InterMat Staff

Bryce Abbey Bryce Abbey, four-time NCAA Division II All-American wrestler, will be making his second appearance as a contestant on the CBS reality series "TKO: Total Knock Out" hosted by comedian Kevin Hart this Friday, Sept. 21. Abbey, who wrestled at the University of Nebraska-Kearney from 2002-05, earned $50,000 in his first appearance on the show back in August. Here's what Abbey -- now an administrator at his college alma mater -- posted to Facebook: "I can finally say that my chance at $100,000 in the #TKO - Battle Royale on #CBS will be next Friday September 21st! Show starts at 8pm Central (subject to change)! Watch and see if I can hit Kevin Hart with another Russian tie." Here's how CBS describes the series at its official website: "TKO: Total Knock Out features people from all walks of life, where one player races through daunting obstacles while four other contestants are manning battle stations along the course, firing over-the-top projectiles in an attempt to knock them off and slow them down. It's a physical and funny 'us versus them' scenario, with the fastest finisher winning a cash prize." On the episode aired Aug. 17, Abbey got through an obstacle course faster than the four other contestants on that episode. By scoring the fastest time on that episode, Abbey won a $50,000 cash prize. Because his time stacks up as one of the five fastest for the season, he qualified to compete in a "Battle Royale" for a chance at an additional $100,000 prize. Abbey's wrestling background served him well in the physical challenges presented in the August episode of "TKO." The Goodland, Kansas native -- who wrestled at 125 pounds for the Lopers -- is one of six UNK wrestlers to earn NCAA All-American honors four times, placing no lower than fifth at four national championships. What's more, Abbey ranks second on the school's all-time wins list with 134 victories, just behind two-time U.S. Olympian Tervel Dlagnev. Abbey was a member of four teams that placed in the top 10 at the Division II Championships, including a runner-up finish in 2003, and helped the Lopers win the national duals that year. For all his on-the-mat accomplishments, Abbey was inducted into the UNK Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017. Abbey currently serves as UNK's Employee Health and Wellness Director and is an assistant professor in the Kinesiology and Sport Science department. He and his family reside in Kearney.

The high school where Dan Gable crafted an undefeated prep career in the mid-1960s now has a new head wrestling coach. Steve FarrellSteve Farrell has been named to head up the legacy wrestling program at Waterloo West High School in Waterloo, Iowa, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported Saturday. Farrell, who wrestled at nearby Cedar Falls High School, then Upper Iowa University, is a teacher in the Waterloo Community School District. Farrell brings over a decade of coaching experience to the Wahawks. Prior to coming to Waterloo, Farrell had coached at two other Iowa schools -- Northeast Community High School in Goose Lake, and at Lone Tree Junior/Senior High in Lone Tree. He is also co-founder of the popular Iron Sharpens Iron wrestling camps. "We are very excited to have Steve as our head wrestling coach," said Waterloo West director of athletics Dr. Anthony Pappas. "His many different wrestling experiences will serve him well as we continue to grow and improve our wrestling program." When asked about being named head coach of the legendary Waterloo West wrestling program, Farrell told InterMat, "It's a dream come true. I wrestled at the Wahawk club as a youth in grades 1-8. Then I went to high school just down the road at Cedar Falls. So I understand the rich wrestling history at West. I am excited to get started and build champions on and off the mat." "My theme for the team is to put Waterloo West wrestling back on the map. It's going to be a brick-by-brick thing." Arguably the coach who put the Wahawk wrestling program on the map years ago was Bob Siddens, who coached at Waterloo West from 1951-197 in the era where the program tallied 47 individual Iowa state titles. In addition to Dan Gable -- two-time NCAA champ for Iowa State, 1972 Olympian and legendary University of Iowa coach -- another one of Siddens' most famous wrestlers was Dale Anderson, two-time NCAA champ at Michigan State in the late 1960s.

Zack Rey after a win at the Pan American Games in 2015 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro has finalized his coaching staff for the 2018-19 season with the addition of three-time All-American and 2011 NCAA Champion Zack Rey '12, who will serve as the Volunteer Assistant, while also working with the Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club. "We had Zack as a student-athlete and then as a RTC athlete so to watch his growth, especially over the last three years, working with some of our guys on his own time was impressive," Santoro said. "It was neat to see how selfless he was. He was still training for competition but was willing to help our guys on his own time, which was pretty important. "He understands the program and how we operate," Santoro continued. "We're excited to have him be a part of it. Having a national champion on your staff is always a good thing." Rey has been training with and competing for the LVWC since his graduation from Lehigh in 2012. A three-time Pan American champion (2013, 2014, 2015) and two-time Cerro Pelado International champion, Rey is a two-time U.S. World Team Trials runner-up and also finished second at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. In 2015, Rey represented the United States at the World Championships in Las Vegas, competing at 125 kg/275 lbs. Rey was a four-year starter and a three-time All-American at heavyweight for the Mountain Hawks. He finished third as a sophomore in 2010 and capped his career with a runner-up finish in 2012. As a junior in 2011, Rey won Lehigh's 27th individual national championship in wrestling, defeating rival Ryan Flores of American in the finals at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Rey posted a 116-14 record for Lehigh and currently ranks fourth on the school's career wins list. He was a four-time EIWA finalist, winning a title in 2010, and won the prestigious Midlands Championships in December 2010. Rey also posted an eighth place finish in freestyle at the World University Championships prior to his junior season. He will work primarily with Lehigh's upper weights, including EIWA champion heavyweight Jordan Wood, but Rey's experience should benefit Lehigh wrestlers at all weight classes. "Zack is a very good worker and he understands the sport," Santoro said. "Just because he was a heavyweight doesn't mean he doesn't know wrestling. His understanding of the sport is pretty deep." A native of Hopatcong, N.J., Rey was a two-time state champion and three-time placewinner. Rey graduated from Lehigh in 2012 with a degree in earth and environmental science. Rey and his wife Diane have three daughters, Emma, Zoey and Aria. The 2018-19 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.

Anthony Robles The story of Anthony Robles appears to be headed to the big screen. Robles, Arizona State wrestler who won the 125-pound title at the 2011 NCAA Division I Championships despite being born without a left leg, will be the subject of a Hollywood film. Here's how the entertainment website Deadline.com opened its story on the new movie. "'Mudbound' and 'Straight Outta Compton' star Jason Mitchell is to play inspirational former wrestling champ Anthony Robles in biopic 'Unstoppable'." The Deadline.com story states that the movie's producers had previously purchased the rights to Robles' 2012 autobiography "Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion." Deadline.com also reported a director has been named -- Billy Goldenberg, Oscar-winning editor, who will be making his directorial debut. "Unstoppable" producers are identified as David Crockett and Andy Fraser along with Robles' longtime manager Gary Lewis. Filming is slated to begin in first quarter of 2019. Anthony Marc Robles, 30, discovered wrestling as a 14-year-old growing up in Mesa, Ariz. He went on to win two Arizona high school state titles. Robles then enrolled at Arizona State, where he was a three-time NCAA All-American, winning the 125-pound title at the 2011 NCAAs. He completed his college mat career with a 122-23 overall record for the Sun Devils, including an undefeated senior season. Robles was presented with two awards at the 2011 ESPYs: the prestigious "Jimmy V" Award for Perseverance, and the Best Male Athlete with a Disability. He was also honored with the Medal of Courage by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012.In addition to being a motivational speaker, Anthony Robles is a commentator for ESPN's coverage of NCAA Division I Wrestling.

