InterMat Staff

Tervel Dlagnev coaching Kyle Snyder at the World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Tervel Dlagnev, Ohio State assistant coach, has been selected to serve in a similar role for Team USA's 2018 Senior World Championships squad competing in Budapest, Hungary, Oct. 20-22. He'll coach alongside the U.S. National Team staff of head coach Bill Zadick and assistant coaches Joe Russell and Kevin Jackson. Buckeyes will be everywhere in Budapest as Ohio State graduates Kyle Snyder and Logan Stieber are in the American lineup once again. Snyder clinched the 2017 World Freestyle Championship for Team USA by defeating Russia's Abdulrashid Sadulaev in "the match of the century." The team title ended a 22-year drought and marked the third men's freestyle World crown in United States history. Now back to Dlagnev, who has helped Ohio State earn Big Ten titles and NCAA runner-up accolades in each of his first two seasons as a Buckeye coach. As an athlete, he found much international success when representing the Stars & Stripes and placing fifth at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. Dlagnev was a four-time World Team member, winning bronze medals in 2009 and 2014.

Sean Russell was a runner-up at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Sean Russell realized it wasn't going to be easy. But leaving Edinboro was something he felt like he needed to do. "I love Coach (Tim) Flynn and the coaching staff I wrestled for," Russell said. "Those guys were awesome. I had a great four years there." When Flynn left Edinboro following the 2017-18 season to take over as the head coach at West Virginia, Russell had a decision to make. Stay at Edinboro for his senior season, follow Flynn to his new school or transfer somewhere else. Russell considered West Virginia, but his decision ultimately came down to two schools. Minnesota and Missouri. After visiting both schools, and liking them both, he chose the Gophers. "I've worked my whole life to be an NCAA champion," Russell said. "This is my last year and my last shot. I want to make the most of it." Russell, a four-time Georgia state champion, was superb as the starting 125-pounder over the last three seasons for Edinboro. He went 97-24, was a three-time NCAA qualifier and won three Eastern Wrestling League titles. He also was an All-American after placing seventh at the 2017 NCAA Championships. Russell has an 8-6 career record at the NCAA tournament. He considered following Flynn to West Virginia, but there were issues with not enough of his credits transferring from Edinboro. Russell instead arrived at the University of Minnesota in early June, taking summer classes and working out with his new teammates. He is scheduled to graduate in May. "It's going awesome up here," he said. "Minnesota has an unbelievable atmosphere to train in. We have great coaching with a high level of wrestling minds in our room. And I love the guys on our team. There are a lot of wrestlers in here with high goals. It's a great team environment with everything you need here to be successful. I'm loving it." Russell's move to Minnesota provides the Gophers with a lethal lineup of lightweight wrestlers. NCAA runner-up Ethan Lizak (133 pounds), national qualifier Mitch McKee (141) and All-American Tommy Thorn (149) are each bumping up a weight this season. Minnesota also has a top lightweight coach in past Gopher All-American Zach Sanders, who is still competing internationally in freestyle. "We have an awesome training situation -- there are so many good, tough guys to wrestle with," Russell said. "I don't think there is a better room in the country for a 125-pounder. It's as deep as you can get." Sean Russell (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Russell is expected to begin the season ranked in the top eight at 125 pounds. "Sean's been great -- he's come in here and fit in very well with our guys. He's very well-liked," Minnesota coach Brandon Eggum said. "He has a very positive attitude and he's been working hard. He's very coachable and he's a high-character guy. He's excited to be here and we're excited to have him here. He's really fun to work with." Russell is a wrestler that Eggum knows well. "We recruited Sean coming out of high school, so we knew him and had followed his career in high school and college," Eggum said. "We were fortunate to have another chance to recruit him again when he was looking to transfer. "He's very dedicated and he's a very mature wrestler. He knows what it takes to be successful. I know he really wants to go out with a strong showing as a senior." Russell's bid to earn back-to-back All-American honors at Edinboro came up just short this past March. The No. 11 seed at the NCAA tournament, Russell went 2-2 in the event. "It was heartbreaking," he said. "It was tough to finish the season like that. It was very hard and very frustrating for me. There were definitely some things I could've done better." Russell addressed a number of those areas after he arrived in Minneapolis. "I've always been a smaller 125-pounder and I worked really hard with a strength coach this summer. I can definitely feel the difference with how much stronger I am," he said. "I'm also in better shape than I've ever been going into a season. I want to wrestle at a high pace. At the same time, I hope to strategize a little more and watch more film this year. "I'm also being more diligent with my diet and nutrition. I want to give myself every opportunity to excel this season. I want to win that national title. It's always been a goal of mine" Sean Russell (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Russell is part of a Golden Gophers team that hopes to surprise a few people this season. Minnesota tied for 17th at the 2018 national tournament. The Gophers feature one of the country's most highly touted recruits in freshman heavyweight Gable Steveson, a Junior and Cadet world champion who was ranked No. 1 nationally coming out of high school. "Our team is really motivated and really determined," Russell said. "We've got a bunch of good wrestlers in our room who are working really hard. Our goal is to come away with a team trophy at the national tournament this season. We're excited to see what we can do." Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year. This story also appears in the Oct. 12 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

Nestor Taffur NEW YORK -- Nestor Taffur begins his tenure as a volunteer assistant coach for the Columbia wrestling program, announced by the Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling Zach Tanelli. "More than Nestor's extensive wrestling background and accolades, it's his temperament and style of communication that make him so inspiring as a coach," said Tanelli. "He adds tremendous value to the program and is an ideal addition to the Columbia wrestling family and the culture we are continuing to build here." A former standout on the mats at Boston University, Taffur has also impressed in his post-collegiate career. In the 74-kilogram (163 pounds) weight class, Taffur was a member of the 2017 and 2018 World Team while wrestling for his native Colombia. He won three consecutive national titles in his home country from 2016-18, and in 2018 earned bronze medals at the Pan Am Championships, the Central American Games, and the Cerro Pelado competition. Taffur was a silver medalist during the 2017 Pan Am Games, and also picked up All-American honors during the 2015 U.S. Open. During his collegiate career, Taffur twice qualified for the NCAA Championships. The 157-pounder earned an EIWA Title in 2014, a CAA Championship in 2013, and graduated from BU as the program's winningest wrestler with 119 victories. In his senior season, Taffur went 37-4 and was ranked as high as No. 4 at 157. "I am excited to join to the wrestling program at Columbia University, an opportunity to work with unique student athletes that are competing at the highest level of collegiate wrestling while balancing the rigor of Ivy League academics," said Taffur. "Zach and the staff are a passionate group of leaders that have put the tools in place for these student athletes to succeed and I'm honored to join them as they continue to build." In the coaching arena, Taffur helped out Franklin & Marshall as an assistant coach during the 2014-15 season. He also serves as a resident athlete with the New York City Regional Training Center (NYC RTC) as he trains for the 2020 Olympics in in Tokyo, Japan.

Vince Turk talking to Iowa coach Tom Brands during a dual meet against Michigan (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands announced Wednesday that Sam Stoll and Vince Turk will each serve a one-match suspension when the Hawkeyes open the 2018-19 season at Kent State on Nov. 9. "This program holds its wrestlers to a high standard and our team expects everyone to meet those standards," Brands said. "When a student-athlete falls short of those expectations, it is the coach's job to hold them accountable." The suspensions are due to a violation of team policy and rules. "Sam and Vince have accepted the consequences of their actions," Brands said. "The infractions were a first for both men, and I am very pleased with their response. We are moving forward."

