InterMat Staff

Gable Steveson dominated Tanner Hall at the World Team Trials (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) NEWTON, Iowa -- Incoming freshman, and No. 1 recruit, Gable Steveson has been named the Junior Dan Hodge Trophy winner by WIN magazine, an award given to the nation's top high school wrestler. Steveson is most recently coming off a World Team Trials appearance where he easily qualified for his second straight junior world team, a weight in which he earned an individual and team world championship, earning technical superiority victories on all of his opponents. Steveson also finished third in the senior level of the World Team Trials. During his high school career, Steveson has earned over 200 victories with just three losses, which ties him for the fewest losses by a state of Minnesota wrestler. The Apple Valley native pinned 30 of his 39 opponents during his senior campaign, earning his fourth straight Minnesota state title. Steveson is also leaves the prep scene with a 171-match winning streak. Steveson was also named Metro Wrestler of the Year by the Star Tribune and InterMat High School Wrestler of the Year in 2018. Steveson is set to join the Gophers in the 2018 season. Be sure to follow the Golden Gophers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so you do not miss any content for the remainder of the summer including U23, Final X and more.

The wrestling world lost a major figure Wednesday with the passing of French wrestler Daniel Robin. The only double Olympic silver medalist, Robin placed in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. He later coached, helped run the French Federation and then began involvement as a technical delegate for FILA and later United World Wrestling. He was the competition manager at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where he was also inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame. Robin has a number of accomplishments, but in getting to know him over the past few years it was his passion for the sport and its development that seemed to resonate with his coworkers. Being 74 years old and working around wrestling was certain to be tough on Robin, but he was full of life and went wire-to-wire with the young crew. Like many of you, I've found a few laughs (and possibly frustration) with wrestling's "dinosaurs of the mat" … but it's always important to remember how much they've served the interest of the sport in the past 40, 50 or 60 years. Continuity of tradition relies on figures like Robin and with his passing the sport mourns the loss of some of those untold stories and traditions. Link: Daniel Robin Obituary To your questions … Isaiah Martinez dominated at the U.S. Open and World Team Trials (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Q: Isaiah Martinez dominated at both the U.S. Open and World Team Trials. Now it's a big step up in class when he faces Jordan Burroughs at Final X. Do you think Imar vs. JB could be competitive at Final X? -- Mike C. Foley: Jordan Burroughs just beat Frank Chamizo, and while I think that Imar is a contender, he's facing a major uphill battle in taking on arguably the greatest freestyle wrestler in American history. I hope for tough, competitive matches and for Imar to show the brilliance we've all come to know from his NCAA days. One positive note is that Imar will have national team funding and be headed on a variety on international trips in 2018, including the World Championships. That type of exposure will mature his game quickly and give him a better representation of where he stands against the best talent in the world. Q: In two years, a 29-year-old David Taylor and 23-year-old Zahid Valencia could be on a collision course for the 86-kilogram Olympic spot. Will the age difference hurt David, and do you see Zahid potentially taking that spot? -- @RickMathern Foley: Man, you guys really smell blood in the water, huh?! I'm hesitant to get involved with anything Zahid-related after my total whiff on his outlook at the World Team Trials. Guy is a star and within a year or two there is every reason to think he can challenge for the 86-kilogram crown. Is 29 old? It might be older than the mean for all wrestlers who medaled in freestyle at the Olympic Games (27), but for bigger guys the shelf life seems to be extended. Maybe there are fewer challenges, or there is less twisting and turning to wear down the body? I don't know. Either way, I believe that David Taylor is ready now and will be ready for Zahid in 2020. But will Zahid be ready? Probably. Which makes this a compelling matchup. Q: Lots of stoppages this past weekend at the World Team Trials and many complaints that refs were too involved. Do you see that internationally or is that an American ref problem? -- @alliseeis_ Foley: Though any tournament will have a variety of officiating there did seem to be an uptick in the number of people who noticed the stoppages. There are a few reasons this might be the case. First, some officials are less experienced with freestyle and are calling the locked fingers with some gusto, along with finding other match-stopping opportunities to warn for passive wrestling. I tend to think this plays a center roll in the complaints lodged by fans this weekend. However, another reason might be new freestyle fans (or those making the transition from NCAA) who simply aren't familiar with seeing any referee stoppages. Contrast a high-level folkstyle match with the best officials with a massive freestyle tournament with a variety of levels and you are certain to get a difference. The third reason is that the American wrestlers might themselves have been earning a portion of the stoppages with "negative wrestling" which is now often called when one wrestler is seen as blocking action. The best example is locking fingers in freestyle and keeping your elbows in during Greco tie-ups. The international scene has also seen an overall uptick in stoppages, but as wrestlers realize interlocking fingers and other match-stalling techniques will result in penalties, there will likely be less. Q: Frank Molinaro was pretty upset after his World Team Trials final match against Jason Chamberlain. Frank was upset that Jason was just blocking and wasn't creating action at the end of the second period. Does freestyle have a penalty outside the shot clock for under 30 seconds in a match? Should they? -- @Michaeltendolle Foley: Negative wrestling should be called as caution and one point. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Sarah Hildebrandt interview Final X matchups My picks in bold … Lincoln, Neb., June 9 57 kg: Thomas Gilman vs. Daton Fix 70 kg: James Green vs. Jason Chamberlain 74 kg: Jordan Burroughs vs. Isaiah Martinez 97 kg: Kyle Snyder vs. Kyven Gadson 55 kg: Becka Leathers vs. Jacarra Winchester 59 kg: Alli Ragan vs. Jenna Burkert 68 kg: Tamyra Stock vs. Randyll Beltz State College, Pa., June 16 65 kg: Joey McKenna vs. Logan Stieber 79 kg: Kyle Dake vs. Zahid Valencia 86 kg: David Taylor vs. Nick Reenan 62 kg: Kayla Miracle vs. Mallory Velte 72 kg: Erin Clodgo vs. Rachel Watters 76 kg: Adeline Gray vs. Korinahe Bullock Bethlehem, Pa., June 23 61 kg: Joe Colon vs. Nahshon Garrett 92 kg: J'den Cox vs. Hayden Zillmer 125 kg: Nick Gwiazdowski vs. Adam Coon 50 kg: Whitney Conder vs. Victoria Anthony 53 kg: Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Haley Augello 57 kg: Helen Maroulis vs. Alex Hedrick 65 kg: Julia Salata vs. Forrest Molinari Jake Varner at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Jake Varner tested the waters this year at heavyweight. Do you think he will continue competing? -- Mike C. Foley: Maybe. No reason he shouldn't make another run in 2019. However, I don't see him beating Coon or Gwiz in the coming years. Q: With Tim Flynn leaving Edinboro for WVU, all Edinboro's top wrestlers transferring and Bruce Baumgartner leaving the Edinboro athletic department, I'm a little concerned about the program's future. Is Edinboro's program at risk of being dropped? -- Mike C. Foley: I asked around and nobody told me anything concrete, but with these transfers it's obvious that things are not trending well. Let's see how new head coach Matt Hill faces the adversity and if the PSAC schools like Lock Haven can continue their positive trend. Q: What's your current mile time? -- @laughstu Foley: Best ever was 5:15 in college. Today is unknown, but I'm guessing my over/under is 7 minutes flat. Ask Muir. Q: What Final X matchup in women's wrestling intrigues you the most? -- Mike C. Foley: As you know, I'm a big fan of the women's program. There are a few good matchups, including Victoria Anthony and Whitney Conder. For me the can't-miss match will be at 53 kilograms with Sarah Hildebrandt and Haley Augello. Hildebrandt won the Ukraine tournament this year as well as the Pan American Championships. She took third at Klippan. Augello was the 2016 Olympian at 48 kilograms as well as the World Team member in 2017. Hildebrandt won their first matchup, but expect a new look Haley, who has been training in North Carolina with Tony Ramos and Coleman Scott. Soslan Ramonov celebrates with Russian fans after winning Olympic gold in Rio (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Any word on Soslan Ramonov for this cycle? How have the Belarus women taken such great strides recently? -- @bloodround Foley: Ramonov just wrestled 70 kilograms at the World Military Games and came away with a gold medal. When asked about the weight, the Russian Olympic champion said he was looking forward to the weight changes being reversed. That won't happen, so the question really becomes where he will work to put himself into the Russian lineup. His best bet may be to go up to 74 kilograms since it's only an extra 4 kilograms off his normal weight and would allow him to add strength and stay healthy. Interesting if Ramonov chose to stay down since the same day weigh-in would seem to help him more than almost any wrestler in the world. As for the Belarussians, they've always been pretty well-coached, but I think that they saw a budget increase during the last Olympic cycle because they are suddenly at every camp and competition. With the 2019 European Games set for Minsk the government is no doubt pouring money into the sports where the host nation is successful. Let's see if they show up for the China Open and Mongolia Open next month.

Girls within the state of Arizona will now have their own wrestling tournaments, including a separate state championship, effective this next school year. The Executive Board of the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) -- the organization which governs high school sports in Arizona -- has approved girls' wrestling as an emerging sport for the 2018-19 school year. "Girls may continue to compete on a boys' team but will also have opportunities to wrestle at all-girl invitationals/jamborees," according to the AIA announcement. "There will be an end-of-season individual tournament run in conjunction with the boys' state wrestling tournament; weight classes to be determined at a later date." "This is a positive move for the AIA and for all the female wrestlers throughout the state. It's another opportunity for student-athletes to compete, which will also help the sport grow," said AIA Executive Director David Hines. "Girls wrestling is also becoming an emerging sport at the NCAA level, which means there will be scholarship opportunities." According to the National Federation of High Schools, 343 girls participated in high school wrestling in Arizona in 2016-17, with 93 schools claiming at least one female wrestler. Nationwide, opportunities for young women to wrestle are expanding at both the high school and collegiate levels. In fact, Arizona joins a growing list of states that will offer separate wrestling competition for high school girls. In recent weeks, Missouri, Colorado, Georgia and Oregon had all announced the sanctioning of girls wrestling within their states as of the 2018-19 school year. Twenty years ago, Hawaii was the first to add separate girls' competitions to their roster of official high school sports. In subsequent years, the Aloha State was joined by Alaska, California, Texas and Washington as offering girls wrestling at the high school level.

