InterMat Staff

Nick Suriano picked up a technical fall in his Rutgers debut (Photo/Juan Garcia) PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- No. 12 Rutgers wrestling produced a statement victory to start the 2017-18 season, as it defeated Maryland, 27-9, in Big Ten Conference action at High Point Solutions Stadium. The Scarlet Knights secured seven individual victories in the match win, including two major decisions from redshirt senior 157-pounder Richie Lewis and redshirt freshman 197-pounder Kevin Mulligan and tech falls from redshirt junior 165-pounder John Van Brill and sophomore 125-pounder Nick Suriano. It marked the second consecutive season the Scarlet Knights registered a dual win at HPSS, as RU defeated Princeton last season, 19-16, in front of the second largest crowd in NCAA history. "Obviously, I felt we wrestled really well in some spots and struggled in others, but it's early and we have time to get there," said head coach Scott Goodale. "It's a good win and a good start to the Big Ten season. We just need to keep getting better moving forward and that's what we're going to do." No. 3 Suriano shined in his Scarlet Knight debut, as the Paramus, New Jersey native registered eight takedowns, with his final one midway through the final period securing a 24-7 tech fall over Maryland's Brandon Cray. It marked Suriano's first win at Rutgers, as the highly touted sophomore competed for the first time since he transferred from Penn State in September. "It felt really good," Suriano said. "I'm happy and lucky I'm here. I'm just happy I'm here standing in New Jersey performing the way I do." From there, Rutgers captured two of its next three bouts, with redshirt senior No. 12 133-pounder Scott DelVecchio and redshirt senior 149-pounder Eleazar DeLuca posting decisions in their respective duals. DelVecchio defeated Michael Doetsch, 11-5, while Deluca bested Adam Whitesell, 10-4. In his first collegiate action since he faced Princeton at High Point Solutions Stadium, No. 8 Lewis earned a major decision over Kyle Cochran, 13-4, thanks to six takedowns. Van Brill cruised to a 15-0 tech fall over Brendan Burnham in the following match, with his near fall at the 1:03 mark in the third period sealing the win. From there, No. 10 redshirt senior Nicholas Gravina stole the show thanks to his display of toughness and determination. Gravina's shoulder popped after a takedown from opponent Jaron Smith, putting Gravina down 2-0 in the opening period. With the help of athletic trainer John Taggart, Gravina popped the shoulder back in and proceeded to outscore Smith, 10-2, in the next two periods for the win. "The initial reaction is to try and get this thing back in," Gravina said. "The next thought was to relax, get back in this match and give it all we got." Maryland's Josh Ugalde earned an upset win over No. 16 redshirt junior 174-pounder Jordan Pagano, 8-3, but Mulligan responded in the following match. In his dual debut, Mulligan made a statement with his 11-2 major decision over Nick Cappello. Mulligan had five takedowns in his Scarlet Knight dual debut to put Rutgers up, 27-6, with one match to wrestle. Rutgers returns to action next Saturday, Nov. 11, when the Scarlet Knights compete in the Journymen Duals in Clifton Park, New York, against No. 19 Oklahoma and Virginia. Results: 125: No. 3/3/4 Nick Suriano (RU) tech fall over Brandon Cray (UMD), 24-7; Rutgers leads, 5-0 133: No. 12/11/11 Scott DelVecchio (RU) dec. over Michael Doetsch (UMD), 11-5; Rutgers leads, 8-0 141: No. 14/10/14 Ryan Diehl (UMD) dec. over Michael Van Brill (RU), 10-9; Rutgers leads, 8-3 149: Eleazar DeLuca (RU) dec. over Adam Whitesell (UMD), 10-4: Rutgers leads, 11-3 157: No. 8/7/14/ Richie Lewis (RU) major dec. over Kyle Cochran (UMD), 13-4; Rutgers leads, 15-3 165: John Van Brill (RU) tech fall over Brendan Burnham (UMD), 15-0; Rutgers leads, 20-3 174: Josh Ugalde (UMD) dec. over No. 16/16/17 Jordan Pagano (RU), 8-3: Rutgers leads, 20-6 184: No. 10/10/7 Nicholas Gravina (RU) dec. over Jaron Smith (UMD), 10-4; Rutgers leads, 23-6 197: Kevin Mulligan (RU) major dec. over Nick Capello (UMD), 11-2; Rutgers leads, 27-6 HWT: No. 13/17/11Yousiff Hemida (UMD) dec. over Razohnn Gross (RU), 7-1; Rutgers wins the dual, 27-9 Rankings (-/-/-): InterMat / FloWrestling/The Open Mat NR denotes not ranked

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The George Mason wrestling team began the season with a 24-13 road victory against The Citadel on Friday at McAlister Field House in Charleston, S.C. The Patriots (1-0) won the first three bouts of the night to take a 12-0 match score lead. Mason head coach Frank Beasley earned his first head coaching victory in his Patriots debut. "It was certainly a lot of fun," Beasley said of the milestone win. "It's a credit to the 10 guys who were wrestling and the 23 guys on the team. I definitely felt more pressure than I did as an assistant. It's awesome that we won, but what I was really looking for was the way that we competed and the development that they're showing. It was exciting and I can't wait for the next one." Mason senior Ibrahim Bunduka (1-0) began the season with a victory at 125 pounds. He led 3-2 after the first period and stretched the advantage to 6-2 going into the third period. Bunduka scored eight points in the third for a convincing 14-6 major decision over Bulldogs junior Patrick Kearney as Mason jumped in front 4-0. "He got better as the match went on and really hustled to score team points for us," Beasley said of the quick start. "After he had the major locked up, he was still trying to score more team points. He did a great job as a senior leader showing the guys the kind of intensity and fight that we want." In his first collegiate match, freshman Jose Tapia (1-0) led 4-0 after two periods at 133 pounds. He increased the advantage to 7-0 against The Citadel's senior Andrew Szalwinski on the way to a 13-7 decision. Tapia earned a victory in his NCAA debut to give the Patriots a 7-0 match score advantage. "I'm very proud of the way he competed and the effort he gave," said Beasley. "To start his career with a win is great." At 141 pounds, Mason junior Tejon Anthony (1-0) turned in a dominant performance against Bulldogs freshman Ethan Phillips. Anthony notched a near fall and earned the victory by technical fall, 16-1, as the Patriots increased the match score lead to 12-0. "It was very important to set the tone for the coming weeks and the rest of the season," Beasley said. "Two things I was most proud of was the way the guys came together as a team on the bench and fought for each other and the way they competed." The Bulldogs won their first match of the night with a 5-2 decision at 149 pounds. Mason freshman Creed Lumpp (1-0) made his debut at 157 pounds and wasted little time denting the scoreboard with a reversal in the first period against Bulldogs sophomore Douglas Gudenburr for a 2-0 lead. Lumpp registered the only point in the second period and went on to earn a 6-0 decision in the match. The Citadel won the next two bouts, earning a 15-6 major decision at 165 pounds and a 12-7 decision at 174 pounds to trim the Patriots match score lead to 15-10. Junior Austin Harrison (1-0) turned the momentum back in Mason's favor at 184 pounds. He scored a pair of takedowns for a 4-1 first period lead against Bulldogs senior Chandler Sambets. Harrison notched the Patriots first pin of the season with 31 seconds remaining in the second period to give Mason a commanding 21-10 lead in the match. The Citadel then claimed an 11-6 decision at 197 pounds. In the final bout of the night, Mason junior Matthew Voss led 3-1 after two periods and hung on for a 4-2 decision over Bulldogs sophomore Michael McAleavey at 285 pounds. The Patriots are back in action on Sunday, Nov. 12 against Maryland a the Xfinity Center in College Park, Md. Results: 125 | Ibrahim Bunduka (Mason) major decision over Patrick Kearney (The Citadel), 14-6 | 4-0 Mason 133 | Jose Tapia (Mason) decision over Andrew Szalwinski (The Citadel), 13-7 | 7-0 Mason 141 | Tejon Anthony (Mason) technical fall over Ethan Phillips (The Citadel), 16-1 (3:00) | 12-0 Mason 149 | Ty Buckiso (The Citadel) decision over Matthew Raines (Mason), 5-2 | 12-3 Mason 157 | Creed Lumpp (Mason) decision over Douglas Gudenburr (The Citadel), 6-0 | 15-3 Mason 165 | Rian Burris (The Citadel) major decision over Brendan May (Mason), 15-6 | 15-7 Mason 174 | Matthew McGillick (The Citadel) decision over Levko Higgins (Mason), 12-7 | 15-10 Mason 184 | Austin Harrison (Mason) fall over Chandler Sambets (The Citadel) , 4:05 | 21-10 Mason 197 | Sawyer Root (The Citadel) decision over Eli Spencer (Mason), 11-6 | 21-13 Mason HWT | Matthew Voss (Mason) decision over Michael McAleavey, 4-2 | 24-13

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team started the 2017-18 season with a commanding 22-11 dual victory over Gardner-Webb University Friday evening, Nov. 3. The Eagles (1-0) won seven of ten bouts to cruise to a decisive win. The dual initially began outside at John Henry Moss Stadium, home of Gardner-Webb's baseball program. However, due to slick conditions on the mat, the bout was moved indoors after five weight classes. Of the seven wins, only one came via bonus points for EMU, a major decision from redshirt senior Kyle Springer (New Boston, Mich.-Davenport Assumption (Indiana)) at 149 lbs. GW notched a technical themselves to reach the 11 point threshold. Stating at the top, redshirt freshman Tomas Gutierrez (Arvada, Colo.-Pomona) made his dual debut, and got it started with a solid 3-1 decision win. The first ended scoreless, but he escaped to start the second and then got a take down to lead 3-0 into the third. In the third, the Bulldog wrestler escaped, but Gutierrez held on to make it a 3-0 team score early on. Making his 133 lbs. dual debut, redshirt sophomore Noah Gonser (Grand Blanc, Mich.-Grand Blanc), started out with a bang, getting a takedown, and locking in a cradle to get back points. Following a reversal, it sat 6-2 after one. In the second and third, both wrestlers vied for points, but none were had, and Gonser sealed the 6-2 win to make it 6-0 early on. Continuing at 141 lbs., redshirt sophomore Sa'Derian Perry (Lakeland, Fla.-Lake Gibson)gained the lead to start with a takedown, but GW escaped to make it 2-1 after one. Perry rode the entire second to control riding time into the third. Perry finished off the bout with two more takedowns, and with riding time intact, won the bout 8-2 extending the lead to 9-0. Another veteran made a weight class debut with Springer at 149 lbs. The senior did not lose a step, as he notched four takedowns in the first to gain an early 8-4 lead. With one more in the second and two in the third, Springer cruised to a 15-7 major decision to put EMU in control, 13-0. Gardner-Webb got on the board at 157 lbs. with a technical fall win to close the gap to 13-5 midway through the match. Unfortunately due to moisture on the mat, the dual had to be moved inside at the midway point. The 165 lbs. match was a thrilling one, as it was deadlocked 7-7 after three, but GW notched a takedown in the overtime period to take another bout, and make it 13-8. They made it three in a row at 174 lbs., putting the team score at 13-11 with three matches remaining. EMU broke the streak at 184 lbs. as redshirt junior Kayne MacCallum (Green Oaks, Ill.-Libertyville) dominated his match. After a scoreless first, he gained takedowns in round two and three, without giving up one of his own, to win it 6-0 and put the team score at 16-11. At 197 lbs., redshirt junior Derek Hillman (Woodhaven, Mich.-Woodhaven) got his bout started with a quick takedown, but the first period ended all square, 3-3. To start the second, he rode tough, and got a quick turn for back points to get the lead back, 5-3 into the third. An escape and riding time in the third sealed the match for Hillman, 7-3, as well as the dual, 19-11, going into heavyweight. No. 20 ranked senior Gage Hutchison (Buchanan, Mich.-Buchanan) took care of business to cap the dual. After a scoreless first, he notched an escape and penalty point to lead by two into the third. In the third, Hutchison pulled away with four more points to take it 6-2, and finish the dual, 22-11 in favor of the Eagles. Eastern remains in the Tar Heel State this weekend for a tri-dual at Campbell University. Action against the host Fighting Camels and American University will begin at 11 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 5. Results: 125: Tomas Gutierrez (EMU) over Keegan Duncan (GW) (Dec 3-1) 133: Noah Gonser (EMU) over Philip Anderson (GW) (Dec 6-2) 141: Sa'Derian Perry (EMU) over Denton Spencer (GW) (Dec 8-2) 149: Kyle Springer (EMU) over Joby Armenta (GW) (MD 15-7) 157: Tyler Marinelli (GW) over J.J. Wolfe (EMU) (TF 18-3 3:41) 165: Brett Stein (GW) over Zac Carson (EMU) (SV-1 9-7) 174: Christian Maroni (GW) over Andrew McNally (EMU) (Dec 7-6) 184: Kayne MacCallum (EMU) over Cole Graves (GW) (Dec 6-0) 197: Derek Hillman (EMU) over Anthony Perrine (GW) (Dec 7-3) HWT: No. 20 Gage Hutchison (EMU) over Lathan Bumgarner (GW) (Dec 6-2)

