InterMat Staff

Kyle Crutchmer Early this month, Bellator MMA announced that its new signee, Kyle Crutcher, had been scheduled to make his promotional debut at Bellator 233 in November. Now the former Oklahoma State All-American wrestler will be facing Sean Clements in a welterweight (170-pound) bout at Bellator 233 at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. on Friday, November 8. The Oklahoma State sports blog CowboysRideForFree.com shared this tweet from MMA reporter Ariel Helwani: The 35-year-old Clements brings a 3-1 pro MMA record to his match with Crutchmer. with all of his professional fights being determined by a judges' decision. Clements' pro debut was at Bellator 161 where he defeated David Ramirez by unanimous decision in Sept. 2016. His subsequent professional bouts were with other organizations. However, it has been two years since Clements has entered the cage. Crutchmer, 26, is a perfect 4-0 in his pro career he launched in June 2018. Until signing with Bellator MMA in July, all of the former Cowboy wrestler's MMA bouts had been with Xtreme Fighting League, with two wins by submission, one by technical knockout, and one unanimous decision. Prior to entering MMA, Crutchmer made a name for himself in amateur wrestling. Crutchmer was a two-time NCAA All-American for Oklahoma State, placing fifth at 174 pounds at the 2015 NCAAs, and seventh in this same weight class at the 2017 NCAAs. In addition, Crutchmer was twice a Big 12 conference champ.

Don Gooder, a founding member of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 24. He was 86. Don GooderGooder was among the founders of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame located in Cresco. He served as master of ceremonies for the inaugural banquet to welcome the first-ever induction class which took place in spring 1970. In fact, Gooder was the last surviving member of the group that established the Hall. "The Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame has a rich history of honoring native Iowans for their contributions to amateur wrestling," according to the statement issued by the Hall Wednesday. "When we concluded the 50th annual awards banquet this past spring, our roster of inductees included 133 outstanding individuals. Don Gooder had a say in that exclusive group, as he also served on the IWHOF selection committee." "For 50 years Don promoted amateur wrestling and the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame," the statement continued. "Wrestling and the IWHOF were among his passions. He will be missed by everyone involved in our organization, as well as the greater wrestling community." Donald Edward Gooder was born in Waterloo, Iowa on August 31, 1933. He graduated from Cresco High School in 1951, then served in the United States Marines. Gooder was a passionate, lifelong fan of amateur wrestling who made the annual trip to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. That pilgrimage began with following Cresco native Tom Peckham's mat career in the 1960s. In addition, Gooder was the father-in-law of Mike Duroe, long-time, legendary wrestling coach who mentored wrestlers at all levels -- including at the Olympics, and, most recently, as Cornell College head coach -- until his death in July 2018 at age 63. (A memorial service for Duroe will take place Saturday, Sept. 28 at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo.) Services for Don Gooder have already taken place.

ADRIAN, Mich. -- Siena Heights University is proud to announce the addition of men's wrestling that will begin competition in fall 2020 with a women's wrestling program scheduled to follow in 2021. "We are excited to bring wrestling back to the campus of Siena Heights University," said Interim Athletic Director Sue Syljebeck. "The addition of wrestling will be great for the university as well as the region as the sport has a great tradition in Lenawee County. This will propel the program at SHU to a tradition of long-term student success. SHU sponsored wrestling in the early 1970s for three seasons before putting the program on hiatus until the late 70s. The second stint of wrestling lasted until 1988 when it was ended indefinitely. During that time, the Saints had success as Jerry Frebes was crowned a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Regional Champion and competed in the 1985 NAIA Wrestling National Championships in Jamestown, N.D. Frebes is also the lone SHU wrestler inducted into the Siena Heights Athletics Hall of Fame (Class of 2013). Syljebeck will begin the search for a head coach immediately.

LINCOLN, Ill. -- Lincoln College announced the addition of a women's wrestling program. "It is a positive sign for the college that we continue to grow our enrollment through increasing athletic opportunities," said Mark Perdue, Lincoln College's athletic director, in a release from the school. "The addition of new programs was part of the charge I was given when hired as AD, and I look forward to seeing these new teams form and add to the Lincoln College tradition of athletic excellence." Lincoln College also added archery to bring the total number of intercollegiate sports and clubs offered by the school to 25. The program has already begun to recruit athletes under the direction of current men's wrestling coach Jordan Bakely and assistant coach Sam Recco. The search for a women's wrestling head coach has started with the goal of having someone in place by the spring of 2020.