South Dakota State University wrestling coach Damion Hahn announced Thursday the hiring of Cam Simaz as an assistant coach. Cam Simaz"I am thrilled to have Cam Simaz join the Jackrabbit wrestling coaching staff," Hahn said. "I had the pleasure of coaching Cam during his successful collegiate career at Cornell and am keenly aware of his work ethic and leadership abilities. He possesses the qualities that fit the vision of the program and I know he will make an immediate impact." Simaz (pronounced CY-mazz) most recently served as director of the West Point Wrestling Club Regional Training Center and associate head coach of the United States Military Academy Preparatory School wrestling team. His USMAPS team completed an undefeated dual season during the 2017-18 campaign and won three open tournament titles. Three of his wrestlers went on to earn All-America honors at the National Collegiate Open. Prior to his position at West Point, Simaz coached for two years with the Wildcat Wrestling Club in Evanston, Illinois, while also pursuing a business career in Chicago. He also gained coaching experience with the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club in Ithaca, New York, by serving as a regional training center coach. "Cam has been very influential in the development of student-athletes at West Point and at his prior positions," Hahn continued. "His experience with the Regional Training Center will greatly benefit our efforts of growing our RTC here at South Dakota State University." As a collegiate wrestler, Simaz earned All-America honors four times at Cornell, including winning a national title at 197 pounds as a senior in 2012 after runner-up finishes the previous two seasons. With Simaz in the lineup, the Big Red finished in the top five at the NCAA Championships all four seasons. A native of Allegan, Michigan, Simaz earned first-team all-Ivy League honors four times, won four Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association individual titles and was a three-time all-academic selection. He was inducted into the EIWA Hall of Fame earlier this year and also is a member of the Michigan Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Cadet world champ Aaron Brooks will look to make an impact at the Junior World Championships (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) The United States is king right now in men's freestyle wrestling. The U.S. captured the team title at the 2017 World Championships and the 2018 World Cup on the Senior level. And the Americans earned the title at last year's Junior World Championships, edging Russia for the gold trophy. The United States is thriving internationally right now and that trend is continuing this season. The U.S. Junior World Team turned in a tremendous performance last summer, collecting medals in seven of eight weight classes en route to the title. Americans Daton Fix, Mark Hall and Gable Steveson won Junior world titles, Zahid Valencia, Mitch McKee and Ryan Deakin earned silver medals and Kollin Moore a bronze medal for the loaded American team. It was a star-studded group. Fix, Steveson and Valencia have all tested the waters at the Senior level this season. Fix and Valencia have reached the Final X and are one step away from qualifying for October's Senior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Steveson came up short in his bid to reach the Final X, but he still showed why he is a star of the future of the U.S. He is right there with the best Senior-level guys in the country. The good news is that Steveson, who just finished high school and signed with the University of Minnesota, is back on the Junior World Team again this year at heavyweight. Gable Steveson is a three-time world champion (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Steveson is a tremendous young prospect with a huge upside at the collegiate and international levels. He is very advanced for his age. He also is a two-time Cadet world champion who obviously knows how to perform when the stakes are high. He will be heavily favored to repeat as gold medalist at Junior Worlds. Fix could still wrestle at the Junior World Championships. He is eligible to request a wrestle-off against Junior World Team Trials champion Brandon Courtney for the Junior World Team spot at 57 kilograms. Fix earned that right as a returning Junior world medalist and top-three finisher at the U.S. Senior Open. That wrestle-off would be after the Final X. For now, Steveson is the lone medalist back on the Junior World Team. But that doesn't mean the U.S. can't still make a big impact at September's Junior World Championships in Slovakia. Making a Junior world freestyle team in the U.S. is never easy and this year's squad looks capable of turning in a strong performance. There are now 10 weight classes instead of eight for the Junior World Championships. The U.S. team includes Austin Gomez (61 kilograms), Dominick Demas (65 kilograms), Brady Berge (70 kilograms), Mekhi Lewis (74 kilograms), Aaron Brooks (79 kilograms), Lou DePrez (86 kilograms), Jacob Warner (92 kilograms), Daniel (Greg) Kerkvliet (97 kilograms) and Steveson (125 kilograms). Courtney or Fix will be the entry at 57 kilograms. Brooks is a Cadet world champion who has the capability to be one of the next big standouts for the thriving U.S. program. Brooks is another guy who is extremely advanced for his age. He has made significant strides while training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Warner, coming off a redshirt year at the University of Iowa, definitely looks like a guy who could contend for a gold medal. Warner won a Cadet world bronze medal in 2016. He's a tough, hard-nosed, driven wrestler who can put a lot of points on the board. Warner will make a big impact on the collegiate scene next season. Another young star on the Junior World Team is Kerkvliet, who powered to a Cadet world championship last year in Athens, Greece. Kerkvliet rolled past the competition at the Junior World Team Trials. Austin Gomez topped Vitali Arujau to make the Juniro World Team (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Gomez, who redshirted at Iowa State, is another wrestler who could be a medal contender in Slovakia. Gomez is a past Cadet World Team member. He swept 2016 Cadet world silver medalist Vitali Arujau in the best-of-three series in the finals of the Junior World Team Trials. Gomez is an aggressive wrestler who scored a combined 26 points in his two finals bouts. Demas is another talented young wrestler. He made the Junior World Team in Greco-Roman last year. He is a versatile and athletic performer who was dominant at the Junior World Team Trials. The U.S. features another young standout at 70 kilograms in Berge, a past Cadet World Team member. Competing for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, Berge outlasted Austin O'Connor in a wild and entertaining three-match finals series at the Trials. Berge has the potential to do well at his first Junior Worlds. Lewis, who redshirted at Virginia Tech this past season, also was dominant at the Junior World Team Trials in a tough weight class. Lewis is new to freestyle and has developed with training with Hokies assistant coach Jared Frayer, a 2012 Olympian. DePrez looked strong as well with an impressive showing that landed him a trip to Slovakia. This U.S. Junior World Team may not have quite as much firepower as last year's team. It would take an outstanding performance to match what the 2017 squad did. Last year's team was loaded, but it had its share of surprises as well. This year's team definitely has the firepower, talent and the potential to win its share of matches and medals at the Junior World Championships. The Junior Worlds traditionally feature an abundance of high-level wrestling and has traditionally set the stage for future successes on the Senior level. 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.

Cody Brewer EVANSTON, Ill. -- After helping lead 125-pounder Sebastian Rivera to his first-career All-American honor, Cody Brewer has been promoted to assistant coach, head coach Matt Storniolo announced Wednesday. Brewer had spent the previous two seasons as the volunteer assistant coach for the Wildcats, working primarily with the lightweight wrestlers. "Cody has done a phenomenal job the past two seasons and has more than earned than earned this promotion," said Storniolo. "His devotion to Northwestern and our student-athletes is second-to-none. Cody is already one of the nation's best lightweight coaches, and in this new position he will make an immediate impact in recruiting." In Rivera's sterling 2017-18 campaign, he finished with a 31-8 record, sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, and a fifth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. He led the Wildcats with five technical falls and 12 major decisions. Brewer also helped hone 133-pounder Colin Valdiviez, who had a promising true first-year season for Northwestern in the 2017-18 campaign. Valdiviez reached the NCAA Championships and posted two ranked wins in Cleveland, Ohio, including one over No. 13 Korbin Myers (Edinboro). Brewer, who was a 2015 National Champion with Oklahoma, replaces Mike McMullan on the Northwestern coaching staff, who has left coaching. At Oklahoma, Brewer was a two-time Big 12 Champion and a two-time All-Big 12 Academic First Team member. He was a conference finalist in each of his four years and finished his career with a 95-22 record. Sixty-eight of those wins came by bonus-point decision.

Greg Urbas There's a changing of the guard at the top of one of the nation's top high school wrestling programs, as St. Edward High School has announced the retirement of head coach Greg Urbas ... with John Heffernan to take the helm, the Cleveland-area school announced Wednesday. "Greg Urbas is a man of incredible character, integrity and wisdom," said Jim Kubacki, St. Edward President. "He is the model for generations of students for living a life rooted in faith, genuine relationships, and a commitment to service. It is a privilege to have Coach Urbas as a colleague. He is a true servant leader. The excellence he has achieved speaks for itself." The stats back up that sentiment. In his 29 years as the head wrestling coach at St. Edward, Urbas has been one of the most decorated and most successful scholastic coaches in the United States in any sport. He has coached 76 individual Ohio state champions, and is able to claim at least one NCAA All-American wrestler in each of the past 35 years. In terms of team accomplishments under Urbas' guidance… St. Edward teams won 4 national championships, 24 state championships, 25 district championships and 29 sectional championships. In March, St. Edward won its fourth straight Division I team title -- and the seventh in nine years -- at the Ohio high school state wrestling championships in Columbus. It was the 32nd team championship for the Eagles, a feat no other school in Ohio can claim. St. Edward just concluded the 2017-18 season ranked No. 8 in high schools nationwide by InterMat, with three individual St. Ed wrestlers also earning spots in weight-by-weight rankings. John Heffernan (Photo/Sam Janicki) Taking the helm upon Urbas' retirement will be his long-time assistant, John Heffernan. A 1984 graduate of St. Edward, Heffernan completed his career as an Eagle with an Ohio individual wrestling state championship as a senior year. Heffernan then headed west on I-80 to the University of Iowa, where he was a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler for the Hawkeyes. He has been an assistant coach at St. Edward since 1991 and was recently named the 2017-2018 Scholastic Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. "John is the heart and soul of St. Ed's Wrestling," said Urbas. "As head coach, he will ensure that our student-athletes continue to compete at the highest levels and represent the best of St. Edward High School." Urbas, who in addition to coaching wrestling has also taught math, will continue to serve as a math tutor and assist the wrestling program in various ways. Here's how the school hinted at Urbas' future role with St. Ed on its Twitter account midday Wednesday: "Coach Urbas is and always will continue to be a big part of the St Ed's program. Not a better leader or role model. Thank you Coach for everything you do and will continue to do for St Ed's." St. Edward High School is private, all-male Catholic, college-prep high school located in Lakewood, Ohio immediately west of Cleveland. It was founded in 1949 and is operated in the Holy Cross tradition by the Midwest Province of the Brothers of Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Indiana. It has an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students.

