InterMat Staff

This week's Takedown TV features ... U23 Freestyle World Championships - recap plus interviews via Trackwrestling NCAA Division I wrestling weekend rewind One-on-one with Ohio State coach Tom Ryan and two-time heavyweight champ (and 2017 USOC Male Athlete of the Year) Kyle Snyder One-on-one with Rider University head coach John Hangey Watch online or on these cable networks/channels: Cablevision -- Sundays at 4 p.m. Charter Cable -- Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday 11:30 p.m. and Monday 2:30 p.m. Comcast Cable -- Friday at 5 p.m. Cox Cable -- Sunday 9:30 a.m. Fight Network HD -- Sundays at 4 p.m. KCWI 23 -- Saturday 4 p.m. KWEM -- Stillwater, Oklahoma- Tuesday 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Long Lines Cable -- Daily at 5:30 p.m. Mediacom Cable -- Sundays at 10:30 a.m. MidCo Sports Network -- Saturday 10 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. SECV8 -- Friday at 5 p.m. Suddenlink Cable -- Check your local listings. Multiple air times. Time Warner Cable Sports -- Saturday at 12 p.m. Western Reserve Cable -- Tuesday at 11 p.m., Friday at 5:30 p.m., Saturday at 10 p.m.

The Women's World Cup starts today in Russia, with the top eight teams from the World Championships scheduled to take the mats early Friday morning. A few interesting points about the World Cup, Team USA and some of the competition: The 48-kilogram weight class features three former world champions in Yui Susaki (Japan), Mariya Stadnik (Azerbaijan) and Sun Yanan (China). Stadnyk has placed at the last three Olympics, while Sun picked up a bronze in 2016. On that note, Victoria Anthony has the most popular video ever on the United World Wrestling YouTube page. Her match against Vinesh of India at the World Championships in Paris has more than 340,000 views. Team Japan is without most of their major stars. The only senior world champions to make the trip are Susaki (48 kilograms) and Mayu Mukaida (53 kilograms). Team Russia is still without 2012 Olympic champion Natalia Vorobieva. Team China is bringing their best team since the Olympics. Many of their national team members missed the 2107 World Championships because it was the same weekend as the annual national tournament. With 1.4 billion people and local pride at stake the heavy hitters stayed back to compete for their local team. Olympic bronze medalist Sofia Mattsson had her first child a few months ago and will be missing this World Cup. Team USA's Adeline Gray is making her official return to the mats. Gray won an exhibition at Beat the Streets LA last month and will look to build on that momentum to help carry her into the 2018 season. Group stages are Friday, with the finals starting Saturday morning. You can watch online at Unitedworldwrestling.org. To your questions … Richie Lewis (Photo/Ben Solomon) Q: How surprised were you that Richie Lewis won gold at the U23 World Championships? -- Mike C. Foley: I honestly didn't know much about him and dismissed his chances when I read the draws. So in that respect I was stunned. However, I think that our college athletes tend to be very aggressive from their feet when they head overseas and if they are fortunate to get a nice win and a head of steam they are tough to slow down. Also, while many of the performances were underwhelming, I don't think that U.S. fans should be too concerned. This is a very difficult age category where most of the eastern European countries still have stockpiles of eligible athletes. The team we sent was certainly very talented, but I wouldn't see their failure as anything more than a couple of close calls and tough draws. Q: What has been the response to the newly approved high school uniforms (compression top, fight shorts)? Will we see it on the mats this season en force? -- Brad A. Foley: I hear a lot of complaints about a lot of things, but I have yet to field one about the new high school uniforms. We'll have to wait to see if the NWCA collected any hard data on uniforms in 2017-2018 to make any solid conclusions, but in my experience this will be the wave of the future. There are simply too many benefits to a two-piece uniform and the opposition will start to convert when they see programs with larger, better dressed rosters. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Victoria Anthony's YouTube Match Cool highlights from the U23 Championships And more ... Q: Is Logan Storley as good an MMA fighter as Ben Askren? In your opinion, will he also have an undefeated career? -- Gregg Y. Foley: When looking at physicality, versatility and pure aggression, Logan Storley is a more compelling MMA fighter than Ben Askren. Also, given his bloodthirsty desire to finish fights he's a marketable star that could make a huge impact in the sport. I'm happy for Askren in retirement. I'm as pumped to see Storley develop over the nest 18-24 months as I am Aaron Pico. Q: If you could subscribe to one wrestling print publication what would it be? WIN Magazine, Wrestling USA, Amateur Wrestling News or another publication not mentioned? -- Frank S. Foley: They're all superb! They have lot of content at-hand that many fans would enjoy reading. A bunch of great options. For online content, I'd also check out Five Point Move for the very best information about the Greco-Roman wrestling scene in the United States. Q: I'm all on board for the #duals movement that is going on in the high school wrestling world, can you articulate the argument for duals vs. 8 weekends of individual/team tournaments for those that are hesitant to take a "less is more" approach? -- Brad A. Foley: From a fan perspective it's much easier to follow team results at a dual team event than it would be to follow that of a tournament. Also, if you assume that tournaments only allow for one starter to enter, there is a higher likelihood of your wrestler receiving a full slate of bouts. For the less experienced wrestlers this access to a larger number of matches could prove beneficial. Like with the singlets and all changes in wrestling there is a period of time where fans, coaches and athletes don't all agree on the best course of action. However, given enough time to consider any successes of the #duals movement they will gradually change their thinking.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- No. 6 NC State closed out the dual with three straight bonus point wins and defeated Old Dominion 25-15 in Reynolds Coliseum on Thursday night. ODU (1-2) won four of the first seven bouts, but NC State came away with back-to-back technical falls at 184 and 197 pounds and a major at heavyweight to close out the home win and improve the Wolfpack to 7-0 this season. NC State fell behind 8-0 after the first two bouts, a technical fall at 125 pounds followed by a 7-3 decision at 133. No. 2 Kevin Jack got the Wolfpack on the scoreboard with a 6-1 decision over #15 Alex Madrigal, its was Jack's second ranked win in as many attempts this young season. ODU answered to go up 11-3 with a 3-2 decision at 149 pounds. R-Fr. Hayden Hidlay scored the first bonus point win of the night for the Pack with a 13-5 major decision at 157 pounds. Hidlay dominated the first with a takedown, two-point near fall and 2:50 of ride time to go up 4-0 after the first. With ride time locked up, Hidlay scored the final takedown with just one second left to pick up the major. All five of his wins thus far have going for bonus points in duals. At the intermission ODU held an 11-7 lead. NC State tied the bout at 11-11 after a 13-3 major decision by Brian Hamann at 165 pounds. Hamann scored a pair of takedowns and a four-point then a two-point near fall in the first for an 11-2 to take command of the bout. ODU retook the lead with a major decision at 174. NC State then closed out the win with three straight bonus point victories. No. 3 Pete Renda started with a 16-1 tech fall at 184, and was followed by No. 8 Michael Macchiavello with a 17-2 tech at 197. R-So. Malik McDonald closed out the win with an 11-1 major decision at heavyweight. Up Next: The Wolfpack will have a quick turnaround, as NC State will face Chattanooga on Saturday in Charlotte. The dual is set to start at 7 p.m. and will be held at Lake Norman High School, admission is free. Results: 125: Michael McGee (ODU) tech fall Tommy Cox; 15-0 – 0-5 133: Caleb Richardson (ODU) dec. Jamel Morris; 7-3 – 0-8 141: #2 Kevin Jack (NCSU) dec. #15 Alex Madrigal; 6-1 – 3-8 149: Kenan Carter (ODU) dec. Jamal Morris; 3-2 – 3-11 157: Hayden Hidlay (NCSU) major dec. Larry Early; 13-5 – 7-11 165: Brian Hamann (NCSU) major dec. Ben Schram; 13-3 – 11-11 174: Seldon Wright (ODU) major dec. Sam Melikian; 16-6 – 11-15 184: #3 Pete Renda (NCSU) tech fall Antonio Agee; 16-1 – 16-15 197: #8 Michael Macchiavello (NCSU) tech fall John D'Agostino; 17-2 – 21-15 285: Malik McDonald (NCSU) major dec. Ali Wahab; 11-1 – 25-15

