InterMat Staff

EDMOND -- The University of Central Oklahoma head wrestling coach Todd Steidley Tuesday announced the hiring of Eli Hale as his new assistant coach. Eli Hale"We are thrilled to have Eli join our staff at UCO," Steidley said. "His work ethic and knowledge is as good as it gets. He approaches everything he does with an idea that he can learn how to be the best at it and then he does everything possible to become the best. That's a great quality that he brings to UCO and I'm really sure he is going to help us in a big way." "I'm really excited to get to work," Hale said. "UCO is a great place and the wrestling program is undoubtedly one of the best in the country. It was an honor to wrestle here last season and I'm really looking forward to working with the team and trying to help the Bronchos win another national championship." Hale began his new role Monday, May 14 following his senior season at Central. Hale in March became Central Oklahoma's 44th individual national champion, capping off a perfect 24-0 season with the Bronchos.

As part of the 20th anniversary celebration at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, the Complex opened the doors to a new multi-purpose arena that further expanded the 220-acre sports venue that is widely regarded as the leading facility for youth sports in America. This year, AAU Wrestlers get their first taste of the new The Arena at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the AAU Scholastic Duals on June 23-28. Designed specifically for cheer and dance events, the 8,000-seat arena will hold 32 mats for this year's event and, for the first time in the event's 21-year history in Orlando, an all-girls division will compete on June 24-26. "We are looking forward to introducing this fantastic new space to all our wrestlers this summer," said Bob Johnson, AAU Wrestling National Chairman. "ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is one of the most unique sporting venues in the country. There is no better place to host the AAU Scholastic Duals than in a facility that puts our athletes, coaches and parents in the same competition arenas as the pros." ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is one of the most unique sporting venues in the country," Dr. Goudy said. "The new arena is a fantastic new space and we are looking forward experiencing it together this weekend with our athletes, coaches and parents." Earlier this year, AAU President/CEO Dr. Roger J. Goudy joined ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex executives to help mark the occasion with a special dedication ceremony featuring a giant ribbon-cutting, plus a cheerleading routing with Minnie Mouse in her new cheerleader uniform amid a blast of streamers. The AAU joined the Atlanta Braves as the anchor tenants of the ESPN Complex back in 1998. Since then, the AAU has attracted more than 50,000 athletes to Disney property for national championship events in at least six sports annually. Visit www.aauwrestling.net to register for AAU Scholastic Duals by May 28 and follow AAU Wrestling on social media for news and results from all of this summer's national championship events.

Alex Dieringer is listed at -400 to win the World Team Trials at 79 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) BetDSI, an online sportsbook, has posted betting odds on the World Team Trials. The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday in Rochester, Minn. To register and bet online, visit BetDSI.com. Use promo code Wrestle100 for a $100 free play. How betting works: If betting on a wrestler listed with a minus (-) sign, you must risk that number amount to profit $100 (and get your stake back). For example, risking $200 on Tony Ramos (-200) would profit $100 or risking $100 would profit $50. If betting on a wrestler listed with a plus (+) sign, for every $100 you risk, you profit that amount. For example, risking $100 on Zahid Valencia (+300) would profit $300 or risking $50 would profit $150. If betting "Field" in a weight class, you get all the wrestlers not listed with odds. Note: Betting odds are subject to change. 55 kilograms: Tony Ramos -200 Daton Fix +160 Zach Sanders +700 Field +1200 61 kilograms: Nahshon Garrett -170 Nico Megaludis +275 Field +450 Seth Gross +500 65 kilograms: Logan Stieber -210 Jaydin Eierman +175 Evan Henderson +650 Field +1200 70 kilograms: Jason Chamberlain -190 Frank Molinaro +150 Hayden Hidlay +600 Field +900 74 kilograms: Isaiah Martinez -235 Nazar Kulchytskyy +190 Tommy Gantt + 600 Field +1400 79 kilograms: Alex Dieringer -400 Zahid Valencia +300 Field +750 86 kilograms: Richard Perry -280 Joe Rau +240 Nick Reenan +750 Field +1000 92 kilograms: Nick Heflin -160 Hayden Zillmer +125 Deron Winn +900 Field +1000 97 kilograms: Austin Schafer -170 Kyven Gadson +140 Ty Walz +500 Field +1000 125 kilograms: Adam Coon -200 Jake Varner +275 Dom Bradley +450 Gable Steveson +500 Field +2000

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Bucknell head wrestling coach Dan Wirnsberger announced Tuesday that Eric Morrill has joined his staff as an assistant coach. Eric MorrillMorrill, who spent the past three seasons in the same position at Ohio University, replaces long-time assistant coach Jim Gibson, who left in late March for a head coaching position at the Virginia Military Institute. "We're extremely thrilled to have Eric join our staff," Wirnsberger said. "He will play a vital role in helping us take the necessary steps to compete at the top of the EIWA. He brings a wealth of experience to our organization and will be able to hit the ground running. We're expecting him to have a big influence on the development of our lightweight wrestlers." At Ohio University, Morill helped mentor one All-American and 11 NCAA qualifiers. In 2015-16, his first season with the program, a record seven Bobcats qualified for the NCAA Championships, with Cody Walters earning All-American accolades for the second year in a row. Ohio University finished third at the 2016 MAC Championships and fifth at the 2018 edition. The Bobcats went an impressive 13-3 during the 2015-16 campaign and, over the course of Morrill's time in Athens, had one wrestler win a MAC title and three finish as MAC runner-up. The program also brought in its highest ranked recruiting class, with three recruits slotted in the top 100 nationally. Before joining the Bobcat staff, Morill spent four seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at ACC powerhouse Virginia Tech. During his time in Blacksburg, the Hokies won the 2013 and 2014 ACC Championships and placed a then program-best eighth at the 2014 NCAA Championships. Morill worked directly with nine All-Americans and the first NCAA finalist in school history. Morrill was a three-time NCAA qualifier at Edinboro University, where he graduated in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in Health Studies. Morrill, who wrestled at 125 pounds his first three seasons before bumping up to the 133-pound weight class as a senior, posted a 90-45 record. As a junior, he compiled a 31-9 ledger and was ranked as high as fourth in the country. As a senior, he went 24-10, won an Eastern Wrestling League title and qualified for the NCAA Championships at his new weight class. He also placed second at the EWL Championships as a sophomore and fourth as a true freshman. Morrill received his master's degree in 2017 from Ohio University in Recreation & Sport Sciences with a concentration in Coaching Education and his Health Counselor Certification in 2013 from the Institute of Integrated Nutrition.

Jordan Burroughs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Beat the Streets is back for yet another star-studded event. This year's card features four Olympic champions and a host of accomplished international wrestlers. The headliner is a match between returning world champions Jordan Burroughs and Frank Chamizo. The following is a match-by-match breakdown of the event. 57 kilograms: Helen Maroulis (USA) vs. Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria) Maroulis last competed in the Indian Pro League. She led her team, the Haryana Hammers, to the finals of the dual-meet tournament, but they ultimately lost to the NCR Punjab Royals. Along the way, Maroulis went 3-2 with a pair of losses against mostly unheralded Pooja Dhanda. Word is that the world and Olympic champ was dealing with some injuries during the run. Whether that is the case or not, she will need to be at her best here. Adekuroya also received an invite to compete in the Indian Pro League after picking up a silver medal at 55 kilograms last year. In India, she went 2-2 and never ran into Maroulis who sat out their team matchup with an injury. Since then, Adekuroya has been dominant with first-place finishes at the African Championships and the Commonwealth Games. Maroulis should have a size and strength advantage in this match. She should have an overall edge when it comes to physicality. This match should be a good gauge to see where she is at as well approach Final X and the 2018 World Championships. 59 kilograms: Alli Ragan (USA) vs. Adeniyi Aminat (Nigeria) Ragan followed up on her 2017 world silver medal with a strong start to this year. She picked up another second-place finish at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in January. Ragan then went 2-2 at the women's World Cup with a win over two-time University world medalist Samantha Stewart (Canada). Aminat failed to medal at the last World Championships, but she has bounced back in a big way. She won the African Championships in February and then won the Commonwealth Games last month. In the finals, she knocked off world bronze medalist Michelle Fazzari (Canada) in a match that ended early due to injury. Aminat is great in the ties and can move her opponent around the mat. Ragan is a veteran, who has shown she can compete with the best in the World. This should be a close match, and the winner will likely be a favorite to medal later this year. 68 kilograms: Tamyra Stock (USA) vs. Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria) Stock failed to qualify for the 2016 Olympics after placing third in back-to-back qualifiers. Since then, she has won a pair of titles at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and knocked off some high-level wrestlers. Also this year, she took home a bronze medal at the Klippan Lady Open and picked up a win over Cadet world silver medalist Miwa Morikawa (Japan). Oborududu narrowly missed out of a medal at the 2017 World Championships and finished fifth. Since then, she took silver at the 2017 Commonwealth Championships, gold at the 2018 African Championships and gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She went somewhat viral for her celebration after defeating Danielle Lappage (Canada) in the finals of the Commonwealth Games. Oborududu flopped to her back and log rolled to her corner to celebrate with her coaches. People around USA Wrestling have a lot of faith in Stock. She has already won multiple prestigious tournaments, and she seems to get better every time out. However, Oborududu seems to have the ability to shut down her opponent's offense, and she certainly has the momentum right now. 57 kilograms: Josh Rodriguez (USA) vs. Reineri Andreu Ortega (Cuba) Rodriguez was a three-time national qualifier at North Dakota State, and he currently trains with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. He recently competed at the U.S. Open where he knocked off Zane Richards but failed to place after falling to Frank Perrelli in the consolation bracket. By not placing at the Open, he failed to qualify for this weekend's World Team Trials. Ortega burst onto the scene last fall with a gold medal at the U23 World Championships. However, he seemed to come back down to earth this year. Ortega got pinned by Joey Dance and failed to medal at the Cerro Pelado. The Cuban also struggled his way through the World Cup and finished with a 1-3 record. With that being said, he got back on track at the Pan American Championships. He defeated world silver medalist Thomas Gilman in the semifinals and went on to win gold. Cuba has always been strong in the lighter divisions, and Ortega seems to be next in that line. Rodriguez will likely struggle in this match, but the home crowd at Beat the Streets can be a difference maker. 70 kilograms: James Green (USA) vs. Franklin Maren Castillo (Cuba) Green might end up being the gold medal favorite at this year's World Championships. He finished second last year, and the man who beat him has already moved up in weight. So far this year, he has gone 3-1 at the World Cup and dominated his way to a gold medal at the Pan American Championships. Castillo has been competing on the senior level since 2009. During that stretch, he has only represented Cuba at one World Championships, 2015, and he failed to place. This year, he has won gold medals at the Cerro Pelado International and the Central American Caribbean Championships. In the finals of the Cerro Pelado, Castillo knocked off Jason Chamberlain, who recently won the U.S. Open at 70 kilograms. Green is a pretty clear favorite in this match. He has way too much offense for Castillo. The Cuban's only chance to win is to slow the match down and hope for a tight score. Unfortunately for him, Green will be able to get past his defense and score more than enough to take the match. 79 kilograms: Kyle Dake (USA) vs. Livan Lopez Azcuy (Cuba) Dake seems to have found a home at his new weight class. He began the year with a second-place finish at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. However, he really made his mark at the World Cup. He won all four of his matches and outscored his opponents 36-3. After years stuck behind Jordan Burroughs at 74 kilograms, many think this will be Dake's year to make noise at the World Championships. Lopez is another Cuban wrestler who has been around for years. He is a four-time world-level medalist with his highest finish coming when he took second at the 2013 World Championships. Earlier this month, he defeated Nazar Kulchytskyy in the finals of the Pan American Championships. Dake has looked great in limited action so far this year. This match should be a good gauge of his status. If he is able to continue his run of dominance against a wrestler like Lopez, he should be one of the favorites to bring home a world medal this year. 92 kilograms: J'den Cox (USA) vs. Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta (Cuba) After winning bronze at both the 2016 Olympic Games and the 2017 World Championships, Cox has moved up to 92 kilograms for this year. He began the year with a second-place finish at the International Ukrainian Tournament where he lost in the finals to four-time world-level medalist Sharif Sharifov. Cox then had a tough run at the World Cup, and he ended up going 1-2. The former Missouri wrestler then got back on track by winning the U.S. Open. However, he was too sick to compete at the Pan American Championships and was replaced by Greco-Roman wrestler Ben Provisor at the last minute. Torreblanca has already given Cox's chief domestic rival, David Taylor, a pair of tough matches. Unfortunately for him, he has dropped both. He fell to Taylor at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and finished fifth. Torreblanca lost another close match to the former Penn State wrestler in the finals of the Pan American Championships. This match could be the closest match of the night. Neither wrestler gives up anything easy, and both can struggle to score at times. However, Cox is actually more offensive than he appears. Since winning a bronze medal at last year's World Championships, he has outscored his opponents 67 to 18. 97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder (USA) vs. Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba) Snyder bounced back from a loss to Adam Coon during the college wrestling season and won his third NCAA title. Since finishing his college eligibility he wrestled at the World Cup, where he absolutely unstoppable. He won all four of his matches and outscored his opponents 44-3. At this point, the only match on the horizon that seems competitive would be a rematch of last year's World Championships match against Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Salas is a three-time medalist at the World Championships, and he has been competing on the senior level since 2006. He recently defeated Kyven Gadson in the finals of the Pan American Championships for his seventh Pan Games/Championships medal. Snyder should take this match. Salas is a veteran who can give anyone a tough match, but Snyder is simply on another level at this point. 125 kilograms: Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) vs. Yudenny Alapajon Estevez (Cuba) Gwiazdowski entered this year coming off a bronze medal at the World Championships. This year, he picked up another bronze at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, went 2-1 at the World Cup and finished first at the Pan American Championships. He appears situated to represent the U.S. at heavyweight for at least the next few World Championships. Alpajon is a two-time winner of the Cerro Pelado International. He took a bronze at the tournament this year after falling against Cyclone Wrestling Club product Ben Durbin in the semifinals. Alpajon recently finished second at the Pan American Championships for the third time in his career. At the Pan American Championships, Gwiazdowski defeated Alpajon via a dominating 9-0 score. With the home crowd behind him, the former NC State will likely be able to pick up a tech and stop the match early. 57 kilograms: Patrick Glory (USA) vs. Gavin Teasdale (USA) Michael Novogratz hinted that a high school dream match would be added to the Beat the Streets field, and it ended up being the rubber match between Glory and Teasdale. The rivalry kicked off at Who's Number One this year. At the event, Glory, who will wrestle for Princeton in the fall, upset Teasdale and walked away with a 3-0 win. The two rematched at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic after the season and the future Nittany Lion Wrestler walked away with the win after scoring a takedown with ten seconds left. Teasdale recently finished fourth at the UWW Junior Open, and his freestyle experience should help him here. Glory has had his best success against Teasdale by scrambling and rolling for legs. Under freestyle rules, that could mean big points for Teasdale. 65 kilograms: Jordan Oliver (USA) vs. Togrul Asgarov (Azerbaijan) At the 2017 U.S. Open, Oliver had one of his best tournaments on the senior level. He knocked off multiple-time NCAA champion Zain Retherford in the semifinals and then bested 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro in the finals. However, following the event, Oliver tested positive for a banned substance and was suspended. His suspension forced him to miss all qualifiers for the 2018 World Team Trials. Despite some campaigning, it looks like Oliver will miss out on the tournament. Asgarov is a two-time Olympic medalist. He won a gold at the 2012 Games at 60 kilograms, and he won a silver at the 2016 Games at 65 kilograms. Like Oliver, he tested positive for a banned substance in 2017, and this will be his first event since returning from suspension. He last competed in the 2017 Indian Pro League. From a skill and accomplishment perspective, Asgarov should be the favorite in this match. He has vast edge in terms of international experience. However, he competes on a very light schedule and rarely wrestles. In theory that could work in Oliver's favor, but both are coming off lengthy layoffs for this match. 74 kilograms: Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Frank Chamizo (Italy) Since a disappointing performance at the 2016 Olympic Games, Burroughs has bounced back by going undefeated through four events and winning a world championship. In addition to his 2017 world championship, he has gone undefeated at a pair of World Cup events and picked up a title at the 2017 Grand Prix of Spain. Burroughs has had an amazing career for the U.S., and he is looking to add a sixth world-level title to his resume this year. Chamizo is a four-time world-level medalist and two-time world champion. However, all of those medals have come at lower weight divisions. This year, he moved up the 74 kilograms for the first time. He won his first two tournaments at the new weight, the International Ukrainian Tournament and the Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament. Earlier this month, he took home a bronze medal at the 2018 European Championships. In the quarterfinals, he picked a signature win, as he pinned 2017 World silver medalist Khetik Tsabolov (Russia). However, in the semifinals, he fell against Soner Demirtas (Turkey). These two have been advocating for this match ever since Seth Gross and Bryce Meredith made a battle of number-one ranked wrestlers on Twitter. Both were world champions at back-to-back weight classes last year. Stylistically, this is one of the most interesting matches of the year. Burroughs is known for his aggression in the neutral position and dynamic double-leg takedown. On the other hand, Chamizo uses his athleticism to score with a variety of exotic counters. If Burroughs can get to legs and finish clean, he should be able to dominate. However, that is not always the easiest task against Chamizo.

