InterMat Staff

Thomas Gilman won a silver medal at 57 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) PARIS -- Thomas Gilman shined in his first World Championships, but fell short of gold on Friday night in Paris. Gilman was shut out 6-0 in the gold-medal match at 57 kilograms against a fearless Yuki Takahashi of Japan in the finals. Early in the match Takahashi drove Gilman out of bounds and Gilman was hit with a caution and two, giving Takahashi a 2-0 lead. Takahashi used a single leg takedown to build a 4-0 heading into the break. Coming out after the break, Gilman got in on a few shot attempts, but it was thwarted by Takahashi's defense. "When it comes down to it I have to be smarter," Gilman said. "I can only wrestle so hard against the best guys in the world, I have to wrestle smarter too." Gilman's coach Terry Brands was satisfied with Gilman's overall performance in Paris. "I think that he's put himself in the position to win the gold medal," Brands said. "You can't fault him for the way that he competes. I know he's not happy where he's at right now, but I know that this isn't going to deter him or derail him." J'den Cox defeated past world champion Mihail Ganev of Bulgaria to win bronze at 86 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) J'den Cox captured a bronze medal at 86 kilograms, doing so in dominant fashion. After a setback in the semifinals earlier in the day, Cox seemed to have found new motivation for the medal match. Maybe it was the tweet from David Taylor that allowed him to perform better in his bronze-medal match than he did earlier in the day. Cox, a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, scored his initial point when his opponent Mihail Ganev of Bulgaria, a world champion in 2010, was penalized on a shot clock violation. After that it was all Cox. He used his quickness and agile movement to connect on a few low single takedowns. He built a comfortable 6-0 lead for himself and iced the match with a lovely low single to close out the match 8-0. Cox was not happy with his overall performance throughout the day, but getting bronze is helpful and he's not making any excuses. "A big, special thank you to David Taylor," Cox said. "Because without your critique, I don't know if I would have been up to it. I'm bringing home the bronze." Nick Gwiazdowski with the other medalists at 125 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Nick Gwiazdowski also rebounded from an earlier loss to bring home a bronze medal at 125 kilograms. In his bronze-medal match against Natsagsuren Zolboo of Mongolia. He went up 1-0 after his opponent failed to score while on the shot clock. Gwiazdowski then went to work with his own offense that was firing all day. He scored a beautiful low single to go up 3-0 after being warned for passivity. He capped the scoring with another low single to go up 5-0, and then pumped his fist after the victory. "It feels good leaving with something," Gwiazdowski said. "Good day on the mats, minus one match. I wanted to leave with something and obviously once that gold one is gone let's bring something back. Let's get a bronze." After the first day of freestyle competition, USA leads the team race by two points over Russia. USA freestyle coach Bill Zadick was pleased with the performance of the first four wrestlers competing in freestyle. "I'm happy for those guys," Zadick said. "They did a great job. They deserve those medals. I like to focus on the athletes. The rest of that stuff takes care of itself." The final day of the World Championships begins at 10 a.m. local time, 4 a.m. ET.

PARIS -- The bureau of United World Wrestling wrapped up its week of meetings Thursday night at the Pullman Hotel in Bercy, passing several recommendations including the designation for the ten new weight categories and the announcement of host cities for the 2018 season. The new weight categories were the most deliberated issues of the meetings. Last year, United World Wrestling president stated the intention for wrestling to move from 8 to 10 weight categories, prompting speculation on how those new weights would be distributed and if they would affect the six Olympic weight categories. In the end, the bureau chose an overall moderate approach, looking to impact as few existing weight categories as possible. Freestyle will keep all their current Olympic and non-Olympic weight categories and will simply add 79kg and 92kg. 57kg-61kg-65kg-70kg-74kg-79kg-86kg-92kg-97kg-125kg Women's wrestling will increase the lowest weight from 48kg to 50kg and slightly redistribute several weight categories, most by only one or two kilograms. 50kg-53kg-55kg-57kg-59kg-62kg-65kg-68kg-72kg-76kg Greco-Roman went through the largest shift in assignments, adjusting nearly all the weight categories. 55kg-60kg-63kg-67kg-72kg-77kg-82kg-87kg-97kg-130kg Junior-level and U-23 wrestlers will also compete at the senior-level weight categories. The bureau also announced an updated list of host cities for the 2018 season, highlighted by Nigeria taking on the Cadet, Junior and Senior African Championships. The Nigerian Wrestling Federation, led by 2000 Olympic gold medalist Daniel IGALI (Canada), is coming off their best-ever performance at the 2017 world championships and will host the event in Port Harcourt. Yigo (Guam) will host all three Oceania age-level events, while Bishkek (Krygzstan) takes the Asian Senior championships, Lima the Pan-Am Senior championships, and Kapiisk (Russia) the European Senior Championships. The U-23 World Championship have been awarded to Bucharest, Romania, with Trnava (Slovakia) hosting the Junior World Championships and the Cadet World Championships headed to Zagreb (Croatia). Additional Announcements The two-day competition format was approved for the 2018 season and will commence on January 1, 2018. A 2-kilo allowance for the second day will be granted for one year. On January 1, 2019 the allowance will no longer be available. The Olympic qualification system was approved, with the World Championships (6), Continental qualifiers (8) and a World Open (2) accounting for the 16 allotments. Continental championships will also be held. Cadet and Schoolboy weight categories have been approved. They will be released in the coming days. Four-year referee education plan was approved. The plan runs from 2017-2021 Scoreboards to count down from 6 minutes to 0. Cautions are now 1-point. A new rule book will be published shortly and placed on the website

