InterMat Staff

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Kyle Dake (Ithaca, N.Y./Titan Mercury WC/New York RTC) won a gold medal at 79 kg/174 lbs. and Nick Gwiazdowski (Raleigh, N.C./Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC) added a bronze medal at 125 kg/275 lbs. on the final day at the respected Yasar Dogu International, a UWW ranking tournament, on Sunday Dake faced 2011 Junior World bronze medalist Ibrahim Yusubov of Azerbaijan in the finals. He scored a first-period technical call, reeling off three takedowns and two gut wrenches to reach the 11-0 victory. It was a dominant performance for Dake over the two days. To reach the finals, he had a pair of pins, putting away Olympic medalist Jabrail Hasanov of Azerbaijan in 5:37 and Ayhan Sucu of Turkey in 1:01. Dake, a four-time NCAA champion at Cornell, will be on his first Senior World Team this year. He has been very strong this year at a new weight class, 79 kg, with a silver medal at the Ivan Yarygin International and was dominant at the Freestyle World Cup also. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- The World champion USA men's freestyle placed three men in the first set of finals at the UWW ranking tournament Yasar Dogu International on Saturday. Team USA came home with two gold medals, a silver medal and a bronze medal to boot. Winning titles were 2017 World silver medalist Thomas Gilman, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) at 57 kilograms/125.5 pounds and two-time World Cup champion David Taylor (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) at 86 kilograms/189 pounds. Taylor had a dominant performance to remember. Four matches. Four pins. In the toughest pre-World summer event that served as a UWW Ranking Tournament, which sets the seeds at the World Championships. In the championship finals, Taylor came out and put away 2017 European silver medalist Murad Suleymanov of Azerbaijan in 1:22, the fastest of his four falls. To reach the finals, he put away Azamat Dauletbekov of Kazakhstan in 4:37, 2017 World silver medalist Boris Makoev of Slovakia in 3:50 and Ahmet Bilici of Turkey in 4:05. Taylor will be competing in his first Senior World Championships in October. With this victory, he will for sure be in a good position to receive one of those seeds at the Worlds. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

James A. White James A. White, long-time Washington & Jefferson College administrator and coach of a number of sports, including wrestling, passed away on Wednesday, July 25, the Washington, Pa. school announced Thursday. He was 84. White served as the wrestling coach as well as men's tennis coach from 1965-1997. He also spent 21 years as an assistant football coach at the college. For over 20 years, he coached a sport during every season of the academic year: football in the fall, wrestling in winter, and, in the spring, tennis. A native of Pennsylvania, White guided the Presidents' wrestling program to three of the program's five Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) championships (1965, 1966, 1995). The 1965 title came during his first year as a coach. White's tennis teams also enjoyed tremendous success, winning the only four conference team championships in school history (1967, 1968, 1969, 1986). White coached 66 PAC individual tennis or wrestling champions, five NCAA All-Americans and two CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. White also served as associate director of athletics towards the end of his 34-year career at W&J. "Jim White was beloved by the student-athletes he coached and the colleagues he worked with," said Scott McGuinness, director of athletics at W&J. "Our current coaching staff strives to make meaningful impacts like Jim accomplished every day of his career. A true W&J President, he will be greatly missed by the W&J community." "He was more than a coach, but also a mentor and a father figure," said Angelo Morascyzk, 1976 W&J graduate who wrestled for White in the 1970s, then later served as an assistant wrestling coach with White when starting his coaching career. "As an 18-year-old trying to make a decision on where to attend college, I knew I'd be in great hands with Coach White. His caring and compassionate side was easy to see. Coach White was a natural fit for NCAA Division III athletics. His teams had a lot of success, but it wasn't about the wins and losses. For Coach White, he wanted his athletes to enjoy the entire student experience at W&J." Tom Elling, author and historian on all things wrestling in the state of Pennsylvania, told InterMat Friday evening, "Coach White certainly was versatile and was outstanding in everything he did. W&J was better for having him as their 'face' for those years. While I never had the pleasure of meeting him face-to-face, I certainly appreciated his impact on wrestling in Pennsylvania." Born in Linesville, Pa. in April 1934, Jim White graduated from Harrisburg High School. He continued his education at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, then earned master's degree in physical education from Michigan State. Upon his retirement from W&J in 1997, White received an honorary doctorate from the school he had served for more than three decades. He and with his wife Claire, relocated to Long Beach Island, N.J. White was welcomed into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and was a 2013 inductee into the Washington & Jefferson College Athletic Hall of Fame. Visitation for James A. White will be held on Sunday, July 29, 2018 at the Thomas L. Shinn Funeral Home, 10 Hilliard Dr., Manahawkin, NJ from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. A Mass will be held on Monday, July 30 at 11 a.m. at St. Mary of the Pines Catholic Church, 100 Bishop Lane, Manahawkin, NJ. Committal service will follow at St. Mary Cemetery, Beachview Ave., Manahawkin. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim White's name may be made to either Serenity Hospice Care, 56 Georgetown Rd., Bordentown, NJ 08505 or Ken's Kitchen of St. Mary, 747 W. Bay Ave., Barnegat, NJ 08008. Those wishing to leave online condolences for the family may visit the funeral home's website. Founded in 1781, Washington & Jefferson College is a private, liberal arts college located in Washington, Pa., about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh. W&J has a total enrollment of approximately 1,500 students. The school's varsity sports teams, named the Presidents, compete in NCAA Division III.