Alleida Martinez (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Monday announced that Alleida Martinez of Selma, California, is the 2018 national winner of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA). Martinez will be presented with her award during the 42nd Annual Honors Weekend at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum on June 1-2 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For information on Honors Weekend, visit https://nwhof.ticketleap.com/ or telephone (405) 377-5243. "I feel incredibly honored to have been selected for this award because there is so much talent in women's wrestling today," said Martinez. "I also feel happy and excited to be able to represent women's wrestling at this level and inspire the younger generations." Martinez is a four-time California High School state champion and four-year team captain for Selma High School. The daughter of Esbeide Belmontes and Noe Martinez, she helped Selma win two state team titles. On Saturday, Martinez, who is a member of the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, won the 50 kg title at the Women's Nationals to make the U.S. women's freestyle Junior World Team that will compete in September in Trnava, Slovakia. It is the third World Team for Martinez, who won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in 2016 and was a silver medalist in 2015. She was a U23 runner-up in 2018 and a Fargo junior champion and a junior national folkstyle runner-up in 2017. In 2015 and 2016, Martinez won back-to-back junior national and cadet national folkstyle championships as well as the Fargo and Body Bar titles. The TSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship and community service. First presented in 2014, the TSHSEA is named for Tricia Saunders, a four-time World Champion and women's wrestling pioneer. Saunders was the first woman to be inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 and was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011. "Because women's wrestling is growing so fast, there are more qualified and deserving candidates, which makes it more difficult for our committee to choose the winner of our Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award," said Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. "We are happy to announce Alleida Martinez as our national winner. She is a great example of a young woman who has excelled on the wrestling mat while also being a good student, a good citizen and a positive role model. We look forward to following Alleida's success in college and beyond." Regional winners are selected from state winners, and the national winner will be chosen from the regional winners. Missouri recently voted to make girls wrestling an official high school sport, becoming the third state this season, along with Georgia and Oregon, to add high school girls wrestling. There are now nine states that will host state-sanctioned girls wrestling championships: Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. Martinez also ran cross country and was a state qualifier and team captain for two years. She has performed over 50 hours of community service with the Selma High School ROTC program while also volunteering at the Highland Games, Jackson Elementary Carnival and the Selma Sikh Parade. She has volunteered to place flags on veteran graves as well as serving as part of flag honor guard at other events. She has a 3.52 GPA and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Menlo College. The state winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for the High School Excellence awards, and a committee, with input from Hall of Fame state chapters, selects state and regional winners. National winners are then chosen from the regional winners. All-Time National Winners of Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award 2018 - Alleida Martinez, Selma High School, Selma, California 2017 - Cierra Foster, Post Falls High School, Post Falls, Idaho 2016 - Katie Brock, Sequatchie County High School, Whitwell, Tennessee 2015 - Marizza Birrueta, Grandview High School, Grandview, Washington 2014 - Marina Doi, Kingsburg High School, Kingsburg, California America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation and now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. It also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

The InterMat Classic will be held at Edina (Minn.) High School in 2018 InterMat's preseason high school wrestling tournament will have a new home this fall. The InterMat Classic is moving from Rochester, Minn., to Edina, Minn. The event has been held at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester since its inception in 2010. The 2018 InterMat Classic will take place on Saturday, October 20, 2018, at Edina High School. Edina is a southwest suburb of Minneapolis. Registration opens on Sept. 1. More information on the InterMat Classic will be released in the coming months on the event website.

Three former amateur wrestlers left the cage victorious before the end of the first round of their bouts at Bellator 199 mixed martial arts event at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. Saturday night. The evening opened with Deron Winn scoring a TKO at 2:32 of the first round ... and ended with Arizona State mat alum Ryan Bader knocking out former Oklahoma State All-American Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal in the first 15 seconds of their top-of-the-card fight, while Aaron Pico, the high school mat phenom who took a pass on a collegiate career to enter MMA, also won with a TKO at a bit more than a minute in his match. The fight of a fourth former wrestler -- Purdue grad Jon Fitch -- went the distance, with the one-time Boilermaker winning a decision at the end of three rounds. Two mat veterans left SAP Center on the losing end. In addition to Lawal, Carrington Banks suffered his first loss of his pro MMA career, having been submitted in the third round. King Mo: Gone in 15 seconds "Ryan Bader wasted zero time Saturday at Bellator 199." Ryan Bader (Photo/Bellator)That's how Sherdog.com opened its write-up of the main event in San Jose this weekend. "The reigning Bellator MMA light heavyweight champion punched his ticket to the second round of the ongoing Grand Prix by knocking out Muhammed Lawal in 15 seconds," Sherdog.com continued. "A left hook in the first real exchange dropped 'King Mo,' and Bader followed his dazed foe to the ground, where he continued to deliver punishment until referee Mike Beltran stepped in to stop the proceedings." "It was Bader's instant thriller against 'King Mo' that shut down the night in emphatic fashion, with Lawal (21-7 career record) failing to deliver even a single shot despite his reputation for fighting anytime, anywhere and any weight," according to CBSsports.com. Bader's quick disposal of Lawal ranks as the seventh-shortest fight in Bellator history. The three-time Pac 10 champ as a Sun Devil wrestler -- with an MMA career record of 24-5 -- is now set to take on Matt Matrione in the Grand Prix semifinals after his third straight win since joining Bellator MMA. Aaron Pico did it in a minute (or so) Aaron Pico -- the now-21-year-old former high school wrestling phenom (a national champ in folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman) who chose a pro MMA career instead of college -- notched yet another first-round win at Bellator 199, getting a TKO at one minute, ten seconds vs. MMA veteran Lee Morrison in their 145-pound bout. "Aaron Pico continued to justify the hype around him, as the man who is arguably MMA's most exciting prospect under age 25 stopped his second straight foe with a body shot," CBSsports.com reported. "Pico threw a left hook to the body that had Lee Morrison tumbling backwards, head over heels. After the rising featherweight star from American Kickboxing Academy chased Morrison to the mat with additional punches, referee Blake Grice jumped to Morrison's rescue at 1:10 of the first round. Pico, after an upset loss in his mixed martial arts debut, has now reeled off three straight wins via first-round stoppage." "Freakishly aggressive and quick with his fists" (to quote Sherdog.com), Pico improved to 3-1, while Morrison drops to 19-9. Deron Winn notches another first-round win In the very first fight of the evening at Bellator 199, Deron Winn got things started off right for former wrestlers ... with his fourth straight, first-round knockout in his pro MMA career. Winn, a two-time NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) champ for St. Louis Community College, Meramec who was making his heavyweight debut in Bellator, got a TKO at approximately two-and-a-half minutes into the first round. The 28-year-old Winn prevailed over Ahmed White, who was making his first pro MMA bout. Winn is now 4-0 in his professional MMA career, while White is now 0-1. 40-year-old Jon Fitch goes the distance Jon Fitch -- who was introduced to MMA by his Purdue wrestling coach (and MMA veteran) Tom "The Big Cat" Erikson -- went the distance to earn a unanimous decision over Paul Daley in a three-round welterweight (170 pound) bout. "The fight put Fitch's grinding mentality on display, with the 40-year-old pinning Daley to the cage in all three rounds and pounding away with hits from the top position," according to CBSsports.com. Fitch earned his fifth straight victory and first win at Bellator to build an overall MMA career record of 31-7. Banks also comes out on losing end Mo Lawal wasn't the only former collegiate wrestler to have a tough night at Bellator 199 Saturday. Carrington Banks, 29, an NJCAA mat champ for Iowa Central, suffered the first loss of his pro MMA career at the hands of Adam Piccolotti, who submitted Banks using a near-naked choke just before the end of the bout -- 4:41, to be exact, of Round 3. With the loss, the 155-pound Banks falls to 7-1, while Piccolotti improves to 10-2.