Thomas Gilman advanced to the gold-meal match at 57 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) PARIS -- Day 5 of the World Wrestling Championships in Paris and the opening day of the freestyle wrestling competition brought about high anticipation from the American team. There was great anticipation of how many medals this talented team could win. When the dust settled after Friday's first session, USA advanced three out of four wrestlers to medal matches. Thomas Gilman (57 kilograms) is going for a gold medal, while J'den Cox (86 kilograms) and Nick Gwiazdowski (125 kilograms) chase bronze medals. Gilman reached the gold-medal match by edging Hak Jin-Jong of North Korea 5-4 in a match that went down to the wire. In the quarterfinals, Gilman dominated, using a series of low singles and gut wrench turns to defeat Nodir Safarov of Uzbekistan 12-1. He opened with a 5-2 win over Andrey Yatsenko of Ukraine, and followed it up with a 3-0 win over Reza Atrinagharchi of Iran, which proved to be more of a chanting battle between the American fans and fans for Iran, as chants of "USA, USA, USA" and "IRAN, IRAN, IRAN," echoed throughout the arena. Gilman led the entire match against the Iranian, scoring on a pushout and shot clock violation. But it was the takedown awarded at the buzzer by the referee for Iran that got the crowd more involved. A takedown would have given Atrinagharchi a victory on criteria. But the judges overturned the call ruling no takedown and Gilman a 3-0 victor. Gilman, who is inspired by his grandfather for this competition, said things are in his favor. "I think this format favors me," Gilman said. "That was a big match (the semis) for me, my grandfather. I came here to win it." J'den Cox, an Olympic bronze medalist in Rio, reached the semifinals before losing to Boris Makoev of Slovakia. Cox fell behind 6-0 and was unable to come back. He cut the deficit to 6-3, which is how the match would end. His quarterfinal victory came over Zbigniew Baranowski of Poland, 3-2. Cox started his day with two come-from-behind victories. The first a 6-1 victory over Ahmed Dudarov of Germany. After trailing 1-0 at the break, Cox came out with three takedowns set the final score. It was Cox's second match that had the Americans holding their breath. Facing Ville Heino of Finland, who wrestles for Campbell University, , Cox found himself in an early 6-0 deficit before hitting a beautiful four-point move to cut the score to 6-4 heading into the break. He shot moments after the whistle to begin period two, tying the score with a double leg. Another takedown and a force out made the final score 9-6, followed by a flex and yell of excitement from Cox. He will wrestle Mihail Ganev (Bulgaria) for bronze. Nick Gwiazdowski won three matches in Friday's first session (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Nick Gwiazdowski (125 kilograms) started his day on fire. He won 10-0 over Andrei Romanov of Moldova. He then beat Daniel Ligeti of Hungary 10-1. The quarterfinal bout was closer for the American. He jumped out to a 5-0 lead on Iran's Yadolla Mohebi and held on for a 5-4 victory. In the semifinals, Gwiazdowski ran into Olympic champ and two-time world champion Taha Akgul of Turkey and was outmatched, losing 10-0. He faces Natsagsuren Zolboo (Mongolia) in the bronze-medal match. USA suffered an early setback when Logan Stieber lost to Gadzhimurad Rashidov of Russia 11-0 in the round of 16. Rashidov is a European champion wrestling for world wrestling power Russia, so it was expected that Stieber, a 2016 world champion, would be in for a tough bout. But few could have predicted the final score of the bout. Stieber, known for his offensive attacks, was unable to get his offense going. When Rashidov reached the finals, Stieber received a repechage match. In his first repachage match, he beat Molnar of Hungary 10-0. Stieber was able to get his offensive attacks going with a few takedowns and turns. He would face world and Olympic champion Vladimir Khinchegashvilli of Georgia in his next repechage match. Khinchegashvilli used his technique and strength to overpower Stieber to the tune of 10-0 shortly after the break. An obviously upset, Stieber said after the match he expected the weight class to be tough coming in. "It's disappointing, obviously," said Stieber. "I wanted to win a medal with my teammates. "The bracket was pretty stacked. I figured it would be tough, but not Russia, Georgia back-to-back." Tonight's finals start at 7 p.m. local time, 1 p.m. ET.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue head wrestling coach Tony Ersland has announced the addition of three-time All-American A.J. Schopp as an assistant coach. From his high-level experience as one of the nation's top 133-pounders throughout his career at Edinboro, to his time building a program as an assistant coach at South Dakota State, Schopp brings an exceptional skill set and high level of competitiveness to Purdue. “Coming from Edinboro and South Dakota State, A.J. understands what we are doing here at Purdue,” Ersland said. “He has been through the building process as a wrestler and a coach with the goal of moving a program forward and creating success. A.J. knows what it takes, he is not scared of the work and effort needed to push a program, he's excited about it.” Schopp's mentality encompasses results on the mat and the importance of the structure needed to get there. “The staff at Purdue likes to put in the work and that's what I am excited about,” Schopp said. “If you are willing to put in the work, and have the right support behind you, anything can be done. The administration is also top-notch, which plays a huge role in having success in wrestling programs. Together, a lot can be achieved.” Schopp joins the Boilermakers' staff after spending the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons as an assistant coach at South Dakota State. Numerous program firsts were established at SDSU with Schopp on staff, highlighted by the program's first-ever Big 12 Conference champion and Division I All-Americans in Seth Gross and Alex Kocer. Gross was the NCAA runner-up at 133 pounds in 2017, while Kocer placed eighth at 149 pounds. Schopp's influence on Gross extended into freestyle, coaching him to a UWW national championship and a spot on the U.S. junior world freestyle team in 2016. In two seasons with Schopp on staff, the Jackrabbits posted a 28-11 dual record, qualified 10 to the NCAA Championships, totaled 11 Academic All-Big 12 honors and totaled eight NWCA All-Academic distinctions. “I plan on putting everything I have into the program to help it succeed in the classroom, on the mat and socially,” Schopp said. “Creating all-around good people is something I have learned from the many individuals I have been around in my wrestling career and plan to instill that into the student-athletes at Purdue University. And of course, I plan to make the team tough on top!” Wrestling at 133 pounds at Edinboro (2012-15), Schopp was consistently ranked among the nation's elite. He was known for his ability to rack up bonus points and his dominance on top. “A.J. has a tremendous skill set on top that will benefit our program,” Ersland said. “He embodies toughness and an attitude in his wrestling that I want our wrestlers to be around.” Schopp was a four-time NCAA Championships qualifier, earning All-America honors three times, and was a three-time Eastern Wrestling League champion. He placed fourth at the 2013 and 2014 NCAA Championships and had his highest NCAA finish in his final campaign, taking third in 2015. After being upended in the first round, the No. 9 seed stormed through wrestlebacks, winning seven straight to place third. Schopp was bestowed with the Gorriaran Award for the most falls in the least amount of time, sticking four opponents in 11:53 during wrestlebacks. The Fighting Scots' third-place finish in the team standings marked the highest finish in program history at the Division I championships. Schopp is scattered throughout Edinboro's record book. With a career mark of 133-17, his .887 winning percentage ranks second and his 133 wins are tied for sixth. He tops the career falls list with 67 and he earned a spot on the Fighting Scots' top-20 season falls list in each of his four campaigns The Tyrone, Pennsylvania, native earned a bachelor's degree in business administration, along with a minor in economics, from Edinboro in May 2015. He and his wife Katie have a son Ryder.

United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation, has notified USA Wrestling that the date for the 2018 Freestyle World Cup in Iowa City, Iowa, has been officially set for April 7-8. The event, which is the annual international freestyle dual meet championships, had originally been scheduled for April 21-22. The new date fit perfectly with USA Wrestling's international and national event schedule. It will provide a tremendous showcase for the world's best wrestlers just a few weeks after the conclusion of the U.S. college wrestling season. The competition will be held at the world-famous Carver-Hawkeye Arena on the campus of the University of Iowa. This venue hosted the record-setting 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for wrestling. It has been the site of many of the most important wrestling events in American wrestling history, and serves as the home venue for the University of Iowa wrestling team, which annually leads the NCAA in attendance for the sport. The World Cup will feature the top eight men's freestyle wrestling teams in the world. Those teams will be determined based upon the results of the men's freestyle competition at the 2017 World Wrestling Championships, which are being held in Paris, France over the next two days, August 25-26. As host, the United States will field one of the eight teams at the World Cup. Team USA has a strong team at the 2017 World Championships, including former Hawkeye wrestling star Thomas Gilman, who is the U.S. World Team member at 57 kg/125.5 lbs. This will be the 30th time the United States has hosted the event, the most of any nation. Iowa City will be the ninth U.S. city to host the Freestyle World Cup. The other U.S. cities which have hosted the World Cup include Toledo, Ohio (17 times); Los Angeles, Calif. (three times) Chattanooga, Tenn. (twice); Spokane, Wash.(twice); Stillwater, Okla. (twice); Baltimore, Md.; Fairfax, Va. and Boise, Idaho. The 2017 Freestyle World Cup was hosted in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 16-17, with Iran claiming the team title and the United States placing second. The local organizing committee will be the same group of leaders who hosted the highly-successful 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The local organizing committee is led by the University of Iowa and the Iowa City/Coralville Convention & Visitors Bureau and includes leaders from the City of Iowa City, City of Coralville and City of North Liberty. Ticket packages for the general public will be available Nov. 1. Tickets information is available at hawkeyesports.com. Event organizers are looking to set attendance records for the Freestyle World Cup, and intend to host the most successful World Cup hosted in the United States.

Fifty years ago, Michigan State wrestling claimed a team title at the 1967 NCAA Wrestling Championships, joining the rare club of just a dozen programs to earn a national title. Next month, Michigan State wrestling will honor the 1967 National Champions in a weekend-long celebration on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 29-30. The celebration starts at noon Friday, with the Varsity S Club Social, followed by a team and alumni social Friday evening from 6-9 p.m. at Reno's East. Saturday's festivities kick off with the Varsity S Club Tailgate & Recognition at Old College Field three hours before the MSU football game vs. Iowa, at which the 1967 national championship wrestling team will be honored. Michigan State's 1967 wrestling team"They're the standard for Michigan State wrestling," said current MSU head wrestling coach Roger Chandler. "Any time we can bring back and recognize any Spartan team or program that has achieved what we all strive to achieve, I think it's a great day in Spartan history." The 1967 Spartans, led by head coach Grady Peninger, were the first Big Ten team to win a national title in wrestling. Michigan State won the National Championship with 74 total points, 11 ahead of cross-state rival Michigan, which came in second. At the 1967 NCAAs at Kent State University in Ohio, four Spartans made it to the finals: Don Behm at 130 pounds, Dale Anderson at 137, George Radman at 167 and, at 177, Mike Bradley. Anderson and Radman each earned individual NCAA titles. "It's something that we can all point to for the current guys within the program to be around greatness, listen to their stories," said coach Chandler. "Every one of our student-athletes right now has visions and dreams of becoming NCAA Champions and All-Americans. When they're around these guys and they come in and speak to them, it will be an opportunity for them to listen to their stories and how they got there." Spartan wrestling alumni are encouraged to participate. To RSVP for the alumni weekend festivities, contact assistant coach Chris Williams at 517-927-6131 or willi756@ath.msu.edu. Wrestling fans who have no direct ties to the Michigan State wrestling program can travel back in time and get a taste of that Spartan championship season by reading "A Spartan Journey,""A Spartan Journey," Dale Anderson's 2016 book sharing his memories of that momentous year… and check out the special MSU wrestling page honoring that 1967 NCAA title-winning team with photos and info.

