InterMat Staff

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- It marked back-to-back seasons with an Outstanding Wrestler at the Reno Tournament of Champions for the Wyoming wrestling team, as 141-pounder Sam Turner claimed top honors at the tournament on Thursday. It marked the first such honor for Turner and served as a repeat at 141 for the Pokes as Bryce Meredith earned the accolade last season. Sam Turner (right) was named Outstanding Wrestler"It was a pretty good day," Turner said. "I started out feeling a little bit of the weight cut this morning, but as I got deeper into the tournament I stared to put things together and feel good, feel hydrated. Going into that semifinals match, I decided I was going to wrestle my match and not look at Kaid Brock any differently (than anyone else). I think that really paid off and it's good this time of year to build confidence because what matters is March. These wins are good to get, but I think the biggest takeaway is confidence." As a team, Wyoming placed six wrestlers at the tournament. Aside from Turner, Cale Davidson (197) and Brian Andrews (HWT) both took second after advancing to the finals in their respective weight classes. Junior Dewey Krueger took fourth at 157, Cole Verner took fifth at 125 and Casey Randles took sixth at 174. In all, five Cowboy grapplers finished higher than their pre-tournament seeding. Wyoming finished third at the event behind Oklahoma State and Michigan State, despite only bringing 12 wrestlers compared to Oklahoma State's 20 and Michigan State's 18. Wrestling unattached, true freshman Tate Samuelson placed as well coming in third at 184 pounds. He was one of only nine unattached wrestlers in the field to finish on the podium. The Cowboys got off to a strong start to the day, with 11 of 12 attached wrestlers advancing to the round of 16. Dewey Krueger and Casey Randles each recorded falls in their round of 64 pigtail matches to start the event off on a high note for the Pokes. In the following round, the team combined for three falls, two tech falls and a pair of major decisions as just short of a dozen Cowboys moved on. Six Cowboys advanced into the Reno quarterfinals with wins in the following round. Cole Verner earned his second fall of the day with a second-period pin of Fresno State's Jeremy Trinh at 125 pounds. Sam Turner followed it up with an 8-4 decision over Durbin Lloren of Utah Valley to advance. Krueger routed Stanford's Tyler Eischens in a 20-9 major decision at 157, followed by an 11-2 major for Hayden Hastings over MSU-Northern's Chris Nile. At 197, Cale Davidson took a 6-4 win over Nick May of Michigan State, and heavyweight Brian Andrews finished off the round with a dominant, 18-2 technical fall over Southern Oregon's Max Hane. Wyoming pushed four attached wrestlers, along with true freshman Tate Samuelson into the tournament semifinals. After Turner advanced on a medical forfeit, Krueger kept rolling at 157 with a 10-8 decision over Grandview's Steven Lawrence. Competing unattached, Samuelson earned his third win of the day at 184, defeating Tanner Harvey of American, 8-5. At 197 pounds, Davidson earned his second victory of the season over Oklahoma State's Andrew Marsden, knocking off Marsden, 9-5. Finally, Andrews turned in another dominant performance at heavyweight with a shutout, 6-0 win over Chase Trussell. Three Cowboys grabbed wins in the semis, highlighted by a 5-4 upset of two-time All-American and ninth-ranked Kaid Brock of Oklahoma State by Cowboy Sam Turner. Davidson and Andrews also picked up wins, with Davidson dropping No. 2 seed Sawyer Root of The Citadel, 6-4, and Andrews dispatching of Grandview's Cooper Thomas, 5-1, in sudden victory. In the finals, Davidson and Andrews came up short to strong foes from Oklahoma State, but Turner tallied a dominant shutout of Michigan State's Austin Eicher with a couple of takedowns and plenty of riding time on the way to a 6-0 decision. The Cowboys will be back in action on Dec. 29-30 when they travel to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the South Beach Duals. While in the Sunshine State, the Pokes will face No. 6 Cornell, No. 4 NC State, Michigan State and SIUE.

FARGO, N.D. -- North Dakota State University welcomed Oregon State to Fargo for a non-conference battle. NDSU would grab an early lead and never relinquish it, winning seven of ten matches, on their way to a 31-13 victory. The dual started at 149, where NDSU's Jaden Van Maanen would meet Zac Evans of Oregon State. Van Maanen used multiple takedowns to build a strong early lead, before recording the fall at 5:55. Oregon State would try to fight back at 157, with Hunter Willits taking on Nick Knutson. Willits, an NCAA Qualifier, came in as the heavy favorite in this one, but it was Knutson who would strike first. Knutson notched a takedown in the first minute of the match and looked to take a 2-1 lead to the second period. However, with 10 seconds left in the period, Willits would respond with a takedown of his own to take a 3-2 lead into the second period. The second period didn't see much separation between the two combatants. In the third, Willits was able to extend his lead and ultimately secure the 10-4 victory to get Oregon State on the board. No. 17 Andrew Fogarty took on Aaron Olmos at 165, where it would be all Fogarty. Fogarty used a first period takedown and two four point near falls to build a 10-0 lead after the first period. The second period saw Fogarty get another turn and secure the fall. 174 brought Lorenzo De La Riva and Colt Doyle to the mat. De La Riva seemingly is in a seven-minute scramble for most of his matches, and that largely happened again tonight. De La Riva led throughout the match and wound up winning more scrambles than he lost on his way to a 11-7 win. NDSU gave redshirt sophomore Michael Otomo his first start in a NDSU singlet. He would meet Myles Terry for Oregon State. Otomo did a good job with his leg attacks and fended off some late upper body attacks from Terry, to secure a hard fought 10-6 win. Cordell Eaton looked to get back on track vs Bob Coleman, after losing two close matches last week against Air Force and Wyoming. Behind the strength of several takedowns, Eaton got back on track, as he raced to a 12-3 major decision. At heavyweight, Brandon Metz would meet former Northern Colorado heavyweight Jamarcus Grant. Metz had a substantial size advantage in this one and would use it over and over. Metz was able to notch an early lateral drop for six points, and he would not look back from there. Metz was generally able to stuff any attack by Grant and use his size to score on counters. Grant was able to hit a very nice super duck in the last thirty seconds, but it wasn't enough as Metz secured the 15-6 major Decision. Oregon State All American Amar Dhesi did make the trip with the Beavers and did confirm that we will see him back on the mat in the second semester. 125 was billed as the marquee match of the night, as No. 3 Ronnie Bresser squared off with No. 9 Brent Fleetwood. These two veteran 125s wrestle very close to the mat and are tough to create scoring chances off of. The first period didn't see a ton of action, as Bresser took more attacks, but Fleetwood controlled the center more. Fleetwood was able to fire off a nice counterattack against Bresser and was able to briefly get to a standing single that Bresser would fight out of it. After a scoreless first period, Bresser would register a quick escape to get the scoring started. Following a restart, Bresser hit a powerful snap down and immediately jumped to a cow catcher and was able to put Fleetwood on his back and record the fall. Bresser showed impeccable defense throughout the match and good power and explosion when an opening arose. NDSU looked to get back on track at 133 with 19th-ranked Cam Sykora taking on Kegan Calkins. Calkins would get the first takedown, but it was all Sykora from there. Following the opening takedown, Sykora would use multiple takedowns and turns to outscore Calkins 19-1 the rest of the way and get the tech fall. The final match of the night saw Grant Willits take on Sawyer Degen. Degen was making his first start in a Bison uniform and was looking to make a memorable debut, like Michael Otomo. It wasn't to be, as Willits led this one from start to finish while securing a dominating 13-0 major decision. NDSU returns to action at the South Beach duals while Oregon State is off until a dual against Michigan. Results: 149: Jaden Van Maanen (North Dakota State) pinned Zach Evans (Oregon State), 5:55 157: Hunter Willits (Oregon State) dec. Nick Knutson (North Dakota State) 10-4 165: #17 Andrew Fogarty (North Dakota State) pinned Aaron Olmos (Oregon State), 3:24 174: Lorenzo De La Riva (North Dakota State) dec. Colt Doyle (Oregon State), 11-7 184: Michael Otomo (North Dakota State) dec. Myles Terry (Oregon State), 10-16 197: Cordell Eaton (North Dakota State) maj. dec. Bob Coleman (Oregon State), 12-3 285: Brandon Metz (North Dakota State) maj. dec. Jamarcus Grant (Oregon State), 15-6 125: #3 Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State) pinned #9 Brent Fleetwood (North Dakota State), 3:43 133: #19 Cam Sykora (North Dakota State) tech. fall Kegan Calkins (Oregon State), 19-3 141: Grant Willits (Oregon State) maj. dec. Sawyer Degen (North Dakota State), 13-0