Frank Chamizo gets to the leg of Jordan Burroughs at Beat the Streets' "Rumble on the River" event (Photo/Juan Garcia) NEW YORK, NY -- Two-time world champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Frank Chamizo will train with the Columbia Wrestling's New York City Regional Training Center (NYC RTC), the club announced Friday. An experienced, veteran athlete on the international stage, Chamizo brings an explosive and dynamic style of wrestling to New York. "When we launched the NYC RTC last April, I had a vision for creating a training environment that is not only the best in the Ivy League, but the best in the United States," Columbia Head Wrestling Coach Zach Tanelli said. "With the great support of our alumni and donors, we were able to take another step closer to that goal today with the addition of Frank Chamizo. "Frank is arguably the most exciting wrestler competing in the world right now," Tanelli noted. "Being in New York City, we have the ability to attract not only the best athletes in the country, but also the best in the world and that is what we are going to continue to do at Columbia. It is an exciting time for our program." "I am extremely excited to become a part of the NYC RTC and the Columbia Wrestling family," Chamizo said. "This is a special place and a special city. I look forward to helping young wrestlers develop while continuing my training in the greatest city in the world." "We all know that he can wrestle, and that he is one of the best on the international circuit now," Regional Training Center coach and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Kendall Cross added, "but the unique intangibles that Frank Chamizo brings to our RTC and to the Columbia program are what will make this training environment so extraordinary. "He will elevate our training on the technical side," Cross continued, "but will also bring an important energy into the wrestling room. Frank works extremely hard and does so with charisma and passion for the sport. We are lucky to have him at the NYC RTC." Born in Matanzas, Cuba, Chamizo earned the 55kg bronze medal for his home country at the 2010 UWW World Championships in Moscow, Russia when he was just 18 years old. After becoming a naturalized citizen of Italy, he now competes under the Italian flag. Ending the 35-year drought of World and Olympic gold medals, Chamizo captured two World Championships titles for Italy (2015 at 65kg and 2017 at 70 kg). Chamizo is also the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist at 65kg, bringing home the medal from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Columbia's New York City Regional Training Center is a USA Wrestling-recognized RTC working in the support and cultivation of Columbia University wrestling student-athletes, as well as the ambitions of senior-level Olympic hopefuls.

Christian Brothers Academy has named William Ashnault as the Colts' new head wrestling coach, as announced by Director of Athletics Vito Chiaravalloti on Thursday morning. "This is a great moment for CBA Wrestling as Coach Ashnault is one of the most highly respected and exciting young coaches in the scholastic wrestling world right now," Chiaravalloti said. "We could not be happier to welcome him to Christian Brothers Academy. He not only comes to us with incredible experience and knowledge at both the high school and collegiate levels, but he also has a coaching philosophy consistent with our Lasallian mission. I'm confident that Coach Ashnault will quickly build a program that will compete for state titles, but more importantly will make the CBA wrestling community extremely proud." Billy AshnaultAshnault comes to CBA from Rutgers University, where he has spent the last six years as Director of Wrestling Operations. In this role, Ashnault was responsible for coordinating logistics between the nationally-ranked wrestling team and the University's athletic department. He also assisted the coaching staff, which produced eight All-Americans, two top-10 national individual finishes, six top-25 finishes as a team during his six years. Prior to joining the Rutgers staff, Ashnault was the senior captain for the Rutgers team as a student-athlete. Over his collegiate career, which spanned both Lock Haven University and Rutgers, he was a three-time NCAA Tournament qualifier and sported an 81-66 overall record. During his senior season at Rutgers, he finished ranked top-12 in his Division I weight class. Ashnault graduated Rutgers with a degree in Exercise Science & Sport Management. He originally hails from South Plainfield High School in New Jersey. During his high school tenure, Ashnault finished with a 128-25 record and was a four-time state tournament individual qualifier, reaching the state finals in his sophomore season. His South Plainfield team was crowned state champions in three of his four high school seasons. "It's humbling to be the next head coach at a unique institution like Christian Bothers Academy, where they are committed to excellence in both the classroom and athletics," Ashnault said. "My goal is to bring excitement to the CBA wrestling community, while building a program that our alumni, parents and fans can be pleased with. I look forward to the challenge of continuing the great wrestling tradition at CBA." Ashnault will helm a wrestling program that has seen great success since 2010. The Colts won three straight NJSIAA district titles from 2014 to 2016, captured the 2016 Shore Conference Team Championship, and had an individual state champion in 2016. They have consistently ranked in the top-10 in both the Shore and the state. The Colts will kick-off their 2018-2019 season with the CBA Colt Classic Tournament in mid-December.

Southwest Virginia Community College is planning to offer a number of intercollegiate sports -- including wrestling -- beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, the two-year school located in Wardell, Va. announced Thursday. SWCC will field competitive scholarship teams in wrestling, baseball, basketball, softball, volleyball, golf, tennis, cross country and soccer. The school has signed a commitment letter to become part of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) which oversees intercollegiate sports at two-year colleges. Southwest Virginia has hired an athletic director, Jason Vencill, who told the Bristol Herald Courier that 2018 will be a recruiting year for the school's new NJCAA sports. Coaches are being hired and athletes being signed in anticipation of starting competition in August 2019. The college already has a number of facilities to accommodate these sports, including a full-size gymnasium, baseball and soccer fields, tennis courts and trails for cross country. Established in 1968, Southwest Virginia Community College is located in Richlands, Va.

Brian Vutianitis replaces Jason Signorelli as SUNY Ulster's wrestling coach Brian Vutianitis has been named interim head wrestling coach at SUNY Ulster, the two-year public college announced Thursday. Vutianitis replaces Jason Signorelli who had hired in spring 2016 to head up the mat program, which had been resurrected after a 40-year absence. Signorelli stepped down from SUNY Ulster to pursue a Master's degree at Western New England University and coach its NCAA Division III wrestling program as a graduate assistant, the Times Herald-Record reported Friday. Vutianitis, a 2016 SUNY Cortland grad, was a member of the school's Red Dragons wrestling program for four seasons. Prior to that, Vutianitis wrestled at Warwick High School, where he won the Section 9 140-pound title as a senior. SUNY Ulster -- also known as Ulster County Community College -- is a public two-year college supported by Ulster County, New York, and the State University of New York. The school, established in 1961, has a total enrollment of approximately 3,800 students.