Just over two months ago, former wrestler and UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes was seriously injured in a truck/train collision. Initial reports said he was in a coma. A week ago, Hughes was shown going out for sushi with a long-time friend. This week, Hughes was on the mat, doing "light grappling" with that same friend, Tony Zucca. Matt HughesZucca posted a video on Instagram showing the 43-year-old former fighter in action, doing some guard drills while wearing the hospital band on his wrist. "I leave for only five days and come back to his ass wanting (and able) to roll," Zucca wrote on Instagram. "Unbelievable! Spare me the grappling lessons. The only things that are important: firing muscles that haven't been used in a long time...and having fun! So awesome to see that smile and hear that laugh again. If I posted a video from day one and compared it to today...and you still didn't believe in miracles...well, there's nothing that's ever going to change your mind." Former rival Frank Trigg saw the video… and was blown away. "I am so happy that he made it through," Trigg told MMAJunkie Radio. "And that his wife still has a husband. His twin brother still has a brother. His son still has a dad. It is huge. You can't say enough about this guy. And he's going to pull it together. Whether you believe in a higher power or not -- he always has. "He's always been that guy who always leans on Jesus Christ, always leans on God. Whatever his belief system is, it worked for him, because he survived this (expletive). If I was in that thing, I would have been dead. One hundred percent, I would not have survived that thing. And he made it through." Matt Hughes has come a long ways since his near-fatal accident. On June 16, Hughes was driving his pickup on a country road in central Illinois, not far from his hometown of Hillsboro, when the truck was struck by a train on the passenger side. The crossing had only a warning sign; it did not have flashing lights or gates. The critically-injured Hughes was airlifted to a trauma hospital in Springfield, the Illinois state capital. He reportedly suffered severe head injuries. Hughes held the UFC's welterweight championship at various points between 2001 and 2006. He is recognized as one of the greatest 170-pound fighters of all time, according to ESPN. Hughes launched his pro mixed martial arts career in 1998, and had not fought since 2011. He compiled a 45-9 record in MMA, and was welcomed into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2010. Prior to entering MMA competition, Matt Hughes was an accomplished wrestler. He was a two-time Illinois Class A state champion at 145 pounds for Hillsboro High School in 1991 and 1992. Hughes then started his college career at Southwestern Illinois College. After the school eliminated its wrestling program, Hughes transferred to Lincoln College (Illinois), where he placed third at the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) National Wrestling Championships. After graduating from Lincoln, Hughes continued wrestling at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, where he was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, placing eighth in 1996 and fifth in 1997 at 158 pounds.

Alli Ragan with USA women's wrestling coach Terry Steiner (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) PARIS -- Alli Ragan fell in the gold-medal match and Victoria Anthony was defeated for bronze, but the USA women's wrestling team still tied for second in the team standings at the World Wrestling Championships in Paris, France. Ragan (60 kilograms) had her hands full with Olympic gold medalist Risako Kawai. Kawai was in attack mode early and often, preventing Ragan from getting her offense going. Kawai's double leg proved to be almost unstoppable to the tune of a 13-0 technical fall, with an added passivity point and few turns on Ragan. Japan's Risako Kawai won by technical fall over Alli Ragan (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) The Japanese women's wrestling team was well prepared for the competition, placing four wrestlers in Thursday's finals and winning three of those bouts. Japan ran away with the team title and had four gold medalists, as well as a silver and bronze medalist. "We started out strong and our wheels fell off a little bit," USA women's wrestling coach Terry Steiner said. "They competed hard, but we have some things to work on. We're just not there yet. It's always important to get a team trophy. We're not starting from scratch. We just need to get better at what we do." American wrestling legend John Smith, an assistant coach and helping the women's team for the first time, is excited about their accomplishments, but would like to see them grow in certain areas. "I won't accept the fact that (the Japanese team) can't be beat," Smith said. "If we create a better system for our women, like wrestling in college, we can close that gap." Victoria Anthony lost in the bronze-medal match to Son-Hyang Kim of North Korea (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Victoria Anthony (48 kilograms) lost in the bronze-medal match to a resilient opponent in Son-Hyang Kim of North Korea. Anthony tried everything she could to no avail. Snap downs, low shots and even inside trips, they were all rejected by the defense of Kim. It ended in an 11-1 defeat. Anthony spoke prior to the match and mentioned that she needed to keep her intensity high and work through every position in every minute of the match and she did just that. The guard of Kim was just too much for Anthony to get through. At the break, Anthony was facing a 3-0 deficit. But coming out in the second period she was unable to get on her offensive attack. Kim used her defensive strategy to counter Anthony's attacks and was able to mount an 11-1 technical fall. Constantly wiping tears from her eyes, Anthony spoke about her overall performance. "There is not much to say … I just need to get better," Anthony said. "It's not what we came here for." It was Anthony's second fifth-place finish at the World Championships. She was also fifth in 2013 after losing the bronze-medal match. "I think the Asian countries do a really good job of not reacting (to fakes) and being solid in their stance," Anthony said. "I end up having to pick and choose (on being offensive or defensive), as the match winds down and you're losing time when you pick and choose." Anthony knows she wants to improve on her performance as this is her second time losing in the bronze medal match, the other time coming in 2013. Overall, the American women's wrestling team had a strong performance in Paris, finishing with three medals, a gold, silver and bronze. Helen Maroulis turned in the most impressive performance, winning gold and outscoring her opponents 53-0. Coach Smith spoke about the potential of her tying his record of four world championships and two Olympic gold medals. "I'd like to see her beat me," Smith said. "You don't see a real difference between her practice and her competition she's pretty serious with everything she does. But let's let her win her championships one at a time."

Alli Ragan advanced to the gold-medal match at 60 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) PARIS -- The momentum that Helen Maroulis and Becka Leathers used in winning gold and bronze on Wednesday was passed like a baton to the anchor leg, to the American competitors on Thursday. Almost as if mirroring the opening session on the first day of the women's wrestling competition, America has two women wrestlers going for medals. Alli Ragan goes for gold, while Victoria Anthony goes for bronze. USA has clinched a spot in the top three team race after the conclusion of the morning session. The outcome of the individual matches in the evening session will determine where Team USA goes on the medal stand. All four of the women on Team USA competing on Thursday reached the quarterfinals, going 6-0 in the first few rounds, with four technical falls and one pin. Alli Ragan (60 kilograms), rocking the pink headgear, was methodical on her way to a technical fall over Sleisz of Hungary in her first match, capitalizing on snap downs and go-behinds to win 10-0. Against Luisa Neimesch in the quarterfinals, she won a low scoring match using a single leg takedown to cap the scoring and win 4-0. Ragan's semifinal match was much more exciting. She found herself in a back-and-forth match tied at 2, then going down by one, right before she used a perfectly timed headlock to cement Anastasija Grigorjeva of Latvia in the second period. "I knew every match was going to be a fight," Ragan said. "I didn't wrestle up to my capability in the world finals last year. (To win the finals), just keep the pressure on, tie up and win the battle." Victoria Anthony gets her hand raised after a victory (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The other American going for a medal is 5-foot-1 mighty mouse, hence the nickname Vicki Mouse, Victoria Anthony (48 kilograms), who uses her strength and quickness to attack opponents, with concise leg attacks. She used an inside trip and gut wrench turn to defeat her first adversary Miran Cheon of Korea, 10-0. In her next match, she found herself behind 4-0 against India's Vinesh, but used a beautiful hip toss to secure a fall at the 5:09 mark. In the quarterfinals, Anthony lost to a tough competitor in three-time cadet world champion Yui Susaki of Japan 11-0. Anthony earned a repechage match when Susaki reached the finals. In her repechage match, she used a take down and a couple gut wrench turns to go up 7-0 on Julie Sabatie of France, before tossing Sabatie to her back and getting the fall, much to the dismay of the home crowd. To win the bronze match, Anthony said she must continue doing what she did to get here. "I need to keep the intensity high in every second, every minute, every position, keep finding points," Anthony said. "You want to medal at the World Championships even if it's not the color that I want." She will wrestle Sonhyang Kim of North Korea for bronze. At 53 kilograms, Haley Augello used a series of double leg takedowns and gut wrenches to beat Thi Vu of Vietnam by technical fall 10-0 in her initial match. She then won a gritty bout over Lannuan Luo of China, 3-0. In the quarterfinals, Augello suffered a tough loss to Polish veteran Roxana Zasina. She found herself down 6-0 and got on the scoreboard with a takedown to cut the deficit to 6-2, but Zasina would score again and close the bout 8-2. "I feel like I had fun out there my first two matches," Augello said. "But it's devastating when you work really hard and the outcome isn't what you expected. I'll get back out there and work really hard and come back stronger." Augello was eliminated when Zasina lost her next bout. Tamyra Mensah (69 kilograms) began her day with a 12-2 technical fall over Alla Belinska of Ukraine. She suffered a devastating 5-2 loss to Junior world silver medalist Yue Han of China. She didn't gain a repechage match when Han lost in the semifinals. Tonight's finals are scheduled for 7 p.m. local time, 1 p.m. ET.

