InterMat Staff

Monday's Beat the Streets event was held at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Beat the Streets New York held its annual benefit match and gala Monday night at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, showcasing top-level freestyle matches to more than 5,500 fans in house and tens of thousands more online. The event's main focus was the matchup between Olympic and four-time world champion Jordan Burroughs and 2008 Olympian and current UFC fighter Ben Askren. That match drew a lot of outside media, with the runup and recaps of their match being showcased on every conceivable MMA platform, plus Forbes, The Ringer, ESPN, and NBC, among many others. As many predicted, the penultimate bout between two-time Cadet world champion and two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell and current world No. 1 Bajrang Punia proved to be the most exciting. The match went back and forth with each wrestler finding at least one takedown, one turn and one reversal. The final score was 10-8 with a raucous chorus of New York fans celebrating their hometown hero Yianni coming away as the champion. There were plenty of other storylines too: the injury to David Taylor, five-point moves by J'den Cox and Kyle Snyder, Jack Mueller dismantling Nick Piccininni, and Nick Suriano over Joe Colon. But what may have driven the fans to their most was the high school matchup between Jo Jo Aragona and Adam Busiello, hailing from New Jersey and New York, respectively. It's easy to get caught up in the topline intro stuff, and for guys like me who don't watch a lot of high school wrestling it can also be difficult to track wrestlers before college. But one thing was certain, on Monday night a hefty majority of the fans at Hulu knew exactly who they were there to support, and it was evident to anyone between the two fan bases that their passion was at the atomic level. As Chuck Mindenhall recapped in his article for The Ringer: NEW YORK -- With over 600 local wrestlers gathered at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on Monday night for the annual Beat the Streets benefit, you can very well picture the scene. It was a theater full of stone features with improbable stumps for necks. There was a healthy amount of people spitting tobacco juice into plastic soda bottles. Fathers and sons (and even a few daughters) gave themselves away through a connection of cruciferous ears, signaling years of grinding ear cartilage into mats. It was a literal ground zero for the singlet. Things got a little rowdy. And really, the crowd wasn't necessarily there to see Ben Askren compete against Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs in the main event. Most of them were there to see Nick Suriano, a kid from Rutgers, and Yianni Diakomihalis from Cornell, Kyle Snyder, Patrick Brucki -- the meat of today's wrestling classes smashing into each other for a cause. The UFC? Just a fun zone in some other dimension. This was all about the essence of the mat -- the core of the enterprise. When Pope John XXIII's JoJo Aragona and Adam Busiello toppled over the apron and into the first round of spectators before, it was as loud as it would ever get last night. Turns out that bloodthirst isn't an MMA patent so much as a national pastime. The success of the event and the crowd's reaction is a powerful reminder of how much of wrestling is born of regional rivalry. Ask most Americans and there is little discernible difference between a high school wrestler (or kid, coach, teacher, person) from New Jersey and one from New York. It would be like asking someone from the East Coast to tell the difference between denizens of Oklahoma and Nebraska. But to those who live in the area and who have felt each loss, celebrated each victory over the past 20, 30, or 40 years -- those little indiscernible differences to others, are rifts for those who live it. This week's Beat the Streets event was arguably the best to date. From energy, to competition, to booze being for sale, almost nothing in recent memory can compare. And in the future it'll serve as a guidepost for any organization looking to host a winning wrestling event. To your questions … Q: Rank the seven wrestlers who have byes to the finals of the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament from most likely to win (and advance to Final X) to least likely to win: -- Mike C. Foley: 1. Cody Brewer (61 kilograms) 2. Bo Nickal (92 kilograms) 3. Adam Coon (125 kilograms) 4. Pat Downey (86 kilograms) 5. Alex Dieringer (79 kilograms) 6. Isaiah Martinez (74 kilograms) 7. Kyven Gadson (97 kilograms) That in no way means that I think that they will do both. I rated these based on the number of scenarios I could imagine in which they ended up representing the United States in Nur-Sultan. After defending world bronze medalist Joe Colon fell to Nick Suriano Monday night at Beat the Streets, you'd think any top-level guy has a decent shot at winning the title and the whoever advanced to the finals against Colon will have some underdog momentum. I believe in J'den Cox, but Bo Nickal is a top competitor and his style could present issues for Cox, especially early and late in the match. I don't see many situations in which Coon could knock off Gwiz, outside of an over-under that Gwiz just completely mismanages. Pat Downey only because DT might still be injured come time for the Final X. Q: What is the biggest challenge international wrestling faces with the re-evaluation by the IOC to stay in the Olympics in the coming years? -- @CJOlanasty33 Foley: The first point to recognize is that wrestling as a whole is not facing a threat to its Olympic survival in 2020. The IOC has refigured the way they look at core and non-core sports and has even allowed the organizing committees for the Games to choose additional events they'd like to host (i.e. surfing in Tokyo). For its part, wrestling has been a good partner to the IOC in fulfilling developmental duties, providing feedback, and growing the internal accountability for the organization when asked by the IOC. There are also an increased number of women in governance and there was an effort to make the 2018 Youth Olympic Games gender balanced, which wrestling accomplished. The issues facing the sport are similar to those facing many of the other sports and the games as a whole. The Olympic Games are expensive and the number of athletes will likely continue to be pruned. With more sports gaining access to the games, some disciplines will have to trim numbers. Wrestling seems to be at its minimum with six weight classes, but we do have the added difficulty of Greco-Roman have no women's discipline for balance. For me, that's the most vulnerable aspect of wrestling. While Greco-Roman taking off for women is an option, it's highly unlikely to take place. More likely, something like beach wrestling could be the balance, but that too comes with a number of unanswered questions about facilities, qualifications, and management. As of now nothing major seems to be changing before the 2032 Games, which is (thankfully) 14 years in the future. Dato Marsagishvili competing in beach wrestling (Photo/Max Rose-Fyne, United World Wrestling) Q: Why don't you enter (beach wrestling this weekend in Rio)? -- @CPyles8 Foley: I don't enter because Olympic bronze medalist Dato Marsagishvili has a habit for posterizing all the 90-kilogram chumps who dare face his smiley-faced wrath.

Brian Smith celebrates during Missouri's meet against Oklahoma State (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Brian Smith, head wrestling coach at the University of Missouri, has been named recipient of the 2019 Don Faurot Sportsperson of the Year by the Kiwanis Club of Columbia, Mo. The annual award -- named in honor of the school's late, legendary former football head coach and director of athletics, Don Faurot -- was established in 1991 to honor an outstanding candidate who contributes to the local sports community as an athlete, coach, administrator or official. Smith, who took the helm of the Mizzou wrestling program in 1988, guided the Tigers to another successful season in 2018-19, including a 16-1 regular-season record, the team's eighth straight conference title, and fifth straight top-10 finish at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, with four wrestlers earning All-American honors at the 2019 NCAAs in Pittsburgh. Coach Smith will be presented with the award at a banquet on Tuesday, June 18, at the Broadway Hotel in Columbia. Brian Smith is the second individual affiliated with the Mizzou mat program to receive this honor in as many years. In 2017, J'den Cox, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist in freestyle wrestling and three-time NCAA and MAC (Mid-American Conference) champion for the Tigers, received this award. The Don Faurot Sportsperson of the Year Award is presented by the Kiwanis Club of Columbia, a service organization established in 1922 with a mission to raise money and awareness for causes which "enrich and protect the lives and well-being of young people, especially those growing up in high-risk circumstances" according to their official website.

Carlos Jacquez after winning the NCAA Division II national title at 125 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) MANHEIM, Pa. -- On Thursday afternoon the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced that Lindenwood University's 125 pound national champion Carlos Jacquez was named the NWCA Division II National Wrestler of the Year. Jacquez, a redshirt junior from Aurora, Illinois, was named one of six NWCA Division II Super Regional Wrestlers of the Year last week. These six winners were finalists for the national award and Jacquez emerged as the clear winner of the 2019 National Wrestler of the Year award. Jacquez' undefeated 30-0 season was highlighted by winning the Super Regional IV and National Titles. This followed his Sophomore campaign which ended with All-American honors while capturing 6th place. Carlos will enter his senior campaign looking to capture back to back National Titles and secure his third All-American honor. "We are proud to honor outstanding performances and Carlos demonstrated a level of excellence all season that makes him more than worthy of this high honor." said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. Super Regional Wrestlers of the Year Super Region I: Chris Eddins 149 (Pitt-Johnstown) Super Region II: Isiah Royal 141 (Newberry) Super Region III: Tyler Warner 133 (Wheeling Jesuit) Super Region IV: Carlos Jacquez 125 (Lindenwood) Super Region V: Vince Dietz 197 (St. Cloud St.) Super Region VI: Matt Malcolm 157 (Nebraska-Kearney)

Jordan Burroughs at Beat the Streets in New York City (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The day after 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs scored an 11-0 technical fall over UFC star and 2008 Olympic wrestler Ben Askren at the Beat the Streets fundraiser at New York's Madison Square Garden Monday night, UFC President Dana White said he would be "very interested" in possibly helping Burroughs fulfill a wish to have one fight in the Octagon. "Yeah, listen, I'm always interested in, you know, these guys that are considered the best athletes in the world in whatever it is they do wanting to come to the UFC," White said on "The Jim Rome Show" on Tuesday. "Yeah, obviously I'd be very interested." Back in April, Burroughs disclosed his "one fight" wish in an interview with ESPN. "I would love to. I just want to fight one time, that's it. I want one fight," said Burroughs three weeks ago. "For me, it's not about the status, it's not about the glory, it's not about the money. I just want to throw my hands and see what I'm made of. "I think that wrestlers, and fighters have that same fighting spirit. There's just a spirit about you. It's such a beautiful art form in which you can implement strategy in order to subdue another individual. I kinda feel like that's where wrestling and UFC -- we collaborate in that way." "So I thought about it. I considered it. I don't know if I'm really going to do it. But I've considered doing one fight and then getting out with my hands clean," Burroughs continued. Burroughs also said that he has spoken to Daniel Cormier -- a member of the 2008 Olympic U.S. men's freestyle team who is now UFC heavyweight champ -- at length about entering the Octagon at least once. "I can't make any promises. I'm saying I've considered it. It depends on what the offer is like and who my opponent was ... but I don't know. It's definitely intriguing," he said. "I'm so comfortable in my identity as a wrestler, that if I never fought, it would never bother me one bit. But I'm also such a competitor that I've considered it for a long period of time. "What about just one? What could I do? If I let my hands fly, could I put someone out? So we'll see," he said. "I think my mental toughness, athleticism, and my physical prowess, I'd be successful if I decided to fight, no matter what." A considerable number of amateur wrestlers have found success in mixed martial arts. Recently, Northwestern University All-American wrestler Sebastian Rivera conducted an analysis of various fighting styles conducted an analysis of various fighting styles used by UFC and MMA champs… and discovered that the largest number of UFC titleholders brought a wrestling background into the Octagon. Jordan Ernest Burroughs, 30, is one of the great wrestlers of the era. Born in July 1988 in New Jersey, Burroughs concluded his high school mat career in 2006 as a state champ ... and as a Senior Nationals titlewinner. He accepted a scholarship to wrestle at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he earned three Big 12 conference crowns, NCAA All-American honors three times, and two NCAA championships. As a senior, Burroughs was awarded the Hodge Trophy as the best college wrestler of 2011. Burroughs has made his presence known in international wrestling. He won the gold medal in men's freestyle at the 2012 London Olympics at 74 kilograms/163 pounds, along with four World championships. The man who is known by his social media moniker "AllISeeIsGold" has also earned six World Cup titles, as well as gold medals at two Pan American Games.

