InterMat Staff

UW-Parkside qualified six for the NCAAs FINDLAY, Ohio --The Parkside wrestling team dominated at the NCAA DII Midwest Regional over the weekend, as the Rangers are sending six NCAA Qualifiers to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for a chance at a National Championship. Had Parkside been eligible to win as a team, the Rangers would have finished with 142.5 team points while Ashland, who took home the trophy, finished with 94.5 points. "Incredibly proud of the six qualifiers, but also very proud of the other four who did not qualify," first year head coach Corey VanGroll said. "All ten guys were outstanding today. We're going to enjoy ourselves on the trip home and prepare for Iowa." Three wrestlers walked away on Saturday as NCAA Midwest Regional Champions in Airk Furseth (133), Frank Yattoni IV (149) and Nick Becker (174). Pernevlon Sheppard (157), James Lehman and Matt Halverson (285) all earned a trip to Nationals as well by finishing top-4 in their weight class. Sheppard took second, Halverson took third and Lehman finished in fourth. Lehman had to battle back at 197, as the redshirt-junior took down Peguero of Coker College in an intense overtime match, the final match of the day. At 133, No. 2 Furseth pinned Newberry's No. 9 ranked Nolan Whitely at the 5:19 mark. No. 7 Yattoni beat Findlay's Wimer in overtime 8-6 and No. 1 Becker, the back-to-back National Champion, pinned No. 10 Christian Price of Ashland at the 3:38 mark. Robby Mutimer, Anthony Cheloni, Brett Scoles and Connor Price all entered Saturday with a chance to make Nationals as well. The NCAA National Championship will go from Friday, March 9 to Saturday, March 10 at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Messiah won the Southeast Regional title (Photo/Josh Whitelaw) ROCKY MOUNT, Va. -- No. 15 Messiah wrestling put together an historic weekend at the Southeast Regional Championship, with a program-record eight Falcons qualifying for the NCAA Division III National Championship next month. Messiah also captured it's fifth-straight regional title, and it's first in the newly-arranged Southeast grouping. The Falcons scored 147 points, with York picking up 133 points and being the only-other team to reach triple digits. The eight NCAA qualifiers by the Falcons eclipses the previous record of seven, which was accomplished during the 2015-16 season. The National Championship will be held March 9-10 at the Cleveland Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. Repeat Performers Hunter Harris (133) qualified for his second-straight NCAA Championship with a runner-up finish this weekend. The Falcons' all-time leader in pins picked up a single fall in the quarterfinal, and his most impressive performance came in the semifinal. In that match against Delaware Valley's Brenden Velez -- the MAC Champion from earlier this season -- Harris earned an 8-6 decision in sudden victory. That put him in the NCAA tournament, even as he was pinned by Johns Hopkins' Ricky Cavallo in the final.11201 Ben Swarr (174), Derek Beitz (184), and Kyle Koser (197) all made good on their high expectations by earning qualification to the NCAA Championship. For Swarr and Koser, this marked three-straight qualifications. Swarr's showing was especially dominant as he earned three-straight tech falls by a combined score of 50-0 before winning 6-0 over Lycoming's Brandon Conrad in the final. Koser also earned a regional title with a 6-0 win over Antavian Leary of Ferrum. Like Swarr, Koser won four-straight bouts, and he didn't give up a point by going fall, major (13-0), and decision (5-0) to get into the final. For Beitz, the qualification was undoubtedly extra sweet considering his march back from a mid-season injury. He was outstanding in the quarterfinal (10-1 major decision) and semifinal (fall, 3:50) to earn his qualification, and he withdrew early in the final against Isaac Morales from Johns Hopkins. Back on Board Jeff Hojnacki (165) qualified for both the second time in his career and the first time since 2016. He had a big start with a tech fall (18-2) in the Round of 16, and he followed that up with a major decision (16-3) in the quarterfinal. In the semifinal he was matched up with Gettysburg's Colin Kowalski, and it was a must-watch rematch of Hojnacki's 7-6 decision over Kowalski on Dec. 8. The rematch didn't disappoint, as Hojnacki earned a 3-1 sudden victory decision to earn the NCAA qualification. In the final Hojnacki lost 8-7 to Ferrum's Andrew Tolbert. New to the Show Messiah's lineup is full of big names, but the biggest highlights of the weekend may very well have come from some new faces. Surely among that group is Sean Redington (125), who lost his opening bout on Friday and fought all the way back through the consolation bracket to take third place. Redington's march to an NCAA qualification included five wins in the wrestleback rounds, and he was nothing short of dominant on that path. His first three victories went 15-6 decision, 19-2 tech fall, and fall (2:40) to put him into a match with Lenny Ogozalek of Gettysburg. The loser of that bout would go to the fifth-place match, but Redington kept his streak going with a 7-0 decision. That put him into the third-place bout with Samuel Braswell of Averett, and Redington kept his momentum with an impressive 27-14 major decision to secure a spot at the National Championship. Redington's noteworthy streak will get plenty of attention, but two other Falcons -- Stephen Maloney (149) and Kevin Edwards (157) -- also qualified for the first time in their respective careers -- albeit by a more-traditional route. Maloney took second overall, with his only loss (5-2) coming in the final to Gregory Warner of York. Warner also defeated Maloney earlier this month by an 8-3 score. On his path to the runner-up finish, Maloney collected two pins, including one at 4:15 in the semifinal over Trevor Corl of Lycoming. Edwards was the third Falcons to earn a first-ever qualification to the National Championship, and he did so with a title win at 157. Like Maloney before him, he also faced a York Spartan (Eric Hutchinson), and he came away with a 6-3 win. Coaching Honors Messiah's outstanding weekend was preceded by head coach Bryan Brunk being named Southeast Region Coach of the Year, and Craig Hogan being named Assistant Coach of the Year. They, along with the rest of the coaching staff, led Messiah to a 16-5 record this season, with Brunk picking up his 200th career win. With a program-record eight NCAA qualifiers this season, Brunk has now coached 43 qualifiers during his 14-plus seasons with the Falcons.

Baldwin Wallace claimed the Central Regional title CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind.-- The three-time defending Ohio Athletic Conference champion and sixth-nationally ranked Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team won the NCAA Division III Central Regional Championship and qualified nine individuals for the NCAA Division III National Championships. The top three individuals in each weight class qualify for the national championship which is hosted by BW and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission at Cleveland's historic Public Auditorium on March 9-10. The Yellow Jackets (19-2) were first of 18 teams with 165.5 points. Wabash (Ind.) College, who was the host school, was second with 147.5 points. The University of Mount Union was third with 116 points. BW Head Coach Jamie Gibbs was named the Central Region Head Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach Jason Zastrow was named the Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year. The nine Yellow Jackets that qualified were senior All-OAC 125 pounder Chris Doyle (Akron/Green), sophomore 133-pounder Dante Ginnetti (Poland/Seminary), sophomore 141-pounder Charlie Nash (Norwalk), freshman 149-pounder Stanley Bleich (North Ridgeville/Elyria Catholic), junior All-American and All-OAC 165-pounder Anthony Arroyo (Maumee), junior 174-pounder Justin Ransom (Mason), junior 184-pounder Zeckary Lehman (Akron/Revere), senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC 197-pounder Tyler Maclellan (Medina/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) and senior 285-pounder Gabe Mahaney (Green). Doyle (Akron/Green), who is making who is making his second straight trip to the national championship, earned All-Central Region honors as he won the 125-pound title. Doyle received a first round bye, won a 18-0 technical fall in 6:25, earned a 12-4 major decision and posted a 4-1 decision in the title match. Ginnetti who qualified for his first national tournament, earned All-Central Region honors as he placed third. Ginnetti won by pinfall in 56 seconds, suffered a loss, earned a 5-3 tiebreaker decision, won by pinfall in 6:43, picked up a 20-1 technical fall in 4:28 and won by pinfall in 26 seconds. Nash, who is making his first trip to the national championship, earned All-Central Region honors as he finished second. Nash received a first round bye, won by pinfall in 2:49, earned an 8-6 decision and fell in the championship match. Bleich, who qualified for his first national tournament, earned All-Central Region honors as he placed third. Bleich received a first round bye, earned a 20-2 technical fall in 6:58, won by pinfall in 6:58, suffered a loss, picked up a 9-4 decision and won by pinfall in 3:43. Arroyo who is making his second straight trip to the national championship after placing fifth a year ago, earned All-Central Region honors as he won the 165-pound title. Arroyo won a 16-1 technical fall in 4:50, earned a 11-4 decision, won by pinfall in 1:44 and won the title with an 8-1 decision. Ransom, who is making his first trip to the national tournament, earned All-Central Region honors as he placed third. Ransom won by pinfall in 1:17, earned a 4-1 decision, suffered a loss, picked up a 10-2 major decision and earned a 7-2 decision. Lehman, who is making his first trip to the national championship, earned All-Central Region honors as he won the 184-pound title. Lehman received a first round bye, picked up a 4-0 decision, won by pinfall in 5:48, earned a 5-1 decision and won by pinfall in 4:38 in the title match. Maclellan, who is making his second trip to the national tournament and the first since 2016, earned All-Central Region honors as he won the 197-pound title. Maclellan won by pinfall in 3:49, earned 6-1 and 7-2 decisions and picked up a 3-1 decision in the title match. Mahaney, who is making his first trip to the national championship, earned All-Central Region honors as he placed third. Mahaney received a first round bye, picked up a 3-0 decision, earned a 17-0 technical fall in 6:45, suffered a loss, picked up a 5-3 decision and won by pinfall in 4:52. Also placing was junior All-OAC 157-pounder Benjamin Hoof (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) as he finished sixth. Hoof received a first round bye, won by pinfall in 2:00, suffered a loss, picked up 5-3 and 6-4 decisions and suffered losses in his final two matches.

Ashland won the Super Region II championship Ashland University wrestling won the NCAA Super Region II championship on Saturday (Feb. 24), its first under fifth-year head coach Josh Hutchens. Five Eagles placed top-four, and will advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, set for March 9-10. Following the tournament, Hutchens was named the 2018 Midwest Region Coach of the Year. Redshirt sophomore Bret Romanzak (ranked No. 3 nationally at 165 pounds), as well as redshirt seniors Jordan Murphy (No. 2 at 184) and Luke Cramer (No. 3 at 197) all won individual regional titles. Murphy and Cramer also won in 2017. Murphy is now 21-0, and is seeking to become the first wrestler in AU history to complete a season as an undefeated national champion. Redshirt sophomore Christian Price (No. 9 at 174) took second place, and junior Lawrance Dudgeon (133) earned fourth, rounding out the group of Eagles who will advance. Cramer defeated the No. 10- and No. 9-ranked wrestlers at his weight class en route to his tournament victory. Murphy beat No. 4 and No. 11. Romanzak took out No. 7 and No. 11. The Eagles scored 94.5 team points, edging out second-place Newberry by 1.5. Lake Erie placed third with 91 points. In the previous four super regionals under Hutchens, Ashland finished second in both 2016 and 2017, third in 2015 and fourth in 2014. AU took sixth at nationals in Birmingham, Ala., last season, its best effort since taking fourth in 2002. Murphy and Cramer garnered their first All-American honors, placing sixth and third, respectively. Michael Labry, a 133-pound senior in 2017, won the program's first individual national title since Corey Kline was a champion in 1996.

