InterMat Staff

Ronnie Perry (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- All-American and national finalist Ronnie Perry has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Athlete of the Year and LHU head coach Scott Moore has been named the PSAC Coach of the Year. Perry capped a remarkable 2017-18 run in the national finals at 149 pounds and Moore led the Bald Eagles to a historic season. For Perry, the season capped a brilliant Bald Eagle career. The Bald Eagles' redshirt-senior won a PSAC and Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) title, before finishing as an All-American and NCAA Division I finalist. On the way to becoming LHU's first finalist since 1997, Perry took down the No. 2 seed, a returning NCAA champion and - in all - he knocked off three returning All-Americans at the NCAA DI tournament. He also became the first No. 15 seed in NCAA tournament history to make the finals. Perry's win in the EWL finals marked the 100th of his career. Perry became the 20th member of LHU's 100-win club. Perry closed the season with a 32-4 record and finished with a 104-32 career record. The 104 wins are tied for the 13th most in school history. The 2017-18 season will go down in history as it marked Lock Haven's return to college wrestling's national scene, behind Moore's leadership. The nationally-ranked LHU wrestling team crowned three individual champions and nine Bald Eagles placed as LHU powered its way to the 2018 EWL team title. It marked the second EWL championship in school history and the first since the Bald Eagles won the title in 1997. Perry, Alex Klucker and Corey Hazel all claimed individual EWL titles, while Chance Marsteller and Thomas Haines both placed second. The three individual EWL champions were the most since the Bald Eagles also had three in 2001. Perry's title marked the second straight season he claimed an individual title. LHU finished the regular season at 12-4 with the 12 wins marking the most in a single season in 15 years. Lock Haven went 4-2 in EWL action with wins over local-rival Bloomsburg, George Mason, Cleveland State and Clarion. Also highlighting the regular season was the Bald Eagles PSAC Championship. Behind five individual PSAC champs, the Bald Eagles rolled to their first PSAC title in 17 seasons. The title marked Lock Haven's 20th PSAC title, the most of any conference school. Perry is the Bald Eagles' first PSAC Wrestler of the Year since Cary Kolat in 1997. Moore takes home PSAC Coach of the Year honors for the first time since 2002 when Carl Poff was named PSAC Coach of the Year. PSAC Athlete of the Year: Ronnie Perry, Lock Haven PSAC Freshman of the Year: Eric Bartos, Mercyhurst PSAC Coach of the Year: Scott Moore, Lock Haven

Jim Gibson (Photo/Marc Hagemeier) LEXINGTON, Va. -- Virginia Military Institute Athletics Director Dr. Dave Diles announced Friday that James Gibson has accepted the position of head wrestling coach. Gibson comes to the Institute by way of Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, where he served the past six years as the head assistant wrestling coach and recruiting coordinator for the Bison. On top of coaching, Gibson was tasked with scouting and evaluating prospective student-athletes across the country, developing a competitive schedule every year, managing team travel and accommodations, and overseeing and determining the best use of the program's financial aid and scholarship budget. In addition, Gibson monitored the academic standards and progress of the team's 35 student-athletes, planned and implemented on- and off-campus recruiting activities, aided the regulation of the team's yearly operating budget and cultivated potential donors to assist in reaching the team's yearly fundraising goals. Gibson helped coach the 2014-15 Bison wrestling squad that went 15-4, reaching its highest ever national ranking at No. 22 and setting Bucknell's record for single season dual meet wins. The team placed third at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association championship in both 2015 and 2016. "VMI is a school with a lot of history and tradition and the wrestling program has had some great wrestlers throughout the years," Gibson said. "I am excited to work with the current cadet-athletes to assist them with their goals in the sport and to bring high-caliber recruits into the program. "I couldn't be more excited for this opportunity. I would like to thank Dr. Diles, Lenny Brown, Jamie Severns and everyone else involved in the selection process. Their faith in me is greatly appreciated." Other highlights from Gibson's time at Bucknell include three nationally ranked All-Academic teams (2014-16), 26 EIWA placewinners and the program's 100 percent Graduation Success Rate for three consecutive years. Since 2015 Gibson has served as the co-owner and director of the Bison System Wrestling Camp in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, overseeing its daily operations, managing funds and directing 20 camp counselors and four clinicians. "In Jim Gibson we have found a highly experienced coach with impeccable credentials," Diles said. "He had an outstanding competitive career and is a high achiever in coaching and recruiting at a prestigious institution. Most importantly, he articulated a vision and plan for moving our wrestling program forward that was compelling. Jim distinguished himself throughout our review process for having the most detailed recruiting plan and had done an extensive assessment of our program and VMI. He's the leader we need." Gibson began his coaching tenure at Clarion as a graduate assistant coach from 2007 to 2012 for a program that produced two All-Americans, 11 NCAA qualifiers, six PSAC champions, three EWL gold medal winners and four Academic All-Americans. The Golden Eagles placed 18th at the 2012 NCAA Championship. A four-year starter at Edinboro University in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, Gibson qualified for the NCAA Championships as a senior in 2007 after earning an Eastern Wrestling League runner-up finish at 197 pounds and was a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion. He started at the 197-pound weight class on two NCAA Top 10 teams while at Edinboro. After college, Gibson qualified for the 2009 world team trials and was the champion of the 2009 Northeast Regional qualifier. In 2008 he placed fourth at the Northeast Regional qualifier and finished in the top eight at the 2008 U.S. National Championship's Challenge Tournament to qualify for the 16-man U.S. National Championships. Gibson graduated from Edinboro in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education with a concentration in health promotion. He went on to earn his master's in education with an emphasis in athletic coaching from Clarion in 2009. He married his wife, Sarah, in May 2009. The couple has one son, James.

Kanen Storr wrestling at the UWW Junior World Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Kanen Storr is heading home. Storr announced his decision to attend Michigan and compete for the Wolverines Friday on Twitter. "I chose Michigan for many reasons," Storr told IAwrestle.com. "First, I trust the staff. I grew up training with them for freestyle events while I was coming out of high school, so I know what they are about, and on top of that their results speak for themselves. They just came out of the national tournament with five All-Americans, were the fourth place team, and are only going to build off of that." A native of Leslie, Mich., Storr spent the 2016-17 season and more than half of the 2017-18 season at Iowa State. As a redshirt, Storr compiled a 25-5 record. This past season he was 15-7 and ranked No. 18 at 141 pounds. On, Jan. 23, Storr, a three-time Michigan high school state champion at Leslie High School, asked for -- and was granted -- a transfer out of Iowa State. The school issued a statement that appeared to be standard in every way. "'Kanen (Storr) requested permission to transfer to another institution,' Iowa State head coach Kevin Dresser said in a statement. 'I am going to honor that request and allow him the one-time transfer exception. We wish him the best.'" Storr's departure from Iowa State was well publicized. In January, ISU head coach Kevin Dresser reiterated that there weren't any hard feelings between Storr and his staff. "It's never fun when there's an athlete that is upset," Dresser said . "It's never fun, but I can tell you this: He's a great kid. He's going to figure out where he wants to go and where he wants to be. At the end of the day, that's what life's all about. "I'm a parent. I've got a 16-year-old, basically, an 18-year-old and a 19-year-old. And if they come home and say, 'Dad, you know what, I'm not happy here,' wherever that is, I want them to be happy. I want my kids to be happy, and I want Kanen Storr to be happy."

Eastern Michigan head wrestling coach David Bolyard (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The decision to eliminate the Eastern Michigan University wrestling program Tuesday has generated comments from Eagles coaching staff, protests from wrestlers, and outrage from the wrestling community far beyond the school's hometown of Ypsilanti. EMU -- the second-oldest public university in the state of Michigan, with a student enrollment of 20,000 -- announced on March 20 that it was axing its NCAA Division I wrestling program, along with three other intercollegiate sports programs: softball, women's tennis, and men's swimming and diving. EMU wrestlers to stage protest Eastern Michigan wrestlers will be able to make their case for saving their wrestling program as part of a protest scheduled to take place at the Michigan Youth Wrestling Association state championships Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, Mich. Approximately 7,000-10,000 people are expected to be in attendance for the state championships, protest organizer David Dean, who also is a wrestling coach at Lowell High School, told MLive.com. "We are bringing them (EMU wrestlers) out and having the kids tell their story in front of the whole crowd," Dean said. "It ought to be pretty interesting. "I connected with them and said, 'Hey why don't you guys come on down for this? You have a story to tell. They wanted to come down, so we are doing it." "Eastern Michigan is very tied into the fabric of this state," Dean continued. "They fully miscalculated. It is emotional and its personal. It's personal to me, and I didn't even go to Eastern. I just supported them because of the quality of the people who were there. People like Dean Rockwell (World War II veteran and EMU alumnus) and (current head coach) Dave Bolyard and so many of the other folks." "I was completely shocked about it," former wrestler Anthony Abro said of when he heard the program was cut. "I think it's terrible. If you have ever met the coaches, or Dave (Bolyard), you know they do everything for those student-athletes. They don't deserve something like this." Coaches, wrestlers speak out Some of the individuals on the front lines of the Eastern Michigan wrestling program -- wrestlers and coaches -- shared their reaction to the news their mat program had been given the axe last week. "I didn't know this past weekend was going to be my last match, so that makes me really sad," Kayne MacCallum, a senior wrestler, told the Eastern Echo student paper. "We were all blind sided." Redshirt freshman Mason Kaufmann had a similar reaction. "We saw the president of the school and the athletic director come in, and we knew it wasn't going to be good," Kaufmann said. "And he just broke the news to us. There were a lot of people crying and getting upset. It was a shock." EMU head wrestling coach David Bolyard tweeted the following message early Thursday evening, just a couple days after the decision had been made public: "I know there are a lot of frustrated people out there in the wrestling community and they are looking for someone to take their frustrations out there. The easy and most accessible person to direct these emotions to is our Athletic Director [Scott Weatherbee]. I get it; I understand that he is our leader and that is part of his job. I just want you to know that I truly think that this (decision) was (made) above him. I have gotten to know Scott and his family over the last year and they are great people. He doesn't deserve being attacked and disrespected. That will not get us what we want. We have a lot going for us in this fight. We have facts, we have numbers, we have passion, and we have some key people that are going to bat for us. We can win this fight with class and dignity. Please continue to let him see the amazing support for our program. #SaveEMUWrestling." In a phone interview with InterMat Tuesday afternoon, coach Bolyard said, "We're trying to figure out ways to maintain opportunities for our student-athletes here at Eastern Michigan wrestling. We intend to fight this. We're working towards a solution." Luke Smith, an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan, shared his thoughts on the school's decision to axe the Eagles mat program with the Chippewa Herald, the newspaper in his hometown in Wisconsin. "We were completely shocked," Smith said of the news coming just after returning from the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland with the school's first All-American since 1999 in Sa'Derian Perry, who placed eighth at 141 pounds. "We knew there were some budget issues with the school, but we thought that across the board all athletic programs would have budget cuts." The next morning, the coaching staff broke the news to the wrestlers. "It was one of the hardest things to do to talk to them. You don't know what to do in that moment," Smith said. "It was tough, because being here you work so hard to recruit and coach these guys. Anyone who's been part of a team knows it's like a family," Smith said. "How do you tell your family that we're going to have to break up?" "The good thing about us is that we have a lot of alumni support. They're trying everything they can to save the program," Smith said. "It's been an unbelievable push not just from our alumni but the wrestling world. It's been amazing to see the outpouring of support." Smith went on to cite some of the ways EMU wrestlers are winners off the mat -- the highest APR of any men's program at the school, four Academic All-Americans this year, and one of the highest percentages of scholar-athletes to be the first from their families to attend college. "It really is more than a sport, it's an opportunity for a better life for these people. That's part of why the wrestling community is fighting so hard for us," he said. Smith also questioned the school's reason for cutting wrestling based on financials. "The thing that doesn't quite make sense is that they say it's budgetary, but it's an enrollment-driven school. On our team, the roster cap is 30, and we have nine scholarships. So the rest (of the roster) is tuition going back to the school," he said. NWCA weighs in The National Wrestling Coaches Association is not taking Eastern Michigan's decision to axe its wrestling program lying down. The NWCA posted this message on its Twitter account: "EMU had their 1st All-American since 1999 just days ago, & now they have announced the wrestling program will be cut. It's time to come together and work to save this program!!" In an audio interview with Jason Bryant of Mat Talk Online this week, NWCA head Mike Moyer said, "The coach is doing everything right" citing the strong academic performance of the Eagles wrestlers. Moyer also addressed the budget-enrollment issues cited earlier by EMU assistant coach Luke Smith. "EMU is an enrollment-driven school," said Moyer. It makes no sense to drop sports because that hurts enrollment along with tuition income." "Figure a typical roster of 30 wrestlers paying $20,000 a year in tuition. That's approximately $600,000 revenue generated for the school each year just from the wrestling program." "EMU should be leveraging sports to grow enrollment." Moyer is not about to throw in the towel. "I like our chances of saving wrestling at Eastern Michigan. We're just getting started." What fans can do The wrestling community beyond the state of Michigan can make its feelings known on the decision to axe Eastern Michigan's mat program. Fans can sign an online petition to reinstate EMU wrestling. As of this writing, approximately 24,500 individuals have signed the petition which is seeking 25,000 names. In addition, wrestling fans can offer financial support for the Eagles wrestling program by contributing to a GoFundMe page to #SaveEMUWrestling.