Zain Retherford gets his hand raised after a win at the Keystone Classic (Photo/Juan Garcia) No. 1 Penn State takes on No. 5 Lehigh on Sunday at the PPL Center. The 10,000-seat arena should be a great venue for a matchup of two top NCAA teams. Penn State will be clear favorites over every team they face this year, but Lehigh already pulled off a shocking upset over No. 6 Michigan. The dual meet features 13 ranked wrestlers and two top-five matchups. The following is a weight-by-weight preview of the dual meet. The lineups are a prediction of each team's best squad. 125: Devin Schnupp (Penn State) vs. No. 5 Darian Cruz (Lehigh) Schnupp has been forced into action after the unexpected departure of No. 2 Nick Suriano (Rutgers). He has had a tough time so far this season as he has gone only 1-7. He will clearly be facing an uphill battle against the returning NCAA champion. While Cruz is still technically undefeated on the season, his ranking did take a bit of a dip when he lost to No. 4 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) at the NWCA All-Star Classic even though those matches are technically considered exhibitions. Besides that loss, he has won all five of his matches and picked up a pair of technical falls. In his last match, Cruz scored a 7-0 shutout over highly touted true freshman Drew Mattin (Michigan). Cruz is a pretty obvious favorite here. While Schnupp has struggled this season, he has helped his team somewhat by not giving up bonus. In fact, in his two-year career at Penn State he has only given up bonus points twice in 22 matches. With that being said, Cruz should be able to get Lehigh off to a good start with a major. Prediction: Cruz (Lehigh) maj. dec. Schnupp (Penn State) 133: No. 18 Corey Keener (Penn State) vs. No. 3 Scotty Parker (Lehigh) Kenner has begun the season with five straight wins and a pair of falls over Lane Peters (Army) and Josh Finesilver (Duke). He joined Penn State this past offseason after transferring from Central Michigan where he was a three-time NCAA qualifier. Parker has already knocked off a pair of ranked wrestlers this season. At the Journeyman Classic, he defeated No. 13 Josh Terao (American) and No. 4 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State). Last season, he won the EIWA title at 133 and finished eighth at the NCAA tournament to become an All-American. Considering the start that Parker is having, he should be able to keep it going against Kenner. The Penn State wrestler withdrew from the Keystone Classic with an injury. By all reports, he should be good to go, but that is yet another reason to favor Parker in this match. Prediction: Parker (Lehigh) dec. Kenner (Penn State) 141: Jared Cortez (Penn State) vs. Luke Karam (Lehigh) Last year against Lehigh, Cortez dropped a major decision against Parker at 133 and then missed the rest of the season with an injury. He will be looking to avenge that loss here. He has started the season with seven-straight victories and three bonus-point wins. Karam has gone 4-2 so far this season. Both of his losses have come against ranked wrestlers. He dropped a decision against No. 17 Tyler Smith (Bucknell) and gave up the major against No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State). Karam's win over Sal Profaci (Michigan) was vital to Lehigh's upset over the Wolverines. Both wrestlers seem to take the foot off the gas and slow down the match when facing better competition. In this bout, that favors Cortez. He is a more dynamic takedown threat and can be pretty stingy defensively. Prediction: Cortez (Penn State) dec. Karam (Lehigh) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) vs. Cortlandt Schuyler (Lehigh) Retherford ended last season with an NCAA title, the Hodge Trophy and a 63-match undefeated streak. He has continued that streak this season with seven more victories with five falls and a technical fall. The only wrestler to go the distance with him this season is No. 7 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) who lost via a 10-2 major decision. Schuyler got the start against Michigan and defeated Malik Amine. He previously went 1-2 at the Journeymen Classic with a win over Michael Sprague (American). Lehigh could also send out Jonathan Mele who started against Edinboro and Bucknell. Whoever ends up going for Lehigh is going to struggle against Retherford. "The Zain Train" is one of the most fitting nicknames in college wrestling since he keeps on rolling. Prediction: Retherford (Penn State) fall over Schuyler (Lehigh) 157: No.1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) vs. Ian Brown (Lehigh) Nolf has followed up his undefeated championship season with seven-straight falls to start this year. He has needed only 21 minutes and 46 seconds to claim those seven falls. Last season he scored bonus points in 93 percent of his matches, and so far this season it looks like he might even top that accomplishment. Brown is back down at 157 this season after spending last year up at 165. He has already experienced ups and downs this year. In the Edinboro dual, he dropped a decision against Andrew Shomers, but he bounced back in the Michigan dual and upset No. 11 Alec Pantaleo in a match that greatly contributed to the team win. These two wrestled two season ago. Nolf picked up a first-period fall in a dual meet match. Both wrestlers have improved, but this one might end up going the same way. Prediction: Nolf (Penn State) fall over Brown (Lehigh) 165: No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) vs. No. 15 Gordon Wolf (Lehigh) Joseph is yet another returning NCAA champion in the Penn State lineup. In last year's final, he upset No. 2 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) to claim the title. So far this season, Joseph has gone 3-0 with two major decisions and a tech fall. He recently sat out the Keystone Classic and did not compete. Wolf has started this year with four wins in his first five matches. His lone loss came against No. 5 David McFadden (Virginia Tech) at the Journeymen Classic. Two years ago he qualified for the NCAA tournament at 174 after starting the season at 157. Wolf has looked solid since returning from injury in the middle of last season. However, Joseph should be able to handle this one. In his collegiate career he has only lost four matches and two were against Martinez. Prediction: Joseph (Penn State) dec. Wolf (Lehigh) 174: No. 2 Mark Hall (Penn State) vs. No. 5 Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) With the exception of the All-Star Classic, Hall has begun this season the way he ended his last. After running through the NCAA field and winning a title in his true freshman season, Hall is back this year in mid-season form. He has already won nine matches with six coming via fall and the other three coming via technical fall. The only reason he is not currently ranked number one by InterMat is that he lost 3-2 against No. 1 Zahid Valencia at the All-Star Classic. Kutler struggled with weight last season at 157. So far this season it looks like moving up to 174 has alleviated those issues. He is undefeated on the season and has already picked up victories over No. 12 Jacobe Smith (Oklahoma State) and No. 6 Myles Amine (Michigan). In his two matches against ranked wrestlers this season, Kutler has been able to keep the scoring down and win close matches. That does seem like a pretty good approach for trying to upset Hall. However, Hall is still extremely hard to score against and has shown he can win those types matches as well. This one might be closer than expected, but Hall should still walk away as the winner. Prediction: Hall (Penn State) dec. Kutler (Lehigh) 184: No. 1 Bo Nickal (Penn State) vs. No. 4 Ryan Preisch (Lehigh) Nickal is the last of five-straight returning NCAA champions in the Penn State lineup. He has won all seven of his matches this season and picked up four falls. Against wrestlers not named No. 2 Myles Martin (Ohio State) he has gone 32-0 over the last two seasons. Like his teammate Kutler, Preisch is experiencing a surprising level of success in a new weight class. Last season, he qualified for the NCAA tournament at 174 but ended up losing in the round of 12. Since moving up to 184 this season, he has already knocked off No. 5 Domenic Abounader (Michigan) and No. 6 Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech). Less than two months into the season, Preisch gets a chance to pick up his third top-ten upset. However, defeating Nickal is not an easy task. Preisch was able to keep those matches close and pull out the win. The victory over Zavatsky was a 4-2 win in sudden victory, while he defeated Abounader 3-1. Nickal, with very few exceptions, does not have low scoring matches. Last season, he went to decision six times. In those six matches there was an average of 12.5 combined points. Even in the one match he lost, there were ten points on the scoreboard. If Preisch tries to squeak out a close match, he might end up struggling. Prediction: Nickal (Penn State) maj. dec. Preisch (Lehigh) 197: No. 11 Anthony Cassar (Penn State) vs. Jake Jakobsen (Lehigh) After defeating Matt McCutcheon at the Keystone Classic, it appears that Cassar has locked down the 197 spot for the Nittany Lions. In the second dual of the season, he surprisingly dropped a match against Garrett Hoffman (Bucknell), but he bounced back a week later for his first win over a ranked opponent when he took home a decision victor over No. 12 Frank Mattiace (Penn). Jakobsen has started the season 4-2, but his losses have come against Andrew Marsden (Oklahoma State) and No. 3 Jared Haught (Virginia Tech). He used last season as a redshirt season and went 10-5 in open tournaments. The 197-pound weight class being up in the air for Penn State somewhat belies the fact that Cassar is an extremely talented wrestler. He has not really been able to show it so far in his career due to injuries. However, with the starting spot nailed down, he should get a chance to flourish in matches like this. Prediction: Cassar (Penn State) dec. Jakobsen (Lehigh) 285: No. 3 Nick Nevills (Penn State) vs. No. 14 Jordan Wood (Lehigh) Nevills, much like Cassar, has also been held back by injuries. However, he was still able to finish 5th at the NCAA tournament last year and become an All-American. He has started this year off incredibly well. He defeated No. 4 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) at the NWCA All-Star Classic and then bested No. 6 Jacob Kasper (Duke) at the Keystone Classic. Wood has already wrestled four ranked wrestlers this year. He defeated No. 15 Thomas Haines (Lock Haven) and No. 17 Brett Dempsey (American), while he lost matches against No. 11 Derek White (Oklahoma State) and No. 2 Adam Coon (Michigan). Last year during his redshirt year, he reached the finals of the Midlands Tournament before losing to Hall. Nevills already appears to have made strides from last season. There is clearly a limit on how high he can rise in the division (the limit is named Kyle Snyder). However, he should be able to continue to show that improvement in this match. Prediction: Nevills (Penn State) dec. Wood (Lehigh) Dual Meet Prediction: Penn State 31, Lehigh 7

Alireza Karimi-Machiani talks to his coach Rasoul Khadem at the Freestyle World Cup (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) At the 2017 U23 World Senior Wrestling Championship in Poland Saturday, the U.S. and the Israeli coaches were not the only ones watching an early round match between their 86-kilogram wrestlers closely. The Iranian coach was also watching and when the Israeli wrestler pinned his American opponent he set in motion one of the most shameful and most open secrets in sports today. Iran throws matches, forfeits and will not wrestle Israelis. At the same time the U.S.-Israeli match was happening, so was the match between Iran's 86-kilogram wrestler and Russia's. When the Israeli won his match, the Iranian, who had been winning, suddenly stopped wrestling and lost. Iranian news outlets reported that the Iranian wrestler said his coach told him to throw the match so he would not face the Israeli in the next round. This is not the first time this has happened. This is not even the first time it's happened to this Iranian wrestler. I wrote about Alireza Karimi-Machiani in 2013 when he was forced by Iran's politics to forfeit to an Israeli opponent in the Junior World Championships. At the time I wrote, "The referee raised (Israeli) Ophir Bernstein's hand as the winner of a match that never happened. He (Bernstein) would compete for gold, thanks to the intolerance and interference that took the Iranian wrestler's place. When sports and politics mix no one wins." This is as true today as it was then. Officially, Karimi-Machiani was injured and could not compete. Unofficially everyone in the arena in Sofia, Bulgaria, knew he wasn't injured. Instead he was following his country's hard-line ideology. Iran doesn't recognize the state of Israel and its athletes do not compete against Israelis in wrestling or any other sport. In 2013 Karimi-Machiani did not speak out, but as the mother of a wrestler in that competition I knew that he had worked hard and beat the best of the rest in his country just to be there, imagine how disappointing for him. According to the New York Times, this time after the "loss" to the Russian, Karimi-Machiani did speak out, telling the Iranian Students News Agency, "I do accept that Israel is an oppressor and commits crimes, but would it not be oppression if our authorities undermine my hard work again?" Karimi-Machiani knows it and so do his teammates, oppression has no place in sports. United World Wrestling needs to draw a line here. Now that Iran's meddling in competition, tampering with results and faking injury is not just an open secret, but a confirmed fact there must be consequences. Iran's teams should not be allowed to compete unless they agree to face all opponents, including Israelis. It is unfair to everyone competing, especially the Iranian athletes, to do otherwise. Friday, the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club is heading to Iran to compete in the World Clubs Cup Dec. 7-8. I realize it's unrealistic to expect that the team would stay home in protest. I realize that our athletes have trained and worked hard to be ready for this event. I wouldn't ask our athletes to make a stand alone. Of course, the federations for other sports could and should have consequences for Iran. But this is a clear violation of what international sporting events stand for -- competition for all -- and it happened at a UWW event. That's why the UWW should take the lead here. Its message to Iran needs to be loud and clear: Put politics aside when you come to compete or stay home. Editor's note: Caryn Ward's son is Sam Brooks who lost to Israel's Ophir Bernstein at the Junior World Championship in 2013 and also lost to Israel's Uri Kalashnikov at Saturday's 2017 U23 World Senior Wrestling Championships.