Helen Maroulis with the American flag after winning gold in Paris (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) PARIS -- Few wrestling fans doubted that Helen Maroulis, the 2015 world champion and 2016 Olympic gold medalist, would win another world title this year. It was just a question of in what kind of fashion she would win. As it turned out, it was nothing short of dominant. Maroulis defended her title by outscoring her five opponents 53-0. In the finals against Tunisian Marwa Amri, it was a show from start to finish. Beginning with a ground shaking foot sweep, sending her opponent sprawling, much to the awe of the crowd for a gigantic four-point move. Maroulis followed that with two more takedowns before finishing the match with a turn to make the final score 11-0. Maroulis said she thought about not giving up points after the semifinals, but it wasn't her goal. She referenced a quote she likes, 'Discernment isn't knowing the difference between right and wrong, it's the difference between right and almost right.' "It's not a bad thing to want to go for a tech," Maroulis said. "But if (getting a tech) is the focus, I might miss out on some other things. If I have to wrestle smart to win a 1-0 match, I'm not going to get greedy or cocky to put another tech on the board I'm about glorifying God and in that process winning." Her coach Valentin Kalika joked about how great Maroulis is getting, saying it's hard to find her workout partners and at this point she almost has to train with the men. "She finished almost all her matches in the first period," Kalika said." She put up 53 points and she gave up zero points, so I'm happy." Maroulis says after this she is still training and focusing on taking it one day at a time, although she was dominant she can still find room for improvement. The goal for both she and Kalika was to be the best in the world, and for another year she owns that title. Becka Leathers won a bronze medal at 55 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Like Maroulis, Becka Leathers has goals of being the best wrestler in the world at her weight class, but for now she takes her bronze medal with pride. In the bronze-medal match, Leathers scored a takedown on a counter attack, then used back points to increase her lead to 4-0 going into the break. That was as much scoring as Leathers would do for the entire match as she seemingly went into cruise coming out in the second period and fought off shot attempts to defeat Bilyana Dudova of Bulgaria 4-2. It was her mindset that helped her get the victory and claim the bronze medal. "Discipline, be stingy, take advantage when it's there," Leathers said. "I wasn't planning to not score anymore points (after the break), but that's the way it crumbled." Now that she has her hands on a bronze medal, she has the confidence and experience. She now must figure out how to reach the top of the podium. "I'm going to keep working hard and figure out how to beat those Japanese girls (she lost to eventual champion Haruna Okuno of Japan), and figure out how to beat everyone else." The women's wrestling competition continues on Thursday at 10 a.m. local time with the 48 kilograms, 53 kilograms, 60 kilograms and 69 kilograms being contested.

Helen Maroulis was unscored upon in the first session (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) PARIS -- The USA women's wrestling team is off to a marvelous start at the World Wrestling Championships in Paris. Helen Maroulis will wrestle for gold, while teammate Becka Leathers will go for bronze. Maroulis, who competes at 58 kilograms, is looking to capture her second world title. She won gold at 55 kilograms at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas. Last summer, Maroulis won an Olympic gold medal in Rio by defeating Japanese wrestling legend Saori Yoshida, becoming the United States' first-ever Olympic champion in women's wrestling. After three straight technical falls, Maroulis defeated Michelle Fazzari of Canada 10-0 in the semifinals. In the finals, she will face Marwa Amri of Tunisia, who became the first-ever African women's wrestler to reach the finals at the World Championships. The most impressive stat by Maroulis, is that she hasn't surrendered a single point these championships, outscoring her four opponents 41-0. Maroulis has moved up two weight classes since last year, but said not much has changed. "I came in with the same mentality that I always come in, whether I'm 116 pounds or 127 I don't think [the weight class] should change that," Maroulis said. "I wrestle for God. I wrestle to honor him." Contrary to Maroulis dominant performance, Leathers (55 kilograms) had to take a detour to reach the medal round. She made the quarterfinals by pinning Ramona Galambos of Hungary. Leathers then lost 8-0 to Cadet world champion Haruna Okuna of Japan. Leathers gained a repechage match when Okuna reached the finals. In her repechage match, Leathers beat Carola Rainero of Italy by technical fall 13-2. She will wrestle Bilyana Dudova of Bulgaria for a bronze medal. The other two Americans to compete today were Mallory Velte (63 kilograms) and Victoria Francis (75 kilograms). Neither were successful in their first matches of the day. Velte faced Blessing Oborududu of Nigeria and started strong, earning the first points on the board with an early takedown. But her lead was short lived as Oborududu began an offensive attack of her own and eventually winning 10-2. Velte was eliminated from competition when Oborududu lost in the quarterfinals, making her ineligible for a repechage match. Holding back tears, Velte mentioned that she needs more experience moving forward. "There isn't much to say," Velte said. "I didn't show up as well as I could have. Adding some experience from this and watching the Olympics it's a lot of hard work and showing up on the day." Francis had to face a tough opponent in Gulmaral Yerkeybayeva in her opening match. She found herself in an 8-1 deficit, and cut the score to 8-3. But she would not get any closer as Yerkeybayeva would score again making the final score 10-3. Francis was no longer able to gain a repechage match when Yerkeybayeva lost her next match. Velte and Francis, both first-time member of the U.S. World Team, are 22 and 23 respectively. The finals begin at 7 p.m. local time, 1 p.m. ET.

A special edition DVD of the high school wrestling documentary "Stand Up" is now available for preorder, with deliveries to be made in September. "Stand Up" chronicles a year in the life of the wrestling program at Central Dauphin East High School in central Pennsylvania. In 2014, the program hadn't had a state qualifier in five years. However, that year, the team had two seniors -- both best friends and rivals -- whose whole wrestling careers had built up to a quest for state championship glory. In addition to providing an insider look at a high school wrestling room and the athletes inside, this new "Stand Up" special edition DVD includes several hours of bonus material not previously available on the original documentary, including a Director's Commentary interview with filmmaker (and Central Dauphin East wrestling alum) Abdullah Abu-Mahfouz ... the "Can't Keep Me Down" music video ... and an "After Stand Up" video, updating viewers as to where the participants of the documentary are now. In addition, the special edition DVD also includes features that provide special insights into coaching -- and wrestling -- as well as a workout training series by Lamont Stanley. Additional bonus features included with the purchase of the "Stand Up" special edition DVD: digital downloads of wrestling music ... a free digital version of the film to watch on any device, anywhere ... and lifetime access to future content from "Stand Up." "The goal of 'Stand Up' is to inspire wrestlers to dig deep and find success," Abduallah Abu-Mahfouz told InterMat in a November 2016 interview. "I've had wrestling coaches express grievances -- having trouble getting kids to go out for wrestling, keeping them in the program, keeping them motivated," the young filmmaker continued. "Hopefully, wrestlers and coaches can use this film to propel themselves to greatness." Note: Individuals who were "$25 and plus Seed&Spark Early Access" supporters of "Stand Up" automatically receive a free copy of the DVD as soon as orders are shipped. To preorder a special edition DVD of "Stand Up" for shipment in September for $19.99, visit the documentary's official website.

Tolly Thompson, 2005 World bronze medalist and NCAA heavyweight champ for University of Nebraska, is the one and only guest for "On The Mat" this Wednesday, August 23. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in Northeast Iowa this Wednesday at 5 p.m. Central on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com.

Robby Smith (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) PARIS -- Different day, but similar results. On Day 2 of the World Wrestling Championships in Paris, France, USA's Greco-Roman team was still unable to place a wrestler in a medal match. Of the four wrestlers who competed on Tuesday, Ildar Hafizov (59 kilograms), Ellis Coleman (66 kilograms), Cheney Haight (80 kilograms), and Robby Smith (130 kilograms), only two were victorious, Coleman and Smith. Ellis Coleman opened the Worlds with a win (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Coleman came out aggressive in his first match against Diego Ribeiro of Brazi, using a series of step outs and takedowns on his way to a dominant 8-0 technical fall in the first period. In his second match against Mate Nemes of Serbia, Coleman was dinged two points for a caution, hitting his opponent in the face area, which forced him to change his game plan for the match. He fell 3-1. Disappointed, yet still optimistic, Coleman spoke about his performance. "The guys that aren't making those mistakes are the guys that are winning it," Coleman said. "I have to figure out my offense and be the one receiving those points [instead of being on the other end] of the sticks." Smith faced Tamas Soos of Slovakia in the opening round, and took an early 2-0 lead before using a beautiful four-point body lock lateral drop to cement his opponent at the 1:54 mark. In Smith's second match against Yasmani Acosta of Chile, he started slowly and trailed 2-0 at the break. Smith was able to muster a point in the second period, but by that time the score was 3-1 and he was almost looking at the double zeros on the clock. Obviously, upset about failing to place, Smith talked about how his performance. "I'd rather be talked to after I win a medal," Smith said. "It's not fun doing this right now honestly. We have to get back to the drawing board and figure something out." For Hafizov and Haight, they each had tough opponents in their first match that they could not overcome. Hafizov met Vazgen Khachatryan of Armenia and found himself down early, when Khachatryan used a throw to build a four-point lead. Hafizov would cut the deficit to 4-2, but Khachatryan built an 8-3 lead to close out the match. Hafizov was eliminated from the tournament when Khachatryan lost his next match in the round of 16. On the contrary, Haight could did get on the board first in his match, going up 2-0 on Laszlo Szabo of Hungary. But that would not last long as Szabo stormed to a 9-2 lead before pinning Haight at 5:37. Haight too was no longer eligible for repachage when Szabo was defeated in his next match. It was a disappointing performance for USA's Greco-Roman team in Paris as no wrestler came close to bringing home hardware. The last USA Greco-Roman wrestler to earn a medal at the World Championships was Andy Bisek, who obtained bronze in 2015 and 2014. Before him it was Dremiel Byers with a silver in 2009, and a bronze in 2007. USA Greco-Roman coach Matt Lindland, in a somber tone, said the young guys who are inexperienced fought hard on the first day, but on the second day the experienced guys must find the fight. "Today I didn't see the fight and I know we have really talented athletes," Lindland said. "I don't know what the answer is to fixing it right now. Maybe it is bringing up the juniors who have wrestled with these rules and let them matriculate into seniors."

BRADFORD, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will add wrestling to its NCAA Division III varsity sports beginning with the 2018-19 academic year. "We're certainly aware of the passion and enthusiasm students and parents in our region have for wrestling," said Dr. Livingston Alexander, Pitt-Bradford's president. "Accordingly, we've been planning and organizing the necessary resources to advance our wrestling program from club status to the NCAA intercollegiate level. The time has come to do so, and we're now poised to begin competition at the Division III level in fall 2018. We hope the wrestling enthusiasts in our area will no longer feel they have to leave the region to study and wrestle." The Pitt-Bradford wrestling team will compete in an independent schedule made up of a combination of duals and tournaments. The Panthers will join the 104 other programs in NCAA Division III wrestling, of which 31 compete independently. All Pitt-Bradford wrestlers will have the opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Division III National Wrestling Tournament, which has followed the Division I regional format since 2012. Wrestling came to Pitt-Bradford two years ago when a group of students wanted to compete beyond high school. Andrew McRandal, a biology major from Pittsburgh, spearheaded the club along with a group of his peers. They received additional support from Rich Kahle, facilities and fitness manager; and Kathy Moonan, manager of accounts payable. Moonan's son, Matthew, is studying business management and accounting at Pitt-Bradford and is an assistant coach for Bradford Junior Olympic Wrestling Club while filling in for the Pitt-Bradford wrestling club at times. A significant boost to the wrestling club came when Kevin and Cindy Keane of Bradford gave a generous gift to Pitt-Bradford that covered the cost of new practice and competition mats and other one-time gear, rent for practice space at neighboring St. Bernard Elementary School, association dues, tournament entry fees, and transportation and lodging for the club's meets. Last year's Pitt-Bradford wrestling club had 12 members, nine coming from the state of Pennsylvania, two of which local from Bradford and Coudersport. Two participants came from New Jersey while one each came from Ohio and New York. The club competed at the USCAA Wrestling Invitational in State College (Feb. 11), a dual match at Penn State Mont Alto (Feb. 12) and the NCWA Mid-East Conference Championship (Feb. 25). "I am very excited about our plans to start an NCAA Division III varsity wrestling program at Pitt-Bradford," said Bret Butler, director of athletics. "Wrestling is not only extremely popular in our region, but it is simply a fantastic sport. We expect interest in our program to be very high, and I personally cannot wait to be sitting in the KOA Arena on a winter evening, watching our team in a dual. This addition will be great not only for Pitt-Bradford, but also for the Bradford sports community." A national search for a head coach will begin in October. Pitt-Bradford officials hope the new coach will be on board in January. The addition of wrestling next fall increases Pitt-Bradford's men's sports teams to seven: baseball, basketball, golf, soccer, swimming and tennis. Pitt-Bradford also offers seven women's sports: basketball, bowling, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball. For further information about the new sports program, contact Butler at 814-362-5093 or bab15@pitt.edu.

There's nothing like the thrill of moving into a brand-new home. Now Central Baptist College wrestlers and coaches will have that feeling, as the mat program at the Arkansas-based school moves into its new home all its own. CBC Mustang wrestling fans will get to explore the new 3,750 square foot facility at a special open house on Friday, Sept. 15, sponsored by the Conway (Ark.) Chamber of Commerce. "Words alone cannot express how grateful and thankful I am about the new wrestling center," said Central Baptist head wrestling coach Ken Prophete. "Entering into my eighth season as the head wrestling coach at CBC, it has been a recruiting promise to my wrestlers that we will have a bigger and better (space) and this 2017-18 season we will fulfill that promise." "It is a blessing and I give all the glory to God for placing the right people to help make this dream a reality," Prophete continued. "We plan to make the best of our new opportunity this season in our new wrestling center." The main donor who made the CBC wrestling room a reality is Greg Hatcher of The Hatcher Agency, a major supporter of wrestling in the state of Arkansas and beyond. CBC's wrestling team will have the new building on a three-year lease. Prior to the new CBC wrestling facility, the Mustang mat stars practiced at Reddin Fieldhouse and other campus sports facilities. Founded in 1952, Central Baptist College is a four-year, private school affiliated with the Baptist Missionary Commission of Arkansas. The school, located in Conway, Ark., has approximately 900 students. Its sports teams, the Mustangs, compete in NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics).