Jon Jay Chavez (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Jon Jay Chavez (Boise, Idaho/Finger Lakes WC) has withdrawn from the 2018 World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. in Greco-Roman due to an injury. Chavez, who made his first Senior World Team with his victory at the 2018 Greco-Roman World Team Trials in Tulsa, Okla., in June, will be replaced by World Team Trials runner-up RaVaughn Perkins (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids/OTC). Perkins will be competing on his first Senior World Championships team. The 72 kg Greco-Roman competition in Budapest will be held on Thursday, October 25 and Friday, October 26. Chavez was a 2013 Cadet World Greco-Roman bronze medalist, who has been on four age-group World teams, two as a Cadet (2013 in both styles) and two as a Junior (2014 and 2015). He qualified for his first Senior National Team in 2017, when he placed third in the Greco-Roman World Team Trials and second in the U.S. Open. Chavez was also a University Nationals Greco-Roman runner-up in 2017. Chavez was an NCAA Div. I All-American for Cornell last year, placing seventh at 165 pounds. Chavez competed in high school in both Idaho and California. A native of Omaha, Neb., Perkins has qualified for the Senior Greco-Roman National Team for the last three years. Perkins won the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials but did not compete at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games because the weight class was not qualified for the United States. He was second in the 2018 World Team Trials and third in the 2016 World Team Trials. Perkins has won U.S. Open national titles in 2014 and 2018 and is a two-time Dave Schultz Memorial International champion (2016-17). He won a Pan American Championships gold medal in 2018 and was third in the Thor Masters in Denmark. After winning the 2016 Olympic Trials, he placed third in the 2016 World Olympic Games Qualifier in Mongolia, but lost in a special wrestle-off match for an Olympic spot. As a youth, he was also a 2010 Junior Nationals champion. Perkins is a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. He was a three-time Nebraska state champion for Omaha North High School, and competed at Ellsworth CC for a time before focusing full-time on Greco-Roman.

Action from the 2018 NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) All 33 wrestlers in each weight class in the Division I Wrestling Championships will be seeded, starting with the 2019 championships. The Division I Competition Oversight Committee approved the proposal during its in-person meeting last week in Indianapolis. Seeds 29-33 may be assigned randomly to the brackets but will always be paired with the top four seeds and assigned to all pigtail matches. The Division I Wrestling Committee believes the weighted selection criteria provide a clear and consistent quantitative process, enabling the committee to effectively seed the entire bracket. The modification also will produce more balanced brackets and removes random matchups.

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. -- Jake Patacsil has been named the inaugural head men's wrestling coach, it was announced by Vice President for Athletics Jeff Eisen. Jake Patacsil"Jake has an outstanding wrestling and coaching background, and we are excited to have him become our first head men's wrestling coach. His experience, energy, and enthusiasm make him the ideal coach for starting a new program," said Eisen. "I am honored to be given the responsibility of leading and developing Mount Olive's first wrestling team. I look forward to bringing in student-athletes in that will set a great example for the future of the program and will look to achieve their goals in college and beyond. I want to thank President Dr. David Poole, Director of Athletics Jeff Eisen, and the rest of the search committee for giving me this opportunity. I am thrilled to be joining the University of Mount Olive's community and it's athletic program," said Patacsil. Patacsil comes to Mount Olive after spending the last four years as an assistant coach at Division I Hofstra University. During his time at Hofstra, Patacsil helped coach two two-time NCAA National Qualifiers and one All-American. His responsibilities at Hofstra included recruiting, working with the team on top and bottom positions, and running practices. He helped the wrestling team win the Pride Cup (given to the most social/academically/athletically successful team) three years in a row. Prior to his time at Hofstra, Patacsil was an assistant at Duke University from 2013-14 where he assisted in recruiting top-level talent, assisted in planning and running practices, and worked heavily with the Blue Devils NCAA All-American Connor Hartman. Patacsil also served as an assistant coach at Notre Dame College from 2011-13. At Notre Dame, he headed up the recruiting efforts that brought in two top recruiting classes for a program which had a third place team finish in Division II and seven Division II All-Americans during his tenure. Prior to his stint at Notre Dame, Patacsil was an assistant coach for the Dutch of Central College from 2010-11 and helped Central get their first national qualifier in seven years. Patacsil graduated with a B.S. in Math Education from Purdue University, where he was a four-year member of the Boilermakers wrestling team and an NCAA All-American at 149 pounds. In the Purdue record books, he ranks third all-time in career wins (120), second in reversals (51), and is the all-time leader in back points (803). He was a recipient of the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor, given to senior student-athletes for athletics, academics, and service. He has also attended the National Wrestling Coaches Association Leadership Academy four times. Patacsil will spend this academic year recruiting and preparing for the program to begin competition during the 2019-20 academic year. UMO will become the eighth school in the wrestling conference created through a partnership between Conference Carolinas and South Atlantic Conference.

Seth Gross defeated Tariq Wilson in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) MANHEIM, Pa. -- Seth Gross and Tariq Wilson staged one of the most entertaining bouts of the NCAA Championships in March. Next month they'll put on a rematch. The returning national champion from South Dakota State is slated to take on the rising star from North Carolina State in the 141-pound bout at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 2 in Denver. If it's anything like their previous battle, it'll be quite a show. Wilson racked up five takedowns against the No. 1 seed -- three of which came in the final 72 seconds of the third period -- erasing an 8-3 deficit to force overtime. In the extra frame, however, Gross put his superb counter skills to work, fending off a shot and putting Wilson on his back for a fall. Gross went on to win an NCAA title the following night, defeating Michigan's Stevan Micic 13-8 to become the first South Dakota State athlete to win a Division I individual national title. It capped a 29-1 junior season for the Apple Valley, Minnesota, native, one that began with a victory against Micic in last year's All-Star Classic. Wilson was one of the breakout wrestlers of the NCAA Championships. He entered the tournament as an unseeded freshman after placing fourth two weeks earlier at the ACC Championships. But he toppled No. 5 seed John Erneste of Missouri in the opening round, took down fourth-seeded Kaid Brock of Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals and finished his tournament run with a major decision win against Ohio State's Luke Pletcher, the No. 3 seed. What: 53rd NWCA All-Star Classic hosted by RMNevents, Nuway, and the University of Northern Colorado. Presented by, ARMS Software and Denver Chapter WIBN When: Friday, November 2, doors open at 4 p.m. Where: National Wrestling Complex, 4655 Humboldt St, Denver, CO 80216 Tickets: $20 (matside tables available) Click Here! Social Media: #allstarclassic Watch: www.trackwrestling.com Info: www.goallstarclassic.com ANNOUNCED MATCHUPS Men 125: 133: 141: Seth Gross (South Dakota State) Vs. Tariq Wilson (North Carolina State) 149: 157: 165: 174: Myles Amine (Michigan) 184: Max Dean (Cornell) 197: 285: Women 101: 109: Charlotte Fowler (Campbellsville) 116: 123: Gabriela Ramos-Diaz (Wayland Baptist) 130: 136: 143: Nicole Joseph (King) 155: 170: Brittany Marshall (Wayland Baptist) 191:

Troy Tirapelle hugs Maximo Renteria after winning a state title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Troy Tirapelle, head wrestling coach at Buchanan High School in California, joins The MatBoss Podcast on Episode 8. Host Chad Dennis talks to Coach Tirapelle about California wrestling, Clovis, weight cutting, rules, film study and much more. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Play Music | RSS