The World Championships wrapped up this past weekend. Russia cruised to a team title in freestyle, while Team USA came away with a paltry two Olympic licenses. The same was true in women's wrestling where despite winning a record three gold medals (!) only two licenses were punched for Tokyo. Despite the lack of success for Team USA, the World Championships seemed to have been a hit for viewers and fans. Results, live-stream coverage, photo and other media was all well-received and the field of play was as professional as it's ever been. Wrestlers enjoyed good conditions, bad calls were fairly limited, and Greco-Roman was REALLY good. In all, it was a successful nine days of competition in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, but there is still plenty to cover this week, so let's dive in. To your questions ... Zain Retherford at the World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Why do you think Zain Retherford is not having any success at the senior level? Does he have a chance to medal next year? Also, since J'den Cox is such a stud and proving it at the top level, do you ever see Bo Nickal making the team? -- Mike Z. Foley: In two appearances at the World Championships, Zain has not performed to the best of his potential. I really believe that he can be a world and Olympic medalist, but I have to also remain skeptical until he actually makes something happen at the world stage. As for his chances to medal at the Olympic Games, there are several hurdles he'll need to clear first, namely qualifying the weight and making the team. I was under the impression that Bo was training to make the 2020 Olympic Team before transitioning to MMA. If that's his plan then the chances he makes a team are pretty slim. However, he will be on the U23 team, which will be exciting for fans of PSU and the USA. I think he's going to do awesome. Q: What are the chances we see Yui Susaki at the Olympics since Yuki Irie failed to qualify the weight for Japan? Doesn't Japan get one entrant per gender at a weight of their choosing, essentially qualifying all six women's weights for Tokyo? -- @wrestlingne1 Foley: The chances of seeing Yui Susaki are very, very good. The JWF altered their rules at the conclusion of the World Championships and have stated that no matter who wins the Emperor's Cup in December they have final say on who is chosen to qualify the weight and who ultimately goes to the Olympics. That's a signal to Yui that they want her in the driver's seat. The smart money is on Yui. She's been active internationally, destroyed every opponent she's faced outside of Japan, and is young enough to carry the weight a few cycles. Eri Tosaka could make her way into the lineup if she manages to beat both Yuki and Yui and then is super impressive at the qualifier. Unfortunately, it just seems like she's lost a step. Yui can handle her and the entire international field. She's as close to guaranteed gold as one gets in wrestling. Subtly one big thing to follow is how much say Kazuhito Sakae will have on the team. He's out for now, but after their Worlds performance rumors flew that the federation would bring him back. I'm doubtful, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some of his former athletes (Eri, Risako, Yukako) make their way to a new club of his. Though it's difficult, it's obvious his girls wrestle better when he's training them year-round. Ultimately, if I had to bet, it'll be Yui in Tokyo. She has the it factor and is objectively the best in that weight. Geno Petriashvili defeated Taha Akgul to win his third straight world title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Who was your Outstanding Wrestler in each of the three styles at the World Championships? -- Mike C. Foley: Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) in freestyle, Ismael Borrero Molina (Cuba) in Greco-Roman and Pak Yong-Mi (North Korea) in women's wrestling. Q: Why does the wrestling media continue to produce such poor post-match interviews? Time and time again the interviews are hosted in an area within earshot of the tournament PA announcements and it makes the whole process hard to hear. Many times one can't hear the person asking the questions as the interviewer is holding the microphone near the wrestler and not near the person asking the question. I see the same thing happen at press conferences hosted at some championship events or pre/post dual coaches' interviews where we only get to hear the response from those on the dais without hearing the question(s) asked. -- Jeff B. Foley: You are right ... and this is probably at least a little bit of my fault! The mixed zone for many events is directly off the mats in the hallway beneath the bleachers. The reason is that you need to balance how close you let the media get to the athlete's warm-up area against how far you make the athletes walk to be interviewed. In Nur-Sultan the mixed zone was only a few feet off the field of play. At the Olympic Games (where no televised post-match interviews can happen except for rights holders) there is a winding hallway that is protected from the stadium sound. The former being much less suitable to audio than the latter, but at least it can be on film. As a service to fans, I'll be in Tokyo next week for the test event and will double check the noise levels. As for not hearing the questions at press conferences, I'm not sure which event you're referring to. At the World Championships the questions were mic'd though there was some non-English being asked. That said, the person answering typically repeated the question back in English. Good notes! Q: Lots of countries have been impressive at the World Championships so far this year. One that stands out to me, both for the men and women, is India. It seems like they have had a lot more success in recent years and have done some good promotional things (i.e. their pro league). What are your thoughts on the growth of wrestling in India, and should we expect to see it field perennially competitive teams on the world level? -- Dave Foley: You should expect a lot from India in the coming years. They have financial support, governmental support, and a culture of wrestling that can sustain future generations. They took home five world medals, which is an insane number when you consider they've only taken home a total of eight medals in all previous World Championships since the 80's! India is more potent competitor to the USA than Iran. At the moment, that's just a fact. Gold-medal match highlights from Day 9 of the World Championships Kyle Dake after winning his second straight world title Kyle Snyder after winning bronze Q: Suppose J'den Cox goes looking for a new challenge post-Tokyo. Do you think that if he started training in 2021, he could be a Greco world champ by 2024? -- Irv O. Foley: I love the belief in J'den, but no, absolutely not. Greco-Roman is a different beast. Q: The United States only has four of the 18 weight classes qualified for the Olympics. How many do you think they will qualify? -- Mike C. Foley: Team USA entered the largest Olympic qualification tournament with an expectation of qualifying 4/6 in freestyle, 3/6 in women's wrestling, and 2/6 in Greco-Roman. From an expectation of nine licenses to the reality of receiving only four was a huge disappointment for Team USA and its fans. The outlook for qualifying more in Ottawa is a little bit better, but far from definitive. The entire Western Hemisphere looked awful at the World Championships, with the notable exception of Cuba's Greco-Roman squad. I'm guessing the freestyle team will pick up 86 kilograms in Canada, but Yurieski Torreblanca is competing and could easily be on the same side as the rep for the United States. The Venezuelan Pedro Ceballos is also pretty good. Who will be sent will determine the likelihood of Team USA qualifying. If it's Pat Downey then I just don't think it's very likely. Zain has already lost to Alejandro Valdes Tobier so you have to assume that his chances aren't bulletproof, though I do think he (or whoever reps USA) will have a good chance of qualifying. Daton Fix has made his way through the 57-kilogram bracket before and should be in good shape. Nick Gwiazdowski should have no problem at heavyweight, but he may have to contend with a highly motivated Oscar Pino. I'd predict USA's freestyle team gets three of the possible four in Ottawa. As for the women, Whitney Conder and Sarah Hildebrandt should have little problem winning their weights, but I worry about 62 kilograms where Kayla Miracle has to face a very tough crowd with Laís Nunes of Brazil and Jackeline Rentería Castillo of Colombia. We'll see who the USA sends at 57 kilograms (is Helen Maroulis coming back?) but as of now I don't see Jenna Burkert beating Lissette Antes of Ecuador. Prediction: Three of a possible four picked up by the women. Greco-Roman might be the toughest road. Adam Coon will qualify in the Mijaín López-less weight, but there is a much tougher path for the other five weights. Pat Smith, G'Angelo Hancock and Ildar Hafizov are all 50/50. Prediction: Four of the possible six. Overall: 4/18 will become 14/18 and leave four to be earned at the last chance qualifier. That's very optimistic, too. Q: Will there be a Non-Olympic World Championships in 2020? If so, any details you can share? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't know, but unless someone pops up and offers to host it in the next few months, I'd highly doubt it'll happen. Q: Will the Olympics use a blind draw for the brackets? -- Mike C. Foley: The top four athletes will be seeded and the rest will be drawn in randomly. You can see the full Olympic qualification and seeding process on the United World Wrestling website. Q: Why do so many wrestlers like to hunt? -- Robert G. Foley: I think many well-known wrestlers come from parts of the country where wrestling is culturally significant. More correlation than causation.

Jim Kalin presented Zahid Valencia with the Hammer Award Days after winning the 174-pound title at the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Zahid Valencia was named winner of Amateur Wrestling News' Hammer Award for winning the title in the most competitive weight class. Now, six months later, Valencia has been handed The Hammer on his home turf at Arizona State. Amateur Wrestling News, the oldest national wrestling publication, sent writer Jim Kalin to present the award to Valencia in front of 45,786 fans gathered at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe for the Arizona State-Colorado football game this past Saturday afternoon. Back in March, Valencia won the 174-pound title at the 2019 NCAAs in Pittsburgh, defeating 2017 NCAA champion Mark Hall of Penn State in the finals. The bracket was filled with mat talent: in addition to the two NCAA champs at the weight (Valencia and Hall), there was a total of eight returning All Americans. Valencia finished the season 31-2, with those two losses being to Hall and Missouri's Daniel Lewis. The Sun Devil avenged both at the NCAAs. "An award is only as prestigious as the quality of those who have previously won it," Kalin told InterMat. Past recipients of The Hammer include Logan Stieber of Ohio State, Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer, Bo Nickal of Penn State, and Iowa's Spencer Lee.