A Utah high school has struck gold with its new head wrestling coach. Rulon Gardner, U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler at the 2000 Sydney Games, has been hired as head coach of the mat program at Herriman High School in Utah. Gardner replaces a paraprofessional instructor/coach who wanted to concentrate his efforts in the classroom. Rulon GardnerIn talking about hiring Gardner, Brad Tingey, director of athletics at Herriman, told KSL-TV Friday. "We feel like it's a good fit for us," "We think he'll be able to elevate our program and get us to higher places." One hope is that Gardner can generate greater interest in wrestling at Herriman. In the past, Herriman has had a roster of 40-50 wrestlers, but had 36 athletes last year. Tingey considers the school's wrestling team to be among the top 10 in Utah, and, with the right coaching, could rank even higher. "We think our wrestling program is in a really good position now, and we think Rulon can be the catalyst … to elevate it into one of the elite wrestling programs in the state," Tingey said. Gardner, 46, is a two-time Olympic medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling. At the 2000 Sydney Games, the Wyoming native scored one of the biggest upsets in Olympic wrestling history by upsetting three-time Olympic gold medalist Alexander Karelin of Russia. Four years later, Gardner earned a bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. In addition to his impressive Olympic hardware, Gardner also owns the distinction of receiving the 2000 AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) Sullivan Award for the outstanding amateur athlete in the nation. Only four U.S. wrestlers have received this honor, including Kyle Snyder, Ohio State's gold-medal-winning heavyweight, earlier this year. Herriman High School is a four-year public high school in Herriman, Utah. The school, which serves three communities, has a total enrollment of 2,900 students.

EAST STROUDSBURG -- Anibal Nieves, who earned All-America accolades at East Stroudsburg University in 1989 and later competed internationally for Puerto Rico in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games, has been announced as head coach of the Warriors' wrestling program. Anibal NievesNieves, a Division I national qualifier at 134 pounds in 1988 and 1989 who placed sixth nationally during his senior season, brings over 15 years of head coaching experience to ESU. Most recently, he has served as head women's and assistant men's coach at Springfield Technical Community College in Springfield, Mass. for the past six seasons. "I'm very excited to welcome Anibal Nieves to our Warrior athletics program," said Dr. Gary R. Gray, Director of Athletics. "He brings a rich past of international and Olympic experience, as well as developing young wrestlers at a number of levels, including NCAA Division II. I am confident that he will provide the leadership and direction required to reestablish ESU wrestling at the PSAC and DII levels." Prior to his position at Springfield Tech, Nieves was the head men's coach at Division III Western New England for five years. He previously led American International's Division II men's program from 1994-2003 and was honored as the DII East Regional Coach of the Year in 2000. Nieves has coached nine All-Americans at the Division II level. His student-athletes' academic success has stood out as well, with Nieves leading a total of 20 NCAA Scholar All-Americans at his previous programs. At Springfield Tech, he led nine NCWA Women's All-Americans, including four national champions, and he was named NWCA Women's Coach of the Year in 2017. Nieves had a 62-13-5 record in two seasons at ESU, notching one fall, 11 technical falls and 15 major decisions, and had a 22-3-5 mark in duals. Following his career at ESU, he competed for Puerto Rico in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympic games, earning a 10th place finish at 62 kilograms at the 1992 Barcelona Games. A nine-time national champion in Puerto Rico, he also took home silver medals at the 1991 and 1995 Pan American Games. "It is an honor to be named wrestling coach at ESU, " said Nieves. "I would like to thank our awesome team of administrators, including President Welsh and Dr. Gray, the search committee and ESU coaches and staff who participated in the search process for selecting me to lead our wrestling student-athletes." "I look forward to building on the Warriors' winning tradition. ESU alumni, family, wrestlers and friends will do this together!" Nieves remains active internationally, serving as the wrestling coach for Haiti at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He additionally worked as a trainer for two-time U.S. Olympian Elena Pirozhkova, who was the women's World Champion at 63 kilograms in 2012. One of 22 All-Americans in ESU history, Nieves will look to bring renewed success to a wrestling program which has had 12 athletes combine for 16 NCAA qualifying spots since reclassifying to DII prior to the 2009-10 season, but just two in the last three years. Nieves will begin his position at ESU on Tuesday, May 29. He is available via e-mail at nieveswrestling@gmail.com.

Spencer Lee claimed the NCAA title at 125 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa national champion Spencer Lee announced Saturday that he is not competing at the Senior Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Rochester, Minnesota, on May 18-20. Lee won the 2018 NCAA championship as a true freshman at 125 pounds. He joined the Iowa lineup in January and compiled a 22-2 overall record, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. Lee is a three-time age-level world champion. He expects to return to international competition in July, when USA Wrestling fields teams at tournaments in Germany, Spain, and Turkey. "I have the best coaches in the world and collectively we decided that this was the best decision for me," Lee said. "They had a plan last year when there were decisions to be made regarding my redshirt, and they have a plan for me now. I believe in the plan and look forward to competing this summer in European tournaments while preparing myself for the upcoming college season." "This is the right move for Spencer Lee," said UI head coach Tom Brands. "He is not slowing down; he is moving forward down a different path. Since arriving on campus, we have made decisions that are in the best interest of him and his future, and that continues today. I can't wait to see him return to competition in July."

Welcome back, Nate Moore. Moore is returning to Iowa City West High School -- the place where he won two Iowa state titles as a wrestler, then served as an assistant coach -- to take the helm of the mat program. Moore will be following in the footsteps of Mark Reiland, his coach at West, who announced his departure two months ago. Nate Moore"It's exciting. The green and gold blood has never really left me." Moore told IAwrestle, "It's exciting to go back and I know I have some big, big shoes to fill with Reiland I think he had over 400 wins in 19 years. He was doing some serious winning, but I'm excited for what the future holds." Reiland built a powerhouse program at Iowa City West. During his time as head coach of the Trojans from 1999-2018, Reiland led the team to seven total state titles -- five dual and two traditional -- and mentored 16 wrestlers who became individual Iowa state champions. Just this past year, West High finished seventh in the team standings, with two wrestlers -- Nelson Brands, and Francis Duggan -- leaving Des Moines with state crowns. Nate Moore owns impressive statistics of his own. As a wrestler at Iowa City West from 2004-08, Moore posted a 175-3 career record, a winning percentage (.9831) that still ranks second all-time in the 50-year history of the school. He was a four-time state finalist and a two-time champ, and helped West to back-to-back traditional team state titles in 2006 and 2007. After graduation, Moore continued his academic and athletic career in Iowa City, at the University of Iowa, wrestling for Hawkeye head coach Tom Brands. Moore was a two-time letterwinner, posting a 20-8 overall record from 2009-11. Nate Moore went into business for himself, but never strayed too far from wrestling. He joined Mark Reiland's staff at Iowa City West as an assistant beginning in the 2015-16 season, and helped coach youth wrestlers in and around the Iowa City area. When Mark Reiland announced his intention to move on from the head coaching position at West, school administrators were thrilled about the prospect of having an alum of Nate Moore's caliber take the helm. "We were excited about Coach Moore throughout the interview process, just with his background and experience as a competitor," Craig Huegel, West's athletic director, told the Des Moines Register. "His knowledge of the sport and his passion for developing kids was very imminent." "He's an alum, and we feel like he has a great connection to what West High wrestling has been, and the way we'd like to continue to go."

STILLWATER -- Former Oklahoma State wrestler Randy Couture will be honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as the organization's Outstanding American for 2018. Randy Couture"Randy Couture's selection as Outstanding American by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame is the first time an Oklahoma State wrestler has received that honor," head coach John Smith said. "I'm very proud of Randy and it's been fun watching him excel at everything he's done. He's a great wrestler, but you can see through his accomplishments in many different fields why he was chosen to receive this recognition." The Hall of Outstanding Americans demonstrates wrestling's pride in those who have used the disciplines of the sport to launch notable careers in other walks of life, such as science and technology, business and industry, government and the military, and the arts and humanities. New classes are inducted annually. "Randy Couture epitomizes our Outstanding American award, which recognizes those who used wrestling to launch notable careers after concluding their wrestling careers," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "Randy served in the military and then was an All-American at Oklahoma State. He competed internationally in Greco-Roman and then was one of the original mixed martial arts champions. He then stepped onto another stage, literally, as an actor and continues to evolve as an entrepreneur." A Lynnwood, Wash., product, Couture wrestled at Oklahoma State from 1989 to 1992 and racked up a 113-42 overall record. He was a three-time All-American, including a pair of second-place finishes, and helped the Cowboys to the team title in 1990. Couture was a National Wrestling Coaches Association First-Team Academic All-American in 1991 and 1992, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in foreign language and literature. Couture was a four-time World Team member in Greco-Roman and placed ninth in 1997. He was a six-time UFC world champion and was the only competitor to hold titles in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. Couture became the fourth fighter inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2006, and was inducted into the Oklahoma State College of Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 2016. Couture has his own chain of gyms, Xtreme Couture MMA, and a clothing line, Xtreme Couture MMA Clothing. He also founded and runs the Xtreme Couture GI Foundation, which raises awareness and financially supports wounded veterans. Couture teamed with Jay Glazer of Fox Sports and Green Beret and NFL player Nate Boyer to create Merging Vets and Players (MVP), which is a program designed to address challenges that many combat veterans and professional athletes face when transitioning their service/professional life towards a new mission in their civilian life. He and Glazer also created MMAthletics, which trains professional athletes from various sports in the ways of mixed martial arts and how that training can be applied to their respective sports. The Class of 2018 will be inducted at the 42nd Annual Honors Weekend on June 1-2, 2018 in Stillwater. Tickets can be purchased here.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Friday announced the state and regional winners for the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA). The award recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. Regional winners are selected from state winners, and the national winner will be chosen from the regional winners. The national winner will be announced on Monday, May 14. The national winner will be presented with her award during the 42nd Annual Honors Weekend at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum on June 1-2 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For information on Honors Weekend please telephone (405) 377-5243. First presented in 2014, the TSHSEA is named for Tricia Saunders, a four-time World Champion and women's wrestling pioneer. Saunders was the first woman to be inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 and was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011. "Because young women are being given more opportunities to wrestle, we are able to recognize 32 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award state winners this year, up from 24 a year ago," said Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. "We still have a lot of work to do, but we're moving in the right direction and these young women are tremendous examples of great wrestlers who are also strong students and positive role models." Missouri recently voted to make girls wrestling an official high school sport, becoming the third state this season, along with Georgia and Oregon, to add high school girls wrestling. There are now nine states that will host state-sanctioned girls wrestling championships: Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. The state winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for the High School Excellence awards, and a committee, with input from Hall of Fame state chapters, selects state and regional winners. National winners are then chosen from the regional winners. The 2018 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award Regional Winners are: West: Alleida Martinez of Selma, California, is a four-time California High School state champion and four-year team captain for Selma High School. The daughter of Esbeide Belmontes and Noe Martinez, she helped Selma win two state team titles. Martinez won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in 2016 and was a silver medalist in 2015. She was a U23 runner-up in 2018 and a Fargo junior champion and a junior national folkstyle runner-up in 2017. In 2015 and 2016, Martinez won back-to-back junior national and cadet national folkstyle championships as well as the Fargo and Body Bar titles. She also ran cross country and was a state qualifier and team captain for two years. Martinez has performed over 50 hours of community service with the Selma High School ROTC program while also volunteering at the Highland Games, Jackson Elementary Carnival and the Selma Sikh Parade. She has volunteered to place flags on veteran graves as well as serving as part of flag honor guard at other events. She has a 3.52 GPA and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Menlo College. Central: Alexandria Liles of Allen, Texas is a four-time Texas High School state champion for Allen High School. The daughter of Eric and Jessica Liles, she had a career record of 89-0, becoming the first undefeated four-time state champion, and was named Outstanding Wrestler at the state tournament as a freshman, as a junior and as a senior. Liles finished first in both cadet and junior at Fargo in 2016 and repeated as junior champion in 2017. She finished third in both cadet and junior at Fargo in 2015 and won the Junior Folkstyle Nationals in 2015 and 2016. Liles won the United World Wrestling Cadet national championship in 2015 and 2017, finishing ninth at the world championships, and won a silver medal at the Cadet Pan American Games in 2015. She volunteers at the Rick Anthony Athletic Foundation as both a peer leader and fitness mentor. Liles will become a resident athlete at the United States Olympic Training Center. Midwest: Jayden Laurent of Denmark, Wisconsin, is the top-ranked wrestler at 144 pounds in the National Girls High School Rankings. The daughter of Denise Kinjerski, she won a gold medal at the Cadet Pan American Games in 2016 and finished first in freestyle and folkstyle at the junior national championships. Laurent won both freestyle and folkstyle at the cadet national championships and placed second at the junior national championships in freestyle in 2016. She lettered in basketball, softball, track and volleyball at Denmark High School. She was all-conference in softball three times while being named second-team all-conference in basketball and winning the conference title in the 200-meters. Laurent has a 3.4 GPA and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle at Lakeland University, whose new program will begin competing in 2018-19. Northeast: Hailey Cancelleri of Staten Island, New York, is a four-time New York City champion and a two-time New York High School state champion for Curtis High School. The daughter of Madellyn Cuevas and Michael Cancelleri, she also was a state freestyle champion, a cadet national champion and a two-time Gotham City champion. Cancelleri volunteers at a nursing home and Sea View Hospital while also working to clean area cemeteries and placing flags for Memorial Day. She ranks at the top of her nursing program class and has a 3.67 overall GPA. Cancelleri has signed a letter of intent to wrestle at King University. Southeast: Kenya Sloan of Knoxville, Tennessee, is a four-time Tennessee High School state champion for Hardin Valley Academy and is the top-ranked wrestler at 180 pounds in the National Girls High School Rankings. The daughter of Lee and Ginger Sloan, she had a career record of 87-0 and pinned her way through the state tournament all four years. Sloan was named Outstanding Wrestler at the state tournament as a senior and won United World Wrestling Cadet women's freestyle national championship in 2017. She plays bass in the school orchestra and leads high school devotional for teenagers. Sloan has a 4.0 GPA and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Campbellsville University. The regions and the states that they are comprised of are: West (11) - Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming Midwest (10) - Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin Central (7) - Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas Southeast (10) - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia Northeast (11) - Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont 2018 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award State Winners State - Name, High School, City, College Attending Alaska - Sydnee Kimber, Mount Edgecumbe High School, Sitka Arizona - Brooke Logan, Liberty High School, El Mirage Arkansas - Pella Wisniowski, Conway High School, Conway California - Alleida Martinez, Selma High School, Selma Colorado - Marissa Gallegos, Skyview High School, Brighton Connecticut - Cara Broadus, Keystone School, Terryville Florida - Ana Luciano, Osceola High School, Kissimmee Georgia - Kasey Baynon, Statesboro, Statesboro, Emmanuel College Hawaii - Teniya Alo, Kahuku High School, Honolulu Idaho - Lana Hunt-Waddoups, Blackfoot High School, Pocatello Illinois - Grace Kristoff, Althoff Catholic High School, Belleville, McKendree College Indiana - Madison Burke, Penn High School, Mishawaka Iowa -Felicity Taylor, South Winneshiek High School, Spillville Kansas - Breanna Douglas, Paola High School, Paola Maryland - Cassandra Lopez, Mount Hebron High School, Ellicott, Presbyterian College Massachusetts - Isabella Ricchiazzi, Framingham High School, Framingham, University of the Cumberlands Michigan - Zoe Nowicki, Coldwater High School, Coldwater Minnesota - Makayla Welch, Cambridge Isanti High School, Mora, King University Montana - Glory Konecny, Billings West High School, Billings New York - Hailey Cancelleri, Curtis High School, Staten Island North Carolina - My Nguyen, First Flight High School, Kill Devil Hills Ohio - Mckhenna Calhoun, Barberton High School, Akron, Tiffin University Oklahoma - Madison Dekker, Cleveland High School, Cleveland Oregon - Jade Piper, Gold Beach High School, Gold Beach Pennsylvania - Ashlynn Ortega, Wyoming Seminary, Pueblo, Colorado, Tennessee - Kenya Sloan, Hardin Valley Academy, Knoxville, Campbellsville University Texas - Alexandria Liles, Allen High School, Allen, Olympic Training Center Utah - Hailey Cox, Maple Mountain High School, Mapleton Virginia - Jesse Kirby, Culpepper County High School, Rixeyville Washington - Cameron Guerin, Davis High School, Yakima West Virginia - Sierra Powell, Hampshire High School, Capon Bridge Wisconsin - Jayden Laurent, Denmark High School, Denmark, Lakeland College All-Time National Winners of Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award 2017 - Cierra Foster, Post Falls High School, Post Falls, Idaho 2016 - Katie Brock, Sequatchie County High School, Whitwell, Tennessee 2015 - Marizza Birrueta, Grandview High School, Grandview, Washington 2014 - Marina Doi, Kingsburg High School, Kingsburg, California America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation and now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. It also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