OTTAWA, Kan. -- Ottawa University Director of Athletics, Arabie Conner, is pleased to announce the hiring of Colby Crank as the new head men's wrestling coach. "We believe Coach Crank is an outstanding addition to the Braves wrestling program given his history of success in wrestling and his contagious enthusiasm," said Connor. "He is a Kansas native who has strong ties to the wrestling community both as a competitor and now as a coach. He is highly relatable to student-athletes and we expect his positive energy will create a great student experience and bring much success to our program as we continue to build it." Colby CrankBefore coming to OU, Crank was an assistant coach with the men's wrestling program at Barton Community College in Great Bend, Kan. He made a quick and immediate impact as he helped the Cougars improve from a ranking of 24th to a final ranking of 9th in the NJCAA National Rankings. Additionally, he helped lead the Cougars to a top five finish at national duals, coached nine national qualifiers and three NJCAA All-Americans, including no. 1 Kade Sander in the 157 pound weight class. Sander was the first national champion in BCC program history. Prior to coaching at BCC, Crank was an assistant coach at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan. Crank helped the Wildcats to a top four finish at national duals, coached six NAIA national qualifiers and two NAIA All-Americans. "I would like to thank Ottawa University and the administration for believing in my vision for the program and allowing me to come on board," said Crank. "Wrestling has been a huge part of my life since I was five years old, and to be able to stay involved in this sport, especially in this capacity, means the world to me. Through my time in the sport, I have met many incredible individuals who have helped mold me, and I look forward to carrying that torch in helping these young men on their journeys, both on and off the mat. Coaching is something I am truly passionate about and through the University's support and belief I know we can build something very special. I am excited to get to work!" A highly accomplished wrestler, Crank was a four-time NAIA All-American and a two time national finalist. In his collegiate career, Crank had more than 100 wins and was named to the NWCA All-Academic Team four-times. He was a three-time NAIA All-American at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kan., where he was the first NAIA men's wrestling All-American and national finalist in program history. Crank attended Baker University his senior season and was a 2016 NAIA National Champion in the 157 pound weight class. He defeated No. 2 ranked Grant Henderson of Grand View University in the national championship match with a 4-3 decision. Crank was named KWCA Senior College Wrestler of the Year. He graduated from Baker University with a double major in business management and psychology and was a four-time academic All-American and two-time academic national finalist. Crank is a native of Hutchinson, Kan., where he was a three-time Kansas State Tournament wrestling medal winner. Twice, he was a finalist at the state tournament and won the state championship as a senior. He begins his coaching duties immediately.

Cody Walters (Photo/Chris Mora, Tech-Fall.com) West Virginia University wrestling has added Cody Walters as a volunteer assistant coach, and Amanda Mitchell as a graduate assistant, the Morgantown, W.Va. school announced this week. The Mountaineer mat program announced Walters' hiring on Twitter Tuesday: "Cody Walters comes to West Virginia following a two-year assistant position at Gardner-Webb. He was a 3X MAC Champion, 4X NCAA Qualifier and 2X All-American at Ohio University. AND NOW, let's give a big Mountaineer welcome to our new volunteer assistant! #HailWV" Walters confirmed the news with a follow-up tweet of his own later that morning: "I'm very excited to officially announce that I've accepted the volunteer coaching position at West Virginia University. I am grateful for my time at Gardner-Webb University, I wish the Bulldogs nothing but the best! Big things are coming in Morgantown, WV. Go Mountaineers!!" For the past two seasons, Walters had served as an assistant coach for the wrestling program at Gardner-Webb University, a four-year NCAA Division I school located in Boiling Springs, N.C. Prior to launching his coaching career at GWU, Walters wrestled at Ohio University in Athens, where he was a three-time Mid-American Conference champion at 174 pounds and was named MAC Freshman of the year in 2013. A four-time NCAA Division I qualifier for the Ohio Bobcats, Walters twice earned NCAA All-American honors, placing eighth at 174 at the 2013 NCAAs, and seventh at the 2016 NCAAs. While with the Bobcats, Walters also served as a clinician at a number of high school and collegiate summer wrestling camps as well. Cody Walters first made a name for himself on the wrestling mats at St. Peter Chanel High School in suburban Cleveland. It was there that Walters won the Ohio Division III high school state title at 160 pounds in 2011, compiling an impressive overall record of 171-21. Amanda Mitchell also has deep roots in wrestling, as part of a wrestling family ... as a competitor ... and in her being a member of the wrestling staff at Central Michigan University. Amanda MitchellA native of Michigan, Mitchell told Ken Kinder of BlueGoldNews.com, "I grew up in a wrestling family. My dad was the coach and program coordinator of wrestling clubs in Ovid-Elsie, and I spent all my time there at those practices. My first steps came on a wrestling mat." All that time in the wrestling room led Mitchell to take up the oldest and greatest sport herself, participating in youth leagues growing up. Amanda Mitchell's passion for wrestling continued in college as a student at Central Michigan University, a Mid-American Conference school in Mt Pleasant, Mich. Working with head coach Tom Borrelli, Mitchell compiled statistics on Chippewa wrestlers and recruits as well as helping to organize and market CMU summer wrestling camps. In addition, Mitchell has completed internships with USA Wrestling and with the Laingsburg High School athletic department. In addition to serving similar functions for the Mountaineer mat program effective June 1, Mitchell will be pursuing her Master's degree in sport administration. Cody Walters and Amanda Mitchell are the latest additions to the new-look West Virginia wrestling program, started with the hiring of Tim Flynn -- long-time head coach at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania -- to head up the Mountaineer mat program on April 10 ... followed one week later with Flynn's announcement of his selection of Cliff Moore as assistant head coach, and Mitchell Port as assistant coach.

Isaac Jordan coaching at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University wrestling head coach Angel Escobedo announced Tuesday the addition of Isaac Jordan to his coaching staff. Jordan, a four-time NCAA All-American and two-time Big Ten Champion, joins the Hoosiers as an assistant coach. "I am excited to have Isaac join the program," Escobedo said after the announcement. "When I was looking for an assistant coach, I wanted a high level wrestler with outstanding integrity and character. Isaac brings all those attributes to the program and will be a great mentor for our athletes to look up to." Prior to becoming the newest assistant coach to join Escobedo's room, Jordan served as an assistant at Oklahoma State during the 2017-18 season. The Cowboys, with Jordan's assistance, guided four wrestlers to the All-America podium last season including Chandler Rogers (8th at 165 lbs.) and Jacobe Smith (8th at 174 lbs.). "I'd like to thank coach Escobedo for the opportunity to come back to the Big Ten Conference," Jordan said. "I'm looking forward to building something special here in Bloomington." During his four varsity seasons at the University of Wisconsin, Jordan was among the best at his weight. Jordan posted a 115-17 career record in the Badger singlet with an outstanding 29-1 mark on his way to a runner-up finish in the 2016 NCAA Championships. He became the fifth four-time All-American in Wisconsin's history and his winning percentage (.871) ranks sixth in the program's record books. Jordan earned a fourth-place NCAA finish his senior year and took seventh-place in 2014 (157 lbs.) and 2015 (165 lbs.). Jordan's appointment marks a return of one of the Big Ten's best grapplers of this decade. He won back-to-back Big Ten Championships at 165 lbs. in 2015 and 2016 and posted a remarkable 33-1 career record in conference dual meets. Jordan went undefeated in Big Ten duals for the first three varsity seasons of his career. "The Big Ten is the premier conference in wrestling and I'm excited to be at a place like Indiana, because I can see the potential in the room and the excitement around the program right now," Jordan said. Throughout his four varsity seasons on the mat, Jordan never left the top-10 of the national rankings, climbing as high as No. 2 in all four years. He posted a 41-13 career record against ranked opponents. Hailing from Urbana, Ohio, and a product of the revered wrestling program at St. Paris Graham, Jordan graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2017 with a Bachelor's Degree from the Department of Life Sciences Communication, with a certificate in Entrepreneurship.

Missouri has joined the roster of states to approve the establishment of a separate competition for girl wrestlers. The Missouri State High School Activities Association has approved a state-sanctioned wrestling tournament for girls, beginning in the 2018-19 school year. The MSHSAA officially approved the action to amend existing by-laws "to separate the currently co-educational sport of wrestling into sex-segregated wrestling for both boys and girls" by a substantial margin -- 202-41. There's already significant interest in "the oldest and greatest sport" among high school girls in Missouri. KSDK-TV, the NBC affiliate in St. Louis, reports that more than 100 schools in the Show-Me State already have at least one girl on their wrestling team… with an estimate of at least 400 young women wrestlers already within the state. At least one school, Warrensburg High just outside Kansas City, has taken advantage of the MSHSAA decision by announcing the establishment of a separate girl's wrestling program to go along with the already-established wrestling team for boys. Keith Chapman, Activities Director at Warrensburg High, told the school board that the state was going to give girls wrestling a four-year trial period, then re-assess afterwards with the hope that it becomes a permanent offering. "It's a big leap from the state," Chapman told the Daily Star Journal. "They think that this is a sport that will grow quickly." "I think it's good for the sport," said Warrensburg head wrestling coach Jeff Brown, who will now be responsible for both boys' and girls' teams. "It just gives girls another opportunity." "I'm going to guess I'll have five or six girls come out next year, then it will probably double the year after that," he said. Missouri joins a growing list of states that offer separate wrestling competition for high school girls. Currently, Alaska, California, Hawaii, Texas and Washington offer girls' wrestling… with Colorado, Georgia and Oregon -- and now Missouri -- announcing the establishment of girls' wrestling for the upcoming 2018-19 school year.