Jason Schweer has been named the head wrestling coach at Kansas Wesleyan University, the Salina, Kansas-based school announced Thursday. Jason SchweerSchweer replaces Matt Oney, who left KWU after two seasons to take the helm of the wrestling program at his college alma mater, Worchester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. Schweer comes to Kansas Wesleyan after serving as an assistant coach at University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark. for the past three seasons, where he helped develop a new program into a competitive program at the NCAA Division III level. While at Ozarks, he helped the Eagles post their first-ever winning season in 2016-17 while also earning the program's first-ever individual win at a NCAA Regional that year. The Eagles placed fourth in the 2017 Southeast Conference Tournament and had nine Top-7 finishers at the event. Schweer sees similarities between Kansas Wesleyan and Ozarks. "Similar in population as far as the student body, both very awesome campus communities and very supportive," Schweer told the Salina Journal. "I think Salina's the perfect spot to get things going. This university's beautiful, it's a close-knit environment, lot of great things going on here for us to get things going. "I got to Ozarks in their second year, so I'm familiar with the new program aspect of things. It is a lot of fun to get things up and running and show people what wrestling looks like at the college level and experience it." Prior to Ozarks, Schweer served as an assistant coach for two seasons for his college alma mater, Grand View University in Des Moines. While at Grand View, the Vikings won two NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) National Championships, part of their current run of seven-straight titles, had 24 National Qualifiers, 20 NAIA All-Americans and six NAIA National Champions. Schweer's career as a student-athlete was also impressive. He was part of Grand View's 2012 NAIA National Championship team and was a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Before arriving at Grand View, Schweer wrestled at North Iowa Area Community College, where he helped the Trojans to a fourth-place finish at the 2008 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) National Championships and a second place finish at the 2009 NJCAA National Duals. Schweer was a two-time NJCAA Academic All-American Award recipient. In Kansas Wesleyan's official announcement of his hiring, Schweer said, "I want to thank President Dr. Matt Thompson and Athletic Director Mike Hermann for believing in me and giving me a chance to become a head coach." "Kansas Wesleyan is a close-knit community, and that was evident the second I stepped on campus. From the top down, I am confident I will have the support and structure to help the program grow and flourish. Outside of the on-campus support, the community of Salina has a rich wrestling history and many supportive community members that are hungry to be involved in the growth of the Coyote Wrestling family." "I am fired up to take the reins of this program in this community," Schweer added. "This is a great environment for a young program to grow and develop, and to be a part of getting this program off the ground is an amazing opportunity. We have all the tools we need to be very successful here, now it's time to get work." Kansas Wesleyan University is a private four-year Christian-based college located in Salina, Kansas. Founded in 1886, KWU has approximately 850 students.

Deep in the middle of summer -- about four months before the 2018-19 college wrestling season is slated to start, and eight months before the 2019 NCAA Division I championships take place in Pittsburgh -- the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee has issued its 2018 annual report. Among the top recommendations for the upcom ing season: new scheduling flexibility for dual meets ... and seeding all 33 wrestlers in each weight class at the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Recommendation for scheduling flexibility In its latest report, the NCAA Div. I Wrestling Committee has made a recommendation "to allow institutions to count not more than two two-day meets and not more than four occasions in which the dual meets are held over a three-day period each as a single date of competition." In justifying its recommendation, the Committee stated, "This change will reduce the number of trips required, allow teams to host more home dual matches, allow teams to travel to different regions of the country and compete against multiple teams in that area over a three-day period. It also will result in less missed class time, allow for flexibility with venue and broadcast windows, and assist with student-athlete well-being by allowing a day between competition." For Division I mat programs and their wrestlers to gain this new flexibility, NCAA Bylaw 17.27.5.1.1 would need to be amended. Seeds for every NCAA championships qualifier For a number of years, only the top sixteen wrestlers in each 33-man bracket at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships were seeded. The Wrestling Committee recommends that this current ranking system be expanded to ALL athletes within a bracket; in other words, continuing that same process to order the seeds from 17-33, with the stipulation that "seeds 29-33 may be assigned randomly to the brackets but will always be paired with the top four seeds and assigned to all pigtail matches." The NCAA states the reason for proposing this change to the seeding process provides more balanced brackets, therefore reducing (if not eliminating) random matchups. Matters of convenience ... and timing The NCAA D1 Wrestling Committee has also recommended additional changes designed to make the national wrestling championships a better experience for fans ... and for the athletes. Starting with the 2019 NCAAs, fans will be able to pick up tickets for all six sessions on the first day of the championships ... reducing the amount of time spent standing in line. In another move to make the fan experience better, doors to the host facility will now be open 90 minutes before the start of each session. A proposed change for wrestlers: weigh-ins will be conducted two hours prior to the start of each day's competition. If these changes are approved, they would be expected to be implemented before the 2019 NCAA Division I Championships, to take place March 21-23, 2019 at PPG Paints Arena, a 19,500-seat arena in downtown Pittsburgh which opened in 2010 as Consol Energy Center, and serves as the home to the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins. It is the first time the Nationals have been held in Steel City in more than six decades. The 1957 NCAAs were hosted by the University of Pittsburgh at Fitzgerald Field House, a 5,000-seat on-campus facility built in the early 1950s. The '57 NCAAs were historic for a number of reasons: first to feature an African-American NCAA champ (Iowa's Simon Roberts, 147-pound titlist) ... Oklahoma's Dan Hodge concluding his perfect 46-0 collegiate career with his third NCAA title at 177 pounds (and second Outstanding Wrestler award) ... and Pitt's Ed Peery won his third national title in his home gym, joining his older brother Hugh and his father (and college coach) Rex Peery as the only family with three NCAA championships each.