The past decade of Penn State wrestling has been an incredible one. In April 2009, Cael Sanderson became head wrestling coach of the Nittany Lions ... and it was a complete reversal of fortune for the program that had just completed its first century. In his first decade at the helm (2009-2018), Sanderson led Penn State wrestling to seven NCAA team titles, 20 NCAA individual champions, 51 NCAA All-American honorees, and four Hodge Trophy winners. By multiple measures, the Nittany Lions have become the dominant Division I wrestling program of the past decade ... to the point where the word "dynasty" has been used well beyond Happy Valley to describe Penn State wrestling. Another way to commemorate that success: put it in a book. That's just what the Penn State Wrestling Club did, with its brand-new book, Dawn of a New Era: Penn State Wrestling 2009-2018. A sequel to a story one hundred years in the making Dawn of a New Era is the sequel -- and supplement -- to the first Penn State wrestling book, A Century of Penn State Wrestling to commemorate the first 100 years of the collegiate mat program located in the heart of Pennsylvania. Both are the products of the Penn State Wrestling Club. "When we wrote the Century book, it was meant to commemorate the historic milestone of 100 years as a Penn State sport," according to Connie Christiansen, the chair of the Penn State Wrestling Club's Historian Committee. "As the Sanderson era started to unfold, we thought it would be appropriate to write a supplement to the original. We never envisioned that the team would accumulate more team and individual championships in a decade than it had in the first 100 years of the program." "The purpose of this ten-year account was recognition of the work and effort that makes Penn State wrestling so special," Christiansen continued. "The 2008-09 Penn State wrestling year began the second century of wrestling." Dawn of a New Era: Penn State Wrestling 2009-2018 picks up where A Century of Penn State Wrestling book concludes ... but with a bit different format. The new book provides a chapter for each year in the decade, starting with the 2008-09 season, and concluding with the 2017-18 season. Each of these chapters includes an overview of the total team success that year, along with individual wrestler records and accomplishments. Interspersed between these "year in review" chapters are what Dawn of a New Era refers to as "special interest chapters" which address specific, overarching topics of significance to the program, such as a profile of Jeff Byers (the voice of Penn State wrestling), rule changes over the years, and the success of collegiate and alumni wrestlers competing on U.S. freestyle and Greco-Roman teams. A winning book for college wrestling's top program Dawn of a New Era: Penn State Wrestling 2009-2018 shares many of the attributes that made A Century of Penn State Wrestling such a success. Like its predecessor, Dawn of a New Era has tons of incredible photos that bring mat action and images of Nittany Lion mat stars to readers everywhere. What's more, the new book's text is well-written, providing a clear presentation of each season's highlights -- along with the special interest chapters -- in a way that makes for compelling reading. Or, in the words of Allen Smith, president of the Penn State Wrestling Club, "We feel that anyone who is a fan of Penn State wrestling, or college wrestling in general, would enjoy reading the information we have collected and written." How to add this new book to your library NCAA regulations prohibit direct sale of Dawn of a New Era: Penn State Wrestling 2009-2018. However, copies of this new 140-page book are complimentary with a donation of at least $50 to the Penn State Wrestling Club to help defray design, printing, publication and shipping expenses. Donations may be made via PayPal from the online store at the Penn State Wrestling Club website. Note: If donating from the PSWC website, you must first make your donation from the online store, then provide your shipping address by using the feedback window selected from the main menu. In that feedback window, please record the amount of your donation ... along with the shipping address where you want Dawn of a New Era to be sent. Another option: print out an order form and mail it -- along with your donation by check, made payable to "PSWC/Dawn of a New Era" -- to the address on the order form. If you'd like to purchase a copy of the original book A Century of Penn State Wrestling: A Century of Success (1909-2008), visit the Penn State Wrestling Club's online store and follow the same procedure outlined above. A Century of Penn State Wrestling is available for purchase for $28.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Jason Ecklof, a veteran Shore Area high school coach, has been named assistant men's wrestling coach at New Jersey City University, head coach Harry Turner announced on September 25. Ecklof is the second member of the first-ever wrestling staff in NJCU history. "Jay is a proven recruiter and a walking encyclopedia on current high school wrestlers and programs," said Turner. "He gives us the ability to cover twice as much ground in our search for the first full class of Gothic Knights, in addition to his years of experience coaching at the highest levels of NJSIAA wrestling." Jason EcklofEcklof, a Howell, N.J. native and current resident of Brick, N.J., has spent the last seven years coaching at both Saint John Vianney High School in Holmdel, N.J. and Howell High School in Howell. He was honored as the 2018 NJSIAA District 19 Assistant Coach of the Year. In five years at Saint John Vianney from 2014-19, he helped lead the Lancers to the 2018 NJSIAA District 19, Shore Conference Tournament and Shore Conference A-Central Division Championships. In 2019, SJV was ranked No. 20 in the state of New Jersey. On the mat, he coached 16 state qualifiers (2015, 1; 2016, 2; 2017, 5; 2018, 4; 2019, 4) and six state medalists, including the school's first-ever state champion (113-pound weight class) in 2019. In 2018, three Lancers finished in the top four in the state. Ecklof came to Saint John Vianney after a successful two-year run (2012-14) at Howell, where he was part of a coaching staff that led the Rebels to the No. 13 ranking in the state in 2013 and 10th in 2014. He helped Howell win the 2014 NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV Sectional and Shore Conference Tournament Championships and back-to-back NJSIAA District 21 and Shore Conference A-North Division crowns in 2013 and 2014. During his stint at Howell, he coached six state qualifiers (2013, 3; 2014, 3) and three state medalists. Ecklof wrestled collegiately at York College of Pennsylvania for two seasons (2008-10) at 157 pounds before turning home and concluding his career at The College of New Jersey in 2011-12. A native of Howell, N.J., Ecklof was a standout for Howell High School where he posted a stellar 101-37 career record for the Rebels. He won the District 21 championship as a sophomore in 2005-06. As a senior in 2007-08, he placed second in Region 6 and finished in the top 16 in the state of New Jersey. GOTHIC KNIGHTS on SOCIAL MEDIA: For the latest on NJCU men's and women's wrestling and #NJCUWrestling, follow the Gothic Knights on social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and SnapChat. We Are Jersey City's Team.

Who are the college wrestling coaches who can claim the most team titles? Dan Gable led Iowa to 15 national championships The TakeDown Report (TDR) website is in the process of gathering, analyzing and sharing this data. Recently the website revealed the NCAA Division I wrestling coaches who have amassed the most team titles. "The coach with the most Division I Championship teams is no surprise to fans of the sport in Dan Gable of the University of Iowa as the leader with 15 championship teams in just a 20-year span from 1977 to 1997," according to TDR editor Martin Fleming in his article revealing the coaches and programs that have tallied the most team titles since the first NCAA wrestling championships in 1928. Which coach came in second? The legendary Ed Gallagher, who headed up the Oklahoma State wrestling program from the end of World War I to just before the start of World War II, guided the Cowboys to eleven team titles between 1928 and 1940. A total of 14 Division I wrestling coaches have led their programs to at least two team titles ... while 15 coaches can claim a single team championship. Of these coaches, five are still heading up D1 mat programs: Cael Sanderson (8 team titles), John Smith (5), Jim Zalesky (3), Tom Brands (3) and Tom Ryan (1). You'll find a more complete analysis of the 26 coaches who can claim at least one NCAA Division I team crown -- and their schools -- at the Takedown Report website. Want to know about the coaches and colleges outside NCAA Division I? Down the road, TDR promises to also provide similar analysis of NCAA Div. II and III championship coaches, as well as those who head up NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) wrestling programs that have won national titles. Questions? Comments? Contact TDR editor Martin Fleming directly at martinkfleming@gmail.com.

Greg Kerkvliet wrestling Jordan Wood at the U23 Nationals (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Greg Kerkvliet, the nation's No. 1 high school recruit in the Class of 2019, is expected to compete for a spot in Ohio State's lineup as a true freshman and not redshirt. "Anything can happen, but as of now the plan is to go," Kerkvliet recently told Steelwood Radio. He said he currently weighs around 235 pounds, but plans on getting up to 250 to 260 pounds. Kerkvliet will compete at the U23 World Championships on Oct. 29-30 in Budapest, Hungary. Earlier this year, Kerkvliet said that he planned to redshirt for the 2019-20 season, but that plan has changed. Ohio State also returns NCAA qualifier Chase Singletary at heavyweight. Kerkvliet was a four-time state champion in Minnesota. He reached the finals of the Cadet World Championships in freestyle twice, winning a gold medal in 2017 and a silver in 2018.

Daniel Cormier serves as head wrestling coach at Gilroy High School in California (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Daniel Cormier, former UFC heavyweight and light-heavyweight champ, confirmed this week that he plans to return to the Octagon one last time for a third bout with fellow former collegiate wrestler Stipe Miocic ... then retire from mixed martial arts. Cormier, who was a collegiate wrestling champion and 2008 U.S. Olympic men's freestyle team member prior to launching his pro MMA career, revealed his retirement plans on Ariel Helwani's MMA show on Monday. "I'm going to fight this guy again, and my intention is to fight him in the right way," Cormier said during that program. "Hopefully that's enough to get my hand raised. "But I'll go fight him again, win or lose, I'm not fighting again. This will be the only time I ever step foot in the Octagon again." Cormier told Helwani that he hopes his. third fight with Miocic will happen at UFC 245 on Dec. 14 in Las Vegas. The groundwork for Cormier-Miocic 3 started at UFC 226 in July 2018 when Cormier knocked Miocic out ... making the now 40-year-old Cormier the holder of two titles at once. A few months later, the Louisiana native then successfully defended his heavyweight and light-heavyweight titles vs. Derrick Lewis at UFC 230 last November. That win put Cormier in the record books -- and history books -- as the first fighter in UFC's 35-year history to win belts in two divisions and defend them both ... prior to giving up either. (Cormier was later forced to give up the light-heavyweight belt prior to UFC 232, where Jon Jones defeated Alexander Gustafsson for that title.) Cormier took the heavyweight title into his rematch with Miocic at UFC 241 ... but lost that match -- and belt -- in that bout last month. The Cleveland area native reclaimed the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight (265-pound) title with a technical knockout of Cormier at 4:09 of the fourth round of the bout slated for five rounds. Both Cormier and Miocic have brought amateur wrestling backgrounds into their pro MMA careers. Prior to launching his pro MMA career a decade ago, Cormier made his presence known on the wrestling mat, first as a three-time Louisiana high school state wrestling champion. After graduation, Cormier headed north to Colby Community College in Kansas where he was a two-time NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) national champ at 197 pounds, in 1998 and 1999. Cormier then transferred to Oklahoma State University, where he was a two-time NCAA Division I championships qualifier, making it to the 184-pound finals at the 2000 NCAAs, losing to Iowa State's Cael Sanderson (now head wrestling coach at Penn State). After graduation, Cormier wrestled freestyle. Among his honors: bronze medalist at the 2007 World Championships, a two-time gold medalist at the Pan American Championships, and member of the U.S. men's freestyle team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Cormier remains connected to amateur wrestling, currently serving as coach at Gilroy High School in California. Stipe Miocic grew up in the wrestling hotbed of northeast Ohio, where he wrestled at Eastlake North High School, then for the NCAA Division I program at Cleveland State.

