InterMat Staff

Ziad Haddad (Photo/Tom E. Puskar) Ziad Haddad, a Pennsylvania high school state wrestling champ and two-time national collegiate titlewinner, has been picked to launch the brand-new wrestling program at Executive Education Academy Charter School in Allentown, Pa., the Allentown Morning Call reported Friday. The new wrestling program will take to the mat for the first time this fall in the EEACS's 1,600-seat gym now completing construction. Although this will be Haddad's first head coaching assignment, the 29-year-old brings considerable experience as a student-athlete and coach. He served as an assistant coach at Dieruff and Freedom before returning to Kutztown University in 2013 to complete his wrestling career and education. At Kutztown, Haddad went 55-0 during his junior and senior seasons, winning consecutive NCAA Division II titles at heavyweight. After completing his eligibility, Haddad spent three seasons as an assistant coach at his college alma mater. Prior to Kutztown, Haddad won a PIAA state title at Bethlehem Catholic. "The opportunities that Executive Education Academy is offering our students are great," Haddad told the Morning Call. "I like the fact that we're integrating the sports segment. I think it's an integral part of school. "From a wrestling end, it's a unique challenge and a benefit at the same time. You don't have to fight some of the challenges of taking over a program, but you have to instill the values and culture where they haven't existed at all. I'm looking forward to it." Wrestling is one of two inaugural sports at EEACS, joining a new boys' basketball program. In fact, at the same time Haddad was announced as head wrestling coach, the charter school revealed it had hired veteran coach Ray Barbosa for its new basketball program. Opened in 2014, Executive Education Academy has 1,300 students in grades K-12. The school has applied for membership in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The PIAA is scheduled to vote on the school's membership at its board meeting next Wednesday. If approved, EEACS will compete as a Class 2A school in District 11 and PIAA competition.

Cain Velasquez, former UFC heavyweight champ and, before that, accomplished amateur wrestler, may be looking to add WWE to his resume. Cain VelasquezVelasquez, who will be turning 36 next weekend, was seen training at the WWE Performance Center this week, according to CBS Sports. "My experience here has been amazing," Velasquez said about his time at the WWE facility located in Orlando, Fla. "I'm just looking forward to being here and learning as much as I can. I've been a fan of the sport since I was a little kid, and now I get to participate in it." Velasquez won the UFC heavyweight title from another former college star and UFC/WWE veteran with a first-round TKO of Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 in October 2010. He surrendered the belt one year later to Junior dos Santos, only to take it back from dos Santos at UFC 155 in Dec. 2012. Velasquez successfully defended the title twice before losing it to Fabricio Werdem at UFC 188 in June 2015. Velasquez's most recent appearance in the Octagon was two years ago, with a first-round TKO of Travis Browne at UFC 200, for an overall record of 14-2. Prior to launching his pro MMA career in October 2006, Velasquez was a successful amateur wrestler. He was a two-time Arizona high school state champ before heading to Iowa when he won the 2002 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) heavyweight title for Iowa Central Community College. Velasquez then returned to his home state to wrestle for Arizona State for three seasons, where he was twice an NCAA Division I All-American (2005, 2006).

Nick Simmons coaching at the 2016 Big Ten Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club has added former U.S. World Team member Nick Simmons to its coaching staff, the club announced Friday (July 20). Simmons, who also brings eight years of collegiate coaching experience, will work with both CKWC senior-level and Michigan RTC athletes. "Nick brings a lot to the table," said University of Michigan head coach Sean Bormet. "He's a former U.S. world team member, so he brings world-class freestyle experience. He has a unique skill set both collegiately and internationally, a strong body of work in coaching, deep Michigan ties, and he loves to train hands on. He is passionate about coaching every age level; he is just as excited to coach cadets and juniors in Fargo as he is coaching senior-level athletes. He loves wrestling and loves coaching, and I appreciate his enthusiasm." "I'm excited to be working with the CKWC," said Simmons. "It's going to be a blast. I love working with and helping their athletes; it's even better with my brother training there. I'm looking forward to working with Sean, Josh, Kellen and Dave. I get along well with all of them and have the same mentality and goals for our athletes. I hope to bring a different kind of excitement around these guys -- and the state of Michigan -- and help get them some world medals and championships." Simmons is the co-founder and owner of the Simmons Academy of Wrestling (SAW), a wrestling gym geared toward youth and high school wrestlers located near Lansing, Michigan. Simmons opened SAW in July 2017 after serving five years as an assistant coach at Indiana (2013-17), including four as associate head coach. Simmons also spent three seasons on staff at Oregon State (2010-12). Among the most decorated wrestlers in Michigan State history, Simmons was a four-time NCAA All-American (2003, '05-07) and three-time Big Ten champion at 125 and 133 pounds. He placed top four at NCAAs in each of his last three seasons. He ranks second in MSU program history with 138 career wins and holds the school's career pins record with 47. A three-time team captain, Simmons was named the 2005 Michigan State Male Athlete of the Year. Simmons was a seven-year U.S. National Freestyle Team member and represented the United States at the 2011 World Championships, where he earned fifth place at 55kg/121 pounds. He was a two-time Olympic alternate, taking runner-up at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and placing third in 2008. He was the 55kg champion at the 2009 U.S. Open and won a Pan-American gold medal in 2005. His freestyle success extended across multiple age levels. He made three University World teams, placing fifth in 2005, and was a three-time Fargo junior champion and four-time finalist.

Kyle Snyder launched his signature "Caliga" shoe this week, offering to sign the first 2016 pairs of the shoe for fans. Reaction to the shoes (and Snyder as a brand ambassador) seemed to be positive as RUDIS' website seemed to crash in response to the demand. The release reminded me of Jordan Burroughs' first pair of gold-colored boots and the interest his brand created within the wrestling community. However, there are some notable and sharp differences between his 2013 release and Snyder's 2018 release. Notably in just five years online purchasing has moved from desktops to mobile and become much easier, safer and convenient. That means more clicks when well-targeted promotional and marketing efforts reach fans. While Snyder is no doubt blowing out his servers, it's interesting to think what Burroughs would have been able to accomplish on his first release should there have been more reliable online purchasing methods and marketing. We will never know, but it's reassuring that the wrestling community has enough breadth and is interested in enough talent to support more than one pair of signature shoe. All the best to Snyder in his newest endeavor. To your questions … Sarah Hildebrandt after winning the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Do you think Sarah Hildebrandt could earn a medal at this year's World Championships? -- Mike C. Foley: Oh, absolutely. She's currently the top-ranked woman in the world with only the Poland Open left to compete. That will be in September, but as it stands she has a four-point lead over Yu Miyahara who did not make the team for Japan. Instead that will be Haruna Okuno, who coincidentally beat Hildebrandt in a tight 7-6 match at the Women's World Cup in March. Okuno will be prepared, but it's worth noting that, were her progression a chart, Hildebrandt would be in the middle of her hockey stick phase -- improvement is visible each time she steps on the mat to compete. She has an intensity and confidence that was missing in previous years that I think will continue to grow over the next few months as she prepares for Budapest. Hildebrandt has some losses, notably to Erdenechimeg (Mongolia), but I think that having faced her style she can adapt and avoid the over-under situations and poor shot selection that cost her points in their match at the World Cup. With an ever-improving women's program she'll find ways to improve and I fully expect her to earn a medal and would go so far as to predict she makes the finals. Q: Where do you stand with the new headgear? Feels like early football helmets. -- @ShogunOfSonoma Foley: I commend those responsible for creating the headgear as I'm certain it's doing what they think is best for the sport. However, the widespread adoption of the headgear will only increase the use of the head in competition and drive away parents based on price and the image that the sport is one in which competitors use their head as a battering device. The best way to limit head-to-head contact is to enforce head-slapping penalties and automatically disqualify anything that resembles an intentional head butt. Padding will only worsen the existing problems. Q: With Daton Fix back on the Junior World Team, do you like Team USA's chances to repeat? -- Mike C. Foley: I love Daton's chances to repeat, but I think Team USA is facing a tough time against the Iranians and Russians. Over the last month Iran has been absolutely destroying the competition at the Cadet and Junior levels and I suspect we will see them continue that trend at Junior Worlds. Also, I'm hearing that the Georgians are going to bring a knockout squad to Slovakia. Team USA has a bucket load of studs, but I'll need to see how they compete in Brazil before assigning them a percentage chance for repeat gold. Q: Is high crotch an outdated term? With new families into the sport and the continued growth of women's wrestling, is it an awkward term? "Checking the oil" faded away. I always felt like Hi-C was for wrist-flicking coaches who didn't tie their shoes. Head outside and head inside. -- @r12video Foley: We can all agree that "checking the oil" is best left on the roadside of history. Definitely no need to bring that terminology back into the sport. Hi-crotch really isn't that problematic, but I agree that "head inside" and "head outside" are much better descriptors, if not only for the athletes who are being directed on what to attempt. A few years ago I watched a top-ranked high school program go through practice and was shocked by how effectively they named positions, transitions, and holds. Whereas I grew up with basic names, the coaches used names that related to the athletes. I'm struggling to find an example of what was relevant (and being used) at that time, but imagine someone using a Fortnite or Pokemon reference today and you get the point. Coaching club and high school athletes is about relating to them and understanding how they learn. Overall, I think that our generation's nomenclature will simply be replaced by the terms of today and we won't need to regulate any speech, or feel that it was problematic. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Haruna Okuno Daton Fix's 2017 Junior World final Team USA (Gilman almost cracking a smile!)

Mason Gehloff (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) FARGO, N.D. -- Mason Gehloff of Minnesota won the prestigious USA Wrestling Triple Crown on Thursday, coming back from a late deficit in the last 10 seconds of the 88-pound finals to defeat Kai Owen of Florida at the USMC Cadet and Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D. As he had done in his quarterfinal and semifinal matches, Gehloff grinded out a comeback win, scoring six points in the final 75 seconds, which included two throws. "I don't know [what it is that allows me to come from behind]," Gehloff said. "I just want it more. I just want to get the win, just try one-hundred and ten percent to get it because isn't over until the whistle is blown." Gehloff is the only Cadet to win a 2018 Triple Crown, after claiming the folkstyle national title in April and the freestyle national title earlier this week, where he wrestled at 88 pounds. The Minnesota wrestler was awarded the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler honor for his performance. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

Daniel Mayo RIVERDALE, N.Y. -- Director of Athletics and Recreation Barima Yeboah announced the hiring of Daniel Mayo on Thursday. Mayo will serve as the College of Mount Saint Vincent's head wrestling coach and will look to further a program that was introduced in 2012. "I was looking to get back into college coaching at any level, whether it was Division I, II or III," Mayo told CMSVAthletics.com. "Once I saw the opening at CMSV, I saw a major challenge and opportunity to help the team and program grow." Coach Mayo has spent numerous years coaching throughout all levels of college wrestling, including a 10-year stint at Rider University working under Gary Taylor, the third winningest coach in Division I history. During his time with the Broncos, Coach Mayo helped produce eight Division I All-Americans while also capturing numerous conference titles. He also spent time coaching at Princeton University and Penn State University for one year apiece. While Coach Mayo is accomplished in teaching the next generation of wrestlers, he had a tremendous career as an athlete himself. During his days at Penn State, Coach Mayo was two-time All-American, NCAA finalist and a third place finisher, as well as helping his team capture the National Dual Meet Championship. Coach Mayo ended his career with 110 wins, three EWL titles and was recently inducted into the EWL Hall of Fame. Following graduation, Coach Mayo became a two-time USA team member and member of Team Foxcatcher. At the high school level, Coach Mayo was a New York State title holder and Junior National Champion. "Throughout my time as a wrestler, I was very fortunate to be coached by the best high school coaches in the country, the best college coaches in the country and the great coaches from Team USA." Coach Mayo knows there is a lot of work to be done with CMSV's wrestling program. But there's no doubt that he's up for the challenge. "As the great coach from the University of Iowa Tom Brands once said, 'the only thing you deserve is what you earn.' This will take some time. But with the support of the administration, I look forward to opening some eyes."

