InterMat Staff

Call Henry Cejudo "champ-champ." Henry CejudoThe 2008 U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning freestyle wrestler now holds two UFC titles at the same time, adding the bantamweight (135-pound) championship to his existing flyweight (125-pound) title with a third-round TKO of Marlon Moraes at the main event at UFC 238 at United Center in Chicago Saturday night. Cejudo now is the fourth fighter in the quarter-century history of UFC to hold two titles at once, joining Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes. Or, to ask the 32-year-old Cejudo, it's "champ-champ-champ." "I am Triple-C," Cejudo said after winning his second MMA title at UFC 238. "Olympic champion, flyweight champion and now bantamweight champion. I am the greatest combat athlete of all time." Cejudo's post-fight statement about the outcome would not have been what was expected, based on how things were going early in the match. Here's how USA Today opened its coverage of the Cejudo-Moraes bantamweight title bout: "Just when it looked like Marlon Moraes may have found Henry Cejudo's Kryptonite, Cejudo turned the tide and made UFC history." "Through the first round, Cejudo looked overmatched against Moraes," according to the Colorado Springs Gazette, hometown newspaper for the Colorado community where Cejudo went to high school and worked out at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. "The Brazilian packed more power in his punches and kept attacking Cejudo with sweeping leg kicks low toward a sprained ankle that limited his pre-fight training." "Midway through the second round, Cejudo changed strategies and was no longer content to keep a distance and withstand the kicks," the Gazette continued. "He braved the power and took the fight to Moraes, and from there Cejudo took command." In the third period, Cejudo unleashed a barrage of punches and elbows on a prone Moraes right in his opponent's corner. The Olympic gold medalist ultimately scored his TKO at 4:51 of the third round of the scheduled five-round bout for the bantamweight belt which had been vacated by T.J. Dillashaw who is now under a drug-related suspension. Cejudo's win might be historic for yet another reason: it may have saved the flyweight weight class. "Winning the vacant bantamweight crown seemingly cleared the way for Henry Cejudo to exit the flyweight division and pursue a title reign in a new division," according to Sherdog.com. "Instead, Cejudo's victory over Marlon Moraes in the UFC 238 headliner may have saved an entire weight class." As Sherdog.com asserted, "The demise of the flyweight division has been rumored for months, and the promotion has fueled that speculation by gradually trimming its roster of 125-pound talent." After Cejudo's win, UFC president Dana White asserted that the flyweight weight class isn't going anywhere. "Obviously him [Cejudo] winning had a lot to do with the division," White said in Saturday's post-fight press conference. "Did I say it's going away? Did I say it's leaving? I haven't even talked about that division in months. Yes, it is confirmed [it's staying]." White went on to compliment Cejudo's performance. "I'm blown away," White said. "This guy has heard it all, from ‘Oh, you didn't really beat Demetrious,' ‘It was a fluke when you knocked out T.J.' -- you can't deny the guy anymore. He's awesome. "We'll sit down with him and figure out what he's talking about [for his next opponent] and what we'll do." With the win, Cejudo -- who was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member almost exactly one year ago -- not only owns two UFC titles, but is now 15-2 in a pro MMA career launched in March 2013. The 31-year-old Moraes drops to 21-6-1 in his 12 years in MMA.

Nick Gwiazdowski (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Three returning world medalists earned spots on the 2019 U.S. World Team on Saturday at Final X: Rutgers. World champion J'den Cox (92 kilograms), along with world bronze medalists Nick Gwiazdowski (125 kilograms) and Tamyra Mensah-Stock (68 kilograms), were among the seven champions crowned in the final session of Final X: Rutgers. The 24-year-old Cox won in two straight matches over 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy winner Bo Nickal at 92 kilograms. Cox claimed a 4-2 victory in the first match. In the second match, Cox blanked Nickal 5-0 to earn his fourth straight spot on a World or Olympic Team. "He's a great wrestler," Cox said of Nickal. "He presented a lot of challenges. I think that he's going to be really tough in the future." Gwiazdowski, a two-time returning world bronze medalist, defeated three-time age-group world champion Gable Steveson in two straight matches at 125 kilograms. Gwiazdowski won both matches on criteria. He took the first match 4-4, scoring a takedown in the final period. He claimed the second match 3-3 on the strength of a late reversal. "I've been through this," said Gwiazdowski. "It's a different challenge. But they challenge me in different ways to be a master of this sport. There are things I haven't faced before. I was prepared for them. I focus on those things. I was confident in what I was doing." Mensah-Stock won in two straight matches over WCWA national champion Alexandria Glaude at 68 kilograms. Mensah-Stock, the only American wrestler ever to win three Yarygin Grand Prix gold medals, secured a fall in the first match after building a 6-0 lead. She closed out the victory with a 10-0 technical fall. At 50 kilograms in the women's wrestling competition, Whitney Conder made her fourth World Team by beating Victoria Anthony in two straight matches. Conder, a six-time U.S. Open champion, took the first match 7-4 before earning a first-period fall in the second match to close out the victory. "I'm not just trying to wrestle one person ... It's the world," said Conder. "So I have to improve every position as much as I can." Forrest Molinari came back to defeat Maya Nelson (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) World fifth-place finisher Forrest Molinari came from behind to defeat 2017 Junior world champion Maya Nelson at 65 kilograms to earn a spot back on the World Team. Nelson claimed a 5-3 victory in the first match before Molinaro came back to win by technical fall in the second match and 4-1 in the third and deciding match. Zain Retherford defeated Yianni Diakomihalis in two straight matches (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 2017 World Team member Zain Retherford punched his ticket to the World Championships by beating U.S. Open champion Yianni Diakomihalis at 65 kilograms in two straight matches, avenging a U.S. Open finals loss. Retherford rolled to a 10-4 victory in the first match before closing out the victory with a 6-6 victory on criteria. "Yianni is a great opponent," said Retherford. "Shooting on his legs is dangerous, but I know I've got to take that risk or else I'm not going to beat him. So that is kind of my thought … just to keep going." Pat Smith bounced back to defeat 2017 Junior world champion Kamal Bey at 77 kilograms. Bey rolled to an 11-2 technical fall in the first match. But Smith came back to win the final two matches by scores of 3-2 and 6-3. It's the second time in three years Smith has made a World Team. Bey defeated Smith at the U.S. Open in April. "I'm focused on giving everything I have, being the best possible version I can of me," said Smith. "That's the No. 1 goal. The results follow that. The biggest thing is wrestle well." Freestyle results 65 kilograms: Zain Retherford over Yianni Diakomihalis, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Retherford dec. Diakomihalis, 10-4 Match 2: Retherford dec. Diakomihalis, 6-6 92 kilograms: J'den Cox over Bo Nickal, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Cox dec. Nickal, 4-2 Match 2: Cox dec. Nickal, 5-0 125 kilograms: Nick Gwiazdowski over Gable Steveson, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Gwiazdowski dec. Steveson, 4-4 Match 2: Gwiazdowski dec. Steveson, 3-3 Women's wrestling results 50 kilograms: Whitney Conder over Victoria Anthony, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Conder dec. Anthony, 7-4 Match 2: Conder pin Anthony, 1:57 65 kilograms: Forrest Molinari over Maya Nelson, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Nelson dec. Molinari, 5-3 Match 2: Molinari tech. fall Nelson, 12-2 Match 3: Molinari dec. Nelson, 4-1 68 kilograms: Tamyra Mensah-Stock over Alexandria Glaude, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Mensah-Stock pin Glaude, 4:50 Match 2: Mensah-Stock tech. fall Glaude, 10-0 Greco-Roman results 77 kilograms: Pat Smith over Kamal Bey, 2 matches 1 Match 1: Bey tech. fall Smith. 11-2 Match 2: Smith dec. Bey, 2-1 Match 3: Smith dec. Bey, 6-3