Kyle Snyder and Bill Zadick Kyle Snyder, 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler and Ohio State heavyweight, and U.S. Olympic men's freestyle coach Bill Zadick have both earned prestigious awards from the U.S. Olympic Committee. Snyder has been named Male Olympic Athlete of the Year by the USOC, while Zadick is Olympic Coach of the Year in USOC's Team USA Awards revealed late Wednesday. Snyder's honor On the heels of an incredible 2016 that saw the Maryland native crowned an Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling, Kyle Snyder followed up with additional impressive accomplishments on the mat this year. Snyder won the 97-kilogram/213-pound gold medal at the 2017 World Wrestling Championships in incredible style, defeating Russia's Abdulrashid Sadulaev, Olympic champion and two-time World champion, in the finals ... giving the U.S. the World team title over Russia by one team point. It was the third straight World or Olympic gold medal for the 22-year-old Snyder, who was a 2015 World champion and 2016 Olympic champion. Also in 2017, Snyder won the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in Russia -- the first U.S. men's winner in that prestigious event since 2009 -- as well as gold medals at the Pan American Championships and the Grand Prix of Spain. In freestyle competition in the U.S., Snyder won both the U.S. Senior Open and the U.S. World Team Trials ... while in collegiate folkstyle, Snyder won his second NCAA Division I heavyweight title as a junior at Ohio State. Snyder becomes just the fourth wrestler to win a USOC Athlete of the Year award, joining Olympic and World champions John Smith in 1990, Rulon Gardner in 2000 and Jordan Burroughs in 2015. When informed of being named 2017 Olympic Male Athlete of the Year, Snyder said, "This is great because Team USA is built from a ton of amazing and talented athletes. To be awarded this title is pretty special." "Everything went well for me this past year," Snyder continued. "Looking back, I was able to improve. I am a better wrestler today than I was one year ago, which is what I try to do. I faced some great competition this year. In the World finals, I faced someone that many people think is one of the greatest of all time, and I competed well. I was able to train hard both mentally and physically for the World Championships." "We are really excited to see Kyle recognized by the U.S. Olympic family for his incredible contributions to USA Wrestling's program and the U.S. Olympic movement," said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. "Congratulations to Kyle, his family, his coaches and his teammates on this achievement." Tom Ryan, Snyder's coach at Ohio State, echoed that sentiment succinctly in this message on his Twitter account: "Congrats to @Snyder_man45 Olympic Male Athlete of the Year!" In receiving the USOC Olympic Male Athlete of the Year award, Snyder edged out other male finalists Lowell Bailey of biathlon, swimmer Caeleb Dressel, Sam Kendricks of track and field, and freestyle skier McRae Williams. Zadick's award Just one year after being named USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach, Bill Zadick has been named National Olympic Coach of the Year for 2017. The Zadick-led Team USA edged Russia by one point to win the 2017 Freestyle World Team Title, its first world team championship in 22 years (1995), and only its third ever. The USA won six medals in the eight weight classes, including two gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals. In addition, USA Wrestling won the Junior World Team men's freestyle title in 2017 under Zadick's guidance, its first team title at this age level since 1984. Zadick became National Freestyle Coach in August 2016 and was in his first year leading the program after more than seven years as an Assistant National Freestyle Coach. Prior to launching his coaching career, Zadick built a strong wrestling resume. Among his accomplishments: he was a 2006 World champion in men's freestyle, and the 142-pound titlewinner at the 1996 NCAAs for the University of Iowa, only the second Montana native to win a national college mat title. Zadick capped his collegiate career as a two-time All-American, as well as a Big Ten and NCAA champion. He was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011. "We are extremely excited to see Bill Zadick recognized with such a prestigious honor," said USA Wrestling's Rich Bender. "In the short time that Bill has been National Freestyle Coach, he has established himself as one of the very best coaches and leaders in Olympic sport. He is a great coach but even a better person." "It is an honor to be included in this group of excellent coaches, which is humbling," Bill Zadick said upon learning of the award. "A good plan is contingent upon good people in the right places. We have a vision to be the best and believed we could be World Champion. It is a victory for everybody." "I want to thank (Executive Director) Rich Bender and (Associate Executive Director) Les Gutches for giving me this opportunity. I thank our coaching staff which includes Kevin Jackson and Joe Russell, as well as the entire USA Wrestling staff," Zadick continued. "Everyone works hard in their area to elevate the company and our program. I thank Cody Bickley and Jaimie McNab for their work. I have said this before that our athletes are great people, who happen to be great wrestlers also. Great athletes make their coaches look good." Zadick is the first USA Wrestling coach to win the USOC Olympic Coach of the Year award, and only the second to win any USOC coaching award. In 2008, Dr. Dave Bennett, who was USA Wrestling's Freestyle Development Coach, won the USOC Doc Counsilman Science Award, recognizing a coach who utilizes scientific techniques and equipment in innovative ways. In addition to Zadick, the 2017 Olympic Coach of the Year finalists were Billy Walsh of USA Boxing and Matt Whitcomb of Nordic skiing. One honoree honors another... "Thankful I could receive this award with Coach Zadick," Kyle Snyder posted on Twitter Thursday. "We have been working together for 5 years. Hours and hours of development. He taught me how to be elite."

Zahid Valencia will be looking to win his second straight Las Vegas title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Over 100 ranked wrestlers, including 45 ranked in the top 10, are expected to compete at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, which takes place Friday and Saturday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Thirteen of the top 25 teams in the InterMat tournament rankings will be in Las Vegas headlined by No. 2 Ohio State. Other tournament ranked teams include No. 3 Michigan, No. 6 Arizona State, No. 11 Virginia Tech, No. 12 Minnesota, No. 13 Nebraska, No. 15 Northern Iowa, No. 18 Central Michigan, No. 19 Wyoming, No. 21 Pittsburgh, No. 22 Edinboro, No. 23 Duke and No. 24 Navy. Below is a look at the ranked wrestlers expected to compete at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Note: List is unofficial and subject to change. The seeds will be released tonight. 125: No. 3 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) No. 6 Ryan Millhof (Arizona State) No. 8 Sean Russell (Edinboro) No. 10 Dalton Macri (North Carolina) No. 11 Connor Schram (Stanford) No. 14 Luke Welch (Purdue) No. 15 Louie Hayes (Virginia) No. 16 Taylor LaMont (Utah Valley) No. 17 Zeke Moisey (West Virginia) No. 18 Drew Mattin (Michigan) 133: No. 2 Stevan Micic (Michigan) No. 6 Dom Forys (Pittsburgh) No. 7 Jack Mueller (Virginia) No. 9 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) No. 11 Korbin Myers (Edinboro) No. 12 Dennis Gustafson (Virginia Tech) No. 13 Josh Terao (American) No. 16 Cam Sykora (North Dakota State) No. 19 Sean Nickell (CSU Bakersfield) 141: No. 3 Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) No. 7 Chad Red (Nebraska) No. 8 Tommy Thorn (Minnesota) No. 11 Javier Gasca (Michigan State) No. 12 Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) No. 13 Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) No. 18 Michael Longo (Oklahoma) No. 19 Kanen Storr (Iowa State) No. 20 Mason Smith (Central Michigan) 149: No. 3 Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) No. 5 Colton McCrystal (Nebraska) No. 6 Justin Oliver (Central Michigan) No. 8 Ke-Shawn Hayes (Ohio State) No. 9 Troy Heilmman (North Carolina) No. 11 Solomon Chishko (Virginia Tech) No. 12 Josh Maruca (Arizona State) No. 18 Zander Wick (Wisconsin) No. 19 Davion Jeffries (Oklahoma) No. 20 Nick Monico (Kent State) 157: No. 5 Josh Shields (Arizona State) No. 6 Micah Jordan (Ohio State) No. 11 Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) No. 12 Clay Ream (North Dakota State) No. 14 Collin Heffernan (Central Michigan) No. 15 Justin Staudenmayer (Brown) No. 18 Andrew Crone (Wisconsin) No. 19 Taleb Rahmani (Pittsburgh) No. 20 Archie Colgan (Wyoming) 165: No. 3 Logan Massa (Michigan) No. 5 David McFadden (Virginia Tech) No. 7 Te'Shan Campbell (Ohio State) No. 8 Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) No. 9 Nick Wanzek (Minnesota) No. 12 Branson Ashworth (Wyoming) No. 13 Keilan Torres (Northern Colorado) No. 17 Evan Wick (Wisconsin) No. 18 Jon Jay Chavez (Cornell) No. 20 Lorenze De La Riva (CSUB) 174: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) No. 6 Myles Amine (Michigan) No. 7 Jadaen Bernstein (Navy) No. 8 Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa) No. 9 Brandon Womack (Cornell) No. 10 Drew Hughes (Michigan State) No. 11 Ethan Ramos (North Carolina) No. 13 Yoanse Mejias (Oklahoma) No. 15 Keaton Subjeck (Stanford) No. 16 C.J. Brucki (Central Michigan) No. 17 Ben Harvey (Army West Point) No. 18 Will Schany (Virginia) No. 19 Josef Johnson (Harvard) 184: No. 2 Myles Martin (Ohio State) No. 5 Domenic Abounader (Michigan) No. 6 Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) No. 7 Drew Foster (Northern Iowa) No. 8 Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan) No. 10 Max Dean (Cornell) No. 11 Ricky Robertson (Wisconsin) No. 14 Steven Schneider (Binghamton) No. 15 Dylan Gabel (Northern Colorado) No. 16 Christian LaFragola (Brown) No. 17 Michael Coleman (Navy) 197: No. 1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) No. 3 Jared Haught (Virginia Tech) No. 5 Kevin Beazley (Michigan) No. 6 Jake Smith (West Virginia) No. 9 Matt Williams (CSU Bakersfield) No. 13 Corey Griego (Oregon State) No. 14 Jeric Kasunic (American) No. 15 Christian Brunner (Purdue) No. 16 Nathan Traxler (Stanford) No. 17 Daniel Chaid (North Carolina) No. 18 Hunter Ritter (Wisconsin) 285: No. 2 Adam Coon (Michigan) No. 4 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) No. 6 Jacob Kasper (Duke) No. 8 Ryan Solomon (Pittsburgh) No. 13 Nathan Butler (Stanford) No. 16 Garrett Ryan (Columbia) No. 17 Brett Dempsey (American) No. 18 Gage Hutchison (Eastern Michigan)