Mike Dessino BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- The Bloomsburg University wrestling team has announced that former standout Mike Dessino (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) will join the staff as volunteer assistant. Dessino wrestled for Bloomsburg from 2009-14, and volunteered with the team during the 2016-17 season. A three-time NCAA Division I national qualifier with the Huskies, Dessino posted a career record of 105-43 at Bloomsburg, and ranks second in program history in career pins with 45. Dessino was a three-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Champion, and the 2011 Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Champion at 174 lbs. Dessino, originally from Middlesex, New Jersey, currently resides in Bloomsburg.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa -- Iowa Wesleyan University Athletic Director Derek Zander is pleased to announce that men's and women's wrestling will be added to the slate of athletic programs offered at Iowa Wesleyan University during the 2020-21 academic year. The search for a head coach will begin immediately. Within the Tiger Athletics strategic plan, "Committing to Excellence," a significant focus is the growth and expansion of the athletic department. The athletic department has expanded from 10 NCAA Division III intercollegiate programs to 14 over the past two years - with men's and women's wrestling being the 5th and 6th programs added in three years. IW will be the first NCAA Division III University in the State of Iowa to sponsor women's wrestling. "This is a historic development for IW intercollegiate athletics department during a significant time in the life of the University," said IW President Steve Titus. "IW is relentless in its pursuit to create the best and most dynamic student experience possible. The addition of women's and men's wrestling provides exceptional opportunities for students and responds to a growing demand. IW is committed to leading the movement to provide female student-athletes the opportunity to compete in wrestling at the collegiate level." "We are excited to announce the addition of men's and women's wrestling at Iowa Wesleyan," said Athletic Director Derek Zander. "Men's wrestling is very popular in our region, and it could not be a better time to add women's wrestling as it is one of the fastest growing high school programs across the country. In the winter of 2019, the State of Iowa hosted its first women's high school state championship. The addition of these programs is a continuation of IW's commitment to providing diverse co-curricular opportunities for our students and our dedication to the student experience at Iowa Wesleyan." "This is an important time for Tiger Athletics. We are thrilled about offering two programs that the State of Iowa and Midwest region are passionate about," stated Zander. "We look forward to filling Ruble Arena with fans and supporters with a new and exciting experience." Tiger Athletics: Iowa Wesleyan University strives to provide its student-athletes the opportunity to be successful in life and sports. Engaged in the SLIAC and UMAC Conferences, Tiger athletics is a proud member of NCAA Division III.

Hunter Ritter gets in on a shot against Michael Macchiavello in the finals of the U23 Trials (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The University of Minnesota wrestling program and head coach Brandon Eggum are happy to announce the addition of Hunter Ritter, an upperweight from Perryville, Maryland, who began his career at Wisconsin. "We're excited to have Hunter join our Gophers family," Eggum said. "We're looking forward to working with him and helping him reach his individual goals. We know Hunter's abilities as an athlete and leader and hope he'll help in our pursuit of our own team goals as we work to improve on our top-eight finish at NCAAs." Ritter arrives in the Twin Cities as a two-time national qualifier with one year of remaining eligibility. During his two seasons as the Badgers' starter Ritter twice placed at the Big Ten Championships including a third place finish in 2017. Ritter was coached by current Gophers assistant coach Trevor Brandvold during their time in Madison. In his last two seasons as a starter, Ritter amassed 46 victories. As a high school prospect, Ritter, a three-time state champion, was ranked No. 3 at his weight-class by InterMat and was the Super 32 Challenge champion. He was also a U23 Trials freestyle finalist in June 2018.

Emily Shilson at the 2018 Junior World Championships (Photo/Martin Gabor, United World Wrestling) STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Wednesday announced that Emily Shilson of North Oaks, Minnesota, is the 2019 national winner of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA). Shilson will be presented with her award during the 43rd Annual Honors Weekend at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum on May 31 and June 1 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For information on Honors Weekend, visit nwhof.ticketleap.com/ or telephone (405) 377-5243. "I am both humbled and honored to be chosen from this fantastic group of female student athletes for the 2019 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award," said Shilson. "I have always admired Tricia for her great success as a competitor in addition to her willingness to continue to give back to the sport. To receive the award that is named after her is incredible. I would also like to thank the National Wrestling HOF for making this opportunity possible." The TSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship and community service. First presented in 2014, the TSHSEA is named for Tricia Saunders, a four-time World Champion and women's wrestling pioneer. Saunders was the first woman to be inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 and was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011. "We are excited to honor Emily Shilson from North Oaks, Minnesota as the national winner of the 2019 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award.," said Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. "This award and honor represents the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's pride in a young woman who has demonstrated a commitment to balancing her pursuit of excellence in the fields of academics, athletics and community service." The daughter of Chad and Margaret Shilson, she is the top-ranked wrestler at 106 pounds in the National Girls High School Rankings. Shilson was a six-time Minnesota Girls High School state champion and qualified for the Minnesota AAA boys state championship three times, becoming the first girl to ever qualify for the tournament. She had a career record of 139-64 with 62 pins against boys, wrestling for Centennial High School and Mounds View High School. She earned all-conference honors twice and was honorable mention all-conference two times. Shilson won the Cadet World Championship in 2018 after capturing a silver medal in 2017, and made history in 2018 when she became the first U.S. wrestler to win a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games. She won a gold medal at the Cadet Pan-Am Championships in 2016 and 2018 when she also earned the Golden Boot awarded to the Outstanding Wrestler. Shilson is a three-time junior national champion in both folkstyle and freestyle, a two-time Cadet Freestyle national champion and a Cadet Folkstyle national champion. She organized family members and teammates to pick up litter in their community and the communities where they are training and competing, including around the Oklahoma City Memorial during the USA Girls Folkstyle Nationals. Shilson also lettered in cross country and has completed seven marathons and ultramarathons. She has a 3.97 GPA and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Augsburg University. Regional winners are selected from state winners, and the national winner will be chosen from the regional winners. Kansas recently voted to make girls wrestling a sanctioned high school sport, becoming the 16th state in the country to sanction girls wrestling and the ninth to do so in the last six months. States that will host state-sanctioned girls wrestling championships are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. The state winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for the High School Excellence awards, and a committee, with input from Hall of Fame state chapters, selects state and regional winners. National winners are then chosen from the regional winners. All-Time National Winners of Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award 2019 - Emily Shilson, Mounds View High School, North Oaks, Minnesota 2018 - Alleida Martinez, Selma High School, Selma, California 2017 - Cierra Foster, Post Falls High School, Post Falls, Idaho 2016 - Katie Brock, Sequatchie County High School, Whitwell, Tennessee 2015 - Marizza Birrueta, Grandview High School, Grandview, Washington 2014 - Marina Doi, Kingsburg High School, Kingsburg, California National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation and now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. It also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

James Green lifts Jason Nolf in their semifinal match at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Two years ago, Thomas Gilman and James Green landed spots in the finals of the World Championships in Paris. Gilman and Green continue to wrestle at a high level, but both now face challenging roads to make this year's world team after being upset in last month's U.S. Open finals. That's how deep the United States is in men's freestyle wrestling right now. Gilman and Green will be among the top competitors taking the mat for the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament on May 17-19 in Raleigh, N.C. The winners in Raleigh earn berths into next month's Final X. The Final X champions will represent the U.S. at the 2019 World Championships in Kazakhstan. Here is a look at some of the most anticipated possible matchups I'm looking forward to seeing at the challenge tournament in Raleigh: 70 kilograms: James Green vs. Jason Nolf These guys squared off in a highly anticipated match in the U.S. Open with Green winning an exciting match while pulling out a hard-fought victory. Green was then upset in the finals by Ryan Deakin while Nolf came back to place third. Green likely will need to beat Nolf again to earn another shot at Deakin in the Final X. Zahid Valencia scored with a double leg on Alex Dieringer at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) 79 kilograms: Alex Dieringer vs. Zahid Valencia This has the potential to be a heck of a battle between Junior world silver medalists. Dieringer has had an outstanding season on the Senior level while Valencia just won his second NCAA title. Valencia swept Dieringer 7-0 and 5-1 in the finals of this event last year so it will be interesting to see how a possible rematch plays out between two top-notch competitors. 65 kilograms: Zain Retherford vs. Jordan Oliver These guys were supposed to meet in the U.S. Open finals before two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis knocked both of them off en route to capturing the title. Retherford and Oliver have had some high-scoring and entertaining bouts in the past and this would be another one you won't want to miss. 74 kilograms: Isaiah Martinez vs. Mekhi Lewis This is a bout everyone would love to see among two young and dynamic wrestlers with bright futures ahead on the Senior level. Imar has made a U23 world team and made the Final X last year before being swept by Jordan Burroughs. Lewis has had an incredible last 12 months where he won a Junior world title before capturing an NCAA crown as a freshman. 79 kilograms: Mark Hall vs. Zahid Valencia No doubt, Hall is eager for a shot at Valencia after falling to him in the NCAA finals again. Hall is one of the best age-group wrestlers the U.S. has ever had after winning multiple world freestyle titles. Valencia is a Junior world medalist who is also very good at freestyle. This shapes up to be a tremendous match. 61 kilograms: Nahshon Garrett vs. Cody Brewer Garrett looked like a legitimate world medal contender last year before being injured in training. He's been off the mat for nearly a year, but Garrett is a huge talent with enormous potential. Brewer looked strong in winning the U.S. Open and he's very good on his feet as well. This match could see plenty of points go on the scoreboard. 125 kilograms: Adam Coon vs. Gable Steveson As a fan of wrestling, let's hope this match happens between two age-group world champions. Coon already owns a Senior world silver medal in Greco-Roman, but he also just won the U.S. Open in freestyle. Steveson is a mobile and athletic big man whose style could be a challenge for the powerful Coon. Thomas Gilman topped Nathan Tomasello in the U.S. Open semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 57 kilograms: Thomas Gilman vs. Nathan Tomasello These two guys battled at the age-group levels before continuing their rivalry in college. Gilman won the most recent match at the U.S. Open, but you know Tomasello will be determined to come back strong. Gilman also will be motivated after falling to Junior world champion Daton Fix at the Open. 70 kilograms: Jason Nolf vs. Hayden Hidlay This would be a rematch of their much-talked about NCAA tournament bout where Nolf escaped with a close win before going on to win his third national title. This could be another tight and entertaining battle if it happens in Raleigh. 65 kilograms: Zain Retherford vs. Frank Molinaro These two former Penn State standouts could provide their share of fireworks if they square off in Raleigh. Retherford is a Cadet world champion who was a member of the 2017 U.S. squad that won the world team title. Molinaro is looking to return to the level he was at when he placed fifth at the 2016 Olympic Games. 61 kilograms: Nahshon Garrett vs. Nick Suriano This would be an intriguing bout if it happens. Both of these guys have defeated Joe Colon, a returning world medalist who replaced an injured Garrett at the 2018 worlds. Suriano knocked off Colon at the Beat the Streets event this month in New York City. Nico Megaludis also will be in the mix to win the title at 61 kilograms. 86 kilograms: Pat Downey vs. Myles Martin Downey's matches are never boring and the past Junior world medalist proved that by winning the Open. Martin is a guy who has tremendous potential and could be a handful for anyone he squares off against. This would be a fun one to watch if it happens.