Ellis Coleman lifts Jamel Johnson (Photo/Juan Garcia) PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Six wrestlers secured spots on the 2019 U.S. World Team with victories in Saturday's first session at Final X: Rutgers. All six wrestlers needed just two matches to claim their best-of-three victories. The opening session saw four Greco-Roman weight classes contested and two women's wrestling weight classes contested. Greco-Roman winners included Max Nowry (55 kilograms), Ellis Coleman (67 kilograms), John Stefanowicz (82 kilograms) and Joe Rau (87 kilograms). The two winners in the women's wrestling competition were Jenna Burkert (57 kilograms) and Victoria Francis (72 kilograms). Nowry and Coleman are both Greco-Roman wrestlers for the U.S. Army WCAP program. Max Nowry made the World Team for the first time in his career (Photo/Juan Garcia) Nowry, now a five-time U.S. National Team member, broke through to make his first World Team at 55 kilograms. He topped 20-year-old Brady Koontz in two straight matches. The 29-year-old Nowry blanked Koontz 3-0 in the first match. Koontz came out fast in the second match, racing out to a 5-2 lead. But Nowry battled back to take a 6-5 lead before using a five-point throw to break the match wide open. He would take the second match 11-5. "This is my tenth year, my tenth try to make the team and it finally happened," said Nowry. "Last year I got caught up in the moment. This time I just tried to go out there and do what I do every day." Coleman, a 2012 Olympian and five-time U.S. Open champion, will compete at the World Championships for the fourth time in his career after two dominant victories over Jamel Johnson at 67 kilograms. Coleman scored a 9-1 technical fall in the first match before earning a 6-0 shutout in the second match. He will be looking for his first Senior world medal after winning two world medals at the Junior level. Coleman scored with six gut wrenches, which he developed from a young age training under Bryan Medlin in Illinois. "I just wanted to get on top," said Coleman. "I told myself I would push the pace on my feet and just need one opportunity on top. If I get on top one time, I'm going to win the match. I got on top one time and finished the match." Rau came through to make his second World Team by defeating two-time Olympian Ben Provisor in two straight matches at 87 kilograms. The 28-year-old Chicago native came from behind in the first match, scoring a step out with four seconds remaining, to defeat Provisor 2-1. In the second match, Rau came out strong, scoring first off a passivity and then used two gut wrenches to grab a 5-0 lead at the break. He held on to win 5-1. Rau had previously trained with the Minnesota Storm but recently moved back home to train at the Chicago RTC. He works closely with 2016 Olympian Robby Smith. "Robby works his butt off with me," said Rau. "He has done so much for me this year. I have a personal coach now. There's no one else at the RTC that's doing Greco. All the focus is on me. We've just been working out the kinks." John Stefanowicz after beating Jamel Johnson at Final X (Photo/Juan Garcia) Stefanowicz, who competes for the U.S. Marines, made the World Team for the first time in his career, beating U.S. Open champion Kendrick Sanders in two straight matches -- 8-5 and 3-2 -- at 82 kilograms. Stefanowicz placed fifth at the U.S. Open before coming back to win the World Team Trials Challenge Touranment and defeat Sanders at Final X. Jenna Burkert celebrates after beating Becka Leathers (Photo/Juan Garcia) Burkert made her third World Team by defeating 2017 world medalist Becka Leathers in two straight matches at 57 kilograms. Burkert, who moved down a weight class this season, took the first match 4-2. She controlled the second match from start to finish, scoring a step out and takedown in the first period before adding a second-period takedown to win 5-0. "I knew if I kept going forward, I knew she wasn't going beat me," said Burkert. "I knew I had it in me. I beat myself up. If I lose, I feel genuinely it's not because the person is better than me. I think I beat myself up. After I lost at the Open, I punished myself." Victoria Francis gets interviewed after beating Alyvia Fiske at Final X (Photo/Juan Garcia) Francis earned her spot on the World Team at 72 kilograms by defeating Alyvia Fiske in two straight matches, avenging a loss from the U.S. Open finals. Francis had to come from behind in both matches on Saturday. In the first match, Fiske scored the opening takedown and led at the break. Francis used a big second period -- which included a four-point move -- to take the match 7-2. In the second match, Fiske once again controlled the early part of the match, scoring a takedown in the first period to lead 2-0 at the break. Francis, though, made it happen again in the second period. This time she threw Fiske to her back and secured the fall. Francis was U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up in 2016 and World Team Trials champion in 2017. The second session of Final X: Rutgers is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET. Greco-Roman results 55 kilograms: Max Nowry over Brady Koontz, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Nowry dec. Koontz, 3-0 Match 2: Nowry dec. Koontz, 11-5 67 kilograms: Ellis Coleman over Jamel Johnson, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Coleman tech. fall Johnson, 9-1 Match 2: Coleman dec. Johnson, 6-0 82 kilograms: John Stefanowicz over Kendrick Sanders, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Stefanowicz dec. Sanders, 8-5 Match 2: Stefanowicz dec. Sanders, 3-2 87 kilograms: Joe Rau over Ben Provisor, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Rau dec. Provisor, 2-1 Match 2: Rau dec. Provisor, 5-1 Women's wrestling results 57 kilograms: Jenna Burkert over Becka Leathers, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Burkert dec. Leathers, 4-2 Match 2: Burkert dec. Leathers, 5-0 72 kilograms: Victoria Francis over Alyvia Fisk , 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Francis dec. Fiske, 7-2 Match 2: Francis pinned Fiske, 3:30

Ed Ruth, three-time NCAA champ for Penn State who is making a name for himself in mixed martial arts, will have his next pro MMA bout at Bellator 224 next month. The 28-year-old Ruth will be facing veteran Kiichi Kunimoto of Japan in a welterweight (175-pound) match at WinStar Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. on Friday, July 12. "July 12th I'm back in the cage swinging leather, time to let my work speak for itself. #Ezway #Deadicted #bellator223" Ruth posted on his Twitter account Sunday afternoon. The former Penn State mat great brings a 6-1 record in a career launched in November 2016. Ruth's first and only loss was in his most recent fight, having been submitted by Brazilian jiu-jitsu star Neiman Gracie in the quarterfinals of the welterweight grand prix last December at Bellator 213. Kunimoto, 38, has been fighting professionally for 13 years, having crafted a 20-7-2 mark. The Osaka native who once competed in UFC will now make his debut with the Bellator organization after scoring back-to-back victories in Japanese promotion Rizin FF.

Nikola Dinev, a heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler from Bulgaria who won two world and five European titles for a dozen years beginning in the mid-1970s, died Saturday, June 1, according to the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation. He was 65. Born in Nova Zagora, Bulgaria in October 1953, Nikola Dinev Nikolov was an imposing figure, standing 6 feet tall and tipping the scales at 130 kilograms (287 pounds). Dinev's on-the-mat accomplishments were no less impressive. He won two gold medals and three silver medals at the World Championships from 1975-1986. In addition, Dinev was a six-time European Championships medalist, winning five gold and one silver. Dinev also represented Bulgaria in Greco-Roman at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, where he placed fifth in super-heavyweight competition. In its announcement, the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation said the location and date of services had yet to be determined.

Anthony Cassar gets interviewed by ESPN at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The Penn State wrestling program -- and its fans -- got some doubly big news Friday afternoon. Current NCAA heavyweight champ Anthony Cassar will be returning to the Nittany Lions this fall to continue his collegiate wrestling career ... and train for the 2020 Olympic Team Trials, which is expected to be held at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Arena. "After much thought and prayer, I've decided that I will be returning for another year of college wrestling as I prepare for the 2020 Olympic Trials," Cassar posted on Instagram Friday. "Let's run it back!" That message from Cassar was a good-news follow-up to reports from last week that the New Jersey native had been granted two more seasons of collegiate eligibility ... but, at that time, did not commit to returning to Penn State. "I knew there was a chance I could get zero, one or two years back and I was prepared to roll with it either way," Cassar told NJ.com at the time. "The school has been working on it for a couple years, so it was great to get two years back." In that NJ.com interview last week, Cassar continued, "It's not 100 percent right now, but I'm leaning towards wrestling for Penn State next year. Nothing is out of the equation for me, but I'm not looking too far ahead. Not having those four years of starting, it would be nice to have another couple matches in front of the Rec Hall crowd. It's really just an honor to compete there. I'll do what's best for me." Penn State fans at Rec Hall -- the school's iconic wrestling home -- and throughout the U.S. will no doubt welcome the return of Cassar. As a first-year starter in 2018-19, Cassar tallied a 30-1 record over the course of the season, culminating by winning the 285-pound crown at both the 2019 Big Ten conference championships and at the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Pittsburgh.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala -- The men's freestyle team help complete a team title sweep at the 2019 Junior Pan American Championships, winning eight gold medals on Friday night in Guatemala City. An outstanding day for Team USA, the squad went 32-2 on the day and earned the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler award in Roman Bravo-Young, who went 4-0 on the day, winning all matches by tech fall without surrendering a single point the whole day. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