Dan Gable statue outside Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa announced Friday that food and beverage vendors will occupy "Gable's Garden" at the 2018 UWW World Cup at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on April 7-8. 7G Distributing headlines an outdoor "Gable's Garden" that includes non-alcoholic beverages, beer, wine, and food from local vendors. "Gable's Garden" is open Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. outside the North Entrance of Carver-Hawkeye Arena, near the Dan Gable statue. Admission to "Gable's Garden" is included with the purchase of a World Cup ticket. Fans will be able to purchase food and beverages at "Gable's Garden" and take those items into the arena. To experience the World Cup, an international dual tournament featuring eight of the top countries around the world, visit WorldCupIowaCity.com. All-session ticket packages start at $75. Black all-session packages are available for $150, and Gold all-session packages are $225.

With the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships wrapping last Saturday night in Cleveland, fans of the sport had more than a few favorite moments to take into the summer: the arrival of NC State's shot-happy Tariq Wilson, Bo Nickal's championship-nabbing fall over Myles Martin, Kyle Snyder's third title, and the surprisingly heart-warming weekends of Kyle Conel and Chance Marstellar. For me, watching from a computer in Takasaki during the Women's World Cup, what most stuck out was the behavior of the wrestlers during and after matches. Yes, Austin DeSanto made a fool of himself with some extracurricular activity, but what's compelling is that his behavior stood alone. Not only did it stand alone it stood in juxtaposition to what was a tournament filled with moments which showcased a more approachable form of the sport. Spencer Lee and Nick Suriano's fathers wish each other luck before their sons wrestle There was Iowa Hawkeye freshman Spencer Lee entering to Pokemon. The star of the most intimidating program of the past 50 years didn't enter to AC/DC, Tool, or other metal band. He instead chose the theme song to a popular kids game. Add on to that entry a backstory with him and Nick Suriano that was filled with handshakes and respectful commitments to "give fans a good show." Mark Hall, after a crushing defeat to Zahid Valencia, was the first out of the tunnel to congratulate Bo Nickal for sealing up Penn State's seventh title in eight years. Adam Coon, on the cusp of going 2-out-of-3 with the Olympic champion, gave a gracious post-match interview. South Dakota State coach Chris Bono could be seen backstage hugging Terry Brands after his program's first national championship. Hell, even Cael Sanderson showed some emotions when he lifted Nickal into the air after his finals victory. All told there were dozens of stories that were filled with genuine moments of sportsmanship. For me, this was the NCAA tournament that proves wrestling can (and should be) fun. The style that wins is the style that allows these student-athletes to wrestle wide-open and express themselves. To manage the stresses of their season through friendship, comradery and a commitment to action rather than simply aggression. Some rules still need to be altered, but the sport's soul seems intact and healthy. The wrestlers this weekend proved that goodwill towards their competitors strengthens the spirit of our sport and that should give all of us the confidence to continue making bold changes for the betterment of the on-the-mat product. To your questions … Spencer Lee after winning the NCAA title at 125 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: I get I'm an Iowan and as such, biased, but how was Spencer Lee not OW of the NCAAs? True Freshman, two techs (fastest of the tournament), two falls (over top six opponents) and a decisive win over an undefeated wrestler who hadn't surrendered a takedown to that point (Lee got two), didn't surrender a single offensive point (only gave up four points on escapes). Bo Nickal had one major, three regular decisions and one fall (albeit in the finals to clinch the team title). He's a returning champ and was favored to win it. As far as dominating the tournament I can't see the argument for Nickal winning it. Is it that Lee has years left to win the award? Is it just the fact that the pin clinched the team title? Is it the easy pick because it's a wrestler for PSU and they're "so hot right now" (Will Ferrell voice from Zoolander)? -- Confused Hawkeye Foley: Nickal winning the Outstanding Wrestler had a lot to do with his ability to pin his opponent in the finals. Though he wasn't as dominant across the three days, I think your logic was correct in that they awarded him the OW for the drama of the moment. Spencer Lee is my wrestler of the year. I'm smitten. He wrestles with determination, purpose and is incredibly active start-to-finish. I've said all season how much I like watching him wrestle, but I was even more taken at the NCAA tournament when he manhandled NATO, who is not only an NCAA champion but a massive 125-pound wrestler. Were I still a coach, Lee is everything I'd want in my wrestler. Heck, I'd be happy if they were 80 percent like him. I'm obsessed with his never-die attitude that blends with a quirky, smiley kid who loves the sport. I said in a mailbag a few months ago that the decision to pull Lee's redshirt could inspire the Hawkeyes to a team trophy. In the end, it did. I will now predict that the Hawkeyes will win an NCAA team title before Lee graduates. He's as a generational talent and someone who the Hawkeyes can use to build a new-look program. Also, love the Zoolander reference. Q: Just wanted to say when the chips are down, Spencer Lee just wins baby. -- Dustin K. Foley: High-five emoji. Q: My question is, who do you forecast moving weights next year? Will Zahid Valencia who looks like a big 174 move up to 184 and challenge Bo Nickal? Will Myles Martin move up to 197? Any other big moves that your crystal ball sees as possibilities? -- Rick B. Foley: Tough to forecast too many of the weight class changes since the incoming classes have yet to report. The success of the freshman class over the past several years has meant that even established starters may have to shift in order to make way for new teammates. While that won't be the case for Martin or Valencia, the shift from below may have an effect. With Martin, I don't see him growing into 197 pounds, but again I don't know where he is in his growth cycle or how large his family members have grown. Kollin Moore also returns for the Buckeyes at 197 pounds. I remember several conversations with wrestling folks regarding David Taylor's bump up to 86 kilograms. The consensus there was that he hadn't finished growing and that if you looked at his family members and his frames he could easily carry the weight. Martin does have a large frame, so maybe it's possible to see him go up. Q: What are your thoughts on the NWCA? Their mission statement claims to be about promotion and growing the sport, but it seems they are relentless in their narrow-minded picture of things. Cael was not the best coach this year. Last year he had five champs and won by 40 points. All five returned this year, won four titles and PSU won by eight points. How does Cael win the award this year? Pop led NC State to their first-ever top-four finish, Bono led SDSU to three AA and their first ever Division I champ. These are big deals in our sport and show its growth. Those coaches should have been rewarded and those communities should have been rewarded. One of those coaches should have that award as a recruiting tool to get other wrestlers such as Seth Gross, Nick Gwiazdowski and Michael Macchiavello to look at the non-traditional powers as a place to succeed and win titles. Now that is something that would help the grow the sport. I say come on NWCA stick to your mission statement and see the big picture. What do you say? -- J.F. Foley: The NWCA is hard at work and while their name is attached to several awards, I don't know that it's an institutional failure that Cael was awarded the Coach of the Year honors. That written, I agree that Pat Popolizio was the CLEAR favorite for Coach of the Year and I agree with your premise that the sport should do more to spread around the accolades, especially to programs like NC State since their turnaround story could be bolstered by this type of coach-saves-program type of storyline. Success via leadership is like catnip to athletic directors. Dynamic personalities that draw in fans and donations means one less worry for AD's stretching dollars, and their attention spans. The same is true of South Dakota State. More attention needs to be paid to the success that coaches in theses non-traditional programs are achieving. However, I would go a step further and say that the "non-traditional" should be amended to something like "emergent power" since that adds some much-needed flare and robustness to the nomenclature around programs going through improvement phases. Overall, the shift to schools with coaches who draw in talent through inspiration and cult of personality, while also allowing for individual freedoms and a positive atmosphere are CLEARLY winning the day in the sport and the NWCA and all other organizations should embolden more schools to take up the change and find these types of hires. Q: Are you surprised more wasn't made about two-time national champ Dean Heil not becoming an All-American this year? Heil gets a bad rap (since his match scores this year don't necessarily support that label) as a defensive wrestler and I wonder if that is part of the reason his national tournament didn't surprise anyone. -- Merris S. Foley: I'm not surprised, because I think most fans saw this coming and he's so well-liked by those in the wrestling world that there wasn't much incentive to celebrate his failures (though there should never be that incentive, schadenfreude is a real thing). Overall, I think Heil's 2018 performance comes as a consequence of the new scrambling danger rule. The inability to latch on fundamentally changed Heil's outlook, and once he lost his two-time NCAA champions confidence it was too difficult to get back. What an amazing career and I hope he continues in the sport as a coach and/or athlete. He seems like a well-liked, intelligent young man. Austin DeSanto and Stevan Micic exchange some words after their match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: What is Austin DeSanto's future? What is going to happen betwen him and Coach Azevedo after the end of the Michigan match and then yelling at his coaches after he lost to Rutgers? Did the Rutgers wrestler jump into the arms of the Drexel staff after he beat DeSanto? -- Frank S. Foley: I met DeSanto two years ago in New York and was impressed with his drive. The pressure might have gotten to him a bit and his emotions got a little scrambled. It'd be good for him (like many athletes) to see a sports psychologist and look to optimize his performance mindset. He's a good kid and I think that he'll be back stronger than ever in 2019. Q: As a high school wrestling coach, lately I have come across more instances of parents holding their kids back (sometimes multiple years) from entering high school. The result, we have kids that enter high school competition as freshmen at 16 years of age (I can recall at least one high profile example of this occurring this year with a nationally ranked middle weight), and graduating high school at age 20. Think about that; we have a possibility of 20-year-old MEN (masquerading as high school seniors) wrestling 14-year-old freshmen. From a sportsmanship, fairness, and safety perspective, this is grossly negligent and shows lack of respect and awareness from parents encouraging it and governing bodies allowing it. My proposed rule change for state high school wrestling institutions: institute a cutoff date (my proposed date is Aug. 31 as Sept. 1 unofficially marks the first day of school in the U.S.) where wrestlers born before or after that date are required to compete in that "class" regardless of what "grade" they are in. Next, allow junior high wrestlers to compete in senior high state tournaments (some states like New York and Minnesota do this already, but institute exemption rules in states that do not yet allow it, like Pennsylvania). This way, should a child be held back for academic reasons, their high school eligibility can technically start in eighth grade in line with their actual age. Hypothetically, this means that a wrestler's high school eligibility could end during their junior or sophomore season (whenever they turn 18). This would not upset the balance of collegiate sports however; which I view as grown men competing against other grown men. What this rule would do is prevent parents from gaming the system from a competitive standpoint. Thoughts? -- Coach O Foley: I might be mistaken, but I feel like the state of Virginia has a 19-year-old cap on high school athletes. Do any readers know the guidelines in your states? I'm torn on what to do with age "stacking." On a personal level I would have benefited from staying back a year to grow a little more before entering high school. On the first day of class I was 95 pounds, barely pubescent and completely out of my depth on the football field and wrestling mat. My father floated the idea of a year back, but I resisted. In retrospect, I would have gotten better grades, had more opportunities in sports and possibly improved my chances at a scholarship. (I was a walk-on at Virginia.) However, I do not think it's ever a good idea for a 20-year-old fully developed man to be on the mat and in competition with a 14-year-old. You might be on to something with the addition of some extra parameters by which schools and state athletic organizations must abide. But I'm fearful that the politics of these choices are often punitive against individual programs who have been labeled (rightly or wrongly) as age stackers. Simply put: How pervasive is the problem, and are any proposed solutions possible to have unintended consequences worse than age stacking? Q: As a fan, I thought Saturday night's finals matches were the best in recent memory. One of the things that helped was that all of the coaches had already used their allotment of challenges. Challenges slow down the action, award ticky-tacky points, and are misused as lung or momentum-stopping time outs. The finals flowed and had emotion as a result of the absence of these challenges. The sessions on Thursday seemed to drag on because of all the challenge bricks being thrown. It seemed like Ohio State was throwing them like beads at a Mardi Gras parade and actually benefitted from some of them. But, ironically, Ohio State was out of challenges when they needed them most (end of the McKenna/Meredith semifinal stood out as one instance). Perhaps the NCAA should reconsider the implementation of coach's challenges as they currently exist. Perhaps a lost challenge should result in the loss of a team point. Or, perhaps they should exist only for a score-keeping errors. What say you? -- DD Foley: I think you should get one challenge per match and if you lose the challenge you give up a team point. Why would the NCAA rules allow for opponents to choose positions after an injury time, but not also apply some standard of risk for throwing a challenge brick? The other thing is that the replays need to be visible to the fans and the athletes! It's crazy to me that nobody gets to see what it being reviewed. Also, making it visible adds to the drama of the moment. Q: Sean Bormet a lock to get the Michigan job? Mike C. Foley: Lock? Almost never a lock in college sports, but with his relationships and credentials I have to imagine he's the first guy being offered the job. Q: Who would you like to see Wisconsin hire to lead the program? Could they entice Chris Bono from SDSU? -- Mike C. Foley: Part of me thinks Bono could bolt for a big name-brand school, but the other part thinks it would be foolish. He's creating a legacy that is now and forever going to be tied to his coaching. There is also less chance of institutional headaches in a place like South Dakota State where he is among that school's top coaches. At Wisconsin, Bono would be (by default) treated as lesser coach on their internal totem pole, fighting to get guys into school with new admission officers and facing a newer and larger bureaucracy meant to serve the for-profit programs first. I'd like to see Bono stay put. Top choices have to be Damion Hahn and Donny Pritzlaff, with some serious consideration as well for Glen Lanham. Casey Cunningham could find a job as he wishes, but so far doesn't seem motivated to leave State College. I also think Mark Perry could be a top choice, but I'm not sure if he's looking to move again. Q: We always hear about a push to save a wrestling program after it's dropped. That is happening with Eastern Michigan. Do you think there is any chance the program is saved? On a related note, what kind of crowds do they draw for home dual meets? -- Mike C. Foley: I'd like to see Eastern Michigan save its program, but there are host of complications in their quest to get back on the mats. The primary hurdle facing EMU and other schools is the new law, which has restricted what is and is not considered a tax-deductible gift. For example, premier seating for football games was once an allowable donation, but has since been eliminated as a perk. This along with a bevy of other restrictions has meant that non-revenue sports are being choked out by the need to send support dollars to the larger programs. Without donor money coming through to programs in massive chunks, many middling programs will struggle to meet their fundraising goals -- a major source of cost off-setting in college sports. I don't want to push my "liberal agenda" on readers every week, but after watching last weekend's Women's World Cup and this week's Women's Development Camp in Tokyo I can tell you that these women need to be part of the collegiate wrestling atmosphere. They are well past the point of "deserving the opportunity." It's a shame that we haven't made room for them in our collegiate programs. Also, as a matter of practicality men's wrestling would be cut a ton less if there were a women's team to offset male roster numbers. Q: Will we ever see wrestling programs at Florida State, Miami, Clemson (again) or any of the SEC schools again? -- Jared W. Foley: Not without women's wrestling.