Heath Eslinger (Photo/UTC) University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Mark Wharton announced the resignation of wrestling head coach Heath Eslinger today. Eslinger, who spent nine seasons as head coach of his alma mater, informed Wharton of his decision this morning. "It was always my hope that Heath Eslinger spend the rest of his career leading our wrestling program," stated Wharton. "He is an outstanding coach and an even better human being. We are certainly going to miss him. "As most of us know, he has become a sought-after public speaker and coaching mentor. He has an opportunity to couple that with his faith and follow a new career path. We wish him and his family nothing but the best as they embark on this new journey." Eslinger was hired on July 11, 2009 and went on to win six Southern Conference titles in nine seasons. He has a career record of 101-61 (.623), including an amazing 53-5 (.914) mark in SoCon matches. He was twice named the SoCon Coach of the Year (2011, 2013), and has coached two SoCon Wrestlers of the Year, two SoCon Tournament MVPs and three SoCon Freshmen of the Year. The Mocs have also brought home 25 individual league titles in this tenure. "I can't express my gratitude enough for the University, this department, our alumni and all of our student-athletes and coaches for the privilege of leading this program," stated Eslinger. "I have truly been blessed to be able to lead this team and be around such great people. "I am not leaving one thing, but rather running toward something that has been a passion of mine for several years. I will do everything I can to help move this program forward and position it for success in the future. I believe the best days are ahead for Chattanooga Wrestling and I know our administration is in full support. "My children have grown up here and we are grateful for the friends, colleagues, parents and many others who have made this special for all of us. I look forward to seeing what the future holds here and can't wait to see how God uses my family in the future." The Mocs have been at the forefront of the promotion of collegiate wrestling during Eslinger's tenure with the creation of the "Chattanooga Strong" brand. His aggressive marketing approach helped UTC set attendance records in Maclellan Gym, including a sold out crowd (2,639) for the Iowa match in 2013. ​​​​​​​Eslinger orchestrated the move of the Southern Scuffle to Chattanooga's McKenzie Arena in 2012. The Southern Scuffle has grown into the top in-season collegiate tournament in the nation. There has also been a marked improvement in the classroom under Eslinger's watch. The Mocs have finished in the top-10 in the nation in team grade-point-average among wrestling programs three times and topped a 3.0 GPA as a team for the first time in the fall of 2016. They repeated that feat with another 3.0 semester in the fall of 2017. "Kyle Ruschell will serve as the Interim Head Coach and we will begin a national search for a replacement immediately," added Wharton. "Like all of our positions at Chattanooga, I fully expect to receive interest from highly qualified candidates from across the country. Coach Eslinger carried on the outstanding tradition of Chattanooga Wrestling, and I look forward to finding the next person who is the right fit to lead our program." Update 7/20/18 Multiple media reports indicate that Heath Eslinger is leaving his coaching job at UTC for a position with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where he will be involved in coaching development, with a focus on "the parent education side of sports." "I just want to be a change agent for good," Eslinger told the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Thursday. FCA area director Jay Fowler said Eslinger "has been an incredible volunteer for us for decades, and I can't think of anyone better than Heath Eslinger to work with the coaches who work day-to-day with the kids. I know he's going to make a huge impact in our ministry in Chattanooga, in Tennessee and beyond."

Bronson Harmon (left) placed fourth in California's state tournament in 2017 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) A California high school state tournament placer has lost his Cal Poly wrestling scholarship after video of him shown making an obscene gesture and a homophobic slur during a march last month surfaced on social media and was seen by the head wrestling coach of the Mustangs. Bronson Harmon, a former wrestler at Oakdale High School near Modesto, Calif., had signed a National Letter of Intent last November to wrestle at California Polytechnic Institute in San Luis Obispo but the scholarship was withdrawn, Cal Poly Athletic Director Don Oberhelman confirmed to the Modesto Bee on Tuesday. Oberhelman did not comment on the reason Harmon's scholarship was revoked, but the move came just three days after video surfaced of Harmon yelling a homophobic slur and directing an obscene gesture at a participant of the Families Belong Together March in Modesto on June 30. After that moment was captured on video, Harmon was allegedly involved in a follow-up assault that led to a formal complaint being filed with the Modesto Police Department, according to spokeswoman Sharon Bear. Brandon Harmon, who graduated from Oakdale High this spring, can be seen in a video posted online walking with his father Todd Harmon and a friend down a Modesto street carrying a sign that reads "Donald Trump 2016" during the Families Belong Together March. Bronson HarmonAccording to newspaper accounts, the younger Harmon notices he is being recorded, he shows his middle finger to the person recording and says "Fu** you fa**ot." Harmon confirmed to the Modesto paper that he learned the scholarship was being revoked in a July 2 phone call from Cal Poly wrestling coach Jon Sioredas after he had seen the video. Sioredas did not respond to the Modesto Bee's request for comment Tuesday. "I totally regret it," Bronson Harmon told the San Luis Obispo Tribune. "I got caught up in the heat of the moment. I was there to peacefully protest the things that we believe and people were harassing us, spitting on us and calling us Nazis." "Saying what I said is definitely not the right thing. I am supposed to be there to help the community be the best person I can be and represent the college the best way I can," Harmon continued. "But I still feel like my freedom of speech was taken away, and I don't think my scholarship should have been revoked over something like that." Cal Poly AD Oberhelman said the offer of financial aid signed by all student athletes says the university can cancel aid for actions that could cause embarrassment to the school at the discretion of the athletic director. In addition to the video posted on social media which the school cited as being reason for rescinding its scholarship offer, a complaint has been filed against Brandon Harmon for allegedly physically attacking a man at the protest. The wrestler claimed the man was trying to damage a tire of his dad's truck with a screwdriver. That individual -- who filed the complaint with Modesto police -- said he was shoved by the 18-year-old after he tried to pick up his screwdriver which he said he accidently dropped near the elder Harmon's truck. The case has been forwarded to the district attorney's office for review. No charges have been filed and no arrests have been made as of Tuesday. As a junior at Oakdale, Harmon compiled a 35-7 record and placed fourth in the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) state finals at 160 pounds after a first-place finish in the CIF-Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Meet. He did not wrestle for his school in the last part of his senior season after he had a falling out with the coach over which weight class he would wrestle in. Despite having his wrestling scholarship revoked, Branson Harmon still plans to attend Cal Poly this fall, and concentrate on becoming a mixed martial arts fighter. "I got accepted and they said I am welcome still," Harmon told the San Luis Obispo newspaper. "It's just that they can't be bringing all this publicity to athletics so I can't be involved with athletics." This is not the first time a college wrestler has suffered the consequences of a homophobic social media post. In 2014, a Division I starter was suspended for anti-gay comments on Twitter. To learn more about the potential pitfalls of off-the-mat behavior -- including online comments -- check out InterMat's "Matmen Behaving Badly?" in-depth feature.

Ben Stehura (Photo/CSU Athletics) Four months after resigning as head wrestling coach at Cleveland State University, Ben Stehura has been named to head up the wrestling program at West Geauga High School just east of Cleveland, the News-Herald reported Wednesday. Stehura announced his resignation from Cleveland State in late March after ten years at the helm of the Viking mat program. So how did the former coach at a large urban university land a job at an 800-student high school in a rural-trending-suburban area couple dozen miles from downtown Cleveland? "It was such a coincidence how it happened," Stehura told the News-Herald. "They called me for a reference on one of my former athletes. We started talking, and it just went from there." Stehura takes over the program from longtime coach Joe Marino, who stepped down after last season. "I'm excited for the opportunity at West Geauga," Stehura said. Stehura's new boss shares in that excitement. "We're really excited to have a guy who was the head coach at Cleveland State," West Geauga Athletic Director Tim Skoczen said. "He's a phenomenal guy. I am impressed with him. We really lucked out on this one." Stehura brings impressive credentials as a wrestler and coach to West Geauga High. The Ohio native wrestled at Pennsylvania's Lock Haven University before launching his coaching career as head coach at Limestone College. After five years at the South Carolina school, Stehura returned to his home state to Cleveland State. In his ten years as head coach, Stehura guided Viking wrestlers to five Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) titles and nine NCAA Division I Championships berths. West Geauga High School is a four-year public high school located in Chesterland, Ohio just outside the metropolitan Cleveland area.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army West Point head wrestling coach Kevin Ward announced that Anthony Abidin has joined the staff as a volunteer assistant. Anthony AbidinAbidin comes to West Point with six years of coaching experience under his belt, including spending the 2017-18 season with Fresno State and its regional training center. "Anthony is a promising young coach who has a passion for the sport of wrestling and a passion for coaching," Ward said. "Anthony's success in college competing for Nebraska speaks for itself, but what really attracted me to Anthony is his passion and energy for helping wrestlers achieve their goals. He has trained alongside, and learned from, some of the best wrestlers and coaches in the country and the knowledge he has gained will greatly benefit our team. He is a guy that can wrestle with our guys on a daily basis and continue to help our program push for All-America honors." In addition to his time at Fresno State, Abidin has helped produce 18 all-country wrestlers in both Nassau and Suffolk county, 12 county champions, nine all-state wrestlers, five New York state champions, eight high school All-Americans, three NCAA Division I wrestlers and one Division I commit. Abidin earned his Bachelor's in Sociology and Social Science from the University of Nebraska in 2016 where he was a three-year starter. He was the recipient of the Tom Osborn Citizenship Award in 2015 which is given to athletes who have provided a vast amount of time in outreach/charity events throughout the city of Lincoln, Neb. Abidin posted a career record of 72-24 at Nebraska while qualifying for the NCAA Championships twice at 141 pounds. He collected 12 career victories over ranked opponents with seven coming against top-10 foes. Abidin placed in eight tournaments as a Cornhusker, including the individual title at the 2014-15 Cowboy Open. He also placed second at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in 2013-14 and third at the 2013-14 Reno Tournament of Champions and 2014-15 Southern Scuffle. His best season came as a junior when Abidin went 33-6 and was a perfect 15-0 in duals. He posted 19 bonus point victories with four falls, two technical falls and 13 major decisions and won eight matches against ranked opponents that season, including two over two-time All-American Anthony Ashnault of Rutgers. Prior to Nebraska, Abidin spent two years at Nassau Community College where he earned his Associate's in Liberal Arts in 2013. He won the NJCAA national title at 133 pounds as a freshman in 2012. Abidin also brings in a wealth of knowledge in freestyle wrestling as a member of the New York Athletic Club. Most recently, he advanced to the round of 12 at the 2017 U.S. Open at 65kg. Abidin also placed third at the 2017 Last Chance Qualifier and the 2018 "Granma E Cero Pelado" in Cuba. Additionally, he earned a fifth-place finish at the 2018 Bill Farrel Invitational. Abidin is a native of Dix Hills, N.Y., and currently resides in Highland Falls. For more information on Army West Point wrestling, visit GoArmyWestPoint.com and follow @ArmyWP_Wres on Twitter.