Tracy Hancock reached repechage before losing to Seyedmosta Salehizadeh of Iran (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) PARIS -- It was a tough first day for Team USA Greco-Roman wrestlers at the World Championships in Paris, France. Three of the four wrestlers competing on Monday secured a victory, but of the four wrestlers who competed today, none reached a medal match. The wrestler with the best opportunity was Tracy Hancock (98 kilograms). He was the only American wrestler to receive a repechage match after Arthur Aleksanyan of Armenia, who beat Hancock, reached the finals, and eventually won the title. To his credit, Hancock is only 20 years old and Aleksanyan won the 2016 Olympic Gold medal and is now a three-time world champion. Hancock would go on to lose a close 3-1 match to Seyedmosta Salehizadeh of Iran in the repechage match, ending his bid for a medal. Hancock started the match strong, grabbing a 1-0 lead off a passivity. But Salehizadeh would storm back strong, scoring on a step out and multiple passivity points of his own. Hancock was a 2016 Junior world bronze medalist, but failed to earn a medal at this year's Junior World Championships in Tampere, Finland. The other U.S. wrestlers competing on Monday, Pat Smith (71 kilograms), Mason Manville (75 kilograms) and Ben Provisor (85 kilograms), did not receive repechage matches. Pat Smith opened with a victory (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Smith cruised to a 5-0 victory in his first match over Matous Morbitzer of the Czech Republic. He started strong, using a pushout to get on the board and then scored a takedown to build a 3-0 lead. Smith earned a point for passivity and another pushout to complete the final score. Smith would later suffer a devastating 8-2 defeat to Nurgazy Asangulov of Kyrgyzstan. The Kyrgyzstan wrestler led 4-2 at the end of the first period as Asangulov was able to capitalize on a Smith mistake for a four-point move, bringing the score to 8-2. Smith was eliminated when Asangulov lost in the quarterfinals. Mason Manville defeated defeated Manfred Edsberg of Sweden in his first match (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Manville also started the day on a positive note. He defeated Manfred Edsberg of Sweden in a close 4-2 bout. Manville would get on the board first with a point awarded from passivity. He would score again on passivity and a turn sequence. He would drop his second match to Mindia Tsulukidze of Georgia by a score of 4-2. The American scored the only offensive points of the match on a takedown and gave up three points on passivity. To add to the disappointment, Manville would appear to score a takedown as time expired. USA challenged the call, only to be denied. The 20-year-old Manville, a Cadet world champion in freestyle, was eliminated when Tsulukidze lost in the quarterfinals. Ben Provisor dropped his opening match to Oleksandr Shyshman of Ukraine (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Provisor, a two-time Olympian, had another particularly tough loss. He was beating Oleksandr Shyshman of Ukraine 2-2 on criteria with 12 seconds left before getting tossed in a four-point throw, which proved to be the difference in the match. Provisor's day ended when Shyshman fell prior to the finals. . The Greco-Roman competition continues on Tuesday as team USA will have wrestlers compete at 59 kilograms, 66 kilograms, 80 kilograms and 130 kilograms.

VESTAL, N.Y. - The Binghamton wrestling team has added a new member to its coaching staff for the 2017-18 season. Head coach Matt Dernlan has announced the hiring of Andrew Pariano, who previously coached at Northwestern University. Pariano will replace former assistant coach, Jasen Borshoff, who previously coached on the Bearcats staff for seven years. "We are thrilled to announce the addition of Drew to our staff," Dernlan said. "He has proven over the course of his career to be one of the best wrestling minds in the country. His ability to develop National Champions and All Americans at premier academic institutions, works in perfect tandem with the bar we have set for ourselves at Binghamton University. The work begins today and we're excited to attack the path that lies ahead of us." Pariano comes to Binghamton with 15 years of collegiate coaching and recruiting experience at the Division I level. During his collegiate career, he represented the Wildcats at three NCAA Championships. (1996-2000). After graduation, Pariano went on to receive a Master's Degree in Business Communication from John Carroll University and then became the head coach at Cornell College in 2003. Drew returned to NU as an assistant coach in 2005, and was elevated to associate head coach in 2008, before assuming the role as head coach in 2010. In 2011, Pariano was named the AWN Rookie Head Coach of the Year and was the NWCA Division I National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2008. In 2007, he was an assistant coach for the Wildcats as the team placed foruth at the NCAA Championships. During his tenure at NU, Pariano coached 57 NCAA Qualifiers, 24 NCAA All-Americans, 10 Individual Big Ten Champions, 8 NCAA Finalists, and 4 NCAA Champions. During his time at Northwestern, the Wildcats placed in the top 15 at the NCAA Championships in eight out of his 10 seasons. In the international styles of wrestling, Pariano coached at the senior level World Team and Olympic Trials from 2006-2015. His United States Cadet Pan Am team won the Freestyle and Greco Roman Titles in the summer of 2011. He served as the director for the 2006 FILA Cadet and University Nationals. Also in 2006, Drew was the coach for the Ohio Junior National Dual team that took third in the nation. He was instrumental in coaching 2012 Olympian, 2009 World Silver Medalist, 2009 Big Ten Athlete of the Year, and 2009 Hodge Trophy recipient: Jake Herbert. During his time in Illinois, Pariano had five wrestlers represent the United States at the Cadet, Junior, University, and Senior World Championships. On the recruiting trails, Pariano was instrumental in assembling several of the most highly-touted recruiting classes Northwestern has seen in the past two decades. 3X All-American Brandon Precin, 3X All-American Jason Welch, 4X All-American Mike McMullan, and NCAA Champion Jason Tsirtsis all signed with NU from 2006-2012. Both Welch and Tsirtis were named the top overall recruits in their classes while McMullan was ranked the top heavyweight recruit in the country. In 2014, Pariano signed the #1 nationally ranked recruiting class by WIN Magazine that included three No. 1 recruits.

Corey VanGroll, an NCAA All-American wrestler for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in 2009, is returning to his alma mater as head coach, the Kenosha-area NCAA Division II program announced Friday. VanGroll takes over for former UW-Parkside wrestling coach Gregg Lewis, who announced his retirement at the end of June when the school made the coaching position full-time instead of part-time. Lewis had served as the Rangers head coach for the past six years. A native of Maribel, Wis., VanGroll earned All-American honors for UW-Parkside as a senior, placing fourth in the 165-pound bracket at the 2009 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships. In addition to stepping into a new position with knowledge that only an alum can offer, VanGroll brings more than eight years of coaching experience at the NCAA Division III and NJCAA (National Junior College Athletics Association) levels. He launched his career at Iowa Lakes Community College in 2009, coaching the school's first national champion. In 2012, VanGroll accepted the head coaching position at Concordia University in Wisconsin, where he coached two national champs – including the school's first – and a total of nine All-Americans. He led Concordia to three consecutive conference championships in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and was named Northern Wrestling Association Coach of the Year. "We are thrilled to welcome Corey back to campus to lead our wrestling program and our student-athletes," said Andrew Gavin, UW-Parkside Director of Athletics. "His experiences and successful track record as a head coach are impressive and will be complimented by his knowledge of our University and wrestling program, connections to Ranger Alumni, and ties to the wrestling community in the area. Our storied program looks forward to a bright future with Corey at the helm." "I am honored and humbled to return to UW-Parkside and to carry on this program's rich tradition," VanGroll said in a statement released by the school. "I look forward to developing each and every athlete as we strive for athletic and academic prowess. I also look forward to connecting with old and new fans, friends, families and alumni."

The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) has added women's wrestling as its newest varsity sport this fall, the organization announced this week. The KCAC will have five member schools with women's wrestling for 2017-18. Two are full-fledged conference member schools -- Ottawa University and the University of Saint Mary -- while three associate member schools will also offer the sport: University of Jamestown in Jamestown, N.D., Midland University in Fremont, Neb., and Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo. With the addition of women's wrestling, the KCAC now has a total of 23 varsity sports -- 11 sports for men, and 12 sports for women. "Following our associate member sport model developed for men's and women's lacrosse, I am pleased to have the collaboration from these five programs coming together for the further development of women's wrestling," said KCAC Commissioner Dr. Scott Crawford. "This effort puts the KCAC and these five programs at the forefront of helping the NAIA take women's wrestling from an emerging sport to an eventual championship sport." KCAC member schools offering women's wrestling already see the value of providing increased competitive opportunities for more students. Ottawa University's Athletic Director, Arabie Conner, said, "Over the last two years, women's wrestling has been a great addition to our athletic department sports offerings at OU. We're very pleased to see the growth of the sport at the high school level and regionally with more and more collegiate opportunities for women. Having other regional institutions that sponsor women's wrestling join the KCAC in partnership to enhance the experience for the student-athletes is a great to see." "Missouri Valley is very excited to be joining the KCAC in its inaugural season of women's wrestling," said Carl Murphree, the school's head wrestling coach. "This is a big step in growing the sport of women's wrestling and we are thankful for the KCAC for taking that important first step." The KCAC is the second collegiate conference to welcome women's wrestling to its roster of available varsity sports, joining the Mid-South Conference, based in Kentucky, also includes member schools offering varsity women's wrestling, helping to grow the sport within NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics). The news from the KCAC is the latest positive development for the growth of women's collegiate wrestling. Just this past week, Nassau Community College on Long Island, New York and Schreiner University in Texas both announced the addition of women's wrestling programs. Earlier this month, a coalition of amateur wrestling organizations backed specific efforts to get the NCAA to declare women's wrestling as an emerging sport. At least eleven colleges lent their support to the effort, with University of Iowa head coach Tom Brands offering his endorsement.