The 2018 NCAAs took place at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com ESPN's presentation of the NCAA Wrestling Championships from Cleveland reached nearly eight million fans over the course of the three days (March 15-17) as ESPN televised all six sessions of the high energy event for the fifth straight year. Second round draws record numbers; semifinals audience among best ever Fans tuned into the first night of competition in record numbers, as ESPN averaged 308,000 viewers (March 15, 8 p.m. ET), the network's best viewership for the second round ever. The audience increased the next two nights, as the semifinals (March 16, 8 p.m.) averaged 451,000 viewers on ESPN and the finals (March 17, 8 p.m.) averaged 628,000 viewers on ESPN2. The semifinals are the third best audience ever for the round and up from last year's semifinals (443,000 viewers). The medal round, airing on ESPNU (March 17, 11 a.m.), averaged 153,000 viewers, up 6% from last year and was the most-watched since 2015.

The wrestling federation of Azerbaijan has provided its lineup for the 2018 Men's Freestyle Wrestling World Cup at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa April 7-8. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, and will feature the top eight men's freestyle wrestling teams in the world. Leading the Azerbaijan team is 2012 Olympic champion Sharif Sharifov at 92 kg. Sharifov was also a 2011 World champion, and claimed a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. He also boasts a 2009 World bronze medal. Haji Aliyev is a three-time world champion (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com Another international star on the Azerbaijan team is three-time world champion Haji Aliyev at 65 kg. Aliev won his World gold medals in 2014, 2015 and 2017. He also added a 2016 Olympic bronze medal. Aliyev was a 2014 European champion. Another Olympic medalist in the lineup is 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Jabrayil Hasanov at 79 kg. Hasanov was a World bronze medalist in 2010 and 2011, and boasts a 2009 Junior World title. Heavyweight Jamaladdin Magomedov is a two-time World medalists, winning a World silver medal in 2015 and a World bronze in 2011. He was also a 2016 Olympian. Other past World medalists on the Azerbaijan team include 2016 World bronze medalist Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov at 61 kg and 2016 World bronze medalist Aslanbek Alborov at 92 kg. The team has considerable depth. Giorgi Edisherashvili, who is entered at 57 kg, boasts two Senior European titles. Nuramagomed Gadzhiev, a 2015 Junior World champion, will wrestle at 96 kg. An entry at 70 kg, Joshgun Azimov has won three Military World medals. Alexander Gostiev, who competes at 86 kg, has been a European silver medalist twice. Azerbaijan has drawn into Pool B, against the nations of Russia, Cuba and Kazakhstan. Pool A consists of the United States, Georgia, Japan and Iran. Ticket opportunities for the World Cup include a Gold all-session package ($225), a Black all-session package ($150), and standard all-session tickets ($75/$50). Tickets are now available on the University of Iowa Athletics website. Visit worldcupiowacity.com for more information on the event. Azerbaijan Freestyle World Cup Team Roster 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Giorgi Edisherashvili 61 kg/134 lbs. - Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov 65 kg/143 lbs. - Haji Aliyev 70 kg/154 lbs. - Murtazali Rakhmatulla Muslimov 70 kg/154 lbs. - Joshgun Azimov 74 kg/163 lbs. - Gasjimurad Omarov 79 kg/174 lbs. - Jabrayil Hasanov 86 kg/189 lbs. - Aleksander Gostiev 92kg/203 lbs. - Sharif Sharifov 92kg/203 lbs. - Aslanbek Alborov 97 kg/213 lbs. - Nurmagomed Gadzhiev 125 kg/275 lbs. - Jamaladdin Magomedov Azerbaijan World Cup bios 57 kg/126 lbs. - Giorgi Edisherashvili 2005, 2012 and 2017 European champion… 2018 International Ukrainian Tournament champion…… Tenth at 2013 World Championships… Third at the 2017 Alany Tournament (Russia)… Second at the 2017 Alrosa Cup (Russia)… Third at the Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)…2016 Golden Grand Prix champion… Third at the 2016 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Third at 2012 and 2013 Golden Grand Prix…Second at 2013 Moscow Lights (Russia)… Stepan Sargsyan Tournament champion (Armenia)… Third place at 2013 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Born March, 17 1988… Age: 30 61 kg/134 lbs. - Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov Third at 2016 World Championships… Two-time World Team member… 2017 and 2018 International Ukrainian Memorial champion… 2013 Junior World champion…2012 Junior European champion … Second at 2013 Junior European Championships… Ninth at 2017 European championships… 2016 Golden Grand Prix champion … Fifth at 2016 Alexander Medved Prizes (Belarus)… Second at 2015 Alrosa Cup (Russia)…Second at Ramzan Kadyrov Cup (Russia)…Fifth in 2015 U23 European Championships…Second at 2014 Moscow Lights (Russia)… Second at 2014 Golden Grand Prix… Third at 2012 and 2014 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)…Third at 2014 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… 2013 Golden Grand Prix champion… Fifth at 2012 Junior World Championship… Ninth at 2010 Cadet European Championships… Born February 23, 1993… Age: 25 65 kg/143 lbs. - Haji Aliyev 2016 Olympic bronze medalist… 2014, 2015 and 2017 World champion… Four-time World Team member… 2014 European champion… Third at 2016 European Championships… Second at 2018 International Ukrainian Tournament… 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games champion… 2014 and 2016 Grand Prix of Germany champion… Fifth at 2016 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… 2012, 2014 and 2015 Golden Grand Prix champion… Third at 2015 European Games… Third at 2015 Grand Prix of Paris (France)… 2014 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament champion (Bulgari)… Second at 2013 Golden Grand Prix… Third at 2013 World University Games… Eighth at 2013 European Championships… Third at 2013 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Third at 2012 Grand Prix of Germany… Third at 2012 International Ukrainian Tournament… Second at 2011 Ramzan Kadyrov Cup (Russia)… Second at 2011 Junior European Championships… Eighth at 2011 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Eighth at 2010 European Championships… Second at 2008 Cadet European Championships… Born March 21, 1991… Age: 27 70 kg/154 lbs. - Murtazali Rakhmatulla Muslimov Second at 2018 International Ukrainian Tournament… Second at 2017 Alrosa Cup (Russia)… Second at 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games… 70 kg/154 lbs. - Joshgun Azimov Third at 2017 World Military Championships… Second at 2016 World Military Championships… Second at 2015 World Military Games… Third at 2018 Takhti Cup… Fifth at 2017 Vladimir Semenov Tournament (Russia)… Tenth at 2017 International Cup (Russia)… Third at 2017 G. Kartozia & V. Balavadze Price (Georgia)… Third at 2016 Golden Grand Prix… 2015 Ali Aliev Tournament champion (Russia)… Seventh at 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Ninth at 2014 Golden Grand Prix… Third at 2012 Golden Grand Prix… 74 kg/163 lbs. - Gasjimurad Omarov 2017 U23 European champion… Second at 2016 U23 European Championship… Third at 2013 Junior World Championship… Second at the 2013 Junior European Championships… Fifth at 2018 International Ukrainian Tournament… Tenth at 2017 U23 World Championships… Tenth at 2017 International Ukrainian Tournament… Ninth at 2016 Golden Grand Prix… Ninth at 2016 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia) … Second at 2015 Golden Grand Prix… Second at 2015 Alrosa Cup (Russia)…Eighth at 2016 International Cup (Russia)... Third at 2014 Golden Grand Prix… Fifth at 2014 Junior European Championships… Third at 2012 Golden Grand Prix… Third at 2011 Cadet European Championships… Born August, 9th 1994… Age 23 79 kg/174 lbs. - Jabrayil Hasanov Two-time Olympian…2016 Olympic bronze medalist… Third at 2010 and 2011 World Championships… Six-time World Team member… 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Golden Grand Prix champion… 2011 European champion… Second at 2011, 2014 and 2016 European Championships… 2009 Junior World champion… Third at 2007 Junior World Championships…2007 Cadet European champion…Second at 2008 Junior World Championships… Third at 2008 European Championships… Third at 2006 Junior European Championship… Second at 2018 International Ukrainian Tournament… Seventh at 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games … Third at 2015 European Games… Seventh at 2015 Alexander Medved Prizes (Belarus)… Third at 2014 Ramzan Kadyrov Cup (Russia)… 2014 Grand Prix of Germany champion… Third at 2014 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Third at 2013 Golden Grand Prix… Second at 2013 Intercontinental Cup (Russia)… Third at 2013 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial (Poland)… Second at 2013 World University Games … Born February 24, 1990… Age: 28 86 kg/189 lbs. - Aleksander Gostiev Fifth at 2017 World Championships… Second at 2017 European Championship… Fifth at 2018 International Ukrainian Tournament… Fifth at 2017 Alany Tournament (Russia)… Second at 2017 Alrosa Cup (Russia)… 2017 Vladimir Semenov Tournament champion (Russia)… Fifth at 2017 International Cup (Russia)… Second at 2017 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)… 2017 G. Kartozia & V. Balavadze Price champion (Georgia)… Fifth at the 2013 and 2016 Golden Grand Prix… Second at the 2016 European Championships… 2013, 2015 and 2016 Yasar Dogu champion (Turkey)… 2015 Golden Grand Prix champion… Eighth at 2015 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)… Second at 2014 Moscow Lights (Russia)… Second at 2014 International Cup (Russia)… Third at 2011, 2012 and 2014 Golden Grand Prix… 2013 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial champion (Poland)… Fifth at 2013 World University Games… Fifth at 2012 Grand Prix of Germany… Third at 2012 European Championships… 2012 International Ukrainian Tournament champion… Second at 2011 Moscow Lights (Russia)… 2012 Golden Grand Prix champion… Born January 24, 1987… Age: 31 92kg/203 lbs. - Sharif Sharifov 2012 Olympic gold medalist… 2016 Olympic bronze medalist… 2011 World champion… Third at 2009 World Championships… Second at 2010 European Championships…2018 International Ukrainian Tournament champion… Second at 2017 Alrosa Cup (Russia)… Third at 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games… Second at 2015 Alexander Medved Prizes (Belarus)… 2015 Grand Prix of Paris champion (France)… Second at 2014 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)… 2014 Dan Kolov- Nikola Petrov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Third at 2013 Grand Prix of Spain… Second at 2012 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… 2011 FILA Test Tournament champion… 2011 Golden Grand Prix champion… 2011 Ali Aliev Tournament champion (Russia)… Third at 2011 European Championships… Third at 2008, 2009 and 2010 Golden Grand Prix… Born November 11, 1988… Age: 29 92kg/203 lbs. - Aslanbek Alborov Third at 2017 World Championship… 2011 Junior World Cup champion… 2011 Junior European champion… Second at 2009 and 2010 Junior World championship… Third at 2011 Junior World Championship… 2017 Intercontinental Cup… 2017 Ali Aliev Tournament champion (Russia)… Sixth at 2017 European Championship… 2017 Yasar Dogu champion… Third at 2016 Golden Grand Prix… Seventh at 2014 and 2016 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)… Third at 2015 Golden Grand Prix… Second at 2015 Alrosa Cup (Russia)… Fifth at 2015 Intercontinental Cup (Russia)… Fifth at 2014 and 2015 Ramzan Kadyrov Cup (Russia)… Second at 2014 Moscow Lights (Russia)… 2014 Miners' Fame Tournament champion (Russia)… Second at 2013 Dmitri Korkin Tournament (Russia)… Tenth at 2012 International Ukrainian Tournament… Third at 2011 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Second at 2008 European Championship… Born March 4, 1991… Age: 27 97 kg/213 lbs. - Nurmagomed Gadzhiev 2016 U23 European champion… 2015 Junior World champion… 2014 Junior European champion… Third at 2013 Cadet World Championships… 2013 Cadet European champion… 2018 International Ukrainian Tournament champion… 2017 Islamic Solidarity champion… Third at 2017 World Cup… 2016 Grand Prix of Germany champion… 2016 Alexander Medved Prizes champion (Belarus)… Second at 2015 Golden Grand Prix… Fifth at 2015 European Games… Second at 2015 U23 European Championships… Fifth at 2014 Junior World Championships… Born January 9, 1996… Age: 22 125 kg/275 lbs. - Jamaladdin Magomedov Second at 2015 World Championships… Third at 2011 World Championships… 2016 Olympian… Two-time World Team member… Third at 2013 European Championships… Second at 2009 Junior World Championships… 2009 Junior European champion… Third at 2007 Junior European Championships… Second at 2017 Alrosa Cup (Russia)… 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games champion… Second at 2017 European Championships… Third at 2017 World Cup… 2016 Grand Prix of Germany champion… Ninth at 2016 European Championships… Third at 2016 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Third at 2015 European Games… Third at 2015 World Cup… Second at 2015 Grand Prix of Paris (France)… Seventh at 2014 European Championships… 2014 Dan Kolov- Nikola Petrov Tournament champion (Bulgaria)… Third at 2013 Golden Grand Prix… Eighth at 2013 World Championships… 2013 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial champion (Poland)… Seventh at 2013 World University Games… Third at 2013 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Third at 2011 Golden Grand Prix… Second at 2008 and 2010 Golden Grand Prix… Born March 14, 1989… Age: 29