Sam Bennyhoff celebrates after winning his third regional title (Photo/David Peterson, Minnesota/USA Wrestling) MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 2-ranked Augsburg University wrestling team claimed an NCAA Division III regional title for the 16th straight year, qualifying individuals in seven weight classes to the national championships at the NCAA Upper Midwest Regional, completed on Saturday at Si Melby Hall. THE BASICS FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1. Augsburg (Minn.) 147.0; 2. Wisconsin-La Crosse 128.0; 3. Wisconsin-Whitewater 93.0; 4. Wisconsin-Stevens Point 79.0; 5. Elmhurst (Ill.) 78.5; 6. Wisconsin-Platteville 77.0; 7. Wheaton (Ill.) 66.0; 8. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 65.5; 9. Wisconsin-Oshkosh 53.5; 10t. Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) 49.5; 10t. University of Chicago (Ill.) 49.5; 12t. Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.) 32.5; 13t. Saint John's (Minn.) 19.5; 13t. St. Olaf (Minn.) 19.5; 15. Concordia-Wisconsin 9.5; 16. Pacific (Ore.) 5.5; 17. Lakeland (Wis.) 0.0. LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis HOW IT HAPPENED • Augsburg, ranked No. 2 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national poll, won the 17-team regional with 147.0 points. Augsburg has won the team title in its NCAA regional every year since starting regional competition in the 2002-03 season. • With its seven national tournament qualifiers -- including five first-year competitors -- Augsburg has had seven or more national tournament qualifiers in 15 of the last 16 seasons. Augsburg had three regional champions, two runners-up and two third-place finishers. The top three finishers in each weight class qualify for the national tournament. • Augsburg Head Coach Jim Moulsoff was named Co-West Region Coach of the Year, sharing the honor with Wisconsin-La Crosse's Dave Malacek, while Augsburg's Tony Valek was named West Region Assistant Coach of the Year by his coaching peers. • Sam Bennyhoff (JR, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS), ranked No. 4 nationally at 133, will compete in his third straight national tournament, after winning the regional title for the third straight year. Now 32-5 on the season, Bennyhoff claimed an 8-5 victory over Josh Stenger of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the semifinals, then topped No. 5-ranked Anthony Munoz of Elmhurst (Ill.) in the finals, his second win over Munoz this season. Bennyhoff is now 90-21 on his career with 17 pins, 15 technical falls and 25 major decisions. • Top-ranked 157-pounder Ryan Epps (SO, Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls HS) extended his winning streak to 22 straight matches with two victories on Saturday to claim the regional title and a national tournament berth for the second straight year. He scored a 5-4 win over Grant Zamin of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the semifinals, then beat No. 3-ranked Mark Choinski of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the finals. Epps is now 38-1 on the season and 70-8 in his career with 12 pins, six technical falls and 11 major decisions. • Lucas Jeske (SO, St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS), ranked No. 2 nationally at 165, earned his second straight regional title and national tournament bid with his regional title, improving to 35-1 on the season. On Saturday, he scored a 5:27 pin of Chase Schmidt of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the semifinals. He claimed the regional title on a medical forfeit. Jeske is now 59-9 in his collegiate career with 27 pins, five technical falls and 11 major decisions. • At 125, Victor Gliva (SO, Farmington, Minn./Farmington HS) reached the finals with a 12-3, major-decision win over No. 8-ranked Mike Tortorice of Wisconsin-Whitewater, but dropped a 9-5 decision to No. 4-ranked Carlos Feuntez of Wheaton (Ill.), named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler by coaches, in the finals. Advancing to his second straight national tournament, Gliva is now 28-6 on the season and 60-13 in his career, with 15 pins, six technical falls and 13 major decisions. He earned All-American honors with an eighth-place national finish last year. • Tanner Vassar (SO, Maple Lake, Minn./Maple Lake HS) finished second at 174 pounds to earn his first trip to the national tournament. In the semifinals, he scored a 7-5 win over Sawyer Massie of Wisconsin-La Crosse, but suffered a 5-0 loss to No. 7-ranked Jon Goetz of Wisconsin-Platteville in the finals. Vassar is now 32-8 on the season and 64-18 with 20 pins, six technical falls and six major decisions in his career. • David Flynn (SO, Jordan, Minn./Jordan HS (Scott West)), ranked No. 2 nationally at 141, finished third in the weight class at the regional, earning his second straight national tournament trip. He was upset 9-4 by Hayden Schlough of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the semifinals, but rallied with a 12-2 major decision win over Chaise Hauck of Chicago (lll.) and a 6-4 win over No. 4-ranked Devin Tortorice of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the third-place match. An All-American after finishing third nationally last year, Flynn is now 19-4 on the season, 43-9 in his Augsburg career and 71-23 in his collegiate career. • Alex Wilson (JR, Oak Grove, Minn./St. Francis HS), ranked No. 3 nationally at 149, will compete in his first national tournament, after finishing third in his weight class. In the semifinals, he suffered a 5-2 loss to Spencer Nevills of Wisconsin-La Crosse, but came back with a 15-5 major decision win over Luke Smiley of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, then topped Concordia-Moorhead's Ty Johnson for the third time this season, a 6-0 win in the third-place match. Wilson is now 31-5 on the season and 89-29 in his career with 24 pins, nine technical falls and 17 major decisions. • Three Auggies saw their seasons come to an end on Saturday. At 184, senior Sebastian Larson (SR, River Falls, Wis./River Falls HS), a national tournament qualifier in 2016, finished fourth. On Saturday, he scored a 5-0 win over Luke Dodd of Saint John's and a 2-1 win over Colten Cashmore of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the wrestlebacks, but dropped a 7-2 decision to No. 10-ranked Dan Squires of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in the third-place match. He finished his senior season at 27-10 and his career at 86-55 with eight pins, five technical falls and 13 major decisions. • No. 9-ranked 197-pounder Lance Benick (FY, Fridley, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) ended his first Auggie campaign with a fourth-place regional finish. He lost a 7-3 decision to Ramsey Bloy of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the semifinals, then edged Cody Meyer of Wisconsin-Platteville 8-7 to reach the third-place match. But he suffered a 2:30 pin to No. 4-ranked Wesley Schultz of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the third-place match. Benick, a transfer from Division I Arizona State, finished his season at 11-5. • Heavyweight Ethan Hofacker (SO, Spring Valley, Wis./Spring Valley HS) suffered a 6-1 loss to Will Hare of the University of Chicago (Ill.) in the wrestlebacks, finishing his season with 10 wins. He has 29 wins in his Auggie career. UP NEXT • The seven Auggie qualifiers will compete at the NCAA Division III National Championships, to be held March 9-10 at the Cleveland Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio.

California Baptist won the Super Region IV title LAS VEGAS, N.M. -- For the second year in a row, No. 4-ranked California Baptist University won the NCAA Division II Super Region IV Championship, with three Lancers winning individual titles and six advancing to the NCAA Division II Championship. CBU won its second team championship with 114.5 points, just edging out second-place University of Nebraska at Kearny by 3.5 points (111.0 points). Adams State took third with 90 points. Andrew Schulte (141 pounds), Daxton Gordon (149 pounds) and Nolan Kistler (174 pounds) led the Lancers, each winning individual titles. "Winning at the individual and team levels just means that we have something special on this team," said Kistler. "It legitimatizes all the hard work and extra hours we've committed to the sport. It demonstrates a coaching staff that leads its team to win and finally, it is gives the whole team confidence going into finals knowing that God is with us and has blessed this program." Fifteen seconds into the championship bout against Brock Thumm (Chadron State), Schulte grabbed a takedown to take an early lead. He went into the third with a 6-4 cushion and finished strong with another takedown to win the championship with an 8-4 decision. "What's important to me individually is knowing I give my best efforts in any circumstances," said Schulte. "And I approach the team victory with a grateful heart. I feel extremely blessed to be able to compete next to such admirable young men." Gordon, who ranks fifth in D-II at 149, knew he would be in for a battle as he took on fourth-ranked Efe Osaghae of Fort Hays State. Osaghae tied it up 4-4 early in the third with a takedown, but Gordon broke through the hold with 38 seconds left and held on for the 5-4 victory. Second-ranked Kistler kept up his domination with his 16th-straight victory in the championship bout. He grabbed a takedown early and finished with a 4-1 decision, only allowing Western State Colorado's Brandon Supernaw, who ranks third at 174, a point from an escape. Third-ranked Nick Fiegener took second at 184 pounds, battling to a sudden death 3-1 defeat. When time expired in the third, Fiegener and Colorado State-Pueblo's JaVaughn Perkins were even 1-1, but it was Perkins who would get the first takedown in overtime to win the bout. Fourth-ranked Christian Smith grabbed a spot on the podium at 165 pounds after winning the third-place bout in dominating fashion. He opened the day with a 10-4 decision over Mason Thompson (Central Oklahoma) to advance to the third-place match. Smith capped the day with a 14-6 major decision over Jason Buhr (Colorado Mesa). Sixth-ranked Garrett Strang also earned himself a ticket to the D-II championship by finishing in fourth in the 197-pound bracket. He opened the day with a pin in 6:18 to advance to the third-place match. Strang dropped the bout 6-1, but pinned Trey Schlender (Nebraska-Kearney) in 2:07 to secure fourth place and a trip to the NCAA championship. Zach Schrader just missed out on qualifying, taking fifth overall in the heavyweight bracket. He opened the day by dropping a close 3-1 decision, but bounced back with a 6-3 decision over Rulon Taylor (Chadron State) to advance to the fourth-place match. Adam Velasquez battled in the 133-pound consolation bracket, but ultimately had to drop out due to injury. The six Lancers will look to build on last year's third-place finish at the D-II Championship, held March 9-10 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

St. Cloud State won its second straight regional title The No. 1-ranked St. Cloud State University wrestling team captured its second consecutive NCAA Division II Super 3 Regional title before a packed house in Halenbeck Hall on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Huskies dominated the team scoring with 161 points, while McKendree was second with 129 followed by third place Upper Iowa at 99. The remainder of the field included Minnesota State (95.5), Lindenwood (72), Augustana (65.5), Maryville (42.5), Southwest Minnesota State (42.5), Minnesota State Moorhead (40.5), Mary (34.5), Minot State (27), Central Missouri (22), Northern State (20), Truman State (14) and Drury (7). St. Cloud State gained its top spot with a stellar showing in all 10 weight brackets. SCSU will send all 10 of its wrestlers to the upcoming NCAA Division II national championships that will be held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on March 9-10. The group was led by Regional champions Brett Velasquez at 125, James Pleski at 149 and Vince Dietz at 197. SCSU wrestlers to place second at the regional included Jarred Oftedahl at 141 and Tyree Overton at 184. Third place finishers for the Huskies at the Regional included Adam Hedin (133), Devin FitzPatrick (165), Kolton Eischens (174) and Lawrence Phillips (285). Larry Bomstad also qualified for another trip to the NCAAs with a fourth-place finish at 157. The complete results for the Huskies at the NCAA Division II Super 3 Regional are listed below. Of note, this will mark the third consecutive trip to the NCAA championships for Velasquez and Bomstad. Pleski and Oftedahl both qualified for their first NCAA appearance in 2017, while SCSU wrestlers making their first trip to nationals include Dietz, Hedin, FitzPatrick, Eischens, Overton and Phillips. SCSU has now won the NCAA DII Super 3 Regional title in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2018. The Huskies won the NCAA championship in 2015 and 2016 and finished as the runner-up at the nationals in 2017, 2013, 2012 and 2011. The seven-time defending NSIC champions, SCSU finished the 2017-18 season with a perfect 19-0, 8-0 NSIC record.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- (Preliminary Brackets - PDF) Preliminary brackets for the 2018 NAIA Wrestling National Championships have been released, the national office announced Friday. The first of four sessions, spanning two days at the Jacobson Exhibition Center in Des Moines, Iowa, begins Friday, March 2 at 10 a.m. CST. The brackets are subject to change and are not considered official until ratified by the NAIA-Wrestling Coaches' Association Bracketing Committee. Official brackets are planned for release on Monday, February 26, on www.naia.org. For additional information on the national championships, click here.