Dave Hoffman Two decades ago, Dave Hoffman was a successful student-athlete in the wrestling program at The Hill School. Now he is returning to the Pennsylvania-based preparatory boarding school as head wrestling coach. Hoffman, a 2001 Hill graduate, replaces Mark Pearson (Class of 1978), who is stepping away as coach of The Hill mat program to devote more time to his position as Director of the Humphrey Family Writing Center. Hoffman brings a blend of on-the-mat accomplishments, extensive coaching experience and firsthand knowledge of The Hill School in his new position heading up the wrestling program. A native of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, Hoffman arrived on The Hill campus in 1996 ... and, as the school's announcement of his hire, "Five years later, he graduated as the most decorated wrestler of The Hill's modern era." In his wrestling career at The Hill School, Hoffman compiled an overall record of 212-17, for a 92 percent win rate. Hoffman was a five-time Pennsylvania Independent School Wrestling Tournament champion; a five-time National Prep All-American; and a two-time National Prep champion, winning his weight class in 1999 and 2001. After graduating from The Hill, Hoffman continued his wrestling career at Virginia Tech, where he was a three-year team captain. He qualified for the NCAA Division I Tournament all four years, earning All-American status as a senior. That same year, Hoffman also won his weight class at the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) tournament. As a Hokie, Hoffman posted a 116-32 career record. Hoffman then launched his coaching career, starting at Bucknell University as an assistant coach for six seasons ... then returning to Virginia Tech in 2012 as an assistant coach for four years. During that time, the Hokies finished ranked in the top-10 in Division I, culminating with a fourth-place finish in 2016. Over that stretch, the team produced 14 ACC champions, 17 NCAA All-Americans, and had its first NCAA finalist. For the past two seasons, Hoffman has been the head assistant coach at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. As the head assistant, his responsibilities included developing and conducting team and individual practice sessions; recruiting management and material development; and running the UTC Wrestling Camps. "It is my great honor to be appointed the next head wrestling coach for The Hill School," Hoffman said. "When I think back to the day that I walked into my first wrestling practice nearly 30 years ago, I never dreamt that the sport would take me this far or captivate me for this long. I have been truly blessed to have been surrounded by so many great coaches, teachers, and mentors along this journey, and I can only hope to pay that forward at The Hill." The Hill School is a coeducational preparatory boarding school located in Pottstown, Pa. about 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The Hill has approximately 500 students.

Marcus Harrington battling Iowa's Sam Stoll (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Iowa State heavyweight Marcus Harrington is hanging up the headgear for the tools of his chosen profession, law enforcement. The Cyclone starter in the 285-pound class during the 2017-18 season has decided to end his wrestling career step away from wrestling to focus on getting a job in his major, criminal justice. "I just thought it was time," Harrington told the Des Moines Register Thursday. "I could just tell by the way the last couple of years have went, and my motivation has just been elsewhere. Just haven't had the same spark that I used to about the sport. "I just took it upon myself to make the decision to move onto the next chapter of my life," Harrington continued, despite having one more year of wrestling eligibility left. "I'm excited to get into a career. I'm a criminal justice major, and looking for jobs in that area really excites me. That's the passion of my life right now." Iowa State associate head coach Mike Zadick confirmed Harrington's decision, telling the Register, "He just kind of decided he wanted to (be done). He just let us know that he was looking to further his career and take off making money." Harrington said his decision was not made in haste, disclosing to Register sportswriter Cody Goodwin that he had been thinking about stepping away from the sport for a year or so, even talking to head coach Kevin Dresser about his feelings. This past season, the Waterloo native, who had moved up to heavyweight after having wrestled for the Cyclones previously at 197 pounds, tallied a 22-13 record in 2017-18, placing fourth at the 2018 Big 12 Conference Championships, just missing qualifying for the 2018 NCAA Division I Championships. Harrington described the past season as having "a lot of ups and downs" but added, "Not to say I didn't have a lot of ups this year. I enjoyed wrestling for that coaching staff, and they helped me out tremendously. "But after the season concluded, I just figured it was time. I talked to my parents about it, and they understood. The coaches were all for me following my dreams and doing what made me happy." In Harrington's absence, Iowa State will have two heavyweights on its roster: redshirt sophomore Gannon Gremmel, and Iowa City West big man Francis Duggan -- ranked No. 70 among InterMat's top recruits -- who just signed with the Cyclones. Harrington leaves Iowa State with an overall collegiate record of 37-33. Prior to coming to Ames, Harrington wrestled at Waterloo West High School -- Dan Gable's alma mater -- where he amassed 145 wins and scored back-to-back Iowa state titles at 195 pounds in 2013 and 2014.

In the current landscape, success in college wrestling is defined by success at the NCAA tournament, which is an individual bracket event. Almost half of this season's All-American wrestlers -- 38 of the 80 -- were ranked within the top 30 of their high school graduating class. If you further narrow that subset, it's 32 of 80 within the top 20, and 23 were within the top ten. It is also interesting to note that (only) 17 of the All-Americans were not top 100 recruits coming out of high school. The data out of last year's NCAA tournament yields similar conclusion as well: 19/80 All-Americans were top ten recruits, 40/80 were top thirty recruits, while 20 were not top 100 recruits. With that premise laid out, one can see the importance for programs to land elite talents in recruiting. It then goes without saying that recognizing which elite talents have the true goods in all aspects to perform in college, as well as developing said talent once on campus, is also vital. The importance of elite talent is made abundantly clear when looking at the lineups that Penn State and Ohio State put on the mat during this past season. The five NCAA finalists for Penn State that comprised "death row" were all top ten recruits in their respective graduating classes: Zain Retherford was third in the Class of 2013, Jason Nolf seventh in 2014, Vincenzo Joseph seventh in 2015, Mark Hall first in 2016, and Bo Nickal fifth in 2014. Other All-Americans for Penn State were two more top ten recruits in Nick Lee (fifth from the Class of 2017) and Nick Nevills (fourth from the Class of 2014), plus Shakur Rasheed who was 56th in the Class of 2014. The remaining two Nittany Lion starters in the postseason were also top 100 recruits, Carson Kuhn was 86th in the Class of 2010, while Corey Keener was 97th in the Class of 2013. (Kuhn did not qualify for the NCAAs this past season.) All ten of Ohio State's starters made the NCAA tournament, and all were ranked as top 100 recruits in their graduating class. NCAA champ Kyle Snyder was first in the Class of 2014, and runner-up Myles Martin was fourth in 2015. Four additional top ten recruits were among the All-American finishers: Luke Pletcher (eighth in 2016), Joey McKenna (eighth in 2014), Micah Jordan (sixth in 2014), and Bo Jordan (first in 2013). Nathan Tomasello (15th in 2013) and Kollin Moore (32nd in 2015) were the other Buckeyes' All-American finishers, while additional NCAA qualifiers for the Buckeyes were Ke-Shawn Hayes (13th in 2015) and Te'Shan Campbell (65th in 2015). It should come as little surprise that the top two programs of recent years are continuing to recruit at an extraordinarily elite level, as one will find out when reading the rankings and capsule profiles below (top 25 class for 2018, along with the recruits that are in those classes). Four-time state champ Seth Nevills anchors Penn State's No. 1 recruiting class (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 1. Penn State Top 100 recruits: No. 6 Seth Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), No. 10 Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind./NLWC), No. 12 Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.), No. 14 Aaron Brooks (North Hagerstown, Md.), No. 15 Roman Bravo-Young (Sunnyside, Ariz.), No. 20 Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson-Morgan, Pa.), and No. 37 Brody Teske (Fort Dodge, Iowa) Commentary: The most notable part of this class for the three-time defending national champion Nittany Lions is the addition of three high-end prospects for the opening couple of weight classes in Bravo-Young, Teasdale, and Teske. It's an absurdly strong class for the squad that has won seven national titles over the last eight seasons -- featuring six of the top 20 recruits nationally, and a seventh within the top 40. Rounding out the class are Joe Lee, true freshman All-American Nick's younger brother, and Cadet world champion Brooks who address the middle, while Beard and Nevills cover the back couple of weight classes. Read analysis for all 25 teams. Not an InterMat Platinum subscriber? Subscribe now! 2018 InterMat Recruiting Class Rankings 1. Penn State 2. Ohio State 3. North Carolina State 4. Minnesota 5. Nebraska 6. Michigan 7. Stanford 8. Missouri 9. North Carolina 10. Princeton 11. Iowa State 12. Rutgers 13. Iowa 14. Oklahoma 15. Okahoma State 16. Wisconsin 17. Northwestern 18. Drexel 19. Northern Iowa 20. Cornell 21. Army West Point 22. Rider 23. SIU Edwardsville 24. Penn 25. Lehigh Honorable mention: Arizona State, Harvard, Pitt, South Dakota State, Virginia