Jeff Jordan with his son Rocky at the Walsh Ironman (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Jeff Jordan has retired as head wrestling coach at Graham High School in St. Paris, Ohio. Jordan, who started as an assistant coach in 1994 and promoted in 2001 to the head coaching position of the wrestling program that finished last season ranked No. 5 in the nation by InterMat, announced his retirement to his wrestlers and to the Graham school board this week. Graham Local Schools made his decision public Thursday. "Discussing it over with my wife over the past couple of weeks, I've decided it is time for me to retire," the long-time coach said in a statement released by the school. "What I am going to miss most is building the relationships with the student-athletes." "Over the course of 25 years, Graham High School has been fortunate to have a unique, nationally-recognized wrestling program led by a unique leader," said Graham Superintendent Kirk Koennecke. "Jeff Jordan took this program to elite status through hard work, dedication and a commitment to developing excellent student-athletes. There has never been an equivalent program in OHSAA sports history in terms of producing individual state champions and team championships. This is the best, period. We are grateful for all Jeff has done for the Graham Local Schools and our school community." Graham Board President Ryan Pine echoed those sentiments, saying, "Coach Jordan has successfully coached a dynasty program that created a unified, special atmosphere among athletes and community. His team is family to him, and the Graham community takes ownership in the fact that he was home grown." Jeff Jordan is very much a product of the program he helped nurture and grow as a coach. As a wrestler, he was a four-time Ohio state champion at the school known nationwide as St. Paris Graham, a public high school located in St. Paris, a town of approximately 2,000 residents straight west of Columbus and north of Dayton. Jordan went on to wrestle at the University of Wisconsin, where he was an NCAA All-American for the Badgers. Prior to returning to Graham as an assistant coach nearly a quarter-century ago, Jordan had coached at Purdue University. As head coach at Graham, Jordan and his wrestlers put up some impressive statistics. According to the Urbana Daily Citizen, the Falcons won three national titles (2008, 2010, and 2015)… claimed 17 Ohio team titles and 79 individual Ohio state champs, with 28 wrestlers going on to earn NCAA All-American honors. In addition, Jordan earned a number of honors, being named National Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2009, and National High School Coach of the Year in 2003. He was welcomed into the Ohio High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1996, and the Ohio National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2014 Jordan was presented with a Lifetime Service Award by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Dayton Daily News sportswriter Marc Pendleton described the legendary, long-time coach at Graham High School thusly: "A fiery presence at matches who brought out the best in the Falcons and garnered well-earned respect from opposing coaches and competitors, Jeff Jordan's intensity as a wrestler and coach can be summed up in his Twitter handle: @rambo_jordan." The legendary coach was anything but Rambo-like in his statements upon announcing his retirement. "It has been an honor and privilege to have coached at Graham High School for the past 25 years," said Jeff Jordan. "My first state champion was Dan Bair in 1995 and my last was my youngest son Rocky Jordan in 2018. I've always told people that I have the greatest job in the world." "I want to thank Graham for giving me the opportunity to do what I've always wanted to do," coach Jordan continued. "I also want to thank the community, parents, and all my assistant coaches for helping and supporting me in our journey to win state titles as well as building character in our student-athletes. To all the wrestlers I've coached, thank you for the great memories we've shared in training and sacrificing to reach our goals. Most, importantly, I want to thank my wife Amy and three sons Bo, Micah, and Rocky, for sacrificing so much for me to do what I truly love to do." (Bo and Micah were four-time state champs; Rocky was a three-time state champ. Bo and Micah also were All-Americans at Ohio State. Rocky is a freshman with the Buckeyes.) A successor has yet to be named.

Ryan LeBlanc BOONE, N.C. -- Appalachian State wrestling head coach JohnMark Bentley announced Thursday that Ryan LeBlanc has been promoted to co-head assistant coach. LeBlanc, who arrived in Boone 2016, and Josh Roosa, who joined the Mountaineers' program in 2015, are both co-head assistant coaches as full-time members of Bentley's staff. The staff also includes volunteer assistant Dominic Parisi. With all four coaches together in 2016-17 and 2017-18, App State has won the last two of its three straight Southern Conference titles and posted a 14-0 league record. The Mountaineers went 7-0 against SoCon competition during the 2017-18 season, won the league tournament to secure a SoCon sweep and had four wrestlers compete at the 2018 NCAA Championships with a young roster that featured only two returning starters in the same weight class from the previous year. "The experience my first two years at App State has been above and beyond what I could have even imagined," LeBlanc said. "I'm extremely thankful to Coach Bentley and the administration for this opportunity to keep working with our great student-athletes. I look forward to this new role." LeBlanc posted 103 career wins as a college wrestler at Indiana, where he was a three-time academic All-American, and he received his master's degree from the State University of New York at Cortland in 2016. He was on SUNY-Courtland's coaching staff for two seasons before heading to Boone.

SALEM, Ore. -- Corban University Athletic Director Twiggs Reed announced on Thursday that the Warriors would be adding a varsity program, with men's wrestling officially joining the sporting slate in the fall of 2019 at Corban. "This is an exciting time for Corban University and our athletic department," said Reed. "Beginning in the 2019-20 academic year, Corban will be adding men's wrestling. High school wrestling has been a very popular and growing sport in the Pacific Northwest, and adding a wrestling program will be a part of our strategic plan to increase enrollment as well as to bring high-character, Christ-centered students to our campus. I am excited to watch the sport of wrestling grow at Corban University!" The addition of this program brings Corban's total varsity teams to 14. Corban is partnering with Courthouse Club Fitness (Battle Creek) in Salem to serve as a practice and competition facility for the Warrior Wrestling squad. "We are thrilled about bringing men's wrestling to Corban," said Corban University President Sheldon Nord. "It provides a unique opportunity for Christian wrestlers to come to a University where they can pursue their athletic passions while earning a degree where they will learn how to make a difference in the world for Jesus Christ, and that is something we think is very exciting." The University has received significant financial commitments from the Restore College Wrestling Group in support of Corban's wrestling program, helping jumpstart the squad financially. The Warrior men's wrestling program will become the 10th Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) institution to have a men's team. "The addition of men's wrestling at Corban is welcome news to the conference," stated CCC Commissioner Robert Cashell. "It brings our sponsoring institutions of men's wrestling up to 10 in what we believe is the strongest wrestling conference in the NAIA." Corban will begin competing as a varsity squad during the 2019-20 campaign. The national search for Corban's head wrestling coach is underway.