The Yasar Dogu gets underway Friday in Istanbul with the entire United States World Team set to compete. Though always a competitive tournament, the Yasar Dogu was only recently named a Ranking Series event, after South Africa announced in April that it was unable to host the event. With the last-minute change, the stream is being provided for free on Trackwrestling.com. Due to the change, entry lists for the event have been difficult to find, but we do know of at least top-level matchups American fans will be excited to see: Jordan Burroughs vs. Frank Chamizo, Haji Aliyev vs. Logan Stieber and J'den Cox vs. Sharif Sharifov. For Burroughs, a Chamizo rematch will be instructive on how they will compete against each other in Budapest. Burroughs' NYC Beat the Streets win was important, but did plenty of preparation, generous weight allowances and no other matches benefit Burroughs? We'll see. I tend to think it matters when they meet. On day one I could see it favoring Chamizo who wouldn't have cut as much weight. That said, a second day finals matchup benefits Burroughs who tends to use the first match or two of the day to shake loose the competitive cobwebs and find his footing (literally in the case of BTS). I think that by the second day he'll have a real advantage over Chamizo. Either way, it'll be fun wrestling to watch. Ukraine, Turkey, and Azerbaijan are expected to show up with their starting world team lineups as is a questionable lineup from Iran. Action starts Friday at 4 a.m. ET. You can see the full schedule here. To your questions… Helen Maroulis before competing at Beat the Streets' "Rumble on the River" event (Photo/Juan Garcia) Q: What's the status of Helen Maroulis? Has a wrestle-off date been set? Is there a chance she might be out for the World Championships? -- Mike C. Foley: From her social media, it looks like she's on the road to recovery. Injuries are tricky to report since the athlete reserves the right (as they should) to publish their own health information. Given what I'm hearing she has every plan to challenge for the spot, but I don't know that a date has been decided. In my opinion anyone who bets against Helen is only playing themselves. Anzor Boltukayev defeated multiple Olympic champs leading up to the Rio Games, including Jake Varner Q: Leading up to the 2016 Olympics, there was a 10-12 month period from the 2015 World Championships to Rio where Anzor Boltukayev appeared to be the most ferocious 97-kilogram wrestler in the history of the weight class. In one calendar year he had victories over the following wrestlers: Kyle Snyder, Jake Varner (Snyder and Varner in the same tournament -- 2016 Yarygin), 2012 Olympic silver medalist Valerii Andriitsev, 2015 European silver medalist Elizbar Odikadze (Andriisev and Odikadze in the same tournament -- 2016 European Championships), and six-time world/Olympic champion Khadzhimurat Gatsalov at the 2016 Russian National Championships. He gassed out in his first match in Rio and got knocked out of the tournament. Other than a world bronze in 2013 he hasn't done much on the world level. How do you explain someone like this exploding on to the scene and then seemingly dropping off the map just as fast? Injuries? Russian vitamins? -- James R. Foley: I remember it well. During Boltukayev's run I made a low-rent highlight film of him for UWW where he was helicoptering out of underhooks and massaging his beard and it combined for more than 500K views on Facebook and YouTube. Boltukayev had all the trappings of a star wrestler: big frame, gnarly facial hair, and interesting backstory (Chechen Special Forces). Working against him was an issue of age and, as you saw, endurance. His Olympic performance was justified by the Russian media as a case of food poisoning, but with the last-minute banning of Meldonium and the extra pre-Olympic tests of Russian athletes' rumors of the drug testing persisted. Who's to say? However, that precipitous drop-off in attention was actually due to a real, positive drug test in April of 2017 for Higenamine, which is a Beta-2 Agonist. The ingestion was deemed accidental and Boltukayev completed his one-year suspension on April 5. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Link: WEEEEBZ Bringing the Truth Chinese President Xi on hand for the opening of Senegal's newest wrestling stadium. Americans tend to express love for the military and want to see it in use, but in my opinion nothing can connect you faster to the people of a country and persuade outcomes better than a little humanitarian action. This isn't exactly humanitarian, but it'll continue to improve China's relationship with Africa and allow them preferential trade deals. Brilliant move. Sport swap with Sofia Mattsson Q: With Heath Eslinger resigning as Chattanooga's head wrestling coach, who do you see as potential candidates at UTC? Hearing any names? -- Mike C. Foley: No names have been circulated, but I think the level of commitment from the alumni and university dictate that the next coach will be a formidable hire. Any coach who chooses to go south will certainly be in the position Q: I generally enjoy your view of the positives of freestyle wrestling relative to folkstyle. You recently posted a video of Zare vs. Kerkvliet, and mentioned that Zare looked like he is on pace to be a monster at 125 kilograms. I watched the match, and if he is an example of great freestyle wrestling, I can't see how you advocate for the pushout score as better than the scoring in folkstyle. Zare won 7-4. By my count, Kerkvliet had nine legitimate takedown attempts, not including his flurry in the closing seconds. Zare had one, and I'm being really generous with that. All Zare did was grab an underhook or two, lock it tight, and drive. Without a doubt, the strategy worked, and that is something Kerkvliet will need to work on if he plans on competing in international freestyle. Perhaps the biggest joke was Kerkvliet getting a passivity warning 34 seconds into the match, 12 seconds after he had taken the only real offensive attempt of the match and gotten in deep enough to grab Zare's leg. I'm told that passivity is often hard to call, but the refs have to make a call if there is no scoring. The benefit of the doubt is given to the wrestler who seems to control the mat by keeping his (or her) butt toward the middle of the mat. This is the only possible explanation I can see for calling passivity on the guy who was trying to score. In that case, then Zare worked the system perfectly. If you notice, after each stoppage he returned to the center of the mat so that Kervliet was outside the center circle. In that way, if they tied up and nothing more happened, Kerkvliet would always be called for being passive just because of the starting position. If the butt-to-the-middle criterion is actually used, then they should use the folkstyle start with one foot on each line, so the wrestlers start in equal position. Bottom line, I don't see any way that changing the folkstyle rules to encourage that kind of wrestling will help grow the sport. Zare might turn into a sumo-style monster, but I'll watch a sport where they try to score takedowns. I'd be happy to hear your thoughts. -- Mike D. Foley: I think that Zare was in control of the match from start-to-finish. While he wasn't as offensive in terms of shooting he controlled the match and chased Kerkvliet around the edge of the circle. In my experience, the referees like to see the wrestler who is working the edge to commit to tie-ups and good shots. The diving shots don't motivate many referees unless it's followed up with an attempt to engage. Overall there are a few points to keep in mind when watching the match again (as I just did to make sure I understood fully what you meant). The Iranians are famous for underhooks and position and make it a centerpiece of their strategy. In that way it's not too dissimilar from the Iowa-style of wrestling we are used to seeing at the collegiate level -- heavy pressure leads to mistakes, stall calls or poor positioning. With only a handful of clearances on the edge by Kerkvliet (including a takedown) the tempo was dominated by Zare. Note also that it is illegal to "push" an opponent out of bounds. Points can only be given as the result of a wrestling action. There are admittedly few calls for shoving, but the rule does exist. Kerkvliet was pushed around a lot, but I don't agree that it was Zare's fault. Taken from the Iranian perspective the American just failed to engage and instead hung from an overhook for much of the second period. Improved hand fighting and clearing ties would've meant more opportunities for Kerkvliet to score from distance, or in transitioning out of positions like the underhook. Last point, but sumo is legit. I can't overstate how strong, flexible and athletic those men are. It defies reason. Q: Aside from Gable Steveson, who do you see as the best heavyweight prospect under the age of 20? Seems like there are a lot of talented young heavyweights like Greg Kerkvliet, Cohlton Schultz, Seth Nevills, Anthony Cassioppi and Mason Paris. -- Mike C. Foley: The best NCAA prospect: Greg Kerkvliet. The best international prospect: Mason Paris. The best sumo prospect: Seth Nevills. No prediction will land, but I do feel this might be the best generation of heavyweights we've ever seen in the United States. A few weeks ago I wrote that an increase in competitions and visibility may have helped earn these wrestlers more acclaim than some of their predecessors. I still think that it's true, but after watching some of the matches from Fargo and the Cadet World Championships I think that we are seeing something special. Where do they all land? Unclear. I think that Gable and Co. will swap NCAA trophies with each other but also begin to assert real dominance on the international stage between 2020 and 2028. I'll go one step further and lay 2-1 odds that an American wins the Olympic gold medal at heavyweight in 2024 or 2028. Fact of the Week By @GiantBallofOil The Big Ten scooped the top four spots at 125 pounds and 184 pounds this year. That's only happened four times over the last twenty years (all Big Ten), and two were this year! 2018-125 2018-184 2017-165 2002-285. Big Ten wrestling is the best and still getting better.