Kent State was nothing short of dominant in its first two duals of the season Friday afternoon at the M.A.C. Center. The Golden Flashes opened their unconventional day with a 38-3 victory over Lake Erie followed by a 52-0 blanking Mercyhurst North East. Before heading to Clarion for a night dual with Utah Valley, the Flashes won 19 of 20 matches, including five pins and seven tech falls. "We were constantly looking to score today," Head Coach Jim Andrassy said of the Flashes' afternoon duals. "Several guys looked better in their second match and hopefully we just keep getting better and more consistent. We'll find out more about our team tonight." Senior 125-pounder Will Bardezbain joined a pair of redshirt freshmen, Nick Monico (149) and Dylan Barreiro (174) in going 2-0 in their first two duals in a Kent State singlet. Five other Flashes went 2-0 on the afternoon: Anthony Tutolo (133), Casey Sparkman (157), Isaac Bast (165), Stephen Suglio (197) and Devin Nye (285). Suglio worked his tilt on the way to 19-3 and 18-2 tech falls. Tutolo and Sparkman also had a pair of tech falls on the day. Tutolo allowed just two points over two matches, while Sparkman totaled nin takedowns on the day. Sophomore Tim Rooney (141), senior Chance Driscoll (141) and Shane Mast (184) also earned victories in front of their home crowd. Kent State 23 Utah Valley 12 125: Taylor Lamont (UV) over Will Bardezbain (KSU) maj. dec. 13-4 133: Anthony Tutolo (KSU) over Durbin Lloren (UV) dec. 4-3 141: Tim Rooney (KSU) over Jarod Maynes (UV) dec. 7-5 OT 149: Nick Monico (KSU) over Grant Lamont (UV) dec. 5-3 157: Casey Sparkman (KSU) over Raider Lofthouse (UV) tech fall 22-7 165: Demetrius Romero (UV) over Isaac Bast (KSU) dec. 8-5 174: Dylan Barreiro (KSU) over Kieffer Taylor (UV) dec. 3-2 184: Gary Jantzer (UV) over Shane Mast (KSU) dec. 6-3 197: Stephen Suglio (KSU) over Tanner Orndorff (UV) pin 2:25 285: Dustin Dennison (UV) over Devin Nye (KSU) dec. 6-2 Kent State 38 Lake Erie 3 125: Will Bardezbain (KSU) over Blake Glogouski (LE) dec. 14-9 133: Anthony Tutolo (KSU) over Zane Johnson (LE) tech fall 16-0 141: Tim Rooney (KSU) over Sean O'Hearon (LE) tech fall 22-4 149: Nick Monico (KSU) John Siemasz (LE) dec. 7-3 157: Casey Sparkman (KSU) over Quam Jackson (LE) tech fall 19-4 165: Isaac Bast (KSU) over Nick Vandemeer (LE) dec. 23-8 174: Dylan Barreiro (KSU) over Sonny Lucas (LE) maj. dec. 14-5 184: Tyler Hughes (LE) over Shane Mast (KSU) over dec. 9-3 197: Stephen Suglio (KSU) James Benjamin (LE) over tech fall 19-3 285: Devin Nye (KSU) over Brandon Houle (LE) dec. 6-4 Kent State 52 Mercyhurst North East 0 125: Will Bardezbain (KSU) over Derrick Burrage (LE) pin 1:28 133: Anthony Tutolo (KSU) over Kendrick Beyer (LE) tech fall 17-2 141: Chance Driscoll (KSU) over Eli Yoho (LE) dec. 7-4 149: Nick Monico (KSU) over Monteze Thomas (LE) pin 0:22 157: Casey Sparkman (KSU) over Zachary Cassidy (LE) tech fall 19-4 165: Isaac Bast (KSU) over Derek Ridgeway (LE) pin 2:16 174: Dylan Barreiro (KSU) over Kennard Hairston (LE) pin 3:48 184: Shane Mast (KSU) over Jerrell Martin (LE) maj. dec. 14-1 197: Stephen Suglio (KSU) over Hunter Harnish (LE) tech fall 18-2 285: Devin Nye (KSU) over Austin Slocum (LE) pin 0:49

Michael Macchiavello (Photo/NC State Sports Information) MANHEIM, Pa. -- Penn's Frank Mattiace and NC State's Michael Macchiavello have been selected to compete at 197 pounds and two showcase bouts have been announced for the 52nd annual NWCA All-Star Classic set for Princeton University's Jadwin Gym on Sunday, November 5. The NWCA All-Star Classic is hosted by Wrestlers in Business Network and sponsored by Princeton Brain and Spine and Northwestern Mutual Life. The Mattiace-Macchiavello bout will replace the originally scheduled bout between Ohio State's Kollin Moore and Virginia Tech's Jared Haught. Mattiace, a New Jersey native and graduate of Blair Academy in Blairstown, was the 2017 EIWA Champion at 197 pounds and entered the 2017 NCAA Division I Championships as the No. 12 seed. Ranked in the top 10 by most major rankings services, Mattiace led the Quakers with 30 wins last season. Macchiavello was one of the most improved wrestlers on the Wolfpack last season. At 26-8, he was second in the ACC Championships and qualified for the NCAA tournament. A North Carolina native, Macchiavello will join teammates Kevin Jack (141) and Pete Renda (184) in the event. Throughout the history of the All-Star Classic, showcase matches have been held prior to the main card, often highlighting local and regional talent. The two showcase matches this year are no exception as Penn's May Bethea and Lehigh's Gordon Wolf have ties to the Princeton Wrestling Club -- both started wrestling with the club when they were kids. According to Wrestlers in Business Network Princeton Chapter President Dr. Mark McLaughlin, a longtime coach with the club, "They've been wrestling each other since they were little. They started in the basement five floors down, now they're in Jadwin on the first floor." Bethea was a match away from placing at the 2017 NCAA Division I championships a year ago at 157 pounds. He was second on the team in wins behind Mattiace with 26 last season. Bethea has qualified for the NCAA championships the past two seasons and hails from nearby Trenton. Wolf has seen modest success at the college level, with his most notable win coming at the 2016 NCAA Division I Championships knocking off Iowa's Alex Meyer in the first round at 174 pounds. He split time at 165 last year for the Mountain Hawks and will be expected to contribute at a higher level this season. Wolf hails from Lawrenceville, N.J., just 10 minutes down the street from Princeton. Another matchup comes at heavyweight with two dynamic big men. Columbia's Garrett Ryan will face Lock Haven's Thomas Haines in the other showcase bout. Ryan is an Arizona native who moved east to finish his high school career at prep powerhouse Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania. A three-time NCAA qualifier at Columbia, Ryan went 27-9 last season and 1-2 at the NCAA Division I Championships. Haines, an NCAA qualifier last season at Lock Haven, started his college career at Ohio State before transferring closer to home. Haines was one of the nation's top big men coming out of Solanco High School in Quarryville, Pa. Haines was 33-7 a year ago and was the runner-up at the EWL championships. He entered the NCAA Division I Championships as the No. 14 seed. On the women's side, Emmanuel's Victoria Gutierrez has been tabbed to replace teammate Fayth Woodward. Gutierrez will face Makayla Bourbon of the University of the Cumberlands at 116 pounds. WHAT: 52nd NWCA All-Star Classic hosted by Wrestlers in Business Network WHEN: Sunday, November 5, 3 p.m. WHERE: Jadwin Gym, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J. TICKETS: $20 (group discounts available) SOCIAL MEDIA: #ComeBackToJadwin #allstarclassic2017 #wrestleback WATCH: www.trackwrestling.com INFO: www.goallstarclassic.com ANNOUNCED MATCHUPS Men 125: Darian Cruz, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Nick Piccininni, So. (Oklahoma State) 133: Seth Gross, Jr. (South Dakota State) vs. Stevan Micic, So. (Michigan) 141: Kevin Jack, Sr. (NC State) vs. Bryce Meredith, Sr. (Wyoming) 149: Max Thomsen, So. (Northern Iowa) vs. Matthew Kolodzik, So. (Princeton) 157: Alec Pantaleo, Jr. (Michigan) vs. B.J. Clagon, Sr. (Rider) 165: Chad Walsh, Sr. (Rider) vs. Jonathan Schleifer, Sr. (Princeton) 174: Mark Hall, So. (Penn State) vs. Zahid Valencia, So. (Arizona State) 184: Pete Renda, Sr. (NC State) vs. Drew Foster, Jr. (Northern Iowa) 197: Frank Mattiace, Sr. (Penn) vs. Michael Macchiavello, Sr. (NC State) 285: Tanner Hall, Jr. (Arizona State) vs. Nick Nevills, Jr. (Penn State) Matchups 165: May Bethea, Sr. (Penn) vs. Gordon Wolf, Sr. (Lehigh) 285: Garrett Ryan, Sr. (Columbia) vs. Thomas Haines, Jr. (Lock Haven) Women 101: Marina Doi, Sr. (King) vs. Hiba Salem, Jr. (Menlo) 109: Maria Vidales, So. (Emmanuel) vs. Charlotte Fowler, So. (Campbellsville) 116: Victoria Gutierrez, So. (Emmanuel) vs. Makayla Bourbon, Sr. (U. of the Cumberlands) 123: Dom Parrish, Jr. (Simon Fraser) vs. Amber Pair, So. (Eastern Oregon) 130: Megan Black, Sr. (McKendree) vs. Shelby Hall, Sr. (Campbellsville) 136: Kayla Miracle, Sr. (Campbellsville) vs. Solin Piearcy, So. (Menlo) 143: Mallory Velte, Sr. (Simon Fraser) vs. Desiree Zavala, So. (Grays Harbor) 155: Niauni Hill, Sr. (Lindenwood-Belleville) vs. Kiera Gabaldon, Jr. (Warner Pacific) 170: Brandy Lowe, Sr. (McKendree) vs. Kacie Moorehouse, So. (Grays Harbor) 191: Paige Baynes, Jr. (Grays Harbor) vs. Alyssa Cantu, Sr. (Missouri Valley) Note: Women's college wrestling competes under international freestyle rules.

