InterMat Staff

Naples, Italy The idea of a neutral-site college dual meet is nothing new. In the past, schools have held duals in the hometown gyms of wrestling stars; this season's Rutgers vs. Maryland dual meet will be held at storied Yankee Stadium in New York in November. Now Oklahoma State and North Carolina State are taking the idea to new lengths -- and make some history in the process -- by holding their upcoming dual in Naples, Italy on January 5, 2018, the two schools announced Tuesday. It's the first time an NCAA wrestling event will take place outside of North America. The head coaches of the two wrestling programs are eager to go the distance for this unique event titled Tussle for the Troops. "We're excited for the opportunity to wrestle in Italy this season," said Oklahoma State head coach John Smith. "As a program, Oklahoma State has had the opportunity to be a part of many firsts in our sport, and it will be a great experience for our student-athletes to showcase college wrestling overseas for the first time." "You always know it's going to be a first-class event when Frank Popolizio (of Journeymen Wrestling) is involved," Smith continued. "We're very appreciative of Frank's hard work in organizing the logistics for this unique event." "This was a very exciting dual to get on our schedule," said NC State head coach Pat Popolizio. "It is very special for us to have our team make this international trip, and expose them to a different culture. Anywhere you wrestle Oklahoma State you are facing one of the top teams, year in and year out, in the NCAA, but we are also going to have the opportunity to showcase collegiate wrestling to a whole new audience." There's history between the two programs beyond this history-making dual in Italy. The Cowboys and the Wolfpack have faced off in a pair of highly contested duals in recent years. In 2015, the two teams were tied heading into the final two matches, which Oklahoma State scored two major decisions and won in Raleigh, 20-12. The Wolfpack returned the favor in Stillwater in 2016, as NC State won the final three matches of the dual for a 19-15 victory. In addition to the recent close matches, there are personal ties connecting the head coaches. John Smith was Pat Popolizio's collegiate head coach at Oklahoma State. The duo has split their first two meetings since Popolizio took the helm at NC State. Details about the Tussle for the Troops dual meet in Naples, Italy to come. In the meantime, wishing both the Cowboys and the Wolfpack "in bocca al lupo" ("good luck" in Italian.)

Anthony Ashnault wrestling in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) A week after Nick Suriano was granted a waiver to wrestle at Rutgers University this fall at 125 pounds, another Scarlet Knight -- three-time NCAA All-American Anthony Ashnault -- won't be available at the start of this season because of offseason surgery. The veteran 141-pounder will be out until at least December because of "two medical procedures," NJ.com reported Monday. "He had a surgery on his shoulder and he's doing great," Rutgers head wrestling coach Scott Goodale told NJ.com. "Hopefully he is back sooner rather than later. He's ahead of the game with the surgery. "In the meantime, he got a little stuff done on his knee, which has really been the problem. But he's fine. We want him wrestling in December, so that's the plan." Ashnault had been training for University Nationals this past spring when he was injured. If Ashnault were out until early December, he would miss five dual meets prior to Iowa coming to the Rutgers Athletics Center on Dec. 8. Otherwise, if Ashnault is not able to wrestle against the Hawkeyes, he would have four weeks until more intense competition in early 2018, with defending NCAA champs Penn State, runner-up Ohio State, and seventh-place finisher Minnesota all slated to visit Rutgers in January and February. A native of South Plainfield, N.J., Anthony Ashnault was an undefeated, four-time New Jersey state champ for South Plainfield High School, compiling a 170-0 record. As a Scarlet Knight, Ashnault is a three-time NCAA All-American, and two-time Big Ten conference champ at 141 pounds. He has built an overall record of 84-15 at Rutgers.

Jordan Burroughs with his gold medal from the 2017 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY -- United World Wrestling has announced seven new members of the organization's Athletes Commission. The wrestlers were voted onto the commission by their fellow athletes at the 2017 Senior World Wrestling championships last month in Paris. In the commission's first act, four-time world champion and 2012 Olympic champion Jordan BURROUGHS was selected to chair the commission. Burroughs will be a voting member of the United World Wrestling bureau and replaces 2008 Olympic champion Carol HUYNH (CAN) who has served in the role since it was first established in 2013. The Athletes' Commission was established in 2013 with the role of protecting the rights and interests of all United World Wrestling Olympic style athletes. The Athletes' Commission members reach out and communicate with active athletes as peers to collect feedback. United World Wrestling's Athletes Commission Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR): Adekuoroye (along with Tunisia's Marwa Amri) became the first woman from Africa to reach the gold-medal match at the World Championships in women's wrestling, doing so in Paris. She was a world bronze medalist at the World Championships in 2015. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) -- CHAIR: Burroughs recently claimed his fourth world title in freestyle at the 2017 World Championships in Paris. He was an Olympic champion at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Komeil GHASEMI (IRI): Ghasemi is a two-time Olympic medalist in freestyle, claiming bronze in 2012 and silver in 2016. He was also a world silver medalist in 2014. Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM): Julfalakyan, a three-time Olympian in Greco-Roman, captured a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He has also been a four-time world medalist, winning a world title in 2014. Sofia MATTSSON (SWE): Mattsson won an Olympic bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In addition, she has five world medals, including a world gold in 2009. Mélonin NOUMONVI (FRA): Noumonvi is a two-time world medalist in Greco-Roman, winning a world title in 2014. He competed at the Olympic Games in 2008 and 2012. SUN Yanan (CHN): Sun won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in women's wrestling. She was also a world champion in 2013, and won a world bronze in 2012. United World Wrestling is the international governing body of wrestling and is headquartered in Corsier--Sur-¬Vevey, Switzerland. To learn more about United World Wrestling and the activities of its 179 national federations, please visit: www.UnitedWorldWrestling.org, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

Nick Suriano (Photo/Juan Garcia) All summer long, it's been a major topic of discussion wherever wrestling fans meet: "Why did Nick Suriano want to transfer from national champion Penn State to Rutgers University?" Now we have an idea why, straight from the source. The New Jersey mat star wrestled for one season for the Nittany Lions but sought -- and received -- an immediate eligibility waiver from the Big Ten last weekend, meaning he will be immediately able to wrestle for the Scarlet Knights without losing a year of eligibility. "I wasn't happy there," Suriano told NJ.com in an interview in the Rutgers wrestling practice room Friday. "I found through a tragic time with my injury and the way my season ended, I wasn't happy with how things were dealt with. "I'm not going to get into it. For the critics, it's none of their business. I'm here at Rutgers. I'm here in New Jersey. Everyone here is supportive of me. This is my choice and I'm going to run with it. I'm here for one thing only, and that's to make history." "Out of high school, I thought I needed to be at the best place, a Penn State-kind of place," said Suriano, referring to the program that has won five of the last six NCAA team titles. "It served me well. I learned from it. But I found out who I really am. That's not who I was. I'm a Jersey guy. I had to make a change." "I knew this is where I wanted to be," Suriano said. "It just so happened that the Big Ten thankfully decided on this (waiver). I think I deserved to compete this season. It's only fair, especially with the circumstances I had to go through. We'll be competing this season. That's all that matters." "This is my home. These are my people," Suriano said in the wrestling room that will now be his home away from home. "I trust everybody on the support staff here, my coaches, my (training) partners." Suriano said his ankle injury which forced him to forfeit out of the Big Ten and NCAA championships after a 16-3 freshman season as a 125-pounder at Penn State is now just a bad memory. "I'm 100 percent," Suriano said. "The best thing I ever did was get no surgery. Didn't need it. I feel better than I did before I got injured. I've got a clear mind. I learned a lot last season." Now that Suriano is fully mended, what are his expectations for the 2017-18 season as he steps out onto the mat in a Rutgers singlet? "I think nothing changes," Suriano said. "The goals don't change. The approach is a little more -- little harder, little faster, little more explosive, little more physical. "I'm coming back with a vengeance. I had a title stripped from me, an opportunity stripped from me. That's life. I took it on the chin and had to sit it out. I'm back this year to win a title. Nothing shy of that." Suriano is arguably one of the all-time great wrestlers to come out of New Jersey. Wrestling for Bergen Catholic High School, Suriano compiled a perfect 159-0 record, racking up four NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) titles. He also won numerous individual championships at national tournaments such as Super 32 and Beast of the East before signing to wrestle at Penn State.