Austin Gomez is expected to make an impact for Iowa State in 2018-19 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Coaches always preach getting better through hard work and training. While that is always the goal, sometimes coaches simply need to bring in new wrestlers to the lineup. While most teams will likely be chasing Penn State again this year, the following teams did the best job of improving their starting lineup via transfer, recruiting and wrestlers coming off redshirt. 1. Iowa State The Cyclones experienced some growing pains in their first year under head coach Kevin Dresser. While much of the news around the program has centered on departures from the squad, there will be some talented faces in the lineup next year. The team will feature a pair of quality recruits coming off redshirt. Austin Gomez was a top recruit coming out of high school, and he has looked the part so far. He went undefeated during his redshirt season. This spring he won the UWW Junior Nationals in Las Vegas and eventually secured a spot on the Junior World Team. Gomez is expected to hold the spot at 133 pounds over former NJCAA champion Todd Small who transferred in from Iowa Central. Marcus Coleman is also expected to step into the starting lineup after a strong redshirt year. He went 24-2 during his true freshman campaign with his only two losses coming against Big 12 champion Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa). A surprising addition to the Cyclone lineup is Willie Miklus who transferred in from Missouri after receiving a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA. Miklus finished eighth at last year's NCAA tournament to become an All-American for the third time. The Iowa native should step in at 197 pounds. However, it remains to be seen how the lineup will work out. Sammy Colbray held down the weight for the Cyclones last year and had some moments. The Cyclones also added Ethan Anderson as a transfer from Oklahoma State. However, he will likely ride the bench behind Gannon Gremmel at heavyweight. The crown jewel of Dresser's recruiting class was No. 3 recruit David Carr who is expected to redshirt this season. Daton Fix reached Final X before losing to Thomas Gilman (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 2. Oklahoma State The Cowboys have three potential impact wrestlers coming off redshirt. The problem will be trying to find a place in the lineup for all three. Daton Fix recently wrapped up his spot on the Junior World Team after narrowly missing out on the Senior World Team earlier in the summer. He made Final X after defeating veteran Tony Ramos, but he fell against Thomas Gilman in the Final X series. Fix wrestled sparingly during his redshirt campaign. He went 5-0 and won the Reno Tournament of Champions and then suffered an injury at the Southern Scuffle. While he can clearly make 125 pounds, Fix might end up at 133 so the Cowboys can keep Nick Piccininni in the lineup. Kaden Gfeller went 20-4 during his redshirt season with his four losses all coming against All-Americans. The highlight of his season was winning the Southern Scuffle where he pinned Nick Lee (Penn State) in the finals. As it currently stands, it looks like Gfeller is behind Kaid Brock on the depth chart at 141 pounds. However, he might end up starting after a lineup shuffle. Returning to the lineup is Joe Smith. He started at 157 pounds for the Cowboy for his freshman and sophomore season and earned All-American honors in both years. He redshirted last season, and he might end up being the starter at 174 pounds this season. The Cowboys also added Dakota Geer as a transfer from Edinboro. He will likely sit behind senior Jacobe Smith at 184 pounds, but he could end up becoming a wildcard contributor in the winter. Gable Steveson dominated Tanner Hall at the World Team Trials (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) 3. Minnesota The Golden Gophers signed the No. 1 recruit in the country, Gable Steveson, and he is expected to make an impact right away. This past summer, he came pretty close to earning a spot in Final X. He lost on criteria in the finals of the World Team Trials challenge tournament. He should be a contender at heavyweight this upcoming season. In addition to the top recruit, Minnesota will also receive help from a pair of impact transfers. Sean Russell will step in at 125 pounds after coming over from Edinboro. This allows Ethan Lizak to move up to 133. Russell is a three-time NCAA qualifier and earned All-American honors in the 2017 season. Also coming into the program is Devin Skatzka, formerly of Indiana where he was a two-time NCAA qualifier. He is expected to take over at 174 pounds. Another wildcard potential addition to the Minnesota lineup is Jake Allar. He originally committed to Iowa State out of high school but switched to Minnesota after a coaching change. He missed his entire redshirt season due to injury, but he could still make an impact at 165 for the squad. Austin DeSanto gets his hand raised after beating Northwestern's Anthony Rubinetti at the Keystone Classic (Photo/Juan Garcia) 4. Iowa The biggest offseason acquisition for the Hawkeyes was filling the lineup hole at 133 pounds with Austin DeSanto. The Pennsylvania native transferred in after his freshman season at Drexel where he narrowly missed out on All-American status. Iowa will also benefit from three wrestlers coming out of redshirt. Pat Lugo redshirted last season after transferring from Edinboro. He is expected to take over at 149 pounds after the graduation of Brandon Sorensen. At 197, Jacob Warner will step into the lineup after looking downright dominant this summer. He torched his way through the UWW Junior Nationals and World Team Trials fields and will represent the U.S. at the Junior World Championships. Max Murin also has a shot to make the lineup at 141 pounds. He also picked up some signature victories in freestyle earlier this summer including a win over Iowa State to Michigan transfer Kanen Storr. Mekhi Lewis (Photo/HokieSports.com) 5. Virginia Tech The Hokies were able to pick up two starters via transfer from Edinboro. Korbin Myers is a two-time NCAA qualifier who should step into the lineup at 133. Also coming over is Billy Miller who was a three-time NCAA qualifier for Edinboro before transferring. Mekhi Lewis is expected to step in the lineup after coming off redshirt. During his redshirt year, he went 28-2 with his only two losses coming against Chance Marsteller (Lock Haven). At the Junior World Team Trials, Lewis knocked off All-American Alex Marinelli (Iowa) to make the finals, and he eventually earned a spot on the Junior World Team.

John Irving Acclaimed novelist John Irving, former wrestler and coach -- and 1982 National Wrestling Hall of Fame honoree - has been has been presented with a lifetime achievement award honoring writers whose work fosters peace, social justice, and global understanding. Dayton Literary Peace Prize officials named Irving, 76, for the Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. The award is named for the late U.S. diplomat who brokered the 1995 Bosnia peace accords reached at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Irving, who is being honored for his complete body of work, encompassing 14 novels over 50 years, will be presented with the award at a gala ceremony in Dayton on October 28, 2018. In announcing the recipient of the 2018 award on Tuesday, Sharon Rab, founder and chair of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize organization , said, "John Irving's body of work creates worlds that allow the reader to explore the contradictions of twisted morality, the consequences of suspicions of the other, the absurdities of pride and ignorance, and the tragedy of a lack of sympathy and empathy for our fellow humans: characteristics that make peace unreachable. Through books --especially Irving's books -- readers learn to understand and identify with people who are different from themselves." John Irving was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, in 1942. His first novel, "Setting Free the Bears," was published in 1968, when he was twenty-six. According to his biography at his official website, Irving competed as a wrestler for twenty years, and coached wrestling until he was forty-seven. He has incorporated the sport in his writing, including "The 158-Pound Marriage" which features a wrestling coach as main character, and his popular novel "The World According to Garp" that incorporates the sport ... as well as a detailed profile of Dan Gable titled "Gorgeous Dan" for Esquire magazine. Irving was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as an Outstanding American in 1982. He was the subject of a Mat Talk Podcast "Legends" interview with Jason Bryant. The Dayton Literary Peace Prize award includes a $10,000 prize. Previous winners include Studs Terkel, Taylor Branch, Gloria Steinem, and Elie Wiesel.

Ed Ruth, three-time NCAA wrestling champ for Penn State, is one of nine competitors named to the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix tournament, the MMA promotion announced Tuesday. Ed Ruth (Photo/Bellator)Ten of Bellator's best 170-pounders will be featured in the bracket to determine a welterweight champ for the promotion. In addition to Ed Ruth, others named to the tournament by Bellator president Scott Coker include current champion Rory MacDonald; former champions Douglas Lima and Andrey Koreshkov; undefeated welterweights Michael Page, Neiman Gracie and Yaroslav Amosov; and former UFC standouts Lorenz Larkin and Jon Fitch. A tenth contestant has yet to be named. Once the ten fighters are named, there will be two "play-in" matches to determine the final eight-man bracket. The Grand Prix is scheduled to begin at Bellator 205 in September with a matchup between Lima and Koreshkov. Ruth, who signed with Bellator in May 2015, has crafted a perfect 6-0 record, all competing for Bellator. Late last month, Ruth made his debut as a welterweight at Bellator 201, scoring a second-round stoppage of veteran Andy Murad (who is now 15-3). Prior to Bellator 201, Ruth had previously fought at middleweight (185 pounds). Although Ruth made a name for himself on the wrestling mat, striking has figured into his pro MMA success, having one four bouts by TKO and one by knockout.

Joy Davids, first woman to have been welcomed into the Michigan chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, passed away July 12, just days before her 86th birthday. Joy Davids and her husband of nearly 70 years, Lee, were inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Michigan Chapter in a ceremony in East Lansing in Sept. 2011. Born July 18, 1932 in Michigan, Joy and Lee established one of the first youth wrestling clubs in America. She volunteered thousands of hours over many decades organizing and running wrestling tournaments, going so far as to drive young wrestlers all over the country to compete. "Thousands of wrestlers will remember Mrs. Davids as the kind lady that created wall charts and took pictures of them on the award stand at local, state, national and international events," according to the tribute in both the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press. "Dozens of young men and women called her "mom", and her legacy with these young people is unparalleled." The couple also ran Davids Gold Medal Sports, a store for equipment for wrestling and other sports, located in Hazel Park just outside Detroit. In a News-Tribune profile written at the time of their induction into the Hall of Fame, Joy and Lee Davids were described as "an integral part of the fabric of wrestling both locally and nationally for years." "I've met so many nice people over the years," Joy Davids told the newspaper in 2011. "If your kids were with wrestlers, you did not worry about them." Joy and Lee Davids raised five children. In addition to daughter Mary, there were four sons who all wrestled at Hazel Park High School - Mark, a Michigan high school state runner-up who went on to wrestle at Eastern Michigan University; Billy, a state champ, and two-time Big Ten and two-time NCAA All-American for University of Michigan; Johnny, who also wrestled for the Wolverines; and Tommy, a state champ who was the third Davids son to wrestle at the Big Ten school in Ann Arbor. Services for Joy Davids were held Tuesday evening, July 17.