Aaron Butler A Green Beret killed in Afghanistan Wednesday was a four-time state wrestling champ. Utah National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Aaron R. Butler was supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel when an explosive device detonated during combat operations in eastern Afghanistan, according to Pentagon officials. Butler, 27, was killed; eleven others were injured by the explosion as the soldiers were trying to clear a booby-trapped building. Butler, who wrestled at Monticello High School, won four consecutive Utah state wrestling titles (103 pounds in 2005; 112 in 2006; 125 in 2007; and 135 in 2008), joining others who achieved this milestone, including Cael Sanderson, four-time NCAA champ for Iowa State who is now head coach at Penn State. Butler still holds a number of records at Monticello, including 37 falls (2006 season), 152 career takedowns, and a 169-15 career record. Very impressive stats, to be sure ... but even more so, considering Butler's rocky start in wrestling. "His first match in high school he got pinned," his high school wrestling coach Kent Adair told the Fox affiliate in Salt Lake City. "And so, rather than be deterred at his goal, he worked hard and he fixed things he needed to fix and he was determined enough to do it." "He wasn't a sit-in-the-back-row kind of guy," coach Adair said to KSL.com. "That's probably why he got killed -- because he was the first one through the door. That was his nature: I'll handle it for you, I'll take care of it. He was a leader. He wasn't a follower." The Butler family issued the following statement about their son Aaron. "The Army values are: 'Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless-Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage'. Aaron Butler personified those values in everything he said and did. "In a life that was all too brief, our dear son and brother made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. While we are heartbroken to become a Gold Star family, we honor Aaron's service and sacrifice. Aaron was a strength to us, an inspiration to those around him, and a joy to have in our family." In the statement, the Butler family wrote that Aaron graduated from Monticello High School in 2008, then served an LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) mission in Ghana. In January 2016, Butler graduated with honors from the Army Green Beret Special Forces Qualifications Course. The Butler family said Aaron's body is being flown back to the United States as of this writing. Funeral plans are pending, but are tentatively planned for Saturday, Aug. 26.

Joey McKenna (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Joey McKenna is going halfway home to continue his college wrestling career. The New Jersey native is leaving Stanford University in California for Ohio State, the 2016 NCAA All-American announced on Twitter Friday. "After a long process and a lot of thought, I've decided that I'm going to be moving on from Stanford," wrote McKenna. "I want to thank Jamill (Kelly), Coach (Jason) Borelli, and Coach (Ray) Blake for all the support throughout the past few years and all they've done for me. I wish them and the Stanford program best of luck in the future." "With that being said, I've decided I will continue my academic and athletic career at Ohio State! I'm very excited for what the future holds. #GoBucks." McKenna's announcement ends a summer of speculation in the college wrestling community that had rumors of the two-time Pac 12 champ transferring to Lehigh and Penn State as well as Ohio State. McKenna is expected to wrestle for the Buckeyes at either 141 or 149. A native of Ridgewood, N.J., McKenna was a three-time national prep champ for nationally-recognized Blair Academy. Among his other national titles: Ironman champ ... two-time Beast of the East champ ... and three-time Greco-Roman titlewinner at Fargo. He earned a silver medal at the Junior World Championships in freestyle. At Stanford, McKenna became the first freshman in school history to earn All-American status, achieving it at the 2016 NCAAs. In addition, he won back-to-back Pac 12 titles, and racked up a 31-3 overall record. McKenna 's transfer announcement is the second such reveal in the past two days, following the day after Pat Downey announced he would be wrestling at University of Iowa after having severed ties with Iowa State.

Pat Downey placed fifth at the U.S. Open at 86 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Pat Downey -- the Maryland native who wrestled at Iowa Central Community College, then at Iowa State before being dismissed by the Cyclones in February for violating team rules, including his use of social media -- has found a new college home at the University of Iowa, Trackwrestling.com reported Friday. Downey told Trackwrestling's Andy Hamilton late Thursday night that he's moving this weekend to Iowa City with plans of completing his college career with the Hawkeyes. In addition, Downey posted the news on his Facebook page overnight: Although Downey is in the process of relocating to the home of the University of Iowa, there are no immediate plans for him to step into the Hawkeye lineup this fall. According to Hamilton, the plan for Downey is to finish his Iowa State degree online this fall, before enrolling in grad school at Iowa in the spring and then joining the Hawkeyes as a walk-on, with the expectation of having him wrestle at 184 pounds. Downey is already anticipating his place at his new college home, saying that he and Iowa head coach Tom Brands "are on the same page" with what's expected of him as a Hawkeye. "We're here to win this national title," Downey said to Trackwrestling's Hamilton. "His (Tom Brands') stipulations as far as on the mat and the lifestyle requirements of me being a Hawkeye, those are clear. But tweeting doesn't affect my wrestling, if anybody's concerned about that." Downey described those stipulations as "typical things that are required for being an Iowa Hawkeye wrestler and a student representing the college and me being who I am anyway." That said, Downey realizes the significance of this opportunity to complete his collegiate mat career on a high note. "I approach it like my life depends on it," Downey told Trackwrestling. "It's all or nothing. I only have one more crack at accomplishing my goal. I felt like I could've got it done last year at '84 for the Cyclones, but I didn't get the chance to prove myself at the tournament, obviously. I'm just looking forward to having the opportunity to compete." Respected for his impressive wrestling credentials, Downey was a two-time Maryland high school state champion who won the 197-pound crown for Iowa Central at the 2015 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) wrestling championships before earning All-American honors by placing fifth at 197 at the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships for the Cyclones. This past season, Downey dropped down to 184 pounds, but was hampered by a rib injury and saw limited time on the mat and in the ISU practice room. Downey became just about as well-known for his social media presence where he posted controversial messages that, among other things, called out potential opponents. After his dismissal from Iowa State in late February, Downey used Facebook and Twitter to express his upset with then-head coach Kevin Jackson and Iowa State administrators. While not able to wrestle at the 2017 Big 12 championships or the 2017 NCAAs in March, Downey made his presence known at the 2017 U.S. Open in April, where he defeated two-time NCAA champ Gabe Dean and All-Americans Pete Renda and Kyle Crutchmer, ultimately placing fifth at 86 kilograms/189 pounds.