Nathan Butler is ranked No. 8 at heavyweight (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) SAN FRANCISCO -- Stanford's Nathan Butler was named the Pac-12 Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2017-18 season, the Conference office announced today. The award, which is presented in each of the 24 sports the Pac-12 sponsors, was established to honor collegiate student-athletes that are standouts both academically and in their sports discipline. Butler, who hails from Leavenworth, Kan., becomes the fifth Cardinal to be named Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for wrestling. He carries a 3.54 grade point average as a Computer Science major. A three-time NWCA Academic All-America selection, Butler has posted a 23-6 record this season. The Cardinal team captain is ranked nationally at No. 8 (285 pounds) by InterMat and has posted a career record that stands at 102-35. Butler and his fellow Cardinal will compete at the Pac-12 Wrestling Championships on Sunday at Oregon State's Gill Coliseum. The early rounds of competition will be carried via live-stream on Pac-12 Now and Pac-12.com starting at 10:30 a.m. PT. Pac-12 Networks will cover the championship round live, starting at 6 p.m. PT. Tickets to attend the event are available at beavertickets.com or by calling 800-GO-BEAVS. In order to be eligible for the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50% of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution. Each Pac-12 institution may nominate one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-12 staff members at the conclusion of each sport's regular season. The athletic accomplishments of the nominees are a consideration in the voting for the award. A Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be named in each of the Pac-12's 24 sponsored sports: baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, beach volleyball, men's cross country, women's cross country, football, men's golf, women's golf, women's gymnastics, women's lacrosse, men's rowing, women's rowing, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball, men's swimming & diving, women's swimming & diving, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's track & field, women's track & field, women's volleyball, and wrestling. Also Nominated: Matt Williams, Cal State Bakersfield (3.24, Criminal Justice)

The nation's oldest college wrestling tournament convenes for the first time at Hofstra University. The team title and the individual weight classes are at stake; awards for outstanding wrestler, most career points, and best pinner will be presented; the coaches will vote for the best amongst themselves and the officials will vote for the most sportsmanlike team. The EIWA championship tournament is also a qualifier for the NCAA Championships to be held in Cleveland in two weeks. Forty-seven automatic qualifying bids will be locked in; it's the last opportunity for wrestlers not receiving the automatic bids to make their case for the handful of at-large bids to be extended next week. The Big Red of Cornell have now won eleven consecutive team titles. To put that in perspective, their unprecedented run now equals the next two longest streaks combined. The Lehigh Mountain Hawks, seven times a runner-up during this span, look to mount another assault and claim the top spot. Both teams lost multiple stars to graduation after last season, but both have rebuilt through a combination of recruits and roster depth. It's doubtful that any other team can challenge for the team title. Last year Princeton staged a strong contest for second place, but injuries have depleted this year's Tigers' lineup; while they have contenders for several individual titles it appears unlikely that the winning team's colors will be black and orange. Navy fields a veteran squad that could challenge for a high team place; Army's recent upset of the Mids in the Star Dual makes a case for the Black Knights. The Drexel Dragons may have two finalist-level seeds and boast the depth needed to make a strong run. Binghamton and American round out the group that could battle for third and possibly move higher if things break the right way. Below is a weight-by-weight preview. Darian Cruz will look to repeat as EIWA champion and NCAA champion (Photo/Lehigh Athletics) 125 NCAA bids: 1 Defending champion: Darian Cruz, Lehigh Defending EIWA and NCAA champion Darian Cruz returns seeking his third title; he is the only undefeated wrestler in the tournament. Two former 3rd placers, Drexel senior Zach Fuentes and Cornell soph Noah Baughman, seek to pull off the tournament's biggest upset. Other returning placewinners are Army's Trey Chalifoux, 5th (has a win over Fuentes), and Princeton's Matteo DeVincenzo, 8th. Junior Joe Nelson has won Binghamton's starting job but faced only Fuentes amongst the top contenders. Another junior, Harvard's Nolan Hellickson, has enjoyed a sound season. The lightest weight class generally is host to a large influx of newcomers and this year is no exception. The best of the freshmen appear to be Gage Curry, American, who could grab a seed as high as 4th; he has a recent win over Fuentes. Aslan Kilic, Navy (a win over Curry) and Ryan Burns, Sacred Heart round out the rest of the best frosh. 133 NCAA bids: 3 Defending champion: Scott Parker, Lehigh This weight class boasts two returning junior finalists: champ and All-American Parker and 125 runnerup Josh Terao from American. But the top seed should go to Drexel freshman Austin DeSanto, whose fine inaugural season includes a sudden victory win over Terao and the highest rankings in this weight class. Both DeSanto and Parker were injured at the Southern Scuffle but have since returned to action. Any one of the three could find himself on the top step of the podium on Sunday afternoon. Cornell's Chaz Tucker could be the best of the rest. A junior, he's a former Top 50 recruit who missed his first two seasons with injuries. A defensive specialist, he keeps things close and winnable. Binghamton's Jacob Nicholson looks to place in his second and final tournament. The best of the freshmen appear to be Army's Lane Peters, Navy's Cody Trybus, and Penn's Gianni Ghionne. 141 NCAA bids: 4 Returning champion: None Spend some time learning to pronounce Diakomilhalis because you'll be hearing it a lot over the next fewyears. Yianni D. justified his high recruiting ranking by stepping right into Cornell's lineup and has lost just once. The other top seeds will probably go to Bucknell senior Tyler Smith, a 2-time placewinner, and Lehigh freshman Luke Karam. Navy junior Nicholas Gil rounds out the top four; he placed 6th two years ago. Other returning placewinners are Pat D'Arcy of Princeton, a placer at 125 and 133 who's trying his luck at 141 for the first time; Hofstra's Vinny Vespa, 5th at 133 last year; and Harvard's AJ Jaffe, 7th last year. American will send frosh Kizhan Clarke; Binghamton junior Joe Russ seized the Bearcats' starting job; two other talented freshmen are Drexel's Julian Flores and F&M's Brett Kulp. 149 NCAA bids: 4 Returning champion: Matthew Kolodzik, Princeton (141) Sophomore Kolodzik, last year's 141 champ and A/A, moves up and tops this deep weight class. He's the highest-ranked wrestler at this weight but not invincible, as Brown soph Zach Krause demonstrated in a dual four weeks ago. The other top seeds probably go to three juniors: American's Michael Sprague (looking to improve from 5th last year), Lehigh's Cortlandt Schuyler (who has a win over Sprague), and Cornell's Will Koll (who joined the starting lineup in January and has a win over Schuyler). At press time Navy hadn't decided between senior Corey Wilding and soph Jared Prince; either fits right in with that group. Others in contention for medals (in no particular order) include Harvard soph Hunter Ladnier, a surprise runner-up last year; Binghamton junior Frank Garcia; Brown's Krause, of course; senior Jacob Macalolooy of Columbia, 8th last year; either Drexel frosh Trevor Elfvin (with a win over Schuyler) or fellow frosh Evan Barczak; and Penn senior Joe Oliva. The blood round is the second consolations and some good wrestlers won't advance to the medals. 157 NCAA bids: 6 Returning champion: None This weight has many contenders but no clear favorite. Princeton junior Mike D'Angelo, 3rd last year, is at the head of the rankings, closely followed by senior Markus Scheidel of Columbia. D'Angelo recently won their dual matchup in overtime; Scheidel is a 3-time placewinner and the runner-up back in 2014. Next is probably Drexel senior Garett Hammond (a transfer from Penn State who went down with an injury early last year), followed by 3-time placer Zack Davis of Navy; Brown senior Justin Staudenmayer, 5th two years ago; and Lehigh junior Ian Brown, 7th two years ago. Cornell fans will be watching transfer Fredy Stroker, who joined their team in January. Also in this deep field are freshman Eric Hong of American, soph Lucas Weiland of Army, soph Tristan Rifanburg of Binghamton, freshman Brock Wilson of Harvard, senior Joe Velliquette of Penn, and Sacred Heart's Paul Klee. As with 149, some good wrestlers won't be on the podium. 165 NCAA bids: 6 Returning champion: None The class boasts a veteran field and, once again, no clear favorite. The top four appear to be Princeton senior Jonathan Schleifer, a 2-time 5th placer, down from 174; Cornell junior Jon Jay Chavez, a former Top 50 recruit in his first full season; Lehigh's unpredictable junior Gordon Wolf, 5th at 174 two years ago; and Penn's May Bethea, up from 157 where he was 6th in 2016. Bethea is on a run of twelve straight victories, including one in sudden victory over Schleifer, and has never looked better. Not to be left out are two more seniors: Army's Andrew Mendel, 3rd and 5th the past two years; and Navy's Drew Daniels, 5th last year. Also seeking hardware are junior Jon Viruet of Brown, 6th last year; Binghamton senior Vincent DePrez; Bucknell junior DJ Hollingshead, down from 174; and soph Ebed Jarrell of Drexel, also down from 174. 174 NCAA bids: 5 Former Champion: Jadeen Bernstein, Navy (2015) Returning champion: Brandon Womack (165) The top three at 174 are probably former champ and 3-time placewinner Bernstein of Navy; last year's 165-pound champ and A/A Brandon Womack, a junior from Cornell; and last year's top seed at 157, soph Jordan Kutler from Lehigh. Kutler has the highest ranking, Bernstein has the title at this weight, Womack has the more recent title. Kutler has beaten Womack; Bernstein has not wrestled the other two. One notch down but looking to move up are 3-time 4th placer Tyler White of Columbia; 2-time placer Josef Johnson of Harvard; last year's 7th placer, Ben Harvey of Army, who just edged Bernstein in the dual with Navy; 2-time 7th-placer Austin Rose of Drexel, up from 165; and 8th-placer Anthony Lombardo of Binghamton. Freshman Bryce Rogers of Brown and soph Sage Heller of Hofstra are also in the hunt for medals. 184 NCAA bids: 7 Returning champion: None Cornell freshman Max Dean, brother of 4-time EIWA and 2-time NCAA champ Gabe, will try to keep the family dynasty alive at 184. Ranked ahead of him is Lehigh junior Ryan Preisch, up from 165 and 174 where he earned 3rd- and 2nd-place medals, respectively. Preisch missed close to two months with a mid-season injury, missing a highly-anticipated matchup with Dean; he hopes to regain top form in time for the tournament. Also aiming to claim the big trophy are Navy senior Michael Coleman, runner-up last season who has lost to Dean; and 3-time placer Steve Schneider of Binghamton. Additional returning placewinners are seniors Alex DeCiantis, Drexel, 6th; Joe Heyob, Penn, 7th; and Harvard's Kanon Dean (cousin of Cornell's duo), 8th. Three more EIWA wrestlers have been in the national rankings: they are Brown junior Christian LaFragola, who owns a win over Coleman; Army soph Noah Stewart; and Bucknell soph Drew Phipps (who has very quietly posted wins over Stewart, LaFragola, and Harvard's Dean). 197 NCAA bids: 6 Defending champion: Frank Mattiace, Penn Be forewarned about the third of Cornell's standout freshmen, Ben Darmstadt; if you look away during one of his contests you might miss something you'll regret not seeing. Thirteen times this season he's pinned an opponent in the first period. Last year's champ, Frank Mattiace of Penn, is the only wrestler with a win over Darmstadt this season; in a recent re-match the Big Red came out on top. Princeton's Patrick Brucki has drawn support in the rankings for much of the year and upset Mattiace two weeks ago. Then there's American senior Jeric Kasunic, a 2-time placewinner who rides a 20-match winning streak into Hempstead and is ranked high in the national polls. Bucknell's Tom Sleigh, runner-up a year ago, was injured in his first action in November and will not return for this tournament. Others wishing to make a statement include Army junior Rocco Caywood, 6th last year and the owner of a pin of Darmstadt, accomplished early last season; and Navy senior Steban Cervantes, 8th a year ago. Drexel junior Stephen Loiseau, fifth among EIWA ranked 197s, seeks his first medal. Hofstra junior Nezar Haddad needs to pull an upset or two to stand on the podium in his home arena. Lehigh freshman Chris Weiler (wins over Kasunic, Loiseau, and Caywood) recently claimed the starting spot for the Mountain Hawks. 285 NCAA bids: 5 Defending champion: Garrett Ryan, Columbia Two-time placewinner Mike Hughes of Hofstra returns from a year layoff to top the rankings among EIWA grapplers; he would dearly love to win a title at home as a senior. Blocking his path is defending champ Ryan, another two-time placewinning senior. In between the two stands Jordan Wood, the third of Lehigh's top freshmen. Hughes has a win over Ryan; neither has wrestled Wood. Two placewinners return from the 2016 tournament: juniors Antonio Pelusi of Franklin & Marshall, 5th, and Jeramy Sweany, Cornell, 6th. American senior Brett Dempsey and Brown junior Ian Butterbrodt have appeared in the rankings. Princeton soph Christian Araneo, who missed five weeks following a December injury, makes his first appearance at EIWAs, as does Army plebe Robert Heald. Navy is still deciding between senior Austin Faunce and soph Andrew Piehl. For those looking ahead, the 115th EIWA tournament will be held at the Events Center, home of the Bearcats of Binghamton University, on March 8-9, 2019.