These kids are all right. More than all right. Daton Fix, Zahid Valencia and Nick Reenan are all still in college, but that didn't stop the talented young trio from earning titles at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament on Sunday in Rochester, Minn. They were among 10 wrestlers who moved within one step of making the 2018 U.S. world team in men's freestyle wrestling. Champions from Rochester advance to next month's Final X, which will determine who represents the U.S. at the World Championships this fall in Budapest, Hungary. The Americans are the reigning world team champions. The Final X will be split into three locations: June 9 in Lincoln, Neb., June 16 in State College, Pa. and June 23 in Bethlehem, Pa. Here are 10 takeaways from the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in men's freestyle: 10. Nahshon hitting his stride Nahshon Garrett turned in one of the most dominant showings in the best-of-3 finals in Rochester. He outscored Nico Megaludis by a combined 21-0 score in a matchup of past NCAA champions at 61 kilograms. Garrett is a gifted wrestler with a big arsenal on his feet that translates well to freestyle. Don't expect any 2-1 or 3-2 matches when Garrett faces veteran Joe Colon in the Final X in Bethlehem. Colon rallied for a wild 20-13 win over Garrett in the U.S. Open finals this year. Their Final X matches should be some of the most entertaining of any that determine a world team spot. Nick Reenan defeated Richard Perry to advance to Final X (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) 9. In the Nick of time Nick Reenan still has three years of eligibility left for North Carolina State, but that didn't prevent him from winning the tournament at 86 kilograms. Reenan swept veteran Richard Perry to land a spot in the Final X against David Taylor, who has had an outstanding last two years in freestyle. Reenan is just 21 years old, and he will face a tall task in trying to knock off Taylor on his home mat in State College, but he's a guy who definitely has a bright future ahead. Reenan has made U.S. Cadet and Junior world teams in Greco-Roman wrestling. He's very good at all three styles and will be a force when he returns to the collegiate mats next winter. 8. Don't count out Zillmer Hayden Zillmer is tough, hard-nosed and will make his opponents work. He is now thriving in freestyle after initially looking like a top prospect in Greco-Roman wrestling. Zillmer continued his rapid progression by downing Deron Winn in two straight bouts to prevail at 92 kilograms in Rochester. The Minnesota native, backed by a vocal home state crowd, stormed back and rallied for a 9-7 win in the second match. Zillmer now advances to face J'den Cox, an Olympic and world medalist, in the Final X in Bethlehem. Cox has been solid after moving up to the new weight class of 92 kilograms this year, but Zillmer will provide a stern test for him. Jason Chamberlain won the World Team Trials after winning the U.S. Open (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) 7. Chamberlain looks to play spoiler role James Green has become a fixture on the U.S. world team, earning silver and bronze medals. Green will be favored to make another team when he competes in the Final X in his backyard in Lincoln, but he will face a tough and savvy foe in Jason Chamberlain. Chamberlain won a gritty, three-match battle with Olympic fifth-place finisher Frank Molinaro to land a berth in the Final X. Chamberlain is a strong freestyler who will be ready to battle Green. This could be the year for Green at 70 kilograms with Italy's Frank Chamizo bumping up to 74 kilograms this year. 6. Can Gadson close gap on Snyder? Kyven Gadson is an excellent freestyle wrestler who has transitioned well to the Senior level. Gadson bounced back from the U.S. Open with a strong performance to land a Final X berth against Kyle Snyder in Lincoln. Gadson is the last wrestler to beat Snyder on a big stage after his dramatic NCAA finals pin in 2015. But since that match, Snyder has won an Olympic gold medal, two world titles and three NCAA titles. Gadson has the ability to make a run at a world medal on the Senior level, but he will face an extremely tough challenge against Snyder. Gadson is one of the few people who owns a big win against him, but that was three-plus years ago. 5. Imar ready for shot at Burroughs Isaiah Martinez is ready to battle Jordan Burroughs. And why not? Burroughs is an established star with an Olympic gold medal and four world titles on his legendary resume. Martinez is an up-and-coming star in the U.S. with a huge upside in freestyle wrestling. The explosive Martinez turned in a dominating performance to land a shot at Burroughs in the Final X on Burroughs' home mat in Lincoln. Martinez has nothing to lose, so why not let it fly? If he does, there could be plenty of fireworks in a battle of talented competitors at the Devaney Center on June 9. 4. Coon still going strong Adam Coon's quest to make his first Senior world team continues to gain momentum. Coon swept two-time NCAA champion Tony Nelson to land a spot in the Final X against 2017 world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski. They will meet in Bethlehem. Coon also is trying to make the Greco-Roman world team at heavyweight this year. Coon is a powerful, driven and versatile performer who can't be counted out in his bid to earn a trip to Budapest. Coon has medaled at the Cadet and Junior levels, and he could be on the brink of reaching the medal podium at the Senior level. He's a massive wrestler at 6-foot-5 who also wrestles at a high pace for a big man. Good luck trying to wear him down. Gwiazdowski is more athletic and has a better offense than Coon, making for an intriguing matchup. Logan Stieber topped Jaydin Eierman in the finals (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) 3. Logan back on track It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for Logan Stieber after he bumped up a weight class to 65 kilograms this season. But Stieber, a 2016 world champion at 61 kilograms, is closing in on making his third straight world team. Stieber bounced back from a U.S. Open loss to Jaydin Eierman to sweep Eierman in the challenge tournament finals in Minnesota. Stieber owns a win over three-time world champion Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan this season. Stieber now advances to face Joey McKenna in the Final X finals in State College. Both train in the same room at Ohio State, where McKenna has one season left in his All-American career. McKenna and Stieber are Junior world silver medalists. 2. Zahid is for real Zahid Valencia just finished his sophomore season by winning an NCAA title for Arizona State. But he didn't stop there. The 20-year-old Valencia earned a stunning sweep over three-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer in a battle of past world silver medalists in the 79-kilogram finals. Valencia looked very sharp in controlling both matches against an excellent wrestler in Dieringer. Valencia prevailed 7-0 and 5-1 in the finals. Valencia is a rising star who just simply keeps improving. He may need to take his game up another level to knock off Kyle Dake, who looks like a world title contender, when they meet in the Final X in State College. Those Dake-Valencia matches should be enjoyable to watch. Dake edged Dieringer 5-5 on criteria in the U.S. Open finals. Daton Fix defeated Tony Ramos to earn a spot in Final X (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) 1. You can't spell Final X without Fix It wasn't supposed to happen this early for Daton Fix. He just turned 20 and still hasn't wrestled his first official collegiate match. But the ultra-confident Fix looked every bit like a savvy Senior-level wrestler when he swept two-time world team member Tony Ramos in two straight matches in the 57-kilogram finals in Minnesota. Ramos edged Fix to win the U.S. Open last month. Fix is no stranger to freestyle success. He won Cadet and Junior world medals before capturing a Junior world championship last year. Fix is very slick and skilled on his feet and isn't afraid of anybody. 2017 world silver medalist Thomas Gilman will have his hands full when he meets Fix in the Final X finals in Lincoln. Fix is definitely capable of making his first Senior world team this year. 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.

Former University of Wisconsin wrestler Travis Rutt will be joining the coaching staff of the wrestling program at Rochester Community and Technical College, The Guillotine -- the publication that covers wrestling in the state of Minnesota -- reported Sunday. Travis RuttRutt, a native of New Prague, Minn., brings extensive experience as a wrestler and coach to his new position at the school located in city that also houses the world-famous Mayo Clinic. Among Rutt's accomplishments as a Badger wrestler: a 2010 champion at the Midlands post-Christmas tournament, a three-time NCAA championships qualifier and 2011 NCAA All-American, and NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) Academic All-American. After graduating from Wisconsin, Rutt launched a varied and successful career in strength and conditioning coaching. For the past three seasons, Rutt served as strength and conditioning coach at the University of Iowa. He had also worked at Augsburg College, University of Minnesota, and University of Oklahoma. Randy Rager, head wrestling coach at RCTC for the past 13 seasons, is thrilled to welcome the Minnesota native to his coaching staff. "I am very excited to have Travis with our program next season," Rager told The Guillotine. "He brings a wealth of knowledge and is very well-respected in the wrestling community. I know that he will have an immediate impact on our program." Rochester Community and Technical College is a public, two-year school located in Rochester, Minn. in the southeast part of the state. Founded in 1915, RCTC has an enrollment of approximately 8,000 students. The Yellowjackets wrestling program competes in the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) and the Minnesota College Athletic Conference.

Sean Russell was a runner-up at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational this past season (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Sean Russell, a three-time EWL champion and 2017 All-American, announced on Twitter that he is transferring from Edinboro to Minnesota. "Psyched to announce I will be finishing my academic and athletic career at the University of Minnesota!" Russell tweeted. "Thank you so much to my support system for all you have done for me. I would also like to thank @edinborou for a great 4 years." Russell's head coach at Edinboro, Tim Flynn, accepted the head coaching position at West Virginia University on April 10. Russell, a native of Lawrenceville, Ga., finished this past season with a record of 34-7 at 125 pounds. He was a runner-up at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and placed fifth at the Midlands Championships. In 21017, Russell became an All-American with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. He was named PSAC Wrestler of the Year in 2017. He's expected to compete at 125 for the Gophers in his final season of eligibility, while two-time All-American Ethan Lizak will move up to 133 pounds.