The World Championships start on Monday morning, and like any wonderful annual celebration the championships can also invite some moments of self-reflection. A tournament of this size is not about one person (me or you), but it is a closing out of the international season and that should prompt a moment of pre-hangover consideration. The wrestling community rejoices in our service to the sport, but what does that mean in real terms? We are certainly working hard, but for what ends? For some the motivation and the desired outcomes seem clear. For Sally Roberts it's creating more opportunities for women to wrestle. For Jordan Burroughs it's winning an Olympic gold medal. For the rest of us? It can often be unclear. What is my motivation for the media work I do within the sport? To be sincere, I've felt a disconnect between the amount of work I put into these projects (200 days a year on the road, 115,000 air miles already in 2017) and how it eventually converts to what I want to see in the wrestling community. The growth of United World Wrestling's media operation can be measured by a variety of metrics and analytics, but am I then only caring about the numbers? Do numbers mean a better sport or a more informed fan base? On its face, today's media ecosystem is as much about the analytics as it is the content. A GIF of naked Mongolian wrestling coaches would certainly gather a lot of traction or potential "virility," but it doesn't do much to advance the sport, or grow it in the minds of young wrestlers. So then what is the purpose of that post? What motivations allow us to eschew these types of headline-grabbing moments in favor of more complex, but certainly more fulfilling content? Inform and inspire. That is my goal for the rest of 2017 and the 2018 season. The analytics will always matter, but unless the content aims to inform or inspire it won't have met the criteria to share. Value-driven content and educational tools can make a difference and I think that the World Championships are the right place to start a journey. Fewer of the quick, unfulfilling bits and more focus on the stories, people, and ideas that can improve our sport for future generations. To your questions … Q: What are reasonable expectations for the U.S. Greco-Roman team in Paris? -- Mike C. Foley: Though it's tough to measure in the year after the Olympics, I think that the United States' Greco-Roman team has improved in recent years and will also benefit from the recent rules changes. No, they can't yet compete for the team title, but it's a reasonable expectation for the team to bring home two medals. I'm hopeful for more, but the reality remains that the number of wrestlers in the United States and the youth-level commitment to the style has yet to catch up to what this team and coaching staff can achieve. Victoria Anthony after winning the U.S. Open title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: I'm a fan of Victoria Anthony and hope she does well in Paris. I have heard so much about Yui Susaki of Japan, so I'm thinking a silver for Anthony might be best-case scenario. Thoughts? -- Mike C. Foley: First of all, she's the best-ever follow on Instagram. Charming, witty and joyful she is exactly what you want to see in an athlete dedicated to their craft. Anthony is incredible on the mat and has about a 75 percent chance to medal should she get in the groove early in the tournament. One issue that has dogged Anthony in the past is giving up position or points late in a match that you'd think she has hemmed up. Maybe that comes from a momentary lack of focus of self-belief, but if corrected she could beat anyone on the planet. Head-to-head she matches up well against Susaki, who is still young and doesn't have the strength of Anthony. That said, Susaki is a total killer and the heavy favorite to win the world title. I like Anthony's chances better than most of the field, but would have to give an edge to Susaki. Q: Is there a reason UWW can't release World draws ahead of time to promote story lines? -- Eric C. Foley: The main difficulty in creating matchups too far in advance of major tournaments is the shuffling of athletes often done by nations looking to wrestle. A national federation can change their athlete for any reason up to two weeks before the start of a competition. However, after that point they can replace their athletes for medical reasons up until the weigh-in. With more information available to NF's there has been a considerable decline in the number of last-second switches made by nations at these tournaments, but it does still happen. I think that the methodology has been to see who shows up and then draw the brackets once they've weighed-in because it means less chance for corruption of the bracket or having to reassign athletes anyway because of no-shows or roster changes. The two-day format will actually draw the names the night before the first weigh-in for exactly the reason you state. The athletes will need to check-in first, but from there we should have brackets the night before the first day weigh-ins and then be able to promote for almost three days. Missed weights will be treated as a scratch and brackets will not be redrawn. Q: Why did the Junior World Championships in Finland start with freestyle, while the World Championships in Paris conclude with freestyle? How is this determined? -- Mike C. Foley: The local organizer decided the flow of matches and suits it to where they think they can sell the highest number of tickets. I might be mistaken but I'm pretty sure that you aren't allowed to start with women. They have to be the middle portion, or the last portion. Though the recent Olympic and World champions from France are in Greco-Roman, there is a lot of attention being paid to the country's freestyle team, which might have prompted the French Federation to have them wrap up the event. Finland is crazy for Greco-Roman, hence the scheduling for Junior Worlds. Q: If Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev meet in the first round, will the Internet explode? -- Mike C. Foley: Yes! I would NOT be happy. I want this to be primetime for all the fans around the world to enjoy. However, if they wrestle first and we know the night before wouldn't that be advantageous to fans who want to be sure to see it live?! As bad as an early round matchup might seem it would at least guarantee the matchup goes down. Also, remember that the World Championships aren't only a live event on a limited broadcast. Fans can get the archive on Trackwrestling within moments of the match ending. A proper point-based ranking will take a year to build and utilize. It will also require athletes to be in a single weight class for the whole season, but the system -- along with the two-day weigh-in -- should help with promotion of tournaments, athletes and storylines. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Teaser for the 2017 Wrestling World Championships These highlight videos will be available every day right after the end of the first session! Q: Any thoughts on Bennett Omalu adding wrestling to the "Big 6" sports that kids shouldn't play for concussion related reasons? -- Brantley H. Foley: Omalu's groundbreaking research in the area has likely undoubtedly saved the brains of many youth football players in America. He's been an advocate for safe play and for nudging those with doubts into sports where head-to-head contact is limited. I don't know the way Omalu conducted his study, but likely any concussion numbers used were aggregated from previous studies. I've contended before that there is a bias in those numbers since wrestlers are always in close visual proximity to coaches, referees and doctors while other sports have helmets and distance to shield observation. As for wrestling, any observation of wrestling conducted by Omalu would almost certainly be limited to the United States. So "wrestling" isn't the conclusively "no-go" sport as much as the specific American folkstyle wrestling. This is an important distinction to create since freestyle and women's wrestling tends to allow much less head slapping of opponents and in general rewards technique over aggression and control. As a brief aside, remember that the differences in the styles is meaningful and packed with history. In an earlier mailbag I outlined in detail the growth of wrestling in America from a barnstorming Vermont-based sport more recognizable today as Catch-as-Catch-Can into a submission-free, but control and pain-based style. That history is seen today in such simple things as a collar and elbow tie which derives its name and techniques from the classical style that was brought to Vermont from Ireland, Collar and Elbow. American wrestling inherited brutality along with favorite tie-ups, and that brutality has been mythologized and promoted for more than a century as a means of winning in the sport. Think of the sport's most famous images and personas -- hell, even the nomenclature -- and you see a style of wrestling that has been much less about technique and more about legal pain and immobilization. With that, you can't expect that many parents presented with knowledge about concussions will be anxious to get their child into the wrestling. The smart parent may put their child into jiu-jitsu where the head-to-head contact is nil and their child learns movements and athleticism which would help them wrestle once they hit puberty. In Mongolia, Vietnam, India, South Sudan and the other nations I've visited there is youth wrestling, but their styles aren't demanding of the youth. They're fun, limited and purely for enjoyment of the kids. The adult styles also require very limited head-to-head contact, which is why they might be better suited as a youth sport in those countries. The new thinking around wrestling is all the same: less is more. We can teach the kids athleticism, grit and technique without the aggression and they will almost certainly come out just fine as wrestlers and people. The concussions don't need to be part of our sport if we eliminate the idea of brutality and point-scoring aggression. There is hope! The next generation of coaches like Andy Hrovat and Reece Humphrey are promoting a type of training in wrestling that is likely to limit these types of head-to-head instances. If I'm fortunate enough to have children and if they want to wrestle at a young age, I'd only allow them if the coaching style was play-based and building athleticism and discipline and NOT learning how to open up a single leg with a head snap. Q: Seems like there is traction on women's wrestling becoming an NCAA sport. If this happens, what kind of impact will this have on wrestling in America? -- Mike C. Foley: Women's wrestling will absolutely explode at the high school level. The numbers of female wrestlers in America are growing now, but with the promise of scholarships and a chance to win an NCAA Division I title as inspiration the women of America will attack these opportunities with the same gusto they did soccer, basketball and hockey. Look at what Olympic status did for women's wrestling worldwide. A total and complete success story, which is helping to prompt this push for emerging status. Love this first step and can't overstate my excitement at these girls and women being given the opportunity to enjoy our wonderful sport. One step further: What about a split NCAA Division I Championships finals? Half women, half men.

Can't make it to France for the 2017 World Championships? Don't worry. You can still catch the action from Paris next week from your home or workplace… thanks to viewing options that let you catch the action on TV or other device. NBC Sports will be providing more than 20 hours of coverage of the Words, which take place in Paris August 21-26. NBCSN will air 6.5 hours of tape-delayed coverage in the afternoons and evenings on the following dates: Wednesday, Aug. 23 (3:30-5 p.m. ET), Thursday, Aug. 24 (4-5 p.m. ET), Friday, Aug. 25 (7-9 p.m. ET), and Sunday, Aug. 27 (3-5 p.m. ET). In addition, the newly launched Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA will televise live medal-round action each day from 1-3:30 p.m. ET. Click here for an Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA channel finder. In addition, Trackwrestling, a division of NBC Sports, in partnership with Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, will stream the entire tournament and provide broad coverage of the World Championships at www.trackwrestling.com/uww . Fans can watch every match live and on-demand for $9.99. "NBC Sports' unprecedented commitment to the sport of wrestling means the 2017 World Championships will reach more fans than any previous wrestling world championship," United World Wrestling President Nenad Lalovic said. "We look forward to supporting this partnership and providing viewers at home continued access to the world's best wrestlers and top events." Team USA wrestlers will be participating in all three disciplines will be on display at the 2017 World Championships. Greco-Roman wrestlers will take to the mats August 21-22, while women's freestyle will take place on August 23-24, followed by men's freestyle on August 25-26.