For his new wrestling coaching job, Josh Hardman has joined forces with a college teammate. Josh HardmanHardman has been hired as an assistant wrestling coach at Wabash College by head coach Brian Anderson. The two had been teammates at Manchester College, which, like Wabash, is a NCAA Division III school located in Indiana. Although Hardman accepted the position at Wabash in August, the Crawfordsville, Ind. school officially made the announcement just this week. Hardman takes the position most recently held by Danny Irwin, who is now the head coach at Wheeling Jesuit University. Prior to coming to Wabash, Hardman had been on staff at Morningside College in Iowa, where he had served three seasons with the Mustangs as an assistant coach. Hardman brings additional heartland-based coaching experience to Wabash. In addition to his time at Morningside, Hardman had coached at South Dakota State as well as served as head coach at Dakota Wesleyan University where he was also director of the sports management program. In recent years, the Wabash wrestling program has enjoyed considerable success. In the past four years, the Little Generals have earned four consecutive top-ten team finishes at the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament, including third-place efforts in 2015 and 2017 along with a fourth-place finish in 2016. In terms of individual wrestler success, Wabash can claim 16 All-America top-eight finishes individually since 2011, including six individual national titles. Brian Anderson is eager to build on that success with the help of his friend and former teammate. "This is an awesome opportunity for the Wabash wrestling program," Anderson said. "Coach Hardman was a college teammate of mine, and I've followed where he's been since we graduated. He's been a lot of different places and has learned from a lot of great coaches. He fits our program perfectly. To be able to reunite with a college teammate and to get to work with one of your best friends is going to be an awesome experience." Hardman is equally excited to reunite with coach Anderson. "First and foremost, knowing the program, where it has come from and where it has already risen to, it is an honor to be a part of this team," Hardman said. "To be able to work with Coach Anderson and help our student-athletes get to that national title that they're shooting for really excites me.” Wabash College is a private, liberal arts college for men, located west of Indianapolis in Crawfordsville, Ind. Founded in 1832, Wabash is one of the nation's three remaining male-only liberal arts colleges. The school has a total enrollment of approximately 900 students.

Aaron Brooks (Photo/Richard Immel) ATHENS, Greece -- The United States went three-for-three in Sunday night's gold-medal finals of the 2017 Cadet World Championships in Athens, Greece. Kurt McHenry won his second-consecutive Cadet World title, cruising to a 12-4 victory in the 46 kg/101 lbs. finals of the 2017 Cadet World Championships in Athens, Greece, on Sunday evening. McHenry's slick throw-by takedowns were the key in his gold-medal bout against 2016 Cadet World champion Giorgi Gegelashvili. He led 8-0 within the final minute, but the Georgian made it to the scoreboard with a takedown a turn with a trapped-arm gut to cut McHenry's lead to 8-4. McHenry scored as the buzzer sounded on a four-point throw for a 12-4 win and his second World championship. In their international debuts, Aaron Brooks and Daniel Kerkvliet also claimed World golds, defeating Russians in the 76 kg/167 lbs. and 100 kg/220 lbs. finals, respectively. Read complete story on TheMat.com …

Will Lewan after winning a world title (Photo/Richard Immel) ATHENS, Greece -- The U.S. men's freestyle team finished day two of the 2017 Cadet World Championships with a World champion, World bronze medalist and three additional wrestlers earning spots in tomorrow's World finals. 17-year-old Will Lewan won the Cadet freestyle World title at 69 kg/152 lbs. in his World debut, taking out Daud Ibragimov of Azerbaijan in a 3-1 battle. Lewan scored first with a step out to lead at the break, but Ibragimov drew a passivity point within the final minute of the bout. Trailing on criteria with two seconds left, Lewan got to his underhook and worked his way to a takedown on the edge to cement himself as the best in the world. "I knew I had to score because I had worked so hard for this moment," Lewan said. "In those last seconds, I knew I really had to dig deep and throw everything I had at him to get that takedown, and eventually that step-over worked. I just had to keep going, attacking and grind out a win." In his championship run, Lewan also recorded wins over 2017 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Vishal Kaliramana of India, Alinur Takirov of Kyrgyzstan, Soslanbek Budaev of Russia and 2017 Cadet European bronze medalist Umur Aybey of Turkey. Read complete story on TheMat.com …

Mike Mendoza coaching at the Pac-12 Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Mike Mendoza, who had been head wrestling coach at Boise State until the program was eliminated in April, has been hired to head up the newly revitalized program at Northeastern Junior College, the Journal-Advocate reported Thursday. Mendoza brings big-time coaching experience to NJC, a two-year junior college in northeast Colorado, having coached at NCAA Division I programs at Boise State and Cal State Bakersfield. Mendoza had been at Boise State less than a year before the school axed its intercollegiate wrestling program without warning at the end of the 2017 season. Prior to that, Mendoza had a long and successful career as a coach and wrestler at CSU-Bakersfield. Mendoza took the helm of the Roadrunners' program in 2010-11 after spending eight years (2002-10) as the school's head assistant coach. Under Mendoza, the CSUB program went from a 3-7 record in his debut season to the top 25 of the USA Today/National Wrestling Coaches Association Division I Coaches Poll in 2015-16, the school's first ranking in 15 years. During his six years as head coach at Cal State-Bakersfield, Mendoza guided a number of his wrestlers to championship performance. He tutored 17 qualifiers to the NCAA Championships and four individual Pac-12 champions. That Roadrunner championship performance was also on display in the classroom. Mendoza's wrestlers finished three seasons ranked in the NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) Division I All-Academic Top 30. Two of his wrestlers, Dalton Kelley in 2014 and Ian Nickell in 2016, were named Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Additionally, 23 of his student-athletes garnered Pac-12 All-Academic accolades and nine were named NWCA All-Academic, and his teams recorded perfect single-year scores of 1,000 in each of the last two releases of the Academic Progress Rate. Mendoza's long relationship with CSU-Bakersfield started long before he joined the school's coaching staff. He was a top-flight wrestler for the Roadrunners, qualifying for the NCAA Championships three times (1996, 1998-99). In addition, Mendoza served as team captain and was a member of the Pac-12 All-Academic Team in 1999. Of interest to Northeastern Junior College athletes and their fans ... Mendoza is no stranger to wrestling in Colorado. Prior to returning to his alma mater as a coach, Mendoza worked as a graduate assistant at Adams State in Alamosa. He helped produce four Division II All-Americans and an individual national champion during his two seasons with the Grizzlies (1999-2002). Mendoza is eager to lead Northeastern Junior College's revitalized wrestling program which returns to the mats for the first time since the 1980s. "NJC Wrestling has a rich history of success that goes back and I am looking forward to being a part of its future and the rebuilding process," Mendoza told the Journal-Advocate. "There is an impressively strong alumni and community support along with a great administrative support, which was evident when the program was resurrected last year after a 37-year hiatus. That support system is important for building a successful program and was an attraction for me and I am thankful for the opportunity that I have to help these Plainsmen wrestlers achieve their academic and athletic goals in the future." Northeastern Junior College had announced the resurrection of its varsity wrestling program in 2016 ... a program that had a once-proud history. As InterMat reported last year, NJC wrestlers won the first-ever Empire Conference Championship in 1954-56. A decade later, NJC earned its first NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) national champion in wrestling in 1964, then claimed back-to-back national titles in 1966 and 1967 ... which remain the only national championships in the school's 70-plus year history. Back in the day, Northeastern was taking on programs at larger schools such as Colorado State University, Denver University, University of Northern Colorado, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. Founded in 1941, Northeastern Junior College is located in Sterling, Colo. in the northeast portion of the state, near the Colorado-Nebraska border. It is the only two-year residential school in the state of Colorado. NJC's sports teams as the Plainsmen.