Amir Aliakbari after winning a world title in 2013, which was later stripped from him (Photo/Martin Gabor, United World Wrestling) Amir Aliakbari, an Iranian former Greco-Roman wrestler who has been competing as a professional mixed martial arts fighter since October 2015, has reportedly signed a contract with UFC, despite having been disqualified at least twice in his wrestling career for doping, and reportedly already being under contract with another pro MMA organization. Aliakbari announced on social media this weekend that he was signing with UFC. Here's his post on Facebook: "Contracting contract with the UFC organization. Please pray for me." https://www.facebook.com/kingamiraliakbari/ A number of media outlets -- including ESPN -- reported that UFC officials had confirmed that Aliakbari had signed with the promotion. With that news, there are two issues confronting the 31-year-old wrestler-turned-MMA star. Prior to launching his pro MMA career three-and-a-half-years ago, Aliakbari had won two wrestling world championships. However, the Iranian was stripped of his second title in 2013 after a second failed drug test. He had been not allowed to wrestle at the 2012 Rio Olympics because of a previous doping violation. After the second violation, United World Wrestling, the international wrestling body, banned Aliakbari for life. Under the UFC anti-doping policy, any fighter who has a past doping violation must be in the USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) drug-testing pool for six months and may be required to pass two drug tests before making his or her UFC debut. The second issue that may serve as a roadblock to Aliakbari fighting in the UFC is that another MMA organization claims the former wrestler is still under contract with them. Aliakbari's last three fights were fought under contract with the Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA) promotion, which is now alleging breach of contract. The president of ACA, Alexey Yatsenko, made this statement on the organization's official Facebook page on Tuesday: "Iranian fighter Amir Aliakbari announced that he has signed a contract with the UFC, forgetting that he has a valid agreement with ACA. We have reminded the athlete of his obligations and have also notified UFC Vice President Shawn Shelby and matchmaker Mick Maynard about the violation of this fighter's exclusive agreement with our organization. We sent all the documents confirming Aliakbari's obligations to our league. "We are waiting for explanations from the fighter and the response from the UFC on this issue and we reserve the right to take appropriate measures to protect the interests of our promotion."

Cohlton Schultz (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Tuesday announced that Cohlton Schultz of Parker, Colorado, is the 2019 national winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award (DSHSEA). Schultz, who becomes the first national winner from Colorado, will be presented with his award during the 43rd Annual Honors Weekend at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum on May 31 and June 1 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For information on Honors Weekend, visit nwhof.ticketleap.com/ or telephone (405) 377-5243. "I am honored and very thankful to receive this award," said Schultz. "I have admired and looked up to Dave Schultz and many of the previous award winners my entire life, both on and off the mat. It is a blessing to be mentioned in the same sentence as Dave Schultz and the previous winners of this prestigious award." The DSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. The Hall of Fame also presents the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award, which recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers. Regional winners are selected from state winners, and the national winner is chosen from the regional winners. The DSHSEA was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World champion Dave Schultz, whose career was cut short when he was murdered in January 1996. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997 and as a member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016. "We are excited to honor Cohlton Schultz from Parker, Colorado, as the national winner of the 2019 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award," said Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. "This award and honor represents the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's pride in a young man who has demonstrated a commitment to balancing his pursuit of excellence in the fields of academics, athletics and community service." Ohio has had the most national winners with five followed by Pennsylvania with three and California, Minnesota and Oklahoma with two winners each. Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin have each had one winner. The son of Rick and Christy Schultz and Jessica Schultz, Schultz is a four-time Colorado High School state champion for Ponderosa High School, finishing with a high school record of 188-2 with 152 pins. Schultz has been a world team member six times and will compete in the Greco-Roman World Junior Championships in August. He won the Greco-Roman Cadet World Championship in 2017 and was a bronze medalist at the Greco-Roman Junior World Championships in 2018. Schultz was also on the U23 World Team in 2018, the Cadet World Team in 2016 and the Junior Worlds in 2017. He is a two-time Ironman Champion and a four-time finalist and a four-time Reno Tournament of Champions champion, earning Outstanding Wrestler honors in 2019. Schultz was a four-time Doc Buchanan Champion and was named Outstanding Wrestler in 2018 and 2019. He is a member of the Student Athletic Council and the Principal Interview Committee. He also volunteers as a motivational speaker and volunteers at Southeast Christian Church. Following his gold medal win in 2017, the mayor and Parker City Council declared October 17 as "Cohlton Schultz Day." Schultz has a GPA of 3.25 and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Arizona State University. The state winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for its high school excellence awards from state chapters and coaches. The nominations are reviewed by a committee, which selects state and regional winners. The committee then determines the national winners from the regional winners. National winners of the DSHSEA award have combined to win 19 NCAA Division I individual titles led by four-time champion Logan Stieber (2010), three-time winner Zain Retherford (2013) and two-time winners Steven Mocco (2001), David Taylor (2009) and Teyon Ware (2002). The 2016 winner of the DSHSEA Mark Hall won an NCAA title as a freshman in 2017 while 2015 winner Zahid Valencia has won back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019. All-Time National Winners of Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award 2019 - Cohlton Schultz, Ponderosa High School, Parker, Colorado (Greco-Roman Cadet World Champion) 2018 - David Carr, Perry High School, Massillon, Ohio 2017 - Daton Fix, Charles Page High School, Sand Springs, Oklahoma (Junior World Champion) 2016 - Mark Hall II, Apple Valley High School, Apple Valley, Minnesota (NCAA Champion and 2X Junior World Champion) 2015 - Zahid Valencia, St. John Bosco High School, Bellflower, California (2X NCAA Champion and Junior World Silver Medalist) 2014 - Chance Marsteller, Kennard-Dale High School, Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania 2013 - Zain Retherford, Benton Area High School, Benton, Pennsylvania (3X NCAA Champion) 2012 - Taylor Massa, St. Johns High School, St. Johns, Michigan 2011 - Morgan McIntosh, Calvary Chapel High School, Santa Ana, California 2010 - Logan Stieber, Monroeville High School, Monroeville, Ohio (World Champion and 4X NCAA Champion) 2009 - David Taylor, Graham High School, St. Paris, Ohio (World Champion and 2X NCAA Champion) 2008 - Jason Chamberlain, Springville High School, Springville, Utah 2007 - Zachary Sanders, Wabasha-Kellogg High School, Wabasha, Minnesota 2006 - David Craig, Brandon High School, Brandon, Florida 2005 - Troy Nickerson, Chenango Forks High School, Chenango Forks, New York (NCAA Champion) 2004 - Coleman Scott, Waynesburg High School, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania (NCAA Champion and Olympic bronze medalist) 2003 - C.P. Schlatter, St. Paul Graham High School, Urbana, Ohio 2002 - Teyon Ware, Edmond North High School, Edmond, Oklahoma (2X NCAA Champion) 2001 - Steven Mocco, Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey (2X NCAA Champion and Olympian) 2000 - Ben Connell, Lugoff-Elgin High School, Lugoff, South Carolina 1999 - Zach Roberson, Blue Valley North West High School, Overland Park, Kansas (NCAA Champion) 1998 - Garrett Lowney, Freedom High School, Appleton, Wisconsin (2X Olympian) and Justin Ruiz, Taylorsville High School, Salt Lake City, Utah (Olympian) 1997 - Jeff Knupp, Walsh Jesuit High School, Akron, Ohio 1996 - David Kjeldgaard, Lewis Central High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation and now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. It also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

Chad Dennis sits down to chat with past Northern Colorado All-American and current UFC lightweight contender Justin "The Highlight" Gaethje on Episode 26 of The MatBoss Podcast. Gaethje talks about how playing multiple sports growing up helped him as a fighter, his thoughts on Ben Askren in the UFC, the relationship with former college coach Ben Cherrington as well as working out with Georges St-Pierre before getting into the fight game. Gaethje also promotes the idea of working your way up, his current fighting options and cutting weight. Note: This episode contains some coarse language. 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 Play Music | RSS

Add Maryland to the growing list of states which have said yes to an official girls' high school state wrestling tournament. The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) has approved an officially sanctioned girls state high school championships for the 2019-20 academic year. The MPSSAA made its decision to sanction a separate state competition for girls at a Board of Control on Friday, April 26. Here's what the announcement said: "Committee unanimously approved adding a girls' bracket to region and state tournaments. Every region will put forward the top two girls in each weight class into a single classification girls' tournament at The Show Place Arena." Maryland is the third state in the past two weeks to have expanded opportunities for high school girls to participate in wrestling competition separate from boys. Colorado and Kansas announced late last month that they had added girls wrestling to their lists of sanctioned interscholastic sports. Girls' wrestling continues to enjoy substantial growth in the U.S. At the beginning of 2018, six states had separate state wrestling championships for girls: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Tennessee, Texas and Washington State. During 2018, eight additional states -- Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, and Oregon -- announced the establishment of a girls' state championships to be held in 2019. Now, with the addition of Maryland and Kansas, a total of sixteen states will have sanctioned a state championship for female wrestlers.

How does a young wrestler make it to Fargo for the national wrestling tournament? It takes a ton of talent ... hard work ... perseverance ... and a good amount of money. To help cover the last element, a GoFundMe page has been established to help the wrestling team at Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas make that trip to North Dakota this summer to take on the nation's best young wrestlers. Their bus driver has launched the fundraiser to help make this road trip a reality. "As their bus driver I have witnessed the abilities the talent that these young men have and the teamwork is awesome between them. So I am raising this money to help get these boys to the Nationals in Fargo. So I'm reaching out to the community to ask you guys to dig into your hearts and help these boys go to Nationals. "They have to have their deposits in on Friday the 10th of May. It's $450/boy." To send the team of 13 wrestlers to Fargo (at $450 per wrestler), the total amount being raised is $6,000.

Cole Weaver (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) You can't keep a good man down. Especially if he's a wrestler. Cole Weaver, Indiana University wrestler who has endured multiple major injuries over the past three years, has been named a recipient of the 2019 Thomas A. Brady, M.D. Comeback Award. The 141-pound Hoosier senior has endured a series of serious injuries going back to 2016 which have sidelined Weaver's wrestling career from time to time ... yet through it all, the Michigan native has maintained a positive attitude. Back in January 2016, Weaver's face collided with an opponent's knee ... resulting in an orbital floor fracture below his left eye which required surgery. "They pulled my eyelid down and put a plate under it," Weaver told WTHR-TV, the NBC affiliate in Indianapolis. One side effect of that injury: Weaver was still experiencing double vision months later. He decided to consult with his doctor back home in Hudson, Michigan when he was involved in a three-vehicle crash on U.S. 20 in northwestern Ohio, about a half hour from home. Weaver's injuries were so serious -- including a broken right femur -- he was flown by helicopter to a Toledo hospital. A titanium rod was inserted from his hip to his knee. Weaver needed several months of rehabilitation before he could walk again. His right leg is now a half-inch longer than his left ... yet he was able to return to wrestling less than six months after the wreck. IU head wrestling coach Angel Escobedo put the seriousness of Weaver's injury in perspective. "You're taking away the biggest bone in your leg," said Escobedo. "It's so essential in wrestling to have leg power. He was out there wrestling with one leg. So it's pretty impressive what he was able to do with that injury." In fact, despite what happened, Weaver was able to return to wrestling ... crafting a 26-12 record and qualifying for the 2018 NCAA Division I championships as a junior. However, just a couple weeks after the season ended, Weaver tore ligaments in his ankle during training. Another surgery resulted in more hardware to hold his ankle together. If this series of incidents and injuries weren't enough, Weaver suffered a neck injury -- a herniated cervical disk -- which occurred during a match back in December. Sadly, that proved to be the end of his amateur wrestling career. Yet, Weaver has managed to be upbeat through it all. "My career definitely did not end how I wanted it to," Weaver said. "But the people I've met along the way and the connections I've made being here, it's just been awesome." One of those people is Indiana University Assistant Athletic Trainer Kyle Winters, who has been working with Cole Weaver after his neck injury to help him regain feeling in two of his fingers ... and nominated the former wrestler for the Brady Comeback Award. "Cole's dignity, his perseverance, his resilience -- he just has a very tough personality," Winters told WTHR-TV. "He's overall a tough person. He every day wakes up and 'what can I do to get better today?'" Here's how the organization which sponsors the Brady Comeback Award describes this annual honor which is now in its 14th year: "This award is unique because it honors both male and female student-athletes at the collegiate and high school level from Indiana who have distinguished themselves by overcoming adversity or injury, and returned and excelled beyond expectations in their respective sport(s). Recipients of this award will receive a $1,000 scholarship." Weaver and three other athletes will be presented with the award at a dinner in Indianapolis this Friday, May 10.