Alex Madrigal Alex Madrigal, a two-time NCAA qualifier, announced Thursday on Twitter that he is transferring from Old Dominion to George Mason. "Excited to announce that I will be transferring and finishing my last two years at George Mason University!" tweeted Madrigal. "Incredibly grateful to be joining this amazing staff, and great group of guys. Ready to accomplish my goals these next two years. Thanks to everyone who has helped me get here. Pumped to join the Mason wrestling family and #BeUncommon. Let's get to wrork." Marigal qualified for the NCAAs at 141 pounds this past season after qualifying in 2017 as a redshirt freshman at 133 pounds. Madrigal attended Oak Park River Forest (Ill.), where he was a state finalist as a senior in 2015.

Services for Mark Jacovitte, former Maryland high wrestling coach for 50 years, have been announced. Mark JacovitteVisitation for Jacovitte will take place Saturday, July 28 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at McComas Funeral Home, 1317 Cokesbury Road, Abingdon, Md. The funeral service will begin at 3:30 p.m. at the funeral home. Jacovitte died on July 21 from cancer at age 68. Born in Baltimore, Mark Nicholas Jacovitte coached in Maryland area schools for a half-century. From 1974-1982 Mark was the head wrestling coach at Bel Air High where he also coached football. In the 1990's he coached wrestling and football at C. Milton Wright High. Just this year, Jacovitte was honored at the Maryland State Wrestling Tournament with a Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award for his 50 years of service to the sport. Mark graduated from Bel Air High School in 1967, and was a 1970 graduate of Harford Community College. In 1971 he attended Towson State University and also took graduate classes at Morgan State University. “Mark Jacovitte was a fixture of Harford County high school sports. His wit and unique way of looking at the world was always funny and refreshing,” Keith Watson, one of Jacovitte's wrestlers, told the Baltimore Sun. “His personality drew me and many others into a new sport (to us) called wrestling, because he was so much fun to be around.”

Dustin Kilgore U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.-- Air Force has announced the return of NCAA wrestling champion and three-time wrestling All-American Dustin Kilgore to the wrestling staff where he will also serve as the head coach of the Air Force Regional Training Center (AFRTC). The Berea, Ohio comes to Air Force after spending a season with Rider University as the assistant coach. Kilgore is a four-time MAC champion and boasts the accolade of being the only national champion Kent State has ever produced in wrestling. "I'm pumped to be back at the Air Force Academy," said Kilgore. "I'd like to thank coach Barber for the opportunity to assist the team as they battle in the Big 12 wrestling conference and also for the chance to coach, lead and develop aspiring athletes at the AFRTC." After earning his bachelor's in criminal justice at Kent State, Kilgore broadened his wrestling resume by earning a silver medal at the World University Championships in 2014 and a third-place finish at the Olympic Trials in 2016. He is a four-time USA National Team member. While at Rider, Kilgore helped lead the Broncs to a 13-5 dual record and a second-place finish at the EWL conference tournament where the Broncs had two individual champions. "We're excited to have Dustin return to our staff" claims Sam Barber, head wrestling coach. "A guy of his caliber and competition credentials is going to have a tremendous impact on the growth and improvement of our collegiate wrestlers as well as on our AFRTC athletes." "I'm looking forward to developing quality Air Force and AFRTC athletes," said Kilgore. "With five years of Division I wrestling experience and over 20 years of experience on the mat, I know what it takes to be successful at the collegiate level and I cannot wait to share my skills and knowledge with this growing program." Kilgore currently resides in Colorado Springs with his wife Abby and their sphynx cat, Koshka. He will be mat side with the Falcons as competition kicks off later this year.

Greg Kerkvliet gets his hand raised after winning a title at UWW Cadet Nationals (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) No. 1 senior recruit Greg Kerkvliet (Simley, Minn.), who committed to Oklahoma State in November of 2017, has reopened his recruitment. FloWrestling.com first broke the news on Wednesday. It's the second time Kerkvliet has committed to a college and changed his mind. He initially committed to Minnesota in October of 2016. The four colleges Kerkvliet is considering at this point are Penn State, Ohio State, Nebraska and Oklahoma State. The three-time state champion recently won a second Cadet world medal in freestyle, taking silver at 110 kilograms after earning gold at 100 kilograms in 2017. Kerkvliet will be competing at the Junior World Championships this September in the 100 kilos weight class. He projects as a college heavyweight.