You're never too young to win an NCAA title. There has been no shortage of freshmen who captured national titles on college wrestling's biggest stage. And last year was no exception. Vincenzo Joseph and Mark Hall won 2017 NCAA titles during their freshman seasons at Penn State. Hall did it as a true freshman after winning numerous age-group world championships in freestyle wrestling. Hall is a prime example of the recent trend where more freshmen have legitimate shots at climbing the top step of the medal podium on their first try. With wrestlers excelling at even younger ages now, in large part because of having more opportunities to compete internationally, freshmen annually are contenders for NCAA championships each March. There are 17 freshmen ranked in the nation's top 12 in their respective weight classes, including seven ranked in the top five. So don't be surprised if a freshman wins it all again to end this season in Cleveland in 2018. Here is a look at my list of the top 10 freshmen entering the NCAA postseason. Spencer Lee gets his hand raised (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) 1. Spencer Lee (Iowa, 125) Iowa's decision to pull the ultra-talented Lee out of his redshirt has paid big dividends so far. Lee, a two-time Junior world champion and a Cadet world champion, has already earned his share of huge wins for the Hawkeyes. He knocked off 2015 NCAA champion and top-ranked Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State. He also teched 2017 NCAA runner-up Ethan Lizak of Minnesota. Lee is in a very tough 125-pound class, but he definitely should be in the mix to win his first national title. Lee, ranked third nationally, obviously knows how to deliver when the stakes are highest. He's an entertaining wrestler to watch and he has a dynamic, engaging personality as well. Cornell true freshman Yianni Diakomihalis is ranked No. 3 at 141 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 2. Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell, 141) Diakhomihalis came to Cornell with outstanding credentials, and he hasn't disappointed with his performance so far in college. He won four New York state high school titles and a pair of Cadet world titles before arriving on the Cornell campus in Ithaca. Diakhomihalis has made an immediate splash at the Division I level. He beat Wyoming All-American Bryce Meredith, who is now ranked No. 1, in overtime en route to winning the Cliff Keen title in Las Vegas. Diakhomihalis is ranked third at 141 pounds. Alex Marinelli gets in on a shot against Minnesota's Nick Wanzek (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) 3. Alex Marinelli (Iowa, 165) It is understandable now why Iowa was so tempted to pull Marinelli out of his redshirt last season, but the decision not to has certainly paid off this season. Marinelli has jumped right into Iowa's lineup and wrestled like a seasoned veteran. His biggest win came when he knocked off No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State. Joseph won the NCAA title as a freshman in 2017. The second-ranked Marinelli is in a loaded weight class that also includes two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez of Illinois. Marinelli has showed a toughness, composure and resolve where he hasn't become too rattled in big matches. 4. Ben Darmstadt (Cornell, 197) Darmstadt has been one of the biggest surprises of the season, ascending to the No. 2 ranking in a weight class that is one of the most wide-open of any collegiate division this season. He burst onto the scene in late December at the South Beach Duals. Unranked at the time, Darmstadt scored two early takedowns and a near fall en route to a stunning 9-0 win over then-No. 2 Willie Miklus of Missouri. Darmstadt won two Ohio state high school titles before being named outstanding wrestler after rolling to a Junior Nationals crown in freestyle. Hayden Hidlay is ranked No. 3 at 157 pounds (Photo/NC State Communications) 5. Hayden Hidlay (North Carolina State, 157) Hidlay is another newcomer who has made an immediate impact during his first collegiate season on the varsity. Hidlay, ranked No. 3 at 157, enters the postseason with a spotless 20-0 record. Hidlay earned a 3-1 overtime win over NCAA runner-up and second-ranked Joey LaVallee of Missouri early in the season. He capped his perfect regular season by downing No. 7 Micah Jordan of Ohio State 6-3. Hidlay is a physical, hard-nosed competitor. 6. Austin DeSanto (Drexel, 133) There isn't a freshman, or any wrestler for that matter, more exciting to watch than the hard-charging DeSanto. The true freshman is on the attack from the first whistle until the last whistle. DeSanto caught everyone's attention early in the season when he routed highly ranked and past Junior world medalist Stevan Micic of Michigan by a 22-10 major decision in Las Vegas. Micic was fourth at the 2017 NCAAs. DeSanto is definitely a wrestler to keep an eye on in the postseason. He's a bonus-point scoring machine and his matches are never boring. 7. Ryan Deakin (Northwestern, 149) Deakin has had a superb rookie season while more than holding his own in one of the Big Ten's toughest weight classes. Deakin nearly knocked off past NCAA runner-up and second-ranked Brandon Sorensen of Iowa in a late-season dual before falling 5-4 in overtime. Deakin, ranked fifth nationally at 149, has beaten past NCAA champion and former Northwestern wrestler Jason Tsirtsis this season. Tsirtsis is now at Arizona State. Deakin also beat No. 10 Colton McCrystal of Nebraska by major decision. Deakin, a Colorado state high school champion, has recorded eight falls this season. He was a Junior world silver medalist for the U.S. in freestyle in 2017. 8. Nick Lee (Penn State, 141) Another true freshman named Lee is making plenty of noise for perennial powerhouse Penn State. Nick Lee jumped into the Nittany Lions' loaded lineup full-time in the second half of the season and is up to No. 8 in the national rankings. His performance will be important as Penn State tries to continue its dominance at the Big Ten and NCAA levels. Lee turned in an impressive 13-3 major decision win over returning All-American Tommy Thorn of Minnesota in late January. Lee enters Big Tens with a 22-4 record. Taylor LaMont won the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 9. Taylor LaMont (Utah Valley, 125) Like Spencer Lee, LaMont is another wrestler who has extensive international experience while competing on numerous USA age-group world teams. LaMont has excelled in Greco-Roman wrestling and is a Junior world medalist. He caught everyone's attention early this season by winning the Cliff Keen title in Las Vegas. The No. 8 seed in Vegas, LaMont knocked off No. 1 Ethan Lizak of Minnesota, a returning NCAA runner-up, en route to capturing the title. 10. Montorie Bridges (Wyoming, 133) Bridges earned a huge mid-season win, scoring six early points on a takedown and near fall en route to holding off All-American and then-No. 3 Kaid Brock of Oklahoma State in a wild 11-10 victory. Bridges has compiled a 29-3 record this season and is ranked No. 7 nationally at 133 pounds. Bridges has the potential to make a significant impact in March. He has benefited by training with teammate and top-ranked 141-pounder Bryce Meredith. Other top freshmen to keep an eye on in Cleveland: Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern, 125), Mike Carr (Illinois, 141), Chad Red (Nebraska, 141), Evan Wick (Wisconsin, 165), Taylor Venz (Nebraska, 184), Max Dean (Cornell, 184), Jordan Wood (Lehigh, 285).

Zack Bigboy, three-time Minnesota state wrestling champion who went on to compete at CSU Bakersfield, died Friday, Feb. 16 in Minneapolis. He was 30. Born Feb. 28, 1987 in Grand Rapids, Minn., Zack Bigboy was a 2004 graduate of Bloomington Kennedy High School. He wrestled all four years for the Eagles, winning three Minnesota state titles. Bigboy finished his high school career with a 140-15 overall record and more than 50 pins. While in high school, Bigboy also competed in national freestyle and Greco-Roman events. Zack Bigboy (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)After graduating from Kennedy, Bigboy headed west to CSU Bakersfield, where he was a starter for the Roadrunners at 125 pounds. "I was distinctly involved in getting Zack Bigboy out to Cal State Bakersfield to wrestle," Michael Fessler, former wrestler and now author of a number of books, including "Faith and Wrestling" and "Icon" told InterMat. "I was the first Minnesota wrestler to wrestle for the program. During my first year there, the program started looking for Minnesota wrestlers, and found Bigboy. I built a relationship with him, hosting him during his visits to the program." "I left Cal State shortly after I decided to forgo my wrestling career," Fessler continued. "However, Bigboy stayed, wrestling there for three years." "From my experience, Zack was a very kind individual who tried to seek out the fun in life." Zack Bigboy's high school coach offered his tribute. "Zack was a person who set goals all the time and then did whatever he had to do to reach those goals," Charles Vavrosky, head wrestling coach at Bloomington Kennedy, told InterMat. "Zack was a three-time state champion and a four-time Bi-State Classic champion. "Kennedy has had 26 state champions and Zack is our only three-time champion." "Zack and Jayson Ness were teammates and they each gained success by pushing each other not only in the high school season but in freestyle and Greco. Zack was an All-American in Fargo in 2004," said Vavrosky. The Ashland (Wis.) Daily Press provided a portrait of Bigboy beyond the wrestling mat. "Zack was an outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing and camping throughout the year," according to the obituary in the Ashland newspaper. "He also liked going to concerts and watching the Packers. He made many life-long friendships with family and friends and he had a special connection with his grandmother, Pearl. He will be remembered for work ethic and dedication to the goals he set for himself." Zack Bigboy is survived by his mother Mary Pero; father Patrick Bigboy Sr.; sister Beth Bigboy; brother Patrick Bigboy Jr.; nieces and nephews, Kaiden, Selena, Connor, Katelyn, Lennen and Caylee; paternal grandmother Pearl Bigboy; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. A traditional service will be held Monday, Feb. 19, 2018 at the Bad River Community Center in Odanah, Wis., with Waawaakeyaash Keller Paap officiating. Burial will follow the service in the Odanah Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the Community Center Sunday at 4:30 p.m., then continue Monday until the hour of service. A Celebration of Life for Zack Bigboy will take place Saturday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. at Everett McClay VFW, 311 West 84th Street, Bloomington. In addition, a GoFundMe page has been set up in Zack Bigboy's honor, to help his family with burial and final expenses.