Jordan Burroughs shoots a double leg on Ben Askren (Photo/Dustin Tillman) NEW YORK -- In the main event of the 2019 Beat the Streets event dubbed "Grapple at the Garden," 2012 Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs rolled through 2008 Olympian and current UFC fighter Ben Askren. He set the tone early with a step out that sent Askren flying into the crowd. Burroughs then came forward with a four-point leg attack. Askren was laughing at the level of intensity as they walked back to the center. Burroughs was not done. He scored with a trademark double leg takedown and followed up with an exposure. The two slowed the pace and waited for the first period to end. In the second period, the man who claims to only see gold grabbed an ankle to run until he finished the takedown and the match. "We sold out Madison Square Garden for a wrestling match, and then he tried to kill me," Askren joked following the 11-0 technical superiority. Burroughs seemed to sense that perhaps he was too intense, but he was not apologetic. "I have been waiting for this day for a long time. It is difficult for me to treat this like a novelty or a show," he said. "This is what I do to feed my family, so when I come out here I drop the hammer." Below is a match-by-match recap of the other 12 Beat the Streets matches on Monday night. Yianni Diakomihalis after defeating world No. 1 Bajrang Punia (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Yianni Diakomihalis dec. Bajrang Punia (Indiana), 10-8, 65 kilograms Bajrang has been wrestling a crazy schedule recently. He had impressive gold-medal performances at both the Asian Championships and the Ali Aliyev tournament. He arrived in New York late on Saturday, and Diakomihalis is not a walk over. The Cornell wrestler scored first with a takedown, but Bajrang was not be denied. He got back into the match with a takedown of his own. However, he then learned that Diakomihalis' scrambling ability is no joke. Bajrang got in deep multiple attempts. However, Diakomihalis was able to defend or score himself each time. The Cornell wrestler took the title at the U.S. Open, and now he has knocked off the top-ranked wrestler in the UWW rankings. It is hard to not think that only the sky is the limit for this 20-year-old Cornell sophomore. J'den Cox tech. fall Patrick Brucki, 10-0, 92 kilograms This was clearly going to be a mismatch, but Cox, a returning world champion, used the opportunity to show just how far ahead of the field he currently stands. He was able to get to his offense early and often. After building an 8-0 lead, he tried to go for a five-point throw from the quad pod. However, he couldn't get full extension and had to settle for a four-point throw. That was about the only thing he could not pull off tonight. Drew Foster by injury default over David Tayor, 86 kilograms This match started with a scramble. Both wrestlers had legs. Foster appeared to wrench on Taylor's knee, and time was called. The former Penn State star was able to get back to his feet. The trainer applied a few layers of tape, and the match restarted. However, after a second it was stopped again. The founder of Beat The Streets Mike Novogratz pulled Taylor aside, and the match was then stopped. The "Magic Man" is the reigning world champion and clearly the favorite to repeat. Hopefully the injury is not serious, and he can make a comeback. Nick Suriano celebrates after beating Joe Colon (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Nick Suriano dec. Joe Colon, 3-1, 61 kilograms Both wrestlers had shot clock points heading into the final minute of the match. Suriano had the lead on criteria. He could have sat on the situation. However, he shot for a deep high crotch. He was cracked down, and it looked like Colon might be able to score a chest wrap. However, Suriano stayed on it as best he could. Eventually he was able to finish the match. Considering how Colon, a returning world bronze medalist, has been wrestling recently this was a very impressive performance from Suriano. His ability to control the neutral position clearly translates from folkstyle to freestyle. Becka Leathers gets her hand raised after picking up a 10-6 victory (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Becka Leathers dec. Diana Weicker, 10-6, 53 kilograms Leathers, a 2017 world bronze medalist, took this match on late notice after Sarah Hildebrandt could not compete due to an injury. She had a little bit more trouble than expected with Weicker, but she still took the decision Leathers was able to get to legs on multiple occasions. However, Weicker did a good job threatening exposures and chest wraps. As the match went on, Leathers' continuous offense was too much. She got out to a big lead and hung on for a 10-6 victory. Nick Gwiazdowski dec. Derek White, 9-0, 125 kilograms White was able to show that he can hang with some of the best domestic heavyweights at the U.S. Open. However, Gwiazdowski is the toast of the division, and it showed here. He set the tone early in this one. White hit a vintage Oklahoma State pass-by, but Gwiazdowski was able to counter it for a takedown of his own. From there he was able to continue moving forward and getting to his offense. There were several impressive scramble for a heavyweight contest, but in the end Gwiazdowski took it the 9-0 decision with three takedowns, and exposure and a step out. Kyle Snyder throws Nishan Randhawa (Photo/Dustin Tillman) Kyle Snyder tech. fall Nishan Randhawa (CAN), 14-1, 97 kilograms This was a vintage performance from the Olympic champion. He did surrender a step-out point, but other than that he was in control. He was able to score takedowns with both leg attacks and snap downs. He looked to be well on the way to finishing the Canadian with takedowns. However, Randhawa tried to defend from the quad pod position. Snyder decided to pick him up and go for the full five point throw. Snyder's quest for a third match with Abdulrashid Sadulaev will continue this year, and he looks as ready as ever. James Green dec. Anthony Ashnault, 8-4, 70 kilograms It looked like the world silver medalist was going to run away with this one early. He was able to get to his control ties to set up his leg attacks. He scored two single-leg takedowns in the first and came back in the second with a pair of pushouts. One of which was particularly demonstrative and sent Ashnault into the crowd. Green continued to turn it on with a double. However, Ashnault would not be denied. He scored with a single of his own and a throw by within the last 45 seconds. It was not enough and Green took home the 8-4 decision. Mallory Velte tech. fall Linda Morais, 11-0, 62 kilograms Velte is currently preparing for Final X, and she appears to be in peak form. She scored basically right off the bat with a single leg and kept the pressure on. Velte ended up finishing in less than two minutes with four takedowns and a turn with a leg lace. She is coming off a bronze-medal performance at last year's World Championships, and from the looks of this she might be ready to move right up the podium. Jack Mueller scores with a four-point move on Nick Piccininni (Photo/Dustin Tillman) Jack Mueller tech. fall Nick Piccininni, 11-0, 57 kilograms Even after Mueller finished as the runner-up as the NCAAs this past year, many expected this to be a close match. It did not turn out that way. He was all over Piccininni from the start with his leg attacks. When the Oklahoma State wrestler tried to get back in the match, Mueller hit him with a huge chest wrap for four. From there, Mueller continued to pour it on and eventually closed it out with a pushout. Both of these wrestlers should be in the hunt to challenge Spencer Lee next season. However, this result seems to make Mueller seem like the primary contender. Jo Jo Aragona pinned Adam Busiello, 138 pounds This was an entirely dominant performance for Aragona. The Rutgers signee got hit for passivity while shooting early in the first. He then shot right off the restart and scored as the went out of bounds. He got in deep on a leg attack again and elevated Busiello into the air and sent him off the stage with the finish. After the break, Aragona continued to push the pace eventually slammed down with a pancake for the fall. Valentina Bailon pinned Seda, 122 pounds The 2019 Beat the Streets event started off with a barnburner. The high school women's all-star match featured a pair of wrestlers who liked to put up points. Seda appeared to have the better conventional offense, but Ballon continually went for big moves. She hit three four-point throws in the first period. Seda came out aggressive in the second period, but Ballon reversed from the front head position and turned for the fall.

What's the true measure of a successful National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics men's college wrestling program? Beyond won-loss records, pinning percentages and other on-the-mat stats, there's the performance of wrestlers in the classroom. The men wrestlers at Montana State University-Northern earned the highest team grade point average among NAIA schools in 2019, with a 3.362 GPA… while the matmen at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University had the most individuals earn All-American Scholar honors, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced this week. Top NAIA men's mat programs for team GPA In terms of team GPA, the Lights of MSU-Northern edged out second-place Bethany College of Kansas, last year's top-ranked men's mat program, with a 3.362 GPA. Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, came in right behind the top two academic programs, with a 3.330 GPA. Here are the top NAIA men's wrestling programs based on team GPA: 1. Montana State-Northern (3.362 GPA) 2. Bethany College (3.338 GPA) 3. Morningside College (3.330 GPA) 4. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (3.320 GPA) 5. University of the Cumberlands (3.293 GPA) 6. Concordia University, Nebraska (3.253 GPA) 7. Baker University (3.225 GPA) 8. Grand View University (3.215 GPA) 9. Indiana Institute of Technology (3.169 GPA) 10. Eastern Oregon University (3.162 GPA) 11. Menlo College (3.147 GPA) 12. Southeastern University (3.146 GPA) 13. Lindsay Wilson University (3.133 GPA) 14. University of Providence (3.096 GPA) 15. Marian University (3.073 GPA) Individual Scholar All-Americans In addition to naming the fifteen top men's wrestling programs in the NAIA, the NWCA also revealed the names of 54 wrestlers who scored big in the classroom in terms of grade point average. Embry-Riddle came out on top, with six members of their men's wrestling team receiving 2019 NAIA Individual Scholar All-American honors: Berit Sturgeon, Carlos Apodaca, Collin Anderson, Daniel Butler, Joshua Nira, and Tyler Hall. Grand View University, 2019 NAIA team titlewinner, had five academic honorees, while four other schools each claimed four. The 2019 NWCA/NAIA men's academic ranking included 22 men who earned All-American honors at this year's national championships. Of these honorees, six made their way to the finals ... and four earned 2019 NAIA individual titles. (To see the entire list of individual honorees, click here.) "NAIA institutions continue to show that they are a great place for wrestlers to not only continue competing at the collegiate level but also a terrific place for them to achieve academic excellence on their way to earning their college degrees," said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. "We want to congratulate these individuals and teams on their academic success and thank the colleges and universities for their dedication to and support of their student-athletes." The NWCA report on the academic performance of NAIA men's wrestling programs comes on the heels of the coaches' organization revealing similar information on NCAA Division I wrestlers.

Which NCAA Division I wrestling programs can claim the top academic performance for 2019? The wrestlers of Drexel University pinned down the highest team grade point average with a 3.6263 GPA ... while Ohio State could claim the most wrestlers who earned All-American Scholar status, with seven, according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Top D1 Mat Programs for Team GPA The Drexel Dragons improved their standing among Division I wrestling programs' GPA, moving up from eighth place last season. In second place was American University. The Eagles wrestlers earned collective 3.5607 GPA. Harvard wrestling placed third, with team GPA of 3.5468. Here are the top ten Division I wrestling programs based on team GPA: 1. Drexel (3.6263 GPA) 2. American (3.5607 GPA) 3. Harvard (3.5468 GPA) 4. Stanford (3.4189 GPA) 5. Utah Valley University (3.3864 GPA) 6. Sacred Heart University (3.3805 GPA) 7. Hofstra (3.3759 GPA) 8. Brown (3.3594 GPA) 9. Duke (3.3549 GPA) 10. Central Michigan (3.3323 GPA) In terms of conferences represented among the top ten team grade point averages ... the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association comes out on top, with six EIWA member schools listed (Drexel, American, Harvard, Sacred Heart, Hofstra, and Brown). Four other conferences had one member school each in this ranking: the Pac 12 (Stanford) ... Big 12 (Utah Valley) ... Atlantic Coast Conference (Duke) ... and the Mid-American Conference (Central Michigan). (To see the entire list of NWCA's 2019 NCAA Division Top 30 School All-American Teams, click here.) Individual Scholar All-Americans Over 140 Division I wrestlers were named to the 2019 NWCA Scholar All-American list. These scholar-athletes earned their place on the list thanks to achievements in the classroom, as well as for their on-the-mat performance this season, with the majority qualifying for the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships held last month in Pittsburgh. Nine wrestlers who made the NWCA list were finalists at the 2019 Nationals. Four were crowned champs -- Penn State's Anthony Cassar, Bo Nickal, and Jason Nolf … and Rutgers' Anthony Ashnault – with Cornell's Max Dean, Oklahoma State's Daton Fix, Ohio State's Kollin Moore and Micah Jordan, and Nebraska's Tyler Berger placing second in their respective weight classes. Ohio State can claim the most 2019 NWCA Scholar All-Americans, with seven. In addition to the aforementioned Kollin Moore and Micah Jordan, other Buckeye mat stars on the list include Joey McKenna, Kaleb Romero, KeShawn Hayes, Luke Pletcher, and Malik Heinselman. Lehigh had six wrestlers earn a place on this year's Scholar All-American list, while Drexel, Duke, Penn State, Purdue, and Stanford each had five wrestlers qualify for the list. Seven schools had four wrestlers named to the list. (To see the entire list of 2019 NWCA Scholar All-Americans, click here.) "Honoring individuals and teams who have set themselves apart in the classroom is one of the greatest ways we can preserve and grow our sport," according to Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. "Wrestling is one of the top collegiate sports having first-generation college attendees and it's great to see so many student-athletes taking advantage of the opportunity the sport has given them by pursuing excellence in the classroom as well as on the mat."

Vayle Baker was a regional winner of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (Photo/Martin Gabor, United World Wrestling) STILLWATER -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has announced the state and regional winners of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA). The award recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. Regional winners are selected from state winners, and the national winner will be chosen from the regional winners. The national winner of the TSHSEA will be announced on Wednesday while the national winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award will be announced on Tuesday. The national winners will be presented with their awards during the 43rd Annual Honors Weekend at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum on May 31-June 1 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For information on Honors Weekend, visit https://nwhof.ticketleap.com/ or telephone (405) 377-5243. First presented in 2014, the TSHSEA is named for Tricia Saunders, a four-time World Champion and women's wrestling pioneer. Saunders was the first woman to be inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 and was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011. "We are excited that the rapid growth of girls wrestling has allowed us to recognize 35 state winners this year, which is up from 32 a year ago and 24 in 2017. This outstanding group is comprised of young women who excel on the wrestling mat, in the classroom and in their community," said Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. "I want to thank our selection committee for the diligent work that they have done, and we are excited to follow the progress of these young women as they achieve their goals not only in wrestling, but in their lives and careers." Kansas recently voted to make girls wrestling a sanctioned high school sport, becoming the 16th state in the country to sanction girls wrestling and the ninth to do so in the last six months. States that will host state-sanctioned girls wrestling championships are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. The state winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for the High School Excellence awards, and a committee, with input from Hall of Fame state chapters, selects state and regional winners. National winners are then chosen from the regional winners. The 2019 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award Regional Winners are: West: Kelani Corbett of Waipahu, Hawaii, is a four-time Hawaii High School state champion and four-year team captain for Leilehua High School. The daughter of Kevin and Cassandra Corbett, she is ranked second at 164 pounds in the National Girls High School Rankings. Corbett was a three-time Oahu Interscholastic Association champion, a three-time Hawaii Officials champion and a two-time Paani Challenge champion. She also won the 2018 MIT title and was also named Outstanding Wrestler. In 2017, she won the cadet title at Fargo, the United World Wrestling National Championships and placed fifth at the United World Wrestling Cadet World Championships. She was a three-time Fargo Junior All-American and an alternate on the Cadet World Team in 2018. Corbett also lettered in Judo for Leilehua High School and was a three-time state placer and two-time team captain. She volunteers with Caring for Hawaii Neonates and with the American Red Cross. Corbett has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Lyon College where she plans to major in pre-medicine. Central: Xochitl Mota-Pettis of Humble, Texas, is the top-ranked wrestler at 127 pounds in the National Girls High School Rankings. The daughter of M. Allen Pettis and Luisa Mota, she was a two-time Texas High School state champion and a three-time finalist for Klein High School. Mota-Pettis had a career high school record of 199-8 and won the junior national championship in both freestyle and folkstyle in 2018. She finished third in folkstyle at the junior nationals in 2019 after finishing fourth in both freestyle and folkstyle in 2017. Mota-Pettis is a three-time Texas USA Wrestling freestyle state champion and also captured the Greco-Roman title in 2018. She is a member of Air Force Junior ROTC, the creative writing club and the cinematography club. Midwest: Emily Shilson of North Oaks, Minnesota, is the top-ranked wrestler at 100 pounds in the National Girls High School Rankings. The daughter of Chad and Margaret Shilson, she was a six-time Minnesota Girls High School state champion and qualified for the Minnesota AAA boys state championship three times, becoming the first girl to ever qualify for the tournament. Shilson had a career record of 139-64 with 62 pins against boys, wrestling for Centennial High School and Mounds View High School. She earned all-conference honors twice and was honorable mention all-conference two times. Shilson won the Cadet World Championship in 2018 after capturing a silver medal in 2017, and made history in 2018 when she became the first U.S. wrestler to win a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games. She won a gold medal at the Cadet Pan-Am Championships in 2016 and 2018 when she also earned the Golden Boot awarded to the Outstanding Wrestler. Shilson is a three-time junior national champion in both folkstyle and freestyle, a two-time Cadet Freestyle national champion and a Cadet Folkstyle national champion. She organized family members and teammates to pick up litter in their community and the communities where they are training and competing, including around the Oklahoma City Memorial during the USA Girls Folkstyle Nationals. Shilson also lettered in cross country and has completed seven marathons and ultramarathons. She has a 3.97 GPA and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Augsburg University. Northeast: Vayle Baker of Benton, Pennsylvania, is ranked second at 117 pounds in the National Girls High School Rankings. The daughter of Wes and Lisa Baker, she competed at Wyoming Seminary as a senior and is a five-time national women's freestyle champion. Baker was the Pennsylvania Amateur Wrestling Federation women's freestyle state champion in 2017 and 2018. She won the Cadet Pan-Am Championships in 2015 and finished second at the Pan-Am Championships in 2018. Baker won the Tallinn Open in Estonia, and also won the first PA versus USA women's match at the 45th Annual Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic in 2019. She captured silver medals at the Flatz Open in Austria in 2018 and 2019 and won the Gotham City Classic and the Northeast Regional in 2018. She also lettered in soccer and helped Benton High School qualify for the state tournament in 2017. Baker has a 3.17 GPA and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Augsburg University. Southeast: Isabella Badon of Johnson City, Tennessee, is a four-time Tennessee High School state champion for Daniel Boone High School and is ranked 14th at 117 pounds in the National Girls High School Rankings. The daughter of Doug and Debbie Badon, she had a career record of 105-11 while also lettering in soccer, cross country and track. Prior to her senior year, Badon had the labrum repaired in both her hip and shoulder while also undergoing surgery for a torn tendon in her bicep. She also had bone chips removed and torn cartilage repaired. She wasn't allowed to return to the mat until early November and then was diagnosed with mononucleosis. In the state finals she defeated Tyesha Thomas, who had defeated her three times during the regular season, earning Badon the Outstanding Wrestler honor and being voted the tournament's outstanding match. Badon has a 3.70 GPA and plans to wrestle at either Lyon College or Presbyterian College. The regions and the states that they are comprised of are: West (11) - Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming Midwest (10) - Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin Central (7) - Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas Southeast (10) - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia Northeast (11) - Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont 2019 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award State Winners State - Name, High School, Hometown, College Attending Alaska - McKenzie Cook, Homer High School, Homer, McKendree University, Arizona - Jennifer Curry, Hamilton High School, Queen Creek Arkansas - Layne Adams, Rogers High School, Rogers California - Mary Lopez, Liberty High School, Brentwood Colorado - Jaslynn Gallegos, Skyview High School, Brighton Connecticut - Joanne Ortiz, New Milford High School, New Milford, Life University, Florida - Shania Gowan, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Missouri Baptist University Georgia - Alexa Downs, Camden County High School, Woodbine, Presbyterian College Hawaii - Kelani Corbett, Leilehua High School, Waipahu, Lyon College Idaho - Hannah Harvey, St. Maries High School, St. Maries Illinois - Randi Robison, East Peoria Community High School, East Peoria, Campbellsville University Indiana - Alara Boyd, Yorktown High School, Yorktown Iowa - Keagan King, South Central Calhoun High School, Lytton, Grandview University Kansas - Mya Kretzler, McPherson Senior High School, McPherson, Baker University Kentucky - Jessica Torres, Harrison High School, Cynthiana, University of the Cumberlands Maine - Zoe Buteau, Oak Hill High School, Wales Maryland - Destiny Benjamin, Dulaney High School, Timonium, Ferrum College Michigan - Megan Vondrasek, Owosso High School, Owosso Minnesota - Emily Shilson, Mounds View High School, North Oaks, Augsburg University Missouri - Brooke-Lynn Rush, Benton High School, St. Joseph Nevada - Morgan Norris, Reed High School, Sparks New Jersey - Bella Serrano, Manasquan High School, Manasquan, East Stroudsburg University New Mexico - Jennesis Martinez, Manzano High School, Albuquerque New York - Shola Cascen, Harry S. Truman High School, Bronx North Carolina - Nikoly Dos Santos, Providence High School, Matthews, Gannon University Ohio - Andrea Schlabach, Stephen T. Badin High School, Hamilton Oklahoma - Ainslee Lane, Bixby High School, Bixby, Presbyterian College Oregon - Sarah Conner, Central Linn High School, Brownsville Pennsylvania - Vayle Baker, Wyoming Seminary, Benton, Augsburg University Tennessee - Isabella Badon, Daniel Boone High School, Johnson City Texas - Xoxhitl Mota-Pettis, Klein High School, Humble Utah - Marlynne Deede, Springville High School, Springville Virginia - Ashley Whetzal, Floyd E Kellam High School, Virginia Beach Washington - Kaylee Moore, Naches Valley High School, Yakima Wisconsin - Macey Kilty, River Falls High School, Stratford All-Time National Winners of Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award 2018 - Alleida Martinez, Selma High School, Selma, California 2017 - Cierra Foster, Post Falls High School, Post Falls, Idaho 2016 - Katie Brock, Sequatchie County High School, Whitwell, Tennessee 2015 - Marizza Birrueta, Grandview High School, Grandview, Washington 2014 - Marina Doi, Kingsburg High School, Kingsburg, California National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation and now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. It also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

A stacked 65-kilogram weight class was the highlight of the men's freestyle division at the 2019 Last Chance Qualifier. Dean Heil took the title with a 5-2 decision over last year's National Team No. 2 Joey McKenna. Heil upset McKenna last weekend at the US Open 12-9 and proved it was no fluke beating him again today. To reach the finals Heil defeated two-time NCAA finalist Bryce Meredith, 10-0 in the semifinals. Read complete story on TheMat.com ... Finals results: 57: Zach Sanders dec. David Terao, 9-6 61: Shelton Mack dec. Daniel Deshazer, 2-1 65: Dean Heil Stillwater dec. Joey McKenna 70: Mario Mason tech. fall Jake Keating, 11-0 3:07 74: Joey Lavallee tech. fall Thomas Poklikuha, 10-0 1:25 79: Mark Hall tech. fall Chad Walsh, 10-0 1:49 86: Nino Bonaccorsi dec. Joshua Asper, 7-6 92: Scottie Boykin tech. fall Morgan Smith Lynnwood, 13-2 4:19 97: Jeremiah Imonode pinned Donald McNeil, 2-0 0:14 125: Nick Nevills tech. fall Ceron Francisco, 12-2 4:12

Yianni Diakomihalis talks to his coach Mike Grey during the U.S. Open finals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) The U.S. Open concluded last weekend in Las Vegas with a number of surprising first-time champions earning Final X berths and/or a place in the finals of the World Team Trials. Arguably the most surprising result was that of Yianni Diakomihalis, who beat Frank Molinaro, Jordan Oliver, and Zain Retherford in consecutive matches to earn his first senior-level U.S. Open championship and secure a spot in Final X. Yianni's results didn't surprise me as much as they validated what we were seeing from him during the collegiate season. Flexible, creative, and aggressive, Yianni proved over the last six months that he is not only the best 65-kilogram wrestler in the United States, but arguably the world. That sentiment isn't defensible until Yianni faces more top-level competition, including a slew of Russians who'd love to test the limits of the young American's leg defense. But those tests aren't likely to happen unless (or until) Yianni earns a spot on the team for the World Championships in Nur-Sultan. There is a lot of national wrestling still to be done before he can be shipped overseas for acclimation to the international style. However, Yianni did catch a competitive break when Bajrang Punia, the top-ranked wrestler in the world, signed on to compete against him at the Beat the Streets event going down on Monday. The matchup is peculiar for several reasons. This is the first time that an Indian is the top-ranked wrestler in the world, he's coming off a VERY long string of tournaments (Asians to Ali Aliyev), and doesn't land until Saturday at midnight. Making the matchup even more compelling is that both wrestlers are reliant on creative defense to win matches. Bajrang can't be bothered to ever defend his legs from being grabbed, but then fights like hell to score from these creative positions. Yianni isn't much different, creating scoring opportunities from what seem to be impossibly disadvantaged positions. The X Factor will be how both these athletes are recovering from their recent tournaments and how much energy they will have late in the match. Bajrang is a hammer who tends to break opponents. Can he do that to Yianni and make him tired enough to not defend with as much acrobatic perfection in minute six as he did minute one? It's unclear, but with Askren and Burroughs wrestling directly after, I think that the broader sports world is about to be treated to what could be one of the most entertaining matches in recent memory. To your questions … Q: As time progresses, Kyle Snyder's NCAA achievements become even more impressive. Compare his opponents in college to some other three-time NCAA champs and it's not even close, especially considering how good they all became. Think about this... 2015 NCAA semifinals: Beat J'den Cox, three-time NCAA champ and world champ 2015 NCAA finals: Lost to Kyven Gadson, NCAA champ and two-time U.S. Open champ 2016 NCAA finals: Beat Nick Gwiazdowski, two-time NCAA champ, world medalist 2017: Normal level of NCAA opponents 2018 NCAA finals: Beat Adam Coon, world medalist and U.S. Open champ in Greco and freestyle Can you think of any other three-time or four-time champs who wrestled the caliber of opponents that Snyder did in college? -- Andy S. Foley: Cael Sanderson was dealing with Daniel Cormier, though to be fair his real excellence has shown in the octagon more than on the mat. He also had to deal with eventual world silver medalist Brandon Eggum, Olympian Andy Hrovat, world (Greco) silver medalist Brad Vering, world (Greco) bronze medalist Justin Ruiz, NCAA champion Mark Munoz, two-time NCAA champion Damion Hahn and others. I can't quickly access the records of all those who wrestled the three and four-timers (noggin isn't what it once was!), but looking at Logan and Kyle it's obvious that Kyle went through more internationally accomplished opponents. Though remember that Kyle had to get through Taylor, who was himself a two-time champ, four-time finalist and is a world champion. Though not as complete a run as Snyder, I think it should remain a huge consideration. Ryan Deakin defeated two-time world medalist James Green to win the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Was Ryan Deakin's run to a U.S. Open title an aberration? Or do you think he can get past the winner of James Green vs. Jason Nolf to earn a spot on the World Team? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't think you can call that performance a total aberration, but I also don't know that it signals Deakin as the shoe-in for the World Team at 70 kilograms. Any wrestling fan worth his split sole knows that Jason Nolf was wrestling a little freestyle-rusty and at times exhibited abysmal match strategy. He also lit up opponents when it mattered. If he gets rolling I think he's tough to beat. James Green is the same way. When Green feels confident in his reattacks and hand fights with a little more urgency, he can win matches. He seemed to take the pressure off against Deakin and I think it cost him. It'll be a good learning lesson. Overall, Deakin is a little worse than even money against the field. Bo Nickal picked up a technical fall over Hayden Zillmer in the finals of the U.S. Open (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Q: Based on what you saw of Bo Nickal at the U.S. Open, are you giving him a shot against J'den Cox? -- Mike C. Foley: How could you not?! Though I have to admit I'm among the worst in the community at consistently underestimating J'den Cox. Every accomplishment seems to get couched by some outside consideration. Truth is, he wins and he wins a lot. I still think that if Nicklal wins the World Team Trials he's going to be a heck of a match for Cox at Final X. So many attacks. If anything would worry me as a fan of Nickal it's that he's a little outsized and Cox's mat strategy has improved dramatically the last three years. But again, with a few weeks to prepare and train that gap may close. Q: Watching the U.S. Open this past weekend, I have a question. When it goes to criteria to determine a winner, I understand last one who scores wins unless there was a four or five-point move. Do you think it would be better instead of going to last one who scores, maybe adding the criteria of takedown and turn beats two takedowns or vice versa. What do you think? -- @jferg24 Foley: The criteria first goes to the athlete with most high-scoring maneuvers. So for example, a takedown for two points would be better than two step outs. That would also mean that a pair of four-point moves beats a four-point move and two takedowns. I think that is a great place to start. The next criteria is cautions and the third is the last person to have scored. Overall, I don't have any problems with the system as the athletes have been tending to compete hard within the six minutes and the referees are limited with how influential they can be in the matches. Q: Is Iran back after that great performance at the Asian Championships? Or was the field thin? -- @bpaynecpa727 Foley: The Asian Championships in freestyle was not as competitive as the Europeans, but I think overall there were a few substantive challenges for the Iranian wrestlers, especially at the lower weight categories. Where I think we may be getting ahead of ourselves is in reviewing this team as though it will be the same team that arrives in Nur-Sultan. For the most part (Reza Yazdani being the most obvious exclusion) the Iranian team was its U-23 squad. They wrestled hard, seemed to have nice physiques and were aggressive on the edge. That noted, they were a little gratuitous with the step outs. Iranians can play the edge a little too much, in my opinion. The Korean freestyle team actually seemed to be improving a bit. After a few decades of ignoring their development, there are new resources in place and they are wrestling back to the standard we saw in the late 1990's and early 2000's. I think the nation will remain Greco-focused, but it's nice to see them on the road and competing well.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Thursday announced the state and regional winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award (DSHSEA). The DSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. The Hall of Fame will announce the state and regional winners of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA) on Monday. The TSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. Regional winners for both awards are selected from state winners, and the national winners will be chosen from the regional winners. The national winner of the DSHSEA will be announced on Tuesday while the national winner of the TSHSEA will be announced on Wednesday. The national winners will be presented with their awards during the 43rd Annual Honors Weekend at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum on May 31-June 2 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For information on Honors Weekend, visit nwhof.ticketleap.com/ or telephone (405) 377-5243. The DSHSEA was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World champion Dave Schultz, whose career was cut short when he was murdered in January 1996. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997 and as a member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016. "The Class of 2019 state and regional winners of our Dave Schultz High School Excellence award represent an outstanding group of students, athletes and citizens who are prepared to have a positive impact on our sport and society in the years to come," said Hall of Fame Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. "I want to thank our selection committee for the diligent work they have done, and hopefully this award will inspire each of these young and talented individuals to achieve lofty goals not only in wrestling but in their careers and lives." West Region winner Jaden Abas is the son of Gerry Abas, who was the first four-time All-American from California, reaching the NCAA Division I finals three times while capturing three Western Athletic Conference championships for Fresno State. His uncle, Stephen Abas, a Distinguished Member inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018, was a three-time national champion and a four-time All-American for Fresno State and an Olympic silver medalist in 2004. The state winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for its high school excellence awards from state chapters and coaches. The nominations are reviewed by a committee, which selects state and regional winners. The committee then determines the national winners from the regional winners. National winners of the DSHSEA award have combined to win 19 NCAA Division I individual titles led by four-time champion Logan Stieber (2010), three-time winner Zain Retherford (2013) and two-time winners Steven Mocco (2001), David Taylor (2009) and Teyon Ware (2002). The 2016 winner of the DSHSEA Mark Hall won an NCAA title as a freshman in 2017 while 2015 winner Zahid Valencia has won back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019. The 2019 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award Regional Winners are: West Region: Jaden Abas of San Diego, California, is a two-time California High School state champion and three-time state finalist for Rancho Bernardo High School. The son of Gerry and Virginia Abas, he was a Super 32 champion, a two-time Ironman finalist, a Cadet Freestyle finalist and a bronze medalist at the Junior Nationals in 2018. Abas has a GPA of 4.10 and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Stanford University. Central Region: Cohlton Schultz of Parker, Colorado, is a four-time Colorado High School state champion for Ponderosa High School. The son of Rick and Christy Schultz and Jessica Schultz, he had a high school record of 188-2 with 152 pins. Schultz has been a world team member six times and will compete in the Greco-Roman World Junior Championships in August. He won the Greco-Roman Cadet World Championship in 2017 and was a bronze medalist at the Greco-Roman Junior World Championships in 2018. Schultz was also on the U23 World Team in 2018, the Cadet World Team in 2016 and the Junior Worlds in 2017. He is a two-time Ironman Champion and a four-time finalist and a four-time Reno Tournament of Champions champion, earning Outstanding Wrestler honors in 2019. Schultz was a four-time Doc Buchanan Champion and was named Outstanding Wrestler in 2018 and 2019. He is a member of the Student Athletic Council and the Principal Interview Committee. He also volunteers as a motivational speaker and volunteers at Southeast Christian Church. Following his gold medal win in 2017, the mayor and Parker City Council declared October 17 as "Cohlton Schultz Day." Schultz has a GPA of 3.25 and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Arizona State University. Midwest Region: Carson Kharchla of Powell, Ohio, is a two-time Ohio High School state champion for Olentangy Liberty High School. The son of Miron and Carson Kharchilava, he finished fourth at Junior Nationals in 2017 before winning the title in 2018. Kharchla won the FloWrestling Who's #1 tournament and the Ironman Tournament in 2018 and was named Outstanding Wrestler by the Ohio State Wrestling Coaches Association in 2018-19. He has a GPA of 3.20 and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Ohio State University. Northeast Region: Michael Colaiocco of Sparta, New Jersey, is a four-time Beast of the East champion and a two-time champion and three-time finalist at Prep Nationals for Blair Academy. The son of Vincent and Elizabeth Colaiocco, he won the Major Ray Mendoza Award, which is presented to the wrestler who scores the most team points, at the 2017 Ironman and the 2019 Prep Nationals. Colaiocco finished first at Junior Nationals in 2018 after a fourth-place finish in 2017 and a sixth-place finish in 2016. He was the Outstanding Wrestler at the Beast of the East in 2017 and at the Geary Invitational in 2018. Colaiocco has a 5.20 GPA on a 6.0 scale and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Pennsylvania University. Southeast Region: Brevin Balmeceda of Miami, Florida, is a four-time Florida High School state champion, finishing with a career record of 331-18 for South Dade High School. The son of Victor and Susan Balmeceda, he is a three-time National High School Coaches Association national champion and won the Super 32 championship in 2017. He was named the 2019 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Wrestling. Balmeceda also competed on the swimming team and was a member of the district champion 100-meter relay team in 2017. He is a member of Best Buddies, where he is a peer mentor to mentally challenged students, while also serving as a team mentor for Special Olympics and as a peer athlete for Inclusionary Teams. Balmeceda has a 3.79 GPA and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Oklahoma State University. The regions and the states that they are comprised of are: West (11) - Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming Midwest (10) - Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin Central (7) - Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas Southeast (10) - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia Northeast (11) - Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont 2019 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award State Winners State - Name, High School, Hometown, College Attending Alabama - Christian Knop, Alexandria High School, Anniston, North Carolina State Alaska - Luciano Fasulo, Homer High School, Anchor Point Arizona - Marcus Castillo, Mountain View High School, Tucson, University of Arkansas - Little Rock Arkansas - Jake Turner, Rogers High School, Rogers, University of Arkansas - Little Rock California - Jaden Abas, Rancho Bernardo High School, San Diego, Stanford University Colorado - Cohlton Schultz, Ponderosa High School, Parker, Arizona State University Connecticut - Sean Johnson, HH Ellis Technical High School, Ashford Delaware - Anthony Caruso, Cape Henlopen High School, Lewes Florida - Brevin Balmeceda, South Dade High School, Miami, Oklahoma State University Georgia - Kyle Gollhofer, Woodland High School, Acworth, University of Northern Iowa Hawaii - Rysan Leong, Kalaheo High School, Kailua Idaho - Ridge Lovett, Post Falls High School, Post Falls, University of Nebraska Illinois - Luke Luffman, Urbana High School, Urbana, University of Illinois Indiana - Asa Garcia , Avon High School, Indianapolis, Indiana University Iowa - Cade DeVos, Southeast Polk High School, Altoona, South Dakota State Kansas - Wyatt Hendrickson, Newton High School, Newton, Air Force Academy Prep School Kentucky - Zane Brown, Male High School, Louisville, Lindsey Wilson College Louisiana - Patrick Evans, Brother Martin High School, New Orleans, University of Virginia Maine - Noah Lang, Camden Hills Regional High School Maryland - Jason Kraisser Centennial High School, Ellicott City, Campbell University Massachusetts - Ryan Garlitz, St. John's Preparatory School, Manchester, University of Maryland Michigan - Cameron Amine, Detroit Catholic Central, Brighton , University of Michigan Minnesota - Greg Kerkvliet, Simley Senior High School, Simley, Ohio State University Missouri - Kai Orine, Seckman High School, Imperial, North Carolina State Montana - Michael Weber, Forsyth High School, Forsyth, North Dakota State University Nebraska - Phillip Moomey, Kearney High School, Kearney, Cornell University Nevada - Steele Dias, Green Valley High School, Henderson New Hampshire - Conner McGonagle, Timberlane Regional High School, Danville, Lehigh University New Jersey - Michael Colaiocco, Blair Academy, Sparta, Pennsylvania University New Mexico - Zeke Marquez, Silver High School, Silver City, Lander University New York - Adam Busiello, Eastport South Manor High School, Manorville, Arizona State University North Carolina - Nathan Dugan, Lake Norman High School, Mooresville, Princeton North Dakota - Kyle Burwick, Hettinger High School, Hettinger, University of Wisconsin Ohio - Carson Kharchla, Olentangy Liberty High School, Powell, Ohio State University Oklahoma - Zane Coleman, Choctaw High School, Choctaw, Arizona State University Oregon - Sean Harman, West Linn High School, West Linn, University of Missouri Pennsylvania - Ryan Anderson, Bethlehem Catholic High School, Hackettstown, Iowa State Rhode Island - Sean Caltagirone, Coventry High School, Coventry South Carolina - Chandler Smalley, Abbeville High School, Donalds, Lander University South Dakota - Caden Lamer, Tri-Valley High School, Colton, South Dakota State University Tennessee - Mason Reiniche, Baylor School, Soddy Daisy, Cornell University Texas - Aidan Conner, Highland Park High School, Dallas, Princeton Utah - Terrell Barraclough, Layton High School, Kaysville, Penn State University Vermont - Dakota Peters, Rutland High School, Rutland Virginia - John Birchmeier, Broad Run High School, Ashburn, United States Naval Academy Washington - Brenden Chaowanapibool, Bonney Lake High School, Auburn, United States Air Force Academy West Virginia - Brandon Holt, St. Albans High, Elkview Wisconsin - Eric Barnett, Hortonville High School, Greenville, University of Wisconsin Wyoming - Donny Proffit, Kemmerer High School, Diamondville All-Time National Winners of Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award 2018 - David Carr, Perry High School, Massillon, Ohio 2017 - Daton Fix, Charles Page High School, Sand Springs, Oklahoma (Junior World Champion) 2016 - Mark Hall II, Apple Valley High School, Apple Valley, Minnesota (NCAA Champion and 2X Junior World Champion) 2015 - Zahid Valencia, St. John Bosco High School, Bellflower, California (2X NCAA Champion and Junior World Silver Medalist) 2014 - Chance Marsteller, Kennard-Dale High School, Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania 2013 - Zain Retherford, Benton Area High School, Benton, Pennsylvania (3X NCAA Champion) 2012 - Taylor Massa, St. Johns High School, St. Johns, Michigan 2011 - Morgan McIntosh, Calvary Chapel High School, Santa Ana, California 2010 - Logan Stieber, Monroeville High School, Monroeville, Ohio (World Champion and 4X NCAA Champion) 2009 - David Taylor, Graham High School, St. Paris, Ohio (World Champion and 2X NCAA Champion) 2008 - Jason Chamberlain, Springville High School, Springville, Utah 2007 - Zachary Sanders, Wabasha-Kellogg High School, Wabasha, Minnesota 2006 - David Craig, Brandon High School, Brandon, Florida 2005 - Troy Nickerson, Chenango Forks High School, Chenango Forks, New York (NCAA Champion) 2004 - Coleman Scott, Waynesburg High School, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania (NCAA Champion and Olympic bronze medalist) 2003 - C.P. Schlatter, St. Paul Graham High School, Urbana, Ohio 2002 - Teyon Ware, Edmond North High School, Edmond, Oklahoma (2X NCAA Champion) 2001 - Steven Mocco, Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey (2X NCAA Champion and Olympian) 2000 - Ben Connell, Lugoff-Elgin High School, Lugoff, South Carolina 1999 - Zach Roberson, Blue Valley North West High School, Overland Park, Kansas (NCAA Champion) 1998 - Garrett Lowney, Freedom High School, Appleton, Wisconsin (2X Olympian) and Justin Ruiz, Taylorsville High School, Salt Lake City, Utah (Olympian) 1997 - Jeff Knupp, Walsh Jesuit High School, Akron, Ohio 1996 - David Kjeldgaard, Lewis Central High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation and now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. It also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