Frank Beasley coaching Nick Gwiazdowski at the World Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Fairfax, Va. -- George Mason assistant vice president and director of athletics Brad Edwards announced that Frank Beasley has been hired as the Patriots head wrestling coach. Beasley leaves a top-20 wrestling program at North Carolina State University to become the tenth head coach in Mason history. "Frank Beasley brings an elite wrestling pedigree to Mason," said Brad Edwards. "He has a great progressive coaching career and is respected as one of the top recruiters and young coaches in the sport. Combine his coaching experience with his passion and energy level, I'm excited about the dedication he will provide to our student-athletes and where he can take our wrestling program." "I was extremely impressed with everyone I met at George Mason and know it's a special place," said Beasley. "I am excited about the potential of the wrestling program and the possibilities of reaching the next level of success. Individually, we will produce outstanding young men of character who will earn All-American honors and individual NCAA Championships. We will compete for Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) conference championships and work towards establishing George Mason as a perennial top-20 program nationally." In five seasons as a member of the Wolfpack coaching staff, including two as the associate head coach, Beasley helped lead NC State to four straight top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championships, the longest such stretch in school history. In that span, he coached two NCAA Champions, seven All-Americans, seven individual Atlantic Coast Conference Champions (ACC) and 31 NCAA Qualifiers, including 18 in the past two years. NC State sent a school-record 10 NCAA Qualifiers to the 2017 NCAA Championships. Beasley helped NC State to one of its best seasons in 2015-16. The Wolfpack won the 2016 ACC Championship, finished in 11th place at the NCAA Championships, the best finish since a school-best seventh in 1993. NC State finished the 2016 regular season ranked #2 in the final NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll, the highest ranking in school history. The Pack tied the school record with three All-Americans in 2016. As the Wolfpack's recruiting coordinator, Beasley's efforts produced three top-fifteen recruiting classes, including the top-rated class in 2016 by both FloWrestling.com and InterMatWrestling.com. Following their first campaign at NC State, Beasley and the Pack wrestling staff signed a top 10 recruiting class in the spring of 2013, No. 4 according to D1Collegewrestling. Prior to NC State, Beasley gained coaching experience with three collegiate programs. As head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Binghamton for one season, Beasley helped the squad to a 14th place finish at the 2012 NCAA Championships. Five wrestlers qualified for the national championships and all five finished in the top sixteen, with two All-Americans. He was the head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the University at Buffalo, helping steer that program to its finest three-year span in team history. The Bulls sent 14 wrestlers to the NCAA Championship over Beasley's tenure and crowned five individual conference champions. Before Buffalo, Beasley was an assistant coach at his alma mater Bloomsburg for two seasons. He helped the program produce its first All-American in more than a decade and nine national qualifiers. In addition, the Huskies won 12 duals in 2006-07, the program's most wins in 16 seasons. Beasley has international experience, most recently helping Team USA win a world championship at the UWW World Championships last month in Paris. He was the personal coach at the world championships of world bronze medalist, Nick Gwiazdowski. In addition, he has been the head coach of the Wolfpack Regional Training Center. He coached the Wolfpack Regional Training Center that finished 2nd in the RTC Club Cup this year at the U.S. Open. He was the head coach of the NWCA All-American Team in 2009 and 2010. In 2009, he took the team to South Korea, with one wrestler beating a 2008 Olympian. In 2010, he took the team to Russia, where the team went undefeated in dual meets and produced some individual wins over world medalists. In addition, Beasley has conducted camps and clinics all over the country. A native of Odin, Illinois, he enjoyed an elite wrestling career at Lincoln College and Bloomsburg, earning NJCAA All-America honors at Lincoln in 2004 (165 lbs.). He was a starter and team captain at Bloomsburg, finishing fourth at the 2006 EWL Championship. Beasley accumulated almost 90 collegiate wins with nearly half coming by pin. His multitude of academic achievements included becoming a two-time Academic All-American, four-year National Dean's List honoree and recipient of education and English department honors at Bloomsburg. Beasley earned a dual degree in English and education from Bloomsburg in 2006, graduating Cum Laude. He then received his master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Bloomsburg, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Beasley is married to the former Lyndsey Snyder and the couple have two children, Franklin (3), and Anna (9 months).

Mihran Harutyunyan walking to the mat for his Olympic finals match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Mihran Harutyunyan, silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2016 Rio Olympics for Armenia, is planning to enter mixed martial arts while maintaining his amateur wrestling career, according to media reports from Armenia. Harutyunyan, 28, revealed his career plans by sharing an Instagram message from MMA agent Rizvan Magomedov: "I'd like to share some interesting news. The famous Greco-Roman wrestler Mihran Harutyunyan is beginning a new sports career in MMA. I have no doubts that he will achieve great heights in this sport. We already have cooperation agreements and we won't spare efforts to achieve success." Harutyunyan's personal trainer, Samvel Gevorgyan, confirmed the news. "Mihran received an offer for fighting in MMA, and he accepted it, but that does not mean he is going to leave wrestling," Gevorgyan told Mediamax Sport of Armenia. In fact, Armen Press reported that Harutyunyan plans to wrestle at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The same media outlet reported that Harutyunyan had shoulder surgery in Poland in late July, and has not participated in wrestling competition since last summer's Olympics. Wrestling for Armenia, Harutyunyan earned a silver medal in Greco at 66 kilograms/145 pounds at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, losing to Davor Stefanek of Serbia in the finals. The year before, Harutyunyan won silver at the 2015 European Games in Baku. Years earlier, wrestling for Russia, Harutyunyan was a three-time silver medalist at the Golden Grand Prix-Ivan Poddubny event from 2009 through 2011.