After a tumultuous season filled with mega-upsets and a hotly contested Big Ten team race, the NCAA regular season limped into its stall with nothing more than a whimper. Though a weekend (relatively) free of drama was disconcerting to some fans, the Pac-12 Championships sit on the horizon, a promising West Coast appetizer for the following weekend's packed menu of conference action. I'll be on the call for the ACC Championships, a tournament that allows me to stay connected to my alma mater, conference and the totality of East Coast wrestling. While the Midwest still hosts the sport's most powerful colleges and universities the success of Penn State, NC State, Virginia Tech, Lehigh and Cornell has reinvigorated East Coast wrestling fans. For a local it's been fun to watch (and celebrate) that progression. The increase in attention for the highly competitive programs on the East Coast certainly helps the growth of the sport, but nothing this season was more powerful than the Fresno State program's immediate success on the mats, and in the stands. The once-shuttered program welcomed an average crowd of more than 4,500 fans for home matches -- testament to how the passion of a community can drive and maintain ANY program, and should be the standard-bearer when it comes to motivating your core population. To your questions … Q: Any initial thoughts on the NCAA Division I qualifier allocations? Mike C. Foley: The Big Ten is nails, improving from 77 to 80. The SoCon took a beating, losing 5 of their 17 qualifiers from last year to land at 12. The EIWA is still more-than-relevant but lost five qualifiers to slump into 42. The MAC was the worst performer, losing 11 spots to go from 36 to 25. (Much had to do with UNI's departure.) The ACC captured five more spots and moved to 34, no doubt propelled by a nice depth of teams. The Pac-12 had some highlights and added a qualifier to close at 22. The EWL gained a spot with 18 overall. The Big 12 also had a massive improvement, moving up seven spots from 38 to 45. (The conference added UNI.) These were all general movements that you might expect year-to-year. The biggest concern is the loss of qualifiers for the SoCon, which is a conference that has schools in need of qualifiers and All-Americans who can propel their programs. Alumni and respective administrations need something to latch onto, and without more qualifiers those opportunities and accomplishments are even more unlikely. Q: I had to laugh week when Mike C. asked you if Missouri could compete with Penn State. It isn't that difficult for Missouri to be undefeated when they have only wrestled one team ranked in the top 7. Which brings up a bigger point. The Big Ten seems to always be overloaded with most of the best wrestling teams in the country. Too bad the Big Ten couldn't be split into an East and West division. As the Big Ten is extremely tough and the win/loss records can be very deceiving compared to wrestlers in other conferences. Just an observation. -- Bruce C. Foley: Bruce bringing the heat this morning! I disagree that his question was that crazy. Why not let Mizzou take on Penn State in a dual meet? That is classic appointment-level TV drama. Undefeated teams squaring off for … oh wait, you're right, as of now dual meets don't mean anything. Assuming our community allows this most basic tribe vs. tribe tradition to pierce the veil of American Exceptionalism I think you'd find the match to be competitive and compelling to fans and outsiders alike. If the national sport can be compelled to make their NCAA Championships into a series, why can't wrestling? Is there a general lack of will? Or are we too scared to POTENTIALLY lose out on one well-attended event a year? Jared Prince reached the semifinals of the Southern Scuffle (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Q: I heard the Navy seniors threatened to boycott the EIWA Championships if Coach Sharratt started Jared Prince (15-3 record) over Corey Wilding (23-7 record) at 149 pounds. Both are solid wrestlers, but Prince seems like the better option. However, it sounds like they are going with Wilding and not using a wrestle-off to decide the postseason starter. Is this true? Or just a rumor? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't have any way of verifying the selection process at Navy. However, with most rumors there is often more to the story than what appears on social media. As the son of a Marine I find it highly unlikely that the head wrestling coach at a military institution would succumb to insubordination, or threats made by senior leadership. I have four brothers and at no point did our joint protests yield anything except extra manual labor on the weekend. I've read the post by Prince's father and, as with all things, there are elements that I'm sure are truthful and some that it would be wise to consume with skepticism. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Snyder Sliding into DM's … kinda This is WILD Link: Russia's doping whistle-blower goes on the lam Gottta Love Bonne Q: I know we are in the heart of folkstyle season, but I have been wondering if you can answer this for me. What exactly happened to Espoir Nationals? I was proud to become a two-time Espoir All-American many years ago in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, I even kind of brag about it professionally as I market my wrestling past in a "get to know me" tidbit for my business. But I notice that the Espoir division is long gone, seems that now a days young wrestlers go from Junior level right into University and Senior thereafter. Was there no need for Espoir internationally as Juniors was expanded in age to meet University minimum age? Any explanation you can provide on the history of these changes would be appreciated if you can respond personally or in your mailbag for all to read. -- Gus V. Foley: In 1997, FILA changed its age levels. The Espoir level was eliminated and the FILA (now UWW) Junior level was adjusted to include wrestlers 17-20 years old. You are a two-time UWW Junior Nationals All-American! United World Wrestling added the U-23 category in 2016 and held the European U-23's, which was then expanded to a U-23 World Championships in 2017. Q: Will NCAA Division I wrestling still exist 20 years from now? If so, what will it look like? -- Matt R. Foley: The NCAA Wrestling Championships will be around in 20 years! My gut tells me that the tournament will be team-based and that women will either have their own NCAA tournament, or will be incorporated into a joint dual team format. The rules? Well, I think that the rules are gravitating towards something closer to freestyle and I wouldn't be shocked to see that trend accelerate. Mark Palmer wrote a great feature on the days of a no-limit heavyweight class. Would you like to see that return? -- Mike C. Foley: No. Seemed like more of a circus sideshow than something meaningful. That said, I do LOVE open weight class tournaments as a stand-alone venture, and would gladly pitch the idea to anyone you know interested in funding it. Q: Iowa weighed in their 197-pounder and forfeited to ISU, giving the Cyclones their only win of the dual meet. Coach Kevin Dresser called it a "chicken-blank move." Do you think he really believes that? Or do you think he's just trying to build some excitement in a rivalry that has not been competitive in years. -- Mike C. Foley: I think that Dresser both believes it and was speaking in a way that he knew would get press. He's a good promoter and has never shied away from the opportunity to speak his truth in front of a camera. Cornell coach Rob Koll at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: I was listening to a podcast with Cornell coach Rob Koll and he said if he's a recruiting a kid and doesn't like the parents, he won't recruit the kid. I thought that was pretty interesting. Thoughts? -- Mike C. Foley: I'd agree. There is always an exception, but for the most part these teenagers are either mimicking their parents (not a good thing in this example), or they would rebel from their parents' teachings and be somewhat difficult to discipline. That's high-minded. The real reason is that no coach wants to take in weekly or daily phone calls with a parent who is less-than-pleasant. When it comes to coaching philosophies, Koll's theories always pique my interest.

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland -- United World Wrestling today announced the signing of a four-year strategic partnership agreement with Nike Wrestling and its global distributor Athlete Performance Solutions (APS). The partnership will start immediately and continue through the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "This is a landmark day for us. Teaming up with Nike means we align with a sport brand that strives for excellence and is committed to international wrestling," said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. "We are looking forward to a great partnership and working with Nike and APS." APS president Eddie Brown added, "It's an honor to partner with the UWW as they continue to modernize and improve the sport of wrestling. Our relationship with the UWW will enable Nike to develop deep connections with the global wrestling community. We look forward to engaging with UWW and their athletes, coaches, officials, and National Federations to help us deliver the wrestling community the newest and most innovative products in the world." The Nike brand will be present at all UWW events and in a range of marketing activities. Nike will also have licensing rights to develop, distribute and sell a range of UWW branded merchandise and event-specific products. About Athlete Performance Solutions Athlete Performance Solutions (www.AthletePS.EU / www.AthletePS.com) is the globally authorized distributor for Nike in several sports including wrestling boxing, weightlifting, fencing, volleyball, rowing, and field hockey. APS also serves as Nike's authorized distributor of Team Basketball for Europe and Russia, the official distributor for Nike in Running and Track and Field in Russia, and as a Nike distributor for the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation). For additional information on Athlete Performance Solutions, please contact us at info@AthletePS.com or via +31 10 340 0277 or +1 503 708 3730.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA has announced the qualifier allocations for the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships as listed in the chart below. Each qualifying tournament was awarded spots per weight class based on current year data. Each wrestler was measured on the following: Division I winning percentage at the weight class; ratings percentage index (RPI); and coaches' ranking. For each wrestler that reached the threshold in at least two of the three categories, his qualifying tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class. Each qualifying tournament, with automatic qualifying status, was awarded a minimum of one wrestler per weight class, which will go to the tournament champion, even if they did not have any wrestlers reach at least two of the three thresholds. NCAA tournament spots for each qualifying event will be awarded at the tournament based solely on place-finish. After all of the qualifying events have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 47 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 6. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers. The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; quality wins; coaches' ranking; results against common opponents; RPI; qualifying event placement; and winning percentage. The coaches' rankings are compiled by a vote of coaches representing each conference. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. To be eligible for the rankings, wrestlers must have participated in at least five matches against Division I opponents in the weight class and have wrestled within the last 30 days. To be eligible for an RPI ranking, a wrestler must have a minimum of 17 Division I matches at a given weight class. Among the top-ranked wrestlers by the coaches are five former national champions with Darian Cruz of Lehigh (125 pounds), Zain Retherford, Penn State (149), Jason Nolf, Penn State (157), Isaiah Martinez, Illinois (165) and Bo Nickal, Penn State (184). The additional top-ranked wrestlers at each weight class in the coaches' rankings are: Seth Gross, South Dakota State (133), Bryce Meredith, Wyoming (141), Zahid Valencia, Arizona State (174), Jared Haught, Virginia Tech (197) and Adam Coon, Michigan (heavyweight). In the RPI, top-ranked wrestlers include: Taylor Lamont, Utah Valley (125 pounds), Stevan Micic, Michigan (133), Jaydin Eierman, Missouri (141), Brandon Sorensen, Iowa (149), Joshua Shields, Arizona State (157), Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State (165), Valencia (174), Myles Martin, Ohio State (184), Michael Macchiavello, NC State (197) and Coon (heavyweight). Zahid Valencia and Adam Coon are the only two wrestlers ranked first in both the coaches' ranking and the RPI. The 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships takes place at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland March 15-17. Wrestling fans can buy and sell official tickets through the NCAA Ticket Exchangeâ„¢. This gives ticket holders who are unable to attend a session a place to safely sell their tickets. Buyers can also get their tickets knowing the tickets are authentic and guaranteed, visit http://www.ncaa.com/tickets/wrestling/d1 for more information. A full description of the entire selection process is in the 2018 Division I Wrestling Championships Pre-Championships Manual which is available at NCAA.org.