Adam Latella, a 2014 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, has been selected as an assistant wrestling coach for the 2019-20 season. He will also serve as a lecturer in the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Coaching. Adam LatellaLatella most recently served as the Olympic Training Site Head Weightlifting Coach at Northern Michigan University, overseeing all aspects of the team during the 2018-19 year. He led the men's and women's teams to second-place finishes at the University Nationals and coached two individual national champions, two individual silver medalists, three individual bronze medalists and 14 other top-10 placers. As a wrestler for the Warhawks, Latella competed in the 197-pound weight class for three seasons, beginning his sophomore year in 2009. He was a member of the 2010-11 team that tied for 29th place at the NCAA Division III Tournament. In 2012, the team clinched the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and finished eighth at the NCAA Division III Tournament. In 2009-10, Latella was voted as the team's Most Improved after he finished as the runner-up at the WIAC Championships and qualified for his first NCAA Championship. Latella was named as a team captain for the 2010-11 season. His team voted him as the Most Valuable Wrestler after winning his first WIAC title in 2011. At his second NCAA Division III Championship appearance, he placed fifth, earning All-American accolades. In 2011-12, Latella was again a team captain and won his second conference title. He was named as a Scholar-All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Following graduation, Latella served as a student assistant coach for the 2012-13 season and as an assistant coach in the 2013-15 seasons. He worked as an academic advising graduate assistant in the 2014-15 school year. Latella was a full-time academic advisor from 2015 until 2018. Besides competing and working with the wrestling program, Latella was also a member of the UW-Whitewater Olympic Weightlifting Club, where he was a three-time state champion. He was the club's assistant coach in 2013-15 before being named as the head coach for the 2015-18 seasons. He led the club to its first state championship in 2016 and two consecutive championships in 2017 and 2018. A native of Rockton, Ill., Latella graduated from UW-Whitewater with a bachelor's degree in human health and performance and recreation with a minor in coaching in 2014. He also completed his master's degree in Physical Education, Health and Coaching in 2015 at UW-Whitewater. The Warhawks begin their season with a home dual against UW-Oshkosh on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m.

It's as good a time as ever to be a fan of both amateur wrestling and MMA. Though high-level wrestlers have always been prominently featured in American, Brazilian, and Japanese MMA promotions, the vast majority of them were either Japanese and American wrestlers, or Russian sambo practitioners. Things have changed drastically, and now, in addition to the aforementioned trinity of traditional MMA markets, we not only have well-funded, well-run MMA shows and world-class MMA gyms in wrestling strongholds like the Caucasus Russian Republics, the Nordic Countries, and Poland, and Korea, but also a slew of other big shows and gyms in Canada, the UK, Australia, Singapore, and Thailand. All the above have their arms (and their wallets) wide-open as a welcoming haven for a world-class wrestler looking to get into the fight business. The result has been an unprecedented influx of wrestling talent from all over the globe. Keep going to read about some extremely accomplished wrestlers currently climbing the MMA ranks. But before you do, take a look at Part 1 and Part 2 of this series. Marthin Hamlet Nielsen Marthin Hamlet Nielsen Norwegian Greco-Roman star and light-heavyweight prospect Marthin Hamlet has many of the tools you want to see in an aspiring MMA champion. Size, incredible strength, great athleticism (especially for a guy his size), cardio, powerful takedowns, etc. The guy has got it all. Having sharpened those tools on the ultra-tough, Nordic/Scandinavian Greco scene, Hamlet was a dominant age-group wrestler who progressed on to the senior level while still having well over a year of junior eligibility left. In fact, in 2011, at only 19, he won both the junior and senior world team trials and competed at the World Championships in both divisions. A very solid Greco career netted many prestigious medals, not the least of which being bronzes from the European (2014) and Junior World (2012) Championships. And while he came up short in two attempts to make Norway's Olympic team, he was most certainly an Olympic-level talent. Navigating the fight business like a pro, Hamlet has promoted himself and his wrestling background vigorously, even putting himself on UFC president Dana White's radar. He's also joined Frontline MMA Academy, arguably Norway's best, most complete fight team, training alongside several UFC vets, longtime MMA-wrestling coach and former NCAA Division I standout wrestler Babak Nejadmaghaddam and many others. Fully committed to MMA, Hamlet debuted with authority, violently knocking out his opponent in seconds. Now, six fights deep and already a fantastic, well-rounded fighter, his record stands at 5-1, recently fighting tooth-and-nail in his first major title fight, and while he lost, such experience is often invaluable. Ali Isaev For years MMA fans awaited the inevitable arrival of true, world-class, Olympic-style wrestlers from the Caucasus region of Eurasia. The dominance these athletes continually exhibit on the mats and the possibility of them in an MMA cage inspires much excitement. Historically, fighters from this region were cut mostly from the sambo cloth. Great wrestlers no doubt, and fantastic fighters for sure, but not exactly the credentialed, Olympic types we hoped for. That changed in 2015 when wrestling monster Bilyal Makhov signed with the UFC. Makhov generated a ton of buzz and anticipation, but his interest in MMA ultimately turned out to be only that ... interest. Entirely absent from the MMA world for years now, Makhov has returned to the mats several times since reneging on his UFC contract, singing bonus in tow. While plenty disappointing, the Makhov escapade wasn't all for naught, and it inspired other Caucasus wrestlers to give MMA a try. Guys like Migran Arutyunyan and Ali Isaev, among others. Looking on the proverbial bright side, in terms of actual MMA potential, Russian-born Azerbaijan wrestler Isaev may have even more to offer than Makhov did. Thus far the 2008 Olympian, 2009 European champ with a slew of other international medals has been putting in quality work inside the cage. Teammates with fellow Caucasus fighters like UFC vet Rashid Magomedov and PRIDE vet Bazigit Atajev, also training in the US ahead of fights, Isaev is 6-0 and signed with the very solid Professional Fighter's League. Ideally sized for heavyweight, light on his feet, with powerful, diverse striking, and a penchant for spinning wheel kicks to accompany his wrestling, even Isaev's ground control is tip top. Something not usually seen from fighters who didn't compete in US folk style. Expect big things from Isaev. Ioannis Arzoumanidis Greek heavyweight Ioannis Arzoumanidis was uncharacteristically impressive among wrestlers from his home nation. Skilled across multiple styles, "Arzoo" started as a promising Greco wrestler, making a junior world team and even winning bronze at 2008 University Worlds. His success continued despite a shift over to freestyle and he medaled at both the 2009 & 2010 World Championships, beating fantastic wrestlers like Les Sigman, Disney Rodriguez, and the aforementioned Isaev, and establishing himself as a heavyweight force in the process. Despite being a medal threat most of his career, he left the sport in 2016 never having made an Olympic team. Perhaps most intriguing in terms of his MMA prospects are his two medals (1 gold) from the Grappling World Championships. Experience in a takedown-heavy, submission grappling rule-set will have great utility in MMA, maybe even enabling him to avoid the dreaded, out-of-nowhere submission loss that so many wrestlers fall prey to. Going from hobbyist to legit prospect the last two years, Arzoumanidis is indeed for real. And despite being more immovable object than irresistible force, he is no less formidable than his more fleet-of-foot piers, He will surely need to improve his striking (especially his defense) going forward, but his durability, surprisingly good gas tank, size, strength, and low-risk/high-reward grappling style have impressed, helping him win six of seven pro fights. Considering the UFC's perpetual, global expansion and the commodity that is legitimate heavyweight talent, don't be surprised to see Ioannis in the UFC eventually. Romero Cotton (Photo/Bellator) Romero Cotton A four-time Kansas high school state champ unbeaten beyond sophomore year, Romero Cotton's success was not limited to the state level. Placing third in Fargo on the Cadet Greco side in 2005, first in both styles at Fargo in 2006, and fourth at 2007 NHSCA Junior Nationals, Cotton was a definite blue-chip wrestling recruit heading into college. Unsurprisingly, his collegiate run began in Division I at the University of Nebraska. And while he showed great ability in the room and in the few matches he wrestled, a series of unfortunate events caused his early exit from Lincoln. Thankfully, Cotton resurfaced in 2012 at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, a top Division II program. Not about to let a second chance go to waste, Romero thrived, becoming a four-time finalist, three-time national champ for the Lopers. Cotton was moderately active wrestling in the Olympic styles after college, but circumstances dictated he pursue MMA over the Olympics. Now 3-0 and with tons of potential, Cotton was one of a handful of big-shot 0-0 wrestlers signed by Bellator MMA over the years. Training at arguably the best MMA gym in the entire world for wrestlers, in American Kickboxing Academy, Cotton possesses the skills and the fight IQ to climb high in 185-pound ranks. Big and insanely strong for the weight class, with clean boxing to compliment his wrestling, Cotton fights with a cool, calm, collected composure. Not unlike most wrestlers who enter MMA and acquire a taste for face-punching, Cotton likes to throw hands in the cage but has shown the smarts to let his unstoppable wrestling and athleticism take over when the situation calls for it. Shawn Bunch You're probably wondering why on earth a list of wrestlers-turned MMA fighters to watch, features a 36-year-old in a young man's division who debuted almost seven years ago. It's a justified question no doubt, but hear me out first. First and foremost, the wrestling. Six-time All-American in Fargo and NHSCA Nationals, two-time All-American (second and third) at Edinboro, and a superb freestyle run that got him ever-so-close to two Olympic spots. Not to mention gold medals at the Pan Am Championships in 2007, Medved International, and Henri Deglane Challenge in 2011. Committing to MMA well-before the 60-kilo wrestle-off for the 2012 Olympic spot, Bunch debuted in Bellator just a few short months after the Olympics. He produced somewhat pedestrian results initially, but hit a stride just in time for fight No. 6 against training partner, friend, and red-hot prospect, NCAA Champ Darrion Caldwell. Choked out midway through the first round, this easily could've been curtains for Bunch's MMA career. Furthermore, if the loss to Caldwell was a blow, then being cut by Bellator shortly after and losing his first fight on the regional scene should've been the death knell. But Bunch soldiered on. A heaping slice of humble pie and time spent selflessly sharpening his AKA teammate's wrestling actually made for a more focused, motivated Bunch. He's returned to the cage, gone 5-0 since, and earned a nice, multi-fight contract back in Bellator. Bunch makes this list because aside from his existing attributes, he is now older, wiser, bigger, stronger, and with more experience in the cage. Devoting much of his training these past 3 years to the sweet science, newfound power in his fists will augment his takedowns wonderfully. The man is also hungry, publicly calling out both Caldwell and former Bellator champ Eduardo Dantas. He fights next at Bellator 228 on Sept. 28.