NEW YORK -- With the Beat the Streets (BTS) "Grapple at the Garden" benefit just a few days away, the organization today announced the complete final order of matchups, with the highly-anticipated battle between 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs and 2008 Olympian and MMA standout Ben Askren scheduled to conclude the 13-match slate. The tenth annual BTS benefit is set for Monday, May 6, at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Olympic gold medalists Kyle Snyder (sixth match, vs. Nishan Randhawa of Canada) and bronze medalist J'den Cox (11th match, vs. Patrick Brucki of Princeton Univ.) are among the featured competitors. The full schedule of matches, in order, is as follows: Elleny Seda vs. Valentina Bailon, 122 pounds (girls) Jo Jo Aragona vs. Adam Busiello, 138 pounds (boys) Nick Picininni vs. Jack Mueller, 57 kilograms Mallory Velte vs. Linda Morais, 62 kilograms (W) James Green vs. Anthony Ashnault, 70 kilograms Kyle Snyder vs. Nishan Randhawa (CAN), 97 kilograms Nick Gwiazdowski vs. Derek White, 125 kilograms Becka Leathers vs. Diana Weicker, 53 kilograms (W) Nick Suriano vs. Joe Colon, 61 kilograms David Taylor vs. Drew Foster, 86 kilograms J'den Cox vs. Patrick Brucki, 92 kilograms Bajrang Punia (IND) vs. Yianni Diakomihalis, 65 kilograms Jordan Burroughs vs Ben Askren, 74 kilograms The Beat the Streets Benefit competitions began in 2010 and have since become a major showcase of the best of international wrestling. This unique and electrifying annual event has helped Beat the Streets raise millions of dollars to support local youth wrestling programs which empower young people in New York City. "Grapple at the Garden" supports Beat the Streets (www.btsny.org), the largest grassroots inner city wrestling program in the United States, serving as both a fundraiser for the organization and to celebrate its athletes as they compete on the biggest stage in the center of the world. Tickets for the evening's action are available now via Ticketmaster, priced starting at $30. A variety of donation packages which include "Grapple in the Garden" tickets are also available at https://www.btsny.org/bts-events or by emailing molalde@btsny.org, beginning at $1000. Doors open on May 6 at 5:30 p.m., with the main event starting at 6 p.m. For the fifth straight year, FloSports will provide live and on-demand coverage on FloWrestling.com.