Jordan Oliver celebrates after beating Olympic champ Toghrul Asgarov (Photo/Juan Garcia) After a year-long layoff, Jordan Oliver was back on the mats last weekend at the Pytlasinski Memorial in Poland. The tournament, Oliver's first since coming off an anti-doping violation, was impressive, with the Oklahoma State graduate winning a pair of matches before dropping a 9-8 decision to eventual champion Akhmed Chakaev (Russia) in the semifinals, 9-8. Once back on American soil, Oliver wasted little time in taking to Twitter and Instagram to stoke a rivalry with fellow 65-kilogram wrestler Zain Retherford. The first interaction was mild, with Oliver asking Retherford to "scrap" at the upcoming Who's Number One event in Pennsylvania. The "scrap" was a reference to Retherford's sponsorships . The mundane queries soon deepened when Oliver used the staccato of Machine Gun Kelly to further prod Retherford via a rap posted on Instagram. The verse caused a minor social media uproar. By now we should expect the noise and the unrelenting back-and-forth about what a wrestler should and shouldn't do to promote himself or an event. What is respectful? Why is the sport not more like MMA? According to @knarkill … MMA fighter calls another fighter out it's promotion and showmanship. Wrestler calls another wrestler out he's a punk or disrespectful. We gotta get over ourselves y'all. It ain't the church choir. While may wrestlers have created championship careers in the cage, the comparisons between wrestling and mixed martial arts are not one-to-one. In the case of MMA, the fights are supported by promotions, which is to say there is no singular organization governing the rules, rankings, or competition structures. Events and promotions are independent operations and athletes are self-employed contractors. There are no national governing bodies and no organizations to oversee the implementation of rules and scoring across state lines. (Each state has an independent commission.) And, of course, MMA lacks any international-level oversight … and people punch each other in the face. For wrestlers from the United States the competition system is held together by the NFHS, NCAA, USA Wrestling and United World Wrestling. At each level these institutions create a structure by which all members must organize and participate. They also work together to ensure a smooth transition from amateur to professional for interested athletes. Events are organized on a global scale and supported by 180 national federations. Also, no punching or kicking in the sport of wrestling. When you read that MMA is spectacle and wrestling is sport, this is what that means: organization and accountability. One is highly organized and dependent of a meritocracy and the other is a combination of market viability, athletic talent and your relationship with Dana White or Scott Coker. Those differences were created by different histories and are supported by different economies and established ideas of what is, and is not, success in the sport. The recent kerfuffle and band of voices asking for more self-promotion and rivalry in wrestling is actually an old song, which at one time hurt the sport. When scholastic and professional wrestling separated at the start of the 20th century it was due to the organizers desire for money. Specialty matchups (like you'd see for Beat the Streets) were filling large sporting halls in the Northeast, but ticket sale began to suffer as the athletes began to improve and pin-only matches lasted for several hours. So wrestling promoters took over control of the action in the ring by deciding outcomes. Voila, professional wrestling. While promoters believed in the spectacle, "real" wrestlers were attracted to the physicality and technique of the sport. Point-scoring systems were implemented to combat the problem of the five-hour match and the sport was championed by all levels of education. However, a lack of promotion and a guarantee for competition coming from schools meant the product suffered. Voila, amateur wrestling. Wrestling at the NCAA and Olympic level enjoys a level of professionalism and expectation for fairness that would be impossible to expect in the WWE or UFC. To that point, think of when outcomes do seem suspicious. The uproar is made precisely because this half of the world is meant to be fair and transparent. When it's not, it matters. So what about Oliver? Why did his self-promotion bother some wrestling fans? Historically, wrestlers didn't have a promotional pipeline to their fans, nor were there many (if any) wrestling promotions where they could make money competing. Today the editorial oversight and moralistic handwringing of the traditional editor has been replaced by social media. Wrestlers can connect directly to the fans and if they drum up support they may find themselves making money. That change in communication means that hardcore wrestling audience (NCAA reported the wrestling fans to be traditional, older, and white) takes umbrage to direct attacks on their favorite wrestlers. In the view of the entrenched wrestling fan these actions show a lack of respect for the fundamental underpinning of the sport: self-improvement, modesty, and hard work. For them the actions of Oliver and other adversarial approaches to promoting themselves in the sport will never be approvable, because they think it'll limit the attention paid to athletes who succeed inside the meritocracy established by the sport. But for Oliver and those who want to see more money in the sport and more coverage, words can help create rivalries, drive interest and create financial opportunity. That should be valued by our community. Wrestling is a form of individual expression, and as much as the "talking should be done on the mat" the words can't hurt anyone. The real sweet spot is in allowing individuals to behave as they see fit off and on the mat -- within the confines of the rules. Back flips, flag celebrations, some dancing. Allow joy to be visible on the mat. It's a fool's errand to judge the behavior of an athlete utilizing social media to promote himself or herself. That's the power of self-expression, nobody can tell us what to say or how to think … or how to promote. The only way to prevent questionable speech is to regulate it, and I highly doubt wrestling fans on either side of this debate would want the government to decide what they can say. To your questions … Q: Jordan Oliver called out Zain Retherford on Twitter with hopes of setting up a match. JO's online behavior seemed to rub a lot of people the wrong way, but why didn't those same people get upset when Jordan Burroughs called out Frank Chamizo? -- Mike C. Foley: Burroughs and Chamizo's rivalry is rooted in a much cheekier tone and promotional buy-in from both athletes. They used a lot of emojis and subtle burns to get their message across, which is difficult to umbrage with as a fan. Most important was that Chamizo is Cuban-Italian and doesn't have a massive (English speaking) support system who would snap back at Burroughs. Oliver and Retherford represent two very different wrestling fans, and it was those fans that added to this week's debate. Without a second, Chamizo's slights weren't being amplified. Q: Do you see any other current Division II schools making the jump from Division II to Division I like Cal Baptist? #fanbagfridays -- @ChurroSolider Foley: The only schools I see making the jump from Division II to Division I will be those hoping to attract larger enrollments or with substantial independent backing ($8-10 million). That, or schools who have athletic directors concentrated on making a splash in their network. For example, the architect of the Cal Baptist move has a significant talking point when he speaks with future employers. In real terms, St. Cloud State has a clear path to Division I as they already support a Division I men's ice hockey program, are the defending Division II champions, and only have to compete with Minnesota for athletes in a state flush with talent. Also, they are in the Midwest and could slide into the Big 12 schedule. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME G'Angelo Hancock! Q: Do you and the missus watch Archer? -- @wrestlingquoter Foley: No. Worth it? Could use some TV programs now that I've picked up middle of the night feeding for the baby. Q: The Iowa wrestling program has amassed 999 team wins. The last several years, Iowa wrestling has started their season with the Iowa City Duals, wrestling the likes of Coe College, Cornell College, Iowa Central Community College, and similar programs. This year, the Hawks' first two dual meets are scheduled against Kent State and Cal St. Bakersfield in Ohio, thus (likely) depriving Hawkeye fans of seeing the historic 1,000th win in program history. Do I as a Hawkeye fan and season ticket holder have a right to feel slighted by this move? My cheek hurts a little from the slap they gave me. -- Jeremy T. Foley: You are observant! Of course, you have the right to feel slighted, but I think that this type of decision (competing for early season tune-up) over the celebration of an arbitrary number, is perfect Iowa Style wrestling! All that matters are the yellow medals at the end of the season. I have to assume that Brands and Co. will host a banquet for the celebration of the 1000th win, and/or the school will make a big fuss on the actual night. I think it's an interesting number to hit and should spark some really fun retrospectives on the Hawkeye teams of the 1980's and 1990's. Maybe we can get some more Royce Alger story time? Q: Obviously, expectations are high for the USA Junior World Team in freestyle. But what are reasonable expectations for the Junior World Team in Greco? Seems like there is a sure-fire medalist/potential champ in Kamal Bay and potential champ/medalist in Cohlton Schultz. Could the team finish in the top three in the team standings? Or is there not enough talent/balance? -- Mike C. Foley: Kamal Bey and Cohlton Schultz are threats to medal, but neither is a sure-fire gold medalist. If you go back and watch Bey's gold-medal match last year you'll see how far he was pushed. However, this year the emphasis on active wrestling should benefit the American wrestlers who've tended to be more aggressive than their opponents, especially at the Cadet and Junior level. The top three will be tricky. Russia and Iran will be battling for the top spot with Azerbaijan and Georgia capable of cracking into the team medals. I think the Americans would need five medalists and another three to make it into the medal rounds. I'm not seeing that depth, but the new rules are a wild card that are tough to factor at a tournament like Junior Worlds, which will be very well officiated. Q: A friend and I were talking about coaching and he brought up something interesting. He thinks in time women will change the coaching landscape, especially at the high school level. Many of the current generation's women and girls are entering the sport at high school level competing in folkstyle (like most men). But if a young woman goes to college she is competing in freestyle (almost a different sport in many respects). He thinks that it's a coaching advantage in that the women have to compete and practice the international style for four years or five years. So here is the question … Will women who coach wrestling have some type of edge because their competitive experience in freestyle during their college careers? And what type of effect will it have on the growth of the sport in particular freestyle at the high school level? -- Marcus R. Foley: I'm not sure I'll answer this well, but yes, I think that there are considerable advantages to our women being in a freestyle-only model, both as competitors and coaches. One place I think we could see the sport excel is women involved in the youth league coaching. Our sport has problem with overzealous parents and I think women would be a fit for coaching the 5 to 12-year-old crowd the basics of the sport. Women tend to be more patient, detailed focused and carry a longer vision of what success means in the sport. I'm glad you brought up this issue, because it gives pause to the question as to why women are good for the sport. It's not just to serve the self-interest of men looking to protect their sport, but maybe (just maybe!) they would be able to add something to our techniques and improved pedagogical methods in training young coaches.