Lance Palmer (Photo/Richard Mann) Washington, D.C. is known for political battles, but a different kind of fighting came to the nation's capital Thursday night. Lance Palmer, four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Ohio State, scored a unanimous victory over UFC vet Steven Siler in the co-main event at the Professional Fighters League Fight Night -- a "Fight for Children" charitable event -- at the Washington Hilton. Two of the judges scored the featherweight (145-pound) fight 30-27 while a third tallied it to be 30-26 for the former Buckeye mat star (and former volunteer assistant coach at Virginia Tech). It was a positive reversal of fortune for the 29-year-old Palmer, who lost his World Series of Fighting featherweight title in a unanimous decision to Andre Harrison at WSOF 35 back in March. Here's how MMAnews.com summed up the Palmer-Siler set-to: "Lance Palmer's wrestling was too much for Steven Siler." From that opening statement, the website went on to report that Palmer had scored at least four takedowns in three rounds. Lance Palmer (Photo/Richard Mann) "Lance Palmer was in prime form in this evening's co-main event," wrote Sherdog.com. "Palmer grounded Siler repeatedly over the course of the bout's 15 minutes. Siler did his best to remain active from guard and threatened with submissions, but he was unable to put Palmer in serious peril. Perhaps Palmer's best moment occurred in the opening stanza, when he floored Siler with a left hand standing and unloaded with purposeful ground-and-pound ..." "There were a lot of things I think I could have done better out there but Steven Siler is a tough guy," Palmer said after the fight. "He is really long to it was hard to pass but I was really happy I landed a big shot that knocked him down. I've been working on my hands and it was nice to see it pay off. In the end, I made it through the fight without getting my face messed up too bad before my wedding next week." With the win, the soon-to-be-wed Palmer is now 12-3 in a professional mixed martial arts career going back to May 2011 ... while Siler, 30, whose time in MMA goes back a dozen years, is now 29-11. Lance Palmer first made a name for himself in wrestling as a four-time Ohio high school state champ for the storied Lakewood St. Edward mat program, and as the featured subject of a documentary film, Pinned. After high school, Palmer headed south to Columbus, where he was a four-time NCAA All-American -- and 2010 Big Ten conference champ -- at Ohio State.

The 2017 NWCA All-Star Classic is on Sunday at Princeton and features one of the best NCAA lineups in recent memory with two NCAA champions and several All-Americans on the night's lineup. In addition to the men, there will be a women's dual meet taking place simultaneously on an adjacent mat featuring former junior world team members Marina Doi, Kayla Miracle and Mallory Velte. For many wrestling fans, the All-Star Classic marks the opening of the collegiate wrestling season. Like the Daytona 500, it's an annual event that draws out some of the top talent in a focused, one-night event and gives fans an initial place to start their discussion about the top rivalries and teams for the 2017-18 season. The recent announcement by the Blue Ribbon Task Force that the wrestling season should be contained within one semester aligns with the idea of having a kickoff event. The wrestling season now drags into March both for the athletes and the fans. A well-defined singular semester -- with the NWCA Kickoff event -- would provide fans of all passion levels with a clear season that is easy to follow. Wrestling needs dependable calendar events like the NWCA All-Star Classic. We need to know that every year at such-and-such a date we can look forward to a certain type of event, in the case of the All-Star Classic, a dual meet of the top wrestlers in college. But there should be more. Wrestling can use the shift in the calendar year to create new events, marketed with the fan and the single-semester season in mind. That growth, along with a continued increase in coverage, should equate to bigger returns for college programs and conferences of all sizes. To your questions … Q: What are your predictions for the NWCA All-Star Classic? -- Fred M. Foley: To be honest, I don't know how the new rules will end up affecting the scoring. I'm being conservative and thinking that the "danger" call won't be utilized too often, which should keep scores somewhat consistent with last year. However, if we still get a lot of funk rolls and leg passes then these scores could get much bigger. 125: Darian Cruz (Lehigh) dec. Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State), 4-1 133: Seth Gross (South Dakota State) maj. dec. Stevan Micic (Michigan), 10-2 141: Kevin Jack (NC State) dec. Bryce Meredith (Wyoming), 7-6 149: Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) dec. Matt Kolodzik (Princeton), 5-3 157: Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) maj. dec. B.J. Clagon (Rider), 11-1 165: Chad Walsh (Rider) dec. Jonathan Schleifer (Princeton), 6-2 174: Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) dec. Mark Hall (Penn State), 4-3 184: Pete Renda (NC State) dec. Drew Foster (Northern Iowa), 9-4 197: Jared Haught (Virginia Tech) dec. Frank Mattiace (Penn), 9-3 285: Nick Nevills (Penn State) dec. Tanner Hall (Arizona State), 2-1 Gable Steveson (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: I saw Gable Steveson is competing at the Daktronics Open against college competition on Sunday. It looks like Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota State and others are bringing wrestlers. Any prediction on how he will do? -- Mike C. Foley: Gable Steveson has proven to be a growing talent. His international successes in freestyle and domination at home in folkstyle make it difficult to conceive of a less-than-stellar performance at any tournament at any level. I don't know what he's weighing in at this week, but assuming that he's headed to compete at heavyweight the biggest obstacle Steveson faces is the extra tonnage of his collegiate opponents, and lack of wrestling from the bottom position. The latter may end up being the deciding factor. In freestyle it's moot and in folkstyle there is almost nobody at the high school level talented enough to hold Steveson down. At the NCAA level there is much more talent and experience on the mat. Ultimately, Steveson should be able to compete with little issue, but one area he could face difficulty would be taking bottom against a much larger, stronger and experienced opponent. Q: I watched some of the Beat the Streets women's event in LA online. What were your takeaways from that event. -- Mike C. Foley: I was there! The media team from United World Wrestling came out and was a sponsor of the event. We put on the livestream as a way to help them promote to more wrestling fans who otherwise might have missed the action, and even placed it live on Facebook. There was really solid viewership, too. Overall, the event was a massive success. Unlike BTS-NY who has put on this type of annual event for several years, this was the first go-round for executive director Yero Washington and president Andy Barth. And it didn't disappoint. Having a women's-only event was really special. The growth of the sport has been remarkable, and these women are becoming massive stars in and out of the sport. BTS-LA held the event in Little Tokyo and held all the galas and associated events nearby, which meant lots of interactions between the fans and the wrestlers. BTS-LA was perfect and I hope to see them keep a similar format for years to come. Honestly, it was one of the most convenient and convivial matches I've ever attended. Loved it. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME The Gilman debacle (1:28 mark) Q: Is the new media arrangement between the BTN and FloSports (including Flowrestling) a good deal for wrestling fans? A quick look at videocast schedules for BTN2Go and Flowrestling shows that meets covered by one media outlet are not covered by another. Is the wrestling fan getting worked over here by needing to buy separate subscriptions to see Big Ten wrestling events? BTN and FloSports are presenting this new deal as a positive, but I'm not so sure that's true for Big Ten wrestling fans. It seems like there are fewer scheduled wrestling events in BTN2Go this upcoming season. -- Terry O. Foley: I can see that you might think there is less service, but I think that wrestling fans will see a much larger ROI when buying subscriptions. In addition to the live coverage they will certainly provide a more robust look at the conference and support systems that might make it easier to follow some of the action. Look, I get it that paying for wrestling media is sometimes a bother, but whether Trackwrestling, InterMat or Flowrestling I think that if the wrestling is among your top five watched sports, you are getting great value for the money. Q: Any prediction on Michael Bisping vs. GSP this Saturday? Mike C. Foley: GSP by cuddle. Thomas Gilman (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: I'm a lifelong Hawkeye fan, but Thomas Gilman was over the top at the annual Iowa wrestling coaches "Fight Night" on Wednesday. He is making a mockery of wrestling and it gives all of our great state a bad name. I'm not sure why Tom Brands sent him there to represent him. I think Iowa could be the third best team in the state in a couple years. I just want the rivalry to be a classy one. If they add Patrick Downey in January who knows what's next. Your thoughts? -- Michael S. Foley: I don't know Thomas Gilman's values, but I did hear his words. For the second time since June he's shown himself to be a hateful and immature representative of Iowa and USA Wrestling. His chest-thumping, profanity-laced rant against Doug Schwab, Kevin Dresser, and his own fans was disrespectful to those he attacked and those in attendance. For a member of the national team to act in this way is disgraceful. But Gilman got it from somewhere. What's important to recognize is that we, as a nation, are seeing an increase in the validity of hateful rhetoric like Gilman's -- the rejection of "others" as anything other than a mortal enemy. He is surrounded by a culture that increasingly seeks to normalize these voices of rage-filled anxiety. A fear of "otherness" is growing. And yet responsibility for Gilman's actions are his own to bear. He seems to suffer from a tribe-centric type of personality disorder, emboldening him to not see the hatefulness in calling a Japanese opponent by a racial slur. It's the same mentality witnessed on Wednesday night in which he flailed and stammered his way through a demeaning assault on honorable men based solely on the fact they to no longer wear the colors of his community. The loyalty to the black and gold being greater than his respect for fellow combatants. Gilman won't move past this most recent public disgrace, because he's displayed no signs of humbleness, or a path to growth. He'll wear this behavior around his neck for as long as he's a member of the community; another tragic tale of self-obsession and immaturity. The boy who won some medals, but a man who lost all respect. Thought of the Week By Chris G. Can we have a philosophical discussion about why the NCAA awards team trophies at the individual tournament at the end of the year? Under the current format, a team with 3-4 bonus-point scoring studs could contend for a trophy when the other 6-7 members of their team fail to qualify or make noise at the big dance. The 2014-15 Edinboro team comes to mind, as they had some absolute hammers, but a spotty lineup that yielded some questionable dual meet losses. In my opinion, a "good" team that is balanced is mutually exclusive from a "good" team with lopsided talent, but the current individual tournament struggles to differentiate the two. Why can't the individual tournament focus solely on the athletes? I wrestled in New Jersey, and the high school state tournament had (and still does) no team scoring, but still made for some amazing storylines. I bring this up because I support the dual meet tournament idea Blue Ribbon has put forward. The best "team" should include the efforts of the starting 10, not only the efforts of the studs. This format seems to better determine which team is the best. I'm curious about your thoughts and the thoughts of others.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Roadrunner wrestling team opened the 2017-18 season on the East Coast with a Thursday evening dual against Buffalo. An early upset over a ranked wrestler helped CSU Bakersfield get off to a quick start and the 'Runners held on for a 22-14. "I thought our guys wrestled with great effort," said Manny Rivera, Head Coach of the `Runners. "We can still be better, but this is definitely a good start. We beat a good team tonight on a long road trip, so, we will take that." Starting from the top at 125, Sergio Mendez found himself down to No. 14 Kyle Akins early, but a takedown late in the first period gave him a 3-2 lead. CSUB's redshirt senior then took a 7-2 lead into the final period. The native of Arleta, Calif. nearly put up a major decision on his No. 14-ranked opponent, but Mendez settled for an 11-4 victory to put the `Runners ahead 3-0 with the upset. No. 5 Bryan Lantry got four points late to defeat Sean Nickell 8-4 in the 133-match, tying the dual up at 3-3. No. 19 Russell Rohlfing dominated the entire match against Ryan Peters (141). An escape by Peters with 13 seconds to go made the score 10-4 in Rohlfing's favor, but the redshirt sophomore got a last-second takedown to ensure a major decision The 13-4 victory but the `Runners ahead of Buffalo, 7-3. Kalani Tonge (141) and Jason Estevez went back and forth with an active first two periods and were tied 6-6 heading into the final two minutes. An early escape in the third gave Estevez a one-point lead and the senior held off Tonge for a 7-6 win. At 157, Colemand Hammond took a 2-1 advantage over Danny Boychuck into the third period. An escape and a takedown gave Bakersfield's redshirt senior a 5-1 lead and riding time gave Hammond a 6-1 victory and CSUB a 10-6 advantage. Two first-period takedowns gave Lorenzo De La Riva a 4-1 advantage over Derek Holcomb (165). The redshirt sophomore continued to dominate, getting two four-point nearfalls and wound up winning via tech fall, 17-2. The `Runners gained a 15-6 lead with just four matches remaining. At 174, Bryan Battisto gained a 5-2 lead on Austin Weigel heading into the final period. Two more takedowns in the third put Battisto ahead 9-2 and 1:01 of riding time gave the redshirt junior a major decision, 10-2. Dominic Ducharme found himself in a big hole and fought back, but Brett Perry took a major decision in the 184-pound match, 16-5. Buffalo pulled within nine points at 19-10. Matt Williams, ranked No. 11 at 197 to start the season, was tied 1-1 after regulation with UB's Joe Ariola. Williams surged in overtime and wound up with a 7-1 victory to clinch the match for the `Runners. In the heavyweight bout, Buffalo's Jake Gunning started fast and rode a big victory to a major decision, 18-7, over Jarrod Snyder. Despite the loss, the `Runners took a 22-14 win on the road to start the season. The 'Runners (1-0) continue their East Coast swing with a tri-dual in Edinboro, Pa. on Sunday. CSUB will wrestle against Bucknell at 10:30 a.m. (ET) before taking on No. 18/22 Edinboro at 12 p.m. (ET). Results: 125: Sergio Mendez def. No. 14 Kyle Akins, 11-4 133: No. 5 Bryan Lantry def. Sean Nickell, 8-4 141: No. 19 Russell Rohlfing def. Ryan Peters, 13-4 (MD) 149: Jason Estevez def. Kalani Tonge, 7-6 157: Coleman Hammond def. Danny Boychuck, 6-1 165: Lorenzo De La Riva def. Derek Holcomb, 17-2 (TF) 174: Bryan Battisto def. Austin Weigel, 10-2 (MD) 184: Brett Perry def. Dominic Ducharme, 16-5 (MD) 197: No. 11 Matt Williams def. Joe Ariola 7-1 (OT) 285: Jake Gunning def. Jarrod Snyder, 18-7 (MD)

