InterMat Staff

The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships are taking place at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) PITTSBURGH -- Follow the opening round of the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on InterMat's running notebook. The most recent updates appear at the top. Refresh/reload the page to read the latest updates. Links: Updated Team Scores & Brackets | Watch ESPN 3:25 p.m. The first round has concluded here are the top ten teams. 1 - Penn State 21 (9 champ/0 consolation) 2 - Ohio State 15.5 (8/2) 3 - Oklahoma State 14.5 (7/2) 4 - Iowa 14 (9/0) 5 - Minnesota 13.5 (7/1) 6 - Missouri 12 (6/3) 7 - Michigan 10.0 (6/2) 8 - Nebraska 9.5 (6/2) 9 - Northern Iowa 9 (5/1) (tie) Virginia Tech 9 (6/3) 3:20 p.m. No. 2 seed Anthony Cassar (Penn State) gets the second period fall at 4:20. Nittany Lions go nine-for-nine in the first round with five falls and two major decisions. 3:15 p.m. No. 3 seed Gable Steveson won by 18-3 technical fall to conclude a 7-1 round for the Golden Gophers. 3:10 p.m. A weird - to put it mildly - match concludes Iowa's 9-0 opening round as Sam Stoll, a returning All-American, beats No. 5 seed Mason Parris (Michigan) 8-5. Ohio State concludes an 8-2 first round with Chase Singletary's 3-0 win over Dalton Jensen (Nebraska). Those both at 285 pounds. 3:05 p.m. At 197, No. 9 seed Ben Honis (Cornell) lost 8-5 to Jake Jakobsen (Lehigh), while No. 12 seed Rocco Caywood (Army) squandered a 3-0 lead in losing 8-3 to Thomas Lane (Cal Poly). 2:50 p.m. Despite a very late big-move by Drew Phipps (Bucknell), No. 5 seed Jacob Warner wins 9-8 on the riding time advantage point. Warner led 8-2 until very late in the bout. Hawkeyes are now 8-0! 2:47 p.m. No. 2 seed at 184 Shakur Rasheed wins by 11-2 major decision. Penn State is 8-0, four by pin and two by major. Already ten bonus points for the Nittany Lions. 2:45 p.m. Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State), the transfer from Edinboro, beats No. 7 seed Nick Reenan (North Carolina State) 6-0 via takedowns in the second and third period plus a riding time point. That was at 184, and he'll face Samuel Colbray (Iowa State) tonight. That puts five Cowboys into the round of 16 with two more possible. 2:40 p.m. It's a third Penn State fall this session, No. 1 seed at 197 Bo Nickal in 2:34. 2:35 p.m. No. 12 seed Cash Wilcke (184) hung on for a 3-2 win over Nick Gravina (Rutgers), takedown attempt for Gravina with about 30-40 seconds left was not scored and confirmed as such after a Rutgers challenge. Iowa Hawkeyes are 7-0 this session with Warner and Stoll remaining. 2:25 p.m. No. 7 seed Jacobe Smith (Oklahoma State) survives, winning 6-4 i overtime over Drew Hughes (Michigan State). Smith had two takedowns in the first period, but Hughes countered with a two-point near fall in the third (from choosing top) and advantage time to force the sudden victory. Smith moves on to face No. 10 seed Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) in tonight's round of 16. 2:20 p.m. In the day's first match to go to the tiebreakers, No. 16 seed Brandon Womack (Cornell) wins 11-10 over Neal Richards (VMI). Womack was an All-American in the 2017 tournament. 2:15 p.m. The third seed at 174 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) wins by a similar 10-2 score in his opening round bout. 2:10 p.m. Add to it with the win from top seed Mark Hall at 174 by 10-2 major decision. Penn State has taken the lead in the tournament. 2:05 p.m. More bonus for Penn State, No. 2 seed Vincenzo Joseph with the pin at 2:57 in his opening round bout at 165. 1:55 p.m. Going down at 165 was No. 9 seed Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley) to a pin by Cael McCormick (Army West Point) in 2:28. 1:50 p.m. No. 1 seed Alex Marinelli (Iowa) gave up two first period takedowns to trail 4-2 at the end of that stanza against two-time All-American Joseph Smith (Oklahoma State). However, Marinelli rode Smith out in the second, escaped early in the third to trail 4-3. Marinelli got the takedown with about 70 seconds left in the bout and rode the bout out, then with Smith hit for another Stalling the final was 7-4. 1:40 p.m. In a battle of true freshman, No. 8 seed Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) beat Justin Ruffin (SIU-Edwardville) 6-0. In the 2018 class recruiting rankings, Humphreys was 51st overall to Ruffin's 25th, though Humphreys did beat Ruffin 3-2 in the October 2017 Super 32 quarters. 1:35 p.m. Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) beats Jared Prince (Navy) in a 9-8 barn-burner, takedown with under 20 second left to break a 7-7 tie. Thomsen the No. 14 seed previously earned All-American honors, both were top 30 recruits in the 2015 graduating class. 1:30 p.m. Ryan Blees (Virginia Tech), who used to be at Oklahoma State, wins 5-1 in overtime over No. 7 seed Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State) at 149. No. 2 seed in that weight, Micah Jordan (Ohio State) moved on by pin. That was Oklahoma State's first loss. 1:25 p.m. Jason Nolf (Penn State) opens his last NCAA tournament with a 43 second pin against Ben Anderson (Duke), and the Nittany Lions are 4-0. 1:20 p.m. No. 4 seed Justin Oliver (North Carolina State) beats Courtland Schuyler (Lehigh) 10-6 in a match closer than the score at 149. He'll face Tommy Thorn (Minnesota), who needed a late reversal to beat No. 13 seed Anthony Artalona (Penn), Artalona had taken a 4-3 lead via takedown with under 15 second left before Thorn responded. Gophers now 4-0. 1:15 p.m. Oklahoma State now 4-0 as Fix and Brock win at 133 and 141 respectively, both by major decisions. 1:10 p.m. Also losing from the favored seeding position at 141 were No. 10 Nicholas Gil (Navy) and No. 14 Jamel Morris (North Carolina State), though Morris fell to returning All-American Sa'Derian Perry (Old Dominion - used to be at Eastern Michigan). 1:05 p.m. The Hawkeyes' excellent start continues, Max Murin gets the 3-2 victory over No. 11 seed Tristan Moran (Wisconsin) at 141. They move to 3-0. 1:05 p.m. 125 pound top seed Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) gets yet another technical fall, this one 21-6 over Trey Chalifoux (Army West Point) to move on to tonight against Drew Mattin (Michigan). 12:55 p.m. Nick Lee starts the Penn State bonus-palooza with a pin over Purdue's Nate Limmex at 141. Last year Penn State amassed 23.5 bonus points, which is like another finalist in itself. 12:50 p.m. In one of the more anticipated first round bouts, at least from an Ohio perspective, Dom Demas (Oklahoma) beat Mitch Moore (Virginia Tech) 11-3 at 141. Penn State and Iowa both get wins at 133 - Bravo-Young 6-2 with second and third period takedowns, while DeSanto won by DQ, and they'll meet tonight. 12:45 p.m. The first major upset in terms of seed, D.J. Fehlman (Lock Haven) knocks off No. 9 seed Charles Tucker (Cornell) 7-2 at 133 pounds. 12:35 p.m. Returning national runner-up Nick Suriano (Rutgers) moves up one weight class and wins his opening round bout by 12-3 major decision at 133 against fellow Big 10 opponent Dylan Duncan (Illinois). 12:30 p.m. Good start for Oklahoma State, as they battle for second behind Penn State. Joseph Smith won his pigtail, and then Nick Piccininni with a 48-second pin in the opening round at 125 pounds. 12:30 p.m. Defending champion Spencer Lee gets Iowa on the board at the championships with an 18-0 technical fall victory at 125 pounds. Also at 125, two-time All-American Zeke Moisey (Nebraska) lost 11-4 to 15-seed Elijah Oliver (Indiana). 12:25 p.m. The day's first overtime match came in the pigtail at 197, where Ethan Laird (Rider) beat Rod Jones (Chattanooga) 4-2. Laird's reward, a match with Bo Nickal (Penn State) later this session. 12:20 p.m. The second best tournament team in the country, Ohio State, starts their session with an expected loss. Malik Heinselman falls 12-2 to eighth-seed Vitali Arujau (Cornell) at 125 pounds. 12:15 p.m. Two-time All-American from Oklahoma State, Joseph Smith beat Tyler Morland (Northwestern) 10-5 in his pigtail at 165. He faces top seed Alex Marinelli (Iowa) next, a tough draw for Marinelli to say the least. At 125, alternate Trey Chalifoux (Army) came through with an opening round win. 12:10 p.m. Devin Kane (North Carolina) gets the tournament's first win, he wins by fall on mat 7 at 174 pounds by fall over Jacob Covaciu (Indiana). Yet another pin came at 157 on mat 5 where Ben Anderson (Duke) was trailing but pinned Alexander Klucker (Lock Haven). 12:05 p.m. And we got whistles here at the NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh, Pa. The ten pigtail matches will commence and then the 160 opening round bouts. Television on ESPNU, the crowd is a slow-filing in one right now. Remember pigtail matches this year feature the 32nd seed against the 33rd seed for the right to face the top seed. 10:05 a.m. The skin check and weigh-in process for day one of the championships has concluded. We will find out shortly if there were any scratches in addition to the two that happened in the previous three days. Ohio State is the only team to start the tournament with all ten wrestlers qualifying, while pre-tournament favorite Penn State is among seven working with nine total (as do Oklahoma State and Iowa), with six other schools having eight each in the bracket. 9:50 a.m. Thanks for reading InterMat's running notebook. Wrestling starts at noon ET today.

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Purdue's Jacob Aven shakes Minnesota's Gable Steveson's hand before a dual meet (Photo/David Peterson) Buffalo heavyweight Jake Gunning, seeded No. 23, is a late scratch to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. He will be replaced by Purdue's Jacob Aven, the first alternate at heavyweight. Aven becomes the No. 33 seed. Wrestlers previously seeded 24-33 move up one seed line. Aven enters the NCAAs with a record of 11-21. He placed eighth at the Big Ten Championships, which was one spot away from earning an automatic berth. He notched a win over Iowa's Sam Stoll at the Big Tens. Updated brackets can be found at the link below. Link: Brackets

Note: Videos courtesy of USA Wrestling Wrestlers Coaches

The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships take place at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) The InterMat staff writers have broken down the brackets for the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Pittsburgh and made their predictions. T.R. Foley 125: Spencer Lee (Iowa) over Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) 133: Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) over Stevan Micic (Michigan) 141: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) over Joey McKenna (Ohio State) 149: Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) over Mitch Finesilver (Duke) 157: Jason Nolf (Penn State) over Tyler Berger (Nebraska) 165: Chance Marsteller (Lock Haven) over Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 174: Mark Hall (Penn State) over Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) 184: Myles Martin (Ohio State) over Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) 197: Bo Nickal (Penn State) over Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) 285: Gable Steveson (Minnesota) over Demetrius Thomas (Pitt) Top-five teams: Penn State, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Iowa, NC State Richard Mann 125: Spencer Lee (Iowa) over Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) 133: Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) over Nick Suriano (Rutgers) 141: Joey McKenna (Ohio State) over Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) 149: Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) over Micah Jordan (Ohio State) 157: Jason Nolf (Penn State) over Tyler Berger (Nebraska) 165: Alex Marinelli (Iowa) over Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 174: Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) over Mark Hall (Penn State) 184: Myles Martin (Ohio State) over Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) 197: Bo Nickal (Penn State) over Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) 285: Gable Steveson (Minnesota) over Derek White (Oklahoma State) Top-five teams: Penn State, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan Craig Sesker 125: Spencer Lee (Iowa) over Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) 133: Nick Suriano (Rutgers) over Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) 141: Joey McKenna (Ohio State) over Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) 149: Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) over Mitch Finesilver (Duke) 157: Jason Nolf (Penn State) over Tyler Berger (Nebraska) 165: Alex Marinelli (Iowa) over Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 174: Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) over Mark Hall (Penn State) 184: Myles Martin (Ohio State) over Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) 197: Bo Nickal (Penn State) over Willie Miklus (Iowa State) 285: Gable Steveson (Minnesota) over Derek White (Oklahoma State) Top-five teams: Penn State, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan Andrew Hipps 125: Spencer Lee (Iowa) over Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State) 133: Stevan Micic (Michigan) over Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) 141: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) over Joey McKenna (Ohio State) 149: Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) over Mitch Finesilver (Duke) 157: Jason Nolf (Penn State) over Tyler Berger (Nebraska) 165: Chance Marsteller (Lock Haven) over Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 174: Mark Hall (Penn State) over Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) 184: Myles Martin (Ohio State) over Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) 197: Bo Nickal (Penn State) over Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) 285: Amar Dhesi (Oregon State) over Derek White (Oklahoma State) Top-five teams: Penn State, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan Josh Lowe 125: Spencer Lee (Iowa) over Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) 133: Stevan Micic (Michigan) over Daton Fix (Northwestern) 141: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) over Joey McKenna (Ohio State) 149: Micah Jordan (Ohio State) over Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) 157: Jason Nolf (Penn State) over Tyler Berger (Nebraska) 165: Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) over Chance Marsteller (Lock Haven) 174: Mark Hall (Penn State) over Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) 184: Myles Martin (Ohio State) over Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) 197: Bo Nickal (Penn State) over Kollin Moore (Ohio State) 285: Gable Steveson (Minnesota) over Derek White (Oklahoma State) Top-five teams: Penn State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Michigan Eric Olanowski 125: Spencer Lee (Iowa) over Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) 133: Stevan Micic (Michigan) over Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) 141: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) over Nick Lee (Penn State) 149: Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) over Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State) 157: Jason Nolf (Penn State) over Tyler Berger (Nebraska) 165: Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) over Evan Wick (Wisconsin) 174: Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) over Mark Hall (Penn State) 184: Myles Martin (Ohio State) over Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) 197: Bo Nickal (Penn State) over Kollin Moore (Ohio State) 285: Gable Steveson (Minnesota) over Jordan Wood (Lehigh) Top-five teams: Penn State, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan Tom Franck 125: Spencer Lee (Iowa) over Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) 133: Nick Suriano (Rutgers) over Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) 141: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) over Joey McKenna (Ohio State) 149: Micah Jordan (Ohio State) over Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) 157: Jason Nolf (Penn State) over Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) 165: Alex Marinelli (Iowa) over Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 174: Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) over Mark Hall (Penn State) 184: Myles Martin (Ohio State) over Drew Foster (Northern Iowa) 197: Bo Nickal (Penn State) over Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) 285: Gable Steveson (Minnesota) over Derek White (Oklahoma State) Top-five teams: Penn State, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan Steve Elwood 125: Nick Piccinnini (Oklahoma State) over Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) 133: Stevan Micic (Michigan) over Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) 141: Joey McKenna (Ohio State) over Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) 149: Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) over Micah Jordan (Ohio State) 157: Jason Nolf (Penn State) over Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) 165: Alex Marinelli (Iowa) over Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 174: Mark Hall (Penn State) over Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) 184: Myles Martin (Ohio State) over Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) 197: Bo Nickal (Penn State) over Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) 285 Gable Steveson (Minnesota) over Matt Stencel (Central Michigan) Top-five teams: Penn State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Minnesota

Mitch McKee, seeded No. 7 at 141 pounds, is an X factor for Minnesota (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Many expect Penn State to run away with the NCAA team title this week in Pittsburgh. However, there are several teams that are in contention for a trophy. The following looks at the wrestlers who could be an X factor to teams and help decide their final placement. No. 1 Penn State: No. 10 Roman Bravo-Young Penn State is the odds-on favorites to pick up yet another national title. This is mostly due to the strong backend of its lineup, which will almost certainly feature multiple wrestlers at the top of the podium. However, they could easily pad their lead with a strong performance from Bravo-Young at 133 pounds. Bravo-Young burst onto the scene this year as a true freshman. He won his first ten matches before falling to No. 13 Austin Gomez (Iowa State) in the semifinals of the Southern Scuffle. Bravo-Young finished the year with a 21-4 record, but he will have a tough path through the front side of the bracket. He is headed for a second-round match against No. 7 Austin DeSanto (Iowa), who defeated him 12-8 at the Big Ten Championships. If he happens to right that result, he will likely face No. 2 Stevan Micic (Michigan). No. 2 Ohio State: No. 16 Chase Singletary Two years ago, Singletary was the No. 6 recruit in the country and poised to take over for multiple-time champion Kyle Snyder. After a redshirt year, he took over the starting job for the Buckeyes. It did not turn out to be as smooth of a transition as coach Tom Ryan hoped. Singletary compiled a 19-7 record on the season and went only 1-2 in the Big Ten Championships. Although he did score victories over No. 9 Matt Stencel (Central Michigan), No. 12 Conan Jennings (Northwestern) and No. 17 David Jensen (Nebraska). Despite dealing with several significant graduations, Ohio State is poised for a runner-up finish at the NCAAs. Some contribution from Singletary could go a long way to help with that. However, it will certainly be a tough road. He starts off with a rematch against Jensen and then with a win he will likely face No. 1 Derek White (Oklahoma State). No. 3 Oklahoma State: No. 26 Dakota Geer Due to some injuries and lineup shifting, Geer spent most of the season at 197 pounds, but it looks like the plan was to have him down at 184 pounds for the postseason. For the season, he went 25-5 and 10-1 at 184 pounds. At the Big 12 Championships, he made it all the way to the semifinals before losing to No. 6 Drew Foster (UNI). Oklahoma State was one of the best teams all season. After the late-season lineup switch, they will get a chance to show it at the NCAAs. Geer certainly has a tough draw as he faces off against No. 7 Nick Reenan (North Carolina State). However, the former Edinboro wrestler has the skill and experience to go on a run. Iowa's Sam Stoll fell to Minnesota's Gable Steveson in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) No. 4 Iowa: No. 29 Sam Stoll Stoll was the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the preseason, but he appears to have never fully recovered from an offseason gunshot wound. Prior to the Big Ten Championships, he wrestled sparingly and built an 8-3 record with wins over No. 10 Youssif Hemida (Maryland) and No. 26 Gannon Gremmel (Iowa State). However, at the Big Ten tournament, Stoll went 1-2 and failed to place. He needed an at-large berth to simply make the NCAA field. In the preseason, Iowa appeared to be a potential dark horse in the team race. However, due to injuries and underperformance that has not really materialized. If they want to keep themselves in the trophy hunt, they might need a big performance from Stoll. No. 5 Michigan: No. 2 Stevan Micic After a season-ending injury to returning champion Seth Gross (South Dakota State), Micic became the No. 1-ranked wrestler at 133 pounds. However, he forfeited his way out of the Big Ten Championships after winning his first match. The injury and default resulted in him being seeded behind No. 1 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State). If he is healthy, Micic is clearly one of the favorites to win the tournament and put Michigan into the trophy discussion. However, he did not look like himself in his last action, and he likely has an early match against the winner of the No. 10 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) and No. 7 Austin DeSanto (Iowa). No. 6 Minnesota: No. 7 Mitch McKee After back-to-back round of 12 finishes at 133 pounds, McKee moved up to 141 pounds for this season. After the change, he had probably his best regular season to date. He enters the NCAA tournament with a 20-5 record and victories over No. 15 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State), No. 22 Max Murin (Iowa), No. 8 Kanen Storr (Michigan) and No. 16 Chad Red (Nebraska). Minnesota has a nice bounce-back season this year. A strong push at the NCAAs could allow them to finish with a trophy. McKee will likely need to break through and become an All-American for the first time. He will be favored in all of his matches until a likely quarterfinal match against No. 2 Joey McKenna (Ohio State). No. 7 Cornell: No. 9 Chas Tucker Last season, Tucker made a name for himself by knocking off Austin DeSanto then of Drexel in the EIWA Championships. However, he then went only 1-2 at the NCAA tournament and failed to place. This year he went 27-4, won the EIWA title and picked up wins over the likes of No. 19 Josh Terao (American), No. 15 Ben Thornton (Purdue) and No. 5 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State). Most of the attention around Cornell will be focused on returning champion Yianni Diakomihalis at 141 pounds. However, Tucker has a good chance to help his team move up in the team standings. He will likely need to have a strong showing in an early expected match against No. 8 John Erneste (Missouri). No. 8 Missouri: No. 4 Brock Mauller In his true freshman season, Mauller has gone from the 63rd ranked recruit in the 2018 recruiting class to the fourth seed at 149 pounds. He went 29-2 on the season with his only two losses coming against No. 8 Jarrett Degen (Iowa State). During the year, he knocked off No. 15 Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa), No. 23 Josh Maruca (Arizona State) and No. 7 Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State). The early career success of Mauller is really a testament to the Missouri training program and recruiting style. He has performed beyond expectations and has the ability to become an All-American in his freshman season. Nebraska's Chad Red reached the Big Ten finals before losing to Ohio State's Joey McKenna (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) No. 9 Nebraska: No. 16 Chad Red Red already busted one bracket this postseason. He knocked off the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament and made it to the finals before falling to No. 2 Joey McKenna (Ohio State). Last season, Red overcame a tough regular season to finish seventh at the NCAAs and become an All-American. Nebraska is in the running for a top-ten finish and another strong tournament run will help the squad pad their team score for sure. No. 10 North Carolina State: No. 11 Tariq Wilson Wilson came into the NCAA tournament last season unseeded. He ended up reaching the semifinals before losing against eventual champion Seth Gross (South Dakota State) in overtime. He returned this year and went 14-3. As the 11th seed, he will need to put together another magical run. If that happens, it should keep the Wolfpack towards the top of the leaderboard.

Kevin Dresser high fives Austin Gomez (Photo/Iowa State Athletics Communications) AMES, Iowa -- The rebuild of Iowa State wrestling is on, and head coach Kevin Dresser is the man leading the charge. He has been named the 2019 NWCA Division I National Coach of the Year, presented by Defense Soap. It is the second time that Dresser has received these coaching honors in his career Dresser becomes the fifth coach in school history to earn NWCA Coach of the Year honors. He joins a decorated list in Harold Nichols (1958, 1965, 1972), Jim Gibbons (1987), Bobby Douglas (2000) and Cael Sanderson (2007). In his second year at Iowa State, Dresser is bringing the No. 15 Iowa State wrestling program back to the national forefront. Last season, the Cyclones qualified just one wrestler for the national tournament. This season, ISU will be sending nine wrestlers to the NCAA Championships and were just one win short at the Big 12 Championship from sending a full roster of 10. It's the most NCAA qualifiers for the Cyclones since the 2009-10 season. Dresser was named the 2019 Big 12 Wrestling Coach of the Year following his team's second-place finish at the Big 12 Championship. ISU had four wrestlers reach the Big 12 finals, which snapped a two-year stint where the Cyclones had no Big 12 finalists. Chase Straw won the 157-pound Big 12 title, which was Iowa State's first Big 12 Champion since the 2016 season. Hilton Magic is seeing a resurgence for wrestling duals. This season, Iowa State averaged over 3,569 patrons per home dual, which is the fourth largest in the last 25 years. 3,939 Cyclone fans attended the dual against Oklahoma this season, which was the largest crowd for a non-Iowa dual since Cael Sanderson's senior day in 2002. Iowa State had a terrific regular season as well. On top of a 10-4 dual mark, 6-2 in Big 12 contests, the Cyclones placed third at the Southern Scuffle, which was their first top-4 performance at a national tournament since the 2014 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Three of Iowa State's four dual losses were to teams ranked in the top-5 nationally. As a team, it was dual dominance for ISU in 2018-19. They outscored opponents by a 404-148 margin. They also pieced together a six-dual winning streak, which was the best since the Cyclones won 11 in a row between the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. Coach Dresser and company have their eyes set on the NCAA Tournament this weekend. Nine Cyclones will descend on PPG Paints Arena for the 2019 NCAA Championships. Wrestling begins on Thursday morning at 11 a.m. CT on ESPNU.

A Pennsylvania wrestling coach was arrested Saturday after picking up a 12-year-old wrestler by the neck and tossing him to the mat at a tournament in Pittsburgh. The coach shown on the video is Eric Angle, brother of 1996 Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle who just last week announced his retirement from a 20-year pro wrestling career. The alleged incident took place Saturday at the 2019 Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling Championships at Petersen Events Center, a 12,000-seat arena on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Campus police charged him with simple assault and escorted him off university property. A university spokesperson confirmed Eric Angle's arrest but did not offer any details as to what may have happened at the tournament. Multiple news reports indicate the wrestler was coming off the mat towards his corner when Angle appears to grab him by the neck, pick him up off the ground and shove him down to the mat. Angle has since offered an apology on his Facebook page. He told WTAE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Pittsburgh which broadcast the video of the incident, “I should have just walked away and let him get thrown out. Instead, I'm the one who embarrassed myself even more.” Pittsburgh Junior Wrestling is cooperating with a police investigation. Eric Angle, 51, is a youth wrestling coach in the Pittsburgh area. He wrestled at Mt. Lebanon High School just like his younger brother Kurt, but continued his academic and athletic career at a different college in Pennsylvania -- Waynesburg University -- while Kurt was a student-athlete at Clarion University where he was a two-time NCAA Division I heavyweight champion in 1990 and 1992. Eric retired from pro wrestling in 2002.

Alex Marinelli defeated Brown's Jonathan Viruet in sudden victory at the Midlands Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) What makes the first day so unique and special at the NCAA Wrestling Championships? The upsets, of course. Seeing an underdog knock off a favored wrestler is what adds drama, intrigue and excitement to the opening day of the three-day extravaganza. Some of the loudest cheers you will hear this week at the NCAA tournament in Pittsburgh will come when a wrestler achieves a significant win that is unexpected. As we all know, this event wouldn't be much fun if all of the wrestlers won that were supposed to. There are so many excellent potential matchups in the second round that we can't list them all. But here is my list of some of the best potential Thursday night matchups at this year's NCAA tournament: Minnesota's Ethan Lizak talks to Gopher coaches Brandon Eggum and Zach Sanders (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) 133: No. 6 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) vs. No. 11 Tariq Wilson (North Carolina State) This could be an outstanding match from the stacked 133-pound bracket. Lizak was an NCAA runner-up at 125 pounds two years ago before finishing fourth last year in the same weight class. Wilson placed third in this tournament last year at 133 pounds. This could be one of the best matches of the second round with two accomplished wrestlers meeting this early in the tournament. Wilson was one of the big stories last year after entering the tournament unseeded. 165: No. 1 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) vs. No. 17 Jonathan Viruet (Brown) Marinelli would have to move past a likely opening bout against two-time All-American Joe Smith of Oklahoma State for a potential matchup with Viruet. Marinelli earned an 8-6 overtime win over Viruet in the quarterfinal round of the Midlands Championships this season. Marinelli scored a takedown with 18 seconds left in sudden victory to earn that win. Marinelli is wrestling well after beating two-time NCAA champion Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State in the Big Ten finals. But Marinelli faces a tough road on his side of the bracket this week. 184: No. 4 Emery Parker (Illinois) vs. No. 13 Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) Parker placed third at the Big Ten tournament and is 17-3 this season. He beat Nebraska's Taylor Venz for third at Big Tens after also beating Venz for third at last year's national tournament. Bonaccorsi, a freshman, is 19-6 this season. He placed second in a tough weight class at the ACC tournament. He beat highly regarded Nick Reenan of North Carolina State 10-3 in the semifinals before falling to Virginia Tech's Zach Zavatsky 4-1 in the finals. Zavatsky placed sixth at the NCAA tournament last year and is seeded third this year. Ohio State's Joey McKenna after winning a Big Ten title (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) 141: No. 2 Joey McKenna (Ohio State) vs. No. 15 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) McKenna is wrestling at a really high level right now and he looked dominant in winning a Big Ten title. He's a senior and this is his final chance to win NCAAs. McKenna was third in this tournament last year. He could face a tough challenge in Brock, who placed fifth in the nation at 133 pounds last year before bumping up to 141 pounds this year. Brock is a talented wrestler who definitely could challenge McKenna. 285: No. 7 Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) vs. No. 10 Yousiff Hemida (Maryland) Hillger is an exciting young wrestler who has had a superb freshman season at heavyweight for the Badgers. He held his own in a loaded weight class in the Big Ten this year. Hemida had a solid showing in the NCAA tournament last year, reaching the quarterfinal round before placing eighth to become an All-American for the Terrapins. 184: No. 8 Ryan Preisch (Lehigh) vs. No. 9 Taylor Venz (Nebraska) Preisch was the No. 3 seed in this tournament last year before being upset in the quarterfinals. He then lost his next match and fell one win short of placing. He's come back strong this season and has a 20-3 record. Venz was the No. 7 seed in last year's tournament. He lost in the second round before going on a tear on the backside of the bracket by winning five straight matches. He finished fourth in the nation in 2018. Venz is 21-7 this season after placing fourth at Big Tens. 133: No. 7 Austin DeSanto (Iowa) vs. No. 10 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) In a match that could also play a big role in the team race, DeSanto and RBY are expected to meet in an intriguing second-round matchup. The two wrestlers met in the Big Ten wrestlebacks with DeSanto earning a 12-8 victory. DeSanto scored four takedowns in the first period to build an 8-3 lead in that match. DeSanto is competing in his second NCAA tournament after reaching the round of 12 for Drexel last year. RBY is a freshman making his first trip to this event. 141: No. 1 Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) vs. No. 16 Chad Red (Nebraska) Red didn't have a great regular season, but he is a returning All-American who was a surprise finalist at the Big Ten tournament. Red is a wrestler who has the potential to get on a roll and put big points on the scoreboard. He will face a difficult challenge against a returning national champion in Yianni, but Red did thrive as an underdog at Big Tens. Red will have to defeat No. 17 Ian Parker of Iowa State in the first round to earn a shot at Yianni. Red finished seventh in the country last year after being unseeded. Yianni is 24-0 as a sophomore and he has looked good all season. 149: No. 2 Micah Jordan (Ohio State) vs. No. 15 Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) Jordan placed fourth at 149 pounds in 2017 and sixth at 157 pounds last year before moving back down to 149 this season. He was second at the Big Ten tournament. Thomsen is 21-8 this season and not highly seeded after placing seventh at the Big 12 tournament. Thomsen has the capability to do well in this event after placing fifth at the NCAA tournament in 2017. He did place second at the Midlands this season. Jordan beat Thomsen 13-5 in the consolation semifinals two years ago at the NCAAs. 133: No. 4 Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh) vs. No. 13 Austin Gomez (Iowa State) This match has the potential of having some serious fireworks on display in a matchup of talented freshmen. Phillippi is 19-2 and has wrestled superbly this season. He won the ACC title by downing returning NCAA third-place finisher Tariq Wilson of North Carolina State 4-1 in the finals. Gomez is 21-5 while wrestling a tough schedule this season. This definitely is a match, if it happens, that you won't want to miss. Gomez is an explosive wrestler with a big-move arsenal. He's never out of a match.

Appalachian State's Randall Diabe defeated Oklahoma's Jake Woodley 5-3 on Dec. 16 (Photo/Tim Cowie) I can assure you that my dad wasn't the only wrestling parent that referred to the first-round match as the "most important match of the tournament." That first-round matchup is oftentimes overlooked and underplayed. It's frequently looked at as one of those "gimme matches." If not taken seriously, it can be used as a kick-starter for one of those unforeseen runs that creates a household name out of someone who wasn't known heading into the national tournament. Take it from Oklahoma State's former All-American Kyle Crutchmer, who offered some first-round match suggestions earlier this week on Twitter. Crutchmer's message will most likely be echoed by every coach cornering one of 330 wrestlers who will be competing in Pittsburgh's PPG Paints Arena at the 2019 NCAA Championships. With such high importance being placed on the opening round, I took some time to breakdown some of the must-watch first-round matches at each of the ten weight classes. 125: No. 8 Vito Arujau (Cornell) vs. No. 25 Malik Heinselman (Ohio State) There will be three first-round bouts at 125 pounds with ranked wrestlers facing off, but the second meeting of the year between freshman Vito Arujau and Malik Heinselman is the match to keep an eye on. Cornell's Arujau opened up the season wrestling at 133 pounds, but dropped to 125 pounds in mid-December and went on a 23-match win streak before falling to Princeton's Pat Glory in the EIWA finals. That finals loss was Arujau's second defeat of the season, as he brings a 26-2 record into Pitt. His only other loss came in early November at the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open to teammate Chas Tucker. But that match was at 133 pounds His opponent Malik Heinselman is coming off a ninth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and is 23-9 this season. Arujau and Heinselman's Thursday morning meeting will be the second time these two have wrestled this season. Arujau holds the one-match advantage after scoring a 6-0 victory over Heinselman in the Cornell-Ohio State dual meet, which was less than a month ago. 133: No. 2 Stevan Micic (Michigan) vs. No. 31 Mason Pengilly (Stanford) This is arguably the most important opening-round match in the deepest weight class, 133 pounds. The question coming into this match: "Is Micic healthy enough to improve on his second-place finish from a season ago?" He brings a perfect 14-0 record into Pitt, but there are rumors swirling around the health of the Wolverine. Late last year, Micic was forced to pull out of the 2018 World Championships with a knee injury, and that knee is rumored to be hurt again. There weren't questions heading into the Big Ten Championships, but they arose when Micic didn't finish out the conference tournament. The Wolverine defeated Illinois' Dylan Duncan 9-4 in the opening round, and injury defaulted to Luke Pletcher (Ohio State), Ethan Lizak (Minnesota), and Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) to finish in sixth place. The winner of this match gets either Purdue's Ben Thornton or North Carolina's Gary Wayne Harding. 141: No. 16 Chad Red (Nebraska) vs. No. 17 Ian Parker (Iowa State) Nebraska's sophomore returning All-American Red came into the Big Ten tournament as the eighth seed and "knocked off" the first and fifth-seeded wrestlers to make the conference championships match. Red ended up losing to the second-seeded Joey McKenna (Ohio State), but proved that even with 11 losses this season, he can still compete with the best 141-pounders in the country. He will look to keep his postseason hot streak alive when he takes on Iowa State's Ian Parker in the opening round. Parker is 23-7 on the season but comes into the NCAA Championships splitting his last ten matches. Parker fell twice at the Big 12 tournament, dropping his matches to eventual champion Dom Demas (Oklahoma) and Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) to place fourth. Whoever wins this bout will most likely take on Cornell's defending undefeated (24-0) NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis. Also at 141 pounds ... 141: No. 14 Jamel Morris (NC State) vs. No. 19 Sa'Derian Perry (Old Dominion) There are always one or two wrestlers who have breakout NCAA tournaments. Last year it was Kent State's Kyle Connell and Eastern Michigan's Sa'Derian Perry. Perry was 18-19 last year, but picked up three upset victories and finished in eighth place. This season, Perry transferred to Old Dominion after EMU dropped its program, and has compiled a 23-8 record. Perry's run to a second consecutive trip to the podium begins against North Carolina State's Jamal Morris. The Wolfpack redshirt senior is 22-3 on the season and is coming off a title-winning performance at the ACC Championships. Morris is riding a nine-match win streak into Pittsburgh and has won 16 of his last 17 matches. The winner of this bout will meet whoever wins the Nick Lee (Penn State) vs. Nate Limmex (Purdue) match. 149: No. 15 Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) vs. No. 18 Jared Prince (Navy) Northern Iowa's Max Thomsen will wrestle Navy's Jared Prince in a battle of three-time NCAA qualifiers. Thomsen is looking to claim All-American honors for the second time in his career. Two seasons ago, Thomsen made it to the semifinals before falling to Missouri's Lavion Mayes. Thomsen ultimately went on to take fifth place. Last year, the Panther lost in the second round, then ended his hopes of becoming an All-American with a blood-round loss to Missouri's Grant Leeth. For Thomsen to bounce back from a disappointing seventh-place finish at the Big 12 Championships, he'll have to stop Navy's Jared Prince, who is 19-9 this season. Prince is coming off a runner-up finish at the EIWA Championships, where took down Princeton's second-ranked Matt Kolodzik in the semifinals. Whoever comes out on top of this match will wrestle the winner of Ohio State's Micah Jordan vs. Northwestern's Shayne Oster. *Another great first-round matchup on this lower quad of the bracket will be between Iowa's No. 10 Pat Lugo and Arizona State's Josh Maruca. 157: No. 11 Ke-Shawn Hayes (Ohio State) vs. No. 22 Zac Carson (Ohio) Ohio State or Ohio University? In a battle of in-state rivals that are flipping weight classes, the Buckeye Ke-Shawn Hayes will take on Bobcat Zac Carson in the opening round. Hayes, who is up from 149 pounds last season, finished seventh at the Big Ten Championships and owns a 20-9 record this season. The 2019 NCAA Championships will be Hayes' second trip to the national tournament. He was a round-of-12 finisher last season. The 19-9 Bobcat Carson will be wrestling down from his 2018 weight class of 165. pounds He, too, similar to Old Dominion's Sa'Derian Perry, wrestled for Eastern Michigan last year but has since transferred after the Eagles dropped their program. Carson will be making his second consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships. Last year, he drew into Illinois' top-seeded Isaiah Martinez then fell to Virginia's Andrew Atkinson, ending his season. The winner will wrestle either Iowa's Kaleb Young or Columbia's Dan Reed in the second round. Whoever comes out on top of this match will scrap against the winner of North Carolina State's Thomas Bullard vs. Brown's Jonathan Viruet. 165: No. 1 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) vs. No. 33 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) Iowa's returning All-American and undefeated (23-0) Alex Marinelli was awarded the top seed at 165 pounds but may have drawn into one of the toughest first-round matches. The Hawkeye will take on Oklahoma State's two-time All-American Joe Smith (if the Cowboy wins his pigtail match). You may be asking how is this happening so early? The Cowboy, who is 18-6 on the season, has only wrestled at 165 pounds at the Big 12 Championships, where he finished in fifth place with a 4-2 record. The recent fluctuation of the Cowboy lineup brought Smith down from 174 pounds to 165 pounds, and for his lack of competition against the 165-pound field, Smith was given the 33rd seed. 174: No. 16 Brandon Womack (Cornell) vs. No. 17 Neal Richards (VMI) For Cornell's Brandon Womack to become an All-American, he'll have to end Neal Richards' 21-match win streak in the opening round. Womack, who holds a 20-8 record this season, was an All-American two seasons ago but went 0-2 last year in Cleveland. He'll wrestle against VMI's Neal Richards, who is riding a 21-match win streak into Pitt. Richards started the season 1-3, but won 27 of his next 28 matches and only lost to Penn State's NCAA champion and top-ranked Mark Hall. Whoever wins will most likely meet Penn State's top-seeded Mark Hall in the second round. 174: No. 7 Jacobe Smith (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 26 Drew Hughes (Michigan State) Oklahoma State's Jacobe Smith's run to a second All-America honor will have to go through Michigan State's Drew Hughes, who made the round of 12 two years ago. Smith, the 174-pound Big 12 champion, is 27-3 on the season and has only faced defeat three times this season. His losses came to Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech), Lou DePrez (Binghamton) and Ryan Preisch (Lehigh). Hughes will make his return to the NCAA Championships after sitting out last season with a shoulder injury. During his true freshman campaign, Hughes made it to the round of 12 before losing to Rider's Chad Walsh. Hughes is 26-13 on the season and finished the Big Ten Championships in seventh place. Whoever wins this match takes on the victor of Nebraska's Mikey Labriola and North Carolina State's Daniel Bullard. 184: No. 7 Nick Reenan (NC State) vs. No. 26 Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) It's not very often that you get two guys wrestling in the opening round that combine for single-digit losses. Reenan and Geer have nine combined losses between the two of them this season. Reenen, the seventh-seed at this weight class, has only lost four times this season. Two of those losses came from Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh), and the others came to Myles Martin (Ohio State), and Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech). Martin, Zavatsky, and Bonaccorsi are ranked first, third, and eighth respectively in InterMat's latest rankings. Geer, who is 25-5 on the season, has split time between 184 pounds and 197 pounds, but with the recent shift in Oklahoma State's lineup, ends the season down at 184 pounds. While at 184 pounds, Geer is 10-1, with that only loss coming to No. 10 Drew Foster in the finals of the Big 12 Championships. Whoever comes out on top will take on Iowa State's Samuel Colbray SU) or Fresno State's Jackson Hemauer. 197: No. 15 Randall Diabe (Appalachian State) vs. No. 18 Jake Woodley (Oklahoma) This first-round matchup between Appalachian State's Randall Diabe and Oklahoma's Jake Woodley will be a rematch from December's dual meet. Diabe edged Woodley in that match 5-3. Diabe, who is ranked No. 13 by InterMat, is 26-5 on the season and is coming off a title-winning performance at the SoCon Championships. He has also picked up 11 straight wins. The Sooner Woodley has a 21-8 record on the season and finished in third place at the Big 12 Championships after falling to eventual champion Preson Weigel (Oklahoma State) in the semifinals. The winner will wrestle Ohio State's returning All-American Kollin Moore or Buffalo's Brett Perry. 285: No. 11 Thomas Haines (Lock Haven) vs. No. 22 Billy Miller (Virginia Tech) Lock Haven's Thomas Haines and Virginia Tech's Billy Miller will meet for the fifth time in their careers for an opportunity to continue to wrestle in the winner's bracket on Thursday night at the NCAAs. The pair have split their four meetings. Haines was on the winning end of the first two meetings, but Miller has come out of the top of their last two meetings. Haines, who is 23-4 on the year, holds the better seed and comes into Pitt as the 11th-seeded wrestler at heavyweight, while Miller, who is 16-7, is the 22nd-seeded wrestler in this bracket. The Lock Haven wrestler sits in the eighth spot in the latest InterMat rankings, and the Hokie slides in at No. 19. Whoever wins this match will take on Oregon State's two-time All-American Amar Dhesi (Oregon State) or Brown's Ian Butterbrodt.

Penn State's Bo Nickal will look to capture his third NCAA title (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Is it a race for second place at the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships? It definitely looks like it could end up that way. On paper, the top-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions are the clear favorite to repeat as national team champions. Penn State has won the last three team titles and seven of the last eight. And the Nittany Lions are coming off a dominant performance at the Big Ten tournament. They are a loaded and stacked team with talented and proven performers once again. PSU also is wrestling close to home with the tournament being held in nearby Pittsburgh this season. No doubt, the Nittany Lions will have plenty of crowd support at this event. But there are a handful of teams with strong lineups who will have their opportunity as well during the NCAA tournament on March 21-23. The top contenders to knocking off Penn State appear to be Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Iowa and Michigan. Why are the Nittany Lions such a big favorite? That's an answer most wrestling fans already know. They feature a deep and experienced roster with standout wrestlers who have delivered on the big stage. Penn State features arguably the two best wrestlers in the field in two-time national champions Jason Nolf (157 pounds) and Bo Nickal (197). Both are seeded No. 1 and heavily favored to capture their third titles. Nolf and Nickal also are bonus-point scoring machines and the Nittany Lions have traditionally excelled in that area in this tournament. Big Ten champion Mark Hall is one of three PSU wrestlers seeded No. 1 (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) PSU also features two-time national champion Vincenzo Joseph (165) and national champion Mark Hall (174). Joseph is seeded second after losing to Iowa's Alex Marinell in the Big Ten finals. Hall is the No. 1 seed after avenging his 2018 national finals loss to Arizona State's Zahid Valencia this season. The Nittany Lions also have strong title contenders in Shakur Rasheed at 184 and Anthony Cassar at heavyweight. Rasheed is seeded second in his weight class while Cassar, coming off a win over then-No. 1 Gable Steveson of Minnesota, also is seeded second. All-American Nick Lee is back at 141 for Penn State and he is seeded third for nationals. The Nittany Lions also have top young wrestlers Roman Bravo-Young (No. 10 at 133) and Brady Berge (No. 12 at 149) in their lineup. With so much firepower in the PSU lineup, it will take a tremendous team effort to overtake them for the championship. Ohio State's Myles Martin won the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and enters the NCAAs ranked No. 1 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Ohio State has battled the Nittany Lions close in recent years after winning the NCAA team title in 2015. The Buckeyes may have the best shot of anybody to defeat Penn State this year. Ohio State is led by national champion Myles Martin and two-time third-place finisher Joey McKenna. Martin is seeded No. 1 at 184 and McKenna is the 2 seed at 141. The Buckeyes also feature highly seeded wrestlers in Kollin Moore (No. 2 at 197), Micah Jordan (No. 2 at 149), Luke Pletcher (No. 5 at 133) and Ke-Shawn Hayes (No. 11 at 157). Oklahoma State's Kaden Gfeller after winning the Southern Scuffle (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Oklahoma State also features a deep squad with the potential to be in contention in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys, the winningest program in NCAA history, are led by No. 1 seeds Daton Fix (133) and Derek White (285). Oklahoma State also has highly seeded wrestlers in Nick Piccininni (No. 2 at 125), Preston Weigel (No. 3 at 197), Kaden Gfeller (No. 7 at 149) and Jacobe Smith (No. 7 at 174). Iowa's Austin DeSanto is seeded No. 7 at 133 pounds (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) The Iowa Hawkeyes also are highly ranked, and they feature a strong squad capable of scoring their share of team points. The Hawkeyes are led by returning national champion Spencer Lee (125) and No. 1 seed Alex Marinelli (165 pounds). Lee is seeded third after finishing second at the Big Ten tournament. Iowa also has highly seeded wrestlers in Jacob Warner (No. 5 at 197), Kaleb Young (No. 6 at 157), Austin DeSanto (No. 7 at 133), Pat Lugo (No. 10 at 149) and Cash Wilcke (No. 12 at 184). Marinelli is seeded No. 1, but his draw is far from favorable. He could have a tough first match against Oklahoma State's Joe Smith, a two-time All-American who is the No. 33 seed at 165. Smith competed at 174 during the regular season and was ranked in the top five in that class. He moved down to 165 and beat two-time All-American Chandler Rogers in a wrestle-off before the postseason. Iowa heavyweight Sam Stoll is a returning All-American, but he has competed only sparingly this season while not being 100 percent physically. Stoll was ranked No. 1 in the preseason. Stoll is seeded just 29th with a 9-5 record. He will face No. 4 seed Jordan Wood of Lehigh in an intriguing first-round match. Michigan's Stevan Micic is undefeated and seeded No. 2 (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Michigan also has its share of standouts, led by returning NCAA runner-up and No. 2 seed Stevan Micic at 133. The teams chasing the Nittany Lions obviously will need to score as many bonus points as they can to try and keep pace. It may be a race for second place at the 2019 NCAAs, but there certainly is the potential for a close race for the gold trophy. Plenty of wild and crazy developments can occur when the stakes are highest during three highly competitive days of wrestling. But it would definitely take an impressive all-around performance for anyone to knock off Penn State.

Ryan Millhof battles Ronnie Bresser of Oregon State in the Pac-12 finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Arizona State's Ryan Millhof will not compete at the NCAAs this week. The 2016 All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier suffered a career-ending injury between the Pac-12 Championships and NCAAs, forcing him to withdraw from the competition. Millhof qualified for the tournament by finishing runner-up to Ronnie Bresser of Oregon State at the Pac-12 Championships. Millhof was the No. 14 seed, so wrestlers seeded between 15-33 will move up one seed line and Trey Chalifoux of Army West Point is the alternate and will be placed in the bracket as the No. 33 seed. Updated brackets are below. Link: Brackets

The 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will take place at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings The University of Minnesota wrestling program is excited to begin selling tickets for the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling National Championships at U.S. Bank Stadium. The event, marking the first time the wrestling championships will be held in an indoor professional football stadium, will run from March 19-21, 2020. Presale access for Gopher Score members will begin on Monday, March 18, 2019 at 9am. Public sale will begin on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at 9 a.m. Tickets will begin at $170. If you have any questions, please contact the Gopher Ticket Sales & Service Office at fans@gopherfanrelations.com or call 612-624-8080 (Option 1). The Ticket Sales & Service Office is open Monday - Friday 9am-5pm and is located at the 3M Arena at Mariucci Ticket Office. The Gophers travel to Pittsburgh for the 2019 Division I Wrestling Championships on March 21-23 at PPG Paints Arena where they have six wrestlers seeded in the top-ten of their respective weight class.

Kyle Conel celebrates after pinning Kollin Moore in the NCAA quarterfinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Penn State will be losing 197-pounder Bo Nickal, a multiple-time NCAA champion, to graduation after the season, but could be replacing him with an All-American. Kent State's Kyle Conel, an NCAA third-place finisher in 2018, announced on Twitter that he will be attending Penn State to pursue a master's degree and complete his final year of eligibility if he is granted a medical hardship waiver by the NCAA. Conel announced in December that he would be undergoing surgery on his shoulder, ending his season. He wrestled only two matches this season, going 2-0, earning a 9-8 victory over Kent State's Mark Penyacsek and a 20-4 technical fall over Lucas Miozza of Lindsey Wilson. He was ranked No. 2 at 197 pounds behind Nickal before his season ended. Last season Conel compiled a record of 28-8 and placed third at the NCAA Championships. He was an NCAA qualifier in 2016.

At least one unseeded wrestler always breaks through and becomes an All-American at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. However, that will certainly not happen this year. All wrestlers were seeded into the tournament this year. That does not mean that there are still not some dark-horse candidates out there. The following is a look at the top dark-horse candidates to become an All-American seeded 15th or lower. 125: No. 15 Sean Fausz (NC State) Fausz qualified for his fourth NCAAs after making the ACC finals before falling against No. 5 Jack Mueller (Virginia). In his previous three trips to the big dance, Fausz has come up short of becoming an All-American, and this will be his last chance. He wrestled sparingly this season, since 125 pounds is a big pull for him. In limited action, he went 11-2 with wins over No. 23 Cole Verner (Wyoming) and No. 19 Zeke Moisey (Nebraska). He certainly has the experience to finish in the top eight, but his weight struggles have always seemed to hold him back. The Wolfpack wrestler will be favored in his first match against No. 18 Devin Schroder (Purdue). However, things quickly become tougher as he will then likely face No. 2 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State). Fausz will have to make a run on the backside if he falls in the second round, but he may just finish his career as an All-American. 133: No. 19 Josh Terao (American) Four of Terao's five losses on the season came in a 15-day span covering the end of December and the beginning on January. Since Jan. 4, he has gone 11-1 and made the finals of the EIWA Championships. This is his third straight year qualifying for the NCAAs, but he is still looking for his first All-America finish. He does not really have a signature win this year outside of a major decision over Brandon Paetzell (Lehigh). However, he has notable wins on his resume throughout his career. Terao's NCAA tournament campaign gets off to a tough start against former Edinboro wrestler Korbin Myers (Virginia Tech), and he could then quickly run into Nick Suriano (Rutgers). 141: No. 15 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) This is probably not the way a lot of people pictured the season going for Brock after moving up in weight. He set a new career high for losses in a season with seven after only dropping nine matches the previous two years. Despite the tough regular season, he could still make some noise in this tournament. He is coming off back-to-back fifth-places finishes, and he has defeated the likes of No. 23 Sam Turner (Wyoming) and No. 22 Mac Murin (Iowa) this season. Brock gets started against another dark-horse candidate in Bryan Lantry (Buffalo), and if things go according to chalk he will then face the second seed Joey McKenna (Ohio State). Things are rarely easy for a double-digit seed. 149: No. 18 Jared Prince (Navy) Since the Southern Scuffle, Prince has gone 10-2 with both of his losses coming in overtime. At the EIWA Championships, he picked up one of the biggest wins of his career as he knocked off No. 5 Matt Kolodzik (Princeton). He lost some momentum when he fell to No. 13 Anthony Artalona (Penn) in the finals. However, he still clearly has the talent to put together a run, and it would be fitting after all of the internal strife he had to overcome prior to the postseason last year. Things get off to a challenging start for Price as he faces no. 15 Max Thomsen (UNI) in the opening round. Since he is in the bottom half of the bracket he will likely run into No. 2 Micah Jordan (Ohio State) if he advances. Freshman Quincy Monday enters the postseason with a 24-11 record (Photo/Princeton Athletics) 157: No. 26 Quincy Monday (Princeton) In his very first collegiate tournament, Monday dropped an 8-5 decision against No. 20 Luke Weiland (Army). At the EIWA Championships, he was able to reverse that result and take the decision in sudden victory. Also in that season opening tournament, Monday dropped a match against No. 7 Larry Early (Old Dominion). In the first round of the NCAA tournament, he will get the chance to reverse that loss as well. Monday finished his freshman season 24-11 and has the potential to finish as an All-American. 165: No. 33 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) Smith defeated teammate and fellow All-American Chandler Rogers in a wrestle-off for the chance to represent the Cowboys at 165 pounds in the postseason. He entered the Big 12 Championships as the seventh seed and ended up finishing fifth. Along the way, he dropped a pair of matches against eventual Big 12 champion No. 9 Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley) and No. 10 Branson Ashworth (Wyoming). Due mostly to his lack of action this year at 165 pounds, Smith enters the NCAA tournament as the last seed, No. 33. If he wins his pigtail against No. 32 Tyler Morland (Northwestern), he will face off against No. 1 Alex Marinelli (Iowa). Facing off against the top seed in the first round could make his quest to become an All-American difficult, but Smith certainly has the talent and definitely has the pedigree. 174: No. 17 Neal Richards (VMI) One of the most exciting aspects of the basketball version of the NCAA tournament is seeing how some of the smaller programs who dominated their competition do against the major conference teams. For wrestling, that is really embodied in Richards. The VMI wrestler started his season with a 7-4 record, but he then broke off a 21-match winning streak that finished with a major decision over No. 18 Andrew Morgan (Campbell) in the finals of the SoCon Championships. Richards has not faced the toughest schedule this season, but he certainly has momentum in his favor. His tournament starts with a first-round match against No. 16 Brandon Womack (Cornell) Michigan State freshman Cameron Caffey enters the NCAAs as the No. 19 seed at 184 pounds (Photo/Michigan State Athletics) 184: No. 19 Cameron Caffey (Michigan State) In his redshirt freshman season, Caffey won three tournaments before Christmas, including the Reno Tournament of Champions. He spent the majority of the season in the rankings. However, he had a tough Big Ten tournament. He entered the field as the 10th seed and dropped his first two matches to No. 2 Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) and Nick Gravina (Rutgers). Luckily for him, he was able to get it together and ended up winning the mini tournament for ninth place. Caffey has been an integral part of the Michigan State rebuild, and he has the offense to compete with almost anyone. Despite facing the a higher seed in the first round, Dylan Wisman (Missouri), he will likely be a popular pick in many fan brackets. 197: No. 16 Josh Hokit (Fresno State) Hokit is one of the few two-sport Division I athletes competing at a high level. In addition to being one of the top-20 197-pound wrestlers, he is also a running back on the Bulldogs football team. This past season, he played in 13 games and made one start on the gridiron before reporting for wrestling duty. On the mats, he went 21-6 and picked up wins over No. 6 Willie Miklus (Iowa State) and No. 19 Tanner Orndorff (Utah Valley). Hokit will need his athletic ability and explosion at the NCAA tournament this year. He starts off against Stephen Loiseau (Drexel) in the first round before meeting up with No. 1 Bo Nickal (Penn State). 285: No. 27 Ian Butterbrodt (Brown) In his last season of his collegiate wrestling career, Butterbrodt has finally qualified for the NCAA tournament. He went 3-1 at the EIWA Championships, losing only to champion No. 4 Jordan Wood (Lehigh) via medical forfeit. For the season, he went 18-6. He has not faced the toughest schedule, but heavyweight always seems to be somewhat wide open this time of year. In his first-round match, he faces off against No. 6 Amar Dhesi (Oregon State). The Canadian international wrestler has the edge in skill and experience. However, he has not really looked like himself this year, and Butterbrodt has a solid shot at an upset.

Kamal Bey lifts Aaron Brooks in their AWL exhibition (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) KANSAS CITY -- The American Wrestling League (AWL) hosted two freestyle matches, along with a freestyle/Greco-Roman exhibition match, after the Missouri Border Brawl on Sunday. Below are the results from the AWL matches and Missouri Border Brawl. AWL Freestyle: 70: Joey Lavallee tech. fall Lavion Mayes, 10-0 61: Joe Colon dec. Alan Waters, 7-6 Freestyle/Greco-Roman Exhibition: 79: Aaron Brooks def. Kamal Bey 1st period Greco-Roman: Bey dec. Brooks, 7-0 2nd period freestyle: Brooks dec. Bey, 6-1 3rd period only 4 and 5 point moves: Brooks dec. Bey, 4-4 criteria Rocky Elam defeated Steve Elwell at the Missouri Border Brawl (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Missouri Border Brawl HS 145: Kyle Prewitt, Christian Brothers College High School pinned Dillon Nichols, Mexico High School, 3:25 HS 106: Eli Ashcroft, Kearney High School dec. Evan Binder, Whitfield High School, 4-2 HS 106: Easton Hilton, Liberty High School maj. dec. Owen Uhls, Fulton High School, 11-0 Youth 90 -Jackson Tucker, Thoroughbred W.A. maj. dec. David Gleason, Grindhouse, 15-7 HS 152: Sam Frankowski, Rockwood Summit High School dec. Aidan Johnson, Staley High School, 3-1 HS 120: Jayden Carson, Lafayette High School dec. Korbin Shepherd, Blue Springs High School, 10-8, SV HS 132: Vincent Zerban, Christian Brothers College High School dec. Nathan Pulliam Rolla High School, 10-5 Youth 140: Peyton Westphal, Victory WC dec. Rylan Kuhn, Greater Heights WC, 12-4 HS Girls 103: Faith Cole, Lafayette High School dec. Emalie Olsen, Kearney High School, 8-4 HS 126: Teague Travis, Father Tolton High School dec. Ethen Miller, Park Hill High School, 13-6 HS 138: Joshua Saunders, Christian Brothers College High School maj. dec. Braxton Barnes, Neosho High School, 15-7 HS 160: Cory Peterson, Desmet High School inj dft. Tyler Ross, Lawson High School, 3:56 HS 195: Rocky Elam, Staley High School maj. dec. Steve Elwell, Knob Noster High School, 8-0 Youth 110: Carter McAllister, Greater Heights WC dec. Kyshen Isringhausen, Terminator WC, 12-6 HS 170: Greyden Penner, Liberty High School pinned Jacob Boumans, Nequa Valley High School IL, 4:09 HS 113: Noah Surtin, Edwardsville High School IL tech. fall Jeremiah Reno, Liberty High School, 16-0

Greg Wojciechowski, University of Toledo wrestler who won an NCAA heavyweight title and a place on the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's freestyle team, will be inducted into the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame, the Ohio-based school announced Friday. Wojciechowski -- along three other non-wrestling athletes from other schools -- will be welcomed in to the conference Hall of Fame at the MAC Honors Dinner at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Greg WojciechowskiA native of Toledo, Wojciechowski won back-to-back Ohio high school state titles at heavyweight for Toledo Whitmer in 1967 and 1968. The 6', 260-pound wrestler affectionately known as "Wojo" continued his academic and athletic career at University of Toledo, where he was a three-time MAC heavyweight champ (1970-1972) and three-time NCAA championships finalist, winning the unlimited title at the 1971 NCAAs at Auburn University in Alabama by defeating Penn State's Dave Joyner, 5-3, in the finals. (Wojo was runner-up at the 1970 NCAAs, losing to Oregon State's Jess Lewis in the title match, 11-2 ... and came in second at the 1972 Nationals, falling to Chris Taylor, Iowa State's "Gentle Giant" who outweighed the defending champ by 150 pounds, 6-1, in the finals.) Wojciechowski finished his collegiate career at Toledo with a record of 55-2. (Sadly, the school eliminated its wrestling program 25 years ago.) Wojciechowski also made his presence known in wrestling beyond folkstyle. He was runner-up at the Olympic Trials and was named an alternate for the U.S. Olympic teams in Greco-Roman wrestling in 1968, 1972 and 1976, and in freestyle in 1972 and 1976 before earning a place on the freestyle team for the 1980 Olympics. However, the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics kept Wojciechowski from participating. Wojciechowski had a long career as a teacher and wrestling coach at high schools in northwest Ohio ... then was a professional wrestler for a dozen years as "The Great Wojo." Prior to being announced as a Class of 2019 honoree into the MAC Hall of Fame, Wojciechowski was inducted into the UT Varsity T Hall of Fame in 1978 and the George Tragos and Lou Thesz Pro National Wrestling Hall of Fame at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa in 2015. To participate in the 2019 MAC Honors Dinner in downtown Cleveland on Wednesday, May 29 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern, contact Julie Kachner at the Mid-American Conference office at (216) 566-4622. Individual tickets are $100 each; a table for ten is available for $950. Want to know how big the best big men of college wrestling were? Check out this InterMat feature: "Size matters: Heights, weights for NCAA heavyweight champs."

Joe Corso, Gary Steffensmeier, Jessie Whitmer and the late Don Buzzard have been announced as inductees for the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2019, the facility which honors individuals who have contributed to the sport of wrestling within the state of Iowa announced Friday. In addition, Dale Bahr, who was actually announced in 1988 but unable to participate in that induction ceremony three decades ago, will also take part in this year's Annual Awards Banquet and Induction Ceremony. This year's ceremony will take place Monday evening, April 8, 2019 at the Cresco Country Club south of Cresco, hometown for the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. The 50th Annual Awards Banquet and Induction Ceremony will begin with a social hour at 5:30 p.m. Central, followed by a banquet at 6:30. Banquet tickets are available at the Cresco Chamber of Commerce at 563-547-3434 or CIA Insurance in Cresco at 563-547-2382. Tickets are $25 and advance registration is required. This year's honorees: Don Buzzard was a two-time state champion for Waterloo East High School, winning back-to-back titles in 1963 and 1964. Buzzard went on to Iowa State University where he was a two-time NCAA runner-up at 191 pounds. As a sophomore Buzzard won the 191-pound title at the Midlands, the annual Christmastime tournament held in suburban Chicago. Buzzard coached at Jesup before becoming an assistant coach at the University of Iowa (1973-1974). During his competitive career Buzzard only lost a total of nine matches. Buzzard passed away in 2016. Joe Corso won a state title for West Des Moines Valley at 113 pounds in 1971. After winning a bronze medal in the NCAA championships for Purdue, Corso continued his career in freestyle wrestling where he excelled. Corso went on to become a ten-time national freestyle champion, placed third in the World Championships of 1978 and was the 1979 Pan-American Games champion. Corso was also on the 1980 Olympic team and an alternate in 1984. Corso is still coaching and has had a long history with the Sunkist Wrestling Club. Gary Steffensmeier wrestled at Fort Madison High for Hall of Fame coach Mick Pickford. Steffensmeier was the Bloodhounds' first two-time state champion and their first four-time state tournament medalist. Steffensmeier won titles in 1986 at 112 pounds, then the following year at 119. He capped his senior year with a perfect 32-0 record. Steffensmeier went to the University of Northern Iowa where he was a three-time Division I All-American with a runner-up and two fourth-place finishes. He finished with a collegiate record of 115-29-3. Jesse Whitmer (right) with Dan Gable in 2017Jessie Whitmer was a four-time medalist and a one-time state champion for Eagle Grove High School. Whitmer then went to the University of Iowa where he was able to break into the starting line up as a 118-pound senior. Whitmer was one of five national champions for the storied 1997 squad that broke the record for number of points scored at the tournament (170). Dale Bahr was a two-time state champion for Iowa Falls high school, wrestling for Hall of Fame honoree Gary Kurdelmeier. Under Harold Nichols at Iowa State, Bahr won the 145-pound national championship as a senior. He was a two-time All American before winning his national championship. Bahr went on to a successful coaching career, culminating as head coach for the University of Michigan from 1978-99. The Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame's purpose is to honor and promote amateur wrestling in Iowa. The IWHOF has a rich history of honoring native Iowans at an annual awards banquet and induction ceremony going back to 1970. At the conclusion of this year's ceremony, the IWHOF will have honored a total of 133 outstanding individuals for their contributions to amateur wrestling. The Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame is located in the Cresco Welcome Center at the intersection of Highway 9 and Elm Street in downtown Cresco. The Hall of Fame is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. To learn more about the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame and its honorees, visit the official website.

Kevin Dresser coaching at the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tenn. (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) MANHEIM, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) is pleased to announce its finalist for the 2019 NWCA Division I National Coach of the Year presented by Defense Soap. To be eligible to be a finalist for the National Coach of the Year honor, a coach must have been named coach of the year in their respective conference. This year's finalists include: ACC: Pat Popolizio (NC State) Big Ten: Cael Sanderson (Penn State) Big 12: Kevin Dresser (Iowa State) EWL: Scott Moore (Lock Haven) EIWA: Kevin Ward (Army West Point) MAC: John Stutzman (Buffalo) Pac 12: Jason Borrelli (Stanford) SoCon: Cary Kolat (Campbell) The National winner will be announced at the NWCA Coaches Social on Tuesday, March 19. The winner will be determined by a vote of all NWCA Division I Member Coaches. The National Coach of the Year award presented by Defense Soap is in its second year of existence and is intended to honor the coach who has had the most outstanding season up to the NCAA Championship which includes dual meet success and conference tournament placement.

Menlo claimed the first-ever NAIA Women's Wrestling Invitational title JAMESTOWN, N.D. -- Menlo College women's wrestling has been rewriting the women's collegiate wrestling history book all season long and Saturday was one more chapter in what is becoming a lengthy novel. With a dominant 12 All-Americans, five National Champions and eight competitors in the finals, the Oaks cruised to the first ever National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Invitational Championship with a team score of 230.5 -- 76 points better than second place Oklahoma City University. The title marks the second National Title for this team in six weeks as the Oaks also won the WCWA National Championship in Atlanta, Ga. on Feb. 9. Menlo is now the only collegiate women's wrestling program in the sport's history to win both tournaments. A dozen All-Americans It was a day to remember for the Oaks. The NAIA awards All-American status to the top four finisher and Honorable Mention All-American Status for finishers in the top eight. Menlo had nine wrestlers finish fourth our better and three more claim eighth or better. All-Americans included: Alleida Martinez (1st), Angela Peralta (2nd), Gracie Figueroa (2nd), Hiba Salem (4th), Iman Kazem (1st), Marilyn Garcia (1st), Precious Bell (2nd), Solin Piearcy (1st) and Tiana Jackson(1st). Brittany Woods-Orrison (7th), Emily Sandoval (7th) and Taryn Ichimura (6th) each earned Honorable Mention All-Americans. Eight finalists, Five Champs Eight different Oaks earned the right to wrestle for an individual national title on Saturday, including two in the same weight class. Alleida Martinez (109 lbs) and Solin Piearcy (136 lbs) did the unthinkable, pulling off a clean sweep at their weight class winning both the WCWA and NAIA titles. Iman Kazem (155 lbs), Marilyn Garcia (143 lbs) and Tiana Jackson (123) each won their first ever national titles to round out the five Menlo champions. Gracie Figueroa and Angela Peralta battled to second place finishes. How it happened Alleida Martinez claimed her second national title of the year by once again defeating Mckayla Campbell of Campbellsville. Martinez won via 10-0 technical fall on Saturday and had previously pinned Campbell at WCWA. Tiana Jackson, the fourth seed in the tournament, upset #2 seed Koral Sugiyama of Campbellsville, 5-2. Iman Kazem had maybe the most impressive performance in the finals, claiming her first national title by pinning Anna Naylor of Cumberlands in just 39 seconds. She finished the tournament with three pins and a technical fall victory. Marilyn Garcia won her title by edging teammate Angela Peralta 2-0 and Solin Piearcy won her second title by defeating Erica Sotelo of Life, 8-1. Two is better than one Very few teams are ever given the opportunity to claim two national titles in the same season. Menlo was not only given the opportunity this season, they won both in remarkable, albeit differing, fashion. The WCWA title featured a movie script-like crescendo that saw Menlo win the necessary three of four individual titles to claim the team crown. The NAIA championship saw fewer dramatics, but an equal amount of pride and dominance. The Oaks were so successful that they wrapped up the NAIA title before the finals matches were even wrestled - a true testament to the overall team effort put forth on Saturday afternoon in snowy North Dakota. The two national titles serve as the first two of the 92-year history of Menlo College. More hardware In addition to all of the hardware won by the wrestlers themselves, Coach Joey Bareng added another trophy to his collection, garnering NAIA Coach of the Year Honors. He previously was named the WCWA Coach of the Year in April. Not even a blizzard can bring down the Oaks The Jamestown, North Dakota area was hit with a massive winter storm late Wednesday night through Thursday that wreaked havoc on the tournament. Originally scheduled as a two-day event concluding on Saturday, the storm forced the NAIA's hand and the tournament was condensed to just Saturday to allow additional time for team travel. The Oaks struggled to leave the hotel to practice, forcing improvised practices inside their hotel in the days leading up to the event. Focus was not lost and the Oaks clearly were ready to make their mark. History in the making The NAIA Invitational was historic for a number of reasons, namely that it was the first officially recognized women's college wrestling tournament by a national multi-sport collegiate organizing body. Women's Wrestling was granted "emerging sport" status by the NAIA prior to the 2018-19 season; the first governing body to launch the sport. 25 NAIA institutions fielded women's wrestling programs in 2018-19, up from 19 the year prior. Women's Wrestling will be eligible for championship status after two year of competition as an invitational sport, and 40 institutions sponsor a varsity women's wrestling team. Final team standings (top 15): 1 Menlo College 230.5 2 Oklahoma City University 154.5 3 University of Jamestown 137.5 4 Campbellsville University 126.5 5 University of Cumberlands 106.5 6 Wayland Baptist University 105 7 Life University 102.5 8 Southern Oregon 66.5 9 Midland University 45 10 Missouri Baptist University 43 11 Lyon College 40.5 12 Missouri Valley College 39 13 Eastern Oregon University 36.5 14 Waldorf University 22.5 15 Ottawa University 18