RENO, Nev. -- Oklahoma State wrestlers earned twelve top-four finishes at the 23rd Reno Tournament of Champions on Thursday with seven bringing home top honors. The Cowboys sent 24 competitors to the event with four wrestling unattached. The No. 3 Cowboys outscored second-place finisher Michigan State, 204.5-150.5. "Some of them looked tough and good wrestling," said coach John Smith. "It helps us evaluate. I think we saw some guys who looked pretty good, pretty sharp, pretty physical. I thought Daton Fix looked solid. Kaden Gfeller stretched his scores out. Chandler Rogers didn't have much in his bracket but just tore through it." Chandler Rogers dominated the 165-pound bracket, notching falls in four of his five bouts, including a 2:04 pin in the finals over Ryan Niven of Grandview. Nick Piccininni was also lethal at 125 pounds, earning three technical falls and a pin on the day. He defeated Michigan State's RayVon Foley, 4-1, in the finals. Piccininni remains undefeated this season and has garnered five technical falls to date. Also earning first place for OSU was 133-pound Daton Fix. The Cowboy won a first-round technical fall before advancing to the quarterfinals due to an opponent's disqualification. He won another technical fall before collecting a major decision in the semifinals. The redshirt freshman won his finals match, 10-4, over Anthony Tutolo of Michigan State. Kaden Gfeller won his second open tournament of the year and first at 149 pounds, defeating teammate Dusty Hone, 13-5, in the 149-pound finals. Gfeller won each of his six matches with bonus points, collecting three technical falls, two pins and a major. Hone won a major and pair of decisions before running into Gfeller. Dakota Geer finished on top at 197 pounds with a 5-4 decision over Wyoming's Cale Davidson. Geer recorded two falls and a technical fall Joe Smith wrestled for the first time in more than a year at 174 pounds where he notched three technical falls, a fall and a major decision. He and Jacobe Smith reached the finals match in their bracket bud did not wrestled and tied for first place. Jacobe Smith won a pair of major decisions and falls before reaching the finals. "I thought Joe wrestled pretty well for it being a year since he wrestled last … just a lot of aggression. Jacobe seemed to have slow first periods, then in the second and third periods really picked it up." Freshman Anthony Montalvo ultimately finished fourth at 184 after collecting four decisions and falling short in the semifinals to the eventual runner-up. Montalvo lost the third-place bout, 4-1, to Tate Samuelson, who was competing unattached as well. Jonce Blaylock also reached the finals for OSU but came up short against Stanford All-American Paul Fox. Kaid Brock dropped his semifinals bout with Sam Turner of Wyoming, 5-4, but came back to win a 21-5 technical fall in the third-place bout with Brody Lamb (unattached). Derek White put an exclamation point on the Cowboys' tournament win with a 6-2 decision over Wyoming's Brian Andrews. After going 70 matches without a pin, White collected first fall against Oklahoma, and his second and third career falls came in the opening rounds of action. He also won a major decision in the semifinals. "I don't think I'm totally satisfied, but I think we got a lot of information that we can take and continue to try and develop," Smith said.

ATHENS, Ohio -- A pin by redshirt freshman Alec Hagan (Eureka, Mo.) and a two-point victory by redshirt junior Zac Carson (Akron, Ohio) helped the Ohio wrestling team (2-2) overcome Chattanooga (1-2), 22-19, in the Bobcats' 2018-19 home opener this evening at the Convocation Center. "It was a good win," said 22nd-year head coach Joel Greenlee. "We injury defaulted at '84 and were winning the match and got pinned at '25. Those things don't help, and it takes a little wind out of your sails, but we came back and got a fall and got a win at the end. It was exciting. It was fun. It was a good way to kick off our break." Freshman Colt Yinger (Nelsonville, Ohio) made his Bobcat debut at the Convo, earning a 12-4 major decision win over senior Trey Watson at 165 pounds to get the evening started. "He was in our kids club when he was little and has wrestled in the Convo and been to most of the matches in the Convo," said Greenlee of the local product Yinger. "It was nice for a big crowd from Nelsonville to come out and support him. He looked good." Redshirt sophomore Joe Terry (Pickerington Ohio) helped the Bobcats extend their lead to 7-0 courtesy of an 8-5 decision over freshman Hunter Fortner at 174. Chattanooga cut the Ohio advantage to one point when junior Dominic Lampe won by medical default at 184. The Bobcats answered with back-to-back victories, however. Redshirt junior Nate Hall (Lewis Center, Ohio) defeated senior Rodney Jones by an 8-3 decision at 197, then redshirt senior Zack Parker (Felton, Del.) earned a 3-1 decision win over senior Connor Tolley at 285 to make it a 13-6 lead for Ohio. Momentum shifted in favor of the Mocs after a pin by sophomore Fabian Gutierrez at 125 shaved Ohio's lead back to one point. Chattanooga then took a 19-13 lead after junior Jake Huffine picked up a 13-1 major decision victory at 133 and junior Chris Debien came away with a 4-3 decision win at 141. Hagan came up big for the Bobcats at 149, though, pinning freshman Mason Wallace in just 45 seconds to even the score back up. "Going into the match, I knew I needed to help my team out with a win," said Hagan. "Going in there, I tried to get to my attacks as early as possible and get to my stuff on top. I did, and I got the pin and helped the team win. I just needed to do my job." Carson then sealed the victory for Ohio by defeating freshman Ryan Resnick at 157 with a 10-8 decision win. "He's gotten so much better," said Greenlee of Carson. "He's gotten better by leaps and bounds in the last month. I think he's going to make a lot of noise at the NCAA tournament." Ohio will ring in 2019 by traveling to Chattanooga, Tenn., to participate in the Southern Scuffle Jan. 1-2. Results: 165: Colt Yinger (Ohio) def. Trey Watson (Chattanooga), 12-4 maj. dec. (4-0). 174: Joe Terry (Ohio) def. Hunter Fortner (Chattanooga), 8-5 dec. (7-0) 184: Dominic Lampe (Chattanooga) default (7-6) 197: Nate Hall (Ohio) def. Rodney Jones (Chattanooga), 8-3 dec. (10-6) 285: Zack Parker (Ohio) def. Connor Tolley (Chattanooga), 3-1 dec. (13-6) 125: Fabian Gutierrez (Chattanooga) def. Shakur Laney (Ohio), fall, 6:55 (13-12) 133: Jake Huffine (Chattanooga) def. Trevor Giallombardo (Ohio), 13-1 maj. dec. (13-16) 141: Chris Debien (Chattanooga) def. Kyran Hagan (Ohio), 4-3 dec. (13-19) 149: Alec Hagan (Ohio) def. Mason Wallace (Chattanooga), fall, 0:45 (19-19) 157: Zac Carson (Ohio) def. Ryan Resnick (Chattanooga), 10-8 dec. (22-19)

Kevin Parker was thrown into the fire over his first two seasons as a starting upperweight in a loaded EIWA field. He may have been singed now and then, but he never gave in. On Thursday night, his growth manifested itself in front of a packed Dillon Gym, and he made sure he burned a second long losing streak for the Princeton wrestling team this season. Less than a month removed from ending a 14-match losing streak to league rival Lehigh, Princeton used a dramatic pin from Parker and bonus points in four of five wins to end an 18-match losing streak to county rival Rider in the Tigers' 2018-19 home debut. A pair of tight wins at 165 and 174 helped Rider grab a 15-14 lead entering Parker's match against Michale Fagg Daves, who Parker had defeated en route to a Tiger Open win in the opening weekend of the season. Despite being the early aggressor, it was Fagg Daves who held a 2-0 lead after a late takedown in the second period and looked to give Rider a significant lead with two matches to go. The fall came 58 seconds into the second period, and it opened the door for third-ranked 197-pounder Patrick Brucki, who was more than happy to slam it shut on the Broncs. Just as he did in Bethlehem on Nov. 30, Brucki clinched the team win with a 12-5 decision, which moved him to 11-0 on the season. Those two were able to clinch the win thanks to a strong first half of the match by their Princeton teammates. Freshman Patrick Glory made quick work of his Dillon debut, as he pinned Jonathan Tropea 1:59 into his 125-pound match to open a 6-0 lead. A forfeit and a tight loss at 141 gave Rider a brief lead, but top-ranked junior Matthew Kolodzik returned the advantage with a dominant 18-3 technical fall at 149. Princeton knew it would need one more victory from its young starters before Parker and Brucki took the mat, and they got it at 157 from freshman Quincy Monday. Four of Monday's last five losses have come by three points or fewer, so he was no stranger to close matches. Monday scored an early takedown of Gino Fluri, but then battled into a tough third period with a slim 3-2 edge. He wasn't going to let this one get away, and he took Fluri down one more time to secure a 6-2 win. Embedded video Sophomore Dale Tiongson gave 20th-ranked Jesse Dellavecchia a scare in a 6-2 loss, and freshman Travis Stefanik gave up a late takedown to fall 7-5 at 174. Those decisions gave Rider a slim, and short-lived, 15-14 lead when Parker took the mat. Moments later, Princeton was on its way to a third dual win of the season. The Tigers will head home for a few days before beginning final preparations for the Midlands Championships, which will take place in Chicago Dec. 29-30. Check back with GoPrincetonTigers.com for a full preview leading up to the event. Results: 125 - #14 Patrick Glory (P) WBF Jonathan Tropea 1:59 133 – Anthony Cefelo (R) wins by forfeit 141 – Travis Layton (R) dec. Marshall Keller 3-2 149 - #1 Matthew Kolodzik (P) TF Evan Fidelibus 18-3 (7:00) 157 – Quincy Monday (P) dec. Gino Fluri 6-2 165 – #20 Jesse Dellavecchia (R) dec. Dale Tiongson 6-2 174 – Dean Sherry (R) dec. Travis Stefanik 7-5 184 – Kevin Parker (P) WBF Michale Fagg Daves 3:58 197 - #3 Patrick Brucki (P) dec. Ethan Laird 12-5 285 – Ryan Cloud (R) WBF Obinna Ajah 1:46