Zahid Valencia dominated Alex Dieringer to advance to Final X (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Two months after capping an undefeated collegiate season with an NCAA title, Zahid Valencia punched his ticket to Final X. Valencia tore through the U.S. World Team Trials at 79 kilograms. After a 10-0 semifinal victory over Josh Asper on Saturday, Valencia dominated Alex Dieringer two matches to 0 on Sunday afternoon. Valencia won the first match 7-1 and followed it up with a 5-0 shutout victory. "I just love freestyle," said Valencia. "I think it's my sport. I just went to the wrestling room every day, working on little things. I already knew my shots were there. Just having my coaches on me … my conditioning was probably the main factor on why I was able to pull away." Valencia, a Junior world silver medalist last year, will face Kyle Dake at Final X. "I think Dieringer and Dake are somewhat similar," said Valencia. "If you take 100 shots, hopefully at least five land." Four wrestlers avenged U.S. Open losses to advance to Final X: Daton Fix (57 kilograms), Logan Stieber (65 kilograms), Nick Reenan (86 kilograms) and Kyven Gadson (97 kilograms). Daton Fix advanced to Final X at 57 kilograms (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Fix, a 2017 Junior world champion, avenged his U.S. Open finals loss by beating Tony Ramos in the finals at 57 kilograms. Fix controlled the first match, winning 4-1 on the strength of a takedown, step out point and passivity point. In the second match, Fix used an inside trip in the first period to score four points and then scored with gut wrench to take a 7-0 lead into the break. He would add a late takedown and win 10-3. Fix remained confident after his loss at the U.S. Open and just focused on improving, specifically his leg attacks. "There are always areas we can improve," said Fix. "The room I'm in, that's one thing I can get really good at … is leg attacks." The 20-year-old Fix will now face returning world silver medalist Thomas Gilman at Final X on June 9 in Lincoln, Neb. Logan Stieber avenged his U.S. Open loss to Jaydin Eierman (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Stieber, a 2016 world champion, bounced back from a loss at the U.S. Open to earn a spot in Final X at 65 kilograms. In the finals, Stieber avenged his U.S. Open loss to Jaydin Eierman, beating the Missouri Tiger two matches to zero. In the first match, Eierman jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Stieber battled back to win 10-5. Stieber cruised to a 7-1 victory in the second match. His Final X opponent will be his Ohio RTC teammate Joey McKenna, a U.S. Open champion and past Junior world silver medalist. "He's helped me a lot," Stieber said of McKenna. "I think I've helped him a lot. It will be fun. We'll wrestle hard. We'll be friends before, we'll be friends afterwards. It's going to be fun and exciting for Ohio State." Nick Reenan defeated Richard Perry (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Reenan avenged his only U.S. Open loss by topping Richard Perry in the finals at 86 kilograms. Reenan, who is coming off a redshirt season at NC State, won in two straight matches by scores of 4-2 and 6-3. "I just listened to my coaches more," Reenan said of his preparation for the World Team Trials. "They know what they are talking about. It's a great place to train so I've just been going to all the practices making sure I'm doing everything right, trying to get my body right." He will meet U.S. Open champion David Taylor in Final X. Gadson rebounded from a third-place finish at the U.S. Open to advance to Final X at 97 kilograms by avenging a loss to U.S. Open champion Austin Schafer. Gadson won 8-1 in the opening match, a match in which Schafer suffered an injury. The former Cowboy was forced to default in the second match, giving Gadson the victory. "I felt like I wrestled good," said Gadson. "I thought I got to my offense early and often, and I think that's something I'm going to definitely have to do June 9." The former Iowa State NCAA champion will face Olympic champion Kyle Snyder at Final X. Gadson pinned Snyder, a true freshman at the time, to win his NCAA title. "Obviously, Kyle is a tough competitor," said Gadson. "To make the World Team that's who I have to beat. It's another competitor to get to the World Championships." Nahshon Garrett dominated Nico Megaludis at 61 kilograms (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) At 61 kilograms, Nahshon Garrett, a runner-up at the U.S. Open, advanced to Final X by dominating Nico Megaludis two matches to zero. Garrett, who trains in Tempe, Ariz., took the first match 11-0, and then closed out the victory with another shutout win, 10-0. Garrett topped 2018 NCAA champion Seth Gross in the semifinals on Saturday. He will meet Joe Colon at Final X in rematch of the U.S. Open finals won by Colon. Isaiah Martinez, a two-time NCAA champion and four-time NCAA finalist for Illinois, secured his spot in Final X by rolling to consecutive victories over Nazar Kulchytskyy at 74 kilograms. Both victories by Martinez were by identical scores of 13-2. He will face Olympic champion and multiple-time world champion Jordan Burroughs at Final X. "Who wouldn't want to be in my position? I'm 23 years old," said Martinez. "I'm starting to come into my own in freestyle. I'm getting real confident. I believe I can be the best. I'm just excited for the opportunity." Hayden Zillmer topped Deron Winn to advance to Final X (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Top-seeded Hayden Zillmer, a Minnesota native, advanced to Final X at 92 kilograms in front of his home crowd. He defeated Deron Winn two matches to zero, coming from behind in both matches. In the final match, Zillmer trailed 7-3 late, but mounted a late comeback to steal the victory and earn a spot in Final X against Olympic silver medalist J'den Cox. U.S. Open champion Adam Coon punched his ticket to Final X by defeating two-time NCAA champion Tony Nelson two matches to zero. Coon outscored Nelson 16-5 in those two matches. Coon's Final X opponent will be returning world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski. In the lone final series that went three matches, Jason Chamberlain defeated 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro at 70 kilograms. Chamberlain opened with a 4-1 victory. Molinaro came out strong in the second match, picking up a 7-1 win. In the final match, Chamberlain edged Molinaro 2-1. Chamberlain will face multiple-time world medalist James Green at Final X. The Final X events will take place June 9 (Lincoln, Neb.), June 16 (State College, Pa.) and June 23 (Bethlehem, Pa.). Finals results 57 kg: Daton Fix def. Tony Ramos, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Fix dec. Ramos, 4-1 Match 2: Fix dec. Ramos, 10-3 61 kg: Nahshon Garrett def. Nico Megaludis, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Garrett tech. fall Megaludis, 11-0 Match 2: Garrett tech. fall Megaludis, 10-0 65 kg: Logan Stieber def. Jaydin Eierman, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Stieber dec. Eierman, 10-5 Match 2: Stieber dec. Eierman, 10-3 70 kg: Jason Chamberlain def. Frank Molinaro, 2 matches 1 Match 1: Chamberlain dec. Molinaro, 4-1 Match 2: Molinaro dec. Chamberlain, 7-1 Match 3: Chamberlain dec. Molinaro, 2-1 74 kg: Isaiah Martinez def. Nazar Kulchytskyy, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Martinez dec. Kulchytskyy, 13-2 Match 2: Martinez dec. Kulchytskyy, 13-2 79 kg: Zahid Valencia def. Alex Dieringer, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Valencia dec. Dieringer, 7-0 Match 2: Valencia dec. Dieringer, 5-1 86 kg: Nick Reenan def. Richard Perry, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Reenan dec. Perry, 4-2 Match 2: Reenan dec. Perry, 6-3 92 kg: Hayden Zillmer def. Deron Winn, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Zillmer dec. Winn, 8-2 Match 2: Zillmer dec. Winn, 9-7 97 kg: Kyven Gadson dec. Austin Schafer, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Gadson dec. Schafer, 8-1 Match 2: Gadson by injury default over Schafer 125 kg: Adam Coon def. Tony Nelson, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Coon dec. Nelson, 6-1 Match 2: Coon dec. Nelson, 10-4 Final X schedule Lincoln, Neb., June 9 57 kg: Thomas Gilman vs. Daton Fix 70 kg: James Green vs. Jason Chamberlain 74 kg: Jordan Burroughs vs. Isaiah Martinez 97 kg: Kyle Snyder vs. Kyven Gadson State College, Pa., June 16 65 kg: Joey McKenna vs. Logan Stieber 79 kg: Kyle Dake vs. Zahid Valencia 86 kg: David Taylor vs. Nick Reenan Bethlehem, Pa., June 23 61 kg: Joe Colon vs. Nahshon Garrett 92 kg: J'den Cox vs. Hayden Zillmer 125 kg: Nick Gwiazdowski vs. Adam Coon

Kamaru Usman, a 2010 NCAA Division II wrestling champ, and Tatiana Suarez, a two-time bronze medalist at the World championships, both came out winners in main-event bouts at UFC Fight Night 123: Usman vs. Maia at the Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile Saturday night. In his top-of-the-card welterweight (170-pound) fight, Usman scored a unanimous decision over UFC veteran Demian Maia ... while, in the strawweight (115-pound) battle leading up to the Usman-Maia fight, Suarez submitted Alexa Grasso in the first round. Usman comes out on top Kamaru Usman Looking at the main event by the numbers, Kamaru Usman won the fight with Maia, with the judges scoring it 50-45, 49-46, and 49-46 for the former amateur wrestler who came to the U.S. from Nigeria at age 8. Beyond the scores, however, the recaps of the Usman-Maia provided differing perspectives on what happened in the Octagon. "A crushing sprawl, superior athleticism and efficient standup spurred Usman to a unanimous decision over Maia ..." according to leading MMA website Sherdog.com ... while ESPN wrote: "Welterweight contender Kamaru Usman picked up the biggest win of his career on Saturday but may have failed to make a statement in doing so." "The five-round bout was difficult to watch because of lack of big moments," ESPN continued. That said, Usman dropped Maia in the fourth round with a straight right. That said, the 40-year-old Maia had taken the fight with Usman on short notice, and may not have been in ultimate shape. At the end of the bout, Usman -- who had qualified for the NAIA championships having wrestled one season at William Penn, then was a three-time NCAA Division II All-American and 2010 champ for University of Nebraska-Kearney -- described his opponent as "a legend of the game. It's an honor to come in and compete with him." With the win, Usman has compiled a 13-1 overall record since launching his pro MMA career in November 2012 (and is 8-0 in UFC) ... while Maia drops to 25-9 overall, and 19-9 in UFC. Suarez makes short work of Grasso A decade ago, Tatiana Suarez Padilla was making a name for herself in international women's freestyle wrestling, having earned bronze medals at World championships in Tokyo in 2008 and in Moscow in 2010 at 55 kilograms/121 pounds. Now, Suarez is an emerging force in women's MMA ... boosting her stock by submitting Alexa Grasso with a rear-naked choke at 2:44 of the first round of their bout at UFC Fight Night 129. Grasso fought desperately to free herself but to no avail in what ESPN described as "a textbook submission victory." "It just went by so fast," said Suarez said after the fight. "I had a long, long camp. I've known about this fight for ten weeks and it was over so quickly ..." With her quick submission win, Suarez -- The Ultimate Fighter 23 champ -- is now 6-0, and 3-0 in UFC ... while Grasso drops to 10-2 overall and 2-2 competing in UFC.