OTTUMWA, Iowa -- Indian Hills Community College will become the latest Iowa college to add wrestling to its athletic offerings. IHCC Athletic Director Dr. Brett Monaghan announced that the school hopes to begin a men's and women's wrestling program in the 2020-21 academic year. The program will operate out of the Indian Hills Centerville campus. Monaghan explained that a nationwide search has already begun to find a head coach and whether the sport gets started next year "will be contingent on identifying the appropriate leader to come in this fall and begin recruiting and putting the pieces together to be able to begin in that time frame." Because wrestling is a staple in high schools in this part of the country and many of the schools in the Indian Hills region have been highly competitive at the state level, Monaghan said the college believes athletes from area high schools will give IHCC an opportunity to become competitive immediately. "I am certain this is the perfect sport to be the next addition to our athletic department," Monaghan said. "Women's wrestling has seen tremendous growth and I wanted to ensure we are at the forefront of NJCAA schools providing this opportunity to young women looking to compete at the collegiate level while also seeking to start their post-secondary academic careers at a community college." There are currently five schools in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference that have a men's wrestling program - Iowa Western, Iowa Lakes, NIACC, Iowa Central and Ellsworth. None of the ICCAC schools has women's wrestling yet. It is not a sanctioned sport by the NJCAA. Although it is not sanctioned at the high school level now in Iowa, Monaghan said 16 high school athletic associations across the nation have sanctioned girls' wrestling. Nationally, 53 men's teams compete in wresting in the NJCAA. There are 61 collegiate women's wrestling programs, in all levels, across the country. In Iowa, William Penn, Iowa Wesleyan and Grand View have all added women's wrestling in the past year. Monaghan points out there were more than 19,000 female wrestlers in high schools last year and around 300,000 males competing in the sport. Wrestling will join baseball as the Indian Hills sports based at the Centerville campus. Dean Noel Gorden said, "We are so excited to add wrestling to our campus. Here we are in the heart of wrestling country and we're proud to be the first community college in Iowa to offer women's wrestling. It's the fastest-growing women's sport in the nation. This is going to be a great addition to our campus community." Wrestling will be the 11th different athletic offering at Indian Hills and the 5th to have both men's and women's student-athletes. Anyone interested in learning more about, or participating in, the Indian Hills wrestling program can contact Monaghan at IHCC (641-683-5207).

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- University at Buffalo head coach John Stutzman has announced that Evan Ramos has been hired as an assistant coach. Ramos comes to Buffalo after serving as a volunteer assistant coach at Bucknell last season. Ramos was a standout wrestler at Shippensburg University where he compiled an overall record of 98-17 and qualified for three NCAA Division II National Championships. Evan RamosRamos twice captured All-America accolades in the 197-pound weight class, placing fourth in 2018 and fifth in 2017. The Raiders' first two-time All-American in nearly 10 years, he was ranked as high as No. 1 in the country entering the 2018 NCAA Championships. Ramos went 64-5 in duals and a sparkling 44-1 in Division II duals. A three-time Super Region finalist, he earned titles in 2017 and 2018 at 197 pounds. He also captured four All-PSAC laurels after taking first in 2017 (197) and third in 2014 (184), 2016 (197) and 2018 (197). His 2017 title was Shippensburg's first since 2007 and eighth overall; he fell to the eventual champion in the semifinals the other three years. Ramos graduated in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. "I am excited to bring Coach Ramos on board," Stutzman said. "In just a short time, he has made a huge impact on the program and our student-athletes. He has shown to be a tireless worker and I'm excited for what the future holds." Stutzman also announced that former UB wrester Muhamed McBryde will join the staff as a volunteer assistant. A two-time Academic All-MAC selection, McBryde had a career record of 44-46. He placed fourth at the 2017 MAC Championships, falling just short of being an NCAA qualifier. Over the summer, McBryde was the 79 kg men's freestyle champion at the U23 World Team Trials Tournament and will represent Team USA at the U23 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. "I am excited to bring back one of our own, Coach McBryde, as our volunteer assistant coach," Stutzman said. "Coach McBryde is one of the hardest workers and most disciplined student-athletes I have ever been around. With the UWW U23 World Championships coming up, I'm looking forward to watching him compete for gold." The 2019-20 season begins on November 2 at the Michigan State Open.

Mike Grey celebrates after Yianni Diakomihalis wins his second straight NCAA title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) ITHACA, N.Y. -- In advance of the 2019-20 season, Mike Grey '11 has been elevated to the role of associate head coach. Grey has served the Cornell wrestling program in an assistant coaching role for the past eight years, spending two years as a volunteer assistant prior to being named a full-time assistant coach in 2013. "I'm excited," said Grey. "It's an honor, and I feel privileged to be named the associate head coach. It shows the confidence that Rob (Koll) has in me and it's a testament to how I've done as a coach over the past eight years." Grey has been instrumental in working with Cornell's lightweights during his tenure, molding the careers of four-time All-American and 2016 NCAA champion Nahshon Garrett, two-time national champion Yianni Diakomihalis and 2019 All-American Vitali Arujau, among others. With Grey on staff, Cornell has amassed a 100-20 dual meet record with a perfect 40-0 mark in Ivy League competition. Grey has assisted the program in reaching new heights, helping the Big Red to eight Ivy League titles, six EIWA titles and eight NCAA top 10 team finishes. Big Red athletes have won nine NCAA titles, 31 All-America honors, 29 EIWA titles and 39 first-team All-Ivy honors over that span. "I've been at Cornell with the wrestling program for 14 years, and it's like home to me," said Grey. "There are so many great people in the Cornell athletics family, at Cornell University and in the Ithaca community that make my family feel welcome." Prior to his time on the coaching staff, Grey helped lead the Big Red to consecutive second-place finishes at the 2010 and 2011 NCAA Championships as a student-athlete. A two-time All-American, Grey capped his collegiate career with a 117-30 record and four All-Ivy first team selections. Grey graduated from Cornell in 2011 with a B.A. in Development Sociology, and currently resides in Ithaca with his wife, Kaille, and son, Declan.