Paden Moore hugs his coach Randy Baker after winning a state championship (Photo/The Guillotine) Randy Baker, one of the most successful and longest-serving high school wrestling coaches in Minnesota, has announced his retirement from Jackson County Central High School, the Jackson County Pilot reported Tuesday. Baker presented a three-page, handwritten letter to the Jackson County Central school board Monday night which opened with a simple-but-direct statement: "I am stepping down as head wrestling coach." Baker began his prep coaching career in 1984 at a succession of schools that eventually became Jackson County Central High -- first at what was then Lakefield High School, which then combined with Heron Lake-Okabena in 1987. Then there was a co-op arrangement with Jackson High from 1994 to 1997 which then led to an official merger, creating what is now Jackson Central County 21 years ago. All those different school names -- each with their own team name -- all with one constant: Randy Baker was head wrestling coach, and incredibly good at it. Since taking the helm of what eventually became the JCCHS mat program in southwestern Minnesota in 1984, coach Baker has racked up some serious statistics. He has coached 39 individual high school champions, which ranks him second on the all-time Minnesota list… with 93 state placers, third in the state. Baker led his teams to seven state championships. And, during his 33 years as coach, he tallied 510 wins. Beyond those stats, Baker also has some impressive honors in his trophy case. He was named Minnesota State High School Coach of the Year in 1993, Minnesota Wrestling Man of the Year in 1997, and 2001 USA Wrestling Development Coach of the Year. InterMat once referred to Baker as being "one of the brightest wrestling minds around." Randy Baker has deep roots in wrestling in the area he's called home pretty much his entire life. For his high school career, he wrestled at what was then Jackson High, where he was a two-time Minnesota state qualifier. He continued his academic and mat careers at nearby Worthington Community College, then headed west on I-90 to Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. where he wrestled at the NCAA Division III national championships and served as team captain his senior year before launching his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Augie Vikings. In an in-depth profile in the Daily Globe last year, Randy Baker comes across as the very definition of an old-school wrestling coach. "If Randy Baker seems like more than just a wrestling coach, it's because he's also a father figure to many of the athletes who have gone through the high school system," wrote sportswriter Doug Wolter. "He's brutally honest. He's tough. He knows exactly what it takes for a young man to succeed, and he doesn't mince words." When asked to describe his coaching style, coach Baker said, "I coach real honest. It's hard for me to lie to kids. I'm not one to put up a smokescreen to a kid. And I think a lot of them appreciate it. "It's kind of like when their dad talks to them. When my dad said something to me, I listened to him. Back then, I wasn't so afraid of the school staff as much as when I got home." At Monday night's school board meeting, a softer side of coach Baker came through in his handwritten, from-the-heart resignation letter. "I want to thank all the wrestlers, especially the young men that gave their all while wrestling for me," Baker wrote. "It was a fun time and we went on a lot of great rides. These young men really put us on the map." "I have certainly enjoyed my coaching career and the opportunity to give back to the sport of wrestling," he wrote. "It seems to be so true in wrestling that the more you give wrestling, the more wrestling will give you back! Hopefully I gave enough back to the sport that helped me so much growing up. It taught me a lot and gave me back, especially during the tough times in life." With Randy Baker's retirement, it truly is the end of an era at Jackson County Central High… and for high school wrestling in the state of Minnesota.

LEXINGTON, Va. -- Entering his first season at the helm of the VMI wrestling program, head coach Jim Gibson named Ty Schoffstall as an assistant coach Wednesday morning. Ty SchoffstallSchoffstall comes to the Institute by way of Edinboro University where he was a two-time NCAA Tournament qualifier as a member of the Scots wrestling team from 2015-18. Named a team captain as a senior, he earned runner-up status at 174 pounds at the Eastern Wrestling League Championship in March. As a junior in 2017, Schoffstall earned an individual EWL title at 174 pounds to help his team to the league title. He also earned an individual championship for the weight class at the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference and helped the Scots to the team title that season. "Ty joins us from one of the country's perennial top performing teams in Edinboro," Gibson said. "His maturity and experience competing at a high level will undoubtedly bring the VMI wrestling program to new heights. We have a like-minded approach to the sport and I'm excited to begin our work together." Ty also played an important role at Edinboro wrestling camps, serving as a counselor as he taught high school grapplers various techniques and how to properly train for the sport. He earned a bachelor of arts in health with a focus on physical education from Edinboro in May.

Bubba Jenkins (Photo/Bellator) Bubba Jenkins has made a name for himself in both amateur wrestling and MMA. And in both sports, he's been known to speak his mind. Recently, the former Penn State All-American and Arizona State NCAA champ submitted to an in-depth question-and-answer session with Tony Reid of MyMMANews.com. In the 1,500-word Q&A, Jenkins weighed in on everything from who in MMA he would like to face in the cage ... the best music to get pumped up for a fight ... and which three guests he'd like to take out to dinner. However, there are a couple responses sure to catch the attention of the wrestling community. When asked who outside of MMA he would like to fight, Jenkins mentioned two individuals from his Penn State past. "If you asked me this question a few years ago I would say Cael Sanderson due to all the history we had while I was at Penn State," Jenkins said of his former coach at Penn State who cut him loose, which led the Virginia native to transfer to Arizona State for his senior year. "I would want to show him what MMA is all about. It would be difficult because of his ability to wrestle. In fantasy world I would like to get Cael Sanderson in there and beat the hell out of him." "But since you are asking me today, since I have no grudge against Sanderson like I used to, I would now say Frank Molinaro would be the person I would love to get in the cage with ... I never liked him as a teammate or as an opponent. He's just not a good person. I like guys with character and with personality. He's just not that guy ..." This isn't just new-found MMA bluster. In the past, Jenkins has been open in sharing his feelings about both his coach Cael Sanderson and his teammate Frank Molinaro. Take the press conference immediately after Jenkins won the 157-pound title for Arizona State at the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships by pinning ex-Penn State teammate, David Taylor. Bubba Jenkins was asked if he harbored any ill feelings toward his opponent. "Not towards David. Definitely towards Cael. He didn't think I was good enough or the right kid to win it at that weight class or any weight class. I wanted to go 149. But he had other ideas. And he got rid of me. And one man's trash is a whole country's treasure." However, a few minutes later, Jenkins talked about defeating the previously unbeaten Taylor. "I didn't have too many toys and too many machines because I always broke them, always messed them up. Anytime my mom was buying machines for me, something electrical, something that was supposed to work or do something, I always found ways to break it. And that's a machine out there. That was the Penn State kid (David Taylor). That was the phenomena toy, I suppose, and I found ways to break it and disassemble it." Frank Molinaro and Bubba Jenkins in a staredownA couple years later, at the Grapple at the Garden 2, an annual early-season amateur wrestling event held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, now MMA fighter Bubba Jenkins was part of a weigh-in scene that looked straight out of a big-time MMA event. Jenkins was originally slated to wrestle Kyle Dake, until the four-time NCAA champ for Cornell University injured his hand. Dake was replaced by ... Frank Molinaro. Jenkins shared his feelings about his former teammate on his Twitter account, with statements such as, "I hate that they put me and Frank the skank in the same sentence. I don't even like 2 see his name next to mine. #karmacoming4yoass." In case you were wondering, Jenkins came out on top of Molinaro in their mat meeting in the Garden. Bubba Jenkins launched his pro MMA career months after "breaking the phenomena toy" David Taylor to win the 2011 NCAA title. He is 12-4 in MMA, with his last fight being nearly one year ago. That said, it's a sure bet that Jenkins' interview with MyMMANews.com won't be the last time the former Nittany Lion-turned-Sun-Devil serves up talking points that'll have wrestling and MMA fans talking. Want to see more from Bubba Jenkins? Check out his post-championship press conference from the 2011 NCAAs.