Tab Thacker (Photo/NWHOF) In a season loaded with upsets, the outcome of the Coon-Snyder bout may the biggest ... and not just because they're big men. On Sunday, Feb. 12, Michigan heavyweight Adam Coon upset defending NCAA champ -- and 2016 Olympic gold medalist -- Kyle Snyder of Ohio State, 3-1, in a dual meet between the two Big Ten schools in Ann Arbor. It was Snyder's first collegiate loss in nearly three years. The outcome of that match unleashed big-time discussion on wrestling websites and on social media, with many of the comments addressing the significant weight difference between the two men: Coon, tipping the scales at 280 pounds ... while Snyder weighed 225. On Twitter, ElevenWarriors.com -- which describes itself as "where Ohio State fans gather" -- used a graffic to illustrate the 55-pound weight difference between the two heavyweights, stating, "Snyder was essentially wrestling up seven weights." (The post immediately followed with "He won't make excuses for this loss and knows he has a challenge ahead of him.") In college wrestling, the heavyweight weight class has the greatest difference from lightest acceptable weight to the upper limit. The range -- 183 pounds up to 285 -- is a span of 102 pounds. (The other weight classes have a differential of 8-10 pounds ... meaning there's less discrepancy in the actual weights of any two 149-pound wrestlers, for example.) Today's top limit of 285 pounds hasn't always been in place. Some readers may remember it was once 275 pounds. However, prior to thirty years ago, there was no top weight limit in college wrestling. In fact, the uppermost weight was called "unlimited" because it had no upper limit. Up until 1987, a heavyweight could weigh in at 300 or 400 or more pounds, and wrestle guys literally half his weight. (It happened.) InterMat thought the time was right to take a look back at the era when some college heavyweights tipped the scales at 100 or more pounds than, say, Adam Coon or other current big men who compete towards the top of today's 285-pound limit. Jimmy Jackson (Photo/NWHOF) Meet some of the biggest big men in past NCAA finals If you think NCAA heavyweight champs couldn't be any bigger than, say, Brock Lesnar, Stephen Neal, Steve Mocco, Cole Konrad or Dustin Fox -- guys who weighed in at 265-285 pounds in their collegiate prime -- think again. A number of college heavyweights -- including a handful of NCAA heavyweight finalists of the "unlimited" era -- weighed in at 300 or more pounds, including George Bollas of Ohio State in the 1940s ... Ithaca College's Bob Marella in the late 1950s ... Chris Taylor of Iowa State and Oklahoma State's Jimmy Jackson in the 1970s ... and Tab Thacker of North Carolina State in the mid 1980s. George Bollas: Long before Tommy Rowlands and Kyle Snyder won heavyweight titles for the Buckeyes, there was George Bollas, crowned champ at "unlimited" at the 1946 NCAAs. No, he wasn't the first Ohio State heavyweight champ -- George Downes earned that distinction at the 1940 NCAAs -- but Bollas still ranks as the heftiest Buckeye mat champ. Nicknamed "the Dreadnaught" (as in "huge ship"), Bollas stood 5'10" and weighed in at 325 pounds. A two-time Big Ten champ (1945, 1946), Bollas won the heavyweight title at the '46 Nationals at Oklahoma State by pinning conference rival Morris Chitwood of Indiana at 14:11 in the finals. Bollas went on to a pro wrestling career as the "Zebra Kid" for the stretch marks on his body. Bollas passed away in 1977 at age 53. Bob MarellaBob Marella: Most amateur wrestling fans may not recognize the birth name of this super-sized collegian of the late 1950s ... but Bob Marella made a name for himself as a long-time pro wrestler and WWE commentator Gorilla Monsoon. The 6'5", 350-pound Marella wrestled for Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y. (also hometown for Cornell University). He made it to the heavyweight finals of the 1959 NCAAs, taking on Ted Ellis of Oklahoma State (who weighed approximately 100 pounds less than Marella). At the end of regulation, the score was 1-1, but in overtime, the Cowboy beat Marella 2-0 to take the title. Marella died in 1999 from complications from diabetes. He was 62. Chris Taylor (Photo/NWHOF)Chris Taylor: A native of Dowagiac, Mich., Taylor made a huge impression in U.S. college wrestling in the early 1970s at Iowa State. Affectionately known as "the Gentle Giant", Taylor stood 6'5" and weighed in at anywhere between 410-450 pounds during his time as a Cyclone, according to the Des Moines Register. A two-time Big Eight champ in 1972 and 1973, Taylor won national titles those same two years. At the 1972 NCAAs, Taylor took on Greg Wojciechowski, the powerfully-built 255-pound defending champ for the University of Toledo ... and got a 6-1 victory and the title. A year later at the Nationals, Taylor pinned Oregon State's Jim Hagen -- who weighed just 185 pounds, according to the Chattanoogan newspaper -- at 4:19 to claim his second NCAA crown. Taylor made a name for himself on the international stage as well, winning a bronze medal in freestyle at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Taylor later became a professional wrestler but his career was cut short by injuries. In 1979 Taylor passed away due to cardiovascular complications at age 29. Jimmy Jackson: This Michigander had a larger-than-life mat career at Oklahoma State in the late 1970s, compiling an 88-9-2 overall record (with 44 falls) with three Big Eight titles and three national crowns. The 6'6", 370-pound Jackson earned his first NCAA title in 1976 by defeating Greg Gibson of the University of Oregon, 5-3, in the finals. At the 1977 NCAA finals, Jackson scored a 9-2 victory over previous national heavyweight champ Larry Bielenberg of Oregon State ... while at the 1978 NCAAs, the Cowboy big guy pinned Princeton's John Sefter at 1:12 in the finals. Jackson died at age 51 of diabetes and congestive heart failure in 2008. Tab Thacker (Photo/NWHOF)Tab Thacker: Talmadge Layne Thacker was about as big as his birth name. There appears to be disagreement as to how tall Thacker was -- 6'4" or 6'5" -- and how much he weighed (reports vary between 400-450 pounds; the New York Times pegged him precisely at 447.5 pounds). As North Carolina State heavyweight, Thacker earned four Atlantic Coast Conference crowns and compiled a 92-11-1 record. At the 1984 NCAAs, Thacker defeated Nebraska's Gary Albright -- 6'3" and over 300 pounds in college -- 3-1 in the finals to win a national title. Actor-turned-director Clint Eastwood saw Thacker in action in college, and cast him in the movie City Heat. Thacker went on to star in a number of movies, including the Goldie Hawn comedy Wildcats, as well as the Policy Academy series. Thacker died in 2007 at age 45 from complications caused by diabetes; both of his legs had been amputated. His NCAA finals rival Gary Albright also died young, at age 36, of a heart attack while in the professional wrestling ring. Not all big men were invincible The possibility of one heavyweight tipping the scales at twice the weight of an opponent in the same weight class is now the stuff of history books. However, even back in time, it wasn't always the bigger man who got the win. Sometimes Goliath fell ... or perhaps left the mat with a not-so-satisfying tied score. There's the classic early 1980s photo of 218-pound Lou Banach of Iowa tangling with 450-pound Tab Thacker of North Carolina State. Believe it or not, Banach pinned Thacker in the quarterfinals of the 1982 NCAAs. And ... yes, Chris Taylor managed to compile an impressive 87-0-1 record during his time at Iowa State. The guy who managed to put that tie on the supersized Cyclone's record? Oklahoma's Bill Struve, who, at 6' and 250 pounds, was hardly small ... except compared to Taylor. In the unlimited era, not all heavyweight champs were this hefty Since the first NCAA wrestling championship in 1928, heavyweight champs have come in all shapes and sizes. Muscular. Slender. Beefy. And, yes, some resembled the Pillsbury Doughboy. Years ago, I posted a couple feature articles asking "How much do college heavyweights weigh?" for a now-defunct online news service. I had managed to find height and weight info for NCAA champs in the unlimited weight class from 1928-1960 ... as well as national titleholders at 285 since 2000. Looking at the weights of the old-school champs from the unlimited bracket up until 1960, most tipped the scales between 190 and 228 pounds. A handful of titlewinners weighed in at 240 pounds or more. In addition to George Bollas at 325, the others in the upper weight range include Minnesota's Butch Levy (1941 champ, 240 pounds), Oklahoma State's Dick Hutton (1947-48, 1950 champ, 245 lbs.), Oklahoma State's Ted Ellis (1959 champ, 245-260 lbs.), and Oklahoma's Dale Lewis (1960-61 champ, 245 lbs.). As for the champs since 2000 ... the wrestlers tend to fall into two general weight groups. There are the lighter-heavies who came in at the 220-245-pound range (Tommy Rowlands, Mark Ellis, David Zabriskie, Tony Nelson, Nick Gwiazdowski, and Kyle Snyder) ... and the heftier-heavies who actually weighed 260-285 pounds (Brock Lesnar, John Lockhart, Steve Mocco, Cole Konrad, Dustin Fox, and Zack Rey). Diving a bit deeper ... in 2010, the NCAA made available the actual weigh-in weights for the 33 wrestlers competing at the 285-pound weight class. The NCAA reported that the actual weights ranged from 223.6 pounds for Nathan Everhart of Indiana University, all the way up to 270.4 pounds for Northern Iowa's Christian Brantley of University -- a nearly 48-pound differential between lightest and heftiest. (Three other wrestlers weighed in within two pounds of Brantley ... yet even the biggest men at the 2010 NCAAs all weighed 15 pounds or less than the top limit of 285.) While the range between lightest and heftiest of the heavyweights at the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships was nearly 50 pounds, the difference in weight between the two heavyweight finalists in 2010 ended up being miniscule. According to the NCAA, the 2010 heavyweight champ, David Zabriskie of Iowa State, tipped the scales at 228.2 pounds, while his finals rival, Oklahoma State's Jared Rosholt, weighed in at 229.8... a mere 1 1/2-pound differential. So, in this case, the two Big 12 big men vying for the 2010 heavyweight crown were very evenly matched, weight-wise. And ... 55 pounds lighter than the top limit. So... as you can see, the weight differential among heavyweights isn't always as big as Adam Coon vs. Kyle Snyder (a 55-pound weight difference) ... or, going back 35 years, Lou Banach vs. Tab Thacker (an approximately 220-pound difference in weight).

AUSTIN, Texas -- Today, USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, and FloSports, the innovator in live digital sports and original content, announced that tickets are now available to the general public for Final X at Lehigh as part of the exciting new Final X Series. Final X at Lehigh will be held at Stabler Arena on the campus of Lehigh University, starting at 7 p.m. EST on Saturday, June 23. The event will determine the 2018 U.S. Senior World Teams in men's and women's freestyle wrestling, featuring the nation's best Olympic-caliber athletes in these disciplines. To order tickets, go to the tickets tab on the official Final X website at: www.FinalX.tv Ticket prices, which include a convenience fee, are available in three pricing levels: • VIP seating (on floor and at lower level) for $97.00 • Reserved seating for $71.00 • General Admission seating for $44.50 VIP seating is limited and includes preferred seating, a commemorative fight card, an exclusive credential, and a Final X seat cushion. For groups of 10 or more, please call Ticket Services at 610-758-6611. The first Final X event will be on June 9 at a location to be announced. Final X in State College, Pa., is the second event in the series, set for Rec Hall on June 16. Final X at Lehigh is the third event in the series. For Final X at Lehigh, the top two men's and women's freestyle wrestlers in each of six weight classes will compete in a best-of-three series, with winners earning spots on the U.S. Senior World Team to compete at the 2018 World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Oct. 20-28, 2018. The weight classes assigned to the Final X at Lehigh are: Men's freestyle weight classes (61 kg, 92 kg, 125 kg) Women's freestyle weight classes (50 kg, 53 kg, 57 kg, 65 kg) Athletes must qualify for Final X based upon the approved Trials selection procedures in each style, and 2017 Senior World medalists may advance directly to Final X under certain conditions. Based upon these procedures, if they enter the specified weight class, 2017 World champion Helen Maroulis in women's freestyle (57 kg) and 2017 World bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski in men's freestyle (125 kg) will advance directly to Final X at Lehigh. The qualifying events for Final X are the 2018 U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 26-28, and the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament for men's and women's freestyle, set for Rochester, Minn., May 18-20. FloWrestling will provide exclusive live and on-demand coverage of all three Final X events on FloWrestling.com, as well as across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Roku and Apple TV 4. “Final X is an incredible event for wrestling fans, athletes, and the sport itself, ” FloSports SVP, Global Rights Acquisition Adam Fenn said. “The top American wrestlers will be at their best to compete for a spot on the World Team, and FloWrestling will be beside every mat, capturing the live matches and giving fans the behind-the-scenes footage they can't get anywhere else.” “Stabler Arena is a perfect venue to showcase our nation's top wrestlers battling for spots on Team USA. There will be a first-class event production that will add to the drama and excitement of the wrestling action. Get your tickets now to guarantee the best seating locations,” said USA Wrestling National Events Director Pete Isais. “Final X Lehigh will be an outstanding event that fans will not want to miss.” For more information, visit FinalX.tv, FloWrestling.com or TheMat.com. About FloSports FloSports, the innovator in live digital sports and original content, partners with event rights holders and governing bodies to unlock a world of sports coverage that true fans have been waiting for. Through live streaming of premier events, original video programming, and weekly studio shows, FloSports is growing the sports, the events, the athletes and the fans. Current verticals under the FloSports header are Basketball, MMA, Football, Wrestling, Track, Gymnastics and more. About USA Wrestling USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the sport of wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. USA Wrestling has more than 232,000 members, including athletes, coaches, officials, parents, fans and others who are actively involved in the sport. Its president is Bruce Baumgartner, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender.