MANHEIM, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) is proud to announce the 2019 winners of the Scholastic Coach of the Year awards for the State, Region, and National levels. Jason ChristensonThis year's National Coach of the Year is Jason Christenson from Southeast Polk High School (IA) and the National Assistant Coach of the Year is Keith Laeha from Kamehameha Big Island (HI). Both Christenson and Laeha were selected from the eight section winners. The section winners were voted on by each of the NWCA State Reps after they had nominated a Coach of the Year from their respective states. Christenson (National, Section 4, and Iowa Coach of the Year) just completed his 28th season of coaching and his 18th at Southeast Polk High School. Christenson's 2018-19 squad finished as Dual Team State Champions and State Runners Up at the Individual State Tournament with 11 qualifiers, 6 placers, and an outstanding 3 individual state champions. This now gives Coach Christenson 8 State Titles (4 Dual and 4 Individual) and 5 Runner-up finishes. He has received numerous Coach of the Year honors from such organizations as: USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Iowa Wrestling Coaches & Officials Association, and the Iowa Wrestling Federation. Laeha (National, Section 7, and Hawaii Asst. Coach of the Year) just completed his 40th season of coaching and his 16h at Kamehameha Big Island. During his career, he has served as both an assistant and as a head coach while also finding time to volunteer club teams on the big island. He has long been an avid fan and advocate for the sport of wrestling. “Our National Coach of the Year winners, Coach Jason Christenson, and Coach Keith Laeha, each demonstrate the ability to inspire their athletes to persevere and thrive in the sport of wrestling. These recipients' outstanding contributions to our sport are too numerous to list, but I know that the most important impact that they will make is through the relationships forged in the wrestling room with each of their athletes who will carry that legacy forward. We are proud to honor coaches from across the nation each year through the Boy's Coach of the Year Awards Program which recognizes Head and Assistant Coaches at the State, Section, and National Level. It is through quality coaching that we will be able to continue to save and grow our sport.” Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. SECTION – SCHOLASTIC BOYS HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR SECTION COACH SCHOOL STATE Section 1 Ron Serrano Massapequa High School NY Section 2 Mike Faus New Kent High School VA Section 3 Randy Steward Sonoraville High School GA Section 4 Jason Christenson Southeast Polk High School IA Section 5 Norm Manstedt High Plains Community Schools NE Section 6 Kevin Reed Midlothian High School TX Section 7 Robert Hesia Kamehameha Kapalama HI Section 8 Nate Laslovich Bozeman High School MT SECTION – SCHOLASTIC BOYS ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR SECTION COACH SCHOOL STATE Section 1 Reggie Jones Jr. Wantagh High School NY Section 2 Greg Sill Franklin Regional PA Section 3 Andy Medders Camden County High School GA Section 3 Michael R. Lachney Sr. Alfred Bonnabel Magnet Academy High School LA Section 5 Jason Kelber Valentine High School NE Section 6 Brandon Adamson Lamar High School CO Section 7 Keith Laeha Kamehameha Big Island HI Section 8 Trenton Culp Glennallen High School AK STATE – SCHOLASTIC BOYS HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR SECTION COACH SCHOOL STATE Section 1 Ricky Shook Danbury High School CT Section 1 Darby McLaughlin Springfield Central High School MA Section 1 Eric Jensen Mt Ararat High School ME Section 1 Brock Hoffman Bow High School NH Section 1 Michael Markey West Essex High School NJ Section 1 Ron Serrano Massapequa High School NY Section 1 Darren O'Meara Spaulding High School VT Section 2 Aaron Harris Smyrna High School DE Section 2 Mike Thomas Moore Traditional High School KY Section 2 Ryan Mackin Owings Mills High School MD Section 2 Michael Ritter Wauseon High School OH Section 2 Mike Hahesy Erie Cathedral Preparatory School PA Section 2 Mike Faus New Kent High School VA Section 2 John Bonecutter Point Pleasant High School WV Section 3 Blake Dutton McAdory High School AL Section 3 William Pafford Wakulla High School FL Section 3 Randy Steward Sonoraville High School GA Section 3 Kent Masson Teurlings Catholic High School LA Section 3 Billy Baker St. Stephens High School NC Section 3 Leon Boulware Indian Land High School SC Section 3 John Kramer Wilson Central High School TN Section 4 Jason Christenson Southeast Polk High School IA Section 4 Ron Ryan Mt Olive High School IL Section 4 Tony Currie Adams Central High School IN Section 4 Steve Vlcek Manchester High School MI Section 5 Mike Garcia Hutchinson High School KS Section 5 Daryl Bradley Monett High School MO Section 5 Troy Jesperson Grenora Public School ND Section 5 Norm Manstedt High Plains Community Schools NE Section 5 Jeremy Ask Canton High School SD Section 6 Derrick Aynes Berryville High School AR Section 6 Pat Laughlin Pueblo East High School CO Section 6 Monte Maxwell Aztec High School NM Section 6 Erik Ford Piedmont High School OK Section 6 Kevin Reed Midlothian High School TX Section 7 Victor Gonzalez Walden Grove High School AZ Section 7 Joe Terribillini Rancho Bernardo High School CA Section 7 Robert Hesia Kamehameha Kapalama HI Section 7 Wade Phreson Spring Creek High School NV Section 7 Brock Moore Pleasant Grove High School UT Section 8 Brian Whittern Unalaska High School AK Section 8 Patrick Owens Kuna High School ID Section 8 Nate Laslovich Bozeman High School MT Section 8 JD Alley Culver High School OR Section 8 Travis Hughes Mt. Spokane High School WA Section 8 Travis Peak Kelly Walsh High School WY STATE – SCHOLASTIC BOYS ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR SECTION COACH SCHOOL STATE Section 1 Keith Lynch Danbury High School CT Section 1 Dwayne Miller Taconic High School MA Section 1 Jim Worthington Wells High School ME Section 1 Mark Williams Londonderry High School NH Section 1 James Becker Nottingham High School NJ Section 1 Reggie Jones Jr. Wantagh High School NY Section 1 Brian Roderick St. Johnsbury Academy VT Section 2 Jason Hewes Delcastle Vo-Tech DE Section 2 Jarvis Elam Union County KY Section 2 Ed Obendorfer Damascus MD Section 2 Jon Hampshire Woodridge OH Section 2 Greg Sill Franklin Regional PA Section 2 Zach Olson Powhatan High School VA Section 2 Ryan Asbury John Marshall WV Section 3 Nick Tucker Oxford High School AL Section 3 James Vernon Wakulla High School FL Section 3 Andy Medders Camden County High School GA Section 3 Michael R. Lachney Sr. Alfred Bonnabel Magnet Academy High School LA Section 3 Teague Little Lumberton High School NC Section 3 Ryan Shaw Indian Land High School SC Section 3 Patrick Simpson Montgomery Bell Academy TN Section 4 Jeff Evans Southeast Polk High School IA Section 4 Paul Faris Montini Catholic High School IL Section 4 Joe Somerville Jeffersonville High School IN Section 4 Alfred Biland, Sr. Anchor Bay High School MI Section 5 Tim Johnson Burlington High School KS Section 5 Ben Hohensee Monett High School

Add Arkansas to the list of states which has said "yes" to separate wrestling competition for girls. The Arkansas Activities Association voted unanimously this week to officially sanction girls' high school wrestling. The decision was announced by Arkansas Wrestling Association President and Arkansas Wrestling Academy founder Greg Hatcher on Wednesday. According to Hatcher, the girl's state wrestling tournament will be held the Thursday before the annual boy's state wrestling tournament in February at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock starting in 2020. With this week's announcement, Arkansas becomes the third state to have sanctioned girls' wrestling in 2019, joining Colorado, Kansas and Maryland which announced similar news earlier this year. Now there will be a total of seventeen states which have sanctioned a separate state championship for female wrestlers.

C.J. Morgan The cadet who was killed in a West Point training accident early Thursday morning was a member of the Army's wrestling squad. Cadet Christopher J. Morgan, 22, died from injuries in a vehicle rollover while on the way to a field training exercise near the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, which is located approximately 50 miles north of New York City. Nineteen other cadets and two soldiers were injured in the incident involving the rollover of the M1085 Medium Tactical Vehicle, a long-wheelbase cargo truck. Most of the injuries were described as non-life-threatening. Morgan, originally from West Orange, N.J., was a Class of 2020 cadet studying law. He was described as "a recruited member of the Army Wrestling Team" by the Army Times. "We are devastated by the news of Chris' passing. He was a talented, hardworking, and determined athlete who loved his sport," Army West Point Wrestling Coach Kevin Ward said in a statement released by the academy Friday. "Chris had an infectious personality with a smile big enough to fill any room, and a heart big enough to love everyone around him. He made everyone around him better and he will be greatly missed," Ward added. According to his bio at the official Army wrestling website, Christopher Jordan Lynn Morgan wrestled at 184 pounds, compiling a 28-22 overall record, with 13 of those wins resulting in bonus points. One of his opponents as a West Point wrestler: Gabe Dean, two-time NCAA Division I champ for Cornell University. Prior to taking to the mat for the Black Knights, Morgan wrestled at West Orange High School, where he placed fifth in the New Jersey state wrestling tournament in the 182-pound class as a senior in 2015. He had a 30-1 record that season with 20 pins. He was also the co-captain of the West Orange football team, according to the school district. Morgan is from a family with several generations of West Point graduates, his father Christopher Morgan Sr. told WABC-TV in New York on Friday. He was the oldest of four siblings and his younger brother Colin Morgan will attend the U.S. Military Academy in the fall. On West Point's Facebook page, Gene Mari Wallis-Morgan, who identified herself as his aunt, said her nephew "had such a beautiful soul and will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him." "As a family we have followed Chris' journey to West Point and are very proud of who he was and his choice to serve his country," she wrote. "Our hearts are broken but, we know that Our Heavenly Father has a grander plan and our CJ is with Him and his grandmothers. Rest In Peace Sweet CJ, we love you." The school's student body, the Corps of Cadets, will hold a vigil Friday night for Morgan, according to West Point. Next week, a memorial ceremony for the community and a private funeral service will be held at the Academy.

The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics this week recommended that women's wrestling be granted the organization's emerging sport status. The status would allow member institutions to add women's wrestling as a Division I sport and enjoy whatever benefits come with adding and running any other Division I sport. The sport will have 10 years to reach 40 schools, at which point if women's wrestling is in that number of schools and has a valid number of participants, will be granted status as a fully functioning Division I sport. If not, it'll be dropped. From the NCAA: In the past 21 years, some have become championship sports (beach volleyball, rowing, ice hockey, water polo and bowling), while others have been added to or removed from the list. Bylaws require that emerging sports must gain championship status (minimum 40 varsity NCAA programs for individual and team sports; with the exception of Division III requiring only 28 varsity programs for team sports) within 10 years or show steady progress toward that goal to remain on the list. Institutions are allowed to use emerging sports to help meet the membership minimum sports-sponsorship requirements and, in Divisions I and II, minimum financial aid requirements. But wrestling has one heck of a head start. There are currently 23 women's wrestling programs at the NCAA level and another 13 that are looking to be added in the coming two seasons. If that weren't enough there has been buzz about a handful more announcing in the coming months. Women's wrestling will meet the requirement, but it'll be on all of us to support these programs when times turn tougher. Just like the men's side there are plenty of factors -- a down economy, campus scandal, or crazy athletic director -- that could put these gains at risk. We need to stay as vigilant in the future as we are today. Congrats again to all those involved. Can't wait to see who adds programs over the next few years! To your questions … Q: Any idea what NCAA women's wrestling might look like in five years? -- Mike C. Foley: Tough to predict, but I'd hope for 60-plus programs, conference championships and for an established end-of-year national championship. The last part may be difficult, but there is always a chance that the momentum is strong enough to get the NCAA committees to act. Where I'm most interested to see the growth is in which schools will add, and why. For example, would a women's offset entice a school like Texas to add both a men's and women's program? Could the women actually draw out the schools who couldn't lift the creation of another sport due to Title IX? I think year five is when we might start seeing schools like Oregon, Clemson, Texas and Syracuse enter or reenter the sport. Pat Downey after winning the U.S. Open title (Photo/Larry Slater) Q: Has Pat Downey ever even missed weight? Why is this the narrative? -- @theRealBBenson Foley: Because USA Wrestling is requiring him make weight so everybody is kidding that it will be a barnburner. On his Twitter he said he's never missed weight. Also, I think he's pretty light in general. Q: Will there be a non-Olympic weight World Championships in 2020 like there was in 2016? I checked the UWW schedule and press release and couldn't find any info. -- Jared W. Foley: Nothing has been decided, but the belief is that there will be a World Championships later in the year. The incentive and opportunity for some nations to earn world titles would seem too tempting for UWW to turn its back. Still, nothing is confirmed likely because the hosting requirements might make it a tough sell for member nations. When new info pops up, or a local organizer pops up to take on the bid, I'll be sure to keep you informed. Multimedia Halftime Link: Lucha en espanol Link: Junior Europeans is a big deal! Q: Will women's wrestling ever add Greco-Roman wrestling? Do women want to compete in Greco-Roman? Was the reason it wasn't added because of numbers? With the growth of the sport, would that ever be considered? -- Matt K. Foley: Greco-Roman for women has always seemed like the logical offset for men's Greco-Roman. However, there are some serious concerns that women won't be able to generate enough power to throw other women in a fashion that would be entertaining to them, or the audience. There is some truth in this and it's due to the way weight is typically distributed on men and women. With women having more weight in their hips, the power necessary to throw them is increased. For men, the weight and muscle up top is better suited. Canada has hosted a few Greco-Roman tournaments for women and they seem to have gone OK, but they certainly didn't inspire several other countries to join in. It's much more likely that a sport like beach wrestling would be used to offset any mandatory gender requirements set out by the IOC. It's much more accessible to more nations and would be way, way more entertaining to fans around the world. Q: With the retirement of Mo Lawal (Congrats on an excellent career!), I am reminded that Steve Mocco left Lehigh University's coaching ranks several years ago for Florida and an MMA career (appropriate for someone with BOTH wrestling and Judo backgrounds). I've never seen him compete … and haven't heard anything since! What's he doing recently? -- The Doc Foley: From what I can tell Mocco took his last fight in 2015 and is now focused on his kids wrestling clubs and coaching wrestling to fighters at American Top Team. There really isn't much reason to think he'd get back in the cage. Talents like his are pretty well paid in the MMA world without having to take on much brain damage. And yes, a big congrats to Mo! Q: Do you have any recommendations for wrestling-related books? I've read "A Wrestling Life: The Inspiring Stories of Dan Gable," "Foxcatcher," Henry Cejudo's "American Victory," and "The Cage" by Rollie Peterkin. Looking for something new to read. If you don't have any wrestling-related book recommendations, do you have any book recommendations in general? -- John G. Foley: I've recommended it before, but the first several chapters of "The Magnificent Scufflers" is worth the purchase. It covers a lot of what happened in the early days of the sport in America. The best book I've read this year was "Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland." You really can't put it down. That and I read "All The Light We Cannot See" last year and still think about it. Q: Which "underdog" in freestyle has the best chance to win at Final X this weekend, Zain Retherford, Bo Nickal or Gable Steveson? -- Mike C. Foley: Zain Retherford.