Cohlton Schultz (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.), ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2019, verbally commited to Arizona State on Tuesday evening. Last summer he was a Cadet world champion in Greco-Roman at 100 kilograms. Later this summer, Schultz will be competing in his second straight Junior World Championships in Greco-Roman at 120 kilos. During the 2017-18 scholastic season, Schultz was undefeated winning a third straight state title. He won major event titles at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, Reno Tournament of Champions, and Doc Buchanan Invitational. Schultz finished the season ranked No. 2 nationally at 285 pounds. He is projected to compete collegiately as a 285 pound wrestler, and is the third top 25 commit in the Class of 2019 for Arizona State joining No. 15 Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.) and No. 23 Julian Chlebove (Northern Lehigh, Pa.).

A GoFundMe page has been established in the memory of Keith Cupp, first national champ in any sport for Tennessee's Cumberland University, who passed away Sunday. He was 35. The online fundraising page, set up this week, has this simple message: "Help is needed for funeral expenses to honor Keith Madison Cupp. Any help is greatly appreciated." Keith CuppCupp won the 174-pound title at the 2005 NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) National Wrestling Championships. As Jarad Swint, head wrestling coach of the Cumberland Phoenix mat program at that time, pointed out on his Facebook page, "He was not only Cumberland University Tennessee's first national wrestling champion, he was the first individual national champion at the school in any sport, and my first as head coach." "Keith was the catalyst for the Cumberland University wrestling program getting on the wrestling map," Swint told InterMat Tuesday. "The year before I started as coach, Cumberland finished last in the NAIA tournament, so we started a 'worst to first' campaign. The second year of that campaign Keith brought the program its first first." "When I was coach at Cumberland when Keith won his national championship, we had no wrestling room. We had to wait for other programs to finish practice before we could practice. After his championship, we acquired a donor that enabled us to build a wrestling room." In April 2007 -- just two years after Cupp's history-making NAIA individual championship -- Cumberland University completed a $154,000, 4,800-square foot wrestling building. "When Keith won his NAIA national title, he gave me a lot of credit for getting him on track mentally. Credit I did not deserve," Swint told InterMat. "It was all him. That was the kind of teammate he was to guys -- he was loyal and gave credit back." "I was blessed to have him on our team." Fred Feeney, long-time wrestling official based in Columbus, Ohio, shared his memories of Keith Cupp. "First time I met him was when he was in middle school," Feeney told InterMat. "I thought he was a great kid from the start, with a ready smile." "He wrestled at three schools in four years while in high school," Feeney continued. "He ended up at Columbus Hamilton Township High." Keith Cupp won back-to-back 152-pound Division II titles for Hamilton Township at the 2000 and 2001 Ohio High School State Wrestling Championships. His wrestling coach at Hamilton Township, Scott Williams, posted this message on Facebook: "I am thankful I could be a part of his life and he part of mine. Thank you, Keith Cupp, for the opportunity of a lifetime to wrestle and coach a state champion on a daily basis and coach in your corner as you became Hamilton Township's first-ever state champion..."

A Fort Myers, Fla. police officer who wrestled in high school in New Jersey, was shot while on duty Saturday night. Adam Jobbers-Miller, 29, was wounded and is in critical but stable condition in a Fort Myers hospital. Adam Jobbers-MillerJobbers-Miller wrestled at Wayne Valley High School in Wayne, N.J. Wayne Valley wrestling coach Todd Schroeder, who was a high school teammate of officer Jobbers-Miller's late brother Matthew Miller, shared his thoughts with the New Jersey News-Press. "We're all praying for Adam and his family," said Schroeder. "Adam comes from a wonderful family, who has done so much for Wayne Valley wrestling and the entire community for many years. Adam's older brother, Matt, and I were very good friends growing up. We both competed in the state tournament. Matt was the man and I think of him often." The coach went on to say the Miller family has been very supportive to the Wayne Valley wrestling program throughout the years, and, in fact, had supported a scholarship in Matt's name. "You won't meet better people than the Millers," said Schroeder. "David Miller, Adam and Matt's dad, was a fire chief in Wayne." Adam Jobbers-Miller had served as a firefighter in Wayne before moving to Florida and becoming a police officer. Jobbers-Miller was wounded while answering a call at a gas station in Fort Myers at approximately 7:30 p.m. Saturday evening, according to a statement on the Fort Myers Police Department's Facebook page. A fellow officer rushed Jobbers-Miller to a local trauma center where he underwent emergency surgery and is currently listed in critical but stable condition. The statement went on to say a suspect is in custody at this time. "Words cannot express the emotions running through the Fort Myers Police family at this time," said Chief of Police Derrick Diggs. "Our department spent the night in anxious anticipation as our comrade and co-worker underwent lifesaving surgery. We are grateful to the many people and agencies who have expressed their support, to the medical professionals who rushed to save him and to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) for their immediate assistance with this situation," he added. Officer Jobbers-Miller has been a member of the FMPD since September 2015. A GoFundMe page has been established by the Fort Myers Police Department on behalf of Officer Adam Jobbers-Miller to help his family with expenses. "Official Fort Myers Police Department Fund set up for the sole purpose of helping Officer Jobbers-Miller's family with any expenses they may incur," according to a statement on the online fundraising page. "Dispersal of all funds to his family will be overseen by FMPD Memorial Fund."

Josh Lowe, InterMat's high school analyst Matside is back. For the second episode Richard Mann welcomes InterMat high school analyst Josh Lowe to the show to look back at the Fargo freestyle tournament. Discussion topics include Anthony Cassioppi's run at heavyweight and chances as a true freshman at Iowa, Mason Parris' status as a prospect, the state of the Northwestern rebuild with incoming freshmen Jack Jessen and Lucas Davison, Carson Kharchla's surprising run and where he might end up for college, Travis Wittlake's path back from injury, Cullan Schriever as the future for Iowa, the current recruiting environment in Iowa, Jaden Abas storms through the backside, turning recruiting into success at Stanford, and the performance of Ohio State's incoming class. Link: InterMat Podcasts Homepage

Chris Dardanes (right) coaching twin brother Nick at the World Team Trials (Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) South Dakota State University wrestling coach Damion Hahn announced Monday the addition of Chris Dardanes to his inaugural coaching staff as a volunteer assistant. "I am thrilled to add Chris to our staff," Hahn said. "I am confident he will have an immediate impact on our program and will add tremendous value in recruiting and working with our light- and middle-weight student-athletes.." A Chicago native, Dardanes earned All-America honors three times while wrestling collegiately at the University of Minnesota from 2012-15. He placed fourth at 133 pounds in both 2012 and 2015, while earning a sixth-place finish in 2013. Dardanes finished his collegiate career with 101 victories. For the past two years, Dardanes and his twin brother, Nick, have been members of the Hawkeye Wrestling. "I am thrilled and honored to begin my coaching career as part of the Jackrabbit wrestling staff," Dardanes said. "I have to thank coach Hahn and the rest of the support system for putting their trust in me. I am excited to make big things happen in Brookings."