WINCHESTER, Va. -- Shenandoah University announced Monday that it has added men's wrestling as its 22nd intercollegiate athletic program. Shenandoah AD Bridget Lyons announces addition of wrestlingThe team, which will compete in the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center and practice in Shingleton Gymnasium, is scheduled for its first season of competition in the fall of 2020. It is expected that at capacity the team will have 30-35 members by the 2021-22 season. The addition was assisted in large part by a generous donation from Rob and Gene Frogale, the owners of Annandale Millwork & Allied Systems. Rob Frogale is currently the Vice Chair of the Shenandoah University Board of Trustees and Gene Frogale is a former collegiate wrestling champion. "We believe that wrestling is going to provide another reason for young men in the Shenandoah Valley to continue their education here at home," said President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D. "The opening of the Wilkins Center gives us the ability to add the sport as we have an outstanding competition venue that has already proved popular with the wrestling community." Opened in January, 2018, the Wilkins Center has hosted one youth wrestling tournament and university officials intend to host additional meets in the near future. Prior to the university deciding to add wrestling as its 11th men's sport, athletics department officials visited both Ferrum College and Averett University on fact-finding missions. "We learned a great deal from our trips to Ferrum and Averett," Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Bridget Lyons said. "I would like to thank the administrations and coaching staffs at both schools for opening up their facilities and spending time with us to discuss how to most successfully add a program. "The knowledge we gained was invaluable in this process." Wrestling is the first sport added at Shenandoah since women's golf in 2015 and the first men's sport since indoor and outdoor track & field (both men and women) were elevated to varsity status in 2009. The last men-only sport added at SU was the football program in 2000. The university has conducted a national search for the head coach of the men's wrestling program and the process is nearly concluded. Upon successful completion of human resources paperwork, the university will announce the program's first head coach. Frequently Asked Questions: Why wrestling? The sport is very popular in the northern Shenandoah Valley and the university's proximity to high school wrestling hotbeds in Pennsylvania and Ohio make this a natural fit. The James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center provides an outstanding venue for dual meets and tournaments. What about women's wrestling? In June, 2019, the NCAA recommended women's wrestling as an emerging sport in all three divisions. As the NCAA moves toward a final determination regarding the status of women's wrestling as a championship sport, Shenandoah University will assess the student body's interest in, and the viability of, women's wrestling as a varsity sport. What are the Title IX implications? Shenandoah University is committed to ensuring our athletics programs meet the interests and abilities of our students. The university has 11 women's varsity sports, with three added in the past 10 years. In the coming months, the athletics department will undertake efforts to gauge and assess student interest in prospective sports at Shenandoah to ensure that the university is accommodating the interests and abilities of our student population. Who will the team compete against? ODAC members Ferrum and Washington & Lee, as well as Southern Virginia and Averett, provide opponents from within the commonwealth of Virginia. There are 16 additional schools within a four-hour radius of Winchester to provide ample competition opportunities. Will the university pursue a conference affiliation? At this time, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference does not sponsor a wrestling championship. Washington & Lee is an associate member of the Centennial Conference and Ferrum competes in the Southeast Wrestling Conference. Following the addition of a head coach, the university will take a closer look at this issue. How many coaching/staff positions will be added? In addition to the head coaching position, a full-time assistant will be added when the roster size grows sufficiently. It is also expected that additions in athletic training, strength and conditioning and athletic communications will also take place to further support the entire athletics program. What, if any, infrastructure improvements are needed? After the purchase of mats, the Wilkins Center and Shingleton Gymnasium will be competition- and practice-ready. A locker room in Shingleton is slated to be renovated in order to house the team on a day-to-day basis. Timeline of university-era sport sponsorship additions:* 1991: Women's Soccer 1993: Men's Lacrosse 1995: Women's Lacrosse 1997: Men's and Women's Cross Country 2000: Football 2003: Field Hockey 2009: Men's and Women's Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field 2015: Women's Golf 2020: Men's Wrestling *Year indicates first competition date

The man who was found guilty of shooting and killing former New Jersey high school wrestling star Davontae Randall in 2018 has been sentenced to 24 years in prison, NJ.com reported Monday. Anthony Kille was convicted in early August of aggravated manslaughter and two gun charges relating to the killing Randall, a 2015 New Jersey state championships placer for Paulsboro High School. Anthony KilleOn the evening of Aug. 25, 2018, Kille shot and killed Davontae Randall at a party at Randall's mother's home in Paulsboro. Kille shot and killed the 21-year-old Randall in front of family and friends at a cookout at his mother's home on Aug. 25, 2018. Kille showed up at the party and fought with Randall before shooting him. Last summer's fatal shooting was the culmination of an earlier road-rage incident. A few days earlier, Kille and Randall had a verbal altercation when they nearly crashed into each other in a nearby community Just a few days before, Kille and Randall had words when they nearly crashed into each other on the road in nearby Swedesboro. Kille showed up at the party and fought with Randall before shooting him. At the time of the crime, Kille was serving home confinement after being charged with involvement in a 21-person drug ring. As a wrestler for the Paulsboro Red Raiders, Davontae Randall compiled a 110-52 career record … capped off by a sixth-place finish in the heavyweight bracket at the state championships as a senior. For those accomplishments, NJ.com named Randall the Colonial Conference Wrestler of the Year for 2015.

Memorial services for James Johnson, 2012 Olympic Greco-Roman coach and past World Team member, have been announced for this weekend, USA Wrestling announced Monday. James Johnson (Photo/Larry Slater)The man affectionately known as "JJ" passed away Sunday, Sept. 8. He was 61. Visitation for James Johnson will take place Friday, September 27 from 2 p.m.- 7 p.m. at the Don Brown Funeral Home, 497 2nd Street, Ayden, North Carolina. The funeral service is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. at D.H. Conley High School, 2006 Worthington Rd., Greenville, NC. It was at D.H. Conley where Johnson became the first wrestler in school history to win a state title at the 1976 North Carolina wrestling championships. After graduating from D.H. Conley, Johnson headed north to the University of Kentucky, where he was an NCAA championships qualifier for the now-defunct mat program which had been headed up by Fletcher Carr. However, Johnson truly made a name for himself in Greco-Roman, first as a wrestler, then, as a coach, in a career that spanned decades. For his accomplishments as wrestler and coach, Johnson was inducted into the North Carolina Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2007, and welcomed into the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. Want to learn more about James Johnson? Read Craig Sesker's tribute.