Jordan Burroughs will face Ben Askren on Monday (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The Beat the Streets show returns on Monday. This time it takes place in Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The original theme of NCAA champions vs. Team USA has mostly fallen through. However, the event -- known as Grapple at the Garden -- still features multiple NCAA champions, world champions and even an MMA star this year. The card starts at 6: 30 p.m. ET on Monday. Below is a weight-by-weight preview with predictions. 122 pounds: Elleny Seda vs. Valentina Bailon The event kicks off with a pair of female New York high school wrestlers. Bailon wrestles for Grover Cleveland and took second place in the state tournament. Her opponent represented Martin Luther King and finished third. She is also a yellow belt under Renzo Gracie in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Seda wrestled at a higher weight this past season and seems to have the edge in experience outside of the local scene. She should be able to pull off the victory in the first match of the night. Prediction: Seda over Bailon 138 pounds: JoJo Aragona vs. Adam Busiello Rutgers had an outstanding season on the mats this year as the program crowned its first two national champions. They hope to keep that moment going with Aragona joining the squad next year. The No. 7 recruit in this year's class finished his senior year with a New Jersey state title and ended his high school career with a 158-6 record. Busiello flipped his commitment from Penn State to Arizona State in November, and the 16th ranked recruit eventually signed with the Sun Devils. The multiple-time Super 32 champion then went on to pick up his fifth state New York state championship. These two previously met in the finals of the 2015 Super 32 tournament. Busiello controlled that match and took home a 5-0 shutout victory. Since then both wrestlers have grown in terms of skill and size. Both have wrestled at the same weight recently, but Aragona should likely have a significant size advantage in this match. Look for him to impose his will and take the decision. Prediction: Aragona over Busiello 57 kilograms: Nick Piccininni vs. Jack Mueller Former NCAA champion Nathan Tomasello was a late scratch from the event, and Piccininni received the call. The current Oklahoma State wrestler had his best year to date this past season. He spent the majority of the year ranked in the top three and decked eventual champion Spencer Lee (Iowa) in the annual Oklahoma State-Iowa dual. However, Lee got the better of the Cowboy at the NCAA tournament, and Piccininni went on to finish fifth. Mueller came out of redshirt right before Christmas last year at Virginia and quickly established himself as a legitimate contender at 125 pounds. However, it was still a shock to see him upset number-one seed Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) in the semifinals with a dominant 8-2 victory. In the finals, he suffered the only loss of his junior season as he came up short against two-time champion Lee. While Mueller had an impressive season and an even more impressive run through the NCAA tournament, he will have a hard time here against Piccininni. Neither wrestler has a very extensive background in freestyle, but the takedown battle certainly seems to favor Piccininni. Mueller generates so much offense from the top position, and he will not have that luxury in a freestyle setting. Prediction: Piccininni over Mueller 62 kilograms: Mallory Velte vs. Linda Morais Velte won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships. In the round of 16 she knocked off two-time Olympic bronze medalist Jackie Renteria (Colombia). After falling in the semifinals to five-time world medalist Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria), Velte bounced back with a 2-1 victory over Lais Nunes (Brazil) to take bronze. She recently finished with a silver medal at the Pan American Championships. Morais won a World University Championship gold medal for Canada at 62 kilograms. She then dropped down to 59 kilograms and represented the country at the Senior World Championships. On the senior level, she lost her second match against two-time world bronze medalist Elif Jale Yesilirmak (Turkey) and finished ninth. Morais has not had the best results since a surprising world bronze medal in 2016. Velte has been trending the opposite direction recently and she be able to control this match from start to finish. Prediction: Velte over Morais 70 kilograms: James Green vs. Anthony Ashnault Green has been looking to bounce back this year after failing to medal at the 2018 World Championship. His quest to make another World Team got off to a good start at the U.S. Open. He scored a dramatic come-from-behind victory over NCAA champion Jason Nolf in the semifinals. However, he was then upset by Northwestern sophomore Ryan Deakin in the finals. The two-time world medalist will get another shot at Deakin, but he will certainly need to regroup in order to make it back on the U.S. squad. Ashnault capped his Rutgers career with an undefeated 32-0 record and the second NCAA title in Rutgers history just behind his teammate Suriano. He then moved on to the freestyle circuit where he ran through the field at the Pan American Championship and finished with a gold medal. He won all four of his matches with three technical falls and a 47-second fall. Green has been a fixture on the international circuit for years now, but the recent crop of college wrestlers will certainly present new and interesting challenges. So far Green has passed the tests in some cases and come up short in others. Ashnault will present a lot of problems with his length, but Green should be able to win a takedown battle. Prediction: Green over Ashnault 97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder vs. Nishan Randhawa Snyder went to Krasnoyarsk in January looking for a third match against Abdulrashid Sadulaev after falling in the finals of the 2018 World Championships. The match did not materialize, and Snyder finished a disappointing ninth. Since then the former Olympic and world champion has gotten back on track with gold-medal performances at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov Tournament and the Pan American Championships. Randhawa represented Canada at the last two U23 World Championships, but he failed to medal at either event. His best international results were a pair of gold medals at the 2017 and 2016 junior Pan American Championship and a Junior world bronze in 2015. Snyder and Randhawa faced off at the 2017 Pan American Championships, and the former Ohio State wrestler rolled to a 10-0 victory. The result should not be much different this time. Prediction: Snyder over Randhawa 125 kilograms: Nick Gwiazdowski vs. Derek White Gwiazdowski became a two-time world bronze medalist this past season and cemented himself as one of the best heavyweights around. He had a slip up at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament. However, the former NC State wrestler was as dominant as the rest of the team at the recent Pan American Championships and picked up a gold medal. Entering his senior year, White had never reached All-America status. However, it became clear early in the season that he was one of the best heavyweights in the country. After an impressive regular season and a Big 12 title, he entered the NCAA tournament as the top seed. He ended up finishing second behind Penn State's Anthony Cassar, but it was still a great year. White recently made the semifinals of the U.S. Open where he dropped a match against Adam Coon, and he ended up finishing fourth. This should be an interesting match, because both are heavyweights who rely on the quickness and athleticism. The edge should go to Gwiazdowski who has much more extensive freestyle experience, but this could turn out to be a close one. Prediction: Gwiazdowski over White 53 kilograms: Becka Leathers vs. Diana Weicker Leathers earned the call after Sarah Hildebrandt pulled out of the event with an injury. The Oklahoma native is a World bronze medalist in her own right, and should give the fans quite the show. In her only international competition this year, she finished tenth at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in January. Weicker had a strong season representing Canada on the international circuit in 2018. She won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and finished with a bronze at the 2018 World Championships. She has continued to look solid this year with bronze medal finishes at the Klippan Lady Open and Pan American Championships, and Weicker also finished first at the Grand Prix of Germany. Leathers may not be on the same roll as Hildebrandt at the moment, but she is certainly a class above Weicker. It would be pretty surprising if the Canadian was able to avoid match termination. Prediction: Leathers over Weicker 61 kilograms: Nick Suriano vs. Joe Colon Suriano became the first national champion in Rutgers history this past march. On the season, he went 29-3 and defeated recent U.S. Open champion Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) in the NCAA finals. He will head into his senior season next fall with the potential to become a two-time NCAA champion and three-time finalist. Colon headed to last year's World Championships as an injury replacement for Nahshon Garrett. He made the most of the opportunity and ended up bringing home a bronze medal. He has continued his winning ways this year with a gold medal finish at the Pan American Championship, which included a dominant 9-3 victory over reigning World champion Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba). The reigning NCAA champion can compete with anyone, but Colon is on another level at the moment. Suriano has a chance in this match if he can make it a takedown battle. However, if Colon gets any opportunities from the top position he should be able to end it with his gut wrench. Prediction: Colon over Suriano 86 kilograms: David Taylor vs. Drew Foster It was clear since his college days that Taylor was one of the best wrestlers in the country. However, due to a backlog at 74 kilograms, he was never really able to showcase his wrestling on the international circuit. Last year he finally secured a World Team spot at 86 kilograms. He took full advantage of the opportunity and dominated the field at the World Championship on his way to a gold medal. His performance was so dominant that he was awarded UWW Best Wrestler of the Year as well. Foster entered his final NCAA tournament of his career this past year as the sixth seed. However, he made it to the finals with victories over Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) and Chip Ness (North Carolina) before knocking off Max Dean (Cornell) in dramatic fashion in the finals. In the process, he became the first NCAA champion from Northern Iowa since 2000. Even though after his magical run through the NCAA tournament, Foster is a heavy underdog in this match. Taylor has distinguished himself as one of the best wrestlers domestically and internationally. Prediction: Taylor over Foster 92 kilograms: J'den Cox vs. Patrick Brucki Cox moved up to 92 kilograms after UWW's expansion of the weight classes last year, and it proved to be a good decision. After a pair of bronze medals at the 2016 Olympics and 2017 World Championship, he broke through and brought home a gold in 2018. Some expected him to move down to 86 kilograms in preparation for next year's Olympics, but the former Missouri wrestler will stay up at 92 kilograms for the rest of this cycle. After qualifying for the NCAA tournament and failing to reach All-America status in his true freshman season, Brucki returned this past season and quickly established himself as one of the best in the 197-pound division. He ended up finishing fourth at the NCAA tournament to become an All-American for the first time and along the way in the season he picked up victories over Josh Hokit (Fresno State), Ben Honis (Cornell) and Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State). This is a bad style match for Brucki. He succeeds when he is able to impose his will with his strength in the tie-ups. That is not an advantage he is likely to have against Cox. Cox can be a bit of a slow starter, so Brucki might look good for a bit. However, a victory for the Princeton wrestler would be a major upset. Prediction: Cox over Brucki 65 kilograms: Yianni Diakomihalis vs. Bajrang Punia Diakomihalis burst onto the scene as a true freshman and won an NCAA title. This past year, he defended that title with tournament victories over Jaydin Eierman (Missouri) and Joseph McKenna (Ohio State). However, his performance at the recent U.S. Open may have been even more impressive. At the tournament, he knocked off favorite Jordan Oliver in the semifinals via 16-5 score and then defeated Penn State legend Zain Retherford 6-4 in the finals. Punia is a multiple-time medalist at the Asian Championships and the returning world silver medalist from the 2018 edition of the tournament. Last weekend he dominated the field at the 2019 Asian Championships. He won all four of his matches by a combined score of 40-8. Prior to his performance at the U.S. Open, it appears as if Diakomihalis was biting off more than he could chew with this match. However, after knocking off the likes of Oliver and Retherford, it looks like he is here to stay at 65 kilograms. Punia remains the favorite, but this match should feature some wild scrambles and plenty of excitement. Prediction: Bajrang over Diakomihalis 74 kilograms: Jordan Burroughs vs. Ben Askren Burroughs' ability to win close matches will be a respected aspect of his extensive legacy when he is done competing. That was on display yet again at the Pan American Championship. In his second match he found himself down against Franklin Gomez, but he scored a last-second takedown to take the match. Even though he is nearing the end of his run, the seven-time world/Olympic champion is still in top form. Following the 2008 Olympics, Askren tried to compete in both MMA and freestyle wrestling at the same time. However, former NCAA champion for Missouri eventually began wrestling less and less while fighting more and more. He recently made his long-awaited UFC debut and defeated former champion Robbie Lawler via first-round submission. He returns to his wrestling roots here for the first time in a long time. Despite going undefeated in all sports since a 2015 wrestling loss to Clayton Foster, Askren will be a heavy underdog in this match against Burroughs. He has his tricky funk style to fall back on, but he has been out of the sport for a long time, and Burroughs has the takedown ability to avoid the scrambling. Prediction: Burroughs over Askren