Kenton Greaves, a member of the 2018 NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) national championship wrestling team at Grand View University, has died in a boating accident on an Iowa lake. Kenton Greaves KCCI-TV, the CBS affiliate in Des Moines, reported that Greaves' body was found early Saturday evening at Lake Panorama about 25 miles northwest of Des Moines. The Des Moines-based school announced Graeve's death in an email to Grand View students Friday afternoon from Kent Schornack, Director of Leadership and Counseling. "Dear Grand View Community, I am saddened to report to you that Grand View student, Ken Greaves, died yesterday in an accident at Lake Panorama near Panora, Iowa. Ken was a wrestler and a senior criminal justice major at Grand View. His death has significantly impacted our Grand View wrestling community and the many he befriended… Information regarding memorial services will be provided once it is obtained. I ask that you please keep Ken's family and all the those who are impacted by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers." Schornack's letter also provided contact information for individuals seeking available counseling services provided by Grand View. Police were called to Lake Panorama early Thursday evening on the report of an individual who had fallen into the water while tubing. Guthrie County Sheriff Marty Arganbright told the Des Moines Register that eight friends were on a boat in the lake Thursday afternoon when Greaves, who was identified by the university, fell into the water. Four or five of his friends jumped in the water in an attempt to save him, the sheriff said. Dive teams and authorities on sonar-equipped boats searched for him until 2 a.m. Friday and resumed their search at 7 a.m., according to the Register. Ken Greaves, who just completed his junior year at Grand View, wrestled at 157 pounds for the Vikings. The 22-year-old native of Brooklyn, N.Y. was a criminal justice major. In a statement issued by Grand View University Friday afternoon, head wrestling coach Nick Mitchell said, "Saying Ken is a good guy doesn't do it justice, but that's exactly what he is. He has been a great teammate and a great friend to these guys. Right now we're focusing on doing whatever we can to help his family get through this extremely tough time and to make sure the guys on the team have the support they need." Just two months ago, Grand View University won its seventh straight team title at the 2018 NAIA Wrestling Championships, with three Viking wrestlers winning individual championships: Grant Henderson at 165 pounds, Evan Hansen at 197, and Dean Broghammer at heavyweight. Grand View is a private, four-year university located in the heart of Des Moines, Iowa's state capital city. The school has an enrollment of approximately 2,000 students.

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- The second half of the best-of-three finals matches were set this evening at the 2018 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Rochester, Minn. Daton Fix, Frank Molinaro, Nezar Kulchytskyy, Kyven Gadson, and Anthony Nelson will all wrestle in the Challenge Tournament finals at 12 p.m. CT. Fix, Molinaro, and Gadson will look for revenge against opponents who defeated them at the U.S. Open in April. The winners will then move on to the last stage of World Team Trials, Final X. Read complete story on TheMat.com ... Best-of-Three Matches 57 kg: Daton Fix vs.Tony Ramos 61 kg: Nahshon Garrett vs. Nico Megaludis 65 kg: Jaydin Eierman vs. Logan Stieber 70 kg Frank Molinaro vs. Jason Chamberlain 74 kg: Nazar Kulchytskyy vs. Isaiah Martinez 79 kg: Alex Dieringer vs. Zahid Valencia 86 kg: Richard Perry vs. Nick Reenan 92 kg: Hayden Zillmer vs. Deron Winn 97 kg: Kyven Gadson vs. Austin Schafer 125 kg: Anthony Nelson vs. Adam Coon

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- The field is set for Final X in Senior women's freestyle after the women's portion of the 2018 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament concluded with the best-of-three finals in Rochester, Minn., on Saturday afternoon. As a result of the Challenge Tournament finals, fans are set to see six U.S. Open finals rematches in the Final X series, competing for a spot on the 2018 World Team. Among those rematches are two battles between past World Team members. At 50 kg, two-time World Team member Victoria Anthony advanced to Final X on Saturday and will face three-time World Team member and 2018 U.S. Open champion Whitney Conder in Bethlehem, Pa., on June 23. The last time Anthony and Conder met was in the Open finals, where Conder earned a 7-3 decision. Read complete story on TheMat.com … Final X schedule Lincoln, Neb., June 9 55 kg: Becka Leathers vs. Jacarra Winchester 59 kg: Alli Ragan vs. Jenna Burkert 68 kg: Tamyra Stock vs. Randyll Beltz State College, Pa., June 16 62 kg: Kayla Miracle vs. Mallory Velte 72 kg: Erin Clodgo vs. Rachel Watters 76 kg: Adeline Gray vs. Korinahe Bullock Bethlehem, Pa., June 23 50 kg: Whitney Conder vs. Victoria Anthony 53 kg: Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Haley Augello 57 kg: Helen Maroulis vs. Alex Hedrick 65 kg: Julia Salata vs. Forrest Molinari Finals results 50 kg: Victoria Anthony def. Erin Golston, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Anthony dec. Golston, 6-0 Match 2: Golston dec. Anthony, 5-5 Match 3: Anthony pin Golston, 5:05 Third: Amy Fearnside TF Charlotte Fowler, 10-0 53 kg: Haley Augello def. Cody Pfau, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Augello tech. fall Pfau, 10-0 Match 2: Augello tech. fall Pfau, 11-0 Third: Gabrielle Weyhrich (Bearcat WC) dec. Dajan Treder (Unattached), 9-6 55 kg: Jacarra Winchester def. Dominique Parrish, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Winchester tech. fall Parrish, 11-0 Match 2: Winchester tech. fall Parrish, 10-0 Third: Ronna Heaton dec. Ainslie Lane, 5-0 57 kg: Alex Hedrick def. Michaela Beck, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Hedrick pin Beck, 1:10 Match 2: Hedrick tech. fall Beck, 10-0 59 kg: Jenna Burkert def. Kelsey Campbell, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Burkert dec. Campbell, 3-1 Match 2: Burkert tech. fall Campbell, 10-0 62 kg: Mallory Velte def. Brenda Reyna, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Velte tech. fall Reyna, 10-0 Match 2: Velte tech. fall Reyna, 13-2 65 kg: Forrest Molinari def. Jayden Laurent, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Molinari dec. Laurent, 4-0 Match 2: Molinari dec. Laurent, 3-1 68 kg: Randyll Beltz def. Yvonne Galindo, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Beltz tech. fall Galindo, 10-0 Match 2: Beltz tech. fall Galindo, 15-4 Third: Alex Glaude dec. Kayla Marano, 2-1 72 kg: Rachel Watters def. Hannah Gladden, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Watters tech. fall Gladden, 11-1 Match 2: Watters dec. Gladden, 10-3 76 kg: Korinahe Bullock def. Mariah Harris, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Bullock dec. Harris, 4-4 Match 2: Bullock dec. Harris, 2-1

ROCHESTER, Minn.- After a session of incredible wrestling, the 2018 Junior Freestyle World Team is set and ready for Worlds October 17-23, in Trnava, Slovakia. Brady Berge (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)The most exciting series of the night occurred at 70 kg with Austin O'Connor (Sunkist Kids WC) and 2015 Cadet World Team member Brady Berge (Nittany Lion WC). Berge and O'Connor met at this year's Marine Corps U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Nev., where O'Connor took the victory on criteria, 2-2. Berge went into today's series ready for revenge. The first bout of the series went back and forth and ended with Berge coming out on top, 7-4, claiming his revenge on O'Connor. However, O'Connor did not let Berge by in the second bout. O'Connor came in with an early second-period tech, not allowing Berge to score any points. The third bout of the series started with O'Connor scoring the first points of the match. It wasn't until the second period that Berge claimed a quick takedown and exposure to take the lead. He scored again to secure his 6-2 victory and the 70 kg Junior World Team spot. This is his first Junior World Team. Read complete story on TheMat.com ... Finals results 57kg: Brandon Courtney def Malik Heinselman, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Courtney tech. fall Heinselman, 10-0 Match 2: Courtney tech. fall Heinselman, 11-0 Third: Joey Melendez tech. fall Aaron Cashman, 10-0 61 kg: Austin Gomez def Vitali Arujau, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Gomez dec Arujau, 11-8 Match 2: Gomez tech. fall Arujau, 15-4 Third: Joshua Saunders tech. fall Nick Farro, 10-0 65 kg: Dominick Demas def Andrew Alirez, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Alirez tech. fall Demas,12-2 Match 2: Demas dec Alirez, 9-3 Match 3: Demas dec. Alirez, 8-2 Third: Jarod Verkleeren dec.Sammy Sasso, 15-4 70 kg: Brady Berge def. Austin O'Connor, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Berge dec. O'Connor, 7-4 Match 2: O'Connor tech. fall Berge, 10-0 Match 3: Berge dec. O'Connor, 6-2 Third: Jacori Teemer dec. Brock Mauller, 6-6 74 kg: Mehki Lewis def Jeremiah Moody, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Lewis tech. fall Moody, 12-1 Match 2: Lewis tech. fall Moody, 10-0 Third: Travis Wittlake tech. fall Hayden Hastings, 12-2 79 kg: Aaron Brooks def. Michael Labriola, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Brooks dec. Labriola, 14-10 Match 2: Brooks dec. Labriola, 2-2 Third: Trent Hidlay dec Beau Breske, 6-2 86 kg: Lou DePrez def. Kordell Norfleet, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: DePrez dec. Norfleet, 6-2 Match 2: Deprez dec. Norfleet, 6-0 Third: Jelani Embree dec Owen Webster, 6-2 92 kg: Jacob Warner def John Borst, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Warner tech. fall Borst, 10-0 Match 2: Warner tech. fall Borst, 11-0 Third: Lucas Chesterton tech. fall Jacob Raschka, 12-2 97 kg: Daniel Kerkvliet def. Zach Elam, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Kerkvliet tech. fall Elam, 10-0 Match 2: Kerkvliet tech. fall Elam, 11-0 Third: Jake Boyd dec Cale Davidson, 6-5 125 kg: Gable Steveson def Gannon Gremmel, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Steveson tech. fall Gremmel, 10-0 Match 2: Steveson tech. fall Gremmel, 10-0 Third: Trent Hillger tech. fall Robert Winters, 10-0