Stevan Micic (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) University of Michigan wrestler Stevan Micic has been named as a recipient of the 2019 Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award. Emma McLean of Michigan's gymnastics program is also receiving the prestigious honor from the conference. "McLean and Micic were chosen from Michigan's 29 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipients to represent the Block 'M' as individuals who distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior," according to Michigan's announcement issued Wednesday. A three-time NCAA All-American at 133 pounds, Micic placed third at the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Pittsburgh. The Cedar Lake, Indiana native posted a 19-1 record -- including a 13-0 mark in dual meets -- and earned bonus points in 12 of his 19 wins ... all while overcoming multiple injuries over the course of his senior season. A three-time academic All-Big Ten selection, Micic earned a bachelor's degree in sociology this spring. He will pursue a master's degree in sport management while completing his final collegiate season next year. Micic joins previous U-M wrestlers Pat Owen (2004) and Adam Coon (2016) as recipients of the Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award.

Chance Marsteller wrestling Wisconsin's Evan Wick in the NCAA quarterfinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Two-time NCAA All-American wrestler Chance Marsteller has been named recipient of Lock Haven University's Bald Eagle Award as the school's male senior student-athlete for 2019, the Pennsylvania-based university announced this week. In addition, Bekah Slattery was named Lock Haven's Charlotte E. Smith Award winner as the school's top female senior student-athlete for the just-completed school year. Winners of both awards are determined by Lock Haven sports coaches. In describing Marsteller's Bald Eagle Award, the school's announcement said, "This award goes to a senior male student-athlete who has demonstrated overall excellence in athletics, academics and service and whose efforts during his time at The Haven have made us all proud to have him represent not only his individual team, but also the overall athletics program." Chance Marsteller concluded his Lock Haven wrestling career on a high note, with a number of significant accomplishments. He was crowned the 165-pound champ at the 2019 EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) championships, and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the event. Marsteller was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, placing third at the 2019 NCAAs, and fourth in 2018 ... and led Lock Haven to back-to-back top-20 finishes in the team standings at the NCAAs those years. Marsteller, a 2019 Southern Scuffle finalist, finished his senior year with a 28-3 overall record ... and 72 wins in two seasons for the Bald Eagles. In addition to those on-the-mat accomplishments, Marsteller was a two-time PSAC Top 10 Selection athlete, an award which honors academic success. The 2019 LHU Bald Eagle Award is just one of a trio of honors Chance Marsteller earned this school year from organizations beyond his university. Marsteller also was named 2018-19 Eastern Wrestling League Athlete of the Year, and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Division I Wrestler of the Year for 2019.

Jim Miller with his trophies won as Wartburg's head wrestling coach WATERLOO, Iowa -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced on Thursday that it has hired Jim Miller as the director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. Miller will be responsible for the museum's daily operations, including the preservation of artifacts, programming, planning, communications and fundraising, while also overseeing the Dan Gable Learning Center, a wrestling training facility inside the museum. He replaces Kyle Klingman, who resigned in April to accept a position with Trackwrestling. "We are elated to have someone with Jim Miller's background leading the Dan Gable Museum for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director, National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "He has a keen knowledge of the sport's heritage while also contributing significantly to its history as a competitor, coach and motivational speaker. I am confident that he will advance our mission and the impact that the museum and its programs and services will have upon wrestling in Iowa and across the nation." "I am looking forward to getting started as the Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum," said Miller, who will begin his duties on July 1. "I see this next step in my life journey as an awesome and unique opportunity to get back involved with a sport that I love while working with Dan Gable and many others to advance wrestling right here in the Cedar Valley and in my hometown of Waterloo, Iowa." "The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum is newly renovated and having Jim Miller as its new director adds even more excitement to its overall potential," said Dan Gable, the museum's namesake and a Distinguished Member inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980. "I am looking forward to working with a wrestling great and many others to enhance the great sport of wrestling." "We could not be more excited about Jim Miller coming on board to lead the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum," said Tom Slowey, Chairman of the Board of Governors, National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "Jim is a proven and admired leader who is universally respected within the wrestling community. The Hall of Fame is fortunate to have him on our team and we are confident that he is going to take the Dan Gable Museum to new heights." Miller wrestled at East Waterloo High School and finished third in the state in 1971 and had a career record of 43-11. He attended the University of Northern Iowa where he had a career record of 128-22 while winning NCAA Division II championships in 1974 and 1975 and finishing second and fourth, respectively, in Division I the same year. Miller competed in the East/West All-Star meet two times and was a National Freestyle runner-up in 1976. After coaching at the high school level, Miller returned to UNI as the top assistant coach from 1983-91 when he became head coach at Wartburg. He had a career record of 413-37-2, winning 10 NCAA Division III team championships, 21 consecutive Iowa Conference championships and seven National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals championships before stepping down after the 2013 season. He coached 37 individual national champions, 147 All-Americans and 72 NWCA Academic All-Americans at Wartburg. "I want to thank Wartburg College for the past 28 years," said Miller, who has been Emeritus Coach and also has been teaching at Wartburg for the last six years. "My 22 years as head coach of the wrestling program was the highlight of my 37-year coaching career and I will be forever grateful." Miller was inducted into the Dan Gable Museum's Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa in 2005 and he received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Iowa Chapter of the Hall of Fame in 2001. He is a member of the Division II Hall of Fame and the Division III Hall of Fame and Wartburg dedicated the Jim Miller Championship Mat in 2018. Miller was inducted into the University of Northern Iowa Hall of Fame in 2001 and into the Wartburg Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019. He was named National Division III Coach of the Year in 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2009 and the National Assistant Coach of the Year in 1989. Miller was named Dan Gable Coach of the Year, which recognizes coaches from Division I, Division II and Division III, in 2004 and 2013. He was named Rookie Coach of the Year by Amateur Wrestling News in 1992 and received the Coaching Excellence Award from the National Wrestling Coaches Association in 1999. He and his wife, Kathy, have three sons and four grandchildren. National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation while the Waterloo, Iowa, location reopened in March 2019 after undergoing a $1.4 million renovation. Both museums now feature interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. Stillwater also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

After eight years as head coach at Oklahoma's Perry High School -- the nation's most successful prep wrestling program -- Ronnie Delk is heading east to Arkansas, where he will be joining the coaching staff at Bentonville High School, according to multiple media reports. Delk told The Oklahoman -- the daily newspaper of Oklahoma City -- this move is what's best for he and his family. "My wife and I have been doing a lot of talking and praying," Delk said. "(The move) is allowing me to get back to what's really important to me, and that's my family." Delk led the Perry wrestling program for eight seasons. During that span, the Maroons captured eight dual state titles and five team titles. Delk coached 16 individual state champions during his time, including three this season. Delk was the first Perry head coach since 1931 not to have wrestled for the Maroons. Instead, Delk was a two-time Oklahoma state champion at Collinsville, then wrestled for John Smith at Oklahoma State in the early 2000s. He came to Perry High as an assistant coach, serving for five years under Hall of Fame coach Scott Chenoweth, who headed up the Maroon mat program for 16 years. Delk first took the helm at Perry High for the 2011-12 school year. Delk will be moving from the top wrestling program in Oklahoma to arguably the best large program in Arkansas. With nearly 3,900 students in grades 9-12, Bentonville High competes in Class 6A in Arkansas -- the state's largest classification -- and won the 2019 state championship by nearly 100 points. The wrestling program at Perry High School has a rich legacy going back more than 90 years. Located in the small town of Perry in north-central Oklahoma -- about halfway between Oklahoma City and Wichita, Kansas -- the Perry Maroon mat program has tallied remarkable accomplishments, especially for a high school that has just over 300 students, including 43 Oklahoma state championship teams ... 20 dual state champion teams ... and 112 individual state champions ... not to mention two Olympic medalists: Jack VanBebber (gold medal, 1932 Los Angeles Olympics) and Dan Hodge (silver medal, 1956 Melbourne Olympics). Earlier this year, with coach Ronnie Delk at the helm, the Perry Maroons won their 1,000th dual meet ... a record only three other high schools in the nation can claim. If that weren't enough, the program is the subject of a documentary in the works, "The Price of Legacy: Wrestling with a Dynasty." And its wrestlers have been honored with a Perry Wrestling Monument Park in downtown Perry. As Ronnie Delk plans to leave this legendary program, the coach offered this statement to The Oklahoman: "It was an amazing opportunity. To be a part of it for the past 8 years is just a blessing."