Max Schneider wrestling Brian Murphy at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco State wrestling has finalized its incoming recruiting class for the 2018-19 season, announced Head Coach Jason Welch on Wednesday. "The addition of Colin Shober and Max Schneider to a strong group of young guys makes this incoming class exceptional," said Welch. "There's a lot of talent, and student-athletes who can step in and make a difference right away. We've brought in seven young men, and two ready-made leaders. Max and Colin have already competed at the highest collegiate level, and they will spearhead this group." Max Schneider: Schneider has a dynamic background as a combat-athlete, and will look to make waves in collegiate wrestling as well as in Judo. A Lane Tech College Prep, Schneider was a two-time state champion, graduated ranked No. 3 in the nation at 152 pounds by Amateur Wrestling News, and went 80-0 in his sophomore and junior seasons combined. His Judo acumen out-speaks that of his wrestling: he won a youth Olympic medal in Judo in 2010 in Singapore, was asked to be a workout partner for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, and is an Olympic hopeful for 2020 Tokyo. He competed for one season at Cal Poly, where he won the Roadrunner Open before succumbing to an injury. Schneider attended high school in Chicago but was born in California. He will study Kinesiology at San Francisco State. Colin Shober: Shober comes to San Francisco State for his final year and to begin his Master's Degree in Education. Out of high school, Shober was a two-time state champion, second-team ASICS All-American honoree, and the all-time leader in wins in the state of Pennsylvania with 194 wins. The Leesport, Pennsylvania native graduated ranked No. 8 in the nation for his weight class, and No. 37 overall by Intermat. He also won the Super 32 and placed fourth at the 2009 Junior Nationals. Shober was enrolled at Northwestern from 2010-14, where he competed at the Big Ten Tournament, placed at numerous open tournaments, and won the Cleveland State Open. Aaron Perez: Perez was a three-time California state qualifier and placed seventh as a senior for James Logan HS. He was also a three-time NCS finalist, and a 2017 Greco-Roman All-American. The Union City, California native plans to study Kinesiology. AJ Bicocca: Bicocca was top 16 in the state of California his senior season at Oak Ridge HS. The El Dorado Hills, California native plans to study Design and will wrestle at the 197 lb weight class. Jackson Redhair: Redhair was a two-time state qualifier and was top 12 in the state as a junior, and top 16 as a senior. The El Dorado Hills, California native attended Oak Ridge HS and plans to study Criminal Justice and wrestle in the middle weights. Antonio Gomez: Gomez was a two-time California state qualifier and finished in the top 12 his senior season, as well as a two-time CCS finalist. The Gilroy, California native attended Christopher HS and plans to compete at the heavyweight division. Justin Hansz: Hansz was a two-time NCS champion and qualified for the California state meet twice, placing in the top 12 both times. He also placed fourth at the California Freestyle and Greco-Roman State Meets respectively. A native of Brentwood, California, he prepped at Liberty HS. He plans to study Nursing. Tony Margiotta: Marigotta prepped at Las Lomas HS in Walnut Creek, California and was a four-time California state qualifier and a two-time NCS champion. He will wrestle at the lightweights and is currently undelcared. Jacob Mendoza: Mendoza was a two-time state qualifier and a Master's Champion. The San Diego native attended Poway HS and plans on studying Mechanical Engineering at San Francisco State. The Golden Gators will look to build on last season's success, which was Welch's first at the helm. The team finished 6-4 in the regular season and finished third at the RMAC Championships with three winners in their respective weight class -- two of those grapplers, Nathan Cervantez (133) and Mason Boutain (157), are set to return. So is senior Brandon Vu (125), who along with Cervantez, qualified for Nationals.

Chuck Patten Ten individuals associated with wrestling in the state of Iowa -- including former University of Northern Iowa wrestling coach Chuck Patten, and the late Mike Duroe, long-time coach at Cornell College -- have been named members of the Class of 2018 of the Iowa chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The 2018 nominees will be honored at the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Convention on Saturday, Oct. 27 at a noon luncheon at the Airport Holiday Inn in Des Moines. Four individuals will receive the Lifetime Service Award: Chuck Patten, former UNI head wrestling coach, who led the Panthers to 17 consecutive winning seasons when he took the helm in 1965 Steve Knipp, former head wrestling coach at Waterloo East High School Bruce Ennen, wrestling official from Iowa City Tom Hildreth, former head coach at Rockwell City, Iowa Receiving the Medal of Courage Award is Kobey Pritchard, a former Southeast Polk High School wrestler. Assistant Coach Achievement Award recipients are Craig Bencke, Bondurant, and Buck Wheeler, SEP. The Dan McCool Media Award will be presented to Wyatt Schultz of The Predicament (a publication that covers wrestling in the state of Iowa), and Doug Brooker of IPTV (Iowa Public Television) and the Big Ten Network. Ed Winger, former announcer at the Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament, will receive the Bob Roethler Award. The Bill Nelson Award will be presented to Mike Doughty of Washington, Iowa. In addition, Mike Duroe, coach for 13 seasons at Cornell College and U.S. men's freestyle coach at six Olympics before his passing in July 2018, will be honored posthumously. A limited number of seats are available for those who would like to attend the luncheon. Email Brian Reimers at mlsb@netins.net or call (515) 290-0508. Tickets are $35 each and must be pre-ordered. You must have your tickets reserved and paid for by Oct. 20.