Dean Heil wrestling Cornell's Yianni Diakomihalisin the NCAA quarterfinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Cary Kolat has added even more championship pedigree to his staff, with former NCAA Champion and All-American Dean Heil joining as Campbell's director of wrestling operations. A former Oklahoma State standout, Heil is a two-time national champion and three-time All-American at 141 pounds. The Brunswick, Ohio native captured back-to-back NCAA titles in 2016 and 2017, as well as three consecutive All-America campaigns from 2015-17. "I'm really excited to have Dean join us at Campbell," said Kolat, who finished his fourth season as head coach of the Camels in 2017-18. "His brother is already here competing for us, and he's going to add a dimension to our Regional Training Center that we needed. Dean brings a wealth of knowledge, being a four-time state champion from Ohio and a two-time NCAA champion at Oklahoma State. He'll also be helping us on staff as our director of operations, and that will be a great role for him as he trains to make an Olympic team." He finished his decorated career with 116 wins, ranking 22nd all-time in OSU program history. As a senior in 2017-18, Heil entered the NCAA Championships, his fourth appearance in the tournament, as the No. 6 seed at 141 pounds after helping the Cowboys to their sixth-straight Big 12 title, coming up one win shy of a fourth All-America honor. Heil capped off his junior season with his second national title, going a perfect 32-0 and adding Big 12 Wrestler of the Year plaudits. He was 32-1 as a sophomore while garnering his first NCAA Championship, and finished fourth overall in the 2014-15 tournament to earn his first All-America honor when he was a freshman. The 2018 Oklahoma State graduate is also a four-time NWCA All-Academic Team member. Dean Heil is the older brother of current Campbell sophomore Josh Heil, who won the Southern Conference Championship at 141 pounds as a freshman, earning a berth to the NCAA Championships. Josh redshirted the 2017-18 season. Heil will also continue to train as a member of the Buies Creek Regional Training Center, splitting time with the Oklahoma RTC, while working towards his Olympic goals.

Matt Hill (Photo/Sam Janicki) EDINBORO, Pa. -- Edinboro University Interim Director of Athletics Dr. Katherine Robbins today announced the hiring of former Fighting Scot Matt Hill as Edinboro's 12th head coach of the wrestling program, and fourth on the Division I level. "Edinboro has a great tradition of wrestling coaches, including Fred Caro, Mike DeAnna, Bruce Baumgartner, and Tim Flynn," commented Robbins. "Our goal was to bring in the best coach we could to continue the success we have enjoyed as a small Division I program competing against the very best at that level. Matt Hill left no doubt with our search committee that he possesses the ability to keep the Fighting Scots a name to be reckoned with." Hill is no stranger to the Edinboro wrestling program. He competed for former head coach Tim Flynn from 2002-07, then entered the coaching profession. He served as a graduate assistant coach at Kent State from 2007-09. Following his two seasons as a graduate assistant, Hill remained involved in wrestling over the next year, working with Seneca Valley High School. Hill returned to Kent State as an assistant coach in 2010, and served in that capacity until 2015, when he was appointed associate head coach to head coach Jim Andrassy. During Hill's tenure at KSU as a graduate assistant and full-time assistant, the Golden Flashes went 116-78 in dual meets while enjoying several of the best seasons in program history. The 2015-16 KSU squad finished at 15-3 and was 16th at the NCAA national Championships, while the Golden Flashes were 14-5 in 2011-12 and 14-6 in 2010-11. "I recognize that the next head coach at Edinboro arrives with enormous shoes to fill," related Hill, "but fully believe I am up to the task. They say no great leader has accomplished anything without a plan and I am no different. I have developed a blueprint and vision of what I believe it takes to be a successful program and to ensure that Edinboro Wrestling gets to the next level. "I respect Coach Flynn and what he has done at the University for the last two decades and look to continue to build off the foundation he laid. Whether it be on the mat, in the classroom, at our camps, recruiting, fundraising, or promoting the program, we will strive for continuous improvement and excellence in all we do. "Lastly, I want to thank the Kent State University Athletic Department and head coach Jim Andrassy for giving me the opportunity to pursue my ultimate goal of being a head coach one day. " During Hill's 11 seasons at Kent State, the Golden Flashes enjoyed five top 25 finishes at the NCAA Division I National Championships. He was part of a program that produced 12 All-Americans, including national champion Dustin Kilgore. Hill worked closely with Kilgore when he won the title at 197 lbs. in 2011. Kent State has had 50 national qualifiers while competing in the Mid-American Conference. In addition, Hill assisted in the development of three University National Champions and four Junior FILA National Freestyle All-Americans. "Matt takes the approach that it's all about hard work," noted Andrassy. "His philosophy is to get guys to work harder than ever before to improve." Kent State has also ranked among the top wrestling programs in the classrooms during Hill's tenure. In 2018, KSU was second in the NWCA All-Academic Team rankings, after finishing fourth in 2017, fifth in 2016, and 12th in 2015. "I have dedicated my entire life to the sport of wrestling; from the youth program, to high school, to college, to coaching," Hill stressed. "Throughout all those years I have gathered the necessary experience and knowledge to become a head wrestling coach at the Division I level. I cannot think of any other job that I would want in the entire country than that of the head wrestling coach at my alma mater." Hill was a three-time national qualifier at Edinboro. He remains among the leading wrestlers all-time at Edinboro with a 105-42 career record, including a 32-7 record as a senior. In 2006-07 as a senior, he went 17-1 in dual meets while competing at 157 lbs. Hill was seeded 12th at nationals and posted a 2-2 record. Hill finished with a 30-5 record as a sophomore in his first year in the starting lineup in 2004-05, and followed that up with a 25-10 ledger in 2005-06. He finished second all three years at the PSAC Championships, and came in third at the EWL Championships as a sophomore and fourth as a junior and senior. Hill is married to the former Stephanie Novak. The couple has two sons, Lincoln (3) and Knox (1).

USA Wrestling has changed up the Trials process this year with the introduction of Final X. This weekend wrestlers will compete in the World Team Trials, but the event will not determine the team. Winners of this weekend's event will take on returning world medalists and U.S. Open champions in Final X events in June. Despite the lack of some high-profile names, the World Team Trials field still features several interesting potential matches. The following is a look at some of the best matches that fans might see at the trials. 79 kilograms: Alex Dieringer vs. Zahid Valencia Dieringer has been closing the gap on Kyle Dake. At the 2017 Paris Invitational, the former Cornell wrestler won via definitive 10-0 technical fall. In their rematch at the 2017 U.S. Open, Dake edged Dieringer in a much closer 3-0 match. They met once again in the finals of the 2018 U.S. Open. Once again Dake pulled out the victory, but it was only a 5-5 victory on criteria. Dieringer is expected to win the World Team Trials and face off against Dake in the Final X best-of-three series. However, he will have a unique challenger at the trials. Valencia recently finished his sophomore season at Arizona State. He went undefeated and claimed his first NCAA title with a victory over Junior world champion Mark Hall in the finals. Last summer, Valencia represented the U.S. Junior World Championships and picked up a silver medal. While both are accomplished wrestlers at the collegiate level, the stylistic matchup might be the reason why this bout is so interesting. Valencia is an extremely high-volume shooter. He is almost constantly going for leg attacks. That seems like a solid strategy against Dieringer. The former Oklahoma State wrestler does an amazing job at holding position and rarely gives up a lot of points. The diametrically opposed styles could result in one of the better matches at the World Team Trials. Daton Fix and Tony Ramos embrace after their U.S. Open match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 57 kilograms: Tony Ramos vs. Daton Fix Many expected the bout between Ramos and Fix to happen at the U.S. Open, and it did. They faced off in the finals, where Ramos picked up a 2-2 victory on criteria. Thanks to that victory, he will be sitting in the best-of-three finals of the World Team Trials. Thomas Gilman, on the back of his silver medal at last year's World Championships, will be sitting at Final X. In the match, Fix was certainly the aggressor. However, Ramos was stout defensively as per usual. After going on the shot clock for the second time, Ramos got in deep on a single. In the ensuing scramble, Fix gave up an exposure. That two-point score trumped Fix's shot-clock point and pushout point. It is possible that with adjustments, Fix will be able to solve some of Ramos' defensive riddles and score. However, the Tar Heel Wrestling Club representative remains one of the toughest lightweights to score on from neutral. 65 kilograms: Logan Stieber vs. Jaydin Eierman In perhaps the upset of the tournament, Eierman took out Stieber in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. In the match, Eierman, who will be a junior at Missouri next year, seemed to be on the defensive after the first period. In the opening frame, Stieber was in deep on multiple leg attacks and scored four points off a takedown and an exposure. However, Eierman stormed back with three takedowns in the second period to take the match 6-5. Eierman went on to lose against Joey McKenna in the finals and therefore missed out on a spot in Final X. While he would have liked that positioning, that defeat sets up this potential rematch for this weekend. In theory, Stieber could have a few changes to his leg attack finishes and take this match. On the other hand, Eierman showed that his stingy defense gives the former four-time champion a lot of problems. Jason Chamberlain topped Frank Molinaro in the U.S. Open semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 70 kilograms: Frank Molinaro vs. Jason Chamberlain Chamberlain made quite the run at the U.S. Open. In the semifinals, he took out Molinaro, the country's 2016 Olympian at 65 kilograms. Then in the finals, Chamberlain defeated NCAA champion Hayden Hidlay. Earlier this year, the former Boise State wrestler made it to the finals of the Cerro Pelado International before falling to Franklin Maren Castillo of host Cuba. Prior to the Open, Molinaro appeared to be the No. 1 challenger to James Green's supremacy in the U.S. at 70 kilograms. Earlier this year, he finished with a bronze medal in a tough field at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. In the tournament, he made it all the way to the semifinals before falling against 2016 world champion Magomed Kurbanaliev. Chamberlain may have burst onto the scene at the Open, but he also proved that he belongs. Molinaro has shown the ability to show up when it matters most. He will need to do that again here in order to earn the match against Green at Final X. 74 kilograms: Isaiah Martinez vs. Nazar Kulchytskyy Martinez recently finished his career at Illinois with two national titles and only three career losses. Almost immediately after the season, he announced he would continue wrestling for the Illinois RTC. Many top contenders have cleared out of 74 kilograms in order to avoid the roadblock that is Jordan Burroughs. However, Martinez remains at the weight class. At the U.S. Open, Martinez outscored his opponents 49-0 on the way to the championship. If he wins the World Team Trials, he will certainly face a challenge in Burroughs, but he might have a chance. Kulchytskyy did not compete at the Open since he had already qualified for the tournament. Earlier this month, he did represent the country at the Pan American Championships. He outscored his first two opponents 21-0 before falling against Cuba's Livan Lopez Azcuy in the finals. Kulchytskyy has never really been able to break through, but he has remained one of the tougher domestic wrestlers. He should be able to provide a stern test for Martinez on the way to a match with Burroughs.