DAVIDSON, N.C. -- The George Mason wrestling team won its second dual of the day, defeating Atlantic 10 rival Davidson, 34-6, at Belk Arena in Davidson, N.C. Mason (4-2, 1-1 EWL) took the lead over Davidson (2-4, 0-1 SoCON) when redshirt freshman Cornelius Schuster began the match with a 6-0 decision over freshman Noah Satterfield at 174 pounds. After the Wildcats picked up a decision at 184 pounds, Mason redshirt sophomore Eli Spencer won by fall over Davidson freshman Finlay Holston at 197 pounds. In the heavyweight match, Mason redshirt senior Matthew Voss led Wildcats freshman Mitchell Tripp 6-1 after the first period and 9-2 after two periods. Voss posted a 10-4 decision to win his second match of the day and increase the Patriots match-score lead to 12-3. At 125 pounds, Mason redshirt sophomore Talha Farooq won by fall over Davidson senior Zamir Ode. Mason freshman Mel Ortiz then recorded a 10-6 decision over Wildcats freshman Kyle Gorant at 133 pounds to give the Patriots a commanding 21-3 match-score advantage. The Wildcats won a high-scoring match at 141 pounds with a 22-20 decision. At 149 pounds, Mason redshirt senior Tejon Anthony led Davidson senior Aidan Conroy 4-1 after one period and 10-4 going into the third. Anthony stayed perfect on the day, earning a 16-5 major decision to increase the Patriots lead to 25-6. At 157 pounds, freshman Kolby Ho rallied for a victory, scoring five unanswered points in the third period for a 5-1 decision over Wildcats senior Tony Palumbo. In the final match of the night, Mason redshirt junior Colston DiBlasi won by fall over Wildcats freshman Erik Eva at 165 pounds. The Patriots won eight of 10 bouts in the match, with three of the victories by pin and one by major decision. Mason has won each of the last five duals against Davidson. The Patriots return to action in the New Year, competing at the Southern Scuffle on Jan. 1-2 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Results: 174 | Cornelius Schuster (Mason) decision over Noah Satterfield (Davidson), 6-0 | 3-0 Mason 184 | Conor Fenn (Davidson) decision over Paul Pierce (Mason), 6-3 | 3-3 197 | Eli Spencer (Mason) fall over Finlay Holston (Davidson), 2:32| 9-3 Mason 285 | Matthew Voss (Mason) decision over Mitchell Trigg (Davidson), 10-4 | 12-3 Mason 125 | Talha Farooq (Mason) fall over Zamir Ode (Davidson), 2:50 | 18-3 Mason 133 | Mel Ortiz (Mason) decision over Kyle Gorant (Davidson), 10-6 | 21-3 Mason 141 | Caleb Ziebell (Davidson) decision over Julio Alegria (Mason), 22-20 | 21-6 Mason 149 | Tejon Anthony (Mason) major decision over Aidan Conroy (Davidson), 16-5 | 25-6 Mason 157 | Kolby Ho (Mason) decision over Tony Palumbo (Davidson), 5-1 | 28-6 Mason 165 | Colston DiBlasi (Mason) fall over Erik Eva, 2:34 | 34-6 Mason

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- In the first of two duals on Thursday, the George Mason wrestling team defeated Gardner-Webb, 30-13, at Paul Porter Arena in Boiling Springs, N.C. Mason (3-2, 1-1 EWL) fell behind Gardner-Webb (2-3, 0-0 SoCON) after the Runnin' Bulldogs began the match with a decision at 174 pounds. At 184 pounds, Mason freshman Paul Pierce led Gardner-Webb freshman Christian Slater 4-0 after the first period and 9-1 going into the third. Pierce recorded a 12-3 major decision to give the Patriots a 4-3 lead. The Runnin' Bulldogs notched a 12-4 major decision at 197 pounds to take a 7-4 advantage in the match. Mason redshirt senior Matthew Voss started fast in the heavyweight matchup against freshman J.T. Trautman, scoring an early takedown in the first period. Voss closed out the match with a pin at 2:14 to put the Patriots in front to stay. Redshirt sophomore Talha Farooq then won by forfeit at 125 pounds to increase the Patriots match-score lead to 16-7. Mason freshman Mel Ortiz led Runnin' Bulldogs freshman Brandon Bright 2-0 after the first and 8-3 after the second on the way to a 10-4 decision at 133 pounds to make the score 19-7. After Gardner-Webb picked up a decision at 141 pounds, Mason redshirt senior Tejon Anthony stormed out to a 6-1 first-period advantage over freshman Connor Schiess. Anthony won by fall at 4:44 to increase the Patriots lead to 25-10. At 157 pounds, Mason freshman Kolby Ho built a 6-1 first-period lead over freshman Chase McKinney. Ho increased the advantage to 10-3 after the second and won by technical fall, 20-5. The Runnin' Bulldogs ended the day with a decision at 165 pounds, but the Patriots claimed a 30-13 win in the first meeting between the two teams since 2014. The Patriots won six of the 10 bouts, earning bonus points in four of the matches. Mason is back in action later this evening, facing Davidson at 7 p.m. at the Belk Arena in Davidson, N.C. Results: 174 | Kyle Homet (GWU) decision over Cornlius Schuster (Mason), 9-4 | 3-0 Gardner-Webb 184 | Paul Pierce (Mason) decision over Christian Salter (GWU), 12-3 | 4-3 Mason 197 | Anthony Perrine (GWU) major decision over Eli Spencer (Mason), 12-4 | 7-4 Gardner-Webb 285 | Matthew Voss (Mason) fall over J.T. Trautman (GWU), 2:14 | 10-7 Mason 125 | Talha Farooq (Mason) won by forfeit | 16-7 Mason 133 | Mel Ortiz (Mason) decision over Brandon Bright (GWU), 10-4 | 19-7 Mason 141 | Blake Mulkey (GWU) over Julio Alegria (Mason), 12-7 | 19-10 Mason 149 | Tejon Anthony (Mason) fall over Conrad Schiess (GWU), 4:44 | 25-10 Mason 157 | Kolby Ho (Mason) technical fall over Chase McKinney (GWU), 20-5 (5:59) | 30-10 Mason 165 | Tyler Marinelli (GWU) decision over Colston DiBlasi (Mason), 5-0 | 30-13 Mason

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BLACKSBURG -- Five straight wins from 165 pounds through heavyweight kicked off the match between and it helped carry No. 14 Virginia Tech to a 24-9 win over West Virginia on Wednesday evening in Morgantown, W.Va. Bonus point wins, all by major decision, came from redshirt freshman Mekhi Lewis at 165 pounds, redshirt senior Zack Zavatsky at 184 and redshirt sophomore B.C. LaPrade at 157. Lewis and Zavatsky have each registered bonus points in their last three starts in duals. MATCH NOTES The Hokies clinched the riding time point in eight of the 10 bouts. For the second straight dual, the coaches agreed to draw and this time the match started 165 pounds. It worked out in the Hokies favor as Lewis got things started with a 15-2 major over Nick Kiussis. Redshirt junior David McFadden followed with a workmanlike 8-2 decision before Zavatsky's major, redshirt senior Tom Sleigh's 3-1 decision at 197 and redshirt senior Billy Miller's 4-0 decision at heavyweight. After a loss at 125, redshirt sophomore Kyle Norstrem was in a battle in his first career bout at 133 where he tied at 2-2 with a minute left. He used double-overs to throw KJ Fenstermacher for a two-point takedown and secured four near fall to take an 8-2 lead. With the riding time point, Norstrem claimed the 9-2 decision. LaPrade carried momentum from his over Princeton's Quincy Monday as he dominated West Virginia's Zach Moore in a 14-2 major decision. Next, the Hokies will have competitors at both the Franklin & Marshall Open on Jan. 5 and the prestigious Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga from Jan. 1-2. Results: 165: Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) over Nick Kiussis (West Virginia) (MD 15-2) 174: David McFadden (Virginia Tech) over Josh Ramirez (West Virginia) (Dec 8-2) 184: Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) over Hunter DeLong (West Virginia) (MD 15-6) 197: Tom Sleigh (Virginia Tech) over Noah Adams (West Virginia) (Dec 3-1) 285: Billy Miller (Virginia Tech) over Brandon Ngati (West Virginia) (Dec 4-0) 125: Joey Thomas (West Virginia) over Joey Prata (Virginia Tech) (SV-1 4-2) 133: Kyle Norstrem (Virginia Tech) over KJ Fenstermacher (West Virginia) (Dec 9-2) 141: Lukas Martin (West Virginia) over Dom Latona (Virginia Tech) (Dec 8-7) 149: Christian Monserrat (West Virginia) over Ryan Blees (Virginia Tech) (Dec 4-1) 157: BC LaPrade (Virginia Tech) over Zach Moore (West Virginia) (MD 14-2)

Brock Zacherl (Photo/Clarion Athletics) CLARION, Pa. -- Clarion wrestling coach Keith Ferraro announced today that due to injuries sustained earlier in the season, Golden Eagle wrestlers Brock Zacherl and Taylor Ortz will miss the remainder of the 2018-19 season. Neither has competed since the Cliff Keen Invitational earlier this month. The program hopes Zacherl and Ortz will be eligible for a medical hardship and an extra year of eligibility, which they intend to apply for at the appropriate time. "We're disappointed that Brock and Taylor won't be able to compete with us for the rest of the season," Ferraro said. "We will look to the rest of our lineup to step up this year, and we hope to have both guys back in the future." Both Zacherl and Ortz were NCAA qualifiers in 2018, with Zacherl also reaching the NCAA Championships in the previous two seasons as well. Zacherl reached as high as fifth in the national rankings this season after an impressive showing at the Cliff Keen Invitational, while Ortz continued his ascendance with an exceptional performance there as well.