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association unanimously approved region and state championships for individual girl wrestlers beginning this winter. The NJSIAA Executive Committee must also approve the decision at its Oct. 8 meeting to make it official, which NorthJersey.com sports columnist Darren Cooper described as "a slam dunk." In New Jersey, girls will compete in eight weight classes. The proposal calls for the top-three wrestlers in each weight class at the region competition to advance to the individual state championships at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, the iconic home for the high school wrestling championships. Prior to region and state competition, girls will have the choice of wrestling against only girls or both boys and girls during the regular season. Last season, 126 girls wrestled in New Jersey. The NJSIAA hopes that separate competitions will help increase the number of girls wrestling in the Garden State. For example, NJSIAA pointed out that Tennessee saw almost a doubling in participation after starting a girls' wrestling championship. The two states with the greatest number of girl wrestlers -- California and Texas, with approximately 5,200 and 4,000 girl wrestlers respectively -- both have separate competitions for girls. Nationwide, 16,562 girls wrestled at 2,351 schools around the country during the 2017-18 school year, according to the annual National Federation of State High School Associations participation survey. New Jersey will become the 13th state to add girls wrestling, joining six other states which have announced the addition of separate state wrestling championships for girls for the 2018-19 school year: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Oregon. These are in addition to the six states which already have separate state championship competition for girls: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Tennessee, Texas and Washington State. As Princeton wrestling coach Chris Ayres pointed out in his presentation to the NJSIAA, girls wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation at the high school level. "This was just a matter of time," Ayres told NorthJersey.com of the decision to officially sanction girls wrestling in New Jersey. "We are just going to be on the front end of it."

Kevon Davenport (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Three-time state champion Kevon Davenport (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), the nation's No. 23 senior recruit, gave a verbal commitment to Nebraska on Wednesday. Davenport made his announcement in a video he posted to his Twitter page. Davenport was a Cadet National double finalist in 2017, winning a Greco title and finishing as a runner-up in freestyle. This summer he placed third at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle. He projects as a 149/157-pounder in college.

Dallyn Despain A GoFundMe page has been created for Dallyn Despain, three-time Arizona high school state wrestling champion who was seriously injured in a single-vehicle rollover accident nearly two weeks ago. The online fundraising campaign has been established to help his family pay for medical-related expenses resulting from his accident which took place while Despain was driving home from work on the night of Sept. 1. The rollover accident fractured Despain's neck and shoulder. "At this time Dallyn has feeling in his right arm, little feeling in his left and no feeling from his chest to his feet," according to his GoFundMe page. "After the accident, Dallyn was flown to Scottsdale Osborn where he received a spinal fusion surgery from his C3 vertebrae to his C5." Despain wrestled at Mogollon High School in Heber, Ariz. where he was a state finalist all four years, winning the state title as a freshman (118 pounds in 2011), sophomore (126 pounds in 2012) and senior (138 in 2014), and placing second at 132 pounds in 2013 as a junior (losing to four-time Arizona state champ Ryan Allred, 4-3, in the finals). Despain compiled an incredible 179-2 overall record at Mogollon. Jeffrey Hartman, who described himself as a coach, official and Tournament Director in Arizona for the past 20 years, told InterMat, "I have seen thousands of wrestlers and ten times that many matches and only a few wrestlers I can honestly say I would want my son to grow up to be like. One in particular is Dyllan Despain …" "Dallyn Despain is a beloved member of the community by all," according to the GoFundMe page set up to help the Despain family with injury-related expenses. "From hometown sports stardom, working on his family ranch, and becoming a wildland firefighter Dallyn has won the hearts of many." "While things might be hard, Dallyn is full of laughter and has very high spirits that he will regain feeling and walk again," the GoFundMe page continues. "Dallyn has received lots of prayers, visits and reach outs from across the board and is helping him with finding strength and keeping a positive mentality. Dallyn has a long road ahead of him, but he's a fighter, and a tough cowboy above all. Any contribution will help!"

Matt Ciampa coaching in Fargo Matt Ciampa, head coach of Eclipse Wrestling Club (N.J.), has been a wildly successful club coach for nearly three decades. Ciampa has coached numerous All-Americans and national champions, as well as age group world medalists. Ciampa joins The MatBoss Podcast to talk coaching philosophy, regional training centers, current state of the sport and much more. Follow Matt on Twitter at @eclipsegut. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Play Music | RSS

Wrestlers from the Lehigh Valley will compete at "Grapple on the Gridiron" this Friday in the second annual event. Hosted by the Salisbury High School wrestling team, matches will take place before the Salisbury vs. Saucon Valley football game, as well as at halftime. There are at least nine matches scheduled, capped by a halftime match between Salisbury's Jonah Niesenbaum facing Faith Christian Academy senior Dylan DeWitt. Gates are set to open at 4:30 p.m. with the wrestling starting at 4:45 p.m. Pregame matchups: 70 pounds: Colton Alder (Salisbury) vs. Jarrod Blunt (Salisbury) 85 pounds: Colby Townley (Salisbury) vs. Dominic Sumpolec (Northwestern Lehigh) 95 pounds: Kyle Lash (Salisbury) vs. Cael Weidemoyer (Faith Christian) 105 pounds: Braden Alder (Salisbury) vs. AJ Stayton (Faith Christian) 110 pounds: Alex Garcia (Southern Lehigh) vs. AJ Lowe (Faith Christian) 120 pounds: John Sarny (Salisbury) vs. Eric Alderfer (Faith Christian) or Cody Witzer (Faith Christian) Halftime matchups: 135 pounds: Nate Natel (Salisbury) vs. Jake Jones (Saucon Valley) 145 pounds: Nick Colasurdo (Southern Lehigh) vs. TJ Alderfer (Faith Christian) 220 pounds: Jonah Niesenbaum (Salisbury) vs. Dylan DeWitt (Faith Christian)

Weigh-ins for the 2018 InterMat Classic will take place on Friday, Oct. 19, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event is set for Saturday, Oct. 20, in Edina, Minn. There are two weigh-in locations in Minnesota (Edina and Rochester), as well as one in South Dakota (Beresford). Wrestlers can weigh in at any of the three weigh-in locations. There is a three-pound allowance. Wrestlers may change weight classes after registering by sending an email to contact@intermatwrestle.com. Wrestlers will be moved up a weight class if they do not make the weight listed on their weigh-in slip. See weigh-in locations below. Minnesota Edina High School 6754 Valley View Road Edina, MN 55439 Date/Time: Friday, Oct. 19, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Marion Road Storehouse Office Bldg. 4020 29th SE Rochester, MN 55904 Date/Time: Friday, Oct. 19, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. South Dakota Legends of Gold 47256 Highway 46 Beresford, SD 57004 Date/Time: Friday, Oct. 19, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on the InterMat Classic, visit the event website.