North Idaho College has hired Michael Sebaaly as its head wrestling coach, the Coeur d'Alene-based school announced this week. Michael SebaalySebaaly comes to NIC from Northwest Kansas Technical College, having spent five years at the school. Each year, NWKTC improved on its national finish at the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Championships, placing fourth in the team standings in 2019, with two individual national champions and six All-Americans. If that weren't enough, Sebaaly coached NWKTC through an impressive regular season this past year, finishing No. 3 in the final NJCAA national polls, and winning the NWCA National Duals Championship. Prior to NWKTC, Sebaaly spent two seasons at Alfred State (2012-2014) as the assistant wrestling coach, where he helped develop three All-Americans. Before launching his coaching career, Sebaaly wrestled at NCAA Division I University at Buffalo, graduating with a bachelor's degree in History. He then earned a master's degree in History at Buffalo State College. Sebaaly recently completed his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Southwestern University. "The search committee is very pleased with this outstanding candidate," NIC Athletics Director Al Williams said. "Coach Sebaaly has an exceptional record as a head wrestling coach and is known as a hardworking recruiter. We are looking forward to welcoming Michael and his family to Coeur d'Alene." Sebaaly responded, "I recognize the expectations are high for the wrestling team at North Idaho College. I take those expectations, which are steeped in the great traditions of this program, seriously. I am honored to be a part of this team and look forward to continuing the program's success, including the popular Tri-State Wrestling Tournament in December and summer wrestling camps." Sebaaly takes the helm of a successful mat program led for 22 seasons by Pat Whitcomb, who was fired by North Idaho College officials for undisclosed reasons in January. In a written response after his firing, Whitcomb denied any knowledge of NIC's academic integrity violations prior to an investigation in the fall of 2018. "I refused to resign, as I had done nothing wrong," Whitcomb wrote. Whitcomb led the Cardinals to four national titles as wrestling coach, was honored as National Coach of the Year twice and was Region 18 Coach of the Year eight times. Whitcomb has been a major figure on the North Idaho College campus as both a successful athlete and coach. He was a two-time NJCAA wrestling champ for the NIC Cardinals in the 1980s. Since Whitcomb was hired as head coach just over two decades ago, NIC could claim 18 individual national champions and 108 All-Americans. He was honored as National Coach of the Year twice and Region 18 Coach of the Year eight times. Founded in 1933, North Idaho College is a public, two-year community college located in Coeur d'Alene. It has a total enrollment of approximately 7,800 students.

For the second straight year the path to the U.S. World Team goes through Final X. The first of the two events takes place this Saturday on the campus of Rutgers University. Thirteen spots on the Greco Roman, women's freestyle and men's freestyle will be determined. Injuries to World champions David Taylor and Kyle Dake took some of the star power away from the card, but there are several key matches remaining. The following is a weight-by-weight preview. Greco-Roman 87 kilograms: Joe Rau vs. Ben Provisor Rau qualified for Final X with a victory at the U.S. Open. After besting Provisor on criteria in the semifinals, Rau defeated the No. 1 seed Patrick Martinez 3-1 to take home the tournament title. In addition to the Open, Rau also competed this year so far at the Dave Schultz Memorial where he took third in Greco and fourth in freestyle. After falling against Rau at the Open, Provisor needed to win the World Team Trials to find a place in Final X. He outscored his first three opponents 21-0 before facing off against Martinez in the best-of-three series. Provisor won the first match 1-1 on criteria and then seal with his trip to this final qualifier with a 3-1 victory. Provisor had defeated Rau in the finals of the 2017 and 2018 editions of the Open before the former Division III champion got to him this year. In the match this year, both wrestlers got a chance from the top, and neither was able to score. It will clearly be a close match, but Provisor has historically been the one able to score on the feet, so he should be the favorite in this series. Prediction: Provisor over Rau Women's wrestling 72 kilograms: Alyvia Fiske vs. Victoria Francis Fiske has already locked up spots on both the 2019 Junior and U23 World Teams at this weight class. She accomplished this feat with a very strong showing at the Women's Nationals last month where she outscored her opponents in both tournaments 86-10. Fiske also won the Open where she scored a 5-4 victory over Francis in the finals. Francis bounced back at the World Team Trials to make Final X. She defeated Nahela Magee 16-5 in the semifinals before knocking off Iman Kazem in two straight matches. Francis put on a stamp on the tournament victory with a fall in the final match. Even though Fiske is still a college student at Simon Fraser, she seems to be primed to earn a spot on three World Teams. In their match at the Open, Fiske was the aggressor throughout the contest. Francis was able to get an early lead with some veteran counters. However, Fiske never stopped coming forward and attacking legs. That persistent will likely lead her to another victory in the rematch. Prediction: Fiske over Francis Greco-Roman 82 kilograms: Kendrick Sanders vs. John Stefanowicz Spencer Woods really busted up the 82-kilogram bracket at the Open with upset victories over Vladyslav Dombrovskiy and Cheney Haight. However, he could not get past Sanders in the finals. To reach that final, Sanders scored 7-3 win over Stefanowicz. He scored seven points in the first period and managed to hold on. Following his semifinal loss against Sanders, Stefanowicz had to go through the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in order to make Final X. He entered the field as the sixth seed, but he went on a run with wins over former Oklahoma State wrestler Chandler Rogers and No. 2 seed Gordon Speiller to make the best-of-three finals. There he knocked off two-time World Team member Haight with a pair of 5-1 wins. Sanders has experienced a resurgence this year in what turned out to be a wide-open weight class. He should in their first match he can control position and put up points against Stefanowicz. With such a short turnaround before Final X, it is hard to see this result turning out any differently. Prediction: Sanders over Stefanowicz Whitney Conder gets her hand raised after winning a U.S. Open title in April (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors) Women's wrestling 50 kilograms: Whitney Conder vs. Victoria Anthony These two have a long history, and their most recent match went to Conder. She defeated Anthony 4-4 on criteria in the semifinals of the Open on her way to earning this spot in Final X. In the finals, she took home a commanding victory over No. 1 seed Erin Golston via a 7-0 score. Anthony also needed to get past Golston to reach Final X. She achieved that accomplishment twice in the best-of-three finals of the World Team Trials. Anthony won the first match 8-2 and sealed her ticket with a 5-1 victory in the second match. Not only did these two meet at the Open, but they also had a three-match series as part of Final X last year. Conder has won five of their last six matches. In their most recent bout, she put her trademark neutral defense on display and put up enough points to take the title. This will likely be a close series, and it will probably go to three matches. However, Conder has showed the strategic tactics necessary to advance to the World Championships. Prediction: Conder over Anthony Greco-Roman 55 kilograms: Max Nowry vs. Brady Koontz Nowry won his first three matches at the Open without surrendering a single point. Prior to the finals, he outscored his three opponents 24-0. Once he made the finals, he took home a gritty 5-3 decision over Dalton Duffield to qualify for this event. Koontz represented the U.S. at the Junior World Championships last year, and this allowed him to immediately qualify for the World Team Trials. The Ohio State wrestler will be a sophomore next year for the Buckeyes, but he is focusing on Greco for the summer. He entered the Trials as the seventh seed, and he defeated Jabari Moody, Ibrahim Bunduka and Duffield to take the tournament title. Despite being shy of his 30th birthday, Nowry seems to have been around the Greco scene forever. He seems to finally be putting together after being a National Team member four times. Koontz has a youthful exuberance that has served him well up to this point. However, Nowry has the veteran savvy to survive this match and continue the journey. Prediction: Nowry over Koontz Greco-Roman 67 kilograms: Ellis Coleman vs. Jamel Johnson On his way to winning the Open and qualifying for Final X, Coleman average 9.5 points per match. In the finals, he dispatched Army WCAP teammate 12-3 in the only match in which he allowed points. Coleman is an Olympian and a two-time World Team member, but he is still looking for his first Senior world medal. Johnson got smoked by Tuma in the semifinals of the Open. He gave up an early takedown to his back and was teched in less than a minute and a half. The two entered the World Team Trials as the top two seeds. The seeds held, and they faced off in the best-of-three final series. This time Johnson was able to control the pace of the match and won in straight matches via 4-1 and 5-1 scores. This will be an interesting match. Both wrestlers like to go for throws and put up points. Johnson showed that he can transition into a more conservative style when necessary, but he will likely have issues dealing with the offensive explosions from Coleman. Prediction: Coleman over Johnson Women's wrestling 57 kilograms: Becka Leathers vs. Jenna Burkert Leathers upset Burkert in the finals of the Open. She entered the field as the third seed and made her way to the top of the podium. The 2017 world bronze medalist came up short in Final X last year and is looking to earn another spot on the World Team. Burkert bounced back with a strong performance at the World Team Trials. She defeated 2012 Olympian Kelsey Campbell and Arian Carpio (twice) by a combined score of 29-3. Like Leathers, Burkert also fell in Final X last year, but she ended up going to the World Championships as an injury replacement. In their match at the Open, Leathers was persistent with her offense. It got her in trouble early as Burkert was able to score on counters with short offense. However, Leathers got back into it with a reversal and a gut wrench. Eventually she was able to breakthrough with her leg attacks and iced the match. Leathers was the one pushing forward and dictating the action. If she cleans up her offensive finishing, this one could end up with a wider margin. Prediction: Leathers over Burkert Women's wrestling 65 kilograms: Forrest Molinari vs. Maya Nelson This bout will be yet another rematch. Molinari knocked off Nelson in the U.S. Open finals to earn this spot in Final X. Along the way, she also defeated Melissa Jacobs via fall and Macey Kilty via a 7-3 score. Molinari nearly picked up a world medal last year, and she is certainly looking to get back and reach the podium this time. Since falling against Molinari, Nelson has gotten back on track with a pair of tournament victories. First, she won a spot on the U23 World Team. She then knocked off Kilty in straight matches at the World Team Trials. Despite the recent result, Nelson does hold a win over Molinari from the 2017 edition of the Open. However, their recent match seemed to show a growing divide between the two. Molinari has had the better results of late and therefore she should be the favorite going into Final X. Prediction: Molinari over Nelson Kamal Bey claimed a 7-5 victory over Pat Smith in the U.S. Open finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors) Greco-Roman 77 kilograms: Kamal Bey vs. Pat Smith Many expect Bey to have a stranglehold over this weight for at least the next few years. That certainly appeared to be the case at the U.S. Open. Bey made his way to the finals by winning four matches via a combined score of 44-1. He then defeated Smith in a close 7-5 match. Smith needed a victory at the World Team Trials to reach Final X following his loss against Bey. He got it done in the finals with a pair of wins over former World Team member and current Penn State wrestler Mason Manville. As expected, the matches were low scoring with Smith taking the first 3-0 and the second 3-2. Their match at the Open was closer than some expected. However, Bey's ability to put up big points with big moves gives him the clear advantage in this match. Even if Smith is able to hold position for the majority of the match, one small lapse could give the edge to Bey. Prediction: Bey over Smith Women's wrestling 68 kilograms: Tamyra Mensah-Stock vs. Alexandria Glaude There are few wrestlers on this card who are on a roll like Mensah-Stock. She picked up a bronze medal at the World Championships last year, and she has continued to win in 2019. The run includes a victories at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, Dan Kolov, Sassari City and Pan American Championships. She advanced directly to Final X based on her bronze medal. Randi Beltz was waiting for Glaude in the finals of the World Team Trials based on her victory at the U.S. Open. Glaude knocked off Skylar Grote and Jayden Laurent before facing off against Beltz in the best-of-three finals. After giving up a fall in the opening match, Glaude picked up back-to-back decisions to advance to this event. These two met earlier this year, and it was not close at all. Mensah-Stock has been running through the competition recently, and this series is not expected to keep her off the world stage. Prediction: Mensah-Stock over Glaude Freestyle 125 kilograms: Nick Gwiazdowski vs. Gable Steveson Over the last few years Gwiazdowski has cemented himself as the best heavyweight domestically and one of the best in the world. He enters this event coming off back-to-back bronze-medal performances at the World Championships. In his last action, he scored a dominant 9-0 performance over Derek White at the annual Beat the Streets event. Even though he was only a true freshman, most in the wrestling world expected Steveson to run through the NCAA field and pick up a championship. However, he ended up dropping a pair of matches to Penn State's Anthony Cassar and finishing third. Despite that result, Steveson was able to put on a masterful performance at the World Team Trials. He advanced to the finals with a 5-1 victory over Tony Nelson. The Minnesota wrestler then went on to dominate returning Greco world silver medalist Adam Coon in a pair of matches by a combined score of 21-4. Steveson's performance at the Trials shows that he will be a player on the international stage going forward. However, this appears to be a tough match for him. He thrives by being quicker than most heavyweights. Against Gwiazdowski that might not have a huge advantage. Plus, the former North Carolina State wrestler will likely be able to come out on top of the scrambles and take the match. Prediction: Gwiazdowski over Steveson Yianni Diakomihalis topped Zain Retherford in the U.S. Open finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors) Freestyle 65 kilograms: Yianni Diakomihalis vs. Zain Retherford After running through the field at the U.S. Open, Diakomihalis put himself directly into contendership for a World championship with a victory over world No. 1 Bajrang Punia of India at Beat the Streets. If he gets past Retherford he could easily be considered a favorite to medal despite still being in college and wrestling for Cornell. Retherford fell against Diakomihalis at the U.S. Open, and therefore he needed a win at the World Team Trials in order to qualify for Final X. Not only did he need to go through the field, but also needed to win a pair of matches against Jordan Oliver in the finals. Both matches were wild and full of scrambles, but in the end, Retherford won both via 7-6 scores. This was a 6-4 match is favor of Diakomihalis in the finals of the Open. The Cornell wrestler got out to a 2-0 lead early in the first period and carried that lead into the break. Early in the second, Retherford got on the board with a takedown that led directly to an exposure to take a 4-2 lead. However, Diakomihalis then scored off a pair of shots from Retherford and took the match 6-4. If the Penn State wrestler wants to be successful here, he will need clean finishes. That is likely easier said than done. Prediction: Diakomihalis over Retherford Freestyle 92 kilograms: J'den Cox vs. Bo Nickal Cox finally scaled the mountain in 2018 and became a world Champion. Since then he has won a gold medal at the 2018 Pan American Championships and blitzed Patrick Brucki 13-0 at Beat the Streets. In the past, he has had a few head-scratching matches, but he has appeared to put that behind him and could be the favorite for gold in 2019 and beyond. Nickal finished his collegiate wrestling career with another NCAA title and a Hodge Trophy. He then went right into freestyle and won the Open. Since Cox had already qualified for Final X, Nickal's path also had to go through the World Team Trials. In the finals, he knocked off fellow NCAA champion Mike Macchiavello in two straight matches. This should be an interesting style match. Nickal is known for his wide open and improvisational style. On the other hand, Cox is extremely technically sound and rarely gets pulled out of position. In the end this match will likely end up with Cox scoring on a counter and holding on to a lead. Prediction: Cox over Nickal