In the current landscape, success in college wrestling is defined by success at the NCAA tournament, which is an individual bracket event. Almost half of this season's All-American wrestlers -- 38 of the 80 -- were ranked within the top 30 of their high school graduating class. If you further narrow that subset, it's 32 of 80 within the top 20, and 23 were within the top ten. It is also interesting to note that (only) 17 of the All-Americans were not top 100 recruits coming out of high school. The data out of last year's NCAA tournament yields similar conclusion as well: 19/80 All-Americans were top ten recruits, 40/80 were top thirty recruits, while 20 were not top 100 recruits. With that premise laid out, one can see the importance for programs to land elite talents in recruiting. It then goes without saying that recognizing which elite talents have the true goods in all aspects to perform in college, as well as developing said talent once on campus, is also vital. The importance of elite talent is made abundantly clear when looking at the lineups that Penn State and Ohio State put on the mat during this past season. The five NCAA finalists for Penn State that comprised "death row" were all top ten recruits in their respective graduating classes: Zain Retherford was third in the Class of 2013, Jason Nolf seventh in 2014, Vincenzo Joseph seventh in 2015, Mark Hall first in 2016, and Bo Nickal fifth in 2014. Other All-Americans for Penn State were two more top ten recruits in Nick Lee (fifth from the Class of 2017) and Nick Nevills (fourth from the Class of 2014), plus Shakur Rasheed who was 56th in the Class of 2014. The remaining two Nittany Lion starters in the postseason were also top 100 recruits, Carson Kuhn was 86th in the Class of 2010, while Corey Keener was 97th in the Class of 2013. (Kuhn did not qualify for the NCAAs this past season.) All ten of Ohio State's starters made the NCAA tournament, and all were ranked as top 100 recruits in their graduating class. NCAA champ Kyle Snyder was first in the Class of 2014, and runner-up Myles Martin was fourth in 2015. Four additional top ten recruits were among the All-American finishers: Luke Pletcher (eighth in 2016), Joey McKenna (eighth in 2014), Micah Jordan (sixth in 2014), and Bo Jordan (first in 2013). Nathan Tomasello (15th in 2013) and Kollin Moore (32nd in 2015) were the other Buckeyes' All-American finishers, while additional NCAA qualifiers for the Buckeyes were Ke-Shawn Hayes (13th in 2015) and Te'Shan Campbell (65th in 2015). It should come as little surprise that the top two programs of recent years are continuing to recruit at an extraordinarily elite level, as one will find out when reading the rankings and capsule profiles below (top 25 class for 2018, along with the recruits that are in those classes). Four-time state champ Seth Nevills anchors Penn State's No. 1 recruiting class (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 1. Penn State Top 100 recruits: No. 6 Seth Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), No. 10 Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind./NLWC), No. 12 Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.), No. 14 Aaron Brooks (North Hagerstown, Md.), No. 15 Roman Bravo-Young (Sunnyside, Ariz.), No. 20 Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson-Morgan, Pa.), and No. 37 Brody Teske (Fort Dodge, Iowa) Commentary: The most notable part of this class for the three-time defending national champion Nittany Lions is the addition of three high-end prospects for the opening couple of weight classes in Bravo-Young, Teasdale, and Teske. It's an absurdly strong class for the squad that has won seven national titles over the last eight seasons -- featuring six of the top 20 recruits nationally, and a seventh within the top 40. Rounding out the class are Joe Lee, true freshman All-American Nick's younger brother, and Cadet world champion Brooks who address the middle, while Beard and Nevills cover the back couple of weight classes. 2. Ohio State Top 100 recruits: No. 9 Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.), No. 11 Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville, Pa.), No. 30 Rocky Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), No. 36 Quinn Kinner (Kingsway Regional, N.J.), No. 38 Jaden Mattox (Grove City Central Crossing, Ohio), No. 48 Malik Heinselman (Castle View, Colo.), No. 73 J.D. Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), No. 75 Alex Fleix (Gilroy, Calif.), and No. 79 Kevon Freeman (Lake Catholic, Ohio) Other ranked recruit: Braeden Redlin (Allen, Texas) Additional notable: Josh Ramirez (Dubuque Wahlert, Iowa) Commentary: While the landscape of football is slightly different, one can assert within reason that Penn State wrestling is to Ohio State as Alabama football is to Urban Meyer's outfit that plays in "The 'Shoe" on Saturdays in the fall. The loss of three four-time All-Americans to graduation provides the need and open resources for what is an absolutely loaded class headed to Columbus. It features an absurd nine top 100 recruits, though just two reside in the top 20. In total this class covers every weight except for 285 and possibly 133. 3. North Carolina State Top 100 recruits: No. 19 Jakob Camacho (Danbury, Conn.), No. 22 Trent Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.), No. 53 Jarrett Trombley (Lake Fenton, Mich.), No. 55 Josiah Rider (Grand Junction, Colo.), and No. 84 Tyler Barnes (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) Other ranked recruits: Deonte Wilson (Amityville, N.Y.) and Colin Lawler (Kinkaid School, Texas) Impact transfer: Justin Oliver (Central Michigan) Additional notables: Matt Fields (Brunswick, Ohio), Matthew Grippi (Fox Lane, N.Y.), and Tony Wuest (Smyrna, Del.) Commentary: Two years ago head coach Pat Popolizio and staff pulled in the No. 1 recruiting class. This past season two of those wrestlers - in their redshirt freshman season - were key components to the Wolfpack earning a "trophy finish" at the national tournament; Hayden Hidlay was runner-up at 157, while Tariq Wilson took third at 133. Familiarity is the theme in this class; its anchors beng Hayden's younger but bigger (in size) brother Trent, as well as the dynamite lightweight Camacho, who graduated the same high school as three-time All-American Kevin Jack. Given this program's track record with less heralded recruits, the pair of projected 197 and 285 wrestlers (Wuest and Tyler Houghton, Wilson and Lawler) could emerge to the impact level. In addition, 2016 All-American Oliver provides a one-year "solution" at 149. 4. Minnesota Top 100 recruits: No. 1 Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.), No. 7 Brayton Lee (Brownsburg, Ind.), No. 32 Patrick Mckee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), No. 58 Ryan Thomas (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), and No. 87 Garrett Joles (Boyceville, Wis.) Additional notables: Kasper McIntosh (Portage, Ind.) Commentary: After a stretch of relatively down recruiting seasons that followed the Gophers' top-ranked class of 2010, this marks the third time in the last four years that Minnesota has brought in a top ten class. It's also the first "true" class for head coach Brandon Eggum. He was appointed as interim coach in the fall of 2016 before getting full time job later during the 2016-17 season. Three-time world freestyle champion Steveson is being talked about as an immediate title contender at 285 pounds, a weight class where both finalists graduate; while Lee and McKee possess high-end potential after each possibly redshirts. 5. Nebraska Top 100 recruits: No. 26 Peyton Robb (Owatonna, Minn.), No. 31 Brock Hardy (Box Elder, Utah), and No. 34 Alex Thomsen (Underwood, Iowa) Other ranked recruit: Austin Emerson (Bedford, Mich.) Impact transfer: Zeke Moisey (West Virginia) Additional notable: Jake Silverstein (Hauppauge, N.Y.) Commentary: The year-to-year success of the 'Huskers across their roster is very impressive. Mark Manning manages to always put out a very competitive team in all weight classes, one that this past season finished top ten at the NCAA tournament; all six qualifiers won multiple matches, three were All-Americans, while another two missed the podium by a solitary match. Solid recruiting and development of that talent is an obviously key ingredient. This year's group is no exception, as there are three top 35 recruits (though Hardy will be a delayed enrollee to campus due to a two-year Mormon mission) plus a fourth weight class ranked wrestler who projects to compete at 285 pounds. Two-time All-American Moisey will provide a one-year solution transferring in to start at 125 pounds. 6. Michigan Top 100 recruits: No. 4 Mason Parris (Lawrenceburg, Ind.), No. 5 Joey Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), and No. 23 Will Lewan (Montini Catholic, Ill.) Impact transfer: Kanen Storr (Iowa State) Additional notables: Bobby Striggow (Orono, Minn.) and Mike Mars (Westland John Glenn, Mich.) Commentary: Last year's class provided four top 100 recruits and a fifth higher end wrestler in Drew Mattin, who happened to qualify for the NCAA tournament as a true freshman at 125. The Wolverines will enter 2018-19 with a new, but familiar, head coach in Sean Bormet as Joe McFarland retired after earning an elusive trophy finish at the NCAA tournament. Two-time Super 32 champ Silva, Cadet world champ Lewan, and a potential Division I athlete in two sports in Parris anchor this class; along with the transfer in of Storr, who was nationally ranked during his redshirt freshman season at Iowa State. 7. Stanford Top 100 recruits: No. 16 Real Woods (Montini Catholic, Ill.), No. 17 Shane Griffith (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 80 Tyler Eischens (Anoka, Minn.), and No. 97 Colbey Harlan (Oakdale, Calif.) Additional notable: Gabe Dinette (Lakewood, Colo.) Commentary: Head coach Jason Borrelli now has brought in seven top 20 recruiting classes in ten years at the helm, with this one being the highest rated. However, there comes a point when the on-the-mat results have to consistently match the recruiting success. Since an 11th-place finish in 2011, the high water mark was a 16th-place finish in 2012, with finishes the last two years sliding backwards. Lightweight Woods and middleweight Griffith are potential impact wrestlers in the near-term, while Eischens and Harlan bring potential as middleweight and upperweight wrestlers respectively. 8. Missouri Top 100 recruits: No. 40 Zach Elam (Staley, Mo.), No. 47 Malik Johnson (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), No. 49 Jarrett Jacques (Father Tolton Catholic, Mo.), No. 63 Brock Mauller (Father Tolton Catholic, Mo.), No. 64 Peyton Mocco (West Allis Nathan Hale, Wis.), No. 69 Jeremiah Kent (Hickman, Mo.), and No. 99 Ceivon Severado (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) Other ranked recruits: Jack Flynn (Francis Howell, Mo.) and Cameron Fusco (Seckman, Mo.) Additional notable: Weston DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.) Commentary: 2017-18 was another positive season for Mizzou, as the Tigers were undefeated in dual meets before winning a seventh straight conference title and placing sixth at the national tournament with four All-Americans. Effective recruiting has been a key part of Brian Smith's success at the helm of "Tiger Style" ... with this year's group particularly notable for the significant in-state flavor. The clear high-end anchor is projected heavyweight Elam, who eschewed potential Division I football opportunities to wrestle in college; while Kent is a notable "diamond in the rough" as he only started wrestling while in high school. Why a low ranking despite this quantity of ranked kids? All seven top 100 recruits are below the last of the seven Penn State brought in; only one (Elam) is ranked in the top four in his high school weight class, while for instance Ohio State has seven ranked top four in their weight class. 9. North Carolina Top 100 recruits: No. 24 Brandon Whitman (Dundee, Mich.), No. 52 Mason Phillips (Stanwood, Wash.), No. 61 Joey Melendez (Montini Catholic, Ill.), No. 90 Ryan Karoly (Malvern Prep, Pa.) Other ranked recruits: Keaton Kluever (Kaukauna, Wis.) and Joey Mazarra (Bishop Gorman, Nev.) Additional notable: Joe Heilmann (South Plainfield, N.J.) Commentary: 2017-18 was an improved season for the Tar Heels. They won an additional conference dual relative to the previous year, while also improving by two positions (fifth to third) in the conference tournament standings. An additional positive was the pair of All-Americans from an almost two decade high of eight qualifiers; while this recruiting class, which follows up last year's haul of three top 100 prospects that was rated 10th, adds further momentum in the right direction in Chapel Hill. The obvious anchor is projected 197 Whitman, Melendez is a potential impact lower-weight with Izzy Style connections (like assistant coach Tony Ramos), while Heilmann is the younger brother of All-American 149 pound wrestlers Troy. 10. Princeton Top 100 recruits: No. 13 Patrick Glory (Delbarton, N.J.), No. 57 Quincy Monday (Carrboro, N.C.), No. 72 Grant Cuomo (Brewster, N.Y.), and No. 77 Marshall Keller (Christiansburg, Va.) Other ranked recruit: Jake Marsh (Marysville, Ohio) Commentary: It's yet another ranked recruiting class for head coach Chris Ayres, who continues to do excellent work as head coach, especially in terms of bringing in talent. Last year it was two top thirty recruits, while the year before it was three in the top 100 (four weight class ranked). This year, the clear anchor is four-time New Jersey state finalist Glory, a two-time state champion; he'll join fellow Delbarton grad Agaisse in the lightweight queue. Keller and Monday are expected to help in the middle-weights, as is Marsh, while Cuomo fits in as an upper-middle. 11. Iowa State Top 100 recruits: No. 3 David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio), No. 42 Joel Shapiro (West Des Moines Valley, Iowa) Other ranked recruits: Francis Duggan (Iowa City West, Iowa) and Anthony Sherry (Glenwood, Iowa) Impact transfer: Todd Small (Iowa Central) Additional notables: Grant Stotts (West Des Moines Valley, Iowa), Hunter DeJong (Sibley-Ocheyedan, Iowa), and Tyler Buesgens (Scott West, Iowa) Commentary: Recruiting hasn't been the problem in recent years for Iowa State, it's been the parts that happen after enrolling on campus. The first year of the Kevin Dresser Era was a struggle, with some clunky dual meet losses followed by the coup de gras of only getting one wrestler to the NCAA tournament. Expectations and pressure are clear and present headed into year two, including on Carr, who could be called on as an immediate starter in the middle-weights. Small has had success at the junior college level, and should help in the lower-weight,s along with redshirt freshman Austin Gomez. Of interest is a bunch of similar recruits that project to be part of the upper third of the lineup. 12. Rutgers Top 100 recruits: No. 39 Bill Janzer (Delsea Regional, N.J.) and No. 59 Nico Aguilar (Gilroy, Calif.) Other ranked recruit: Jake Benner (Ocean Township, N.J.) Additional notables: Kyle Lightner (Delaware Valley, N.J.) and Malcolm Robinson (Blair Academy, N.J.) Commentary: The Scarlet Knights have now had five consecutive seasons with an All-American finisher. That includes this past season where they finished just outside the top ten (11th with 42-1/2 points), with multiple All-Americans and a national finalist in Nick Suriano. Scott Goodale has built an excellent program, where the on mat product is getting closer to matching the strong fan support and enthusiasm. The anchor recruits are a lower-weight in Aguilar and an upperweight in Janzer, while Lightner is a 197/285 type that missed his senior season due to injury after winning state as a junior. 13. Iowa Top 100 recruits: No. 18 Anthony Cassioppi (Hononegah, Ill.) and No. 60 Nelson Brands (Iowa City West, Iowa) Impact transfer: Austin DeSanto (Drexel) Commentary: The Hawkeyes have already seen return from last year's number one recruiting class, as Spencer Lee dominated his true freshman NCAA tournament on the way to earning gold and promoting Pokemon to new heights among people above elementary school age; while the fourth ranked class of 2016 provided return in an All-American finish from Alex Marinelli at 165. Though Cassioppi is not Gable Steveson, he's a legit wrestling talent at the 285 class; Brands comes from a strong gene pool as the son of Associate Head Coach (Terry) and nephew of Head Coach (Tom). Incoming transfer DeSanto came on the scene after a specatular Cliff Keen in early December and reached the quarterfinals from the seventh seed at the NCAA tournament in his true freshman campaign at Drexel. 14. Oklahoma Top 100 recruits: No. 33 Antony Madrigal (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), No. 85 Tommy Hoskins (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio), and No. 93 Jaryn Curry (Choctaw, Okla.) Other ranked recruit: Josiah Jones (Bishop McCort, Pa.) Impact transfer: Kayne MacCallum (Eastern Michigan) Commentary: The second season for Lou Rosselli saw further affirmation of the "talent gap" that exists in Norman between the Sooners and the top teams in the country. His squad qualified just four wrestlers for the NCAA tournament, and mustered one point during the competition in Cleveland two eight weeks ago. It is the hope that last year's sixth ranked class and this solid group can help reboot his program. Of note is the transfer of NCAA qualifier MacCallum from Eastern Michigan. 15. Oklahoma State Top 100 recruits: No. 2 Travis Wittlake (Marshfield, Ore.) and No. 70 Anthony Montalvo (Buchanan, Calif.) Additional notable: Jalin Harper (Manhattan, Kansas) Commentary: This is a third straight "light" class in terms of quantity for head coach John Smith and the Cowboys after significant pulls in 2014 and 2015 of 11 combined top 100 recruits. However, Wittlake and Montalvo are clear elite talents from the west coast; Wittlake a 2016 Cadet world medalist who beat eventual 2017 Cadet world champion Brooks at the trials in Akron before injury precluded him from competing. Harper was a Junior folkstyle national champion this spring despite failing to win his high school state tournament. All three wrestlers are upper-middle-weight types. 16. Wisconsin Top 100 recruits: No. 66 Tyler Dow (Stoughton, Wis.), No. 68 Jared Krattiger (Waterford, Wis.), and No. 71 Jeremy Schoenherr (Stratford, Wis.) Impact transfer: Connor Brown (South Dakota State) Additional notable: Joey Sanchez (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) Commentary: New head coach Chris Bono came into the fold after recruiting was basically done for the 2018 class by Barry Davis and the previous staff. Davis did a solid job with this group signing three of the five top 100 prospects that resided in the state of Wisconsin (Mocco went to Missouri, while Joles went across the border to Minnesota); Bono and the new staff will have to continue that trend, and possibly even improve it. The three in-state talents all have shown their mettle at national level events, while Brown qualified for the NCAA tournament as a true freshman at 125 competing for South Dakota State this past season, and Sanchez was a state champion and Ironman placer for national power St. Paris Graham this past season. 17. Northwestern Top 100 recruits: No. 46 Jack Jessen (Willowbrook, Ill.), No. 74 Lucas Davison (Chesterton, Ind.), and No. 96 Erich Byelick (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) Additional notable: Jack Heyob (Cincinnati St. Xavier, Ohio) Commentary: As Matt Storniolo and staff finally come into their own in Evanston, this is a rather solid recruiting group for the Wildcats. It's a trio of top 100 recruits headed by the excellent upperweight from just outside of Chicago in Jessen, who has had major success in national level events. Davison and Byelick also have significant national-level event credentials, and will bolster the back half of the lineup; while state runner-up Heyob projects as a 285 (similar to Conan Jennings, who was also from Southwest Ohio, and finished runner-up at state as a senior). 18. Drexel Top 100 recruits: No. 45 Michael O'Malley (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J.) and No. 67 Anthony Walters (Bishop McCort, Pa.) Other ranked recruits: Dante Mininno (Gateway Woodbury, N.J.), Antonio Mininno (Gateway Woodbury, N.J.), and Josh Stillings (Pennridge, Pa.) Additional notable: Ty Smith (Virgin Valley, Nev.) Commentary: This is a third straight ranked recruiting class for head coach Matt Azevedo, though for a second straight year the anchor member of the previous year's class has already left campus, with DeSanto headed for Iowa. Even so there is strong momentum as this year's class features a pair of top 100 talents in projected upper-middleweight O'Malley and projected 197 Walters. The Mininno twins and Smith all fit in as potential options at 125/133, Smith an unexpected Junior National freestyle champion last summer at 113; while Super 32 Challenge and Flo Nationals runner-up Stillings fits in a similar area of the lineup as O'Malley. 19. Northern Iowa Top 100 recruits: No. 95 Drew Bennett (Fort Dodge, Iowa) and No. 98 Michael Blockhus (New Hampton, Iowa) Other ranked recruits: Kyle Biscoglia (Waukee, Iowa), Bryce Esmoil (West Liberty, Iowa), and John McConkey (Atlantic, Iowa) Additional notables: Tyrell Gordon (Waterloo East, Iowa) and Cayd Lara (Fort Dodge, Iowa) Commentary: Head coach Doug Schwab has made the most out of the Panthers position as a collegiate wrestling program in Iowa. The 2014 season was their high-water mark in terms of on the mat success, while recruiting has continued to be a positive with now three ranked recruiting classes in four years. The very interesting thing about this group is that even with in-state power Iowa and Iowa State, all seven core members are from the state of Iowa. Biscoglia and Bennett are lightweights; Blockhus and Lara are middleweights; while Esmoil, Gordon, and McConkey are upperweights to form a class with excellent depth and breadth. 20. Cornell Top 100 recruits: No. 28 Andrew Merola (Blair Academy, N.J.) Other ranked recruit: Jonathan Loew (Wantagh, N.Y.) Additional notables: Gerard Angelo (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) and Ryan Moore (Walton Verona, Ky.) Commentary: 2018 marked an eleventh straight top ten finish at the national tournament for the Big Red, while the quartet of All-Americans made it sixteen consecutive seasons with three-plus on the podium. With the banner recruiting class of 2017 plus a solid incumbent roster already present on campus in Ithaca, this year's class is a bit lighter in quantity of talent; however, Merola is a potential impact talent in a middle-weight with Loew showing upside potential as a 184/197 after moving up three weights to have an excellent high school senior season at 195. 21. Army West Point Top 100 recruit: No. 21 Markus Hartman (Barrington, Ill.) Other ranked recruits: Paul Robinson (Bremen, Ga.) and Max Darrah (Whitfield, Mo.) Additional notables: Ryan Chauvin (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), Mason Smith (Walton Verona, Ky.), Andrew Wert (Central Dauphin, Pa.), and Christian Hunt (Yorktown, Ind.) Commentary: It's a second consecutive ranked recruiting class for head coach Kevin Ward, and the Black Knights. This group is led by Hartman, a two-time Fargo double All-American, who beat Will Lewan for his state title this year. Between Robinson and Darrah one is bound to be a capable starter at 285, as both have national event productivity to their credit; Chauvin and Wert are solid lower-weight options, while two-time state runner-up Hunt and Smith are potential options in the middleweights. 22. Rider Top 100 recruit: No. 29 Frankie Gissendanner (Penfield, N.Y.) and No. 83 Chris Wright (Central Dauphin, Pa.) Additional notables: Bryan Martin (Williamstown, N.J.) Commentary: Gissendanner is probably the best recruit the Broncos have landed in recent program memory other than B.J. Clagon. The last time Rider landed two top 100 recruits was in 2013, when Clagon and Chad Walsh enrolled; each was an All-American at least once (Walsh twice in actuality) with an additional round of 12 appearance. Should Gissendanner and Wright replicate that success, it would be good news for head coach John Hagney and crew. Martin is a potential "diamond in the rough" as an upperweight, placing third at state for the first time as a senior. 23. SIU Edwardsville Top 100 recruit: No. 25 Justin Ruffin (Union Grove, Ga.) Other ranked recruits: Aaron Schulist (Mukwanago, Wis.) and Saul Ervin (Union County, Ky.) Additional notable: Austin Macias (Burlington Central, Ill.) Commentary: As a school that doesn't sponsor football and with basketball competing in the Ohio Valley Conference, there seem to be obstacles in front of the wrestling program for achieving success. However, head coach Jeremy Spates has things going in a positive direction (from one NCAA qualifier his first season, to two each of the following two years, and three the last two years). In addition, this excellent recruiting class is another momentum boost. Ruffin is an elite wrestler who has competed and produced in many national events, while Schulist and Macias were Junior freestyle All-Americans last summer as well. 24. Penn Top 100 recruits: No. 27 Anthony Artalona (Tampa Prep, Fla.) and No. 86 Grant Aronoff (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.) Other ranked recruit: Ben Goldin (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) Additional notables: Doug Zapf (Downington West, Pa.), Carmen Ferrante (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), and Jake Hendricks (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) Commentary: Having this type of pipeline to Florida would be more notable if it was in the fall sport played with an oblong ball that generates a ton of revenue. However, in this case it's good news for head coach Roger Reina, as his Quakers add two talented middleweights and an upperweight to the stable. Complimentary pieces include two-time state finalist Zapf and three-time state placer Ferrante as lower-weights and Cadet world Greco-Roman team participant Hendricks as a middle-weight. 25. Lehigh Top 100 recruit: No. 51 Josh Humphreys (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) Other ranked recruits: Jaret Lane (Southern Columbia, Pa.) and Mitchell Polito (East Brunswick, N.J.) Impact transfer: Connor Schram (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) Additional notable: Brian Meyer (Phillipsburg, N.J.) Commentary: Coming off an excellent season in which the Mountain Hawks ended Cornell's eleven-year hold on the EIWA title, while qualifying all ten wrestlers to the NCAA tournament and then earning three All-Americans, they bring in a solid recruiting class. The anchors are the middle-weight Humphreys along with lower-weights Lane and Polito. Previous All-American Schram is a solid one-year solution at 125 after 2017 national champion Darian Cruz graduated. Honorable mention: Arizona State, Harvard, Pitt, South Dakota State, Virginia