This weekend's Independence Invitational in Iowa features 31 teams, and serves as an excellent kickoff event. The field is anchored by No. 23 Fort Dodge and No. 24 Christian Brothers College (Mo.). Other notable teams in the field include Iowa City West, New Hampton, Lisbon, Smithville (Mo.), and Scott West (Minn.) From an individual standpoint, the potential highlight could be a battle of three-time state champions in the final at 126 pounds between No. 4 Brody Teske (Fort Dodge) and No. 6 Malik Johnson (Christian Brothers College, Mo.). Teske is undefeated for his high school career. Also in that weight class is returning state placer Cobe Siebrecht (Lisbon). The other weight class expected to feature multiple nationally ranked wrestlers is 138 pounds with No. 15 Michael Blockhus (New Hampton) and No. 14 Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), though Saunders is ranked nationally at 132. Both wrestlers in this match were All-Americans in Fargo this summer. Also in that weight class could be returning state placer Drevon Ross (Fort Dodge) and 2016 state placer Tanner Probasco (South Tama County). A third potential featured weight class would be at 220 pounds, where top 100 senior Francis Duggan (Iowa City West) - ranked No. 5 nationally up at 285 - is expected to compete. Also here are expected to be returning state champion Jordan Baumler (North Fayette Valley) and Junior National freestyle All-American Tyrell Gordon (Waterloo East). Listed below are other key wrestlers in the tournament across all weight classes. 106: Jaymus Wilson (Alburnett), Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge) 113: Nathan Kahoe (Des Moines Lincoln), Caleb Rathjen (Ankeny), Cevion Severado (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), Hans von Rabenau (Iowa City West) 120: Conrad Braswell (Cedar Rapids Prairie), Cael Happel (Lisbon), Ryan Steffensmeier (Fort Madison), Vincent Zerban (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) 132: Drew Bennett (Fort Dodge), Eli Loyd (Pleasant Valley), Gabe Ruepke (Chariton), Jackson Stauffacher (Scott West, Minn.) 145: Tanner Abas (Clarion-Goldfield), Chance Downs (Maquoketa Valey), Noah Fye (New Hampton), Parker Huss (Scott West, Minn.), Damond Lockner (Fort Dodge), Alex Rivera (Smithville, Mo.), Cooper Siebrecht (Lisbon), Ryan Steffen (Crestwood), Colton Vest (South Tama County) 152: No. 20 Cayd Lara (Fort Dodge), Kaden Kilburg (Lisbon), Harlan Steffensmeier (Fort Madison), Trenten Wennermark (Cedar Rapids Prairie) 160: No. 8 Nelson Brands (Iowa City West), Shawn Brown (Des Moines Lincoln), Isaac Judge (South Tama County), Brennan Swofford (Mediapolis) 170: No. 4 Emille Shannon (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), Noah Glaser (New Hampton), Tad Griffith (Des Moines Lincoln) 182: Brian Boyd (Smithville, Mo.) 195: Tyler Buesgens (Scott West, Minn.), Charlie Cadell (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), Tanner Sloan (Alburnett) 285: Jacob Knutson (Crestwood), Tyler Linderbaum (Solon), Guy Snow (Iowa City West), Spencer Trenary (Clarion-Goldfield) Trackwrestling will be providing coverage of the tournament through live bracketing as well as a streaming service.

Lakeland University will become Wisconsin's first college or university to field a team in one of the nation's fastest-growing sports -- women's wrestling. Lakeland will become a member of the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA), the national governing body for women's college wrestling. The Muskies will field their first team in the fall of 2018. Head men's wrestling coach Ben Chapman will also coach the women's program, and Jared Schaaf, assistant coach for Lakeland's men's team, will serve as assistant coach. Women's wrestling has seen steady growth, and today almost 15,000 females wrestle at the high school level, according to the National Collegiate Wrestling Association. Since 2004, women's wrestling has been recognized as an Olympic sport. The sport's growth is especially evident in Wisconsin. This February, Wisconsin will host its first girls state wrestling tournament, joining a handful of states who hold a state tournament for females. This past year, the Wisconsin Women's National Team took second in the high school junior division at the nation's largest girls wrestling tournament. "We want to be one of the pioneers with this sport," said Chapman, who expects to have 15 wrestlers on his first-year roster. "With more states offering wrestling at the high school level and the ranks of the WCWA growing, the trends are impressive and we're excited to be the first school in Wisconsin to offer a college program. "There is a lot of interest from students who want to continue their education and wrestling careers after high school. Most WCWA-member schools have rosters of 30 or more, so this has great growth potential." Wrestling will be Lakeland's ninth sport for females. "We are thrilled to offer our female student-athletes another opportunity to compete, while at the same time becoming part of the national growth of wrestling," said Lakeland Director of Athletics April Arvan. "The demand for this sport will help us grow this program quickly." Lakeland will become the 40th member of the WCWA, which is a collection of NCAA Division 2 and 3 and NAIA schools and junior colleges. The WCWA has filed a petition with the NCAA for emerging sport status. Mike Moyer, executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, and NWCA Board of Directors President Tom Ryan, head wrestling coach at The Ohio State University, applauded Lakeland's efforts. "I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to the Lakeland University administration and men's wrestling coaches for their pioneering efforts to be the first to add an intercollegiate women's wrestling team in Wisconsin," he said. The season begins on Oct. 1 and the WCWA holds a national tournament the second week of February. Lakeland will not wrestle as part of a conference, as the Muskies will be the only Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference member school to have women's wrestling. Chapman hopes to schedule seven or eight competitive dates, including some home contests, for the 2018-19 season, which would include open tournaments and Saturdays featuring multiple dual meets. The heaviest concentration of schools currently offering women's wrestling are in the central part of the U.S., and they include Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky. Women's wrestling is growing rapidly in the Midwest, with schools in Michigan, Iowa and southern Illinois fielding teams. Lakeland's program will be open to current students as well as prospective students, Chapman said. "People within the wrestling community know how fast this sport is growing," Chapman said. "And, for those girls wrestling in Wisconsin, now they have a college option close to home to continue their wrestling careers." Women's college wrestling uses freestyle wrestling, which is an Olympic style of wrestling, as opposed to folkstyle used by men's college programs. Lakeland University is a four-year, private liberal arts school located in Plymouth, Wis. Founded in 1862, Lakeland has an enrollment of approximately 4,000 students.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday that Randy Couture will be honored as the organization's Outstanding American for 2018. Couture joins Distinguished Members Stephen Abas, Lee Allen, Henry Cejudo and Kristie Davis, Meritorious Official Gary Kessel, Order of Merit recipient Nancy Schultz Vitangeli, and Medal of Courage recipient James McCloughan, who were announced on Oct. 26. The Class of 2018 will be inducted at the 42nd Annual Honors Weekend on June 1-2, 2018 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For more information on Honors Weekend, please telephone (405) 377-5243. Randy Couture"Randy Couture epitomizes our Outstanding American award, which recognizes those who used wrestling to launch notable careers after concluding their wrestling careers," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "Randy served in the military and then was an All-American at Oklahoma State. He competed internationally in Greco-Roman and then was one of the original mixed martial arts champions. He then stepped onto another stage, literally, as an actor and continues to evolve as an entrepreneur." Past recipients have included individuals who have excelled in science, technology, business, industry, government, military, and arts and humanities. Couture wrestled at Lynnwood High School in Lynnwood, Washington, and was a Washington state champion as a senior. After graduating high school, he served six years in the United States Army from 1982-88, and attained the rank of sergeant in the 101st Airborne. Couture then attended Oklahoma State where he was a three-time All-American, finishing sixth in 1990 and second in 1991 and 1992 while helping the Cowboys win the team title in 1990 and finish second in 1991 and 1992. He was a National Wrestling Coaches Association First-Team All-Academic in 1991 and 1992, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in foreign language and literature. Couture wrestled at the World Championships in Greco-Roman in 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997, when he finished ninth, and was an Olympic team alternate in 1988, 1992 and 1996 and a semifinalist at the Olympic Trials in 2000. He was a six-time UFC world champion and was the only competitor to hold titles in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. Couture became the fourth fighter inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2006, and was inducted into the Oklahoma State College of Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 2016. As an actor he has appeared in the hit films "The Expendables," "The Expendables 2," and the "Expendables 3," opposite Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis, as well as on television. He recently completed filming "Alpha Code," a science-fiction film, and "Row," a murder mystery. Couture has his own chain of gyms, Xtreme Couture MMA, and a clothing line, Xtreme Couture MMA Clothing. He also founded and runs the Xtreme Couture GI Foundation, which raises awareness and financially supports wounded veterans. Couture teamed with Jay Glazer of Fox Sports and Green Beret and NFL player Nate Boyer to create Merging Vets and Players (MVP), which is a program designed to address challenges that many combat veterans and professional athletes face when transitioning their service/professional life towards a new mission in their civilian life. He and Glazer also created MMAthletics, which trains professional athletes from various sports in the ways of mixed martial arts and how that training can be applied to their respective sports. National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation and now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. It also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

Services have been announced for Paul Solberg, long-time head wrestling coach at Luther College, who passed away Tuesday in Decorah, Iowa, the school announced Tuesday. He was age 79. Paul SolbergVisitation will take place Friday, Dec. 1 from 4-7 p.m. at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah, and Saturday, Dec. 2, starting at 9 a.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Decorah. The memorial service will begin at the church at 11 a.m. Solberg had coached Luther's wrestling program from 1966-1980 and 1982-1983. Under Solberg, the Norse wrestling program won three conference championships, and had its first national wrestling champion when Dan Boos won the 142-pound weight class in NCAA Division III and took eighth in NCAA Division I. Solberg coached three individual national champions and 14 All-America wrestlers. The college dedicated the Paul Solberg Wrestling Complex in his name in 2005. During his career at Luther College, Solberg was named IIAC (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) Coach of the Year seven times, including three times for wrestling. (In 35 years at the northeast Iowa school, Solberg also served as head coach of baseball and tennis, and an assistant coach for Norse football and track.) Solberg became a school administrator, working as an assistant athletic director before being promoted to director of athletics. He retired in 2001 with professor emeritus status. For all these accomplishments, Solberg earned his place in the Luther College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001 and the National Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005. Born on October 2, 1938 in Spring Grove Minnesota, Paul Jerome Solberg was one of 12 siblings who grew up on a farm. He was a multi-sport athlete at both Spring Grove High School and Luther College, but did not participate in wrestling at either school. After graduating from Luther in 1961, Solberg began his teaching and coaching career at Buffalo Grove High School in Minnesota, where he taught physical education and coached wrestling, football and track. He returned to his college alma mater in 1966, where he had a career as professor, coach and administrator spanning three-and-a-half decades. While a student at Luther College, Paul Solberg married Carolyn Marie Myhre in August 1959. The couple lived in the married student housing complex. "Together they shared in his love of coaching and the mentoring of student athletes," according to Solberg's obituary. "It was not unusual for them to house the entire wrestling team in their basement over campus holidays while the dorms were closed. Numerous meals and countless loads of laundry made for a family atmosphere that demonstrated his care for his teams." Paul Solberg is survived by his wife Carolyn; a daughter; a son; four grandchildren; five great grandchildren; three brothers and two sisters. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be given to Luther College Biology Department, c/o Development Office, 700 College Drive, Decorah, IA 52101; Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 701 Iowa Ave., Decorah, IA 52101; or Aase Haugen Senior Services, 4 Ohio Street, Decorah, IA 52101. Luther College is a four-year private school located in Decorah in northeastern Iowa. Founded in 1861, Luther has an enrollment of approximately 2,300 students. The Norse wrestling program -- and all other intercollegiate sports -- compete in NCAA Division III.

