kelly Dunnigan (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.), No. 17 Richard Fedalen (McDonogh, Md.), and No. 19 Evan Holloway (New Kent, Va.) Note: Dunnigan may be ineligible due to NJSIAA rules related to transfer 152: No. 14 Victor Voinovich (Brecksville, Ohio) 160: No. 9 Domonic Mata (Blair Academy, N.J.) 182: No. 6 Darrien Roberts (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 7 Chris Foca (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 8 Jackson Turley (St. Christopher's, Va.), No. 17 Jack Parr (St. Paul's, Md.) 220: No. 2 Owen Trephan (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 5 Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.), No. 8 Jacob Kaminski (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 13 Andy Smith (Christiansburg, Va.)

With the holidays in full swing the wrestling community is beginning the process of pulling back from the mats, logging off Twitter, and enjoying their friends and family. From spiked eggnog for mom and dad, to wind sprints reliving high school glory for college wrestlers, the holiday season gives us time to remember those in our lives who've impacted our journey on and off the mat. This week, in the middle of reading books, my wife asked me to tell a story to our daughter. I think my wife knows that my daughter won't remember the words -- or the message -- but I'm guessing she wanted me to practice for when she does and that these dry runs might prove useful. Given that it's the holiday season, I thought of my family -- specifically my four brothers -- and what they meant to my development, specifically within wrestling. My senior year in high school I had it in my head that I'd be a state champion. I wasn't especially great at wrestling, having only picked up the sport as a freshman, but I'd placed at the state tournament the year before and was motivated by a teammate (who'd also placed) and believed that I could win a state title. To get this done I trained hard and wrote messages of affirmation on the ceiling in my bedroom, on the mirror of the shared bathroom, and scribbled notes in all my homework. Come February of my senior year I was undefeated in my weight class and ranked second in the state. I was channeling Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret" before she or I knew the book existed! I kept a strict diet, never partied, and ran three times a week at 6 a.m. For lunch I'd eat a small sandwich, drink chocolate milk, and pop a vitamin pack I'd purchased at GNC. Like most people obsessed with something I also tended to drone on at the dinner table about every possible inanity that may, or may not, affect my ability to earn that state title. By February my year was going to plan. The district tournament was held at my high school, Brooke Point in Stafford, Virginia (Go Blackhawks!), with regionals the next weekend, and states the final weekend of the month. I was at home, I was motivated, and I was absolutely certain that my vision board simply told the future. The district tournament was a big deal at our high school. Friends and frenemies alike showed up to watch the finals that night. The full offering of my brothers attended, along with my parents, paternal grandparents, girlfriend, girlfriend's twin sister, girlfriend's parents, and girlfriend's maternal grandparents (who I certainly knew, but they lived in New Jersey and were well into their 80's). There was also the Free Lance Star out of Fredericksburg, yearbook photographer, and a handful of teachers that I respected and whose classes I enjoyed. The stands were filled and I was facing North Stafford's Dustin Qualls, a (no joke) 6'5" 145-pound wrestler with dyed Carolina blue hair. Their team was the best in our district, but I'd beaten him handily in the dual meet and felt well-prepared for the district finals. Sandwich eaten. Chocolate milk drank. Vitamins popped. Unfortunately for me, Dustin had a coach who the season before had transferred down from a high school in Pennsylvania. Bill Swink, now well-known for his state champion and national contender programs at Colonial Forge, had just started coaching at North Stafford. In my style Coach Swink saw holes and like a good coach had learned Dustin up on a few simple ways to shut down what middling offense I had, and how to ride me from one end of the mat to the other. I don't remember much of the match, but I've never forgotten the feeling of panic and the dread. By the third period I was more than five points out of the match with no clear understanding of what to do to score. Whatever tools I had at my disposal had been nullified by Thing No. 1 and was left to flounder -- my shot attempts looking like a toddler lunging forward and grasping at air as his brother palms his forehead and chuckles. The match ended, and I stood stunned as they raised Stringbean's hand in front of my mother, father, four brothers, paternal grandparents, girlfriend, girlfriend's twin sister, girlfriend's parents, girlfriend's 80-year-old maternal grandparents, teachers, students, friends and frenemies. I jogged to the other side of the mat to shake Coach Swink's hand and then sprinted to my side, leaping past the seats on the basketball floor, running until I hit the chilly night air. I unstrapped my singlet and looked out at the lights of the football field and sobbed. Partly from the embarrassment and partly in fear that all that hard work had gone to utter waste. The 6 a.m. sprint workouts on the treadmill, the extra takedowns every day at practice, the caloric restriction, and the absolute realignment of what was focusing my life. And it should be mentioned that I was still in limbo about what college I was going to attend! Who would want a guy who couldn't win at the district tournament, I thought. My coach, a kind man named Mike Smoot, lumbered outside after the next match and got me to recompose myself. He didn't say much. He kind of just chuckled and said some things about chalking it up to a learning experience and getting him next week. But he did end on a helpful quip. He told me that in his estimation I was too high strung. "Go eat a cheeseburger," he said then laughed and walked inside. I eventually recomposed myself and went back to the gym. After the finals I chatted with family and friends about the match, too glum to smile and wanting only to climb into my bed and hope this was all a horrible nightmare. Bedtime came, and I remember sleeping hard -- the only payoff for an emotional and physically taxing day. The next morning, I woke up around 7 a.m. to help my brothers and father