Four former Ohio State University wrestlers have filed a class-action federal lawsuit against the Columbus-based school, claiming administrators were aware of alleged sexual abuse by team doctor Richard Strauss and did nothing about it. The suit, filed Monday in federal district court in Columbus, accuses Ohio State of Title IX and civil rights violations when it failed to prevent repeated sexual assaults, abuse and molestation by Strauss. The four former Buckeye wrestlers in the case have not been identified. The plaintiffs -- listed only as "John Does" in the lawsuit -- seek punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorney fees and other relief as the court deems proper. The suit did not state a specific amount the plaintiffs were seeking. The lawsuit alleges that wrestlers as well as male athletes in 13 other intercollegiate sports were subject to "excessive and medically unnecessary fondling, touching, and groping" during routine medical examinations conducted by Strauss over the course of more than two decades on staff at Ohio State, according to NBC News. The Columbus Dispatch reported the complaint alleges that despite being repeatedly informed of Strauss' "sexual assault, abuse, battery, molestation, and/or harassment, OSU failed to take appropriate action (or, in fact, any action whatsoever) to stop or prevent Dr. Strauss from continuing his rampant sexual misconduct." "Dr. Strauss used his position of trust and confidence to regularly and systematically sexually assault, abuse, batter, molest, and harass male students and student-athletes over the entire course of his career in his capacity as an employee, agent, and/or representative of OSU," according to the Dispatch. To illustrate the span of complaints concerning Strauss' alleged behavior, the suit states that a student-athlete first complained to the university's student health center in 1978 ... while, in the mid-1990s, two wrestlers reported Strauss to Andy Geiger, Ohio State's athletic director at the time, while another reported the same incident to then head wrestling coach Russ Hellickson. The Dispatch reported that the lawsuit states Ohio State held a hearing on the allegations against Strauss in 1997, and he was allegedly allowed to "quietly retire," without facing disciplinary action. Strauss died in 2005. The alleged abuse took place in Larkins Hall, a multi-purpose building on campus which, in addition to housing various varsity and intermural sports, also included a wrestling practice facility as well as locker rooms, shower rooms and a sauna for the Buckeye wrestling program. Larkins Hall has since been torn down. In early April, Ohio State announced it was investigating allegations of sexual abuse involving Buckeye student-athletes. The school set up a reporting procedure for victims to share their stories. In addition, the Ohio attorney general has launched an investigation. Recent news reports indicate that more than 150 individuals have come forward.

Brayton Lee celebrates after winning a Junior freestyle title over Alex Lloyd (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) FARGO, N.D. -- Tuesday afternoon was one to remember for five graduated high school seniors, who got to have one last moment as a scholastic athlete before moving onto the collegiate competitive ranks. These young men all won championships in Junior freestyle on the raised mat. The last match of the program saw No. 18 overall Class of 2018 wrestler Anthony Cassioppi of Illinois earn a repeat Junior National freestyle title at 285 pounds. The Iowa enrollee replicated a 3-1 Junior folkstyle finals victory over Nash Hutmacher of South Dakota, who is ranked No. 14 overall in the Class of 2020. It was augmented with a bit more flair, as the result was a dominant pin in 1:14, as Cassioppi was on his way to a technical fall. For the tournament, Cassioppi earned three technical falls and had three victories by pin. This also included technical falls over the pair of wrestlers that contested the consolation final. With a win in the Greco-Roman tournament, Cassioppi would become a two-time Junior National triple crown winner. It was a worthy Outstanding Wrestler performance. The first of three all-graduated senior showdowns came at 152 pounds, and it was a dandy as No. 11 Brayton Lee of Indiana outlasted No. 35 Alex Lloyd of Minnesota 3-3 via criteria. Lee, the Minnesota enrollee, came into the final winning his six previous matches by shutout technical fall but trailed 3-0 during the second period. A caution-and-one then a takedown yielded the points necessary for Lee to earn gold. At 160 pounds, it was Danny Braunagel of Illinois, who relegated No. 56 Jared Franek of North Dakota to a second consecutive runner-up finish in Junior freestyle. Franek would score the first takedown, but it was 13 consecutive for the Illinois enrollee to earn the technical fall. Earlier in the tournament, Braunagel earned victories over the wrestlers that finished third through fifth, including a 12-8 semifinal victory over returning Junior freestyle runner-up Tyler Dow of Wisconsin. Last of the three came at 182 pounds, as it was the top 50 battle between No. 42 Joel Shapiro of Iowa and No. 46 Jack Jessen of Illinois. Having earned a ninth All-American finish in as many Fargo tournaments, and it being his third freestyle final (Junior runer-up last year, Cadet runner-up in 2015), the Northwestern enrollee Jessen got his elusive title. The 10-0 technical fall over Iowa State enrollee Shapiro was his seventh in as many tournament bouts. Rounding out the graduated senior champions was No. 74 Lucas Davison of Indiana. The fellow Northwestern enrollee also earned a 10-0 technical fall, and it also was his seventh technical fall in as many tournament bouts. His finals opponent was No. 95 overall Class of 2019 wrestler Peter Christensen of Illinois. However, the most impressive performance on Tuesday afternoon arguably was had by 170 pound champion Carson Kharchla of Ohio, who is ranked No. 10 overall in the Class of 2019. The rising senior thumped Dustin Plott of Oklahoma, who is ranked No. 9 overall in the Class of 2020 by 10-0 technical fall in 1:14. Kharchla used a pair of takedown and turn sequences before a third takedown was the match terminator. During the tournament, the only points Kharchla gave up came in a 7-4 semifinal victory over Travis Wittlake of Oregon, who finished as the No. 2 overall Class of 2018 wrestler. In all, he beat wrestlers that finished 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th in the weight class. Two other rising seniors from Ohio joined Kharchla as Junior National freestyle champions. Jordan Decatur, ranked No. 4 overall, won the title at 132 pounds with a 13-8 victory over Ridge Lovett of Idaho in a match that he led for the duration; Lovett is ranked No. 28 overall in the Class of 2019. Bryce Andonian, ranked No. 21 overall, won the title at 145 pounds using a pair of four-point moves to start and finish off Logan Meek of Oregon in a 12-2 technical fall victory. Three additional rising seniors won titles on Tuesday afternoon. The first was No. 53 Eric Barnett of Wisconsin, who earned a pin in 1:32 over No. 59 Aden Reeves of Iowa at 120 pounds; Barnett's run to the final included victories over two additional All-Americans plus another pair of wrestlers that ended 2017-18 weight class ranked. A seventh technical fall in seven bouts saw Michael Colaiocco of New Jersey, who is ranked No. 27 in the Class of 2019, earn gold at 126 pounds; his finals bout was a decisive and quick 10-0 technical fall over Reece Witcraft of Oklahoma. An all-Illinois showdown of Class 2A state champions saw No. 44 Luke Luffman earn a tightly contested 4-2 decision over Jace Punke at 220 pounds. The Illinois verbal commit gave up the opening takedown to Punke, but countered with a takedown of his own before the first period was up. In the second period Luffman was able to score two one-point moves, the first of which was when Punke was put on the shot clock and could not score. Three rising juniors won Junior freestyle titles, including repeat champion Will Guida of New Jersey (though he attends St. Paul's School for Boys in Maryland) at 106 pounds. Guida used a four-point move in each period to upend Anthony King of Illinois 11-3 in the championship bout. In the program's next match, No. 32 overall Class of 2020 wrestlers Cullan Schriever of Iowa rallied back from a 7-0 late first period deficit to defeat Jonathan Prata of California 10-10 via criteria. Schriever responded with a takedown before the first period ended and a feet-to-back four-pointer early in the second period. However, Prata bursted back ahead 10-6 before a four-pointer from Schriever at the edge gave him the criteria lead and ultimate victory. Lastly, at 138 pounds it No. 29 overall Keegan O'Toole of Wisconsin, who upset No. 37 overall rising senior Gabe Tagg of Ohio by 11-6 decision in the 138 pound championship bout. O'Toole jumped out to a 6-0 lead after one period, before a back-and-forth second period never saw Tagg really challenge to go ahead. Rounding out the weight class champions was Joey Fischer of Pennsylvania, who won gold at 100 pounds with a 10-0 technical fall at 100 pounds over Ronan Schuelke of Illinois. Fischer was a state qualifier in his freshman season of high school. All-Americans 100: 1st: Joseph Fischer (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Ronan Schuelke (Illinois), 10-0 3rd: Eli Griffin (Oklahoma) tech. fall Guillermo Juarez (Illinois), 12-1 5th: Christian Tanefeu (North Dakota) tech. fall Colin Noel (Ohio), 10-0 7th: Trent Thompson (Connecticut) tech. fall Kael Brisker (Iowa), 15-4 106: 1st: Wil Guida (New Jersey) dec. Anthony King (Illinois), 11-3 3rd: Brenden Chaowanapibool (Washington) dec. Zachary Espalin (Arizona), 12-6 5th: Riley Parker (Virginia) tech. fall Bryce Cockrell (Oklahoma), 10-0 7th: Alexzander Cottey (Indiana) pinned Sawyer Nash (Illinois), 1:00 113: 1st: Cullan Schriever (Iowa) dec. Jonathan Prata (California), 10-10 3rd: Brendon Garcia (Colorado) tech. fall Dustin Norris (Ohio), 14-4 5th: Dominic Chavez (Texas) tech. fall Joseph Thompson (Minnesota), 12-1 7th: Justin Cardani (Illinois) tech. fall Timothy Levine (California), 15-4 120: 1st: Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) pinned Aden Reeves (Iowa), 1:32 3rd: Julian Tagg (Ohio) dec. Kyle Biscoglia (Iowa), 7-5 5th: Corey Gamet (Michigan) by injury def. over Trevor Mastrogiovanni (New Jersey) 7th: Anthony Molton (Illinois) tech. fall Dylan Ragusin (Illinois), 18-7 126: 1st: Michael Colaiocco (New Jersey) tech. fall Reece Witcraft (Oklahoma), 10-0 3rd: Patrick McKee (Minnesota) dec. Kyle Burwick (North Dakota), 8-6 5th: Kai Orine (Missouri) tech. fall Kellyn March (South Dakota), 12-1 7th: Earl Blake (Maryland) tech. fall Ryder Ramsey (Oklahoma), 12-2 132: 1st: Jordan Decatur (Ohio) dec. Ridge Lovett (Idaho), 13-8 3rd: Beau Bartlett (Pennsylvania) by injury def. over Connor Mcgonagle (Pennsylvania) 5th: Jackson Henson (Pennsylvania) dec. Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio), 9-6 7th: Jacob Dado (Illinois) by injury def. over Malyke Hines (Florida) 138: 1st: Keegan O'Toole (Wisconsin) dec. Gabriel Tagg (Ohio), 11-6 3rd: Jaden Abas (California) tech. fall Lucas Revano (New Jersey), 11-0 5th: Edward Scott (Pennsylvania) by injury def. over Jordan Crace (Ohio) 7th: Beau Ohlson (Oregon) tech. fall Nicholas Termini (Illinois), 14-4 145: 1st: Bryce Andonian (Ohio) tech. fall Logan Meek (Oregon), 12-2 3rd: Michael Blockhus (Iowa) tech. fall Daniel Manibog (Texas), 19-8 5th: Drew Scharenbrock (Wisconsin) pinned Colton Yapoujian (Colorado), 5:21 7th: Cade Devos (Iowa) dec. Johnny Levett (Florida), 12-1 152: 1st: Brayton Lee (Indiana) dec. Alex Lloyd (Minnesota), 3-3 3rd: Connor Brady (Ohio) dec. Kendall Coleman (Illinois), 4-0 5th: Jace Luchau (California) by injury def. over Cameron Amine (Michigan) 7th: Daniel Mancini (Pennsylvania) dec. Tyler Eischens (Minnesota), 9-8 160: 1st: Danny Braunagel (Illinois) tech. fall Jared Franek (North Dakota), 13-2 3rd: Nelson Brands (Iowa) tech. fall Robert Kanniard (New Jersey), 11-0 5th: Tyler Dow (Wisconsin) pinned Nevan Snodgrass (Ohio), 2:50 7th: Sean Harman (Oregon) tech. fall Jacob Stefanowicz (Pennsylvania), 12-1 170: 1st: Carson Kharchla (Ohio) tech. fall Dustin Plott (Oklahoma), 10-0 3rd: Parker Keckeisen (Wisconsin) dec. Carter Starocci (Pennsylvania), 9-6 5th: Travis Wittlake Jr. (Oregon) tech. fall Ben Sarasin (Iowa), 10-0 7th: Christopher Foca (New Jersey) by injury def. over Luca Pontone (Massachusetts) 182: 1st: Jack Jessen (Illinois) tech. fall Joel Shapiro (Iowa), 11-0 3rd: Zachary Braunagel (Illinois) dec. Tate Samuelson (Colorado), 10-8 5th: Devin Winston (Missouri) pinned Jackson Turley (Virginia), 4:52 7th: Talon Borror (Oklahoma) pinned Victor Marcelli (Ohio), 2:25 195: 1st: Lucas Davison (Indiana) tech. fall Peter Christensen (Illinois), 10-0 3rd: Wyatt Hendrickson (Kansas) tech. fall Austin Cooley (Massachusetts), 12-2 5th: Beau Yineman (Wisconsin) dec. Tyrell Gordon (Iowa), 5-0 7th: Sergio Villalobos (Illinois) dec. Matthew Cover (Ohio), 8-1 220: 1st: Luke Luffman (Illinois) dec. Jace Punke (Illinois), 4-2 3rd: Boone Mcdermott (Iowa) tech. fall Keaton Fogler (Illinois), 11-0 5th: Joshua Heindselman (Oklahoma) dec. Cole Fibranz (Minnesota), 8-2 7th: Garrett Kappes (Maryland) tech. fall Victor Jaquez Jr. (California), 13-2 285: 1st: Anthony Cassioppi (Illinois) pinned Nash Hutmacher (South Dakota), 1:14 3rd: Mason Parris (Indiana) tech. fall John Mcconkey (Iowa), 10-0 5th: Austin Emerson (Michigan) dec. Aydin Guttridge (Illinois), 2-1 7th: Spencer Trenary (Iowa) dec. Lee Herrington (Nebraska), 8-6