As most people involved with wrestling know, the third year of the Olympic cycle carries much more significance than the first two. With Olympic qualifying spots on the line, the 2019 World Championships in Kazakhstan was a hugely important event. The top six finishers in each of the 18 Olympic weight classes -- six in men's freestyle, six in Greco-Roman and six in women's wrestling -- landed their countries spots in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. The stakes were high in Kazakhstan and the pressure to perform was magnified even more. United States wrestlers certainly had their moments at the World Championships, but also struggled in the Olympic weight classes. The U.S. won a combined five gold medals at the World Championships while qualifying four of 18 weight classes for the Olympic Games. Three of the five gold medals came in non-Olympic divisions. The Americans qualified for the Olympics in two weight classes in men's freestyle and two in women's wrestling. Adeline Gray won an American-record fifth world title in women's wrestling while teammates Jacarra Winchester and Tamyra Mensah captured their first world titles. J'den Cox and Kyle Dake earned their second straight world titles in men's freestyle. There are more Olympic qualifiers to come, including the ultra-important continental qualifiers. The U.S. will need a strong performance at the Pan American Olympic qualifier to make up for the missed opportunities at the World Championships. Here is the breakdown of American performances by style from Kazakhstan: Ryan Mango went 1-1 at the World Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Greco-Roman The struggles continue for the U.S. in the classic style of Greco-Roman wrestling. The 10-member American squad won a combined eight matches, fell short of winning a medal and failed to qualify any of the six Olympic weight classes for Tokyo. The U.S. compiled an 8-12 overall record in Greco. American wrestlers actually had the lead in eight of the bouts that they lost. The U.S. did manage a fifth-place finish by Max Nowry and a seventh-place finish by Ryan Mango. Both are first-time world team members competing in non-Olympic weight classes. Nowry and Mango are veterans who turned in solid performances in their first trip to the big stage. The American Greco-Roman program has won just four world-level medals since 2008 -- two silver medals and two bronze medals. And it was another disappointing showing in Kazakhstan. Grade: D Tamyra Mensah-Stock, Adeline Gray and Jacarra Winchester won world titles (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Women's wrestling The good news for the U.S. women's team is that it crowned a record three individual champions in Kazakhstan. The not-so-good news is that they only qualified for the Olympics in two of the six weight classes at the World Championships. But the U.S. certainly will have an opportunity at the Pan Am qualifier and, if needed, at the last-chance qualifier. The American squad was without Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion Helen Maroulis at the World Championships. If Maroulis can return after being out with an injury, she could help the U.S. qualify one of those classes for Tokyo. Winchester could also move into one of the Olympic weight classes to help with qualification. The U.S. has a good blend of proven veterans and bright young stars as Gray, Winchester and Mensah showed in Kazakhstan. Overall, it was a solid performance when you factor in all 10 weight classes from the worlds. The U.S. placed third in the team standings. But obviously there is still work to be done. Grade: B+ The United States freestyle team finished third in the team standings (Photo, Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Freestyle The powerful American squad entered the tournament with high hopes and had its share of memorable moments. But overall, the U.S. fell considerably short of the loaded Russian squad in the team standings. Cox and Dake delivered in the non-Olympic weight classes while Olympic and world champions Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder earned bronze medals to qualify their weight classes for Tokyo. The United States men's freestyle squad qualified two of the six weight classes for the Olympics. The American men finished third in the team standings in Kazakhstan after winning the team title in 2017 and finishing second in 2018. The American team was without returning world champion David Taylor, who missed the event after suffering an injury. Taylor is on his way back now and he is expected to make a run at Olympic gold in 2020. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out now with Dake and Cox moving back into Olympic weight classes next year. Dake is expected to battle Burroughs for the U.S. spot at 74 kilograms with Cox possibly matching up against Snyder at 97 kilograms. And one final note on delivering clutch performances: Burroughs is now 8-0 in medal matches at the World Championships or Olympics. Cox is 4-0 in medal matches, Dake is 2-0 and Snyder is 4-1. They've come up big in the money round, that's for sure. Grade: B Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

Mack Beggs, undefeated two-time Texas high school state wrestling champ who garnered national attention as a transgender athlete, is the subject of a new ESPN 30 for 30 documentary which premiered this past Sunday. The 26-minute documentary, tilted Mack Wrestles, aired on ESPN and ABC on Sunday afternoon. Prior to airing on TV this past weekend, Mack Wrestles -- directed by Taylor Hess and Erin Sanger -- was shown earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York and at the SXSW (South By Southwest) film festival in Austin, Texas. Here's the description of Mack Wrestles from the 2019 SXSW film festival website: "The sport is brutal enough. There are the demands for strength and speed and stamina, the hours bathed in sweat, the knowledge that your opponent wants to wipe the mat with you. Those were the very reasons, though, that Mack Beggs loved wrestling -- it gave him a sense of purpose and a sense of self. Mack Wrestles takes the audience behind the scenes as this gifted athlete from Euless, Texas, struggles against the outside forces that stigmatize transgender athletes. Despite all the turmoil, this poignant film makes one thing perfectly clear: If life were a wrestling match, the referee would be raising Mack's arm at the end." "What drew me to Mack's story was the humanity of it," wrote Katie Barnes of ESPN. "He's just a kid from Texas who loves to wrestle. He's also transgender. After coming out to his family, he socially transitioned his freshman year of high school and began hormone replacement therapy the fall of his sophomore year. The policy in Texas determines sex for the purposes of sports by birth certificate. Since Mack was assigned female at birth, he had to compete in the girls' category. He has since changed his birth certificate." "Mack Wrestles co-director Taylor Hess was also captivated by Mack's human story. 'I played high school sports,' Hess says. 'I wasn't a state champion like Mack, but I relate to sports being a way that we express ourselves when we're young. It's a way we can find ourselves and bond with people our own age.'" Beggs is now a sophomore at Life University in Atlanta, where he is on the men's wrestling team. He was unable to compete as a freshman as he was recovering from top surgery in his transformation from female to male.

Scott Goodale coaching at the NCAA Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Rutgers University and reigning NCAA Tournament Coach of the Year Scott Goodale have come to terms on a contract extension that will keep the head wrestling coach matside at the RAC through the 2023-24 season. The winningest coach in school history with 173 career dual victories "On the Banks" since his appointment in 2007, Goodale led the Scarlet Knights to their first ever Top-10 finish at the national tournament this past season, which included the program's first individual national champions in Nick Suriano and Anthony Ashnault. "Scott has been relentless since his arrival 'On the Banks' in pursuing excellence for our wrestling program," said Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs. "Last year was a special year on our path to national prominence and this extension ensures that we will have Scott's leadership here long into the future." "It's a privilege to be the head wrestling coach at Rutgers and there's no place I'd rather be," Goodale said. "My family and I have dedicated the last twelve years of our lives to this University and community. We always believed that you could win at Rutgers and I've been blessed to have assistant coaches and staff who could see the vision before it was reality. Wrestling is a sport that teaches you so many lessons, it rewards effort and resilience. I'm lucky to have coached some of the toughest, hard nose kids who always accepted the challenge to wear the Block R. Their accomplishments give the next group of wrestlers a standard to live up to and we will never let the bar drop! "I'd like to thank Pat Hobbs and his staff for believing in this program and giving us all the resources we need to reach our goals. There is so much excitement surrounding not only our wrestling program, but our entire athletic department, and I look forward to coaching at the RAC in front of the best fans in the country for years to come." During Goodale's 12-year tenure, RU has produced two individual national champions, 10 All-Americans in the past six seasons, multiple All-Americans at the last four NCAA Championships, and since 2009, have earned two Top-10 finishes and eight Top-25 finishes in the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll. Rutgers has also produced five individual conference champions (four Big Ten, one EIWA), 70 NCAA Championship qualifiers, 27 Big Ten Conference Championships placewinners and an impressive 173-68-1 dual record over the past 12 seasons. Home attendance for wrestling under Goodale is also amongst the nation's best. The Scarlet Knights finished fifth nationally in average attendance for the 2018-19 season with 5,038 fans per home dual. In total, a record 40,306 fans watched RU wrestle in Piscataway this past season. It was the fourth consecutive season the Scarlet Knights finished within the Top 5 in home attendance, as the team sold a program-record 3,022 season ticket packages for this year's campaign - the fourth-straight year it sold the most season tickets in its history. Thanks to Goodale's success, Rutgers Athletics continues to invest in the wrestling program. The new RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center opened earlier this month, which is the new home for the program. The state-of-the-art facility on the Livingston Campus features three regulation practice mats, a 30-person team locker room as well as offices for coaches and support staff. RU returns four national qualifiers this season, including Matthew Correnti, Joseph Grello, Peter Lipari, Jordan Pagano. The Scarlet Knights also feature an incoming 2019 freshman class ranked No. 4 in the country by FloWrestling. The group includes three 2019 NJSIAA state champions - Sammy Alvarez, JoJo Aragona, Robert Kanniard - as well as highly-regarded prospects Gerard Angelo, Devon Britton, Jackson Turley and Ryan Vulakh.

Katherine Shai at the Final X: Lincoln press conference (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) GREELEY, Colo. -- The Northern Colorado Wrestling Club is pleased to announce the addition of Katherine Shai as a resident athlete of the NCWC. Shai is a six-time USA National Team member and a 2019 World Team Trials Champion. She was second at both the US Open and Final X in 2019. Previously, she finished third at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials. She was a University World Champion, two-time WCWA National Champion, four-time WCWA All-American, and WCWA Wrestler of the Year while at Menlo College. "I am thrilled to be a part of the NCWC. The staff is incredible and they are dedicated to helping me achieve my goal of becoming an Olympic Champion. I am thankful for the support of the donors, staff and teammates for helping create this opportunity," said Shai. A big draw for Shai was the opportunity to work with NCAA champion and NCWC coach Troy Nickerson and the many great lightweight training partners in the NCWC. "Katherine and I were resident athletes at the US Olympic Training Center at the same time in 2011-2012. She has been a mainstay on USA Wrestling's National Team and we are really looking forward to helping her reach her goal of becoming a World and Olympic Champion. Women's wrestling continues to grow at an extraordinary rate every year. With CHSAA recently sanctioning women's wrestling at the high school level, I think it is important for our Olympic development program to showcase world-class women's wrestling and Katherine is a great role model for female wrestlers in the state of Colorado," said Nickerson. The mission of the NCWC organization is to advance, support and continue to raise the bar for wrestling at all levels in the Northern Colorado region. If you would like to help financially support Katherine and the NCWC with a tax-deductible donation, please visit http://www.northerncoloradowrestlingclub.com/membership.html.