This week Nick Suriano was granted a full release by the Big Ten and allowed to compete for Rutgers during the upcoming season. The Suriano saga has many layers, but most of them seem to be built around the idea that investment by the school (Penn State) should preclude Suriano (or like-minded) athletes from transferring and wrestling right away. Justifications for following that logic vacillate between good ol' fashion loyalty to the possibility of coaches forming insta-dynasties and all ideas in between. Most of these are scare tactics to keep forced labor in-place despite not answering to their needs. For me the answer is simple: An 18 or 19-year-old who is not being paid money for labor should have equal standard of mobility (if not greater) to that of the coach who is being compensated, and independently represented by a lawyer and agent. No athlete given a scholarship for one year of "work" should be forced to take another year off. That's a restrictive and unnecessary term from any real-world employer, much less one that doesn't give you cash. I don't think that Penn State is to blame for this situation, nor do I think that they are especially concerned about Suriano moving within the Big Ten. Penn State is going to win more than most other schools because they have a world class coach and a ton of support. What I do think is that Suriano's struggle brought a lot of negative attention to the Big Ten and in the end, they didn't want to see a protracted labor battle fought out in the courts. They wanted to move on to football season and making the real money off free labor. To your questions … Chance Marsteller defeated Anthony Valencia at the World Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Q: I see that Chance Marsteller is eligible to compete immediately for Lock Haven. Where do you see him fitting in at 165 pounds with Isaiah Martinez, Vincenzo Joseph, Logan Massa and others returning? -- Mike C. Foley: Outside chance at an All-American in his first full year back on the mats. Like I've said before with Chance and head wrestling coach Scott Moore, this was a hard-fought decision to return. They are both invested and both looking to capitalize on their success and I see a bright future for coach, athlete and team. Q: In your opinion, is Ben Askren the best wrestler turned MMA fighter? -- Gregg Y. Foley: Ben Askren has had a very successful career in Bellator and now as a champion in the ONE Championship. While I don't think he's a better fighter than a number of wrestlers, I do think that he has been very intelligent about where he fights and who he fights. Askren announced this week that the will be taking his last fight later this year against Japan's Shinya Aoki. The retirement should mean that he will end his career 18-0 with a much larger wallet and a lot of questions about how good he was and just how dominant his wrestling-only style could have been against better fighters. Read this article by Ben Fowlkes for a better peak into the complicated nature of Ben Askren and his MMA career. Very good read. Q: What's the status of Adeline Gray? Do you expect a big return in 2018? Or is she moving on? -- Mike C. Foley: She's absolutely coming back. I don't know if it's 2018 or later, but I think she's state publicly that she plans to continue to wrestle. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Launching a new pre-finals video for the two-day format. The finals matchups will now have more than 24 hours to get into the mainstream. Q: Any word on what Jordan Oliver popped for at the U.S. Open? I still haven't heard. -- Mike C. Foley: That hasn't been released, but I do know that he has appealed the case and is seeking a reduced (or nullification) of the findings. That doesn't mean that he didn't pop for a banned substance as much as it indicates that there might be circumstances contributing to the test, like a tainted supplement. Remember that if he was to be caught at an international tournament the ban would almost certainly have been for four years. This too might extend that long, but could come back at two years depending on the circumstances. Q: What are your thoughts on Russia's false claim that McLaren dropped the charges of state sponsored doping? -- @jbasehawk Foley: God loves a trier? This type of misinformation has been center to the Russian propaganda machine for decades and weaponized in the digital age. Not surprising, nor is it especially concerning in terms of international sport. However, in terms of national leaders saying demonstrably false things to justify poor and illegal behavior, Russia is now the JV squad. Q: Has the U.S. ever held both the Junior and Senior world titles in freestyle at the same time, or for that matter, held both Junior and Senior world titles in any style at the same time? Also, how exciting will this NCAA season be? I doubt there has ever been more Junior and Senior world medalists in the NCAA at one time. Can you shed light on that as well? Has there ever been more world medalists at one time competing in the NCAA? -- Rich W. Foley: The USA team won the Senior World Championships in 1993 and 1995, which according to the database were also years that the Junior World Championships didn't occur. The last time they won both would have been 1984, but that must include a massive asterisk in that the Olympics doesn't keep a team score and the USSR and affiliated countries were not at the event. As for the NCAA season, I think the excitement is in some part due to the recent uptick in international wrestling attention by the U.S. fanbase. Knowing that the wrestler who wins the Junior world title is the same guy that wrestled your athlete to a 4-3 shootout provides an important marker in the advancement of USA Wrestling. The fact that the USA has so many of these markers and these higher-level results will certainly only to continue to add to the story of these athletes. It's an amazing time to be a wrestling fan, especially one in the United States.