There are wrestling tournaments that raise funds for programs that could use new gear or mats. Then there are fundraising tournaments that are more a matter of life and death. The purpose of the "Wrestling to Save Lives" tournament -- to be held Saturday, Oct. 27 in Canton, Mich. -- is to help save the life of someone in desperate need of a liver transplant. The event -- taking place at Canton High School in Canton just west of Detroit -- will offer great competition for wrestlers ages 5-18 in all weight classes... plus opportunities to meet Frank Jasper, "Shute" from the classic wrestling movie "Vision Quest" and participate in a pre-tournament mini-clinic put on by legendary coach Mike Krause. Proceeds from the event will go to Wilfredo Pacheco and his family (including son J.C. Morgan, who wrestles at Canton High) as he donates a portion of his liver to the husband of a co-worker in need of a liver transplant. Funds raised at the tournament will help cover medical expenses as well as expenses during recovery which could take 3-6 months. The 411 on the "Wrestling to Save Lives" Tournament When: Saturday, Oct. 27, starting at 9 a.m. Where: Canton High School, 8415 North Canton Center Road in Canton, Mich... a couple miles west of the I-275/I-96 interchange Registration: Register online at Trackwrestling.com by Thursday, Oct. 25 at 10 pm Weigh-ins: Friday, Oct. 26 at Canton High School or Cutler Event Center, 320 S. Main, Olivet, Mich. from 6-8 p.m. or Saturday, Oct 27 at Canton High 7-7:30 a.m. Prizes: First-place wrestlers in each age/weight class will receive a custom singlet; wrestlers who place 2d-4th will receive a custom medal Entry fee for wrestlers: $20 per athlete Guest admission: $5 adult; $2 child; special $12 family rate for two parents and children. Donations also welcomed. Rules: Modified high school rules Want to know more? Check out the event flyer or contact Greg Woochuk, Canton High wrestling coach, at gregwoochuk@hotmail.com.

Greg Diakomihalis, pictured with his older brother Yianni Diakomihalis, topped Jakason Burks (Photo/Juan Garcia) BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Sunday afternoon saw the lid lifter of the fall preseason scholastic wrestling showcase events with the Who's Number One event that is conducted each season by FloWrestling. Hosted at Grace Hall on the campus of Lehigh University, it is an exhibition that features many of the nation's best wrestlers in mostly one-off matches. The lone weight class where contestants wrestled multiple bouts was at 138 pounds. The opening round matches for the group of four saw Jojo Aragona (Pope John, N.J.) upend Gabriel Tagg (Brecksville, Ohio/USOTC) 8-4 in a showdown of top 35 wrestlers in the Class of 2019, while Junior National freestyle champion Keegan O'Toole (Arrowhead, Wis.) earned an upset victory over No. 11 overall senior Jaden Abas (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.) by 8-0 major decision. Then in the last match of the afternoon program, it was Aragona -- ranked No. 29 overall in the Class of 2019 -- beating No. 18 overall Class of 2020 wrestler Keegan O'Toole by a 5-2 decision. Kurt McHenry (Photo/Juan Garcia) In addition to O'Toole, two additional wrestlers from the Badger State earned victories in the Who's Number One event on Sunday afternoon. At 120 pounds, Junior National freestyle champion Eric Barnett (Hortonville, Wis.) beat two-time Cadet world freestyle champion Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.) 1-0; Wisconsin commit Barnett is ranked No. 33 in the Class of 2019, while Michigan commit McHenry is ranked third. The other victorious wrestler was Cadet World champion Macey Kilty, who beat Cadet National freestyle champion Kennedy Blades 6-5 in a female freestyle bout at 152 pounds. The featured bout of the day in terms of talent level was probably the 170-pound bout between top six Class of 2019 prospects Carson Kharchla (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) and Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy, N.J.). No. 5 Khachla avenged a 4-3 tiebreaker loss from the consolation semifinal of the Walsh Ironman with a dominating 11-4 victory over No. 6 Ramirez. Another arguable feature bout saw another Ohio native earn the win, as senior Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) beat junior Josh Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) in a battle of No. 4 overall wrestlers in their respective grade levels; the match contested at 132 pounds. Five other matches were contested during the afternoon program. At 152 pounds, it was a battle of top 100 seniors, as No. 7 Andrew Alirez (Greeley Central, Colo.) beat No. 70 Jace Luchau (Selma, Calf.) 3-2. At 160 pounds, No. 2 overall Class of 2021 wrestler Alex Facundo (Davison, Mich.) beat No. 16 overall Class of 2019 wrestler Brevin Balmeceda (South Dade, Fla.); Facundo was a Cadet World bronze medalist this summer, while Balmeceda won a Super 32 Challenge title last fall. At 106 pounds, Cadet World silver medalist Richard Figueroa (Selma, Calif.) avenged a 4-3 semifinal loss at the Walsh Ironman, as he beat Jacob Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) 1-0; Figueroa is ranked No. 3 in the Class of 20201, while Decatur is slotted No. 52 in the Class of 2019. At 182 pounds, a battle of top 40 Class of 2019 wrestlers, saw No. 38 Devin Winston (Park Hill, Mo.) upset No. 24 Abe Assad (Glenbard North, Ill.) 6-2; the North Carolina commit Winston used a big move late in the match to beat the Cadet World bronze medalist Assad, an Iowa commit. At 113 pounds, it was a battle of top 35 Class of 2020 wrestlers were No. 17 Greg Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) upended No. 33 Jakason Burks (Omaha Burke, Neb.) 6-4; Diakomihalis was a Super 32 Challenge champion in 2016, while Burks won a Cadet National freestyle title this summer. Results: 138: Jojo Aragona dec. Gabe Tagg, 8-4 138: Keegan O'Toole maj. dec. Jaden Abas, 8-0 120: Eric Barnett dec. Kurt McHenry, 1-0 152: Andrew Alirez dec. Jace Luchau, 3-2 160: Alex Facundo dec. Brevin Balmaceda, 7-3 152: Macey Kilty dec. Kennedy Blades, 6-5 106: Richard Figueroa dec. Jacob Decatur, 1-0 182: Devin Winston dec. Abe Assad, 6-2 113: Greg Diakomihalis dec. Jakason Burks, 6-4 170: Carson Kharchla dec. Julian Ramirez, 11-4 132: Jordan Decatur dec. Joshua Sanders, 5-3 138: Jojo Aragona dec. Keegan O'Toole, 5-2