Kansas has carved out a reputation on the national landscape that has college coaches making the state a priority in their search for elite talent. Following up on a state-record 11 Division I signees in 2017, last year's class produced an additional eight Division I wrestlers. Wyatt Hendrickson1. Wyatt Hendrickson (Newton) Projected high school weight class: 195 Projected college weight class: 197/285 Analysis: Wyatt's career high school record of 84-26 is deceiving. After a stellar youth career, he entered high school in a deep pool of upperclassmen in a heavy weight class. Many in Kansas took their eyes off him until his sophomore season when he beat the No. 1 wrestler. The switch was turned on and he has never looked back. Wyatt is a four-time Fargo All-American and a USAW folkstyle finalist in 2018. He went 15-0 at Junior Duals after going 34-1 in his state title run as a junior. Above his mat hardware, this young man has a quality of character that makes him stand out from a crowd in any setting. If there was ever a "sure thing" NCAA placer, it's Wyatt Hendrickson. Words from the corner: "Wyatt is a great leader in and out of the room. He is a positive and energetic young man that is driven to be successful on the mat and in the classroom. His skill and body style make him the perfect fit for success on any college team." -- Head coach Tommy Edgmon 2. Troy Fisher (Goddard) Projected high school weight class: 170 Projected college weight class: 165 Analysis: This young man is a phenom! He is a three-time folkstyle All-American with a career record of 118-8. Troy is coming off a 45-0 junior year and has recently committed to Northwestern University. There are few in Kansas history with such a storied kids and high school career. Words from the corner: "Troy Fisher will be a huge asset to Northwestern. Troy is one of the hardest workers and most dedicated young man on the mat and in the classroom, that I have ever had the pleasure to be around. In addition, his knowledge of the sport and the technical aspects of wrestling are way beyond his years. Troy has become a great leader and mentor for our program that we will miss greatly when he moves on to bigger and better things at Northwestern." -- Head coach Brett Means 3. Dayton Porsch (Hoxie) Projected high school weight class: 160 Projected college weight class: 157 Analysis: With a career record of 104-1, Dayton has the chance to become the 34th wrestler in Kansas history to win four titles. Hoxie has a rich history of producing tenacious hard-working kids with an attitude to succeed. Words from the corner: "Dayton has had a huge impact on our program, not only has he been a hammer on the mat, but his leadership since his freshman year on has put us back in contention for team state titles. His exciting style of wrestling, relentlessly scoring points and pushing the pace has brought wrestling back to the forefront for Hoxie fans to cheer about. He leads by example and has shown younger guys in the program along with the young kids in the town the right way to go about business both on and off the mat." -- Head coach Mike Porsch 4. Cade Lindsey (Derby) Projected high school weight class: 170 Projected college weight class: 165 Analysis: Cade is a three-time state placer with a career record of 112-19. He was a Fargo All-American in Cadet Greco and is a two-time USAW folkstyle All-American. He has anchored many of our National Duals teams and was a 2016 Kansas Triple Crown winner. Cade's work in the classroom and his top-shelf character is going to make him the perfect fit for any college program. Words from the corner: "Cade Lindsey is a great leader for the Derby Panthers. Cade's passion and desire to be a champion is contagious and has positive effects on all the guys around him. He also has a great mat sense about him and he is very technically sound. His leadership qualities will certainly be missed when he moves on to the next level." -- Head coach Billy Ross 5. Braden Morgan (El Dorado) Projected high school weight class: 220 Projected college weight class: 197 Analysis: With a career record of 99-23, Braden had a stellar junior season, finishing on top of the podium with a 40-1 record. His athleticism and physicality make him a crowd favorite and I won't soon forget his finals match at Rocky Mountain Nationals against our own Wyatt Hendrickson. Great character and loves the sport! Words from the corner: "Braden is obsessed with wrestling and does all he can to seek out and wrestle the best kids around. You cannot keep this kid out of the gym. It's exciting as a coach to see a kid that only won one match at state his freshmen year, turn into the favorite his senior year and have a chance to be a two-time state champ tells a lot about how hard he works and how far he has come in just four years of high school." -- Head coach Wes Reynolds 6. Triston Wills (Derby) Projected high school weight class: 160 Projected college weight class: 157 Analysis: Triston is a three-time state placer and a 2018 state champion with a career record of 83-17. As a USAW folkstyle All-American in eighth grade, Kansans knew they had a good one in Derby. Words from the corner: "Triston has been a great leader for our team the past three years. He leads not only by his words but by example. The most impressive thing about Triston is that he doesn't concentrate on winning. His focus is more on getting better. Does he love winning? Of course, but he is more focused on wrestling the best competition possible and his focus is to get better every day. His goal is to be the best wrestler he can be to prepare himself for the college level." -- Head coach Billy Ross 7. Caleb Willis (Bonner Springs) Projected high school weight class: 220 Projected college weight class: 197 Analysis: Caleb has been turning heads across the country since his freshman season. His physical presence and elite athleticism have earned him a 112-14 record and a state title in 2017, going 80-3 his last two seasons. Words from the corner: "Caleb has a passion for wrestling, competing in all three styles. He has been a consistent member of Kansas national teams for many years, with multiple wins over nationally ranked opponents. He competes in the weight room as well, holding many school records. He can compete at an extremely high level and will be an asset to any college program." -- Head coach Brandon Jobe 8. Bubba Wilson (Manhattan) Projected high school weight class: 152 Projected college weight class: 149/157 Analysis: Bubba capped off a stellar junior season, landing atop the podium in dramatic fashion, finishing 44-4 after making the finals as a sophomore. He made a huge splash on the national scene this year by finishing third at the UWW Cadet Greco Nationals. He wrestled with amazing heart in a deep weight class at the Junior Duals. Words from the corner: "Bubba Wilson finished his junior season with a 44-4 record and a 6A state championship at 152 pounds. The senior to be is a second-year team captain and will lead the Indians in 2018-19. Bubba has earned this position with the Tribe due to his work ethic and his ability to instill in his teammates that same desire and passion. He exemplifies what we want in out student-athletes and his love for the sport of wrestling is second to none. In my 42 years of high school coaching, I can say that Clayton Bubba Wilson possesses the most humble character I've seen and his leadership ability is heartwarming." -- Head coach Robert Gonzales, 2017 National High School Wrestling Coach of the Year 9. Korbin Riedel (Tonganoxie) Projected high school weight class: 145 Projected college weight class: 141/149 Analysis: Korbin has a career record of 122-21, placing all three years at state. His speed and pace on the mat make him a crowd favorite. One thing that stands out about Korbin is, he flat out loves to compete. He has always left it on the mat for our national dual teams and is a relentless attacker. Any college coach is going to love this kid! Words from the corner: "Korbin has been working very hard all summer, competing in several freestyle and greco tournaments including Northern Plains and Fargo. Korbin is very determined, pushing himself and others around him to be the best that they can be and has a never quit attitude. He leads by example on and off the mat. He sets high goals for himself and pushes himself every day to achieve them. We are looking forward to him leading our team this season and showing underclassman what it takes to be a great wrestler and person." -- Head coach Ross Starcher 10. Taylon Peters (Salina Central) Projected high school weight class: 182 Projected college weight class: 174/184 Analysis: Taylon has a career record of 112-21 with many victories over top ranked wrestlers. His 40-5 junior season carried him to the state finals in a stacked 182-pound bracket. Coming from a solid family and tradition rich program, this young man will have plenty of choices in his future. Words from the corner: "Taylon has established himself as one of the top wrestlers in the nation. He knows how to close out matches and he has tremendous power and explosiveness as a wrestler. He has proven to be a leader in all aspects of his academic and athletic endeavors. Taylon is one of those athletes that has the right work ethic and the dedication that allows him to develop into something special. He has aspirations to either continue playing football or wrestle at the next level after his high school career." -- Head coach Shannon Peters Honorable Mention: Kendall Beitz (Eureka) Kolby Beitz (Eureka) Gabe Buckbee (Arkansas City) Aidan Campbell (Maize) Luke Richard (Riley County) Montez Robinson (Arkansas City)