Amy and Rick Lewis were wed at the Stillwater Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 12 Think about all the possible places to get married. A majestic cathedral, a country church, a Vegas wedding chapel, on the beach, or at the justice of the peace might have immediately come to mind. What about the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma? It's a potential wedding location that even the most diehard wrestling fans might not have considered. Yet the Hall which honors amateur wrestling's finest was the site of a wedding ceremony and reception for the son of 1936 Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler Frank Lewis, and his bride. Amy and Rick Lewis were wed at the Stillwater Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 12. And it can be the site for the wedding of any wrestling fanatic. (And, no, you don't have to be related to someone who has been honored by the Hall.) First, a word on Frank Lewis ... Frank LewisRick Lewis' father Frank was one of the great wrestlers of the 1930s. A state wrestling champ for Cushing High School in Oklahoma, Frank Lewis enrolled at Oklahoma State with the idea of stepping away from wrestling to concentrate on his studies. However, realizing he needed one physical education credit, he enrolled in a wrestling class. That rekindled Lewis' passion for the sport, so he went out for the Oklahoma State wrestling team headed up by legendary coach Ed Gallagher. As a Cowboy, Lewis compiled an overall record of 45-5. He was a two-time NCAA championship finalist, placing second in 1934, and winning the 155-pound title at the 1935 NCAAs, defeating defending champ Ben Bishop of Lehigh in the finals in his home gym. Lewis earned a place on the 1936 U.S. Olympic wrestling team. At the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany, went undefeated in the 158.5-pound bracket to win a gold medal in freestyle competition. Frank and Virginia Lewis had five children ... with Richard being the youngest, arriving in 1963, when his father was 51 years old. Richard and his father became business partners in the oil and gas business. Frank Lewis passed away in August 1998 at age 85. Meet Amy and Rick ... and how they picked a wedding site Amy and Rick Lewis cutting the cakeThe wedding story of Amy and Rick is one that spans decades. Amy Elaine King and Rick Lewis first knew each other as students at Oklahoma State in the late 1980s. Both maintained connections with their alma mater and that part of Oklahoma: Amy, as a construction manager for long-range facilities planning at Oklahoma State ... while Rick continued in oil and gas. They reconnected 25 years later ... deciding to get married this summer. "We looked at a number of places in Stillwater," Amy told InterMat. "However, the chapel at Oklahoma State was being renovated. We considered the Student Union, which is beautiful, but we thought it might be a bit too formal for what we were looking for, and we would be limited to using them as caterer. We even considered other options -- a destination wedding, or getting married in a judge's chambers." "We then thought of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame," Amy continued. "We thought it looked perfect." Wrestling Hall of Fame scores points with the wedding couple Amy and Rick Lewis mentioned a number of features of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame that won them over as a site for their wedding ceremony and reception. Right away, the couple was drawn to the availability of on-site parking at the Hall of Fame. "We immediately thought, 'This will be so convenient for our guests,' said Amy. "No worries about guests trying to find parking on campus." Another positive aspect of the Hall of Fame: it offered plenty of room for the number of guests Amy and Rick would be welcoming to their wedding. "We anticipated we would have about 40 guests," according to Amy. "I think the place would hold about twice as many." (Jack Carnefix, the Hall of Fame's Operations Manager, confirmed that impression, telling InterMat the facility has space to accommodate up to 125 guests, with chairs set up theater-style, for receptions and presentations.) The Lewises also liked that the Hall offered greater flexibility for food and beverage options than some other facilities. "We could have our own caterers, and offer guests alcohol," said Amy. (According to Carnefix, the facility will work with any caterer, confirming that any caterer planning to serve alcohol must be licensed to do so.) The upgraded facility, with its modern, engaging displays, proved to be a winner with wedding guests. "Guests could look at the displays, learn more about Frank (Lewis), and see his medals," said Amy. "It proved to be a light and fun place for the wedding ceremony and the reception." Frank Lewis was definitely a presence at the wedding, beyond the display of his wrestling medals. Rick wore his father's wedding ring which had symbolized his parent's life together for nearly 60 years. Lounge area where vows were exchanged How the museum is right for weddings ... Even if you've been to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame since it received its makeover in June 2016, you may be wondering how it was set up to welcome a wedding and reception. The wedding ceremony was held in the lounge area which has a window that features a giant photograph of the 1960 Olympics with Doug Blubaugh wrestling outdoors in the Roman ruins of the Basilica of Maxentius. Normally the space is set up as a lounge, with comfortable furniture, according to Jack Carnefix. For the Lewis wedding, the lounge furniture was removed and replaced with chairs for guests. "The room where Amy and Rick Lewis held their reception is the room where visitors can watch NCAA Championship videos," said Carnefix. "The wooden doors on the left open into our conference room, and it is front of those doors where a big screen can come down. The blue screen(s) above are where NCAA Championships videos are viewed. It also has the Collegiate display on the right, the Evolution of Sport with equipment would be behind you and to the left, the Sport For All -- Any BODY Can Wrestle wall is directly across with the military exhibit next to it and then the medal platform from the 1984 Olympics." As Carnefix explained to InterMat, "We utilize the area for food and beverages during our Presentation of Plaques on Friday at Honors Weekend." Not just for weddings ... The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is a welcoming site for weddings ... or just about any group function. In fact, since renovations were completed in June 2016, the Hall has welcomed a number of functions beyond the annual Honors Weekend in June, the ceremonies that welcome new inductees into the Hall. "Groups that have utilized our facility include the Stillwater Young Professionals, who will actually be returning in October; Stillwater Newcomers, a group that welcomes new residents; Rotary and Lions; OSU Sports Management and Regional Red Cross," according to Carnefix. Best of all, you don't need to have a member of the family as a Distinguished Member, like the Lewises, to have your wedding, party or conference at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The newly updated facility is now more than a showcase for sharing the rich history of the oldest and greatest sport. It's now an unbeatable place to host an event that will be a winner. To learn more about the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma, visit their official website.

Two-time state runner-up Joey Baughman (Wadsworth, Ohio) verbally committed to the University of Virginia on Thursday afternoon. The No. 74 overall wrestler in the Class of 2018 also placed fifth in the state as a freshman at 145 as a freshman before finishing second at 160 and 170 the previous two seasons. He ended the 2016-17 season as the No. 20 ranked wrestler nationally at 170 pounds, and projects to compete in college as a 184/197. In addition, Baughman was selected third-team all-state as a quarterback last fall.

A New Jersey high school has come up with a win-win-win solution to make it easier for fans to enter and exit its auxiliary gym and demonstrate school support, while raising funds for its wrestling program… all brick by brick. Former Absegami High School athletes are seeking to create a 75-foot concrete walkway from the auxiliary gym that will be bordered by 200 bricks that can carry the engravings of Braves sports fans. "The sale of historic, personalized engraving bricks will raise money for the wrestling program," Frank Rudisill, a member of the Absegami Class of 1979 and former athlete, told the Shore News Today. The bricks will be personally and permanently engraved to suit the wishes of Braves fans for a $50 fee, according to Rudisill, raising a total of $10,000 for Absegami wrestling. The 200 paving bricks will serve as a decorative border for the 10-foot-wide concrete walkway which will link the school's auxiliary gym to the parking lot, replacing a dirt path that's dusty when dry, muddy and slippery when wet… and an eyesore no matter the weather. Absegami Athletic Director and Class of 1987 alum Steve Fortis suggested the walkway project to Rudisill as a fundraiser for the wrestling program. The idea received the backing of Absegami wrestling coach and the Braves' 1996 state wrestling champion Shawn Scannell, along with wrestling Booster Club President and 1987 Region 8 wrestling champion Joe Martin. "This is a historic opportunity for Braves fans," according to Frank Rudisill. "Never before has anything been done on campus that will allow people to permanently mark achievements by past Absegami teams, honor current and past Braves, memorialize lost Braves or just leave a positive message about anything they wish." He added the brick owners will finance the project, raise money for the wrestling team and make capital improvements, all without burdening the taxpayers, he said. "The path will guide Braves athletes to and from practice and, depending on the sport, out to games," Rudisill said. Wrestling coach Scannell weighed in on the significance of the fundraising project. "This is all happening because we have people who care," said Scannell. "We have people who care about Absegami wrestling and the Absegami community as a whole. This is how you win. This is how you succeed. We have people who have come together here for a common purpose." Order forms for the Path to Excellence bricks are found on Facebook at Absegami Wrestling Fan and Booster Club and on Twitter @gamiwrestling.