Alli Ragan and Jenna Burkert embrace after their Final X series (Photo/Richard Immel) Two-time World silver medalist Alli Ragan (Iowa City, Iowa/Sunkist Kids/Hawkeye WC) has been withdrawn from the 2018 World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary at 59 kg/130 lbs. in women's freestyle due to an injury. Ragan, who qualified for her sixth straight Senior World Team with her victory in Final X in Lincoln on June 9, will be replaced by Final X runner-up Jenna Burkert (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP). Burkert will be competing in her second Senior World Championships, having competed at 60 kg at the 2014 World Championships. The 59 kg women's freestyle competition in Budapest will be held on Monday, October 22 and Tuesday, October 23. "It is disappointing that Alli Ragan can't compete in the World Championships in Budapest and go after another World medal. She has earned the right to represent Team USA at the Worlds for six straight years, and has been very important to our team's success. Jenna Burkert has been training hard as part of our National Team, and we are confident she will contend for a World medal herself. As a past Senior World Team member, Jenna has the experience and the ability to be very successful in Budapest," said National Women's Coach Terry Steiner. Ragan, a two-time WCWA champion for King University, defeated Burkert in two straight matches in Final X, by the scores of 4-0, 5-0. Burkert had wrestled up at 62 kg at the 2018 U.S. Open, where she placed third, Burkert came down to 59 kg for the Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Rochester, Minn., where she qualified for Final X. As a 2017 World medalist, Ragan sat out until Final X. A native of Carbondale, Ill., Ragan won two consecutive World silver medals at 60 kg, first in Budapest, Hungary in 2016 and then in Paris, France in 2017. She also placed fifth at the 2014 World Championships, and competed on the 2013 and 2015 World Teams. Ragan won a pair of Junior World bronze medals for the USA in 2011 and 2012. She was also a silver medalist at the 2013 World University Games. Ragan has won a pair of U.S. Open titles in 2013 and 2014. She was a four-time WCWA finalist with King, with titles in 2013 and 2014 and runner-up finishes in 2011 and 2012. Ragan trains with the Hawkeye WC at its Regional Training Center in Iowa City. Ragan was previously a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, which she joined after she completed her college career. A native of Rocky Point, N.Y., Burkert qualified for three U.S. Junior World Teams, competing from 2011-2013 and was a Junior World teammate with Ragan in 2011 and 2012. In high school, Burkert was a member of the women's wrestling team at the Northern Michigan U.S. Olympic Training Site, and attended high school there. She was the ASICS Girls High School Wrestler of the Year in both 2010 and 2011, and placed fifth at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. In addition to a 2017 U.S. Open title, she was a U.S. Open runner-up in both 2014 and 2015. Burkert placed fourth in the 2017 CISM Military World Championships. She placed third in the World Team Trials Wrestle-offs in 2012 and 2013, which qualified her for the National Team those seasons. Burkert is currently enlisted in the U.S. Army and is a member of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program. She was a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete prior to joining the Army.

Long Island University announced Wednesday it intended to take their existing programs to the Division I level, including a program that existed at LIU Post, formerly C.W. Post. LIU is the third university in the past 16 months to state its intention to become a Division I program following Arkansas-Little Rock and Presbyterian. For now the sport of wrestling seems to be falling into a trend line of growth. With Division II and NAIA programs being announced bi-monthly and the addition of these three Division I program the numbers of athletes able to participate past high school is increasing. The increase in the number of wrestlers competing past their teenage years has the additional effect of creating more fans on campuses and leads to a higher retention of former wrestlers who later become fans of the sport. Again, this is all good news. However, we shouldn't take for granted that this growth is ever-lasting. There are some indications that the lower-level schools are growing because the sport is a powerful marketing tool to bring on non-scholarship athletes who take on loans to go to school. Universities aren't burdened with backing those loans or paying them off so it's a small risk to start and fund these programs when the upside can be millions of dollars in tuition each year. Glum as it sounds that realization only means we need to optimize this opportunity by continuing to innovate in the sport. We need to continue to make it accessible to more fans and improve rules to ensure that the reach of the product can expand past the loyal fan base. The more interest we can maintain the more likely we are to have a product that can survive a downturn equal to that of the recent upswing. But for now, another Division I program gives us all a little more reason to celebrate the arrival of the weekend. To your questions … Joe Colon won a U.S. Open title this year (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Is it possible that Joe Colon actually has a better chance to medal than Nahshon Garrett simply because of his more consistent style? Or does he lack the dynamic scoring ability which may have been our only chance at medaling at 61 kilograms anyway given the talent there internationally? -- @JBKolat Foley: The United States is sending to Budapest one of the most titled and credentialed freestyle teams in our nation's history. Seven world medalists, plus Kyle Dake and David Taylor, both of whom are ranked second in their weight divisions. Then there is Joe Colon, the only one in the group without that same cache of titles, or name recognition outside the hardcore fans. However, I think that we've seen in the past that new faces on a motivated American side can produce outstanding results. I'm very optimistic about his chance to compete well and win a few matches. If things really work out for him there is an outside shot at the medal stand. Really all depends on how he chooses to wrestle. Right now the top guys in the weight class will be Gadzhimurad Rashidov (Russia), Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba), Beka Lomtadze (Georgia) and Vladimir Dubov (Bulgaria). I can make a case for him to beat Bonne, Dubov and Lomtadze, but like you mentioned that would have to come from a very consistent, error-free approach. Each of those guys struggle with pace, which is an area where Colon excels. I won't say he gives Team USA a better chance to medal than Garrett, but I do think he is the type of wrestler that can wear down opponents over the course of six minutes … and two days. Q: Which schools do you want to follow Arkansas-Little Rock and Presbyterian and add wrestling? I know that I have quite a few. #fanbagfriday -- @ChurroSolider Foley: I think Clemson is well-positioned to bring back their program. They are located in the south, have a tremendous alumni network and are rolling in football money. Adding them to the ACC could spread the reach of the sport to South Carolina and further entrench some of the gains we've been seeing in Georgia and Tennessee. Second would be Texas (Austin), but there I'd only want to see a program if there was a men's and women's program. Texas has an incredible history of women's wrestling at the high school level and could be an institutional leader in helping establish women's wrestling at the Division I level. Q: Why is freestyle the first style being contested at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest? Mike C. Foley: Because Greco-Roman is very popular in Hungary and will be a major draw for the weekend crowd on Oct. 27-28. Women's wrestling always goes in the middle days, which leaves freestyle to kick off the championships! Q: Help me understand why the seeding system for the World Championships doesn't include last year's results. How are the returning gold medalists (JB and Snyder) not seeded? We need the best matchups in the finals to promote the sport. -- @thejollybeggar Foley: I agree that the aim is to have the very best athletes face each other in the finals of the event, and that as much as you can do so there needs to be separation of the top four or so athletes. As many wrestling fans understand there are two underlying problems to seeding (or ranking) an international tournament. The first is the number of times a season the sport's top athletes are able to compete (and how often they compete against each other). The second is the impossibility of a seeding meeting where 15 languages are spoken. Imagine if your district seeding meetings had 12,000 years of blood feuding to unravel in addition to the question of if Chad's win over Mason at the end of the year was more dominant than Mason's triumph at the beginning of the year. To compensate, United World Wrestling first tried to separate the previous year's world finalists in the following year's championships. In 2017 the grumble was that Abdulrashid Sadulaev (up from 86 kilograms) wouldn't be separate of Kyle Snyder (holding steady at 97 kilograms). They ended up being separate, but the worry and complaints were there. So, to help promote a system where athletes are compelled to compete throughout the year and to separate the very best athletes the idea to have four rankings series tournaments plus a continental in 2018 would be used to determine the ranking of athletes. The more you participate and win the more likely you were/are to be seeded. Where that went to plan (72 kilograms and 76 kilograms in women's wrestling are good examples) the system produced the absolute best four wrestlers in the top four. Where it didn't the seeds were spread. The complication to the system was that it started the year at zero and brought no points in from the previous season. That's because each style added two weight classes and overall shifted about 50 percent of the actual categories. (Freestyle was spared such harm.) Across styles there was no way to carry in points since nobody could determine which 2018 weight was aligned to which 2017 weight. Furthermore, the system also doesn't allow athletes to transfer points between weight classes. Meaning that someone who hangs out at 92 kilograms all season and then bumps up to 97 kilograms doesn't reap any benefit in the ranking system. You only can only earn and later utilize points in the weight class in which you compete. In regard to your original question, the reason Kyle Snyder and Jordan Burroughs aren't seeded is because they didn't compete in this year's Ranking Series events, minus the Yasar Dogu where they finished with bronze and silver respectively. David Taylor competed in three ranking series events and is ranked No. 2 in the world. The system will need adjusting. It's the first year it's being utilized and there is some learning about the behavior of athletes and coaches that needs to be added into the system. Incentives need to increase, points need to be weighted in a more meaningful way, and the number of athletes receiving seeds should expand, or at the least those outside the top four should be allowed to fill any vacancies within the top four. The system is imperfect, but it is a great start. With some separation and a two-day format wrestling will be easier to promote and to watch. There are some other innovations in the works for Worlds and I hope that the fans enjoy their experience. It's going to be a great show! MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Good Stuff, Army West Point! Who ya got? Q: Is the Canada 125-kilogram Junior world gold-medal match the first time a male world medalist has been coached by all-female team, Martine Dugrenier and Tonya Verbeek? -- @suplesAU Foley: Almost certainly the first time by an all-female coaching staff at the Junior Worlds, which is quite the statement of accomplishment for Canada. As for women coaching men overall, I think I remember female coaches of India and later Vietnam who would coach both sides at Cadet-level tournaments. Overall, like in many sports, wrestling is improving all the time and with more accomplishments and experience by women around the world I doubt it will be long until we see a more permanent coaching position for a female coach. Q: Thoughts on Astana, Kazakhstan hosting the 2019 World Championships? And what's the process for selecting a host city? What other cities were considered? -- Mike C. Foley: When discussing bidding processes, I tend to explain why smaller nations acquire tournaments, rather than wealthier, first-world destinations. The short hand answer is that tournaments generate money for the host federation, which allows them to attend more events and send more wrestlers to those events. The Senior World Championships bidding process isn't bid by national federations, but by cities (the same is true with World Cups, but that too is different still). The big difference with World Championships is the amount of money paid by the local organizing committee, which is upwards of $2 million. That money gives them the right to host, which they assume will be returned to them in the form of tax receipts generated by such a large event. The bidding for the 2019 World Championships went through several stages, with cities showing varying degrees of interest along the way. Ultimately, the decision was made between Istanbul, Astana and a few other semi-interested cities. Astana, like Istanbul, has a track record of success, but also had a lot of support from the local and national government, which is always important in ensuring the details of the event don't go overlooked (read: fast internet). Ultimately the bureau votes and … Voila! … you have a host city. As a side note, Astana is one of my all-time favorite cities. It's going to be an awesome event! Q: Why are so many of our guys dropping from U23's? -- @cody_endres Foley: The timing is tricky for the college season. The tournament is in mid-November. So for Vito Arujau and Mitchell McKee it could be any number of issues stemming from that timing. Michael Macchiavello was just too old and missed the competition's pre-determined deadline. Q: I saw Jaden Abas committed to Stanford. Did his father Gerry have a falling out with the Fresno State program? Was it because Gerry was passed over for the Fresno State head coaching position? Or was it just a matter of Stanford being a better fit? -- Mike C. Foley: I'm a proud alumnus of U.Va., but if my kid was able to attend Stanford I too would be buying new workout sweatpants. Stanford can provide educational opportunities you can only find at a handful of institutions around the world. No matter what any parent feels about their own school, you have to give your kid the ability to choose their own direction, or if need be push them through the front gates of The Farm. Q: What are the odds both Spencer Lee and Austin DeSanto win national championships next year? -- @Mindof Maine Foley: The chances are low that anyone wins an NCAA title. Even lower when you haven't made the podium. Spencer Lee has my vote to win the NCAA title, but the parlay gets dicey when you add in DeSanto. To be clear, that means DeSanto as of today. He very well may light up the nation out of the box and give a clear indication that he's a threat to win the title. I'm hopeful that's the case too. A super competitive Iowa Hawkeye program is great for college wrestling, and DeSanto winning a national title would help put them in a title race. Q: Conor or Khabib? -- The People Foley: Conor by knockout. I've never bet against a Dagestani, but I don't think that Khabib has enough firepower from ground and pound to put McGregor away from that most advantageous position. I'm also suspect Khabib can even hold McGregor down long enough for more than a few swats at his head. Every so often I'll train with someone getting ready for an MMA fight and I'm continually impressed with how well fighters have adapted to bouncing off the mat during a takedown. Most of these fighters understand the consequences of being lazy on their feet and fight like hell to get vertical the moment they are challenged. Part of that effort is based in determination, and I don't think there is any question that Conor has a huge heart. I just don't foresee him getting cuddle-humped for 25 full minutes. Also, I'm suspect about Khabib's weight cut. If he's coming down hard there is a good chance his conditioning will be out of whack, which could tire him out. From my vantage point Khabib looked exhausted against Al Iaquinta and allowed some nice openings on his feet. If Khabib gets exhausted and drops his hands against Conor it won't be but a second before he's eating 3-4 jabs. With Conor's mobility I find it difficult that he could return fire with any accuracy. Finally, even if Khabib executes and controls Conor on the ground I think that the threat of submission has been muted. Conor trains with my former teammate Dillon Danis, who is an expert at both leg locks and guillotines, which would be Khabib's only real attacks from transitional position or top. Conor is much more mobile from his back now than he was against Diaz a few years ago.