Perry (Okla.) High School wrestling team The legendary Perry High School wrestling program has a new member on its team. The wrestling program at the Oklahoma school -- alma mater to Olympic medal-winning wrestlers Dan Hodge and Jack VanBebber, along with dozens of other state champions and NCAA All-Americans -- have received new ASICS shoes for every wrestler on the team, as well as the entire coaching staff, just in time for the 2017-18 season. The new shoes are part of a major sponsorship agreement between wrestling shoe maker ASICS and the documentary film "The Price of Legacy: Wrestling with a Dynasty" about the Perry High School Maroons wrestling program and the town they call home, now in production. "Today is a very special day," said Chance Leonard, the documentary's creator and executive producer. "My team and I are extremely excited to partner with such a prestigious organization. ASICS wrestling shoes are synonymous with the sport of wrestling and are worn by some of the best wrestlers ever. We would like to thank Mr. Brady Bersano, Mr. Nick Gallo and all of ASICS for their passion for wrestling and believing in our film project." On a personal note, Leonard -- himself an Oklahoma high school state champ for Perry -- weighed in on the significance of ASICS' gift of shoes for the Perry mat program, and the shoe maker's support of the documentary about one of the nation's top amateur wrestling hotbeds. "It's a bit surreal! I wrestled my entire career wearing ASICS wrestling shoes and have never worn anything else," said Leonard. "Being able to present this gift to Coach (Ronnie) Delk and the team is a blessing and privilege." "Adding ASICS to our already talented team brings additional credibility and fuels our momentum," Leonard added. "ASICS is proud to support Perry, Oklahoma's historic, record-breaking high school wrestling program. It is incredible to think that such a small town could foster a culture that has consistently produced champions for decades. Impressive is an understatement." "Wrestlers are some of the hardest-working individuals out there, and they do not get enough recognition for what they go through while training to be the best. We appreciate the team behind 'The Price of Legacy" for shining a light on these hardworking individuals." Perry -- a community located in northern Oklahoma, between Oklahoma City and Wichita, Kan. -- has deep roots in wrestling… and has displayed them in a number of ways on and off the mat. Perry High School can claim one of the most accomplished prep wrestling programs in the entire country. Although the town of Perry, Okla. has only about 5,000 residents, its wrestling program has produced greatness in its more than 90-year history. Among the achievements of the mat Maroons: Two Olympic medalists -- Jack VanBebber, gold medalist at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, and Dan Hodge, who won silver at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne -- 162 individual state champs, sixteen dual state titles, and eighteen individuals who have earned a total of 28 All-American honors at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. If that weren't enough, Perry can claim a total of 41 Oklahoma high school team titles -- a national record. In fact, the program has won a state team title at least once in every two years since 1961. The town of Perry is also home to the Perry Wrestling Monument Park, a unique tribute to the great wrestlers who called Perry home. Located in downtown Perry on Courthouse Square, the park features statues of the two Perry Olympic medalists -- VanBebber and Hodge -- along with granite columns which have the names of Perry mat legends carved into them. In addition, the community -- and Perry High School -- are the subject of a new documentary, "The Price of Legacy: Wrestling with a Dynasty" now in production. The anticipated release date for the film is the second quarter of 2018. To learn more, visit the film's official website.

Frank Mattiace (Photo/Penn Sports Information) PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Pennsylvania will be represented by a pair of senior wrestlers at the 52nd NWCA All-Star Classic at Princeton's Jadwin Gymnasium on Sunday as May Bethea and Frank Mattiace have been selected to compete. Mattiace will wrestle Virginia Tech's Jared Haught in the main card at 197 pounds while Bethea will compete in a showcase match at 165 pounds against Lehigh's Gordon Wolf. "This is a tremendous honor for our program, and for Frank and May," said head coach Roger Reina. "They are outstanding representatives of the proud tradition and legacy of Penn Wrestling and are deserving of their place on the national stage. I am excited that they will help kick off the collegiate wrestling season and set the tone for our journey as a team this year." Mattiace enters 2017-18 ranked No. 14 at 197 pounds. The 2017 EIWA champion at 197 pounds, Mattiace went 2-2 at his first NCAA Championships. His opponent, Jared Haught, is a two-time NCAA All-American who finished fourth at 197 pounds in 2017 after claiming the 2017 ACC championship. This will be the first-ever meeting between Mattiace and Haught. Bethea is wrestling up at 165 this weekend after three previous years at 157 pounds -- including a pair of NCAA Championships qualifying seasons. Last year, Bethea advanced to the round of 12 at NCAAs for his highest finish at the national tournament. Bethea is ranked No. 20 at 157 pounds entering the season, while Wolf is unranked at 165. A NCAA qualifier at 157 pounds in 2016, Wolf competed at 165 last year for the Mountain Hawks. Bethea and Wolf have not met previously as collegiate wrestlers. Mattiace and Bethea are the first Quakers to compete at the NWCA All-Star Classic since Lorenzo Thomas and C.J. Cobb in 2014 when the marquee event was held in The Palestra.

Nathan Tomasello gets in on a double leg against Daton Fix at the U23 World Team Trials (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Ohio State begins the 2017-18 season with high expectations. The Buckeyes, though, were expected to be without at least one of their All-Americans during the first semester. Top-ranked Nathan Tomasello, a three-time All-American and 2015 NCAA champion, suffered a knee injury at the U23 World Team Trials on Oct. 8 in Rochester, Minn. Ohio State coach Tom Ryan initially expected Tomasello to return in January, but now it appears it could be sooner. "We had some tests done on it and we thought it was going to be longer than it is," Ryan said Wednesday on a podcast called On the Mat. "We got some really good news recently that Nate will probably be back before we thought he would at full strength." Ryan didn't target a specific return date for Tomasello. He wants to make sure he's at full strength. "Obviously, we will not rush this," said Ryan. "The good news is that there was a point in time when you didn't know if he was going to come back at full strength in January … but we're in a position now where he'll be at full strength likely in December." Joey McKenna wrestling Minnesota's Tommy Thorn at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Another All-American on Ohio State's roster, transfer Joey McKenna, also suffered an injury recently. McKenna, who won the U23 World Team Trials, was injured during the second match of a best-of-three wrestle-off against teammate Ke-Shawn Hayes. According to Ryan, McKenna is healthy and back on the mat. "He's still wrestling at the U23s and he's actually on the mat and progressing as though the injury didn't happen," said Ryan. "It was a sprained ankle and he's back and doing great." Ryan also noted that McKenna will compete at 141 pounds for the Buckeyes, while Hayes will wrestle at 149 pounds.

Junior National freestyle champion Atilano Escobar (Liberty, Ariz.) verbally committed to the Naval Academy. The No. 99 overall wrestler in the Class of 2018 is a three-time state placer, winning a state title in 2016. He also earned three All-American honors at the Cadet level in Fargo during 2015 and 2016, including a 2016 runner-up finish in Greco-Roman. Further, Escobar is a two-time UWW Cadet All-American, fifth in freestyle at 58 kilos this spring and eighth in Greco-Roman in 2016. He projects as a 141 pound wrestler in college.