Four former wrestlers with roots in the state of Iowa -- Steve Hamilton, Shane Light, Kirk Myers, and Lennie Zalesky -- have been announced as honorees for the Class of 2018 by the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. Steve Hamilton was a four-time NCAA All-American at Iowa State from 1989-1992. Prior to wrestling for the Cyclones, Hamilton was a two-time Iowa high school state champ from Emmettsburg. He coached at University of Northern Iowa, University of Nebraska, and University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before becoming a high school coach. Shane Light was only the eighth wrestler to become a four-time Iowa state champ. Light wrestled at Lisbon High for coach Brad Smith. Kirk Myers was a three-time NCAA Division II champ for University of Northern Iowa at 190 pounds in 1978-1980 ... then earned NCAA Division I All-American honors those same years (back when D2 and D3 champs automatically qualified for the Division I championships). Before wrestling for the Panthers, Myers was an Iowa high school state champ as a senior at Algona. Lennie Zalesky Lennie Zalesky was an Iowa state champion at Cedar Rapids Prairie before heading south to the University of Iowa. Wrestling for coach Dan Gable, Zalesky was a three-time Big Ten conference champ at 142 pounds for the Hawkeyes (1980-1982), and a three-time NCAA All-American those same years. He has had a long and distinguished coaching career, currently serving at California Baptist University in Riverside, just outside Los Angeles. Awards for these honorees will be presented on Monday, April 9 at the Cresco Country Club just south of Cresco. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6:30. Tickets are $25 each, with advance registration required. To reserve your place, call the Cresco Chamber of Commerce at (563) 547-3434. Located in Cresco in north-central Iowa, the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame focuses on honoring native Iowans who have contributed to the sport of wrestling. Since its beginning in 1970, 129 members have been welcomed into the Hall. To learn more about the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, visit their website.