YAKUTSK, Russia -- The United States took third at the 2019 Men's Freestyle World Cup, claiming a 6-4 win over Japan in the bronze-medal bout on Sunday in Yakutsk, Russia. The whole dual was a back-and-forth battle with the USA prevailing in the end. The U.S. won by forfeit at 57 kilograms, but Japan snagged the win at 61 kilograms as National Team member Nico Megaludis suffered his first loss of the tournament, falling to 2018 University world champion Yudai Fujita on criteria, 4-4. At 65 kilograms, 2017 Senior World Team member and 2012 Cadet world champion Zain Retherford finished the weekend undefeated, producing a 10-0 tech fall against 2014 Junior World bronze medalist and 2011 Cadet world bronze medalist Daichi Takatani. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

Andrew Nicola, with nearly a decade of high school and collegiate coaching experience, has been promoted to be head wrestling coach at Brother Martin High School, the New Orleans-based Catholic school announced Thursday. Andrew NicolaNicola, who had served as varsity assistant coach at the Louisiana prep powerhouse during the 2018-19 season, was selected to replace Rob Dauterive who had announced his retirement last month. A graduate of Indiana University and native of Fort Wayne, Ind., Nicola takes the helm of one of the most successful high school mat programs in Louisiana. Brother Martin can claim 19 state team titles -- including seven in the past eight years -- along with 117 individual state champions since 1972, including six crowned just two weeks ago. "I have been fortunate to know of the rich tradition that Brother Martin wrestling has had for many years now," Nicola said in a release from the school. "Words cannot describe how excited I am to carry on this tradition of excellence that encompasses so much more than just winning wrestling matches. "Our staff is already diligently working together to take this program to a level it's never seen before, which is no easy feat." Nicola launched his coaching career at the prep level in Indiana -- at Bloomington South High, and Culver Academies -- then progressed to the collegiate level, serving as an assistant at Cumberland University in Tennessee, University of Central Missouri, and at California Baptist University. His most recent assignment prior to joining the staff at Brother Martin was as head coach at Concordia University in Nebraska for two seasons. Among Nicola's coaching honors: named Great Plains Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) North Region Coach of the Year in 2017 ... and Indiana State Wrestling Association (ISAW) Coach of the Year in 2012. Over the years, Nicola has coached a number of top scholar-athletes, including seven NCAA National Qualifiers, and 16 NCAA Academic All-Americans. In addition, Nicola has coached 33 NAIA National Qualifiers and ten who have earned All-American honors. So how did a Hoosier who had coached from Tennessee to California land the head coaching position at one of the top high school wrestling programs in the South? Nicola had conducted wrestling camps in Louisiana for a number of years. But here's what he told Nathan Brown, wrestling writer for The Advocate of New Orleans: "He (Brother Martin head coach Rob Dauterive) asked several years ago 'When are you coming down here?' And I think he was serious then, but maybe joking too," Nicola said. "But when I lost my job in Nebraska (at Concordia). ... I came here for my camp in July, and coach said 'I'm ready to retire. Are you ready to come take over?' "I've only been here about six months, but finally the discussions he and I had are coming to fruition." Nicola's first season as head coach at Brother Martin will begin this fall. Established in 1869, Brother Martin High School is a private, all-male Catholic school located within the city of New Orleans. Brother Martin has approximately 1,200 students in grades 8-12.

Messiah College wrestling is conducting an online fundraiser for an Athletes in Action sports ministry trip to central America this summer, the Pennsylvania-based school announced this week. "As we prepare for next season, we have an awesome opportunity," according to a message posted at Messiah College Wrestling's Facebook page . "We will be taking 29 wrestlers, 2 coaches and an athletic trainer on a sports ministry trip to Guatemala with Athletes in Action this May 22-June 2." To make a donation online, click the link and then select the AROMA International drop down box. On the next page you'll be able to select Guatemala wrestling trip. Located in Mechanicsburg, Penn., Messiah College is a four-year, private school with the motto "Christ Preeminent." Founded in 1909, Messiah has approximately 3,300 students. Messiah's Falcon wrestlers -- and other intercollegiate sports teams -- compete in NCAA Division III.

YAKUTSK, Russia -- The United States fell in its second-round matchup in pool play action of the 2019 World Cup, losing to Iran on criteria, 5-5. Iran held the edge on classification points, 21-18. After a strong second period, Zach Sanders dropped a close 4-3 match against Alirez Sarlak to start the dual at 57 kilograms. However, National Team member Nico Megaludis put up a strong showing at 61 kilograms, blanking two-time Junior world champion Iman Sadeghikoukandeh, 12-0. It was Megaludis' second technical fall victory of the day. 2017 Senior World Team member and 2012 Cadet world champion Zain Retherford gave the USA a boost with a solid 6-1 win against Morteza Ghiasi Cheka in the 65-kilogram match. Read complete story on TheMat.com … Iran def. USA, 5-5 (21-18) 57 kg: Alireza Sarlak (Iran) dec. Zach Sanders (USA), 4-3 61 kg: Nico Megaludis (USA) TF Iman Sadeghikoukandeh (Iran), 12-0 65 kg: Zain Retherford (USA) dec. Morteza Ghiasi Cheka (Iran), 6-1 70 kg: Meisam Nasiri (Iran) dec. Jason Chamberlain (USA), 3-0 74 kg: Isaiah Martinez (USA) dec. Reza Afzalipaemami (Iran), 8-2 79 kg: Tommy Gantt (USA) dec. Mojtaba Asghari Osmavandani (Iran), 11-6 86 kg: Mersad Marghzari (Iran) fall Sam Brooks (USA) 92 kg: Hayden Zillmer (USA) dec. Mohammadjavad Ebrahimizivlaei (Iran), 6-4 97 kg: Alireza Goodarzi (Iran) dec. Kyven Gadson (USA), 4-0 125 kg: Komeil Ghasemi (Iran) dec. Tony Nelson (USA), 6-2

PITTSBURGH -- Team USA jumped rolled to a 29-18 win over Pennsylvania's all-stars at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic on Friday night. USA raced out to a 20-0 lead after six weight classes before No. 7 Julian Chlebove (Northampton) at 132 pounds stopped the bleeding by pinning Luke Baughman (Wadsworth, Ohio). Pennsylvania also picked up wins from No. 1 Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic) at 145 pounds, Daniel Mancini (Owen J. Roberts) at 160 pounds and No. 2 Carter Starocci (Erie Cathedral Prep) at 182 pounds. Results: 195: Devin Winston (Park Hill, Mo.) maj. dec. Donovon Ball (Cedar Cliff), 10-1 220: Owen Trephan (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. Jacob McMaster (Greenville) 285: John Birchmeier (Broad Run, Va.) dec. Kawaun DeBoe (Erie Cathedral Prep), 8-4 113: Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.) maj. dec. Beau Bayless (Reynolds), 15-5 120: Eric Barnett (Hortonville, Wisc.) dec. Sean Pierson (Nazareth), 7-5 126: Mike Colaiocco (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. Darren Miller (Kiski Area), 7-5 132: Julian Chlebove (Northampton) pinnned Luke Baughman (Wadsworth, Ohio) 138: JoJo Aragona (Pope John Paul XXIII, N.J.) dec. Jacob Ealy (Hopewell), 5-1 145: Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic) dec. Kevon Davenport (Detroit Catholic, Mich.), 3-2 152: Cameron Amine (Detroit Catholic, Mich.) dec. Ryan Vulakh (Pope John Paul II), 6-1 OT 160: Daniel Mancini (Owen J. Roberts) pinned Zach Lawrence (Duanesburg, N.Y.) 170: Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. Edmond Ruth (Susquehanna Twp.), 8-3 182: Carter Starocci (Erie Cathedral Prep) dec. Abe Assad (Glenbard North, Ill.), 3-1