YORK -- York College has announced that it is expanding the wrestling program to include collegiate competition for women, starting with the fall 2018 season. York College men's wrestling has developed a national reputation as a strong NAIA team with numerous student-athletes finishing as All-Americans and a team that has had a presence in the top 25 of the NAIA. The new program will build on York College's reputation for excellence in wrestling, while expanding offerings for female representation in the sport. Women's wrestling has experienced notable growth nationally and within the Midwest at the high school level, but colleges and universities have been slow to respond to the demand for next-level women's wrestling opportunities. The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference is an NAIA leader in the sport. Currently the conference has two member schools who compete, and with associate members, host a conference championship. The statistics for the amount of participants on the high school level, especially when compared to the scarcity of collegiate programs, indicates an opportunity for York College to differentiate its offerings and provide a home for many new female athletes. Jeff Albers, who currently serves as an assistant in the men's wrestling program at YC, will take the lead as head coach of the women's side. "Coach Albers has established himself as a person of character that we can trust to build this side of our wrestling program," said Jared Stark, vice president for enrollment and athletics at YC. "Jeff is faithful to Jesus and an incredibly hard-working person. Furthermore he has the right level of motivation to make an impact on this level of collegiate wrestling. He is extremely knowledgeable in the sport of wrestling, communicates well with college students, and has a recruiting network that will generate interest at York College." Jeff AlbersRecruiting and planning for women's wrestling will begin immediately and Coach Albers is excited about the role. Albers said, "I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to be the first women's wrestling coach at York College. I look forward to helping these young women be the best they can be on and off the mat." Stark said, "In the end, what we want to do is to expand the atmosphere of York College to as many people as possible. We believe that York College transforms lives, and positively impacting student-athletes is an enormous part of what we do. By expanding the wrestling program to include collegiate competition for women, we will open the the door for additional students to experience YC in a profound way." Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, was very excited to hear the news, "On behalf of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to the York College (Nebraska) administration for their extraordinary leadership and vision in establishing an intercollegiate women's wrestling program. This will be our 39th varsity women's program that has been added and it provides even more incentive for other colleges to follow." About Coach Albers Jeff Albers is in his first year as assistant coach for the men's wrestling team. Coach Albers was a high school state champion from Blackwell, Oklahoma. He was also a two-time freestyle state champion in Oklahoma and part of the 1998 and 1999 national freestyle championship team. He was a two year starter at Labette Community College in Parsons, Kansas, in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, Coach Albers was a graduate assistant coach at Labette Community College. Coach Albers was also an assistant coach at Shawnee Heights High School in Tecumseh, Kansas, for eight years (2007-2015), where he coached several state champions and a state runner-up team. Coach Albers had the privilege of coaching several women while at Shawnee Heights; one of them went on to win a state and national title after Albers had left to come to York College. Coach Albers returned to competition in 2015 to finish his wrestling career at York College at the age of 35. He was a two year starter for York College and graduated from York College in May 2017. About York College York College is a private, religious-affiliated four-year college located in York, Nebraska, about 50 miles west of the state capital, Lincoln. Founded in 1890, York College has an enrollment of approximately 450 students.

WATERLOO, Iowa -- Three individual NCAA champions, a freestyle World team member, and a legendary high school wrestling coach will be inducted into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa on Saturday, June 9, 2018. Located inside the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, the Glen Brand Hall of Fame was established in 2002 to honor those individuals who have made an impact on the sport on a national level, or who have done extraordinary work in the State of Iowa. The hall recognizes native-born Iowans, and those who achieved their fame while wrestling or coaching for an Iowa school. The Class of 2018 is John Bowlsby, Kevin Dresser, Chris Bono, Tony Davis, and Bob Roethler. Brad Smith will be presented with the Bob Siddens Iowa High School Coaching Excellence Award, Keith Massey and Charlotte Bailey will receive the Russ Smith Community Impact Award, and the Banachs will receive the Family Legacy Award. A banquet honoring all inductees and award winners will be held at Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in Waterloo on Saturday, June 9. For more information contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or dgmstaff@nwhof.org. John Bowlsby was a three-time All-American and a two-time Big Ten champion at heavyweight for the University of Iowa. He placed third at the NCAA championships in 1975 and fifth in 1977 and 1978. Bowlsby was a member of the U.S. freestyle World championship team in 1974 at 220 pounds after his senior year of high school and made a second World team in 1977 at heavyweight. He was also a U.S. Greco-Roman national champion in 1978 and a state wrestling champion for Waterloo West High School in 1973 and 1974. Kevin Dresser was an NCAA champion, two-time All-American, and two-time Big Ten champion for the University of Iowa with a career college record of 89-16-1. He placed fourth at the NCAA championships as a junior in 1985 before winning the 142-pound title in 1986. During his high school career at Humboldt High School in Humboldt, Iowa, Dresser posted a 112-11-1 career record and was a two-time state champion (1980 and 1981). He currently serves as the head wrestling coach at Iowa State after an 11-season stint with Virginia Tech where he led the team to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA tournament in 2016, which is the highest in program history. Chris Bono coaching South Dakota State at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Chris Bono was an NCAA champion, three-time All-American, and a two-time Big 12 champion for Iowa State with a career college record of 128-34. He placed fifth at the NCAA championships as a sophomore in 1995 before winning the 150-pound crown in 1996 and placing second in 1997. Bono was a member of U.S. freestyle World championships teams in 2001, 2002 and 2005 and was a four-time freestyle national champion. He was a three-time state wrestling champion for Bolles High School in Jacksonville, Florida, from 1990-92, and is currently the head wrestling coach at South Dakota State. Tony Davis was an NCAA champion and a two-time finalist for Northern Iowa, and a two-time National Junior College Athletic Association national champion for Iowa Central. Davis placed second as a junior at the 1999 NCAA championships at 149 pounds before winning the title as a senior to become the first Division I national champion at Northern Iowa since 1963. Davis finished his college career with a record of 111-10. Bob Roethler, who died in 2015, led Emmetsburg High School in Emmetsburg, Iowa, to four traditional state team wrestling championships during nine seasons as head coach from 1972-80. Emmetsburg won four consecutive state team titles from 1976-79 and had a streak of 63 consecutive dual meet victories from 1974-78. Roethler coached 35 individual state place winners with 10 state champions, including four-time winner Jeff Kerber. Roethler wrestled for Central High School in Elkader, Iowa, and for Loras College. The Banach family is the fourth recipient of the Family Legacy Award. Fraternal twins Ed and Lou, and older brother Steve, all wrestled for the University of Iowa while Ed's son, Riley, wrestled for the University of Northern Iowa. Ed and Lou combined for five individual NCAA championships and each won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics while Steve was a United States Army Ranger who served multiple combat tours. Brad Smith will receive the Bob Siddens High School Coaching Excellence Award. Smith began his career at Lisbon High School in Lisbon, Iowa, in 1978 and led his teams to seven traditional state championships (1980, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1990) in 13 seasons. He became head coach at City High School in Iowa City, Iowa, in 1991 and led his teams to three traditional state championships (1992, 1999 and 2002) in 21 seasons. Smith returned to Lisbon in 2012 and is in his 39th season as a coach. In 2017, he won his 11th state team title, tying the Iowa record for most traditional state team wrestling championships held by Siddens. He has coached four four-time state wrestling champions, which is more than any other coach in Iowa history. Charlotte Bailey and Keith Massey will receive the Russ Smith Community Impact Award, which is presented to individuals who demonstrate exceptional local impact on wrestling in Iowa. For the past 10 years, Bailey has advanced female wresting in Iowa after previously coaching youth wrestling and gymnastics. She founded Female Elite Wrestling in 2012 and began organized practices and tournaments in 2015. FEW is Iowa's only USA Wrestling chartered club dedicated to female wrestlers, and it has produced national individual champions and dual team championships. Bailey also serves as the women's director for Iowa USA Wrestling while continuing to work toward sanctioned high school wrestling for females in Iowa. Massey is the impetus that turned western Iowa into a wrestling powerhouse. Through his youth wrestling club and as head coach of Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, he has coached numerous state wrestling champions and college All-Americans. He led Lewis Central to traditional and dual state team titles in 2000 and 2001, and his 2001 team had an Iowa record six individual state champions. Two of his athletes, Trent and Travis Paulson, were state champions, All-Americans at Iowa State, members of U.S. freestyle World teams and inductees of the Glen Brand Hall of Fame in 2017. He started his career with the C.B. Panther Wrestling Club in 1989 and helped merge the club with High Voltage Wrestling Club to form Powerhouse Wrestling Club in 2015. 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.