Below is the list of matches for Tuesday afternoon's finals program from Fargo, N.D. 100 pounds: Joseph Fischer (Pennsylvania) vs. Ronan Schuelke (Illinois) 106 pounds: Will Guida (New Jersey/Maryland) vs. Anthony King (Illinois) --Guida is a defending Junior freestyle champion 113 pounds: Cullan Schriever (Iowa) vs. Jonathan Prata (California) --Schriever is ranked No. 32 overall in the Class of 2020, and a 2016 Cadet freestyle champion; while Prata was a 2017 Junior folkstyle champion 120 pounds: Aden Reeves (Iowa) vs. Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) --Reeves is ranked No. 59 overall in the Class of 2019, and is now a four-time Fargo freestyle All-American; Barnett is No. 53 in the Class of 2019, and a Junior folkstyle runner-up 126 pounds: Reece Witcraft (Oklahoma) vs. Michael Colaiocco (New Jersey) --Witcraft is a two-time Cadet Greco-Roman finalist, winning gold last year; now three-time Junior freestyle All-American, Colaiocco is ranked No. 27 overall in the Class of 2019 132 pounds: Jordan Decatur (Ohio) vs. Ridge Lovett (Idaho) --Decatur is ranked No. 4 in the Class of 2019, and a two-time Cadet freestyle champion, also qualifying for Cadet World freestyle last year; while Lovett is ranked No. 28 in the Class of 2019, and a Junior folkstyle champion, along with now being a four-time Fargo freestyle All-American 138 pounds Keegan O'Toole (Wisconsin) vs. Gabriel Tagg (Ohio) --O'Toole is ranked No. 29 in the Class of 2020, and was a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American; Tagg is ranked No. 37 in the Class of 2019, and placed fifth at the UWW Junior Nationals in freestyle this spring 145 pounds: Logan Meek (Oregon) vs. Bryce Andonian (Ohio) --Graduated senior Meek was a three-time state champion, including at 160 pounds this year; he also placed eighth in this Fargo weight last year. Andonian is ranked No. 21 in the Class of 2019, and a two-time state champion 152 pounds: Brayton Lee (Indiana) vs. Alex Lloyd (Minnesota) --No. 11 overall graduated senior Lee was a three-time state champion and is now a three-time top three finisher in Fargo freestyle; while Lloyd finished as the No. 35 overall graduated senior, and is a five-time Fargo freestyle All-American in his first final 160 pounds: Jared Franek (North Dakota) vs. Danny Braunagel (Illinois) -Both wrestlers in this bout are graduated seniors, with Franek finishing ranked No. 56 overall in the class, and in a third straight Fargo freestyle final (2017 Junior runner-up, 2016 Cadet champion). Braunagel won a second state title this scholastic season, while placing at the Super 32 and NHSCA Senior Nationals. 170 pounds: Carson Kharchla (Ohio) vs. Dustin Plott (Oklahoma) --Both wrestlers are ranked in the top ten of their respective grade levels, Kharchla is No. 10 in the Class of 2019 and now a three-time Fargo freestyle All-American; Plott ranked No. 9 in the Class of 2020, and was runner-up at the UWW Junior National freestyle tournament this spring 182 pounds: Jack Jessen (Illinois) vs. Joel Shapiro (Iowa) --Both wrestlers are graduated seniors, Jessen ranked No. 46 overall in the Class of 2018 and Shapiro ranked No. 42. Junior folkstyle champion Jessen is now a nine-time Fargo All-American, and in his third freestyle final (runner-up last year and in 2015); while Shapiro was previously seventh twice in Fargo freestyle 195 pounds: Lucas Davison (Indiana) vs. Peter Christiannsen (Illinois) --Davison was ranked No. 74 in the Class of 2018, and now a three-time top three finisher in Fargo freestyle; while Christiansen is ranked No. 95 the Class of 2019, and a returning Cadet freestyle All-American along with finishing fourth at UWW Cadet Nationals this spring in freestyle 220 pounds: Jace Punke (Illinois) vs. Luke Luffman (Illinois) --This is a battle of rising seniors that won Illinois Class 2A state titles in 2017-18. Punke has twice finished sixth in Cadet freestyle; while No. 44 overall in the Class of 2019 Luffman is now a three-time Fargo freestyle All-American and a three-time UWW Cadet freestyle All-American 285 pounds: Anthony Cassioppi (Illinois) vs. Nash Hutmacher (South Dakota) --Iowa enrollee Cassioppi finished ranked No. 18 overall in the Class of 2018. He was a Junior Triple Crown winner last year, and is seeking the second leg of one on Tuesday afternoon. Returning Cadet freestyle champion Hutmacher is ranked No. 14 overall in the Class of 2020