Kyle Dake with the American flag after winning his second straight world title (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan -- The United States closed out the 2019 World Championships on Sunday by crowning a repeat world champion for the second straight day. Kyle Dake claimed his second straight world title at 79 kilograms, a day after J'den Cox repeated as world champion at 92 kilograms. The 28-year-old American defeated Jabrayil Hasanov of Azerbaijan, 4-2, in the finals on Sunday in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. "Second world title is pretty awesome," said Dake. "It's different than last year. I'm here. I've been here. I know what to expect. I know the fans. I know the setup. I know everything. But it's still really awesome … really, really awesome." Dake outscored his opposition 27-6 in four matches at the World Championships. In the finals, Dake scored with a step out 30 seconds into the match to go up 1-0. He added another step out two minutes into the match to go up 2-0. In the second period, Dake fired off a single leg twenty seconds into the period and converted it to takedown on the edge of the mat, extending his lead to 4-0. With less than a minute left, Hasanov shot and got to Dake's leg, driving the American out of bounds for a step out. Hasanov continued to attack and was able to get a step out in the final 10 seconds, but Dake held on to win by two. With 79 kilograms not being a weight class contested in the Olympic Games, Dake is expected to make the move down to 74 kilograms in 2020. Kyle Snyder with the bronze medal (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Olympic champion Kyle Snyder, who fell in Saturday's semifinals, earned a bronze medal at 97 kilograms with a 5-0 shutout over Georgia's Elizbar Odikadze. Snyder controlled Odikadze from start-to finish. He picked up a step out 10 seconds into the match. Midway through the opening period, Snyder shot a double leg and picked up a takedown to extend his lead to 3-0. The score stayed that way until the closing seconds of the match when Snyder scored a takedown after a flurry. The 23-year-old Snyder said it wasn't hard to find motivation to come back and wrestle for bronze after failing to make the finals of the World Championships for the first time. "Every day, no matter what I'm doing, I'm supposed to do it with all my heart," said Snyder. "I'm working for the Lord, not for myself or any other man. So that was easy." Dake and Snyder's medals on the final day of competition in Nur-Sultan helped the United States finish third in the team standings. Russia ran away with the team title, scoring 190 points. Host Kazakhstan finished second with 103 points, followed by the United States with 94 points. Iran (93) and Georgia (85) rounded out the top five teams. Tyler Graff gets in on a single leg against India's Rahul Aware (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Tyler Graff won his repechage match over Mihai Esanu of Moldova, 13-2, to earn a spot in the bronze-medal match at 61 kilograms. He then fell to India's Rahul Aware, 11-4, to place fifth. University of Michigan wrestler Myles Amine, who became the first-ever Olympic qualifier in wrestling for San Marino, dropped his bronze-medal match at 86 kilograms to Russia's Artur Naifonov, 6-0.

J'den Cox with the American flag after winning the world title at 92 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan -- J'den Cox left no doubt that he is the best freestyle wrestler in the world at 92 kilograms. Cox repeated as world champion on Saturday with a 4-0 victory in the finals over Iran's Alireza Karimimachiani at the World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. He finished the tournament without surrendering a single point, outscoring his four opponents 26-0. "I think I made more sacrifices this year to achieve it again than I did last year," said the 24-year-old Cox. "I wanted to do it better. I came here and didn't get scored on. No disrespect to Karimi, but that whole match he didn't want to come and get it. He wanted to keep it close and wanted to play the game." Cox wasted little time getting on the scoreboard in the finals, picking up a takedown off a knee pick 20 seconds into the match. The score stayed that way until the closing moments of the opening period when Cox got to Karimi's leg and finished for a takedown shortly before the period ended. A scoreless second period gave Cox the victory. He has now won a medal at the World Championships or Olympic Games every year since 2016, going a perfect 4-for-4 in medal matches. Jordan Burroughs gets his hand raised after winning bronze (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Jordan Burroughs won his seventh world medal at 74 kilograms to go along with his Olympic gold in 2012. The 31-year-old American dominated Japan's Mao Okui, 10-0, in the bronze-medal match. In the first minute of the match, Burroughs scored a takedown off a double leg and then used a gut wrench to go up 4-0. He built his lead to 6-0 after another takedown off a double leg. Burroughs put the match away early in the second period with a third takedown and exposure. Kyle Dake advanced to the finals at 79 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Dake reaches finals for second straight year, Snyder falls to Sharifov in semifinals It was an up-and-down first session for the United States on Saturday as Kyle Dake advanced to the finals, while Kyle Snyder was defeated in the semifinals. Dake, a returning world champion, cruised to the finals at 79 kilograms, outscoring his three opponents by a combined score of 23-4. In the semifinals, Dake defeated Rashid Kurbanov of Uzbekistan, 6-1. He went up 6-0 in the first period after a takedown and two gut wrenches. Kurbanov got on the scoreboard in the second period after Dake was hit with a caution. The two would continue to battle, but no more points were scored and Dake moved into the finals. Earlier in the day, Dake rolled to a 12-2 technical superiority in his first match over Oibek Nasirov of Kyrgyzstan before defeating Russia's Gadzhi Nabiev, 5-1. Kyle Snyder fell to Azerbaijan's Sharif Sharifov in the semifinals (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Azerbaijan's Sharif Sharifov, a 2012 Olympic champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, spoiled a potential third meeting between Snyder and Russia's Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Sharifov defeated Snyder in the semifinals, 5-2. Snyder scored the first point off the activity clock and led 1-0 at the break. Early in the second period, Sharifov fired off a shot and secured a takedown to go up 2-1. He extended his lead to 4-1 a short time after exposing Snyder. Snyder inched closer with a step out, making the score 4-2 with two minutes remaining. Sharifov responded with a step out of his own to go up by three and then held Snyder off the rest of the way. Snyder had a pair of technical superiorities prior to the semifinals. He started his day by beating India's Mausam Khatri, 10-0, before defeating Uzbekistan's Magomed Ibragimov, 13-3, in the quarterfinals. Tyler Graff reached the quarterfinals at 61 kilograms where he lost to Georgia's Beka Lomtadze, 3-1. Graff scored the only point in the first period off the activity clock and took a 1-0 lead to the break. With a minute and twenty seconds lefts, Lomtadze forced Graff out of bounds for the step. Graff, trailing on criteria, shot and got to Lomtadze's leg in the finals 20 seconds, but the Georgian exposed him for two points and claimed the victory. The 30-year-old American remains alive in the competition after Lomtadze held off India's Rahul Aware in the semifinals. He will compete in repechage against Mihai Esanu of Moldova for an opportunity to wrestle back for a bronze medal. Graff started his tournament with a 10-0 technical superiority over Korea's Jincheol Kim, which he followed up with a 7-0 victory over China's Minghu Liu. Pat Downey, competing at 86 kilograms, was defeated in the round of 16 by Germany's Ahmed Dudarov, 11-0. After a scoreless first minute, Dudarov hit a carry for four points to go up 4-0. Dudarov continued to build his lead, getting a step out and two more takedowns to go up 9-0 at the break. In the second period, Dudarov put the match away with a four-point, feet-to-back carry. Downey opened his tournament with back-to-back wins. He won his first match by technical superiority over Armenia's Hovhannes Mkhitaryan, 11-0, before edging Poland's Zbigniew Baranowski on criteria, 3-3. University of Michigan wrestler Myles Amine became the first Olympic qualifier in wrestling for San Marino. He reached the semifinals at 86 kilograms before losing to Olympic and world champion Hassan Yazdanicharati. He will wrestle for bronze on Sunday. He joins Wolverine teammate Stevan Micic as an Olympian.