A GoFundMe page has been established for Kione Gill, a two-time Washington State wrestling champ, who had taken his life Sunday, according to the King County Medical Examiner's Office. Kione GillThe fundraising page was established by friends to help the Gill family with funeral expenses. "Kione was an amazing soul who touched the lives of those he encountered," according to the text on the GoFundMe page. "His contagious smile and laughter filled any room -- except when he was under the light and on the mat -- the only place he was all business but the smirk never left his face." Gill won back-to-back Class 4A state wrestling titles at Tahoma High School in suburban Seattle as a senior (220 pounds) in 2018 and junior (195) in 2017. While in high school, Gill built a 128-8 record, with a perfect 42-0 record as a senior. Prior to enrolling at Tahoma, Gill attended Enumclaw High School for two seasons, where he placed second at the state tournament as a sophomore, and fourth as a freshman, both years at 182 pounds. Gill had graduated from Tahoma this spring, and had committed to wrestle at Clackamas Community College in Oregon this fall. The Tahoma wrestling program first reported Gill's death late Sunday evening on its Twitter account, posting a short message and a photo of the former standout athlete standing beneath a spotlight in his singlet. "Some things happen, that we just don't understand," the post reads. Tahoma wrestling coach Chris Feist described Gill as "an incredible young man that had a huge heart." "He was a very special person, and there are a lot of people hurting right now all over the state that had really positive experiences with him," Feist told the News Tribune. "He was a dedicated friend and a great teammate, and as much as he was quick to joke, laugh and play, he was always there for his teammates when they needed him," Feist said. "It was about making sure the people around him had what they needed, and that's another reason why they loved him." Feist told the News Tribune that he spoke to Tahoma's wrestlers Monday about honoring Gill by continuing to attend classes and practices, working hard, and finding ways to talk about personal hardship. "We're going to keep (Kione) in our heart, but we're going to keep talking about this," Feist said. "We have to find ways to talk about the things that are bothering us, and that's hard to do for young men." Seeking someone to talk to? Contact the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Greg Kerkvliet gets his hand raised after winning a title at UWW Cadet Nationals (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) No. 1 overall Class of 2019 wrestler Greg Kerkvliet (Simley, Minn.) has switched his verbal commitment from Oklahoma State to Ohio State, which has finished runner-up at the NCAAs each of the previous two seasons. He committed to the Cowboys in November 2017 after an earlier verbal to the University of Minnesota. The three-time state champion won a second Cadet World medal in freestyle about two months ago, taking silver at 110 kilograms after earning gold at 100 kilograms in 2017. Kerkvliet was slated to compete at the Junior World championships next week in the 100 kilo weight class, but has pulled out of the event due to injury. He projects to compete collegiately at 285 pounds. Ohio State's recruiting class in 2018 was ranked No. 2 overall. Kerkvliet is the fourth top 100 commit for the Buckeyes in 2019 recruiting, joining a trio of in-state stars in Jordan and Jacob Decatur (CVCA) as well as Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa).

Greg Kerkvliet (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Greg Kerkvliet, a 2017 Cadet world champion and the nation's No. 1 senior recruit, will miss the 2018 Junior World Championships after sustaining a recent injury, according to USA Wrestling. A year after winning a Cadet world title, Kerkvliet claimed a silver medal at the Cadet World Championships this summer in Zagreb, Croatia. He was slated to compete at the Junior World Championships at 97 kilograms. Kerkvliet will be replaced by Univesity of Missouri freshman Zach Elam, a runner-up at the UWW Junior Nationals in April. The Junior World Championships will take place Sept. 17-22 in Trnava, Slovakia.

Frank Andersson Frank Andersson, Greco-Roman wrestler from Sweden who won a bronze medal at the 1984 Olympics and medaled at five World championships before embarking on a pro wrestling career, died Sunday after complications from heart surgery. He was 62. Born in Trollhatten, Sweden in May 1956, Andersson had an amateur wrestling career that spanned the world and two decades. The 6' 1" Swede usually competed in Greco-Roman as a light-heavyweight at 90 kilograms/198 pounds. Andersson wrestled for Sweden at three Olympics at 90 kilograms. At the 1976 Montreal Games, the then-20-year-old Andersson placed fifth in Greco, and seventh in freestyle competition. Four years later at the Moscow Olympics, Andersson placed fourth in Greco. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Andersson placed third, earning a bronze medal at age 28. Andersson earned his first world titles at the Junior World Championships in 1973 and 1975. He then won a total of three gold medals at the World Championships in 1977, 1979, and 1982, and two silver medals at the Worlds in 1978 and 1981. Anderson also earned a total of seven medals at the European Championships, bringing home gold medals in 1976, 1978, 1979, and 1981, and silver medals in 1977, 1980, and 1982. Andersson was welcomed into the World Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006, according to the United World Wrestling official website. In the early 1990s, Andersson launched a career in professional wrestling. Trained by Brad Rheingans, a U.S. Greco-Roman Olympian who also became a pro wrestler, Andersson made his pro debut in 1991 in Japan with the New Japan Pro Wrestling organization. From 1993-1995, Andersson was seen in the squared circle on a regular basis on Atlanta-based WCW (World Championship Wrestling). Nearly twenty year after announcing his retirement from pro wrestling, Andersson climbed into the ring yet again, this time in his native Sweden, from 2014-2015.

Tyron Woodley at the post-fight press conference Tyron Woodley, a two-time NCAA All-American for University of Missouri, successfully held onto his UFC welterweight (170-pound) title, while two-time world bronze medalist Tatiana Suarez Padilla got a TKO towards the end of Round 3 at UFC 228 at American Airlines Arena in Dallas on Saturday night. The former Tiger brings down the Gorilla Despite giving up three inches in height -- and being a decade older than his opponent -- Tyron Woodley retains the UFC welterweight belt by submitting challenger Darren Till in the second round of their scheduled five-round title bout. "Tyron Woodley has been vocal about the lack of respect he's been given over the years, even after he became the Ultimate Fighting Championship's welterweight champion," is how Sherdog.com opened its reporting of the UFC 228 top-of-the-card event. "After Saturday night, 'The Chosen One' might have finally silenced his critics." "The champ dropped the Englishman with a short right hand to the jaw early on in the second and from there, he utilized a punishing ground-and-pound assault until he finished him," Sherdog.com continued. "Woodley slammed down dozens of elbows and punches onto Till's head, opening up multiple cuts along the way." The 6-foot tall, 25-year-old Liverpool fighter nicknamed "The Gorilla" suffered his first loss when "Woodley locked on a textbook brabo choke" (according to Sherdog) or "a d'arce choke" (to quote CBS) and eventually forced the tap at 4:19 of the third round. It was Woodley's fourth successful title defense since winning the championship from Robbie Lawler at UFC 201 in July 2016 ... and the former Mizzou Tiger's first fight in more than a year because of injuries. Woodley said of Till, "He's a tough kid. He's a long, rangy opponent. Me trying to punch with him was extremely difficult. I had to let him come in. I saw he wasn't going anywhere, I had to take my time. "He didn't recognize (the choke). At that point I knew I was going to get him." Till responded, "I knew he was powerful. I knew he had power punches. My strategy was to feel him out in the first and to come forward. I left my hands down and the shot he clipped me with it was a great shot." Woodley -- who was also a 2003 Big Ten champ for Missouri -- is now 19-3-1 in his pro career stretching back nearly a decade ... while Till -- who has been fighting as a professional since Feb. 2013 -- is now 17-1-1. Past world medalist Suarez defeats Esparza In a preliminary bout featuring two women with amateur wrestling credentials, Tatiana Suarez Padilla, a two-time world bronze medalist, earned a TKO towards the end of the third round versus Carla Esparza, a two-time women's All-American wrestler at California's Menlo College. "Tatiana Suarez looked like a future star as she pounded Carla Esparza into smithereens for nearly three rounds in the UFC 228 featured preliminary bout," wrote Mike Sloan of Sherdog.com. "Suarez took 'Cookie Monster' down virtually whenever she wanted and dished out a frightening beating with elbows, punches and hammerfists," Sherdog's Sloan continued. "Esparza never quit, but when Suarez moved to full mount late in the third, referee Kerry Hatley had no choice but to pull Suarez off when she rained down a storm of punishment via punches and elbows." The end came at 4:33 of the third round. Suarez, who has been fighting as a professional for just over four years, remains perfect, with a 7-0 record ... while Esparza, who launched her pro career 8.5 years ago, is now 14-6.