Eli Stickely (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The car crash that killed University of Wisconsin wrestler Eli Stickley earlier this month was caused by cellphone use, according to an Illinois State Police report made public Thursday. Just before the crash on July 5, Stickley was showing his girlfriend a video on his cellphone while driving. He lost control of the truck on I-74 westbound, about 35 miles southeast of the Quad Cities, according to the police report which was released as part of an open records request. Stickley was driving a 2004 Nissan Titan pickup truck westbound at 8:19 p.m. when he drove off the roadway into the right-side ditch, according to the report. The vehicle turned left to re-enter the road, where it flipped multiple times. Stickley, 21, was pronounced dead at Illini Hospital in the Quad Cities later that night. His passenger, Briana Cleveland, was hospitalized. The Wisconsin State Journal -- a community newspaper in Madison, home to University of Wisconsin -- reported that Cleveland, 22, of Rosemont, Minnesota, was Stickley's girlfriend. She was released from the hospital on July 11. Cleveland is an athletic trainer for the Badgers who graduated from UW in May. Cleveland told state police that Stickley was showing her a video on his phone just before the crash. Both Stickley and Cleveland were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash; however, the airbags did not deploy. Stickley died of blunt-force trauma to the head, according to the Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson. No autopsy was performed; however, toxicology tests indicate that only caffeine was found in Stickley's system. Gustafson said Stickley was a tissue donor, adding, "He saved multiple, multiple lives with his gift of donation." Just before the crash, Stickley and Cleveland were last in a line of three vehicles in a group driving to Iowa City for an engagement party for Stickley's twin sister, Moriah. Stickley's parents were in other vehicles. Elijah D. Stickley of Urbana, Ohio, was about to start his senior year as a Badger, having wrestled at 141 pounds. Prior to coming to Wisconsin, Stickley wrestled at nationally-ranked Graham High School in western Ohio, where he won the 120-pound Division II state title in 2014. Eli Stickley's family has a long history with Badger wrestling. His uncle, Congressman Jim Jordan, won back-to-back NCAA titles in 1985 and 1986 while at Wisconsin. Another uncle, Jeff Jordan, wrestled for UW from 1983 to 1986. Stickley's cousin, Isaac Jordan, competed for UW from 2012 to 2017.

Brent Hamm MOUNT VERNON -- Brent Hamm will maintain his title as Interim Head Coach of Cornell College's wrestling program for the 2018-19 season, it was announced Saturday by Director of Athletics Keith Hackett. Hamm, a 2015 Cornell graduate and two-time NCAA qualifier for the Rams, has been on Cornell's coaching staff the past three seasons. The Iowa City native served as the team's head assistant coach during the 2017-18 season. Hamm takes over Cornell's storied program for legendary coach Mike Duroe, who passed away July 6 after a nine-month battle with cancer. “During the past eight months I have watched Brenton Hamm grow as a leader and coach under challenging circumstances,” Hackett said. “Brenton did an exceptional job of leading our wrestling team when Coach Duroe was going through medical treatments. After all things were considered, my decision was that Brenton had earned the opportunity to continue in this role for the 2018-19 academic year. He is a very capable and committed young coach who will do an outstanding job.” Hamm held an increased role on Cornell's staff in 2017-18, during which the Rams crowned three all-Americans and placed 17th at the NCAA Division III Championships. It was the program's ninth Top 20 national team finish in 12 years. Hamm was a four-year starter for the Hall of Famer Duroe, Cornell's winningest wrestling coach with 144 dual wins over 13 seasons. The Rams landed 47 NCAA qualifiers, 22 all-Americans, five NCAA finalists and one NCAA champion during the Duroe Era. “Brenton certainly learned a great deal from Coach Duroe as a wrestler and assistant,” Hackett said. “I am confident in Brenton and know that the program is in very good hands as we move forward. He has also proven to be a very capable recruiter, bringing in an excellent class of freshmen and transfers this fall.” In Hamm's three seasons as an assistant, Cornell had nine NCAA qualifiers and six all-Americans. Hamm was a two-time team captain for the Rams and recorded 90 victories over his four-year career from 2011-15. He qualified for the NCAA Championships at 174 pounds in 2014 and 2015. A four-time regional placewinner, Hamm captured the Central Region title in 2015. Hamm also excelled in the class room, earning three NWCA Scholar All-America awards as a student-athlete. A member of the Dean's List, Hamm received team Most Dedicated, Most Improved and Most Valuable awards. He earned a bachelor's degree from Cornell in exercise science. Hamm was head coach of Lisbon Matpack Wrestling Club from 2015-17. He was a personal trainer at GRIT Gym in Iowa City for two years (2015-17). Cornell will conduct a national search for its full-time head wrestling coaching position following the 2018-19 season.

FARGO, N.D. -- Anthony Cassioppi matched history on Friday afternoon, becoming only the second wrestler to win two USA Wrestling Triple Crowns in the Junior division, when he rolled to an 11-0 technical fall in the 285-pound Junior Greco-Roman finals of the 2018 U.S. Marine Corps Cadet and Junior National Championships. "It took a whole lot of hard work, a whole lot of practicing," Cassioppi said. "It is just working harder than everybody else. This year, I think the competition was easier than last year. But this year, I was sick the whole tournament, so I had a lot of things going on that I had to deal with that was not on the mat. That made it a lot harder." The Illinois native joins Adam Coon as double Junior Triple Crown winners. Coon accomplished the feat in 2012 and 2013. "Obviously, he is a great wrestler. It feels great to be up there with him. I just hope I can have a career as successful as his," Cassioppi said. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...