Nathan Tomasello was the nation's No. 15 recruit in 2013 (Photos/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) The 2017-18 collegiate wrestling season came to its conclusion this past weekend with the completion of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland. The seniors competing in that tournament were mostly fifth-year seniors, so that means in most cases they graduated high school in 2013. An interesting discussion to have is one about the overall careers of the graduated wrestlers. Another perpetual question is if those that come into college as the best prospects perform the best in college. There's also the conversation about those that grow, develop, and thrive through their college careers from both highly touted prep prospects and being lesser touted entering college. Below are the top 25 NCAA Division I collegiate careers for wrestlers that graduated high school in 2013. 1. J'den Cox (Missouri) Rank in 2013: No. 6 Accomplishments: Four-time All-American (without a redshirt year), three-time NCAA champion (2014, 2016, 2017); also 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and 2017 world bronze medalist 2. Zain Retherford (Penn State) Rank in 2013: No. 3 Accomplishments: Four-time All-American (redshirt came after true freshman season), three-time NCAA champion (2016-2018); also 2017 world team member, 2017 Hodge Trophy winner (favorite for 2018 Hodge as well) 3. Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) Rank in 2013: No. 5 Accomplishments: Four-time All-American/finalist, two-time NCAA champion (2014, 2015) 4. Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) Rank in 2013: No. 15 Accomplishments: Four-time All-American, 2015 NCAA champion 5. Bo Jordan (Ohio State) Rank in 2013: No. 1 Accomplishments: Four-time All-American, 2017 NCAA runner-up 6. Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) Rank in 2013: No. 17 Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time All-American, two-time NCAA champion (2016, 2017); round of 12 in 2018 7. Adam Coon (Michigan) Rank in 2013: No. 2 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time All-American, two-time NCAA runner-up (2015, 2018); round of 12 as true freshman in 2014 8. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) Rank in 2013: No. 62 Accomplishments: Four-time All-American, 2016 NCAA runner-up 9. Darian Cruz (Lehigh) Rank in 2013: No. 50 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time All-American, 2017 NCAA champion; round of 12 in 2016, redshirt year was in 2015 10. Jared Haught (Virginia Tech) Rank in 2013: No. 68 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time All-American, 2018 NCAA runner-up 11. Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) Rank in 2013: No. 7 Accomplishments: Three-time All-American, injured this past season and seeking a 6th year of eligibility 12. Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) Rank in 2013: No. 8 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-American (did not redshirt); round of 12 in 2015 13. Amar Dhesi (Oregon State) Rank in 2013: From Canada Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-American 14. Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) Rank in 2013: No. 26 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-American; round of 12 in 2017, did not utilize fifth year senior eligibility 15. Chad Walsh (Rider) Rank in 2013: No. 91 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-American; round of 12 in 2018 16. Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) Rank in 2013: No. 20 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, 2016 All-American (did not redshirt); round of 12 in 2015 17. Joey Lavallee (Missouri) Rank in 2013: No. 73 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, 2017 NCAA runner-up; round of 12 in 2014 as a true freshman and 2018 18. Peter Renda (North Carolina State) Rank in 2013: No. 54 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, 2016 All-American; round of 12 in 2018, redshirt year came in 2017 19. Jacob Kasper (Duke) Rank in 2013: Not ranked Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-American 20. Domenic Abounader (Michigan) Rank in 2013: No. 11 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, 2018 All-American; round of 12 in 2016, redshirt year came in 2017 21. Brett Harner (Princeton) Rank in 2013: No. 45 Accomplishments:Three-time NCAA qualifier, 2016 All-American (did not redshirt) 22. Michael Macchiavello (North Carolina State) Rank in 2013: Not ranked Accomplishments: Two-time NCAA qualifier, 2018 NCAA champion; round of 12 in 2017, redshirt year came in 2016 23. B.J. Clagon (Rider) Rank in 2013: No. 10 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, 2015 All-American; round of 12 in 2017, injured this past season 24. Ethan Ramos (North Carolina State) Rank in 2013: No. 93 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, 2015 All-American 25. Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State) Rank in 2013: No. 76 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, 2018 All-American; round of 12 in 2016 Honorable Mention Jadaen Bernstein (Navy) Rank in 2013: Weight class only Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, round of 12 in 2017 and 2018 Nathan Butler (Stanford) Rank in 2013: No. 64 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, round of 12 in 2018 Scott DelVecchio (Rutgers) Rank in 2013: No. 73 Accomplishments: Two-time NCAA qualifier, 2018 All-American, redshirt year came in 2016 Troy Heilmann (North Carolina) Rank in 2013: No. 48 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, 2018 All-American, redshirt year came in 2016 Mike Hughes (Hofstra) Rank in 2013: Weight class only Accomplishments: Two-time NCAA qualifier, 2018 All-American, redshirt year came in 2017 Matt McCutcheon (Penn State) Rank in 2013: No. 49 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, round of 12 in 2015 and 2017, injured this past season Ronnie Perry (Lock Haven) Rank in 2013: Not ranked Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, 2018 NCAA runner-up Clayton Ream (North Dakota State) Rank in 2013: No. 59 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time Elite 90 winner (2016-2018) Connor Schram (Stanford) Rank in 2013: No. 24 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, 2016 All-American, injured this past season Nick Wanzek (Minnesota) Rank in 2013: No. 22 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, round of 12 in 2017 and 2018 For reference purposes, below were the final top 100 Class of 2013 wrestler rankings: 1. Bo Jordan (Graham, Ohio) 2. Adam Coon (Fowlerville, Michigan) 3. Zain Retherford (Benton, Pennsylvania) 4. Ben Whitford (St. Johns, Michigan) 5. Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, California) 6. J'Den Cox (Hickman, Missouri) 7. Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield, New Jersey) 8. Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Virginia) 9. Oliver Pierce (Allen, Texas) 10. Bryant Clagon (Toms River South, New Jersey) 11. Domenic Abounader (St. Edward, Ohio) 12. Brooks Black (Blair Academy, New Jersey) 13. Zach Beard (Tuttle, Oklahoma) 14. Cody Wiercioch (Canon McMillan, Pennsylvania) 15. Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio) 16. Eric Morris (Wyoming Seminary, Pennsylvania) 17. Dean Heil (St. Edward, Ohio) 18. Russ Parsons (Blair Academy, New Jersey) 19. Brandon Jeske (Cox, Virginia) 20. Anthony Collica (Solon, Ohio) 21. Ryan Solomon (Milton, Pennsylvania) 22. Nick Wanzek (Simley, Minnesota) 23. Mikey Racciato (Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania) 24. Connor Schram (Canon-McMillan, Pennsylvania) 25. Kyle Langendorfer (Lincoln Way East, Illinois) 26. Zach Epperly (Christiansburg, Virginia) 27. Brian Murphy (Glenbard North, Illinois) 28. Austin Matthews (Reynolds, Pennsylvania) 29. Frank Mattiace (Blair Academy, New Jersey) 30. Jake Short (Simley, Minnesota) 31. Mitch Sliga (Fishers, Indiana) 32. Aaron Bradley (Nazareth, Pennsylvania) 33. Ricky Robertson (Carl Sandburg, Illinois) 34. Mitch Bengtson (St Cloud Apollo, Minnesota) 35. Ryan Diehl (Trinity, Pennsylvania) 36. Spencer Empey (Reed, Nevada) 37. Brooks Climmons (Pope, Georgia) 38. Neal Molloy (Danville, Indiana) 39. Dalton Brady (Chandler, Arizona) 40. Ray O'Donnell (Saucon Valley, Pennsylvania) 41. Garrett Krohn (Arvada, Colorado) 42. Kevin Norstrem (Brandon, Florida) 43. Jacob Taylor (Bald Eagle Area, Pennsylvania) 44. Tyson Dippery (Central Dauphin, Pennsylvania) 45. Brett Harner (Norristown, Pennsylvania) 46. Preston Lehmann (West Fargo, North Dakota) 47. Jake Hart (Hampton, Pennsylvania) 48. Troy Heilmann (South Plainfield, New Jersey) 49. Matt McCutcheon (Kiski Area, Pennsylvania) 50. Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pennsylvania) 51. Edgar Bright (St. Edward, Ohio) 52. Jordan Ellingwood (Plainfield Central, Illinois) 53. Cole Johnson (De Soto, Wisconsin) 54. Pete Renda (Brandywine Heights, Pennsylvania) 55. Broc Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minnesota) 56. Tyler Askey (Northgate, Georgia) 57. T.J. Miller (Camden Catholic, New Jersey) 58. Adam Reth (West Delaware Manchester, Iowa) 59. Clayton Ream (Holt, Missouri) 60. Markus Scheidel (St. Edward, Ohio) 61. Brad Perkins (Oak Park, Missouri) 62. Brandon Sorensen (Denver-Tripoli, Iowa) 63. Jacob Schmitt (St. Johns, Michigan) 64. Nathan Butler (Leavenworth, Kansas) 65. Jake Marlin (Creston, Iowa) 66. Zach Zupan (Canastota, New York) 67. Christian Pagdilao (Santiago Corona, California) 68. Jared Haught (Parkersburg, West Virginia) 69. Jonas Gayton (Clovis, California) 70. Garrett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania) 71. Jake Velarde (North Kitsap, Washington) 72. Joey Lavallee (Reno, Nevada) 73. Scott DelVecchio (South Plainfield, New Jersey) 74. Barlow McGhee (Rock Island, Illinois) 75. Nick Kee (Scotland, North Carolina) 76. Ronnie Bresser (Henley, Oregon) 77. Peter Santos (Oakmont, California) 78. Cain Salas (Blue Springs, Missouri) 79. Parker Vonegidy (Piedmont, North Carolina) 80. Chet Spears (Sheldon, Oregon) 81. Dennis Gustafson (Forest Park, Virginia) 82. Kaleb Baker (Christian Brothers, Tennessee) 83. Javier Gasca (Kingsburg, California) 84. Chris Vassar (Cedar Cliff, Pennsylvania) 85. Wayne Stinson (Northern Highlands, New Jersey) 86. Darick Lapaglia (Blue Springs, Missouri) 87. Colin Holler (Carl Sandburg, Illinois) 88. Noah Forrider (Marysville, Ohio) 89. Luke Wilson (Righetti, California) 90. T.J. Fabian (Shoreham-Wading River, New York) 91. Chad Walsh (Camden Catholic, New Jersey) 92. B.J. Toal (Troy Christian, Ohio) 93. Ethan Ramos (Hawthorne, New Jersey) 94. Mech Spraggins (Belleville West, Illinois) 95. Cody Crawford (Cascade, Oregon) 96. Lawrence Otero (Volcano Vista, New Mexico) 97. Justin Arthur (Huntington, West Virginia) 98. Payne Hayden (St. Johns, Michigan) 99. Jed Mellen (Payson, Utah) 100. Andrew Atkinson (Liberty Christian Academy, Virginia)

Ed Ruth (Photo/Bellator) Ed Ruth, former Penn State wrestling champ, will be dropping down to welterweight (170 pounds) for his next mixed martial arts fight in less than two weeks. Ruth, who has been fighting at middleweight (185 pounds) in his pro MMA career, will be entering the cage at 170 for Bellator 196 in Budapest, Hungary on Friday, April 6. The 27-year-old former Nittany Lion mat star will take on Laszlo Furko, a 28-year-old Budapest native who will be making his Bellator debut. Ruth is 4-0 in his pro MMA career which began at Bellator 163 in November 2016. None of Ruth's fights have gone the distance; all have ended in knockout or TKO within the first two rounds. His most recent bout was at Bellator 186 last November, where he scored a knockout in the first half-minute of the second round. Furko is 6-3 in his pro career which started four years ago. All of his wins have been by knockout, technical knockout or submission. Ruth posted this message on Twitter Wednesday: "Happy to announce that I will be fighting again real soon! April 6th in Budapest, Hungary, I'm prepared to step in at welterweight, and I'm feeling great without without the extra lbs.!! #EZway " Ruth, a native of Harrisburg, Pa., is one of the most decorated wrestlers to come out of the legendary Penn State wrestling program. The Harrisburg, Pa. native was a four-time NCAA All-American, becoming the first three-time NCAA champ for the Nittany Lions, winning the 174-pound title in 2012, and back-to-back championships at 184 in 2013 and 2014.

The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics is saddened and shocked to learn of the death of redshirt-sophomore student-athlete Francis Edelen, a member of the Illini wrestling team from Oak Forest, Illinois. Edelen was killed following a car accident in Champaign County late Wednesday evening. Our thoughts and prayers are extended to his family, friends and teammates during this difficult time. "This is shocking news for our team and coaching staff as no words can truly reflect the emotions that we are going through at this time," Illinois wrestling coach Jim Heffernan said. "Francis was a productive member of our program. We are extremely saddened by this news. We just released this news to our team, so the healing process after the loss of a teammate and friend has just begun." "Our hearts are broken by the news of Francis Edelen's passing," Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman said. "Losing someone so early in his life when he has so much yet to experience and to give is a tragedy of the highest order. Our thoughts are with Francis' family and friends. We will come together and draw strength from each other as an Illini family during this difficult time." Illinois will provide more information on services, condolences and memorials when they are available.

With evolution of MMA into a mainstream sport of sorts, collegiate wrestlers have another solid option to continue their athletic career after school. From 1979 to 2015 at least one NCAA Division I All-American has tried their hand at MMA. It is clearly not for everyone, but former wrestlers have always been some of the best fighters in the sport. The following is a look at six senior All-Americans who would excel in they decided to transition in MMA. Nathan Tomsello finished his college career as a four-time All-American at Ohio State (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) After finishing his career as a four-time All-American, it is clear that Tomasello has the wrestling pedigree to be successful in MMA. However, he might be a little ahead of his contemporaries. Tomasello has been working on his boxing for years and regularly hits the mits with Ohio RTC strength and conditioning coach Dustin Myers. The Ohio State grad is expected to take a shot at the international wrestling circuit, but if he continues to crosstrain, he could be well positioned to start an MMA career. Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) Those who want to see the multiple-time NCAA/world/Olympic champion in an MMA cage got a bit of a boost this week when he called out former UFC champion Brock Lesnar. The only problem is that he called him out for a match in WWE. Originally Snyder said he was not interested in MMA. After attending UFC 203, he tweeted about his interest in the sport and told FOX Sports, "I want to fight. Basically what that tweet means. I love wrestling. I really do. I would want to continue wrestling but I want to do both at the same time." However, earlier this year, he told FloCombat that he received some sage-like advice from UFC champion Daniel Cormier. He said, "He's 39 years old now, and he's the champion and really no one can push him in the 205-pound weight class. So when I'm done wrestling, fighting will still be there if I still want to compete. I think that I could be a really good fighter, but we'll see what happens." Bryce Meredith getting interviewed after a victory in the NCAA quarterfinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) If Meredith decides to move to MMA after his runner up finish, he will have two main factors working in his favor. First, he has already shown the ability to adapt and jump levels in his wrestling career. That aptitude will likely translate into picking up the aspects of a new sport. Second, his scrambling ability and leg riding are signs of leg dexterity, which is an invaluable trait when it comes to the MMA ground game. It also probably won't hurt that he told Quint Kessenich that he enjoyed his psychical match against Vince Turk, which forced him to wear a head wrap for the rest of the tournament. Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) Martinez is clearly a gifted athlete. His strength and explosiveness would help him succeed in most sports. For MMA, his ability to control opponents and underhook could allow him to dominate fighters against the cage. Also, an MMA career would be fitting for Martinez in some ways. Lemoore, Calif., his hometown, is the site of the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino, which has been the host for multiple MMA promotions include the original WEC. Tachi Palace Fights currently promotes regular shows at the casino and serves as one of the best feeder leagues on the West Coast. Mike Hughes (Hofstra) At the NCAA tournament, Hughes finished his five-year collegiate wrestling career by becoming an All-American for the first time. On the season, he went 38-6 with 19 falls. It remains to be seen the proverbial "killer instinct" in wrestling translate into MMA, but some wrestlers known to be pinners have been very successful in MMA. Hughes is also an extremely large heavyweight, and that could help him deal some of the bigger heavyweight fighters. If he chooses to follow the path laid out by Hofstra alumnus Chris Weidman, he should be quite successful. Scott DelVecchio (Rutgers) Until further notice, all senior All-Americans from Rutgers will make this list. The team has a very close relationship with former UFC champion Frankie Edgar. Plus, last offseason rumors swirled that Nick Suriano's transfer to Rutgers was partially due to his future plans in MMA after college. DelVecchio entered the NCAA tournament unseeded. He lost his first-round match. However, he then went on a run in the consolation bracket and finished sixth. Along the way, he picked up a pair of falls and knocked out Austin DeSanto (Drexel) in overtime.