No. 1 Cohlton Schultz recently won a title at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The Reno Tournament of Champions annually serves as a great showcase for high school and college wrestling. This year's program at the Reno (Nevada) Events Center is no exception. Thursday is the college event, with high school taking over on Friday and Saturday. A plethora of high school teams from fourteen states, plus one from Canada, will be among those in attendance at the tournament. Headlining the field are three nationally ranked teams: No. 17 Allen (Texas), No. 24 Poway (Calif.), and No. 42 Pomona (Colo.); additional teams meriting attention include Choctaw (Okla.), Crook County (Ore.), and Pueblo County (Colo.) Two wrestlers ranked first nationally at their respective weight classes headline the field, Super 32 Challenge champion Stevo Poulin (Shenendehowa, N.Y.) at 106 pounds and Junior World Greco-Roman medalist Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.) at 285. 21 additional ranked wrestlers feature in the field, with 13 of 14 weight classes projected to feature at least one ranked wrestler. Below is a weight-by-weight listing of wrestlers to watch. 106: No. 1 Stevo Poulin (Shenendehowa, N.Y.), No. 5 Braxton Brown (Allen, Texas), No. 20 Andrew Gonzales (Poway, Calif.), Zach Espalin (Chandler, Ariz.) 113: No. 16 Vince Cornella (Monarch, Colo.), No. 17 Brendon Garcia (Pueblo County, Colo.), Chance Lamer (Crook County, Ore.), Brock Bobzien (Poway, Colo.), Kase Mauger (Twin Falls, Idaho), Davion Chavez (Alamosa, Colo.), Braeden Williams (Blanchard, Okla.), Cole Jensen (Payson, Utah), Devin Griffen (Spanish Springs, Nev.) 120: Carson Sauriol (Poway, Colo.), Hunter Mode (Crook County, Ore.), Steele Dias (Green Valley, Nev.) 126: No. 19 Mosha Schwartz (Ponderosa, Colo.), No. 20 Daniel Cardenas (Pomona, Colo.), Aaron Nagao (Esperanza, Calif.), Jason Miranda (Poway, Colo.), Brandon Owens (Grundy, Colo.) 132: No. 19 Henry Porter (Oakdale, Calif.), Fabian Santillan (Grandview, Colo.), Colt Newton (Choctaw, Okla.), Kyle Parco (De La Salle, Calif.), Nathan Bonham (Pueblo County, Colo.), Joe Chavez (Alamosa, Colo.), Rush Fannon (Colony, Alaska), Sammy Heywood (Wasatch, Utah) 138: No. 14 Trent Dooley (Allen, Texas), James McClain (El Paso Franklin, Texas), Terrell Barraclough (Layton, Utah), Ricky Torres (Oakdale, Calif.), Luciano Fuslo (Homer, Alaska) 145: No. 14 Legend Lamer (Crescent Valley, Ore.), Stockton O'Brien (Wasatch, Utah), Tyson Humphreys (Layton, Utah), Jaxon Garoutte (Pueblo County, Colo.), Dyllan Fuchs (Spring Creek, Nev.) 152: No. 5 Theorius Robison (Pomona, Colo.), No. 11 Aaron Gandara (Poway, Calif.), No. 12 McKay Foy (Altamont, Utah), No. 17 Christian Hudson (South Anchorage, Alaska), Ezekial Williamson (Jerome, Idaho), Hayben Lieb (Bethel, Alaska), Gabe Fiser (Grundy, Va.), Zak Kohler (Wasatch, Utah) 160: No. 4 Coltan Yapoujian (Pomona, Colo.), No. 13 Isaac Wilcox (Olympus, Utah), No. 17 Ian Carlos (North Salem, Ore.), Kiernan Shanahan (Shenendehowa, N.Y.), Justin Wood (Carlsbad, N.M.), Kekauna Fauret (Columbia, Idaho), Justus Scott (Green Valley, Nev.), Nathan Moore (White River, Wash.) 170: No. 13 Gabe Martinez (Oakdale, Calif.), Sean McCormick (Churchill County, Nev.), Desmond Bowers (Green Valley, Nev.), Franklin Cruz (Pomona, Colo.), Max Wheeler (White River, Wash.) 182: No. 10 Zane Coleman (Choctaw, Okla.), No. 20 Ryan Cosio (Temecula Valley, Calif.), Dax Bennett (Harrisburg, Ore.) 195: No. 20 Jonathon Fagen (Fruitland, Idaho), Connor Bourne (Faith Lutheran, Nev.), Santos Cantu (Sprague, Ore.), Drake Barbee (Stilwell, Okla.) 220: No. 18 Maika Tauteoli (Pleasant Grove, Utah), Nathaniel Deasey (Chandler, Ariz.), Chris Island (Vacaville, Calif.), Jeff Guthrie (Spring Creek, Nev.) 285: No. 1 Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.), Ben Dooley (Churchill County, Nev.), Skylar Hughes (Columbia, Idaho), Keegan Wilkinson (Pleasant Grove, Utah), Mike McCowen (Grundy, Va.)

This is the last weekend of competition before the Christmas holiday (that comes about on Tuesday, Dec. 25), and when some states will start their shutdown period. Below is the list of scheduled contests for Fab 50 teams during the week of Dec. 19-25. No. 1 Blair Academy (N.J.) -- travels to Newark (Del.) for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 2 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) -- travels to Newark (Del.) for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 3 Bergen Catholic (N.J.) -- travels to Newark (Del.) for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 4 Cincinnati LaSalle (Ohio) -- travels to Machesney Park (Ill.) for the Dvorak Memorial on Saturday and Sunday No. 5 St. Edward (Ohio) -- travels to St. Ignatius (Ohio) for a dual meet on Thursday No. 6 Montini Catholic (Ill.) -- travels to Machesney Park (Ill.) for the Dvorak Memorial on Saturday and Sunday No. 7 Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.) -- travels to No. 23 Davison (Mich.) for a dual meet on Friday No. 8 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) -- travels to Newark (Del.) for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 9 Buchanan (Calif.) -- travels to Central (Calif.) for a dual meet today, hosts the Zinkin Classic on Friday and Saturday No. 10 Gilroy (Calif.) -- travels to Buchanan (Calif.) for the Zinkin Classic on Friday and Saturday No. 11 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.) -- travels to Emmaus (Pa.) for a dual meet today, hosts No. 40 Northampton (Pa.) in a dual meet on Thursday, travels to Newark (Del.) for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 12 St. John Bosco (Calif.) -- travels to Buchanan (Calif.) for the Zinkin Classic on Friday and Saturday No. 14 Park Hill (Mo.) -- hosts No. 38 Liberty (Mo.) in a dual meet on Thursday, competes in the Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede at Hy-Vee Arena on Friday and Saturday No. 16 Tuttle (Okla.) -- competes in the Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede at Hy-Vee Arena on Friday and Saturday No. 17 Allen (Texas) -- competes in the Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday No. 18 Clovis (Calif.) -- hosts Clovis East (Calif.) in a dual meet tonight, travels to Buchanan (Calif.) for the Zinkin Classic on Friday and Saturday No. 19 Simley (Minn.) -- hosts quad meet on Friday against St. Michael-Albertville (Minn.), Bemidji (Minn.), and Foley (Minn.) No. 20 Brighton (Mich.) -- hosts tri-meet today against Rockford (Mich.) and Linden (Mich.), hosts the Manning Vieauf Memorial Duals on Saturday No. 21 Paulsboro (N.J.) -- travels to Overbrook (N.J.) for a dual meet today, hosts Collingswood (N.J.) in a dual meet on Friday No. 22 Kasson-Mantorville (Minn.) -- hosts Pine Island (Minn.) in a dual meet on Thursday No. 23 Davison (Mich.) -- hosts No. 7 Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.) in a dual meet on Friday, hosts the Genesee County Tournament on Saturday No. 24 Poway (Calif.) -- competes in the Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday No. 25 Elyria (Ohio) -- travels to Newark (Del.) for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 26 Parkersburg South (W.Va.) -- hosts tri-meet against Nelsonville-York (Ohio) and St. Clairsville (Ohio) today, travels to University (W.Va.) along with East Fairmont (W.Va.) for tri-meet on Friday No. 27 Wadsworth (Ohio) -- travels to Hudson (Ohio) for double-dual along with Twinsburg (Ohio) on Thursday No. 28 Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep -- travels to Erie (Pa.) McDowell for dual meet today, hosts the Rambler Duals on Saturday No. 29 Chicago (Ill.) Mt. Carmel -- travels to Machesney Park (Ill.) for the Dvorak Memorial on Saturday and Sunday No. 30 Mount St. Joseph's (Md.) -- travels to Newark (Del.) for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 31 Howell (N.J.) -- hosts Freehold Boro (N.J.) in a dual meet today, travels to Bishop Ahr (N.J.) for a dual meet on Friday, travels to Sparta (N.J.) along with Jackson Memorial (N.J.) for a tri-meet on Saturday No. 32 Marmion Academy (Ill.) -- hosts Hope Academy (Ill.) in a dual meet on Friday, hosts a multi-team dual meet event on Saturday No. 33 South Plainfield (N.J.) -- hosts East Brunswick (N.J.) in a dual meet today, travels to South Brunswick (N.J.) for a dual meet on Friday No. 34 Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral -- travels to Columbus East (Ind.) for a dual meet on Friday No. 35 Selma (Calif.) -- travels to Buchanan (Calif.) for the Zinkin Classic on Friday and Saturday No. 36 Reynolds (Pa.) -- travels to Franklin Area (Pa.) for a dual meet on Thursday No. 37 Brecksville (Ohio) -- travels to Hudson (Ohio) for double-dual along with Twinsburg (Ohio) on Thursday, travels to Newark (Del.) for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 38 Liberty (Mo.) -- travels to No. 14 Park Hill (Mo.) for a dual meet on Thursday, competes in the Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede at Hy-Vee Arena on Friday and Saturday No. 39 Goddard (Kansas) -- competes in the Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede at Hy-Vee Arena on Friday and Saturday No. 40 Northampton (Pa.) -- travels to Stroudsburg (Pa.) for dual meet today, travels to No. 11 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.) for a dual meet on Thursday, travels to Newark (Del.) for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 42 Pomona (Colo.) -- competes in the Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday No. 43 Delbarton (N.J.) -- travels to Newark (Del.) for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 44 Shakopee (Minn.) -- travels to Lakeville North (Minn.) for double dual on Thursday against Burnsville (Minn.) and Eastview (Minn.) No. 45 Don Bosco (Iowa) -- travels to Denver (Iowa) for double dual on Thursday against East Marshall (Iowa) and Union (Iowa) No. 46 Clovis North (Calif.) -- hosts Clovis West (Calif.) in a dual meet tonight, travels to Buchanan (Calif.) for the Zinkin Classic on Friday and Saturday No. 49 Stoughton (Wis.) -- competes in the Badger State Invitational on Saturday at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. No. 50 Evansville (Ind.) Mater Dei -- hosts Perry Meridian (Ind.) in a dual meet on Friday Off this week: No. 13 Southeast Polk (Iowa), No. 15 Broken Arrow (Okla.), No. 41 Oak Park River Forest (Ill.), No. 47 Waverly-Shell Rock (Iowa), No. 48 St. Paris (Ohio) Graham

Coleman Scott (Photo/UNC Athletics) CHAPEL HILL -- Fourth-year head wrestling coach Coleman Scott has signed a contract extension with the University of North Carolina, Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham announced today. Scott, a four-time All-American and 2008 national champion at Oklahoma State and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, led the Tar Heels to their best NCAA finish in more than two decades last spring. UNC has signed or is announcing: • contracts and/or contract extensions with 11 head coaches, including Scott's extension, which runs through 2020-21; • personal service contracts for head coaches with Nike; • a 10-year extension with Nike; • and a 12-year extension with Learfield Communications. All of the contracts, and a licensing agreement and labor standards agreements with Nike, are available on GoHeels.com.

Jody Strittmatter with Vincenzo Joseph, Jason Nolf and Spencer Lee Jody Strittmatter of Young Guns Wrestling Club in Pennsylvania talks with Chad Dennis on The MatBoss Podcast. Strittmatter will talk development of the club, the goals and mission behing Young Guns, which has recently produced NCAA champions Spencer Lee (Iowa), Jason Nolf (Penn State) and Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State). Strittmatter started his career at Division II Pitt-Johnstown where he won a national title before transferring to Iowa and placing twice at the NCAA Division I Championships. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Play Music | RSS

Last Friday's dual meet between Penn State and Arizona State featured a match between the last two champions at 174 pounds. In the fourth collegiate meeting, Mark Hall evened the series against Zahid Valencia with a dominant 4-0 decision. To discuss the match and the season outlook for Penn State, Richard Mann chats with Clay Sauertieg of Black Shoe Diaries who was in Rec Hall for the match. In addition to the Hall vs. Valencia match, Richard and Clay discuss the start of Roman Bravo-Young's collegiate career, Brady Berge's postseason prospects and the Anthony Cassar new home at heavyweight. Follow InterMat on Twitter and subscribe to the show @InterMat | Apple Podcasts | iHeartRadio | Google Play Music | Stitcher | Spreaker | RSS

EDINBORO, Pa. -- Kent State earned its first road victory of the season Tuesday night, downing Edinboro 26-12 at McComb Fieldhouse. In a traditionally tough environment, the Golden Flashes (4-5) won six matches with pins from Andrew McNally and Tim Rooney. "Our intensity was as high as it's been all year," Head Coach Jim Andrassy said. "As a team, it was the best we've looked. And when you're going really hard, you can win a lot of matches." Setting the tone for looking his best this season was sophomore 157-pounder Richard Jackson, who opened the dual with a 12-7 decision over Tim Suter. The Flashes never trailed as Isaac Bast (165) extended the team lead to 6-0 with 7-2 victory over Fritz Hoehn. Two matches later, McNally (184) chalked up his ninth pin of the year, using a unique side cradle in the first period. Sophomore Lane Hinkle (197) bumped up a couple of weight classes from his normal spot, but only lost by decision. Redshirt freshman heavyweight Spencer Berthold also helped his team by keeping his match close in a 5-2 decision against Jon Spaulding, who pinned him just three days earlier. "Spencer continues to get better," Andrassy said. "With Lane and Spencer keeping their matches close, it kept Edinboro from getting too much momentum." Kent State then came away with bonus points in three of the last four matches, beginning with a 16-5 major decision from sophomore Jake Ferri (125). Rooney (133) followed with a pin early in the second. Sophomore Cory Simpson (141) gave up a takedown in overtime, before redshirt freshman Kody Komara ended the night with a 14-5 major decision over Chris Matzke. The Flashes return to action Dec. 28-29 at the South Beach Duals. Results: 157 Richard Jackson (Kent State) over Tim Suter (Edinboro) Dec. 12-7 165 Isaac Bast (Kent State) over Fritz Hoehn (Edinboro) Dec. 7-2 174 Jacob Oliver (Edinboro) over Dylan Barreiro (Kent State) Dec. 3-2 184 Andrew McNally (Kent State) over Zach Ancewicz (Edinboro) Fall 1:32 197 Dylan Reynolds (Edinboro) over Lane Hinkle (Kent State) Dec 8-3 285 Jon Spaulding (Edinboro) over Spencer Berthhold (Kent State) Dec 5-2 125 Jake Ferri (Kent State) over Lucas Rodriguez (Edinboro) MD 16-5 133 Tim Rooney (Kent State) over Richie Gomez (Edinboro) Fall 3:33 141 Carmine Ciotti (Edinboro) over Cory Simpson (Kent State) SV-1 7-5 149 Kody Komara (Kent State) over Chris Matzke (Edinboro) MD 14-5

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team overcame a nine-point deficit to score a 23-15 win at Edinboro tonight. The victory is the first dual win for the Mocs' new head coach Kyle Rushcell. UTC trailed 15-9 before taking the last four matches. "It is all about the guys," stated Ruschell. "They are just doing what we preach and fighting every match." Senior Alonzo Allen (10-3) got the rally started with a five-point tech fall at 125. The dual began at 157, so his match was the seventh of the evening. Junior Jake Huffine (12-4) continued his hot streak, pinning Richie Gomez at 133. That gave the Mocs a 17-15 lead that they would not let go. Junior Chris Debien (8-5) scored a 7-3 win at 141, while freshman Mason Wallace (11-3) closed out the night with an 8-1 decision at 149. "I think we let a few get away early in the match that I thought we could win," added Ruschell. "I was proud of the way Alonzo, Jake, Chris and Mason all responded." Freshman Ryan Resnick (4-6) opened the night with a 9-4 decision at 157. Junior Dominic Lampe (8-6) also scored a win at 184. UTC improved to 1-1 overall, while the Scots fell to 1-2. The Mocs stay on the road for their next match at Ohio on Thursday. Action begins at 7:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) in Athens, Ohio. Links for stats and video will be posted on the wrestling schedule page on GoMocs.com Results: 157: Ryan Resnick (CHAT) over Tim Suter (EDIN) (Dec 9-4) – UTC 3-0 165: Fritz Hoehn (EDIN) over Trey Watson (CHAT) (TF 16-0 2:29) – Edinboro 5-3 174: Jacob Oliver (EDIN) over Hunter Fortner (CHAT) (MD 13-5) – Edinboro 9-3 184: Dominic Lampe (CHAT) over Zach Ancewicz (EDIN) (Dec 9-5) – Edinboro 9-6 197: Dylan Reynolds (EDIN) over Rod Jones (CHAT) (Dec 3-2) – Edinboro 12-6 285: Jon Spaulding (EDIN) over Connor Tolley (CHAT) (Dec 5-3) – Edinboro 15-6 125: Alonzo Allen (CHAT) over Lucas Rodriguez (EDIN) (TF 16-1 4:26) – Edinboro 15-11 133: Jake Huffine (CHAT) over Richie Gomez (EDIN) (Fall 2:07) – UTC 17-15 141: Chris Debien (CHAT) over Carmine Ciotti (EDIN) (Dec 7-3) – UTC 20-15 149: Mason Wallace (CHAT) over Chris Matzke (EDIN) (Dec 8-1) – UTC 23-15