The Super 32 Challenge serves as the in earnest kickoff to each high school wrestling season. With the event happening this past weekend, and the initial rankings of the 2017-18 slated for one week from today, now is the time to reflect upon what happened at the tournament. With only three top 15 seniors in the field, none ranked higher than No. 9 Joey Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), and just two others within the top 25 -- there was clear opportunity for some of the younger talents across the country to shine. Shine is what they did, with seven of the 14 weight classes being won by non-seniors; while eight other underclassmen finished as runners-up. That is compared to the approximately nine weight class titles won by seniors during each of the previous three editions of the tournament. History was made when Ryan Crookham (Pennsylvania) won the 113-pound weight class, as he became the first wrestler still in Junior High to win a high school division Super 32 title. In the recent past, Spencer Lee was runner-up at 106 pounds as an eighth grader in 2012, while Luke Pletcher was a semifinalist as an eighth grader at 106 the previous year. After winning the middle school division the previous three years, Crookham beat five very accomplished opponents on the way to his championship. It started with a 1-0 decision over UWW Cadet freestyle runner-up Isaac Salas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) in the round of 32; in the round of 16 it was a 5-1 win over Junior National double All-American Cody Phippen (Platte County, Mo.); his first match Sunday morning was a 5-2 quarterfinal victory over NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Dylan Ryder (Half Hollow Hills West, N.Y.); the semifinal match was a 1-0 victory over returning Super 32 runner-up Greg Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.); while it was a 2-0 victory over Eric Barnett (Hortonville, Wis.) in the final. The last four of those opponents were state champions in high school last season. Another three-time middle school division champion made history in the high school division, as Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) won his third title in the high school division, this one coming at 120 pounds. Busiello is now 34-0 across six years of competing at the Super 32. Should he emerge as champion again next year, Busiello would be the first wrestler to win four high school division Super 32 titles; nine wrestlers have now won three championships, most notable among them is two-time Cadet World champion Yianni Diakomihalis. Patrick Kennedy (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine) The underclass champion to boost his "stock" the most was Patrick Kennedy (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.). Though he is already ranked No. 5 overall in the sophomore class, he had the best Sunday of any wrestler in the field to win the 170-pound weight class. The quarterfinal match was an 8-5 victory over No. 61 senior Emil Soehnlen (Massillon Perry, Ohio), then it was a 3-1 tiebreaker decision over No. 25 senior Trent Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.), before a 10-6 finals victory over No. 19 junior Chris Foca (Bergen Catholic, N.J.). It was a performance that earned him co-Outstanding Wrestler honors with Joey Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), who joined Busiello in winning a third Super 32 high school division title. Sophomores shined this past weekend, with Cullan Schriever (Mason City, Iowa) and Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) joining Kennedy in winning weight class titles; while Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), Jesse Vasquez (Santiago Corona, Calif.), and Dustin Plott (Tuttle, Okla.) finished as runners-up. Out of those performances the run to the championship match by No. 6 overall sophomore Vasquez was most impressive. Up three weights from a state championship in the past high school season, he advanced to the quarterfinals with two pins (including one over a state champion) and then a 10-0 major decision and 6-3 decision, each over Pennsylvania big-school state qualifiers. His quarterfinal victory came over No. 4 junior Julian Chlebove (Northampton, Pa.) by 5-1 decision, while the semifinal was a 3-1 overtime decision over No. 7 sophomore Josh Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.). The finals defeat was 3-2 against Silva, though Vasquez was in deep on a leg attack right as the match ended. No. 4 overall sophomore Bartlett beat three eventual tournament placers on the way to the championship bout at 126 pounds. In the round of 16 it was an 8-3 victory over 2016 state champion Asa Garcia (Avon, Ind.), the quarterfinal bout was a 7-4 win over Junior freestyle All-American Aaron Schulist (Mukwanago, Wis.), while the semifinal was a 4-1 defeat of No. 8 sophomore Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.). No. 18 overall sophomore Plott had three notable wins of his own on the way to the 160-pound final. In the round of 16, it was 9-2 victory over state champion Kenny O'Neil (Prior Lake, Minn.); the quarterfinal was an 8-4 win over No. 33 sophomore Mason Reiniche (Baylor School, Tenn.); while it was a 12-8 semifinal defeat of state champion Danny Braunagel (Althoff Catholic, Ill.). The championship match was against No. 63 senior Ryan Thomas (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), one in which Plott led 4-2 after a period scoring two takedowns, but he then lost 7-7 in a tiebreaker rideout. Joining Busiello as juniors to win titles were Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) and Brevin Balmeceda (South Dade, Fla.). Other underclass runners-up were freshman Richard Figueroa (Selma, Calif.), along with juniors Eric Barnett (Hortonville, Wis.), Travis Ford-Melton (Marian Catholic, Ill.), Jaden Abas (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.), and Chris Foca (Bergen Catholic, N.J.). The other narrative in the lede was one of unheralded seniors having the chance to emerge given the nature of this field, which though loaded was missing the extreme high end of seniors. From outside the top 100 of the Class of 2018, Mason Phillips (Stanwood, Wash.) won the 145-pound weight class; while Quincy Monday (Carrboro, N.C.), Peter Acciardi (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.), and Max Darrah (Whitfield, Mo.) finished as runners-up. Out of that group, the run of Flo Nationals placer and three-time state champion Monday impressed most. He beat a pair of state fourth place finishers by a 5-2 score to reach the quarterfinals on Sunday morning, Sam Webster (Shakopee, Minn.) in the round of 32 and Lawrence Saenz (Vacaville, Calif.) in the round of 16. Then to reach the finals on Sunday, Monday beat a pair of top 100 seniors, 5-3 over No. 51 Brock Mauller (Father Tolton Catholic, Mo.) in the quarterfinal and then 2-1 over No. 69 Jake Silverstein (Hauppauge, N.Y.) in the semifinal. One last observation about the tournament is the nature of the field's depth. Just to merely place in this tournament is a true accomplishment. This is just a flavor for some of the notable matches that occurred in the consolation bracket prior to placement being confirmed. 113: battle of top 40 overall sophomores, Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.) vs. Dylan Cedeno (Fair Lawn, N.J.); NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Sam Latona (Thompson, Ala.) vs. NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Dylan Ryder (Half Hollow Hills West, N.Y.); Latona vs. UWW Cadet freestyle runner-up Isaac Salas (St. John Bosco, Calif.); Cedeno vs. National Prep champion Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); Latona vs. No. 12 overall freshman Vincent Zerban (Christian Brothers College, Mo.); Salas vs. Sammy Alvarez (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.). 126: Cadet double All-American (Greco champ) Phillip Moomey (Kearney, Neb.) vs. Junior freestyle All-American Aaron Schulist (Mukwanago, Wis.). 132: Flo Nationals placer Jackson Henson (Penn Foster, W.Va.) vs. No. 3 overall sophomore Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.); Raimo vs. three-time state champion Sam Stuhl (Ellsworth, Wis.)/ 138: Jeremy Schoenherr (Stratford, Wis.) vs. Michael Blockhus (New Hampton, Iowa), rematch of a semifinal from the Junior National freestyle tournament this summer. 152: Battle of top 50 overall seniors, both were returning Super 32 placers, Josiah Rider (Grand Junction, Colo.) vs. Justin Ruffin (Union Grove, Ga.). 160: No. 33 overall junior Mason Reiniche (Baylor School, Tenn.) vs. No. 77 overall senior Erich Byelick (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.); No. 49 overall junior Robert Kanniard (Wall Township, N.J.) vs. No. 39 overall senior Phil Conigliaro (Belmont Hill, Mass.).

It's an annual event that's been on the college wrestling calendar since the era of miniskirts and Mustangs, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Supremes, and the Summer of Love. Since it first made the scene in 1967, the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic has been one of the major events in college wrestling, featuring the top athletes in the sport in head-to-head competition. (Among the participants at that first All-Stars: Rick Sanders, Mike Caruso, and Curley Culp.) The All-Star Classic once was the capstone event of the season, held in late March or early April, after the NCAA championships ... however, for more than a decade, the All-Star Classic has served as the kickoff event for the college wrestling season. This year is no exception. The 2017 NWCA All-Star Classic takes place Sunday, Nov. 5 at Princeton University in Princeton, N.J. The venue is Jadwin Gymnasium, a historic facility that has hosted EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) and NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, as well as the New Jersey high school state wrestling championships. A couple firsts The 2017 All-Star Classic can claim to be the "first" in two significant ways. One, it's the first time the All-Star Classic has been held in the state of New Jersey -- arguably one of the top amateur wrestling hotbeds in the nation -- in the event's 52-year history. And, it will be the first All-Stars to feature the best men and women college wrestlers in equal numbers. "We came up with the idea of a gender-equal event," Mark McLaughlin, M.D., F.A.C.S., event chairman, as well as founder and president of the Princeton chapter of the Wrestlers in Business Network which is sponsoring the event -- told InterMat. "We'll be using a two wrestling mats, set side-by-side -- one for women, one for men - with action occurring side-by-side, simultaneously. Ten matches for men, ten matches for women." As in the past, the 2017 NWCA All-Star Classic will feature match-ups with the top wrestlers in each weight class. Here are the announced match-ups for this year's All-Star Classic: Men 125: No. 2 Darian Cruz, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. No. 5 Nick Piccininni, So. (Oklahoma State) 133: No. 1 Seth Gross, Jr. (South Dakota State) vs. No. 2 Stevan Micic, So. (Michigan) 141: No. 2 Kevin Jack, Sr. (NC State) vs. No. 3 Bryce Meredith, Sr. (Wyoming) 149: No. 3 Max Thomsen, So. (Northern Iowa) vs. No. 5 Matthew Kolodzik, So. (Princeton) 157: No. 6 Alec Pantaleo, Jr. (Michigan) vs. No. 7 B.J. Clagon, Sr. (Rider) 165: No. 5 Chad Walsh, Sr. (Rider) vs. No. 18 Jonathan Schleifer, Sr. (Princeton) 174: No. 1 Mark Hall, So. (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Zahid Valencia, So. (Arizona State) 184: No. 3 Pete Renda, Sr. (NC State) vs. No. 4 Drew Foster, Jr. (Northern Iowa) 197: No. 1 Kollin Moore, So. (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Jared Haught, Sr. (Virginia Tech) 285: No. 3 Tanner Hall, Jr. (Arizona State) vs. No. 4 Nick Nevills, Jr. (Penn State) Women 101: Marina Doi, Sr. (King) vs. Hiba Salem, Jr. (Menlo) 109: Maria Vidales, So. (Emmanuel) vs. Charlotte Fowler, So. (Campbellsville) 116: Fayth Woodward, Jr. (Emmanuel) vs. Makayla Bourbon, Sr. (U. of the Cumberlands) 123: Dom Parrish, Jr. (Simon Fraser) vs. Amber Pair, So. (Eastern Oregon) 130: Megan Black, Sr. (McKendree) vs. Shelby Hall, Sr. (Campbellsville) 136: Kayla Miracle, Sr. (Campbellsville) vs. Solin Piearcy, So. (Menlo) 143: Mallory Velte, Sr. (Simon Fraser) vs. Desiree Zavala, So. (Grays Harbor) 155: Niauni Hill, Sr. (Lindenwood-Belleville) vs. Kiera Gabaldon, Jr. (Warner Pacific) 170: Brandy Lowe, Sr. (McKendree) vs. Kacie Moorehouse, So. (Grays Harbor) 191: Paige Baynes, Jr. (Grays Harbor) vs. Alyssa Cantu, Sr. (Missouri Valley) Note: Women's college wrestling competes under international freestyle rules. This groundbreaking event is called "One Sport: HiStory and HerStory." And the timing couldn't be better, according to Mike Moyer, president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). "With the push from groups like Wrestle Like A Girl, the NWCA, USA Wrestling and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame to get the application process started to get women's wrestling listed as an NCAA emerging sport, we're going to capitalize on that effort and show everyone the value of what wrestling means for everyone, not just our boys and young men," said Moyer. It all starts with an all-star wrestling clinic ... and more The 2017 All-Star Classic is an historic showcase event of twenty matches, featuring the nation's top male and female collegiate mat stars, in a history-making format ... and so much more. The day starts with a wrestling clinic at 11 a.m., featuring four clinicians with powerful mat credentials. Three are Olympic gold medalists: Ohio State heavyweight champ and 2016 Olympic champion Kyle Snyder ... Helen Maroulis, first U.S. woman to earn an Olympic gold medal (in Rio, 2016) ... and Brandon Slay, USA Wrestling coach who won gold at the 2000 Sydney Games. New Jersey native Joe Dubuque, NCAA champ for Indiana University who's now an assistant coach at Princeton, rounds out the all-star cast of clinicians. The clinic is open to wrestlers from third grade through high school. It's an unbeatable opportunity to learn from top wrestlers ... and gain inspiration, too. Cost to participate is $40 (which includes an admission ticket to the All-Star Classic wrestling event). At 1 p.m. there's a pre-event social hour. Attendees will be able to meet dozens of wrestling celebrities in a relaxed setting, just before the All-Star Classic. Meet Mark McLaughlin: neurosurgeon with mat background Mark McLaughlinThe chairman for the 2017 All-Star Classic, Mark McLaughlin, has a background well-suited to head up a major wrestling event such as the All-Star Classic, as a former wrestler and current youth coach. In fact, he described himself as being "a wrestling coach trapped inside a neurosurgeon's body." Yes, McLaughlin is a respected neurosurgeon at Princeton Brain & Spine, located in Princeton, N.J., specializing in cranial conditions and specific spine disorders. McLaughlin is an international speaker, author and frequent medical media expert for brain and spinal cord injuries. One of his most recent achievements includes being recently selected "Top Doc" in the New York Metro area. And, yes, McLaughlin has deep roots in wrestling, as athlete, coach and supporter of the sport. He wrestled at the College of William & Mary, graduating from the Virginia-based school in 1988. For the past 15 years, McLaughlin has coached the Princeton youth wrestling program, as well as coach of the youth program at Trenton, N.J. If that weren't enough, McLaughlin is the founder and president of the Princeton chapter of Wrestlers in Business Network, which is committed to linking wrestlers to wrestlers, especially in their careers, as well as supporting efforts to grow the sport of wrestling, such as funding the youth wrestling program in the inner city of Trenton. Mark McLaughlin (right of plaque) at College of William & MaryFor his contributions to the sport, McLaughlin was welcomed into the New Jersey chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016. "Wrestling is intense and grueling, just like neurosurgery," said McLaughlin. "Wrestling gave me the tools to succeed in neurosurgery." In fact, McLaughlin is currently working on a book "Wrestling and Neurosurgery" which he expects to be published next fall. Get in on this history-making wrestling event Wrestlers, coaches and wrestling fans won't want to miss a minute of the 2017 NWCA All-Star Classic on Sunday, Nov. 5 at Princeton University's Jadwin Gym. The day starts with the wrestling clinic at 11 a.m. ET ... followed at 1 p.m. by the pre-event social hour. The actual wrestling competition at the 2017 All-Star Classic begins at 3 p.m. "What's unique about the All-Star Classic is where else, in one single dual, can you find upwards of 15-16 college All-Americans annually? You can't," said Moyer. "We have NCAA finals previews, but what we're most excited about is doing something else that's never been done before," referring to the "One Sport: HiStory and HerStory" aspect of the event, featuring side-by-side men's and women's competition of the nation's brightest collegiate mat stars. For tickets and more information, visit the official event website, www.goallstarclassic.com.