The InterMat Classic, a preseason wrestling tournament that takes place on Saturday, Oct. 20, in Edina, Minnesota, has added a fourth weigh-in location. Wrestle-Jitsu, a club run by nine-time national champion Jake Clark, will host a weigh-in location at its facility in Waite Park, Minnesota, located near St. Cloud. Weigh-ins will take place on Friday, Oct. 19, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. CT, at the address below. Wrestle-Jitsu 301 Sundial Dr. Waite Park, MN 56387 Date/Time: Friday, Oct. 19, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. There is a three-pound allowance. Wrestlers may change weight classes after registering by sending an email to contact@intermatwrestle.com. Wrestlers will be moved up a weight class if they do not make the weight listed on their weigh-in slip. For more information on the InterMat Classic and to register, visit www.intermatwrestle.com/intermatclassic. The four weigh-in locations are listed below. Minnesota Edina High School 6754 Valley View Road Edina, MN 55439 Date/Time: Friday, Oct. 19, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Marion Road Storehouse Office Bldg. 4020 29th SE Rochester, MN 55904 Date/Time: Friday, Oct. 19, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wrestle-Jitsu 301 Sundial Dr. Waite Park, MN 56387 Date/Time: Friday, Oct. 19, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. South Dakota Legends of Gold 47256 Highway 46 Beresford, SD 57004 Date/Time: Friday, Oct. 19, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Nahshon Garrett (Photo/Juan Garcia) Nahshon Garrett (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) has been withdrawn from the 2018 World Wrestling Championships at 61 kg/134 lbs. in men's freestyle due to an injury suffered in training. Garrett, who qualified for his first Senior World Team with his victory in Final X in Lehigh on June 23, will be replaced by Final X runner-up Joe Colon (Fresno, Calif./Titan Mercury WC/Valley RTC). Colon will be competing in his first Senior World Championships. The 61 kg men's freestyle competition will be held on Saturday, October 20 and Sunday, October 21. "It is very unfortunate that Nahshon Garrett was injured and unable to compete in Budapest with our World Team. His preparation had been superb and we expected great things from him. Joe Colon has been training hard as part of our National Team, and we have confidence in his ability to compete at the highest level and challenge for a World medal at 61 kg," said National Freestyle Coach Bill Zadick. Garrett, an NCAA champion and four-time All-American at Cornell, defeated Colon in an exciting three-match series in Final X to secure his World Team berth. Colon won the first bout, 7-5, but Garrett rallied with two straight wins, 10-5 and 12-0, to win Final X. In the 2018 U.S. Open finals in April, Colon won a wild finals bout over Garrett, 20-13. A native of Chico, Calif., Garrett was a U.S. Open runner-up in 2017 and 2018, and a 2014 University Nationals champion. He currently trains with the Sunkist Kids RTC in Arizona. Colon won a gold medal at the 2018 Pan American Championships. This summer, he added a silver medal at the Alexander Medved International in Belarus and a bronze medal at the Ziolkowski Memorial in Poland. He was second in the 2015 U.S. World Team Trials and was a 2018 Dave Schultz Memorial champion. Based upon his results in the 2018 UWW Ranking Series, Colon qualified for the No. 4 seed at the World Championships and will be seeded in his weight class in Budapest. A native of Clear Lake, Iowa, Colon was third in the 2014 NCAA Championships for Northern Iowa, and was a 2010 NJCAA national champion for Iowa Central. He currently trains with the Valley RTC and is the volunteer assistant coach for Fresno State.