A former high school wrestler who had been sidelined from his athletic and academic career for months waiting for a kidney, had his prayers answered Monday. Mohamed Emlemdi, who wrestled at 170 pounds for Lakota West High School just north of Cincinnati and is now an honors student at University of Cincinnati with a 4.3 GPA, found the best match for a kidney not from a family member, but from his freshman college roommate randomly assigned to him. Mohamed Emlemdi, right, and Julian Litvak prior to surgeryOriginally, Emlemdi, a business major at UC who has been hospitalized for months to receive dialysis while awaiting a kidney, expected one of his brothers to be the donor. However, Emlemdi's freshman roommate, Julian Litvak of Springfield, Ill., was aware of his friend's situation, got tested ... and found out he would be an even better match as a kidney donor. "What are the odds of him coming from Illinois, becoming my roommate through random selection and ending up being a good match?" Emlemdi told the Cincinnati Enquirer prior to the transplant. Beyond the nearly 5-hour, 320-mile distance between the hometowns of the recipient and the donor is another powerful distinction: Emlemdi is Muslim, Litvak is Jewish. Mohamed's mother Fatima considers this to be an important aspect of their story. "People from different religions can be friends," Fatima Emlemdi said. "Friendship is above everything. People from different religions can love each other. It's important to bring this out in this climate." The transplant took place late Monday afternoon ... with both recipient and donor now doing well. As a 170-pound wrestler at Lakota West, Emlemdi was 12-10 with six pins as a senior. Adam Meyer, an assistant that season -- since promoted to head coach -- has fond memories of Mohamed Emlemdi. "He was a good-mannered kid," Meyer said. "When he talked, if he said anything, there was a little smile afterward. He had a dry sense of humor. Once I got to know him he opened up a little bit more. He was real coachable." Meyer has shared Emlemdi's story on the Lakota West wrestling team Twitter account, as well as posting his story from the Facebook account set up as "A Kidney for Mo."

New Jersey state wrestling champ. Member of the Penn State wrestling team that won the 1953 NCAA team title at home. Head wrestling coach at Drexel University. Husband. Father. These are but a few of the elements which signify the life of Doug Frey, who passed away at home Monday, Dec. 10 after battling Alzheimer's disease. He was 87. Doug FreyDouglas Edward Frey was born in 1931 in Easton, Pa. to the late Quintus Asher and Gladys Seifert Frey. He grew up in another community considered to be a wrestling hotbed, Newton, N.J., where he was a two-time New Jersey state champion and three-time state finalist. Frey also competed at the 1948 AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) championships. Frey was offered scholarships to a number of colleges, but chose Pennsylvania State University, home to legendary head coach Charlie Spiedel (who served in the U.S. Navy with Doug's high school coach). With his twin brother Don, Doug was a member of the Nittany Lions squad that capped off an undefeated season by winning the team title at the 1953 NCAA championships. That accomplishment was doubly significant in that Penn State was the first eastern wrestling team to win a national championship, and they did it in the home gym, Rec Hall. Doug Frey wrestled most of his matches for Nittany Lions at 157 pounds, compiling an overall record of 22-12-3, with three falls. After graduating from Penn State with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education in 1954, Frey entered the United States Air Force and headed to Texas for pilot training. One year later, he married his high school sweetheart, Betsy Ward. Frey rose to the rank of Captain before completing his USAF service in 1957, and then went on to graduate from the School of Physical Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania. Frey served as Chief of Physical Medicine at University of Pennsylvania Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia for over 30 years. During this time, he also worked at nearby Drexel University, serving as head athletic trainer for 32 years, and head wrestling coach for 10 years. His 35 years of service as an athletic trainer is the longest in Drexel's history. As head coach, Frey's teams compiled an impressive 114-23 overall record. His teams won three Middle Six Wrestling Championships, and never had a season with a losing record. For his accomplishments at Drexel, Doug Frey was welcomed into the Drexel University Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Sussex County Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. During his time at Drexel, Doug Frey's bond with his twin brother Don -- who was then coaching at Penn --strengthened as Doug's Drexel wrestlers also used Penn's wrestling room with Don's athletes, according to John Sanders, who served as an assistant to Don Frey at Penn, and, played handball with Doug on a regular basis while both were in Philadelphia. Sanders -- along with Doug's daughter Kristin -- each told InterMat in separate interviews that twins Doug and Don Frey were almost inseparable in all aspects of life and career. In fact, the two brothers and their families lived in close proximity through most of their lives, even sharing a duplex at one time. Don Frey passed away in early November, about one month prior to Doug's passing. "I can imagine Doug died of a broken heart," Sanders told InterMat. Doug's daughter Kristin Frey confirmed that thought, saying that it was when the family gathered for Thanksgiving dinner that her father -- who had been battling Alzheimer's disease -- fully realized that his twin would no longer be a part of his life. Doug Frey is survived by his wife of 63 years, Betsy Frey; their four children, daughter, Kate Frey of Collegeville, Pa; daughter, Karolyn and husband Emil Everett of East Hampton, N.Y.; daughter, Kristin and husband Tom Peters of McLean, Va.; son, Jeffrey and wife Kimberly Frey of Lancaster, Pa; ten grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews and extended family members. Doug Frey was also preceded in death by his twin brother Donald Frey, who passed on November 6, 2018, his brother Paul and wife Gladys Frey, sister Joan Dunker, and brother Jack Frey. Visitation will be held on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019 from 2-5 p.m. at the Brennan & Brennan Funeral Home, Inc., 55 Lincoln Avenue, Carbondale, Pa. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those wishing to pay tribute to Doug Frey consider contributions in his memory to the annual Alzheimer's Association fundraiser co-chaired by his daughter, Kate at www.crowdrise.com/kateefrey.

Branson Ashworth defeated Chandler Rogers earlier this season (Photo/Oklahoma State Athletics) Christmas is just over a week away, which means the singlets will be put away as the stocking get filled, but there's still a few tournaments and duals that need to "wrap" up before that happens. The majority of this week's college action will go down during the work week, and it all starts on Thursday with the Reno Tournament of Champions. Note: All times Eastern (ET). Thursday Reno Tournament of Champions (12 p.m.) The 24th Reno Tournament of Champions takes place on Thursday. A pair of nationally ranked teams in No. 4 Oklahoma State and No. 23 Old Dominion lead a 10-team field that's littered with individual talent. There's at least one ranked wrestler at every weights class and at least two top-20 guys in eight of the 10 weight classes. The Cowboys, who have 10 ranked wrestlers, and the Monarchs, who bring a trio of ranked guys, are favored to meet in the finals of three weights classes. All-Americans Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) and No. 13 Sa'Derian Perry (Old Dominion) are expected to meet for the title at 141 pounds. Brock, a two-time All-American, will be looking for back-to-back wins for the first time this season. He's had five matches this season and holds a 3-2 record, with both of those losses coming to ranked opponents. Most recently, Brock was upset by Oklahoma's No. 8 ranked Dom Demas in the Bedlam dual. Before that, Brock lost to Minnesota's No. 5 Mitchell McKee 6-3. Perry, who is now competing for ODU after Eastern Michigan dropped its wrestling program, finished last season with an 18-19 record despite pulling off one of the most impressive runs to All-America honors in recent memory. The new Monarch is 7-3 this season but is 1-2 in his last three matches. The second potential Cowboy and Monarch showdown is at 157 pounds, where third-ranked Larry Early (Old Dominion) and No. 18 Andrew Shomers (Oklahoma State) are both entered. Early suffered his first loss of the season last week when he fell to Northwestern's second-ranked Ryan Deakin 6-1. Before that loss, Early was 11-0 on the season (with one unofficial loss) and tallied a win over returning NCAA finalist and fourth-ranked Hayden Hidlay (North Carolina State). Shomers, an NCAA qualifier a season ago, is expected to meet Early in the finals. He's currently riding a three-match win streak after dropping a close match to No. 11 Steve Bleise (Minnesota). Jacobe Smith (Oklahoma State) and No. 20 Seldon Wright (Old Dominion) are expected to meet for the 174 title. Smith is ranked No. 7 in the nation, while Wright finds himself at No. 20. Aside from the potential Cowboy and Monarch matchups, pay attention to top-10 matchups at 125 and 165 pounds. At 125 pounds, Oklahoma State's fourth-ranked All-American Nick Piccininni will be matched up against Michigan State's eighth-ranked RayVon Foley. Both wrestlers bring undefeated records into Reno. Piccininni is 8-0 this season, while Foley is 10-0. At 165 pounds, Wyoming's No. 9 Branson Ashworth (Wyoming) is expected to meet two-time All-American Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State) in the finals. These two met earlier this season, and Ashworth came out on top, 4-1. Other top-10 wrestlers to keep an eye on that could be competing in Reno include Oklahoma State's No. 3 Derek White (285), No. 5 Daton Fix (133), and No. 6 Preston Weigel (197). No. 7 Missouri vs. Virginia at 8 p.m. Coach Brian Smith and the seventh-ranked Missouri Tigers are set to take on the Virginia Cavaliers in Kansas City on Thursday night. There will be 11 top-20 wrestlers who will compete in this dual meet. Missouri brings seven wrestlers who sit in the top 20, while Virginia brings four ranked wrestlers. There will be a trio of matchups that pit ranked wrestlers against each other. They're at 125 pounds, 141 pounds and 157 pounds. Colby Smith (Missouri) and Louie Hayes (Virginia) -- ranked No.15 and No. 16 respectively -- could kick things off at 125 pounds. However, both have been held out in recent weeks. At 141 pounds, two-time All-American and third-ranked Jaydin Eierman (Missouri) will square off against No. 17 Sam Krivus (Virginia) at 141 pounds, and No. 13 Connor Flynn (Missouri) will wrestle No. 18 Cam Coy (Virginia) in the 165-pound matchup. Other ranked wrestlers: 133: No. 9 John Erneste (Missouri) 149: No. 14 Brock Mauller (Missouri) 174: No. 4 Daniel Lewis (Missouri) 197: No. 8 Jay Aiello (Virginia) 285: No. 11 Zach Elam (Missouri)