Many wrestling programs across the country hold intrasquad matches before the start of the competition schedule that are open to the public. Fans of wrestling programs get an early glimpse of their team. Some programs treat these instrasquad matches as exhibition matches with nothing on the line, while others treat them as wrestle-offs to determine the starting lineup. Below are 10 notable results from this year's instrasquad matches open to the public. Note: Some programs have not yet conducted intrasquad matches, while other programs have closed wrestle-offs. These results come from public intrasquad matches only. Josh Shields over Jason Tsirtsis (157, Arizona State) Arizona State has four very capable wrestlers at 157 pounds in Shields, Tsirtsis, Oliver Pierce and Christian Pagdilao. This past Friday, Shields defeated Pagdilao, while Tsirtsis topped Pierce. On Saturday, Shields, a retuning Pac-12 champion, edged the 2013 NCAA champion Tsirtsis 3-2. Shields begins the season ranked No. 14 at 157 pounds. Both Tsirtsis and Pagdilao have wrestled at 149 pounds in the past. While Shields certainly appears to be in the driver's seat for the starting spot, don't count out the others. Also, don't be surprised to see one or more move down to 149 pounds and challenge Josh Maruca for the starting spot. Joey McKenna splits with Ke-Shawn Hayes (Ohio State, 141) McKenna has been one of the nation's top 141-pounders over the last three seasons. After becoming an All-American in 2016 with a third-place finish, McKenna entered the 2017 NCAAs as the No. 3 seed. A disappointing performance in St. Louis kept him off the podium. He has since transferred to Ohio State. The Buckeyes also have a very talented sophomore in Hayes at 141 pounds, and the plan was for the loser of the wrestle-off at 141 pounds to go up to 149 pounds. They met in a best-of-three on Oct. 19, with McKenna winning the opening match in tiebreaker. In the second match, McKenna suffered an injury and Hayes won by injury default. The severity of McKenna's injury is not yet known, and it remains to be seen what the Buckeyes do going forward at 141 pounds and 149 pounds. Drew Mattin over Austin Assad (Michigan, 125) Heading into this season, most expected Assad to take hold of the starting spot at 125 pounds for the No. 3 Wolverines. He was Michigan's starter last season at 125 pounds before suffering a season-ending injury in mid-January. Mattin was a three-time Ohio state champion who claimed a Fargo freestyle title this past summer. The two Ohio natives met in a best-of-three series, with Mattin winning the final two matches to take the series. Myles Amine over Garrett Sutton (Michigan, 174) Amine is coming off an impressive redshirt freshman season in which he became an All-American with a fourth-place finish at 174 pounds. Sutton was an NCAA qualifier as a true freshman in 2015 and redshirted last season. The two wrestled a best-of-three, with Sutton taking the first match. Amine came back to win the second match in the second tiebreaker. In the third and deciding match, Sutton struck first with a takedown, but Amine battled back to win 4-2 on the strength of a third-period takedown. Jackson Striggow rides Kevin Beazley on his way to a 7-6 victory (Photo/Sam Janicki) Jackson Striggow over Kevin Beazley (Michigan, 197) Beazley, a returning All-American, graduated from Old Dominion in the spring with one season of eligibility remaining. The Michigan native enrolled at the University of Michigan as a graduate student, and earned a No. 6 preseason ranking at 197 pounds. At Michigan's intrasquad, returning starter Jackson Striggow, who failed to qualify for the NCAAs after going 1-2 at the Big Tens, notched two straight victories over Beazley. Striggow pinned Beazley off a scramble before claiming a 7-6 victory in their final match. Javier Gasca over Austin Eicher (Michigan State, 141) Eicher and Gasca were both NCAA qualifiers for the Spartans this past March. Eicher, a MAC champion for Northern Illinois in 2016, transferred to MSU last year and qualified for the NCAAs at 133 pounds. Gasca has qualified for the NCAAs in each of the last two seasons. Eicher moved up a weight class this season to challenge Gasca for the starting spot at 141 pounds. They met last Thursday, with Gasca cruising to a 6-1 victory. Cole Martin over Eli Stickley (Wisconsin, 141) Stickley had a solid redshirt freshman campaign for the Badgers last season, going 20-19 at 133 pounds and notching wins over multiple NCAA qualifiers, including the aforementioned Eicher and round of 12 finisher Bryan Lantry of Buffalo. Martin qualified for the NCAAs at 141 pounds as a redshirt freshman last season. Stickley moved up a weight class this season, and the two met last Thursday, with Martin winning the match by fall in the third period. Hunter Ritter over Mason Reinhardt (Wisconsin, 197) With multiple-time NCAA qualifier Ricky Robertson moving back down to 184 pounds, NCAA qualifier Ritter made the move up from 184 pounds to 197 pounds. The Badgers also have a solid wrestler in Reinhardt at 197 pounds. He went 11-4 last season as a redshirt freshman and won a title at the Journeyman Classic. The two squared off last week, with Ritter picking up a 5-3 victory. Beau Breske over Mikey Labriola (Nebraska, 174) Breske and Labriola were both highly ranked recruits coming out of high school. Breske, a three-time state champion, was the No. 12 recruit in the Class of 2016. He redshirted last season at Nebraska. Labriola, a two-time state champion, was the No. 9 recruit in the Class of 2017 and finished the season ranked No. 1 nationally at 170 pounds. They faced off at Nebraska's intrasquad on Friday, with Breske winning narrowly 2-1 in tiebreaker. Yoanse Mejias over Anthony Mantanona (Oklahoma, 174) Mejias, a two-time junior college national champion, stepped into Oklahoma's lineup last season at 165 pounds. He had an up-and-down season, notching some quality and taking some unexpected losses. He qualified for the NCAAs at 165 pounds, finishing 2-2 in St. Louis. Mantanona, a California state champion, was a top-40 recruit in the Class of 2017. He's expected to redshirt this season, but faced Mejias in Oklahoma's scrimmage. It was all Mejias from start to finish. He raced out to a 7-4 lead in the opening period, and added three more takedowns and a riding time point in the final two periods to win 14-6.

Big Ten wrestling coaches Tom Ryan and Scott Goodale will be guests “On the Mat” this Wednesday, Nov. 1. Ryan is head wrestling coach at Ohio State, and a two-time NCAA All-American for the University of Iowa. Goodale heads up the wrestling program at Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey. “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. CT on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is also available on mattalkonline.com. Email dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa wrestling fans are invited to attend the 2017 wrestle-offs this week at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The three-day intrasquad tournament features 21 matches, starting with three pigtails Thursday at 3:30 p.m. (CT). Eight semifinal matches begin Friday at 3:30 p.m., and the 10 finals matches for each weight class begin Saturday at 10 a.m. (CT). Admission is free. WHERE TO GO: To get to the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex, enter Carver-Hawkeye Arena through the North entrance (by the Gable statue). Take the elevator to the second floor. Exit the elevator to your right and hang a left down the long hallway across from the practice gym. The wrestling room is through the double-doors at the end of the hallway. HAWKEYE WRESTLING, UWW WORLD CUP TICKETS: Season tickets and single-match tickets are on sale now for season ticket holders. Single tickets for the general public go on sale tomorrow, Nov. 1. University of Iowa season ticket holders can also purchase UWW World Cup tickets. Those tickets also go on sale to the general public tomorrow, Nov. 1.

Just over a week after No. 55 overall senior Quinn Kinner (Kingsway, N.J.) de-committed from North Carolina State, the Wolfpack came back strong on the recruiting trail by securing the verbal commitment of No. 25 Trent Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.) late on Monday afternoon. It came on day after Trent placed at the Super 32 Challenge for a third consecutive year (fourth, last year third, prior year seventh). Additional notes on the resume for Trent include being a two-time state finalist in Pennsylvania's big-school division, winning the title at 170 pounds at the end of the 2016-17 season. He is also a two-time Flo Nationals finalist, winning that title at 160 pounds late this March; and also was a Junior Nationals double runner-up this summer in Fargo. Trent will be joining older brother Hayden as a Wolfpack wrestler. Hayden is expected to start at 157 pound this season after amassing a record of 22-3 at 157 and 165 pounds during his redshirting freshman campaign. North Carolina State has four additional wrestlers ranked in the current top 100 for the senior class as verbal commits: No. 54 Jarrett Trombley (Lake Fenton, Mich.), No. 60 Jakob Camacho (Danbury, Ct.), No. 85 Tyler Barnes (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) and No. 87 Matthew Grippi (Fox Lane, N.Y.).