When Ben Askren announced earlier this week that he would be retiring from his pro mixed martial arts career after what will be his last fight in November, many MMA fans were surprised -- and baffled. Ben Askren (Photo/ONE Championship)After all, the 33-year-old former University of Missouri mat champ is at the top of his game, owning the ONE Championship welterweight belt and a perfect 17-0 pro record, and just coming off a dominant TKO victory this past weekend over Sweden's Zebaztian Kadestam at ONE Championship: Shanghai. Askren has his reasons ... which he shared this week in an interview with The MMA Hour. "The first reason is because nobody retires in time," Askren said. "I mean, you think about who retires during their prime, the number of athletes who do that in any sport is very small." The 2008 Olympic wrestler and two-time NCAA champ went on to cite two athletes -- Tiger Woods, and Muhammad Ali -- who remained in sports long past their prime, and suffered the consequences. " ... You see Tiger Woods fall off -- well, there's not really too much damage he could take from that, right? Although when you watch him and he sucks, and you're like, 'God, he used to be so good, but you suck now,' it's kind of disconcerting as a fan, right?" said Askren. "But then you look at someone like Muhammad Ali, who was literally my favorite athlete of all-time. The punishment he took from sticking around too long past his prime, man, I would have to say -- we can't prove it, but I'd have to say we could guess it led to a lot of the problems that he had later in his life." "Then the No. 2 reason will be, if you're competing right, if you're doing it right, competition should be a very selfish pursuit," Askren continued. "When I was younger ... I always said I would be done by the time I was 30, because I wanted to be able to give back. I thought I would be coaching, and I am, and I thought I would be a parent, and I am. And there's a lot of things that I have to do. For example, I didn't coach anyone for about the last six weeks before my fight at AWA, because this is my time, I need to get ready. And there's things I miss out in my kids' life, because this is my time, I have to get ready. So, I guess those are the two main reasons that I kind of set an expiration date for myself." "The plan when I was younger was (to retire at) 30. I always said 30," Askren said. Now, three years past that self-imposed retirement date, Askren was reflective of where he at this point in his MMA career. "I'm not the same guy I was at 28 physically. Now, technically I've gotten better, because I haven't been doing this MMA thing that long. But physically, I have definitely gotten worse. I've passed my peak." "So, when I re-signed my contract with ONE Championship two years ago, I told them straight up, 'I'm done. At the end of 2017, I'm done.' Initially, like I said, I thought it was going to be 30. (But) 33, that's it." Askren will have one last fight at ONE Championship: Immortal Pursuit in Singapore on November 24. The man Askren is slated to face in his final fight -- Shinya Aoki -- is an experienced veteran, holding a 39-7-1 professional record, and 5-1 record competing for the ONE Championship organization. After that last time in the cage, Askren will trade the fight shorts for a business suit, and become an executive at ONE Championship ... thus fulfilling his plan to retire from a very successful MMA career.

Check out this week's Takedown TV, featuring … Kyle Snyder, J'den Cox, Alli Ragan, Terry Steiner on the 2017 World Championships One-on-one with Ohio State transfer Joey McKenna One-on-one with Binghamton University Assistant Coach Drew Pariano Watch online or on these cable networks/channels: Cablevision: Sundays at 4 p.m. Charter Cable: Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday 11:30 p.m. and Monday 2:30 p.m. Comcast Cable: Friday at 5 p.m. Cox Cable: Sunday 9:30 a.m. Fight Network HD: Sundays at 4 p.m. KCWI 23: Saturday 4 p.m. KWEM: Stillwater, Oklahoma- Tuesday 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Long Lines Cable: Daily at 5:30 p.m. Mediacom Cable: Sundays at 10:30 a.m. MidCo Sports Network: Saturday 10 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. SECV8: Friday at 5 p.m. Suddenlink Cable: Check your local listings. Multiple air times. Time Warner Cable Sports: Saturday at 12 p.m. Western Reserve Cable: Tuesday at 11 p.m., Friday at 5:30 p.m., Saturday at 10 p.m.

Nick Suriano battles Lehigh's Darian Cruz (Photo/Juan Garcia) Nick Suriano is now officially enrolled at Rutgers University, eligible to wrestle for three full seasons beginning this fall. The New Jersey-based university issued a statement Wednesday afternoon, announcing the former Penn State wrestler had enrolled as a transfer student. Rutgers head wrestling coach Scott Goodale is pleased to have one of the all-time greats of New Jersey high school wrestling on the Scarlet Knights roster. "We are excited that Nick has decided to come back home and join our program," said Goodale. "This is a young man with an incredible work ethic and drive that doesn't come around all that often. We are beyond excited that Nick is eligible to compete right away. This is a student-athlete that deserves the opportunity to chase his dream of becoming a national champion in his home state." Suriano is happy to be back in his home state, wrestling for its Big Ten school. "New Jersey is my home and it's what I want to represent," said Suriano. "I want to make history and bring New Jersey and Rutgers with me. I have all the support and coaching I need right here at this university. This was my decision, and I'm confident in it and the support of the team I have around me." Suriano's name has already been added to the roster at the official team website. He is expected to start practice with the team this Monday, according to NJ.com. On Sunday, Suriano had been granted an immediate eligibility waiver by the Big Ten, clearing the former New Jersey high school mat star to transfer from Penn State -- where he wrestled for one season at 125 pounds -- to Rutgers without being required to sit out a season before wrestling for the Scarlet Knights, thus retaining three full seasons of eligibility beginning this fall. As a Nittany Lion, Suriano finished 16-3 as a true freshman in 2016-17, which included a 12-2 mark in dual action and an 8-1 record in Big Ten duals. Suriano was seeded third at the 2017 NCAA Championships in St. Louis at 125 pounds, but was unable to compete in the tournament due to injury. Suriano is arguably one of the all-time great wrestlers to come out of New Jersey. Wrestling for Bergen Catholic High School, Suriano compiled a perfect 159-0 record, racking up four NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) titles. He also won numerous individual championships at national tournaments such as Super 32 and Beast of the East.

Mike McMullan (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) EVANSTON, Ill. -- Mike McMullan, a four-time NCAA All-American at Northwestern, will return to his alma mater as an assistant coach, head coach Matt Storniolo announced on Wednesday. McMullan, a native of Easton, Pennsylvania, has served as the assistant coach for Penn's wrestling program since June 2015. He worked with the upperweights, including 2016 NCAA All-American Casey Kent at 174 lbs. "This is a great day for Wildcat wrestling," said Storniolo. "We are thrilled to welcome Mike back to his home. His résumé speaks for itself. He was one of the best 285 lb. competitors the NCAA has ever seen and he has grown tremendously as a coach while at Penn." In four trips to the NCAA Championships with the Wildcats at heavyweight, McMullan finished on the podium each time, and never finished lower than third. His best finish came in 2013, when he finished as the national runner-up. "The opportunity to have an impact and coach this wrestling program is unbelievably compelling," said McMullan. "I believe that Northwestern is the gold standard. It offers the most holistic wrestling experience, hands down. I cannot wait to help the student-athletes accomplish their goals and am excited to have a high-level impact at my alma mater." McMullan was also a Big Ten champion in 2015 at 285 lbs., with a 4-3 win over Iowa's Bobby Telford in the final. He won three straight matches over top-15 wrestlers to win the title. His career winning percentage of .817 (103-23) at NU is ninth in program history, and he became only the third Wildcat grappler earn All-America honors every year during his career. McMullan wrestled for Wyoming Seminary in high school and was the nation's top-ranked heavyweight recruit in his class, according to InterMat. At NU, he was an NWCA All-Academic and All-Big Ten honoree and served as a member of Northwestern's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Emily Shilson (Photo/Richard Immel) ATHENS, Greece -- Emily Shilson and Alara Boyd cruised to the finals on the opening day of the Cadet World Championships in Athens, Greece, on Wednesday. Shilson was unchallenged in her run to the finals at 43 kilograms, picking up three technical falls in three matches and outscoring her opposition 34-4. In the semifinals, Shilson faced Ukraine's Karina Chornomor, and quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead after scoring with a low ankle attack. She built her lead with another takedown before transitioning to a lace, which he scored with twice to go up 8-0. She then put the match away with another takedown with just under 30 seconds remaining in the first period. She will face Ito of Japan in tomorrow's finals. Boyd, a 2016 Cadet world bronze medalist, will be upgrading her world medal this year after reaching the finals at 65 kilograms. She was pushed in her opening match against Oksana Chudyk of Ukraine, but prevailed 5-2. Boyd held a 3-2 lead late in the match before getting an exposure to win by three. Alara Boyd (Photo/Richard Immel) She then followed up that win with a technical fall (11-0) over 2017 Cadet Pan Am bronze medalist Nyla Burgess of Canada. In the semifinals, Boyd won by fall over Siyka Ivanova of Bulgaria. The American led 1-0 at the break before getting two takedowns in the second period before securing the fall. Boyd will meet Japan's Honoka Nakai in the gold-medal match. Vayle Baker, a two-time Cadet World team member, opened with a victory before losing to 2016 Cadet World champion Suzuna Yoshimura of Japan. Baker was pulled back into repechage after Yoshimura reached the finals. Returning bronze medalist Gracie Figueroa started her tournament with two wins before losing by fall to Ida Joensson of Sweden. Figueroa was eliminated from the tournament when Joensson was edged in the semifinals. Wrestling resumes on Thursday with repechage matches slated for 10:30 a.m. local time, 1:30 a.m. ET. The finals will take place at 6 p.m. local time, 11 a.m. ET.