Long Island University will combine each of its sports programs at its two campuses -- LIU Brooklyn, and LIU Post -- into a single NCAA Division I program as part of a "One LIU" initiative announced Wednesday at the New York Athletic Club. All intercollegiate sports programs at LIU Post in Brookville, NY, which now compete in NCAA Division II -- including the wrestling program -- will now participate in NCAA Division I, effective in the 2019-20 academic year, according to Newsday. Starting next fall, the LIU wrestling program -- and all other athletic programs now in existence at either or both campuses -- will compete under the name "Long Island University", and wear uniforms with a blue and gold color scheme. Students and alumni will help decide a new nickname, the school said. LIU Post wrestling will maintain its competitive schedule already announced for this fall. Under the "One LIU" initiative, no sports will be eliminated. In fact, LIU is adding women's ice hockey and women's water polo to its roster of intercollegiate sports. "This is an exciting step forward for Long Island University," said LIU Board of Trustees Chairman Eric Krasnoff. "Athletics plays such an important role in bringing people together and promoting educational values. As we elevate the LIU brand nationally through academic excellence and world-class research, our athletics program will unite our entire community and compete at the highest levels." "Today's announcement regarding our athletic program's enhancements will allow us to focus our resources on improving opportunities for our students while continuing the tradition of excellence of our university," LIU Director of Athletics Debbie DeJong said. "This is an exciting beginning to the next chapter in LIU Athletics." "Long Island University is a nationally recognized teaching and research institution," said LIU President Kimberly R. Cline. "We understand the importance of athletics in enhancing our brand nationwide by unifying our university community and our 200,000 alumni around the world. Our student-athletes competing at the highest-level plays a major role in this. We are extremely pleased that the NCAA has embraced this vision for our university's future." Among the changes as part of the "One LIU" initiative: a new LIU Multi-Purpose Facility. According to the school's athletics website, this new, state-of-the-art multi-purpose athletic facility for the LIU athletic department will include a modern fitness center, new academic spaces, store fronts and expanded parking. http://athletics.liu.edu/ At its website LIU describes itself as "a nationally recognized teaching and research university. Since 1926, LIU has provided high-quality academic programs taught by world-class faculty. LIU offers hundreds of accredited programs to approximately 16,000 students, with a network of over 200,000 alumni, including leaders in industries across the globe."

Jordan Leen (Photo/Pitt Sports Information) PITTSBURGH -- Second-year head wrestling coach Keith Gavin announced the promotion of Jordan Leen to associate head coach Wednesday afternoon. "This is an important move," Gavin said. "Jordan's new title is more representative of his responsibilities within our program. He is a valued member of our staff and I know that he is eager to continue to build this team." Leen enters his second season with the Panthers and works primarily with the middle weights. He also brings seven additional years of ACC coaching experience to Pittsburgh, after having spent six seasons at Virginia and a year at Duke. "I'm grateful to Heather Lyke, Jen Tuscano and Keith Gavin for this promotion to associate head coach," Leen said. "I'm proud of the strong foundation that is being established in the Pitt wrestling program. I believe in the current student-athletes we have in our room, as well as those who are committed to joining us in the future. I look forward to experiencing great years ahead." Leen plays a crucial role in the Panthers' recruiting efforts. Pitt's 2018-19 roster features top local talent in Luke Kemerer (Greensburg, Pa. / Hempfield), Cole Matthews (Greenville, Pa. / Reynolds) and Louis Newell (Cranberry Township, Pa. / Seneca Valley). The Panthers welcome 12 total newcomers to the roster for the upcoming season. Leen assisted with four wrestlers qualify for the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships in graduates Dom Forys (133), Nick Zanetta (141) and Ryan Solomon (285), as well as redshirt junior Taleb Rahmani (157). Prior to Pitt, Leen served as the associate head coach during his final season on the Cavaliers' staff and was an assistant for five. During his tenure at Virginia, Leen helped produce 40 NCAA qualifiers, nine ACC champions and six All-Americans. Virginia also claimed the 2015 ACC team championship when it was held in the Petersen Events Center. Leen was heavily involved in the recruitment and development of 2017 NCAA runner-up George DiCamillo at 141 pounds and 2017 true freshman All-American Jack Mueller at 125 pounds. Leen got his coaching start at Duke, spending the 2010-11 season with the Blue Devils. A 2009 graduate of Cornell, Leen was the 2008 157-pound NCAA champion, a three-time All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier. He posted a career record of 118-29 while garnering First Team All-Ivy League honors on three occasions. The Panthers' get the 2018-19 season underway Wednesday, Oct. 10 with the first practice of the season. Pitt's first dual meet of the year is slated for Saturday, Nov. 10 when CSU Bakersfield makes the trip to Pittsburgh.

John Smith, Cael Sanderson and Tom Brands (Photos/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On Episode 7 of The MatBoss Podcast, Chad Dennis and Jason Laflin rank Division I wrestling coaches by their wrestling accomplishments. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Play Music | RSS

Tony Robie coaching at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) BLACKSBURG -- Coming off of leading the Virginia Tech wrestling program to its second consecutive ACC title and its sixth straight top-10 finish at the NCAA championships, head coach Tony Robie has signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him in Blacksburg through 2022-23. The deal includes a one-year rollover option for 2023-24. Robie took the reins of the program on an interim basis in time for the 2017 postseason before earning the head coaching job just one week after the conclusion of the season. Since then, he has continued the ascension of the program that he helped restore back in 2006 when he first came to Blacksburg. "This commitment to Coach Robie is extremely important for the continued success of our wrestling program here at Virginia Tech," Director of Athletics Whit Babcock said. "Year after year, Coach Robie has produced successful student-athletes on and off the mat while instilling a culture within his program that is in line with our core values as a department. We are very fortunate that he will continue to call Blacksburg home." "I want to thank Whit Babcock, Chris Helms [senior associate AC], and our entire athletic administration here at Virginia Tech for having the confidence in me to lead this program into the foreseeable future," Robie said. "I truly believe that we have the pieces in place to build on our recent success and create a new standard for the program. With the people and passion currently surrounding the program, I am certain that great things will continue to be accomplished." This past season, Robie coached seven finalists and four individual champions to the 2018 ACC championship, the fourth in Tech's history. His 14 dual meet victories in his initial campaign ranks second in the ACC record book for the most wins by a first-year head coach behind Wade Schalles' 15 wins with Clemson in 1978. His .824 winning percentage ranks first among rookie head coaches in Tech history and ranks third all time in ACC history for a first-year head coach. Robie's first full season as head coach saw the Hokies place eighth at NCAAs, which featured Jared Haught's run to the finals at 197 pounds to become only the second national finalist in program history. Robie was also named a finalist for the NWCA's National Coach of the Year award. Over the last six years, with Robie serving as associate head coach and head coach, Virginia Tech is one of only five teams- Oklahoma State, Penn State, Iowa and Cornell being the others - that have produced three or more All-Americans at the NCAA tournament. The 2017 ACC Co-Coach of the Year, Robie helped recruit and coach the athletes that claimed the Hokies' first team trophy with a fourth-place finish at the 2016 NCAA Championships. Robie's emphasis on coaching his athletes both folkstyle and freestyle wrestling over the last two years has already paid dividends on the international stage. Volunteer assistant coach Ty Walz won a bronze medal at the 2017 U23 World Championships and clinched a spot on the United State senior men's freestyle National Team this past summer. He's the first Virginia Tech wrestler to earn a spot on the prestigious squad. Last month, redshirt freshman Mekhi Lewis became the Hokies' first gold medalist after winning the 74 kg title at the Junior World Championships in Slovakia. The Hokies will open the 2018-19 season at the Hokie Open, held Nov. 4 at the Berglund Center in Roanoke. Tech will also be the host of the 2019 ACC Championships at Cassell Coliseum on March 9.