Justin Signorelli has been named the new wrestling coach at Alfred State. Signorelli has already jumped into his duties as the Pioneers prepare for the 2019-20 season. Justin Signorelli is excited to take over the program. "I am grateful for the confidence being shown in my abilities and my vision for the program by Athletic Director Jason Doviak in affording me the opportunity to lead the Pioneers NCAA DIII Wrestling program." "Justin emerged from a strong pool of candidates as the obvious choice," stated Director of Athletics Jason Doviak. "He has a versatile background and is certainly going to strengthen our wrestling program. His vision and enthusiasm is a perfect fit for Alfred State." Alfred State President Dr. Skip Sullivan echoed Doviak's thought's. "I like the enthusiasm that is being brought to our teams and potential impact that will have for our student-athletes. I appreciate the "student-athlete" approach that the Justin is bringing to the wrestling program." Signorelli comes to Alfred State after spending last season as a graduate assistant coach at Western New England University. This year at WNE he coached three NWCA Academic All-Americans and two NCAA National Qualifiers including NCAA DIII 184 lb Champion John Boyle. Prior to his time at Western New England, Signorelli spent two years as the head wrestling coach at SUNY Ulster Community College. While at Ulster, Signorelli was tasked with resurrecting and building the wrestling program that had not been active since 1979. During his two seasons Signorelli coached an Academic All-American, led 14 wrestlers to All-District honors including a North East District individual champion, and he qualified seven wrestlers to compete at the NJCAA National Championship Tournament. Along with his coaching duties at Ulster he also served as Assistant Athletic Director within the Ulster Athletic Department and was an Adjunct Professor working in the Physical Education Department. Signorelli previously was an assistant coach at Highland High School for three years, leading Highland to its first team sectional title during his tenure. Collegiately he was a four-year letter winner at NCAA DIII SUNY Cortland, serving two of those seasons as team captain. In 2013, he helped lead his team to a 4th place finish at the NWCA DIII National Duals. His Red Dragon teams were consistently ranked in the top 10 in the country and he placed in many tournaments including winning the Jamestown Open. He graduated from SUNY Cortland earning his Bachelors of Arts degree in Communications. At Highland High School he competed in football, wrestling, and lacrosse. On the mat he was a four-year varsity team captain and was a three-time Section 9 D2 Champion, three-time MHAL Champion and he won over 85% of his varsity matches in his four seasons en route to becoming the first member of Highland's 100-win club. He was a captain on Highland's varsity football Section 9 Class B Championship team in 2008 and graduated with honors in 2009. "I plan to lead a program full of student athletes who are committed to living a championship lifestyle academically, socially and athletically. By recruiting and leading student athletes committed to this philosophy in conjunction with our programs goals we will become competitive not only on the regional level but on the national level as well."