Beat the Streets wrapped up late Thursday night with a thrilling match between defending 70-kilogram world champion Frank Chamizo and defending 74-kilogram world champion Jordan Burroughs. Burroughs won 6-5, but not before Chamizo rattled off a quick four points in the first period. That offensive explosion put Burroughs on the back-foot heading into the second. And still, as champions are apt to do, he persevered, finding solid offense and a later double leg to seal up the 6-5 victory. The match was intense, but in contrast to Kyle Snyder, the Burroughs victory felt rote. Snyder's 9-8 win over Renieras Salas was gutsy, but if you are a fan of the Ohio State big man there was some cause for concern. Salas was able to score a takedown, a turn and a massive four-point throw. Snyder answered with a takedown, six pushouts and a penalty point. A win is a win, but we learned that Salas -- not just Sadualev -- will be a challenge to Snyder's hopes for another world title. Overall the event was another spectacular event, this time on the East River overlooking downtown Manhattan. Sold-out and filled with energy, the event was another example of how star power can create positive outcomes not just for fans, but for young aspiring wrestlers. Congrats to Brendan Buckley and his team on a rock star caliber event. To your questions … Zain Retherford defeated David Habat at the World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Like many, I was disappointed not to see Zain Retherford enter the World Team Trials (or the U.S. Open). I can understand Spencer Lee, Mark Hall, Bo Nickal, etc. taking some time off after NCAAs, and certainly folks like Yianni Diakomihalis and Jason Nolf who ended the season nursing injuries. But what is Retherford taking a break for? This is his future in wrestling. Are there rumors as to why he didn't enter? Also, what do you think about his future in freestyle? Personally, I don't see him having anywhere near the success in freestyle that he had in NCAAs. His last world medal was a Cadet world gold in 2012. His strength is on the mat, the top to be specific, and his turns aren't the 10-second rolls that are common in freestyle. They are slip in the leg, torture and turn, taking 30 or seconds or more. This doesn't work in freestyle. On his feet he faced many opponents in NCAAs who scored takedowns on him. He did make the World Team last year but didn't medal. I see him being a guy who could make Team USA but will struggle to earn world medals. He also could lose to guys like Logan Stieber at 65 kilograms or James Green at 70 kilograms and sit on the sidelines. Your thoughts? -- Bob D. Foley: I agree it's exciting to see our best wrestlers compete, but for Zain there was little payoff. He may have won an entry into the Final X, but after a tough NCAA season I think reducing his match count became a factor. Also, with his NCAA title he earned his entry into the World Team Trials. Still, his not entering the World Team Trials as well seems to be driven by a desire to focus on the 2019 qualifiers and season. There is little way of telling what motivated that choice, but it seems to be well received in Happy Valley. As for his success? I one-hundred percent think Retherford will be a world and Olympic medalist. I agree with your analysis that his top game takes time to mature, but that's adjustable. Talent-wise, Retherford has the tools. He just needs to apply them in new ways. He will need a year (or two) to accommodate for those new match strategies and to learn more about his opponents. In my heart I'm a Stieber guy, but I still think that Retherford could make the team in 2019 or the Olympic squad in 2020. As for him not medaling in Paris, it was more a lack of match strategy and a crazy tough draw. Q: When and why did Frank Chamizo switch citizenship from Cuba to Italy? Robert G. Foley: Chamizo began the switch to Italy after missing weight at the 2011 Pan Am Games in Mexico. He'd met an Italian female wrestler a few years earlier and struck up a relationship. After missing weight he was suspended from the team, which meant he had no real source of extra income. Love and the prospect of wrestling on his own terms brought Chamizo to Italy. He married his girlfriend, but they've since divorced. Q: Spencer Lee is not competing at the World Team Trials. Tom Brands said, "This is the right move for Spencer Lee." Do you agree? What do you think went into the decision? Does it have anything to do with Thomas Gilman? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't think that Spencer Lee would back down from anyone, including Thomas Gilman. I agree with Tom Brands that not wrestling might be beneficial. As the thinking may go with Zain Retherford, the 2018 Worlds might be a huge event, but if I'm Lee and choosing years to compete it's not nearly as vital as 2019, which is a qualifier for the 2020 Olympics. Trust Brands. Trust Lee. Q: Who do you think will be the surprise of the World Team Trials this weekend? -- Mike C. Foley: 65 kilograms. Whatever happens there will feel like a surprise! Zahid Valencia is coming off an undefeated season at Arizona State (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: What kind of chance does Zahid Valencia have to beat Alex Dieringer and win the World Team Trials this weekend? -- Mike C. Foley: Meh. I tend to think Alex Dieringer is one of the top five 79-kilogram wrestlers in the world. When he travels overseas he tends to win. Losing to Dake is a tough draw, but I think he's shown himself to be somewhat dominant against national competition. Valencia is a beast! But I'm not sure his style is transitioning as well right now from collegiate to freestyle. Too many back exposures in his game, which opens him up to errant points. Q: Do you think Daton Fix avenges his U.S. Open loss and beats Tony Ramos to win the World Team Trials? Or are you picking Ramos? -- Mike C. Foley: Yes, but I also think it's unwise to underestimate Tony Ramos, which people do with some consistency. Regardless of this year I think Fix and Lee are the future of the 57-kilogram weight class in the USA ... and the world!

NEW YORK -- It rained all week, until this afternoon, and the weather was perfect for the Beat the Streets Benefit at Pier 17 in the Seaport District of Lower Manhattan tonight. The United States showed up with an impressive effort, claiming nine of the 11 international matches in front of the amazing New York skyline. The event was held at Pier 17 in NYC (Photo/Beat the Streets)In the Main Event "Super Match," Olympic champion and four-time world champion Jordan Burroughs of the USA powered back from trailing 4-0 with a strong second period to defeat two-time Frank Chamizo of Italy, 8-5. In the other Super Match, American star Jordan Oliver won a 3-3 criteria victory over 2012 Olympic champion Toghrul Asgarov of Azerbaijan. Other U.S. winners were Tamyra Stock (Women's 68 kilograms), James Green (Men's 70 kilograms), Kyle Dake (Men's 79 kilograms), J'den Cox (Men's 92 kilograms), Kyle Snyder (Men's 97 kilograms), Nick Gwiazdowski (Men's 125 kilograms) and Helen Maroulis (Women's 57 kilograms). Results: High School SuperMatch at 57 kilograms: Patrick Glory tech. fall Gavin Teasdale, 16-3 Women's 59 kilograms: Adeniyi Aminat (Nigeria) pin Megan Black (USA), 1:50 Women's 68 kilograms: Tamyra Stock (USA) vs. Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria), 2-1 Men's 57 kilograms: Reineri Andreu Ortega (Cuba) dec. Josh Rodriguez (USA), 5-2 Men's 70 kilograms: James Green (USA) dec. Franklin Meren Castillo (Cuba), 2-1 Men's 79 kilograms: Kyle Dake (USA) tech. fall Livan Lopez Azcuy (Cuba), 13-1 Men's 92 kilograms: J'den Cox (USA) dec. Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta (Cuba), 2-1 Men's 97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder (USA) dec. Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba), 9-8 Men's 125 kilograms: Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) dec. Yudenny Alapajon Estevez (Cuba), 9-1 Women's 57 kilograms: Helen Maroulis (USA) dec. Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria), 4-1 Super Match Men's 70 kilograms: Jordan Oliver (USA) dec. Togrul Asgarov (Azerbaijan), 3-3 Super Match Men's 74 Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Frank Chamizo (Italy), 8-5