Mason Gehloff defeated Jore Volk in an all-Minnesota finals match at 88 pounds (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) FARGO, N.D. -- Championship matches were wrestled in the Cadet National freestyle tournament on Monday afternoon, and those emerging victorious in the first three weight classes have now won the first two legs of the Cadet Triple Crown. The remaining leg is the Greco-Roman tournament, which starts on Wednesday and concludes with the finals on Thursday afternoon. In an all-Minnesota showdown that was a rematch of the Cadet folkstyle final, it was Mason Gehloff winning a decisive 8-1 victory over Jore Volk in the opening match of the afternoon program at 88 pounds. Incoming freshman Maxximus Martinez of California would earn gold next, with a 6-2 win over fellow incoming freshman Carter Fousek of Iowa at 94; he made a takedown and two turns from the first period last for his second leg victory. Then at 100 pounds, it was a showdown of top 15 overall incoming freshmen, as Jordan Williams of Oklahoma used a late takedown to break a 4-4 tie on the way to his 6-4 victory over Alex Almeyda of New Jersey. Williams is eligible to win a Cadet Triple Crown later this week to add to his Roller World of Wrestling triple crown from the scholastic season in 2017-18. Yet another match decided late came in the next weight class, at 106 pounds, as a third consecutive incoming freshman earned gold. Nicolar Rivera of Wisconsin used a late four point toss at the edge to win a 12-11 barn-burner over Yusief Lillie of Washington, who is ranked No. 16 overall in the Class of 2021. The next weight saw Jakason Burks of Nebraska cap off a dominating tournament run with yet another win over excellent opposition. The Cadet World team member in Greco-Roman beat No. 6 overall incoming freshman Daniel Cardenas of Colorado by 10-0 technical fall. Said tournament run earned Burks the Outstanding Wrestler honor. There would be a run of five successive technical fall victories in the championship program starting at 138 going through 170. No. 5 overall Class of 2021 wrestler Travis Mastrogiovanni of New Jersey beat incoming freshman Luke Geog of Ohio 10-0 at 138 pounds. The nation's top rising sophomore Carson Manville of Pennsylvania gave up a four-point throw to West Virginia's John Martin Best to open the bout, but went on to win 16-4; a takedown and five successive turns would take a 4-4 tie and end the 145 pound final. Tate Picklo of Oklahoma, ranked No. 44 overall in the Class of 2021, capped off a dominant run through the 152 pound weight class with a 10-0 finals victory over incoming freshman Manuel Rojas of Michigan. Then at 160 pounds, it was No. 47 overall Class of 2021 wrestler Quayin Short of Minnesota beating Connor O'Neil 10-0; while Pennsylvania's Luke Stout won a battle of rising juniors 10-0 over Sam Skillings of Wisconsin. One of the more competitive bouts of the finals program was at 120 pounds, where rising junior Jesse Ybarra of Arizona scored two first period takedowns to take a 4-0 lead, and made that stand in a 4-2 victory over Caleb Rathjen of Iowa; Rathjen is ranked No. 37 in the Class of 2021. The next weight class final at 126 pounds was a rematch of last year's 120 pound semifinal in this tournament. Replicating said outcome was Dominick Serrano of Colorado, who beat fellow rising junior Mick Burnett of Ohio 5-1. That was the lone point of the tournament allowed by the nation's No. 13 overall wrestler in the Class of 2020. The 132 pound final saw Ryan Franco of California, ranked No. 7 in the Class of 2021, relegated to a second straight Cadet freestyle runner-up finish. Michigan's Josh Edmond, ranked No. 49 in the Class of 2020, earned a comprehensive 10-5 victory. Rocky Elam of Missouri was the sixth rising junior to earn a Cadet freestyle title, his coming via a 5-2 victory at 182 pounds over fellow rising junior Nathan Haas of California; Elam used a pair of takedowns in the later part of the second period to separate a 1-1 bout. The next bout was a clash of incoming freshmen, with Noah Pettigrew of Georgia beating No. 20 Kolby Franklin of Pennsylvania 12-7 at 195 pounds. Pettigrew jumped out to an early lead, saw that shrink to one point at mid-match, before separating out the match at the end. The lone pin of the finals program came at 220 pounds, where Nathaniel Deasey of Arizona flipped his Cadet folkstyle finals loss to Chris Island of California. Deasey trailed 2-0 early before using a pair of locks to get the pin. Rounding out the program was rising sophomore Hayden Copass of Illinois, who earned a 10-0 technical fall victory over Pennsylvania's Cody Whitehill, a statemedalist this season in high school. All-Americans 88: 1st: Mason Gehloff (Minnesota) dec. Jore Volk (Minnesota), 8-1 3rd: Tristan Stafford (Arkansas) dec. Brandon O`Brien (Iowa), 7-5 5th: Marlon Yarbrough (Ohio) tech. fall Christopher Martino (Idaho), 12-1, 2:25 7th: Jacob Van Dee (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Kaden Ramos (Idaho), 10-0, 0:46 94: 1st: Maxximus Martinez (California) dec. Carter Fousek (Iowa), 6-2 3rd: Kai Owen (Florida) tech. fall Reid Nelson (Minnesota), 10-0, 1:24 5th: Benjamin Aranda (Illinois) tech. fall Oscar Alvarez (Washington), 14-2, 4:17 7th: Mason Stefanelli (Hawaii) tech. fall Tryon Kaess (Washington), 12-2, 3:28 100: 1st: Jordan Williams (Oklahoma) dec. Alex Almeyda (New Jersey), 6-4 3rd: Stevo Poulin (New York) tech. fall Abraham Hinrichsen (Illinois), 10-0, 2:13 5th: Richard Fedalen (Maryland) dec. Sean Seefeldt (Ohio), 8-0 7th: Trae McDaniel (Tennessee) dec. Casey Swiderski (Michigan), 14-12 106: 1st: Nicolar Rivera (Wisconsin) dec. Yusief Lillie (Washington), 12-11 3rd: Sheldon Seymour (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Drake Ayala (Iowa), 10-0, 3:17 5th: Max Black (Colorado) tech. fall Kyle Rowan (Ohio), 14-3, 3:00 7th: Jack Maida (New Jersey) dec. Daniel Wask (New Jersey), 15-8 113: 1st: Jakason Burks (Nebraska) tech. fall Daniel Cardenas (Colorado), 10-0, 3:23 3rd: Cooper Flynn (Tennessee) dec. Colton Drousias (Indiana), 9-2 5th: Anthony Noto (New York) tech. fall Zeke Seltzer (Indiana), 12-2, 5:04 7th: Garett Lautzenheiser (Ohio) no match Kal Miller (Missouri) 120: 1st: Jesse Ybarra (Arizona) dec. Caleb Rathjen (Iowa), 4-2 3rd: Teague Travis (Missouri) tech. fall Drew Roberts (Oregon), 10-0, 1:17 5th: Jacob Rundell (Illinois) inj. dft. Brayden Littell (Indiana), 3:52 7th: Ryan Crookham (Pennsylvanaia) dec. Noah Horst (Tennessee), 14-8 132: 1st: Dominick Serrano (Colorado) dec. Michael Burnett (Ohio), 5-1 3rd: Wyatt Henson (Pennsylvania) dec. Reid Ballantyne (Minnesota), 19-10 5th: Cody Chittum (Tennessee) dec. Vance Vombaur (Colorado), 8-7 7th: Cameron Johnson (Illinois) inj dft. Vincent Zerban (Illinois) 32: 1st: Joshua Edmond (Michigan) dec. Ryan Franco (California), 10-5 3rd: Luke Odom (Illinois) tech. fall Jake Niffenegger (Ohio), 11-0, 3:15 5th: Derek Fields (Ohio) tech. fall Jaxon Smith (Georgia), 14-3, 3:52 7th: Fabian Lopez (Illinois) tech fall Noah Villarreal (Illinois), 17-5, 5:56 138: 1st: Travis Mastrogiovanni (New Jersey) tech. fall Luke Geog (Ohio), 10-0, 4:17 3rd: Jackson Dean (New Jersey) tech. fall Bryer Hall (Indiana),10-0, 0:17 5th: Chase Warden (Texas) dec. Jagger Condomitti (Pennsylvania), 10-2 7th: Alex Strashinsky (New Jersey) tech. fall Luke Mechler (Wisconsin), 10-0, 3:20 145: 1st: Carson Manville (Pennsylvania) tech. fall John Martin Best (West Virginia), 16-4, 1:52 3rd: Cael Valencia (California) tech. fall Antonio Petrucelli (Pennsylvania), 10-0, 1:24 5th: Robert Perez III (California) dec. Nicholas Stonecheck (Georgia), 10-7 7th: Joseph Zargo (New Jersey) tech. fall Antonio Segura (Colorado), 10-0, 1:30 152: 1st: Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) tech. fall Manuel Rojas (Michigan), 10-0, 3:24 3rd: Donald Cates (North Carolina) tech. fall Brock Ellis (Indiana), 15-4, 1:24 5th: Keegan Rothrock (Pennsylvania) pin Rylan Rogers (Washington), 2:55 7th: Nicholas Steele (Arizona) inj. dft Noah Ewen (Ohio) 160: 1st: Quayin Short (Minnesota) tech. fall Connor Oneil (New Jersey), 12-2, 4:13 3rd: Brady Spaeth (Wisconsin) tech. fall Jake Null (New York), 15-4, 2:01 5th: Clayton Ulrey (Pennsylvania) inj dft. Duwayne Villapando (Kansas) 7th: Branson Britten (Texas) tech. fall Aiden Warren (Indiana), 10-0, 4:54 170: 1st: Luke Stout (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Sam Skillings (Wisconsin), 12-2, 4:13 3rd: Greyden Penner (Missouri) dec. Wyatt Lidberg (Minnesota), 7-1 5th: Seth Shumate (Ohio) tech. fall Sage Walker (Iowa), 19-8, 2:46 7th: Dj Smith (Minnesota) tech. fall Colin Jagielski (Michigan), 10-0, 1:36 182: 1st: Rocky Elam (Missouri) dec. Nathan Haas (California), 5-2 3rd: Kyle Haas (Kansas) dec. John Poznanski (New Jersey), 6-6 5th: Ethan Hatcher (Ohio) dec. Josh Labarbera (Illinois), 14-7 7th: Samuel Fisher (Virginia) dec. Colton Hawks (Missouri), 6-2 195: 1st: Noah Pettigrew (Georgia) dec. Kolby Franklin (Pennsylvania), 12-7 3rd: Dorian Crosby (Pennsylvania) pin Jace Bradbury (West Virginia), 1:40 5th: Elijah Olson (Colorado) pin Bret Kostka (Wisconsin), 2:15 7th: David Harper (Georgia) tech. fall Brent Paulus (Ohio), 10-0, 3:24 220: 1st: Nathaniel Deasey (Arizona) pin Chris Island (California), 0:57 3rd: Braxton Mikesell (Washington) tech. fall Brandon Hoselton (Illinois), 10-0, 1:29 5th: Dominik Vacura (Minnesota) tech. fall Cruz Partain (Oklahoma), 11-1, 4:36 7th: Riley Ucker (Ohio) tech. fall Gage Cook (Washington), 14-4, 5:18 285: 1st: Hayden Copass (Illinois) tech. fall Colby Whitehill (Pennsylvania), 10-0, 4:46 3rd: Steven Kolcheff (Michigan) tech. fall Alex Coleman (Ohio), 10-0, 3:09 5th: Jalen Stephens (Pennsylvania) dec. Gavin Layton (Minnesota), 7-5 7th: Broderick Reese (Oregon) pin Tony Caldwell (Kansas), 1:00 Outstanding Wrestler: Jakason Burks (Nebraska) Most Falls: Keegan Rothrock (Pennsylvania) Team Standings: 1. Pennsylvania, 72 2. Ohio, 51 3. Minnesota, 47 4. Illinois, 41 5. New Jersey, 40 6 California 39 7 (tie) Colorado and Iowa, 27 9 Wisconsin 25 10 Michigan and Missouri 23 12 Indiana 22 13 Washington 21 14 Oklahoma 19 15 Arizona 18 16 Georgia 16 17 New York 15 18 Tennessee 13 19 West Virginia 12 20 Kansas 10 21 Nebraska 8 22 Oregon 7 23 (tie) Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina and Texas 6 27 (tie) Idaho and Maryland 4 29 (tie) Hawaii and Virginia 2

Tony Hager at the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Tony Hager, former Simpson College wrestler who has made a name for himself with his involvement in Takedown Wrestling and TheOpenMat.com, came to the rescue of a man and his dog trapped in rising floodwaters late last week. Hager was sitting in his garage, watching the downpour in his neighborhood in Johnston, Iowa just outside Des Moines. As the water was rapidly rising on his street, he noticed a car with a man and his dog trying to make its way through the floodwaters. "You could see him coming down, I'm thinking, dude, don't drive down here, and he just strolls through like it's a Sunday drive," Hager told WeAreIowa.com, the website for the ABC TV affiliate in central Iowa. "He had no idea where the road was at this point." The car stalled in the rapidly rising water, trapping the occupants. "Lightning was coming in and immediately my other neighbor was like, 'we have to help this guy.' And the water from here was literally over my waist," said Hager. At first Hager and his neighbor struggled to free the driver, who was initially tangled in the steering wheel… but each rescuer took an arm of the trapped man and were able to pull him – and his dog – out of the flooded car, and to the safety of Hager's dry garage. "When you're in the moment, your adrenaline's rolling and it just kind of fell in place, I guess," Hager said. Hager said he'd do it again. "When you have the opportunity to help someone, just do it, don't think about the consequences."

Curran Jacobs, a two-time NCAA qualifier for Michigan State and MMA fighter, claimed the title at the 2018 Snake Pit USA Catch Wrestling Association World Championships this weekend in Hamilton, N.J. Curran JacobsA predecessor to today's modern folkstyle and freestyle wrestling, catch wrestling is the product of old-style catch-as-catch-can wrestling. Matches can last up to 20 minutes. For this event, it was "no holds barred"; in fact, catch wrestlers may use joint lock submission holds. Jacobs, 29, came out on top of an eight-man field to win the championships. In the first round, Jacobs defeated Johnny Buck by Rear Naked Choke in overtime. Then, in the semifinals, Jacobs used a Rear Naked Choke on Erik Hammer to advance to the finals. In the title bout, the former Spartan 174-pound matman defeated Brandon Ruiz by Rear Naked Choke in the third overtime round to become champion. Jacobs provided some perspective on the demands of participating in an event with this caliber of competition in a rugged sport. "I was the lightest guy in the entire tournament," Jacobs told InterMat. "So I knew going in I would have to dig deep. I've always said victory starts from the heart, and that's what I used to win these matches against these titans." "I wrestled for a total of an hour and 37 minutes, with just ten minutes to rest between matches," Jacobs continued. "This is the greatest war I've ever been in." Jacobs posted this message on his Facebook page under a photo of his finals rival, Brandon Ruiz: "This is the man I met in the finals. I knew he was going to be an absolute monster and when you look at what he has accomplished, you stand in awe. So much respect to Brandon Ruiz. This match was one for the century." In addition to paying respect to his opponents, Curran Jacobs cited his own team as instrumental in his victory. "I could not have done this without Roger Chandler, head wrestling coach for the Michigan State Spartans," Jacobs said to InterMat. "My submission wrestling coach Andrew Peterson, and my strength training and conditioning coach, Korey Wertz. I had the best team behind me." Jacobs has been competing in major catch wrestling events for a number of years. Exactly one year ago, the Michigan native was crowned champ at the 2017 Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament in Humboldt, Iowa.