Mo Lawal (Photo/Bellator) Muhammed Lawal -- better known as "King Mo" -- has retired from a nearly 11-year professional mixed martial arts career. The news about Lawal -- who made a name for himself in amateur wrestling before racking up honors in MMA as former Strikeforce light-heavyweight (205-pound) champ, 2013 Bellator light-heavyweight tournament winner, and 2015 RIZIN heavyweight Grand Prix champion -- was revealed in a statement by American Top Team on Instagram: "I just wanted to give @kingmofh a shout out and congrats for all he's accomplished in this sport. For those that aren't aware, he's decided to 'hang em up' and dedicate the next chapter of his life to coaching our pro fighters. I have to note, I've seen countless fighters train and walk through our doors and King Mo is hands down one of the best teammates I have ever seen. Beyond selfless. Proud to call him a teammate and even more excited to have him working and coaching full time with the squad. All the best Mo!! Congrats on a hell of a career!! Let's keep it positive and show this man some love!" In an interview with MMAfighting.com, the 38-year-old Lawal cited having undergone dozens of surgeries -- "probably 30 or 40 surgeries" according to the fighter -- as a prime reason for retiring from MMA. "It's been on my mind for a while," Lawal told MMAFighting about his decision to retire. "I just put it in the back of my head. It was the pain from the injuries that was messing me up and my lack of range of motion from my hip and my knee. I've been fighting most of my career with no legs, a messed-up knee or a messed-up hip and after I had that hip surgery where they put titanium metal in my hip, it kind of made me think -- I'm going to need a knee replacement, I'm going to need an elbow replacement, I'm going to need a hip replacement. "I was like I'm getting old, I'm 38, I've got kids. I can't even run right now. I can't even jog really. I'm that bad. It's to the point where if I can't jog or sprint or be explosive, then I've got to stop." Lawal built a 21-9 record (with one no contest) in a pro MMA career going back to Sept. 2008. The native of Murfeesboro, Tenn. got off to a great start. Within two years after making his pro debut, Lawal had scored seven straight victories ... and defeated Gegard Mousasi to capture the Strikeforce light heavyweight championship. Later, Lawal had joined the Bellator organization, where he won their light-heavyweight tournament in 2013, where he compiled a 10-6 overall record. He also competed in the Japan-based RIZIN promotion, starting by winning their Heavyweight World Grand Prix in 2015. However, in recent years, Lawal had struggled, losing his last three bouts, including his most recent in April, where he suffered a third-round TKO loss at the hands of Jiri Prochazka. Prior to entering MMA, Lawal had crafted a successful amateur wrestling career. He was a Texas state champ for Plano East High School near Dallas. Lawal then headed north to the University of Central Oklahoma, where he earned the national title at the 2002 NCAA Division II championships. As a senior, Lawal transferred to Oklahoma State, where he was crowned the Big 12 conference champ at 197 pounds in 2003 and placed third in the same weight class at the 2003 NCAA Division I championships, earning All-American honors. After college, Lawal found success in men's freestyle competition. Among his career highlights: three Senior National titles (2005, 2006, 2008), and member of the 2005 U.S. men's freestyle team competing at the 2005 World Championships at 84 kilograms/185 pounds. What's next for "King Mo"? He's not leaving MMA completely. While his fighting career may be finished, Lawal has already made the move into coaching at the American Top Team academy in Florida, where he's already working with a number of top coaches, many who are retired fighters. "I'm going to be around the sport," Lawal stated. "I'm going to be in MMA, maybe dip into boxing and help some fighters out in boxing ... " "Coaching, giving back the information I've received from coaches in the past. It's a great option."

It's been a couple months since the college wrestling mats were rolled up and put away for the season. Even though it's the offseason, now is an unbeatable time for three national wrestling magazines -- WIN (Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine), Wrestling USA and Amateur Wrestling News -- to reveal their award winners for the 2018-2019 season. WIN 2019 special award winners In terms of wrestling awards, WIN magazine may be best known for its Dan Hodge Trophy, given each year to the nation's top college wrestler a week or so after the conclusion of wrestling season. (This year's honoree: Bo Nickal of Penn State.) The May 29, 2019 issue of WIN unveiled its choices for its annual collegiate awards beyond the Hodge, including: Rutgers coach Scott Goodale with NCAA champion Anthony Ashnault (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Dan Gable Coach of the Year: Rutgers' Scott Goodale: Goodale, head coach at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, since 2007, was honored with year's award for guiding the Scarlet Knights to their first top ten finish at the NCAA championships… and for coaching the program's first national champions in Nick Suriano at 133 pounds, and Anthony Ashnault at 149. "We needed a year like this. Top guys growing up wanting to wrestle at a top-brand school," the 47-year-old Goodale told WIN Editor Mike Finn. "The elite schools are brand names so it's been super, super hard to get those guys to believe in what we're trying to do. I like to think, from a wrestling standpoint, we are making Rutgers a brand name." WIN first presented its Coach of the Year award in 1997. Schalles Award: Penn State's Bo Nickal: Nickal, who concluded his college mat career with his third NCAA title, the 2019 Hodge Trophy and 2019 InterMat Wrestler of the Year honors, also managed to be the nation's top pinner for the second straight season… making the Nittany Lion fall guy a natural choice to receive an award named in honor of Wade Schalles, one of the all-time top collegiate pinners in his time at Clarion in the early 1970s. "Being in the Penn State room and having the amazing partner and coaches that I have, I've seen ten times the in practice every situation I've been in during a match," according to Nickal, who also won the Schalles Award in 2018. Cal State Bakersfield heavyweight champ (and future New England Patriots star) Stephen Neal was the first wrestler to pin down the award, in 1999. Junior Schalles Award: Greg Kerkvliet: Kirkvliet earned WIN's annual award for top prep pinner. One stat to demonstrate the pinning prowess of the 225-pounder for Simley High School in Minnesota: Kirkvliet never had a match go beyond the first period. In fact, he spent just less than 15 minutes total on the mat this season. "I did my work in the wrestling room so I'd just get the first hold that I saw and locked up," said Kirkvliet, who plans to redshirt in his first season of college before taking to the mat for Ohio State. Wade Schalles, who was a phenomenal pinner himself in high school, created the Junior Schalles Award in 1999. First recipient: Nick Simmons. Journalist of the Year: Justin Hoch, photographer: Hoch created "The Fire Inside" project which WIN described as an "extremely up-close and intense group of portraits of at least 1,800 people who are currently associated with the sport of wrestling. (Images available for viewing at www.jhoch.com/the-fire-inside.) J.R. Ogden of the Cedar Rapids Gazette was the first journalist to receive this award, in 1999. Wrestling USA 2019 awards Wrestling USA's May 30, 2019 issue featured a handful of yearly, national awards, including two college-related honors: Coach of the Year: Rutgers' Scott Goodale: As Wrestling USA pointed out in its announcement, Goodale had produced ten NCAA All-Americans in the past six seasons, and since 2009, has earned five top ten finishes and eight top 25 finishes in the USA Today/NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) Division I Coaches Poll. Sportswriter of the Year: Shannon Heaton: Heaton had covered wrestling in Iowa, but his career took him to Florida, where he put his passion for the sport into developing the Northeast Florida Matmen website in 2013. Over the years, the website has grown to cover 96 schools in northern Florida and southern Georgia. As Wrestling USA described it, "His website is an encyclopedic home for northern Florida wrestling with links to results going all the way back to the 2013-14 season ..." Amateur Wrestling News 2019 awards AWN -- the oldest publication devoted to covering wrestling on a national basis -- has revealed some of its national collegiate wrestling honors in two separate issues over the past couple months. The May 15 issue celebrated first-year successes, with its annual Rookie of the Year wrestler award, and Rookie Coach of the Year honors. Mekhi Lewis celebrates after beating Alex Marinelli of Iowa in the NCAA quarterfinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) "Virginia Tech's Mekhi Lewis is our hands-down Amateur Wrestling News pick for annual Rookie of the Year honors," is how the magazine opened its story announcing its choice for top college freshman mat star. The article went on to mention that Lewis defeated two-time champ Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State to win the 165-pound title, becoming the Hokies' first national wrestling champ ... and was also named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler. The same issue of AWN tabbed University of Michigan head coach Sean Bormet as its choice for 2019 Rookie Coach of the Year. Among the highlights of Bormet's first season at the helm: the Wolverines' 19-17 dual-meet upset of second-ranked Ohio State in Columbus ... and taking his team to its second consecutive top-five finish in the team standings at the 2019 NCAA championships in Pittsburgh. Some previously-announced awards and honors Prior to the WIN, Wrestling USA and Amateur Wrestling News awards published in their May print editions, other sources which cover the national collegiate wrestling scene had announced their annual honors. The April 15 issue of Amateur Wrestling News had named Arizona State's Zahid Valencia -- crowned 174-pound champ at the 2019 NCAAs -- as recipient of the publication's "Hammer Award" presented each year for the past five years to the top collegiate wrestler in the country. (Previous recipients include Ohio State's Logan Stieber, Alex Dieringer of Oklahoma State, Bo Nickal of Penn State, and Iowa's Spencer Lewis.) InterMat revealed its annual awards at the end of the college wrestling season. In addition to naming Bo Nickal as 2019 InterMat Wrestler of the Year, the website's staff selected Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech as 2019 InterMat Freshman of the Year, and Penn State's Cael Sanderson as 2019 InterMat Coach of the Year.

Gene Lybbert, successful wrestler at two of the top mat programs in the state of Iowa in the post-World War II era -- Cresco High School, and University of Northern Iowa -- passed away Saturday, June 1 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He was 89. Gene LybbertBorn outside Cresco in northern Iowa in January 1930, Eugene "Gene" Lybbert first made a name for himself at Cresco High, one of the legendary prep wrestling programs in the state from the 1930s into the 1950s which produced, among others, future Iowa State head coach Harold Nichols and future Iowa Hawkeye head coach Gary Kurdelmeier. Lybbert was a two-time finalist for Cresco at the Iowa high school state wrestling championships, as a runner-up at 105 pounds in 1947, and placing second at 112 pounds in 1948, the year the program placed second in the team rankings at state. Lybbert continued his academic and athletic career at Northern Iowa (then called Iowa State Teachers College) in Cedar Falls, wrestling for head coach Dave McCuskey. A two-time NCAA All-American, Lybbert wrestled most of his matches at 130 pounds. At the 1951 NCAAs, Lybbert placed third in the 130 bracket. The following year, Lybbert won the 130-pound crown at the 1952 NCAAs at Colorado A&M in Fort Collins. He compiled a 27-2 record at ISTC, with six pins. After graduating from ISTC, Lybbert served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He then worked as a teacher and wrestling coach for four years in Blue Earth, Minnesota where he guided his teams to three consecutive state team championships from 1956-58. For all his wrestling accomplishments, Lybbert was welcomed into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in his hometown of Cresco in 1987, the UNI Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2007. Lybbert remained connected to the Northern Iowa Panther wrestling program up until his death, according to the Des Moines Register. "Gene's presence and support for the program has been unmatched," Northern Iowa head coach Doug Schwab tweeted Monday. "He will be missed by the whole UNI wrestling family." Visitation for Gene Lybbert will take place Thursday from 4-7 p.m. at Richardson Funeral Service in Cedar Falls. The funeral service will take place Friday at St. Patrick Catholic Church, with one hour of visitation prior to the 10 a.m. service, with burial with full military honors immediately after the service in Greenwood Cemetery, also in Cedar Falls. The family requests that memorials be made to the church, the University of Northern Iowa wrestling program, or the Hon. Nordly & Gene Lybbert Athletic Training Scholarship at UNI.