Seth Gross edged NC State's Tariq Wilson in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) IRVING, Texas -- National champion Seth Gross added to his growing list of awards Wednesday by being named Big 12 Conference Wrestler of the Year. The award is determined by a vote of the conference's head coaches. Gross completed his junior season at South Dakota State by winning the 133-pound title at last week's NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. With the win, he became South Dakota State's first national champion in any sport in the Division I era. Ranked No. 1 at his weight class throughout the 2017-18 season, Gross compiled a 29-1 overall record that included recording his second consecutive Big 12 Conference individual championship. Of Gross' 29 wins, 12 were by pin and seven were by technical fall. Earlier this week, he selected as one of four finalists for the Dan Hodge Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top collegiate wrestler. The Apple Valley, Minnesota, native is a three-time NCAA qualifier and two-time All-American. He has racked up 89 wins against 17 losses in three seasons at SDSU.

Bill Smith with UNI wrestling coach Dave McCuskey (Photo/NWHOF) Olympic gold medalist. Two-time NCAA champ. Successful wrestling coach at all levels. National Wrestling Hall of Fame honoree. All these describe Bill Smith, who died Tuesday in a nursing home in Humboldt, Iowa at age 89. Smith won the gold medal in freestyle at 160.5 pounds at the 1952 Olympics, the only U.S. wrestler to have won a championship at the Games in Helsinki, Finland. Four years later he won the U.S. Olympic trials at 174 pounds -- pinning Oklahoma Sooner superstar Dan Hodge in the finals -- but later was declared ineligible for the Games because he already had worked as a coach, breaking the rules defining "amateur athletics" of that era. (Hodge went on to wrestle in Smith's place at the '56 Melbourne Olympics, winning a silver medal.) Bill Smith (Photo/NWHOF)Prior to competing in the Olympics, Bill Smith made a name for himself at what was then called Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa) in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Smith won back-to-back NCAA Division I championships for ISTC at 165 pounds in 1949 and 1950, compiling a near-perfect 52-0-1 collegiate career record. He was a key ingredient in the Tutors winning the NCAA team title in 1950 after placing second the previous year. Smith was also a three-time National AAU Freestyle champion at 165 pounds from 1949-51. Born in Portland, Oregon in September 1928, William Thomas Smith launched his wrestling career at Thomas Jefferson High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa where he placed twice at the Iowa state wrestling championships, once as runner-up and another year in third place. The wrestling room at his high school alma mater is named in his honor. It was at Thomas Jefferson where Bill Smith met his college coach Dave McCuskey, who was seeking a lighter-weight wrestler (Dick Lewis), and ended up also recruiting Smith, who had already accepted a scholarship to wrestle at the University of Nebraska which had been arranged by his father. Years later, when asked to name his fiercest on-the-mat opponent, Bill Smith was quick to name some of his college teammates. "Bill Koll (three-time NCAA champ for UNI, 1946-1948) was the toughest person I ever wrestled. He would just chew you up," Smith said in the book "Tutors to Panthers: A Brief History of UNI Athletics." "Bill Nelson would also crunch you on the mat. It was either toughen up or get killed in that room. The room made me a collegiate champion, working every day with people like Nelson, Keith Young, and Fred Stoeker, our heavyweight." After graduating from ISTC/UNI, Bill Smith launched his successful coaching career that spanned many levels of competition. He started at Rock Island High School on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities, where, in four seasons, he produced a state high school team championship and a 57-5 record. Smith then headed north to coach at Ann Arbor High School in Michigan ... then west to serve at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Smith later moved to California where he coached and served as athletic director at the Olympic Club of San Francisco for nearly a decade. Smith led the powerhouse of open competition to three national team titles in freestyle and four national team titles in Greco-Roman wrestling. After serving as Canadian Olympic coach in 1968, Smith returned to the high school ranks in California. In 1976, his Clayton Valley team from Concord won the California high school championship, marking Smith as one of the few coaches to guide prep teams to state titles in more than one state. While in California, Smith also coached at Pacific High School, as well as at San Jose State and San Francisco State universities. Bill Smith at the Olympics (Photo/NWHOF)For all his accomplishments as a wrestler and coach, William T. Smith was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1978. Prior to that, Smith was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame on 1972, and the Iowa High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1977. "We are saddened to hear of the passing of Bill Smith, who will always be remembered as one of the sport's greatest wrestlers and coaches," said National Wrestling Hall of Fame Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. "His legendary career as a student athlete, as an Olympian, and as a coach leaves a legacy of inspiration. On behalf of the Hall of Fame, we extend our deepest sympathies and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, former wrestlers and students." Wrestling historian Arno Niemand -- author of "Dream Team '47" about Cornell College of Iowa's winning the team title at the 1947 NCAA Wrestling Championships -- identified Bill Smith as having been the oldest living U.S. Olympic gold medalist at the time of his passing. "Smith was the last of the great ISTC wrestling champs that included Bill Koll, Gerry Leeman, and Bill Nelson," Niemand told InterMat. "He was one of the giants of U.S. wrestling in the post-World War II era."

Yuki Takahashi claimed a gold medal at the World Championships in Paris (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The wrestling federation of Japan has provided its lineup for the 2018 Men's Freestyle Wrestling World Cup at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa April 7-8. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, and will feature the top eight men's freestyle wrestling teams in the world. Leading the Japanese team is 2017 World champion Yuki Takahashi at 57 kg/125.5 lbs. Takahashi was also a 2017 Asian champion, and captured a Youth Olympic Games gold medal in 2010. Two other past Senior World medalists are on the Japan roster. Two-time Olympian Sohsuke Takatani, a 2014 World silver medalist, will compete at 79 kg/174 lbs. Takatani was seventh in the 2016 Olympic Games. Yuhi Fujinami, a 2017 World bronze medalist, will compete at 70 kg. Fujinami also won a bronze medal at the 2016 Junior World Championships. The Japanese team is also loaded with past age-group World medalists. Rinya Nakamura, a 2017 U23 World champion, is set for 61 kg. Kazuya Koyanagi, who will also compete at 61 kg, was a 2013 Cadet World champion in Greco-Roman. Also competing is 2015 Cadet World champion Takuto Otoguro at 65 kg. Another past age-group World medalists scheduled to compete in Iowa City are Daichi Takatani at 65 kg, who has World bronze medals as both a Cadet and a Junior. Other age-group World medalists are 2012 Cadet World bronze medalist Keisuke Otoguro at 70 kg, 2008 Junior bronze medalist Nobuyoshi Arakida at 125 kg and 2012 Cadet World bronze medalist Shota Shirai at 86 kg. A total of 10 athletes on the Japanese lineup are past Senior World Team members, giving this squad considerable experience at the highest level. Japan has drawn into Pool A against the nations of the USA, Georgia, and Iran. Pool B consists of teams from Russia, Azerbaijan, Cuba, and Kazakhstan. Ticket opportunities for the World Cup include a Gold all-session package ($225), a Black all-session package ($150), and standard all-session tickets ($75/$50). Tickets are now available on the University of Iowa Athletics website. Visit worldcupiowacity.com for more information on the event. Japan Freestyle World Cup Team Roster 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Yuki Takahashi 61 kg/134 lbs. - Kazuya Koyanagi 61 kg/134 lbs. - Rinya Nakamura 65 kg/143 lbs. - Daichi Takatani 65 kg/143 lbs. - Takuto Otoguro 70 kg/154 lbs. - Keisuke Otoguro 70 kg/154 lbs. - Kirin Kinoshita 74 kg/163 lbs. - Ken Hosaka 74 kg/163 lbs. - Yuhi Fujinami 79 kg/174 lbs. - Sohsuke Takatani 86 kg/189 lbs. - Shota Shirai 86 kg/189 lbs. - Masao Matsusaka 92kg/203 lbs. - Takashi Ishiguro 97 kg/213 lbs. - Takeshi Yamaguchi 97 kg/213 lbs. - Taira Sonoda 125 kg/275 lbs. - Nobuyoshi Arakida 125 kg/275 lbs. - Taiki Yamamoto Japan World Cup bios 57 kg/126 lbs. - Yuki Takahashi 2017 World champion… 2017 Asian champion… Fifth at 2014 World Championships… Ninth at 2015 World Championships… 2010 Youth Olympic Games champion… Second at 2012 Junior Asian Championship… Third at 2016 Golden Grand Prix (Azerbaijan)… 2015 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial champion (Poland)…Second at 2014 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial (Poland)… Third at 2014 Yasar Dogu… Born November 29, 1993… Age: 24 61 kg/134 lbs. - Kazuya Koyanagi Second at 2018 Asian Championship…2013 Greco-Roman Cadet World champion… Third at the 2017 Asian Indoor Games… 61 kg/134 lbs. - Rinya Nakamura 2017 U23 World champion… Fifth at the 2017 World Championships… Third at 2011 Cadet World Championships… Second at 2015 Grand Prix of Spain… Ninth at 2017 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Born March 23, 1995… Age: 23 65 kg/143 lbs. - Daichi Takatani Third at 2014 Junior World Championships… Seventh at 2014 World Championships… Two-time Senior World Team member…. Third at 2011 Cadet World Championships… Second at 2018 Asian Championships… Second at 2017 Asian Indoor Games… 2016 Dmitiri Korkin Tournament champion (Russia)… Seventh at 2014 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Fifth at 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Born November 22, 1994… Age: 23 65 kg/143 lbs. - Takuto Otoguro 2015 Cadet World champion… 2014 Cadet Asian champion… Third at 2013 Cadet World Championships… 70 kg/154 lbs. - Keisuke Otoguro Eighth at 2018 Asian Championships… Third at 2016 Junior Asian Championship… Fifth at 2016 Asian Championships… Fifth at 2013 Cadet World Championships… Third at 2011 and 2012 Cadet World Championships… 70 kg/154 lbs. - Kirin Kinoshita Second at 2014 Junior Asian Championships… Fifth at 2012 Cadet World Championships… 74 kg/163 lbs. - Ken Hosaka Tenth at 2019 Asian Championship… Third at 2014 Copa Brasil (Brazil)… 2014 Senior World Team member… Ninth at 2014 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial (Poland)… Third at 2014 Asian Championships… Born July 25, 1992… Age: 25 74 kg/163 lbs. - Yuhi Fujinami Third at 2017 World Championships… Third at 2017 Junior World Championship… Second at 2015 Junior World Championships… Second at 2014 Junior Asian Championships… Second at 2013 Cadet World Championships 79 kg/174 lbs. - Sohsuke Takatani Second at 2014 World Championships… Seventh at 2016 Olympic Games… 2012 Olympian… Seventh at 2013 World Championship… Eighth at 2017 World Championships… Sixth at 2017 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)… Second at 2015 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial (Poland)…Ninth at 2014 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Second at 2012 Olympic Qualification Tournament… Fourth at 2012 Dave Schultz Memorial International… Seventh at 2010 World University Championships… Ninth at 2009 Junior World Championships… Seventh at 2008 Olympic Qualification Tournament… Fifth at 2007 Junior World Championships… Seventh at 2006 Cadet Asian Championships… Fifth at 2005 Cadet Asian Championship… Born March 4, 1989… Age: 29 86 kg/189 lbs. - Shota Shirai Third at 2012 Cadet World Championships… Fifth at 2015 Junior World Championships… Ninth at 2018 Asian Championships… Seventh at 2015 Grand Prix of Spain… 86 kg/189 lbs. - Masao Matsusaka Tenth at 2017 Asian Championships… Second at 2017 Dave Shultz Memorial International… 2017 Senior World Team member… Seventh at 2016 Asian Championships…Fifth at 2014 Copa Brasil (Brazil)… Born July 18, 1994… Age: 23 92kg/203 lbs. - Takashi Ishiguro 2014 Cadet Asian champion… Seventh at 2018 Asian Championship… Fifth at 2017 Asian Indoor Games… Eighth at 2016 Junior World Championship… Seventh at 2014 Cadet World Championship… Born June 17, 1997… Age: 20 97 kg/213 lbs. - Takeshi Yamaguchi Third at 2015 and 2018 Asian Championships… Eighth at 2013 World Championships… Two-time Senior World Team member… Third at 2015 Mongolia Open… Third at 2015 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… Tenth at 2013 Asian Championships… Third at 2012 Dave Schultz Memorial International… Fifth at 2006 Cadet Asian Championships… Born March 4, 1989… Age: 29 97 kg/213 lbs. - Taira Sonoda Eighth at 2012 Cadet World Championship… 2017 U23 World Team member… Born November 27, 1995… Age: 22 125 kg/275 lbs. - Nobuyoshi Arakida Third at 2008 Junior World Championship… 2006 Junior Asian champion… Eighth at 2015 World Championships… Four-time Senior World Team member… Tenth at 2015 Asian Championships…Second at 2015 Mongolia Open… Ninth at 2015 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… Third at 2014 Asian Games… Eighth at 2014 Asian Championships… Fifth at 2012 Asian Championship… Fifth at 2010 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Third at 2009 Asian Championship…Fifth at 2005 Dave Schultz Memorial International… Seventh at 2008 Asian Championship… Ninth at 2006 Junior World Championship… Tenth at 2005 Junior World Championship… Born March 3, 1988… Age: 30 125 kg/275 lbs. - Taiki Yamamoto Tenth at 2017 World Championships… Third at 2017 Asian Championships… Ninth at 2016 Olympic Qualification Tournament… Eighth at 2015 Junior World Championships… Third at 2014 Junior Asian Championships… Eighth at 2013 Greco-Roman Cadet World Championships… Born October 18, 1996… Age: 21