After two days of competition, navigating pretty rigorous weight classes, the championship bouts have been set in the Cadet National freestyle tournament. Those matches will take place at 1 p.m. CT on Monday in Fargo, N.D. Below is an overview. 88 pounds: Jore Volk (Minnesota) vs. Mason Gehloff (Minnesota) The all-Gopher State showdown is a rematch of the Cadet folkstyle final from early April in Cedar Falls, Iowa, that bout was won by Gehloff. Volk has advanced to the final with two technical falls to open the tournament before decision wins over returning Cadet freestyle All-American Brandon O'Brien (Iowa) and Cadet folkstyle All-American Tristan Stafford (Arizona); Gehloff started the tournament with two technical falls before an 11-5 semifinal decision victory over Christopher Martino (Idaho) 94 pounds: Maxximus Martinez (California) vs. Carter Fousek (Iowa) Neither of these incoming ninth graders has been tested during the tournament. Martinez, ranked No. 19 overall in the Class of 2022, has yet to give up a point in the tournament; two technical falls, a pin, and then a pair of 5-0 decisions. Fousek has five technical falls from five bouts. 100 pounds: Jordan Williams (Oklahoma) vs. Alex Almeyda (New Jersey) This pair of incoming ninth graders are ranked 14th and 15th overall in the Class of 2022, and have earned medals in Cadet folkstyle and the UWW Cadet National freestyle competitions in the same weight class. Williams was champion at this weight class in Cadet folkstyle, Almeyda finishing third; while Almeyda was fourth at UWW Cadet freestyle in the 99 pound (converted) weight class to Williams taking fourth. Williams has been tested twice in this tournament, winning 6-5 over state champion Zach Espalin (Arizona) and pinning Stevo Poulin (New York) late in the midst of a close match; while Almeyda has five technical falls from five bouts, and has allowed just two points. 106 pounds: Nicolar Rivera (Wisconsin) vs. Yusief Lillie (Washington) Incoming ninth grader Rivera was runner-up at Cadet folkstyle in this weight class, and has went through a pretty tough path in this tournament with total excellence. He has allowed zero points, and has six technical falls from six bouts; that includes victories over returning Cadet freestyle All-American Sheldon Seymour (Pennsylvania) and returning Cadet freestyle champion Drake Ayala (Iowa) in the last two bouts. Lillie, ranked No. 16 overall in the Class of 2021, was fourth in Cadet freestyle last year at 100 pounds; he has been tested four times in six bouts during the tournament, most notably in a 6-2 semifinal victory over UWW Cadet freestyle runner-up Kyle Rowan (Ohio) and a 6-5 quarterfinal victory over Max Black (Colorado) 113 pounds: Daniel Cardenas (Colorado) vs. Jakason Burks (Nebraska) Ranked No. 6 overall in the Class of 2022, Cardenas has three technical falls in five bouts, along with a pair of quality wins; 13-10 over nationally ranked state medalist Nico Nardone (New Jersey) and 6-5 in the semifinal over two-time state champion Anthony Noto (New York), a Super 32 placer. State champion Burks was a Super 32 placer, and competed in the Cadet Worlds in Greco-Roman just over one week ago. In this tournament, he has three technical falls along with a pair of quality wins; 10-3 over Super 32 placer Nick Babin (New Jersey) and 4-0 over two-time UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Cooper Flynn (Tennessee). 120 pounds: Jesse Ybarra (Arizona) vs. Caleb Rathjen (Iowa) Ybarra has dominated all of his opposition in this tournament, outside of a 5-5 criteria victory over Super 32 champion Ryan Crookham (Pennsylvania) - a two-time UWW Cadet freestyle All-American - in the quarterfinal round; the other matches were four technical falls and a 9-0 decision. Returning Cadet freestyle All-American Rathjen is ranked No. 37 in the Class of 2021, and dominated his way through the first four matches of the tournament; then came a 6-4 decision over state champion Ramon Ramos (Arizona) before yet another technical fall over UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Teague Travis (Missouri) in the semifinal round, who is ranked No. 31 overall in the Class of 2021 126 pounds: Mick Burnett (Ohio) vs. Dominick Serrano (Colorado) This is a rematch of a semifinal from last year in Cadet freestyle, a match won by Serrano at 120 pounds. Burnett has three technical falls along with three narrow decision victories; 3-2 over No. 38 overall Class of 2021 wrestler Zack Witmer (Pennsylvania), 7-6 in the quarterfinal over No. 23 overall Class of 2021 wrestler Vincent Zerban (Illinois), and a 10-7 semifinal victory over No. 23 overall Class of 2022 wrestler Cody Chittum (Tennessee). Ranked No. 13 overall in the Class of 2020, Serrano is a returning Cadet freestyle runner-up, and has yet to give up a point in this tournament. He has six shutout technical falls from six matches in this tournament; including those over No. 17 overall Class of 2021 wrestler Reid Ballantyne (Minnesota), and Wyatt Henson (Pennsylvania), ranked No. 12 in the Class of 2021. 132 pounds: Ryan Franco (California) vs. Josh Edmond (Michigan) The pair of wrestlers in this match are both returning Cadet freestyle All-Americans and were All-Americans in the 132 pound weight class at the UWW Cadet freestyle tournament last month. Franco, ranked No. 7 overall in the Class of 2021 was runner-up last year at 126; while Edmond, ranked No. 49 in the Class of 2020 placed eighth in this weight class. Franco started the tournament with three technical falls before being held to decisions in the last two bouts while Edmond has three technical falls from five matches in the tournament. 138 pounds: Travis Mastrogiovanni (New Jersey) vs. Luke Geog (Ohio) Returning Cadet freestyle All-American Mastrogiovanni is ranked No. 5 overall in the Class of 2021. His tournament run started with four technical falls before a quarterfinal pin late in a tight match, and then an 11-9 decision over No. 42 overall Class of 2021 wrestler Jager Condomitti (Pennsylvania). Incoming freshman Geog is outside the top 25 for the Class of 2022 despite a Super 32 junior high title and a Flo Nationals junior high title this year; his tournament run featured technical falls in his first two matches, and decisions in his last three, most recently 8-4 over 2017 Delaware state champion Jackson Dean (New Jersey). 145 pounds: Carson Manville (Pennsylvania) vs. John Martin Best (West Virginia) Manville is the nation's top wrestler in the Class of 2021, and a returning Cadet National double champion; he also was the Cadet World team representative at 143 pounds in freestyle just under two weeks ago. In this tournament, it has been three technical falls followed by a 5-0 decision over No. 13 overall freshman Robert Paul Perez (California) and a 10-4 decision over two-time state champion Nick Stonecheck (Georgia). 2017 state champion Best was a NHSCA Sophomore Nationals runner-up this spring, and has a pair of technical falls plus a pair of pins from six matches in the tournament. 152 pounds: Manuel Rojas (Michigan) vs. Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) Incoming freshman Rojas is not ranked among the top 25 overall in the Class of 2022, for now. He had four technical falls to open the tournament before an 11-10 win in the semifinal round. Ranked No. 44 overall in the Class of 2021, Picklo was state runner-up in high school this past season as a freshman; his tournament featured three technical falls and two falls before an 8-2 decision in the semifinal. 160 pounds: Quayin Short (Minnesota) vs. Connor O'Neill (New Jersey) Ranked No. 47 overall in the Class of 2021, Short was state runner-up this past season in high school and finished third in Cadet folkstyle at this weight class. His tournament started with three technical falls before a 9-0 decision in the quarterfinal round, and then a 5-3 decision over Clayton Ulrey (Pennsylvania), ranked No. 43 overall in the Class of 2020 and a Flo Nationals placer. Two-time state qualifier O'Neill was runner-up to Ulrey at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals this spring; this tournament run includes three technical falls, a pin, and a 13-12 semifinal victory over Cadet folkstyle champion Duwayne Villalpando (Kansas) 170 pounds: Sam Skillings (Wisconsin) vs. Luke Stout (Pennsylvania) Skillings placed fourth in Cadet folkstyle at this weight class, but failed to make state during his sophomore high school season; this tournament run includes two pins, two technical falls, and a 9-2 semifinal decision victory. Fellow Class of 2020 member Stout placed fourth at state this season, his most notable win coming 8-2 in the round of 16 over Greyden Penner (Missouri), who ranks No. 37 overall in the same grade level. Stout's other four matches this tournament were won by technical fall. 182 pounds: Nathan Haas (California) vs. Rocky Elam (Missouri) Haas was a state quarterfinalist this high school season as a sophomore, and dominated his way to the semifinal with four technical fall victories in four bouts. In that semifinal, it was a 3-1 victory over Cadet folkstyle champion Kyle Haas (Kansas), ranked No. 14 overall in the Class of 2021. Returning Cadet freestyle All-American Elam placed third in Cadet folkstyle, losing to Haas along the way. This tournament run includes two technical falls, a pin, an 8-1 decision over two-time state champion Sam Fisher (Virginia), and a 6-2 decision over state placer John Poznanski (New Jersey) 195 pounds: Kolby Franklin (Pennsylvania) vs. Noah Pettigrew (Georgia) This match features a pair of incoming freshmen, Franklin ranked No. 20 in the Class of 2022 with Pettigrew outside the top 25. Franklin has dominated this tournament with four technical falls from five bouts, only tested in a 14-8 decision over Cadet folkstyle runner-up Gavin Carter (Kansas), who also was a state champion this high school season. Pettigrew has two technical falls in four matches, most notably tested in an 11-11 criteria win over state placer Dorian Crosby (Pennsylvania) in the semifinal round. 220 pounds: Chris Island (California) vs. Nathaniel Deasey (Arizona) This is a rematch of the Cadet folkstyle final in this weight class, won by Island. The state qualifier was most likely the residual beneficiary of the unfortunate injury to UWW Cadet freestyle runner-up Hunter Catka (Pennsylvania) in the round of 16 on Saturday night. For this tournament, Island has three technical falls before an 8-4 decision in the semifinal. Fellow state qualifier Deasey also was runner-up at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals this year, and for the tournament has two pins to go with two technical falls, which includes one over state placer Justin Darter (California) in an early round. 285 pounds: Hayden Copass (Illinois) vs. Colby Whitehill (Pennsylvania) Copass qualified for state this season as a freshman. His tournament to date includes a pin, a technical fall, and two decisions; while state placer Whitehill is a returning Cadet double All-American, and his tournament run includes three technical falls before a 13-8 semifinal victory.