build an extension on our home. We were hanging joists and the entire family was expected to be outside by 7:30 a.m. (probably earlier) to pitch in. I laid in bed for a moment and looked at my ceiling and winced as I read "Tim Foley 145-pound STATE CHAMPION" staring back at me. My stomach sank. I dreaded the thought of leaving my room, much less going to school on Monday. I finally roused myself and planned for the bathroom, knowing that those same words would be written in on the mirror. I steeled myself and opened the door. The door to the bathroom was closed, but it was adorned with a newspaper clipping from that morning's Free Lance Star sports section, "Foley loses as North Stafford takes district title." Accompanying the headline was a photo of a 6'5" high schooler with blue hair pushing me around the mat. I'd have cried from anger, but at that same time my dad yelled upstairs for me to get my butt outside and my brother walked by and punched me in the side. And so the day started. My brothers harangued me for the next ten hours, "You know who COULD reach that joist? Dustin Qualls," and "T, if you'd dyed your hair would it have negated his power?" Comic geniuses. Anyway, the lesson was simple: nobody cares. You don't get a pass on the day's work, or playful ribbing just because you lost a match. You're loved, we support you, but you're not special or to be treated differently because you lost (though I did win my school's end-of-the-year sportsmanship award for not freaking out, so that's something!). So that's the story I told my daughter and one of the stories I think about when I think about my brothers during the holidays, their candor and that unique sibling way of saying, "I love you." To your questions … Vito Arujau defeated Roman Bravo-Young in the U23 World Team Trials finals (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Q: Higher NCAA finish: Vito Arujau (Cornell) at 125 pounds or RBY (Penn State) at 133 pounds? -- Mike C. Foley: Wonderful question with which to take bets! I'm a believer in both of them but will give the edge to RBY! Q: I'm watching Penn State maul Arizona State here and thinking why not flip the script on stalling? Instead of a stalling call, award an aggression point to the offensive wrestler. It's a bit of a spin on the freestyle rule of a step out which rewards the aggressor and places emphasis on aggressive wrestling rather than penalizing someone for doing nothing. Even the freestyle rule is flawed because it's arguably a tactic to be less aggressive first as matches are often decided on two shot clocks when the last point wins. This also rewards offensive wrestling and not just the person doing just a bit more than the other wrestler, which is when you'll often see a stall call. Make the wrestler earn that point through action, not through their opponent's inaction! Thoughts? -- Andy S. Foley: Andy, you got it! Check out the Greco-Roman rules! They are made to benefit aggressive wrestling. Also, with freestyle the attempts and techniques do tend to be rewarded, whereas in college wrestling the final control is the most valued of the maneuvers. For example, if I throw someone for what would be a five-point freestyle move, on a college mat, I'd also need to control them. In essence, I'd have to think about how to control after the throw BEFORE I attempt the throw. I like the creativity but my concern about awarding a direct point for "aggression" is that there might be some gaming of that system, too. We already see a lot of half shots to draw stalling calls, would that be relieved by awarding an aggression point? It's unclear, but I'm suspicious! Q: Thoughts on Jack Mueller pulling his redshirt and competing at 125 pounds? Where do you see him fitting into the national landscape at 125 pounds? -- Mike C. Foley: Jack Mueller has pulled his redshirt and moved to 125 pounds and Louie Hayes is up to 133 pounds. There was an injury in the lineup and the wrestlers and Coach Garland thought that Mueller was prepared for the season and that the team would perform well with his leadership. Sometimes the best laid-out plans need adjustment and the U.Va. coaching staff is doing their best to adapt. As for Mueller, I don't think many 125-pound wrestlers are happy to hear he's back in the national conversation. He's brutal on top, has been training with less stress and comes into the season with just over a semester remaining to make the podium. Mueller won his first outing on Thursday night, beating his Mizzou opponent by fall and looked every bit the part of an All-American wrestler! MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Rivalries of 2018 History Makers of 2018 Q: Could Nick Nevills transfer at midseason like Mason Smith just did from Arizona State to Campbell University? -- Robert G. Foley: I don't understand how Mason Smith transferred midseason, unless he never actually enrolled at Arizona State (he came from Central Michigan) and was therefore able to start because he never wrestled a match. My instinct says "absolutely not" unless there are unforeseen, behind-the-scenes developments which the larger wrestling community doesn't know about. Q: What was the biggest wrestling story of 2018? Biggest internationally and domestically. -- Mike C. Foley: On the international side the buildup towards the rematch between Abdulrashid Sadulaev and Kyle Snyder was probably the biggest storyline, followed by Frank Chamizo's ongoing rivalry with Jordan Burroughs. On the domestic side I think it's the ongoing domination of the Penn State wrestling program. Q: What is the difference between Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and WCWA? -- Gregg Y. Foley: I answered this question about one year ago. Division I athletes tend to receive full athletic scholarships. Division II athletes can receive full athletic scholarships, but mostly see partial athletic scholarships. Division III athletes cannot receive athletic scholarships. Also, Division I schools must sponsor seven men's sports and seven women's sports, while Division II must sponsor five men's sports and five women's sports. The NAIA is a wholly different association of colleges and universities with the ability to grant partial scholarships. There is much more to the distinction (and ways to receive a fully paid education) at each level, but in broad terms the amount of athletic scholarship and spending is the biggest distinguisher. As for the WCWA that is the Women's College Wrestling Association, which oversees women's college wrestling in the United States and parts of Canada.