Blair Academy won its 38th national prep championship Want to know how many teams in the season-ending InterMat Fab 50 national high school team rankings completed the season without a dual meet loss or finishing somewhere other than first at a tournament? How about a big fat ZERO! With every nationally ranked team having suffered a "loss" somewhere, how does one go about picking a No. 1 team? How does one go about ranking the teams in any semblance of an order? Three obvious components come to mind: roster talent, dominance, and performance against other elite competition. This year's top ranked team certainly meets and exceeds those three standards. Blair Academy, N.J. has EIGHT wrestlers in the top 20 of their respective weight classes as of the most recent rankings. Only two other teams even have six, and they are the teams ranked second and third nationally, Bergen Catholic (N.J.) and Wyoming Seminary (Pa.); schools with five ranked wrestlers include No. 4 Montini Catholic (Ill.), No. 5 St. Paris Graham (Ohio), and No. 7 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.). When it comes to dominance and performance against other elite competition, take a look at their performances at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, Beast of the East, Geary Invitational, and National Prep Championships. All of those events featured multiple other nationally ranked teams in the field. In addition, look at their 5-1 dual meet record against other teams ranked in the top 15 of the country: wins over No. 3 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), No. 6 Buchanan (Calif.), No. 7 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), No. 8 St. Edward (Ohio), and No. 15 Delbarton (N.J.); the lone blemish coming against No. 2 Bergen Catholic (N.J.), a team they out-pointed at the Beast of the East. This marks a sixth national title in seven years for the Buccaneers. Unlike last year, this was not a "wire-to-wire" crown for Blair Academy, as the Bergen Catholic held down the No. 1 position for two weeks in mid-to-late January. Below is a listing of the previously crowned national champions by InterMat, since the website has compiled the Fab 50 national high school team rankings: 2016-17: Blair Academy (N.J.) 2015-16: Blair Academy (N.J.) 2014-15: St. Paris Graham (Ohio) 2013-14: Blair Academy (N.J.) 2012-13: Blair Academy (N.J.) 2011-12: Blair Academy (N.J.) 2010-11: Apple Valley (Minn.) Rounding out the top ten of the national rankings are the following squads: No. 2 Bergen Catholic (N.J.) Champions of the Doc Buchanan Invitational, runners-up at the Beast of the East; winner of the non-public Group A state title and the unofficial individual state tournament; 6-1 record in dual meets against top 15 teams, including a win over No. 1 Blair Academy, the lone loss was to No. 4 Montini Catholic. No. 3 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) Third at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, champions of the Powerade Wrestling Tournament, lost dual meets against the top two ranked teams in the country, earned dual meet victories over four teams within the top 17 of the rankings, National Prep runners-up. No. 4 Montini Catholic (Ill.) Fourth at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, champions of the Clash National Duals (beat No. 8 St. Edward in the final) and Cheesehead Invitaitonal; dual team state champions and unofficial individual state tournament champions; beat No. 2 Bergen Catholic in a dual meet, lost to No. 3 Wyoming Seminary. No. 5 St. Paris Graham (Ohio) Second at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, beat No. 8 St. Edward twice in dual meets; dual team state champions (opting up to Division I), individual state tournament champions. No. 6 Buchanan (Calif.) Second at the Reno TOC and Doc Buchanan Invitational, dual meet losses to the top two teams in the country, dual meet victory over No. 7 Lake Highland Prep, state tournament champions. No. 7 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) Fifth at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, third at the Beast of the East, runners-up at the Powerade Wrestling Tournament; lost all three duals against top six opposition at the Who's Number One Duals; dual meet and individual state tournament champions. 8. St. Edward (Ohio) Sixth at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, runners-up at the Clash National Duals (lost to Montini in the final), lost a pair of dual meets to St. Paris Graham, lost additional dual meets to the top three teams in the country, beat No. 9 Detroit Catholic Central in a dual meet along with nine other ranked teams; 11-6 in dual meets against ranked opposition, state dual meet runners-up and individual state tournament champions. No. 9 Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.) Champions of the Brecksville Holiday Tournament and Detroit Catholic Central Invitational, dual meet loss to No. 8 St. Edward, dual meet victories over No. 16 Cincinnati LaSalle and two other ranked teams; dual team state champion and unofficial individual state tournament champions. No. 10 Poway (Calif.) Champions of the Reno TOC, Battle for the Belt, and Mid-Cals Classic; third place finish at the state tournament. Teams from 18 states were represented in the rankings to start the season, while only 16 states have teams represented in the end of season rankings. Leading the way with seven Fab 50 teams is the Buckeye State of Ohio, while the Golden State of California is next in line with six. Five teams from Pennsylvania and Minnesota are ranked, while it's four from Indiana. Three teams from New Jersey crack the rankings, all among the top fifteen; as do a trio of teams from Illinois, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Iowa. A pair of teams are ranked from Missouri and Nebraska respectively. Single teams from Florida, Texas, West Virginia, and Kansas round out the rankings. From the preseason to end of season rankings, there was a turnover of eleven teams, which is in line with the turnover of ten from last season; during the 2015-16 season there was a switch-over of 18 teams. Ten of the eleven teams switched out were ranked 31st to 50th in the preseason rankings, with five of them occupying positions 45 to 49. Three teams within the final top thirty were not ranked to start the season: No. 24 Oak Park River Forest (Ill.), No. 27 Indianapolis Cathedral (Ind.), and No. 28 Parkersburg South (W.Va.). Another trio of teams occupy positions in the 30's, while the other five teams are between 41st and 48th nationally.

Helen Maroulis Beat the Streets is pleased to announce that Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis has joined the New York staff as a Student-Athlete Mentor and Coach Educator. Maroulis has been involved with BTSNY for years and has decided to form a significantly more engaged partnership with the organization to work directly with the program's youth. "I'm very excited to step into this role of working with BTSNY," Maroulis said. "I've always loved working with kids, and I became more passionate about this and writing programs/curriculums after meeting with the entire Beat the Streets team last October. Mentoring and writing curriculums seemed to be where I could be of most value to the organization. I love what BTSNY does, what they represent, and getting to see firsthand the daily impact they have on kids all over New York makes me look forward to more possibilities for these children in the future." Maroulis began her relationship with BTS in 2011 at the age of 20 when she competed in BTSNY's USA vs. Mongolia dual meet at Brooklyn's Grand Street Campus. Maroulis won her match and proved to be an inspiration to the BTSNY student-athletes in attendance, especially the female participants. She has competed in nearly every BTSNY Annual Benefit since, growing her fan base within New York City and across the world. After earning a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Maroulis' desire to fully realize her role as an ambassador for the sport of wrestling led her to pursue a formal opportunity with BTSNY. This Fall, Maroulis became more involved with current programming at BTSNY, working on curriculum development and providing mentorship. Her involvement paid immediate dividends during recent sessions at Harlem's DREAM Academy and at the Queens Junior League Kickoff event in September. Notably, Maroulis will be working closely with programming staff to conduct site visits and collect input from coaches, with a primary goal of implementing a new, comprehensive coaching curriculum. This curriculum will better assist coaches in connecting off-the-mat objectives and real-life experiences with the values student-athletes will learn on a wrestling team. In helping develop this curriculum, Maroulis brings her unique perspective as an elite athlete who has thoughtfully observed wrestling in different environments across the globe.

AMES, Iowa -- The Cyclone Regional Training Center has made another big addition to its staff. The C-RTC has announced that three-time NCAA Champion Nate Carr will serve as the Associate Director of the Cyclone Regional Training Center. Nate Carr"We are all very excited about bringing Nate into the Cyclone RTC," C-RTC Director Kevin Dresser said. "I said from day one that we want to make Ames, IA the place to train for all levels and all styles and Nate fits right into that plan." Carr joins the C-RTC staff after coaching for three years at Perry High School, a national powerhouse in prep wrestling in Massillon, Ohio. As the Associate Director, Carr will assist the C-RTC and head coach Mike Zadick in a number of aspects including athlete development and fund raising efforts. "Anything I can do to help them rise back to the top, I want to do," Carr said. "We can do this. The most important thing is dreaming and building, it's bringing back that history and making it the present." Carr grew into one of the most prolific athletes in school history. The Erie, Pa., native won three national titles and two Big 8 titles while wrestling for the Cardinal and Gold. Following his collegiate career, Carr competed for the United States World Team on a number of occasions and won the Bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. In 2000, Carr was inducted into the alma mater's Athletics Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "When we look at that mission statement, Nate brings so many things to the table for such a position," Dresser stated. "He will be on the ground right away selling our dream and working with our staff and our athletes The Cyclone RTC just got much stronger and a special thank you to all of you who helped make this position happen. Your contributions do make a difference." Carr will be moving to Ames with his wife, Linda. His position as Associate Director will begin on June 1. Nate's son, David, is a four-time Ohio state champion and will be a freshman in Ames this fall. "I like to think of myself as a professional encourager," Carr said of himself. "Anything I can do to help bring these young athletes along to be champions on and off the mat, I'm going to give 100% of myself to that. We're going to make things happen that people are saying are impossible." For more information on the Cyclone Regional Training Center and to find out how you can get involved today, visit cyclonertc.org.