Larry Quisel, two-time NCAA Division I All-American for the now-defunct Boise State University wrestling program, passed away this weekend while on a hunting trip this weekend, MontanaSports.com reported Tuesday evening. He was 41. Save Boise State Wrestling, the organization established in March 2017 when the school announced it had eliminated its intercollegiate wrestling program effective immediately, posted this message on Facebook Tuesday: "It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Boise State Wrestling alum Larry Quisel who died while elk hunting this weekend... "He was active in the efforts to #SaveBSUWrestling. "R.I.P. Larry." Larry QuiselLarry Quisel earned All-American honors at back-to-back NCAA championships. At the 1999 NCAAs at Penn State, Quisel placed third in the 157-pound bracket, and earned the Gorriaran Award for the most pins in the least amount of time. The following year at the NCAAs in St. Louis, Quisel made it to the finals at 157, falling to Brett Matter of the University of Pennsylvania, 4-2, in the title match. Those same years, Quisel won consecutive Pac-10 conference crowns for the Broncos. Before enrolling at Boise State, Quisel was a four-time placer -- and two-time state champ -- for Park High School in Livingston, Mont. Quisel won back-to-back state titles at 135 pounds in 1995 and 1996. Quisel's high school coach, Greg Cervantes, shared his memories of the wrestler and the man. "He was just a solid human being," Cervantes told MontanaSports.com. "He married his high school sweetheart (Heather West Quisel) from Park High and they had three kids. Like I said, it's just a crushing blow. He was a hometown hero for Park High in Livingston. It's just really hard to comprehend (his death)." "Larry was a quiet leader," Cervantes continued. "He would lead by example on the mats. He wouldn't say a lot, but whatever he said the kids followed. I think it was the same when he was at Boise State. The kid lifted religiously every morning in high school, or maybe after school, it was like clockwork. I knew he had the mental toughness, the intelligence and especially the work ethic to compete at the Division I level. I just thought, 'This kid has it all.'" "His integrity, sportsmanship, he was just a solid guy, really unassuming and very humble. He did all of his actions, I'm saying that as a human being, too, but on the wrestling mat he was just a ferocious competitor, just a great competitor. But off the mat he was soft-spoken, humble," Cervantes said. "He would never talk about himself, just really soft-spoken and a quiet leader. He was that way in life, too. I know he was a great father, husband, friend and son. He was truly an all-American guy off the mat. I guess that's what it boils down to. He was your typical, epitome of an all-American off the mat. He was a great student, an engineering major at Boise State. It's a big loss. He was one of the best." Quisel's college teammate and training partner at Boise State, Kirk White, wrote the following on Facebook: "Larry Quisel, the best teammate, friend, and workout partner that I could ever want. I had the time of my life climbing to the top with you. You always brought out the best in me. Nobody imagined the success we would achieve together. You always challenge and inspire me to be a better person and competitor." UPDATE 10/3/18 Larry Quisel's widow Heather posted the following message on her husband's Facebook page: "We will be holding his services on Monday, October 8 at 2:00 pm...reception to follow. Please share far and wide. Larry would hope his buddies would send him off with a good roast🤣 at the reception. Cloverdale Funeral Home 1200 N Cloverdale Rd Boise, Idaho

Magomedkhan Magomedov was dominant at the Junior World Championships (Photo/Max Rose-Fyne, UWW) The 2018 UWW Junior World Championships wrapped up on Sept. 23. Russia won the freestyle team title, while Iran took the Greco-Roman title and Japan won the women's title. As always, there were many standout individual performances outside of the team race. The following is a look at some of those performances from a by-the-numbers perspective. The overall leader in terms of net match points, which is points scored minus points scored by opponents, was Magomedkhan Magomedov. He came into Junior Worlds off a victory at the Ali Aliev Tournament, and then he blazed through the field in Slovakia. The Russian shut out all five of his opponents and won all of his match via fall or technical superiority. On the women's side, Moldovan Anastasia Nichita led the way with 42 net match points. She cruised her way into the finals with four straight wins by technical superiority. However, in the finals, she needed to hold on for a one-point win over returning world champion Sae Nanjo (Japan) to claim the 59-kilogram championship. Kerem Kamal (Turkey) won Junior Worlds last year at a lower weight, and he was a two-time Cadet world silver medalist. However, in his last competition prior to this tournament, he lost his first match and failed to place. He got back on track in a big way in Slovakia. He allowed his opponents to score only four points against him, and he finished off the tournament with a 10-0 technical superiority victory over Vijay Vijay (India) in the finals. Harushi Shimaya did not have a very long run in the tournament, but at least he can say he holds the odd distinction of leading all wrestlers across the three styles in terms of points per minute. He wrestled only one match in Slovakia. He was leading Chlovelle Van Meier (Germany) 8-6 before getting pinned. Van Meier went on to fall in the quarterfinals and end the day for Shimaya. Per the UWW database, Yui Susaki (Japan) has won every international tournament she has entered since 2014. The run includes three Cadet world championships and now two Junior world championships. In this tournament, she won all four of her matches via 10-0 technical superiority, and she did so in very little time. Her 5.78 points per minutes was tops across all three styles outside of Shimaya's serendipitous day. Magomedov not only led the freestyle field in terms of net match points, but he also had the best points per minute rate. He scored 53 points in his five matches, which were all terminated early. (Note: Multiple match videos are missing from the UWW archive, so the match time data is partially incomplete.) For the third-straight metric, Magomedov led the way. As previously stated, all five of his matches ended early. This included four wins via technical superiority, and in the round of 16, he pinned Sajad Gholamhossein Azizi (Iran). Amin Yavar Kaviyaninejad (Iran) and Erbol Bakirov (Kyrgyzstan) both finished with four stoppage victories in the Greco-Roman tournament. In the 72-kilogram bracket, Kaviyaninejad had one close match that he won on criteria, but he also had three win by technical superiority and a fall over Nikoloz Tchikaidze (Georgia) in the finals. Bakirov made the finals of the 63-kilogram tournament with a pair of technical superiority wins and a decision. He then pinned Azamat Martinovitch Kairov (Russia) in the semifinals and Hassan Hassan Ahmed Mohamd (Egypt) in the finals. The top spot for combined wins by fall and technical superiority was a five-way tie on in the women's tournament. The only one to finish with four early termination victories and not win the tournament was Tatyana Rizhko (Ukraine). Three of the five represented Japan in the tournament. The most combined match points were scored in freestyle, while the Greco-Roman tournament featured the most shutout technical superiority wins and women's wrestling had the most matches end via fall.