Girls wrestling has taken a significant step in the Rocky Mountain State. The Colorado High School Activities Association has approved girls wrestling -- along with boys volleyball and unified bowling -- for pilot seasons, the CHSAA Board of Directors announced Wednesday. This "yes" vote means that these sports have taken the first step -- or, "cleared the first hurdle," to quote the CHSAA announcement -- towards official sanctioning by the organization that oversees high school sports in the state of Colorado. To become a sanctioned sport in Colorado, girls wrestling will need to gain the sport of committees within the CHSAA, including the Classification and League Organizing Committee, the Sports Medicine Committee, the Equity Committee, and the Legislative Council. High school girls wrestling in Colorado will begin its pilot in the winter season of 2018-19. The pilot program will last for two seasons. If the CHSAA's Legislative Council votes in favor of sanctioning the sport, girls wrestling would begin as an official sport in winter 2020-21. "We're really excited about the possibility of these sports offering new opportunities for students across the state," said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bethany Brookens, who oversees the equity committee and the sanctioning of new sports. "We are really trying to reach new populations of students who aren't already participating, with a focus on inclusion." Participation in girls wrestling in Colorado has also grown in recent years. In 2016-17, the first-ever girls-only tournament was held, and that continued in 2017-18. Last season, there were 235 female wrestlers who participated with boys, and even more who participated in girls-only tournaments, according to the CHSAA. Colorado is on its way to becoming the ninth state to officially sanction girls wrestling at the high school level. Right now, Alaska, California, Hawaii, Tennessee, Texas and Washington already have a girls-only competition in their state tournaments. Earlier this month, Georgia and Oregon both approved state championships for girls, to take place in 2019.

While a chunk of states closed the books on 2017-18 this past weekend, the last weekend of February is another busy weekend of postseason competition. Below is a profile of some of the biggest events involving nationally ranked teams. National Prep Championships: No. 1 Blair Academy (N.J.), No. 3 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), No. 16 Malvern Prep (Pa.), and No. 50 Mount St. Joseph's (Md.) feature in this event that will be held on Friday and Saturday at Stabler Arena on the campus of Lehigh University. On the individual side of things, the event is expected to feature five wrestlers ranked either first or second nationally, including the top two at 113 pounds in Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.) and Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.) Illinois State Dual Tournament: Preliminary round matches occurred on Tuesday night across the state to shrink the field from the sixteen teams that won individual regional titles in each division to the eight teams that will compete on Saturday at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington. In Class 3A, No. 29 Oak Park River Forest sits pretty in the upper half of the draw, while No. 4 Montini Catholic and No. 45 Marmion Academy are slated to square off in a lower half-bracket quarterfinal. Central Sectional Masters Tournament (California): The last step of three for qualifying to California's state tournament out of the always loaded central section is the Friday and Saturday at North Bakersfield. In each weight class the top ten finishing wrestlers from a 16-person bracket will qualify to next weekend's state tournament. Three nationally ranked teams are present in this field: No. 6 Buchanan, No. 14 Selma, and No. 37 Clovis. Michigan Team Wrestling Finals: Eight teams qualified in each of four classifications this past Wednesday for the competition to be held this Friday and Saturday in Kalamazoo. Nationally ranked teams Detroit Catholic Central (No. 9), Lowell (No. 48), and Dundee (No. 46) are the top seed and clear favorite in each division. The next two best/most talented teams in the state, Davison and Dakota are seeded fifth and third respectively in Division I. Oklahoma State Wrestling Tournament: While No. 13 Tuttle should walk to the Class 4A title in the event to be held this Friday and Saturday at the State Fairgrounds Arena in Oklahoma City, the battle will be fierce in Class 6A between No. 18 Choctaw and No. 31 Broken Arrow. Tuttle has qualified its full complement of fourteen wrestlers as they seek a 10th straight state title, while Choctaw brings 12 to state (three in preliminary bouts) and Broken Arrow has ten (two in preliminary bouts) for their big-school title battle. Minnesota (individual) Section Tournaments: Two of the state qualification tournaments this Friday and Saturday involve a pair of nationally ranked teams. Keep in mind that in each classification there are eight section tournaments that qualify two wrestlers each. No. 40 Shakopee hosts a section tournament in Class 3A that also includes No. 32 Apple Valley, while No. 30 Anoka hosts one of the other Class 3A section events. No. 33 Kasson-Mantorville and No. 41 Simley are in the same Class 2A section event, which will be held at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Nebraska State Dual Championships: Eight teams in each of the four classifications were selected to compete in this Saturday's event to be hosted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Class A features a pair of ranked teams in No. 44 Lincoln East and No. 49 Kearney Competitions for other ranked teams: No. 2 Bergen Catholic, N.J. -- competes in regional tournament (state qualification event) tonight, Friday, and Saturday at Mt. Olive No. 5 St. Paris Graham, Ohio -- hosts sectional tournament on Friday and Saturday No. 7 Lake Highland Prep, Fla. -- competes in regional tournament (state qualification event) on Friday and Saturday at George Jenkins No. 8 St. Edward, Ohio -- competes in sectional tournament on Saturday at Westlake No. 10 Poway, Calif. -- competes in San Diego Section masters tournament (state qualification event) on Friday and Saturday at Olympian No. 11 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. -- competes in district tournament on Friday and Saturday at Bethlehem Liberty No. 12 Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio -- competes in sectional tournament on Friday and Saturday at Hamilton No. 15 Delbarton, N.J. -- competes in regional tournament (state qualification event) tonight, Friday, and Saturday at West Orange No. 17 Gilroy, Calif. -- competes in the Central Coast Section tournament (state qualification event) on Friday and Saturday at Independence No. 19 Allen, Texas -- competes in the state tournament on Friday and Saturday at the Berry Center in Cypress No. 20 Brecksville, Ohio -- hosts sectional tournament on Saturday No. 21 Wadsworth, Ohio -- hosts sectional tournament on Saturday No. 22 Oakdale, Calif. -- competes in the San Joaquin Section masters tournament (state qualification event) on Friday and Saturday at Stockton Arena No. 28 Parkersburg South, W.Va. -- competes in the state tournament tomorrow through Saturday in Huntington No. 35 Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa. -- competes in the district tournament on Friday and Saturday at Erie McDowell No. 38 Massillon Perry, Ohio -- hosts sectional tournament on Saturday No. 43 Howell, N.J. - competes in regional tournament (state qualification event) tonight, Friday, and Saturday at Brick Memorial No. 47 St. John Bosco, Calif. -- competes in the Southern Section masters tournament (state qualification event) on Friday and Saturday at Temecula Valley Ranked teams whose seasons are completed: No. 23 Fort Dodge (Iowa), No. 24 Christian Brothers College (Mo.), No. 25 Brownsburg (Ind.), No. 26 Park Hill (Mo.), No. 27 Indianapolis Cathedral (Ind.), No. 34 Portage (Ind.), No. 36 Perry Meridian (Ind.), No. 39 Southeast Polk (Iowa), No. 42 Waukee (Iowa)

Lock Haven's Kyle Shoop leads Division I in technical falls INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA has released updated standings for the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Awards that will be awarded in March at the respective Division I, II and III Wrestling Championships. The inaugural NCAA Wrestling Awards were presented at the 2012 wrestling championships. The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes that have accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls throughout the course of the regular and postseasons. For falls and tech falls to be counted they must come against opponents in the same division. Ties in the two categories are broken based on the aggregate time. This week's Most Dominant Wrestler award standings requires a 17-match minimum in the division to qualify. Last year's winner, Zain Retherford of Penn State, has put himself in a strong position to repeat by increasing his average to 5.57 team points per match, which leads all divisions. Penn State is in good position to bring home the trophy, regardless, as Retherford leads four Nittany Lions in the top five. Pittsburgh-Johnstown 157-pounder Cody Law leads Division II with 4.65 team points per match, while his 141-pound teammate Chris Eddins is third (4.22), bracketing Nebraska-Kearney heavyweight Jarrod Hinrichs with 4.43 points. Ithaca 184-pounder Jake Ashcraft has moved into the lead in Division III with 5.24 points, ahead of Isaiah Bellamy of Wesleyan (Connecticut) and Michael DiNardo from Johnson & Wales (Rhode Island). The Most Dominant Wrestler standings are calculated by adding the total number of points awarded through match results and dividing that number by the total number of matches wrestled. Points per match are awarded as follows. Fall, forfeit, injury default or DQ = 6 points (-6 points for a loss) Tech falls = 5 points (-5 points for a loss) Major decision = 4 points (-4 points for a loss) Decision = 3 points (-3 points for a loss) Hofstra heavyweight Mike Hughes maintain his hold on the Division I lead with 17 falls, which is one more than Retherford and two more than Penn State's Jason Nolf. In Division II, Central Oklahoma 165-pounder Mason Thompson enters regional competition with his 14 falls, which is three more than Tiffin 184-pounder Hayden Bronne, St. Cloud State heavyweight Lawrence Phillips and Hinrichs. Wesleyan (Connecticut) teammates Devon Carrillo and Isaiah Bellamy are tied with 19 falls in Division III. Carrillo, at 197 pounds, holds the aggregate time tiebreaker by more than eight minutes over his heavyweight teammate. Kyle Shoop has staked his claim to the award for technical falls in Division I with 12 at 141 pounds for Lock Haven, two more than North Dakota State's Cam Sykora. Four more wrestlers are hanging around in third with nine tech falls. Nick Vandermeer of Lake Erie and Connor Craig of Wheeling Jesuit each have eight tech falls in Division II. Vandermeer has a significant lead of more than 14 minutes in the aggregate time tiebreaker. Messiah 197-pounder Kyle Koser has 15 tech falls in 62:21 to lead Johnson & Wales (Rhode Island) 133-pounder Jay Albis with 15 tech falls in 68:35. No other wrestler in Division III has more than 12 tech falls. Awards Standings

Joey Gromacki battling WVU's Zeke Moisey (Photo/Tim Tushla) CLARION, Pa. -- Head wrestling coach Keith Ferraro announced today that Jake Gromacki will not compete for the remainder of the 2017-18 season, due to an injury sustained earlier in the year. Gromacki has not competed since early January because of the injury. The program hopes Gromacki will be eligible for a medical hardship and an additional year of eligibility, which they intend to apply for at the appropriate time. "Obviously we are disappointed that Jake will not be able to compete for the rest of the season, Ferraro said. "We are looking forward to having him back on the mat next year, and we're hopeful that we'll have him beyond that as well. Gromacki was an NCAA qualifier in 2017 and was a consensus nationally-ranked competitor at 125 for much of the year, and appeared to be back on his way to the NCAA Championships. He has compiled a record of 29-14 in two years at Clarion, including an 8-5 mark this year.

Brody Teske and Alex Thomsen split matches this season (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) WATERLOO, Iowa -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum has selected Brody Teske of Fort Dodge and Alex Thomsen of Underwood as this year's recipients of the Bob Steenlage Iowa High School Wrestler of the Year Award. The Bob Steenlage Iowa High School Wrestler of the Year Award is given each year to the top high school wrestler in the state of Iowa. Teske and Thomsen will receive their awards during the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa inductions on Friday, June 8. Teske won his fourth consecutive state wrestling championship in 2018, winning at 126 pounds which is the fourth different weight class. He won 3A titles in 2015 (106 pounds), 2016 (113 pounds) and 2017 (120 pounds). Teske, who finished his prep career with a record of 177-1 , will continue his wrestling career at Penn State. Thomsen won his fourth consecutive 1A state wrestling championship in 2018, winning for the third consecutive year at 126 pounds after capturing the title at 113 pounds as a freshman in 2015. Teske, who finished his prep career with a record of 190-1, will continue his wrestling career at Nebraska. Teske and Thomsen were both undefeated entering the 2017-18 season. The pair faced each other twice and each wrestler won once. Teske defeated Thomsen, 11-9, in the finals of Council Bluffs Wrestling Classic on Dec. 9, 2017, and Thomsen defeated Teske, 10-8 in overtime, in the finals of the Cedar Rapids Jefferson J-Hawk Invitational on Jan. 13, 2018. This is the first time since the inception of the award in 2015 that two winners will be recognized. Teske and Thomsen are the 26th and 27th wrestlers to win four consecutive Iowa high school state wrestling championships. "It's pretty obvious that they both deserve this award since they could have avoided each other and gone undefeated," said museum namesake Dan Gable. "Instead, they helped promote the sport to a higher degree by stepping onto the mat against each other." The award is named after Bob Steenlage, Iowa's first four-time state wrestling champion. Steenlage competed for Britt High School, winning state titles in 1959 (95 pounds), 1960 (103 pounds), 1961 (112 pounds), and 1962 (120 pounds). Steenlage wrestled at West Point Military Academy where he went four years without losing a dual meet. He finished third at the 1966 NCAA tournament at 123 pounds to earn All-American honors. Steenlage is a graduate of the Army's Airborne and Ranger Schools, and was awarded the Bronze Star medal for his service in the Vietnam War. The Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa inductions will take place at the Prairie Links Golf & Event Center in Waverly, Iowa, on Friday, June 8. For more information contact that National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or dgmstaff@nwhof.org. Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa Class of 2018 John Bowlsby (Iowa) Kevin Dresser (Iowa) Chris Bono (Iowa State) Tony Davis (Northern Iowa) Bob Roethler (Emmetsburg) Banach Family (Family Legacy Award) Charlotte Bailey (Russ Smith Community Impact Award) Keith Massey (Russ Smith Community Impact Award) Brad Smith (Bob Siddens Iowa High School Wrestling Coach of the Year) Brody Teske (Bob Steenlage Iowa High School Wrestler of the Year) Alex Thomsen (Bob Steenlage Iowa High School Wrestler of the Year) Bob Steenlage Iowa High School Wrestler of the Year winners 2015: Max Thomsen (Union of LaPorte City) 2016: Carter Happel (Lisbon) 2017: Marcus Coleman (Ames) 2018: Brody Teske (Fort Dodge) and Alex Thomsen (Underwood)

Female wrestlers will have an opportunity to gain on-the-mat skills -- as well as championship life skills -- at the Wrestle Like a Girl Empowerment Clinic at NCAA Fan Fest during the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland. This clinic -- open to girls ages 5-18 -- will take place Saturday, March 17, 2018 from 2 -2:40 p.m. at the Huntington Convention Center at 1139 West 3rd Street in downtown Cleveland, a short walk from Quicken Loans Arena, site of the 2018 NCAA championships. Each camp or clinic will have a support network of high caliber national team athletes and regional staff who will guide athletes as they develop their skills. The Wrestle Like a Girl organization described its Empowerment Clinic at the 2018 NCAA Fan Fest as being a "40-minute exposure clinic." "We emphasize the empowerment and inclusion of each athlete and educate them on technical skill development AND proper nutrition, hydration and the implementation of mental skills training," according to the WLAG official website. "Our curriculum covers everything from basic wresting fundamentals: Stance, position, takedowns, escapes and exposures to more advanced technique and strategy such as: Set-ups, finishes, and drilling. They will be able to develop championship skills like goal-setting, with an emphasis through hard work." The WLAG Empowerment Clinic will feature national wrestling team athletes and regional staff members. "The philosophy of our camps is to provide a fun, supportive, engaging and positive environment for girls to learn wrestling and develop technique," according to WLAG. "We work to develop the whole athlete and are using high caliber role models to do it!" Each camper and clinic participant at the WLAG Empowerment Clinic at the 2018 NCAA Fan Fest will receive a "Wrestle Like a Girl" handbook, which will support lessons on nutrition, hydration and sport psychology presented at the Fan Fest Clinic. The WLAG website describes the goal of the organization "is to empower young female athletes through the sport of wrestling. Athletes learn technical wrestling and develop championship skills like goal setting, anxiety management and confidence building with an emphasis through hard work." Advance registration for the WLAG Empowerment Clinic is available online. Those with questions may send an email or call (719) 581-7112. Registration link: https://teamgoyo.com/Go/Register/70 Email: Geneva@WrestleLikeAGirl.org The Wrestle Like a Girl Empowerment Clinic is just one of many events slated for the 2018 NCAA Fan Fest which includes wrestling demonstrations, a NWCA coaching event, and the annual WIN Magazine Wrestling Memorabilia Show. Among the other specific features of his year's Fan Fest: a "Wrestling and Football" exhibit from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including a roundtable discussion featuring Curley Culp, Bob Golic, Carlton Haselrig, and Stephen Neal ... and an opportunity to meet Dan Gable and Larry Owings, the only man to hand Gable a loss in his prep and college career. Fans do NOT need an NCAA Championships ticket for admission to Fan Fest.

Nick Hutcheson has resigned after three seasons as head wrestling coach at Dakota Wesleyan University, the school's athletic director, Jon Hart, announced Tuesday. Nick HutchesonHutcheson's connection to DWU extends back to his days as a student-athlete at the South Dakota school, where he wrestled for the Tigers at 157 and 165 pounds from 2009-2014. "We would like to thank Coach Hutcheson for his dedication and commitment to the program over the last three seasons and wish him nothing but the best going forward," Hart said. During Hutcheson's tenure as head coach, DWU has upgraded its wrestling facilities. In 2016 the DWU/Avera Sports Complex was completed. Home to facilities for wrestling practice and competition, the sports complex features a large wrestling room for training as well as an additional 85,000 square-foot facility for hosting wrestling dual meets and open tournaments. A search for a new head wrestling coach will begin immediately. Dakota Wesleyan is a four-year, private school located in Mitchell, S.D. It has a total enrollment of approximately 800 students. The Tiger wrestling program competes in the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics).

The 56th-annual Pac-12 Wrestling Championships will be held on Sunday, Feb. 25 at Gill Coliseum, hosted by Oregon State University. All five teams bring a wealth of tough competition to the table, led by ninth-ranked Arizona State. At least one Pac-12 wrestler is ranked in the top 20 for all but two weight classes, including the nation's top wrestler at 174 in Arizona State's Zahid Valencia and three in the Top 10 of the Heavyweight class - No. 7 Amarveer Dhesi, Oregon State; No. 8 Nathan Butler, Stanford and No. 9 Tanner Hall, Arizona State. All three are a Pac-12 heavyweight champion -- Butler in 2015, Dhesi in 2016, Hall in 2017. The first and second rounds, plus the consolation semifinals, will be streamed live on Pac-12.com. The championship rounds, which begin at 6 p.m. PT, will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks. TOURNAMENT FIELD There will be five institutions competing for the Conference Championship: Arizona State, Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, Oregon State, and Stanford. TICKET INFORMATION Tickets for the 2018 Pac-12 Wrestling Championships are available through the Oregon State Ticket Office at (800)-GO-BEAVS or online at Beavertickets.com. TYPE Price All-session Adult $30 All-session Student/Youth/Senior $20 Single-session Adult $20 Single-session Student/Youth/Senior $10 COVERAGE The first and second rounds, plus the consolation semifinals, will be streamed live on Pac-12.com. The finals will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks with the broadcast beginning at 6 p.m. PT. Live results will be available after each match on the 2018 Pac-12 Wrestling Championships website: pac-12.com/wrestlingchamps Arizona State's Zahid Valencia is ranked No. 1 at 174 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) ARIZONA STATE The ninth-ranked Sun Devils will look to defend their Pac-12 title. It would mark the first time since 2005-06 that ASU would post back-to-back Conference titles. Arizona State's squad is anchored by redshirt sophomore Zahid Valencia, All-American and the nation's No. 1 ranked wrestler at 174. Valencia is 25-0 this season and 63-1 in two seasons. Four Sun Devils have recorded 20 or more overall wins this season: Josh Maruca (149, 21-9), Josh Shields (157, 28-2), Anthony Valencia (165, 23-8), Zahid Valencia (174, 25-0). Earlier this season, the Sun Devils celebrated their 30th anniversary of the 1988 NCAA Championship team. The Sun Devils were and still remain the only team west of the Rockies to win a national championship in wrestling. CAL POLY Cal Poly is seeking its first individual Pac-12 champion in five years. The Mustangs had at least one champion every year from 2001-13. Senior Colton Schilling (141) is the Pac-12's top-ranked wrestler in his weight class and is 12-5 on the season. He's posted five straight dual wins, four by fall, one by technical fall. Sophomore Matt Wilhelm (174) is 14-6 and has won his last six. Schilling and Spencer Empey (HWT) are the lone senior entries for the Mustangs. CSU BAKERSFIELD Three Roadrunners enter the Pac-12 Championship with 20 wins under their belt this season - redshirt junior Sean Nickell (133) is 21-8, redshirt senior Coleman Hammond (157) is 26-12, and redshirt senior Matt Williams (197) is 27-7. Nickell, who captured the Pac-12 crown at 125, moved up a weight class this season and enters the Championship having won his last six bouts. Williams has won seven of his last eight and is currently ranked No. 14 by InterMat. OREGON STATE As host to the Pac-12 Championship, Oregon State looks for the home mat advantage. The Beavers had won five straight league titles until upended in last year's championship. OSU paces the Pac-12 with 23 league crowns. Redshirt senior Amarveer Dhesi (HWT), currently ranked No. 7 in the country, has won nine straight and is 18-3 on the season. Redshirt junior Ronnie Bresser (125), nationally ranked No. 11 at 125 pounds, has won his last five and boasts a 19-4 record this season. Redshirt junior Corey Griego (195) is the Pac-12's top-ranked wrestler in his weight class sitting at No. 11 by InterMat. He's 19-5 this season, winning his last eight in a row. STANFORD Redshirt senior Nathan Butler (HWT), nationally-ranked at No. 8, is 22-6 this season and 101-35 for his career. Redshirt senior Keaton Subjeck (174), nationally-ranked at No. 9, has posted a 23-6 record this season with a 85-36 career mark. Redshirt junior Paul Fox (157), a 2017 All-American, has won 11 of his last 13 matches with his only two setbacks coming against Top 10 ranked foes. 2018 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS The NCAA Championships will take place March 15-17 at Quicken Loans Arena - Cleveland, Ohio. A total of 330 wrestlers will compete at the NCAA Championships. Of those 330, 290 will be determined via automatic qualification. The remaining 40 spots will be selected at-large by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee. Additional at-large selections will be announced on Wednesday, March 7 at 6 p.m. ET (NCAA.com). The Championship will be carried on either ESPNU or ESPN. Thursday, March 15 Session 1 12 noon/ESPNU Thursday, March 15 Session 2 7 p.m./ESPNU Friday, March 16 Session 3 11 a.m./ESPNU Friday, March 16 Session 4 8 p.m./ESPN Saturday, March 17 Session 5 11 a.m./ESPNU Saturday, March 17 Session 6 8 p.m./ESPN