Missouri's Daniel Lewis secured a fall to give the Missouri Tigers the victory (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Sixth-ranked Mizzou Wrestling entered the final bout of its dual against Virginia in unfamiliar territory, trailing 21-17. Needing bonus points to win or tie the match, fourth-ranked 174-pounder Daniel Lewis earned a pin 1:14 into the opening period to give Mizzou a come-from-behind, 23-21 win, moving its winning streak to 26 consecutive duals. That streak dates back to the 2016-17 season. Mizzou improves to a perfect 6-0 this season. The dual was contested at Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Mo., the alma mater of Mizzou 133-pounder John Erneste. Erneste was one of five Mizzou wrestlers to earn wins as the team claimed points at 133, 141, 149, 174 and 184 pounds. Four of the five wins earned bonus points for the Tigers, including pins from Lewis and Jaydin Eierman (141), which was a key factor in the team score. "We kind of struggled in a couple of matches, ones we felt we should have had," head coach Brian Smith said. "I knew Virginia was coming to wrestle. They pulled a couple kids out of redshirt. Last year we had a dual with them that went down to the wire. They seem to have our number a little bit. When I was sitting with Daniel before the match, he was complaining that we were ending the match at 174 pounds. After his pin, I looked at him and told him: that that was why we wanted him last." The dual started a 184 pounds and RS junior Dylan Wisman came out and set the tone for Mizzou, winning his ninth consecutive bout by major decision, 10-2. During his personal nine-bout win streak, he has earned bonus points in eight. At 197, Wyatt Koelling went toe-to-toe with the nation's eighth-ranked wrestler, Jay Aiello. He scored a big-time reversal with less than a minute remaining in the third period and forced overtime, but Aiello scored a takedown midway through the frame to earn the win. That was the first of three straight wins for Virginia, which opened a 12-4 lead after a pin by Jack Mueller over Mizzou's Dack Punke at 125. Erneste then stole the show in front of his hometown crowd with a dominant, 9-0 major decision win over Louie Hayes, doing so in his old high school gym. He was dominant throughout the bout and exited the mat to a standing ovation. More importantly it cut Virginia's lead to 12-8 moving to 141 pounds. Eierman then ignited the capacity crowd with his fifth pin of the season, giving Mizzou the lead back at 14-12. Brock Mauller then improved to 16-1 in his true freshman season with a 4-0 win at 149. Another true freshman, Jarrett Jacques then took the mat and led, 7-4, moving to the third, but was pinned with just 25 second remaining as Virginia regained the lead, 18-17, with two bouts remaining. Virginia claimed a win a 165 as Luke Fortuna lost a 6-1 decision to No. 18 Cam Coy. That set the stage for Lewis, who earned an early takedown and quickly turned it into the match-winning pin. Results: 184 Pounds - Dylan Wisman (10-4) vs. Will Schany (12-8) - W, 10-2 - | 4-0 197 Pounds - Wyatt Koelling (8-6) vs. No. 8 Jay Aiello (10-3) - L, 11-9 (SV-1) | 4-3 Heavyweight - No. 11 Zach Elam (14-2) vs. Quinn Miller (5-4) - L, 6-3 | 4-6 125 Pounds - Dack Punke (1-3) vs. Jack Mueller (1-0) - L, Fall (2:55) | 4-12 133 Pounds - No. 9 John Erneste (8-1) vs. Louie Hayes (7-3) - W, 9-0 (MD) | 8-12 141 Pounds - No. 3 Jaydin Eierman (10-1) vs. Gray Hart (8-6) - W, Fall (2:19) | 14-12 149 Pounds - Brock Mauller (16-1) vs. Michael Murphy (3-3) - W, 4-0 | 17-12 157 Pounds - Jarrett Jacques (13-5) vs. Jake Keating (8-5) - L, Fall (6:25) | 17-18 165 Pounds - Luke Fortuna (3-7) vs. No. 18 Cam Coy (11-5) - L, 6-1 | 17-21 174 Pounds - No. 4 Daniel Lewis (10-1) vs. Drew Peck (9-3) - W, Fall (1:14) | 23-21 UP NEXT Mizzou will be off over the holiday before heading to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the South Beach Duals from Dec. 29-30. Mizzou will wrestle Lehigh and Kent State that Saturday before wrestling Purdue and Cornell Sunday. For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on social media (@MizzouWrestling on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook).