InterMat Staff

Gus Garcia, retired high school coach who guided his wrestlers to multiple top-ten finishes at the Kansas state championships on his way to being welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame 15 years ago, died Wednesday, June 5 at age 80. Gus GarciaSon of Mexican immigrants, Rosalio "Gus" Garcia made his mark as a coach at two Kansas high schools, Atwood and Augusta. At Atwood, Garcia guided his wrestlers to a state team title and had 12 teams finish in the top 10. Garcia then moved on to Augusta, which had seven top 10 team finishes at the state level. It was there that he coached his two sons to a combined six state medals, including an individual championship for Gus Garcia Jr., and a second-place medal for his son Gabe Garcia. In his combined coaching career at Atwood and Augusta high schools, Garcia coached 21 state champions, 27 runners-up, 16 third-place medalists and 19 fourth-place medalists. Following his retirement from Augusta High, Garcia resumed his coaching career at Maize Middle School. "He was a good friend, supporter and colleague," former Augusta teacher and coach Pat Paske, whose friendship with Garcia goes back to 1975, told the Leavenworth Times. "Not only did he prepare in detail, but he had the ability to get kids to achieve things that even they didn't think they could do. He cared about his athletes and his family, and expected and accepted nothing but their best." Prior to launching his coaching career, Douglass, Kansas-born Garcia made a name for himself as a wrestler. Upon graduation from Douglass High, he joined the United States Marines, where he was on the Marine wrestling team for three years. Upon discharge from the Marines, Gus attended Kansas State University, where he was a three-year wrestling letterman for the Wildcats and was a third-place Big Eight medalist for their now-defunct mat program. Garcia is credited with helping to establish the Kansas Kids Wrestling Foundation, and took a youth freestyle team to Iran in 1974. In 2004, Gus Garcia became a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla. when he received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Kansas Chapter of the Hall of Fame. According to his obituary, a Celebration of Life service has yet to be announced. However, in the meantime, memorials in Gus Garcia's honor may be sent for the Gene Nunz Scholarship Fund, which benefits Augusta High School wrestlers. These can be mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357.

Jonce Blaylock (Photo/Oklahoma State Athletics) Lindenwood wrestling head coach Jimmy Rollins has announced the newest addition to the coaching staff. Jonce Blaylock will join the wrestling program after spending the last five years as a wrestler at Oklahoma State University. "We are very excited to have Jonce coming aboard to help our program achieve new levels of success," said Rollins. "He comes from a tremendous program at Oklahoma State, and brings a competitive attitude and eagerness to get to work. I was able to watch him as an athlete throughout his career, and I know he has the ability to be a tremendous coach." Blaylock was a four-year letter winner with the Cowboys, accumulating 77 wins in his five years with the program. Blaylock was a part of five Big 12 team titles, and four top-10 team finishes at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. In 2017-18, Blaylock earned first-team all-academic Big 12 honors along with being named to the NWCA all-academic team. "I'm excited to join the Lindenwood staff, especially after meeting with coach Rollins," said Blaylock. "I really bought into where his is taking the program, and I look forward to being a part of the process." In his high school career, Blaylock was a three-time state champion in the state of Oklahoma. Blaylock was a Cadet and Junior Freestyle All-American, and a Junior Folk Style All-American. A graduate of Berryhill High School, Blaylock competed at the Dapper Dan while representing the state of Oklahoma.

Add the state known as the Land of Enchantment to the list of states which will have a separate state wrestling championship for girl wrestlers. The New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA) Board of Directors unanimously approved a proposal to sanction a girls' wrestling division that will end with a state championship event beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, the organization which governs high school sports in New Mexico announced Thursday. "We are very excited that our Association will now officially offer a girls' wrestling division that will culminate with a state championship," NMAA Executive Director Sally Marquez said. "The sport has been growing fast all across the country, and we are happy to become the 18th state to sanction it." This new championship is an outgrowth of an exhibition event which has been held each of the last two years in conjunction with the boys' state tournament. According to the NMAA announcement, the new girls' division will see participants qualify for the state championships via one of two regional qualifying tournaments. Schools will be aligned regionally, keeping current district schools together wherever possible. Each region will qualify four participants per weight class to the state tournament. Qualifying participants will compete at the state tournament with medals awarded to the top three participants, with trophies to be awarded to the top three teams. One additional clarification: Girls may compete in boys' events during the regular season but must compete in the girls' division during the post-season. The number of high school girls wrestling in New Mexico has grown tremendously just in the past two years. The sport has grown from 79 participants in 2017 to 165 in 2019, according to the NMAA. New Mexico is the 18th state in the nation to officially sanction girls' high school wrestling, and the second in the month of June. Just last week, Arkansas' Activities Association revealed it would be launching a separate girls' state wrestling championship.

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Led by powerful lightweights, and some clutch performances at the end of the dual meet, Minnesota Blue defeated defending champion Illinois, 40-33 to claim the Greco-Roman team title at the U15 National Duals on Thursday. The drive to victory included Minnesota winning six of the last eight matches, including four by technical fall The dual meet started at 138 pounds, and after the heavyweight match, Illinois led 22-16. The lightweights came out for Minnesota, and won four straight matches, including three technical falls, to give the Minnesota Blue a lead it would never relinquish. The run started 88 pounds, as Alan Koehler needed just 53 seconds to score a 10-0 technical fall over Benjamin Dunne. Included in his assault was a four-point headlock, another takedown and two gut wrenches. Read complete story on TheMat.com ... Results: 1. Minnesota Blue 2. Illinois 3. Georgia 4. Iowa 5. Washington Red 6. Pennsylvania 7. California 8. Missouri

I like to write about wrestling, but I also like to talk about wrestling! Check out my appearance with Andy Hamilton and Kyle Klingman on their podcast "On the Mat." The details are in the conversation, but it's the best I can do to fully explain the issues I have with the effort to overturn the wrestling results from Final X. I'm leaning on my experience in international wrestling, familiarity with similar situations, and conversations with international referees, officials, and wrestlers. You don't have to agree, but I think that there is some insight I might be able to provide some fans who may not get to watch as much freestyle as folkstyle. As I've been asked to comment on in recent days, the interpretation being brought forth is a misleading interpretation of a supporting guideline for a rule that has been generally well followed for the past six seasons. That's not to say I don't understand the disappointment felt by the losing wrestler's fan base, but it's critical to the future of the sport that we try to limit our sport heading to the courtroom every time a call doesn't go in "our" favor. We don't want to be passionate about a sport whose final calls are made by someone wearing a robe, instead of stripes. To your questions … Kamal Bey throws Pat Smith at Final X: Rutgers (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Why hasn't Kamal Bey developed as quickly as many expected after his Junior world title run in 2017? He's still young at age 21. Do you see world medals in his future? -- Mike C. Foley: I do. Kamal is the man, but there is a competitive issue that he's yet to overcome. As you said, he's only 21 years old so learning how to win might not come right now. His strength will also need to improve, as well as his tactics and gamesmanship. There is little doubt that Kamal will be in the Olympic Team Trials finals for Tokyo 2020. Let's hope that he continues to make strides and learns from the setback of not making this year's team. Q: I wanted to hear how you felt about the extra years being granted to college wrestlers? I struggle to understand that with a fifth year already included in the standard eligibility to account for injury they are granting one or more years to wrestlers to continue their college experience. Your thoughts? -- Chris L. Foley: The fifth year is more considered a year of active participation to allow for a variety of non-athletic adjustments to take place. Also, the year is meant to let some athletes not burn eligibility sitting behind better athletes. The life cycle of a program is also then protected from sudden departures when backups are in riskless reserve. The sixth year is only possible if your injury occurred after the completion of your redshirt year (a year you couldn't recoup). For instance, I was injured as a sophomore and that year ended up needing to be used as my redshirt. Had I been injured again after that year it's possible that they might allow another season. Overall, the NCAA has taken a much more lenient approach regarding the free movement and long-term participation of athletes. The sixth year and the extension of the transfer portal has put much more power in the hands of the athletes. Q: Does the return of both Anthony Cassar and Shakur Rasheed make Penn State the preseason No 1? Go Lions. -- Mike Z. Foley: Haha. "Go Lions" is certain to make you look biased! Adding an NCAA champion and All-American will move up any team in the preseason polls. I'll take Iowa as the preseason No. 1, but please feel free to mock me in the comments. Q: When is the last time USA has won a freestyle world medal at 65/66 kilograms? Seems like a lot of people have been excited about America's hopes for the weight class, but it feels like it has been USA's weakest freestyle weight class for years. Zain, Yianni and some others had some Cadet success on the world level, but that doesn't always translate to Senior level success. -- Mike C. Foley: Logan Stieber won a world championship at 61 kilograms and James Green is a world medalist at 70 kilograms, which seems to indicate that the USA has the talent in between, but just hasn't keyed all the way in. As you mentioned, Zain and Yianni are top-level competitors and have proven their worth by beating top names. I'd predict that Zain will place in Nur-Sultan, depending a bit on his draw and when he runs into his toughest opponents. Whoever wins the spot for the 2020 Games will likely be an instant medal contender. Of course, nothing is guaranteed, but I think that this weight class "drought" is probably coming to an end in the next few months, and as you look further down the line with Joey McKenna, Jaydin Eierman, and the Cadets/Juniors it's likely getting stronger. Q: With it being an Olympic year next year, will there be a Beat the Streets event? It would have to be after the Olympic Team Trials, right? -- Mike C. Foley: There will be both a Beat the Streets NY event and a Beat the Streets LA event! I'm not clear on precisely how they will be managed, or what angle they will be promoting, but I can confirm that they will be after the Olympic Team Trials. We should make a national push to have Daniel Cormier wrestle at Beat the Streets. A recruitment effort to have him go full pro wrestling for his entry, but have an abbreviated 2-2 match with Brock Lesnar. Could be a great way to raise funds for the kids! As for LA, I think they have a (very good) theme in place! Fresh Idea of the Week By Dan C. I have seen a lot of strife about sixth years granted, plus strife about fifth/sixth-year guys transferring. It seems to cause resentment towards the wrestler and makes schools seem powerless. Lots of people agree with you about college sports being a business (especially if you were part of college sports and understand/took the compliance test). Why don't we do away with transfers and call them trades when done within NCAA Division I. Players can request trades and schools can initiate them. It provides equal leverage for the student and the school. And this is probably being done, to some extent, in practice. Pros for school: 1. Can relinquish scholarship to be picked up by another school. If the other school can't pay the full scholarship, the original school has to pay the "delta" of the compensation. Happens less in wrestling because it seems like the big money goes to top 10 recruits, 125-pounders, 133-pounders, and true heavyweights. 2. School has power to initiate, even at the request of the player. 3. Instead of being cut/suspended (think Minnesota/Chance Marsteller), the team can trade the student to another school willing to take on a leadership challenge. Pros for student: 1. Student can initiate. Sometimes coaching staffs will think "I wish this guy would come to us for a transfer. But he keeps coming to practice on time and works hard. He just didn't pan out." Now a student has flexibility. 2. Student can sell themselves to other schools and in best cases have the coaching staff back them up for the best deal. The athletic department can finalize the deal and legalities. Pros for everybody: Transfers benefit more than one school. Less NCAA (government) involvement. More CEO/GM decisions as a coach. Trade a backup 133-pounder for a backup 157-pounder. They are favorites to start and they fill holes. Cons for some: 1. Wouldn't affect Ivies because they don't redshirt (they prep like academies). Lots of fifth-year Ivy guys transfer to non-Ivy to get masters studies. Academies don't keep people for more than four years. However, Ivies and academies actually work by self-imposed limitations and have worked well to offset those disadvantages by prepping and seemingly unlimited scholarships (academies) and aid (Ivies). If someone is a great wrestler and qualifies for aid, you bet Ivies are swarming in. 2. It will give the appearance that college sports are becoming less pure and innocent. Those days are long gone. This would just add transparency and a free market. 3. Makes trades easier, so it invites the possibility of a student requesting a trade at the first sign of adversity. 4. We could have a "free agent" fiasco when a recruit places top four at NCAAs who only gets "books and meals" for scholarship. But this happens with great employees at organizations where upward movement is tough due to the timeline of people already in higher positions. They go to a new organization with vacancies at positions of higher echelon and responsibility.

Jordan Burroughs defeated Isaiah Martinez at 2018 Final X: Lincoln (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The second Final X event takes place this Saturday in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it will determine 15 more spots on the U.S. World team in all three styles. In the main event, Jordan Burroughs will look to continue his extensive streak of World or Olympic team appearances, and there are plenty of other exciting and intriguing matches. The following is a weight-by-weight preview with predictions for Final X: Lincoln. Women's wrestling 59 kilograms: Alli Ragan vs. Lauren Louive Ragan and Louive entered the U.S. Open as the top two seeds. Ragan took care of business and made her way to the tournament title by outscoring her opponents 35-2. Ragan is a two-time world silver medalist and clearly looking forward to getting back to that stage and trying to break through for gold. Louive entered the Open as the second seed, but she ended up falling against Abby Nette in the semifinals. To qualify for Final X, she had to go through the World Team Trials. At that event, she reversed her loss from the U.S. Open. They met once again in the semifinals. This time Louive took the bout 8-6. Then in the finals, she bested Michaela Beck in the second and third matches of their three-match series. Last year Ragan missed the World Championships after qualifying for the spot. She appears to have recovered from her injuries and returned to her old form here. Look for her to dominate the neutral exchanges on the way to a victory. Prediction: Ragan over Louive Greco-Roman 60 kilograms: Leslie Fuenffinger vs. Ildar Hafizov Fuenffinger had to go through two different generations to win the U.S. Open. In the quarterfinals, he knocked off Utah Valley wrestler Taylor LaMont before taking out number-one seed Dalton Roberts in the semifinals. Fuengginger then knocked off veteran Hafizov in the finals to qualify for Final X. Hafizov got everything right in a hurry as he was extremely dominant at the World Team Trials. He scored a 10-0 tech over Taylor LaMont in only 47 seconds to make the finals. Hafizov then scored 7-0 and 8-1 victories over Randon Miranda to reach Final X. Fuenffinger and Hafizov come from very different backgrounds. Fuenffinger was a Division III national champion for Ausburg before transitioning to Greco. Hafizov was born in Uzbekistan before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 2015. Both wrestlers now represent the Army World Class Athlete Program, so they are likely familiar with each other. Fuenffinger won the most recent match, so it is hard to pick against him here. However, wrestlers with this level of familiarity could lead to a wild match. Prediction: Fuenffinger over Hafizov Women's wrestling 55 kilograms: Jacarra Winchester vs. Dominique Parrish Winchester entered the U.S. Open as the No. 1 seed, and she performed like it. She did not surrender a single point during her run to the title and outscored her opponents 36-0. Wincherster made the World Team last year and nearly brought home a medal. She fell in the semifinals and came up short in the bronze-medal match. Parrish surprisingly lost her first match at the U.S. Open as the No. 2 seed. However, she ended up wrestling all the way back to finish third. Her five-match run through the backside of the bracket ended with a first-period tech over Alisha Howk. To make Final X, Parrish needed to win the World Team Trials and waiting for her in the finals was the same lady who upset her at the Open. This time Parrish took care of business against Areana Villaescusa in straight matches. Parrish has shown the type of perseverance she will need to be victorious here. However, Winchester has been on another level domestically, and it is hard to see her not pulling this out and making her second straight World Team. Prediction: Winchester over Parrish Greco-Roman 72 kilograms: Raymond Bunker vs. Alex Mossing ReVaugh Perkins was the man to beat the U.S. Open, and Bunker got it done with an upset in the finals. In the match, Perkins got out to a 3-0 lead with a passivity point and a turn. From there, Mossing got back on track with a step-out point. In the second, Bunker got his chance on top and scored the turn with a reverse lift for the 4-3 victory. Mossing qualified for the World Team Trials after finishing as the runner up at the 2018 U23 Trials. The bracket was not particularly kind to Mossing, and he faced off against Perkins in the second round. Right after giving up a four-point throw, Mossing reversed position in the ensuing scramble and scored the fall. From there, he fought his way all the way to a spot in Final X. In the finals, he needed all three matches to get past Army WCAP's Michael Hooker. During the Trials, Mossing had some of the most wild and exciting matches under Greco rules. However, there are not a lot of guys who can hold position like Bunker. If he is able to avoid the big moves from Mossing, he should be able to take this in a pair of low scoring and yet dominant matches. Prediction: Bunker over Mossing Greco-Roman 63 kilograms: Ryan Mango vs. Xavier Johnson The absence of Olympian Jesse Thielke appeared to create a spot for Ryan Mango at this weight class, and that turned out to be true. At the U.S. Open, he needed a 3-3 victory to get past a tough Travis Rice in the semifinals and then rolled to a 9-1 tech in the finals over Sam Jones. Interestingly enough, Johnson had to go through the same road at the World Team Trials. He needed his own close victory over Rice in the semifinals, and he got it done with a 3-2 wins. Then he showed a huge edge against Jones in the finals and won a pair of match via fall and 7-4 decision. Mango is almost certainly getting a chance to show the world what he can do. Johnson will not be an easy to pass obstacle, but looks for Mango to get it done. Prediction: Mango over Johnson Greco-Roman 97 kilograms: G'Angelo Hancock vs. Lucas Sheridan Hancock will turn 22 before the 2019 World Championships. Despite being young in the game, he has already developed into one of the brightest domestic stars in Greco, and he is almost certainly the most busy. In addition to qualifying for Final X through the Open, he has already locked up a spot on the U23 World Team. Through both tournaments he surrendered only thee combined points. Sheridan lasted only a little over a minute against Hancock at the U.S. Open, so he needed to go to the Trials to reach Final X. There he ran through Khymba Johnson and then won the best-of-three series after dropping the first bout against Daniel Miller. Their match at the U.S. Open was really not much of a contest. Hancock was able to score to driving forward and turning at will from the top position. Sheridan put himself into some bad spots with some poor thought out throws. However, it seems unlikely he will be able to do much to reverse this result. Prediction: Hancock over Sheridan Women's wrestling 62 kilograms: Mallory Velte vs. Kayla Miracle Velte was able to advance straight to Final X based on her bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships. Despite not needing to qualify, Velte has remained active this year. She picked up victories at New York and Hollywood editions of Beat the Streets, and Velte also finished with a bronze at the 2019 Pan American Championships. The path to Final X can be arduous when a wrestler qualifies via world medal. Miracle needed to win both the U.S. Open and the Trials to earn this spot. She blitzed her way through the U.S. Open. In the process, Miracle did not even let an opponent make it to the second period. That tournament title allowed her to sit in the finals of the Trials. Desiree Savala was her opponent, but she also failed to make it to the second period in a pair of matches. This should be one of the more interesting series of the event. Last year, Velte needed three matches to keep Miracle off the World Team. However, the two met earlier this year at the Dan Kolov, and Miracle was the one walking away with the win by fall. There were signs last year in Final X that Miracle was starting to put it together. That progression appears to have continued this year. Look for her to break through against Velte. Then again, if the returning world medalist gets back on the team, nobody should be surprised. Prediction: Miracle over Velte Women's wrestling 53 kilograms: Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Katherine Shai Hildebrandt is coming off her first trip to the World Championships and her first Senior-level world medal. For her efforts, she was named 2018 USA Wrestling Women's Wrestler of the Year. Since winning her silver medal, Hildebrandt has returned to action with gold medals at the Pan American Championships and the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. Shai came up short in the finals of the U.S. Open against upstart Tiare Ikei. However, she was able to avenge that defeat at the World Team Trials. She ran over Ikei with a tech and a fall in their best-of-three series. This is likely going to be Hildebrandt's weight for the foreseeable future. However, she has dealt with some injuries in the rest past, which might open the door for Shai. In the end, the smart money is on Hildebrandt. Prediction: Hildebrandt over Shai Women's wrestling 76 kilograms: Adeline Gray vs. Precious Bell Gray won her fourth gold medal at the World Championships last year. She appears to be on a mission to pick up that elusive Olympic gold medal next year. Since winning her world title, she has looked impressive at Beat the Streets and picked up a gold at the Pan American Championships. Bell went on an unexpected run at the U.S. Open. She entered as the No. 5 seed and made it all the way to finals. Along the way, she knocked off the top seed Paige Baynes with a second-period tech. In the finals, she picked up a fall over Hannah Gladden. She had to duplicate that win at the World Team Trials, and she got it done in two straight matches. Bell might be the future, but at this point Gray is the present. Her path to an Olympic gold medal goes through Final X as well as Bell, and that is where Gray appears to be headed. Prediction: Gray over Bell Greco-Roman 130 kilograms: Adam Coon vs. Cohlton Schultz Last year Coon went straight from the NCAA wrestling mats to a world silver medal in Greco. This year he once again tried to make both the Greco and freestyle teams. On the freestyle side, he ran into freshman prodigy Gable Steveson at the World Team Trials and fell. Here he will face off another young heavyweight prospect. With a cadet world title and a junior world bronze medal, Schultz was clearly going to be a factor on the heavyweight scene in Greco. However, few could have predicted how quickly he would make his mark on the senior level. That happened in a big way at the World Team Trials. In the finals, he was able to take out Olympian Robby Smith in a tough three-match series. Now Schultz will take on another tough opponent. While he seems to have the perfect body type and skill set for Greco, Coon did show some vulnerability on the freestyle side. It will be tough for Schultz to pull off the upset here against a returning medalist, but anything is possible. Prediction: Coon over Schultz Freestyle 61 kilograms: Joe Colon vs. Tyler Graff Colon ended up on the World Team last year after an injury to Nahshon Garrett opened up a spot. Despite not winning at Final X, he was able to shock the world and come home with a silver medal. Since winning that medal, he has experienced mixed results. He won a gold medal at the Pan American Champions, but he failed to place at the Ivan Yarygin and Dan Kolov tournaments. In his last match, he dropped a close decision against reigning NCAA champion Nick Suriano at Beat the Streets. Graff finished a disappointing fourth at the U.S. Open after a quarterfinal loss against Joey Palmer. The two met again in the semifinals of the World Team Trials, and this time Graff was able to implement his will and take home a 4-0 decision. Graff then qualified for Final X with a pair of victories over Cody Brewer. Their first match was all action as they combined to put up 38 points. Historically, Graff has been able to find success when he is able to control the pace of the match and keep it low scoring. However, recently he has been putting up a lot of points in certain contests. Colon is exceedingly dangerous from the top position and will almost certainly put up points if given the chance. In the neutral position this is anyone's match. Prediction: Graff over Colon Freestyle 97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder vs. Kyven Gadson Snyder has been on a mission to get another shot at his rival Abdulrashid Sadulaev since falling in the 2018 world finals. Outside of a one-loss performance at the Ivan Yarygin, Snyder has been virtually flawless. He won the Dan Kolov and the Pan American Championships. In his last action, he scored a 15-1 victory over Canada's Nishan Randhawa at Beat the Streets. Gadson deserves credit for not vacating this weight class due to the dominance of Snyder. These two faced off in Final X last year. Even though he was able to viciously drive Snyder off the stage with a takedown attempt, he fell in two straight matches. Gadson ran through his opponents at both the U.S. Open and the World Team Trials. In both tournaments combined, he surrendered only two total points. In his final collegiate match Gadson scored a major upset and pinned Snyder in the NCAA finals. However, since that match, Snyder has owned the series. You could make the case that perhaps Snyder is looking past Gadson at this point on his way to Sadulaev. Even if that is the case, this will be a tough match for Gadson. Prediction: Snyder over Gadson Freestyle 70 kilograms: Ryan Deakin vs. James Green Many expected 70 kilograms at the U.S. Open to come down to Green and Jason Nolf. That match happened in the semifinals, and Green was able to escape with a victory. However, Deakin had other plans when it came to the finals. He scored one of the biggest upsets of the tournament and knocked off Green via an 8-6 score. After falling against Deakin, Green needed to go through the Trials to qualify for Final X. The multiple-time world medalist took out Mario Mason and Cory Clark before taking the best-of-three series over Anthony Ashanault in the finals. There are a lot of questions going into this match. Will Green be able to regain his world medalist form? Can Deakin repeat his U.S. Open performance despite placing fifth at this past year's NCAA tournament? Regardless of what one thinks about the first match, Green has now had time to prepare specifically for Deakin. His veteranship should be more than enough to carry him to a victory here. Prediction: Green over Deakin Freestyle 57 kilograms: Daton Fix vs. Thomas Gilman Last year, Gilman had Fix's number in Final X, and the former Iowa wrestler took the victory in two straight matches. This year might turn out a little different. These two met in the finals of the U.S. Open, and Fix was able to score an 8-4 victory. After finishing as the NCAA runner-up with controversial circumstance, Fix is looking to get over that defeat and make a Senior World Team. After defeating Fix last year, Gilman went on to represent the U.S. at the 2018 World Championships. He made it all the way to a bronze medal match, but he failed to medal at back-to-back world tournaments. In order to qualify for Final X this year, Gilman needed to go through the World Team Trials. In the finals, he faced off against Darian Cruz who upset him in his last NCAA tournament. This time Gilman took care of business and won the series in two matches. Fix was able to open up and get to his offense in their match at the U.S. Open. This has not always been the case with him in the past. Gilman has shown throughout their career series, that he has been able to make adjustments, and that should pay dividends here. Prediction: Gilman over Fix Freestyle 74 kilograms: Jordan Burroughs vs. Isaiah Martinez For the second straight year Burroughs is sitting in Final X after picking up a medal at the 2018 World Championships. He now has seven world/Olympic medals and five of those are gold. Many expected Kyle Dake to drop down to this weight in preparation for 2020, but that did not end up happening. In his most recent match, Burroughs knocked off former Hodge Trophy winner and current UFC fighter Ben Askren in the main event of the Beat the Streets event. For the second straight year, Burroughs' opponent at Final X will be Martinez. He won both the U.S. Open and the World Team Trials to earn the spot. His path through the trials became much harder when his former collegiate rival Jason Nolf moved up to 74 kilograms. Even though he needed three matches, Martinez still got it done with a 12-2 victory in the deciding match. Martinez has made noticeable improvements to his overall game since their meeting last year. However, Burroughs has been dominant at this weight class both domestically and internationally. That dominance is unlikely to end here Prediction: Burroughs over Martinez

FERRUM, Va. -- Ferrum College has announced the hiring of Breonnah Neal as its new head women's wrestling coach. Neal comes to Ferrum from West Forsyth High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she served the past two years as Assistant Wrestling Coach. She has also worked as an Assistant Coach at the School of Hard Knocks Wrestling Club, based in High Point, North Carolina. Neal began her collegiate career at Campbellsville University in Kentucky. She wrestled at 109 pounds for the Tigers in 2013-14, earning a national runner-up finish at the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) national championships. She earned Dean's List, was a University Nationals All-American and qualified for the World Team Trials while at Campbellsville. Neal transferred to King University in 2014-15 and picked up where she left off. She earned three more All-America finishes, including another WCWA national runner-up finish in 2015-16 and another Dean's List honor. She placed third at the 2016 U.S. Open. Neal climbed to the top of the podium to cap her senior year in 2016-17, earning the 109-pound WCWA national title with a perfect 21-0 record, including 16 technical falls and a pair of pins. She also won titles that season at the Emmanuel Open and the Tornado Open, and helped King win its fourth straight duals title and WCWA National Championship. Neal was King's women's wrestling MVP in 2016-17 as well as the Female Athlete of the Year. A native of Winston-Salem, Neal prepped at West Forsyth High School, where she was a three-time varsity wrestler and a three-time All-Conference honoree. Neal holds the North Carolina state record for female wins against males (111) and was the first woman to ever qualify for the 4A North Carolina State Tournament, the state's largest division. Neal succeeds Jessica Medina, who left Ferrum in March to accept a position with USA Wrestling, the national governing body for the sport of wrestling in the United States. The Panther women's wrestling team posted a 4-4 dual meet mark in 2018-19 and placed 26th in a field of 36 schools at the 2019 WCWA National Championships. Ferrum graduated one women's wrestler this year, while 16 others are eligible to return for the 2019-20 season. Anyone interested in joining the Ferrum women's wrestling program should contact Coach Neal at bneal@ferrum.edu or (336) 483-4997.

George Heebner, long-time Pennsylvania high school wrestling coach and official who was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame a decade ago, passed away Sunday, June 2 ... just three days after his wife Brenda. Heebner launched his long-time relationship with wrestling at Shamokin Jr. High School in eastern Pennsylvania, continuing his on-the-mat career at Shamokin High. Heebner then went on to Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. where he earned his bachelor's degree in education, and wrestled for two seasons in the late 1950s. He then earned a Master's at Temple University. Heebner spent 42 years at Octorara Area High School, where he taught chemistry and physics. He began coaching at Octorara in 1963, running up a record in the Southern Chester County League (SCCL) of 140-69-3 before retiring from coaching in 1988. In a quarter-century of coaching wrestling at Octorara, Heebner was named the SCCL Coach of the Year seven times, and saw eleven of his wrestlers reach the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state tournament. To put Heebner's coaching accomplishments in perspective, in his first fifteen years at Octorara, Heebner's wrestlers launched their wrestling careers as high school freshmen, as there was no junior-high feeder program. After retiring from coaching, Heebner remained with the sport as an official, serving in that capacity for three decades, mostly at the high school level. In 2008, George Heebner became a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, who received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Hall of Fame. "Surprised is not the word for how I felt when I got the first letter telling me of the honor," Heebner told the Southern Chester County Weeklies at the time of his induction in 2008. "I actually wondered if it was a joke. Then I got the second letter, and had to call Mike Clair, the president of the PA Chapter, to confirm that it was true." "All of the other things -- officiating, the positions I've held in the league and in District 1, have all been very satisfying," Heebner said a decade ago. "It's satisfying to know that I've made a difference in District 1 wresting, and for Class AA wrestling. But coaching was the most fun. "It was a lot of fun developing goals for Octorara wrestling, then watching them come to fruition. It's a lot of fun and very gratifying to watch as the kids begin to get what you are teaching, buy into it, and then achieve what they are capable of achieving." George and Brenda Heebner will be honored at a memorial service on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at 11 a.m. at Highland Presbyterian Church, 500 E. Roseville Rd. in Lancaster, Pa. Friends may greet the family from 10 a.m. until the time of service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice & Community Care, 685 Good Drive, P.O. Box 4125, Lancaster, PA 17601 or to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601. Condolences may be shared online at DeBordSnyder.com.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has announced that Colorado Mesa University captured the inaugural NCAA Women's Scholar All-American Team title with a 3.32 GPA, besting Adrian College's 3.12 team GPA. Link: Scholar All-American Teams Link: Individual Scholar All-Americans Colorado Mesa University which announced the addition of its women's wrestling team just over a year ago recently completed its first season of competition in which they finished 21st at the WCWA Championships and garnered the school's first individual All-American, Sierra Brown Ton who finished in 8th Place. In the individual category, Gannon University led the way boasting four honorees while Team Champions Colorado Mesa and Team Runners Up Adrian College each had four individuals named Scholar All-American and Tiffin University had two. These awards come on the heels of the NCAA's announcement that the Committee for Women's Athletics (CWA) has recommended that women's wrestling be added to the NCAA Emerging Sports List for each NCAA Division (D1, D2, & D3). "We are proud to honor this year's Scholar All-Americans and their success in the classroom," Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director." A special thanks to the coaching and support staffs as well as the leadership at each of these institutions for their tireless efforts in helping to better the lives of their student-athletes."

Shakur Rasheed wrestling at the Southern Scuffle (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Happy Valley wrestling fans are now doubly happy. Shakur Rasheed, who wrestled at 184 pounds last season, announced Tuesday that he will be back wrestling at Penn State next season ... just days after 2019 NCAA heavyweight champ Anthony Cassar revealed he would be returning to the Nittany Lion lineup. Rasheed shared his good news about having been granted one more year of eligibility at Penn State on his Instagram Tuesday evening, specifically addressing fans of his college program ... as well as those in the place where he grew up in New York State. Rasheed was a member of Penn State's top-ranked 2014 recruiting class, along with Bo Nickal, Jason Nolf, Nick Nevills and Anthony Cassar. However, Rasheed and Cassar both have had to battle injuries throughout their collegiate careers. For that reason, both sought and received medical redshirts from the NCAA. In Rasheed's case, the NCAA extension is most likely to make up for his 2016-17 season when he wrestled only six matches due to injuries. Since that injury-plagued season, Rasheed tallied two successful seasons, racking up a 44-7 record -- along with 20 pins -- for 2017-18 and 2018-19 combined. Among the other highlights for Rasheed for the 2017-18 season: crowned champ at 197 pounds at the 2018 Southern Scuffle (and being named Outstanding Wrestler at the New Year's event), placing second at the Big Ten conference championships, and earning All-American honors by placing seventh at 197 at the 2018 NCAA championships in Cleveland. This past season, Rasheed was 20-2. He repeated as Southern Scuffle champion on Jan. 2, 2019, this time winning the title at 184 pounds. Rasheed placed second at 184 at the 2019 Big Tens. He was seeded second for the 2019 NCAAs, but went 1-2 before making his untimely exit. Before coming to Happy Valley in 2014, Rasheed wrestled at Longwood High School in Coram, Long Island, winning New York state titles as a junior and senior.

Eric Juergens, mat champ for the University of Iowa two decades ago, is among the seven former Hawkeye athletes named to the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2019. A native of Maquoketa, Iowa, Juergens won back-to-back NCAA Division I titles for Iowa wrestling in 2000 and 2001 at 133 pounds, having earned NCAA All-American honors four consecutive years (1998-2001). He also was a two-time Big Ten conference champ in 2000 and 2001, and earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Year honors in 2001. What's more, Juergens was twice named Iowa Male Athlete of the Year. Eric Juergens (Photo/Iowa Athletics)Juergens has already been welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum Glen Brand Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in Cresco, Iowa for wrestlers with a connection to the state of Iowa in 2006. In addition to Eric Juergens, other members of the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2019 include Jeremy Allen, Deb Brickey, Marc Long, Diane Pohl, Leroy Smith, and Tangela Smith. All Hawkeye athletes who have earned at least one varsity letter award at Iowa are eligible for the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame. Athletes must have completed their eligibility 10 years, and coaches/administrators five years prior to their induction. Juergens and others in the 31st Hall of Fame class will be inducted into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019 during an evening ceremony inside the Grand Coral Ballroom at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Convention Center at 6:30 p.m. Central. A hors d'oeuvres and cocktail reception precedes the induction ceremony at 5:30 p.m. This induction event takes place the evening prior to the University of Iowa football team's season opener against Miami University of Ohio. For more information, contact the Iowa Varsity Club office at (319) 335-9438.

Reece Humphrey celebrates with Pat Downey at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Episode 30 of The MatBoss Podcast with Chad Dennis is with New Jersey Regional Training Center coach and past U.S. World Teamer Reece Humphrey. The Ohio State alum talks about the dynamic of an RTC that's based around two Division I schools -- Princeton and Rutgers -- as well as the recruitment of athletes to the RTC. Humphrey will also dive into his philosophy on coaching, his foray into beach wrestling and his thoughts on the Final X controversy surrounding the finish of the Yianni Diakomihalis-Zain Retherford series. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Podcasts | RSS

Darrion Caldwell (Photo/Bellator) Past NCAA champion Darrion Caldwell will look to avenge his most recent loss in MMA on Friday night at Bellator 222 when he faces Kyoji Horiguchi at Madison Square Garden. Horiguchi won by submission (guillotine choke) over Caldwell on Dec. 31 in Japan. Despite the loss, Caldwell is currently -125 betting favorite in Friday's rematch. While Caldwell is focused on his upcoming fight against Horiguchi, a potential match down the road could be against UFC two-division champion Henry Cejudo. Cejudo defeated Marlon Moraes on Saturday night to earn the UFC bantamweight title, to go along with his flyweight title. Caldwell and Cejudo were teammates for Team USA in high school at the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic, which is now known as the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. For the event, Cejudo competed at 125 pounds, while Caldwell competed at 152 pounds. Caldwell spoke to Luke Thomas of MMAFighting.com Monday on The MMA Hour about Cejudo. "He was just so small," Caldwell told Thomas. "I just never looked at him as a threat. I still don't look at him as a threat." While Caldwell and Cejudo are currently in different MMA organizations, the two could eventually fight if the UFC and Bellator set up cross-promotion fights. "Henry is not a threat," Cejudo reiterated to Thomas. "I would like that fight just because I know it would go my way. The UFC guys get more pub, everything."

Tonight from 6 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET, BTN will air four consecutive episodes of Wrestling in 60. The block of wrestling programming will feature 24 of the premier matches from the 2018-19 Big Ten Wrestling season. Wrestling in 60 Night can be streamed on your tablet or mobile device via BTN2Go or the Fox Sports App. Episode 1: 6 p.m. ET 1. 157 pounds No. 2 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) vs. No. 3 Tyler Berger (Nebraska) 2. 149 pounds No. 4 Justin Oliver (NC State) vs. No. 3 Micah Jordan (Ohio State) 3. 184 pounds Brandon Krone (Minnesota) vs. No. 16 Nick Gravina (Rutgers) 4. 285 pounds Conan Jennings (Northwestern) vs. No. 14 David Jensen (Nebraska) 5. 125 pounds No. 1 Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) vs. No. 15 Zeke Moisey (Nebraska) 6. 174 pounds Daniel Bullard (NC State) vs. Te'Shan Campbell (Ohio State) Episode 2: 7 p.m. ET 1. 149 pounds No. 5 Kevin Gfeller (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 2 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) 2. 184 pounds No. 2 Emery Parker (Illinois) vs. No. 20 Cameron Caffey (Michigan State) 3. 133 pounds No. 10 Austin DeSanto (Iowa) vs. No. 8 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) 4. 133 pounds Anthony Tutulo (Michigan State) vs. No. 5 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) 5. 133 pounds No. 6 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) vs. Nick Suriano (Rutgers) 6. 157 pounds No. 6 Kaleb Young (Iowa) vs. No. 9 Steve Bleise (Minnesota) Episode 3: 8 p.m. ET 1. 133 pounds No. 3 Nick Suriano (Rutgers) vs. No. 8 Austin DeSanto (Iowa) 2. 157 pounds No. 2 Tyler Berger (Nebraska) vs. No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) 3. 157 pounds Jake Danishek (Indiana) vs. No. 6 Griffin Parriott (Purdue) 4. 149 pounds No. 2 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) vs. No. 16 Pat Lugo (Iowa) 5. 197 pounds No. 12 Eric Schultz (Nebraska) vs. No. 1 Bo Nickal (Penn State) 6. 141 pounds No. 7 Mitch McKee (Minnesota) vs. No. 4 Mike Carr (Illinois) Episode 4: 9 p.m. ET 1. 184 pounds No. 2 Emery Parker (Illinois) vs. No. 4 Taylor Venz (Nebraska) 2. 285 pounds No. 7 Mason Parris (Michigan) vs. No. 17 Chase Singletary (Ohio State) 3. 133 pounds No. 1 Stevan Micic (Michigan) vs. No. 6 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) 4. 141 pounds No. 19 Max Murin (Iowa) vs. No. 4 Mike Carr (Illinois) 5. 125 pounds No. 12 Travis Piotrowski (Illinois) vs. No. 15 Zeke Moisey (Nebraska) 6. 141 pounds No. 5 Kanen Storr (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Joey McKenna (Ohio State)

FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- Former West Virginia University and University of Nebraska standout Zeke Moisey has been named assistant wrestling coach at Fairmont State University, as announced by head wrestling coach Chris Freije on Monday afternoon. Zeke MoiseyThe former collegiate standout finished national runner-up in 2014, earned All-America honors twice, and was a four-time national qualifier at the NCAA Division I level. "I'm more than excited to welcome Zeke to Fairmont State University and the Falcon wrestling family," said Freije. "His credentials say enough about his wrestling background, but he's had a lot of success throughout his high school and college career in this area and familiar waters are always nice "Zeke is a tireless worker with a hard-nosed approach, and a mentality that to me embodies the culture of North Central West Virginia, and of course, his home state of Pennsylvania. When you combine that passion for wrestling with his values, level of experience, intensity, and technical knowledge of the sport you get a rare mix of attributes that few individuals possess," Freije added. Moisey comes to Fairmont State after wrapping up his collegiate wrestling career at the University of Nebraska during the 2018-19 season. As a senior, the 125-pound standout qualified for both the Big Ten and NCAA Championships, recording four victories over top-20 ranked opponents. Prior to transferring to Nebraska for his final season, Moisey was a four-year member of the wrestling program at West Virginia University, earning All-America honors twice and finishing national runner-up in the 125-pound weight class during his freshman season. "I am honored for the opportunity to become part of the new wrestling program at Fairmont State University," said Moisey. "I am extremely excited to move back to West Virginia and begin my journey on the coaching side of the sport I love alongside Coach Freije. "After having the privilege to compete in both the Big Ten and Big 12 during my collegiate career, I look forward to using my technical knowledge to teach the incoming athletes, along with navigating them through the challenges of being a student athlete," Moisey added. During his three seasons competing for the Mountaineers, Moisey put together a career record of 84-37 and qualified for the NCAA Championships during each season he was in the lineup. Moisey earned All-America honors as a freshman in 2015 as national runner-up, and also a junior in 2018 after finishing eighth in the country in his weight class. The standout received a medical redshirt in 2017 after suffering an injury during the 2016 NCAA Championships. A native of Northampton, Pa., Moisey was a prep standout at Bethlehem Catholic High School in Pennsylvania, finishing top five in the state during each of his four seasons. He won a Class AA state title at 126 pounds during the 2014 PIAA Wrestling Championships.

KENOSHA, WIS. -- Carthage College will broaden its sports offerings in 2020-21 with the revival of men's wrestling, and the addition of women's wrestling and women's bowling. These additions will expand the Carthage athletics department to 27 varsity programs. "I'm thrilled that Carthage is expanding our sport offerings, as it continues our history of offering emerging sports that meet our prospective student's needs. Adding men's and women's wrestling, along with women's bowling, and increasing our focus on club and recreational sports will enrich our campus community," says Michelle Manning, director of athletics at Carthage College. Men's wrestling will return to the Carthage lineup after a 26-year hiatus. The Red Men wrestling program, which began in 1961-62, will begin its new season with a 204-242-8 all-time record in dual meets. Carthage College Athletic Hall of Fame member Ron Zalokar '95 was the head coach for all 33 seasons of the Red Men wrestling program. As of the 2018-19 academic year, 108 NCAA Division III institutions across six regions sponsor men's wrestling. Carthage College will contribute to the national expansion of women's wrestling and women's bowling. Women's wrestling was recently recommended as an emerging sport by the NCAA committee on women's athletics. If approved, women's wrestling will be added to the NCAA emerging sports lineup on August 1, 2020, a huge step toward evolving into an NCAA Championship-Level sport in the future. The 2018-19 academic year saw 23 NCAA institutions sponsor women's wrestling. Eighty-four NCAA campuses participate in women's bowling, and Carthage will add its name to that list. Women's bowling competes as one division known as the National Collegiate Bowling. A national search for head coaches will begin in the coming weeks. Carthage will also hire a club sport coordinator to provide structure for club sport athletes and to grow programs to meet our campus recreational needs. This position will focus efforts on men's water polo, men's and women's ice hockey, and men's bowling.

The body of a former wrestler whose career spanned middle and high school as well as at Campbell University was recovered from a lake in Raleigh Friday afternoon. Ryan Wayne Hall, 22, had been missing since Thursday evening. The cause of death is unknown. However, police said that foul play is not suspected. Ryan HallHall had been listed on the wrestling roster at Buies Creek-based Campbell for the 2014-15 season as a redshirt freshman at 157 pounds. Prior to that, Hall had wrestled in middle school and high school, qualifying for the North Carolina state wrestling championships twice for Pasquotank County High School in Elizabeth City in his junior and senior years. In his recruiting profile for North Carolina Sports Association, Hall wrote, "I've been wrestling since 7th grade. I was not always the best wrestler back then but I was determined to succeed… I plan on attending a four-year college and studying business because I want to own my own sporting goods store someday." Hall had a high school career record of 101-29. "He was my best friend," Malik Hurdle told the Raleigh News & Observer Friday. "He was someone I could depend on no matter what. He was a light shining so bright he touched everybody he came into contact with. I really can't believe he's gone." His high school wrestling program posted this message on Twitter: "It is with our deepest sorrow that we inform you of the loss of former Pasquotank Co. Wrestler Ryan Hall. Ryan was great athlete, fierce competitor, and great friend. You will be missed.... #NENCSports" The sheriff's department of Pasquotank County shared this on its Facebook page: Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office: "We are saddened by the loss of Ryan Wayne Hall (22). Ryan wrestled through middle and high school, competing in the state 2A Wrestling Championship as a Senior at Pasquotank County High School. He was loved by many, including our own School Resource Officers assigned to the school. "We are extending our deepest condolences to the family, friends, faculty, and students of Pasquotank County High School. Ryan will be missed greatly." Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

J'den Cox defeated Bo Nickal in two straight matches at Final X: Rutgers (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Two of the biggest wrestling events of the year are being held this month with back-to-back Final X events. It was good to see all three styles competing in this year's Final X, with Greco-Roman being included along with men's and women's freestyle. The first Final X event featured an excellent atmosphere and top-notch wrestling while being held on Saturday at Rutgers University. The second Final X event will be held this weekend in Lincoln with Olympic and world champions Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder headlining a star-studded lineup. The Final X winners advance to this fall's World Championships in Kazakhstan. The U.S. is expected to contend for world team titles in men's and women's freestyle again this year. Here are my top takeaways from the Final X at Rutgers. J'den Cox: All he does is win It seems like every year that someone new is being picked to knock off J'den Cox. But the world champion and Olympic medalist continues to beat them all. Cox made his fourth straight world or Olympic team by downing Hodge Trophy winner Bo Nickal in men's freestyle at 92 kilograms. Let's give Cox his due. He's a hell of a wrestler who continues to compete at a very high level. He knows how to perform when the stakes are highest. Nickal is very talented, but is a little undersized for this weight class. Nickal wrestled at the non-Olympic weight of 92 kg this year with reigning world champion and Nittany Lion Wrestling Club teammate David Taylor at 86 kg. Cox looks poised to win another world title this year. It will be interesting to see which weight classes Cox and Nickal compete in during the Olympic year in 2020. Zain Train overcomes Yianni One of the most anticipated battles lived up to the hype when Zain Retherford avenged a U.S. Open setback by defeating Yianni Diakomihalis to make the world freestyle team at 65 kilograms. The battle between Cadet world and NCAA champions was a treat for fans in New Jersey to watch even with a controversial and disputed finish. It's too bad the U.S. can't send both guys to the World Championships. They are both really good wrestlers. We can look forward to more matchups between these two young stars in the very near-future. Burkert receives another shot Veteran Jenna Burkert continues to excel and persevere, and she's back on the women's world team. Burkert swept 2017 world bronze medalist Becka Leathers to earn a trip to Kazakhstan at 57 kilograms. Burkert is another wrestler with the experience and talent to excel at the top level. Da Flying Squirrel 2012 Olympian Ellis Coleman has battled his share of injuries in recent years, but the past Junior world medalist looked like the Flying Squirrel of old in turning in a dominating performance in making the Greco-Roman world team. Coleman is a talented and gifted wrestler who has a chance to win a medal at the Senior World Championships. He can still put on a show when he competes. No Dake, no Taylor It's unfortunate that Kyle Dake and David Taylor will miss out on the Final X events because of injuries. And unfortunate for the fans who will miss seeing two world champions compete. The good news is that Dake received an extension and will be battling Alex Dieringer for the 79-kilogram spot at a later date. Those matches are going to be interesting and entertaining. Dake is very good, but Dieringer battled him close last year and has had a heck of a season. I can't wait to see those two studs battle on the mat. Taylor is done for this season, but no doubt will be back and ready to make a run at Olympic gold in 2020. Will this be Whitney's year? Whitney Conder continues to make world teams in women's freestyle wrestling and she did it again with a strong performance against veteran Victoria Anthony at 50 kg. Now will Conder, a past Junior world champion, finally break through at the Senior World Championships? She certainly has the ability and the experience to do it. Pat Smith knocks off Bey Veteran Pat Smith fell by an 11-2 technical fall in his first match against explosive and talented Kamal Bey. But Smith fought back to win the next matches to knock off Bey, who was seventh at the 2018 World Championships. Smith made his second world team on the Senior level. He showed why it's so tough to make a U.S. team. You have to beat the same person twice and that's no easy feat. Gwiz back on big stage Two-time world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski had his hands full against age-group world champion Gable Steveson. But the Gwiz prevailed in the men's freestyle heavyweight battle to make his third straight world team. Gwiz is an athletic and mobile wrestler who definitely has a shot to contend for a gold medal this year. Steveson continues to progress and his future looks extremely bright on the Senior level. He just finished his freshman season of college and he's already showing he's going to be a force on the Olympic level. Kudos to Mad Max You can't help but root for a guy like Max Nowry, a dedicated wrestler who has persevered and worked for many years for a day like this to arrive. It finally did when Nowry made his first Senior world team in Greco-Roman. He's a classic case of showing what hard work can truly accomplish. Rave reviews It was good to see the first Final X event being held at Rutgers in a place where a sport like wrestling is truly appreciated. A number of athletes said they enjoyed competing there and were appreciative of the atmosphere and fan support provided during the event. These Final X events feature some high-level wrestling. Be sure to check out the Final X event this weekend in Lincoln. You won't be disappointed. 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.

Henry Cejudo celebrates his victory with two belts (Jeff Bottari, Zuffa LLC/Getty Images) Most people would call it adversity. But not Henry Cejudo. Looking overwhelmed and overmatched early in his UFC title fight against Marlon Moraes on Saturday night in Chicago, Cejudo did what he's done his entire life. He kept fighting. Cejudo's been an underdog since the day he was born as the son of undocumented immigrants from Mexico. He's a guy who grew up so poor he didn't often know where his next meal was coming from. Or if there would even be a meal. Falling behind against Moraes would've finished most fighters, but not the resilient and determined Cejudo. Cejudo made an incredible recovery, setting a fast pace and eventually wearing Moraes out with a relentless attack before the fight was stopped in the third round. Cejudo won the UFC bantamweight world title at 135 pounds to go with the UFC title he also owns in the flyweight class at 125 pounds. When he won his second UFC title Saturday night, it once again made me reflect back on Cejudo's wrestling career. As many of you know, Cejudo made a decision to step away from wrestling after winning the 2008 Olympic gold medal in men's freestyle at 55 kilograms. He was just 21 years old. Wrestlers weren't receiving the huge bonuses and paydays for winning the Olympics back then and that definitely factored into his decision to step away. He also has experienced tough weight cuts at the 2007 Pan American Games and 2008 Olympic Games to make 121 pounds. Cejudo eventually came back to wrestling at the 2012 Olympic Trials, but came up just short after losing an entertaining bout to world fifth-place finisher Nick Simmons. Cejudo hadn't trained and competed much at the time, but he still showed he had the same talent and ability he put on display in 2008. Who knows what would've happened if he would have remained committed for one more Olympic cycle? He certainly would've contended for Olympic gold in 2012. No question about that. But if Cejudo wins another Olympic gold medal in wrestling, maybe he never pursues a career in mixed martial arts. Who knows? The good news is that we still have an opportunity to watch him compete. And at a high level. Cejudo is 32 years old, but he looks as strong and explosive as ever. He's a dynamic athlete who still has lightning-quick speed. He has the total package for a mixed martial artist. He has excellent striking skills to go with his superior wrestling ability. One of the reasons he may look so good at age 32 is he didn't train and compete at a top level that much from age 21-25 during the 2009-12 Olympic cycle. That may have saved some wear and tear on his body. He's also very strong mentally. He knew he was in great shape and he was well aware he could use his high level of conditioning to his advantage Saturday night. He disclosed that he had suffered a serious ankle injury just before the bout, but he fought through it to prevail Saturday. One underrated part of Cejudo's repertoire is his toughness. He is as gritty and hard-nosed of a competitor as I've ever seen. And he has a tremendous work ethic. He also has that same confidence he's always had. He believes in his abilities and he trusts his coaches and his training. He's an intelligent person who knows exactly what he's doing. Cejudo has come up with a few interesting, and even offbeat, ways to market and promote himself outside the ring, but he is one of the most genuine, kind and considerate guys you will ever meet. He is a happy person who loves to smile and joke around. He is a charismatic guy who fans should rally around and support. He's a unique and tremendous talent. And his fights are exciting and highly entertaining. Why not embrace that? Shortly after his latest win, UFC president Dana White draped Cejudo's championship belts over each of his shoulders and he proclaimed himself "the greatest combat athlete of all-time." He didn't need to say it. Cejudo owns an Olympic gold medal in wrestling and two UFC world championship belts. That speaks for itself. Who else has a resume in combat sports that even comes close to that? Late Saturday night, Cejudo even talked about bumping up to 145 pounds to try and win a UFC title in a third different weight class. It may seem a little ambitious, but remember who we're talking about. The guy who excels in the underdog role. And who absolutely loves proving people wrong. When Cejudo was in high school, he wasn't dreaming about winning an Olympic gold medal. He was planning on doing it. Henry Cejudo is someone nobody should ever count out. His performance Saturday night once again was proof of that. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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