Bergen Catholic coach David Bell coaching at the Doc Buchanan Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Nearly six months after a former Bergen Catholic High School wrestler sued head coach David Bell of the nationally-ranked program over alleged sexual and verbal harassment -- and one month after a judge dismissed the most explosive charges of that lawsuit -- coach Bell filed an answer and cross-claim Friday against his accuser. In an 11-page complaint, Bell accuses former Bergen Catholic wrestler Anthony Asatrian, now 18, of negligence, false complaint of unprofessional conduct, intentional infliction of emotional distress and other acts, NorthJersey.com reported Friday. Asatrian -- a two-time district champion for the program ranked No. 2 in the nation by InterMat last season -- had alleged in his lawsuit back in April that he was sexually abused, sexually assaulted, and sexually harassed during his nearly three years as a wrestler at Bergen Catholic. However, local Bergen County prosecutors found no evidence to file criminal charges against coach Bell ... and, just last month, a judge had dropped all but the least serious allegations from Asatrian's lawsuit against the long-time coach. Another New Jersey media outlet -- NJ.com -- provided some details on the wrestler's father and his involvement with his son Anthony's wrestling career. "Over the course of the 57-page document, obtained by NJ Advance Media, Bell's claim paints Asatrian's father, Harry, as an overzealous sports parent who at times acted aggressively toward the coach, threatened to transfer his son to a rival high school and made anti-Semitic and racially charged comments in front of wrestlers and coaches." "The claim also alleges Harry Asatrian meddled to the point that he had been caught 'sneaking in the locker room to switch and manipulate the scales' in an effort to help his son make weight for a wrestle-off against a teammate with a spot in the starting lineup at stake." In an August interview with NorthJersey.com, Anthony Asatrian -- slated to wrestle this fall as a senior at Paramus High School -- said Bell never actually molested him but at times had expressed how much he "loved him" and sometimes asked to wrestle with him, hug him and touch his hair. "Bell is widely regarded as one of the best and most influential wrestling coaches in the United States," according to NJ.com. The media website for the Newark Star-Ledger and other newspapers in the Garden State pointed out that, with Bell at the helm, Bergen Catholic won its seventh straight NJSIAA team title during the 2017-18 season and defeated five teams ranked in the top 10 nationally.

What happens when you take a guy who's equally passionate about beermaking -- and wrestling? You end up with a beer named in honor of the legendary wrestler/coach Dan Gable ... and you designate that part of the profits go to support the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. Dave Morgan, owner of SingleSpeed Brewery in downtown Waterloo, Iowa -- within sight of the Gable Museum -- describes himself as a Gable fanatic who won the Class 2A 135-pound title at the 1993 Iowa state wrestling championships for New Hampton. The actual name of SingleSpeed's beer is Munich Helles Lager -- also known as Gable's Gold -- which is named to honor Waterloo native Dan the Man winning a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. So, how did Morgan come up with Gable's Gold? Each year, the eastern Iowa brewmaster attends the Craft Brewers Conference for inspiration and ideas. As Morgan told Jim Nelson, sports columnist for the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, "Usually during these conferences, I have at least one good idea," Morgan told Jim Nelson, sportswriter for the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. "It happens because you get out of the day-to-day routine and start thinking outside of the box a little bit." On the flight back to Iowa after the 2016 conference in Philadelphia, Morgan let his mind wander ... and the thought occurred to him: Why doesn't SingleSpeed make a beer honoring Waterloo's Dan Gable? Dave Morgan ran the idea by Dan Gable, who had just one stipulation: "It had to be good, and it had to be gold." Last year, SingleSpeed introduced Munich Helles Lager -- aka Gable's Gold, or just "Gable" -- as a seasonal beer, and it became the tap room's biggest seller. It is now offered year 'round as one of SingleSpeed's five core beers (after all, wrestling season is pretty much year 'round) ... with $1 of each sale benefiting SingleSpeed's neighbor, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. Then, just last week, cans of "Gable" started appearing on the shelves at Hy-Vee grocery stores across the state of Iowa in the form of six-packs, with a percentage of those sales also going to the Wrestling Museum. Fittingly, the cans are black and gold ... and carry this message: "Gable. One word can say so much. In our city, few words, if any, resonate with the force Gable does. In commemoration of his Olympic triumph (Munich in 1972) we've crafted a beer much more approachable than any adversaries found Dan to be on the mat. Clean, crisp and Gold. We can't think of a more fitting tribute." Dave Morgan weighed in on the significance of that message on each can of "Gable" beer. "One of the cool things about (the can) is on the back there is a story about Gable in Munich," Dave told WEEK-TV, the NBC affiliate in Peoria, Ill. "There's no a lot of room on the can to tell a story we try to do it as quickly as we can to get the point across. It's nice anyone running into this can of beer -- if they happen to live in a world where they did not know about Gable in Munich they might know about it after a can of beer." To learn more about the beer and its brewery, visit the visit the official website for SingleSpeed.

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. -- University of Mount Olive will add men's wrestling to the 20 NCAA Division II varsity sports currently being offered by the university, announced Vice President for Athletics Jeff Eisen. The program will begin competition in the 2019-2020 academic year. UMO is a member of Conference Carolinas for its current sport offerings and will participate in wrestling under the umbrella of Conference Carolinas. Conference Carolinas and the South Atlantic Conference have joined forces to sponsor wrestling, with Conference Carolinas administering the championship. UMO will be the eighth school in the conference to participate in wrestling. The other schools are Belmont Abbey, Emmanuel, King, and Limestone from Conference Carolinas and Coker, Newberry, and Queens from the South Atlantic Conference. There are 62 schools nationally competing in wrestling at the NCAA Division II level. Plans are underway to hire a head coach as soon as possible, with a full-time assistant coach to be hired prior to the start of the season. The University will provide a site near campus for training and conditioning. Home competitions will be held in Kornegay Arena. "Wrestling is a conference sport with ready-made competition and the ability to compete for a championship. North Carolina ranks in the top 10 nationally in terms of the number of high school participants in wrestling and there is a void in opportunities to compete on the collegiate level in the Southeast. We want to help fill that void," said Eisen. "I want to thank the National Wrestling Coaches Association for its assistance in the planning process," added Eisen. According to the NWCA, there are over 8,000 high school wrestlers in North Carolina; more than 28,000 in North Carolina and bordering states; and more than 240,00 nationally. UMO last added new sports in the 2012-13 academic year, when men and women's lacrosse began competition.