Competition for the Cadet National freestyle tournament started on Saturday in Fargo, N.D. In the championship bracket, the quarterfinals have been set, those wrestlers need one win to earn All-American honors. In the consolation bracket, the field has been waned down to 16 additional wrestlers, who need three wins to earn All-American honors. Below are the quarterfinal pairings. 88 pounds: Brandon O'Brien (Iowa) vs. Jore Volk (Minnesota) Kaden Ramos (Iowa) vs. Tristan Stafford (Arizona) Mason Gelhoff (Minnesota) vs. Marlon Yarbrough (Ohio) Jacob Van Dee (Pennsylvania) vs. Christopher Martino (Idaho) 94 pounds: Maxximus Martinez (California) vs. Zack Mattin (Ohio) Kai Owen (Florida) vs. Oscar Alvarez (Washington) Carter Fousek (Iowa) vs. Guy Clevenger (Oklahoma) Tryon Kaess (Washington) vs. Reid Nelson (Minnesota) 100 pounds: Stevo Poulin (New York) vs. Sean Seefeldt (Ohio) Rocco Welsh (Pennsylvania) vs. Jordan Williams (Oklahoma) Abraham Hinrichsen (Illinois) vs. Kenneth Crosby (Colorado) Jackson Arrington (Pennsylvania) vs. Alex Almeyda (New Jersey) 106 pounds: Drake Ayala (Iowa) vs. Jack Maida (New Jersey) Sheldon Seymour (Pennsylvania) vs. Nicolar Rivera (Wisconsin) Kyle Rowan (Ohio) vs. Daniel Wask (New Jersey) Max Black (Colorado) vs. Yusief Lillie (Washington) 113 pounds: Anthony Noto (New York) vs. Zeke Seltzer (Indiana) Garrett Lautzenheiser (Ohio) vs. Daniel Cardenas (Colorado) Jakason Burks (Nebraska) vs. Colton Drousias (Indiana) Kurtis Phipps (Pennsylvania) vs. Cooper Flynn (Tennessee/Maryland) 120 pounds: Ryan Crookham (Pennsylvania) vs. Jesse Ybarra (Arizona) Drew Roberts (Oregon) vs. Breyden Littell (Indiana) Teague Travis (Missouri) vs. Michael Kilic (Georgia) Ramon Ramos (Arizona) vs. Caleb Rathjen (Iowa) 126 pounds: Joey Olivieri (New Jersey) vs. Cody Chittum (Tennessee) Mick Burnett (Ohio) vs. Vincent Zerban (Illinois/Missouri) Wyatt Henson (Pennsylvania) vs. Caleb Henson (Georgia) Reid Ballantyne (Minnesota) vs. Dominick Serrano (Colorado) 132 pounds: Ryan Franco (California) vs. Jaxon Smith (Georgia) Preston Decker (Texas) vs. Derek Fields (Ohio) Jake Niffenegger (Ohio) vs. Noah Villarreal (Illinois) Nick Vafiadis (Virginia) vs. Josh Edmond (Michigan) 138 pounds: Travis Mastrogiovanni (New Jersey) vs. Chase Warden (Texas) Douglas Terry (Ohio) vs. Jager Condomitti (Pennsylvania) Luke Geog (Ohio) vs. Luke Mechler (Wisconsin) Jackson Dean (New Jersey/Delaware) vs. Brayden Roberts (West Virginia) 145 pounds: Carson Manville (Pennsylvania) vs. Robert Paul Perez (California) Nick Stonecheck (Georgia) vs. Antonio Segura (Colorado) Cougar Andersen (Oklahoma) vs. Cael Valencia (California) Caden Rogers (Pennsylvania) vs. John Martin Best (West Virginia) 152 pounds: Nicholas Steele (Arizona) vs. Donald Cates (North Carolina) Manuel Rojas (Michigan) vs. Noah Inboden (Ohio) Dane Donabedian (Michigan) vs. Brock Ellis (Indiana) Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) vs. Noah Ewen (Ohio) 160 pounds: Branson Britten (Texas) vs. Quayin Short (Minnesota) Brady Spaeth (Wisconsin) vs. Clayton Ulrey (Pennsylvania) Duwayne Villalpando (Kansas) vs. Luke Rasmussen (Illinois) Aiden Warren (Indiana) vs. Connor O'Neil (New Jersey) 170 pounds: Shaeden Scheidt (South Dakota) vs. Sam Skillings (Wisconsin) Matthew Rogers (New York) vs. Sage Walker (Iowa) Zane Hake (California) vs. Seth Shumate (Ohio) Wyatt Lidberg (Minnesota) vs. Luke Stout (Pennsylvania) 182 pounds: Michael Tal-Shahar (Florida) vs. Nathan Haas (California) Kyle Haas (Kansas) vs. Colton Hawks (Missouri) Ethan Hatcher (Ohio) vs. John Poznanski (New Jersey) Sam Fisher (Virginia) vs. Rocky Elam (Missouri) 195 pounds: Gavin Carter (Kansas) vs. Kolby Franklin (Pennsylvania) Elijah Olson (Colorado) vs. Bret Kostka (Wisconsin) David Harper (Georgia) vs. Dorian Crosby (Pennsylvania) Peter Ming (California) vs. Noah Pettigrew (Georgia) 220 pounds: Hunter Catka (Pennsylvania) vs. Cruz Partain (Oklahoma) Chris Island (California) vs. Dominik Vacura (Minnesota) Daniel Goodrich (Texas) vs. Nathaniel Deasey (Arizona) Danny Striggow (Minnesota) vs. Braxton Mikesell (Washington) 285 pounds: Hayden Copass (Illinois) vs. Josiah Hill (California) Gavin Layton (Minnesota) vs. Steven Kolcheff (Michigan) Jalen Stephens (Pennsylvania) vs. John Wiese (Oklahoma) Steven Culberson (Oklahoma) vs. Colby Whitehill (Pennsylvania)

A GoFundMe page has been established for Christopher Vassar, a former Gardner-Webb University wrestler who suffered serious injuries -- including brain trauma -- in a car crash last month. The fundraising page has been established to help the family of the wrestler originally from central Pennsylvania with health care expenses. In June 2018 Vassar was involved in a single-vehicle crash that split the car in half. "He has had several surgeries, a rod was placed in his hip, he has a broken clavicle, he had bleeding on the on the brain in two spots, (and) he was comatose," Vassar's aunt Shirley -- creator of the GoFundMe page -- wrote. "It was heartbreaking to see my 22-year-old nephew lying in a bed with wires, a machine breathing for him." "We have been told that he will need extensive rehabilitation he has been transferred to Penn State Rehabilitation Center for brain trauma," she continued. "We need a lot of support emotionally and financially. We would appreciate any sort of help you may be able to offer and we thank you for it from the bottom of our heart." Chris Vassar wrestled at Gardner-Webb from 2013-2016. In 2016, he qualified for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at 149 pounds as a redshirt junior. Prior to arriving at GWU in Boiling Springs, N.C., Vassar wrestled at Cedar Cliff High School in Camp Hill, Pa. where he was a two-time PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state championships medalist, placing second in Class AAA at 145 in 2012, and fourth in 2010. In addition, Vassar placed sixth overall at the 2011 Reno Tournament of Champions. In addition to success on the mat, Vassar was a winner in the classroom, as a member of the Distinguished Honor Roll.

Chris Honeycutt (Photo/Bellator) For two former Edinboro wrestlers at Bellator 202 at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. Friday night, it was a night of mixed results, as two-time NCAA All-American Chris Honeycutt scored a unanimous-decision victory, while Ernest James, 2012 NCAA heavyweight qualifier for the Fighting Scots, was the victim of a TKO. Here's how MMAJunkie.com described the dominance of the former Edinboro mat stud and Ohio high school state champ in the middleweight (185 pound) main event: "Honeycutt beat Leo Leite from post to post and bell to bell." "Relentless in striking and in grappling, Honeycutt left Leite with a massive hematoma and bloody face, and he also picked up a blowout unanimous decision." CagesidePress.com wrote, "With steady pressure throughout, Honeycutt was far and away the winner, taking 30-25 scores on all three scorecards." There was more than a decade difference in the ages of the two fighters, as Honeycutt, 29, dominated the 40-year-old Brazilian the entire 15 minutes of their bout. Honeycutt is now 7-2 in Bellator, and 11-2 in his professional MMA career, while, Leite drops to 0-2 in his brief history in Bellator, and 10-2 overall. Relative newcomer Ernest James had a rougher night, suffering his first defeat in his young pro MMA career at the hands of Russia's Valentin Moldavsky in their heavyweight main event. "Moldavsky smashed James with right hands before sending him to the mat with a final flurry at the 4:03 mark of the second round," according to MMAJunkie.com. Moldavsky moves up to 8-1 in his MMA career, and 2-0 in Bellator, while James is now 1-1 in his young career, with the same mark in Bellator competition.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army West Point head wrestling coach Kevin Ward has announced the addition of head assistant coach Ned Shuck to his staff. Ned ShuckShuck spent the last four years at the helm of Wisconsin-Whitewater, guiding the Warhawks to a 47-17 record in duals and finished in the top-25 each year at the NCAA Division III Championships. Additionally, UW-Whitewater collected two WIAC titles in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, as well as the Upper Midwest Regional crown in 2014-15. The 2015-16 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Coach of the Year trained 11 All-Americans, including two-time national champion and d3wrestle.com's 2018 National Wrestler of the Year Jordan Newman, as well as 17 WIAC individual champions and seven regional champs. Eleven Warhawks earned National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-America honors, including five Chancellor's Scholar-Athletes. "I couldn't be more excited to have Coach Shuck join our staff," Ward said. "To build a successful program you have to have the right people, and Ned is one of the best people in the sport of wrestling. His reputation as a proven leader, a man of strong character and integrity, and his unique background as an athlete and a coach will greatly benefit our program. Coach Shuck brings a wealth of experience, maturity, and leadership to our program, and I am excited about the impact he will have on the lives of our cadet-athletes." In addition to his coaching duties, Shuck was an instructor for UW-Whitewater's Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Coaching department. Prior to UW-Whitewater, Shuck spent three years as the head coach at Division III Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio. During his tenure at Heidelberg, Shuck led the Student Princes to back-to-back Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championships in 2012-13 and 2013-14 and mentored 22 All-OAC selections, four academic all-conference honorees, seven National Wrestling Coaches Association Academic All-Americans and six individual NCAA qualifiers, including one All-American. He was selected OAC Coach of the Year following the 2013-14 campaign. During his career, Shuck has also served as an assistant coach at perennial national power Augsburg (Minn.) from 2009-11 where he helped lead the Auggies to the 2010 NCAA Division III championship and a runner-up performance at the 2011 national championships. Shuck helped coach 13 All-Americans, four national finalists and one national champion during his time at Augsburg. He was also an assistant coach with the Ohio Cadet/Junior National Team (2012-14) and as head coach for the Minnesota Storm Freestyle Cadet team (2009-11). He was a full scholarship recipient for the NWCA Leadership Academy in 2011. Shuck wrestled at the University of Iowa from 2000-05, earning a degree in elementary education. He was a four-time letter winner and three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection for the Hawkeyes.