Friday marks the beginning of December, and on that note, the wrestling season is beginning in earnest across the majority of states in our country with the opening weekend of competition. Below is the schedule of competitions for Fab 50 teams during the upcoming week (Wednesday, Nov. 29 through Tuesday, Dec. 5). No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J. - travel to St. Benedict's Prep (N.J.) for the Caruso Tournament on Saturday No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. - compete in the Lake Norman (N.C.) Duals on Saturday No. 4 Montini Catholic, Ill. - host Mt. Carmel (Ill.), Bowen (Ill.) and Providence Catholic (Ill.) as part of quad meet on Saturday No. 5 St. Paris Graham, Ohio - compete in the Marysville (Ohio) Duals on Saturday No. 7 Malvern Prep, Pa. - travel to St. Benedict's Prep (N.J.) for the Caruso Tournament on Saturday No. 9 St. Edward, Ohio - host No. 33 Wadsworth (Ohio), Parkersburg South (W.Va.), and Ripley (W.Va.) as part of quad meet on Saturday No. 11 Park Hill, Mo. - host No. 26 Broken Arrow (Okla.) in dual meet on Friday, host the Park Hill Duals on Saturday, travel to Platte County (Mo.) for dual meet on Tuesday No. 12 Clovis, Calif. - split squad between Dos Palos (Calif.) Invitational and Newbury Park (Calif.) Invitational on Saturday No. 15 Poway, Calif. - compete in the Oak Hills (Calif.) Bulldog Cup on Friday and Saturday No. 16 Choctaw, Okla. - travel to Deer Creek (Okla.) for dual meet on Tuesday No. 17 Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio - compete in the Franklin (Ohio) Invitational on Saturday No. 18 Allen, Texas - compete in the Fossil Ridge (Texas) Duals on Friday and Saturday No. 21 Apple Valley, Minn. - travel to Burnsville (Minn.) for dual meet tomorrow, compete in the Winona (Minn.) Invitational on Saturday No. 22 Brownsburg, Ind. - host Westfield (Ind.) in dual meet tonight, compete in the Harrison (Ohio) Duals on Saturday No. 23 Fort Dodge, Iowa - travel to North/Hoover (Iowa) for tri-meet with Ames (Iowa) tomorrow, compete in the Independence (Iowa) Invitational on Friday and Saturday No. 24 Christian Brothers College, Mo. - compete in the Independence (Iowa) Invitational on Friday and Saturday No. 26 Broken Arrow, Okla. - host Owasso (Okla.) in dual meet tomorrow, travel to No. 11 Park Hill (Mo.) for dual meet on Friday, compete in the Gardner-Edgerton (Kansas) Invitational on Saturday No. 27 Southeast Polk, Iowa - travel to Mason City (Iowa) for dual meet tomorrow, compete in the Gardner-Edgerton (Kansas) Invitational on Saturday No. 28 Selma, Calif. - compete in the Rumble for the Rig at Bakersfield (Calif.) on Saturday No. 32 Tuttle, Okla. - travel to Elgin (Okla.) for dual meet on Tuesday No. 33 Wadsworth, Ohio - travel to No. 9 St. Edward (Ohio) for quad meet along with Parkersburg South (W.Va.) and Ripley (W.Va.) No. 34 Simley, Minn. - compete in quad meet at Chisago Lakes (Minn.) on Friday and the Rochester (Minn.) Duals at Mayo H.S. on Saturday No. 35 Portage, Ind. - host Chesterton (Ind.) for dual meet tonight, compete in the Harvest Classic at Lake Central (Ind.) on Saturday No. 36 Staley, Mo. - compete in the Ron Sauer Duals at Fox (Mo.) on Friday and Saturday No. 38 Elyria, Ohio - host Parkersburg (W.Va.) for dual meet on Saturday No. 39 St. Paul's, Md. - host the Crusader Duals on Saturday No. 40 Anoka, Minn. - compete in the Maple Grove (Minn.) Tournament on Saturday No. 44 Marmion Academy, Ill. - host Providence Catholic (Ill.) and Oak Park Fenwick (Ill.) for dual meets tomorrow, travel to Wheaton North (Ill.) for quad meet on Saturday No. 45 St. John Bosco, Calif. - compete in the Cassareck Classic at Westminster (Calif.) on Friday and Saturday No. 46 West Des Moines Valley, Iowa - travel to Dowling Catholic (Iowa) for dual meet tomorrow, compete in Keith Young Invitational at Cedar Falls (Iowa) on Saturday, host Ottumwa (Iowa) for dual meet on Tuesday No. 47 Stratford, Wis. - host tournament on Saturday No. 48 Wasatch, Utah - travel to Layton (Utah) for dual meet tonight, host Springville (Utah) for dual meet tomorrow, compete in the Layton (Utah) Invitational on Friday and Saturday, travel to Morgan (Utah) for dual meet on Tuesday No. 50 Goddard, Kansas - compete in the Valley Center (Kansas) Invitational on Saturday Not competing this week: No. 3 Buchanan (Calif.), No. 8 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), No. 13 Brecksville (Ohio), No. 20 Gilroy (Calif.), No. 42 Pomona (Colo.), No. 43 Massillon Perry (Ohio) Season start date has not yet occurred: No. 6 Bergen Catholic (N.J.), No. 10 Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), No. 14 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.), No. 19 Davison (Mich.), No. 25 Delbarton (N.J.), No. 29 Nazareth (Pa.), No. 30 Lowell (Mich.), No. 31 Kiski Area (Pa.), No. 37 Howell (N.J.), No. 41 Erie Cathedral Prep (Pa.), No. 49 Northampton (Pa.)

Dan Gable with auction items WATERLOO, Iowa -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum is celebrating the holidays with four special auctions featuring rare and unique Dan Gable items. Gable is arguably the greatest athlete and coach ever. In 1972 won a gold medal at the Munich Olympics without surrendering a point. As the head coach at the University of Iowa he led the Hawkeyes to 15 NCAA team titles in 21 years, compiling a 355-21-5 dual meet record. All proceeds from the auctions benefit the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum, a non-profit organization committed to advancing the sport of wrestling. Contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or dgmstaff@nwhof.org with questions about the items. The Ultimate Dan Gable package This package consists of 45 different items from Gable's historic career, including signed books, magazines, posters, apparel, videos, and more. To bid on The Ultimate Dan Gable collection, click here. Signed Iowa wrestling warm-up jacket Dan Gable won 15 NCAA team championships during his 21 seasons as head coach. This vintage 1980s Iowa wrestling warm-up includes Gable's signature and a listing of all 15 championships on the jacket. To bid on the jacket, click here. Signed Dan Gable action figure Only 100 limited edition Dan Gable action figures were created. This one-number 72/100-is the only one numbered in gold. To bid on the action figure, click here. Signed Dan Gable Celebrity Golf Tournament flag This World Champion flag from the 16th annual Dan Gable Celebrity Golf Tournament says, "No Stalling. Get Off Your Back And Fight!" Dan Gable signed the flag with his own saying, "Better yet, stay off your back." To bid on the flag, click here. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum is a non-profit organization based out of Waterloo, Iowa. The mission of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame is to preserve history, recognize excellence, and inspire future generations.

Iran's Alireza Karimi-Machiani claimed a bronze medal at the 2015 Worlds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) An Iranian wrestler allegedly intentionally lost a match to a Russian opponent at the 2017 U23 World Senior Wrestling Championship in Poland Saturday so he would not have to face an opponent from Israel, according to multiple media reports Tuesday. Iran's Alireza Karimi-Machiani, 23, was wrestling Alikhan Zhabrailov of Russia when a sideline coach told him to lose the match. "Karimi-Machiani is easily defeating his opponent but after a couple of minutes his coach shouts, 'Alireza, lose,'" the New York Times reported Tuesday. (The article includes video of the match imbedded within.) "The Iranian wrestler shakes his head and continues, until his coach once again shouts at him. At that point, he throws in the towel, metaphorically speaking, and not for the first time -- he did the same thing in 2013." "I was told that the Israeli wrestler defeated his American rival, and that I must lose to avoid facing an Israeli opponent," Karimi-Machiani said in an interview with the Iranian Students News Agency. "I have trained hard for months to win a gold medal, and it was easy for me to win." "But then came the instruction (from his coach) and it was like a bucket of cold water on all my dreams." Israel's Uri Kalashnikov, who had defeated US wrestler Sam Brooks, would have been Karimi's next opponent. (Brooks eventually placed 17th in the weight class.) Iran does not recognize the state of Israel and forbids its athletes from competing against Israelis at international sports events. "I do accept that Israel is an oppressor and commits crimes," Karimi-Machiani said. "But would it not be oppression if our authorities undermine my hard work again?" Over the weekend the Iranian wrestler had posted a video on Instagram which generated comment online from around the world. In response, Iran's Wrestling Federation published a statement Monday praising Karimi-Machiani's decision to lose. The statement called him a "hero" who "sacrificed his rights to support the oppressed people of Palestine "for the second time." "Your noble and heroic action in the world competition in Poland, abandoning the medal and the podium in support of the highest human values, is a source of pride and praise," an official statement on the website of Iran's youth and sports ministry said, AFP reported. "It is the second time that you have risen up against the oppression of the Palestinian people by abandoning your rights in an act of absolute submission," the statement also said, referring to his throwing of a match at the World Youth Championships in 2013 rather than compete against an Israeli. Karimi, in the running for a gold medal in freestyle at 86 kilograms/189 pounds at the event at Bydgoszcz, Poland, had been winning the match against the Russian, 3-2, before the match was stopped so he could speak to his coach, the BBC reported. Karimi eventually lost, 14-3. Russia's Zabrailov went on to win the gold at the United World Wrestling event for wrestlers under the age of 23. Israel's Kalashnikov took the bronze medal. Karimi is not taking the situation lying down. He is demanding the Iranian wrestling federation pay him the bonus of 60 gold coins he would have earned for victory. UPDATES InterMat's Caryn Ward -- mother of U.S. wrestler Sam Brooks -- has written an opinion piece, "UWW needs to send a message to Iran: Compete or stay home" which addresses issues raised by what happened at the 2017 U23 World Senior Wrestling Championships in Poland last weekend. United World Wrestling has launched an investigation. http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/18993

Two former University of Iowa wrestlers who are newly hired coaches at Cedar Falls (Iowa) High School will be guests for the "On the Mat" broadcast this Wednesday, Nov. 29. Michael Kelly was a two-time state champion for Cedar Falls High, while Nick Moore was a four-time state mat champ for Iowa City West High. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in Northeast Iowa this Wednesday at 5 p.m. Central on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com.