A former University of Iowa wrestler has been arrested on federal computer hacking charges for allegedly gaining access to professors' computers to obtain copies of exams in advance, and to change grades for himself and other students. Trevor Graves, 22, who was on the roster for the Hawkeyes at 174 pounds from 2013 through 2016, was arrested last week in what has been described as a high-tech cheating scheme. The FBI alleges that the Colorado native installed devices called keyloggers on computers in university classrooms and labs that allowed him to record what his professors typed, including their credentials to log in to university grading and email systems. Graves used the information to access the professors' accounts so he could intercept exams and test questions in advance and to repeatedly change grades on tests, quizzes and homework assignments, court documents allege. Graves reportedly changed his grades more than 90 times over a nearly two-year period in 2015 and 2016, and also changed grades on numerous occasions for at least five other students. Graves is charged with intentionally accessing a computer without authorization to obtain information, and knowingly transmitting a computer program to cause damage. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The former Iowa student/athlete was arrested last week in Denver, and is now free on bond. School administrators were notified of the possible breech in computer security in Dec. 2016 when a professor noticed that some of Graves' grades had been changed without her authorization, according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen. The same newspaper also reported that one student told the FBI that Graves had shared about a dozen tests with friends in advance of exams. The alleged hacking affected a number of courses in various departments. As a member of the Hawkeye wrestling roster, Graves saw limited action. In his first year at Iowa, the Fort Collins, Colo. native took a redshirt, competing unattached in open tournaments. During the 2014-15 season, Graves went 0-2. In his last season at Iowa -- 2015-16 -- Graves did not compete. UPDATE 11/3/17 Trevor Graves appeared Thursday before a magistrate at the federal courthouse in Davenport, Iowa. He was released but ordered to obey a curfew and other restrictions while awaiting trial.

Kenny Marjerrison, head wrestling coach at Plains/Hot Springs High School in Montana, died Wednesday in a car crash. He was 34. Marjerrison, who also served as information technology director for the Plains School District for about 15 years, was killed when his car crossed the centerline on U.S. 93 near Arlee -- a small community north of Missoula -- at approximately 4:30 p.m, Wednesday and struck an oncoming pickup truck. Montana State Police are still investigating. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Kenny's immediate family and friends, as well as his extended family of the Montana wrestling community," said Plains Schools superintendent Tom Chisholm. "We [Plains School] have allowed faculty members some time this morning to grieve, then we will slowly move into the school day and week. We have also organized outside staff and counselors to assist students and staff should they need grief assistance as it may necessitate," he added. Chisholm described Marjerrison as a coach and staff member whose life touched many throughout Montana. "If you looked at the concentric rings, he was the center of many rings that overlapped," the superintendent told KRTV.com. "I've witnessed phone calls where he touched wrestling communities, he touched private industry, he touched education, all simultaneously sometimes. And being a family man, and coming from a strong nuclear family and a generational family, in the community, that's not withstanding. It's a tragedy." Marjerrison leaves behind a wife and two young children. A funeral service will be held Saturday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. at Plains High School, 412 Rittenour St. in Plains, according to a post on the Facebook page of John Scott Stiegler, superintendent at Lone Rock School.

Colby Covington, former junior college and Pac-10 wrestling champ, won a unanimous decision in a co-main event at UFC Fight Night 119 in Brazil Saturday night… but also earned negative reactions from fans and even the UFC. Covington claimed a victory over veteran Brazilian fighter Demian Maia in a three-round welterweight (170-pound) match at Geraldo Jose de Almeida Gymnasium in Sao Paulo. The judges scored the bout 29-27, 30-27, and 30-26 for the former Iowa Central Community College and Oregon State mat champ. It was the fifth straight win for Covington, who is now 13-1 in his MMA career, and 8-1 in UFC competition. "Maia (25-8, 19-8 UFC) outstruck the NCAA All-American wrestler through much of the first round, opening a cut below his right eyebrow with a series of clubbing left hands. However, the success was short-lived," Sherdog.com. "Covington hit his stride in picked him the middle stanza, sprawled out of attempted takedowns from the weary Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and apart from the outside. He moved forward in Round 3, pressured and bloodied the stationary Maia with punches, denied his bid for takedowns and made him pay with heavy ground-and-pound in the waning moments." Covington had taken what Sherdog.com described as "an outspoken approach" in the week leading up the Maia bout, vowing to retire the 39-year-old inside of a round. Even though the match went the distance, Covington still fired off brash comments afterwards -- not just against his opponent, but also the country which hosted the event, referring to Brazil as a "dump" and its residents as "filthy animals" -- which, not surprisingly, angered Brazilian fans, who threw bottles and trash at him as he left the cage. "It's a disappointment to me. I came here to retire Demian Maia and finish him tonight. But after that, I don't think he is coming back, so I am happy with that," Covington said. "The crowd reaction was what I was looking for, they hate me and I don't respect them. They don't need to translate what I said because I was talking to America, where my fans support me." In addition, Covington dissed UFC welterweight champ -- and former University of Missouri wrestler -- Tyron Woodley, who had defended his title against Maia three months earlier at UFC 214. "Tyron Woodley, look what I did to Demian Maia in three rounds. I beat him way worse than Woodley could do in five rounds," Covington said. "The only person I want to see in a contract in front of my face is Tyron Woodley. He's been running from me, I have beat him in the gym before, I will finish him inside the Octagon." Covington and Woodley were once teammates at America's Top Team. The former Oregon State Beaver claimed to have forced the Mizzou mat alum to quit before the completion of a five-round sparring session in the gym. "I finished him inside three rounds," Covington said of his former teammate regarding that sparring session. "He was supposed to go five rounds that day. He said, ‘I quit. I'm not going no more.' He didn't want to go. He didn't like the pace. Look at how he fights. He backs up, he's scared to fight. He fights conservative. I'll finish him. He will break inside that Octagon. He will quit in there. I promise you that." The UFC expressed its displeasure with Covington and promised a review. "Overall, I thought the fan reactions throughout the course of the night were fantastic generally," said UFC senior vice president David Shaw in a post-fight press conference. "Brazilian fans are obviously very intelligent, very knowledgeable about the sport, very scrutinizing, and generally it was loud and energetic and boisterous the whole time. "In terms of the fan reactions with Covington fighting, there's no way for us to support any fans throwing items at any staff or any fighters," Shaw continued. "However, having said that, we are taking the situation with Covington very seriously. It's already being reviewed by our code of conduct committee and it's something that we are not very happy about." "It's not for me to say at this point what could possibly happen, but we'll be reviewing it over the course of the weekend and early next week." Sunday afternoon, Covington issued what he labeled as a "formal apology" with wording that would not earn the approval of Miss Manners. "I went to work last week. I was screamed at, spit at, assaulted with water bottles and other objects by an angry mob and serenaded by 10,000 voices yelling "you are going to die." My employer had to place security at my hotel room to protect me. "I would like to formally apologize to any filthy animal I offended by comparing them to my hosts in São Paulo. Sincerely, Colby Covington." Before launching his pro mixed martial arts career, Covington had a successful amateur wrestling career. While in high school in Oregon, he won a state title. Covington then headed east to Iowa Central Community College, where he won the 165-pound National Junior College title as a freshman. He later returned to Oregon, where he wrestled for Oregon State. As a Beaver, he won two Pac-10 conference crowns, and earned All-American honors at the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

Adeline Gray after picking up a victory at Beat the Streets (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) LOS ANGELES -- The two top female wrestling teams on the planet clashed at an outdoor dual meet and fundraiser for Beat the Streets Los Angeles at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Two-time world champion and Olympic champion Helen Maroulis was scheduled to compete, but had to sit up due to injury. The 2016 Rio gold medalist was on hand, meeting fans and signing autographs at the capacity-filled event. Maroulis described the situation as bittersweet. "Obviously, I would have loved to have been out there competing today, but it's great because I get to sit back and cheer on teammates and cheer on Team USA." Team USA's roster included the return of three-time world champion Adeline Gray, who had taken time off since the Rio Olympics. Gray's match was the last of the day, and any concerns that she would be gun-shy after the time off were laid to rest as that Gray as she immediately went looking for big moves right off the opening whistle. "For an event like this, we didn't have very many throws and I was hoping to get one," said Gray. "I was so bummed when I had it locked up and she had hooked my leg. She just did a good job with defense." Gray was one of four U.S. women to score shutout technical falls against the young Japanese team en route to a 6-4 team victory. The 10 weight classes contested at the event are newly sanctioned by United World Wrestling and are up from the eight used at this year's World Championships. In the opening bout, Victoria Anthony electrified the crowd early with a four-point inside trip in the first period. "I wasn't really thinking," Anthony said. "I didn't go in with any kind of plan. And it just felt so good to flow through everything I've been working on. I've really been working hard with my coaches." Sarah Hildebrandt looks to score from a front headlock (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) At 53 kilograms, Sarah Hildebrandt used a variety of techniques in her 11-0 technical fall against Yuri Yonamine, including a slick cross ankle pick off a front headlock. "I love being in that front headlock," Hildebrand said. "I have long arms so it's fun to reach and stuff." "I'm having so much fun," Hildebrandt added. "More fun than I've had in a long, long time with wrestling. I'm excited to see how that helps me and carries me through the season." One of the most competitive matches of the day saw Kayla Miracle against former cadet world champion Yoshimi Kayama. The bout was close in the second period when Miracle got a takedown and slowly locked up a trapped toe turn and got multiple exposures to blow the match open. "It's my favorite turn, but I have messed myself up with that before on the world stage, so I'm really particular about having that toe and having it deep, because anything can happen." With the dual meet win against the top team in the world, there was much talk about what the American women's team needs to do in order to beat Japan's top team at the World Championships. The feeling seemed to be that USA is getting within range. "We finished second, so we're a step closer," Victoria Anthony said. "But we are obviously a step below Japan. It's huge that the men did it (won the world title). It's like, hey, this is within everyone's grasp and we're so close right now. And the team I'm on with these girls. Everyone's always fired up. So I think we're the team to do it." The meet was followed by a benefit dinner at the nearby Japanese American National Museum with both teams in attendance. Yero Washington, executive director of Beat the Streets-Los Angeles, explained his motive for putting the dual meet together. "We wanted to do a unique event," said Washington. "Specifically, I wanted to do something for the women. I feel it was about time that we did something that was exclusive to the women that we didn't kind of have to lean on the men to make an event. I don't think that takes place enough. And we want to inspire young girls so the community can be served. And say 'Hey, this is possible.'" Results: 50 kg: Victoria Anthony (USA) tech. fall Kika Kagata (Japan), 10-0 76 kg: Rino Abo (Japan) dec. Victoria Francis (USA), 7-2 53 kg: Sarah Hildebrandt (USA) tech. fall Yuri Yonamine (Japan), 11-0 68 kg: Tamyra Mensah-Stock (USA) tech. fall Mai Hayakawa (Japan), 10-0 55 kg: Andoria Hanako Sawa (Japan) tech. fall Gracie Figueroa (USA), 13-2 65 kg: Miwa Morikawa (Japan) dec. Maya Nelson (USA), 11-2 57 kg: Kayla Miracle (USA) dec. Yoshimi Kayama (Japan), 10-4 62 kg: Mallory Velte (USA) dec. Atena Kodama (Japan), 6-0 59 kg: Kiwa Sakae (Japan) dec. Alli Ragan (USA), 5-2 72 kg: Adeline Gray (USA) tech. fall Mei Shindo (Japan), 10-0