Beat the Streets New York is hosting its annual event fundraising event next Thursday in New York City, and in keeping with past years the competition will provide some of the year's most intriguing and dramatic freestyle matchups. Headlining the event is a four-time world champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs versus defending world champion Frank Chamizo. Burroughs has the speed, experience and size while Chamizo has arguably the best hips in all of wrestling. The style matchup has the wrestling world buzzing: Who will win, and how? I've spent a lot of time watching these two compete and while it would be foolish to predict how things will suss out point for point, I think there are habits we are likely to see next week at the South Street Seaport. Burroughs tends to start slow, build momentum at the end of the first period and then erupt for points in the second period. It's not uncommon to see him go 2-1 into the break and then spend the first minute of the second period putting together a technique tape on double legs. He also doesn't tend to score a lot from top and when he does it's usually a bundle leg lace coming immediately out of a double leg that naturally ended near his opponent's ankles. Burroughs is solid from bottom par terre and rarely find himself exposed. In terms of match momentum Chamizo plays ying to Burroughs' yang. The Cuban's defense is so mind-bending that often he allows over-aggressive opponents to shoot early, often turning those attempts into two and four-point moves. However, once Chamizo accumulates a four-point lead the confidence in his defense pushes him to lead protect. There are still foot sweeps and high level single leg snatches, but for the most part he turns off the pressure. When Chamizo gets less active he finds himself standing upright, backing to the edge and giving up pushout points. Watch his 2016 Olympic semifinal and the 2018 European semifinal to see examples of just what happens when Chamizo gets too defensive. He's adequate on top and near immovable from par terre. Burroughs will have size on Chamizo -- maybe as much as 10 pounds with the day before weigh-in and three-kilogram weight allowance (as is the norm for Beat the Streets). The size, and tendency to score late against an opponent who often plays the clock, should give Burroughs an edge. The dual meet isn't just about Burroughs and Chamizo. Jordan Oliver and Toghrul Asgarov are meeting in the night's other "supermatch." The duo, who each found themselves off suspension last month, could create quite the stir for fans interested in seeing wrestling as a form of competitive, interpretive dance. Oliver is a more traditional styled wrestler albeit with low singles and creative finishes. Meanwhile Asgarov is like an abstractionist painter on mushrooms, contorting his body in ways that other wrestlers simply don't and capitalizing from overhooks unlike any wrestler we've seen. In addition to his creativity he has some of the sharpest match management skills in the sport. Neither should be in particularly great shape, but one would expect Oliver to be in better shape than Asgarov who took the entire 2013 and most of the 2014 season to eat and chill out. More clearly stated, there is a chance Asgarov comes in a little soft around the belt line. What few people have mentioned so far is the night's other incredibly interesting matchup between Helen Maroulis and Odunayo Adekuoroye of Nigeria. The two wrestled to a 6-6 matchup at the 2015 Golden Grand Prix in Baku, with Helen winning on criteria. Since then Odunayo has only lost in the world finals and in the Indian Pro League, where Helen also took a loss to the same opponent, Pooja Dhanda. Odunayo Adekuoroye celebrates after reaching the world finals in 2017 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Odunayo started wrestling late and has emerged in the past two years with more techniques than she showed in her bronze-medal performance in Paris. The outside double has been complimented by crafty short offense that uses far side ankle control to create angles and find reshots. She has a developing leg lace. Maroulis is an all-around competitor who relies more on creating offense from what's presented to her, than focusing on hitting one single move. As an example of this you can see her foot sweep Marwa Amri of Tunisia through the floor. In addition to creative offense, she loves to sucker opponents into an outside single on her right leg then whizzer hard while sliding out the ankle. This is the position she held at the end of her 2016 Olympic gold-medal performance against Saori Yoshida, and how she scored her second takedown against Amri in Paris. However good her offense and defense, what makes Maroulis most impressive is her ability to score in bunches. She connects takedowns to gut wrenches well and finds cradles during scrambles like she did in the Olympic semifinals against Sofia Mattson (a la David Taylor). The rest of the matchups are compelling, especially Kyle Snyder and Renerias Salas. While I don't think Salas will put up much of a fight in the second period, I'm very much looking forward to the first scrambles. He'll win, but the creativity will be a great test for Snyder. One last thing … If you are in the NYC area and want to attend be sure to purchase tickets. They are only $25 for standing room only and the money goes to support a great cause. If you can't make it, but want to support the cause, you can also direct yourself to their donate page through the same link. Here is the link. To your questions ... Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Why is Abdulrashid Sadulaev moving up to 97 kg after winning the European Championships at 92 kg? Is it solely to face Kyle Snyder? Or he is struggling with the weight cut? -- Mike C. Foley: I'm really not sure why he didn't just stay at 97 kilograms. The best answer might be some internal politics and that there was a need for him to maintain 92 kilograms at the Europeans, but I truthfully don't know. One other option might be that he had his taste of a two-day weigh-in and didn't want to do that again knowing full well that he was going to 97 kilograms in 2019 to qualify for the Olympic Games. We always knew he was going up. I think the bigger surprise was that he even went down to 92 kilograms at all. Oh, and no it's not solely to face Kyle Snyder, but he has been very vocal that he will beat Snyder in any and all rematches. Q: I'm hoping you may be able to shed some light on just what the heck is going on with the program at the University of Maryland. As you are probably aware, just a decade ago Pat Santoro had the Terps on a huge upswing, and they seemed poised to break into the national elite. When Kerry McCoy took over after the 2008 season, he inherited a roster featuring six future All-Americans and another half dozen NCAA qualifiers, in addition to a hefty salary and solid support. Since then, however, the Terps have regressed every year. After four Big Ten seasons, their conference record stands at 1-35, and the program is rife with injuries, academic problems, poor development, anemic recruiting, and chaotic roster management. The program looks to be on life support, and we Maryland fans are hoping something changes soon. Any thoughts? -- Chris S. Foley: Kerry McCoy is one of America's most accomplished NCAA and international wrestlers. He's also had notable success as a head wrestling coach at Stanford and Maryland. While there is a notable drop off in on-the-mat success I think that his leadership is something Maryland wants to keep in their athletic department. As one of the only minority coaches in NCAA wrestling, I also think it's important for him to have his opinion within the marketplace of ideas. Winning is winning, and if at some point the successes aren't there then I'd expect Maryland to find a better solution for their program. However, I think the sport would be shortchanged if McCoy weren't on staff or influencing policy at some Division I school. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Classic Burroughs pacing Classic Chamizo Foot sweep for days … Maroulis vs. Odunayo Q: What do you think? "If you play sports on a high school team, how likely is it that you'll play at the NCAA level? Highest: Lacrosse (>12%) Lowest: Wrestling, Basketball (3-4%)" -- @frank_smithwick Foley: There are still a relatively high number of high school wrestlers in the United States compared to a relatively low number of available roster spots at the NCAA level, especially Division I (roughly 2100 total). Q: It seems like there are more notable transfers this offseason in NCAA Division I wrestling than in recent memory. Any idea why that might be the case? -- Mike C. Foley: I think kids are more emboldened to make the decisions they feel are in their best interest. If they aren't starting -- or having trouble with the coaches -- they are learning from their peers that transferring isn't the black mark it was once considered. Also, I think that the volume of news might also be impacted by the loss of the Eastern Michigan program.