The Joliet Junior College wrestling program once again has a bright future, thanks in part to a recently established endowment fund by former JJC student athlete Larry Wollschlager. The $60,000 gift, which will fund wrestling equipment, supplies and technology, is in honor of former wrestling coach Henry Pillard. From 1964 to 1968, Pillard led the team to 60 consecutive victories. He would return in 1970, where he served as head coach for another 15 years. In that stretch, Pillard's teams produced over 40 All-Americans, eight national champions, as well as numerous academic All-Americans and top 10 finishes. He's a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association's Hall of Fame, as well as the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Official's Hall of Fame. Pillard's coaching style and support of his wrestlers off the mat left a lasting impact on many, including Wollschlager ('69). "Being a young man from Chicago from a modest working family, with no money to attend college other than what I could save working odd jobs during the summer, Mr. Pillard's sincerity and the fact that Joliet was a short distance from Chicago convinced me to give JJC a try," Wollschlager said. Wollschlager recalls a coach dedicated to his recruits, who was able to develop his athletes' skills to their greatest potential. Pillard's passion for his wrestlers' success extended to their performance in the classroom and away from campus. He was willing to assist his athletes in any way possible, Wollschlager said, even by providing temporary lodging to recruits who couldn't afford it. "Coach Pillard was a very unselfish man. He wanted his wrestlers to be successful. He was sympathetic to their status," said Wollschlager. "There are many stories I heard from other wrestlers before me. Many of them had such high respect for Coach Pillard because they saw what he did for them and for so many of their wrestling buddies." Wollschlager credits the time and encouragement he received from Pillard to his successful wrestling career at the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP). "Both [fellow JJC wrestler] Al Handy and myself have much to be grateful to coach Pillard for as we were both offered full scholarships to UTEP, which was beginning their wrestling program for the first time," said Wollschlager. The following year, UTEP's wrestling program would also recruit Tom Pearson and Bill Bell from JJC. In Wollschlager's last year at the Texas school, he said the four were undefeated in dual meets. Wollschlager and Handy would later earn individual titles at their weight class at the Western Athletic Conference tournament. Today, Wollschlager serves as president of Wolf Energy, a private exploration and production company based in Midland, Texas. "I stayed in contact with Coach Pillard because I knew he had helped give me a path," he said. "At the time I didn't know where the path led but I tried to stay on course and return to my (fellow) wrestlers the same kind of unselfish respect and encouragement." "Obviously, we're extremely grateful to Larry for his continued support over the last three years," said current JJC Wrestling Coach Andrew Blahut. "As we try to get back to where this program was in the 60s, 70s and early 80s before it was cut, building this endowment will go a long way to getting us there. It will also help to secure the program's longevity and its ability to be self-sufficient. One of our main goals will be to continue to grow the endowment and possibly expanding its use to student-athlete scholarships."

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- An upset win by Trevor Rasmussen and a sudden victory decision by Mason Pengilly propelled Stanford to a 21-15 win over Northwestern, Monday, at Mott Gym. The win gave Cardinal head coach Jason Borrelli the 100th dual victory of his career as Stanford moved to 3-0 on the season. The Wildcats dropped to 1-3. At heavyweight, Rasmussen knocked off 18th-ranked Conan Jennings, 2-0, to push the Cardinal lead to 10-0. Rasmussen's first-period takedown was the difference-maker. Rasmussen chose neutral to start the second, which had no score. Jennings chose up to begin the third and rode out Rasmussen, but was unable to put any points on the board. It was the first dual win of the season for the redshirt junior as he moves to 4-1. Making his season debut, Pengilly turned in a 4-2 decision in sudden victory over Yahya Thomas at 141 pounds. Thomas led 2-1 after the opening period. Pengilly then rode out Thomas in the second and scored an escape in the third to knot the score at 2-2. With 10 seconds remaining in the extra frame, Pengilly secured the takedown for the win. True freshman Colbey Harlan started things off for the Cardinal with an 11-3 major decision over Brendan Devine at 184 pounds. Leading 4-1 after the first, Harlan registered a reversal to start the second and tacked on an additional takedown for an 8-2 advantage going into the final period. Devine earned the escape to start the final frame before Harlan scored another takedown and finished on top, accumulating 3:27 in riding time. It marked the first collegiate dual win for the rookie, who is now 9-5 on the season. Redshirt sophomore Nathan Traxler, who is ranked 11th nationally, increased the Cardinal lead with a 6-1 decision over Zack Chakonis at 197 pounds. Traxler led 3-0 after two periods. He yielded an escape to Chakonis to start the third, but added another takedown and finished with 1:47 of riding time. Traxler is now 3-0 in duals this season and 13-3 overall. With the Wildcats leading 15-13, Dominick Mandarino put the Cardinal back on top with a 6-1 decision over Eric Yang at 165 pounds. The sophomore led 3-1 after riding out Yang in the second period. He quickly scored an escape to start the third and added another takedown. He finished with 4:20 of riding time to move to 11-4 on the season. Fifth-year Rico Stormer sealed the win for Stanford with a dominating 22-6 technical fall in 6:04 over Northwestern's Braxton Cody. Stormer racked up eight takedowns and eight near fall points in the win. He moves to 3-0 in duals and 11-5 on the season. Up next, Stanford will bring in the new year in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the Southern Scuffle on January 1-2. Results: 125 #2 Sebastian Rivera (NU) tech. fall Gabriel Townsell (STAN) 17-2 (6:19) 133 Colin Valdiviez (NU) maj. dec. Anthony Le (STAN) 13-2 141 Mason Pengilly (STAN) dec. Yahya Thomas (NU) 4-2 (SV) 149 Shayne Oster (NU) dec. Requir van der Merwe (STAN) 7-5 157 #2 Ryan Deakin (NU) dec. Paul Fox (STAN) 7-3 165 Dominick Mandarino (STAN) dec. Eric Yang (NU) 6-1 174 Rico Stormer (STAN) tech. fall Braxton Cody (NU) 22-6 (6:04) 184 Colbey Harlan (STAN) maj. dec. Brendan Devine (NU) 11-3 197 #11 Nathan Traxler (STAN) dec. Zack Chakonis (NU) 6-1 285 Trevor Rasmussen (STAN) dec. #18 Conan Jennings (NU) 2-0

Kyle Snyder (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State wrestling legend Kyle Snyder has been selected as one of 10 NCAA student-athletes across ALL sports and ALL divisions to be honored as the 2019 Today's Top-10 Award winners. The award recognizes former student-athletes for their successes on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Recipients completed their athletics eligibility during the 2017-18 academic year and will be recognized at the Honors Celebration on Wednesday, Jan. 23, in Orlando, Florida. 2019 Today's Top-10 Ama Biney, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (women's basketball, softball) Andrea Bryson, St. Cloud State (women's swimming and diving) Jevon Carter, West Virginia (men's basketball) Lucas Kaliszak, Alabama (men's swimming and diving) Alison Lindsay, Washington University in St. Louis (women's cross country, track and field) Alex McMurtry, Florida (women's gymnastics) Keturah Orji, Georgia (women's track and field) Ben Reeves, Yale (men's lacrosse) Kyle Snyder, Ohio State (wrestling) Julia Wilson, Kenyon (women's swimming and diving) The honorees are selected by the NCAA Honors Committee, composed of representatives of NCAA member schools, conferences and distinguished citizens, including past awardees. The NCAA Today Top 10 Award has been recognized since 2013 with the 'Top VIII' preceding it from 1973-12. Snyder is just the fifth Buckeye to earn the distinction and eighth wrestler overall. Previous Ohio State recipients include: Craig Krenzel (football '04), John Frank (football '84), Archie Griffin (football '76) and Timothy Moore (diving, '76). KYLE SNYDER School: Ohio State Major: Sport Industry Sport: Wrestling Kyle Snyder, a 2018 graduate of Ohio State, captured both the Big Ten and NCAA heavyweight wrestling titles in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Snyder reached the NCAA finals all four seasons and helped the Buckeyes to an NCAA team championship in 2015 with runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2018. He earned All-America honors during each campaign and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. That same year, he brought home Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro, leading to his distinction as the 2017 U.S. Olympic Committee's Male Athlete of the Year. Snyder added multiple world titles while at Ohio State, becoming the youngest Olympic and world champion in U.S. wrestling history. Snyder's academic success earned him the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 2018, an award given to a student-athlete from the graduating class of each university who attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work. Additionally, he earned all-academic honors from the National Wrestling Coaches Association for four straight years, as well as Academic All-America honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America in 2017. Outside of sports, Snyder is committed to making a positive impact on the lives of children in his community. He has spent numerous hours with youth-focused organizations such as the Casey Cares Foundation, the 2nd & 7 Foundation and Nationwide Children's Hospital. Snyder also served as a motivational speaker at local elementary, middle and high schools and as a youth club wrestling instructor in the Columbus, Ohio, area.