MILWAUKEE -- MSOE director of athletics Brian Miller has announced the hiring of Mike Schmidt as head wrestling coach. Mike SchmidtSchmidt takes over for Matt Zwaschka, who stepped down earlier this month to become the head coach at UW-Whitewater. Schmidt had been an assistant with the Raiders since 2013. "We are excited about Mike becoming our new head wrestling coach," Miller said. "He has a familiarity with the program and our school, which is great, but he also has a clear vision for MSOE Wrestling going forward. We are excited about what he will bring in his new role." Schmidt has played a key role in MSOE's success in recent years, as four wrestlers have qualified for the NCAA Championships with one All-American award. Last season, Austin Bellile made his second-straight national meet appearance and placed seventh at 285 pounds. It was the highest-ever finish for a Red & White wrestler and was the program's third All-American "I am extremely excited for this opportunity," Schmidt said. "I would like to thank Brian Miller and the university for entrusting me with the next era of MSOE Wrestling." Schmidt is a former collegiate wrestler, beginning his career at Minnesota. There, he was a member of a team that won a Big Ten championship was finished second at the NCAA Division I National Championships. He was a University Freestyle and Greco All-American, as well as a FILA Junior Freestyle and Greco All-American. He completed his collegiate career at UW-Whitewater, serving as team captain and qualifying for the NCAA championships. He graduated from UWW in 2008 with degrees in accounting and finance. Away from his coaching duties, Schmidt is a mutual fund compliance officer with US Bancorp Fund Services. The Raiders start their season Nov. 10 at the Dan Gable Open and Luther Open.

Kevin Pine won a gold medal for USA (Photo/Robbert Wijtman) KOPJE, Macedonia -- The Veteran Freestyle World Championships came to a close this weekend with the USA Team claiming five medals in Skopje, Macedonia. The USA Team left Macedonia with five World medals, including one gold, one silver and three bronze medal. Kevin Pine, a seven-time veteran world medalist, claimed the first world gold of his career. Rudy James of St. Paul, Minn claimed a sliver medal, while Stephen Horton of Cibolo, Texas, Jordin Humphrey of Monrovia, Calif.& Daniel Lovell from North Dakota claimed bronze medals. Team USA won five medalsThe USA team was coached by former veterans world champion Chris Brown from Maryland Wrestling Club and Jon McGovern (University of Dubuque head wrestling coach). "There were several former Olympians and Olympic medalists in the competition and having USA team leader and coach Chris Brown a returning seasoned World champion leading the USA team helps the USA team stay unified, focused, and ready for the unexpected. Kevin Pine showed a lot of hear to win his first gold medal," said Coach McGovern. "Rudy James was a great team leader working hard for a sliver in a tough fought match in the finals to an Iranian who now may make the Olympic team for Great Britain. This was my first year with this US team and it was a good overall effort. We look forward to continuing to build the USA team to compete for world domination at this event in the future." There were over 38 nations represented with Russia winning the team title and Mongolia finishing second. USA team finished ninth. Complete results can be found here.

Former Oklahoma State wrestler Kyle Crutchmer won his third pro mixed martial arts fight of his young career at XFN 352 at River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, Okla. Saturday night. OSU coach John Smith with Kyle Crutchmer (Photo/Jason Rader, Red Rader Photography)The Cowboy mat alum scored a TKO at 3:59 of the first round of his welterweight (170-pound) bout over Brandon Wright. The Crutchmer-Wright bout was one of four fights which was shown on UFC Fight Pass live streaming service. Here's how the Oklahoma State sports website PistolsFiring.com described Crutchmer's most recent win: "The two-time All-American was a heavy favorite and never let Wright make the fight interesting. Early on in the first round, Crutchmer took a few heavy swings at Wright, Wright then countered with an attempt at a takedown. Naturally, Crutchmer had no issue defending, took Wright down, and went to work grounding and pounding." With the win, Crutchmer sports a perfect 3-0 record in his MMA career launched in early June, with two submissions and one TKO. With the loss, Brandon Wright falls to 2-4 in his pro career. In Crutchmer's corner were his brother Brian, and Oklahoma State NCAA champ Alex Dieringer. Among those in the audience: legendary Cowboy wrestling coach John Smith.

Coach Vaughan Hitchcock (front row, middle) with 11 Cal Poly wrestlers SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Vaughan Hitchcock, who coached the Cal Poly wrestling program to eight NCAA Division II national championships in the late 1960s and early 1970s during a 23-year coaching career with the Mustangs, died Sunday in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Hitchcock was 84. Hitchcock compiled a 355-112-4 record from 1962 through 1985 at Cal Poly, including a streak of over 150 consecutive victories against California opponents. "Hitch was obviously an outstanding coach and was like a father to most of us during our wrestling days," said Lennis Cowell, who succeeded Hitchcock as head coach at Cal Poly. "He definitely had a tremendous influence on our lives. He will long be remembered." "Great memories with Coach and Cal Poly," added Larry Morgan, an NCAA Division II national champion in 1973 and three-time Division I qualifier, finishing fifth in 1972 for All-American honors. "He was a very positive influence on many young athletes." "I am sad, he was a giant of a man," said Ken Bos, who placed first and third in the NCAA Division II National Championships and was a two-time Division I qualifier, placing fourth in 1969. "He represented California and West Coast wrestling at a time when we were emerging as a national power. "I was pretty tight with the guy. I wrestled for him three years and worked at his camp for almost 20 years," Bos added. "He had an impact on a lot of guys. About 66 of his former wrestlers have coached in California, Nevada and Arizona. Quite profound." "Very sad. He was like a father to me when I really needed it," added John Woods, first- and second-place finisher in the Division II nationals and a two-time Division I qualifier and second-place finisher in 1969. After Cal Poly won eight NCAA Division II titles, including seven straight from 1968 through 1974, Hitchcock guided Cal Poly in its elevation of the wrestling program to Division I in time for the 1974-75 season. Seven of his teams finished among the top ten teams nationally in the NCAA I Nationals. Hitchcock's wrestlers won 18 NCAA Division II national championships and earned All-American honors 67 times. At the Division I level, two Mustangs claimed national titles and 22 earned All-American honors. Twice Hitchcock was named NCAA Division II Wrestling Coach of the Year. Born Jan. 1, 1934, Hitchcock (middle of front row, surrounded by 11 of his former wrestlers in photo at left taken at his induction into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2000) was an outstanding football player and three-time Northern California wrestling champion at Hayward High School, where he posted a 101-2-0 career mark. He went on to excel in both sports at Washington State in the mid-1950s. In wrestling, he was 97-4 overall with two Pacific Coast Intercollegiate titles while, in football, the fullback, guard and linebacker was selected to play in the 1956 East-West Shrine Classic. He was named Washington State's Athlete of the Year in 1956 and the football team's Player of the Year in 1955, also earning All-Pacific Coast honors. Hitchcock coached high school wrestling at Castro Valley and Hayward high schools, posting a combined record of 72-1, winning five league championships, four CIF Section Championships, two Northern California Invitational team titles and the 1959 state championship while at Castro Valley. He also coached football to a 16-7-1 record while at Hayward. Hitchcock served the NCAA Division II and the sport of wrestling in many leadership capacities and coached Team USA in numerous international competitions. He was team leader of the 1976 USA Olympic Greco-Roman team and team leader and coach of the 1979 USA Freestyle Team. Hitchcock was inducted into the Helms Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1994, the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1998 and the California Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2000. He received the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's "Lifetime to Service Award" in 2002. He launched the Vaughan Hitchcock Wrestling Camp in 1967 and managed the annual camp until 2001. Hitchcock is survived by his wife Patricia and four children, sons Terry and Steve and daughters Pamela and Tracy. Steve Hitchcock was a two-time NCAA Division I national qualifier in 1975 and 1976 while wrestling at Cal Poly. Services are pending.