Kyle Dake took the first match from Jordan Burroughs at the World Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) In 2018, the United World Wrestling World Championships will look a little different. For freestyle wrestling, there will be two new weight classes, 79 kilograms and 92 kilograms. The following is an early look at what the U.S. team could look like as they look to repeat as team champions. 57: In 2017, Thomas Gilman became the latest American to go straight from collegiate wrestling to the world-level podium as he won a silver medal in this weight class. With some of the top contenders, Tony Ramos and Nahshon Garrett, likely moving up, Gilman appears to be the favorite to represent the U.S. in 2018. However, there are some top Junior competitors moving up to the senior level including Daton Fix and Spencer Lee. Fix is coming off a gold medal at 55 kilograms at the Junior World Championships, while Lee is a two-time Junior world champion at 50 kilograms. Lee will be a freshman at Iowa this fall, so he will likely spend the year training with Gilman. This could be an interesting wrinkle at next year's World Team Trials. 61:This has been Logan Stieber's weight class since he failed to make the Olympic team at 65 kilograms last year. He went on to win a world championship at 61 kilograms that year and represented the U.S. again in Paris. He will likely be the favorite again next year unless he decides to move up due to the same day weigh in. If he moves up it could open the door for Ramos, Garrett, Cody Brewer or Tyler Graff. 65: The future of their weight depends a lot on where people end up. As previously stated, Stieber could end up here due to the new weigh in procedures. This year, Zain Retherford defeated 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro in the finals of the trials and went on to compete in Paris. This winter, Retherford will finish his collegiate wrestling career, and he is favored to win yet another NCAA title. Kendric Maple could also be a contender here. He won the 61-kilogram challenge tournament at the trials before falling to Stieber. 70: James Green has owned this weight in the U.S. for the last three years. This year he followed up on his 2015 bronze medal with a silver medal. At the 2017 Trials, he defeated Jimmy Kennedy. The list of challengers could potentially include a pair collegiate seniors Jason Nolf and Isaiah Martinez as well as veterans Jordan Oliver and Nazar Kulchytskyy. 74: It will be interesting to see who sticks around at 74 kilograms. Obviously, reigning world champion Jordan Burroughs is the favorite to earn the spot on the World Team. In the past, there has been a log jam at this weight with David Taylor and Kyle Dake. Both moved up to 86 kilograms for the Olympic Trials in 2016, but Dake was back at 74 kilograms for last year's Trials. With the addition of 79 kilograms, there could be a mass exodus. With that being said, the weight could also feature some fresh talent such as Martinez, Chance Marstellar, Alex Dieringer or even reigning Junior world champion Mark Hall. Do not be shocked if any or all of those names move up. 79: The first of the new weight classes seems like a perfect fit for Kyle Dake. For years the four-time NCAA champion has been considered one of the better wrestles in the country, but he could not get past Burroughs to make the World Team at 74 kilograms. In 2016, he moved up to 86 kilograms and nearly made the Olympic team at a weight 24 pounds heavier than his last NCAA title in 2013. Many expect Hall to make the jump to 79 kilograms as well. This could set up an interesting rivalry. Hall will only be a sophomore in college next year, but he also holds an NCAA title and a pair of Junior world championships. David Taylor cruised to his second U.S. Open title earlier this year (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 86: Taylor moved up to 86 kilograms to get away from Burroughs. Unlike Dake, Taylor decided to stay at this weight following the 2016 Olympic Trials. 2017 turned out to be an up-and-down year for the former Penn State wrestler. He won the U.S. Open and defeated Olympic gold medalists Sharif Sharifov and Hassan Yazdanicharati. However, at the World Team Trials, he lost a pair of matches against J'den Cox and failed to make the team. Cox has already announced his intention to move up to the new 92-kilogram weight, which seemingly opens the door for Taylor and robs the fans of a budding rivalry between the two. This weight class could also feature the likes of Bo Nickal, Gabe Dean and Pat Downey. 92: Cox has already announced his intention to move up to this new weight. He has now wrestled in two world-level tournaments and come home with bronze in both. With his talent and developing freestyle acumen, he could once again be a medal favorite in 2018. 97: This weight class will almost certainly remain home to Kyle Snyder. At the 2017 World Championships, he claimed yet another gold medal and defeated one of the sport's best in Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Snyder has dominated this weight domestically since winning the 2015 world team trials. It will be interesting to see if the addition of 92 kilograms leads more wrestlers to abandon 97 kilograms for a more realistic shot at the team. 125: Tervel Dlagnev retired following the 2016 Olympics. Many expected Nick Gwiazdowski to take the torch at heavyweight, and he did just that this year. He won a spot of the World Team and went on to win a bronze medal at his first senior world-level tournament. He should be able to hold the spot for the next few years. However, Zack Rey is always a tough out and might give Gwiazdowski a run in the Trials. Another contender for the heavyweight spot in the U.S. lineup is Gable Steveson. He will be a freshman at Minnesota this year and could make his senior level debut next summer. This past year, he added a Junior world title to his resume after picking up a pair of Cadet world titles the previous two years.

Two-time state third place finisher Jared Ball (Hilliard Darby, Ohio) verbally committed to Chattanooga on Tuesday night. The No. 89 overall ranked Class of 2018 wrestler also finished fourth at the Flo Nationals this spring after finishing third at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman during the 2016-17 season. Ball projects to compete collegiately as a 184/197.

Colton Schultz became America's first Cadet Greco-Roman world champ since 1997 (Photo/Richard Immel) ATHENS, Greece -- On Tuesday, Cohlton Schultz accomplished something that had not been done by an American wrestler in 20 years. He became a Cadet world champion in Greco-Roman, the first since Josh Etu in 1997, and the first Cadet Greco-Roman medalist since 2013. (Note: The Cadet World Championships were not contested from 2000-2009.) After scoring a pair of falls and a 1-0 victory to reach the finals, Schultz came from behind to edge Hungary's Balint Vatzi 3-1 in the gold-medal match at 100 kilograms. Trailing 1-1 late in the match, Schultz scored a go-behind takedown with 12 seconds remaining in the match, which gave him the victory. It was Schultz's second victory this year over Vatzi, a Cadet European champion. Schultz becomes the first American to earn a medal at the 2017 Cadet World Championships, which kicked off on Monday in Athens, Greece. Schultz, a Colorado native, is ranked as the nation's No. 1 overall wrestler in the Class of 2019 by InterMat. He was also a member of the Junior World Team in Greco-Roman. Mason Reiniche (69 kilograms) and Jake Hendricks (76 kilograms) will compete in repechage tomorrow (Wednesday) on the final day of the Greco-Roman competition.