Every season there are wrestlers who change weight classes, either by moving up or down. Kyle Dake of Cornell won four NCAA titles in four different weight classes, which had never been done before. For the 2012-2013 season, Dake moved up a weight class to 165 pounds for the challenge of facing Penn State's David Taylor, a returning NCAA champion and Dan Hodge Trophy winner. While some wrestlers move up for a challenge, others move up in weight because they are growing and can perform at a higher level or to help the team. Here is a look at five wrestlers who should move up in weight next season. Zahid Valencia finished the season as an undefeated NCAA champion at 174 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) Zahid Valencia has been competing at the UWW Junior level in freestyle at 84 kilograms (184.8 pounds). He was a Junior world silver medalist this past summer after previous world finishes of 10th and seventh. Zahid has reeled off two consecutive undefeated regular seasons in NCAA wrestling, finishing third at the NCAAs in 2017 and winning a title over the defending champ Mark Hall of Penn State this season. Since he will soon be competing for a spot on world and Olympic teams at 86 kilograms (189.2 pounds), it makes sense for Zahid to get bigger and stronger and compete at 184 pounds rather than continuing to cut weight. Also, with two-time NCAA champion Bo Nickal returning for his senior season at Penn State, it presents another challenge for Zahid. While Zahid has multiple wins over Nickal in freestyle, the two have not competed against each other in college wrestling. Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) Anthony Valencia is coming off a disappointing season. He entered the NCAAs as the No. 15 seed and failed to reach the podium for the second consecutive season. Anthony was one of the nation's top recruits coming out of high school, but has failed to live up to the high expectations placed on him by others after placing in the top four at the U.S. Open and World Team Trials. He has won by technical fall over Tyler Caldwell. Anthony is extremely gifted on his feet, but has struggled on the mat. If Zahid moves up in weight, it seems like the right move would be for Anthony to move up as well. He wouldn't have to focus as much on his weight, and it would give him a fresh set of opponents and potentially reenergize him. Minnesota's Ethan Lizak knocked off Darian Cruz of Lehigh in the consolation bracket in Cleveland (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) The long and lanky Lizak is a monster on the mat. He can ride and turn almost anyone in the country. A 2017 NCAA runner-up, Lizak is coming off a strong performance in Cleveland. He entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed and placed fourth. In the consolation bracket, Lizak teched past All-American Nick Piccininni of Oklahoma State, pinned past NCAA runner-up Zeke Moisey of WVU and defeated past NCAA champion Darian Cruz of Lehigh. He lost in overtime in the third-place match to four-time All-American Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State. While Lizak would be a top contender next season at 125 pounds, his path to a title would likely have to go through NCAA champion Spencer Lee of Iowa. Lee is a bad matchup for Lizak and hammered him 15-0 in the dual meet. NCAA runner-up Nick Suriano of Rutgers also returns. Moving up to 133 would certainly be a challenge with the top five finishers returning next season, including NCAA champion Seth Gross of South Dakota State, but Lizak's length and top game would put him in the mix for a national title. This would allow his teammate Mitchell McKee to either redshirt or move up a weight. Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) Ever since Brock made his college wrestling debut as a true freshman, pinning NCAA champion Cody Brewer of Oklahoma, expectations have been high for the Stillwater (Okla.) native. He entered the 2017 NCAAs as the No. 3 seed and placed fifth. This season he was the fourth seed and placed fifth. Brock is dynamic on his feet and can score with a variety of different attacks. Maybe the weight cutting has taken a toll on him and hindered his late-season performance. With two-time NCAA champion Dean Heil graduating -- and Daton Fix and Nick Piccininni on the roster -- a move to 141 pounds could be beneficial for both Brock and the Cowboys. Nebraska's Taylor Venz placed fourth in the NCAAs at 184 pounds (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Taylor Venz (Nebraska) Venz won his first state championship in Minnesota as a freshman at 106 pounds, beating Mitchell McKee. He continued to grow in high school and capped off his high school career with a state championship at 182 pounds. He learned to wrestle as a lightweight, which has helped him as an upperweight wrestler. Venz had a strong redshirt freshman campaign, which culminated with a fourth-place finish in Cleveland. He's long and could certainly add more muscle to his frame. With Bo Nickal and Myles Martin returning -- and potentially Zahid Valencia moving up -- Venz's path to a national title has fewer land mines at 197 pounds. Kent State's Kyle Conel, who entered the NCAAs unranked, is the highest returning placewinner at 197 pounds.

David Bolyard has served as Eastern Michigan's head wrestling coach since 2014 (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Eastern Michigan University announced that it will eliminate its NCAA Division I wrestling program -- along with three other intercollegiate sports -- effective spring 2018, the Ypsilanti-based school announced Tuesday. In addition to the Eagles mat program, other sports to be axed include softball, men's swimming and diving, and women's tennis. With the elimination of a total of four varsity athletic programs, EMU will go from 21 sports down to 17 sports -- seven men's sports and 10 women's sports. The cuts will affect 58 male student-athletes and 25 female student-athletes. Fourteen of the 83 are currently seniors who will exhaust their eligibility during the 2017-18 academic year. The decision to drop wrestling not only impacts student-athletes, but will cost three coaches their jobs: head coach David Bolyard, and assistant coaches Luke Smith and Scott Mattingly. A total of eight full-time coaching positions, one graduate assistant, and one part-time assistant coach will be part of the EMU athletic program cutbacks. "We're trying to figure out ways to maintain opportunities for our student-athletes here at Eastern Michigan wrestling," coach Bolyard told InterMat Tuesday afternoon. "We intend to fight this. We're working towards a solution." "We understand; overall enrollment has gone down. However, we don't think this decision will help that cause. We have 30-plus guys on the wrestling team. The more wrestlers we have on the roster, the better overall enrollment figures will be." "Our athletes are nothing but awesome," Bolyard continued. "We have the highest APR of any men's program at the school. Our team GPA is 3.2 overall. We had four Academic All-Americans this year. We do well academically. We've just completed our most successful season on the mat in years. We scored the most points at the MAC championships ever. We had the most NCAA qualifiers in history, and our first NCAA All-American in two decades." The wrestling community beyond southeastern Michigan is commenting on EMU's decision to eliminate wrestling. For example, the National Wrestling Coaches Association posted this message on its Twitter account: "EMU had their 1st All-American since 1999 just days ago, & now they have announced the wrestling program will be cut. It's time to come together and work to save this program!!" The decision is also stirring up discussion on the EMU campus and within the state of Michigan. Here's how the Detroit Free Press addressed the issue: "The moves don't touch the football program, which continues to be controversial, with many faculty hoping to see spending on the program cut. Those calls for cuts in football have gone on for years, but there also was a renewed debate about athletics at Eastern Michigan in the past couple of years, including an HBO Real Sports segment on athletic department spending that was critical of Eastern Michigan. "A number of faculty and students have called for the university to drop out of Division I football -- either completely dropping the program or moving down in division, which would decrease the cost. In recent years, Eastern Michigan, with about 21,000 students, has spent more than $27 million a year from the university's general fund on sports." According to EMU, axing wrestling and the other three sports programs is part of the university's overall budget restructuring efforts. The school claims an anticipated expense reduction of approximately $2.4 million. Despite the cutbacks, Eastern Michigan will remain part of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The NCAA requires Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools to sponsor a minimum of 16 sports and the Mid-American Conference requires member universities to sponsor football, men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's volleyball, according to the university. "We are very saddened by having to make this move, which is necessary as we continue to align the University budget with enrollment and state funding trends," said University President James Smith. "This aligns us with our Mid-American Conference peers in total number of sports, and is part of our ongoing effort to realign resources to ensure that we continue to invest in high-demand high-quality academic programs and world-class facilities." "The student-athletes affected by this are our priority. We will honor all athletics scholarships for the students should they decide to remain at Eastern to complete their degrees, which we hope they will." "We understand that some may leave Eastern to continue their sport at another university, and we have committed to offering them our full support in that process. We have wonderful student-athletes, coaches and athletics staff here at Eastern who make a tremendous contribution to campus life - in competition, in class and in our greater community. This is a difficult day for all of them, and for all of us." Founded in 1849, Eastern Michigan University is the second-oldest public university in the state. EMU has a student enrollment of approximately 20,000. A GoFundMe page to keep wrestling at Eastern Michigan U has been set up. To make a donation, click here. https://www.gofundme.com/save-emu-wrestling UPDATE 3/23/18: A new article updates the Eastern Michigan situation, including a protest involving some EMU wrestlers at a major Michigan high school event... new comments from two of the EMU wrestling coaches... and what the National Wrestling Coaches Association has to say about the elimination of the program. http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/19940

Fan voting for the 2018 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy has begun. The Hodge Trophy is the top award in college wrestling and has been presented annually since 1994 to the nation's most dominant collegiate wrestler. The award is named after Dan Hodge, the former three-time (1955-57) NCAA champion from the University of Oklahoma, who did not allow a takedown in his career and pinned 36 of 46 victims. Voting Criteria Criteria for the award include: A wrestler's record; Number of pins; Dominance on the mat; Quality of competition; Past credentials; Sportsmanship/citizenship; and Heart The first four criteria are the primary criteria. Number of pins is an extremely important criteria. Part of the reason the award was created was to elevate the importance of the pin, and to motivate top collegians to go for the fall. The Hodge Trophy is a single-season award. However, if you have two candidates who are virtually equal, consideration can be given to past credentials, which is criteria No. 5. The last two criteria should be used to help guide voters to select a winner who also is a good representative of the sport. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, March 27. The winner of the fan vote will earn two first-place votes among the total ballots from a group of formal voters which includes each former Hodge Trophy winner, national media, representatives of national wrestling organizations and retired former college coaches from different regions. The deadline for your vote is this Friday, March 23, at 5 p.m. CST. Link: VOTE NOW!

Spencer Lee claimed the NCAA title at 125 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Spencer Lee, the University of Iowa true freshman who won the 125-pound title at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland this weekend, has been named recipient of The Hammer award by Amateur Wrestling News, the magazine announced Monday. As AWN -- the nation's oldest publication covering amateur wrestling -- describes its award, "The Hammer is presented to that wrestler who wins what our selection panel feels was the deepest, most competitive weight class at the NCAA tournament." "This year's choice was difficult," the magazine went on to state. "Several weights contained multiple returning NCAA champions but the 125-pound class got the nod. What a piranha tank!" There were seven returning All Americans competing in the 125-pound bracket at the 2018 NCAAs, according to AWN, including a pair of past NCAA champs -- Darian Cruz of Lehigh, and Ohio State's Nathan Tomasello. In fact, it was the only weight class with four wrestlers who had previously competed in an NCAA final. Lee progressed through the NCAAs with two pins and two technical fall before getting a 5-1 win over No. 4 seed -- and fellow former high school and freestyle phenom -- Nick Suriano of Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey. Past winners of AWN's Hammer award include Logan Stieber (Ohio State), Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State), and Bo Nickal (Penn State). Want to know more about Spencer Lee? Check out this InterMat feature on a 2017 documentary on the young wrestler.

FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. -- Athletic Director Nate Moorman announces the hiring of Link Davis as the new Men's Wrestling Head Coach. Davis is no stranger to Emmanuel as he has built up the Emmanuel women's wrestling program from the ground up over the previous three years. Links wife Kristie Davis who was named Co Head Coach of the Women's Program earlier this year will now assume the sole Head Coach position for the women's program. "I would like to thank Nate Moorman and Dr. White for having the confidence in me to be able to take over our men's program." Says Coach Davis. "I am very thankful for this opportunity and looking forward to this new challenge. I have wanted to be a men's college wrestling coach from when I first decided to be a coach and now that dream has come true." Davis has proven himself as an elite women's coach with several successes during his tenure at Emmanuel, most recently coaching one of his wrestlers to a National Championship at the WCWA National Tournament in February. Davis still plans to assist with the women's wrestling program that he has been so invested in over the last several years. "I think the biggest thing to being able to make this change was that I will still be able to help with the women's program as well." Davis continued. "I see things being just like one big wrestling family with Kristie taking on her new role as women's coach." While a husband and wife leading both programs isn't a common thing seen in college programs, these two highly qualified individuals are certain to continue making an impact in the wrestling community. Congratulations to both Link and Kristie on their new roles as they work hard to make both programs the best in the country. For more news on Emmanuel College Athletics, visit goeclions.com.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) presented its NCAA post-event awards Saturday evening based off performances at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. With his dramatic fall in the finals that sealed a Penn State team victory, Nittany Lion 184-pounder Bo Nickal was voted the tournament's most outstanding wrestler by member coaches of the NWCA. Nickal scored a fall in the finals over former champion Myles Martin of Ohio State in 2:30. Nickal advanced to the finals for the third time with a major decision in the first round followed by three decisions. He joins Jeff Prescott (1994), David Taylor (2012, 2014) and Zain Retherford (2017) as the fourth Penn State wrestlers to earn this award. Mike Moyer presents the NWCA Coach of the Year Award to Cael Sanderson (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Leading his team to their seventh team title in eight years, Penn State's Cael Sanderson was named the NWCA Tournament Coach of the Year. This award is awarded to the coach is voted upon by the NWCA member coaches and is awarded to the coach based off tournament performance. Sanderson's Nittany Lions scored a 141.5 points to edge second-place Ohio State by seven points. The Nittany Lions entered the final session of the tournament trailing the Buckeyes by six points but on the strength of four individual champions, Sanderson's team was able to capture a third straight title. Sanderson was previously named the NWCA National Coach of the Year in 2007 when he was the head coach at Iowa State and 2013 at Penn State. Sam Stoll became the sixth wrestler in Iowa wrestling history to earn the Manuel Gorriaran Award to wrestler with the most falls in the least amount of time at the championships. Stoll had three falls in a total time of 8:50. The NWCA post event awards are given out each collegiate national tournament. These awards while based off of NCAA Performance are not affiliated with the NCAA.