An attorney who recently returned to the high school where he once wrestled to become the program's head coach died after participating in a wrestling match at a tournament in his native Florida this weekend. Tracy LeeTracy Lee, 51, passed away after taking on a college-age opponent at the Sunshine State Games in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Saturday. Lee, who just last month had left his law practice to become head wrestling coach at Sarasota High School, took some of his wrestlers to the Sunshine State Games, which had wrestling competitions for a wide range of age groups, up to age 70. Lee pulled on a Sarasota Sailor singlet and faced off against a college-age competitor who was the Ukrainian national champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, according to his former high school teammate -- and more recently, assistant coach -- Cam Holland. "The place is crowded, there are five mats, a huge gym, and when Tracy and this man started wrestling, everybody circled the mat," Holland told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. "It was like five rows deep and when they got done wrestling, everybody just stood and clapped. That was a match. That was respect. "It was something totally different than you were seeing on other mats. It was a championship-caliber match." However, according to the newspaper, not long after the match ended, Lee collapsed and was taken to a West Palm Beach area hospital, where he died of an apparent heart attack. "He hated the practice of law and he just wanted to get out of it so bad and he was so excited that he had taken the job as Sarasota High's wrestling coach," according to Derek Byrd, who, like Lee, was a member of the school's Class of 1986. Ron Jones, Tracy Lee's coach at Sarasota High, offered his perspective on his former wrestler's return to the sport. "He wanted it more than anything," Jones said. "He never stopped being a Sailor. It was sort of a no-brainer having someone who loved Sarasota the way (he) loved Sarasota." Born in Sarasota in January 1968, Richard Tracy Lee was captain of the Sarasota Sailor mat program all four years. After graduating from Sarasota High in 1986, Tracy continued his education, earning his bachelor's degree at University of Florida. He then studied law, first at Widener University School of Law, then focusing on trial advocacy at Temple University School of Law. Visitation for Tracy Lee will take place Friday, June 7 from 5-7 p.m. at Robert Toale and Sons Funeral Home, 170 Honore Ave., Sarasota, with funeral service scheduled for Sunday, June 9 at 2 p.m. at The Shore Church, 3375 Fruitville Road in Sarasota.

MOUNT VERNON -- Tim Prescott, an NCAA Division II champion and two-time NJCAA all-American, has been named head assistant coach on Cornell College's wrestling staff. Tim PrescottPrescott joins Coach Brent Hamm's program after serving the past two years as a graduate assistant at Division II Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D. “We are excited to welcome Coach Prescott in our wrestling program,” said Hamm, entering his second season as head coach. “Tim has been a national champion and part of championship teams. He's been highly successful because of his work ethic and discipline, which make him a great fit for our program. “Tim won't settle for anything but the best and he can help us get to the top. He's extremely motivated and passionate about wrestling, but more importantly, understands the impact we have on student-athletes.” Prescott wrestled two years at Neosho County (Kan.) Community College. The McPherson, Kan., native placed fifth at the NJCAA Championships at 125 pounds in 2013 and 2014. Prescott helped lead the 2014 team to an eighth-place finish at nationals. Prescott finished his competitive career with two strong seasons at St. Cloud State (Minn.) University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in liberal studies with an emphasis in recreation & sport management/education in 2017. As a junior at St. Cloud State, Prescott was crowned 2015 NCAA Division II champion at 125 pounds. That season, he was tabbed Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Wrestler of the Year. Prescott was the nation's top-ranked wrestler at his weight for most of his senior campaign, enduring only two losses. Prescott guided St. Cloud State to back-to-back NCAA team titles in 2015 and 2016. It marked the school's first national championships in any team sport. A three-time academic all-American, Prescott was part of a turnaround effort as assistant coach at Northern State. In his second year there, the Wolves posted their first winning season in a decade and earned a Top-25 national ranking with five freshmen in the lineup. Prescott received his master's degree from Northern State in sports performance and leadership in May 2019. Prescott spent one season as an assistant at Sartell Saint Stephens (Minn.) High School. He coached three state placewinners, highlighted by one individual state champion. Prescott was a four-time Kansas state placewinner wrestling at McPherson High School (2009-12). He took runner-up as a freshman and senior. Prescott finished third at state twice. Cornell's wrestling program has claimed nine Top 20 NCAA Division III team finishes since 2007. The Rams have crowned 21 all-Americans during that period.

Kyle Dake runs with the American flag after winning gold at 79 kilograms (Photo/Larry Slater) Returning world champion Kyle Dake has requested a delay in his best-of-three matchup for a spot on the 2019 U.S. World Team in freestyle. Dake was scheduled to compete on Saturday against World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion Alex Dieringer at 79 kilograms. He was able to request a delay as a 2018 senior world medalist who earned an automatic berth into the final wrestle-off. Dake posted a message Tuesday on Instagram. Many have speculated, and today I am announcing that I have requested a delay for the best two out of three series for the 2019 World Team. I had a freak accident happen that required surgery and kept me off the mat for some time. We are waiting to get the details for the wrestle off date and I will keep you posted. I will continue to train as intelligently and diligently as I can towards becoming the 2019 79kg World Champion. Thank you to all my sponsors, family, and fans for their unparalleled support! It marks the second match that has been removed from the Final X Rutgers card. On May 24, returning world champion David Taylor (86 kilograms) announced that he would not be competing due to injury.

Jordan Burroughs wrestling Isaiah Martinez at Final X Lincoln in 2018 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors) It is crazy to think we are just over a year away from the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. It seems like it was just yesterday when Helen Maroulis and Kyle Snyder captured gold medals in wrestling at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As many of you already know, the year before an Olympic Games is hugely important. And the pressure mounts even more on athletes to perform with so much at stake. The World Championships in the year before the Olympics serve as the main qualifier for the Games. The top six finishers in each Olympic weight category at the 2019 World Championships will qualify their countries for the 2020 Olympics. That's what makes the upcoming Final X events for Team USA wrestlers paramount. The Final X winners will make up the 2019 United States World Team. The Final X champions in the 18 Olympic weight classes -- six in men's freestyle, six in women's freestyle and six in Greco-Roman -- will receive the first crack at qualifying the U.S. for the 2020 Olympic Games. There already is plenty at stake when you are battling to make a world team, but this year obviously takes on much more significance with Olympic qualifying spots being contested. Believe it or not, it's become even tougher to qualify for the Olympics in international wrestling. In 2020, only 16 athletes will qualify per weight class. That is a reduction from 2016. Russia qualified the most overall weight classes for the 2016 Olympics with 17 while the U.S. qualified in 14 of 18 weight categories for Rio. The U.S. qualified in all six freestyle Olympic weight classes in 2016 with the Americans making it in four classes in women's freestyle and four divisions in Greco-Roman. In addition to the 2019 World Championships, 2020 Olympic qualifiers include the four continental qualifiers and one last chance qualifier. The top two finishers in each weight class from each of those events also qualify their countries for the Olympics. The U.S. will compete in the Pan American qualifier in early 2020 in weight classes it did not qualify at the 2019 World Championships. The World Championships are hugely important to qualify as many wrestlers as you can. As you can imagine, the pressure magnifies significantly for wrestlers and countries who have to qualify in their continental event or in the last chance meet. In 2016, J'den Cox went overseas in a last chance event and qualified the U.S. for the Olympics in men's freestyle at 86 kg. Cox followed by earning a bronze medal in Rio. In 2008, Justin Ruiz came through with a dramatic win over Cuba at the Pan American qualifier in Greco-Roman. Ruiz then lost to Adam Wheeler at the U.S. Olympic Trials before Wheeler won an Olympic bronze medal in Beijing, China. Just qualifying a weight class for the Olympic Games certainly is not easy. Wrestlers who have been in those situations will tell you how difficult it is. Especially in those final qualifiers where they are not only trying to qualify for themselves but for their country. One interesting scenario for the U.S. this year will be at 86 kilograms. Reigning world freestyle champion David Taylor has been sidelined after a recent knee injury and Pat Downey is expected to replace him at this year's World Championships. Downey is a past Junior world silver medalist and a talented wrestler, but he's obviously not the proven commodity that Taylor is on the Senior level. Another scenario involves Maroulis, who became the first American women's wrestler to win Olympic gold in 2016. The two-time world champion will not compete at the worlds this year after being sidelined by injuries the past two seasons. If the U.S. falls short of qualifying at the World Championships in their weight classes, would Taylor and Maroulis be called upon to help their country qualify for the Olympics in the Pan American and last chance events? The U.S. could potentially have a men's freestyle world team in 2019 with four young wrestlers -- Daton Fix, Yianni Diakomihalis, Bo Nickal and Gable Steveson -- in Olympic weight classes. Each of those guys competed in college this past season. Would those young athletes be ready to step up and deliver at their first Senior World Championships? And qualify the U.S. for the Olympics in their respective weight classes? They definitely could with the high level of success they've had at age-group world events. The U.S. has had plenty of wrestlers do well at their first Senior Worlds. Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder, Kyle Dake and David Taylor all won gold medals in their first trip to the World Championships. No question, this is a huge year for the United States wrestling team and it is no secret that plenty of pressure-packed matches are on the horizon. And that's why the Final X is so important this year in determining the U.S. World Team reps at the 18 Olympic weight classes. The Americans obviously are loaded in men's and women's freestyle right now with a number of superstar athletes. The U.S. Greco-Roman team received a boost from world silver medalist Adam Coon last year and hopes to build on that this year. No doubt, all eyes will be on the 2019 World Championships this fall in Kazakhstan. It will have a significant bearing on what might transpire on the big stage at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The stakes are extremely high and the pressure is definitely on for wrestlers and countries to be at their best this year to set them up for a memorable 2020.