BLOOMINGTON, IN -- The Binghamton wrestling team (3-1) is headed home after winning all three of its duals on Sunday, November 26. The Bearcats earned victories over Indianapolis (35-7), B1G Indiana (29-6) and Eastern Michigan (28-13) in the meet. This is the second of the four B1G matchups of the season for Binghamton. "We knew we were in for a fight today," head coach Matt Dernlan said. "We came out to the midwest to wrestle a school in a power conference and when we took the mat today we won every tough fight and every tough situation. We did a good job dictating our style of play and imposing our will on our opponents." Bearcats Roll Over Indianapolis Binghamton walked away with three pins and two majors leading to a 35-7 start at the IU Duals. Junior Steven Bulzomi set the pace for the match, taking a 15-8 win over D.J. Smith at 125 pounds. Redshirt senior Jake Nicholson followed suit, winning by pin at 6:38 over Ana Abduljelil to put the Bearcats at a 9-0 lead. Binghamton saw back to back pins from redshirt sophomore Tristan Rifanburg (4:38) and redshirt junior Vincent DePrez (2:35), jumping to a solid 24-3 lead. Feeding off the momentum, redshirt junior Anthony Lombardo took a 12-3 major over Luke Kreich before senior Steve Schneider took a 6-1 decision over Brody Conner. Redshirt junior Mark Tracy scored the final team points of the match with a 12-3 major over Brian Wagner, securing a 35-7 win. Hoosiers Who? Starting at 125 for the Bearcats, redshirt junior Joe Nelson fought his way to a 9-7 win over Elijah Oliver to put Binghamton up early 3-0. Nicholson followed, defeating Garrett Pepple 9-4 and giving the Bearcats a 6-0 lead. The Hoosiers were able to take one back, as No. 16 Cole Weaver won a 6-1 decision over redshirt junior Joe Russ, cutting the lead in half. In an exciting bout at 149 pounds between Garcia and Davey Tunon, Garcia extended the match to sudden victory before winning 4-2 and pushing Binghamton to a 9-3 lead. From there, the Bearcats went on the win five of its last six matches with two bonus point wins. Lombardo won by pin over No. 25 Gabe Koontz at 2:42 before Calkins picked up a tech fall at 4:17 (17-1) over Zach Horwitz to push Binghamton to a 29-6 total-team effort win over the B1G Hoosiers. "As we grow as a team, we raise the level with our competition" Dernlan said. "It's week three and we have already taken on two B1G opponents. We knew if we came out here today and wrestled our best that it would be ours for the taking. I think I was most impressed that the guys weren't contentious. It doesn't matter what the singlet says, what school you're from or what you're ranked. The only thing we can control is our attitude and our effort. And we brought the best fight I've seen in five years and I think this is a great stepping stone for the program." One More for the Road The Bearcats finished their sweep of the IU Duals with a 28-13 win over Eastern Michigan, winning seven out of ten bouts. Bulzomi advanced to 2-0 on the day, winning his match 6-4 over Tomas Gutierrez. At 133, Nicholson won by medical forfeit, putting the Bearcats up 9-0. Binghamton saw back to back bonus point wins, as Garcia won by major 11-0 over Kyle Springer before Rifanburg won by pin at 3:21 over J.J. Wolfe, his second of the day. With a 19-4 lead, DePrez took the mat against Zac Carson, earning an escape late in the third period combined with ride time to pull out an exciting 4-3 win. The Bearcats saw final wins from Lombardo (11-4) and Schneider (3-1) leading to a 28-13 victory to end the day. "We've been talking about consistency a lot lately," Dernlan said. "We want to replicate our performances and efforts day in and day out. We didn't get caught up in the good outcomes of the matches we wrestled against Indiana, which is a good thing. They went out, did what they needed to do, and got mentally ready for the next match. They finished the job." Back on the Road The Bearcats have a quick turnaround, as they start travel on Wednesday, November 29 to Las Vegas. Binghamton will wrestle in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational December 1-3. RESULTS Binghamton Bearcats (1-1) vs. Indianapolis Greyhounds (0-2) 125: Steven Bulzomi (BU) dec. D.J. Smith (UI) 15-8 133: Jake Nicholson (BU) pinned Ana Abduljelil (UI) 6:38 141: Angelo Robles (UI) dec. Joe Russ (BU) 7-5 149: Frankie Garcia (BU) dec. Elliott Molloy (UI) 3-1 157: Tristan Rifanburg (BU) pinned Heath Lange (UI) 4:38 165: Vincent DePrez (BU) pinned J.D. Waters (UI) 2:35 174: Anthony Lombardo (BU) maj. dec. Luke Kriech (UI) 12-3 184: #14 Steve Schneider (BU) dec. Brody Conner (UI) 6-1 197: Mark Tracy (BU) maj. dec. Brian Wagner (UI) 12-3 285: Dylan Faulkenberg (UI) maj. dec. Connor Calkins (BU) 15-4 Indiana Hoosiers (2-1) vs. Binghamton Bearcats (2-1) 125: Joe Nelson (BU) dec. Elijah Oliver (IU) 9-7 133: Jake Nicholson (BU) dec. Garrett Pepple (IU) 9-4 141: #16 Cole Weaver (IU) dec. Joe Russ (BU) 6-1 149: Frankie Garcia (BU) dec. Davey Tunon (IU) SV-1 4-2 157: Jake Danishek (IU) dec. Tristan Rifan burg (BU) SV-1 11-9 165: Vincent DePrez (BU) dec. Bryce Martin (IU) 9-4 174: Anthony Lombardo (BU) pinned Gabe Koontz (IU) 2:42 184: #14 Steve Schneider (BU) dec. Norman Conley (IU) 4-1 197: Mark Tracy (BU) dec. Jake Hinz (IU) 8-3 285: Connor Calkins (BU) tech. fall Zach Horwitz (IU) 17-1 (4:17) Binghamton Bearcats (3-1) vs. Eastern Michigan Eagles (3-3) 125: Steven Bulzomi (BU) dec. Tomas Gutierrez (EMU) 6-4 133: Jake Nicholson (BU) INJ def. Noah Gonser (EMU) INJ 141: Sa'Derian Perry (EMU) maj. dec. Joe Russ (BU) 12-2 149: Frankie Garcia (BU) maj. dec. Kyle Springer (EMU) 11-0 157: Tristan Rifan burg (BU) pinned J.J. Wolfe (EMU) 3:21 165: Vincent DePrez (BU) dec. Zac Carson (EMU) 4-3 174: Anthony Lombardo (BU) dec. Andrew McNally (EMU) 11-4 184: #14 Steve Schneider (BU) dec. Kayne McCallum (EMU) 3-1 197: Derek Hillman (EMU) dec. Mark Tracy (BU) 9-3 285: #16 Gage Hutchison (EMU) pinned Connor Calkins (BU) 1:42

AMES, IA -- The nationally-ranked No. 22 Rider University Wrestling Team rebounded strongly after Friday's loss in Iowa City, defeating the Iowa State Cyclones, 22-15, Sunday afternoon at Stephens Auditorium. The Broncs won five of the 10 matches wrestled, with four of the five victories coming by major decision, technical fall, or fall to give John Hangey his first dual victory as head coach of the Broncs. J.R. Wert (Christiansburg, VA/Christiansburg) took home the Broncs' first victory of the match, winning by major decision 10-1 over Jonathon Marmolejo to give the Broncs their first lead of the day, which would never be relinquished. Anthony Cefolo (Florham Park, NJ/Hanover Regional) would then defeat Ian Parker by fall in 2:01 to stretch the lead to 10-3. After a pair of losses brought the Cyclones to within 10-9, the Broncs would reopen the lead with three-straight wins - a 13-11 decision by B.J. Clagon (Toms River, NJ/Toms River HS South), a 15-5 major decision by Chad Walsh (Cherry Hill, NJ/Camden Catholic), and a technical fall by 19-3 score for Dean Sherry (Brick, NJ/Brick Township). The Cyclones would bring home the final two matches by decision to complete the final score of 22-15. Quotes & Notes "It was a great team effort. We were looking for them to respond to Friday night's setback. I was very happy with their intensity and focus today." "It's a great win for our athletes and program against a team that has a very rich tradition in wrestling." - Rider Head Coach John Hangey The Broncs finished the weekend 1-1, an impressive feat in Iowa, the state with the richest college wrestling history. The Broncs also sent wrestlers to Lock Haven University for the Mat-Town Open. Notes from the Mat-Town Open. Evan Fidelibus (Easton, PA/Easton Area) and Matt McKenzie (Wall, NJ/Wall) also won matches at the tournament for the Broncs. The four Rider wrestlers went a combined 6-5 at the open Sunday. The Broncs next compete in a dual meet against the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia on Friday, Dec. 1. Results: 285: Marcus Harrington (ISU) dec. Ryan Cloud (RU), 8-3 (1:29 RT). 125: J.R. Wert (RU) maj. dec. Jonathan Marmolejo (ISU), 10-1. 133: Anthony Cefolo (RU) fall Ian Parker (ISU), 2:01. 141: Kanen Storr (ISU) dec. Tyson Dippery (RU), 11-6 (1:00 RT). 149: Jarrett Degen (ISU) dec. Gary Dinmore (RU), 5-2 (2:47 RT). 157: B.J. Clagon (RU) dec. Chase Straw (ISU), 13-11. 165: Chad Walsh (RU) maj. dec. Colston DiBlasi (ISU), 15-5. 174: Dean Sherry (RU) tech fall Hank Swalla (ISU), 18-3 (6:18). 184: Dane Pestano (ISU) dec. Wayne Stinson (RU), 9-3 (1:21 RT). 197: Sam Colbray (ISU) dec. Ethan Laird (RU), 8-3 (1:44 RT).

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana's wrestling team launched their 2017-18 home schedule on Sunday with the IU Duals, the first quad meet at University Gymnasium in more than three seasons. The Hoosiers (3-1) won matches against Eastern Michigan, 25-12, and Indianapolis, 34-8, with a 29-6 defeat to Binghamton in the second session. Leading the way for Indiana were two redshirt juniors, Cole Weaver (141) and Jake Danishek (157), who each left the U-Gym with 3-0 records in the meet. Danishek's results -- two pins and a win in sudden victory -- were especially encouraging, as they were his first three matches of the season. Weaver continued his 11-2 start to the year and defended his No. 16 national rank with two decisions and a pin in his final match. Session I: Indiana 25, Eastern Michigan 12 The Hoosiers won 7-of-10 bouts and the first six matches on the dual card to open this year's home schedule with a win over Eastern Michigan. Junior Elijah Oliver (125) sparked the run with an 11-2 major decision, and Garrett Pepple (133) stunned No. 23 Noah Gonser in a 2-1 decision victory. Pepple faced five ranked opponents in his first 11 matches of the season and emerged with a 2-3 record in those matches. Weaver followed with a shutout decision to give IU a 10-0 lead before Davey Tunon (149) scored the most exciting win of the session. Tunon, trailing 4-3 to Kyle Springer, fired a shot that yielded a takedown and four back points to swing the bout, eventually taking a 9-8 win. Danishek continued momentum with a pin in his first match of the season, deciding a tight match before it could enter the final period. Bryce Martn (165) and Jake Hinz (184) added to the final tally as they both won decisions by three points. Session II: Binghamton 29, Indiana 6 A dual that looked closer in person than on the final scoreboard, the Bearcats won three of their matches by three points or less in their team victory. Weaver was first on the board for Indiana with a 6-1 decision over Joe Russ. Danishek followed two matches later, scoring with 0:16 left in the sudden victory period to take the 11-9 win. Oliver dropped a tight two-point decision to Joe Nelson, 9-7, while Tunon lost a 4-2 result in sudden victory. Norman Conley (184) kept it close with No. 14 Steve Schneider but ended up on the wrong end of a 4-1 result. Session III: Indiana 34, Indianapolis 8 Indiana rebounded from their first dual loss of the season, taking four wins with bonus points in their 34-8 victory against Indianapolis. The Hoosiers won their first eight bouts, starting with Oliver's major decision and back-to-back pins from Pepple and Weaver. Danishek secured his second pin of the day in his match, only this time he ended it before they left the first period. Sophomores Gabe Koontz (174) and Norman Conley (184) closed the winning run with decisions, each earning their first career home victories in the IU singlet. Koontz, who came to Indiana from nearby Edgewood High School, won 6-4 in sudden victory to get the crowd back on its feet at the end of a three-match day. Up Next: 2017 Hoosier Duals Saturday, Dec. 2 • Starts at 10:00 a.m. ET • Live on BTN Plus / FloWrestling University Gymnasium • Bloomington, Ind. The Hoosiers will wrestle six opponents in a six-day span after completing next weekend's Hoosier Duals, the second quad meet at University Gymnasium. The visitors -- SIU-Edwardsville (0-0), Cleveland State (0-2), and Northern Illinois(0-0) -- will be the last of Indiana's non-conference dual meet schedule. As was the case during the IU Duals, weigh-ins will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET and there will be a 10-minute intermission following the conclusion of the last match in each session. The schedule for the Hoosier Duals is as follows:

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland -- Joey McKenna won four of five bouts to secure a bronze medal at the U23 World Wrestling Championships. It marks his second career World medal following a 2014 Junior World silver-worthy performance. McKenna opened competition in the 65-kilgogram men's freestyle 26-man bracket by posting an 11-0 tech fall over Poland's Patryk Krzysztof in his home country. After dropping a contest to the eventual gold medalist, Nachyn Kuular of Russia, he was pulled back into the repechage. McKenna took full advantage of the second chance and accumulated three consecutive victories to bring home the bronze medal. His run included decisions over Maxim Sacultan (Moldova), Tulga Tumur-ochir (Mongolia) and Heorhi Kaliyeu (Belarus).

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Mizzou Wrestling (6-0, 0-0 MAC) erased a 9-0 deficit after three bouts to comeback and beat Virginia (1-3, 0-0 ACC), 18-15, Sunday afternoon at the Memorial Gymnasium in Charlottesville, Va. Mizzou won five bouts in the dual, with three coming by way of major decision, as redshirt sophomore heavyweight Austin Myers (Alexandria, Ky.) finished off the comeback with an 8-3 win over Tyler Love. The 6-0 start for the Tigers is the 11th 6-0 start for Mizzou under head coach Brian Smith and the 15th all-time in program history. NOTABLE TIGERS After a win by decision on Saturday, redshirt junior 174-pounder Daniel Lewis (Blue Springs, Mo.) returned to his bonus point ways on Sunday, as the two-time All-American defeated No. 15-ranked Will Schany by major decision, 11-2. With the win, Lewis improves to 10-0 on the season, with eight victories coming by way of bonus points (six falls, two major decisions). Redshirt senior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee (Reno, Nev.) posted his sixth victory of the season with an 11-2 major decision over Michael Murphy. The win was Lavallee's 20th career major decision, and he is now two major decisions away from joining the top-10 all-time in program history. Redshirt freshman 184-pounder Canten Marriott (Exclesior Springs, Mo.) provided a huge boost for Mizzou, as his 10-2 major decision over Michael Battista gave Mizzou its first lead of the dual at 15-12 with two matches remaining. UP NEXT Mizzou will now return home to open its conference slate as MAC foe Old Dominion visits Columbia on Saturday, Dec. 2. The dual will begin at Noon (CT) and will be streamed on the Mizzou Network through MUTigers.com. For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouWrestling). Results: 125: No. 9 Louie Hayes (UVA) dec. No. 15 Barlow McGhee (MIZ): 4-1 | MIZ 0, UVA 3 133: No. 5 Jack Mueller (UVA) dec. No. 8 John Erneste (MIZ): 9-2 | MIZ 0, UVA 6 141: Sam Martino (UVA) dec. Nick Nasenbeny (MIZ): 2-0 | MIZ 0, UVA 9 149: No. 18 Grant Leeth (MIZ) dec. No. 21 Sam Krivus (UVA): 3-1 | MIZ 3, UVA 9 157: No. 2 Joey Lavallee (MIZ) major dec. Michael Murphy (UVA): 11-2 | MIZ 7, UVA 9 165: No. 16 Andrew Atkinson (UVA) dec. Connor Flynn (MIZ): 7-4 | MIZ 7, UVA 12 174: No. 4 Daniel Lewis (MIZ) major dec. No. 15 Will Schany (UVA): 14-2 | MIZ 11, UVA 12 184: Canten Marriott (MIZ) major dec. Michael Bauttista (UVA): 10-2 | MIZ 15, UVA 12 197: Jay Aiello (UVA) dec. Wyatt Koelling (MIZ): 7-2 | MIZ 15, UVA 15 HWT: Austin Myers (MIZ) dec. Tyler Love (UVA): 8-3 | MIZ 18, UVA 15

CHAPEL HILL -- No. 17 Danny Chaid's second-period pin at 197 pounds set the tone for the North Carolina wrestling team as the Tar Heels beat visiting Appalachian State 30-6 Sunday afternoon at Carmichael Arena. Dalton Macri, A.C. Headlee and Ethan Ramos added major decisions for the Tar Heels, who avenged an 18-16 loss to the Mountaineers from a season ago. Chaid gave up the first takedown of the day to App State's Randall Diabe, but the redshirt senior from San Jose responded in emphatic fashion with a pin at 4:30 in the opening match of the dual. Cory Daniel scored an 8-5 decision at heavyweight to extend the Tar Heel lead to 9-0 before the lineup circled back to 125. Making his UNC debut, No. 10 Macri wasted no time in registering a pair of takedowns against De'Andre Swinson-Barr. Macri lead 7-2 after two periods and added two more takedowns and a whopping 4:45 of riding time for a 12-3 major. Zach Sherman won 6-3 at 133 pounds in his home debut before Headlee's 18-6 major at 141. The redshirt sophomore almost got a first-period tech fall and led 12-1 after three minutes thanks to a pair of four-point near falls. Irvin Enriquez fought hard in the final period, but Headlee got a late takedown to secure the bonus point. No. 10 Troy Heilmann made it six straight wins for the Tar Heels with his 6-1 victory over Gavin Londoff at 149 before the Mountaineers (2-1) picked up a pair of close decisions at 157 and 165. Ramos then got Carolina back in the win column with a 12-2 major over No. 20 Forrest Przybysz at 174 in the only matchup of ranked wrestlers. Chip Ness won 5-3 at 184 in his season debut to cap a winning Sunday for the Tar Heels in their home debut. Next up for Carolina is a trip to Las Vegas for the prestigious Cliff Keen Invitational Dec. 1-2. Results: 197: #17 Danny Chaid (UNC) pinned Randall Diabe (APP), 4:30 - UNC leads 6-0 285: Cory Daniel (UNC) dec. Cary Miller (APP), 8-5 - UNC leads 9-0 125: #10 Dalton Macri (UNC) maj. dec. De'Andre Swinson-Barr (APP), 12-3 - UNC leads 13-0 133: Zach Sherman (UNC) dec. Codi Russell (APP), 6-3 - UNC leads 16-0 141: A.C. Headlee (UNC) maj. dec. Irvin Enriquez (APP), 18-6 - UNC leads 20-0 149: #10 Troy Heilmann (UNC) dec. Gavin Londoff (APP), 6-1 - UNC leads 23-0 157: Laken Cook (APP) dec. Kennedy Monday (UNC), 9-8 - UNC leads 23-3 165: Thomas Flitz (APP) dec. Clay Lautt (UNC), 10-8 - UNC leads 23-6 174: #11 Ethan Ramos (UNC) maj. dec. #20 Forrest Przybysz (APP), 12-2 - UNC leads 27-6 184: Chip Ness (UNC) dec. Alan Clothier (APP), 5-3 - UNC wins 30-6

FARGO, N.D. -- In the first all-time meeting between the two programs, the third-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team handled new Big 12 foe North Dakota State, 40-3, Sunday at the Scheels Center. Senior 141-pounder Dean Heil tallied his 100th overall win and 50th consecutive in the process. The Cowboys (3-0, 1-0 Big 12) tallied six bonus point victories en route to their first Big 12 win of the season, as Kaid Brock and Keegan Moore recorded falls to go along with technical falls from Heil, Jacobe Smith and Keegan Moore, as well as a major decision from Derek White. OSU was dominant, only allowing one NDSU takedown on the day to their 23. "I think there were mismatches at a lot of weights," head coach John Smith said. "We felt a little bit of burn in some of those matches and we didn't want to wrestle through it in a few…It was a good team effort but I see some areas that we really need to focus on." Nick Piccininni opened the match for the Cowboys at 125 pounds against Paul Bianchi. The OSU redshirt sophomore led wire-to-wire, scoring takedowns in the first and third period to notch the 6-1 decision and move to 4-1 overall on the season. Brock scored the first bonus points of the day for the Pokes by way of a fall in 4:06 over McGwire Midkiff. Racking up four takedowns and a nearfall for a 12-3 lead, Brock was able to turn Midkiff to his back in the second period and finish out the fall. The pin was Brock's second -- and quickest -- of the season. Heil recorded his 100th win in style on Sunday, teching Nico Colunga early in the second period for his 50th-straight win. The Cowboy senior didn't allow Colunga a point in the match, using a pair of takedowns and three nearfalls for the 16-0 tech fall. With a career record of 100-11, Heil is the 42nd Cowboy to enter the 100-win club. "That is big," Smith said. "He had a little bit of a rough week. He was hurt all week and a little bit nervous about wrestling today, but I threw him out there. I didn't see any reason not to. He did a nice job. That's what you hope for him to do is to go out there and put him away quick. He did that." Redshirt Geo Martinez pulled out a 2-0 win over Mitch Bengston to keep the Bison off the board at 149 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Martinez elected to open the second in the down position and escaped to get off the board. In the final frame, Martinez rode Bengston for the whole frame to lock up the riding time point and the win. The Bison took their only match of the day at 157 pounds, as No. 12 Clay Ream edged junior Jonce Blaylock, 3-2, to send the Cowboys into the halftime intermission with a 17-3 advantage. Chandler Rogers continued the winning for OSU at 165 pounds, dropping No, 15 Andrew Fogarty, 9-3. Rogers used a pair of takedowns and a nearfall to put Fogarty away and move to 5-1 overall on the season. The Cowboys finished off the day with four bonus point wins from the back end of their lineup. Recording six takedowns and a pair of nearfalls, Jacobe Smith had no trouble scoring on NDSU's Charley Popp at 174 pounds. Smith turned Popp for a nearfall with six seconds to go in the match to wrap up the tech in 6:52 for his second dual win as a Cowboy. After a slow start against 184-pounder Tyler McNutt, Keegan Moore turned things around in a hurry and ended up with a second-period fall. Moore found himself in a 3-1 hole early in the second, but quickly converted on a takedown and turned McNutt onto his back for the pin in 3:43. At 197 pounds, Andrew Marsden only needed three minutes to finish off Cordell Eaton by way of 16-1 technical fall. Marsden scored two takedowns and three nearfalls in the opening period to record his first tech of the season. Heavyweight Derek White had little trouble with Daniel Stibral in the final match of the day, staying undefeated in dual action this season with a 12-3 major decision for his ninth win in 10 matches this season. The Cowboys will enjoy a couple of weeks off from dual action before heading back out on the road in December as they'll spend a weekend in the Rockies with duals at Northern Colorado (Dec. 18) and Wyoming (Dec. 19). A handful of Pokes will head to Kansas for the Bob Smith Open next Sunday. Results: 125: No. 4 Nick Piccininni (OSU) dec. Paul Bianchi (NDSU) 6-1 133: No. 4 Kaid Brock (OSU) fall McGwire Midkiff (NDSU) 4:06 141: No. 1 Dean Heil (OSU) TF Sam Hampton/Nico Colunga (NDSU) 16-0 149: No. 11 Geo Martinez (OSU) dec. Mitch Bengston (NDSU) 2-0 157: No. 12 Clay Ream (NDSU) dec. Jonce Blaylock (OSU) 3-2 165: No. 6 Chandler Rogers (OSU) dec. No. 15 Andrew Fogarty (NDSU) 9-3 174: No. 12 Jacobe Smith (OSU) TF Charley Popp (NDSU) 21-5 184: Keegan Moore (OSU) fall Tyler McNutt (NDSU) 3:43 197: Andrew Marsden (OSU) TF Cordell Eaton (NDSU) 16-1 HWT: No. 11 Derek White (OSU) MD Dan Stibral (NDSU) 12-3

TEMPE, Ariz. -- In their fourth straight matchup vs. a ranked opponent, No. 5 Arizona State wrestling (2-2) found themselves in an early deficit but powered back with five straight wins after the break to earn a 25-13 win vs. No. 12/14 South Dakota State (0-2). Starting at 197, the Jackrabbits took an early lead but wins from Tanner Hall (HWT) and Ryan Millhof (125) but ASU on top, 7-5. Seth Gross, the No. 1 seed from SDSU, and Henry Pohlmeyer captured wins at 133 and 141 to give South Dakota State a 13-7 lead going into halftime. No. 12 Josh Maruca (149) and No. 5 Josh Shields (157) earned back-to-back decisions to tie the score before Anthony (165) and Zahid (174) Valencia won consecutive bonus point bouts on a major decision and tech fall, respectively, to clinch the match. In the final bout of the day, Kordell Norfleet brought the crowd to their feet with the loudest cheers of the afternoon, powering him to an 8-6 decision. "I could feel the momentum building when I took him down the first time," said Norfleet. "And then everyone got loud and it was like alright, we're in this. [The crowd] helped me keep going. I've had my up's and down's this year so getting a win like that lets me know I'm on the right track." Millhof (5-0), Shields (8-0), and Z. Valencia (4-0) remain undefeated on the season after today's match. The Sun Devils take a break from the dual season with two tournaments in December, at the Cliff Keen Invitational (Dec. 1-2) and Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30) before their first dual of 2018 at North Carolina on Jan. 6. Results: 197: #8 Nate Rotert TF Cade Belshay, 18-3 (6:04) HWT: #3 Tanner Hall MD Alex Macki, 15-3 (3:35 RT) 125: #5 Ryan Millhof DEC Connor Brown, 5-2 (2:07 RT) 133: #1 Seth Gross TF Ali Naser, 19-1 (5:47) 141: Henry Pohlmeyer DEC Cory Crooks, 9-4 (3:33 RT) 149: #12 Josh Maruca DEC Colten Carlson, 12-6 (1:02 RT) 157: #5 Josh Shields DEC #14 Luke Zilverberg, 4-0 (2:09 RT) 165: #8 Anthony Valencia MD Zach Carlson, 10-1 (1:44) 174: #1 Zahid Valencia TF #10 David Kocer, 21-6 (4:12) 184: Kordell Norfleet DEC Brady Ayers, 8-6

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland -- Richie Lewis captured the 70kg freestyle gold medal at the U23 World Championships Sunday afternoon in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The Rutgers wrestler defeated Kumar Vinod (India) by decision, 3-1, in the title bout to secure his first international championship. Down 1-0 to Vinod after the first period, Lewis added a takedown in the final period to go up, 2-1, with two minutes remaining. Lewis added a point on a step out at the 45 second mark, and held off Vinod to earn the title. Richie Lewis (Photo/UWW)"It's a great feeling," said Lewis after his championship match. "I'm just grateful more than anything. All glory to God. It was a tight [match]. He engaged me with the under hook, but I wasn't doing anything with it. So, I knew if he pushed me out twice, I would still win with the takedown." The 70kg gold medal capped an impressive championships run for Lewis, who was competing in his first international tournament of his career and finished U23's a perfect 5-0. The redshirt senior advanced to the championship bout after he defeated Zulfikar Makhamatov (Kazakhstan) by decision, 7-2. Trailing 2-1 to Makhamatov midway through the second and final period of the semifinal match, Lewis registered a takedown and added four additional points for the final 7-2 advantage. The Toms River, New Jersey, native advanced to the semifinals after his 14-7 quarterfinal victory over Muhammet Akdeniz (Turkey), who was a 2016 U23 European bronze medalist. Lewis opened the championships with a quick 10-0 tech fall over Caleb Rutner (Canada) in the first round, followed by an 11-1 tech fall against Surkho Rashytkhanau (Belarus) in the Round of 16. In his five matches Sunday afternoon, Lewis outscored his opponents, 45-11, with three decisions and two tech falls. Lewis qualified for the championships after he claimed the 70kg title at the U23 World Team Trials on Oct. 8 in Rochester, Minnesota. The Toms River, New Jersey, native defeated 2017 All-American Tyler Berger (Nebraska), 2-0, in the best-of-three series to claim the championship and roster spot on the U23 Team USA roster. During his title run, Lewis defeated three 2017 NCAA qualifiers, two 2017 All-Americans and last year's NCAA runner-up at 149 pounds in Lavion Mayes. In his final season at Rutgers, Lewis is currently ranked No. 8 at 157 pounds by Intermat. A NCAA qualifier in 2016, Lewis is 1-0 this season after he defeated Kyle Cochran of Maryland by major decision, 13-4, on Nov. 4 outside at High Point Solutions Stadium. The Scarlet Knights return to action on Friday, Dec. 1, when they compete at Lock Haven at 7 p.m.

BUFFALO, NY -- Kyle Akins and Joe Ariola each earned first-period pins to help the University at Buffalo wrestling team to a dominant 27-9 win over Ohio in the Mid-American Conference opener at Alumni Arena on Saturday night. It was the Bulls' first win over the Bobcats since 2008. "That was fun," head coach John Stutzman said. "Every time they beat us, they laughed us out of the gym, so it felt good to get some redemption" Akins set the tone early by pinning Coleton Chase just 2:31 in his match. It was Akins' first fall of the season and improved his record to 3-1 on the year. After Ohio won the next two matches to tie the dual at 6, Jason Estevez put the Bulls back on top with an 8-6 decision over Kade Kowalski at 149 lbs. to put the Bulls ahead, 9-6. Freshman Eric Fasnacht wrestled hard in his dual debut, but lost to Cullen Cummings, 9-6, at 157 lbs. At that point, the dual was knotted up at 9. After the break, it was all Bulls as UB swept the remaining matches. Derek Holcomb was in total control in a 6-2 decision over Ben Schneider at 157 lbs., giving the Bulls a 12-9 lead. Austin Weigel followed with a 9-5 decision over Joseph Terry at 174 and Brett Perry earned a 4-1 decision over Hunter Yeargan at 184 to extend the Buffalo advantage to 18-9. Ariola slammed the door on any Ohio threat when he pinned Aaron Naples just 1:33 into his match. Finally, Jake Gunning closed the dual with a 5-3 decision over Zack Parker for his third win of the season. Buffalo improved to 2-2 on the season with the victory and will next wrestle against Michigan State on December 8 at Alumni Arena. Results: 125 – Kyle Akins (UB) won by fall over Coleton Chase (OU), 2:31 133 - #18 Cameron Kelly (OU) won by decision over #5 Bryan Lantry (UB), 4-3 141 – Alex Hagan (OU) won by decision over Blake Retell (UB), 5-0 149 – Jason Estevez (UB) won by decision over Kade Kowalski (OU), 8-6 157 – Cullen Cummings (OU) won by decision over Eric Fasnacht (UB), 9-6 165 – Derek Holcomb (UB) won by decision over Ben Schneider (OU), 6-2 174 – Austin Weigel (UB) won by decision over Joseph Terry (OU), 9-5 184 – Brett Perry (UB) won by decision over Hunter Yeargan (OU), 4-1 197 – Joe Ariola (UB) won by fall over Aaron Naples (OU), 1:33 285 – #20 Jake Gunning (UB) won by decision over Zack Parker (OU), 5-3