A former wrestler at Eastern Michigan University has been identified as the victim of a fatal shooting in southeast Michigan. Jack MarshJack Marsh, Jr., 19, was found fatally wounded at an apartment complex in Pittsfield Township immediately west of the EMU campus in Ypsilanti on April 28, but his identity was only made public this week. Marsh had been a member of the now-defunct EMU wrestling team until he left the program in January, just two months before the Eagles mat program -- and three other intercollegiate sports -- were eliminated by the Ypsilanti-based school, effective at the end of the 2017-18 school year. A school spokesperson declined to disclose the reason for Marsh leaving the wrestling program, citing student-privacy laws. Police initially were called to a robbery with shots fired and one person injured in the parking lot at the Glencoe Hills Apartments on Saturday, April 28. Marsh was found on the ground, and taken to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, where he died from his injuries. Police continue to investigate the death and search for the suspects. No arrests had been made as of this week. As a freshman wrestling in the 174-pound weight class, Christopher John "Jack" Marsh, Jr. wrestled in six matches at Eastern Michigan, posting a 2-4 record, the Detroit News reported. Prior to enrolling at Eastern Michigan, Marsh was a 2017 graduate of St. Pius X Catholic High School in the Atlanta area where he was a member of the football and wrestling teams. Marsh won the 170-pound title as a senior at the Georgia state wrestling championships, making him the first state champ for the school in more than 25 years, and the first-ever four-time state tourney placer for St. Pius X. In addition, he held the school record for most takedowns. Marsh also served as the senior team captain, according to his bio in the 2017-18 Eastern Michigan Wrestling Media Guide. In addition, Marsh was a 2017 Prep Slam National Champion, and a 2017 FR Junior National Duals All-American. Marsh was an electronic media and film major at EMU. He had completed his winter semester but had not enrolled for fall classes at the time of his death, according to the Ann Arbor News. Jack Marsh is survived by his parents Chris and Laura of Sandy Springs, Ga. and his twin sisters Ruth and Rachel. He also leaves his maternal grandparent, Lynne Hammontree, also of Sandy Springs, and several aunts, uncles and cousins. Funeral services were held Wednesday, May 9.