Ben Askren (Photo/ONE Championship) Is Ben Askren saying goodbye to his pro mixed martial arts career, trading the cage for the executive suite? The answer is yes, according to the CEO of ONE Championship, the MMA organization where the former Missouri wrestling champ now holds its welterweight title. Chatri Sityodtong, founder and head of ONE Championship, announced on Facebook that Askren would face Shinya Aoki in late November, concluding with this statement: "Ben has made the decision to retire after this fight to become an executive at ONE ..." Here's the entire message from Sityodtong: "I am thrilled to announce two world title fights for ONE Championship: Immortal Pursuit in Singapore on November 24! Angela Lee (8-0) vs Mei"V.V" Yamaguchi (16-10) Ben Askren (17-0) vs Shinya Aoki (39-7) Angela and Mei have agreed to what will arguably be the most anticipated rematch in the history of martial arts in Asia. Also, for the 1st time in ONE history, two athletes from the same team will go to battle for a world title. In what will be a ferocious contest between two great white sharks, Shinya Aoki and Ben Askren have decided to lay it all on the line. Win or lose, this fight will be Ben's last. Ben has made the decision to retire after this fight to become an executive at ONE. You do not want to miss this mega event in Singapore!" As of early evening Monday, there was no message from Askren on social media ... though he retweeted a tweet from Tim Kennedy which said, "He has always done it his own way. @BenAskren has made the best look like amateurs. He won at prize fighting. Leaving the sport untouched." The 33-year-old Askren -- a former Bellator welterweight champ who successfully defended his ONE Championship belt this past weekend -- has crafted a perfect 17-0 record since launching his MMA career in 2009. The man Askren is slated to face in his final fight -- Aoki -- is an experienced veteran, holding a 39-7-1 professional record, and 5-1 record competing for the ONE Championship organization. "Aoki is most known for his grappling pedigree, as 25 of his professional victories have come by way of submission," according to LowKickMMA.com. "He's coming off of a loss, but prior to that he had won nine consecutive bouts, and he may very well be able to offer Askren a challenge." Just a couple days ago, after scoring a TKO on Sweden's Zebaztian Kadestam at 4:06 of the second round at ONE Championship event in Shanghai on Sept. 2, Askren appeared to be calling out would-be challengers ... with no hint of trading his fight shorts for a business suit. "I haven't got hit one time my last two fights, so someone please come into this cage who can actually hit me," said the Wisconsin native. "I'm open to a super fight. I'm open to any welterweight on planet Earth. Bring it, baby," Askren added. Prior to launching his pro MMA career, Askren was a highly accomplished amateur wrestler. He was a four-time NCAA finalist for the University of Missouri, winning titles in 2006 and 2007. Askren earned a place on the U.S. men's freestyle team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Want to go to college and participate on a varsity video game team? You might want to put Boise State on your short list. Yes, the same Boise State that eliminated its NCAA Division I wrestling program without warning at the end of the 2016-17 season. ESPN was among the first to report that Boise State had approved a varsity video game team and will begin competitive play in September. The school is one of 42 in the National Association of Competitive eSports, the governing body that regulates operation of collegiate programs. Boise State joins Utah, Georgia State and Miami University (Ohio) as the only varsity eSports programs at universities that also compete in major college football. (Interestingly, all four schools once had intercollegiate wrestling programs as well.) Just to be absolutely clear ... there is no connection between the launch of Boise State's eSports program, and the school's decision to axe its long-time Bronco wrestling program this spring. For starters, the new eSports program is NOT controlled, operated or funded by the BSU athletics department (as was the case with wrestling). Boise State's eSports program is an academic program, backed by its College of Education and College of Innovation and Design. And, despite having "sports" in the word "eSports", these programs have no connection to the NCAA. The organization that wrestling and other varsity sports on hundreds of college campuses across America has no oversight of eSports programs at any of its member schools. According to the Idaho Statesman, Boise State's new eSports team will compete in five games in its first season: League of Legends, Overwatch, Hearthstone, Rocket League and Heroes of the Storm. The number of players in each tournament will vary depending on the game. Some will be five-on-five, while others will feature one-on-one competition. Team members are ranked in tiers that amount to a depth chart. Starters and backups for competition exist like they do in classic sports. There are national championships with March Madness-like brackets and competitions are sometimes broadcast on, you guessed it, ESPN. The Stateman reports that Boise State that its new eSports program has university support, much like varsity athletic programs. The school is planning space for an eSports arena, and will eventually offer scholarships to team members, who will wear official Boise State colors and logos. Boise State's Dr. Chris Haskell, an assistant professor in educational technology and the school's eSports advisor, told the Idaho Statesman that a key to success of these programs is being among the first ... citing BSU's groundbreaking decision 30 years ago to install blue turf on its football field, a choice that has become a key aspect of Boise State's overall brand. "If you come in early and you have a lot to offer, you become magnetic," said Haskell. "Part of it was recognizing, not if it will grow, but when and how much and how do we use that Blue Turf thinking."

Marques Gales This Labor Day weekend, Marques Gales has earned a promotion. After four years as part-time head wrestling coach at Trinity College, Gales' status has been elevated to full-time by the Connecticut-based school. Here's what coach Gales posted on his Facebook page Sunday: "Excited and grateful for this opportunity. Thanks to my former and current assistant coaches and student-athletes that played a big part in it happening. Let's get it!" In Trinity's official announcement, Marques Gales was a bit more formal, but no less appreciative of the advancement. ""I am extremely honored to become full-time as the Head Wrestling Coach. I would like to thank former Athletic Director Mike Renwick and Interim Athletic Director Kristen Noone for making it happen," said Gales. "Serving as head coach in a full-time capacity is a huge step towards helping our program reach its fullest potential," Gales continued. "My assistants and I will have more time to spend on the daily, behind the scenes tasks necessary for the program to thrive. We are now able to be more creative with our practice schedule and we'll have more time to spend with our student-athletes during the day." Gales has accomplished much as part-time head coach since taking the helm of Trinity's Bantam wrestling program after the resignation of coach Stephen Makein in 2013. In his first year, the team sent two representatives to the NCAA Division III Championships for the first time since 2001. Gales was also honored for his outstanding effort as one of three to share the 2014 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Rookie Coach of the Year honors. Trinity improved its win total by five from two to seven in 2015-16 with a 7-11 overall record, and won another five matches last winter. The Bantams finished ninth in the 2016 New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) Duals Championship Tournament, its best finish since 2012-13, and 16th in last year's NCAA Division IIII Regional Championships. Last year's team finished seventh in the nation in team GPA (3.31) and returns 10 starters this winter from last year's regional championship squad. Gales accomplished all this at Trinity while also employed by Capitol Region Education Council's (CREC) Academy of Aerospace and Engineering Middle School in Windsor as an associate instructor. Founded in 1823, Trinity College is a private, four-year liberal arts school located in Hartford, Conn. The historic school has approximately 2,200 students. Trinity's sports teams, the Bantams, compete in NCAA Division III.