Bill Fralic Bill Fralic, offensive lineman for University of Pittsburgh and for two NFL teams who was a standout wrestler in high school, passed away in his suburban Atlanta home after a battle with cancer. He was 56. Some readers may be aware of Fralic's involvement in the WWE, most notably as a participant in a Battle Royale at WrestleMania 2 in 1986. However, William P. Fralic, Jr. wrestled for real -- as well as played football -- at Penn Hills High School in suburban Pittsburgh. The then 6'5" 260-pound Fralic was a WPIAL (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League) heavyweight champ who also wrestled at the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state championships. Tom Elling, noted historian of all things wrestling in the state of Pennsylvania, shared his recollections of Fralic at the state championships in 1980 as an in-person witness. "(Fralic) was primarily a football player, be he was also a tremendous talent on the mat taking a third place in the 1980 PIAA Championships at the 'Unlimited' weight class," Elling told InterMat. "After dropping an overtime bout to Jeff Green of Pottstown, Fralic came back to take third with a 4-1 decision over future Pitt football teammate Dennis Atiyeh. The weight class was won by Steve Sefter of Cedar Cliff, who would go on to play football for Penn State. Also in the weight class was future Pitt teammate Troy Benson of Altoona. Benson played in the pros for the New York Jets." Fralic concluded his prep wrestling career at Penn Hills with a 98-7 overall record, and being named Post-Gazette Male Athlete of the Year in 1981. A decade later, Fralic was welcomed into the Penn Hills High School Athletic Hall of Fame ... and honored with the naming of the school's athletic center in his honor. Fralic continued his academic and athletic career close to home, at the University of Pittsburgh, but concentrated on football. He was a three-time All-American for Pitt. Fralic became the first offensive lineman to twice finish in the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy balloting, placing sixth in 1984 and eighth in 1983, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He owns the distinction of being the only lineman to be a finalist for the Lombardi Award as a junior in 1983. The following year, Fralic's number was retired at his last home game for the Panthers in 1984. Fralic was a second-round pick in the NFL draft, signing with the Atlanta Falcons. He later continued his career with the Detroit Lions. In his nine seasons in the NFL, Fralic was a four time Pro Bowl nominee, and earned a place on the NFL All-Decade Team for the 1980s. Fralic has been installed in a number of athletic Halls of Fame. In addition to being installed at the Penn Hills High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991, Fralic was welcomed into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998, and a member of the inaugural class of the WPIAL Hall of Fame in 2007. He was also a member of the first-ever Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame class that was enshrined this past September, joining other past Panther sports luminaries such as Tony Dorsett, Mike Ditka, and Dan Marino. Funeral services have yet to be made public.

Yianni Diakomihalis before wrestling in the NCAA finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- For the record, his last name is pronounced dee-aka-ma-hall-iss. But most people don't worry about that. All you need to know is the name he's best known by. Yianni. Cornell's Yianni Diakomihalis made a name for himself with an amazing performance at the 2018 NCAA Championships that was immediately described as legendary. It would be difficult to argue with that. Diakomihalis turned in a memorable and unlikely performance en route to winning the 141-pound national championship as a true freshman. The No. 3 seed, he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in his quarterfinal match. All he did after that was defeat the two-time defending national champion at the weight (Oklahoma State's Dean Heil), avenge his only collegiate loss (Missouri's Jaydin Eierman) and knock off the top seed and reigning national runner-up (Wyoming's Bryce Meredith). "Mind over matter," Diakomihalis said. "I knew something was wrong, but I believed it enough and I kept telling myself, 'It doesn't matter. Just grit it out, do whatever you've got to do.'" Yianni Diakomihalis defeated Wyoming's Bryce Meredith to win the NCAA title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) With his right knee heavily bandaged, Diakomihalis capped his 37-1 rookie season in impressive fashion. He scored five points in the last minute of the match to earn a dramatic 7-4 finals win over Meredith. "It's just remarkable what Yianni did," Cornell coach Rob Koll said. "It just shows the kind of kid he is and he wasn't 100 percent. But when you get to the national championship, you do what you've got to do." Diakomihalis became just the second Cornell freshman to win a national title, joining four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake in that exclusive club. He underwent surgery immediately following the NCAA tournament last March and returned to competition Sunday afternoon when No. 8 Cornell rallied for a 21-14 win at Northern Iowa. The top-ranked Diakomihalis came out strong, earning a convincing 12-2 major decision over No. 10 Josh Alber of UNI. "Honestly, I thought Yianni looked a little rusty, but it's hard to complain when he's wrestling somebody that good," Koll said. "That's a good sign when he's dominating a very, very talented opponent." Diakomihalis scored a quick early takedown to lead 2-0 after first period. The lead grew to 5-0 after the second period before he finished strong in the final period. He cradled Alber to his back in the closing seconds and nearly recorded a fall before time expired. "I felt great -- this was a good test against a really good opponent," he said. "I'm happy with my effort and felt like I wrestled pretty well for my first match back." Diakomihalis said he had surgery 11 days after winning NCAAs last March. He was able to start drilling after four months of recovery and rehabilitation. He wasn't able to resume live wrestling until nearly seven months after the surgery. "It's great to be back," he said. "It's a different year, but my motivation is the same and my goals are the same. I want to win another national title." The success Diakomihalis enjoyed as a freshman wasn't totally unexpected. Yianni Diakomihalis won his first state title at 99 pounds by defeating current Cornell teammate Vito Arujau (Photo/Boris Veysman) He arrived at Cornell with lofty expectations after capturing four New York state high school titles and winning a pair of Cadet world titles for the United States in freestyle wrestling. He entered the 2018 NCAA tournament in Cleveland with just one loss and was considered a legitimate title contender. But then disaster struck. Diakomihalis badly injured his right knee during a scramble early in his quarterfinal bout against Heil in the Friday morning session. Following the match, it was determined that he had likely suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. Diakomihalis didn't even take injury time against Heil and won that match before winning his next two bouts to become an NCAA champion. Even with the injury, he never became rattled and wrestled with amazing poise and composure during the biggest matches of the season. "Being in those close matches is something I was prepared for," he said. "We train for those situations where we are down one or two points late in the match and we have to go get one. I was able to capitalize at the end." Koll initially didn't believe his star freshman had torn his ACL because of how well he had wrestled after suffering the injury. Diakomihalis, known for his funky style and big-move capability, definitely had a flair for the dramatic in his remarkable run at NCAAs. He scored a late takedown to rally past Heil in the quarters. He followed by taking Eierman down in sudden victory to prevail in the semis. He then added the exclamation point in the finals. He rallied from a 4-2 deficit with an escape, takedown and two-point near fall after cradling Meredith in the closing seconds. "When I saw the bracket, I knew it was going to be really tough. There were some great wrestlers on my side of the bracket," Diakomihalis said. "I fell behind in some matches, but I just kept battling and believing I could do it. I was able to find a way to win in every one of those matches." Yianni Diakomihalis raises both arms in celebration after winning the NCAA title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) After his finals triumph, Diakomihalis stood and raised both arms in celebration as fans in the Cornell section stood and cheered. "Every time I step out there, I know I have that scoring potential and a lot of ways I can score," he said. "My coaches have instilled that confidence and belief in me that I can score no matter what situation I am in. You never have fear if you believe in yourself." Diakomihalis was asked Sunday if he can still believe what happened last March. "It's one of those things that I wouldn't have believed," he said, flashing a smile. "But at the same time, it's crazy. I don't know where it came from that I had the mental fortitude to get through all of that. I do know that I had a lot of people, like my trainers and coaches, that helped me get through it." He proved that you don't always need experience to win right away in college. "You're never too young to have that success," he said. "You can't back down from these guys just because he's a redshirt senior, he's 24, he's a national finalist, all that stuff. If you put the work in and develop the tools that you need, you can be successful at a young age. And the coaches at Cornell can make you successful if you buy into their system. I bought into their system, and I believed in myself, and they believed in me, and I think that my results show what happens when you buy in." Mike Grey talks to Yianni Diakomihalis at the 2017 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Diakomihalis is just a 19-year-old sophomore, but he's already established himself as one of Cornell's leaders. "Yianni just really continues to impress me. The kid works out twice a day, seven days a week. We have to kick him out of the room sometimes," Koll said. "He obviously has a great work ethic, but he also has the intangibles and the athleticism that allow him to really be successful." Diakomihalis also is hoping to contend for a spot on the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team in freestyle wrestling. He plans to compete at 143 pounds in freestyle. "I'm still young enough to try out for the Junior world team, but I'm going to try out for the Senior world team (in 2019)," he said. "Hopefully, I make that team. That's the goal. Yianni Diakomihalis with Brandon Slay after winning his second Cadet world title (Photo/United World Wrestling) Diakomihalis missed the freestyle season this past spring and summer after having knee surgery. "I love freestyle a lot," he said. "It was tough missing out on it and not being able to compete. I really love freestyle." For now, his focus is on folkstyle wrestling and his sophomore season in college for Cornell. "The goal for last year was to win, and the goal for this year is to win, and I know that sounds really simple," he said. "I think the biggest thing is that I always believed I was the best guy, and it doesn't come from arrogance. It's that I trusted myself, and I trusted my coaches. "I wasn't going into the season like, 'Hopefully, I can be an All-American, maybe I'll win.' It was like, 'Not winning is not acceptable.' Moving forward, it's just about getting better every day and making sure I'm never happy with where I am at, and just constantly improving." Diakomihalis also is on a strong Cornell team that is ranked in the nation's top 10. "Our team is looking good," he said. "We've got some tough and talented wrestlers who go out there and compete hard. We're excited to see what we can do." Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.