There is no shortage of opportunities to see top quality freestyle wrestling this season. With USA Wrestling's new and expanded qualifying system for this year's World Championships, even more events have been added to the 2018 calendar. The next big event is the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament for men's and women's freestyle, set for May 18-20 in Rochester, Minn. Champions in the 20 weight classes -- 10 in men's freestyle and 10 in women's freestyle -- will advance to the Final X which will determine the world team. The Final X will be held at three separate locations. There are 20 wrestlers who have already qualified for one of the Final X events. Those wrestlers are either 2017 world medalists or U.S. Open champions in the weight classes without a world medalist. A total of 152 wrestlers -- 90 in men's freestyle and 62 in women's freestyle -- have earned spots in the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. The Final X champions will represent the United States at October's World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. There will be some high-level wrestling where the stakes will be very high in Minnesota. It will definitely be worth checking out. Here are 10 reasons to attend the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament: 10. The battle at 70 kilograms Returning world silver medalist James Green knows it won't be easy to make another world freestyle team. With Green already in the Final X, there will be plenty of top competitors vying for a shot to knock him off. Leading the list of challenge tournament qualifiers is U.S. Open champion Jason Chamberlain, who has excelled for years in freestyle. NCAA runner-up Hayden Hidlay placed second at the Open followed by Alec Pantaleo, Dylan Ness, Ryan Deakin and 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro. Keep an eye on the dangerous Ness, who will be competing close to home in Minnesota. Molinaro has moved up a weight class this season. Among the other qualifiers in this class are NCAA champions Kellen Russell and Jason Nolf along with veteran Kyle Ruschell. 9. These girls are good The women's wrestling program continues to grow and improve in terms of talent, skill level and participants as the "Wrestle Like A Girl" organization continues to make a huge impact on the sport. The U.S. women finished second in the team race at the 2017 World Championships and U.S. National Coach Terry Steiner has a number of top young girls coming up through the ranks. There will be some hard-fought battles in Rochester with 10 Final X spots being determined in women's freestyle. Among the top young stars to keep an eye on are 2017 world team members Victoria Francis and Mallory Velte along with Jacarra Winchester, Alex Hedrick, Rachel Watters and many others. 8. Dieringer doing damage One of the best matches of the U.S. Open came when Kyle Dake held off Alex Dieringer in a battle of potential world medalists at 79 kilograms. Now Dieringer, a past world junior silver medalist, needs to win the challenge tournament to earn another shot at Dake in the Final X. Among the qualifiers in this class are past NCAA champions Jon Reader and Zahid Valencia. It would be interesting to see a Dieringer-Valencia match. Valencia has been on a roll. He won a Junior world silver medal in 2017 before earning an NCAA title this past season. No doubt, there are some young standouts in this new weight class. Victoria will look to bounce back from a loss to Whitney Conder at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 7. Anthony's road to redemption Victoria Anthony is determined to come back strong after falling to Whitney Conder in a battle of world team members in the U.S. Open finals. Anthony, a past world fifth-place finisher, is adjusting to a new weight class of 50 kilograms that is two kilos higher than the former class of 48. Anthony is undersized at 50, but she is an explosive and powerful athlete who did make the world semifinals at 51 kilograms in 2013. Veterans Erin Golston and Amy Fearnside will be among Anthony's top challengers. The champion will face Conder in the Final X. 6. Sixty-one will be fun There was plenty of hype surrounding the competition at 61 kilograms entering the U.S. Open. The deep and loaded class lived up to its billing, capped by Joe Colon's wild, come-from-behind 20-13 win over Nahshon Garrett in the finals. While Colon will await the challenge tournament winner in the Final X, there are still plenty of studs left to battle for the other Final X spot in Rochester. In addition to Garrett, that talented group includes Seth Gross, Jon Morrison, Tyler Graff and Nico Megaludis. There will be some great battles in this weight class. Isaiah Martinez will look to follow up his U.S. Open title with a title at the World Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 5. Imar's quest for gold There are plenty of wrestling fans who are looking forward to a possible Final X showdown between Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion Jordan Burroughs and two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez. How much fun would it be to see those two dynamic and explosive athletes battle for the world team spot in freestyle at 74 kilograms? Plus, they would match up at least two times in a best-of-3 format. Bring it on. Before that happens, Martinez still has to take care of business in Rochester. He will have to make it past a couple of potentially strong challengers in veteran Nazar Kulchytskyy and two-time NCAA champion Vincenzo Joseph. Martinez lost to Joseph in the NCAA finals in 2017 and 2018. Martinez looked very dominant in rolling to the U.S. Open title. He has a huge upside in freestyle. 4. Olympian Augello not done yet 2016 Olympian Haley Augello bumped up a weight class last year to make her first world team on the Senior level in women's freestyle. She ran into a tough foe at the U.S. Open in young standout Sarah Hildebrandt, who downed Augello in the finals en route to being named Outstanding Wrestler. Augello now has a chance to regroup in Rochester, and with a win there would meet Hildebrandt again in the Final X at 53 kilograms. 3. Zain Train vs. Logie Bear One of the biggest surprises at the U.S. Open was that past world champion Logan Stieber was upset and finished third in freestyle. Stieber has moved up a weight class this season and likely will have to beat 2017 world team member Zain Retherford to make the Final X at 65 kilograms. Retherford just capped his college career by winning a second straight Hodge Trophy. He is a past Cadet world champion. A Stieber-Retherford finals series would be worth the price of admission. They are two outstanding wrestlers who have excelled internationally. U.S. Open runner-up Jaydin Eierman, who knocked off Stieber at the Open, also could be in the mix. Local fans can cheer on past Minnesota NCAA champion Jayson Ness, who was fifth at the Open. The champion at 65 kilograms will advance to face surprise U.S. Open winner Joey McKenna in the Final X. 2. Coon rockets into contention Adam Coon will make a Senior world team at some point. He's just too good not to. But will this be the year? Coon had a superb performance at the U.S. Open where he won the freestyle title at heavyweight a night after placing second in Greco-Roman. Coon only has to focus on freestyle in Minnesota and that may be bad news for his opponents. Coon downed 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jake Varner, who has moved up a weight class, in the U.S. Open finals. He also beat Cadet and Junior world champion Gable Steveson. This will be a fun weight class to watch in Rochester with top veterans Dom Bradley and Tony Nelson also expected to be in the mix. Nelson won two NCAA titles for Minnesota. The champion will meet returning world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski in the Final X. Will Spencer Lee (right) crash the party at 57 kilograms? (Photos/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 1. Ramos-Fix, Part II? Or will Lee crash the party? I can't wait to see how it all unfolds at 57 kilograms in Rochester. Two-time world team member Tony Ramos edged Junior world champion Daton Fix to win the U.S. Open in men's freestyle. A Ramos-Fix finals rematch would be enjoyable to witness, but there is no guarantee that will happen. Especially if 2018 NCAA champion Spencer Lee enters this event. Lee is a Cadet and Junior world champion in freestyle, and he's had his share of battles with Fix in the past. Plus, he trains in the same room with 2017 world silver medalist Thomas Gilman. A Fix-Lee showdown would be entertaining to watch. So would a Ramos-Lee matchup in the finals. The winner in Minnesota will face Gilman in the Final X. Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year. This story also appears in the May 11 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

Lorenzo De La Riva was a Pac-12 finalist as a freshman in 2017 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) FARGO, N.D. -- North Dakota State University head wrestling coach Roger Kish announced today the addition of redshirt sophomore Lorenzo De La Riva, a transfer from Cal State University-Bakersfield, to the 2018 Bison wrestling recruiting class. De La Riva will have two years of eligibility remaining. De La Riva joins prep standouts Austin Brenner, St. Cloud, Minn. (St. Cloud Tech); Noah Cressell, Wabash, Ind. (Wabash H.S.); Dylan Droegemueller, Champlin, Minn. (Anoka H.S.); Jared Franek, West Fargo, N.D. (West Fargo H.S.), Jimmy Noel, St. Louis, Mo. (Pulaski Academy, Little Rock, Ark.), and Sam Stuhl, Elllsworth, Wis. (Ellsworth H.S.), who have already committed. Lorenzo De La Riva, 5-11, Redshirt Sophomore, 165 Pounds/Projected at 174, NDSU, Cal State Bakersfield / Folsom, Calif. / Folsom H.S. 2017-18 (SOPHOMORE at CSUB): Compiled a 12-14 record at 165 and 174 pounds including 5-6 in duals and 2-1 in the Pac 12 … Record included four tech falls, three major decisions and a pin … Finished with 1-1 record at Pac 12 Tournament … Placed second at the Roadrunner Open with a 3-1 record. 2016-17 (FRESHMAN at CSUB): Rolled up a 19-13 record at 165 pounds for the Roadrunners including 9-3 in duals and 3-2 in the Pac 12 … Record included five pins, five major decisions and a tech fall … Qualified for the NCAA Championships by placing second at the Pac-12 Tournament ... Defeated Keaton Subjeck of Stanford 4-2 in overtime in the semifinals before dropping a 16-7 major decision to nationally-ranked Anthony Valencia of Arizona State in the finals ... Went 0-2 at the NCAA tournament ... Earned a 3-2 mark at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational ... Placed eighth at the Midlands, winning first four matches to reach semifinals. 2015-16 (REDSHIRT at CSUB): Sat out as a redshirt in the CSU Bakersfield program ... Competed in six open tournaments and won his first 15 matches on his way to 24-4 record ... Won the 157-pound titles at the San Francisco State, Fresno City College, and Roadrunner Opens ... Moved to 165 pounds and placed third at the Wisconsin Open and RTOC ... Moved to 174 pounds for the California Open and won first matches before being sidelined by injury. HIGH SCHOOL: A 2015 graduate of Folsom High School ... High school coach was Mike Collier ... State runner-up at 160 pounds at 2015 tournament ... Sixth at 145 pounds at 2014 state meet ... Folsom took a pair of section dual championships. PERSONAL: Son of Seth and Nikki De La Riva ... College major is kinesiology. North Dakota State finished the season with a 7-10 record overall including 1-7 in the Big 12 Conference including top 20 wins over then No. 18-ranked Central Michigan and No. 12 Cornell. The Bison finished fifth at the Big 12 Championships led by conference runner-up performances by 157 Clay Ream and 165 Andrew Fogarty. Four NDSU wrestlers - 125 Paul Bianchi, 133 Cam Sykora, Ream and Fogarty - advanced to the NCAA tournament in Cleveland. Ream was named the Elite 90 Award winner for the third straight year.

Mason Smith defeated Minnesota's Tommy Thorn in the first round of the NCAAs (Photo/Chris Mora, Tech-Fall.com) TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State head wrestling coach Zeke Jones announces that Mason Smith, the reigning 141-pound Midlands champion, will join the Sun Devil squad in 2018 as a transfer. Smith was ranked No. 13 in the final individual ranking of the 2017-18 season and ranked as high as No. 6 earlier in the year. He was the No. 10 seed at the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships and is a two-time NCAA qualifier. The 141-pounder comes from Central Michigan University where he finished his sophomore season with the Chippewas with a team-best 31-5 record, qualifying for NCAA Championships. At NCAA's in 2018, he earned a first round victory over a ranked opponent in No. 23 Thomas Thorn from Minnesota. Earlier in 2018, he also beat No. 3 Michigan's Salvatore Profaci in a dual match and earned wins over two ranked opponents, No. 8 Tyler Smith from Bucknell and No. 17 Colt Schilling from Cal Poly, en route to the 141-pound title at Midlands. During his redshirt season, he was named Central Michigan Redshirt Wrestler of the Year, leading the team with nine falls at the 149-lb weight class before moving down to 141. Smith joins five-time New York state champion and FloWrestling's No. 1 recruit in the U.S. at 152 lbs. and No. 3 wrestler overall Jacori Teemer in Arizona State's incoming class.

Travis Mercado coaching Julia Salata at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Robbert Wijtman) Travis Mercado has been hired as the head coach of the new women's wrestling program at Colorado Mesa University. Colorado Mesa had announced its plan to launch a women's intercollegiate program in early March, just one week after the Colorado High School Athletics Association had approved girls wrestling for pilot seasons. CMU's new women's program -- which joins an existing men's program -- will take to the mat in November 2018, becoming the only women's program in any college in Colorado, and one of only fourteen in the western U.S. Mercado brings a strong wrestling and coaching resume to his new position, including experience in coaching women's wrestling from the high school to collegiate level. For the past three years, Mercado has served at King University, where, as associate head coach of women's wrestling, has helped turn that Tennessee-based NCAA Division II school into a perennial power. He coached the team to three first place finishes at the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals and three first place finishes at Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) National Tournament. He also trained 10 USA Olympic Trials competitors and nine USA Junior National Team members. Prior to his time at King, Mercado was a graduate assistant at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky. He coached the Patriots to a fifth-place finish at the NWCA National Duals and had four WCWA All-Americans. Mercado launched his coaching career at Covina High School in California. In his two seasons there, he coached 40 boys and five girls. Mercado wrestled for the Cal State-Fullerton club program, Titan Wrestling Club, for five seasons. He earned both his bachelor's and Master's in kinesiology from the school. "We are excited to announce Coach Mercado as our inaugural head women's wrestling coach. He has a proven and impressive track record with a tremendous ability to recruit and relate to the women's wrestling community," Co-Director of Athletics Kris Mort said in a statement issued by the Colorado Mesa Tuesday. In that same statement, Travis Mercado echoed those sentiments. "First, I would like to thank President Tim Foster, Co-Athletic Directors Kris Mort and Bryan Rooks, Dave Jahnke, and the search committee on giving me this opportunity to join Colorado Mesa University athletic department as the first head coach for the women's wrestling team," Mercado said. "I am looking forward to building a strong foundation for a successful future here at Colorado Mesa," the new coach continued. "We have all the necessary resources to be successful and excel not only at the collegiate level, but also helping these young women attain goals on the international level. Along with success on the mat and in the classroom, I hope to build young women of character who will be role models within the community." "We can be successful," Mercado told the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. "The location of Colorado Mesa, being able to draw girls from powerhouse states and having them buy into the culture and philosophy. We're going to put our best performance forward and challenge each other." Colorado Mesa University is a four-year public university located in Grand Junction, Colo. Originally founded as Mesa State in 1925, CMU has an enrollment of approximately 11,000 students. Its 27 sports teams -- the Mavericks -- compete in NCAA Division II; however, its women's wrestlers will be competing in the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA).

Kyle Snyder wrestling against Japan at the Freestyle World Cup in Iowa City (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Kyle Snyder can add yet another honor to his already muscular resume. The 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning freestyle wrestler and three-time NCAA Division I heavyweight champ for Ohio State has been nominated to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, the White House announced Friday. Established by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956, the President's Council of Fitness, Sports and Nutrition is a U.S. government organization that aims "to promote, encourage, and motivate Americans of all ages to become physically active and participate in sports." Snyder, who was nominated for a two-year term on the council, was the only amateur wrestler to be included in a larger group of nominees presented by President Trump on Friday. Among the other nominees: golfer Natalie Gulbis, actor and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, and doctor and television personality Mehmet Oz. In addition, the President appointed three individuals as co-chairs of the council: former New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera, three-time women's beach volleyball Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor and Heisman Trophy-winning running back Herschel Walker. Just six weeks ago at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Snyder concluded a successful mat career for the Buckeyes. The 22-year-old Maryland native became only the fifth college wrestler to have earned three D1 heavyweight titles, joining three Oklahoma State big men -- Earl McCready (1928-30), Dick Hutton (1947-48, 1950), and Jimmy Jackson (1976-78) -- as well as Carlton Haselrig of University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown (1986-88). Just last month, Snyder was named Ohio State's male recipient of the 2018 Big Ten Medal of Honor for athletes who excel in athletics and academics, and, before that, was the recipient of the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) Sullivan Award, presented each year to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the nation. Snyder has also made a name for himself in international freestyle competition. In addition to the gold medal he earned at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Snyder is also a two-time world champion.